It's been a very busy week in my author life, and it's not over yet. In fact, I've got two exciting online events coming up to celebrate the launch of THE FIRE STAR, and I'd love to see you there! CREATIVE CONVERSATIONS, 11am, 12 September The first online event is on...
I love sharing quote images from my books*, and The Fire Star is no exception. Choosing my own quotes from The Fire Star to share, on the other hand, was a bit of a challenge. To make the job easier, I asked the Penguin Random House team – the fabulous people who...
The Fire Star, the first Maven & Reeve Mystery, officially launches today and I could not be more excited. Or more nervous. Or more... all of the things, really. This is the seventh time I've experienced the thrill of seeing a novel by A. L. Tait hit the bookshops...
![[Closed] Pre-order The Fire Star for your chance to win a Zoom call with A. L. Tait](png/preorder-the-fire-star-to-win-400x250.png)
*** COMPETITION CLOSED ******** Congratulations to the winner Tegan Whalan, and thank you to everyone who entered! ***************************************** With The Fire Star (A Maven & Reeve Mystery) now just over two weeks away, I thought it was the perfect...
The three winners for this giveaway are Katie Trethowan (Instagram), Trudy Francis (Twitter), Jessie Boan (Facebook). Thanks to everyone who entered! If you missed out, you can pre-order from your favourite Australian online bookseller here. GIVEAWAY CLOSED+++++++ The...
For someone who has been co-hosting a top-rating podcast for nearly four years now, I have been surprisingly slow at seeking out really good podcasts for myself. It took me ages to work out what worked for me in a podcast, so I tried an eclectic mix of information,...
I think it's probably fitting that the first post I've managed to write on my freshly redesigned site is all about the first official review for THE FIRE STAR (A Maven & Reeve Mystery), by Dani Solomon in Books + Publishing last week. The full review is here,...
With publications closing and book review sections of newspapers and magazines getting smaller and smaller, authors need to work very hard to find publicity opportunities for their books these days. Whether traditionally- or indie-published, authors must seek out new...
As the NSW school term begins, and we look down the barrel of potentially weeks and weeks of trying to keep kids engaged with and on top of their school work, I know that many parents are tearing their hair out. With two high school-aged boys, I'm lucky that the...
For some authors, writing a series is a lifelong-held dream. For others, like me, it's something they stumble into and then flail about wildly hoping it will work out. In an effort to help you avoid the flailing, I've invited Helen Scheuerer to visit. Helen is a YA...
In the latest addition to the Writing For Kids series, Claire Saxby looks at setting stories in the past. Claire's latest novel Haywire is set in 1939 in the NSW town of Hay. It's about 14-year-old Tom, whose family runs the local bakery, and Max Gruber, nearly 14,...
I get very excited every time I receive a new post for the Writing For Kids series because I learn something new from every post. They might be writing tips aimed at kids, but they're actually brilliant for writers of any age. After all, these are writing tips from...
Welcome to the third post in my 'tried and tested' series of great books for boys aged 13 and 14. You'll find 21 tried-and-tested books for 13/14-year-old boys here. And 15 more tried-and-tested books for 13/14-year-old boys (plus 13 expert choices) here. These two...
There's a lot of talk on the internet at present about the bind that debut authors find themselves in, trying to launch their first book when the usual things like launch parties, author talks, writers' festival and other literary fun are not available. And it's been...
Is it your dream to write for kids? Are you imagining a picture book, novel or chapter book with your name on it? Are you finding it difficult to 'break in'? Then let me ask you one more question: have you considered writing nonfiction for kids? One of the things that...
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of reading Kate Simpson's new picture book, Anzac Girl: The War Diaries Of Alice Ross-King. And if you follow any of my social media platforms, you'll know it was a real pleasure – I shared it everywhere! It's a very beautiful book,...
I am so very excited to share the beautiful cover of THE FIRE STAR (A Maven & Reeve Mystery), published by Penguin Books Australia on 1 September 2020. Step inside the castle. The mystery awaits . . . A maid with a plan. A squire with a secret. A missing...
Last year, I wrote my first-ever funny story for publication in Total Quack Up Again, an anthology of funny stories in support of Dymock's Children's Charities. Regular readers might remember this post about the experience. One of the editors of the anthology was...
I'm getting in early with my top 10s this year, mostly because I've decided to have a bit of an extended summer hiatus. This one is for anyone who's ever wondered how to be a writer. I worked out that I've written around 150,000 words in 2019 – and that's just the...
As a parent, it comes as no surprise to me that the most popular posts on my entire website by a country mile are these two: 21 tried-and-tested books for 13/14-year-old boys 15 more tried-and-tested books for 13/14-year-old boys (+ 13 expert choices) Books for teens...
