The Wonderful World Of Dogs - Candida Baker

“To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring – it was peace” - Milan Kundera

  In The Wonderful World Of Dogs Candid Baker captures the heart and soul of the dog world. Full of short stories of the love between human and his best friend, The Wonderful World of Dogs shows a side of the animal we often over look. With each chapter being divided by a dog quote and with poems gracing the content, this book allows for easy bedtime reading, and is great for those moments when you have a lull in your day that you wish to uplift.

      There were times within this book that my eyes filled with tears and other times that I laughed so hard I cried. The courage and dedication of some of these amazing canines amazed me. As an animal lover and owner of many different species over the years I am accustomed to the wonders of the animal world but still found this book a refreshing reminder of the need for dogs within our lives and the blessing that they bring. It brought home the amount of times I have taken my beloved canine for granted and how important it is that I show her, each and every day, how special she is to my family.

 For many years animals have been shown to act as a large part of the healing process of humans. In The Wonderful World Of Dogs we read of Skippy who was found by her owner when they were both going through hard times, Skippy being ill and her new owner receiving treatment at an alcohol rehabilitation centre. The attention and will to live that Skippy showed gave her owner the love and courage needed to get through the tough road ahead. Together they bonded to provide each other with  unconditional love that heals.

There is also the story of Beckett, a rescue dog, who approached a man who was visibly upset as his dog was being given CPR. Beckett approached the man as he sat in the waiting room of the vets surgery and slowly slid his head under his hands and hid his face in the man's lap, showing the much needed compassion and understanding.
    
And then there are the messages our dogs give us that are to often misinterpreted or not listen to.

The Wonderful World of Dogs introduces us to Nenkin, a Collie mix, who warned her owner of the intentions of wrongdoing by a man who knocked on her door. Requesting to use the phone, as his car had broken down, Nenkin's owner was about to open the door when Nenkin threw herself at it barking and growling ferociously. This was not normal for her nature. Seeing this as a warning her owner did not permit the man to enter. The man moved on to the neighbours up the road who he gagged, tied to their chair and stole their car. By being in tune to Nenkin and listening to her message her owner was spared a terrible fate.



Within The Wonderful World Of Dogs there are many quotes and poems that rang true in my heart but none more than “Rules From The Dog Universe'

“When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy ride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop  to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.
Enjoy every moment of every day!
Everything is always ok in the end; if it's not, then it's not the end.”

                                                                   Anonymous

The Wonderful World of Dogs by Candida Baker is a  refreshing book that is devoted to the companionship of dog and owner. It tells of the positivity within our relationships and the compassion and devotion that some humans can show for another species. The unity and respect of human and animal, which is often tainted by the disrepect and hurtful nature of some, is show the recognition that it deserves.

  Recommended as a feel good, uplifting book that celebrates life at its greatest, The Wonderful World Of Dogs by Candida Baker is a personal journey into the lives of owners and their dogs. You need not be a lover of dogs in order to enjoy this feel good book but will surely be considering your relationship with the canine species by the time you turn the last page.

Available from Allen and Unwin: www.allenandunwin.com

ISBN: 9781742374253

True Spirit - Jessica Watson

* as published in Good Gabble Newzine Issue 12 January 2011

'The Aussie Girl Who Took On The World'

A book of inspiration, dreams, and a journey of true courage, True Spirit by Jessica Watson takes you on the journey of a young girl who refused to let any obstacles get in her way.

   There wouldn't be many in Australia, or worldwide, who  have not heard of Jessica Watson, the young 16 year old, who took her yacht Ella's Pink Lady and become the youngest person to sail solo, unassisted and non-stop around the world.

  True Spirit is Jessica's story as told in her blogs, with added notes and information, expanding her thoughts, feelings and attitudes towards what was happening. It also allows for behind the scene's insight into what was happening onshore that Jessica did not know of during her offshore travel.

  Jessica really is an amazing teenager. Her ability to stay positive during the whole event, from the organisation, to the trip and media attention, is one of courage, strength and ability way beyond that of a 16 year old. This trip was Jessica's dream and, with the support of her parents, Jessica was going to make it happen, and that she did

  For Jessica it was hands on all the way. When a boat was donated Jessica was there, from the stripping down to the rebuild, there was nothing this young girl would not have a go at. She involved herself in the planning of all equipment, food and the trip. Jessica's  journey was more than that of sailing it was one of learning and finding one's owns strengths, weaknesses and true self.

  Jessica's courage throughout her journey is one to be admired. With positivity being the norm for each a day of sailing, should Jessica feel down and negative she was quick to use techniques she had learnt over time to improve her mood. Spending 210 days of solidarity at sea, coping with all sorts of conditions that nature decided to send her and that Ella's Pink Lady decided to dish out, Jessica showed courage, maturity and the patience of a saint. Not once did she ever loose sight of her goal. Her  passion for sailing, respect of the ocean and love of life shone through in every page of this book.

  On page 172, in her blog dated Saturday, 5 December 2009, Jessica speaks of her “particularly good mood and seeing everything through happy glasses” In commenting on her own blog Jessica writes:

“ It was funny how some of my comments like this one about the happy glasses were picked up and quoted by lots of people reading the blog. It was amazing to me that other people were reading what I wrote and even more amazing that they were applying my positive thought strategies to their own lives. As silly as they sound, I really do believe in 'happy glasses'. One thing I learnt at sea was that there are very, very few situations that can't be turned around and made more positive and less threatening by just looking at things in a different way. Sure, I had my mopey, wallowing moments when I was scared or sad,but eventually I would realise it was up to me to change how I was feeling
( no one else was there to do it for me ) and I would manage to shift my headspace to a better place”

The title, True Spirit, fits this book nicely. This is a book of true aussie spirit. From business's to like minded individuals and the community at large, all were behind Jessica giving her the much needed support and praise she deserved. Some chose to doubt and make their message heard but Jessica did not allow the negativity of others get in the way of her dreams. When her first attempt failed, as she collided with a 63,000-tonne bulk carrier,, Jessica took it in her stride, learning from the experience and ignoring the negativity broadcast throughout the media. Should she have listened, allowed her dream to be squashed and canceled her plans she would not have achieved, grown and become the person she is today. There is a message within True Spirit that should be heard by all.

  Being one who knows nothing of sailing or nautical terms I found this book easy to follow with clear explanation. I soon found myself engrossed in a new world of sails and the sea, wondering if I to could handle what Jessica did. If anything, True Spirit, left me with a respect for those who sail and for our vast ocean. I now dream that one day, at the end of my land travels, I too may jump on a boat, of the holiday variety not the yacht variety, and visit those exotic islands of far away.

  As the gap between technology and the hard copy book only lessens, True Spirit shows the link between the two at it's best. With the book being built around blogs that Jessica placed on her internet site during her journey there is plenty of opportunity for the reader to source further blogs. Owners of smartphones can scan six tags within the pages to reveal Jessica's video diary entries, with url's provided for those who do not have this facility. Although, as a book, True Spirit stands alone I found that accessing the internet enhanced the journey and my understanding, both emotionally and mentally, of Jessica's trip.

Cleverly laid out, True Spirit is in three parts, The Starting Point, The Voyage and Home. Part two, The Voyage, is set into the six stages of Jessica's trip. A guide to Ella's Pink Lady, an internal guide, equipment list, glossary and recommended reading finish the book of nicely and compliment the reading experience. Photograph's, both professional and personal, are include in three different locations within the book, adding colour and visualisation to the journey.

  I highly recommend Jessica Watson's True Spirit. This is one of the best reads I have had in a long time. A feel good book of inspiration, love, hopes and dreams. I found myself smiling throughout my journey and was left floating on cloud nine each time I put it down.

True Spirit is a journey with a young girl who has achieved what most will never. By reading True Spirit I too sailed the world of dreams. What I dream seems small to the dreams and inspirations of Jessica Watson. If Jessica can achieve, I can to!

ISBN: 978-0-7336-2497-1

Published by Hachette Australia
www.hachette.com.au

review: Jennifer Deaves

Urban Mystic, Discovering the transcendent through everyday life - Ken Mellor

  From the age of 13 Ken Mellor travelled a spiritual path of awakening. Urban Mystic: Discovering the transcendent through everyday life takes the reader on that journey. His travels take you from Australia to other parts of the world, including to India. This was the birthplace of three Indian Masters with whom he and his wife Elizabeth trained for many years. During this time, he found his spiritual self, which later enabled him to help others to do the same. While also travelling extensively through the United States, England, Switzerland and Germany, Ken experiences aspects of life that most may not contemplate and did so in an era during which spirituality was not as generally accepted as it is today.

  Urban Mystic is a book that needs to be read with an open mind, a mind that is willing to experience journeys it may not normally take, journeys that have one considering one’s own life path and the part spirituality is playing in it. The book recounts how Ken became the man he is today, a man who has helped many find themselves and a place of peace within their lives.

  While not offering instruction or direction, this book is a biography of one man and how he is reborn and becomes at one with himself and his life. It is an intimate journey into Ken's life, into his mind and his soul. After his early religious upbringing, his dissatisfaction with this learning prompted a decision “to go it alone” in the 60's, a “radically different” approach from what many of his peers were doing. In 1978, Ken met his first Eastern Guru when he attended a workshop in Melbourne titled “The Guru”. This was the start of years of meditating, learning and finding spirituality.

  Written in the first person Ken prompts readers to discover themselves and to learn how all of their life experiences are part of themselves. He challenges them to find awakening within their own hopes, dreams, successes and mistakes.

  In Urban Mystic, Ken talks of spiritual awakening as the unfolding of our consciousness going through four births: physical birth, an emotional birth, a cognitive birth and a spiritual birth. As people go through these births, not necessarily in the order given, they learn about their bodies, their feeling self, their cognitive self, and finally, during the fourth birth, they get direct experience of their spiritual self.  Reflecting this sequence, the book is divided into four books (or sections), each representing one of the four births. In Book IV, The Fourth Birth, Ken speaks of his life screaming out “Pay attention, Ken! Or you will die.” At that time he was living through a series of near misses and accidents that soon ended in a “catastrophic” illness; a sequence that contained a message which rang true within my own life, as I am sure it will in the lives of many others. He also asserts that grounding and centering are fundamental to personal wellbeing; while paying attention to the messages that life, and our bodies, are giving us is of uttermost importance for our own wellbeing and health, and in our interactions with others.

  What I liked most about Urban Mystic was the truthfulness of its content. At no time does Ken hold back on speaking of his spiritual experiences, belief's and findings. Some may seem outrageous to others, even bizarre, but they are what has made Ken the man he is today. Ken takes you on his journey with honesty and keeps you, the reader, intrigued, yet relaxed and comfortable feeling as though you are floating along behind him, hovering as a fly on the wall, experiencing, feeling and growing with him.

  At first glance I was impressed with the uplifting cover that invoked thoughts of transcending to a place where all ones worries are lifted. At  a thickness of 470 pages I felt a little overwhelmed but within the first few chapters was eager to continue my journey and find out how this man became a spiritual mentor and master, co-founded a non-profit organization with members and associates in more than 30 countries and published works in journals, magazines and online—not to mention the many parenting books he has co-written with his wife Elizabeth.

  In the prologue Ken writes, “In sharing my story with you, I hope you will find encouragement to keep going when you face challenges, that you will realize how everyday people have the talent to fulfill extraordinary potential, and whatever your current state of personal and spiritual development, that you'll go on to realize completely your inherent nature. I also hope that, just as I've found encouragement, insight, and support from other people's experiences, mine may be useful to you.”

  I certainly enjoyed my journey with Ken and feel that within me Ken achieved his goal of encouragement and spiritual development. By the time I had finished reading Urban Mystic, I was listening intently to the messages it contained and relating them to situations within my everyday life. Was I listening to myself? Did I truly feel comfortable with who I was and the path I was taking? Was I happily in control with my life and future path?

  Ken Mellor is a true inspiration. His book offers a message of enlightenment, hope and spirituality. He life of meditation produces love and fulfillment. He is a man who has not been afraid to stand with what he believes in order to be at one with himself. A man with a life that is lived to its fullest and contains many messages for all to listen to, messages of believing in one’s self, listening to one’s mind and body and embracing life.

  Urban Mystic, Discovering the tanscendent through everyday life, was selected as a finalist in the spirituality category of the 2010 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. This placed the book in the top five of that category. Written with  a sense of humour and optimism that carries the reader through, this award selection is well deserved. Ken writes with flare and reflection and at no time did I feel bogged down, confused or bored. With each page he held my attention with ease. Urban Mystic is a book that is easy to follow and flow's beautifully.



ISBN: 978-0-646-53006-2

Available online: www.awakeningnetwork.net

Review by Jennifer Deaves

Edward's Watch Mouse Experiment - Joel Hart, Illustrations Melissa Daw

* as published in Good Gabble Newzine December 2010

Edward's Watch Mouse Experiment by Joel Hart provides a story full of extreme science and imaginative fun. Illustrations by Melissa Daw compliment the adventure nicely.

  Edward is a ten year old with a love of chemistry. When his family is faced with several house robberies, by the same men, Edward is determined to find a solution. To begin with he researches what the neighbours use to deter burglars. With high tech alarm systems and camera's not financially viable for his family Edward decides, after visiting old Mrs Murphy, that a watch dog is what they need. He visits the pet shop but to no avail, so he visits the pound where he finds the perfect dog, a five year old golden Labrador. With  mum and dad working hard at their own business they quickly refuse to have a dog.

    With the watchdog idea ruled out Edward is back into the shed and his chemistry, with his trusty mouse Squiggles by his side. As Edward uses his chemistry set to make concoctions, Squiggles, being a mouse, devours the failed concoctions. This is where the fun begins. With the initial idea of giving himself super human strength, so he can tackle the burglars, Edward begins to create a concoction from ingredients around the house. Into the blender they go, little bit by little bit, until BOOM!, mixture everywhere.

  A day later and Squiggles is found to be eating Edward's concoction. With Squiggles looking more buff and with a sharp predator look in his eyes Edward feels he may be on the right track. So begins the fine tuning of the concoction until Edward has Squiggles standing in the backyard two metres tall.

 So what do you do with a mouse this big? What do you do with mouse poo the size of Mount Kosciusko? What do you do when a mouse this size escapes?


  Edward's Watch Mouse Experiment is sure to keep kids turning the pages and laughing along the way. At 102 pages and with full page illustrations in every chapter, this book is suitable for all ages, from the beginning reader to the more advanced. Joel Hart has used his skills as a primary school teacher and knowledge of what children love to produce a book that kids will pass from friend to friend and surely be discussing in the playground

ISBN: 978-0-646-50579-4

Visit Joel Hart at www.joelhart.weebly.com

review: Jennifer Deaves

Melissa Daw - Artist and Illustrator

* as published in Good Gabble Newzine December 2010

  Melissa Daw grew up in Perth Western Australia and from a young age had a love of art, spending a great deal of time drawing, painting and generally making things. With a lot of visits to exhibits and plays, due to her mothers appreciation for art, it was not surprising she made the decision to study art later in life.

After obtaining a Bachelor of Education with a major in Arts Melissa set off to travel Europe for a year, returning to Western Australia were she got a teaching job in the small farming and mining town of Ravensthorpe and later met her husband. Today Melissa is a mother of two children and works one day a week teaching at the local district high school. She is a member of the Ravensthorpe Regional Arts Council, providing a variety of art experiences for the local community,and attends a local art group who have turned an old CWA building into a studio gallery for local artists.

  Melissa first got into illustrating through her friend Joel Hart, illustrating his first book Joseph and the Magical Moose.

“It was my dream to write and illustrate my own picture books....but Joel did it first,” says Melissa “I still have not gotten around to publishing my own.”

    Melissa is currently involved in the early planning stages of a mural for the local hospital which involves the local school children. She is also working on two commissioned pieces and a picture book. With all this under her belt she admits that it does seem like a lot but all is fine until someone gets sick or 'all the wheels fall of the routine wagon!'

  “I work mostly at night when my children are asleep, although sometimes they are in the studio with me,” Melissa stated when asked how she manages it all. “ My son often makes slot car race tracks around the various easels and tables whilst my daughter also likes to paint.”

   Coming from a fibre textiles background construction is something that Melissa loves to do.

“My kids and I love to build with boxes and we enjoy collecting found objects and natural materials to just 'make stuff',” she says. “Now the kids are getting older they are able to manipulate the materials to create some really interesting things....it gets hung from trees or the patio or is just given a special place to sit.”

So what inspires Melissa?

“I am inspired by life events that happen around me. I find it easier to paint things that I have a connection with somehow, hence it is usually my children.

  I like to tell stories but will often not be explicit about it, I prefer to keep a bit of mystery, just a mix of events or dreams or ideas. Sometimes there is no meaning at all, I just liked that particular combination of images or colours. I just really enjoy the painting process, making the colours and shapes come together. I tend to use acrylics mostly, I love their brightness but also enjoy to play around with watercolours.

  The use of colours and the technique I have developed is all due to my lifestyle. I just can't spend hours at a time working at it so it is just a bit of time here and there. I would waste a lot of paint if I mixed up colours and then had to stop when the kids interrupted me, now I often paint straight out of the pot and mix colours in layers on the canvas so I can stop at any time to put the slot car back on the track or pull apart some tricky lego pieces.

  I also love just drawing, pencil is probably my favourite medium. You can get such a soft shading and fine detail.

The great thing about art is that you can learn all the time. I enjoy going to different workshops and meeting other people, getting new ideas.”

 In terms of her art Melissa is quick to point out that she appreciates many forms.

  “My favourite painter at the moment would have to be Tamara De Lempicka, I love art deco, and she has influenced my themes and style lately. I also have a deep love of fibre textiles and adore the work of Nalda Searles. I am sad that customs such as knitting, sewing, quilting, crotcheting and weaving are no longer generally practiced........guess what my kids have to learn!”

  Although the expression of art has been in Melissa's life for many years she feels she is just really starting out and is learning to be confident about what she does.

“I spent a while there just trying to do what other artists were doing and then I realised I am allowed to break other people's rules and make my own. For me it is just simply good fun and I am happy when I am doing it.”

article: Jennifer Deaves

Oscar's Way - Elizabeth Mellor

Photograph: Samantha Lo http://samlophotography.blogspot.com

   
Oscar's Way by Elizabeth Mellor is a book of adventure and fun that has the reader turning page after page. Suitable for both the young and old, the imagination is taken on a journey through the Australian bush with characters that touch you with their charisma and soothing style.

   Oscar is a blue tongue lizard who lives beneath the house of the Brown family, but he is no ordinary blue tongue, he loves to spend his days pondering and mulling over the meaning of life and why he was placed in this world. Oscar realizes he is different to other blue tongue lizards and although he has tried hard to be like the others he just hasn't managed it. Knowing this about himself Oscar makes an important decision.He will call himself a creature rather than a blue tongue lizard and refer's to himself as a b-t-l.

   Jambie is a bedraggled, just out of the nest, possum who won't sleep during the day so is left under a tree by her mother to 'work it out'. This is were Jambie is standing, sobbing and unhappy, when Oscar finds her. Feeling Jambie may be a 'creature' just like him Oscar befriends the possum, inviting her to his place for a cuppa. So begins a friendship between two unlikely creatures who set out on an adventure of a lifetime, “to the hill a long way off in the distance past the creek that has a couple of trees on the top.”

   The adventures of Oscar and Jambie are ones of friendship, trust and positive messages. Written with a meditative style Elizabeth takes the characters through many tests and trials as they meet other animals of the bush. There is Samuel a copperhead snake, Gus a white cockatoo, Claude a wedge tailed eagle and Jax a kookaburra, to mention a few. Each have their own personality that not only fits their description but allows them to play important roles in the messages the book holds.

   Full of positivity and enlightenment, Oscar's Way provides important messages about being different, accepting  ones self, and others, and about finding your way in life. With lines like “ I am who I am and I will be who I will be” and  “Your life is valuable, so take care and don't waste it.” messages are clearly  directed at the reader but woven into the character.

  Written simply but with depth Elizabeth Mellor has created a work of art that is sure to become a classic as the years pass. This is a book that will be handed down through generations of families and shared together by young and old.

  I loved this book. I became engrossed in the words, the characters and the plot. I eagerly turned page after page relating to both Oscar and Jambie on different, but personal, levels. As character became part of their lives they also became part of mine. This book has it all – adventure, spirituality, enlightenment, love, hope and unity.

ISBN: 1-920892-91-5
Available online at: www.awakeningnetwork.net

review: Jennifer Deaves

Zoe's Puppy - Joel Hart

Illustrations Melissa Daw

* as published in November 2010 Good Gabble Newzine

 

photograph: Samantha Lo

  A story of love, family, friendship, growing up and loss, Zoe's Puppy by Joel Hart is sure to touch the hearts of children and adults alike. Colourful illustrations by Melissa Daw compliment a story with messages that are sure to heal.

  “One beautiful Autumn Day” Zoe is born. Each birthday Zoe is given a stylish item that relates to a dog. On her third birthday she is given a real puppy that her mum and dad got from the pound. They name her Pooky. As Zoe grows so does Pooky, each enjoying the journey of love, friendship and family. Shortly after Zoe's eighteenth birthday Pooky becomes ill and dies thus beginning the journey of loss, memories and moving on. Zoe soon marries and has a daughter of her own, Kayla. On Kayla's third birthday she is given a dog. Pooky lives on in the hearts and minds of the family.

  With the main message of Zoe's Puppy being that of  loss I found this book to be of use in many area's. Hidden within is the message of  love and the unity of family. The love of parents and a child and the love of a pet. On each page, as Zoe grows, the words and illustrations compliment each other to show the changes as we age and mature and a time line of events within our lives. Not just do Zoe and Pooky grow but the events within their lives and surrounding change with them showing the adventures and  patterns of the change. A gentle way of dealing with the messages of life, Zoe's puppy helps children deal with changes around them and heal in times of loss.

  Zoe's Puppy is the third book to be written and illustrated by the team of Joel Hart and Melissa Daw, following Joseph and the Magical Moose and Edward's Watch Mouse Experiment. With an Australian author, illustrator, publisher ( Watch Mouse Publishing ) and printer ( Copy Magic), Zoe's Puppy is sure to appeal to a large range of audience.

ISBN: 978-0-9807924-0-9

www.joelhart.weebly.com

Review: Jennifer Deaves

An Interview With Joel Hart - Australian Children’s Author

 Completing a teachers degree in at Flinder's University in South Australia, Joel Hart is using his love of literature and education skills to provide quality children's books. Teaming up with illustrator Melissa Daw, Joel's three books, Joseph and the Magical Moose, Edward's Watch Mouse Experiment and Zoe's Puppy, are sure to instill a love of books and reading in children of all ages.

   Along with teaching and wtiting Joel, accompanied by Melissa, is spending time conducting writing workshops for children during the school holidays. During these workshops the children work in groups going through the process of planning drafting, illustrating and publishing their own picture book narrative. The next workshop witll be held in Fremantle WA during January 2011.

  Good Gabble asked Joel the following questions:

  Were did your teaching career first start  and were have you taught?

  I started my teaching career in Adelaide in 1991. Since then I have taught in Perth, Kalgoorlie, Coonana Aboriginal Community, Ravensthorpe and now Fremantle. I  have been teaching in the Fremantle area for 6 years.

What would you say is the most rewarding thing about being a children's author?

  I love watching children engaged in my books and telling me about their favourite parts and characters. That's the ultimate reward.

  As you promote your  newest book Zoe's Puppy has there been any single event that has left a memorable moment in your mind?

  Zoe's Puppy is a little sad but quite uplifting at the end. A friend of mine read the story to her son who had recently lost his grandmother and thought the story had helped them both. It was quite satisfying to hear that because this is the intention of the book.

What gave you the idea for your first book?

  I always thought that one day I would write a book and probably a children's book. Mem Fox was one of my lecturers at Flinders University in the late 80's and looking back, I can see that she was the one who planted the seed. It wasn't until my first son was born in 2002 that the inspiration came. My first book is called Joseph and the Magical Moose. My son's name is Joseph and the moose idea came from a little stuffed moose that sits in a ceramic bowl at our house. That moose has been there for 12 years!

What lead to you becoming a published author?
  A lot of determination and a belief that the material was good enough to be published. It's important to get feedback, particularly from people who aren't your friends because friends will often say what you want to hear, or at least a watered down version of what they really think. A good editor will give you the honest feedback that you may not want but need. Sue Moran from Dramatically Correct is my editor and she is fantastic!

What do you hope your books achieve?

I just want my books to be read and enjoyed by as many children as possible. There are a lot of laughs in the first two and I hope Zoe's Puppy can assist children that have experienced loss and help them move on.

What words of wisdom would you give to another who hopes to one day become a published children's author?

Don't be disheartened with knock backs from publishers. It doesn't necessarily mean that you don't have good material. Publishers have quotas, text lengths and genres they're looking for and there is a good chance that your story just doesn't fit the criteria. Get feedback from your target audience and make sure you are writing for a target audience. Ask yourself, 'Who's going to read this?' You might be interested in albino yaks from southern Mongolia but the audience might be thin. If you're writing children's books, make them fun, dynamic and with no boring bits. You have to keep children turning the page. Create plenty of visuals in the text, even if you are using illustrations. Roald Dahl did this well. Also, treat children like intelligent human beings. They are capable of understanding a lot more than adults often give them credit for.

Is there an author you admire and who keeps you motivated?

Well there's a lot more than one, but Roald Dahl is definitely my favourite. I also love Paul Jennings, Mem Fox, Graeme Base and Rob Scotton.

If you had to give a message of positivity to someone else what would it be?

Believe in yourself and take any advice as an opportunity to improve.

For further information on the workshops and to get the latest news on Joel visit him at: www.joelhart.weebly.com

article: Jennifer Deaves