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Talon, Connected

5 Star Readers Favorite Award 

The story has its focus on special needs children and it gives readers an awareness about the existence of children like Matica, who is congenitally small in stature. Though Matica is nine years old, she resembles a two-year-old and is the story’s main protagonist. The thread of optimism and positivity that runs through the entire story and the series make it a must-read and a must-have in one’s personal collection. Readers will find the characters lovable and together they spread joy and capture the beauty of the Peruvian landscape. The detailed narration gives a good pace and movement to the story and makes the scenes and characters vivid. It is a story about friendship, love, caring, trust, compassion, bravery, and self discovery. This heartwarming story also celebrates life through the hardships and what stands out is the word ‘connected,’ which forms the essence of the plot. ~ Mamta Madhavan

 

 

 

FINALIST in First line competition with AUTHORSDB 2018

 

 

 

Matica still lives in the small village of Pucara with her brother, mom and dad, who is recovering from his near-death experience. Her 11th birthday is coming up and the things she is about to encounter proves she is very brave.

Events take a sudden turn when she is invited to see Elcano, the very old and frail father of the village elder Pajaro. Not once, but three times he summons her. She is afraid of him but he fascinates her. He calls her ‘his daughter’ Why? The amazing things he is about to tell her could be life-changing, things she had never thought about.
Matica nearly jumps out of her skin at what she is told. ‘Who me?’  she questions herself. ‘Really me?’

Will Matica be able to cope with these life-changing disclosures?
In the midst of all this, the poachers are back, looking for eggs and birds – and Talon.

TALON, CONNECTED is far more than a kids’ story. It is a story about growing up, friendship, and the challenge of moral choices and respect. Ride along during the ongoing adventures of Matica and her best friends, the condors Talon, Tamo and Tima, characters many readers already know and have learned to love.

TALON, CONNECTED is the fourth book of the epic adventure series TALON.

 

 

Gigi Sedlmayer

Gigi Sedlmayer

When I started writing Talon, I knew it had to be set in Peru, as only can you find the majestic condors. I sat in the library for three full days, studying everything about the Indians, their culture and about the condors and their habits. At that time, there was not much available in Internet. Now, anything is easy to find.

I wanted to write a story about a handicapped or challenged girl to show others what they can achieve if they put their minds not to the negativity, but to the positivity. 

As with Matica, I did not have an easy childhood and was always an outsider, keeping to myself. I love birds and I decided to let her have a bird. But then came, what bird? And then the idea went even further. What is if she could fly on the bird? That would be something. But to do that, she has to have a disability and be very small. But again, the bird has to be big as well. And there the condor came to my mind. The Condor Talon series has turned into a ten book series.

I loved the condors. Amazing birds. They are the biggest land birds (vulture) on our wonderful earth. And so the story of Matica and Talon came to existence. I set the scene in Peru, close to the great Andes where the condors live and decided to let her family move to Peru as missionaries from Australia.

My motto was and is: “Teaching Children Self-Confidence through Service to Others.” Children today face immense pressure to fit in with their peers. This pressure is leading to record rates of depression among preteens and teenagers and this to suicide. Parents look for ways to build their children’s self-esteem; however, teens look to their peers and popular culture for acceptance rather than their parents. This puts parents in a challenging situation.

Many children of this age group have issues with acceptance and this is explored and resolved in a positive manner within the storyline of the Talon series. Matica shows children and teens that they can overcome great obstacles with love, patience and a selfless attitude toward helping others and experience exciting adventure on the way.

I wanted to let the world know that, when you put your mind to something and really want it, you can achieve it. Matica was rejected by the local Indians because of her disability. She hated it, but couldn’t do anything about it. As it is in real life. But, and there is always the ‘but’…

Matica was not always happy, even though she tried to be. And so she chose being kind over being right. She had to learn, but she learned it well because if you think that way, you will always feel good about what you do.

Because of my childhood challenges, I had to face being the hero in my own books. And as Mira, Matica’s mum says in my books, ‘Sometimes the worst and greatest problems in life cannot be solved. They can only be outgrown.’

Gigi was born on 19 May 1944 in Potsdam, a suburb of Berlin in Germany. Her family escaped to the West just before the infamous wall went up,  settling in Munich where Gigi studied architectural drafting and met Albert, marrying in December 1967. She worked as a civil draftsperson in various private consultancies in Munich.

Gigi lived in New Zealand for eighteen years then moved to Australia in 1992. Since then, and once her cancer was gone, her writing has flourished. Improving her English as she went, she entered many writing competitions, receiving back positive results.

She now spends most of her time writing, and researching new storylines. Gigi also loves 4×4 touring, swimming, gardening, handcrafts and reading. She also enjoys fossiking, or watching adventure DVDs or going to the movies.

Today, Gigi lives on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.

Available on:

Amazon US, AUS and UK, Blackwells, Barns and Noble, Booktopia, The Book Depository, Angues and Robertson (Bookworld), Fishpond, Gardner's