Interview by Margot Finke

Go and read Margot Finke's Interview of me on HOOK Kids on Reading:

http://hookkidsonreading.blogspot.com.au/

She asks all sorts of questions of me.
You can also see the cover of the new book in my series, "TALON, FLIGHT FOR LIFE", plus cover of the first books in the series. Please leave a comment thee too.

Talon series

My three book are available at:

http://www.amazon.com/Gigi-Sedlmayer/e/B003U8G4WC/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

or

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/talon-come-fly-with-me-gigi-sedlmayer/1020753509?ean=9781921578724

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/talon-on-the-wing-gigi-sedlmayer/1109861813?ean=9781742841731

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/talon-flight-for-life-gigi-sedlmayer/1109700702?ean=9781742841748

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Gigi-Sedlmayer?store=book&keyword=Gigi+Sedlmayer

and at AuthorsDen

http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewwork.asp?AuthorID=103412

Talon

The very handsame Talon

Press release for the third book TALON, FLIGHT FOR LIFE

Press Release
“Talon, flight for life” Announced -
Children’s Sequel Sparks Imagination
and Helps Boost Self-Esteem
Here comes the third instalment about the incredible adventures with
Talon and Matica.
(BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA)- Gigi Sedlmayer today announced the release of
the highly anticipated Talon, flight for life (ISBN # 9781742841748), the third in
a series of children’s book based on the lova...ble character Maticia, and her two
condors Tamo and Tima.
Certain to appeal to the child’s imagination and help build self-esteem, Talon,
flight for life is a must-have for parents looking for ways to build their children’s
self-esteem.
Set in Peru, high up in the Andean mountains, the roller coaster tale begins as
Matica is walking with her father to the city of Cajamarca to purchase food,
medication and tickets for their upcoming holiday in Australia.
Maticia and her father walk through a colourful panorama of rainforests,
plateaus and other parts of the beautiful country. While she misses her
condors waiting back home, she is excited to see so many things on her
journey, including macaws, toucans, monkeys - even a puma.
When they learn that the poachers are back, snooping around and asking for
condors, Matica is determined to get home quickly to warn the condors.
Passing through an old Incan dwelling, her father is bitten by a spider. His leg
swells to double its size and he becomes delirious with fever. Will she reach
the condors on time to come and save her father’s life?
“Most children and teenagers have issues with acceptance and confidence.
This is explored and resolved in a positive manner within the story line 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.,” says Gigi Sedlmayer.
From a passage of the book: “If she’s hurt when she hears your decision then
she wasn’t your friend. She must let you go, for now. She must understand
and respect your feelings.” “But now they slowly understand that disability is
not a sickness or whatever else they thought I have.” “The earth is dancing
round the yellow ball and the yellow ball is following her lead.” “The forest was
bursting with life and Matica could hear it all, she was a part of it now.” “Love
and acceptance for each other, without boundaries.” “Self-pity is a useless
emotion.” “Self-pity can ruin one’s life.”
In Talon, flight for life, Gigi Sedlmayer revisits the lovable case she created in
the first and second instalment of the series; Talon, come fly with me. The
characters are vibrant and packed with emotional qualities the drive the story
telling forward.
Gisela Sedlmayer was born in Potsdam, a suburb of Berlin in Germany. Her
family escaped to the West just before the infamous wall went up. Her and her
husband arrived in New Zealand in 1975 where they lived for eighteen years,
before moving to Australia. They live on the Gold Coast with two adopted
daughters.

Interview with Matica, the main character of the Talon stories, by Pat Bertram

Matica, Hero of Talon, Come Fly with Me by Gisela (Gigi) Sedlmayer
January 28, 2012 — Pat Bertram

What is your story?
The title of my story is: TALON, COME FLY WITH ME.
My name is Matica and my story is for children as well as for people of all ages to teach self-confidence, to learn and to cope and to deal with all sorts of afflictions, conditions and disorders, even being rejected by other people, to learn to face and to deal with being different, as I am different. But in spite of being different, I’m not a person that looks negatively into the world. I am a positive person looking positively into the world. My mother always tells me: ‘There is something special out there, just for you.’ And I must say, yes, there is.
I say: If you don’t know how to go on in life, whatever it might be, even if you have a disability, find a ‘condor’. That is what I did. Read it in my book, TALON, COME FLY WITH ME. Now I can handle every obstacle. And then I was loved by everyone, not rejected anymore.
Who are you?
My name is Matica and I am a special needs child with a growth disability. I am stuck in the body of a two year old, even though I am ten years old when my story begins in the first book of the Talon series, TALON, COME FLY WITH ME. Because of that disability, (I am saying ‘that’ disability, not ‘my’ disability because it’s a thing that happened to me, nothing more and because I am not accepting it as something bad. I can say that now after I learned to cope with it.) I was rejected by the local Indians as they couldn’t understand that that condition is not a sickness and so it can’t be really cured. it’s just a disorder of my body. But I never gave up on life and so I had lots of adventures roaming around the plateau where we live, with my mother’s blessings. But after I made friends with my condors I named Tamo and Tima, everything changed. It changed for the good. I was finally loved.
Where do you live?
I was born in Australia and moved with my missionary and schoolteacher parents to a remote little village, Pucara, in Peru, South America. Here the local Indians didn’t accept me because of my handicap and because of that I wasn’t allowed to play with their children. Since I had no friends, I was lonely and so I roamed around the plateau of our village, Pucara, with the blessings of Mum and Dad. They understood my misery. After two years of loneliness I finally made friends with a pair of condors. From this day on, they were my life.
Are you the hero of your own story?
I think I am the hero, because my mother, Mira, told me again and again:
‘Sometimes the worst and greatest problems in life cannot be solved. They can only be outgrown.’ And I have been outgrown them. Many times, I might say.
Yep, I certainly am the hero of my story. I am even a hero in how I befriended the condors I named Tamo and Tima. I am also a hero raising Talon, the offspring of Tamo and Time, to the majestic condor he needs to be. I am a hero because of defeating the poachers.
Do you embrace conflict?
I had embraced my problem before I made friends with my condors Tamo and Tima. I held onto it and I felt sorry for myself and cried a lot, wanting to run away or somehing worse. But did it help me? Did it become better? Did I grow taller? No, nothing of that helped me. I didn’t have those questions when I was still in my sorrow, but all these questions came to me later, after I was loved and was cherished.
One day I looked up into the sky and saw the majestic condors flying in the air. Here and now, I made up my mind. I wanted to become friends with them. I believed if I could achieve that, all my sorrow and rejection would be over.
And true enough, it was over. I was loved. I even became famous. And so, if you are in a situation, with whatever your problem is, find something you could rely on and stick to it, love that and do with that what you were meant to do.
Do you run from conflict?
Well, right, I did. I wanted to run away, then later, when I made friends with Tamo, I wanted to fly away with him, away from the Indians with their rejection and their bad words and their teasing. I couldn’t hear it anymore. But now I face them because I have learned to face all sorts of conflicts. What would I have given to change myself. But it wouldn’t work. I had to face myself. And so I did, with making friends with the condors. It wasn’t always easy, being a special needs child. And so I was lonely and I cried a lot in the beginning after we arrived in Peru and the locals didn’t let me play with their children. But when I made friends with the condors, I knew my life would change. I didn’t run away, even though I wanted to. Actually I wanted to fly away with Tamo from the day I made friends with him. But not anymore.
How do you see yourself?
Now, after the time I was rejected by the Indians in Pucara, and I learned with the help of my condors how to cope with rejection and other things, I see myself as a girl who doesn’t let anything stand in her way anymore, ever again. I know bad stuff happens, but I don’t let it get to me and let it drag me down, not anymore. Why? Because I found out that I can overcome whatever problem I have, if I set my mind to it. And with that, I win, and so can you. Don’t stick your head in the sand like an ostrich when it’s afraid. It won’t solve your problem. All you gain is getting sand in your eyes. I now meet the problem head on. Look for your condor as I have done. I don’t mean a real condor like I have done, but something that works for you, relates to you. Be like it, relate to it, love who you are, or do what it takes to be who you want to be.
How do your friends see you?
My best friend Amos sees me as a strong person – loyal, trustworthy. My four-year-old brother Aikon sees me as his big sister, even though I am smaller than he is. My parents see me as a success.
Do you have a goal?
Oh yes, my goal is high. I want to be someone in my life. And if it is to live with the condors, then it will be living with the condors, helping them to survive, that they will increase in their numbers again.
What are your achievements?
I have overcome the disability that had taken over my body. I am somebody and the local Indians love me now. But not only my Indians in my village, far beyond our village I am loved and cherished and appreciated. That is my achievement and I am proud of it.
Do you talk about your achievements?
No, I do not talk about them. I show them through my actions, my deeds.
What do you regret?
I regret that I hadn’t started earlier in my life to see what I can achieve, instead of brooding and feeling sorry for myself for having that growth disability. But that is over and forgotten now and I won’t think back. But now and then it takes me over and then I regret it, deeply.
Do you have any handicaps?
Yes, I have. It’s a horrible growth handicap. The local Indians didn’t accept me because of that and so I wasn’t allowed to play with their children. They thought that I was demon possessed or something like that. And being lonely, I made friends with the condors and helped raising their offspring, Talon, after poachers nearly stole their egg. How I did achieve that, you have to read my book, TALON, COME FLY WITH ME. It wasn’t easy, but with determination and never giving up, I succeeded. And so can you, whatever you put your mind to.
But now even the Indians regret that they have rejected me and have apologised to me because they didn’t know better. Now they have learned and understood not to reject unexplained things like being handicapped or disabled but help that person because that person is not sick.
Did you get along with your parents?
Yes, I did get along with my parents because of their positive attitude. But sometimes I thought, before I made friends with my condors, why didn’t my parents do anything to me, to let me grow? But when I became older, I understood that there was nothing they could do for me. So I very slowly accepted it, but with bitterness, sorrow and sadness. But my parents always lifted me up, never spoke negatively to me. And so I finally thought, maybe they are right, maybe there is something out there for me. I only have to find it.
My parents always told me that I am special, that I am made for something special and that I will find it one day. And so it was. I found why I was made as I am, with the growth challenge, being so small. In the beginning the teasing of the Indians in Peru aggravated me a lot. But Mum told me: Don’t let yourself become aggravated from the teasing of others. It’s not worth it. And now I am loved, never having to face that ever again.
Have you ever had an adventure?
My whole life became an adventure with befriending the condors Tamo and Tima and then raising Talon to become the majestic condor he has to be. I live for the adventure.
Where can we find out more about you?
You can find my book by amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Talon-come-fly-Gigi-Sedlmayer/dp/1921578726/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317276412&sr=1-1
as kindle http://www.amazon.com/Talon-come-fly-me-ebook/dp/B004Y6DQH0/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=A24IB90LPZJ0BS&qid=1317276412&sr=1-1
as a short animation clip on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0ontac7S20
barnesandnoble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/talon-come-fly-with-me-gigi-sedlmayer/1020753509?ean=9781921578724&itm=1&usri=talon2c%2bcome%2bfly%2bwith%2bme
also amazon.com.uk and amazon.com.ca

Review by Karen H. Voughan about TALON, COME FLY WITH ME

TALON, COME FLY WITH ME-GISELA SEDLMAYER An amazing story of a little girl with a disability who befriended and trained condors and raised their baby. Matica has a growth impediment. She and her family live in Peru. The Indians don’t understand her disability and either tease her or shun her altogether. This keeps up until she saves the condors egg from poachers. She is deemed a hero and suddenly accepted by the villagers. Matika raises the baby condor to the amazement of the Peruvian Indians and her parents. Gisela Sidlemeyer weaves a tale so compelling that it is hard to put down. TALON, COME FLY WITH ME will appeal to children and adults alike. I enjoyed the story immensely and await a sequel. She personifies the large birds so that the other characters can communicate with them.
It is brilliant writing and give this story 5 condor talons.

Review by Martha Cheves, Talon, come fly with me

Talon, come fly with me – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

The male condor spread his huge wings and hopped to the ground. Matica had to jump clear, out of the reach of his huge wings. Instead of flying off, as he normally did, he kept standing, turning around and looking at her. Matica’s eyes nearly popped out of her sockets. He’s so huge, she thought. Standing stock-still and not folding his wings to his body, the bird blinked and waited for what Matica would do. Since nothing happened for the next few minutes, the bird tilted his head and grunted. Matica interpreted it as: what now? His mate screeched from the sky in surprise. Matica couldn’t move. She was frozen stiff with fear and her face was as white as a ghost. The bird looked way bigger on the ground than he had looked on the branch. He folded his wings very slowly to his body now as if he knew he might frighten her, then he made another sound. Matica felt so small and thought: Will he kill me? But no, I’m alive. He can’t kill, just like Dad said. Matica gasped for air and her pink colour came back into her face. She was amazed that this had really happened and she wondered: What should I do now? I think he’s afraid of his own boldness, and so am I. He’s watching me. I should move, do something. After all, I told him to come down…but he’s so big.

Matica and her family moved from Australia to a little remote village called Pucara which is about twenty kilometers away from the Andes in the northern part of Peru. Matica’s parents are missionaries to the Peruvian Indians who spoke little or no English. Through her father Crayn, this has started to change.

Matica has a medical problem that prevents her body from growing to its normal size. When they first moved to Pucara Matica was five but her body looked as if she were only two years old. Even though Crayn had explained this disability to the Indians they still thought she was odd or even possessed by an evil spirit. They were so afraid of her that they refused to let their own children play with her. This left Matica alone and lonely. To solve her lack of friendship, Matica took to the sky, making friends with a pair of Condors.

When I started reading Talon, come fly with me, I knew nothing about the Condors. After reading Talon, come fly with me, I had to appease my curiosity by looking them up on the internet. They are large birds weighting from 20-23 lbs. with body lengths of 50” and wingspans of 9-10 feet. They mate for life and live 50 plus years producing 1-2 eggs every 2 years. They can fly up to 15,000 feet at speeds of 55 miles per hour. And they are on the endangered species.

Matica’s story of befriending these birds, helping them rescue their egg from poachers and then the actual raising was a story that took my breath away. Only a child such as Matica can see the beauty in an animal that everyone else calls ugly. And only a child would have the tolerance to do what had to be done to keep ‘her’ birds surviving. This is a beautiful book for all ages, especially for kids.

Review by Carly Anne of the first book in the Talon series

Hea y'all Anne here and I've read and love this tale of a journey of self acceptance and growth. Little Matica is challenged is her everyday life and she turns to the only creatures who accept her for her with no questions asked, a set of nesting condors. The condors are in danger and little Matica is doing everything in her power to not only protect them but also their unhatched egg. In a society where physical flaws are pointed out at a disgusting rate this book is a breath of fresh air. To tell a tale that proves how animals accept a person for the person not what they look like, seems like humans as a whole could learn from animals. Matica shows how its not height or physical ability that makes the person but heart and determination.I love this story it's very touching and would be an awesome read for not only adults but also for young groups too because it's so important for people to stop being so superficial and look deeper into who people are. Height, weight, hair or eye color none of this is life alteringly important. What is important is seeing peoples true beauty and their true and absolute potential. Then the world will truly be beautiful and I can honestly say GiGi may have the right idea in providing stories of true and honest beauty in a world that can all to often be cold and grey for most people. 5 out of 5 stars for Talon, Come Fly With Me by GiGi Sedlmayer..

Review of the first book, TALON, COME FLY WITH ME

http://aurorahouse.com.au/Book-Reviews/article_43_Book-Review---Talon-Come-Fly-with-Me.html

Book Review - Talon, Come Fly with Me

Matica is a little girl whose body did not grow properly, and she is much shorter than other children of her age. Because of this, she is rejected in the community in which she and her family live, which make her sad and very lonely.

Matica befriends Tamo and Tima, who are huge fully grown Condors. Through Matica’s patience and love, Tamo grows to become her closest friend. After Matica rescues their newly laid egg from poachers, they entrust their unhatched baby to her to keep it safe. When the egg hatches, she forms an even closer bond with the baby condor, who she named Talon. She hand-rears him, with Tamo and Tima bring food every day for her to feed the baby. As Talon grows, and wants to learn to fly, Matica finds it challenging to know how to help him. He finds his way to the outside table-top and jumps from there, and into the lower branches of a nearby tree, but eventually Matica has to take him to the top of the mountain, so that he can soar like his parents.

The befriending of the Condors changes Matica’s life forever. She is gradually accepted into the community as the indian see, and understand, what she is doing and achieving and involves them by keeping them informed of what is happening with the birds. They come to realise that her short stature is not important, and that she has achieved the impossible – she has three condors as her friends. Tamo, Tima and Talon remain her friends and visit her often, even after Talon can fly.


This heart-warming story is full of love, patience, caring and adventure. Any child that reads this book will be glued to it until the end to find out what happens to Talon. Matica shows great courage in overcoming her disability by thinking and caring about someone else, in this case it happens to be birds. The gentle message of showing children that they can do anything and achieve anything they set out to do with love, perseverance, and determination is an excellent way to help the young generation to grow. I whole-heartedly recommend reading Talon, Come Fly with Me, whether you are child or adult.

My Talon series

We used a girl (Grace) from church for the the two covers, first and second book. and so i gave her my book to read. She loved the first book, now i gave her the second and the third book last sunday. She is already finish reading them and said, that the writing style is similar to Roald Dahl. He wrote: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Well he wrote more and is very famose i believe. What a wonderful saying to me. the one trying to get famous.

Second book, TALON, ON THE WING

Second book is available at my publisher

http://www.bookpal.com.au/OtherLinks/Store/tabid/91/ProductID/10543/Default.aspx

Talon, flight for life

http://www.amazon.com/Talon-flight-life-Gigi-Sedlmayer/dp/1742841740/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_2

My first three books.

Talon, flight for life, the third book in the Talon series

I available at my publisher to order

http://www.bookpal.com.au/OtherLinks/Store/tabid/91/ProductID/10538/Default.aspx

Talon, in his might, over 3 meters wingspan

Review by Martha TALON, COME FLY WITH ME

http://marthaskitchenkorner.blogspot.com.au/

Talon, come fly with me – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

The male condor spread his huge wings and hopped to the ground. Matica had to jump clear, out of the reach of his huge wings. Instead of flying off, as he normally did, he kept standing, turning around and looking at her. Matica’s eyes nearly popped out of her sockets. He’s so huge, she thought. Standing stock-still and not folding his wings to his body, the bird blinked and waited for what Matica would do. Since nothing happened for the next few minutes, the bird tilted his head and grunted. Matica interpreted it as: what now? His mate screeched from the sky in surprise. Matica couldn’t move. She was frozen stiff with fear and her face was as white as a ghost. The bird looked way bigger on the ground than he had looked on the branch. He folded his wings very slowly to his body now as if he knew he might frighten her, then he made another sound. Matica felt so small and thought: Will he kill me? But no, I’m alive. He can’t kill, just like Dad said. Matica gasped for air and her pink colour came back into her face. She was amazed that this had really happened and she wondered: What should I do now? I think he’s afraid of his own boldness, and so am I. He’s watching me. I should move, do something. After all, I told him to come down…but he’s so big.

Matica and her family moved from Australia to a little remote village called Pucara which is about twenty kilometers away from the Andes in the northern part of Peru. Matica’s parents are missionaries to the Peruvian Indians who spoke little or no English. Through her father Crayn, this has started to change.

Matica has a medical problem that prevents her body from growing to its normal size. When they first moved to Pucara Matica was five but her body looked as if she were only two years old. Even though Crayn had explained this disability to the Indians they still thought she was odd or even possessed by an evil spirit. They were so afraid of her that they refused to let their own children play with her. This left Matica alone and lonely. To solve her lack of friendship, Matica took to the sky, making friends with a pair of Condors.

When I started reading Talon, come fly with me, I knew nothing about the Condors. After reading Talon, come fly with me, I had to appease my curiosity by looking them up on the internet. They are large birds weighting from 20-23 lbs. with body lengths of 50” and wingspans of 9-10 feet. They mate for life and live 50 plus years producing 1-2 eggs every 2 years. They can fly up to 15,000 feet at speeds of 55 miles per hour. And they are on the endangered species.

Matica’s story of befriending these birds, helping them rescue their egg from poachers and then the actual raising was a story that took my breath away. Only a child such as Matica can see the beauty in an animal that everyone else calls ugly. And only a child would have the tolerance to do what had to be done to keep ‘her’ birds surviving. This is a beautiful book for all ages, especially for kids.

Review about TALON, COME FLY WITH ME

5 out of 5 stars for my book TALON, COME FLY WITH ME review by Carly Anne

 Hea y'all Anne here and I've read and love this tale of a journey of self acceptance and growth. Little Matica is challenged is her everyday life and she turns to the only creatures who accept her for her with no questions asked, a set of nesting condors. The condors are in danger and little Matica is doing everything in he...r power to not only protect them but also their unhatched egg. In a society where physical flaws are pointed out at a disgusting rate this book is a breath of fresh air. To tell a tale that proves how animals accept a person for the person not what they look like, seems like humans as a whole could learn from animals. Matica shows how its not height or physical ability that makes the person but heart and determination.I love this story it's very touching and would be an awesome read for not only adults but also for young groups too because it's so important for people to stop being so superficial and look deeper into who people are. Height, weight, hair or eye color none of this is life alteringly important. What is important is seeing peoples true beauty and their true and absolute potential. Then the world will truly be beautiful and I can honestly say GiGi may have the right idea in providing stories of true and honest beauty in a world that can all to often be cold and grey for most people. 5 out of 5 stars for Talon, Come Fly With Me by GiGi Sedlmayer..