Nina, the children's author. My journey in writing for children.

                                                      

        ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nina De Goederen  is the author of her first children's picture book, My Dog Luna Thinks She Is Queen - a child's innocent narration of his beloved dog and his unique, quirky and royal behaviours. Nina is also the published author of the junior fiction, children's book series, Johnny, The Inventor: Books 1-4.

Since her childhood, Nina was drawn to reading and loved the way her books made her feel. She now writes to enhance the same special spark of creativity, independence and personal growth in children and to help them feel confident, strong and special about who they are. Her quirky  and humorous stories aim to capture the hearts and smiles of young children and to give them a voice through her characters.

Nina's life journey includes many roles: wife, mum, gardener, cook, dog lover, book lover, teacher, writer and author. She is a retired secondary school English and Legal Studies teacher with 39 years of experience, during which she inspired students to become avid readers and confident writers. She is a member of several writing communities including Writers Victoria, the Australian Society of Authors and the Children's Book Council of Australia and is a multiple graduate of the Australian Writers' Centre Victoria. Nina lives in Melbourne, Australia with her family and her fluffy, sometimes cheeky but always loving, husky, Ace.

Dedications

For my late  brother, John, a true collector and creator of 'useful things' and for the children of the world and my family, Aran, Thomas and Marc for their creativity and inspiring imagination -

Never stop drawing and dreaming! -    ND

Acknowledgements

My family is my strength - a big thank you for your endless encouragement and for believing in me and my dream, to write for children and to make them smile. A heartfelt and profoundly appreciative acknowledgement must be made of my husband Aran De Goederen's unique artistic talent and evocative illustration of my books. His attention to detail and vision, has brought my words to life. My dear friends and work colleagues, without a doubt, have also been my support, as I embarked on a thrilling journey of self discovery and passion-driven career shifts, from a secondary classroom teacher to a published children's author. I also need to acknowledge and thank Austin Macauley Publishers, for their professionalism and for providing me with  very supportive teams and well-received feedback at every step of the production and publication process of my children's books. You have given me the confidence and inspiration to keep writing my funny stories of creativity and encouragement for children. Thank you.

                                                                   

                                                                                                        - Nina De Goederen




Examples of Aran's illustrations