Who am I & what have I achieved?
The Person
A few facts about me:
I love to share my passion for books and reading on Instagram: @cec_loves_to_read
I run a community Street Library.
I have been lucky enough to interview and work with many inspiring authors in my role as regular session host at Bendigo Writers Festival. In 2023 I was curator of inaugural Creative Kids events and in 2024 I am the Lead Curator of the Festival.
I combine my love of reading, teaching and writing to assist publishers to create Teachers Resources. Andromache Between Worlds, Dancing With Memories, Millie Mak the Maker and Frog Squad are recent examples.
I have been a judge for various writing competitions such as CYA for Hatchlings, Unpublished and Published categories, the Mulga Bill Writing Awards and The Rural Press Awards. In 2025, I will be on the judging panel for a major genre writing prize.
I have tertiary qualifications in Professional Editing and Proofreading. Before turning to editing I was a secondary school English and Media teacher and, prior to this, I completed an Arts Journalism degree at RMIT (majoring in English Literature) and worked in government communications.
I live in Central Victoria with my family; I have 3 great kids, a loving husband, 1 cheeky dog & 2 rabbits.
I was an Independent Director on the National Board of The Children’s Book Council of Australia.
The Proofreader
My past proofreading jobs include:
Educational resources for Creative Learners.
Grace’s Secret and Grace’s Healing by Lisa Marie (children’s educational resource).
Running Forever by CA Sole (thriller).
40 Single Gay by Jonathon Lee (memoir).
The Future is Fair coffee table book for international not-for-profit organisation Fairtrade Australia and New Zealand.
A Sticky Situation by Juno Harvey (mystery).
Ligature Digital Publishing re-releases of Children of the Valley five-book series by Jackie French, as well as three other books in the Untapped heritage project.
Narrative non-fiction picture book for Windy Hollow Books: Tupaia, Isaac and Cook: The Search for The Great Southern Land.
Fiosracht Press non-fiction book, Listing Life.
Regular (past) proofreader for Australian Literacy Educators Association journal; Literacy Learning: the Middle Years (2017-2022).
Past proofreader for The Children’s Book Council of Australia.
The Editor
Editing work I have recently completed:
Copy edit of a YA novel for Eagle Books an imprint of Christmas Press, to be published in 2025.
Beta read of YA mystery novel, to be published by international publisher in 2025.
Editing of picture books for emerging authors.
Copy/line edit of In Lily’s Books by Anne Whorlton (contemporary fiction).
Editor of Breaking Free and Conflict at Hanging Rock (historical fiction) by Pauline Wilson.
First editor and early reader of Amy Doak’s Eleanor Jones in Not a Murderer young adult mystery manuscript (before acquisition by Penguin Random House).
Copy edit of Clearlake by Stanislava Buevich (young adult fiction).
Line edits of three soon-to-be-published children’s and young adult manuscripts.
Copy edit of children’s fiction book Hide and Seek by John Parnham.
Manuscript assessment and mentoring for authors of Montessori Brains , published in 2024.