Date | Time | Location | Event |
Sat Nov 15 | TBC | Meet the Author Christmas Book Market | |
Sat Aug 30 & Sun Aug 31 | All day | Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park | Book Expo Australia |
Tue Aug 19 | 1pm | Toongabbie Christian School | Book Week, visiting author |
Sat June 30 | All day | NSW Writer’s Centre | Attending Children’s and YA Literature Festival |
Tue June 3 | 10.30am | Abbotsleigh | Guest author, Abbotsleigh Literary Festival |
Sat May 17 & Sun May 18 | All day | Rex Hotel, Canberra | Discovering National Treasures
CBCA National Conference, Delegate |
Sat March 29 | 9 am | City Recital Hall | MC, Flourishing Faith in Dangerous Places conference |
Starting school with allergies
Starting school is a big deal for any kid, but for children with food allergies, it’s especially challenging. When my daughter, who is allergic to peanuts and eggs, started school two years ago, I had no idea what to do. We nervously handed in her Anaphylaxis Action Plan, put allergy-warning stickers on her lunch box and hoped for the best. Fortunately, I’ve learnt a bit since then so I wrote this article for Kidspot!
If you also have a child with a food allergy, here are a few tips to keep your little one safe at school.
8 tips for keeping your child with food allergies safe at school:
- Educate your child about their allergies
- Ask for a face-to-face meeting with the school to nut out the tough issues
- Send a note home to the other class parents
- Ask the teacher if you can speak to the class about food allergies
- Find out how the school canteen really operates
- Develop a strong relationship with your child’s teacher
- Give your child opportunities to be assertive and permission to be different
- Keep communicating
You can read the full article on Kidspot’s Parenting Exchange here!
And why not share the article to help educate your friends and family and keep our kids safe.
Meet the Author Christmas Book Market
Once again, our friends at Ryde Presbyterian Church are hosting our annual Meet the Author Christmas Book Market. As well as the author’s listed below, Julie Mallinson, Justin Theng and Maureen Bartlett will be on board, with more Christian authors being added daily! Trust me, it’s getting hard for me to keep up, everybody wants to be there!
As well as Marty’s Nut-Free Party and my other books, I’ll be selling a very select range of children’s books from my favourite Wombat Books authors. Other authors will be selling fiction, non-fiction, biography, bushwalking guides, inspirational books, poetry and more children’s books.
Please pop in and say hi. Bring cash with you because there will be some wonderful treasures for your family and friends, but most of the authors won’t have card facilities on hand! I look forward to welcoming you there!

Marty sneaks into Caleb Award finals
Marty’s Nut-Free Party has made it to the finals of the Caleb Awards in the Children’s section! Results are announced on October 12, 2013.
I’m excited to be alongside two beautiful books by friend and fellow Sydney author, Penny Reeve, whose books Wonderfully Madison and More Than a Mouse have also made it through to the finals.
2013 Events
Date | Time | Location | Event |
Fri Aug 30 | 11 am | Illawarra Christian School, Tongarra | Author visit |
Wed Aug 21 | 9 am | Penrith Christian School | Book Week Writing workshops |
Fri Aug 9 | 10.30am | Capital Business Park, Frenchs Forest | Wannabees Family Play Town |
Wed July 31 | 3.30pm | Wilkins Primary School, Marrickville | Children’s Book Council Author Tea |
Mon July 29 | 9am | Rouse Hill Anglican College | Author visit |
Mon June 24 | 10.30am | KU Croydon | Author visit |
Thu June 20 | 10.30am | KU Croydon | Author visit |
Mon May 27 2013 | 4pm | Penrith Christian School | Christian Schools Library Conference Author Talk |
Fri May 24 | 9.10 am | Mowbray Public School | Author visit |
Mon May 20 | 9 am | Randwick Public School | Author visit |
Fri May 17 | 9 am | Putney Public School | Author visit – Food Allergy Week |
Thu May 16 | 11am | Lane Cove Library | Story Time – Food Allergy Week |
Wed May 15 | 8.50 am | Pacific Hills Christian School | Author visit – Food Allergy Week |
Tue May 14 | 9.30 am | Broughton Anglican College | Author visit – Food Allergy Week |
Fri May 3 | 9.30am | Villa Maria Church Hall, 3a Mary St, Hunters Hill | Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea Market Day |
Fri Mar 1 | 11am | Griffith Library | Storytime reading |
Thur Feb 28 | 11 am | Yenda Preschool | Author visit |
Wed Feb 27 | 2 pm | Carrathool Public School | Author visit |
Wed Feb 27 | 9.25 am | Darlington Point Public School | Author visit to K – 3 |
Tue Feb 19 | 9.30am | Epping Church of Christ | Guest speaker at MOPS (Mothers of Pre-schoolers) |
Marty shortlisted!
Exciting News!
Marty’s Nut-Free Party has just been shortlisted for the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards (Lower Primary.)
Here’s how they described it!
“Finally! A fun way to explain allergies to all young children! This appealing story with a likeable character has an interesting and highly relevant narrative. The main idea is explored via humorous text with familiar settings and occurrences. The language chosen has rhythm and repetition and would be well-liked by young readers.”
It’s a wonderful shortlist, including gorgeous books like Gracie and Josh by Susanne Gervay and Serena Geddes, Sophie Scott Goes South by Alison Lester, Saurus Street: Tyrannosaurus in the Veggie Patch by Nick Falk and Tony Flowers and Billy B. Brown: The Bully Buster by Sally Rippin. (My six year old LOVES the Billy B. Brown books so I’m finally getting some cred with her!)
Events – Food Allergy Week
1 in 10 babies born in Australia today will develop a food allergy.
May 13 – 19th is Food Allergy Week.
So Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia is asking Aussies to paint one fingernail.
Show your support of kids with food allergies by painting one nail and make a donation to help educate Australians about the fact that food allergies are serious and can be a matter of life and death.
You can find out more here: http://www.foodallergyaware.com.au/
I will also be visiting schools and libraries with my book Marty’s Nut-Free Party during Food Allergy Week.
Here’s where I’ll be in May.
Date | Time | Location | Event |
Mon May 27 | 4pm | Penrith Christian School | Christian Schools Library Conference Author Talk |
Fri May 24 | 9.10 am | Mowbray Public School | Author visit |
Mon May 20 | 9 am | Randwick Public School | Author visit |
Fri May 17 | 9 am | Putney Public School | Author visit – Food Allergy Week |
Thu May 16 | 11am | Lane Cove Library | Story Time – Food Allergy Week |
Wed May 15 | 8.50 am | Pacific Hills Christian School | Author visit – Food Allergy Week |
Tue May 14 | 9.30 am | Broughton Anglican College | Author visit – Food Allergy Week |
Fri May 3 | 9.30am | Villa Maria Church Hall, 3a Mary St, Hunters Hill | Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea Market Day |