FAQS
Frequently
Asked Questions (especially
for schools)
HERE
ARE SOME ANSWERS.
If your question isn't here, you can e-mail me on sally@sallyodgers.com
or
write to me at P.O. Box 41, Latrobe, Tasmania, Australia, 7307.
Please
enclose a stamped self-addressed envelope for my reply.
Q. How many
books have you written?
A.
As of September 2006, I have had around 250 books published. Check them out here
at the BIBLIOGRAPHY
PAGES.
Q. What is your
latest book?
A My most recent books include
The Jack Russell: Dog Detective series, co-authored with Darrel Odgers (2005 - )
A Bird, a Bloke and a Boyfriend (2005)
Gold's Bride (for adults) (2005)
Boy Down Under (2004)
Matt the Mage (2004)
Knight Triumphant (2004)
Kerria
Logan and the Pirate Caper (2003)
Knight
Protector
(2003)
Knightfall,
I'm
Big Enough and SLEEPLESS
IN SPACE
(all 2002)
CANDLE
IRON, THE
CASE OF THE DISAPPEARING DOG,
Budgie Rock, Killer
Ducks, Munch on That, Aunt Victoria's Monster, Glory Gate, Wolfmaster (all
2001),
Fools'
Gold, STORY
STRATEGIES and PICTURE A POEM,
Guess my Friends
(all 2000).
Q. Where do you
get the ideas for your books?
A. I get ideas from all sorts of places, often from things that happen or things I see or hear. Sometimes my kids do something that sets off a book notion. For example; my son James (who is now 26!) inspired the books DREADFUL DAVID (a picture book) and KAYAK! (a novel). I used his 12 year old appearance for Justin in the Bandinangi books and his grown-up appearance for Gerhardt Watchman, the hero of my sci-fi thriller TRINITY STREET.
My
now-twenty-two year old daughter Tegan’s doings inspired JUST
LIKE EMILY, MINIPIGS
and RATTY.
Alice in WELCOME TO THE WEIRDIE CLUB
looks like Tegan did once. So does Jilly in THE
CASE OF THE DISAPPEARING DOG.
I don’t base many characters on people I meet, but occasionally I borrow a
face here or a name or a hairstyle there!
Books
like AURORA
and SHADOWDANCERS
just seem to
come from nowhere, although I was watching the southern aurora when I began to
plan AURORA. TRINITY
STREET came from a
newspaper article about intelligence. There's an article about the creation of
Aurora HERE
and one about TRINITY STREET HERE.
Q. How long have
you been writing?
A.
I’ve been writing since I was at school.
Q. Do you have
any other jobs?
A.
Apart from writing, I do school
talks and lectures.
Q. Do you have
any hobbies?
A.
I suppose most of my hobbies are tied up with my work. My husband and I have 3
cockatoos, Cracker, Jo, and Pippin, and
dogs called Tess Toad Tummy, Ace,
Tilly-Tump, Jeanie Lee and Preacher and a cat called Rosie. I like kayaking, walking,
free-form embroidery, and am interested in collecting rocks, in interesting
names, music and gardening.
Q. Where and
when were you born?
A.
I was born in Latrobe, Tasmania, in 1957.
Q. What is your
favourite of your own books?
A.
My favourites change often. Currently, it’s a toss-up between Candle Iron, the
Jack Russell stories, Translations in Celadon and Shadowdancers.
Q. Who are your
favourite characters?
A.
Here are some of my favourites, in alphabetical order.
Allyso
Torm (from Candle Iron).
Anna
Bailey/Kelly (from Anna's Own.)
Eden
Raven (from Shadowdancers).
Gerhardt
Watchman (from Trinity Street)
Jack Russell
Jilly
Randall (from The Case of the
Disappearing Dog)
Justin
Archer (from the Bandinangi Books series.)
Matt Wheatslump (from Matt the Mage).
Michael
Firebug (from Knight
Protector )
Pirimba
Raven (from Shadowdancers)
Rafe
Winter and Rosanna Hopestill (both from Translations in Celadon)
Scholar
Ankooria (from Candle
Iron).
Selka
(from Selka)
ShuMar
of Loakencamp (from Shadowdancers)
Tell
Clancy (from Trinity Street)
You will find more about these books in the BIBLIOGRAPHY.
Q. What sort of
books do you write?
A.
All sorts.
Q. What do you
try to do in your books? Do you try to teach your readers anything?
A.
I don't try to teach anything. However, I do have some principles. I usually try
to make my protagonists people I would like to know. I try to show characters
who don't give up, don't whine, but get on with their lives. I try to show
characters who try to do the right thing as they see it. They may not always BE
right, but they can always try!
One
exception is Sam Cool from SHAKEDOWN.
Sam is gutsy, smart and very determined, but Sam is not a nice person.
Interesting, yes. Nice? No!
And remember -
if you have a question, send it to me by e-mail. I'll answer you privately and,
if you like, I can also put the answer here!
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