Lisa Bishop never outgrew her childhood love of fairytale princesses.

Ms Bishop said that “princesses and Disney have always been a big part of my life”.

But the author’s children’s books, which she will sign tomorrow at the Bookmart in Brown & Co in Hamilton, carry a serious message.

She fell in love with Hindu spirituality through friends, which led her to study Hindu mythology.

Ms Bishop said her book series Princess Asha and the Lost Cities, aimed at children aged 7 to 13, were sparked by her study.

Asha means “purity”, and the princess learns “unconditional love and how we create our own karma as human beings”.

Ms Bishop added: “It teaches young children that what you give is what you get — but in a fairytale way.”

Up for sale now are Princess Asha and the Lost City of Dwarka and book two, Princess Asha and the Lost City of Shambhala.

The books took about two years to write and Ms Bishop is working on the third.

Ms Bishop said Asha was “not a typical princess — she’s a fighter, and her story is not a romance”. She added: “She finds a prince, but it’s not about getting married and living happily ever after. She fights for mankind.”

Ms Bishop said writing the books also taught her about herself.

She explained: “I’ve become more spiritual and less judgmental. I feel more open-minded towards humanity, and I find that I am more patient with people.

“What I love about Hinduism is it’s the least judgmental religion in the world. They believe that you grow on your own without being pushed into anything.

“The book teaches you that every single person in this world is on their own journey. What we give to the world is what we get back.”

She said her adult friends also enjoyed reading the books.

The books, at $14.99 each, are available at the Bookmart and other stores, as well as on iTunes, Kindle, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Ms Bishop also runs the company Party with a Princess, in which actors dressed as fairytale characters appear at children’s events.

Tomorrow at the Bookmart, from noon to 3pm, the Snow Queen and the Ice Princess will join Ms Bishop to meet customers.