Yesterday morning my husband Chris set off for the South Island with our two youngest sons Samuel and Jacob. They had been planning the special Dad/sons trip for months, and our oldest son, Josiah, was meant to have been going with them. But two nights before they were to leave, Josiah sprained his ankle in a hockey game.  So Milly went in his place! You should have seen her face… read more

I read a beautiful quote from Victor Hugo yesterday – I know I’ve read it before and may even have written a post about it. But never mind, it bears repeating.
“Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones. And when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace – God is awake.” Victor Hugo… read more

I’ve been over in Brisbane for the last four days attending a writer’s fair (which was very inspiring), having a book launch for Where Arrows Fly and attending the awards dinner for the CALEB Book Prize. My book Where Lions Roar at Night was a finalist in the Children’s section.
It was a wonderful evening, although nerve-wracking, and I met so many inspiring writers and editors. And of course the… read more

On Saturday I had the joy of rescuing one of our newly hatched Indian Runner ducklings that was lying cold and weak in the shallow watering dish. I have no idea how long she’d been hatched for. Three eggs had hatched the day before, with two ducklings dying in the night, which was so sad. One duckling however was doing well and Milly had named her Puddle.
I thought this… read more