There's nowhere like home - and this photo pretty well sums it up.

 Wonboyn Lake is in an extremely beautiful part of this country.
  The estuary feeds into Disaster Bay at Baycliff - a rocky promontory providing a platform for rock-fishing and whale watching. 

Nadgee nature reserve, the most pristine bushland reserve in NSW, contains a wonderful array of native wildlife and wildflowers.  There is always something rather unique happening right here - often in the pittosporum in front of the bus windscreen.  Today l met an Eastern Bristle bird doing it's best to pull a reluctant worm from the ground - this rare and endangered bird is quite happy to wander around the caravan park.  We also have a healthy population of Antechinus scurrying about.

I have been on the go visiting schools in Gippsland recently and am happy to report that the literacy standard of these students is very high.  A few weeks ago l was at Darnum Primary for their Writers Café - a yearly event.  The whole school was abuzz with books and illustrations on every table and covering the walls of each classroom - each student had been busy writing and illustrating.  Maffra Primary, Malacoota and Cann River P12 schools were also stand outs.

 I am happy that "Jumping Jack Jones", my latest children's book, is heading for the printer soon.  Closely on its heels will be "How To Wash Your Undies" - a collection of short stories for adults.  The stories have a country theme and many follow our travels over the last few years.
Helen Leach has again excelled herself with a great cover and some fun black and white sketches to introduce each story.

 


Thanks to some great work with her red biro, Robbie, once again has whipped both books into shape with some skilful editing.  I'm sure many who read the short stories will identify with the locations and frozen moments in time.

I have included "Gift Of a Girl" - the story l won a third prize for in the PerfEx Literary competition.  With a push from Felicity at Hooked On Books in Batemans Bay l submitted the story while doing a book signing at her store.   I think she deserves a big chunk of this award. 

She also suggested l get stuck into a collection of short stories.  ABC OPEN editor Vanessa Milton added her voice of encouragement and has written me a beautiful foreword.

Check out the latest blogs on ABC OPEN Susie Sarah - you may be a amazed to find there are stories in there 500 words section and also some about living at Wonboyn. I have managed to keep up with the month-by-month topics. They make fantastic writing exercises.
                                                    
We also had a blow in visitor - meet "Pigeon Pie" - who got a little lost when flying home to Taree from Malacoota.  He has since headed home and we hope arrived safely.  Helen also experienced a visit from a racing pigeon.  They named him "Walter Pigeon"!

This weekend we head off to Lakes Entrance for a book signing at Just Books on Friday the 6th then a stand in the rotunda across the road on Saturday and Sunday to encourage writers and talk about migrant history - my grandfather bought his family out from Holland in the early 1950's so l have lots to share - l hope l get to meet lots of visitors and locals at the Seafarers Festival.

If you are in Malacoota on Saturday 14th between 8am and 2pm l will be signing my books at the local Newsagency.

Thunder is rumbling around the hills.  The rain-drops reinforce the yellow-tailed black cockie's early morning weather report along with the ants long range forecast - they were building up levee banks around the front doors to their nests days ago.   I guess the fishing is now over for the day.

 

Jumping Puddles and Booktown events

HELEN AND I HEADLINERS AT JUMPING PUDDLES CHILDREN'S LITERATURE FESTIVAL

                                                                                                                             

 

Here's Helen bringing out the inner artist in children of the Corangamite Shire at the Jumping Puddles two day event at Noorat - the birthplace of Alan Marshall.  I hope this brings back memories of his book "I Can Jump Puddles," I read it as a child and again before heading to the area.  Using the title as a prompt for rhymes it was a simple step for over 600 students to compose rhymes, perform and rap them in front of fellow students and even skip rope while rhyming - who says children can't multi-task?

 

 

The following weekend my excellent roadie Brian, and l were at Clunes for the Book-town weekend as guest author for We're All About Books in Fraser Street Clunes.  The above photo was taken near my book signing table - the theme for children at the library was Alice In Wonderland - and the Mad Hatter proved to be a terrific minstrel and pied piper of his Deck of Cards.

To the excitement of Pamela we sold 100 of our books at her shop.  We have an invitation to again do book-signings next year.  Thankyou Pamela - happy to accept.

 

Clunes is the town my Dutch grandparents settled in after migrating in the 1950's from Holland.  It was a great town to introduce their family to Australian ways.  As a result my uncles and aunts are more Aussie than the average local.  Going back to the town was quite nostalgic for me and flushed out locals who knew my family well and were happy to pass on stories.  I enjoyed holidays in Clunes with my grandparents and will be writing a short story about visiting Clunes for my latest book.

 

MEET RUBY ROSE MY LITTLEST READER!

Shelly and Roly Parsons from Karratha have just had a new addition to their family and have been reading to Ruby Rose every night.  She can't wait to listen to "The Big Green Tractor."  Shelly, a very talented and enthusiastic lady is almost mid way through a degree and is a talented illustrator. 

 

NEWS FLASH!

On May 24th I raced up to Batemans Bay to collect an award in the PerfEx Literary Awards 2013.

This year their subject was "Memoirs" -- quite a challenge for me, though l have been busy writing short stories for a book to be released next year.  With encouragement from Felicity at Hooked on Books in Batemans Bay l started writing my entry while signing "Emily Emu Chick" last year.

 

While in Victoria launching "The Big Green Tractor," an email informed me l had been shortlisted for an award.  There had been 77 entries from all along the South Coast.  Many were historians so the quality of entries was extremely high.  When we returned home a phone call from the organisers suggested l bring a cheer squad to the awards ceremony.

 

To my excitement l had taken out third prize with my entry "Gift of a Girl," a story about my mother. Lucky me - l came home with an award certificate and a huge box of newly released books from Hooked on Books and Harper Collins. Great reading material for winter!  The judge of the final round was a senior fiction editor from Harper Collins.  Her comments have given me great encouragement for my adult short story writing.

 

 

The photo above was taken at the ceremony with Master of Ceremonies Ian Campbell from ABC Bega.  It is the first time Ian has seen me lost for words.

 

ON THE ROAD AGAIN!

Look out Northern N.S.W we are heading your way!  After a day at Bemboka Primary on Monday the 17th we will be travelling on to stock up stores with The Big Green Tractor.  For those who love to come to book signings, l will be at The Book Connection in Dubbo on Friday 21st of June from 10.30 - 1pm. 

The day before l will be reading and telling stories to the children at Little Learners Pre-School.  I sent on colouring sheets relating to each book to give them some art work to start on and Sheryl tells me they are reading my stories to the children already.

 

This time we are again extending Little Ant territory by poking our toes into Queensland. 

 

ABC OPEN BLOGS

For all my readers of ABC OPEN blogs - I am again sending in a "blog a month" - my latest is about a trip to Norfolk Island.  Vanessa at ABC OPEN Bega keeps me on the go with plenty of encouragement.  Thanks to her advice and my excellent editor Robbie of Wonboyn Lake, my writing has tightened up - the above award is certainly testimony to their help.  Anyone who longs to be published needs to get into the ABC OPEN blogs as great writing exercises and a great way to build a following and writing reputation.  I will be publishing the blogs in my short stories book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Web Site up and Running

 

A time for reflection in Quambatook when l visited the area with my new book The Big Green Tractor joining tractor lovers at the well known Tractor Pull.
I was delighted to catch up with lots of caring friends l hadn't seen for around 13 years.  See ABC OPEN soon for another revealing blog.  Quambatook ladies hold onto your hats!

Check out the new website on -
http://www.susiesarahlittleantbooks.com many thanks to Mark Ames again for his kind support and great work in getting me sorted out.  Now all those who prefer shopping on the web can order books.

Helen my illustrator is gearing up for the workshops we will be presenting at Jumping Puddles children's literature festival and has been as usual painting up a storm at MOCO Gallery in Halls Gap through the school holidays.  She will be ready to start work on our next book Jumping Jack Jones very soon.

THE BIG GREEN TRACTOR LAUNCH UPDATE

The photo above tells it all - Helen Leach (my esteemed illustrator) and l dwarfed by a huge John Deere machine - well known to all the tractor lovers and our inspiration for the Big Green Tractor story.

Many will have also seen the wonderful article in the Weekly Times Wednesday April 3rd by Johanna Leggatt entitled LIFE ON THE ROAD IS A REAL PAGE TURNER.  I wonder if this makes me a centre fold at last!

For any wanting to check out the latest book you can email me on susiesarah@hotmail.com.au and l will send on details.  I am finally getting a better profile with thanks to Mark Ames of ibizmobilemarketing@gmail.com who is setting up a website for booksales which will be updated with each new book.  As usual it's way out there for me to understand but l'm sure it will make it easier for all those who prefer to buy online.

The last 7 weeks have been a blur of booksignings, the launch at the Wimmera Field Days and lots of revved up folk at the Quambatook Tractor Pull, where l caught up with many lovely friends l haven't seen for ages.

For those who love stats our sales have again blown us away - we sold as many books in that 7 week period as we have in 6 months previously!

We return to Victoria again in a few weeks for the Jumping Puddles childrens literature festival at Noorat - the birthplace of Alan Marshall then on to Clunes where my grandparents settled after arriving in Australia from Holland.  Booktown is a major weekend attraction there and l will be hosted by Pamela at All About Books as her guest author.  Then on the 7th of May the Ararat Library have local schools booked in for the morning and l later present a workshop on 'How to Publish Your Book' for adults in the afternoon.

June and July are set aside for more travels - this time north into New South Wales to Queensland.  This will enlarge our territory and increase book sales again. 

Meanwhile check out ABC OPEN for my latest blog featuring a trip with aboriginal statesman Burnum Burnum.  Helen is now working on illustrations for our next childrens book and l am writing a collection of short stories for country ladies which l'm sure blokes will want to check out.

THE BIG GREEN TRACTOR HAS IT'S ENGINE STARTED

Finally l've found my dream machine thanks to all the John Deere salesmen!  The above photo was taken in Shepparton and when we went on to the Wimmera Machinary Field Days for the launch all at the Emmetts Stand made us very welcome.  The Wimmera Library Service staff were also very good to us and the three days just flew.    

 

The first photo was taken with year 11 students at Wedderburn P12  College where l presented a workshop on "How to Publish your first book" for the older students then went on to work with year7followed by two sessions with prep to year 6 students. I was amazed at the enthusiasm and high literacy skills displayed and had lots of fun acting out stories with the younger students.  Many thanks to the little bloke who offered to play the spider on the toilet wall and the lovely year 6 girl who played the part of my mother with such kindness.

 

Helen my wonderfully talented illustrator has been busy signing books at the Field Days then later at The Gifted Wombat in Stawell with Rae and MOCO Gallery in Halls Gap with Monique and Colin.  We also christened Marion's new shop Redrock Books and Gallery in Horsham which is looking mighty fine.

The book signings continue after a start at Shepparton with Geoff and Joan at Valley Books then Andrea at the Numurkah News Agency and of course Leanne and Mel at Wedderburn News Agency who set up a very special window display with lots of green tractors.

 

While Brian heads off to the Edwards river for some peace and quiet and hopefully a few Yellowbelly l am working on a few new stories for my book to be released around this time next year and preparation for the next book signings on 21st March at Benalla West Post Office with Amanda then Jack and Jane on 22nd at their new venture J's Cafe in Stanhope - a little extra hard work to add to their busy time in the News Agency, followed by Saturday 23rd at Kyabrum News Agency with Stephen and Claire.  If you are around in Tocumwal pop into the Information Centre where Liz from the Toke Post Office has arranged a signing and sausage sizzle from 10am - noon.  It's all go in the bush!

Off on the road again before setting up at the Quambatook Tractor Pull on Easter Saturday then heading home to Wonboyn for a couple of weeks rest and regrouping.

  Hope to see you somewhere along the track!