Meet the Author: Shae Millward

Shae Millward is the author of The Rabbit’s Magician, Koalas Like To and A Boy and a Dog. Shae is an enthusiastic advocate for literacy. She aims to inspire through a love of books, the joy of reading and writing, and the art of storytelling. Shae enjoys writing picture books, poetry, song lyrics, funny or inspirational quotes, short stories and more. Shae’s creative writing skills once helped her win a trip to Disneyland!

Website: https://shaemillward.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shaemillwardauthor/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/shaemillward/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/shaemillward

 

What was your first book published?

There once was a dog who just wanted to play,
But his owner was busy, ‘No! Go away!’
And there was a boy who just wanted to play,
But the kids at school shouted, ‘No! Go away!’

A Boy and A Dog tells the timeless tale of a lonely boy and a lonesome dog who find each other and discover true friendship. A Boy and A Dog celebrates the special bond between children and animals. This book contains the universal themes of trust, joy, compassion and belonging. But at its heart, it's a story about love.

 

Tell us about your newest book?

The Rabbit’s Magician:

* Is a gentle story of love, loss & comfort.

* Is inspired by a fundamental law of nature: Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can change from one form into another.

* Contains references to and representations of the moon and its phases.

* Is a children's picture book, but offers comfort to anyone of any age who has lost a loved one – person or animal. 

*Is illustrated by Andy Fackrell and published by Ford Street Publishing.

 

What is your favourite part about being an author?

The tiny town I grew up in didn’t have a bookstore, but the library was ONLY ONE SMALL BLOCK AWAY FROM MY HOUSE! Convenient for frequent visits and lugging books back and forth. I’ve always loved books and reading, and I have many wonderful authors to thank for that. So, to now be a part of the industry myself is an exquisite type of joy.

As well as being a whole lotta fun, there’s something quite magical about working with – or rather, playing with – imagination and creative energies.

 

What is the hardest part about being an author?

Being on the Autism spectrum has its positives, like unique perspectives and creative thinking, but it also has its challenges, with social communication being one. Just think awkward, so awkward, haha!

 

I’m grateful to have a supportive publisher who allows me to play to my strengths. Fortunately, these days there are a good variety of promotional avenues one can partake in.

 

Books On Tour PR & Marketing has a number of packages, and options within, which you can tailor to your needs. Romi is a superstar – super helpful and brilliant to work with.

 

Having an illustrator who is also active in promoting – which Andy is – certainly helps and provides team spirit. *enthusiastically does spirit fingers*

 

What was your favourite children’s book when you were a kid?

As a child, when I asked for Fox in Socks, I could almost hear the adults groan internally and I’m certain I saw beads of dread gather on their foreheads. Watching them get their tongues twisted and tangled and tied up in knots was definitely part of the entertainment value. And by the end, they looked like they’d been through a harrowing ordeal.

 

Yet every time I asked for this story (which was a lot), they would not only read it (after casually suggesting a range of alternative titles), but read it with all the enthusiasm they could muster. Anyone who has ever read the same book over and over (until you are well and truly over it!) at a child’s request knows that this is an act of real love!

 

Have you ever travelled overseas as an author?

I once had to step over a puddle on my way to a meeting about authorly business. Does that count?

It was a very large puddle. It carried a dangerously-high sock-wetting threat level.

And the puddle was deep. So deep, just like my answer to this question.

 

Have you met anyone even more famous than you that was exciting?

Yes, I met you – the inspirational Michelle Worthington! It was at the Teddy Bear’s Picnic in Hervey Bay. I didn’t have any books published at the time, but I did have a contract for my first. I went along to say hi and you were happy to have a chat. I was able to purchase some of your wonderful books from you in person and get them signed – bonus!

 

Where do you see the future of children’s books (ebooks/apps/print)

I’m all for books being available in different formats to suit people’s needs and preferences. These options make books more accessible, which can only have a positive effect on literacy and developing an early love of reading.

Digital books have their benefits, e.g. they’re more convenient than taking a stack of physical books on holiday, but I see them as a supplement to print books, not a replacement. Never a replacement!

 

What is your favourite way/time to read?

My favourite way to read is definitely with a physical book. I spend enough time working at a computer, so reading for pleasure on a screen is no pleasure at all! Reading a paper book feels more grounded, more intimate. Regardless of genre, reading a print book has a certain kind of romance to it that does not translate to an electronic device. #PrintBeforePixels

My favourite time to read is any time, however, I am an experienced member of the late-night reading club. Our motto is: One more page, just one more page!

 

What book are you reading right now?

I’m reading a Marie Kondo book about decluttering. I have successfully cleaned out clothing, kitchen stuff and various homewares that don’t spark joy.

 

Then it came to my book collection. Well, I acknowledge that Marie is super cute and super sweet, but parting with any of my beloved books is a super hideous and super displeasing notion. Sorry, Marie. No Kan Do.

 

But I’m grateful to now have space in my home for more books.

 

Santa's Ex-Head Elf opens up about Allegations from Troll's Tall Tales Tales that he has gone High Tech this Christmas

Review Crew Holly: Sass and Traz Save the Library

 

“Sass and Traz Save the Library”

Written by Michelle Worthington

Book review by Holly, 7 years old

 

Holly’s summary:

Sass and Traz are twins, one is a boy and one is a girl. They like reading together in the town library each day. Ms Burns is the librarian and she is so nice to the kids.

But one day when Sass and Traz entered the library, Ms Burns was in tears!

She told them the library was going to be destroyed by the mayor of the town because he wanted to put a carpark there instead!

Sass wanted to help Ms Burns so she went into the library basement to look for boxes.

She accidentally leant on a metal drawer and she said the word “Pirate”.

Suddenly, the drawer opened and a card fell out and then out came three pirates! They said “Ahoy, ahoy!”

Soon after, three brave knights and a king appeared from the drawers!

Ms Burns was so shocked. She nearly fainted when a handsome knight called Sir Lancelot saved her from falling. She kept blushing because she had a huge crush on him!

Some more amazing characters appeared in the library, like a dragon and Albert Einstein.

Albert Einstein tried to save the library when he told the mayor how special the library was to all the people in the town.

But the mayor ignored him!

The best part of the story was when the mayor accidentally made dinosaurs appear! He said that libraries are dinosaurs and then lots of dinosaurs started walking around the library.

One even bit the mayor!

The mayor was so scared that he ran out of the library and decided to not to destroy the library anymore.

Ms Burns and the twins were so happy that the library wouldn’t be destroyed. I think that they might have a big party to celebrate!

 

My favourite parts of the story:

When the dinosaur bit the mayor, I thought it was so hilarious.

But I especially loved the scene when Ms Burns fell in love with Sir Lancelot and she kept blushing.

 

Age recommendation:

I think kids aged 6 and older would love this book!

Holly’s rating:

I give this amazing book 10/10!

 

Final note:

I can’t wait for the next Sass and Traz book to be published! J

Dave Atze's Belly Button Fluff

 

Dave Atze, Author of 'Belly Button Fluff' Campaign Appearances & Interview The Authors Online Team are delighted to have the opportunity to support Dave Atze as he begins his campaign to promote his debut children's book, Belly Button Fluff.  Between 20-24 September, visit https://www.justkidslit.com/blog/ to join in on the Belly Button Fluff fun, along with other online appearances (including my website, michelleworthington.com on Thursday, 23 August.      Interview: Meet Dave Atze Hi, I’m Dave Atze; a professional fun-haver and all-round goofball from a small town in South Australia. I have been illustrating kids books for 7 years and authoring them for no years.   I called my first book Belly Button Fluff so I could say awesome stuff like: “Just hold my Belly Button Fluff in your hands, see how colourful it is? It will make you feel warm and maybe giggle a bit, too.” And “put your kids to bed with Dave’s Belly Button Fluff! They’ll love it!”   What was the first story you ever wrote and has it been published? Belly Button Fluff and yes indeedy, it has. What was your first book published? I self-published a book called Don’t Shut the Door with Melbourne Author Matt Nichols. I illustrated it. Then a wonderful and beautiful young lady, Michelle Worthington saw “DSTD” and said to her publisher at the time “pwitty pwees can Dave Illustrate my next book The Three-Legged Kangaroo from Uluru? They said yes and we all lived happily ever after. What is your favourite part about being an author? Getting to draw the silly stuff that I write about. Wait... umm, yeah, I’m like 10% Author 90% Illustrator What is the hardest part about being an author? Words, grammar, all that technical stuff. I’m not good at that stuff. But I can tell a fun story. I am very lucky these magical creatures called editors exist. Thanks Diane and Allison!! What do you do for fun? I draw. I run. I take photos. And most of all spend time with my wife Ashleigh and Daughter Ella.  How do you test out your stories? Or who do you test them on? Friends and family, running buddies and my Author/Illustrator colleagues. What was your favourite children’s book when you were a kid? The Very Hungry Caterpillar. What is your favourite children’s book now? Little Baa Baa and Quirky Turkey in I love lemonade. Have you met anyone even more famous than you that was exciting? I don’t really live anywhere near anyone who would be famous. What writing genre do you like to do the most? I like da funny stuff. What do you consider your biggest achievement? I think I have 3 as they all feel quite equal and required a lot of dedication. I ran a 100km race through the bush. It took 15hrs. (30km with baaaad stomach cramps) I became a second-degree black belt, and the grading was on par with running 100kms. There were black eyes and broken ribs. Getting that letter from the publisher saying ‘we loved your manuscript, and we would love to publish your book’. Less grueling but still so many hours of dedication. What is your favourite way/time to read? Bedtime stories with my daughter are the best!! What book are you reading right now? Ella is learning numbers at the moment and is enjoying Spot can count. You can discover more of Dave's work and follow him on social by visiting: Daveatze.com Instagram.com/daveatze Twitter.com/daveatze Facebook.com/daveatzeillustration             Meet Michelle Michelle Worthington is an international award-winning author, screenwriter and business woman. Shortlisted twice for the Children's Book Council of Australia's picture book of the year, two-time winner of the International Book Award and finalist in the USA Best Book Awards, Michelle also received a Gellett Burgess Award and a Silver Moonbeam Award for her contribution to celebrating diversity in literature. Michelle was the recipient of the 2018 AusMumpreneur Gold Award for Business Excellence and the winner of the 2018 Redlands BaR award for Best Start Up Business.  Michelle is also a real life book fairy. Her magic powers include turning coffee into award-winning books. Anthology Angels and Authors Online, she waves her wand to coach aspiring authors and illustrators all over the world achieve their dreams of publication. Whether she’s a fairy, a mermaid, a pirate or an elf, Michelle celebrates empowering readers and storytellers to dream big. Find out more about Michelle and her work here.     Contact Michelle

Reading to Kids Makes Them More Resilient.

Building small humans into healthy, thriving big ones, isn’t about clearing adversity out of their way. Resilience is being able to bounce back from stress, challenge, tragedy, trauma, or adversity. When children are resilient, they’re braver, more curious and adaptable, and more able to extend their reach into the world. Research tells us that it’s not rugged self-reliance, determination, or inner strength that leads kids through adversity, but the reliable presence of at least one supportive relationship. In the context of a loving relationship with a caring adult, children have the opportunity to develop vital coping skills. Just reading with your child for 10 minutes a day from a book they like which touches on subjects like diversity and problem solving, can increase their resilience, help them manage their own behaviour and feelings, and increase their capacity to develop their own coping strategies during tough times.

What's the Story? Is it a crime to rhyme in picture book manuscripts?

Understanding the sensory aspect of books for children with ASD

It can be frustrating to get kids engaged in reading and even harder for children on the spectrum. As a children’s author, here’s my best tips: Don’t attempt to read books at bedtime when they’re tired and cranky. Find a time that works best for them. Choose sensory friendly books with lots of white space and engaging stories or subjects they’re familiar with. Getting them to look at the pictures first before reading will foster discussion and interaction. Allow fidgety behaviour and if they can’t sit still, walk around while reading. Let them touch the book before you start and be slow and deliberate when turning pages. Keep your voice low and calm, adding facial expressions and repetitive head movements as you read the same book again the next day. This process may have to be repeated many times but don’t give up. The reward is well worth the effort.

As an Author, How can you overcome excessive thinking?

Creating awareness:

It is natural that excessive thinking makes a person distracted and makes them unaware that they are preoccupied with thinking. Creating awareness involves recognizing negative thinking circles when they occur, and to have deliberate awareness of excessive thinking. You will be able to control and stop thinking excessively when you monitor your thoughts and actions. Make sure you do not judge your thoughts or worry about excessive thinking. Mindset is everything.

Replace negative thoughts:
Another tip to eliminate negative thinking is to replace your negative thinking with positive thinking after interrupting your over-thinking style. Repeat your positive thinking many times aloud or with a voice in your mind. If your thinking is persistent, you should repeat this process as many times as you need. Over time, you will overcome the habit of negative thinking.

Talk to a trusted person:
There is also another solution to eliminate excessive thinking, which is to share your negative thoughts with someone you trust. This person can be a coach, mentor, counselor or friend. Such people can help you determine if you are overstated or not thinking clearly and they can also help you free yourself from negative thoughts. Your problem may not be as bad as you think and all you need is someone who assures you that you are fine.

Self-employment:
Keeping your mind busy keeps you from negative thoughts. Anything that requires attention may help you. This concern may vary between arranging your bookshelf alphabetically, drawing or calculating your annual expenses. This way you will gradually control your thoughts until you reach your desired level of control.

Exercise:
In addition to increasing self-confidence, exercise increases the secretion of the hormone Androfen and Sertonin, which reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. When you concentrate on exercising, it distracts your mind from negative thoughts. When you have a busy mind, do some exercise, bike or walk for half an hour.

Make decisions:
Sometimes excessive thinking comes from inability to make an important decision. The most appropriate solution is to set a time, whether it is half an hour or two, to think about everything about a topic and when the time is close to completion, the decision was to be made without any hesitation.

Blogging:
During excessive thinking, you can not communicate with the present. One way to get rid of excessive thinking is to train your mind on intentional attention. Get to know your negative thoughts and then get rid of them immediately, or blog about it...It makes for great content!

Just do it:
The trick here is to start the project you want to do instead of thinking about it. Focus on your goal and schedule what you want to do so you can solve every problem on time. A step-by-step move will make you spend less time thinking about it.

Stop trying to reach perfection or control everything:
People think about things in exaggerated contexts until they achieve perfect results. You take into account all possibilities to avoid starting...and the possibility of failure. It is important to keep in mind that all people who have accomplished great things have failed at some point. It is impossible to control everything and avoid any kind of error. You are good enough right now, so begin!

Reading to babies from birth to fight post-natal depression

Postnatal depression is a common and debilitating condition that affects one in seven women following the birth of their baby. Unlike the baby blues which passes on its own, postnatal depression can be long-lasting and affect your ability to cope with managing a new baby. Children’s Author, Michelle Worthington, says that spending five minutes a day reading to her baby helped with the feelings of helplessness, fostered communication and established trust. Reading was a practical and manageable way for her to begin to bond with her baby. It’s important to seek help early, so that you can reduce these negative impacts of postnatal depression on you and your family.

Book Review: All Our Shimmering Skies by Trent Dalton

 

It's 2.23am. I have just finished reading All Our Shimmering Skies by Trent Dalton and my first thoughts are, 'What. Just. Happened?' 

After not responding to knocks at doors, scrapes on knees and fire alarms at dinner time, I thought it was safer to finish reading it after the boys had gone to bed. My head was filled with white butterflies, white bones, hope, hate, love, life and death. Just as I became Eli Bell in Boy Swallows Universe,  growing up as a too smart kid in a shut your mouth Brisbane suburb, so was I Molly Hook, head full of words and infallibly optimistic, no matter what life threw at me. Only Trent Dalton can make you loose yourself in a book like that. 

I hate snot. The hardest page of the book for me to read wasn't when the gravedigger's daughter hid with her mother's bones in an open grave, got the beating or saw the rape, it was page 173. It was also the most incredibly moving and mind blowing piece of descriptive writing that I have ever read in my life. In that moment, snot was poetic and graceful. Only Trent Dalton can create characters like that.

The same suffocating pang that squeezed the tears from my eyes when I relived my childhood in Boy Swallows Universe were shed for Molly and Violet Hook. I talked to oceans instead of skies. I spat out pills instead of seeds. I had the monsters in my bed, after I had fed and cared for them all day until they became twisted by drink and darkness. I have carried all I owned and owned all I carried. Only Trent Dalton can see inside my soul like that. 

Now, as I check on my sleeping children under the dark sky, I speak softly to it. 'Please don't let anything happen to me so my kids don't end up like a character in a Trent Dalton novel.' 

When the blue sky returns, I will ask politely if one day I could write a book as honest and beautiful as a Trent Dalton novel, and I wouldn't even care if it lied.

Highly recommended. 

Guest Blog - Leo's Story by Megan Firster

 

Everyone who knows me is aware of my love for and connection to Queensland’s only children’s hospice. I wear my hummingbird tattoo proudly, in memory of my beautiful boy but also as a living tribute to the place that supported him and our family throughout some of the happiest and darkest times.  So, of course, when it was put to Hummingbird House families to create a picture that could possibly be used as a token for the Coles fundraising campaign I jumped at the chance. We did have a logistical issue with the brief though. We were asked to create a hummingbird that represented our child, perhaps by using their hand and footprints, but of course my child wasn’t here to squish his little hand into the paint. To trace around his perfect foot with a felt pen. After some discussion regarding the brief we were supported to do as much of the picture digitally as we needed to to include Leo in the way we wished to. After some assessment we realised Leo’s best footprint was one that was taken by Leo’s kindy teacher as part of my last mother’s day gift, and his best handprints were the ones taken by a caring staff member, at Hummingbird House after his passing. Leo liked to curl his fingers into the palm of his hand so they were the first really nice ones we had.  Leo’s prints were monochrome, so my son Sam, who is my tech support for everything, coloured Leo’s prints digitally to make it look like he had applied the paint to the paper directly. I printed a bunch of them and we all sat down as a family to paint and draw hummingbird bodies in between the handprint wings. Frances, my daughter, is the artist in my family and her hummingbird came more and more to life with every brushstroke. I can’t tell you how elated I was that our picture was chosen, and how proud I am that Leo is continuing on in a way that not only helps raise money for the house, but also represents the bereaved families that are a part of this special service.

 

 

Nobody likes to talk about children that have passed or will pass before their time. It’s a sad subject, but one that is so real and so raw for the families that use this place as a sanctuary. It is so important that this facility remains, and keeps providing all the wonderful services it provides, and to do that fundraisers like the Coles one are so very important.  For many families Hummingbird House gives them air – allows them to take a breath when they are living a life that allows no time and space for one. For other families it is a place to remember their child or to make memories with them in their final days. We were blessed to be able to appreciate all of these aspects of the house. We had so many wonderful family memories, laughs over home cooked meals and time engaging with other families going through similar trials and challenges. Hummingbird House was also the place where Leo had his last bath. Devoured his last mouthful of chocolate mousse. Enjoyed his last swim. Was wrapped in my arms for his last cuddle.  Hummingbird House is a unique space for families of palliative children. There’s no other place in Queensland that offers the range of services that they do and they need your help. Please go to Coles between the 16th of September and the 13th of October and buy a token. I promise it will make all the difference to a family just like ours. To find out more about this year's fundraiser, visit: http://hummingbirdhouse.org.au/home/2020-coles-hummingbird-house-campaign/

 

 

 

Share in the stories of 4 families who created this year's artwork