Ditching numbers for words former accountant and Busselton resident Robin Boddendyke has just written and illustrated her first children's novel Tilly's Adventures in Cheyanne Forest.
Written under the pen name Catharina Steel, Ms Boddendyke chose the name as a tribute to her late mum who sadly passed away last July, and because it was a lot easier to remember than her own name.
Ms Boddendyke has always enjoyed writing and after 20 years in accounting she started talking to her dad about ideas to build toy houses for children.
"Out of that an idea for this story came so I just went with it," she said.
The book is based on the story of Tilly who goes to visit her grandfather Opa along with her two cousins who are twins. They go on adventures in an Australian forest where they meet a number of mystical creatures.
"It is a lot of fun and I had fun writing it," she said.
"I am very much still a beginner artist so it was quite scary for me to illustrate the book, but I thought I could do it.
"I think the illustrations came out okay and I think people will enjoy them as well as the book."
Ms Boddendyke said the 245 page book would be suitable reading for children who were aged between nine and thirteen years old, but parents could read it to younger children aged five years and up.
"One of my editors wrote about the book, 'this is a wonderful adventure if you have any kids who love Harry Potter or Enid Blyton, it is heaps of fun and all Australian,'" she said.
"It took about about three months to write and a lot longer to do all the editing, there were rewrites after rewrites.
"Getting the book down does take a lot of energy as you are constantly in the book's realm, but that was also a lot of fun.
"Whereas the editing you really have to look at the timing of things to make sure you have the timing right, you get a bit more into the nitty gritty then."
Ms Boddendyke has already drafted two more books to make a trilogy and is currently in the process of having them edited.
"It is an exciting read for children and I would love for people to provide me with feedback if they have read the book," she said.
Tilly's Adventures in Cheyanne Forest.is currently available in paperback and as an e-book online and will available be in book stores shortly.