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School Reception: Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm

Phone: (03) 8099 6000

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PO Box 530, Melton, VIC, 3337
Melton Campus: 109-141 Bulmans Rd, Melton West, VIC 3337
Cobblebank Campus: Bridge Rd, Cobblebank, VIC 3338

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Teacher's Debut Novel

We proudly announce that SFCC Melton Campus teacher James Villinger has published his debut novel Sisters of the Sands, soon available from our school library and for sale from Melton Campus reception.

We asked James to tell us about the book, what inspired the story and his plans for future novels.

What is Sisters of the Sands about?

That’s probably best described in the blurb…

“Once a child soldier of the female dominion, Sacet left that life behind long ago…

Now free from the brainwashing, Sacet would rather stay on the move with her adopted brother, Eno, doing her best to forget her past. When super-powered soldiers will stop at nothing to see them both caught, it becomes clear they won’t be able to run forever. As the past threatens to enslave them, Sacet faces a grave choice… Will she risk both their lives to fight back? Or serve her old masters once more to keep Eno safe?”

How long did it take you to write the book? What inspired you?

I've been thinking about the book series since I was a teenager, so for over 20 years, but back then, I didn't realise it would be a book until I was in my mid-20s. I've been writing it for a long time, shopping it around to different publishers, working on my craft, and editing entire manuscripts over and over. Eventually, I partnered with Shawline Publishing to make it real. I've been inspired by all sores of stories like Dune, The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, Warhammer 40K and the list goes on.

But the real inspiration was that feeling in the back of my mind telling me to write. A feeling that wouldn't go away until the job was done.

Has writing a book been a long-term goal?

Originally, I didn't plan this as a book series, it was just an idea that grew and grew until I could no longer keep all the details straight in my head. But now, having spent over a decade writing, I can very much say that it has been a long-term goal, for sure!

Is this Book 1 of a series? If so, are you working on the next book?

Yes! I've already written two more books in the series, which need to be edited before they can be published. I also wrote Book 4, the finale, but I've decided to throw out almost the entire book (over 100,000 words) and start again with that one. I also have heaps of plans for side stories, tie-in novels, and an entire sequel series, but these things take time.

What advice would you give to any young budding authors at the College?

Your dreams won't be achieved by snapping your fingers or hoping a big-time Hollywood agent will come knocking on your door. Fulfilling your dreams is hard work. Making those dreams a reality takes a lot of time, effort and sometimes money. But know that after all is said and done, the harder you've worked, the greater the feeling of success. There's nothing better than holding up the fruits of your labour for the world to see, regardless of how successful it becomes.

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