This little shop was the inspiration for my first children’s novel
In my children’s novel My Best Worst Year, the main character Toby often visits his grandma in her second-hand shop named ‘Junk and Disorderly.’ The inspiration for this came from […]
When you accidentally meet the main character from your novel
I was walking along Ponsonby Road in Auckland on a beautiful morning when I ran into an old mate with his ten-year-old son. Here was a kid dressed in […]
Dr Seuss was right – your first draft always stinks!
Here’s a little story to prove it. In 1964, Roald Dahl’s ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ was published in the UK. It took over two years to write and underwent […]
Jack Reads Books Reviews Freakout Island
Thanks, Books Jack Reads for your lover-leee review of Freakout Island. Jack adds – ‘There’s a strong element of mystery in this story too, as everyone slowly realises that both […]
My dog is having a bad hair day
If you’re new to my site, you will find my sketches of our family dog Cooper here. While you’re having a look around, be sure to check out my latest […]
What is the strangest thing YOUR dog has eaten?
If you have a dog as a pet you’ll know they do some crazy things. The story above is not entirely true, but my daughters and I sure had fun […]
I made a new friend today – and he flew away
Today we saw the most amazing sight. Our friends asked us to look after their chrysalis while they went on holiday. Two days later – this guy! How magic. The […]
Don’t fall asleep reading my book! Zzzz
OMG! A Freakout Island pillowcase, who would have thought? You can buy them here, along with a whole lot of other cool merch, like hoodies and stickers. Enjoy! (But ask […]