Following the footsteps, is my first published picture story book. It is an exciting time to see an idea flourish to something tangible and real.
Following the footsteps introduces Taylor and their adventures at the beach. We follow Taylor through what they encounter at the beach and how they deal with being on their own, feeling lost after they wander off from their parents. You will note that I use the pronouns they, them not he, she. This is purposeful use of pronoun writing. The character Taylor has not been given a gender as I wanted to reflect non-binary persons.
Following the footsteps was inspired from family holidays through the eyes of children, and to be inclusive of all people using my love of storytelling. This book touches on a few societal issues that impact our children, like how to deal with stressful situations using mindfulness techniques, and to accept their authentic self, to be then want to be, not to conform to what society wants them to be.
I live in the beautiful historic town of Hahndorf, nestled in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia. From my earliest recollection at the age of 4 years old, I have always had a love of storytelling, listening to family stories and bedtime stories to imagining stories.
Through my vast work within the disability sector, I discovered that everyone and every picture has a story to tell. So, I took my imagination for story and found that storytelling connects people. It connects one person to another. It connects communities.
My yearning to write a fiction book started like all first-time novelists with an idea, a seed for a story, and then turned into something else altogether. Writing short stories has been a favourite and here my first children’s picture storybook was created.
A huge thank you goes to my loving and incredibly supportive husband, Maurice, and to my equally incredible child who has been an inspiration of strength, Jordan. I love you both.