Maretha at Fauna Park Tales

Happy 2019 RRBC Clubaversary to Me!

I’m happy to tell you that the month of May Always seems to be a special month for me, especially when it comes to writing matters and books. I’ve also been a member of Rave Reviews Book Club for three years.

Thank you Rave Reviews Book Club President, Nonnie Jules, the RRBC Team and all those members who have been such a support to me these past three years.

Last year I was the #RRBCSpotlightAuthor for May. marethabotha2013.com/2018/05/31/rrbc-spotlight-author-in-may-maretha-botha/

RRBCSpotlight Author May 2018

(Of course, my garden also starts to perk up after the long and wet winter).

This month is also the release month for my first ever Book Trailer, thanks to 4WillsPublishers and Nonnie Jules’ efforts on behalf of Fauna Park Tales. Here is the link to my brand new book trailer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUkyl2iRAaw&feature=em-lsp
Fauna Park Tales Books 1-4 Book Trails

 Thank you so much for popping in. We hope you enjoy our book trailer and please feel free to comment and/or follow our blog.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XDRQJQX/
Book 1 – Available as an eBook @$2.38 and illustrated paperback @$8.50

 

 

 

 

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.

13 comments

    • Oh, thank you so much, Linda! This is the first time that I ventured into having a book trailer made and who better to do so than 4WillsPubs? I’m not sure in which part of America you live, but if it’s also Spring there, I hope you have a lovely Spring and Summer. 🙂

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      • Thanks for that lovely little piece of information, Linda! And what a positive attitude – thinking that trees and flowers need the cooler wet weather too. I’m going to try and see our Lancashire weather in that light as well … won’t be easy, though. 🤩

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  5. Happy Anniversary to both of us! Yay! Loved the new video. The colors are so vivid now!

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