First, the news! ICYMI, the program for The NSW Writers’ Centre’s Kids & YA Festival 2018 dropped yesterday, and I’m included in the seriously fabulous line-up of authors, illustrators and …
And now, some straight talking about writing…
I seem to write about writing a lot (you’ll find my hundreds of blog posts about writing here). And if you listen to So You Want To Be A Writer, …
The week that was: filming, festivals and Creative Writing for Kids
If you’ve listened to the So You Want To Be A Writer podcast recently, you’ll know two things about me: video is not my happy place, and I’ve recently created …
The week that was: launch week for The Book Of Answers
Goodness me, but that was a whirlwind. I can’t believe The Book Of Answers (Ateban Cipher #2) has been out for a week already. The Easter long weekend in the middle, …
Advance copies, dedications + a giveaway
With just over two weeks to go until The Book Of Answers (Ateben Cipher #2) lands in bookshops all over Australia, excitement levels are mounting – and hit ‘very high …
Writing for kids: 10 top writing tips by bestselling author Jacqueline Harvey
When you’re starting out as a writer, the best thing you can do is to learn from other writers. The same is true when you’re starting out as a published …
My top 3 tips from 9 years of author blogging
Somehow my blog turned nine and I missed it. When I started writing here, the blog was called Life In A Pink Fibro and it was a mish-mash of thoughts …
Stop talking, start writing… #writeabookwithal (Feb 2018)
As threatened, it’s here. Day one of #writeabookwithal (Feb 2018). If you’ve done this before, you know how it goes. Lots of people TALK about writing a book. Now it’s …
Brace yourselves for #writeabookwithal on Feb 1
With one week of the school holidays left, my thoughts are turning to two things: the huge stack of things on my To Do list and the next book I …
Taking stock in January 2018
One of my favourite people to visit in the blogging world is Pip Lincolne at Meet Me At Mike’s. Her’s is a feel-good space, full of things that make you …
10 things I’ve learnt from writing my debut novel
There’s nothing quite like the experience of having your first novel appear on bookshop shelves. And nothing quite like the learning curve involved in getting the book there in the …
My top 10 posts for authors (2017)
So here we are, the last of my top 10 blog post posts for 2017. Probably just as well as we’re into the second week of January 2018… This time, …
Top 10 posts about writing (2017) as voted by you
It’s time for my annual round-up of ‘most popular posts’. I have a few categories this year, including posts for readers and posts for authors, but I’m starting with posts …
News, reviews and interviews: final update for 2017
I sent out my December newsletter last week, full of writerly goodness, updates and links, but, frankly, one newsletter wasn’t enough to contain all my news as we hurtle towards …
How my book became a musical
If you’ve been listening to the So You Want To Be A Writer podcast, you’ll know that Val and I are both fans of musical theatre. She never misses an …
Writing for kids: How to create remarkable characters
When I asked Australian children’s author Tim Harris to write me a post for kids who love to write, there was no question of the topic: remarkable characters. Tim’s latest …
Cover reveal! Meet The Book Of Answers (Ateban Cipher #2)!
In a very big week for Ateban Cipher news, I’m thrilled to reveal the cover for THE BOOK OF ANSWERS (out in March 2018). Ta da! Isn’t it lovely? I …
NEWS: The Ateban Cipher is heading to the US!
I’m very, really, extremely excited to announce that Kane Miller, my wonderful US publisher for The Mapmaker Chronicles series, will also be taking The Ateban Cipher series to the US. At …
WIN: Signed poster The Book Of Secrets (Ateban Cipher #1)
Look what I got in the post this morning! Hachette Australia has sent me some of the bookshop posters for THE BOOK OF SECRETS (Ateban Cipher #1) and, frankly, they’re …
Teachers’ Notes: The Book Of Secrets
As an author, teachers’ notes are a surprisingly exciting thing. I love seeing what a specialist reader makes of my books and how they tie them to the various aspects …