'A self-published children's book about a curious boy and his quest to fix the dark.'

I am a mother, educator, musician and writer. Through all of my roles there lies common themes and needs. They are to nurture, love, inspire, educate, encourage, learn, understand, accept and create. Through my stories for children, I aim to foster these needs and create a platform for their imaginations to dive, soar and be taken on a journey.

I created Digby Fixit with my eldest son in mind. He is a thinker. An analyst. A problem-solver, and he creates wonderful images using his ever-tick-tocking mind. One night, he asked me why the moon was only a little moon. "Is it thirsty?" he wondered. We indulged in conversation about how we could possibly 'fix' the little moon so that it could shed more light into the night.

This story involves themes of friendship and collaboration. It includes a splash of science, a dash of mystery, a dollop of problem-solving and a mixture of rhyme, alliteration and humour to entertain, educate and ensure story time is enjoyable for kids AND the grown-ups reading to them!

WHAT STAGE OF PRODUCTION AM I UP TO?

The story is complete and edited. Illustrator, Anil Tortop and booksmith Tadaa Book are on stand-by to bring Digby Fixit's story to life. Then there's publishing and printing to follow.

Digby's Moon Mission will be released approximately three months from the campaign's final day (December 2014).

Look through the list to the right of the page to see pledge amounts and corresponding rewards. Click on the amount you're willing to support with (for example, $20 'Book Pre-Order'), follow the prompts and then wait for the magic to unfold, knowing you have my utmost gratitude.

* During the payment process, there is the option to select multiple quantities of any of the rewards (if you're really enthusiastic!).

To follow progress of the campaign and book-publishing, visit Digby's Facebook page -  www.facebook.com/DigbyFixit

Thank you!

About me

It will cost approximately $6000 to see Digby's Moon Mission published and printed. This is what's needed:

- Approx $3500 for illustrations and book design, including ISBN and bar code allocation
- Approx $1200 for an initial print-run of 300 books
- Approx $1300 for production of additional rewards, shipping/postage and admin fees

{ PROJECT UPDATE  - 6/8/14}
'Stretch Goals'

The 6th August saw Digby's Moon Mission reach its funding target of $6000. Thank you everyone! You are all amazing and wonderful people!

If you're yet to pre-order a copy of Digby's Moon Mission and would like to, there's still time!

My campaign remains active until 12pm on 27th August. This means pledges are accepted up until then.

Extended funding (above the initial $6000) will go towards:

- additional print copies of the book
- online and in-store distribution
- the official book launch for Digby's Moon Mission
- website start-up
- additional postage fees for rewards

As you can see, every cent raised is used to assist Digby's entry into the big, wide world. And is very much appreciated!

Time is probably my biggest obstacle. Having two young children (the youngest only five-months-old) means I must be flexible yet diligent with the amount of time I dedicate to the process of the campaign and the publication of the book. I have wonderful family support and thankfully, work best at night, so my timetable can be arranged accordingly.
A second challenge is the coming together of rewards and publication of the book by the estimated date of release (December, 2014). Having the book ready in time for Christmas is very exciting, but also a little nerve-wracking as the project involves more than 'just me' post-campaign. I'm confident that it will all come together on time, as I am working with a wonderful production team and have faith in my (sometimes annoying) organisational skills! :-)