 Sandy says she grew up in Camden, then only a small country town, in a house where there were few books whereas today her home is full of them.
When she attended primary school there wasn’t a great deal of choice in the library and it wasn’t until she arrived at Camden High that she had her first real introduction to rows and rows of books in the school library.
“I didn’t quite know where to start,“ she says, “but the science fiction of Asimov and Aldriss captured my attention and I really didn’t read anything else but science fiction for quite some time.”
Although she actually wrote little booklets at primary school and admits to penning terrible plays at high school, which her teacher made the class perform, Sandy pursued other activities when she left school and joined the NSW Department of Agriculture.
Work followed with various government departments and some 15 years ago she was offered and accepted a computer programmer role which enabled her to work from home.
Falling in love, marriage and the birth of two sons kept her busy and it wasn’t until one of her boys stopped reading that she panicked somewhat and suggested they might write something together.
This was the turning point, a time when the passion to write emerged, and with it came nine books in three years.
“I was fortunate that local children’s author and book enthusiast Di Bates took me under her wing and helped me fine tune the necessary craft needed to be a successful writer,” she says.
Help along the way
 Sandy says she received some wonderful advice from many helpful people when she launched into writing, and some hints she has for anyone out there who maybe thinking of becoming an author are
Commitment, which is high on the list, planning to be there for the long haul, and trying to read at least one children’s book a week. She also recommends writing every day, even if it’s only 10 minutes because “writing is a habit and a creative process”.
And where children’s books are concerned, the first paragraph just has to be the best, she adds.
Among the other musts she lists are good feedback, joining a workshop group and not being afraid to network and subscribe to industry journals.
It was in 2005 she began the task of writing Samurai Kids Book 1: White Crane, a piece of junior fiction that was published in March this year and which will be released in the United Kingdom in January 2009 and at a later date by Candlewick Press in the US.
Samurai Kids Book 2: Owl Ninja and Polar Boy will also hit the
bookshelves this year. She is currently engrossed in her latest effort, Mexican Runner.
Sandy believes being born in the Year of the Rat is a plus because it supposed to signify a bent for writing.
She says a lifelong love of ancient history was largely behind her motivation and success with the Samurai stories.
“I was, and still am, just fascinated by Samurai stories,” she says.
Samurai Kids Book 1: White Crane is the story of five children in feudal Japan and their progress towards competing in an ancient games. Its focal character is the one–legged Samurai boy Niya, who dreams of being a great warrior and defeating all the other kids at the annual Samurai Trainee Games.
Its sequel centres around Ninjas and although the Samurai and Ninjas are historical enemies, Sandy says she has used their secretive undercover relationship to blend them together.
In fact, all her writing so far has a background of ancient history and a strong boy focus.
Apart from her writing and computer programming support Sandy is also kept busy with an editorial team associated with the online “The Reading Stack” publication, contributing to a book review guide column, as well as studying new trends in literature for educational purposes, and talking at schools about her craft.
Her books are available through major outlets.
You can get more information at www.samuraikids.com.au
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