To win a copy of Nicola's beautiful new book - send an email to [email protected] and put 'The Family for Me' in the headline, and we'll contact you if you're the winner! :)

Q: Tell us about yourself and what is your new book about?

A: "My name is Nicola Mackenzie, and I am the very excited and proud author of the recently published children's picture book The Family For Me, published by Little Steps Publishing."

Q: What inspired you to write it?

A: "The book began as a homemade... bedtime story for my niece, who is being raised by an incredible single mum. I moved in with my sister to assist with caring for my niece, and wanted to create something that would help her understand that families come in all different shapes and sizes."

Q: What is the main message of The Family For Me?

A: "The story celebrates the many different ways a family can be, from big to small, loud to quiet, traditional to beautifully unique, with a key central message that there is simply no one way for a family to look."

Q: Why is this story so meaningful to you?

A: "What truly matters is not how a family looks, but the love, support, and acceptance within it... Normalising different family structures is something that is very close to my heart, as an educator and a proud gay woman."

Q: What do you hope readers take away from it?

A: "I would love to raise awareness for my story in the hope that it can reach the families and hearts of those it was created for, to see their own and others families reflected positively in a children's book and to celebrate the uniqueness of their families."

You can also buy copies of Nicola's books here.