Book Review - Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

By Ian Acheson

Jessica Townsend is a Brisbane girl and if you weren’t aware she is the latest given the moniker “next JK Rowling”. Nevermoor is the first in an eight or nine part series and has been getting big raps since a bidding war took place at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2016. It’s already been sold in multiple languages, hit the New York Times Besteller list in its first week and the movie rights have been optioned, a director and scriptwriters been assigned.

So I decided to see what all the fuss was about. I don’t usually feature non-Christian works on ACW but I thought this was a good one to be an exception. I apologise if this is an issue for anyone reading the blog.

BLURB

A breathtaking, enchanting new series by debut author Jessica Townsend, about a cursed girl who escapes death and finds herself in a magical world--but is then tested beyond her wildest imagination 

Morrigan Crow is cursed. Having been born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any child to be born, she's blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks--and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on her eleventh birthday.

But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor.

It's then that Morrigan discovers Jupiter has chosen her to contend for a place in the city's most prestigious organization: the Wundrous Society. In order to join, she must compete in four difficult and dangerous trials against hundreds of other children, each boasting an extraordinary talent that sets them apart--an extraordinary talent that Morrigan insists she does not have. To stay in the safety of Nevermoor for good, Morrigan will need to find a way to pass the tests--or she'll have to leave the city to confront her deadly fate.

Perfect for fans of the Harry Potter series and Neil Gaiman, this fast-paced plot and imaginative world has a fresh new take on magic that will appeal to a new generation of readers.

MY REVIEW

This isn't my typical read and have had little experience with reading middle-grade lit but I loved Nevermoor. It was just so much fun to read. Even though 450 pages I found I couldn't put it down as I wanted to find out the next development in Morrigan's trials.

Morrigan Crow is an 11-year-old girl who has been led to believe that she is cursed and is the cause of many things going wrong around her. She's been born on a special date (think 29 February me thinks) and told that on her next birthday she will die as all children born on that date do. It's soon Eventide and as she prepares to die she is soon whisked away by the strangest man, Jupiter North, who kidnaps her to another world. A world full of surprise and fantasy where magical umbrellas transport you.

Jupiter has apprenticed Morrigan to apply for the Wundrous Society where entry requires passing 4 different trials (hence the book's title). Along the way Morrigan meets various characters including Fen, a Magnificat (a big cat) and Hawthorne who she befriends, he being another entrant in the trials. She stays in Hotel Deucalion that is full of mystery and wonder. I particularly love how her bedroom changes based on her mood.

Throughout this Morrigan wonders what her "knack" is, a prerequisite for the final Show Trial and entry into the Society. She presumes it's her cursed nature. But Jupiter won't tell her requesting she simply trust him as her guardian.

The story moves at a good pace, Morrigan's inquisitiveness gets her in spots of bother, and her friendship with Hawthorn is delightful.

Besides the magic and the fun, there are some good topics explored including we're not all that we appear, evil manifests itself in different ways, some seemingly innocent, others not-so and the notion that we all have a "knack" irrespective of our upbringing or position in life.

I thoroughly enjoyed Morrigan and can't wait to see where Jessica takes her in Book 2.

ACRBA Tour My Brother Tom by Michelle Worthington

3 - 7 July 2017

Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance

is Introducing 

My Brother Tom

(By Wombat Books, 1 April, 2017)

By 

Michelle Worthington

About the Book:

Tom was born earlier than expected and had the doctors worried. His big brother wasn't worried though, he saw angels outside his window and knew everything would be okay.

My Brother Tom is a story for older siblings of premature babies to help them make sense of what is happening at a difficult time.

About the Author:

Michelle is an author of children’s books, who is also available for workshops on writing for children, book signings and school readings.

Michelle Worthington was born in Brisbane, Queensland and currently works and lives in the Redlands. She enjoys travelling and has spent time studying in France where she lived for a year. 

Winner of the 1988 Little Swaggie Award and other Australian poetry competitions, she has been published in numerous Australian and International poetry anthologies. Since a very early age, Michelle has shown a love of words and rhyme, and has always excelled at English and Creative Writing. Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from University of Queensland in 1996, Michelle is currently undergoing studies to further her career as a published author and book publisher.

Australian publisher, Wombat Books has released her first children’s picture book titled The Bedtime Band. It is the story of what the animals in the Australian bush get up to when children are at home asleep in their beds. Michelle has two sons, Jordan and Cody, who she has read to every day since they were born, as she believes in the importance of fostering a love of books in children. Her books encourage children to use their imagination and dare to dream big. Michelle’s other titles are available at www.michelleworthington.com.

ACRBA Tour of Same by Katrina Roe, Illustrated by Jemima Trappel

5 - 9 October

Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance

Same
(Wombat Books 1 July 2015)

By

Written by: Katrina Roe
Illustrated by: Jemima Trappel

About the Book:

When Uncle Charlie comes to visit, Ivy keeps her distance. He seems different from other people she knows. Can Uncle Charlie find a way to show her that he is not so different after all?

Same is a touching true story about love, acceptance and finding common ground.

Katrina Roe’s debut children’s book Marty’s Nut-Free Party was shortlised in the Speech Pathology and CALEB awards. Same helps a child relate to what is actually the same, in someone who seems so different.

About the Author

Katrina Roe is an author and radio presenter.

Most recently she was host of the morning show on Sydney’s Hope 103.2 radio (www.hope1032.com.au) before leaving to have her second baby. 

Katrina also has a successful parenting blog (https://frommouthsofbabes.wordpress.com). 

Marty’s Nut-Free Party was her first children’s book, followed by Emily Eases herWheezes. Emily was listed as a notable book by CBCA in 2015. Same is her latest book, and is scheduled for release in July 2015.

Katrina has also contributed to two inspirational anthologies, All Creation Sings: Psalms of Everyday Christians and a book about miscarriage called In God’s Hands: Overcoming Miscarriage in a Broken World.

In 2009, she completed her Masters in International Relations, just for fun!  Katrina also likes kayaking, bushwalking, reading novels, taking holidays, listening to music and hanging out with friends.  She’s adamant that tea should always be made in a pot and she has a definite weakness for soft cheese.
She lives in Sydney with her three young daughters and her husband Chris.

Jemima is a Sydney-based artist and illustrator who enjoys riding her bicycle. Like many illustrators she was born holding a pencil and uses it frequently to bring words to life. 

She decided to make a career out of her passion, and in 2012, after five years at the College of Fine Arts and the University of NSW, she emerged with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (with honours), a Bachelor of Arts (a combined degree) and the ability to converse in French.

Same by Katrina Roe, is her first book with Wombat Books. Prior to this, Jemima illustratedWonderfully Madison (2013 – winner of the children's book category in the Caleb awards that year) and Fearlessly Madison (2014) by Penny Reeve (published by Youthworks Media). She is also the illustrator of the short comic, A friend in need, by Karen Bielharz (part of the self-published Kinds of Blue anthology, 2011), and is the linework artist for the short animation Money Tree (2011), written and directed by Hawanatu Bangura. 

Top Tips for Marketing Children’s Books

Today I'd like to welcome Penny Reeve to Australasian Christian Writers, to talk about marketing books for children. Welcome, Penny!

Marketing Children's Books

If you ask an author what the least favourite part of their job is they’ll often talk about marketing or publicity. Regardless of how unpleasant many authors find these tasks, publishers, booksellers and even readers expect authors to be involved - and this includes writers of books for children.
So, what marketing and publicity strategies do children’s writers use? And are they different to those used by authors of books for a wider market?

To understand this we must first look at the intended audience of a children’s book. For, while a children’s book is written primarily for children to read (or be read to) it is generally NOT the children to whom marketing and publicity strategies for children’s books are aimed. Children are consumers of children’s books, but they are disempowered consumers. Their choice, preferences and financial buying power lie securely with the adults that surround them.

Consider the purchasing chain for a novel for adults: the adult sees the book - they like the book - they buy the book.

Contrast this to a purchasing chain for a children’s book: the child sees a book - they like the book - they must convince their adult to take a look - the adult sees the book - they like the book - they buy the book.

Because of this dominance of adults (be they parents, teachers, librarians, family or friends) in the children’s book buying chain it is imperative that children’s writers carefully consider how to market their books to adults – on behalf of the children the books are intended for – at various points along the purchasing chain. The following tips can be helpful for narrowing down relevant opportunities:

Tip #1: Clearly identify who your purchasing adults are. 

Are you targeting librarians? Teachers? Grandparents? The marketing strategy to each group will be slightly different based on their purpose behind buying. Don’t assume one strategy will reach the ears of everyone, think strategically and purposefully about your target groups.

Tip #2: Find out where these adults gather information about potential children’s book purchases. 

Is it Goodreads? Facebooks? Parenting magazines? Librarian conferences? Find out, and then consider building an author presence in these settings.

Tip #3: Carefully prepare marketing pitches to meet the needs of potential buyers. 

Why should these adults buy your book for their child? What need does it meet? Enjoyment? Education? Shared experience? Something else? Spend some time thinking about it and then prepare sales pitches that adequately (and truthfully) explain how your books meet these needs.

Tip #4: Be prepared to market for the long haul. 

Although you’ll most likely want to get your books out and sold as soon as possible, word-of-mouth remains the best seller of books. And word of mouth takes a long time to build up momentum. Teachers talk to librarians, friends talk to grandparents, parents to parents, and book recommendations are passed on. The brilliant thing about children’s books is that the market repeats itself over and over. This year’s five year olds might grow out of your picture book, but next year’s five year olds haven’t even heard about it yet! Be committed to marketing your books over a long period of time and allow that beautiful word-of-mouth momentum to grow.

Tip #5: DON’T forget the children. 

Although a children’s writer must sell books to purchasing adults they must never forget who they are writing for. Always allow opportunities to interact with children themselves and look for events where children can interact first hand with your books and stories. School visits, playgroup talks, store story-times, library visits, writing workshops etc. Often these events will not translate to immediate sales (remember the potential drop off points in the purchasing chain?). But child centred events will remind you who your true audience is, sales or not, and why you must remain committed to creative marketing in order to get your books into these hands.

About Penny Reeve

Penny Reeve is the author of many children’s books including the popular Tania Abbey Adventures and Find The Animal series. In 2013 she won the Children’s Category CALEB Prize with illustrator Jemima Trappel for their picture book Wonderfully Madison. She now lives in western Sydney with her husband and three children, and will be guest blogging for ACW on the topic of writing for children over the next few weeks.

Writing for Children: Picture Book Basics with Penny Reeve

By Penny Reeve

Picture books are beautiful. They are fun. They are made for sharing, reading aloud, and for reading over and over and over again! Unfortunately (or fortunately – depending on your view of things) this means that writing picture books can be difficult. Much more difficult than most people imagine.

For starters, picture books are short. In terms of word count the average Australian picture book is between 500 and 800 words long. (US picture books seem to be more wordy, but over here the trend is short and tight.) The obvious implication of such a small word count is that there is no space for waffle. Each and every word must be worth its place in your manuscript.

There is also a page limit. Typical picture books are 32 pages long (this is determined by the way the physical paper is folded and cut to produce the book). Of these 32 pages an author can lose up to 3 or even 4 pages in title and imprint details. So the story of a picture book must be told in about 14 -15 page spreads.

A picture book also relies heavily on illustrations. And this is more complicated than the seemingly obvious: ‘It’s a picture book, it has pictures!’ The very best picture books utilise the skill and storytelling abilities of the illustrator to compliment the text of an author. Because of this, a writer of picture books must keep their text sparse, allow for much description to be in the illustrations and even leave space for multiple storylines that will exist without written accompaniment. Writing picture books is about writing a strong story well, and then leaving scope for an illustrator to build on it.

And then there is style; rhyme, repetition and the powerful use of language. Although picture books texts are short, they are anything but boring! Picture books are designed to be read aloud by an adult and therefore they allow exciting explorations into vocabulary that children love to hear. Rhyme works brilliantly in picture books—if it’s brilliantly done.

Repetition, alliteration and other word play are all enjoyed by children and their accompanying adult reader. Many picture books are extremely poetic in the way they have been written, even if they do not use rhyme. It takes time to find just the right words to tell your story in just the right way.

When I write picture books, they take me a long time. Longer, often, than a middle grade novel because I need to give myself time for ideas to brew, characters to grow and just the right words to find themselves in my story. It’s a challenge, and sometimes it just feels like hard work. But when the story comes together and your publisher finds an illustrator who can bring it to life with their unique spin, you know it’s worth it.


Happy writing,

Penny.

About Penny Reeve

Penny Reeve is the author of many children’s books including the popular Tania Abbey Adventures and Find The Animal series. In 2013 she won the Children’s Category CALEB Prize with illustrator Jemima Trappel for their picture book Wonderfully Madison. She now lives in western Sydney with her husband and three children, and will be guest blogging for ACW on the topic of writing for children over the next few weeks.

Writing for Children: Interviewing Penny Reeve

Today I'd like to welcome Penny Reeve to Australasian Christian Writers. Penny is a well-known Australian children's author, and she's going to be sharing about writing and publishing for children. Welcome, Penny!

Please start by telling us a little bit about yourself – family background, publishing history etc.

I grew up as the child of missionaries. My parents worked for MAF (Missionary Aviation Fellowship) and as a result we moved around a fair bit. We lived in the Northern Territory, Bangladesh and Papua New Guinea. It was in Bangladesh that I wrote my first book. I was seven at the time and wrote a fully illustrated chapter book titled ‘Creepy Crawlys’. I think this is what first captured my imagination when it came to being a writer, but it wasn’t until my daughter was born in 2000 that I first started writing seriously, and for publication. That was fifteen years and 21 books ago.

What ages does children’s fiction cover?

Children’s fiction is a really wide category. It covers everything from board books for toddlers to deep, challenging novels for young adults. Some children’s writers specialise in a particular age bracket, but many of them, like me, write across all ages.

Are there "standard" age groups? What are they?

Yes, there are some ‘standard’ categories within the realm of children’s books. The Children’s Book Council of Australia categorises books for children into the following groups:

• Older Readers (typically YA)
• Younger Readers (novels for ‘middle grade’ age groups) 
• Early Childhood (books for children in lower primary age groups) and 
• Picture Books (books using the picture book medium, but often catering for a wider age range than the Early Childhood books). 

The boundaries of children’s books are often challenged by the books themselves; for example, some YA novels are now becoming commonplace in adult reading diets, and some picture books make grown-ups choke back tears while reading aloud to a contented child. The beauty of a well-written children’s book is that it will appeal to a wide variety of ages at the same time and/or at different times.

Do you illustrate your own books?

Oh, No! I am NOT an illustrator. I can draw to keep my children happy, but that’s about it. Each book of mine has been paired, by the publisher, with an extremely talented illustrator who has been able to bring my stories to life in their own unique way.

What are the differences between children’s books aimed at the general market and the Christian market? What are the similarities?

I think the main difference between the two is the market expectation. People who buy ‘Christian Books’ are expecting some level of deliberate ‘teaching’ or ‘theological exposition’ to be taking place in the book they buy. Sometimes they want ‘clean’ fiction for their children, or ‘safe’ content. The trap authors and publishers need to avoid is to focus purely on the lesson, to the detriment of quality, story and character.

In the general market the focus is primarily on story, or character. So, if a book has faith content but is aimed for the general market the expectation for ‘teaching’ doesn’t exist. Any Christian characters are present as crucial elements in the story and are not tools for teaching a ‘spiritual lesson’.

Similarities between books for the general and Christian market lie in type and reach. Age groupings are the same, style and format often overlap, and sometimes popular trends (for example fantasy or historical content) can be same.

What's the best thing about writing for children? The worst?

For me, I think the best thing about writing for children is the scope of it. From picture books to novels, it’s all there, and one of the things I enjoy is being able to consider this smorgasbord of possibilities and choose the medium that will best tell the story I want to write.

The worst thing? As far as I’m concerned, there is no worst thing. I enjoy it all.

About Penny Reeve

Penny Reeve is the author of many children’s books including the popular Tania Abbey Adventures and Find The Animal series. In 2013 she won the Children’s Category CALEB Prize with illustrator Jemima Trappel for their picture book Wonderfully Madison. She now lives in western Sydney with her husband and three children, and will be guest blogging for ACW on the topic of writing for children over the next few weeks.

Book Review: Swallow Me, NOW! by Melissa Gijsbers

Book Description:

All Sam wants to do is to fit in at her new school. Feeling alone, and desperately trying to find her place in the world, she concocts an AMAZING story - BUT it backfires on her, and she becomes known as the 'Evil Genius's Daughter!' Can her life get any worse?

Narelle's Thoughts:

I enjoyed reading Swallow Me, NOW! and I read the whole story in one sitting. The story is easy to read and the target audience is children aged 7-12 years.

Sam is in Year Five and the story starts on Sam's first day at a new primary (elementary) school in suburban Melbourne. Sam's parents were missionaries in Nepal, and she recently returned to Australia after many years abroad. An Aussie school is a culture shock for Sam. We follow her journey as she struggles to fit in at her new school. The story addresses important social issues that confront many children. I highly recommend Swallow Me, NOW! for children who are looking for a fun story with a positive and inspiring message of hope.

My daughter's thoughts: I liked how the story is realistic and shows how hard it can be for kids to adapt to a new school. Even if you're not starting at a new school, bullying can still happen to you. I also loved how Sam was very creative and was brave enough to talk about the mean things that were happening to her. I understood why she finally fought back and didn't just let it keep happening to her. The story was fun and exciting. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author. 

ACRBA Tour Swallow Me, NOW! by Melissa Gijsbers

2 - 6 March 2015

Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance

is introducing

Swallow Me, Now!

(Lilly Pilly Press, October 2014)

By

Melissa Gijsbers

About the Book:

All Sam wants to do is to fit in at her new school. Feeling alone, and desperately trying to find her place in the world, she concocts an AMAZING story - BUT it backfires on her, and she becomes known as the 'Evil Genius's Daughter!' Can her life get any worse?

About the Author

Melissa Gijsbers started writing when she was in High School during the 1990s, even winning some awards for a short story and a script. For many years, life got in the way of creative writing, however she did start blogging around 2006.

She currently lives in Melbourne, Australia with her two sons and a pet blue tongue lizard.

Celebrating Australian Non-fiction and Children's Books

We're continuing our celebrating Australia Day theme and featuring Aussie non-fiction and children's books on our blog.

Jo-Anne Berthelsen's husband, Lionel, reading her memoir 'Soul Friend'.

Ray Hawkins signing one of his devotion books.

Osheana with one of her favourite books, 'The Pink Pirate' by Michelle Worthington and Karen Mounsey-Smith

Sophia falling asleep reading 'Swallow Me, NOW!' by Melissa Gijsbers Khalinsky.

It's shout-out time and your turn to let us know the title of an Aussie non-fiction or children's book that you've recently read, or are planning to read in 2015.

I'm going to read Swallow Me, NOW! by Melissa Gijsbers Khalinsky as part of her ACRBA blog tour in March. 

ACBRA Tour Better Than A Superhero by Belinda Francis Illustratedby Kayleen West

21st - 25th June 2014

Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance

is introducing

Better Than A Superhero

(Wombat books 1 May 2014)

By

Belinda Francis, illustrated by Kayleen West

About the Book

Who is better than a superhero? Find out about Jesus as you explore what he did and who he was. And most importantly how Jesus really can be your best friend!


About the Authors

Belinda Francis
Award winning journalist turned children's author Belinda Francis worked in newspapers, magazines and electronic media for ten years in South Africa before she and her family immigrated to Queensland.

Shortly after arriving in Australia, her elder son was diagnosed with ASD and she devoted the next few years to his early intervention, which with God's guidance, has paid off miraculously. Her second son, who had been born ten weeks prematurely, is now healthy and strong – evidence of yet another miracle. She and her family recently celebrated the arrival of their third child, a much-prayed for daughter.

While raising her children, Belinda wrote Better than a Superhero, her first published book, and threw herself into the local church and community. She runs the Sunday school program at her church campus.

Belinda is passionate about raising children up in God's kingdom and excited about the ministry opportunities the book will undoubtedly open up.

Kayleen West
An award winning artist, her work hangs in private and corporate collections in France, United States, Italy, and the Australian Embassy in Ireland and in government collections in Australia.

Although an initial childhood dream was to write and illustrate for children, Kayleen was encouraged to venture into a career of an exhibiting fine artist and later a graphic designer.
Returning to her original passion in 2009, Kayleen is now a published children's Author and Illustrator working on her third children's book and writes Christian content for magazines and blogs.

Kayleen is the author and illustrator of Without Me? (Wombat Books, 2013) and the illustrator of Better than a Superhero (Even Before Publishing, 2014).
For more information: www.kayleenwest.com.au

ACRBA Tour Dave the Donkey by Andrew McDonough

31 March - 4 April  2014

Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance

is introducing

Dave the Donkey

by

Andrew McDonough

About the Book

. 
Jerusalem. A lone rider approaches. The cheering crowd swarm to greet him. The King has come, mounted upon his mighty steed Dave the Donkey! Join Dave, his Grandpa and Jesus in this epic Easter tale of power, courage, death and resurrection. If you like Black Beauty you will love Dave the Donkey.

About the Author

Andrew McDonough is the creator of the popular Lost Sheep resources. He has written and illustrated 21 children's stories that are used in schools and churches around the world. Based in South Australia, Andrew belongs to the WestCare community, an inner city mission working amongst the homeless, supporting people struggling with addictions and advocating for refugees. He regularly visits schools & churches to tell stories, conduct workshops, preach and lead all-age worship services. He and the Lost Sheep team have a passion to provide high quality Biblical storytelling resources to children’s workers, pastors and parents. Andrew’s stories including Cecil the Lost Sheep, Jesus and the Children, Echidnas on Everest and his latest book, Tina the Tree

https://www.lostsheep.com.au/

My Review by Jenny Blake

Dave the Donkey is a delightful children's book which tells the story of Easter in a unique way. Dave is the Donkey Jesus rode into Jerusalem on and the story goes from there. Dave is now back home and he want's to know what happened to the king after the crowd loved him, waved palm leaves and called out praises to him. Grandpa had just come home and tells what he saw. Dave pictured Jesus with a crown and hear what the crown was. We then hear the rest of the Easter story in a simplistic but cleaver way. The illustrations are well done and really make the story. There is a parent and teachers guide at the back of the book which is also a good resource. This is a delightful book that would be great for parents to read to little children and would be a great teaching book for teachers to tell the Easter story in a simply way. A very good read.

ACRBA Tour Can God See Me? by Penny Reeve

18 - 22 November

Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance

is introducing

Can God See Me?

Wombat Books Oct 2013

By 

Penny Reeve

About the Book
I read in the Bible, so it must be true, God can see everything that I do. But what might this look like? And how far does God's care reach? Join the wild, hilarious and certainly crazy ride of a young boy who dares to imagine the incredible scope of God's love and care.

About the Author
Penny Reeve grew up as the child of missionary parents in a variety of cross cultural settings. She then went to university, got married and served for several years herself in PNG and Nepal.

She now lives with her family in Western Sydney and is the author of 11 children’s books including the very popular Find the Animal series for young children and the social-justice themed Tania Abbey novels.

Website: http://www.pennyreeve.com/

ACRBA Tour Joy by Kirrily Lowe with Interview

21 - 15 October

Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance

Introducing

Joy  

(Wombat Books August 2010)

By 

Kirrily Lowe

Www.theinvisibletree.com.au

About the Book:

"I've lost my joy where could it be?"

Come with our little girl on a search to find her "Joy".  Is it under the apple tree, is it out to sea, or is it in something that we cannot see?  A message for little ones and big ones – where do we go to find joy when we have lost it.

About the Author:

Kirrily Lowe is the author of The Invisible Tree series of children's books - a delightful and fun series seeking to capture great and timeless values for little ones.

Kirrily began her career as a lawyer working with children in Sydney’s Western Suburbs.

She is now the pastor together with her husband Tim of C3 City Campus - a dynamic and creative congregation in Darlinghurst, Sydney.

Kirrily began writing in 2010 whilst at home with her young children.

Kirrily lives in the northern suburbs of Sydney with Tim and her 3 young and lively boys.

Interview with Kirrily

1.    Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I grew up on Sydney's Northern Beaches.  As a child I was passionate about changing the world and dreamt of becoming a criminal lawyer – defending the underdog.  After 6 years of study I began work as a criminal lawyer in Western Sydney, and specialised in working with children who committed crimes. I loved this work, however at the age of 24 after a seven year period of feeling quite lost pursuing my own dreams, I yielded my life to God, and my heart changed dramatically.  I hungered for God and His word, and I was convinced that this was the answer to the cry of every human heart. I sensed that God was calling me to pastoral ministry – and so I switched full time work as a lawyer to full time bible college.  After a number of years I met my husband and joined him in planting C3 Church City Campus in Darlinghurst Sydney.  For the past 13 years we have led this wonderful, dynamic, creative congregation in the heart of Sydney.  During this time we have had 3 boys – Sammy, Harry and Elijah – and I have released 4 children's books - "Love", "Joy", "Peace" and "Patience". 

2.    As a child did you have a favourite children’s book?

 I loved the book "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry – although I probably discovered this book as a searching teenager.  As I child I loved May Gibbs and her tales of the Gumnut Babies.

3.    Where did you get the inspiration for your book Joy?

After I gave birth to my 3rd child Elijah I was consistently quite sick, and I felt God start to teach me about the power of joy – this became a message that I would share with our congregation.  At the time I wrote a little poem about the source of joy.  It is this poem that has become the "Joy" book.

4.    How did you find writing a children’s book and how did you go about it?

I never planned to write children's books, but I always enjoyed writing poetry.  After I read the poem "Joy" to our congregation many suggested I should make it into a children's book.  I thought about this and could see ahead of me a beautiful series of children's books based on the fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5:22-23.  So I prayed, chatted to friends and began to research what was involved in creating a children's book.

5.    What would you like readers to take out of reading your book?

I would like readers to understand that through all the circumstances of life, there is a joy that can be found in God's presence that will strengthen, sustain and empower.

6.    A fun question to end, If you were to recommend somewhere in Australia or New Zealand for readers to visit where would it be?

I am a big fan of Byron Bay and the North Coast of NSW.

7.     Where can we find you on the web?

Www.theinvisibletree.com.au