Writer Profiles

ELASTIC ISLAND ADVENTURES: Port Mugaloo is the second in an exciting series of books for children, a fantasy action-adventure set in the South Pacific! Four children, Kiri, Jed, and twins Emma and Ethan, discover an ‘elastic’ island that can send them pinging across the ocean to a variety of tropical island destinations. Their last destination spelt trouble, so this time the children are determined to have a relaxed and safe time when they visit Port Mugaloo on MugaMuga Island. But Ethan falls into a pond and becomes invisible – and the only one who can help them is King Shiny. But King Shiny has gone missing looking for the long-lost royal treasure, so they enlist the help of Mrs Quokka and travel across the desert on a seven-humped camel into very dangerous territory to find him. But have the children made a mistake in trusting Mrs Quokka? They soon learn that quokkas might be famous for their ‘quokka logic’ but mostly it doesn’t make any sense! Suitable for children 7 – 12 years.

Website: www.karenm.co.nz
Writer: Karen McMillan

ELASTIC ISLAND ADVENTURES: Jewel Lagoon is the first in an exciting series, a fantasy action-adventure set in the South Pacific. Four Children, Kiri, Jed, and the twins Emma and Ethan, discover an ‘elastic’ Island that can send them pinging across the ocean to a variety of tropical island destinations. Landing at Jewel lagoon on Trinity Island, the children quickly find themselves in trouble. But even with help from the colourful creatures they meet – Pangali the Platypus, Olaf the Giant, and Big Wig and Wee Wig Knockulous – will they be able to return home safely? Suitable for children 7 – 12 years.

Website: www.karenm.co.nz
Writer: Karen McMillan

BRUSHSTROKES OF MEMORY. A novel of love, lost memories and rediscovering dreams. On her thirty-second birthday, Rebecca is in high spirits and life could not be better personally and professionally. But in 2013, she wakes in hospital after a head injury and finds out that nearly a decade of her life has been erased from her memory. Now almost forty-two, she can’t remember anything after her thirty-second birthday, a decade fraught with changes she would never have anticipated – illness, infidelity, betrayal, separation and death – and the disintegration of many of her dreams. But if Rebecca can’t remember anything of nearly ten years, then could this be the chance for her to wipe the slate clean and start again?

Website: www.karenm.co.nz
Writer: Karen McMillan

UNBREAKABLE SPIRIT: Facing The Challenge Of Cancer. An invaluable collection of real life stories of cancer, representing a wide range of circumstances that will provide comfort and help for families facing cancer. Unbreakable Spirit is a testimony to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of cancer. It tells the true stories of people who have survived cancer and of those who are terminally ill. It also shares the experiences of people who have had a loved one die from cancer and includes information from hospice workers, oncologists, GPs, a counsellor, surgeon and breast physician. ‘I know if you read Unbreakable Spirit, you will gain great strength from it.’ – Judy Bailey.

Website: www.karenm.co.nz
Writer: Karen McMillan

THE PARIS OF THE EAST is a sweeping epic of love and war, courage and survival, sacrifice and loss. Warsaw, 1939. Four friends picnic on a brilliant summer’s day and celebrate an engagement, aware of the rumbles of war, but hopeful that in any conflict Poland will have the upper hand. A page-turning story that spans the period of the Second World War, this is a dramatic historical adventure that goes from Warsaw to Lublin, from Bucharest to Paris, from London to the Concentration Camp at Ravensbruck – but always at the heart of this novel is the mesmerising city of Warsaw – ‘The Paris of the East.’

Website: www.karenm.co.nz
Writer: Karen McMillan

THE PARIS OF THE WEST is a story of love and loss, betrayal and forgiveness, and having the courage to start over. San Francisco, 1948. Having survived the Second World War against all odds, Celina and her family arrive on a Liberty Ship into the Bay Area with high hopes for their new lives. But as new immigrants they face many hurdles, and they have to deal somehow with the trauma of war and the grief of losing loved ones. Betrayal and more heartbreak are just around the corner. A historical read set in the spectacular hilly city of San Francisco, ‘The Paris of the West’ goes from the jazz clubs in the Fillmore District to the sun-kissed vineyards of Sonoma.

Website: www.karenm.co.nz
Writer: Karen McMillan

LOVE BYTES. Romance – family – friendship – humanity: love is the most important aspect of our lives. With love we become vibrant, passionate and caring people, living fully. People of all ages and all walks of life share their special moments of love. Everyday, down-to-earth examples we can all relate to are mixed with stories of love that will challenge and inspire the way we think about love. Karen uses the Greek words for the four different types of love: Eros (romance), Storge (family love), Philia (friendship) and Agape (love of humanity).  Love, the most power force in the world, bursts from every page of Love Bytes.

Website: www.karenm.co.nz
Writer: Karen McMillan