How It Started

 I'd been writing for about three years when I found myself impulsively entering the Emerald, the Romance Writers of  Australia's annual contest for unpublished manuscripts.  At this point, no one had read my stories except for a few trusted friends, and I hadn't even given editing a thought.  My technical knowledge in terms of formatting was so bad, the contest coordinator had to instruct me on how to  set a margin in a Word document!

I sent off my entry, and decided it was all good experience.  Perhaps I'd get some constructive feedback...even if I came last.

When I made it through to the second round of the contest, I was stunned.  When I made it to the finals I was flabbergasted.

When  I won...well, let's just say everyone is very polite when they talk  about it, but I know for a fact I staggered up to the stage at the  awards ceremony and rambled incoherently for about five minutes in front  of three hundred people whilst clutching a trophy in shaking hands. It was one the scariest, and most proud moments of my life.

You can read more about my writing origins story in Multi-Award Winning Author, Tamar Sloan's, reference book, Grit for Writers. Why passion and perseverance are the keys to your writing success.

My first foray into the world of being a published author was with an independent USA publishing house called Secret Cravings.  Although they ceased trading in 2015, they made my first publishing experience a joy and I will always be grateful for everything they taught me.  Some of my Secret Cravings back-list have now been acquired by Serenity Press.  The rest are happily sitting on my desktop.  One day I'll find them a new home.

Serenity  Press is a growing independent publishing company with heartfelt  passion and a burning desire to create beautiful books. 

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Established in 2012, Serenity Press Pty Ltd is a small  independent press based in Perth, Western Australia. In 2017, the  Serenity Press co-directors took out Bronze in the 2017 Ausmumpreneur  Awards (Global Brand).

Serenity Press endeavours to share inspirational  stories with the world, bringing readers authors who write from the  heart, and books which inspire, empower, awaken, amaze and inform.  We aim to keep traditional stories and storytelling alive by fostering  curiosity about, and understanding and enjoyment of, folklore, fairy  tales and myth with our Fairy Tale collections.

SERENITY PRESS VISION: To  build a successful publishing house that creates opportunities for  Australian authors through publication, writers' retreats, and  workshops.    

SERENITY PRESS MISSION: To create beautiful books by inspiring and nurturing writers' journeys - one story at a time.