I have always wanted to be a writer, so much so that when I was 6 years old I requested a Thesaurus and a Dictionary for my birthday. I had no troubles or anxieties about starting school as this was where I was going to learn to read and write. Like Matilda (the loveable character from the Roald Dahl classic book); I loved books and would read practically anything I could get my hands on and by half way through my first year of schooling I was already reading at a year 3 level. I not only loved to read but I loved to create my own stories too. My imagination was vivid and one of the first ever stories I wrote was about a budgerigar that could clap. My Grade 1 teacher thought this was wonderfully creative and encouraged me to write other stories. And so, from there it began. I spent countless hours writing and illustrating stories, making my mother or my teacher ‘publish’ my works, so that I could read them to my adoring fans. Aka, Mum, Dad and my younger brother and sister!
Fast forward 30 years and not much has changed, apart from the fact that I’m now an adult and I have 2 sons of my own, Ryan who is 10 and Cooper aged 8. Right from the moment they were born I introduced them to magical world of books. Stories at bedtime was a nightly ritual and was one of our favourite things to do, and still is to this day. They would snuggle into me as I read all the classics, including my own personal favourites from when I was a girl. The Enid Blyton ‘Faraway Tree’ Series as well as everything that Roald Dahl had ever written. Such, wonderful, magical stories, that even now as an adult they still had the ability to enchant me. It was one night after our evening book time I realised writing is my heart’s desire. The 6 year old version of me had always been there and could no longer be ignored. I wanted my children to experience the thrill of being immersed in a story that I had created. I wanted to leave my own stamp on the world.
Like my childhood author heroes, I wanted to write children’s stories that were full of magic, joy and adventure. Stories that children could lose themselves in. Stories that would allow kids to take pause from the hustle and bustle and stresses of everyday life; somewhere where they could ‘escape.’ Escape from teacher and parental control; homework, chores, having to follow instructions, like what to eat and when to go to bed. This is an important issue for me as I believe that we as adults often forget that our little people have stresses and worries too. My vision for the world is for people to slow down and be more ‘present’ in the moment and to find magic, joy and laughter in everyday life. It is my greatest hope that my books (even in some small part) will help in achieving this.