A touch of magic in Madagascar - sometimes the real world feels more enchanted than anything we could dream up …especially at sunset.

Hi everyone!

Sorry, I’ve been a bit quiet lately — I’ve been halfway across the world, adventuring in Madagascar!

It’s one of those places that doesn’t feel entirely real: full of warmth and welcome, where lemurs leap through the trees, and jewel-bright geckos vanish between leaves before you can blink. There are colour-changing chameleons, scorpions (just the tiny ones—don’t worry!) and snakes that look far more dangerous than they actually are. (No deadly ones in Madagascar)

But it’s the landscape that truly feels enchanted. Baobab trees rise like ancient guardians, with sunsets so fierce and golden they could light a thousand stories.

While I was there, I kept catching myself thinking: this is what magic feels like. It’s not just about spells or wands; it’s about that feeling when the world surprises you. It’s the same feeling I chase when I write. Here, the stories are everywhere, waiting to be discovered.

So if a whisper of Madagascar finds its way into my next book — a twist of light, a rustle of leaves, or a creature with curious eyes — you’ll know where it came from.

Lots of love,

Yonnie x