What is so powerful about the stories I write are the thoughts and imagination of my family, especially Elannah and Sam. In actual fact a lot of the plot and character traits have a great deal to thank for our children's creativity.

Their thoughts are always so vibrant and, after all, what better way to write a children's story than to have the ideas and thoughts of our children intimately involved in the story's creation.

I think this works especially well with the way in which the stories connect with the younger readers. I have read at the local school for the nursery and primary ages and the children always respond with fascination and wonder. Such looks of joy on their faces as I read the book. Quite reward enough for any author.

My main motivation for the stories is to entertain and engage my children. When we are young we have such powerful imaginations but as we grow older that power can become eroded and faded. If as Albert Einstein supposedly said "all of our problems and our solutions are products of our imaginations," then we must be very careful about what we do with our children's imaginations.

Both my children are creative and have active and vivid imaginations and I am lucky enough to be able to have them help with 'the Everlasting and Fantastical Adventures of Elannah and Sam' collection of stories. When we all sit to talk about a particular part of a plot we have to carefully take it in turns to each have a say or the room is pandemonium for the flood of ideas that demand to be heard.

Elannah's creativity was soon apparent to us at a very young age as she had a way when she painted that was just beyond her years. We have paintings of hers on our wall from when she was two or three. Her ability to express herself in paint was very inspiring with me. This love of expressing her ideas in pictures also inspired her to draw the pictures that are in the books.

Those pictures are especially loved by the children who read or who listen to the stories and you can see them exploring the sketches with great enthusiasm once they grab a hold of the book.

Sam was quite quiet at first and we wondered if he would be overshadowed by his elder sister who loves to talk and to share her ideas. Boys in general also tend to be quieter and less vocal than girls so we were worried at first. We need not have worried though, as when Sam was old enough, he has shown himself to be very able at holding his own in a conversation and when we go out for walks together he will talk constantly as he rambles through the woods. Again his imagination is clear to see as he creates characters and stories to entertain us while we stroll, run and jump.

From the plots, characters and ideas we create have come such a pleasure in the stories we write and although I am named the Author I have to admit there is so much of the family in the books that I truly cannot claim much of the credit.

Sean Noonan

Author

'Of Lights in the Night, Friends and Adventure' first of 'The Everlasting and Fantastical Adventures of Elannah and Sam' collection.

The next two stories 'A First Christmas, Friends and Festivity' and 'Of Salty Seadogs and Oceans of Fun' are coming soon.