Timmy Miller is an Australian author whose love of firing up children's imaginations speaks to many writers. Here's his publishing journey.

Tell us about your book?

The imagination Box is the story a young boy named Orin & his Mum. Orin ropes his tired Mum into playing with a seemingly mundane box; and immerses them both in the world of imagination.

I wanted to highlight how vast our children’s imaginations are & how they can help us recapture this lost part of ourselves, by exposing us to the wonder they see in the world around them as they discover it.

Why did you want to write this story?

Writing is always something I have wanted to do, now that I have children, I’m constantly being bombarded with the beginnings of story ideas.

This particular story I wrote as I wanted to capture a moment in time, that not only I could remember, but they will be able to as well.

What's been the best reaction from a reader so far?

So far it has been my Grandma, she was so thrilled that I had done this & really enjoyed the story, my son was a close second.

Where do you find your inspiration?

For this particular sort of writing definitely from my children, writing in general I’m inspired by the amazing stories I’ve read throughout my life & have many fond memories of being read to as a child by my family & teachers.

What's the most fun part of being an author?

Seeing children read my book & asking to read it again straight away is very rewarding, I love seeing happy faces. The indie author scene is also a really fun thing to be a part of, there’s so many people involved & absolutely happy to help others out.

What's your tip for parents to encourage reading?

Don’t just  read a book, you need to tell the story, your energy will get them excited & pull them in too. Do the voices, read everything on the page, the exclamations & action sounds too!

What's your favorite book of all time?

The Digging-Est Dog by Al Perkins, it’s a great story & lots of fun. I still have fond memories of Duke the Digging-Est Dog (although I thought it was ‘Diggiest’ Dog digging up Highway 81.

It’s a story my Grandpa read to me as a child & has stuck with me for life.

He has worked as a Relationship Manager for Software Companies for many years, and is now pursuing one of his lifelong goals to write children’s books. When he isn’t writing, you’ll find Timmy gaming, stargazing or watching documentaries.

You can find out more about him and buy yourself a copy of The Imagination Box at Fancy Pigeon Publishing.

You can also find him on Facebook and Instagram.

Where to next?

We hope you enjoyed this insight into Timmy's book.  This is just one of our many author interviews and book reviews. We love to give you a behind the scenes look at some amazing children’s authors. The best way to keep in touch with these is through signing up to our newsletter. You can also see our range of children’s books in our shop. Plus of course, you can find us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.