Science innit

Here is our pyramid made from poker chips. We did not expect it to support its own weight let alone a load of mah jong tiles!

it'll never work - surely?

layer.. I've lost count already

completely hollow

tense

almost there...

the keystone

ta-dah!

eh?

how is this possible?

careful

it sure can hold a lot of weight

there's no more chips!

this time with something heavier

just one more...

skidooosh

caves

the end

Book launch!

At last I bring news of a book launch (phew!) - 

I'm having a launch party for my children's silent picture book...

Build Me A Boat, Daddy

5.30pm, Thurs 29th Nov at Loanhead Library - there will be refreshments courtesy of the library and entertainment from some special guests. Please feel free to bring friends too!

And there's more...

For any of you with creative kiddies, I'm doing a workshop - at 4.30pm - same day, same place - as part of Scottish Book Week - we'll be drawing and making up stories and generally having a fun time - so we'd love to see lots of people there too!

Build Me a Boat Daddy is a silent graphic novel which means the story is told through pictures alone - you can take a wee look on my graphic novel page.

Thursday Night's Writers' Night - Alright!

After a mega workshopping weekend in Dumfries & Galloway as part of Rediscover Literacy event (see last post) I can now relax for five minutes before telling you about - drum roll please... Penicuik Arts Festival where Penicuik Writers' group are having an evening of reading and music! Come along to hear all our new work and even have the chance to buy our new books! Thursday 13th Sept - 7-9pm Penicuik Arts Centre, Penicuik.

Here's our poster by the fabulous poet and artist, Karen Duncan - do come along, we'd love to see you x x x

Rediscover Literacy Weekend

I'm very excited as I am taking part the Redicover Literacy  (8th & 9th September) event in Dumfries and Galloway this year with wonderful poet Liz Niven. Rediscover is a celebration of listening, talking, reading, drawing and writing - with workshops, talks, story telling and lots more throughout the weekend at various locations - and even better - it's free! Liz and I will also be taking part in a blog for the next fortnight where we hope to join forces with children to make a big blog page full of creativity.

We are hosting a workshop on 8th September at Douglas Ewart library where we will talk about our online residency and how we've been inspired by the children of Dumfries and Galloway's work.

School children across the region are invited to submit their pictures and writing to the official blog each day for the next two weeks - Liz will chose a picture to write a poem for and I will chose a piece of writing to illustrate. We hope to see lots of creativity and imagination from everyone taking part.

We will also be bringing along our new booklet 'Watchin Oot Fir Aliens' which we hope will inspire you to take part and fill in the blanks with work of your own.

So we are going to be ver busy indeed! To follow our residency and see some of the work please click here.

Why not come along to one of the many events going on this weekend - come and Rediscover Literacy!
Click here for the full programme.

Book fest aye

I've not had too much Edinburgh Book Festival action this year - unless you count 22 minutes wandering about while keeping half an eye on the the children bribed into submission with ice cream - hoping they will just sit nicely and finish then off without coming looking for you in the bookshop smearing melting chocolate over everyting...
So, when the school asked for mummy helpers to take the P3 class to see Julia Donaldson - I jumped at the chance! My kids love her books and seeing her live performance was just fab. We were nestled among about 12 other schools - the place was packed! Julia and her team kept beautiful order and the bairns sang along...
My favourite part by far, was the performance of The Gruffalo in Scots - just FANTASTIC! So, if you haven't read it or heard it - especially if you love bonny Scotland - give it a go, g'an yersel!


Here's the piccies from my 22 mins of luxury... can you spot my book? ;)

All The New Bits

Well, it's been a while, but I'm back for the chat. I've been beavering away on many new projects and have just sent my silent graphic novel off to the yes and no guys. Let's hope they're yes guys this time!
Anyhoo, I wanted to share a couple of my favourite pictures with you from this new story about a little rabbit who just wants to build a boat with his too busy dad.
Silent graphic novels are those with no text at all just relying on the pictures to carry the story - think Raymond Brigg's The Snowman or The Arrival by Shaun Tan.
I loved writing this little book - it was inspired by seeing little bunnies playing on the sand near a river in Suffolk where we go every summer - and also the fear of getting what we want and some little worries my youngest son had about growing up and facing his own mortality.
I always do the line drawings with Indian ink and one of my home made feather quills - the favourite of the moment is that of a Screech Owl we found in the woods in the summer holidays - it's the perfect width, weight and scratchiness.
I hope that one day I'll be able to point you towards a place where you can read the whole thing - but in the meantime, here's some piccies...
Thanks for taking a look,

Hard work and good reviews!

I am excited to share this amazing review of The Device, The Devil & Me from Carol Norris at the Eildon Tree - the Writing Magazine from the Scottish Borders. You can pick up copies for free at libraries or Please click here to download the full Autumn issue.

It is an exciting time for me and The Device, The Devil & Me as it is currently being prepared for re-release in e-book format - hooray! I am also working on a book trailer to accompany it.

I am just going to let you read the whole review - so chuffed I am by it - thank you Carol. The Eildon Tree is a fab magazine with a beautiful cover, I wanted to share it with you but you'll just have to download it x x


THE DEVICE, THE DEVIL & ME

Stephanie Taylor
Linen Press Edinburgh
Prose
2009.
PBK
220 pages
£10
IBSN 978-0-95596-184-7


This is a spellbinding book. A
brilliant book, written with superbly
accomplished skill and expressiveness,
it is completely believable and
authentic.
It has heart, love and clarity, laced in
and through, interlocked with dark
apposite humour flashing out at just
the right times like a harmonious
symphony. There is not a wrong or
discordant note throughout. Comic
writing, which is passionate, truthful
and spot on accurate.
The close focus on detailed observation
of human emotion and behaviour is
stunning in its insight as is the use of
metaphor in description.
The form and structure of the book
is dramatic, with the progressive
revelation of the past traumatic
formative events in the protagonist’s
childhood as the novel progresses
in its gripping narrative.
The emotions generated as a loved
one dies are conveyed with the utmost
insight and sensitivity. Rendering the
experience of bereavement, from her
descriptions of Pete the Goldfish, a
London Shubunkin, to a family, the
author carries the reader on a roller
coaster ride in which we are completely
and powerfully engaged.
The emotional charge of an expectant
mother and the intense heightening
of emotion in the events surrounding
the birth of a child are graphically
portrayed.
So also made vivid is the mental
turmoil suffered by the novel’s narrator
from late childhood through to mid
twenties which takes the form of
extreme mood changes like a bipolar
disorder. These rapid, frequently
instantaneous, swings of mood cause
the abrupt onset of rages and outbursts
of anger relieved by episodes of self
harm, a bulimia like condition and
a recurrent nightmare which itself
develops its own horrific narrative.
Inevitably this all leads to very low self
esteem.
The personalisation of all these
horrors as “The Devil” of the title
is used as an extremely clever and
effective “Device” and image,
enacting the role of an ever-present
antagonist throughout the novel, a
“Doppelganger”.
Recovery comes to the protagonist in
stages; firstly, by self honesty, being
brave enough to admit to herself and,
after various false starts, another
human being, the nature of what she
has so far been concealing; starting
psychological therapy, and finally
ending with healing from a most
unlikely source.
This is an uplifting book and is for
everyone, but especially for those with
grave emotional difficulties, those
addicted to alcohol and substances, and
those with bitterness in their souls.
All Psychiatrists, Psychologists, General
Practitioners, Bereavement Councillors,
Alternative Therapists, and indeed
all professional Health and Mental
Healthcare workers and Medical &
Nursing Students also should read it.
By Carol Norris.