Author makes a splash

By Shaun Inguanzo
A KEYSBOROUGH woman who wrote a fantasy novel as a gift for her nine-year-old daughter could soon be joining the literary ranks of authors such as JK Rowling and CS Lewis.
Avtar Kaur, 49, appeared in the Star earlier this year campaigning to save the City of Greater Dandenong’s mobile library service.
Ironically, once the service ceased she began to write a children’s fantasy book called The Moon Mermaids.
Now, literary agents are knocking on Ms Kaur’s door to acquire the intellectual property and publish it.
The process has happened suddenly for Ms Kaur, who this week told Star she was coming to terms with her pending fame – and possible fortune.
“I finished the story in two weeks, but typing and refining it has taken much longer,” she said.
The Moon Mermaids takes the fantasy genre in an entirely new direction, foregoing the oft-beaten rug of witches and wizards for the less familiar underwater theme that once captivated children with Disney’s The Little Mermaid.
Ms Kaur has invented the land of Mermasia – and even has drawings of maps, Mermasia’s flag, and concepts of what the Moon Mermaids look like.
The Moon Mermaid concept centres around a species of fairy that descended into the water.
Ms Kaur said the story snowballed into so many ideas that she would create a trilogy of books.
To find out more about the Moon Mermaids visit Ms Kaur’s website, www.moonmermaids.webs.com.