Authorpreneur Dashboard – Erica Gore
Taya Bayliss - Dog Sitter
Children's Books
Taya volunteers to dog-sit the mischievous Minette for the summer holidays. Minette’s sneaky ways bring a spate of neighbourhood thefts to Taya’s attention. When she witnesses a robbery, Taya thinks she can identify the thief. But is she on the right track or completely mistaken? Has Minette really found a clue? Who is the Biker Bandit? Taya and her friend, Chris, find themselves in some tricky situations, and even deadly danger, as they try to solve this mystery.
Book Bubbles from Taya Bayliss - Dog Sitter
The sneaky thief.
This morning has been spent hunting for a missing golf sock. My husband swore he had put his golf gear, including the socks, in the laundry hamper. I had a suspicion that this may have been a slight exaggeration as he normally leaves the socks in the shoes by the front door when he comes home from golf - an open invitation to our resident sock stealer, Trudy the big blonde dog. Sure enough, a thorough rummage under the palm trees in the back garden revealed not only the missing sock but also a pair of underpants. Good one, Troods!
My big blonde dog
Miss Minette, the big blonde dog, in this story is modelled on my own big blonde dog, Trudy. Trudy is a golden retriever/standard poodle cross. In Australia we call them Groodles, but I believe they are called Golden Doodles in America. Trudy is a bouncy, joyful, funny girl. She is full of mischief and is often in trouble. She is an accomplished sneak thief, often aided and abetted by her 'sister', Heidi (a Labradoodle). Socks, underwear, food, scraps of paper, books, glasses, mobile phones - anything left unattended - find their way to Trudy's secret stash behind the palm trees at the bottom of the garden. Trudy has her own blog www.thebigblondedog.blogspot.com
Taya Bayliss - Code Breaker
Children's Books
The Bayliss family is on the move again, this time to Narralong, home of the famous Splinter Island Bird Sanctuary. Taya’s father is there to investigate a change in the breeding habits of the native birds, or so he says. Taya has a bad feeling about this trip, and an injury to Chris seems to confirm her fears. A recurring dream, a series of lies and the discovery of a body on the beach lead Taya to suspect that her father is involved in something far more serious than he is saying. Join Taya as she struggles to crack the code.
Book Bubbles from Taya Bayliss - Code Breaker
Superhero Dads
In this story, Taya's relationship with her father becomes a little confused and strained. Normally he is a superhero in her eyes, but this trip to Narralong finds him acting out of character. When I was growing up, my dad was my superhero too. I didn't se him all that much because he worked all hours God sent. He was in charge of production at a biscuit (cookie) factory and was on 24 hour call. When the machines broke down, he had to go fix them. If someone couldn't make their shift, he would go fill in for them. He was always at work. To me it felt as though we, the family, came second to work; that we didn't matter as much as the factory did. It made me angry that there were so few moments when he could just be "Daddy". Of course, as I grew older, the realisation dawned that everything he was doing was for us - that we were the most important things in his life. He really was a superhero after all.
The Watcher
A few years ago my husband and I were staying at a resort on the Gold Coast of Queensland. From our apartment we had a wonderful view of the of the beachfront and the headland. Atop the headland was a lookout shelter which was very popular with visitors to the area. Every time I looked, there was a man standing there looking out to sea. It didn't matter what time of day or night, or what the weather was like, there he was - watching. My mind went into overdrive concocting tales of why he might be there and what he was watching for. This story features one of those concoctions.
Taya Bayliss - Snake Charmer
Children's Books
Spending the long weekend at the Comino farm turns out to be far more scary than Taya has expected. While planning a joint birthday party, she and Chris come across several interesting items in the attic, including a carpet python. Snakes are definitely not Taya’s favourite creatures. Taya thinks one of the items she has found could prove the innocence of Chris’s Uncle George who is in jail for theft. Her persistence annoys Chris, but the hint of a mystery is irresistible to Taya If George didn’t steal the ruby cross, who did? Who is Bryan? Where is the cross now? Taya has to face up to her greatest fear as she tries to put the clues together. Could you charm a snake?
Book Bubbles from Taya Bayliss - Snake Charmer
Snakes....eek!
Snakes are not my favourite creatures. Taya and I have that in common. Having said that, I find snakes fascinating. They are almost hypnotic in their movements and some of them have the most beautiful markings. Here in Australia, we have 7 of the 10 most deadly snakes in the world. Lucky us, right? The only close encounter with a snake that I have had was with a carpet python - thankfully not one of the deadly top ten. This particular python was after my little birdies as they relaxed in their aviary. It travelled along a nearby tree branch and then dangled itself down about six feet to reach the roof of the aviary. Yikes! The snake handler I called to remove the hungry serpent laughed at me. "Just a baby! You could have picked it off yourself." I don't think so, Mister!
Taya Bayliss - Treasure Hunter
Children's Books
Taya is not happy when her family moves from the city to a tiny fishing village. Almost immediately, she finds herself mixed up in a fifty-year-old mystery. She befriends an elderly lady called Mae who seems to hold the key to a vast treasure. But is there really a treasure, or is it all just imagination? Is the painting a clue, or is it merely a keepsake? Two local boys certainly think the treasure is real and spend their time making life difficult for Mae. Join Taya as she tries to help her new friend, outwit the bullies and sort out the clues. Are you a treasure hunter too?
Book Bubbles from Taya Bayliss - Treasure Hunter
Lighthouses
Lighthouses have always fascinated me. My grandfather was a lighthouse keeper between the World Wars. Sadly, I never got to meet him as he died before I was born, but I did get to see many of his treasures. Grandad had room in which he kept all manner of wonderful things he had collected while he was a lighthouse keeper. When he died Nanna didn't have the heart to throw any of it out, she just kept the room locked up. If we were really, really good, we were allowed to look inside the room. It was like Aladdin's cave to us - swords from swordfish, shark jaws, glass floats from trawl nets, sea dragons, carved whalebone items, ships in bottles. Marvellous!
Buried Treasure
In this chapter, Taya becomes very excited at the thought that Mae could be hiding a treasure. As a child, I loved reading about pirates and smugglers. I could imagine myself as a pirate yelling 'Avast, me hearties!' as I ransacked gold-laden galleons. I was fascinated by the idea of having a treasure that one would bury (or hide) in order to keep it safe. I would take my most treasured possessions, find super-dooper secret hiding places for them and then spend hours creating treasure maps. This was really important because I had a little brother who constantly invaded my bedroom and pilfered my stuff. My pirate-self would have cheerfully keelhauled him.
Taya Bayliss - Tree Hugger
Children's Books
Taya and her best friend, Chris, become environmental warriors when they set out to help Professor Monahan save a beautiful stretch of riverfront land from money-hungry property developers. Taya doesn't think she believes in ghosts, but there is something very creepy about the whole situation. Will the big woolly dog, Minette, be a help or a hindrance as the kids search for an old document that could stop the development? Do you believe in ghosts?
Book Bubbles from Taya Bayliss - Tree Hugger
Stinky Things
Dogs have a way of finding the most disgusting things whenever they may be hiding. If there is one tiny puddle of filthy water at the otherwise pristine puppy park, you can be sure that our Trudy will face-plant into it, making the trip home in the car a truly horrendous experience for us all. Horrid-smelling things found in the backyard must be rolled in. Stinky items in street gutters must be swallowed whole and, later, thrown up on the kitchen floor. The more foul-smelling the object the better! What amuses me is that our doggie kids will happily frolic in the unwholesome waters of the local lake, but when placed in the bath at the groomers, give me looks of absolute disgust. How could you do this to me, Mum?
Secret Cubbies
Our family home, when I was growing up, was near the river. My cousin and I spent many hours constructing treehouses in the mangroves that grew along the river bank. Once, after having watched a film about the Vikings, we decided to test one of the methods of torture we had seen in the film. As was usual, the test dummy for this was my younger brother. We planted him in the mangrove mud, up to his thighs, and waited to see what would happen when the tide came in. We soon lost interest in the experiment and went home for lunch, leaving my brother in position in the mud. You can imagine the trouble we got into and the spanking we received for this. All was well though. When we led the parents to where we had left my brother, he was happily playing his harmonica - not the least bit concerned. The procedure probably didn't work out so well for the prisoners of the Vikings.
Gummshoes - Mission #1: The Nobbled Numbskull
Children's Books
School will never be the same for Alex after he is befriended by Frankie Gumm and Oliver Mollison. As a member of the Gummshoe Gang, his habit of taking notes is particularly useful when the boys set out to discover who is sabotaging the school soccer team. The new friendship also teaches him valuable skills in dealing with the school bullies.
Book Bubbles from Gummshoes - Mission #1: The Nobbled Numbskull
A Great Idea
A teenager who sat alone at lunchtime for her entire seventh grade year has developed an app to help other kids who are feeling alone and isolated. Natalie Hampton's app "Sit With Us" allows kids to connect with others who will sit with them at lunchtime. Using the app means that the request for someone to sit with is kept private. It is designed with a 13 age group in mind. Here is a review fromCommon Sense Media. Parents need to know that Sit With Us is a social media app that's designed to ensure no teen is forced to eat a meal alone at school. It's an app with a terrific concept, created by a 16-year-old who felt bullied and rejected after eating lunch by herself for all of seventh grade, and it gives kids the chance to reach out to others in their school to prevent them from feeling that way. Do note that there's no age verification on the app, so adults and younger kids could conceivably use it. In terms of registration, it requires either a Facebook account or an email address and school information. There's also a chat feature that's not moderated, but abuse can be reported and users can be blocked. Read the app's privacy policy to find out about the types of information collected and shared.
The Plan
The Perfect Plan If you have Boneheads to deal with, remember the Perfect Plan for dealing with them. Posture: Shoulders back, stand tall. Eyes: Eye contact. Respiration,Respond, Report: Breathe slowly. Respond appropriately. Report the incident to an adult. Friends: Friends stick together. Engage: Engage with activities. Make new friends. Confidence: Stay positive. Trust in yourself. Teach: Help other kids to cope too.
Taking A Stand
I read recently about a group of boys in a high school who decided to do something about bullying. One of them had been a victim of bullying himself when he was younger. Now, as a member of the football team, he had more "cred" with the rest of the student body. Seeing a younger boy been picked on, this guy decided to befriend him, eat lunch with him, take him to training etc. This gave some "cred" to the younger child as well. This one small act has sparked a movement across the USA and inspired many students to take a stand against bullying.
The Tooth Fairy Tales - Robin Rufflebum
Children's Books
Tooth Fairy Robin Rufflebum doesn't like her job. She wants to be doing something with pretty things, fun things, not teeth. How can she find a way to achieve her goals?
Book Bubbles from The Tooth Fairy Tales - Robin Rufflebum
Based on a true story
Robin Rufflebum was created in response to a true life adventure. A friend of mine, acting in his capacity as Tooth Fairy, left a coin in place of a baby tooth lost by young son. Unfortunately he had not noticed the drawing on the coin that the little boy had done the previous day whilst playing with his father's small change. Imagine the surprise - then horror - when the child discovered that the Tooth Fairy had stolen a coin from his dad's wallet to leave in exchange for the lost tooth. Why on earth would a Tooth Fairy do such a thing? This is the story that explains what happened.
