What are some of the most memorable books you read as a child?
As a young child I remember fairytales being a big part of my reading collection. Jack and the Beanstalk being one of my favorites. Why? I always loved the fact that he took a chance, was clever, brave, and determined and finally was able to help his mom prosper. Another was Winnie the Pooh stories, a beautiful collection of different friends working together to help each other, and then Dr Seuss. I particularly loved Dr Seuss for the rhyming and colorful, fun-style illustrations. This love for rhyme has never left me and is one of the reasons I enjoy writing in rhyme today. As I grew a little older, I enjoyed the Famous Five by Enid Blyton and today mystery, thriller, and dramas tend to be my go-to genres to read.
What have been your most valuable out-of-school learning experiences?
Travel has been my most valuable learning experience. I have lived in four countries, South Africa, England, Canada, and the USA and I’ve travelled extensively beyond those countries. This has opened my eyes to so many different things, people and places and has made a big difference to my way of thinking and how I perceive things around me.
At what age did you write your first book? Did it get published?
I started writing my first book when I was 35 years old. I did not publish that book (not yet anyway) but went on to write a book series, the Super Big Brother Series, which I am currently publishing.
What are some interesting experiences you've had as a teen?
I grew up in Cape Town, South Africa and as a teen I grew up outdoors, in the sun and on the beach. I had the most wonderful schooling, in one of the most beautiful places in the world and I still appreciate those experiences today.
What inspired your first original story? Did you share the tale with anyone?
My first original story was inspired by my two children. I used to read my stories to them at night and they were my first audience, editors, and critiques. They enjoyed the fact that I was writing stories that they appeared in and they were always excited to know what I was going to come up with next.
How did you come up with the idea for your book, Super Big Brother?
I used to watch my children when they were younger, interact with each other and loved observing the kindness that they shared with one another and those moments really warmed my heart. I used to snap pictures in my mind of moments they shared together, and those moments became themes for my books. I loved the fact that they shared such a strong sibling bond all the time, and I was encouraged to write books about this to remind all children not just siblings to show kindness, help one another, and share. I always remind my children that siblings are the best friends they will ever have in their life and so looking after one another and staying strong together is so important throughout their lives.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Don’t overthink things, just do them. Don’t allow self-doubt to get the better of you as it’s just a time waster and doesn’t move you forward. Have a plan, stick with the plan, and always deliver.
Is activity-based learning more suited in early childhood learning programmes?
Yes and no. Activity-based learning could be good early on but also at any age however, it really depends on the teaching approach and when older, what subjects it is applied to. This type of learning needs to be carefully controlled. Having the approach where children are actively engaged can be highly beneficial but activity-based learning can lead to certain teaching methods being skipped over and some children do not adjust well to that way of learning. I do feel teaching methods should be adaptable as not all children fall into a specific way of learning.
How would your life be if you could talk to animals?
Animals are so wise, clever, and some are calm and patient that I feel humans could learn so much from them, if we were able to talk to them. I think we would be far more self-aware of how animals have to cope and even suffer in so many ways. We may even better understand their emotional state and what they have to endure in their environments.
What was the first story you ever wrote and did you ever publish it?
I wrote a children’s book and it was about the ocean. I have not yet published it but it is certainly worth revisiting when I finish this book series.
How important are the data of your book sales for you? Are you using any services for book sales tracking?
I use KDP and this is a good platform for me currently to track my daily sales. As I move forward in publishing more books, I hope to use other platforms to obtain more specific data on sales and ads.
What are you currently working on?
I am currently working on publishing my second book in the Super Big Brother series. I am hoping this will be ready by the end of May 2023.
What do you like the most about AllAuthor? Do you have any suggestions for the website?
I enjoy the pro membership where I can get monthly book mockup banners featured on Twitter and other benefits. AllAuthor however, has so much more to offer but I have not given myself the time to work through it all and hope to use it more with the release of my new book. As I continue to navigate the website, I no doubt will have suggestions to offer but currently nothing comes to mind.
