A skinny girl’s sad tale told
Favourite song? Favourite colour? Who is your best friend?
though... Elijah!
What makes you laugh?
My brother makes me laugh lots and I make him laugh
What makes you sad? (Makes a sad face) One time on holidays, we saw the dinosaurs and I cried a lot
What are you afraid of?
The dinosaurs, no they made me sad. Peekaboo with Mummy
If you could change your name what would it be? Ezzy calls me Lega and Mummy calls me
Princess
What are you really good at? Hopscotch Do you have any jokes to tell me? No. What is your favourite thing to eat for lunch?
Mmm... nuggets!
What is your favourite fruit? Every fruit What do you want to be when you grow up?
Doctor or a nurse Elsa
Rainbow
Ezra! He’s my brother
How old is grown up?
Umm, 100! STEVE Matthews’ foray into writing is so engaging that it’s a tale that tells itself.
As a former banker from the United Kingdom, Mr Matthews emigrated to Australia in 1985. It was a trip back to his homeland to visit his ailing father that triggered his story writing.
“I’ve always been a bit of a storyteller,” he told Dubbo
“Most parents are.
“I used to read my kids books at bedtime and embellish them and the kids would often prefer my version to the book.”
The fact that he was on the other side of the world prompted Mr Matthews to write down the stories he had previously been telling his children in person.
Those stories were eventually turned into books and successfully published in Australia and the USA – representing Mr Matthews’ first venture into the literary world.
He quickly became an established children’s writer and his books are now also sold in the UK and Canada. Mr Matthews’ work with children’s literacy has also been acknowledged in State Parliament.
Mr Matthews said children’s literature has evolved from the days of Spot the Dog.
“Children’s literature is better than it used to be,” he adds, saying that his books are aimed at the ‘reluctant reader’.
His latest book though is completely different and ‘The Skinny Girl’ is based on a true story. It is also his first adult work.
“My wife Diane knew (of its potential) and said ‘you’ve got to write this’,” Mr Matthews explains.
“It was just something that had to be done.”
The Skinny Girl tells the story of Daisy Croucher and her marriage to Jeff Singleton. Her longing for love and acceptance are at the core of the book while domestic violence features as a key theme.
The book started with Mr Matthews reading the real-life Daisy’s diary.
“Daisy’s story is harrowing and very realistic and came to me as a result of someone that my wife Diane and I love dearly, telling Diane she was in a very abusive relationship. She gave Diane her diaries to read and, with her permission, I wrote the story of The Skinny Girl.”
The story had a profound effect on the author.
“I cried heaps when I read it. It was really sad. I couldn’t believe how lonely this woman could be. She was the loneliest person on earth. It wasn’t just domestic violence. It was domestic abuse, isolation, spiritual, emotional, sexual, financial and psychological abuse.”
Through promotion of the book, Mr Matthews has discovered many people affected by its pages.
“Most people reading this have been involved in domestic violence or they know someone who has.
“People often open their heart to us and tell us their personal lives. They realise they are not alone.
“We have spoken to a lot of people who’d been in abusive marriages. Nothing shocks us