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Author's website: www.users.tpg.com.au/jsanto

Total books written: 12 fiction, 10 non-fiction
Ages of readership:
Most typical wordcount per book:

Countries published in: Australia, America

Movie rights, merchandise or other exciting offshoots: Audio books. No 'Josie' dolls yet!

Title of Featured Book: Cross-Eyed Jack (co-written with Mary Serenc)

Blurb: A group of kids are flung back in time to the year 1867. There, they find gold, bushrangers and they even meet Ned Kelly as a young boy!

Place where your book is set: Australia - present time & 1867

Genre(s):.Maps
scripts
wanted poster
ballads
journals
epitaphs

Extract from an independent review:

no reviews available as yet

What's the inside info about your life as a writer?
I live with my teenagers, a Jack Russell Terrier, a budgie and a three metre carpet python who backyard hops between me and the neighbours (depending on whose house the rats are living under). I love watching old classic movies, going to see new movies, watching reality shows (for my research, cough cough!), having capuccinos with friends, wearing lots of colour, having fun with my italian culture, meditation & yoga, being a chocolate connoseur.

Do you have another job as well as being a writer?

I also write and present under the surname of Santomauro on Asperger Syndrome

Why do you love to write?

I have wanted to be an author since the age of 8 where I would shelve my self-published stories into the school library, so I am just fulfilling my chilchood dream of becoming an author. I also have a strange addiction to the feeling I get when I come up with an idea.....but then Ihave to write the WHOLE story..... I love knowing that you can write a story about everything and everyone, even the overhead projector can tell a story.....

What inspired you to write your book (or series which includes this book)

This book is co-written with a friend, Mary Serenc. We love australian history, and so we decided to write about it in a way that would be lots of fun to read. So instead of writing directly about 1867, we thought it would be more exciting for modern day kids to time travel and experience it themselves.

What surprised you during research, writing or publishing of this book?
How hard it is to write with somebody, even if they are your good friend. We struggled trying to write it together, ie: both at the computer, word by word. It just wasn't working because Mary and I have such different writing styles. In the end, I took it over and used all the characters, plot and research that we'd come up with and rewrote it – so the biggest surprise was when I changed the main character from Josh to Jacko …. Makes sense now!

If students are doing assignments on this book, what special insight into
symbolism, metaphors, choice of title, characters or research can you
provide:

The title is named after a fictional bushranger Cross-eyed jack, but he’s dead, a ghost – and yet he plays a very important role in the story. Research was fun, especially the cemetary at night!
Four of us ventured out into the Toowong cemetary late one night (with permission of course) and experienced lots of spooky and weird things which are included into the novel. I took the cover photograph, which stars my son and his friend.

Secret writing tip for students:

Use an exciting bit to start your story, eg: ‘Help!’ A hand bobbed through the waves. ….

Instead of ….

‘One day we went to the beach, and then,.…...twenty pages later…..somebody was drowning’

Personal pet peeves:

I’m bad at plu-perfect/tense, I still don’t really get it?? So my editor groans when she gets my manuscript and I groan when I get it back to make the corrections….

When you were aged 8 to 15, what job(s) did you think you would have (if not a writer):

Author, policewoman, teacher, artist, fashion-designer, lawyer

What you're working on next: Sequel to Popstarlets, 'Strictly Stars' and lots of proposals of course!

Are you available for paid school visits at ASA rates?: Yes

Are you blue-card approved to conduct school visits in Qld: Yes

Are you available for free school visits in your local area during book launch months?: Yes, but with limited time.

Is your computer/internet connection set up to do online chats?: Yes 8-) .

Do you speak/webchat in any languages other than English?: Italiano (not dat fluent, but i gets by hokay) ..