Maretha at Fauna Park Tales

Writers’ Conference & Book Expo – 2016

Welcome to Fauna Park Tales.  Here is a copy of my Author Booth listing in Rave Reviews Book Club’s RRBC Writers’ Conference & Book Expo.  As you can see from the badge, I’m a PARTICIPANT and proud of the fact.  I hope you will visit all the Author Booths.  There are some awesome books and fabulous authors to meet.  I’ll be posting fellow authors’ posts and websites on my second site, called marethmbotha.wordpress.com
https://rrbcwritersconferencebookexpo.wordpress.com/virtual-vendor-booths/author-maretha-botha/
SHORT BIOGRAPHY

Thank you so much for visiting my Author Booth today.  My name is Maretha Botha aka Bookworm Botha, Teacher Margaret and of course, Mom and Oumie (Afrikaans for Granny). Occasionally my husband likes to call me Sweetie. As you might imagine, I love all these terms of endearment, but I am proud to call myself a writer and illustrator of animal and bird adventure stories for children. Before immigrating to the United Kingdom, I worked as a school librarian in Gaborone, Botswana. My job description included encouraging foreign language students to improve their English and to enjoy reading. When my post was localised, I earnestly began researching the habits and habitats of birds-of-prey. In time FAUNA PARK TALES came into being. Many positive comments and reviews convinced me that my series of illustrated books will be enjoyed by young and old alike, especially those interested in the environment and smaller wild animals and birds, and provide endless hours of reading pleasure, even for better young readers (9-13) who still enjoy seeing illustrations of their favourite characters. I’m proud to tell you that the original stories, “African Adventures of Flame, Family and Feathered Friends” gained GOLD MEDAL STATUS in September 2013 on Authonomy – a writers’website supported by HarperCollins Publishers.

BOOK LISTING

FAUNA PARK TALES – THE SERIES

An African Adventure: Flame and Hope

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flame-Hope-African-Adventure-Fauna-ebook/dp/B00MNKNI04/

Flame and Hope: An African Adventure (Fauna Park Tales Book 1) by [Botha, Maretha]

                                                                                                                                                                                  

 

Friends: An African Adventure (Fauna Park Tales Book 2) by [Botha, Maretha]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Friends-African-Adventure-Fauna-Tales-ebook/dp/B00Y2WS82E/

The Orphans' Plight: An African Adventure (Fauna Park Tales Book 3) by [Botha, Maretha]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Orphans-Plight-African-Adventure-Fauna-ebook/dp/B01CO4LXLE/

Thanks you for visiting Fauna Park Tales where you are welcome to 

READ/COMMENT/FOLLOW

go to the beyond the About Me Page.

THANK YOU!

https://rrbcwritersconferencebookexpo.wordpress.com/virtual-vendor-booths/author-maretha-botha/

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Published by Maretha at Fauna Park Tales

Maretha is a South African Italian, born in a small town called Montagu. She grew up in nearby Worcester in the Western Cape – a town reminiscent of living in Switzerland among the snow-capped mountains. Worcester had a small library. Young Maretha’s visits were limited to three times a week, because the librarian told her, “You spend too much time with your nose in a book and neglect your school work.” Nothing much has changed, because she's still a confirmed bookworm who constantly strives to raise more bookworms who enjoy reading, not just as a pleasant past-time, but as an excellent tool to be used when grown-up. Before immigrating to the UK to settle in Lancashire, Maretha worked as a librarian in a private school in Botswana, where one of her tasks was to encourage children to enjoy reading. That was a labour of love for this bookworm, providing valuable help in carving her own career as a children's author/illustrator. It brought her face to face with the literary industry’s toughest critics – children and preteens. She saw that many students also enjoyed reading about birds and animals, their care, habitats and general well-being, especially when a few added catchy rhymes here and there made reading sessions interesting and alive. In 2012 her job was localised and as things often happen, this unforeseen occurrence led to a new chapter in her life. To remain motivated, she wrote down everything she could remember about her family's pets – their little habits and characteristics. For example, the character of the working-dog hero in Fauna Park Tales is based on the different traits of every single dog her family ever owned. Researching habits, habitats and interesting titbits about martial eagles and eagle owls, as well as many smaller birds such as crimson-breasted shrikes and hoopoes,made it easier to illustrate them and tell a believable story. Her illustrations appear throughout Fauna Park Tales. Maretha Botha admits to being a chocoholic and unreformed coffee addict, a keen gardener and bird watcher, who likes to walk on the moors where the stiff breeze coming in from the sea, quickly clears her head, making way for more inspiration.

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