PS: Dimity Powell Blog Tour

Today I welcome Dimity Powell to my blog, to talk about her FIRST book – the newly-released, PS: Who Stole Santa’s Mail? 

Congratulations, Dimity. Such an exciting time for you! What a wonderful Christmas YOU will be having this year – if no-one steals Santa’s mail, that is.

Today Dimity is going to be talking about the writing process – and how this first published book has inspired her to continue writing…

Over to you, Dimity.

I began writing when I could properly master the pencil grip. It’s been a continual exploration and accumulation of words and wisdom since that momentous day in kindy. I remember jotting down kids’ book ideas whilst on watch on a super motor yacht as we cruised across the Atlantic, thinking, I’ll write about these properly one day. One day, began around 2008 when I decided to equip my writing satchel in earnest. This is when I really committed to the whole ‘process’ of writing. I did courses, attended workshops, seminars, submitted work, entered competitions, listened carefully, read more, gave up paid employment and last year even learnt how to use Face Book! It’s been a good trip so far. But the training never ever ends.

Hearing the words sing in perfect unison and being moved either to laughter or tears by them is my greatest joy in writing. This is what I want to improve on and most importantly share with children.

Getting it right is the hardest part of writing for me. And finding time for it. I can’t seem to clock on and off to write. I have to write when I can but also when the words want to be written. The two don’t always want to play together.

I don’t think writing is that easy, even when you’re good at it. It involves discipline, skill and technique, and remembering when best and how to use them. But it is easier than most sports for me…I have no eye hand coordination!

The publication of P.S. Who Stole Santa’s Mail? has encouraged me to get on with a second chapter book I began a couple of years ago. I need to reacquaint myself with the characters and their saga before I know if it’s going to ever see the light of day. Creating picture books is my passion. I would love to see a picture book of mine on a shelf somewhere someday. I enjoy writing them and can produce one in days when the fancy strikes, but it takes me ages to perfect them, sometimes years. I am currently polishing a few picture books and short story ideas.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts – and joy – with us, Dimity. Wishing you wonderful sales, and many more exciting publishing opportunities.

PS:  Have a Merry Christmas!

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In conjunction with this blog tour, you can go in the draw to win one of three copies of the book PS: Who Stole Santa’s Mail. Send the answer to this question: ‘What do you think Santa wants for Christmas?’ to submissions@morrispublishingaustralia.com In the subject line put, PS: WSSM entry. The competition will close at midnight on November 30^th  2012. All entries will be assigned a number, and that number will be put in a draw. The winners will be notified by email.

PS: Who Stole Santa’s Mail can be purchased at your local bookshop, or a signed copy is available from http://morrispublishingaustralia.com. You can get to know Dimity at; Dim Writes Stuff.

To follow Dimity on her blog tour, click the links below;

Kids Book Review 17 November
My Little Bookcase  18 November
Sheryl Gywther  19 November
MPA Australia 20 November
Kat Apel 21 November
Elaine Ouston 22 November
Renee Taprell 23 November
Alison Reynolds 24 November
Buzz Words 25 November
Christine Bell 26 November
Dee White 27 November
Jackie Hosking PIO 28 November
Alphabet Soup 29 November
Angela Sunde 30 November

Let’s get Catty – and a Competition!

Today, I’m going to be a little bit… catty. I’m hosting a cat book on my katswhiskers blog, so we’re running to a theme… and running a competition! (Today’s competition is a little bit different to the other competition that’s running throughout the blog tour at http://www.alisonreynolds.com.au.)

But firstly, welcome Alison Reynolds and Heath McKenzie – and congratulations on your dreamy new picture book, ‘A Year with Marmalade’.

Thanks very much!

Thank you, Kat!

To start the ball rolling… In keeping with the blog, can you each tell me one thing that you think is… the kat’s whiskers? (Or mayhaps it’s the cat’s whiskers.)

Perhaps my new baby daughter, Ava!

Oooh. Lovely! Congratulations, Heath. I’m sure Ava is the kat’s whiskers!

My family and dog. Although I’m not sure if the dog will like being referred to as the kat’s whiskers! 

Haha! Now that could be a little bit catty, Alison.

Where did you find Marmalade, Alison?  Is he the type of pet you would want to keep forever?

When I was little I had a very special green-eyed cat called Charlotte. I feel as if a cat based on her was just waiting to pop into my mind. I was brainstorming book ideas with my publisher, and we wanted a sort of self-contained character, which is a very cat-like characteristic.  I definitely wouldn’t want to give Marmalade away. I spent half my childhood unsuccessfully trying to convince my parents to let me have another pet.

Alison, is Marmalade one of those cats who willfully does his own thing? Or does he have a soft and smoochy side?

Marmalade is a mixture of snuggles and snarls. He is very independent, but wants to be included and loved. Much like most of us!

Not being an artist myself, I’m always fascinated by the Illustrator’s process. Heath, there’s a lot of whitespace in this gentle, breezy book – almost a touch of whimsy. What influenced your decision in terms of colour and whitespace – and characters?

I felt a simpler approach would suit this particular story – something gentle and not too over-thought or designed. Hence the approach of letting the line do most of the talking and leaving colour to make a single statement in each image.

What I find particularly interesting, is that the children (Ella & Maddy) are line drawings – not colour. Yet Marmalade, who would seem to be of equal importance to Ella, is colour. As is background. What is the artistic reasoning behind this, Heath?

Given a big and striking part of the different seasons, from a visual point of view atleast, is the many distinct colours that emerge each year – colour was always going to be the best way to highlight the changing seasons (and then a little extra here and there where an image might not have a direct seasonal element to focus on!)

As for Marmalade’s colour – for a long while, Marmalade wasn’t in colour but ultimately it was decided Marmalade, being the key player here, might need to stand out that bit more – and fair enough too!

The seasons! When you say it, it is of course, very logical. (I feel a bit of a scatterkat for asking!)

Alison:  What five individual words best describe Marmalade?

1. Watchful
   
2. Awkward
3. Fun-loving
4. Loyal
5. Purrfect

It’s the ‘awkward’ makes Marmalade so real and loveable, Alison.

Heath: I’m hoping you have that cat-like quality of landing on your feet, because I’m going to throw you a challenge… I’m pretty good at drawing the katswhiskers (to the right -> ) but that’s my limit. I’m hoping you can extend my repertoire a bit, and skill me up on some other cat moves.

To help you out, I’ve listed some catty emotions I thought you might cat-ture!

• ’fraidy cat
• ecscatic cat
• purrrrfect cat
• catastrophic cat
• caterwauling cat
• cat-ching cat – on the prowl

They’re gorgeous, Heath!! So much personality on the page.

Now it’s over to you, Alison! What can YOU do with Heath’s examples? (Yes – I am asking you to draw a cat pic for us. )

I’m no scaredy cat, Kat. But remember, I never claimed to be a artist!

A very catatonic cat, Alison. And clever word play. Well done, you!

COMPETITION TIME!

READERS:  This is your chance to get catty!

1.  Draw your best cat picture. You can have a bit of fun with it like we did.
2.  Email it to; contactkat @ optusnet . com . au (no spaces) by 8pm this Friday, 17th August, and
3.  YOU are in with a chance to win your own, signed, original Heath McKenzie cat picture!

Please keep cat files less than 300kb. 

Your pictures will be posted to the katswhiskers blog on Sunday, 19th August, when we will also announce the winner, as decided by Heath and Alison.

So – pick up a pencil, pen or piece of charcoal and get drawing!

Want to read more about ‘A Year with Marmalade’? Follow the blog tour;

A Year with Marmalade Blog Tour

7th Aug Dee White;  http://deescribewriting.wordpress.com
9th Aug Karen Tyrrell;  http://www.karentyrrell.com
11th Aug Tania McCartney;  http://www.kids-bookreview.com
13th Aug  Pass It On;  http://jackiehoskingpio.wordpress.com/school-magazine
14th Aug  Kathryn Apel;  http://katswhiskers.wordpress.com/blog
17th Aug  Dale Harcombe;  http://orangedale.livejournal.com
20th Aug  Peter Taylor;  http://writing-for-children.blogspot.com.au
22nd Aug  Susan Stephenson;  http://www.thebookchook.com
23rd Aug  Robyn Opie Parnell;  http://robynopie.blogspot.com.au
27th Aug Sally Odgers;  http://spinningpearls.blogspot.com.au
29th  Aug  Angela Sunde;  http://angelasunde.blogspot.com.au
31st Aug Chris Bell;  http://christinemareebell.wordpress.com

Looking forward to seeing your cats! >^,^<

DO NOT FORGET AUSTRALIA – Blog Tour and Giveaway

This past week I’ve enjoyed reading the backstory for the wonderful new-release Walker picture book, DO NOT FORGET AUSTRALIA, by Sally Murphy and Sonia Kretschmar. Both Sally and Sonia have a swag of awards and commendations to their names, and collaboratively, they have created a rich and warm picture book that Australians can be proud of.

DO NOT FORGET AUSTRALIA tells the story of Henri and Billy, two boys who are oceans apart, but together in heart. Billy’s Australian father is fighting the war near Henri’s French hometown, Villers-Bretonneux. The year is 1918.

Inspired by a significant battle in World War I, the story doesn’t focus on the despair of war. Rather, the illustrations and text gently move the story past death and destruction, to focus on the hope – the lasting good that comes from cross-cultural compassion, empathy and aid.

When Henri’s village is destroyed in battle, Billy is one of many Australian children who work together to help rebuild Villers-Bretonneux. To this day the sign of acknowledgment remains; DO NOT FORGET AUSTRALIA.

DO NOT FORGET AUSTRALIA is a must read for all Australians.

Lest we forget.  

Do Not Forget Australia – Blog Tour

Hoping you can drop by next Thursday, 8th March, when I interview Sally Murphy and Sonia Kretschmar about writing and illustrating historical picture books.

This is special!

It’s possible that THIS is why I wrote ’This is the Mud!’.

I just thought I’d tell you that a Pyjama Angel working with a young boy who she has visited now for nearly 12 months loves ‘This is the Mud’. She has had a lot of problems getting him interested in reading and finding a story line he enjoys and she has now read it over and over on a number of visits – and he asks for more. It’s a great book J

Thrilled to hear it. Thank-you Cressida, for sharing.

Joey Fly Private Eye – Under the Magnifying Glass

Aaron Reynolds and Neil Numberman are a formidable duo in the buggy underworld. The creators of Joey Fly Private Eye wield the pen to create a buzzingly-good interplay of text and image in their second Joey Fly graphic novel, Joey Fly Private Eye in Big Hairy Drama.

With time beetling along until opening night, Proprietor of the Scarab Beetle Theatre, Director Harry Spyderson, is in a tangle of tarantula legs; Greta Divawing, leading lady in the much-anticipated Bugliacci, is missing! Joey Fly and his sidekick Sammy Stingtail are called in to crack the case.

Make it Masks – Joey Fly & Friends

In the previous post, we learnt how to make graphic novels – and we learnt it at the pen of the experts, Aaron Reynolds & Neil Numberman. Today Aaron & Neil are back again – this time with masks for you to download & make.

Click on the thumbail for a FULLSIZE version of the masks.

BUG MAKES IT BIG IN GRAPHIC NOVELS…HERE’S HOW

During PiBoIdMo in November, I met the author/illustrator duo, Aaron Reynolds and Neil Numberman – the creators of  Joey Fly Private Eye. (I’m actually quite looking forward to a caricature I won during PiBoIdMo – Neil’s buggy interpretation of me. )

Today it is my very great pleasure to welcome Neil and Aaron to my blog, where they will very clearly and cleverly demonstrate HOW they craft a graphic novel. Neil and Aaron are going to be buzzing around for a couple of days – and they have some goodies to share. Check back in tomorrow for free masks to download… AND… everyone who leaves a comment on this blog post goes into the running to WIN a personalised buggy caricature - by Neil. There will be one winner for every ten comments on the post. So stick around – look and learn – and leave your comment!

Fly past next week for my review of ‘Joey Fly Private Eye in Big Hairy Drama’.

For now though, it’s over to Aaron and Neil… (This is excellent!)

Kisses for Karen!

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It is not every day a special friend launches a first book – but today is one of them. You’ve all heard me talk of Karen Collum – my twitter buddy, crit partner, #pblitchat co-convenor, soul friend, and totally beautiful lady…

Well, today that Karen Collum is delighted to be launching her debut book, Samuel’s Kisses at Greenbank C&K Kinder. And I have the pleasure of launching her blog tour around cyberspace!

Lorraine Marwood joins us for A Ute Picnic

Today I welcome some special guests to my blog. Firstly we have Lorraine – a poet I greatly admire. Then we have four budding poets – whose work often catches me unawares with its awesomeness. So welcome to Branyon, Poppy, Fletcher and Tara, too.

Lorraine, Congratulations  on this beautiful rustic collection of poetry. I can almost see dust motes dancing across the cover of ‘A Ute Picnic – and other Australian Poems’.

As you know, I share your passion for poetry. And I too love to share that with children! So – for this poetry post I thought I’d feed both our passions and use your poems to inspire some poetic kids I know…

Here’s what they came up with. And they’re very excited to be sharing it with you.