Sneak Peek!
The Storytellers cover. Storytellers come from all walks of life. In The Storytellers, six children have followed their dreams and are all intertwined and connected by one story Illustrated by Krista Brennan and published by IP (Interactive Publications Pty Ltd)
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Ellie, welcome to the blog! Thanks so much for having me, Robert. The Avery’s Hat-Tastic Adventures series for 5 to 7 year-olds can be described as fun and imaginative stories with themes of friendship and real-life problem-solving challenges. What can you tell us about the first title in the series, How Does a Hat Save the Day? Avery’s a girl who loves hats, using them creatively to express how she feels. Book one is set in a community garden, so Avery is wearing her very favourite gardening hat to a day of fun with her best friend Olivia, Olivia’s dog Gatsby and Granny Irene. They plan to work in Granny Irene’s plot in “The Patch”, followed by a community feast of dishes from all over the world made by the different people who have plots in the garden. But things don’t really go according to plan when Sam the Scarecrow, one of Avery’s favourite parts of the whole garden, is in danger of being ‘re-cycled’ to become a bit scarier and keep the birds out of the plots. So - problem alert! Avery has to come up with a way to keep Sam in one piece, as well as figure out how to make him seem scary to birds. Because it’s Avery, the solution to these problems is creative and of course also involves hats! There’s a protest, a scientific experiment, and a really kind act involved in the happy ending. How did the idea present itself in your mind? That’s always the million-dollar question, isn’t it? Where do ideas come from… I think in this case the illustrator Mardi Davies and I, (who are good friends and critique buddies in real life) have wanted to do a project together for ages. We took everything we love like nature, community, kindness, feisty girls, friendship, family and solving problems in creative, positive ways and put them together. We wanted certain things to be woven into the book, for example Mardi’s unique illustration style of the characters is quite different from the usual depiction of girls in most junior fiction books. I wanted the characters to be able to make positive change in their world, by thinking about what they CAN do within the scope of their own individual abilities talents and capability rather than what they can’t do. And, gosh, the hats, a very important part of the idea! When I was thinking about this story, I wanted something to make my character special, a little quirk that made her different from everyone else. I remembered some of sweet little quirks my daughters had when they were small, particularly when my older daughter was about three and she had this kind of 1920s hat she’d put on and then we had to address her as “Madame Sari”. She totally became this other character. It was very cute and really, quite interesting. So, I started wondering about hats. They’re fun and a great way of being creative in expressing ourselves, but they also can have a real effect on how we’re feeling. Research shows when people wear certain hats, they can do better or worse in test situations. Some athletes wear ‘lucky hats’, for example golfers when they play a game, and hats can even reduce anxiety for some people, who find they give a sense of security when out and about. Avery collects hats and believes that they are helpful. She wears certain hats for certain situations and uses the hats to express how she’s feeling, as well as to help her ‘be’ a certain way. She even has a ‘thinking ‘cap! Her hats help her navigate the everyday challenges that arise in her adventures around her neighbourhood, in her relationship with her best friend Olivia, and life in general. Later in the series, we’ll see how Avery deals with a scenario where she can’t get a hat to help her- I wonder what she’ll do? (Don’t worry, it all turns out fine!) How did you find the process of both writing and publishing these books under your own imprint, We Are All Made of Stories? Well, I hadn’t really considered the idea until the last year or so when I came across so much information and some wonderful, inspirational stories from other authors that demonstrated how much more accessible independent publishing has become in recent times. The ‘Avery’ stories were already written, they’d been liked and taken through to acquisitions by a few publishers, but for one reason or another didn’t make it through the process (e.g.- we’ve just signed something very similar, etc). They sat in the metaphorical ‘drawer’ for a while, and when I had a bit of time to look back over them, I was thinking a lot about my personal philosophy of how the world needs MORE different stories so that everyone has the chance to see themselves represented in literature, especially in children’s books, hence the name of the imprint “We Are All Made of Stories”. I’m also a book nerd from way back, so I thought, “What if I could actually make a book for the readers who like these kinds of stories?” As a lifelong learner, the thought of learning something new was quite exciting, too. It really became a case of having to take that leap and try it out. So anyway, long story short- I found the process of publishing fascinating! There’s a lot of work and a lot of research, many stages in the process if you want to do a good professional job, professional editing, formatting of the files, book and cover design plus all the metadata and then the marketing of course! But I’ve loved it. What an experience! What has been the most rewarding part of creating Avery’s Hat-Tastic Adventures? Oh definitely the great feedback from the girls who have read the book and loved it- found it fun and inspirational. That’s always the best part, isn’t it? That’s why we do it. It’s also been amazing working creatively with a friend and following the whole book making process through to completion. Usually as an author I hand a manuscript over and then much later on have a bit of input on the illustrations (that’s been my experience and I feel very fortunate that it’s the case) then later again a book shows up- this time I’ve been a part of every little bit. Awesome fun. Favourite part in How Does a Hat Save the Day? Oooh, hard to say! I love the sit-in where the girls stage a protest to stop Sam being taken away while they figure out their next step- but there’s so much more. I love their scientific experiment too, and the kind heartedness that runs through the book. Too hard to pick! Which other junior fiction authors do you enjoy or gather inspiration from? I’ve always loved the “Violet Mackerel” books by Anna Brandford and Sara Davis (Walker) and when I was researching junior fiction I came across so many fabulous authors; Sally Rippin (Billy B Brown), Belinda Murrell (Lulu Bell), Lesley Gibbes (Fizz), Matt Stanton (Funny Kid) – the list goes on… What are your top tips for aspiring authors? They’re pretty bog standard, everyone says it but it’s true- read and read and read, and write and write and write. Don’t give up. Don’t be afraid of rejection, and do create with joy, remember you’re doing this because you love it, because maybe someone somewhere needs the story you’re writing, that they will laugh or cry or be touched, inspired or fall in love with it. What’s next for you? I’m working on another Junior Fiction series at the moment, there’s a new picture book on the way with Ford Street (who also published my last book “Frizzle and Me”) in 2023, and of course, there’ll be more Avery’s Hat- Tastic Adventures in the coming months. We have 2 more books ready to go, once they’re illustrated, so stay tuned! Do you have an online presence? You can find me online at www.weareallmadeofstories.com, on Instagram at @ellieroycekidlitauthor or @weareall_madeofstories and on Facebook at @ellieroyceauthor. Thanks so much for having me on your blog and asking such great questions Robert! My pleasure, Ellie. Wishing you every success with Avery’s Hat- Tastic Adventures series. Finding You Book Launch!
Thanks to everyone who braved the weather to help celebrate our book launch and travelled far to be here. Thanks to Hannah Sommerville and her children! Big thanks to Rachel from Gleebooks for hosting the event and organising an awesome space for our books! Lovely to see Deborah Abela Author again. A day full of wondrous surprises. New Frontier Publishing Australia New Frontier Publishing UK Happy Book Birthday - Finding You. Just adding a little extra sunshine to the day.
Also, it’s National Homelessness Week (1-7 August) and what better way to discuss homelessness than by reading Finding You. Finding You helps build empathy and shows how to be kinder individuals that look out for each other. I'm thrilled to reveal the cover of my upcoming picture book Finding You with the wonderfully talented Hannah Sommerville and published by New Frontier Publishing. I've included some internal pages, as well. I couldn't resist! They are stunning!!! Released August 2022. Can't wait for you all to see it! ;-) x
I am now represented by the super awesome literary agent Rochelle Fernandez of Alex Adsett Literary Agency. Yay!
Thrilled to announce that the polish edition of Under the Same Sky has won an international award in The Child-Friendly World Competition - YAY!!
Dave, welcome to the blog! Thanks so much for having me!! Belly Button Fluff can be described as a super-cute yet icky adventure of curiosity, and creativity, which is certainly intriguing and fun! What else can you tell us about this title? Perhaps a giggle, a laugh and an awwww as well. It’s a perfect mix of icky and cute so you don’t puke from an overdose of either. How did the idea appear, and ‘accumulate’, in your mind? I used to wear a fluffy jumper at my old job and was always fascinated by the ever-growing accumulation of belly button fluff. Team that with a love of drawing super cute characters and Scarlett Von Scruff was born. Best known for your illustrative talent, how did you find the process of both writing and illustrating – this being your debut as an author? Why, thank you soo much! Writing is tough and I’m no “Shakin’Spear”. I can spin a good yarn but my grammar is lacking. Praise be to my editors! The true heroes. I love to draw and that will always be my passion, but to draw what I want to draw, I also gotta write the words. What has been the most rewarding part of creating Belly Button Fluff? Having an idea that has been in my head for years finally come to life and now I can share it with the world. Favourite spread in Belly Button Fluff? Actually, it’s the endpapers in the Hardcover book. The colours and feeling of the scene really make me feel warm and fuzzy. Tell us about the path to publication for this title. I wrote BBF while out running on my local bush trails. I had most of the images worked out pretty early, so I just needed some rhymey words to pair with my visual story. Having worked with Big Sky Publishing for about 6 or 7 years as an illustrator I cheekily said in a convo “Hey what if I had written a funny book and was kinda ready to hear you tell me how bad it is?...” And now it’s published, Ha! Which other humorous children’s books or funny authors / illustrators do you enjoy or gather inspiration from? Mark and Rowan Sommerset are a hilarious combo!! If you haven’t already, check out The Little Baa Baa books, you won’t be disappointed. What are your top tips for aspiring authorstrators? Wow, I’m totally stealing the title Authorstrators!! Gold!! Create! And NOW!! Get it out of your head and on paper. Never before could you self-publish a book so easily, crowdfund and get it out in the world. Once people can see a physical thing you’ve done, they will know you are serious and work should come much easier. What’s next for you? More Scarlett for sure! But now the writing part of me is out in the world I have many more silly stories to tell. Stay tuned. Do you have an online presence? @daveatze on everything And daveatze.com Thank you for joining me on the blog, Dave! And Thank you xx |
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