Article: Pass It On
16th January 2017, Issue 614.
‘Roses are NOT Red’ is a playful story that at its heart emphasises that things are not always what we’ve been led to believe. Life is not black and white; it’s all a matter of perspective. The subtle moralistic message helps kids realise that there are many facets and many perspectives to life, and that they should not be simply anchored to all they are told. I tried to write this as simplistically as I could manage and fortunately one of my dearest friends did the most amazing illustrations to really add lustre and brilliance to the characters and turn this story into an amazing art form. It was a lovely creative process working with Joanna Cuskelly and Little Steps in creation of the images for the book. I was also glad that we were able to use a dyslexie font, which makes reading easier for those with dyslexia. I am hoping this book will have great significance and impact to children (of all ages) and be considered one of the most important books for children in 2017!
I am also deeply honoured to be partnering with HeartKids, with $1 from every book sold going towards this great organisation. I have some dear friends whose daughter is a HeartKid and the bravery and courage of their whole family is simply a sight to behold.
Personally, I have been writing poetic verse for 25 years which has culminated in the publication of Songs Without Sound I and II (the first of which was published by Athena Press in the UK while the second book was self-published). I then branched out into another genre, fantasy/adventure, with ‘The Battle of Chi’ which was produced as an e-book.
Over the last few years I have been writing children’s books, the first of which ‘Roses are NOT Red,’ is available now via my website www.scotter.com.au. This picture book was produced by Little Steps publishing, and it is hopefully just the first of many, with my newfound love of writing children’s books. I am currently in the process of creating a few more (particularly with rhyme), to put out to various publishing houses for consideration. One day I hope to make a living as an author, but I am a realist, for now it remains a hobby while we see how well this book is received, and in the future, inshallah, we will see if my dream comes true.
