Annomee Awakening

After I finished writing Behind the Sun I couldn't wait to start on the sequel and The Golden Apples is well underway. But I also wanted to tell the stories of some of the Annomee, so I decided to co-write a prequel with Jen Gasston. Annomee Awakening should be finished by mid-year. It is set two years before the action starts in Behind the Sun so none of the characters from Earth know that Earth 2 even exists. The story follows the adventures of a group of young people who are abducted and taken to Earth 2 and their encounters with the Annomee (and all the other bizarre people on Earth 2). Of course, we couldn't get it all into one book so there will be at least one more Annomee book before their story intersects with that of the Millennium team.

Earth 2 - a great view

At last a clear picture of Earth 2, created by Jen Gasston from her memories of the return voyage from behind the sun (only joking Jen).
An article in National Geographic discussed what life would be like on a planet with a 45 degree tilt; greater variation in temperature between seasons and possibly less stability in the axial tilt (more wobbling). Apparently Earth's tilt has been a lot more extreme in the distant past. There would be an ice belt around the equator. What else?
We don;t find out in Behind the Sun because the climate on Earth 2 is not what it seems (nothing is).

Parents of Deaf Children workshop

Yesterday I attended an all day workshop run by the POD group, to help (grand)parents of deaf children improve their parenting skills and handle difficult situations which are particularly important for deaf children.
What an inspiring day! Not only because of the range of topics and skills which we covered but also because of the other participants. I met parents from six families all of whom are facing challenges which seem overwhelming. All of them have kept their sense of humour, gratitude for the things which go well and acceptance of things which they cannot seem to change. Most of these parents had children with multiple handicaps/illnesses and it was an inspiration to watch them interacting with their children and listen to their stories. I was humbled and grateful for the experience. Check out the website at
http://www.deafchildrenaustralia.org.au/