As a mother of two, Sibel is no stranger to creating impromptu stories for bedtime. However it wasn’t until she was going through her own divorce, and her daughters went away with their father on holiday for the first time without her, that she was prompted to write these ideas down -but not in the traditional sense. Instead of pen and paper, and in order to keep in contact, she bought her eldest a mobile phone and every night she would type and send them a few paragraphs of an imaginary story.
Thanks to her daughter’s enthusiasm and love of her stories, Sibel realised that she wanted to expand on her creations and develop young female characters that other children like her daughters could identity, instead of the unrealistic dream of the fairy princess. The result? Seven very different daughters each showing not only distinctive personalities and appearances but also very real problems that young children face today -from awkwardness and shyness to bullying and lack of self-esteem. Going one step further Sibel’s books also acknowledge the highs and lows of modern day parenting facing up to the realities of of divorce, single parenting and bereavement in an age appropriate manner, and all with a little touch of magic. And finally throughout the series Sibel reconnects the characters and their adventures with the joys of nature hoping that her stories will entice young children to visit the places where Miranda and her daughters have explored.
Each of her books take the readers on a journey with Miranda and her seven daughters to historical and areas of natural beauty around the United Kingdom. After exploring Stonehenge and the Seven Sisters Cliffs of Sussex (which inspired the characters), the third book in her Witchy Travel Tales series, The Golden Bunny of the Lake District, follows Miranda and her seven daughters on an exciting adventure to the stunning natural landscape of the Lake District.
