Beeston author Amy Walker has published a children’s book and I spoke to her about it.
Amy is not only an inspiration thanks to her new novel, Anchor Moon, but she is also a hero and inspiration thanks to her community spirit and belief in other people especially today’s youth.
Without giving too much away, Anchor Moon is a book which follows the adventures of Rupel, a very ordinary child set for a special adventure. The book offers a big hug for children to fall asleep with and who doesn’t need one of those in times such as these?
Having grown up in the local community, Amy attended Beeston Primary school, she still holds a strong belief that regardless of your circumstances or origins, everyone is capable of making great things happen.
I spoke to Amy and although our discussion was brief, she radiates fairness, compassion and a genuine love for other people and their abilities.
It is thanks to her own niece and nephew that Amy was inspired to write Anchor Moon and said:
“What inspired me to write Anchor Moon, my first children’s story, was watching and listening to my niece and nephew. I am inspired with how imaginative they are and the funny things they come out with. I thought wow I could come up with more imaginative stories which might open up their minds more and to dream big.”
That’s the funny thing with writing, inspiration can come from the most unexpected of places. When asked what ideas and advice she has for budding authors she said firstly not to give up. It took approaching hundreds of authors for her to receive one acceptance. This sounds tough but is often a reality, especially when it comes to children’s literature. Amy also added:
“To any young writer I would say, never give up. Sometimes you will think ‘my story is rubbish and I can’t think of anything else to write’ but there is no such thing as a rubbish story as it may spark the idea of something better to write. Keep working until you are happy with what you have wrote and always believe in yourself.
“I hope children and adults enjoy story time together reading my book and I hope it brings comfort in these strange times.”
If you’d like to take a look at Amy’s work, and I highly recommend that you do, Anchor Moon is available to buy in paperback or as an ebook from www.austinmacauley.com/book/anchor-moon or other online book sellers.
