Imagination! And some research along the way. I love the South Island, and Stewart Island. I’ve spent years – decades – exploring the south and tramping around, on childhood holidays and now as an adult. My love of history meant that time travel was an obvious plot device – I’ve always wanted to go back in time to see what it was like and meet the people that lived during those times! My fiction novels set in Central Otago and Stewart Island also focus on the southern way of life.

There’re a couple of pages from Home from the Homer here so you can decide for yourself.

These books are historical fiction/time travel for ages 10 and up. A modern day family go back in time, and have to learn from the past to survive. The books are set in Fiordland, New Zealand. They have chapters, like a novel, and they have a few illustrations and photos as well. Some of the photos are real hunting photos. Zoe and Seth, the twins at the centre of Home from the Homer, are 12 years old. They are 13 years old in A Doubtful Detour. The storyline of A Doubtful Detour follows on from Home from the Homer, but either book can be read as a standalone.

Test-readers have generally been 10-15 years old. Several 10 year olds have read and enjoyed the books, and also, depending on their reading level, needed a little bit of help occasionally with a word or two. Every 12 year old that’s read them has really enjoyed them and finds them about the right reading level. A range of adults have also read the books – they are chocka with hunting and local history too, as well as native birds and animals.

The main themes are the New Zealand outdoors, nature, history, and finding supportive friends in life that understand you. Several of the main historical figures are hunters, so there are direct references to hunting – that means rifles, fresh venison for dinner, and talk of moose and wapiti trophy hunting. The hunters have hipflasks, and drink from them (but only after a fairly rugged river crossing!) There’s also a strong theme of conservation, including references to early conservation, a conservation dog, and several of our native birds. One of our native birds in particular is…not friendly, so there’s a bit of action too. And in case you’re not convinced yet, Home from the Homer has a whole chapter on maths!

A Doubtful Detour has higher stakes and more risk than Home from the Homer. Both Zoe and Seth face life threatening situations, and there’s some “stranger danger” to deal with, although every other person in the book is helpful and supportive. Resilience, independence, and dealing with emotions are major themes. The storyline includes hunting and whaling, and also touches on the debate over conservation values versus progress. There’s swearing, references to historical – and modern – social values, and discussion of adult relationships. A Doubtful Detour also focuses on tourism, the New Zealand outdoors, nature and history.

All of my books are available as e-books through all major e-book sellers, including Amazon. Ask at your local bookstore to buy a paperback copy, or purchase them direct through this website.

The Williams family are fictional. The people they meet along the way are not – they’re local identities who’ve all worked, visited or lived in Fiordland in the past. Of course, the story itself, and the conversations between the characters, are fictional – but when you read these books you’re going back to the past, and meeting people from a different time, in a way that lets you see a little bit of what living back then was like. So the way people talk, what they say, and the way things are will be different from what you’re used to now. Things were a lot more formal – husbands and wives would generally call each other Mr and Mrs when they were around other people, and children would call adults Mr and Mrs as well, not by their first names. Zoe and Seth do this too.

Yes. Please contact me for details. I can talk about all or any of my books, Fiordland, New Zealand history, researching family history, writing, publishing, being an author, and native birds and animals. I am fascinated by Fiordland, the Haast’s eagle, the Fiordland moose, and also New Zealand history – and I love writing - so I am very flexible about topics and content. I have talked to all age groups – from new entrants just starting school, through to retirement villages. I have also completed a range of writing workshops in schools.

When you read Home from the Homer, you’ll meet Chester the conservation dog, a moose, blue ducks/whio, weka, a native New Zealand wood pigeon/ kererū, a kākāpō, a native New Zealand thrush/piopio, our superb ground weta, bottlenose dolphins – and Jane the pack-horse. There’s also a very special visitor that you’ll meet – or she’ll find you – when you read the book! Hint: She’s on the cover, and I’m not talking about the moose!

When you read A Doubtful Detour, you’ll meet the rifleman bird, kea, kākā, seagulls, an albatross, wapiti, the Fiordland crested penguin (tawaki), native New Zealand wood pigeon /kererū, kākāpō and a range of other native birds. Because A Doubtful Detour is set in the past, there’re also references to the way the names of many New Zealand animals have changed over time. The largest toothed predator in the world will also fight back, based on a historical account from the whaling barque Sapphire.