Luka

I have had many different roles in my life - nurse, midwife, craniosacral therapist, mother. The constant thread though, weaving its way through everything, including my heart, is writing. Midwife Wisdom, Mother Love ( my first published book), was the natural culmination of these different aspects of my life. It was a privilege and so rewarding to share my experiences of pregnancy and birth - both professional and personal - with so many. Nonfiction is definitely a love of mine, but my true passion lies with fiction. Since I was a little girl hanging upside down on the monkey bars at school I have been dreaming up stories, imaging the time when I would have my very own novel on the bookshelf.In 2015 that dream came true. My first novel Luka, a young adult novel, was published. The weight of the book in my hand, the smell of the pages, the pelican on the front cover. It was as if I had birthed (sorry, midwife writing here) my very own book baby. I was infatuated. But shortly after the book launch, in-fact the day after, my life took an unexpected turn, blocking my creativity and leaving Luka stranded without having really taken his first steps. It was a deeply traumatic time in my life, that seemed to be never ending, but finally, slowly, the tiniest buds of creative longing started to sprout in my heart and the urge to write returned in a powerful way.Since then I have completed a Post-Graduate Diploma in creative writing at Southern Cross University and my creative drive is at an all-time high. I am currently editing a new novel while in the process of writing a memoir. I have never been busier on the creative front, but also never more fulfilled. Writing sustains me in a way that nothing else does.Luka, after a wobbly start all those years ago, has been selected to be part of the high school curriculum in several schools throughout Queensland. I am thrilled to be sharing this novel with students and looking forward to workshopping it in the classroom. This is the beginning of what I hope will be a long-term and successful partnership with many schools throughout Australia.