posted on July 4, 2013 by Justin in Random Style
I think I was seven when I wrote BOMBARDED – The Maggot Adventure. Plot: two maggots get drunk on ‘flies eyes wine’, throw on Superman costumes and play car tennis using houses as racquets. And no one published it! Not that I sent it to anyone. But even so…
posted on June 14, 2013 by Justin in Random Style
Last year I was appointed Ambassador for Cottonsoft Books for Change. This involved visiting Indonesia and speaking to kids in learning centres in the Sumatra region. Due to the lack of reading materials in those centres, a campaign was set up whereby Kiwi schools could donate books. The response has been brilliant. So far thousands of books have been donated by New Zealand schools. The plan is to make the initiative a worldwide one. Nice job!
Pic: Myself with Brooke Dobson on TVNZ’s ‘Breakfast.’
posted on April 12, 2013 by Justin in Random Style
This week I spoke at Birkenhead Primary School as part of their annual book week. What a cool bunch of kids. They even made me a throne.
As usual, the best part of these talks are the questions the author receives once their spiel is complete. In my case, reading from my new junior novel (Shot, Boom, Score!), performing some magic tricks and harassing them for liking One Direction. Or Beiber. Or Selena Gomez.
‘Any questions?’ I asked.
‘Yep. Would you rather be a duck or a goose?’
‘Um, a goose I think. They’re funnier.’
‘No! It’s a duck. Cos you can eat them!’
‘Ooo…kay. Any other questions?’
‘Have you ever thought of doing a book about a talking pie?’
(Should be noted this question came directly after I read them my soon-to-be-released e-book ‘The Dog That Ate The Bathroom.’)
‘Um, no I haven’t. Though that is an interesting idea.’
The kids lined up at the end to get something signed (mostly homework books) and I asked one of the boys what he might like to write about next.
‘A story about a pigeon with rabies and a dead man with jelly falling out of him.’
Damn, I thought when I drove off. Why didn’t I think of that?