Jacqueline Harvey

On Thursday we visited two lovely schools in Oswestry. This is a village close to my heart as we stayed here for three weeks the summer of 2012. I first met Carrie who with her husband Tim owns the beautiful Booka Bookshop when we were here then and had been hoping that we could do some events together in the future.

We walked from the hotel to the shop and then around to the first school, Our Lady and St Oswald which is right in the heart of the village. We couldn't have had a warmer greeting - the staff were absolutely wonderful and I must apologise that I haven't been able to remember everyone's names. The school is gorgeous - small and perfectly formed and I was directed to the hall to set up for the talk. The children filed in and were so quiet and settled. But they soon came to life and were laughing and answering and asking questions. We had a terrific time with the drama activity.

Afterwards I signed the children's books and was shown the lovely display all about Alice-Miranda and Clementine Rose in the library nook. There were lots of book reviews (pleased to say I think all 4 and 5 stars) and it was clear that the children had been anticipating the visit for a while.

We left the school and walked back to Booka for a coffee and a good look at the shop. The café was full and I imagine that it's a wonderful haven for people who live in the village. If we lived here I'd be there everyday - having my coffee and working on books. Carrie's cupcake lady had baked some very beautiful Clementine Rose cupcakes - you can see here how gorgeous they looked and I can tell you they were delicious. Carrie presented us with a box of six. Charlotte, Ian and I ate some on the train that afternoon.

Our second school was Woodside Primary which is the largest school in the area with over 600 students. They had a very fancy sign in system which involved having a photograph taken and printed which is then worn around your neck on a lanyard. I don't think I've ever seen one quite as good at that anywhere in the world.

The children filed into the hall and again they were very excited and enthusiastic. It was wonderful to meet them all and we had lots of laughs. The local newspaper photographer came along so I'm hoping we see some pictures in the paper later this week.

After the book signing we headed back to the hotel to meet the taxi that was taking us to Shrewsbury for our three train journey to Newcastle Upon Tyne. Charlotte had booked and checked and rechecked the taxi and of course, probably because she was so diligent, it arrived about 20 minutes late and the fellow said that he'd only just been assigned the job. I think Addison Lee are not doing themselves any favours with their regional taxi bookings (and come to think of it, the fellow in London who was unaware of the Korean President's State Visit on my first day of school talks was less than impressive too).

The road was wet and we weren't keen to repeat our pervious day's experience with the Formula One taxi driver so Charlotte quickly checked to see that if we did miss the train there were others we could catch. Better to arrive in one piece than not get there at all. As it was, this chap seemed to know quite a few good back roads and we made it with minutes to spare. Sadly the train was then delayed on the tracks (that was the day they had trespassers) so Charlotte was worried about missing her connection to London. Fortunately luck was finally on her side and she made it. Our connection to Manchester was tight to begin with so we didn't stand a hope on that one. There are lots of trains though and we caught the next one - and picked up a new friend. A lovely lady called Margot who was travelling from Cardiff to Durham. We were going on the same route but just a little further so we had a great time talking to her (she's a keen golfer and plays at least three days a week). We lost our reserved seats though and spent the best part of two hours standing up in sardine tin conditions. Never mind, the next train from York to Newcastle was much less crowded and we arrived only about half an hour late. I have another Addison Lee gripe though as they kept me on hold for half an hour and by then the driver was waiting for us at the station. There was no mobile number for him on the text so I felt really bad that I hadn't been able to let him know - but clearly the AL systems are a little bit dodgy at the moment.

Our hotel was right on the Tyne opposite the Millennium Bridge which is gorgeous - a constant changing light show. I was looking forward to the school visit and being able to see a little more of this beautiful city.

I was so excited to be going to Fulwell Junior School. When we were here in February we met a gorgeous family, the Sayers, who have two beautiful girls, Lilly and Emma. Their mother Christine has been an ardent supporter of Alice-Miranda and she and the girls had often written to me about the books. In February we met at our hotel in Newcastle for about an hour and this time I vowed that we would make a trip to the girls' school.

Ian and I caught the train to Seaburn - it was an easy journey from Newcastle Central. The thing that struck me most was the number of horses in the fields along the train line.

We arrived in the village and walked past the shops to the school. The head Mrs Carroll was very welcoming as were all of the staff. The library teacher, Mrs Sainthouse was excited to have us there too. It was the school's first author visit for a long time. They do have a very famous ex student who is a writer - Terry Deary of Horrible Histories fame. Sadly he declined an invitation to speak at the school (and apparently the letter is something to behold).

The first thing that struck me about the school interior were the stunning displays of student art. Mrs Carroll was telling us that they were one of only three schools in the UK to achieve an outstanding for their art program. It was amazing and they are fortunate to have a teacher who is a very accomplished artist and who has shared her skills with the other staff.

The staff and students were in casual clothes and some in pyjamas for a special fundraising day. I spotted Lilly in the corridor dressed in the Alice-Miranda t-shirt we'd given her in February. She smiled broadly and scampered off into class.

Before the first session I had the honour of cutting the ribbon on the refurbished library with a group of school councillors (students elected to represent their class). I think Mrs Sainthouse had found the largest pair of scissors ever seen. I could have done some serious damage with those babies!

The library is a sanctuary space for the children with comfortable bean bags and the most beautiful selection of books. Apparently the students were asked what books they wanted in the library and every single one of them was sourced and added to the collection. I was thrilled to see Alice-Miranda and Clementine Rose there too. I saw Emma and she immediately gave me a lovely hug.

I talked to the Year 4 students first and we had a great time. The actors outdid themselves - some wonderful facial expressions and excellent snoring. Ian and I then headed across the road into the village for a bite of lunch. I had a coronation chicken sandwich - I remember having that last year in Chester and decided it had been yummy. I think it must have some curry in it.

Emma and Lilly were both in the second session, which should have been just for Year 5 but Lilly had special exemption from swimming to come along with her best friend Carrie, who had given the girls their first Alice-Miranda book.

I decided to focus more on Alice-Miranda for this talk and chose Emma as the school's second best tantrum thrower (although apparently she's not really). Christine came along to the talk as well - and when Emma was out the front giving me 'the look' Christine said, 'Oh I've seen that face before' - hilarious!

I loved meeting everyone and it was great to see Emma and Lilly and Christine again. We planned to have dinner in Newcastle so after a quick train trip back to the city, there was only an hour or so before we caught up with them again and John too. Dinner was lots of fun - and it was great getting to know everyone better. It has been a real joy meeting the Sayers. They are a gorgeous family and I know we'll keep in touch and see them next time we're in the UK. They're coming to Australia for a holiday in 2015- so hopefully we'll get to see them at home too.

We walked back to the hotel along the waterfront and marvelled at the Millennium Bridge, the Conference Centre which has the most spectacular architecture and the Tyne Bridge (mini Sydney Harbour Bridge).

Last Saturday morning before heading west again to Oswestry, Ian and I visited Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children's Books in Newcastle Upon Tyne. We'd spent the morning wandering about in the city centre, marvelling at the Christmas food market and the stunning architecture. We bought a large half round of French brie for three pounds! (At home the same cheese would cost us around $30.00 at least. It's the most delicious cheese I've eaten in years too). We had breakfast at Carluccios which is a chain of restaurants here. Chains in the UK don't have near the same connotation as at home or in the US (ie not fast food) as these are absolutely outstanding. The décor is beautiful, the food delicious and I wish Carluccio's would open in Sydney!

We stopped in to say hello to the lovely Kristine at Waterstones who we'd worked with in February and who supplied the books for Friday's school event. She said that Alice-Miranda was selling well for them and she loved the series. We discussed that we'd be back again in November 2014, all set for lots of events, then wandered down to TM Lewin where Ian got his shirt fix before making our way to Avis to pick up our hire car. That was a lovely surprise, as the mid sized manual Seat sedan we'd booked had miraculously transformed into a brand new automatic Audi A4 with quite possibly the best sat nav system I've ever seen.

We drove back to the hotel and picked up our bags then made our way the very short distance to Seven Stories. Housed in a stunning old warehouse you access the building on the street at level three. I had hoped to meet Lorna Duncanson who I'd emailed with earlier in the week but she doesn't usually work on Saturdays unless there is an event. However. we met the duty manager Jane Nicholson who took my details and said that she'd pass them on. We then met Charleene Creasey in the bookshop, who absolutely made my day, when not only did she know who Alice-Miranda was, she promptly found me a pile of books to sign. I was so thrilled! Hopefully they will have Clementine Rose soon too.

I was really excited to learn that the Enid Blyton Archive was upstairs as well as a Judith Kerr exhibition. I spent the whole time smiling as we wandered through the Enid Blyton floor, recalling the stories I had loved as a girl. The Secret Seven and Famous Five and her Faraway Tree books. The exhibition contains some original manuscripts and art work but I was sad to read that much of her original work was destroyed. The typewriter on which she typed her stories (using two fingers) sat under a glass case and there were school photographs of Enid and her two daughters. I recently watched the Helena Bonham Carter biopic of Enid's life and by all accounts her relationship with her children was strained at the best of times, quite horrible at others. I can't even imagine writing 700 books in my lifetime - and on further investigation it seems that she wrote most of them in a 30 year period. She was certainly a woman ahead of her time - imagine if she'd had a computer! Ian bought me the 2014 Famous Five Annual - and I felt like a nine year old again!

The Judith Kerr Exhibition is gorgeous with loads of original artwork and photographs and the most beautiful little kitchen containing a giant tiger - children would just love this place, as so much of it is hands on. Judith is 95 now and according to Carrie and Tim from Booka Bookshop in Oswestry is one of the most charming and funny ladies you'll ever meet. They had the pleasure a few years ago.

Up in the attic you'll find the event space with a gorgeous story chair and little nooks and crannies. There's a whole wall of dress up clothes and I do hope that one day I can have an event here - it's enchanting and just perfect for storytelling.

Sadly we didn't have a huge amount of time as we had to get across the country to Oswestry but I know I'll be back again in 2014. The centre is stunning - I wish there was something like this in Sydney. Maybe one day...

Yesterday I spent the afternoon at Moreton Hall in Oswestry. We were there last year and have a lovely connection to the school through a boarder exchange program at Abbotsleigh. Earlier this year Harriet Lang spent second term in Sydney and Ian and I had a lovely day out with her in the city. Her parents invited us for dinner on the weekend at their beautiful home in a barn conversion in a village called Knockin - another really pretty place. Moreton Hall is a gorgeous school set on a large acreage about 10 minutes drive from Oswestry and right by another village called Weston Rhyn. They school is currently celebrating its centenary year with all the events that go with it including an art exhibition in a Bond Street gallery last weekend and the grand opening of their new science block, with six labs and light filled spaces which is still to come as soon as the special guest visitor can be announced. It all sounded very exciting.

I talked with the Year 3-6 students first then had the pleasure of seeing the Year 7 girls, may of whom remembered me from my visit last year in June. The school feels rather like a big family and many of the girls board - over 300 in fact. The Moreton Firsts (or Junior School) caters for boys and girls but there are only girls in the secondary school.

I had a lovely time with Kath Ford (Head of Moreton First) and her students, who laughed in all the right places and were very keen participants in the drama. The Year 7 girls were terrific too and I talked about the stories and also about the process I go through to write. They had lots of great questions. Last night we had drinks with the Headmaster Jonathan Forster and his lovely wife Paula, his PA Ruth and Caroline and Sean Lang. Jonathan and Paula are heaps of fun and have the most gorgeous little dog called Minnie, a wire haired miniature Dachshund. She has a face a lot like a terrier and is very affectionate. I mistakenly called her a cross breed - she's not (it was the short legs that got me and her rounded face). Anyway, I think Minnie might make a lovely addition to one of my character's animal menageries in the future.

We didn't actually get to the book signing yesterday so it was lovely to be able to go back to Moreton today and see the girls and sign all of their books. They had lots more questions too.

We drove in and out of Oswestry past Brogyntyn Hall (the house we visited last year which in my books is Caledonia Manor). I still dream of buying the place and restoring it to its former grandeur - although I would need to win the Euro Millions lottery first. I heard this week that Robbie Williams had been keen to buy it but even with all his money he was put off by the mammoth renovation and the money pit of costs. I've taken some photos of the stone walls along the roadway and the gate house. There's one of the hall in the distance too. The derelict stable block with the circular window belongs to the house across the road - another stunning mansion whose name I don't know. The stable block sits right on the edge of the road and would make a gorgeous home.

This morning was grey and wet - then it started to snow. Apparently it had snowed quite a bit overnight and the hills around Oswestry were blanketed in white. It was so pretty - a quintessential English scene. The snow stopped mid morning and the sun came out. Ian and I finished up at Moreton Hall and drove back into Oswestry to see Carrie from Booka and give her some more orders. We picked up some sandwiches at M&S Simply Foods (please, please, please come to Australia) and then headed off toward Cheltenham. We avoided the freeways for much of the time and travelled through gorgeous villages. There was one place that really caught my eye - Morville, which is home to Morville Hall. Morville looks as if it must have been an Estate Village. Rows of chocolate box cottages and a beautiful church in the centre. We went through Much Wenlock and Stourbridge before hitting the freeway and arriving in Cheltenham.

We're staying the next five nights in a beautiful Regency building which has been converted into serviced apartments. Ours is very well laid out and just a short walk from the centre of town. There are breakfast goodies including cereals, bread and spreads and croissants so it wouldn't matter if you arrived late, there would be supplies for the morning. We've discovered this evening that the nicest part of Cheltenham is the area known as Montpellier. There are great shops and restaurants. We walked for miles and then found a cosy (and busy) Italian restaurant.. We've just walked back now and it's one degree outside with a clear moonlit sky. Tomorrow is forecast to rain. Looks like I will be editing.

We arrived in Cheltenham on Tuesday afternoon and checked into our lovely accommodation. We're staying in an apartment for five nights and sadly the thing I was most excited to find out about was the presence of a washing machine. When you're on the road as long as we are, it's the simple things that make life easier. We'd left Oswestry under sunny skies (and it had snowed the previous evening and some in the morning too) and driven the couple of hours to Cheltenham via villages and back roads. English countryside is so pretty.

We're staying at the Portland Apartments, a great alternative to a hotel. Our apartment is in the basement and has a good sized kitchen lounge area, a luxurious marble bathroom and a bedroom to the rear. The apartments are in a Regency building and have been done up to a high spec - lots of LED down lights, more powerpoints than you could ever hope to use and flat screen televisions in the lounge room and bedroom. There is a coffee machine, a fabulous breakfast pack with enough food to last several days and underfloor heating. The other bonus about the two basement apartments is their direct access to the parking area out the back and a much less steep set of stairs. The internal staircase in the building is beautiful but the treads are so narrow (I know they had much smaller feet back when this place was built) but I didn't like the thought of Ian navigating it with our heavy cases. And I'm not being sexist here - he just insists on carrying the cases up and down stairs.

I was worried that it might be overly dark but with the front blinds pulled back there's plenty of blue sky and an interesting water feature to look at too. Just as well because our stay in Cheltenham has seen me staying in quite a bit to work on an edit for Clementine Rose and the Seaside Escape, among other things.

We have had some time out too. Cheltenham is a pretty place with lots of high end shops and a busy town centre. The area known as Montpellier is especially lovely and Ian and I have walked up there a couple of times. There is an abundance of galleries. A striking oil painting of a horse caught our eye and we went back and bought it (our big splurge of the trip). Now we just have to find somewhere among our wall of horse paintings to hang it. We had lunch at a French bistro on top of Montpellier on Wednesday and the food was spectacular. I had heard that The Cotswolds were the preferred home of many celebrities and as we walked through M&S Foods on Wednesday evening we saw Simon Callow, the actor who played Gareth (the guy who dies) in Four Weddings and a Funeral. I don't know if he's always so chipper but he walked past us humming away. Ian said that it was because I had that look of 'oh my goodness he's that famous actor' but I like to think he's just a happy fellow.

On Thursday we decided to go for a drive. Problem was we spent the first half an hour driving the ring road around town until we found the tourist information centre (should have just walked in as we'd been doing!). I was after a brochure for The Romantic Road, which I duly found in the art gallery foyer which is now also the tourist information (having recently moved from the library next door). Ian stayed in the car and I ran in but ran out again to find my wallet as they charge for their brochures - yes two pounds 45 pence to get started on that road.

Anyway it didn't take long to find our way straight down Portland Street and around the racetrack then on towards the villages of The Cotswolds. We were once again blessed with the weather - intermittent blue skies and clouds and then later in the day a vast canvas of blue.

We drove through Winchcombe (absolutely gorgeous) to Stanway and Stanton before coming into what I think could be the prettiest place I've ever seen. Broadway has a wide high street with ancient honey coloured buildings either side. We were both in awe. Of course two girls on majestic horses rode down the high street adding to the quintessential English village tableaux.

We stopped and had a wander about, poking our heads into the gift shops and laneways. I could spend a month there - or forever. But there was so much more to see and being almost Winter, so few hours of daylight.

We decided to deviate from the Romantic Road path and take in Stratford Upon Avon. It's a much bigger town - with all the usual high street shops. It's entire fortune rides on the back of the Bard. We saw the birthplace of Shakespeare (somewhat disputed) and the Christmas markets. That night they were turning on the Christmas lights to there were media crews about. We didn't stay long enough and it's another place I'd love to come back to but I was keen to get on the road and see more of the smaller villages. We headed for Chipping Campden and were once again wowed by the beauty and quaintness of this historic market town. The marketplace on the high street was perfectly preserved and over 500 years old. We found a spot for a very late lunch and had soup and quiche inside another cosy 500 year old building. Of course it had beams and foot thick walls too.

We drove back to Cheltenham via Upper Slaughter and Lower Slaughter which are commonly known as The Slaughters and have nothing to do with any sort of butchering or heinous crimes. The name is derived from the old English word Slohtre meaning a muddy place, which it may once have been but isn't anymore.

Both villages are delightful and without the distraction of shops. In fact I think there is only one tea room between them. There are some huge manor houses that you can stay in (I checked the prices - clearly they are for very special occasions!). We passed another village to the side of the main road called Naunton which was down in a valley. It was like a postcard. By now the light was fading but rest assured we'll be back again one day. There are too many places I still want to see.

That evening we had a meal at the local pub, The Storyteller which is across the road from the apartments. It was Californian inspired and probably not exactly what we had been thinking of. I'm not sure if it was my dinner or the left over cheese I ate beforehand but something didn't agree with me and I spent Thursday evening feeling extremely off colour. Fortunately Friday had been earmarked a work day and I was more than happy to don the tracksuit pants and stay in for the entire day. Ian walked into town a couple of times for supplies (and to add to his shopping - he returned on the first occasion with some new golf shoes in preparation for our trip to Portugal). Seriously, I've got a lot of catching up to do!

The kind lady in the office here at the apartments printed my manuscript and I spent the day poring over changes to Clementine Rose and the Seaside Escape. It was great to have a hard copy as editing entirely on screen is hard. Fortunately I was feeling a lot better by mid morning and got stuck into the work. It's just about done now and ready to send. There were other jobs too,

so Thursday really was all about work. Today I'm hoping to play a little and maybe catch up with my husband on the shopping - although anyone who knows me well, knows shopping is way down my list of priorities. Tonight the Christmas lights are being turned on in Cheltenham and there are lots of activities and a street market, so I think we'll aim for that later.

On Sunday we left our cosy basement flat in Cheltenham and drove across to St Albans in Hertfordshire. We chose this as our base as I have an event in Chelmsford on Tuesday (about an hour north east) and then two days around Rickmansworth and North London (south) so it's fairly central (and out of the busyness of the city).

We drove via more of the pretty Cotswold villages and found ourselves in Chipping Norton, which is gorgeous. On the way into town we came across the most extraordinary building with a giant stack attached to it. On further investigation we learned that it was formerly Bliss Tweed Mill. It's a striking building with the most enormous chimney stack atop a dome (sort of looks like a plunger) but the building itself is magnificent and has apparently been converted into apartments since the closure of the mill in 1980. It would be a landmark building to call home.

We then drove to the very quaint village of Woodstock. We must have missed the main gates into Blenheim Palace but I think we got the most beautiful view of the palace and grounds as we came in through another entrance. What a pile it is. Home to the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough, Blenheim is enormous, ornate and has the most stunning grounds designed by Capability Brown.

I knew Winston Churchill had been born at the palace but hadn't registered that his grandparents were the Duke and Duchess. I stood at the top of the gardens imagining what it would have been like to have the run of the palace during the school holidays, when young Winston was a frequent visitor. There is a very interesting Winston Churchill archive in the house and access to the foyer, State Rooms, dining room, library and chapel as well as the grounds. Unfortunately it was extremely chilly and started to rain so our visit to the gardens was short. However, Blenheim currently have a deal where you can convert your one day pass into one year - so we did that and hope to make it back again before the 23rd November 2014.

We drove into Oxford and had a very quick look around. It's a place we'll have to come back to and spend a proper amount of time but the light was fading and we were keen to get across to St Albans. Ian booked us into St Michael's Manor and I have to say it's gorgeous. St Albans wasn't a place I knew much about at all but turns out it was one of the three largest Roman cities in England and a seat of power. There's a museum dedicated to the Roman times and a beautifully preserved mosaic floor in the middle of the sports field (which has a building over the top to protect it). There are other mosaics in the museum and the most stunning park which runs alongside the river up to the St Alban's Abbey. Another treasure we didn't realise was here. I'll let the photographs do the talking suffice to say we've been really taken with the area and it's proximity to London and other centres. It would be a great place to be based when we come back in 2014.

I suspect the glasses were added more recently than the carving was done!

We spent the first part of this week in St Alban's which was a real treat. Unexpected in many ways and a place I very much hope to go back to. On Monday evening Ian and I had dinner with Nikki Gamble from Just Imagine and her lovely husband Neil in a gorgeous pub just north of Chelmsford. We ventured out in the afternoon for a drive and ended up in Thaxted, a beautiful village with some fantastic ancient buildings. Many of the village houses are painted in pale colours, a veritable rainbow of pastels. The Guildhall is very interesting and looks as if the top might topple off and the Alms Houses beside the church are so well preserved.

We didn't have a lot of time there as it was getting dark and we were keen to find our way to The Compasses at Littley Green. It proved slightly more challenging than we imagined, as the address was a little vague and we wound up at the wrong end of the road. A phone call to the pub saw us back on track, although when we arrived the place was shrouded in darkness. As we tried the front door a head popped out of an upstairs window and the chap asked if we were the people who'd just called. It was about 5.10pm and the pub wasn't due to open until 5.30pm but as it was freezing and he was expecting some guests to check into the accommodation, he'd come down and open up for us. The pub was warm and cosy with low beams and that look of a much loved place.

It wasn't long before locals began to arrive and Ian and I had a great time chatting with a number of them. I think we were a bit of a fascination being from Australia. We met a friendly chap called Martin who runs an eco friendly cab company with Smart Cars and Prius vehicles. Apparently he does a booming trade in Smart Car runs from Cambridge to Heathrow with single passengers.

Nikki and Neil arrived and we had a wonderful time chatting about this and that - lots about education and books and teaching reading (and teaching trainee teachers about teaching reading). Nikki is an amazing woman with a passion for her work and a deep understanding of her profession. Drinks continued to dinner and in no time it was after 9.30pm and time to get a move on back to St Albans.

The following day we left early for a school visit at The Bishop's Primary School in Chelmsford where two teachers I had met at Just Imagine worked. It was great to see Stephen and Helen again and meet the students in Years 3 and 4. The children were a very enthusiastic audience. Sam from Just Imagine looked after the book sales (she looks just like my dad's sister Aunty Terry). It was a great morning and I loved every minute.

The following day we had two events; a morning at Royal Masonic Cadogan House working with the Year 4 girls and the afternoon at St Helen's school. Shirley Drummond at Cadogan House is one of those truly inspiring teachers. The work she had done with her Year 2 students since my earlier visit was amazing. The girls had written fantastic stories inspired by Clementine Rose and the Pet Day Disaster and during a little break from Year 4 I popped in and said hello to them. The looks on their faces were priceless and they talked animatedly about their stories and showed them off. If I can work out how to make the pictures stay the right way around I will add some close ups of their work asap. The Year 4 girls worked so hard - their enthusiasm was unwavering. I was chatting with one of the Year 4 teachers, Eva Helm at morning tea time and mentioned that I had worked at Abbotsleigh in Australia. Eva looked at me and said, 'in Wahroonga'. Yes, I nodded. It turned out that when I arrived at the school midway through 2001, Eva Phillips, as she was then known was one of our Junior School Gap Girls. We had a wonderful time reminiscing all the people she knew - Rosalie Geddes, Margaret Duke, Lesley Forbes, Merle Green and Murray Keating to name a few. Of course June Brown too. Eva is now married with a baby daughter - I know the Abbotsleigh connections will be thrilled to hear about her life now.

We spent the afternoon with Sheryl from Chorleywood Bookshop at another lovely school St Helen's. Librarian Elizabeth greeted us at the office and I was thrilled by the warm reception from the girls and staff. It was a fun afternoon and I signed books for ages afterwards.

Thursday was a late start - which I was really glad of. We headed to North London Collegiate School to meet the Year 3 girls. Another smart group with lots of questions and perceptive answers. It was a pleasure to meet them and their lovely librarian Sarah.

We had packed up our chattels and drove down to Surrey last night. We're staying at a gorgeous old mansion called Woodlands Park Hotel. It was first built as a private home but over it's 119 year history has seen different uses including an aged care facility and educational centre. As a private house in it's heyday, King Edward VII was a frequent visitor.

This morning I headed over to Dane's Hill. The largest independent Prep School in the UK, I've developed a lovely connection to the school through Jan Firkin. I had the pleasure of working with the students from Year 2-5 today and their enthusiasm was fantastic. I can't wait to see their writing and hope to post some on the blog too.

So we've now come to the end of the official tour. Two countries and almost 6 weeks later I've just tallied things up. 27 schools, 52 sessions, 3 newspaper articles, an interview with BBC Radio Europe (yet to air), an interview with Nikki Gamble from Just Imagine, a visit to the stunning Seven Stories in Newcastle Upon Tyne, finished editing Clementine Rose and the Seaside Escape, finished up the page proofs for Alice-Miranda in Japan, developed the new storyline for AM 10 and been in more bookshops than I can remember. Visited new places and met many wonderful people. Caught up with friends and made new ones. Also eaten too much and exercised too little! But that is about to be remedied. We're off to Portugal for a golfing holiday tomorrow - where I will endeavour to eat less and exercise more, read, relax and reflect on how fortunate I am to be doing something I love.

This morning I came across an article in The Telegraph (UK) about former children's laureate Michael Morpurgo's plea to reinstate daily story time in UK schools. I couldn't agree with him more and during my school presentations I frequently talk about one of the reasons I fell in love with stories as a child was that my teachers read to the class - and I couldn't wait for those daily instalments where there was no test afterwards, no comprehension questions or cloze passages - just the joy of sharing a wonderful story.

I still remember as if it was yesterday, my beloved teacher Sally Hogan reading February Dragon by Colin Thiele and being completely mesmerised. When I became a teacher, story time was sacrosanct. I loved nothing more than to read to my classes - silly voices and all. It was something I looked forward to and so did they. I couldn't tell you how many times I've read Hating Alison Ashley or The Twits aloud but I never tired of the joy on the children's faces when they really got to know the characters - as if they were friends, or when they grew to hate certain characters and wanted to see them get their come uppance. There was always a cheer when the horrible Twits got what they deserved and Mugglewump and his family were safe.

I read the comments attached to the article and there are a couple of people who dismiss the story, saying that story time does exist in all British schools. Having been in quite a few lately I'd beg to differ. I've had numerous teachers come up to me after my talk and say they just wish they had time to be able to read to the children. But the pressures of the curriculum are too great - they just can't fit it in...there's too many tests and too much to get through. I talk about the notion of DEAR and its importance at home (DEAR stands for Drop Everything And Read - and is generally where children are allowed to choose their own books to read for about 15 -20 minutes), but not having been in the classroom now for a few years, I wonder if it too hasn't been crowded out of the day. I hope not. Apart from that, while DEAR is important, so too is the idea of the teacher reading to the children and sharing stories.

Children need time to listen, to think, to dream and imagine. Boredom is the mother of invention after all. If we want children to be creative then we have to give them time to create - not to be tested within an inch of their young lives and stressed out of their minds.

Anyway, I thought this article was worth sharing.

That chair is the story chair at Seven Stories in Newcastle Upon Tyne. I'm looking forward to sitting in it next time I'm over.

The past nearly eight weeks have been amazing in so many ways and a little bit surreal. Travelling to Singapore and the UK to talk about books is a dream come true. We met lots of fabulous people and spent time with friends made on previous trips. Of course there was a huge amount of work involved too - school talks and meeting deadlines that don't disappear just because you're overseas. At the end of the sixth week we headed to Portugal for our first proper holiday in nearly four years. That probably sounds ridiculous, given how much we've travelled recently, but every time we've been away I've been working on a book with a serious deadline, either writing or editing. Although there have been days out and times I've done my best to pretend I didn't have a million things to do, Portugal would be the first time that I had vowed not to write or edit or check my emails too many times.

On recommendation from an Australian friend who has lived in the UK for many years, we stayed at a resort hotel called Penha Longa, about 30 minutes from Lisbon. It was everything we hoped for and much, much more. It helped that in eight days we didn't see a cloud in the sky either - it was only on day nine that there were some wisps across the blue canvas. We played five rounds of golf, visited the gorgeous heritage listed town of Sintra with its many castles, did some much needed exercise and had time to do nothing. With a top temperature of 15-18 degrees each day, it was just about perfect.

But throughout the trip there was someone who was never far from my thoughts. We had Pop's 90th birthday in October just before I left for Singapore. He looked great that day but I knew that he had some health problems that just weren't getting any better. He'd been in and out of hospital a little bit in November and had decided to go into the assisted care facility at the village where he and Grandma had bought their villa 13 years ago. I know that was a big blow - that lack of independence and thought of moving out of the home that he had shared with the love of his life.

When we headed to Portugal, Mum had sent an email to say that it looked as if the medication was helping and Pop was much better than he'd been. The doctors were talking about sending him home. But then a few days later everything changed. Things were getting worse and Pop had had enough. He didn't want any further interventions. Within a couple of days he'd been moved to palliative care. I felt so guilty that we were on the other side of the world having a holiday, but knowing that the last thing Pop would want or expect was for us to dash back - he had been very clear that if anything was to happen, we weren't to abandon our plans. And who knew how much time was left? My sister Sarah emailed me from the hospital and asked if I wanted to Skype with her and see Pop. I will be forever grateful that she made it possible and Pop and I had the opportunity to see each other again. It was wonderful - the smile on Pop's face was priceless. He told me, 'have a good holiday and enjoy yourselves' (he and grandma had been great travellers and I think all of us grandchildren have inherited the bug from them) and as always, he told me he loved me and was so proud of me. Our pop was a man who never left anything unsaid. We Skyped again the next day. Dad was there with Sarah. Pop had had a good day - he'd sat up with Dad watching the cricket together. Pop smiled his gorgeous smile and waved and blew kisses and told me again that he loved me. I told him that too.

The next morning I was looking forward to talking to Pop again. But that wasn't to be. He passed away early Saturday morning. Yesterday we arrived home from London in time for Pop's funeral at two o'clock. I am so grateful to my family that the timing was thus and we got to say goodbye along with family and friends. It felt very much as if Pop was still there and he would have been telling jokes and making quips, just as he always did. He'd certainly have been pleased to see how many of the widows from the village, who were all besotted with him, were there to say goodbye.

It was testimony to how much he was loved that there were over one hundred mourners - not bad for a man of 90, who has outlived so many of his friends and family. My sisters and cousins and I had an opportunity to talk about Pop and share our memories during the service. We laughed and cried at the stories and remembered a gentleman, a good soul, a man with a wicked sense of humour, who smiled with his eyes. Pop lived a humble life. He worked hard and together he and grandma gave their children - my dad and his sister many more opportunities than he and Gran had had growing up. They were careful with their money and saved to be able to travel the world - making friends all over the place and bringing back great tales from their trips. It was a privilege to have Pop in our lives - and for much longer than we ever thought we would (given he had more heart attacks than we could count, a triple bypass, and an aortic aneurism to name but some of his health challenges - as my sister Sarah said yesterday, it was as if he had feline qualities and he made the most of every one of those nine plus lives).

Pop was devastated by the loss of our grandmother in 2007. Betty had been the love of his life and we wondered how he would go on. But again, he defied the odds and lived another six years, enjoying family celebrations including the births of three of his great grandchildren, Christmases and some milestone birthdays including his own 90th. I look at these photos and feel so much love and gratitude to have had the most wonderful grandfather. Love you Pop.

Vale Norman Kenneth Earnell 16 October 1923 - 7 December 2013

The end of 2013 marks the end of my first year as a full time writer. It has been an amazing time and as I reflect on all that has happened I feel so grateful to have made that leap of faith. I'm certainly much calmer and a lot more organised than when I was juggling writing as the hobby in my spare time. Fitter - not so much. I need to find a balance between sitting and writing, and exercise. But now that things are falling into a bit more established pattern, I intend to make 2014 the year of getting fitter and losing those few kilos that are making me feel uncomfortable. I won't be taking up any extreme sports - just walking and hopefully getting back into golf more regularly. So, I've written a bit of a summary of the year - here are just some of the highlights of what kept me out of trouble (and frequently out of the state and country!). in 2013.
January
I spent the month madly working on Alice-Miranda's 8th adventure, Alice-Miranda Shines Bright, which was released in September. According to my calendar notes, I managed to achieve thousands of words per day (and am about to embark on the same for this January!). I was also busy finalising details for my February/March tours of the UK and Singapore and taught a writing course for Abbotsleigh as part of their school holiday program. On the home front, I spent a couple of weeks having a massive clean out and starting to re-organise in anticipation of our little study extension (which has been a fantastic addition - quite possibly the world's smallest extension but so functional). Alice-Miranda Takes the Lead and Alice-Miranda At Sea were published in the UK.

February
We headed overseas for the Alice-Miranda tour of England and Scotland for three weeks then back to Singapore for two weeks to work with Cheryle Hum from Bookaburra and the lovely ladies at Pansing. I had dinner with the local SCBWI group and have made a friend for life in Dave Seow. I adored my first visit to Edinburgh and met so many wonderful booksellers, teachers, parents and children all over the UK, many of whom I had the opportunity to work with again in November. A huge highlight was meeting the Sayer family - Lily and Emma and their gorgeous parents John and Christine. They visited us at our hotel in Newcastle one evening. The girls and Christine are big Alice-Miranda fans and we 'met' online. Once we met in person I knew we had to visit the girls' school when we returned.

March
We had a fabulous launch for Alice-Miranda In Paris with Shearer's in Leichhardt followed by a six day tour of Melbourne and Geelong. I started working on Clementine Rose and the Farm Fiasco too and had that finished in near record time. We also had a fantastic day out at Taronga Zoo with my sister and brother in law and our gorgeous nephews and niece.

April
A week in WA visiting Perth then down south to Albany for the Great Southern Grammar School Literary Festival. Followed up with lots of editing and writing a story called Josephine for the Random House book Stories for Girls which was released in December. Ian and I managed a lovely short break in the Hunter Valley where we got to play some golf.

May
The month started with Alice-Miranda Diary Revisions and editing Alice-Miranda Shines Bright. I began teaching at Roseville College for an hour on a Monday afternoon too. The girls were fantastic and so keen about writing. Had a lovely second launch celebration for Alice-Miranda In Paris at the Beecroft Children's Bookshop and started teaching an adult course at the NSW Writers' Centre on a Tuesday evenings for six weeks. May also saw lots of local school visits as part of my RHA touring. The month ended with editing for Clementine Rose and the Farm Fiasco. Alice-Miranda Takes the Stage hit the shops in the US.

June
There was more editing for Alice-Miranda Shines Bright as well as the plotting and planning for Alice-Miranda In Japan. I had a wonderful couple of days teaching at Macarthur Anglican School working with students and staff before heading off to Alice Springs for a week in the red centre working at lots of schools and with gorgeous Celia and Ruth. My mother in law Joan came with me and we had a great adventure. I started writing Alice-Miranda in Japan when we came home and had about 22,500 words completed before I headed off to Adelaide.

July
Halfway through July I travelled to Adelaide for a month on a May Gibbs' Creative Time Residency. The month was filled with writing as well as visiting schools and doing some in store promotions. I met so many wonderful people and I can't wait to get down there again. An absolute highlight was visiting Griffin Press where we saw Alice-Miranda Shines Bright being printed - as well as reprints for Alice-Miranda At School and Clementine Rose - it was a surreal day shared with Ian and Clive Jackson (the RHA rep for SA). Ian was able to visit a couple of times and my mother in law, with the newly minted travel bug, popped down and stayed in an apartment around the corner for a week - some of that time with my sister Sarah.

August

I finished Alice-Miranda In Japan and headed home for lots of work around Book Week. I was a guest at the Melbourne Writers' Festival which was great fun - loved presenting with Michael Bauer but then on the 31st I caught an awful throat bug, which rendered me voiceless for almost three weeks. The voice went west the same day as my combined launch for Clementine Rose and the Farm Fiasco, Alice-Miranda Shines Bright and The Alice-Miranda Diary at The Children's Bookshop Beecroft. It was a great day in spite of my ill health.

September
Lunch with the Stars (with no voice), the CBCA Stories on Screen (pushed the voice way too hard) and a bookshop event at St Ives Book Review (thankfully not too much talking) as well as lots of writing, as I was determined to get Clementine Rose and the Seaside Escape finished before the next overseas adventure. Fortunately I finished it early, as I then rewrote most of it, having not been pleased with the first result. Then there was Alice-Miranda Day at Tara School where the Year 2 class is called 2Alice-Miranda! I had a great time in Queensland as part of the Get Reading Program too. A highlight was a trip to Toowoomba Library where my Aunty Leah and cousin Scarlett came to see me - and Leah (who stars in the diary with her recipes) baked chocolate brownies which were eagerly consumed.

October
The month began with two fabulous high teas at the Tea Salon in Westfield, followed by editing for Alice-Miranda In Japan and an event at Costco. Having just submitted Clemmie 5 I rolled straight into Clementine Rose and the Treasure Box (number 6) and hoped to have that finished too before I headed to Singapore. We celebrated my beloved Pop's 90th birthday. There were some more school days in Western Sydney before I packed an enormous suitcase with clothes for hot weather, cold weather and in between weather and boarded a plane for Singapore. I managed to finish Clementine Rose 6 the first week I was there with the help of some 'almost' all nighters. There were lots of school visits, both teaching writing and working with Cheryle Hum from Bookaburra. I had a great dinner with the local SCWBI Branch (they are amazing and so welcoming). My sister Sarah came to Singapore in the second week. I worked, while she shopped during the day and then we hung out in the evenings. We had a fun lunch and afternoon with Dave Seow and his mother Eileen. On the 31st I met Ian at Changi airport and we boarded another plane to London.

November
Two weeks of book touring followed by a week of editing for Clementine Rose and the Seaside Escape then another week of school visits. So many highlights - visiting schools I'd been to before; Charlotte House and Royal Masonic; seeing booksellers we'd met in February and this time visiting Sunderland to spend a day at Emma and Lily Sayer's school - where I got to cut the ribbon opening the newly renovated library. As always I adored our time in the UK and can't wait to go back again in 2014.

December
It was time for a holiday. Ian and I headed for Portugal on 31 November for 10 days. It was amazing. Portugal is beautiful and the people are even more so. We had a terrific time but it was difficult too as back home my darling Pop was fading fast. I got to talk to him on Skype twice before he passed away and we made it home for his funeral - for which I was very grateful. I've found it hard to get settled since we've been home. I think there are times in your life when you just want the clock to stop. I think it has everything to do with Pop going and realising that no matter how young you feel, time marches on regardless. I am so fortunate to have had him in my life for so long and I feel extremely lucky to still have both of mum's parents, Ian's mother and his aunt (who are all over 80 and in Aunty Joan's case, 95!) but life passes by way too quickly.

2013 has been a brilliant year in so many ways and I have much to be grateful for. I hope you had a great year and I wish you every success and happiness in 2014.

Happy 2014! I hope you have a great year and stick to any resolutions. My husband's will be easy as it was not to make any resolutions. I'm going to spend some time today trying to set some realistic goals - resolutions made in haste usually don't last long for me!

I've got a few events planned in January and I need to start spreading the word. There are two high teas at The Tea Salon in Westfield Sydney on the 15th and 22nd - consecutive Wednesdays. We had two high teas in the September school holidays and they were lovely events. Lots of mothers and daughters and some grandmothers and granddaughters as well as the odd brother came along and enjoyed a morning of delicious food, good company and a Q&A with me. There will be books on sale for signing and I'm thrilled that Random House has been able to arrange early exclusive release of Alice-Miranda In Japan for these events.

It's important to book early as the previous events were sold out very quickly and tickets are limited. It's a lovely morning in the city and I know many of the parents planned some shopping and other activities in the afternoon, really making a day of it.

To find out more click on the link
https://theteasalon.com.au/site/alice-miranda-childrens-high-tea/

I'm also teaching a writing course for keen and talented young writers as part of the Abbotsleigh Explore Program on Monday 20 and Tuesday 22 January at Abbotsleigh Junior School in Wahroonga. Young writers have to submit a piece of work and over the course of the two days we'll look at developing their skills and knowledge and doing lots of writing. I love working with children and their enthusiasm is inspiring. Places are limited - to enquire follow the link below.

http://www.abbotsleigh.nsw.edu.au/community/abbschool/Documents/Explore_Summer13.pdf
Lastly, I am teaching a course for adults who want to write for children at the NSW Writers' Centre starting in February and running for five weeks, on Tuesday evenings. I taught the course last year and really enjoyed working with the participants.

I've posted the details below but to get more information or to book, click on the link below.
http://www.nswwc.org.au/products-page/courses/writing-for-kids1/

Writing for Kids

Who: Jacqueline Harvey
When: 5 x Tuesday evenings: 4, 11, 18, 25 February; 4 March, 6:30pm-9:30pm
Cost: Full Price: $500; Member: $350; Conc Member: $300
Writing for children is big business. Despite the doom and gloom about the state of the publishing industry, the children’s market remains robust and growing. Children are reading and the demand for quality books is strong.
If you’re keen to write stories that will keep children reading under the covers after lights out, if you’re interested to know more about the puzzling business of publishing, or if you harbour dreams of being the next JK Rowling or Morris Gleitzman, then this course is for you.
Over six evenings, Jacqueline Harvey will guide participants through a practical look at writing for children; from goal setting and understanding what you want to achieve, to finding your voice and knowing how to grow your story.
The course will cover everything you need to get started including:

Understanding your potential audience
Finding and developing ideas
Creating believable characters
Developing plausible plots
Using dialogue effectively
Literary devices
The importance of editing
Advice on getting published
The business of being a writer

A series of practical exercises will give budding writers opportunities to explore style, voice and other key elements of writing for children as well demystifying the publishing process.
Food
Tea and coffee making facilities will be provided. Course participants are advised to bring their own lunch as there are no cafes within easy walking distance.
Student RequirementsPen and paper.

About the tutor
Jacqueline Harvey grew up telling stories. From a young age she harboured dreams of becoming a teacher and author. With plenty of outstanding educators around her, making a career as a teacher was the easy part. Having never met a real life author, writing was far more perplexing. It wasn’t until she was working as a teacher she met her first published author and the dream grew. She is now one of Australia’s bestselling authors for children. Her Alice-Miranda and Clementine Rose series’ have both been sold internationally; her first and only picture book, The Sound of the Sea was an Honour Book in the 2006 Children’s Book Council Awards and Alice-Miranda at School has been shortlisted for four children’s choice awards and the Australian Peace Literature Prize.
Until recently Jacqueline has spent her working life teaching in girls’ boarding schools and has been a Deputy Head and Director of Development. In 2012, she took a leap of faith becoming a full time writer and speaker.

Australian writers rock. We know it, and we love them. But it’s not always easy to discover the Australian talent that is right under our noses.

From Australia With Love Blog Hop introduces you to 18 Aussie authors across a variety of categories and genres. Each author is hosting three of their fellow blog hop participants between now and Valentine’s Day to let you find out more about them. So follow them on twitter, like their Facebook page and visit their blogs during the blog hop period to discover more great Australian writers.

There's also a fabulous competition to win lots of prizes donated by the authors who will appear on my blog and on a host of others (see the list at the bottom of this post). Today I'd like to welcome LJ Clarkson, who writes a middle grade fantasy adventure for 9-12 year olds called the Mastermind Academy Series. The first book is The Silver Strand. Over to you LJ.

10 Things You Will Only Hear in Australia

Thanks for having me today, Jacqueline.

Sometimes it seems us Aussies speak an entirely different English language. We’ve grown up using made up words, given people nicknames, and created odd sayings. If I counted them all, I bet we’d have enough to fill a dictionary! I blame it on us being so isolated from other English speaking countries. Or fellow Aussies having their brains shaken too much from traveling in Kangaroo pouches! No, I’m just kidding. That myth isn’t true.

But what’s true, is that we talk weird. And in honour of celebrating Australia day on the 26^th January, I’m going to enlighten your international readers with a little lesson in Australian slang and nicknames, taking some examples from my novel, The Silver Strand and throwing in a few extra for fun.

Infamous Aussie Slang

If you can master these, you are a true Aussie at heart.

Don’t get your fringe in a twist - this is a play on the saying, “Don't get your knickers in a knot,” and means “don't upset yourself” or “calm down”.

Let’s go and have a cuppa - let’s have cup of tea or coffee.

Rack off - leave me alone or get lost.

Crikey - is what you say when you get a shock or surprise. It was made famous by the late Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter.

Plonk - to sit down heavily or collapse into a chair.

Thongs – are flip flops. Whoever changed the word just wanted to be different and confuse you.

Budgie smugglers – are an underwear style of swimming brief, and any man caught wearing them in Australia is teased relentlessly.

Nicknames

Now for some reason I don’t understand, Aussies like to add zzz’s on the end of names or o’s. Maybe it’s to sound cool. Who knows?

Mozzy – is a character in The Silver Strand. He’s a Cane Toad named after his favourite food, mosquito.

Sharon and Barry - Shazza and Bazza

Robert - Robbo

Now I could go on and on with many more, but you’d forget them all. While the selection might be small, I hope it has helped you understand the way us Aussies talk, and hasn’t scared you away from reading any amazing Australian books.

To celebrate Australia Day further, I, LJ Clarkson (aka Louo), Mastermind and champion of spider solitaire, hereby decree that any visitors leaving a comment with their favourite aussie slang or their new nickname, will henceforth be known as an honorary Australian.

Author Bio:

LJ ‘fibber’ Clarkson tells everyone she gave up her Environmental Engineering career to study a Creative Writing Degree and pursue her writing dreams. But that's not entirely true. Ten percent of the time she sleeps in. Playing spider solitaire consumes 5% (bad, bad habit). Running Indicated, a promotional site for authors steals another 18.75%. In her remaining waking hours, she writes, laughs at her own jokes, reads and falls asleep whenever her boyfriend reels off geeky computer lingo (zzzzzz). If she were a Mastermind, she’d uninvent early mornings, grammar, broccoli, cleaning and her dog’s fussy eating habits.

The Silver Strand blurb:

Ever since twelve year old Isabelle Tresdon’s silver strand of hair sprouted, it’s been nothing but trouble: bleeding pink dust and sparking like a firecracker. Refusing to be known as the girl with the freaky, grandma hair, she wishes it never grew and the hair withers and tarnishes.

The only problem is, the strand is Isabelle's source of magic, and she can transform particles of energy into matter. It's also her ticket into Mastermind Academy, a secret school inside the earth’s core. Five days remain before the strand drains her magic and life, forcing Isabelle to enter into a deal with two trickster Masterminds to save it. But what she doesn't count on is that there is more at stake than just her life.

The Silver Strand, a MG Fantasy Adventure for 9-12 year olds, is book 1 in the Mastermind Academy Series.

If you'd like to purchase a copy of the books or learn more about LJ click on the links below.

Author’s websites: www.indicated.com.au

Indicated is a site providing all the resources an indie or small press author needs.

Buy ebook and paperback (Amazon US)

Amazon US

Buy ebook Australia (Amazon Aus)

Amazon Aus

Autographed copies from the author’s website

Buy autographed copies

Buy paperback (UK)

Paperback copies

To enter the competition to win one of the many prizes from the following authors click the link.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/88d39a11/

*Also visit YAtopia for additional MG posts.

I've been bursting to be able to tell everyone my celebratory news but have been waiting for some official wording, and finally here it is!

Random House Australia (and me!) are delighted to announce that SLR Productions has optioned the television adaptation rights in the Alice-Miranda series. Established in 2002 by CEO, Suzanne Ryan, SLR is recognised for creating successful brands such as the internationally acclaimed preschool property, Guess How Much I Love You™, the Australian comic book series GASP!™ and the Emmy Award winning animated series I Got a Rocket™. We’re thrilled that Alice-Miranda will be in such great company and can’t wait to see her on the small screen.

I'm afraid I can't tell you any more than that, and all good things take time, but watch this space for updates.

I'm thrilled to be getting out and about in Sydney over the next few weekends to meet the readers. It's certainly one of my favourite things about being a writer. I love hearing the feedback and asking children where they would like Alice-Miranda to go next. There are lots of wonderful things happening and there is a summary below plus individual posters for some of the events which are free but you will need to book.

Hope to see you out there somewhere!

Australian writers rock. We know it, and we love them. But it’s not always easy to discover the Australian talent that is right under our noses.

From Australia With Love Blog Hop introduces you to 18 Aussie authors across a variety of categories and genres. Each author is hosting three of their fellow blog hop participants between now and Valentine’s Day to let you find out more about them. So follow them on twitter, like their Facebook page and visit their blogs during the blog hop period to discover more great Australian writers.

Today I'd like to welcome Australian author Melissa Gijsbers to my blog. Apologies that we missed the Feb 14 cut off, but things have been hectic for Melissa and me of late!

What do you write and why?

I write a number of different things, from flash fiction to picture books and chapter books. I’ve found that I enjoy the shorter stories than writing novels for adults, partly because I get bored part way through!

In 5 words describe your writing style

This is a hard one; I ended up consulting my kids to help me!

Real, descriptive, exciting, fun, and awesome!

Who were your favourite authors growing up?

The books that stand out to me from my childhood include Grug by Ted Prior, Storm Boy, the Little Golden Books, Enid Blyton and Dr Seuss. I was given Storm Boy to read because it was an Australian book and I was an Australian kid in a missionary school in Pokhara, Nepal. I also read The Hobbit when I was in Grade Five, but never got in to The Lord of the Rings!

Who is your favourite children’s book character and why?

This one was hard as there are so many. One of my favourite kids books was “Mr Bear, Babyminder”. I can’t remember who it was by, but I remember laughing at Mr Bear trying to look after all those rabbit babies. But the character that has really stuck with me would have to be Grug – probably because I memorised the text of the first book and have recited it to my kids.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Keep writing and don’t give up.

Blog: www.melissawrites.com.au
Web: www.melissagijsbers.com (coming soon)

The competition has now closed.

I was invited to join this blog tour by the fabulous Lou Kuenzler, a brilliant middle grade author I first had the pleasure of meeting in a Thai restaurant in Queen's Park London, before we appeared together at the Queen's Park Book Festival in 2012. She is the very first English children's author I met in England. Lou writes a whole range of wonderful books but I especially love her Shrinking Violet series. Lou has also written Princess Disgrace, Aesop's Awesome Rhymesand many other funny books for primary school age children. She has written for CBeebies too which is one of the children's television channels on the BBC. To read more about Lou click here

What am I working on?

I'm currently finishing Alice-Miranda At Camp, which is another mysterious adventure of epic proportions. I'm right in the midst of its epic-ness at the moment with about 10,000 words to go - so if this blog post makes no sense it's because I've been at my computer since 7am and it's now 9.45pm and I've been writing for about 14 hours. I'm just reaching that point where I tend to gallop towards the finish (which needs to happen because the deadline is looming so large there is a permanent shadow cast across my desk), but then I'll go back and read it through many times and likely make lots of changes before it goes to my publisher. I just can't take too long about it though because I am about to go on tour to publicise Alice-Miranda In Japan and then I have to start Clementine Rose's 7th story which I haven't yet decided on the title for and am still really nutting out in terms of the plot. Fortunately I'm already good friends with all the characters so at least I know who's in the story. Clementine Rose and the Treasure Box is about to come back from my editor so that will mean another round of changes from me too. It's the 6th book in the series. Clementine Rose and the Seaside Escape has just landed from the printers and will be in the shops on the 1st April (that's not a joke).

How does my work differ from others of its genre?
My books are character driven with lots of interesting mysteries for the children to solve. I think it's really important for the readers to feel something for the characters - you know, to love the good guys and hate the baddies. In the 10th book I've created a new student at Alice-Miranda's school who is just about the most evil piece of work you're ever likely to come across, but I'm enjoying having her in the story because she makes me so cross. I'm also a big fan of interesting settings be they boarding school, big cities like Paris and New York, holiday destinations, hotels, villages and home. I have a broad range of characters in terms of their ages too. Alice-Miranda has friends who are very young and very old and that's important to me. When I'm thinking about the plot, it's a bit like giving ten kittens ten balls of string and chasing them all over the house. End result is lots of knots. The plot really comes down to how I can create those knots and then untangle them at the end so it all makes sense.

Why do I write what I do?

I was a teacher for almost twenty years and I have spent my entire adult life working in schools. In some ways I've never truly grown up. In my head when I write I'm usually about nine years old. I think it's important to remember what it was like to be a child - the wonder of new things, navigating the mysteries of friendships and relationships, exploring the world. I've always loved to tell stories too - it's a bit of a compulsion and I adore kids.

How does your writing process work?
I'm a planner. I need to plan the big ideas and I like to know where my end destination is. That said, I don't bore myself stupid by plotting every last detail so that I have no room for surprises but I do find, especially as my deadlines are tight and I write a lot, that having a plan guides me and enables me to work more quickly. I edit as I go, usually writing a couple of chapters at a time then going back to check over them and make changes.

I think sometimes writing books must be a bit like having a baby (I've never had a baby so this is mere supposition based on the fact that my sister is having her fourth child shortly and I talk to her pretty much every day and let me tell you - some days are golden, others not so much!). The process of growing the baby seems to vary daily from piece of cake to piece of work! There are days when the baby moves around a lot and kicks the living daylights out of her and other times when she feels as if she can achieve anything. Of course towards the end there is more pain (the birth) and then when that little bundle arrives, all is forgiven and everyone's in love.

I tend to forget the pain of previous books when I'm starting a new one and then I just get going, and a character, the plot or even a single scene gives me a good sharp kick in the ribs to remind me that although the journey might not always be easy, it's worth it for the end result.

I've invited two of my lovely writer friends, Tania McCartney and Krista Bell to continue the Writing Process Blog next week. Have fun ladies!

Tania McCartney writes books for both children and adults. An experienced magazine writer and editor, she has been writing professionally (print and online) for over 25 years, and in 2009, founded Kids’ Book Review, a highly respected children’s literature site. Tania has many years’ experience in book design and publishing, and has quite the picture book obsession. An Ambassador for the National Year of Reading (2012), she is passionate about literacy, and can occasionally be seen pushing books onto unsuspecting shoppers in bookshops. Or travelling. Or drinking coffee. Always with a book.

Link to blog

Krista Bell is an award-winning Australian author of twenty six books for young readers aged four to fourteen who travels nationwide giving talks and conducting writing workshops for children and adults. She has been an on-air ABC Radio children’s book reviewer for over twenty ﬁve years and loves the challenge.

Krista’s current titles are: PEEKING DUCKS, a picture book set in China, illustrated by Sally Rippin; WARRIORS, the story of theterracotta warriors of Xi’an, illustrated with Krista’s photos; JACK’S BUGLE, a picture book set during WW1, illustrated by debutante Belinda Elliott; all three published by Windy Hollow Books.

BURNING THE BAILS: the story of the Ashes, a cricket story,illustrated by Ainsley Walters, published by One Day Hill.

Link to blog

I've been a bit reclusive on the blog the past month as I've been madly working on Alice-Miranda at Camp.I'm thrilled to say that as of about 3pm it's gone to the publisher! Tomorrow I begin a fortnight of touring in Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast so I thought I'd publish all the public events below.

Thursday 13 March at 4.30pm at Camberwell Dymocks. Its at The Well Shopping Centre 793 Burke Rd Camberwell

Saturday 15 March at 11am at The Avenue Bookstore in Albert Park. You'll find more details on their store Facebook Page The Avenue Bookstore

Saturday 15 March at 2pm Afternoon Tea with Ulysses Bookshop http://www.ulyssesbookstore.com.au/2014/02/afternoon-tea-with-author-of-alice.html (I have heard whispers that this one is sold out but call anyway!)

Monday 17 March at 4pm at Riverbend Books Bulimba in Brisbane http://www.riverbendbooks.com.au/products/780253-MeettheAuthorJacquelineHarvey-Monday17March-RBE17MARCH14

Tuesday 18 March at 3.30pm at Avid Reader in West End http://avidreader.com.au/index.php?option=com_registrationpro&view=event&did=347&Itemid=136&shw_attendees=0

From Wednesday to Friday I will be appearing at The Somerset Celebration of Literature on the Gold Coast. Tickets are available on their website now Somerset Festival

I hope to see you out and about over the coming weeks. Huge thanks for all the support and love for Alice-Miranda and Clementine Rose!

This past week has been a bit of a blur - but in a very good way. On Tuesday morning Zoe and I met at the airport for our rather early first flight out to Melbourne. Having been a long weekend for our southern neighbours the plane was packed to the gills. We were making good time to get to our first event until we hit the Tullamarine Freeway and the traffic ground to a halt. There were three accidents - all on the other side of the road. Apparently there was nothing wrong on our side apart from a lot of rubbernecking. Fortunately none of the incidents looked to be serious. We were heading for Haileybury School on the eastern side of the city and the traffic caused us to be about ten minutes late.

Once we got underway I had two great sessions with the students. First up, the girls in Years 5 and 6 and then all of the students in Years 2-4. The children were enthusiastic and lots of fun and I really enjoyed meeting everyone. It was great to be working with Henk from Camberwell Dymocks again too - he's a gem.

From Haileybury we were off to PLC back towards the city. The girls in Prep-3 were fantastic and I love when they lurk around in the corridors whispering and wondering, 'is that the author?' The time flew by and I was thrilled to have a very long line of students all wanting their books signed. It's great when schools really get behind a visit and at PLC they had had a colouring competition with the Alice-Miranda and Clemmie characters.

Monday evening called for an early night - I needed it after being up at half past three. On Tuesday we were off to the Williamstown area with the lovely Sue from Book and Paper, visiting Sacred Heart Newport (where the children keep an array of animals including this gorgeous turtle called Sheldon). The librarian Carmel and I learned that we had something in common - that was our birthdays tomorrow! Her display to celebrate the visit was great and it was lovely to meet all the kids.

We then headed for Newport Lakes Primary School followed by Williamstown Public School, both of which were lots of fun. It's a lovely area on Port Phillip Bay which has become very gentrified over the years. The houses are a beautiful mix of old cottages, Federation and ultra modern. It's certainly an area that appeals to me in terms of a great place to live - and the shops are terrific too. The school visits were great and I really enjoyed the enthusiasm of the children and teachers.

Thursday was an early start as we headed west of the city again to Beaconhills at Berwick. What a wonderfully warm greeting we had there and a special morning tea too - made extra special as it was my birthday and Carmel and her team had gone to a huge amount of trouble including buying not one but two cakes! A photographer from the Herald Sun came to take some pictures which we hope to see in the paper over the coming weeks.

From there we travelled not terribly far at all to Hillcrest Christian College. I walked into the Discovery Centre to find the most amazing high tea. It was beautiful with crystal glasses, china cups and saucers, cakes stands and a beautiful display of Alice-Miranda characters. I was completely overwhelmed. Michelle Nye and her team had brought me to tears with their absolutely stunning lunch time event, which a group of girls won the opportunity to attend by coming up with new places that Alice-Miranda could go for another adventure. The School Executive joined us for lunch and there were two gorgeous Year 11 boys who had clearly been channeling Carson from Downton Abbey with their excellent wait skills. I can't recall a 17 year old boy ever calling me Ma'am before!

I spoke to the children in Year 3 and 4 in the auditorium after we were full of finger sandwiches, cakes and another beautiful red velvet cake. I had Happy Birthday sung to me twice that day - in English at Beaconhills and German at Hillcrest and had the most amazing day, complete with beautiful gifts too. My gorgeous cup and saucer will be put to good use and the scarf with its Japanese motif is just perfect.

The children and staff at both schools made my day and I cannot thank them enough. It was truly a wonderful birthday and if I had to spend it away from home, I certainly couldn't have imagined anything better.

That afternoon we stopped in at Dymocks Camberwell to sign a lot of shop stock and thank Henk for organising the first day of the tour.

Friday saw us back at Beaconhills but at their Packenham Campus with another lovely group of Year 5 students. One of the teachers has a guide dog puppy and I could have kidnapped him - he was gorgeous. We were spoiled with yet another delicious morning tea and a chat with some of the students before we made our way to Narre Warren to Trinity Primary School. The kids were fantastic - it was Friday afternoon and they were so focused. It's a great credit to the teachers and school.

On Saturday morning we headed to The Avenue Bookstore in Albert Park for a shop event. I was a little wary given it was grand prix weekend but it took no time at all to get there and although it was busy, it was apparently no worse than other weekends. We didn't know how many children to expect but it was brilliant - packed and a line to the door when I started signing. I couldn't have been more thrilled and I think Elvira and the team were pretty happy too.

Our last stop on the tour was an afternoon tea at Cuppa Cottage in Sandringham with Tracey from Ulysses Bookstore. It was a sold out event and the cupcakes and milkshakes were delicious! It was wonderful that the children had a special event mostly on their own and their questions were fantastic.

Zoe and I then headed back to the airport with some very ominous storm clouds brewing. We boarded on time but just as we did they closed the airport until the storm passed over. It wasn't too bumpy getting out and we landed on time in Sydney. I've done a couple of loads of washing and am about to pack to get ready to do it all again in Brisbane and the Gold Coast this week. I can't wait to see everyone - and I'm thrilled to be heading back to Somerset for what is one of the most fantastic children's literature festivals anywhere in the world.

Huge thanks to all the lovely librarians and teacher I met last week - and the children too of course. It was so much fun and I am hoping for a return visit to Melbourne in the not too distant future.

This time last week I was coming down from the high that is the Somerset Celebration of Literature. It's the first festival for children's books I ever went to as an invited guest in 2004 and I have to say after my recent fourth return, it still blows me away.

It's always a highlight meeting other authors and illustrators - some of whom I know and many, who I know of, but have never met in person. This year's group was ultra fabulous! So many incredibly talented people who only add to my 'fraud syndrome' issues. Case in point - open one of Vikki Wakefield's stunning books. I had to re-read the first page of All I Ever Wanted three times because it is soooo beautifully written. On top of being an amazing writer, Vikki is a genuinely gorgeous person too.

It was especially lovely to catch up with Rebecca Sparrow, who I haven't seen since Somerset 2008 when she gave me some very helpful advice. So much has happened since then. I've followed Rebecca's incredible journey into motherhood - with her three beautiful children and the incomprehensible loss of her gorgeous Georgie. Although we hadn't spoken for so long - other than on the Internet, she is one of those people who you are drawn to and feel like you know. Generous, warmhearted and kind - the sort of woman you just want to be friends with.

The festival opening night on Wednesday was a blast - quite literally, as the fireworks lit up the clear night sky. Somerset turned 21 and the cake was amazing. I was so chuffed that one of the cake books was Alice-Miranda Shines Bright and fellow Random House author, Tristan Bancks' new book Two Wolves took centre plate. As you can see from the photo, we were both pretty thrilled to be included.

There were four of us from Random House at the festival. In addition to Tristan and me, we had the irrepressible Nick Falk and illustrator extraordinaire Tony Flowers who have just released a new series called Billy is a Dragon as a follow up to their fabulous Saurus Street. Gorgeous Zoe, one of the RHA publicists who I'd spent the past week and a half with stayed with us on the first day but tag teamed with Sarana - who never seems to have anything but a huge smile on her face. We had a lot of fun setting up camp in the lawn marquee, meeting children and watching the fantastic flash mobs at lunchtime. The ladies in the book shop seemed very pleased that we were there - and frequently came over with more books to sign and directed children our way too. I loved watching the students from different schools interacting and there really was a fantastic buzz.

One of the most impressive things about the festival is the volunteers. School parents who give up hours and hours over many weeks and months to ensure that it really is the best experience for all. The student volunteers are terrific too and as presenters we are given minders who make sure we get to our events on time and help with the set up. My two girls, Chanel and Chantelle were lovely - balancing hectic study schedules with their author responsibilities.

It was hot and humid as it seems to be on the Gold Coast in March but the following week they had torrential rain so we were very fortunate, particularly as three of the venues are in huge marquees on the oval.

I really enjoyed catching up with people; Gabrielle Wang, Roseanne Hawke, Mandy Foot, Mark Greenwood, Tiffiny Hall, Will Kostakis and Fiona Wood as well as meeting many people for the first time - Danny Katz, Andrew Weldon, Wai Chim, AJ Betts, Eleanor Coombe, Shamini Flint, Kim Kane, David Lowe, Juliet Marillier, Debbie Miller, Mark Pardoe, Jessica Shirvington, Vikki Wakefield and Claire Zorn - and apologies if I have missed anyone. It's always a pleasure to spend time with the Random boys too!

Congratulations to Andrea Lewis and her team for putting on another spectacular Somerset and to Karen Mackie for her great support and inviting me to be part of the program again. Fingers crossed there are many more Somersets to come!

I love being on tour. It's one of the most rewarding aspects of being a children's author - when you have the opportunity to meet the readers. I recently spent a couple of days in Brisbane visiting schools and bookshops, and the lovely folks of the Children's Book Council, all of which was great fun.

The week started with another four am wake up call to get to the flight at half past six. That was a little better than the six am flight to Melbourne the week before but I can tell you the barista in the Qantas Club never looks so good as that time in the morning.

Zoe and I were off on another adventure, our first stop, St Margaret's School for Girls. I love the feeling at St Mag's as it's affectionately known. The girls are sweet and the location of the school right on the river at Ascot is ideal - they get a breeze and the view is spectacular too.

I spoke to the younger girls then to the older students and had a ball answering their many questions. The Head of Junior School, Angela is a dynamo and I was thrilled to find out the the girls have an exchange program with a school in Japan. There will be a copy of Alice-Miranda In Japan accompanying the students on their next trip.

We had to leave St Margaret's and zip around to Clayfield College, which fortunately is just around the corner. Again it was wonderful to meet the students and I talked to them in their beautiful chapel. The boys were especially responsive and I loved that when they ask me whether 'they're just books for girls' I can tell them lots of the boys' stories in the series' too. It was a pleasure to sign lots of books and talk to the children one on one afterwards.

We then headed back to St Margaret's to sign the girls' books and were treated to a spectacular Japanese lunch with Angela and the librarian Claire.

I was really looking forward to the afternoon event with Riverbend Books in Bulimba. Owner Suzy Wilson is one of those people who just make things happen. I first worked with Suzy years ago when she started the Riverbend Readers' Challenge supporting Indigenous communities by providing books. That Challenge morphed into the Indigenous Literacy Challenge and is now the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. Suzy should be so proud of what she and the team have achieved over the years and it was wonderful to see her after so many years.

The afternoon event was amazing. There were so many children bubbling with excitement. It was wonderful to see a group of local librarians there too and families who had come from as far away as the Gold Coast. One little girl was having her birthday party in the back of the shop. I went and sat with the girls and signed all of their books and they came to the talk out the front. It was lovely to meet them all and see how excited they were.

It was great to catch up with Cath Dawson and her three gorgeous children too. Cath and I used to work together at Abbotsleigh. It only seemed like yesterday but so much has happened since she and her husband moved back to Brisbane.

There were other very special children there - big fans who had left school early and two sisters and their mother for whom Alice-Miranda has provided a welcome respite from some fierce challenges. I really had to hold back the tears at one stage.

That night I got to catch up with Julie who is my mum's best friend since they were little girls. She lives in Queensland and we hardly ever see each other so it was really special to have dinner and time for a chat.

In the morning Zoe and I headed around to Dymocks in Brisbane to say hello to the lovely staff and sign all their stock. Hopefully next time we're up there we can do some events with them too. Then we were off to St Aidan's School to meet librarian extraordinaire Megan Daley. She write a fabulous book blog and I was thrilled to be interviewed by Megan before my visit. She's a stunning cook too - morning tea was delicious.

I talked to the girls in Years 4, 5 and 6 and then had another session with Year 7. I looked into the crowd of faces and spotted someone I knew. Mackenzie Curtis - an ex Abbotsleigh student. I think she was surprised that I remembered her but I certainly did. What a beautiful young woman she's growing into.

Our final school visit was to West End Primary. It was hot and I was wilting a little by this stage. Their lovely librarian Tania rustled up some frozen yoghurts for Zoe and me and that was the little sugar hit I needed to get through the afternoon. The kids were fantastic and I really have to commend them on their almost perfect behaviour in a very warm space.

I signed lots of books and then we rushed around the corner for a small signing at Avid Reader. It was wonderful to see so many children coming from school to meet me. Avid Reader is an amazing shop with a phenomenal author program. That night they were having Hugh Mackay but he was only one of the big names in for the week. I love when bookshops really set themselves apart and offer things that patrons can't get anywhere else. In this day and age with the fierce online competition that hand selling and expert knowledge is so valuable.

From Avid Reader we high tailed it to the State Library to meet the Children's Book Council group. It was such a thrill for me to meet a lady I have become friends with on Facebook and who I felt like I already knew so well. Coralie Ross is a sweetheart - always positive and encouraging, I feel like she's been with me on so much of my journey in the past few years. I loved meeting her and everyone else - and what a treat to be able to talk to them about books and some of my experiences. They also had delicious pizzas afterwards too!

Zoe and I then drove to the Gold Coast for the Somerset Festival of Children's Literature.

My time in Brisbane was way too short - and I can't wait to get back up there again soon.

Oswestry - Our Lady and St Oswald and Woodside Primary with Booka Books

Fulwell Junior School, Seaburn near Sunderland

Seven Stories - the National Centre for Children's Books in Newcastle Upon Tyne

Moreton Hall Oswestry, Return to Brogyntyn Hall, snow falls and a sunshiney drive to Cheltenham

The Cotswolds

Blenheim Palace enroute to St Albans

The Bishop's Primary School Chelmsford, Royal Masonic Cadogan House, St Helen's, North London Collegiate School and Danes Hill - what an end to the tour!

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Melbourne Tour Week!

Somerset Festival of Literature Gold Coast

Brisbane Tour - A brilliant couple of days!