I write books for all ages, for young children to teenage and adults. I have also written a book on writing - Writing for Children - for both aspiring and newly published authors.
While I spend quite a lot of time visiting libraries, schools and festivals talking about my books and running creative writing workshops, I do manage to find time to write, too!
15th November 
2012 was the launch of Don’t Judge Me.
There are more photos and information about the launch on my Bookwords blog Bookwords blog
At the launch were some teenage book groups from Edinburgh, East Lothian and Fife.
The Teen book group from Longniddry Library worked with me prior to publication and it was great to see them all at the launch.
There was also cake, because I like to think that no celebration is quite complete without cake!
It’s time once more for teams from all over the UK to take part in the UK KLQ heats to find the national winning team who will travel to the finals in South Africa next summer. Quiz master Wayne Mills, once more armed with amazing questions which the teams have to answer on all things to do with books and reading.
I was at three heats this year – the North East of England heat in Newcastle, followed by the Scottish heats being held this year in Falkirk and Kilsyth. You can find out more about the KLQ on the KidsLitQuiz website
and you can follow Wayne’s blog about the quiz on KLQ BLOG
Author's team- Linda Strachan, Lucy Coats and Steve Robinson
Winners Durham Johnston team 2
Here are some photos from the Newcastle heat where I was in a team with fellow author Lucy Coats and Steve Robinson from Seven Stories.
This was the 10th anniversary of the UK Kids Lit Quiz and in Newcastle, the first heat of this year’s quiz the winners were Durham Johnston team 2 who will travel to Coventry for the national finals in December.
Photo courtesy of Warrington Guardian
Last week I visited the reception classes in Callands Primary school in Warrington.
We talked about lots of stories, What Colour is Love? You can see some of the children getting involved in the story with toys of the animals.
We had other stories to talk about, too.
T
he Singing Beetle, about Poppy the beetle who liked to sing, and although the other beetles didn’t like her singing she soon discovered that being able to sing, however badly, could be useful!
The Giant and the Frippit, about a grumpy little Frippit who learns that it is better to be friendly, and not tell lies.
We read Melting Snow and discovered that it is not always sad when things melt!
We also talked about Hamish McHaggis and the Ghost of Glamis, and soon had all the children getting ready to ‘coorie doon’ for a snooze.
Check out Picturebook Den Giveaway for a chance to win a free signed copy of What Colour is Love? in English OR in Portuguese