KAREN HURD
Karen has a BA Hones in Fine Art and a Masters in Communication Design. She illustrates and is currently writing her first book entitled Ollerina's Adventures.
Extract from the opening chapter of Ollerina's Adventures - Book One
"Here we are", said Ollerina shaking the rain from her pac a mac.
The sequins she had sewn onto it sparkled as the water ran down over them. Just because she was a Detective she didn't see why she couldn't wear a nice mac. Not like the ones detectives wear in films, the beige kind with turned up collars an big belts. The kind that are always worn with dark glasses. The kind her mother and father wore. Not that Ollerina had a problem with dark glasses, they always looked good. Of course there were obvious disadvantages to a pink sequined detective's mac. For instance it is much harder to tail a suspect without being spotted.
"I hate the rain," moaned Dandy Monkey.
Ollerina looked up at her best friend. Water poured over the brim of his top hat and rolled downwards like the corners of his mouth.
"It'll take me a week to dry out," he grumbled wringing out his tail. "I'll probably shrink or go out of shape or something."
Poor Monkey thought Ollerina sometimes being a kid could be tough but being a large knitted Monkey had to be harder.
"Baked Bananas," he cried. "Are you sure it's the right place? Gulp!"
Ollerina looked down at the crumpled piece of paper she clutched in her hand. It read No.1 Bingo Baby, Mysterious Place, World's End on Sea. "It must be," she replied in amazement.