2 Book Characters Come Alive

1.bpspot/-iKUjyL8BmkI/VpLzaNnZKfI/AAAAAAABGzA/iRAqPBNTbqE/s1600/piglet%2Bbunny%2Bcat%2Bpic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> One of the most exciting thing about writing books, is playing 'god' when it comes to creating characters. You can create absolutely anything you like, in whatever colours, styles, moods, personality traits. It's like imaginary play for grown-ups. Extending characters by creating 3D models is a whole lot of fun, and how could I resist creating crocheted caricatures of Piglet, Bunny and Cat from my upcoming book, Smile Cry? These beautiful critters came to life from the paintbrush of...

0 Cover Reveal - Smile Cry!

importantnutrientsspot/search?q=smile-cry"> Absolutely delighted to reveal the cover to my latest book--created with the amazing jessesmess/" target="_blank">Jess Racklyeft, out this March in NZ, UK, USA and Canada, and an April release for Australia.  I simply adored working with Jess on this book for little ones--her illustrations so perfectly convey my words and the emotion behind them. Huge thanks to Mark Thacker who typeset the book and designed these amazing covers, and endless thanks to my publisher Anouska Jones for yet again making book publication not only a joy, but a breeze. Below are the book's details, and...

0 One Word Wisdom With Author Jacqueline Harvey

3.bpspot/-mHXi3rWFqtM/Vp2iDecepgI/AAAAAAABG1o/N9SOpoDCAz8/s1600/Alice-MirandaBK13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> 1. What is the best thing about being an author?  Creativity 2. WhatΓÇÖs the worst thing? Juggling 3. How did writing the 13th book in the Alice-Miranda series make you feel?  Happy 4. What do you hope it brings its readers?  Pleasure 5. What else do you like to do?  Golf 6. Who has influenced your writing the most?  Dahl 7. What has been your biggest career reward? Readers 8. What is the most important contribution an author can make to the world? ...

1 You Are Invited - Smile Cry Launch Party!

importantnutrientsspot/search?q=" target="_blank"> Come and join us for a launch party to celebrate the release of Smile Cry, a unique double-story picture book, with Smile starting and one end and Cry at the other! A BeginnerΓÇÖs Book of Feelings, join Pig, Bunny and Cat as they explore their emotions with gorgeously whimsical illustrations and lots of humour. Kids will enjoy a story, book signing, goodie bag, a special animal mask and colouring-in. Yes, there will be cupcakes and maybe even pies, and theyΓÇÖll be able to meet real life versions of the characters! And the amazing Jen Storer will be in town to launch the book! She might...

0 One Word Wisdom With Author Jack Heath

4.bpspot/-SU4DglNUN9s/Vp2iGiaq5QI/AAAAAAABG2A/s_O9aptD1Fw/s1600/bullet-train-disaster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> 1. What is the best thing about being an author? Daydreaming 2. WhatΓÇÖs the worst thing? Repetition 3. How did writing Bullet Train Disaster make you feel? Tangled  4. What do you hope it brings its readers? Focus  5. What else do you like to do? Entertain 6. Who has influenced your writing the most? Silverberg  7. What has been your biggest career reward? Education 8. What is the most important contribution an author can make to the world? Empathy ...

1 International Book Giving Day 2016

bookgivingday/" target="_blank"> Tomorrow, 14 February, is bookgivingday/" target="_blank">International Book Giving Day! Perfectly timed with Valentine's Day--what could be more loving that giving the gift of story ... and literacy? You can give books to your kids, to your partner, to your friends or colleagues. You can give books to medical centres or women's shelters or to strangers. Or you can even give them to yourself. Tomorrow I'll be handing a stash of books I've been saving to up - to random kids in the street. I'll also be heading to a local bookstore to buy up tomes for my kids--and thankfully, it will be my birthday next...

0 Chief Minister's Reading Challenge

dett.gov.au/teaching_and_learning/chief_ministers_reading_challenge" target="_blank"> From Monday 22 February to Friday 9 September 2016, the Chief Minister's Reading Challenge for the ACT, will be in full swing. Kids all over the territory are invited to participate in this wonderful initiative--and all they need to do is read 15 books in that time (or many, many more, of course!). Schools can register for the Challenge online and each student keeps an individual reading record. Books can include anything that interests them, from poetry to novels and non-fiction. I'm so excited to be a CMRC ambassador for 2016, along with other local...