Happy New Year!!It's March already!! How come?!
Hope you all had an amazing time with family and friends over the holidays! (I know... it feels like ages ago now!!)

The Spies family had a great time in England spending Christmas with relatives. We had some amazing sunny days (still cold though!!!) sightseeing and exploring the English countryside. It was a busy holiday, each day filled with a different adventure, but we also had time to chill out by the fire on the cold days and read some awesome books!! It's nice to be back now in New Zealand.

A big welcome to our new subscribers! We have been doing some promotions for our books and we are gobsmacked by the response!! Thank you so much for joining our community of readers! In the last newsletter I talked about how we started our publishing business to nourish Ben's passion for writing and self-published his first book - Weirdo. You can read it in our blog here. Today, I would like to share a little more about his book:

Weirdo is a story about a ten-year-old boy who recently lost his parents. Ugine lives by himself now. He has no friends at school and everyone thinks he is weird... Well, there are some pretty weird things he does sometimes! You can follow Ugine's journey to finding happiness in this little sweet story about friendship, courage, determination and weird adventure! Ben wrote Weirdo when he was nine years old, so the story is told in an authentic voice of a child with the emotions and experiences of a 9 year old boy. He's always loved writing and reading, particularly books with lots and lots of adventures. Ben has a very peculiar, funny sense of humour and he loves character with funny names ... but most of all, Ben loves making people laugh through his writing. You can get the e-version of Weirdo for FREE at the bottom of this email. And you can buy the paperback here. 

Since then Ben has written another three books with many more to come! If you would like to learn more about us, check out our website: www.spiespublishing.co.nz
Ben's books are available from Amazon and Book Depository.
You can purchase the e-books for as low as $2.99 from Amazon!!!
And Book Depository is delivering worldwide for FREE!!
Both retailers sell our paperback versions.
Click on your preferred retailer to get Ben's books now!


Ben's books not only make a great gift, but can also show a child that dreams can come true with continued dedication and hard work. 


For those of you living near Wellington, you might have heard that the iconic Underground Market is closing down!! They have to move from the current location as the building was deemed not fit for use for large events. The last day of the market will be the 14th of March. They are in the process of looking for a new venue and we do hope they find one soon!! We have been having a stall there for a while now, along with other local Wellington authors and it has been great to meet new readers and get our books known to the public. Please come and support local business if you're in the city. It's a great place to visit and find beautiful gift from local artists. 
Check out these FREE books for children!!
Click on the image below

We've also partnered with some science-fiction authors!!
Check out these books on the image below for some great sci-fi reads!

March Events:
. We will have a pop-up bookstore along with other Wellington authors in Porirua on the 21st and 22nd of March!! Come and check these amazing books written by local authors.
10am to 4pm. 7 Serlby place, Porirua
. We will also be at the Karori West Normal School Fair on that Saturday, 21st of March between 10am and 2pm.
Lots of fun for the family and books for children!
Join our ARC team and receive Ben's books first!
If you love reviewing and would like to receive free early copies of Ben's books, let us know! Reviews help our books get noticed and seen when people are searching on Amazon! We would love for you to review Ben's books!
Contact us at: [email protected]
If you have already read one of of Ben's books and enjoyed it, please leave a review on Amazon!!
Leaving reviews helps Ben's books get discovered in searches and it would mean the world to us!! 
Click on the image below and choose a book to review!!
Thank you!!

 A GIFT FOR YOU!!!
Your FREE Weirdo e-book
We value your support and Ben would like to gift you his very first book!
A great read for children aged 7 and older. If you like his book, feel free to recommend it to your family and friends!!
You can always join us on Facebook and Instagram to follow our news and events!
Spies Publishing fosters storytelling, creativity and pride.
Check our introductory video below for our new service
- MY FIRST BOOK - and contact us if you would like to create a book with your children's stories.

Thanks for reading and following our journey,

Hello all! Thank you for joining our newsletter!!
Welcome to our new subscribers!!

We've had a lot of people joining our newsletter recently and I just wanted to say HI and a big WELCOME to all of you!!

For those who don't know our story, I started Spies Publishing to reward, recognize and celebrate my son's passion for writing! Ben was really young when I started noticing his love for books, reading and writing. He would come back from school in the afternoon and all he wanted to do was to write his books. His happy place was when he was writing. After going to many music concerts and prize giving ceremonies for my other son who loves music, sports, dance and uuuhhh... everything else, I realized that there aren't many opportunities for young writers to celebrate their passion. I decided to publish Ben's first book - Weirdo - and give to him as a present, a reward for his writing. Since then, Ben hasn't stopped writing.... and Spies Publishing was born.

If you would like to know more about our business, check out our website: www.spiespublishing.co.nz

Read on below to check lots of promotions we have joined to offer you great books these holidays!! So so many books! Some for free, some on offer, children's books, adult books! Check it out!!
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE BEN'S BOOKS, THEY ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE BOOK DEPOSITORY OR AMAZON. 

Ben's books not only make great Christmas presents but can also show a child that dreams can come true with continued dedication and hard work. :)

Join our ARC team and receive Ben's books first!If you love reviewing and would like to receive free early copies of Ben's books, let us know! Reviews help our books get noticed and seen when people are searching on Amazon! We would love for you to review Ben's books!
Contact us at: [email protected].

If you have already read one of of Ben's books and enjoyed it, please leave a review on Amazon!! Leaving reviews helps Ben's books get discovered in searches and it would mean the world to us!! 
Visit Ben's page in Amazon and choose a book to review!!

Thank you!! A GIFT FOR YOU!!!
Your FREE Weirdo e-bookWe value your support and Ben would like to gift you his very first book! A great read for children aged 7 and older. If you like his book, feel free to recommend to your family and friends!!

You can always join us on Facebook and Instagram to follow our news and events!

Spies Publishing fosters storytelling, creativity and pride.
Check our introductory video below for our new service
- MY FIRST BOOK - and contact us if you would like to create a book with your children's stories.
Thanks for reading and following our journey,

​Thank you to everyone who came to our Book Launches in Kapiti and Wellington!

Hi all,
We had a blast celebrating the launch of Ben's new book - 2020!!
Thank you to everyone who took time out from their busy schedules to join us celebrating this very important moment at Spies headquarters!!
Thank you to our editor, friend and partner Helen Vivienne Fletcher who opened our event in Kapiti. The work of an editor is so much more than reviewing and editing a manuscript. Helen has been a key part in our publishing process in "getting" Ben's voice, understanding his writing and growing his confidence.
Thank you to our printer Christine Borra from Your Books, who opened our event in Wellington. To all of you who are thinking of publishing a book, I would highly recommend checking out Your Books website and giving Christine a call. Her expertise and friendly approach are truly remarkable and will help you all the way.
Thank you to Isa Pearl Rirchie who invited us to do a combined Book Launch in Wellington.  It was a pleasure to get to know Isa and her books better. Isa was launching her new book - Awa and the Dreamrealm - the first book in a series of middle-grade fantasy books. Isa is also the author of Fishing for Maui - an incredible novel about food, whānau, and mental illness.
Thank you to the Children's Bookshop in Kilbirnie who hosted the event in Wellington. The shop owner, Ruth McIntyre, is a great supporter of New Zealand authors and has been stocking Ben's books since his very first one - Weirdo! The Children's Bookshop has an excellent collection of children's books and they also sell online. Have a look at their website and start stocking for your Christmas presents!
And last but not least... thank you to my awesome family. Ben's father and my husband Robert - thank you for always being there for us! Robert was the illustrator for Ben's first two books and now helps me run the operations smoothly for Spies Publishing. Thank you to Daniel, my younger son! Thank you for being the first reader of our books and providing us with such direct, honest feedback! And Ben... thank you for inspiring me everyday with your love for books, writing and reading. Your passion and dedication are really extraordinary and I can't wait to see where your imagination will take you and your stories.

** FREE DELIVERY ** FREE DELIVERY ** ** FREE DELIVERY **
For those who couldn't come to either of our events, we are offering FREE DELIVERY on our books!!! For limited time only. Go to our website and use coupon FREEDEL at checkout. Ben's books not only make great Christmas presents but can also show a child that dreams can come true with continued dedication and hard work. :)
Offer valid for New Zealand deliveries only.
For free delivery worldwide, go to our website and purchase with Book Depository.

Join our ARC team and receive Ben's books first!
If you love reviewing and would like to receive free early copies of Ben's books, let us know! Reviews help our books get noticed and seen when people are searching on Amazon! We would love for you to review Ben's books!
Contact us at: [email protected].

If you have already read one of of Ben's books and enjoyed it, please leave a review on Amazon!! Leaving reviews helps Ben's books get discovered in searches and it would mean the world to us!! Click on the image below and choose a book to review!!
Thank you!!

 A GIFT FOR YOU!!!
Your FREE Weirdo - Ben's first book
We value your support and Ben would like to gift you his very first book!
A great read for children aged 7 and older. If you like his book, feel free to recommend to your family and friends!!

You can always join us on Facebook and Instagram to follow our news and events!

Spies Publishing fosters storytelling, creativity and pride.
Our new service - MY FIRST BOOK - creates beautiful books with YOUR CHILD's story!!
Contact us if you would like to create a book with your children's stories.

Thanks for reading and following our journey,
Renata Spies

Hi all,

We are super excited to share with you the launch of Ben's new book!
2020 is his first science-fiction and tells the story of mother and son trying to survive the horrors of an apocalyptic world. "Earth's orbit is moving closer to the Sun and our planet is heating up at an alarming rate.The spacecraft sent by NASA, to find a new home for the human race, has been destroyed by an alien force.
Twelve-year-old Jacob and his mother, Susan, are fighting for survival while witnessing the horrors of an apocalyptic world. With so many threats to our planet, the true enemy may not come from outer space, but from right here among us.
Susan and Jacob are quickly running out of time. However, hope might be on its way after all... just not from where they expected.
Will Susan and Jacob survive? Or will they fall prey to this dreadful, chaotic world?"
Buy 2020 now in Amazon

If you're in the Kapiti Coast THIS Saturday, come and join us in celebrating the launch of Ben's new book - 2020.
A science-fiction for older children and young teenagers. 
Our event will be launched by Wellington author Helen Vivienne Fletcher who was the editor for Ben's book. Helen is also a creative writing tutor and runs workshops in Wellington through her business: Brain Bunny Creative Writing Workshops. Helen will have her books there for sale including her new young adult novel - WE ALL FALL. To learn more about Helen, visit her website here.

New Zealand children's author Marie Munro will also be at the event selling her fabulous pictures books! A great opportunity to stock for your Christmas presents! You can check more info on her website here.

And finally, the cookbook produced by the PTA from Raumati South School, based in the Kapiti Coast, will also be for sale at our book launch! Our Village Kitchen brings you treasured recipes from Raumati South families and Kāpiti Coast eateries, including many international dishes that reflect our community’s cultural diversity. The recipes are accompanied by enticing photographs of the food, school community an

Love FREE BOOKS?
For a limited time ONLY you can download a collection of children's and young adult e-books for FREE!!
Click on image below to download yours!

Remember you still have a few days left to support the Kickstarter campaign by Canadian award-winning author, Jessica Renwick. Jessica is launching a Kickstarter campaign for her new book - The Mythical Girls! This promises to be a fantastic book for anybody who loves mythical stories and strong heroines! The campaign is live until November 13th and you can pre-order copies here.

Join our ARC team and receive Ben's books first!
If you love reviewing and would like to receive free early copies of Ben's books, let us know! Reviews help our books get noticed and seen when people are searching in Amazon! We would love for you to review Ben's books! Contact us at: [email protected].

If you have read one of of Ben's books below and enjoyed it, please leave a review in Amazon!! Leaving reviews helps the books get discovered in the searches and it would mean the world to us!!  Thank you!!

 A GIFT FOR YOU!!!
Your FREE Weirdo - Ben's first book
We value your support and Ben would like to gift you with his very first book!
A great read for children aged 7 and older. If you like his book, feel free to recommend to your family and friends!!

You can always join us in our Facebook and Instagram to follow our news and events!

Spies Publishing foster storytelling, creativity and pride.

Check our introductory video below for our new service - MY FIRST BOOK -
and contact us if you would like to create a book with your children's stories.

Thanks for reading and following our journey,
​Renata Spies

Kapiti Teenage Author launches fourth book
 
Kapiti’s award winning teenage author, Ben Spies, is launching his fourth book next month.  Ben, who recently won a bronze medal at the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award in the United States, has written three highly acclaimed children’s books.  His much awaited fourth book ‘2020’ is a science fiction novel and tackles the topic of climate change from a child’s perspective.
 
Ben’s passion for writing led him to become a published author at the age of nine with his first book, ‘Weirdo’. ‘The Magic Pencil’ followed soon after at age ten, and ‘The World of Greek Mythology’ at age eleven. Ben is thirteen years old now and is already planning his fifth book.
 
Ben puts his success down to his age. “I’m a teenager and I know what kids love to read and what makes them laugh.  I think that’s why my books have been so popular with other children.” 
 
This has been echoed by reviewers of his last book, ‘The World of Greek Mythology’.  The NZ Booksellers Association’s reviewer Rachel Moore says, “Spies writes in a lively, fast-paced style, with lots of jokes and asides to his readers. He knows his audience well”.  Alex Mitcalfe from NZ Reviews of Books writes, “The tone throughout is generally light, with a fair sparkling of humour. Spies tells jokes with far greater class than most adult writers for the upper-primary market.”
 
As a result of Ben’s prolific writing, his parents, Renata and Robert Spies from Raumati, have started an independent publishing company, Spies Publishing, which publishes the work of young authors.  Ben hopes his writing will inspire other children to follow in his footsteps. “I’ve always loved reading and writing and I hope that some kid out there reads this and thinks, ‘Wow, I want to do that too!’”
 
‘2020’ will be officially released on the 26th of October and there will be two book launches to celebrate the event.  It will be launched by Wellington children's author Helen Vivienne Fletcher on the 9th of November, at the Raumati South Hall in the Kapiti Coast at 3pm. And on the 16th of November at the Children's Bookshop in Kilbirnie, Wellington, at 5.30pm, there will be a combined book launch with author Isa Pearl Ritchie who will be launching ‘Awa and the Dreamrealm’, her first book for young people. Everyone is welcome and you can RSVP to [email protected].
 
‘2020’ is available from bookstores nationwide or online from Amazon, Book Depository or Ben's website: www.spiespublishing.co.nz
  
For further information contact:
 
Renata Spies
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0210 756 239

​

Welcome to our Spring Newsletter! 

Spring is here! Well, at least in the Southern Hemisphere! It's great to see more sunshine and the days getting warmer! Love it!
We are so excited to have you as part of our journey! Our little business started as a way to inspire and celebrate my son's writing. When I realised writing was his passion, I self-published his first book when he was nine to give to him as a present, a reward for his efforts. Since then, Ben hasn't stopped writing and we are now about to publish his fourth book!! Woohoo!! 2020 is his first sci-fi novel. An action-packed science fiction for older children and young teenagers. The book is in the final stages of editing, proof-reading and printing, so once we have a date, I will send you an email with an invite to the launch. For now, keep reading our newsletters to catch up on what we've been up to, future events and the latest on our books!
Exciting times!!!

Your sincerely,
Renata Spies

PAST EVENTS
Thank you to everyone who came to our past events. We love meeting our readers and getting to know new ones!! Keep reading below to see our next events or like us on facebook and follow us on instagram to know about our next events!

Great turn out at the Paekakariki library and Island Bay library for
our workshop "Create Your Book" for the Beyond the Page Festival in libraries around the Wellington region.

Ben had loads of fun shooting for his campaign with Phantom Posters. Did you spot any of his posters in these locations: Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin?

Last month, we had the pleasure of being interviewed by the lovely book blogger and American author Connie Dowell from Book Echoes. You can listen to the interview on her podcast here.

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS
On these school holidays our workshop will be delivered in partnership with The Roxy Cinema in Miramar at their holiday program - Roxy Rocketeers. 
Ticket prices:
$45.00 per child. Discounts apply when booking multiple tickets. 9:30am-1:30pm
Wednesday 9th October. Movie: ABOMINABLE. 
Activity: "Create Your Book" workshop with Spies Publishing, games and prizes.
Every ticket includes a film, games, snacks, prizes, face painting,
our workshop AND lunch! Limited places, first in first served.
Check more information and book directly with them in the link here.

FUTURE EVENTS
We will be at the fabulous Wellington Underground Market together with 12 other New Zealand authors at the Underground Bookstore stall! We will be there Saturday AND Sunday this weekend 28th and 29th September, 5th and 6th October and 12th and 13th October. Come and see us and other authors with books varying from children, romance, thriller, travel and more! More info here.

Another date for South islanders - on the 26th of October we will be at the Wham Bam Author Jam Christchurch!! An event with authors from New Zealand and abroad, book signings and lots of fun! Can't wait to see you there! More info here.
REVIEWS

We are so incredibly proud of Ben's book - The World of Greek Mythology! The book has been gaining great reviews from the industry! Highly regarded sites like the New Zealand Book Council, New Zealand Booksellers Association and the New Zealand Book of Reviews have issued fantastic reviews for the book. You can check all reviews on our site here. Reviews are the most effective way to get a book known to new readers, specially in Amazon. If you have read any of Ben's books and would like to support his writing, please leave a review for him on Amazon. You can find the link to his books under his author page and then click on the book you would like to leave the review: https://amzn.to/2kHACnb

NEW BOOK
Ben's new book is coming out soon! We're just in the final stages of editing before it goes to print. Will let you know as soon as we have a date! Very exciting!! :)
2020
Earth's orbit is moving closer to the Sun and our planet is heating up at an alarming rate. The spacecraft sent by NASA, to find a new home for the human race, has been destroyed by an alien force. Twelve-year-old Jacob and his mother, Susan, are fighting for survival while witnessing the horrors of an apocalyptic world. With so many threats to our planet, the true enemy may not come from outer space, but from right here among us. Susan and Jacob are quickly running out of time. However, hope might be on its way after all... just not from where they expected. Will Susan and Jacob survive? Or will they fall prey to this dreadful, chaotic world?

ARC MEMBERS
Dear ARC members!! Check your inbox!! We have emailed you all with an advance copy of the new book - 2020!! 
If you would like to be an advance reader for Ben's books, send us an email to: [email protected]
We will be opening membership again soon for the club!! We're just getting set up in a new platform, so you can receive all info and a link with the new book in the same place! Easy as!

To see all Ben's books, follow his Author page in Amazon:
https://amzn.to/2kHACnb

Ben has been working on a new website for him! You can check it out his own site here and facebook page here. 
​
Did you know we have created a platform for children who love writing like Ben? MY FIRST BOOK is a new service that transforms your children's stories into beautiful books. You can now upload the story and illustrations directly to our website! Check it out here!

Thank you so much for everyone who has been following our journey and supporting Ben's writing and books. You can find more information about us in our website www.spiespublishing.co.nz and purchase our books through Amazon or Book Depository clicking on images below.




​

Welcome to our Winter Newsletter for 2019.Winter has definitely arrived here in New Zealand and I can only dream of the nice sunny warm days some of you in the Northern Hemisphere are lucky enough to be having! Temperatures dropped to near zero this week, so wrapping ourselves in blankets by the fire and reading a book (or writing one!) was one of our favourite activities at home. I truly believe this was one of the reasons why Ben finished his fourth book!! We're stoked with the manuscript and can't wait to share it with you all! But, as some of you know well... finishing writing a manuscript is not the end, but more so the beginning of a long process leading to publishing. We are looking forward to send it to our editors soon and also to all of you who agreed to be our Advance Readers! Yay! You will be hearing from us very soon. (Well, not very soon, but soon!)
We have some news, workshops, events and of course Ben's new book to share with you below! 

Enjoy!
Renata Spies



We had such a great time at the Booktown Featherston this year!! Thank you to everyone who popped by our stall! There was a great variety of book stalls and the program with author talks, workshops and children's activities was absolutely amazing!! Can't wait for next year event!!  Thank you Julie Lamb for popping by and congratulations on the launch of her new book - Harriet and the Eye of the Bird! 




​
Thank you to all the bookshops supporting
Spies Publishing and stocking our books. 
A big welcome to our new bookshop on board - Masterton PaperPlus!
You can see a list of our retailers here.


Awesome to see a few mentions over the past few months in magazines, catalogues and websites about Ben's books. Check it out!
Check out the latest catalogue by IngramSpark featuring
'The World of Greek Mythology'. If you're in Australia, the US or UK, you can now request a copy of any of Ben's books from a bookstore.
Thank you Upstart Magazine for also featuring Ben's latest book
with an awesome review and the Young NZ Writers Website for sharing Ben's passion for writing and books in general.

​
If you're a bookseller you might have noticed our ad in the Booksellersnewsletter this month! Any wholesale orders from NZ can be requested through: [email protected]
We are delighted to be part of the fabulous 'Beyond the Page' literary event again this year!! Check out their fantastic program featuring some of the great names in the New Zealand book scene! We will be delivering our "Create Your Book" workshop over two days at the Paekakariki library and Island Bay library during the school holidays. If you would like to join us, check out more info at their page here.


             We are delighted to reveal the title for Ben's new book .... 2020!!

2020 tells the story of an imminent catastrophic event on Earth about to happen in the year 2020. NASA has recently discovered that our planet is moving closer to the Sun and the human species as we know it, is about to be exterminated. Not many people know about it. The few who do, are desperately trying to save the human race, but are rapidly running out of options. And to make things worse, someone among them has a hidden agenda that can drastically interfere with any possibility to save us all. Our only hope might come from an unexpected turn of events.

Interested to read more? Ben would love to have some Advance Readers for his book. If you, or your child, would like to receive the manuscript before it goes to print, and give Ben some feedback, we would love to hear from you!! Let us know by emailing us at: [email protected]


Have you read one of Ben's books? We would love if you could leave a review in our pages! Reviews are a great way to help an upcoming author like Ben to get known and appear in Google and Amazon searches. We really appreciate your review! Thank you!


Leave review in Amazon
Leave review in Google
Leave review in Facebook


​Thank you for being part of our journey.

It has been a while since I sent our last newsletter and lots have been happening here at Spies Publishing! It's always hectic when you launch a new book and try to get it out there. But I'm happy to say that we have been receiving some great reviews for Ben's latest book - The World of Greek Mythology!  I'm sharing a few below in this letter. Check them out. Ben also had a small feature in The Week Junior Magazine from the UK, where he shares his love for books and writing. He is extremely happy about it as it's one of his favourite magazines and he's been a subscriber for a few years!
 
If you've been following our Facebook page you would know by now that Ben is writing a new book! Yay! And we need you! Yes, we need some advance readers to read the book before anyone else (yes, you will have it first!!) and let Ben know what you thought of it - a true feedback that Ben will take into consideration and may accept your ideas before publishing it!
 
And last, but not least..... I've ALWAYS wanted to help other children to have their own books. Just like what I did for Ben. I have been approached by many parents asking if I could publish their children's stories too. And I'm super excited to say we now can!! Keep reading to find out how your young author can now have their own book!

Happy Easter!!
Want to know what reviewers are saying about 
The World of Greek Mythology?
Click on the images below to check the reviews out and if you like what you read, head on to Amazon to buy the book!



GIVE AWAY TIME!!  HAPPY EASTER!!
Have you liked our Facebook page yet?
Head on to our page here to be in to win!!
Easter Giveaway - chocolate and books!! Yum!
Like and Share our page to be in the know of giveaways,
events, workshops and new books!
Nice to see Ben sharing his love for books and his passion for writing with the British readers! If you're in the UK, The Week Junior is a brilliant current affairs magazine for children aged between 8 and 14. It’s filled with fascinating stories and information, written to engage curious young minds and encourage them to explore and understand the world around them.
Check out their website for more information: https://theweekjunior.co.uk
WE NEED YOU!
Would you like to read Ben's next book and give him your feedback before we publish it? Email us at: [email protected] to let us know you want to be one of Ben's Advance Readers! You will receive his manuscript by email before it goes to print and you can let him know what you thought of his book.
We would love to hear from you! 
MY FIRST BOOK
Most of you know how long I've been waiting for the opportunity to create books for other children. When I gave Ben his first book, I saw in his eyes something I will never forget. Pride. Ben was so proud of his story becoming a book that he never stopped writing after that. I strongly believe that children should be rewarded for what they love doing and put a lot of effort on. It's easy to reward a child who loves paying soccer or rugby. So many certificates are given to the best players. It's easy to reward a child who loves acting. There are many plays in the end of the year. And for a child who loves playing an instrument, we go and watch them in their concert. But what about a child who loves writing? It's a lonely journey to write your stories on the computer and have no one to share with. I experienced this with Ben. But once their story can be printed into a book, there's a chance they can share with families and friends and be proud too for their achievement. I'm so happy I can now help these children and create their first book! Click the image below and I will tell you how...

Helen and I made a video to introduce you to MY FIRST BOOK.
Check it out!
A bit more about Brain Bunny:
At Brain Bunny Workshops, the classes are focused on teaching kids how to write creatively. They instill a love of story telling, rather than focusing on spelling and grammar, helping children gain confidence in their creative writing skills. If you would like to know more about Brain Bunny Creative Writing program for your child, click here.
We are so happy to be part of Booktown Featherston again this year!!
Come and join us and lots of other New Zealand publishers and authors in this amazing event in the Wairarapa. There will be something for everyone in the family. And books! Lots of books! Check their program here.

If you haven't seen us in Instagram yet, click on button below to follow us!
Instagram

​Hello all and welcome to the final Spies Publishing Newsletter for 2018. I hope this finds you well and that you're all looking forward to a lovely summer holiday with friends and family.

I would  like to say a HUGE thank you to all of you who came to our book launch for The World of Greek Mythology. It has been a labour of love over the past year and Ben and I were extremely happy to be able to have shared it with you. We have already been receiving emails and reviews about the book and with some of the readers asking when Ben's next book is coming out!  So thank you, thank you and thank you for your kind and generous support this year. Some pictures of the day below.

I just wanted to finish wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year filled with love, peace, health and lots of reading!

Kind regards,
Renata Spies

Our Book Launch for "The World of Greek Mythology" was a combined event with author and children's tutor Helen Vivienne Fletcher, who was also launching her latest book - "The Trespassers Club." Helen was also the editor for Ben's book.

If you couldn't come to our Book Launch, we are running an offer at the moment on our website for FREE DELIVERY!! (code: FREEDEL)
So head to www.spiespublishing.co.nz  
and order your books for this Christmas.
(But be quick as NZ Post cut off date is on the 18th December!!).
If you would like to order Helen's books,
visit her website at: www.helenvfletcher.com.

Thank you Kapiti News for covering the Book Launch event.
And also Radio Coast Access for the awesome interview with Ben.

Huge thanks to the team at Grapevine Magazine and Capital Magazine for featuring our books in their issue this month. Check out both magazines below with links on where to get them. "The Magic Pencil" was part of a giveaway in Grapevine and Ben's new book - "The World of Greek Mythology" was in Capital in their Christmas issue. Both magazines contain great articles to entertain, inform and delight you these holidays! 

We are running an awesome giveaway at the moment on our Facebook page! (until Sunday, 16th December). Head to Spies Publishing to enter the giveaway. We will be giving away Ben's three books, a copy of Capital magazine and some chocolates. Yum Yum!

"Create Your Book" Workshop
We are taking bookings for our workshops for next year! If you have an event or holiday program and would like to have us, send us an email. 
We will be away for most of January, but we have one workshop scheduled at the Roxy Cinema, Miramar, Wellington on the 24th January.
You can book a space here.
We are also taking bookings for school visits. We have a new program for the schools, so please get in touch here.
Big thanks to the teachers at Boulcott School for having us last term.

Welcome to our new retailers Paper Plus Wanaka in the South Island and Dynamo Kidswear and Gifts on the Kapiti Coast, who are now stocking our books. You can see a full list of our retailers and bookshops on our website.
   
We were extremely honoured to have been invited to the launch of Marie Munro's new book - Bella's Fringe - a beautiful picture book. This humorous story about Bella's hair continues with the search activities in te reo Māori that appeared in "Nana's Shed” and extends the counting in English and te reo to 20. A great gift for this Christmas. You can get a copy of Bella's Fringe here.
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If you would like to order our books through our website, remember to quote code: FREEDEL at check out to get free delivery.
Our pre-launch OFFER is also still on!


Happy Holidays!