Candice Lemon-Scott

This year I’m ditching my husband to celebrate Valentine’s Day with Book Links Inc (Qld), the Centre for Children’s Literature.  In what’s shaping up to be a fun night of music, book launches and scrumptious food, I’m very excited to be taking part in this special night. What better day to celebrate the love and passion for books and writing. Aptly titled, ‘Romancing the Stars,’ over the course of the evening, guests have the opportunity to ‘speed date’ an author. I for one can’t think of a more enjoyable way to talk about books and the writing process. If you’re thinking of coming along, it’s a great chance to chat with authors you know well and perhaps find out a little more about some you don’t know so much about. So, if you’d like to come along to this exciting event, please click on the link and get your form in before it sells out.

Romancing the Stars

Look forward to seeing you on the 14th Feb .

I’m very honoured to have been asked to speak at Queensland Independent College’s Women’s night to raise funds for this wonderful school. All are welcome to attend this Friday evening and for just $25 enjoy fine food, wine and networking. All details can be found in the flyer and please contact myself or Kate if you’d like to attend.

Women’s Wisdom

3 SPEAKERS

The Gold Coast Writers’ Festival is just over a week away. I’m looking forward to visiting some keen young writers to run a workshop and panel discussion at Surfers Paradise State School (SPSS) on Friday 26th. On Saturday 27th I’m very excited to announce I’ll have available for purchase my debut adult novel Unloched on its official release date. To top it all off, I can’t wait to be a guest at the Literary Luncheon on the Sunday. Wow, what an awesome literary long weekend it’s going to be. If you’re on the Coast and love books make sure you book in fast and check out some of the many sessions, panel discussions, workshops and talks running through Friday and Saturday – most of which are FREE. If that doesn’t take your fancy, or if you’re craving even more, book yourself a seat at the literary luncheon. Whatever you do, you can be sure it’ll be a literary feast. See Flyer Gold Coast Writers Festival 2012 and FLYER – GCWF for further details and booking info.

What an amazing week it’s been celebrating CBCA Book Week 2012. I had great fun sharing the story of my own champion, Hubert, with this year’s theme being ‘Champions Read.’ Early in the week I was lucky enough to visit the Smarter Kids pre-school children at Carrara and it was really wonderful hearing the kids talk about what they would be able to do if they had their own pair of magic glasses.

Talking about magic with QIC Prep class

Later in the week I was fortunate enough to be joined by another children’s author, Dimity Powell, as we celebrated books and reading at Queensland Independent College in Merrimac. The students were very enthusiastic and it was especially enjoyable to see what ideas they came up with as they brainstormed their own story ideas.

Talking about books and writing with the QIC Grade 1 & 2 classes

Book Week has culminated with the Queensland Independent College’s Book Week parade and there were some awesome costumes and great ideas as the students all represented their favourite book characters.

All that’s left now is Reading Hour on Saturday and I’ll be looking forward to sitting down with my children between the hours of 6pm and 7pm to read and share books together.

Talking about ideas with Grades 3-7 at QIC

With this week being Education Week in Queensland, what better way to celebrate it than a visit to a local primary school? It was an absolute pleasure reading and talking about ‘Stinky Ferret & the JJs’ to the Grade 3 & 4 students at Helensvale State Primary School. As always, I loved the opportunity to meet the kids and talk about smelly ferrets as well as the concept of story. Great as well, to answer some great questions about books and writing and hear that so many students enjoy writing and telling stories – hey, don’t we all? Some had even gone that step further and were working on a comic, with roles figured out about who would illustrate and who would write the story – love your work! 

It was also great fun to have the chance to combine efforts with my lovely author friends Renee Taprell and Dimity Powell. Renee put on a really fun, interactive puppetry show complete with me getting to dress up as a wibbly wobbly monster. Dimity engaged the kids with some wonderful storytelling as well, and I for one can’t wait until her book comes out just in time for Christmas.  Helensvale Primary School Principal Coralee Pratt, Aboriginal Elder in Residence Graham Dillon and MP for Coomera Michael Crandon also joined in the storytelling and from my corner of the hall it sounded like it was joyfully received with lots of laughter and clapping from the students.

Huge thanks to Helensvale State Primary School and Renee Taprell for inviting me along, and Dimity Powell for forming part of our group. Biggest thanks of all though goes to the Grade 3 & 4 students who made it such an enjoyable morning!

Here’s a quick pic from my session on ‘Getting Published’ held at the Hastings Library last week as part of the Mornington Peninsula Festival of Arts and Ideas. It was a special thrill to have the opportunity to speak at the library I’ve been going to for many years. It was also both strange and wonderful to be speaking from the very place I have spent many hours in. It was here I took my two gorgeous daughters to for weekly Storytime sessions with the wonderful and engaging librarian Gail. So, a quick plug for her – if you live in the area and are thinking of getting your kids down to storytime, I’d highly recommend Hastings Library.

'Candice Lemon-Scott provides advice to a captivated audience, on getting published' - Mornington Peninsula Festival of Arts and Ideas'

It’s Queensland Writers’ Week, so I hope all you fellow Queenslanders are taking the opportunity to find a few quiet moments to write, reflect or re-edit your next work.

At Oxenford Writers’ Group we are also taking the chance to celebrate, and I will be hosting a specially themed discussion on ‘the writers’ voice.’ What a strange expression? Writer? Voice? Isn’t that an oxymoron? Well, no, I don’t believe it is, and I’ll be explaining why and giving a few tips on finding it.

Same bat time, same bat location. If you need these details, or more, scroll down on the Queensland Writers’ Week site or drop by my News and Events page.

In the meantime I’ll look forward to seeing you there!

FREE Seniors Week events – join me for an overview of Drama Writing or a Creative Writing session.

Bring a buddy and your nanna.

Check out all the details here.

Seniors Week 2011 brochure v3