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Would you like to read the first chapter of Lucy Bee & the Secret Gene? To see how, click on the blog title.Posted: Friday 8 September 2023
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I really enjoyed reviewing this YA novel for Kete, the wonderful Aotearoa online website that reviews NZ books and provides information about new titles each week. Here Upon the Tide by Blair McMillan is an exciting read about two likeable teens who with courage and compassion help each other through the huge challenges life has thrown at them. Amir escapes from war-torn Syria, eventually landing off the Canterbury Coast where he hopes he'll find a safe refuge. Milly has lost her mother and her home in the Canterbury earthquakes, is the subject of bullying and feels isolated. Readers will enjoy the descriptions of her paddleboarding exploits.Posted: Thursday 31 August 2023
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Had a great weekend at the Featherston Book Festival where hundreds and hundreds of booklovers gathered to listen to authors and check out the huge selection of books offered by publishers, booksellers and authors. Happily, the reprint of Lucy Bee & Soline arrived just in time.Posted: Sunday 21 May 2023
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Lucy Bee & Soline is reprinting. Copies will be available shortly. Thank you to all those readers, booksellers, librarians, schools, parents and grandparents of readers who have ordered copies. It's wonderful to know Lucy Bee is having such a wide readership.Posted: Thursday 11 May 2023
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What a great initiative by Kate Gordon. Her Kiwi Kids Bookstore is an online store loaded with books for young readers - from littlies to teens, and all by NZ authors. I can see how it will be such a boon for those not living close to bricks and mortar book shops, as well as for those with little time to go shopping. You can find it at kiwikidsbooks.nzPosted: Wednesday 5 April 2023
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So good to have Vanessa's review. It conveys so well what I was trying to portray in the novel. Thank you, Vanessa.Posted: Monday 6 February 2023
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A big shout out to the booksellers who've been ordering my books. Authors need booksellers every bit as much as readers do. Booksellers complete the circle. They make it all work by getting the books into the hands of readers.Posted: Thursday 19 January 2023
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Lovely to see the first two Lucy titles, Lucy Bee & the Secret Gene and Bonjour Lucy Bee on display among other wonderful titles at Books & Co in Otaki. Soon to be joined by Lucy Bee & Soline, the last in the trilogy! This beautiful little bookshop is jam packed with great books. No wonder it's a favourite destination for locals.Posted: Monday 21 November 2022 -
Such a wonderful launch last night for Lucy Bee & Soline. Heartfelt thanks to the over 40 friends, fellow writers and booklovers who came along to help celebrate the new Lucy. Grateful thanks to Anna Kenna for launching the book, Vivienne Bailey for MCing, and special thanks to Paper Plus for being our bookseller - it was great to have Angela and Brioni there at hand to sell Lucy's new adventure.Posted: Wednesday 16 November 2022 -
Very excited to say that Lucy Bee & Soline, the third in the Lucy Bee series is soon to be released. I couldn't be more delighted with Vida Kelly's wonderful cover illustration. She's created a tapestry incorporating both cultures in the story - New Zealand and French.Posted: Monday 17 October 2022 -
I'm so pleased that Bonjour Lucy Bee is now in Ebook format and so will be more freely available. You can go to https://books2read.com/bonjourlucybee for Kindle, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Angus & Robertson, etc. Also from my publisher OneTree House at https://www.onetree-house.com/product-page/bonjour-lucy-bee-e-bookPosted: Monday 9 August 2021 -
I'm full of admiration for our children's book illustrators. It's a wonderful kind of magic how they can conjure up an image - images, and then get them down on paper. Illustrations in picture books are not just decorative. They tell stories just as words do, helping to bring to life the written texts they accompany. They flesh out the characters, the settings, the actions, and the feelings the story evokes. In other words, they illustrate between the lines. To celebrate our local children'Posted: Monday 9 August 2021 -
The New Zealand Society of Authors has a new look, and after 85 years is more helpful to budding and experienced writers than ever. I've been a member for well over 10 years (with a short break while I was living overseas) and have benefited from the society's advice and support in many ways. If you are serious about writing, I highly recommend a visit to their website to see all the advantages membership offersPosted: Friday 22 January 2021 -
Earthquakes, undersea adventures, fairy stories, a spaceship emergency, a kidnapping, and so much more. Twelve exciting tales from 12 young writers who came along to the writing workshop with their own idea for a story. We built on their ideas giving their story a structure. Then, their imagination took over. Swoosh! Such a joy to see their enthusiasm and commitment. They just wanted to keep on writing and writing.... Then, as all good writers do, they sent their story out into the worlPosted: Tuesday 20 October 2020 -
The New Zealand Society of Authors have launched their 'NZ Writers Read', initiative, dedicated playlists on their Youtube channel of NZ authors reading from their work. If you go to https://youtu.be/felZhsGORbk you can listen to me reading a chapter from Bonjour Lucy Bee.Posted: Monday 13 April 2020 -
The first chapter of Bonjour Lucy Bee is free to download from onetree-house.com. Free activity sheets to encourage young writers are also available from the same website. While we are all at home One Tree House will be providing resources to educate, entertain and amuse young readers and writers. Check them out!Posted: Thursday 9 April 2020 -
Wonderful Michael Morpurgo interview with Jim Mora on National Radio just after 11am today, Sunday 5 April. If you missed it, do try to log in to listen to it. So sane and inspiring.Posted: Sunday 5 April 2020
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With families, stuck at home, parents and caregivers are looking for activities to entertain and educate! To help with this, my publisher OneTree House has put up teachers notes for many of their books as well as first chapters of some of their books in pdf form. Free teachers notes of Bonjour Lucy Bee are available at www.onetree-house.com/teachers-notesPosted: Wednesday 1 April 2020
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Budding young writers wanting some inspiration during the lockdown? I've just put some fun writing activities on my website anneingram.com to keep you writing.Posted: Tuesday 31 March 2020
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So disappointing to have to cancel the writing workshop today. Was looking forward to meeting 12 keen young writers aged 9-13 from a number of local schools in Kapiti. But everyone understood it was the wisest move. And keen young writers will write anywhere. Hope to reconvene the workshop when it is safe to do so.Posted: Sunday 22 March 2020
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I'm taking a writing workshop for children in March. Please see poster below for details.Posted: Tuesday 18 February 2020 -
Kapiti Children's Writers celebrated our writing year in a fun evening last night at a gathering at the Kapiti Library for our Christmas party. As part of the celebrations, members shared their writing successes, whether it was having a new book (or books) published, or getting a short story in a new publication or placed in a competition, or the satisfaction of starting or finishing a piece of work. Lots to celebrate! Including Mandy Hager's election as President of the New Zealand Society oPosted: Thursday 14 November 2019 -
It's always a pleasure to go along to the monthly Focus Group meetings where we discuss a particular skill or aspect of writing. This time it wasn't characterisation or structure or pace, but something else we all need to know how to navigate - social media, a necessity for writers these days. The youngest members among us were the most clued up, of course, and brought us all up to speed on what we needed to know, extending our vocabulary with new definitions given to established words: tagsPosted: Tuesday 8 October 2019 -
Kidsbooksnz.blogspot have given Bonjour Lucy Bee a lovely review. "Fancy a quick trip to France?" they say. "All you need is a cuppa, a comfy place to read and this great book from Anne Ingram. Allons-y." After giving a synopsis, they comment that "The French phrases add a light handed authenticity, which coupled with the descriptive scene setting has you feeling like you are right there with Lucy. The plight of the refugees is handled well; there is no heavy lecturing, instead we are shownPosted: Friday 30 August 2019