Mary van Reyk, 33, is finally seeing her dream of becoming a published author come to fruition.
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By day the Austinmer local works for the NSW Government in Aboriginal Affairs but on the commute to Sydney she is busily writing about the lives of five young friends who live in a seaside town.
“I remember when I was young, just being so excited about [The Baby-Sitters Club series by Ann M Martin],” she said.
“I really love fiction for children that’s accessible, celebrates diversity and has strong female characters.”
In a similar vein, Ms Reyk has penned the first in a series called the Surf Riders Club which will be available in all good book stores and online from September 12.
The series begins with Ava who moves with her parents from the big city to a small coastal town. She starts surf lessons at her new high school where she forms friendships with other girls in year 7.
“I think it’s a really age group because it’s when girls are starting to form ideas that will carry into their development as adults, so it’s a really interesting time to start conversations with them and get them thinking about different things,” Ms Reyk said.
Publishing house Hachette has already signed the second book, set for release in March 2018.
Ms Reyk said if all goes well she hopes they will sign the last three books in the series too.