So happy to have had this opportunity to appear on the Hembury Books Podcast and be interviewed by Jessica Muddit about co-editing the award-winning anthology, Coming of Age: Growing Up Muslim in Australia published by Allen and Unwin. We had a great discussion about how compiling an anthology is a fantastic way to share diverse views, the process of getting an anthology traditionally published, about applying for grants, as well my transition from trad publishing to being an indie author after my publishing rights reverted back.

View links below.

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/oPs5ps3t3f0?si=fnLVG2nj3UQgDggY

SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2AXE1I6KX9DitHmDFFA6YJ?si=72a6bf1f1c704189

Great thriller with page turning twists and turns. Great characterisation and world building. This is the first book I've read in the series and I'll be going back to the beginning.

Upcoming event at Sunshine Library with me, Lucy Appadoor @lucyappadooauthor and Michael J. Prewer @mjprewer.author

Write, publish and realise your creative vision!

Discover tips from three local authors on writing and publishing at Sunshine Library. 

Sat, 7 Dec 2024 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM AEDT

Brimbank Libraries: Sunshine Library
301 Hampshire Road Sunshine, VIC 3020

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/write-publish-and-realise-your-creative-vision-tickets-966931647587?_eboga=876201859.1730437922

In this unit students read and analyse the short story, and write a TEEL paragraph by using sentence by sentence modelling and graphic organisers.
​
Learning intentions:

• To engage in the themes of the short story Night Feet by Ellen Van Neerven
• To read and analyse the short story Night Feet
• To learn how to embed quotes into the text
• To learn how to analyse quotes 
• To practise writing topic sentences with a topic noun and a perspective phrase
• To practise writing sentences with basic verbs and detailed noun groups ​
• To write a concluding statement for paragraph 1

Explanation about resources:

• There is a PPT and worksheet for each lesson
• MOD-worksheets and resources for modified students
• Differentiation-questions and activities are colour coded for students, black-modified, green-at standard, purple-extension
• Resources begin with the number 3 as we had some introductory activities to get students to think about the identities of themes and belonging by writing an I am Poem and other reflective activities
• Images below to show you the a sample of the resources before you download

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​In the Westsider newspaper writing about my self publishing journey to spruike my self publishing course.

https://thewestsider.com.au/are-we-living-in-a-golden-age-for-self-published-authors/

I am offering a self publishing course at the Hunt Club Community Arts Centre Brimbank Council. View all the information below and the link in my bio.

Manuscript to Market: Building a Self-Publishing Business
From Manuscript to Market: Building a Self-Publishing Business is for authors who want to turn their writing into a thriving business. This course covers the entire self-publishing process, from manuscript preparation to choosing distribution platforms. Learn to edit, format, and design your book, whether as an ebook, print, or audiobook. Explore financial aspects, including pricing, royalties, and revenue streams like audiobooks. You’ll also master marketing strategies and understand the business side, such as registering as a publishing company and meeting legal obligations in Australia.

Saturdays, 9 & 16 November 2024
1-3pm - $30 (2 sessions)
Location
Hunt Club Community & Arts Centre
775 Ballarat Road, Deer Park VIC 3023

https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1287151

Have a draft of my thesis again and checking citations. Titled: Emotional Truth in the Shadow of History: Analysing the Intersection of Fact and Fiction in Srebrenica Novels by Non-Bosnian Authors
 
For those following, I had a draft in January of this year that I had to throw away and basically begin again, re-writing it into a literary studies analysis approach. So I’ve been hard at work getting that done.
 
Have a draft, and as usual I am over the wordcount. I’ve printed a version and am going through and checking all my citations, so checking quotes word by word to see if they are correct in punctuation and how they are written, checking my bibliography, checking that all the pages I have cited are correct. Have a lot of the books that I used, but have to get a few from the library again to fact check. And also looking for where I can cull word count, because as usual I am over.
 
Had a panic attack that my argument about intermarriage in Yugoslavia being wildly exaggerated and not supported by data was incorrect. Found a thesis by an academic who looked at this topic themselves and used the same scholar to support this claim that I did, and am feeling every relieved that my argument holds.
 
Still a bit of work to do in terms of editing, proofing, and fact-checking, but am feeling hopeful that I will be submitting either by the end of this year or school holidays. Keep your fingers crossed for me that my seven year journey is ending soon.