We are very pleased to be giving away three copies of Gina Bartlett’s book, ‘Lulu La Ru, Step-Mum Shambles’, to our GrownUps members.
All you need to do to enter the draw is be a GrownUps member, make sure you’re signed up to our newsletter and fill in your details near the bottom of the page!
About Lulu La Ru
An enchanting book for 7 to 12-year-olds and their families that follows the adventures (and hilarious misadventures!) of a step-mum as she navigates her special role in the family.
However it finds you, motherhood is a whole new world. Meet Lulu La Ru – a ‘Super Terrific Extra Parent’ (also known as a S.T.E.P.-Mum). Come join Lulu as she continues to rise to the challenge – venturing into the unknown and throwing herself fully into family life.
With no rule book to follow and learning more than she teaches, there are plenty of challenges and lessons as the family embraces their new normal. Who knew being scared witless, facing her fears and living way outside her comfort zone could be SO MUCH FUN!
Author Note
Following on from Lulu La Ru: Steps Up As A Step-Mum, where I first introduced readers to funny and sassy Lulu La Ru, Step-Mum Shambles continues the fun as Lulu embarks on a series of (mis)adventures with her dynamic family. My own personal experiences inspire these books— yes, the situations in these stories really happened… and yes, they were mortifying!
The Lulu La Ru series was born from my desire to help normalise my step-daughters’ family situation. My hope was that it would provide a means of communication with their peers and would open up discussion about their family dynamic – which I am pleased to say it has. Not only was the first book a popular choice at their school library, but it has also helped show the girls that their family dynamic was something to embrace, feel proud of and celebrate rather than feel it was something they should try to hide or be ashamed of.
They are my biggest cheerleaders, and they are so proud of the books and their contribution to them. Working on the projects together has been such a fun, bonding experience.
Step-Mum Shambles is all about stepping outside your comfort zone. It’s about growth, lessons learned and the humility that comes from finding yourself in one of life’s awkward situations. More importantly, the experiences I share in the books have allowed my step-daughters to see me face my fears and be there to support me. And in turn, it’s given them the confidence to tackle their own challenges, knowing they too will be supported, encouraged and come out the other side laughing.
I’m now living life out loud, and although I, along with Lulu La Ru, often think longingly of times gone by when the house was quiet and the day was all mine – I realise that I wouldn’t change this for the world.
About the Author
Following a successful career spanning the legal, publishing and financial services industries, Gina embraced the opportunity to unleash her quirky sense of fun with these creative, perceptive and humorous stories on everyday family life.
When not penning the latest adventures of her beloved character, Lulu La Ru, Gina loves nothing more than being active (hiking, biking and skiing), satisfying her addiction to yoghurt and dark chocolate (no, not together!) and obsessing over the spreadsheets and lists she endlessly creates in an attempt to keep her life and creative projects in perfect harmony (albeit with varying degrees of success).
An intrepid traveller and true lover of nature, Gina is always planning a new adventure and will use any opportunity to escape and seek inspiration from the world around her.
At home in Auckland, New Zealand, Gina leads a dynamic family life, sharing her journey with her highly energetic husband and two equally vivacious stepdaughters. A chilled-out labradoodle rounds out the household, providing some calm amid the hustle and bustle. This is Gina’s second book in the Lulu la Ru series.
Not a member? Join now
Terms and conditions
- You must be a GrownUps member and receive our newsletter to be eligible to win.
- Competition closes on the 21st May 2025, winners will be notified via email by 22nd May 2025.
- It is your responsibility to ensure you correctly enter a New Zealand postal address where the prize can be sent. GrownUps will not take responsibility for prizes sent to incorrect addresses.
- Winners are drawn at random by the GrownUps administration team.
- GrownUps employees and family are not eligible to enter.
- By entering the giveaway, you approve for GrownUps to use your name on social media as winner of the competition.
- One entry per household.
- Prize in non transferrable.
- You must reside in New Zealand – the prize can only be redeemed within New Zealand.
- You must be over 50 years of age to enter, please check your details are correct in your membership dashboard.
Join the Discussion
Type out your comment here:
You must be logged in to post a comment.