Echidna Mania

Felix Spark's little sister is a fixologist. Astrid can fix cracked cups, broken toys, Felix's thumb, even Dad's Harley Davidson when it is swallowed by a hole in the back lawn. But even she can't fix what's under the house, threatening to destroy the world. For that she'll need a rock band, a didgeridoo, an astrophysicist and a few thousand echidnas. Get ready for a close encounter of the third, fourth and fifth kind. Justin D'Ath says: 'The idea for Astrid came from a short story I read shortly after I began the book. A woman said of her husband that he was able to fix anything. I made the cliche literal and there was Astrid. The idea of her mending a broken heart was suggested by a school girl attending an author presentation I did last year. I frequently write myself into a corner or become stuck on plot details. So I'll invite suggestions from school groups or whoever I happen to be talking to at the time. If someone else's idea works I'll happily use it.'