The Dragon Way Home follows a lonely Australian boy who meets a sand sculpture of a dragon that comes to life, takes him on a wild adventure, and teaches him some valuable lessons. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

I used to live on the Gold Coast and often watched sand artists making dragon sculptures. When I moved to China, I always loved visiting the Dragon Temples. Those were my two main influences.

In many coming-of-age fiction novels, authors often add their own life experiences to the story. Are there any bits of you in this story?

The settings are definitely part of my story, but a broken family and flying dragons are pure fiction.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

I wanted to explore the idea of “home” through the eyes of a child. I also wanted him to come from an imperfect family–not a bad family–just one that didn’t fit the fairytale version of perfection.  

What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?

I have just finished “Yowie Dreaming: A Tale of Friendship and Adventure”. It is about a teenage girl who discovers a baby Yowie (Australia’s Bigfoot) in her backyard. 

Author Links: GoodReads | Website