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I love to jump in on blog hops. I love helping other authors and joining in on fun events, so I have collected quite a few of these over time.

From Australia With Love - Lauren McKellar: Set it in Australia

When it comes to story setting, I feel like I'm pretty luck to be an Aussie writer. Having a distinctive setting, and sense of place in your story, can really make or break it--and I think being an Aussie writer helps me to do that.

We have a lot of unique but relatable locales in our wide brown land. The first of these is the beach. Whether you're talking a small town on the beach, a California-style surfing break, or a more seedy beach district vibe, Australia has seaside that can compare, meaning if you're in the States, you won't be struggling to envision the location being described.

Secondly, we have some totally unique locations that foreign readers may not have been to, but which they could visit, or Google if they really wanted to. Think the Great Barrier Reef, the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Twelve Apostles, Uluru ... All places that evoke a feel of Australia without the writer really even having to do anything. Well, except describe it.

Think; people create other worlds when writing Sci-Fi. Here in Australia, with our evil creatures that can kill you, from Redback spiders through to Box Jellyfish through to oversized stingrays, and our giant Devil's Marbles, baby-eating dingoes and man-eating crocodiles, we pretty much are the setting for a good spec fic story. Little to no world-building required.

Finally, I think stories in Australia work well because, let's face it, the borders are getting weaker between countries worldwide. With the advent of the Internet, we now know more about people in foreign places, more so than ever before. Whereas ten years ago, some people might have asked you if the Sound of Music was set here, now they're focused on much more intelligent questions, such as if the guy who created Wikileaks really did come from the land down under, and if Miranda Kerr has a single sister.

Yes, I love writing about Aussie locations; and I hope you enjoy reading about them, too.

Lauren K. McKellar’s first self-published novel, The Problem With Crazy, is released this week. It is a NA Contemporary.

About The Problem With Crazy

The problem with crazy is that crazy, by itself, has no context. It can be good crazy, bad crazy … or crazy crazy—like it was when my ex-boyfriend sung about me on the radio.

Eighteen-year-old Kate couldn’t be more excited about finishing high school and spending the summer on tour with her boyfriend’s band. Her dad showing up drunk at graduation, however, is not exactly kicking things off on the right foot—and that’s before she finds out about his mystery illness, certain to end in death.

A mystery illness she could inherit.

Kate has to convince everyone that her father is sick, not crazy. But who will be harder to convince? Her friends? Or herself?

The Problem With Crazy is a story about love and life; about overcoming obstacles, choosing to trust, and learning how to make the choices that will change your life forever.

Author Links

Goodreads  Amazon author page  Facebook  Twitter  Website

From Australia With Love Hop feat. S.M Johnson

Today I am featuring S.M Johnson for the From Australia with Love hop. She talks about writing, gives some advice, and soe of her favorite Aussie things!

1.     How many years have you been writing?

That question isn't as easy to answer as it sounds. I wrote poetry in high school. Then when I was at university I wrote some plays, they weren't very good plays or poetry, but they were a way for me to express myself, even if they were mainly just for me. One of the plays I wrote was a way for me to process the suicide of a guy I went to school with. Then I fooled around with short stories. It was in around 2009 that I started taking my writing more seriously and begun work on my first novel.

2.     What is your current W. I. P. about?

LOL - another not easily answered question as I have about five WIPs (I have a very odd way of writing). The main two that I'm working on are Deserter, which is the sequel to Sleeper. It continues the story of Mishca and Ryder. Mishca dealing with the truth about her origins, the fact that she was created to be a soldier and that she could be called up for duty at any time. Ryder dealing with fallout from the truth about Mishca and Colin's love, trying to show her that he understands and finally meeting his birth mother. 

Karma is the second project. I wrote it originally as a short story, which was runner-up in the Australian Literary Review's short story competition. It revolves around a hidden clan residing in inner Brisbane that are responsible for delivering karma, both good and bad, to humans. The Apportioners, as they're known, are hybrids, part human - part Immora (mistaken for Gods in ancient Greece). The main character, Justin, is assigned a secret assignment by one of the most feared Immora, Doom. 

3.     What types of books do you read?

I mainly read Young Adult and New Adult, but I have a soft spot for speculative fiction and science fiction. Some of my favourite stories include White Cat, Across the Universe, The Time Travellers Wife and Sweet Evil.

4.     Do you have any advice for novice writers?

Learn your craft. Research and learn the techniques you need to create a great story. Show don't tell, eliminating passive speech, world building, pacing are just some of the things you need to understand before hurtling into a story. Many authors will offer advice on topics like this on their websites and blogs. Liking authors' Facebook pages and following them on twitter is a great way to get insight into these writing tips. 

Another thing is embrace feedback, not your ego. Have a few beta readers/critique partners who look over your work. If they''re all saying similar feedback, listen to it. 

5.     What is your most successful marketing tool?

Definitely Twitter, closely followed by my mother. Twitter has enabled me to connect with readers and fellow authors, which is so important for an author with small press. You can't just plug yourself and your book though. Twitter is conversational. Engage people and you'll end up not only with readers, but with friends too. 

6.     If you were one of the characters in your book which one would you be and why?

I am already in my book…how naughty am I? For Sleeper I wrote a person based on me, which is Sherry the Adoption Support Group leader. Just because I thought it would be funny. One of my WIP also has a character that is a lot of me because it's about my dad's terminal cancer and the MC goes through what I went through. 

7.     If you could visit any time period, would you go back or forward and why?

I would love to visit Jane Austen's time period, just to observe and see what went on. I wouldn't like to live there though because of women's rights.

8.     If you could live and write anywhere in the world, where would it be?

My favourite place to write is at Blacks Beach. I don't write there anymore as we don't go there very often, but when my husband was a lifeguard I spend a summer there at the beach writing until my laptop battery went flat. Fun times. 

9.     What is your favorite Aussie food?

Definitely Lamingtons. So yummy *nom nom*

10.   What is your favorite Aussie destination?

I love where I live in Mackay and just a bit north is Airlie Beach and the Whitsunday Islands. I love going up there.

Title: Sleeper (Book I in the Toy Soldiers series)

Publisher: Entranced Publishing, Rush

Genre: Upper YA/NA speculative fiction

Blurb: A new heart should mean new life, not a living nightmare. Mishca Richardson’s life is at an all-time high after her heart transplant. With new boyfriend, Ryder, the two of them have the perfect summer romance. Even the nightmares that have been plaguing her sleep since her operation can’t dull the high she’s on.

Things start to unravel as Mishca develops superhuman abilities. She does her best to hide them so as not to end up a science experiment in a lab. But she can’t ignore the instant attraction she experiences when she meets her university professor, Colin Reed.

Torn between the blossoming love and the obsession, Mishca must decide if she wants Ryder or Colin. But the organization responsible for her changes and her connection to Colin, is moving to secure Mishca for himself so that she can be the weapon he always intended her to be. If Mishca can’t resist her programming she’ll have a lot more to worry about than romance.

Goodreads

Buy Links:

Amazon  B&N

About the Author:
Sharon is a writer from Mackay in Queensland, Australia who has short stories published in anthologies and was also runner-up in the Australian Literary Review's Young Adult short story contest with KARMA. By day she is a public relations executive and by night she writes weird fiction and soulful contemporaries while her husband, two sons and cat are fast asleep.
Sharon is a writer from Mackay in Queensland, Australia who has short stories published in anthologies and was also runner-up in the Australian Literary Review's Young Adult short story contest with KARMA. By day she is a public relations executive and by night she writes weird fiction and soulful contemporaries while her husband, two sons and cat are fast asleep.

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