Just snatching some time out to thank you all for your continuing interest in the Janna Mysteries. I’m currently waiting for a response from an agent in the USA, and am also trying to fit in some writing time. Meantime, if you’d like to check it out, there’s a fantastic review of Willows for Weeping in the latest issue of Stiletto, the magazine put out by Sisters in Crime in Melbourne.
I’m having a quiet weekend after a really busy lead up to Book Week. Our new Children’s Book Council Northern Suburbs (Sydney) branch has organised some wonderful afternoon teas at primary schools in Balgowlah, Manly, Beacon Hill and (on Tuesday 25th) Allambie Heights. Students have come along to this free event to meet children’s authors and it’s been great to see their enthusiasm for reading and books. I mostly talked about researching and writing my time-slip novel Ghost Boy, which is set partly at the Quarantine Station in Sydney. Many of the students have visited the QS, and some have even done the special Ghost Boy tour that’s based on my book.
I’ve also been made welcome at several fantastic high schools: Cheltenham, Kuringai Arts College and Killarney Heights. It’s been great to meet the students, share some writing tips, show a p.p. display of some of the sites I visited when writing the Shalott trilogy and the Janna Mysteries, and answer their interesting questions.
A highlight for me was visiting my granddaughter’s primary school to talk about my novels for younger readers: Ghost Boy, Turning the Page and Wally the Water Dragon. My granddaughter (aged 7) asked questions along with the older students, and was very happy to share information with them about our resident head-banging water dragon, Fred, who was the inspiration behind the Wally book.
Next week promises to be even busier. If you’re a student at SCEGGS Redlands, Mosman High, Allambie Heights P/S, Wenona or Pittwater House, please come along and say hi during my visit. I’ll also be on the ferry on Monday for the CBC book lunch. And if you’re in Gosford on Wednesday, I’ll be at the Top Bookshop although most of my day will be spent at Kincumber P/S. And on Sunday I’ll be at the Australian Museum in College St., Sydney. So if you’re around any of those schools or at those functions, please drop in and introduce yourselves. And above all, have a great book week – please keep reading (and keep writing!)

6 Comments

  1. ive just read the 4 JM books in two weeks and i am going out of my mind not being able to read the last. good luck with getting them out there !!! :):) hope they are published soon

  2. Best of luck with the agent in the states!! We all hope you get the last two JM books published soon! We are all waiting hopefully for the rest of Janna's journey.

    xxxxxxxxx PRAYING HARD

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