Scriptorium

In May I was invited to be a part of a wonderful platform called Time Tunnellers, which is all about “digging for the story in history.” It’s a joint effort by several children’s authors, and the result is a fabulous collection of resources that can be used in the classroom to enhance lessons. I was tasked with writing an article and creating a video that unpacked some aspect of the history…

The eighth of November is STEM Day (or STEAM Day), an occasion to celebrate the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths (and the Arts). To celebrate STEM Day, I’m reading Women in Science: Fifty Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World, written and illustrated by Rachel Ignotofsky (Ten Speed Press, 2016). This fascinating non-fiction book for young readers perfectly demonstrates the…

It’s the end of HER MAJESTY ‘S LEAGUE OF REMARKABLE YOUNG LADIES’ first blog tour, and I’d like to share some highlights. Starting with the final blog first, from the inimitable and effervescent blogger Amy, aka Golden Books Girl. Thank you Amy for ‘getting’ my book so thoroughly. Your words are incredibly affirming.

Let's celebrate #INWED - International Women in Engineering Day! This is for all the girls out there who dream of cool engineering careers!

23 June is International Women in Engineering Day (#INWED), a day dedicated to highlighting the outstanding work of women engineers and drawing attention to the exciting future career opportunities available to girls. It’s also the day after my upcoming middle-grade novel goes to print. How about a warm welcome for Winifred Weatherby, nineteenth-century girl-genius, inventress, aspiring…

I'm so excited to share the story behind the cover of my upcoming middle grade #MG book with #STEM - HER MAJESTY'S LEAGUE OF REMARKABLE YOUNG LADIES. Coming on 3AUG23 from Chicken House. Cover by Micaela Alcaino.

I’m thrilled to share the spiffy cover of HER MAJESTY’S LEAGUE OF REMARKABLE YOUNG LADIES! It’s a beauty. If you read to the bottom of this post, you’ll be rewarded with an extra treat – a book trailer! Cover design by Micaela Alcaino I love-love-LOVE it. The colours, the elements, the gorgeous little scroll with my name on it (Gulp! I’m not teary – you are!), even the pug’s adorable curlicue…

All I wanted for Christmas this year was to recover the ability to read for pleasure, and I found it in Iceland... #jolabokaflod #recoveringbookslumpist

All I wanted for Christmas this year was time the ability to read for pleasure (again), and I found it in Iceland… The loss of leisurely reading is, paradoxically, an occupational hazard of professional writing. When books are the tools of one’s trade, it becomes difficult to open them without engaging the ‘work-side’ of the brain. At least it is for me. Even with picture books and whimsical…

If you enjoy writing & reading historical fiction for children, check out this post about the editing of The Remarkables. I include lessons learned so far and some fascinating trivia. #amediting #mg #HF #19thcen

I’m several weeks into Round One of edits on The Remarkables, and so far it’s been a wild experience—far more challenging than I’d anticipated. I want to share three hard lessons I’ve learned so far from editing. And then, for fun, I’ll share some tempting tidbits of 19th-century trivia. Editing Lesson 1: Prepare Yourself for Murder Ever since I set out on my writing dream in 2010, getting to…

We had sparkles! We had music - and a DJ! We had dancing and crafts and more! Here's a rundown of the Disco Party to launch Boogie Woogie Bird!

I sent Boogie Woogie Bird into the world in style – with a Disco Party Book Launch. We had sparkles and bling. We had a DJ and music and boogying. We had dancers and birds, games and prizes. It was so. much. fun. The venue was Brisbane’s “it” children’s bookshop, Where the Wild Things Are, and the turnout was amazing. So many friends from the writing community, my family, and beloved colleagues…

I'm enjoying all the new-author milestones. Yesterday, I spotted #BoogieWoogieBird in the wild, taking prime position in the window of my local bookshop. 😭 Such a buzz!

A writer’s journey is marked with milestones, substantial and ephemeral. There are concrete things like contracts and books, and there are fleeting moments to enjoy, insights to ponder. Today I enjoyed the latter, a little thrill of seeing Boogie Woogie Bird ‘in the wild’ for the first time. Prime real estate, on the left. Imagine my delight when I discovered my local bookshop had given Boogie…

Shout out to @anthonyjburt for a fabulous #Lighthouse chat about his upcoming #MG book, The Animal Lighthouse. Celebrating his book and @SCBWIQ's #creativeresidency at the Caloundra Lighthouses with a #video!

I recently chatted with UK children’s author Anthony Burt about his new book, The Animal Lighthouse, and what a serendipitous meeting it was! He writes STEM stories; I write STEM stories (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Maths). He lives in Frome, the location of Chicken House Books, who are publishing my upcoming middle grade novel, The Remarkables. And we both love animals and appreciate…

Hurray for World Curlew Day

I interrupt the promotion of Boogie Woogie Bird, my debut picture book, with an important announcement: 21 April is World Curlew Day, which is dedicated to saving endangered migratory wading curlews. The curlew in my story isn’t a shorebird, but rather a Bush Stone-curlew, and he’s not shy about gatecrashing World Curlew Day to say g’day. Curlew wants to do his bit to raise awareness of the…

Boogie Woogie Bird, my new picture book, is winging its way to bookstores. In the meantime, here are 10 quirky facts about Bush Stone-curlews, the goofy-dancing stars of my story. #KeepDancing!

Joyful curlew | Illustration by Sandra Severgnini, ©2022. My first picture book, Boogie Woogie Bird (illustrated by Sandra Severgini, published by Redback Publishing, 2022) is only weeks away from its debut! So exciting! While I count down the days, I’m sharing the reasons I adore this bird—not that I’ve always been an admirer! My first encounters with Bush Stone-curlews were terrifying! But…

It's time to tackle those troublesome narratives we tell ourselves. Let's bust some my-thologies.

It all started with a humble hyphen. I was reading Ann Patchett’s essay collection, These Precious Days, when I got snagged on an awkward hyphenation. Was the split word an unfortunate typographical error or an intentional choice? From These Precious Days by Ann Patchett, Bloomsbury, 2021. In the chapter titled ‘The Nightstand,’ the author writes about personal narratives, the expository…

Let's debunk the myth that Said as a dialogue tag is boring and overused. Said is not dead. Said rules. Long live Said! #writingtips #dialogue

A few years ago when my Pinterest addiction was at its peak, I blogged about the dangers of mispinformation. Annoyed by the proliferation of ‘Said is Dead’ pins, I went to battle to set the record straight: When writing dialogue, Said is good and reliable and, well, correct. The post is one of the more popular on my blog, so I’ve given it a trim and a hair cut and I’m resharing it now. No…

No, Said is NOT Dead

I’ve already established my love of Pinterest, where beautifully presented information flows on and on in a dizzying swirl of distraction and practicality. Pinterest is my favourite online tool for curating great articles on literature, blogging, and writing craft. The trouble is not all Pinformation is reliable. It’s not Pinterest’s fault. The Internet oozes unsubstantiated, dodgy “facts.” We…