Stories

Zoya has a passion for writing stories for young people – from picture books to young adult.
Find some of her work below.
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​ Short story, TO BE AN   ARCHER, The School   Magazine.
 Enjoying themselves too much at the royal festival may cost two friends a place as archers in the king's army. ​
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Short story, THE ROYAL LINK, Alphabet Soup Magazine.
 The family dog snags Dad's time-travelling bike when a boy jumps on to find his great-grandmother's ruby ring.
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Short story, THE BEST HOUSE, The School Magazine.
Two friends swap houses for the day to see if each others lives are better than their own.
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SCRIBBLES IN THE DARK - co-written novella with the Northern Beaches Writers' Group.
Callum has lived with his grandparents above their pub in Australia’s outback since his father disappeared, six years ago. Then the rains came, and Callum and his foster brother, Jake, are transported to another world where questions are answered, and lives changed. Why is Jake scared of the scribbly gumtrees? Who is the mysterious girl? Is there any way home?
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www.northernbeacheswritersgroup.com/portfolio/scribbles-in-the-dark/
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A DOLPHIN FOR NAIA - co-written novella with the Northern Beaches Writers' Group.
When Mason’s parents left him to live on the other side of the country, he swore he'd never forgive them, or the invention that kept them so busy… Now they’ve called him back, promising to be a family again. But when Mason and his grandmother arrive, the caravan in the shadow of the giant dam is silent and his parents are gone. When a cryptic message begs him to bring their strange dolphin-like creation to the coast, Mason suddenly finds himself caught in a race where the price of failure is higher than he could ever have imagined. 
​www.northernbeacheswritersgroup.com/portfolio/a-dolphin-for-naia/
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Short story, HIDDEN GOLD, in the Creative Kids Tales Story Collection anthology compiled by Georgie Donaghey.
"A marvelous collection of short stories and poems in this multi-faceted mix derived from forty emerging authors and illustrators...with a blend of tales of the humorous, intriguing, inspiring, exciting and poignant kind that will keep its readers on their literary toes for hours." Romi Sharp
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Poem, A LIVELY LUNCHTIME BUNCH, in the Jelli-Beanz annual anthology: Hopscotch – Packed Lunch.
A collection of short stories, poems and illustrations for children, compiled by Donna M Smith.
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INTO TORDON​ - co-written middle-grade fantasy with MidnightSun Publishing.
Thirteen-year-old Beth has been waiting for weeks to play in the championship of her favourite online game, Tordon. Now tribes of beastmen roar through her speakers. Game on! She plays to win, until her gaming nemesis Zane challenges her to a real-life risk that has them sucked into a strange world where they must push their skills to the limit just to survive! Faced with riddles, a multitude of dangerous creatures, exotic cultures and scientific impossibilities, Beth and Zane are forced to take on challenge after challenge if they're ever to return home.

​www.midnightsunpublishing.com/shop/books/into-tordon/


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Short story, RUBELIYA​, in the Australian Fairy Tale Society’s: South of the Sun anthology, Serenity Press.
​"This is an enchanting illustrated book of fairy tales...but not the kind you read to children at bedtime. They are strictly for the grown-ups."

​www.amazon.com.au/South-Sun-Australian-Fairy-Century/dp/0645080713
Stay tuned!
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​Awards and other Publications
  • Article, AF - STICKY SITUATION, in Gardening Australia, November 2009.
  • Highly Commended, MG - GYFU, Nairda Lyne Short Story Award, May 2011.
  • Highly Commended, YA - A LIFE WORTH LIVING, Stringybark Flash Fiction Award, June 2011 (Story published in: Between Heaven and Hell anthology).
  • Winner, YA - Australian Society of Authors: Mentorship, August 2011 for THE MEDAL, THE GHOST AND THE FIRESTONE. (Mentor: Nette Hilton).
  • 2nd Prize, MG - RUBY ORANGE AND THE YOWIE, Gold Coast Writers short Story competition, September 2011.
  • Poem, JF - A LIVELY LUNCHTIME BUNCH, in the Jelli-Beanz annual anthology: Hopscotch – Packed Lunch, November 2011.
  • 2nd Prize, MG - THE CHARRED CHIMNEY, Spooky But True short story competition, December 2011 by Warrambucca Books.
  • Short story, MG - CLEVER MR SATO, in Alphabet Soup Magazine, February 2012.
  • Commended, MG - WHO’S EAGER? Nairda Lyne Short Story Award, May 2012.
  • Super short story, YA - FACEBOOK FRIEND, in the Short and Twisted 2012 anthology by Celepene Press, June 2012,.
  • Runner Up, PB - MUD DAY, KBR Unpublished Picture Book Award, July 2012.
  • Short story, MG - TO BE AN ARCHER, in The School Magazine, October 2012.
  • 2nd Prize, MG - HIDDEN GOLD, 10th Kathleen Julia Bates Memorial Writing Competition, November 2012.
  • Commended, MG - BUTTERFLIERS AND BUTTERLINGS, Creative Kids Tales Writing Competition, December 2012.
  • Short story, MG - THE ROYAL LINK, in Alphabet Soup Magazine, February 2013.
  • Shortlisted short story, MG - RILEY’S BOX, Charlotte Duncan Award, June 2013.
  • Short story, JF - THE BEST HOUSE, in The School Magazine, July 2013.
  • Winner, Best National Book, YA - SCRIBBLES IN THE DARK, October 2013, WABIAD (Write a Book in a Day) with the Katherine Susannah Pritchard Foundation for the Kids Cancer Project.
  • Story, MG - GYFU, by PrintsCharming Press in the Charms anthology Volume 3, November 2013.
  • Winner, MG - CBCA’s Charlotte Waring Barton Award, November 2013, for MR BUTTONS AND THE FANCIFUL PHOTOGRAPH  (Mentor: JC Burke)
  • Short story, AF -THE ROMANCE OF ANTIQUES, in the Short and Twisted anthology by Celepene Press, July 2014.
  • Winner, Best National Book, YA - A DOLPHIN FOR NAIA, October 2014, WABIAD with the Katherine Susannah Pritchard Foundation for the Kids Cancer Project.
  • Short story, MG -FORGETFUL JEF, in the Creative Kids Tales anthology – Into the Forest, November 2015.  www.smashwords.com/books/view/596447
  • Middle-grade fantasy, MG - INTO TORDON, co-written with NBWG, accepted for publication by MidnightSun Publishing, Published November 2016.
  • Short story, MG -HIDDEN GOLD, in the CKT Story Collection anthology, November 2017.
  • Short story, MG - THE CHARRED CHIMNEY, at Warrambucca Books October 2018. (As Zoya N) www.warrambuccabooks5.wixsite.com/mysite/showcase
  • Short story, YA - RUBELIYA, by Serenity Press in the Australian Fairy Tale Society’s: South of the Sun anthology, May 2021.
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