Liz Crowley recently unveiled her debut children\u2019s book \u2018A Silence in the Forest\u2019 at the Naracoorte Library.<\/p>\n
It was a launch more than two decades in the making and she had the perfect test audience.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot being able to have children, I wanted to bring some joy and magic into children\u2019s lives through my stories,\u201d Liz said. \u201cI wrote the children\u2019s books for my nieces and nephews over 20 years ago. As I couldn\u2019t illustrate and didn\u2019t know the first thing about publishing, it was pushed aside and placed in the too hard basket.\u201d<\/p>\n
But what those early offerings did teach Liz, was that she did have a talent for writing entertaining tales for kids.<\/p>\n
\u2018I read my first story to my niece. I guess she was around 5 or 6 at the time. Afterwards she grabbed her wand and ran outside chanting some of the spells. So, for me that was a win,\u201d Liz said.<\/p>\n
With no ability to research publishing back in those early days of her writing, Liz\u2019s stories were the exclusive domain of her family and even then she edited and worked on those stories as she brought her love of reading to the youngest in her extended family.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always had my head in a book from a very young age,\u201d Liz said. \u201cI loved to read and escape into an unknown world.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018A Silence in the Forest\u2019 takes the readers into one such world and the Naracoorte Library event earlier this month saw the entire facility transformed into a fairyland.<\/p>\n
Around fifty children in fairyinspired outfits joined Liz at the library to hear her read the book, before a craft session creating nature-inspired wands and then a morning tea, highlighted by a beautiful cake supplied by Baked at Beachport which looked exactly like the book cover. A colouring in competition and book signing were also organised.<\/p>\n
\u201c…she grabbed her wand and ran outside chanting some of the spells…so, for me that was a win…\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n \u201c… I always had my head in a book from a very young age…I loved to read and escape into an unknown world…\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve had some wonderful feedback on the book,\u201d Liz said. \u201cOne local said that afterwards I had inspired kids to go out into the nature park and look for sticks to make wands with. Customers who have purchased my book online have contacted me to say how beautiful and colourful it is and loved the use of Australian native animals and fauna.\u201d<\/p>\n So while the release of \u2018A Silence in the Forest\u2019 has taken more than two decades, it has been worth the blood, sweat and tears to get it into the hands of young readers.<\/p>\n \u201cI did have a few grey hairs waiting for that first illustration,\u201d Liz said. \u201cTwenty years of picturing a story in your mind; it\u2019s something you must be quite subjective about. It may not be as you have envisaged it. Needless to say the illustrator has done a fantastic job of bringing the book to life.\u201d<\/p>\n Liz also had a great publisher who stepped her through every step of the process.<\/p>\n The good news for those who have loved Liz\u2019s first children\u2019s book should not have to wait too long to enjoy her next offering.<\/p>\n \u201cI have another book in with the publisher now, for release next year,\u201d Liz said. \u201cIt\u2019s about the adventures of a red tailed black cockatoo. \u2018A Silence in the Forest\u2019 will be a trilogy having both a prequel and a sequel, hopefully to be released late next year.\u201d<\/p>\n She is also got a novel in the works for older readers \u2013 a passion project.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve always wanted to write a novel,\u201d Liz said. \u201cI have one planned, it\u2019s just a matter of time. It will be based on my travels overseas where I found myself in quite a lot of trouble and how I got out alive.\u201d<\/p>\n She is also looking to continue promotion of \u2018A Silence in the Forest\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d love to do a reading and activity at the Mt Gambier Library. I\u2019ve been in touch, so just waiting to hear back. I\u2019m also planning on doing more local activities at kindergartens and preschools. If anyone is interested in this I\u2019d love to hear from them.\u201d<\/p>\n She is also looking to touch base with Adelaide bookstores and libraries to take \u2018A Silence in the Forest\u2019 on the road.<\/p>\n The book is available worldwide and has already been sold in Canada and New Zealand, as well as the Australian sales.<\/p>\n In between writing and promoting, Liz also has to focus on her other tree change project \u2013 the organic farm she runs with her husband.<\/p>\n \u201cWe both left our high end jobs in Queensland to travel in our AEC bus, trailer and Suzuki and after travelling for six months through outback Queensland and New South Wales, we joined the harvest trail in South Australia at Balaklava, and then transferred to Frances so we could visit family,\u201d Liz said. \u201cThat was in 2010, we never got any further. In 2011 we stumbled across a small block of land and decided to make the tree change. We became boutique organic farmers, firstly garlic and then branching into capers which is still in operation today.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A debut children\u2019s book more than two decades in the making Liz Crowley recently unveiled her debut children\u2019s book \u2018A Silence in the Forest\u2019 at the Naracoorte Library. It was a launch more than two decades in the making and she had the perfect test audience. \u201cNot being able to have children, I wanted to […]<\/p>\n