It was enormous fun launching Spooktacular Stories, this years Share Your Story Anthology, to a packed audience of contributors, their families, the public and young readers who regularly frequent the Mad Hatter’s Bookshop.

Contributors were able to make it from as faraway as Canberra and Townsville.

This year marked the first year a contributor under 18 made it into the anthology.  She read beautifully.

Michelle Worthington, shared news of the hospital visit , where several contributors did a special launch with children and their families to share stories and craft, a few days earlier. It was  greatly appreciated by staff and families such that there may be another visit next year and an ongoing relationship with hospitals.

Each author present was thanked for donating their stories to the anthology and invited to read.

We all thought of our wonderful contributors who were unable to be present.

It is a precious and uplifting experience to have readers ask you to sign their books and there was much book signing, and many contributors also took the chance to invite fellow contributors to sign books as a memento of the occassion.

This is such a special project to be part of, because for every anthology sold one will be donated to Australian hospitals for sharing with children who are often in situations where they and their families demonstrate great courage.  May the stories be fun, thrilling and ultimately uplifting.

A huge thank you to editor and project creator Michelle Worthington.

Also many thanks to the Mad Hatter’s Bookshop.

You can purchase Spooktacular Stories online and in bookshops.

Great news is that the book is doing well in the Amazon Best Seller lists, and has made number one twice.

Photos courtesy of Sheridan Perkins, Maria Parenti-Baldey and other attendees at the event.