Singing Home The Whale - a modern day fairy tale for young and old

Kia ora koutou, I am a New Zealand writer of award-winning novels for young adults that are also read and enjoyed by many adults as well. I write about important global issues and use fiction as my means of informing and activating others. I'm not usually the type to blow my own trumpet like this but I have a new novel called Singing Home the Whale that I would really like you to know about, and which I hope will be of significant interest to this membership/readership. It is, at its heart, an anti-whaling book (the whale in this case an orca, modelled very much on Puget Sound's Luna) – but it is also much more than that.

It is a book about our disconnect from nature, and our disregard for the other animals that share this planet. It's also about activism, the power of community, and how one person standing up to wrong can make a difference. Set in New Zealand (my country of birth) yet universal in themes, I am really confident it has the power to engage people and to move them at a deep emotional level – which in turn, I believe will encourage them to act. I write primarily for young adults because I have grave concerns about the world they are growing up in and want to communicate directly to them the importance of asking questions, of challenging the status quo, and of becoming good global citizens in order to work towards a healthier, more just world. It also gives me the opportunity to go into schools etc to speak to them in person.

I very much look forward to having discussions with them about the many issues canvassed in this new book and would really hope that you might help get the word out within your own communities.

The book is multi-layered, so that it can be read by across age-groups, with extra nuances for adult readers. And it's beautifully produced by Penguin Random New Zealand – a real artefact – with gorgeous line drawings to introduce each chapter (done by my daughter, I have to proudly add!) I've written nine novels now and won several national awards – and I have never felt so excited or determined about a book before. I really want to make a difference with Singing Home the Whale and I would love for you (or someone you know) to read it – and, if you thought it might touch others, to review it or talk about, and help spread the world. (you can find the paperback here at Fishpond NZ :

http://www.fishpond.co.nz/Books/Singing-Home-Whale-Mandy-Hager/9781775536574 or for Kindle via Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Singing-Home-Whale-Mandy-Hager-ebook/dp/B00K1VL8RW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie;=UTF8&qid;=1415049209&sr;=1-1&keywords;=singing+home+the+whale It's been my observation that if a writer can capture people's imaginations and emotional responses, through empathy for the characters, that it will have a significant and long-lasting impact on the reader. I have this dream that, if we got the word out far enough to read this, it could really make a difference to the way people think about whaling and human beings terrible impact on the natural world. Please don't think this is about me wanting to make money (truth is, if that was what I was after I'd have given up years ago!) – instead, please go take a look at my website and discover the type of person/writer I am, and the themes I explore (www.mandyhager.com) There is a dedicated page set up on the website for Singing Home the Whale you can also explore. My twitter name is @MandyHager and the short bio really says it all: Writer slash activist. Award-winning novels, trying to save the world one book at a time!

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this. My very best wishes