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Indie Author Life is wildly fantastic. You get freedom, creative control, the ability to publish whatever your heart desires, whenever your caffeine levels allow. You get to build worlds, craft characters, and make readers feel things — all without waiting for a gatekeeper to give you permission. But let’s be honest: that freedom comes with a price. A hat collection so large it needs its own walk‑in wardrobe. Because being an Indie Author isn’t just “writing books”. Writing i

Every August, something magical happens in Australia. Book Week arrives, and with it comes a wave of colour, creativity, and pure childhood joy. This year’s theme, Symphony of Stories, feels especially fitting. Stories really do create their own music. They lift, soothe, energise, and empower. And for the past 14 years, I’ve been lucky enough to witness a very special melody within that symphony: the arrival of Book Week Cheer Chick Charlies. It starts with a ping on my phone

If you’ve ever met a house rabbit, you’ll know they’re not just pets. They’re tiny, furry anarchists with opinions, hobbies, and a surprising amount of athletic ability. Before I had children, I had one such creature: Gizmo Thumper Bunny Rabbit, my toilet‑trained, fridge‑obsessed, cable‑chewing, high‑jumping little mate. He wasn’t just a rabbit. He was a character. Gizmo had BIG zoomies. The kind that rattled furniture, startled visitors, and made me laugh until my stomach hu

I learned something powerful while writing The Champagne Cartel: the importance of beta readers… of all ages. Beta readers are magic. This book didn’t begin as a book at all. It started as a screenplay ... an idea I chatted about with friends over coffee. They were the first to say, “Make it a book.” My daughter chimed in with, “I’d read that,” while my son shrugged and said, “I’ll watch it when it comes out on TV.” Equal parts encouragement and realism. From there, I invite

(A family project, a decade in the making) If you’ve been with me since my early Deep Fried Fruit blogging days, you might remember a little free PDF I created called “7 Ways to Get Children Excited About Reading.” It lived quietly on my Cheer Chick Charlie™ website and on my lifestyle blog back when I was writing about the art of ageing positively. At the time, it was simply a helpful resource I’d put together after hearing from parents who were desperate for ideas to get th

There are some stories that arrive slowly. A whisper, a nudge, a gentle idea that grows over time. And then there are the stories that hit you like a champagne cork to the forehead. The Champagne Cartel was both. Most people assume the title came after the plot, but the truth is the name existed long before the book did. It was born inside one of my girl‑gang group chats. The kind where the only agenda is When is our next champagne sesh because we need to discuss our macros.

When I first created Cheer Chick Charlie back in 2011, I had no idea she would cartwheel her way into thousands of homes, classrooms, libraries and hearts across Australia. What began as a simple idea — a cheerful, determined girl who just wanted to be a cheerleader — grew into a decade‑long journey of confidence‑building stories, community support, and a whole lot of sparkle. Charlie was born from a desire to give children something I felt was missing in the book world at th

If you’ve found your way here, welcome. I’m Leanne Shea Langdown children’s book author, a long-forgotten Aussie blogger and now adult fiction and non-fiction writer. I've spent the better part of my life doing one thing with absolute joy: cheering people on. For many years I travelled around Australia meeting thousands of bright, brave, brilliant kids through my Cheer Chick Charlie™ series. I watched them grow, glow, stumble, try again, and discover their own courage. I sign