Inspired by Jemma Birrell’s article in The Age, here are the top 5 books that have changed me (in no particular order). 1. Oh, the Places You’ll Go – Dr Seuss I never read Dr Seuss as a child and only picked up the first when my daughter was nearly 2 years old. It was [...]

So tell me, are you e-book reader or a fan of the old-school hardcopy? If you’d asked me six months ago whether I’d prefer to read a hardcopy book or the electronic version, I’d have said without hesitation the hardcopy. I love the look, feel and smell of a book. The craftsmanship of its form, [...]

Contrary to what most of us believe, creativity is not some divine gift that comes to us like a flash of light at 2am. It takes a lot of effort on our behalf and perhaps, if we are lucky, the occasional flash will bring the hard work together. Creativity must be learnt, fostered and encouraged. [...]

So the blog is back! It’s been an embarrassingly long time between posts, especially considering my last post was about balancing creative time with the drudgery of day-to-day work – clearly something I’ve been struggling with. Never-mind, we’re here to look forward and not behind. The blog (and I) now have a new-found sense of [...]

How would you describe your work to someone new to it? I’m the author of 86 children’s books. My latest novel is Maya and the Crystal Skull, an action adventure for children aged 9 years and over, based on the legend of the crystal skulls. People often ask which of my titles is my favourite. [...]

I’ve always been very black and white. I’ve never been the kind of person who can enjoy the ‘occasional’ drink,cigarette or piece of chocolate. I’m either in, or I’m out, I’m drunk or I’m sober, eating well or eating what I like. That was until I entered the ‘working mother with creative ambition and a [...]

How would you describe your work to someone new to it? I write many genres for ages 5-15 years. What is your writing process? Do you follow a regular routine? Panic, always. Cups of tea, sometimes. And I do have a small office and start work each morning as though I worked outside my home [...]

How would you describe your work to someone new to it? I’d describe my work as fantasy that is influenced heavily by ‘real world’ mythologies. I enjoy playing various seemingly incongruous aspects of real world legends off one another, or drawing connections between disparate cultures, that sort of thing. A lot of my work seems [...]

How would you describe your work to someone new to it? I have loved words ever since I could talk.  A lifetime later, my first self-published book was a children’s upper primary novel and I was surprised that I could write from the point of view of a 12 year old boy (because I’ve never [...]

How would you describe your work to someone new to it? I mainly write poetry, though I do play around with short stories, articles and occasionally other forms. With my poetry I am always trying to explore different styles and voices, so it’s hard to pinpoint any overall defining characteristics. In my most recent book, [...]