Crafting a captivating debut, Kell Woods shares, "From magic-filled childhoods to weaving tales." Today, we explore her journey to authoring AFTER THE FOREST, blending love, magic, and Hansel & Gretel retellings. We delve into her writing challenges, drawing inspiration from fairy tales, and infusing history. Kell offers insights for aspiring writers, discussing her novel's themes and the art of book promotion.
Read MoreA career with words, Carrie Cox says "The currency of my life is stories." Discover how this journalist and columnist transitioned to writing. We discuss the Varuna Residency Program, sensitivity readers and writing with humour and vulnerability.
Read MoreLyn McFarlane is a Canadian-Australian writer who splits her time between Sydney, and Vancouver Island. She’s a former freelance journalist and holds degrees in economics, journalism and law. Lyn is a member of the Australian Society of Authors and the Crime Writers of Canada, a graduate of The Faber Academy and a mentee with the Australian Writers’ Mentorship Program. Her debut novel The Scarlet Cross won the 2019 Arthur Ellis Unhanged award for best unpublished manuscript.
The Scarlett Cross is a clever and compulsive crime thriller that takes you deep into the dark secrets of institutional power and exposes the thin membrane between safety and peril.
Read MoreJulia Brewer Daily is a Texan with a southern accent. She taught at every level from kindergarten to university and even shadowed Martha Stewart. She is a member of the Writers’ League of Texas, the Women Fiction Writers’ Association, the San Antonio Writers’ Guild, and the Women’s National Book Association. Daily is an adopted child from a maternity home in New Orleans and searched and found her birth mother and, through DNA results, her father’s family, as well. She and her husband live on a ranch with their Labradors, Memphis Belle, and Texas Star.
Her debut release, No Names Given draws heavily on her experience as an adoptee and in this post she writes about turning her own experience into fiction.
Read MoreWhen memoirist Barbara Clarke decided to lay it all on the line and publish her memoir, The Red Kitchen she learnt to let go of judgement - both from herself and from others…
I’ve learned more than I ever dreamed about publishing a book—it’s a long process and a lot of work. And it’s expensive and time consuming getting your book into the hands of readers. And, now when asked “What’s your book about?” rather than give my elevator speech, I tell them what my book is about is whatever they, as the reader, decides. It’s out of my hands.
Read MoreAs a graduate student in European History, many years ago, I ran across several accounts of disastrous late nineteenth-century marriages between wealthy, politically enlightened German-Jewish women and impoverished, conservative landed noblemen. I was young and romantically disposed. And as an avid reader of classic fiction, I thought at the time that a story about a handsome Prussian officer pursuing a sexually innocent Jewish girl for the sake of her fortune would make rich plot material for a novel -- especially if the girl in question were attractive, spirited, and intelligent….
Read MoreErin Gordon has written seven books (three ended up in the proverbial drawer!) and I’m at work on my next. When not writing, I enjoy knitting, going for long walks in San Francisco, doing yoga, and spending time in Lake Tahoe….
All of my novels feature deeper themes that I’m personally exploring at the time: Cheer is about parenthood; Heads or Tails is about friendship; and Beshert is about faith. Like me, Meg is middle-aged and sorting out what the second half of her life will be so this time the deeper theme is about identity and self-discovery.
Read MoreAuthor Mary Lou Stephens shares the joy of having her debt novel published at the age of 60.
A COPY OF THE LAST OF THE APPLE BLOSSOM IS UP FOR GRABS! See the bottom of this post.
I experienced a little bit of angst on turning sixty earlier this year. It’s such a landmark age. However, I also experienced much happiness knowing that my debut novel, The Last of the Apple Blossom, would be published this year. Another landmark.
My main emotion on landing a publishing contract was relief. It’s been a long road. The Last of the Apple Blossom is the fourth novel I’ve written. There’s been a lot of rejection along the way. Not so long ago I cried on a friend’s shoulder saying, ‘Why have I chosen a life of rejection? I’ve been an actor – rejection! A singer/songwriter – rejection! And now a writer – rejection, rejection, rejection!’
Read MoreBorn and raised in the UK, Sarah Hawthorn lived in Toronto, Dallas and New York before emigrating to Sydney, Australia. After career jumps from actress to journalist and then publicist, she relocated to the village of Bundanoon in NSW’s beautiful Southern Highlands to pursue her dream of being a full-time novelist.
A Voice in The Night is a fast-paced, emotional page-turner and in this post Sarah shares how she developed her protagonist Lucie to give her emotional depth and complex layers.
Read MoreFading Fame: Women of a Certain Age in Hollywood is a series of ten short stories and two short plays about women who have aged out of the profession they love. Many of them were screened for “success” early in their careers by the infamous and widely-accepted casting couch, the audition site wielded by powerful men in the motion picture industry. When one reaches a certain age, however, even sex won’t grant professional longevity.
Read MoreMentors are life-changing. Still, encouragement from the outside needs a receptive audience on the inside. At some point, we need to recognize our own light. We need to revisit the aspirations of our youth with compassion and belief, and entertain the idea that maybe we had something going on back then that’s worthy of our attention. We need to put more faith in our dreams and give them wings
Read MoreHistorical fiction author Ames Sheldon discusses the research process for her new novel Lemons in The Garden of Love.
“The problem with doing a lot of research is that one can get bogged down. I love the details. For example, Blanche and Oakes rang an old bell every night until women won the vote in 1920. During World War II, Blanche demonstrated her invention for ensnaring the propellers of enemy airplanes to invited guests from the Pentagon and the president of MIT. I loved learning things like that! But how to fit in this information? A writer can drown in details…”
Read MoreI first became interested in writing in this point of view quite a few years ago when I found myself really enjoying stories where the reader is deeply immersed in the protagonist’s point of view, seeing and experiencing everything in the story world from his or her perspective. This was a style I’d been working towards myself but it wasn’t until I happened upon Lisa’s facebook posts and subsequently enrolled in some of her classes that I really understood what that entailed.
Read MoreKayte Nunn talks about the inspiration for her new historical fiction release, The Last Teunion.
Read MoreShe wants to rule the land and he lives for the sea. Is their love fated or cursed?
Shieldmaiden Brenna may be young, but she knows her mind. As the daughter of King Aric’s most trusted Huscarl, she is well-schooled in the art of battle and weaponry: skills vital for defending what is hers. Having fought to defend her homeland against would-be usurpers, she knows the cost of plunder and pillage.
Vali is a seasoned warrior. His thirst for adventure and battle has served him well in his many raiding expeditions. He has no use for the politics of position and land, preferring the freedom of the open seas.
Brenna and Vali’s young love is torn apart when the King offers Brenna’s hand in marriage to the Jarl of his most important trading centre, Birca. Believing this to be the will of the gods and a prophecy revealed to Brenna as a child, she agrees to the marriage.
Death brings Brenna and Vali back together to defend Birca. As their love is rekindled, Brenna must choose between Vali and the prophecy once more.
Her fate has been determined by the gods, but is it the destiny Brenna has always believed in?
Read MoreWin a double book pack featuring City of Lies and The Hollow Empire by Sam Hawke.
Read More‘A dark and wonderful debut that lulls you in with beautiful prose and complex, believable characters, then beats you over the head with a killer plot and a thrilling climax. Everyone will be talking about this book!’ CHRISTIAN WHITE, #1 bestselling thriller author
To be in the running to win a copy of The Safe Place by Emma Downes it’s as easy as …
In the comments below tell us the name of your favourite psychological thriller
Sign up for our monthly newsletter either via the pop-up box or via the link o our homepage.
It’s as simple as that. This giveaway closes on Sunday July 26 at 6pm.
And if you’d love to hear more about The Safe Place and Anna’s writing journey you can listen to her chat with Pam here
Read MoreTo celebrate the release of our Anatomy of A Novel episode featuring Favel Parrett discussing Small Moments, Big Meaning we have a copy of There Was Still Love to give away to one lucky reader.
To be in the running to win you need to do TWO things:
Tell us in the comments below about a childhood memory that has stayed with you all your life
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter via the pop up box or the link o our homepage.
To make sure you’re eligible to be in the draw remember to do BOTH these things.
The winner will be announced on July 22 at 6pm on our facebook page and in the comments below.
If you haven’t listened to Pam’s chat with Favel yet you can click here to listen via the website or find it where ever you get your podcasts.
We hope you enjoy the episode - and good luck!
Read MoreThe Spill explores the cycles of love, loss and regret that can follow a family through the years – moments of joy, things left unsaid, and things misremembered. Above all, it is a deeply moving portrait of two sisters falling apart and finding a way to fit back together.
To be in the running to win a copy of The Spill make sure you do BOTH of the following:
Sign up for our newsletter in the pop up box or on our homepage.
Tell us in the comments about a family memory that has stayed with you and why.
The winner will be drawn on Wednesday July 22 at 6pm.
Don’t forget to listen to our chat with Imbi on our Writes4Women podcast page.
Good luck!
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