Welcome to debut children's author KARYN (KAZ) SAVAGE! She kindly agreed to stop by my blog to speak about her debut picture book MY PET ARCHIE, illustrated by Tamlyn Teow, and published by Riveted Press in August 2025. 

Visit Karyn on her website at and on Instagram @karynsavageauthor


Welcome, Karyn! What prompted you to write your debut picture book MY PET ARCHIE? How did the idea come about, and what was the writing and rewriting process like?

This is a great question because Archie was never written to be a picture book! I love experimenting with words, and playing with language and poetry is something I enjoy writing. So, Archie began as an 'ABCDarian poem' that I included in a collection of children’s poems. I signed up for Crystal Corocher’s Write Now Mentorship program, and when she read the poem, she said, “Kaz, this needs to be a picture book.”

How did it find a home with Riveted Press, and what was the publication experience like for you? 

I tweaked My Pet Archie into a 24-page picture book manuscript and submitted it to CYA’s manuscript competition in 2024, and it was shortlisted! This was a great encouragement, and I had booked an assessment with Rowena Beresford from Riveted Press, who made some great suggestions to make adjustments to create a 32-page picture book. I was invited to resubmit it, and 2 months later, was ecstatic to receive a “Yes!”

What was it like when you first saw Tam's artwork bringing your story to life? Do you have a favourite illustration from the book? 

I was in absolute awe when I saw the cover of Archie. It was like this character that I had written about suddenly had form and personality. He was nothing like I imagined, and yet everything I hoped for all wrapped into one lovable character. I don’t even know if I can choose a favourite spread, but I think when we see Archie so sad and his world has become a puddle, the emotion that Tam so cleverly creates, is impacting both visually and in a way that connects the reader to Archie’s experience.
 
Do you have a typical writing process? And what is your writing space like? 

I have such a sporadic approach to many things in my life. I can live with mess and laundry piles for ages, and then suddenly hit a cleaning spree, and this is the same with my writing process. I can have several months of writing drought, and then I can write prolifically for several weeks. I’ve learnt to go with the flow and use the weeks of quieter creative input to edit, critique, prepare submission cover letters, read and play with words, and then get ready for the flood of ideas that will come.
​
In the same way, I don’t really have a designated writing space. I usually work at a desk that we have in a spare, guest room, but most of my writing is actually done in my head, walking the dog or strolling along the beach, and then I’ll grab out my phone and record ideas, scribble in a notebook, write at a café or park bench.

What is in the pipeline? Can you share anything you are working on next?

Wow, I have about 10 picture book manuscripts doing the rounds as well as my collection of poems for children. A notebook full of ideas and to borrow an expression from Tina Clark, I need the ‘Bum glue’ to stick myself in the chair to write a few JF & MG manuscripts that I know are calling me to write.

Anything else you would like to add, at all? 

I guess I just feel so privileged to be a part of such a genuinely fabulous network of people. It is often said that the kid-lit world is full of truly genuinely lovely people, and I have definitely found that. I think in the midst of all the rejections and knockbacks, it is important to find your ‘why.’ Why keep writing, why continue to submit, why continue to engage, and for me, writing is one thing, but I can do that for myself.

What keeps me going are the connections and relationships, and the people I get to hang out with some virtually and some in person. The thing is, I think as humans we are never really satisfied. One contract satisfies a major life goal, and I will always feel so deeply grateful to Rowena for saying “yes”, but how many more will truly satisfy?

So, for me, it’s the connection, the sharing of stories, and the sharing of the journey that keeps me going.
​
Thanks so much Brenton!
 

1. Angie, what prompted you to write your picture book Our Map? How did the idea come about and what was the writing and rewriting process like?

I was inspired by some casual conversations I had with children and parents at our local daycare and primary school. I wanted to explore what it means when a child can’t find their parents’ or grandparents’ homeland on a map — and how that absence can shape their understanding of identity and place.
Danielle Binks’ book The Year the Map Changed was a big influence as well. One line from that book really stayed with me: "The map doesn’t always tell the truth."
The first draft came together fairly quickly, but as with my debut, I wasn't sure whether it should be a picture book or a short story — the concept felt big for a children's book. Through rounds of feedback from my critique group and editors, I cut, reworded, and restructured the manuscript until the heart of the story became clearer and more emotionally resonant. I wanted every word to earn its place.
​

2. How did it find a home with Wombat Books, and what was the publication experience like for you?

I submitted the manuscript to about ten publishers. Some felt the story was too political for a children’s book. That pushed me to revise and explore two versions — one that included a country name and one that didn’t. I also decided to include a short introduction on the first page featuring my own family, as a way to open a conversation with readers.
I had long admired the work Wombat Books does in publishing meaningful, values-driven stories for children. When I submitted Our Map to them via the CYA Conference, I was hopeful — and to my joy, they connected with the story. When four publishers requested to see the manuscript again, I ultimately chose Wombat because I felt their approach was incredibly thoughtful and aligned with the story’s vision.


3. What was it like when you first saw Novia’s artwork bringing your story to life? Do you have a favourite illustration from the book?

It was magical. I got goose bumps when I first saw Novia’s illustrations — it was clear she had done a lot of research. Her art brought such warmth, depth, and tenderness to the characters and the imaginative world they create. She captured both the emotional undercurrent and the playful spirit of the story.
My favourite spread is the one where the children unfurl their paper map together. It perfectly captures the blend of creativity, connection, and possibility that I hoped the story would evoke.


4. Do you have a typical writing process? And what is your writing space like?

“Typical” might be a stretch — I’m a parent and a creative juggling multiple projects, so I write whenever and wherever I can! I’m not a morning person, so most of my writing happens at night after the kids are in bed, when the house is finally quiet.
I usually warm up with a journal entry, a short story, or even a few random scenes that might not make any sense at first — just to get the words flowing. I don’t have a dedicated writing space. I write wherever I find time and space — on the couch, at the dining table, even in the car during school pick-up sometimes.


5. What is in the pipeline? Can you share anything you are working on next?

Yes — I’m currently working on a new picture book that explores intergenerational memory. It’s still early, but I’m excited about the direction it’s heading in.
I’m also playing with the idea of a junior fiction series that celebrates multicultural families and the everyday magic they navigate — stories filled with heart, humour, and cultural connection. Stay tuned!


6. Anything else you would like to add?

If you say - my first book - My Mum is a Bird gives children wings - the freedom to spread those wings and fly, then Our Map gives them a chance to build their own world. A world they can imagine, create, and fill with the things they choose. A world that no one can take away!

ANNA'S WAR by DJ Taylor
Published by Riveted Press

Thank you so much to DJ Taylor for stopping by to tell us all about how her debut historical novel for young adults, ANNA'S WAR (published by Riveted Press), came to be!

1. Congratulations, DJ, on your debut novel Anna's War which is published July 2nd 2025! What prompted you to write this book? 

My elderly parents-in-law were the inspiration for Anna’s War. They spent their formative childhood years living under Nazi occupation in southern Netherlands. They lived in different villages and had different experiences and would often talk about them. One day about six years ago my mother-in-law, Catherina, mentioned that her father hid in a secret cellar under their house to avoid deportation to Germany. She had never mentioned this before. When I did some initial research I found it compelling and knew it was a story that had to be told.

2. What key takeaways did you uncover during your research for Anna's War? 

I did very little research before writing except reading about the forced deportation of Dutch men to work as slaves in German factories. I initially concentrated on telling a story. My parents-in-law who migrated to Australia in the late fifties have never read any books on the war so the first draft was based on their memories. However, I was conscious that memories can be a tricky thing but found that when I researched the war’s events there was a high correlation between their oral history and formal documents and other people’s accounts. Anna’s War is historical fiction and as I devised scenarios I would often question my parents-in-law as to whether something could or would happen and they guided me.

3. How did it find a home with Riveted Press? What was the publication experience like?
 
I submitted the first 5000 words of an early draft of the manuscript into the Young Adult section of the competition at an annual CYA conference. To my utter surprise it was short-listed and then came third. However, I felt it needed more work and spent another couple of years refining the manuscript.

When I felt it was ready I re-submitted the first 2500 words for assessment with four publishers at CYA. Rowena Beresford, the publishing editor of Riveted Press requested the full manuscript and within three days I had an email saying what a wonderful, wonderful story it was. I was over the moon and that was the start of the journey. Rowena made the publication experience an enjoyable one as she likes working with debut authors and nurturing them. I have learned so much.

4. Why did you choose to write under the pen name of DJ Taylor? 

It was a pragmatic choice. I have a common name - Di Taylor (There are three at my doctor’s surgery!). Initially I did a Google search and found there are many Di Taylors who are writers, artists, musicians etc. There’s also a lot DJ Taylors but not as many as Di Taylor. I also found that DJTaylorauthor hadn’t been used for Instagram or a web name so that sealed my decision.

5. Do you have a typical writing process? What is your writing space like? 

I wrote the first draft of Anna’s War (36,000 words) in seven weeks by writing a chapter a day. I flipped the day and stuck to a strict morning routine of going for an early morning walk, having breakfast and sitting at my desk at 8.00am to write another chapter. I wouldn’t leave my desk until the chapter was completed (Except for getting cups of tea!). It could take an hour to three hours. I would then walk away from my desk and do all the other things I would normally do in the morning and think about the storyline until the next morning.

Each day I made writing my priority. I would start the day reading the last chapter I wrote, not correcting anything (as tempting as it was!). It was to remind myself of what I had written the previous day.

I’m a pantser writer so I used to look forward to writing the next chapter to see what would happen. The story had a life of its own. The first draft storyline never changed but I kept adding to it as I did more research. When Anna’s War was completed it ended up being 62,000 words. The subsequent research added depth and breadth to the storyline.

The first draft was written on my iPad at my messy desk facing a wall. I wrote many subsequent drafts with my iPad on my lap in many different settings. I never returned to my desk after the completion of the first draft. During the writing of the first draft I didn’t tell anyone outside the family that I was writing Anna’s War. I didn’t keep it a secret but kept it private. I didn’t want people asking me how the book was progressing as I had no idea if I could write a book or not!

6. What is in the pipeline? Can you share anything you are working on next?

I’ve started writing a sequel to Anna’s War and I’ve called it Josephine’s Journey. Josephine is Anna’s best friend and they are separated after being evacuated from their town. Many readers have asked me what happened to Josephine. She’s a likeable, optimistic character despite the hardships of war.

7. Anything else you would like to add? 

My secret weapon is my iPad with an attached keyboard. I can type very fast as I learned typing at school. It’s proven to be useful to keep up with the flow of my ideas.

                                            ----------------------------------------
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Thanks to DJ TAYLOR for stopping by. Congratulations on your fantastic new novel ANNA'S WAR, now available in all good bookstores.

Visit DJ Taylor online at djtaylorauthor.com or on Instagram @djtaylor_author

and visit publisher Riveted Press at rivetedpress.au or on Facebook & Instagram 

Thank you to JEANETTE STAMPONE, children's author extraordinaire!, for stopping by my blog on her promotional tour celebrating her new junior fiction release "Ghost Detectives: Terry Fide and the Bakery Ghost" - written by Jeanette, illustrated by Jasmine Berry and published by About Kids Books (Publisher, Di Bates). 

Visit Jeanette online here!
Visit illustrator Jasmine Berry here! 
​Visit the publisher About Kids Books here! 

1. Jeanette, your debut chapter book Ghost Detectives: Terry Fide and the Bakery Ghost was recently released, published by About Kids Books and with fantastic illustrations by Jasmine Berry. Where did the idea for this book originate and what was the process like of writing and rewriting it?

I grew up in an old English house which is believed to be around three hundred years old! As you'd expect, it was very spooky and a little bit scary. More so as I lived in an area full of stories about ghosts, fairies, pixies, and other supernatural beings. I became fascinated with this subject matter and knew it was only a matter of time before I wrote about it myself. So, that's where the ghost element came from! As for the bakery part, that's also very personal. My parents owned a small bakery and I also have a sister in Perth who runs her own bakery business. So I spent many years being surrounded by delicious baked goods. By the way, in case anyone wants to know, my favourite is carrot cake. ;)

It's been really fun to combine these two parts of my personal history to create a story. Once I had the idea, it really took off and felt very natural to write. Saying that, there was plenty of editing afterwards but thankfully, the main plot was pretty solid. I think the most major change was completely writing the first chapter. I originally spent most of chapter one describing the protagonist, but after having an editor look at it, I realised I should jump straight into the action. I'm so glad I took this advice on board as it's so much better now.

2. How did it come to be with About Kids Books? What was the experience like?

Di Bates put a call-out in her newsletter, Buzz Words. She was specifically looking for middle grade or chapter books. I already had written the story so I thought I would try! And much to my delight, she took it on.

The publication experience was so fast! My last two books were picture books and there was a wait of two to three years before they came out. This time, it was a matter of months so it whizzed by. The editorial experience was also fast but very thorough. I learnt a lot about sentence length and word choices for younger readers. 

3. It seems Ghost Detectives is intended to be a series. Will there be further sequels? Did you plan for the story to be first in a series from when you first began writing it? 

Yes, Ghost Detectives is the first in a series of three. So I have my fingers crossed for books two and three! I definitely intended to write it as a series from the start.  The first reason is that junior fiction books are quite skinny due to their lower word count, so by having multiple books, they stand out on the shelf better. The second reason is that I think kids love to love a character! If they have invested in a character, they want more! I remember this myself from reading books such as The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy and My Naughty Little Sister by Dorothy Edwards.

4. What made Terry Fide and the Bakery Ghost such a great read, in my opinion, is the humour, the mystery, the friendships and the light spookiness of your story and of course the wonderful artwork by Jasmine Berry: who is the best audience for your book, and what do you want readers to take away from your story? 

The book is primarily aimed at children aged 6-9 years but could certainly be enjoyed by any primary school aged child, depending on their reading and comprehension ability. 

I hope that readers will enjoy the spooky mystery element and relate to the fun characters. I aimed to create a story that combines ghosts, fun and friendship. Something that's spooky but not scary for young readers.

I would love readers to come away with the simple enjoyment of a silly book, but also understand the key messages of bravery and supportive friendships. It is a book with both slapstick humour and heart-warming moments. 

5. Do you have a typical writing process? What is your writing space is like? 

It depends on what I am writing as picture books are quite different to junior fiction. I actually struggle to write longer works - even a junior fiction is intimidating for me! I overcame this by setting myself a small daily target of only 150 words per day. This is literally a maximum ten minutes work so it was always manageable. Even on those days when I wasn't really in the mood to write, I told myself that it's only ten minutes and I got it done. And most of the time, once I got going, I ended up doing much more.


6. What is in the pipeline? Can you share anything you are working on next?

As well as writing, I am also love to draw. I have a big dream to one day become an author-illustrator! So, at the moment, I am squirrelling away of a couple of illustration projects. Fingers crossed!

7. Anything at all you'd like to add? :) 

I would just like to say thank you, Brenton, for your time and effort in supporting other creatives. I look forward to seeing your new release with Riveted Press, The Prime Minister Problem AND your picture book with Wombat Books! You're on fire!

1. Your first children's book, Something Terrible: Tim Tie-Your-Shoelaces, is a funny, zany chapter book for young readers. And the first in a series with two more titles after it. How did you come to write your debut children's book? 

I came up with the idea when I was tutoring a boy who was a reluctant reader. I was telling him about my granddaughter who had tripped over her shoelaces (luckily unhurt) and we began to talk about what 'terrible silly things' that could have happened.  Although my student didn't enjoy reading he loved being 'told' stories so I came up with Tim Tie Your Shoelaces and, as happens when my slightly wacky imagination gets hold of something before long, Becky Brush Your Hair, then Wanda, and Sam soon followed, with Daisy and Elliot works in progress. 

I am an unashamed word nerd and love words and word rules, and word origins and so on. What  I found that I wanted in these stories was apart from them being rather ridiculous, I really wanted to introduce a wider vocabulary to the reader, while keeping the content suitable for the younger advanced readers who might not come across an advanced vocabulary in the books written for their age. However, I also want to attract the older reluctant readers through varied font size and relatable stories, who too may not be exposed to an expanded vocabulary, as they tend to stick to books that do not challenge them.

2. What was your journey of having Tim Tie-Your-Shoelaces go from story idea to revising and rewriting then submitting to having it picked up for publication? 

Much to my delight (and disbelief), I had won a competition with another book, Goodnight Sheep, and part of the prize was mentorship with the wonderful Clare Halifax at Walker Books (amazing!) She had shown interest in publishing Goodnight Sheep; however, at that point, I had already signed a contract with Fremantle Press (unbelievable) who I had sent Goodnight Sheep to and promptly forgot about as I never dreamt they would call me. Clare asked if I had anything else on the go and I said, yes, I had two early readers completed

I had written Tim and Becky almost a year before it was picked up and had done the usual write, read, put away, reread edit, repeat for about 6 months before then, never dreaming these tales would go anywhere other than live in my laptop, where all my stories live. I was still in shock from a: winning the competition and b: being offered a contract with Fremantle Press when I was asked to send Tim and Becky to Walker Books and was offered a contract a few months later.

3. You have also got a picture book Goodnight Sheep. Can you tell us how this book came to be? 
The idea for Goodnight Sheep came to me when one night I couldn’t sleep and my husband said casually ‘count sheep.’ This made my somewhat odd imagination wonder ‘what if the sheep don’t want to be counted and this led to another thought and then another, ending with the question, would a child’s sheep behave if they were to count them? When it came to Lilly May’s sheep, apparently not. This particular child’s sheep wanted nothing to do with being counted, preferring mischief and chaos over sleep, until finally exhaustion wins.
It took about six months to write Goodnight Sheep with a lot of input and critiquing from some great people.

​4. Where do you write? 
​
Having five children, a writing space WAS no more than a desk tucked into a corner and a computer at my disposal when everyone went to bed.
​But that was fine, and I wrote two 80, 000-word novels that way, one published in 2023 under a pen name.
Now my children are all adults, and I have a whole room to myself that is filled with the things I love and that are important to me.
On the wall hangs the very first story I wrote called Animal Caper. I wrote it when I was ten for a writing competition advertised in the local newspaper and won first prize.
On a chair sits a bear who was given to me when I was born. He has one eye, a split in a seam and has lost his growl, however like me has all his hair and his limbs are still attached.

5. You have the third book in the Something Terrible series (Wanda-Wear-Your-Glasses!) coming out later this year. Is there anything else you are working on, or something in the pipeline? What do you foresee wanting to do next in the children's book world? 
 
I’m always thinking (mostly when I am meant to be sleeping) and jotting down ideas. Sometimes there too many ideas and I get a bit lost with which one I am going to work on first. So in saying that I am working on more books for the Something Terrible series but also looking at some partially non-fiction tales told in the same ridiculous way that I can't seem to get away from. I’m also working on another Sheep story with a Christmas theme and one about aliens, lemonade and a rogue carrot, another about some missing dogs and re-writing a story about a pig and some wishes.
I am hoping in the near future to run some writing workshops for children who wish to write but feel that their spelling will let them down. I want to encourage the idea that good story telling comes from the imagination and not from how well someone spells.
 
6. You have had your first few children's books published in such a short time frame. What has been the most exciting, or surprising, part of this whirlwind time for you?
 
I guess for all novice writers the most surprising was that I had arrived, I was ‘good enough.’ Although I loved my stories, and my family thought they were pretty good, I never dreamt, even though it was my long held dream, that I would be published as I knew it was a hard industry to get into. I am still waiting for the sense that I am an ‘imposter’ to go away. I am so honoured to be asked to sign a book but the part I love the most of all is when I am told a child really loved my book, as that was the whole point in the first place.

​Dianne (Di) Bates has published 140+ books mostly for young readers.
​
​Some have won national and state literary awards including two Australian children’s book choice
awards (KOALA and WAYRBA).

Some of her books have sold overseas and in translation.

Di has received Grants and Fellowships from the Literature Board of the Australia Council and has toured for the National Book Council.

She has undertaken commissioned writing for many organisations and has worked on the editorial team of the NSW Department of Education School
Magazine.

​She was co-editor of a national children’s magazine, Puffinalia (Penguin Books) and editor of another national children’s magazine, Little Ears.

In 2008, Di was awarded The Lady Cutler Award for distinguished services to children’s
Literature. In 2014, she founded the Australian Children’s Poetry blog
http://wwww.australianchildrenspoetry.com.au

Currently Di edits Buzz Words (All the Buzz about Children’s Books), a fortnightly online
magazine she founded in 2006 for those in the Australian children’s book industry.
http://www.buzzwordsmagazine.com and now also works as an artist and manuscript assessor, and publisher at About Kids Books.

Di lives near Wollongong, NSW, Australia, with her prize-winning YA author husband, Bill Condon.

Your latest book is a middle-grade novel Looking for Imani published by Woodslane
Press in June 2025. Can you share briefly what it is about?

Nabila Samra is the eldest daughter of a single Arabic mother, Bahar, and sister to Abdullah,
Layla, and Imani. Because her mother doesn’t speak English fluently, Nabila is often forced
to act as translator. And, too, Mum is depressed as she is isolated in the community which is
sometimes hostile towards the family. At a time when she is home with a cold, Nabila’s
brother is in trouble with the police, and her youngest sister Imani goes missing.

Looking for Imani revolves around the days following Imani’s disappearance and tells of the
Samra family’s involvement with the police and media, and Nabila’s efforts to find her sister
and to help keep stability in her family. For the first time, the family is approached by
sympathetic neighbours and tentative friendships are formed.
​
The story is told in two strands, both in present tense: one features Nabila, while the other
tells of what is happening to Imani. The latter believes she is with her Teeta (grandmother)
and is not homesick except occasionally. It is only when Teeta’s daughter comes to visit that
Imani is returned to her rightful home.

What prompted you to write Looking for Imani?

I was working as a volunteer for the Smith Family charity, helping people with things like
paying bills, when a single Middle Eastern mother came for help. She was accompanied by
her vivacious twelve-year-old daughter who acted as her interpreter as she couldn’t speak
English. I developed a relationship with the family and after I finished working for the charity
I often visited them. At a time when there was friction in the Middle East, the family was
being abused by neighbours who even graffitied their rented home with hateful slogans.
Among other things, I was able to help and find them alternative accommodation.

Looking for Imani is based on a migrant family with similar issues. Of course it’s a fiction: I
didn’t use the family’s name, and one of their children didn’t go missing. I tried to show how
the disappearance of the youngest child Imani helped bring out the best in neighbours, some
of whom had previously targeted the family racially.
 
What was the process of writing Looking for Imani like? And how did it come to be
published with Woodslane Press?

Many of my books for children are based on experiences in my life. At a time when there
were wars in the Middle East, I thought about how I could write about a family from there
and show how they experienced life in Australia. That’s when I remembered that I’d once
befriended a family which was experiencing racial hatred. I wanted the book to have a
positive ending, and that’s how Looking for Imani was started and evolved.

I sent the manuscript to several publishers, and it was finally accepted from the slush pile by
Virginia Greig, the commissioning editor for a small Australian publisher, Woodslane Press.
 
What is in the pipeline? Can you share anything you are working on next?

Virginia (Woodslane) has accepted my latest completed manuscript, The Very Best Teacher to
be released in December 2025. When I was in fifth grade my teacher died after an operation:
I was bereft as I adored her. (Over sixty years later, I still remember songs and poems she
taught us!)

Originally the book featured the death of a teacher, but publishers didn’t like the
idea: I changed it so that by the book’s end, the teacher simply moves to another school. The
Very Best Teacher is a gentle, heart-warming book about family, a teacher’s influence, self-
growth, and relationships.

Recently I finished another middle-grade novel, Girl Power, set in a holiday home for school
children. Once again, it’s based on my childhood experience being sent to such a home. I’ve
also sent this manuscript to Virginia.

Currently I’m trying to think of another book, but I seem to have mined the whole of my
childhood experiences!

SOXIETY
​(Book 1 in the BOOK OF KIN series)
written & illustrated by Tamlyn Teow
proudly published by Riveted Press/Yellow Brick Books

AVAILABLE NOW!

Visit https://thebookofkin.com/ to discover even more about Tamyln and her brilliant, ground-breaking vision behind SoXiety. 

Visit rivetedpress.com.au/ to learn more about Riveted Press, the publisher behind SoXiety. 

Thank you to artist, Tamlyn Teow, for stopping by my blog to tell us about her magnificent new book 'SoXiety'.

                  Q&A with TAMLYN TEOW

1. Your new book SoXiety is published with Riveted Press. It's a graphic novel/picture book, and the first in a series of five books called 'The Book of Kin' series with each volume showcasing a different theme that 'celebrates cohesive kinship'. Can you share briefly what SoXiety is about?
 
Sure thing! SoXiety explores issues around social media and the current state of our society. The book aims to open discussions around the themes of anxiety, depression and dopamine addiction. It is told through the perspective of ‘X’, as the character navigates through a dystopian world set within a concrete jungle. The reader follows the protagonist’s journey of deterioration and regeneration.


2. What prompted you to write SoXiety in the first place? And you don't have social media of your own, like the themes of the book. How did you research this book and get to know the harms of social media to portray? Why and when did you choose to not have social media? 

The seed of the idea for SoXiety stemmed from my own experience and struggles within our current cultural landscape. Having grown through the technological revolution, I’ve had the privilege of experiencing life with and without technology so the movement and change hits much harder. I’ve always been a deeply sensitive person which is both a blessing and a curse. Emotions, thoughts and situations are often amplified and even as a child, I’ve had a vivid imagination but tend to catastrophise as well. I tend to get focused or fixated on things, am competitive, and worry endlessly about others or what they think. As a result, those pre-existing traits are a bad combination with social media.

From daily observations, I am confident that I’m not alone in my struggles. The addiction to screens and devices is evident, the need for attention, shortening attention spans, reduction in self-awareness and companies hungry for marketing/data mining- are all serious issues that should be addressed. 

I got off social media 18 months ago as I noticed how much my mental health was adversely impacted. This decision was made so that the time and mental energy that was previously dedicated to “Likes”, “who commented/liked/follows someone”, comparing, scrolling - can be diverted to other areas that would help me grow rather than deplete my soul. Thus, the research for this book was based off my personal experience but also, reading others’ accounts online, watching presentations by Jonathan Haidt/Yuval Noah Harari/Johann Hari/Scott Galloway/Tristan Harris and documentaries such as The Social Dilemma. 
 
 
3. What was the process of writing and illustrating SoXiety like? And how did it come to be published with Riveted Press?
 
It was very fun and therapeutic to create the book. Mainly because my publisher allows a lot of creative freedom! It was surreal as the idea was very abstract and I never thought anyone would understand my vision or be interested as it’s experimental. When I pitched it to Rowena Beresford, publisher at Riveted Press, it was more of a conversation in passing rather than a formal proposal.
But she expressed interest so I put one together.

She took it under consideration, took a leap of faith and offered me a contract. It’s always a pleasure and highly rewarding collaborating with Rowena (she’s pretty much a one man band at Riveted Press!) since I worked on the very first project she offered.

​There was a lot of constructive conversation back and forth for around two years, discussions on how to improve the flow and clarity of the narrative and decisions on the format of the printed product. We have worked very closely together for a while now so I have a lot of trust in her.


4. You are so talented at book covers and illustrations. Why do you do what you do? Why do you love illustrating and creating books?

That’s so kind of you, thanks very much. I would like to take this opportunity to point out though, that talent only takes you so far and if you don’t work on your craft, you won’t progress. Getting to this point has been the result of a lot of failing, falling, rejections and getting back up just to inch forward only a little. I often feel that whatever others can do, I have to work three times extra hard to achieve that milestone.

But I try to keep in mind the importance of the compound effect and adopting atomic habits, setting small but achievable goals so you don’t get overwhelmed and give up. At present, I have so much more to learn and improve on, which is the beautiful thing since I do fear complacency or people finding out I’m actually not very good at all!

In my opinion, everyone is talented in their own way, it’s probably the grit and what you love so much that you’re willing to endure not quitting, that varies among individuals.

I love being an artist because it allows me to live a thousand different realities, to constantly learn and have no two projects that are the same. It helps me collaborate with other incredible artists who are just as passionate and most importantly, I get to learn so much about a vast amount of different areas. It’s also a compulsion, if I don’t do any art in a day, I get a bit odd. Ha-ha!

Growing up around a culture that disapproves of this career and having been in a line of work with a mould I didn’t fit in, does make this path more sacred to me.
 
5. What is in the pipeline? Can you share anything you are working on next?

Thanks so much for asking! Some books I illustrated that are released soon include...
 Bronte’s Big Business by Liane Young, out with Wombat Books in June,
a cover I did for The Disappearing Circus by Kate Gordon and Helen Edwards (published by Riveted Press in July),
​and My Pet Archie by Karyn Savage (published in August by Riveted Press).

And, there are sequels to SoXiety coming in 'The Book of Kin' series!