whatsnew

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What's New
and what's coming soon...

December 2009
Well, never let it be said that I spend all my time updating my website! In fact, it's taken me well over twelve months to get around to doing this but... I guess that's because I've been busy working on some fantastic writing projects. Not to mention buying the house next door to me and moving in... and working in its nice big garden to restore it, as the gentleman who owned the property before me was 95, running, swimming - and training three dogs, including a puppy that has just turned twelve months. AND all the other things I just love to do in the dog world. Life is never boring or quiet, that's for sure. A quiet day is unheard of at my house!

I have completed some new projects that I am very proud of this year. More PMs in the form of higher levels for the PM Writing series. The PM series has become a benchmark in children's literacy throughout the world and to keep on being given the opportunity to work on projects in the PM family, and work with the amazing Annette Smith, who I consider my mentor in children's educational writing, has been one of my greatest pleasures.

A Dog Tricks and Training book and DVD that was, as I said on my books page, a dream to work on. When the package came out this year I almost cried to see the lovely shots of my two German Shepherd girls in the book and on the DVD, as well as some very clever dogs belonging to dear friends who kindly lent their services for the filming and photographing of this project. The staff at Hinkler Books are always brilliant to work with too - talented, friendly, full of enthusiasm and some of the brightest minds in publishing.

Macmillan Education are 'doing it again' with some superb new books that will be published in early 2010 and look out for them as I think they are going to change the way children are taught critical thinking in primary schools in Australia. Again, I'm very proud to be associated with this project and was given the opportunity to write 28 books in the series (which okay, nearly killed me as I wrote them all in a year and my thinking cap just about exploded!).

'Life is good!' says Tess, at the beach near our house

Projects 'in the works'

There are exciting plans afoot for 2010. I have just completed another 'lucky' project in that it has been an absolute pleasure to work on and not work at all really, with my friend Yvonne Kartner. Yvonne is a graphic artist with a diploma in commercial art and she is also one of the best photographers I've ever come across. Creativity is in her blood as she comes from a long line of artists and photographers (there is even a major street in Germany named after her family - Kartner Strass)and I consider myself very lucky to have the chance to work with her. Between us we have put together a book of inspirational quotes (written by me) and photos (taken by Yvonne), together with book design by Yvonne. We are very pleased with it indeed and are in talks with a publisher now, so watch out for this book coming in 2010.

I also have a possible new set of books for Cengage Learning in the wind, together with a series of children's spooky - weird science - comical stories I'm in the process of finishing off and a Young Adult novel too. So busy times ahead. I'll put more details up on this site as they come in.

Time permitting, I am also considering adding an author mentoring service to my current list of services. I have run short courses on writing for community centres in the past with great success. In fact, after my last course on children's writing, out of the small class of ten, two of the authors found themselves published! Author mentoring is quite time consuming so at this stage, it is a project I will not start until mid-2010 due to other commitments.

home . books . editing and proofreading. manuscript appraisals . copywriting . school visits.
voiceover work . the dogs . dog training . for kids . for grown-ups . contact . links