Virtual Fantasy Con Blog Hop

Hi, I’m Katie Hamstead author of the bestselling Kiya Trilogy, Cadence Duology, and Princess of Tyrone, and I’m your host for this stop in the Hunt.

If you would like to find out more about the Hunt, please click here - http://vfcscavengerhunt.weebly.com/

Somewhere on this page is a hidden number. Collect all the numbers from all the authors’ posts, and then add them up. Once you’ve added all the numbers, and if I am your last author, please head to the official website and click on the ENTER HERE page to find the entry form. Only entries with the correct number will qualify to win.

The author I’m pleased to be hosting for Virtual FantasyCon’s Blog Hop Hunt today is Tom Fallwell, author of Heroic Fantasy.

Heroic Fantasy

I have thought long and hard about what it is that draws me to the Epic Fantasy genre. The most memorable and inspiring read that has always stuck with me is The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien, and I wondered what it was about that story that grabbed me so hard and held my fascination. So I began to analyze, within myself, the other stories from that genre that I have read that have affected me in similar ways. There are many, such as the Conan stories, by Robert E. Howard, the Narnia tales by C.S. Lewis, the Dragon Rider stories of Anne McCaffrey, just to name a few. But there was something in all of them that inspired emotions within me and made them highly memorable to me, and I wanted to figure out just what it was that did so.

After much deliberation with myself, reviewing the stories in my head, and contemplating on the elements if each, I came to the conclusion that what inspired me so were the heroic characters and their bigger-than-life presence within their world. Not so much how big, bad and tough they were, but how much they concerned themselves with others, having compassion for others lives, more so than their own. I can see that theme throughout all the stories from the genre that has affected me so much. Even in Conan, while he may have been a self-centered barbarian, there were times he put himself in front of danger for the sake of someone else. Granted, that was usually a woman, but it still showed that the hulking warrior had a heart deep inside that hulking mass of muscle.

This is what I find so thrilling in the stories I have read, and it is what I portray in the stories I am

now writing. In my first novel, Dragon Rising, we have a young elven woman who wants nothing to do with the people of the world, yet as she learns about her heritage and destiny, her compassion for others begins to outweigh her own self-worth, and she becomes a hero. In my Rangers of Laerean series, the same theme is found in the reknowned group known as the Rangers, who daily put their lives on the line to protect the people, and many do so without regard to their own safety and security. This, in my mind at least, is what makes a true hero, and I enjoy reading 64 stories about such exploits.

Whether the hero is a super hero, fighting against a super villain, or a fantasy hero saving a damsel in distress, or just a soldier on the front lines, standing between the enemy and the people whom he has sworn to protect, a hero is one who puts the welfare of others ahead of themself, one who sacrifices their own comfort and security to for the safety of others. That is a true hero.

If you love Heroic Fantasy in the epic tradition, then I invite you to read my books. Visit my website and view more information, or visit me on Goodreads or Facebook. My books are available from the store on my site, or from the Amazon links below. Thanks for reading.

Website: http://tomfallwell.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/11303749.Tom_Fallwell

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TomFallwellAuthor

Dragon Rising: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RGZU56Q

A Whisper In The Shadows: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VYL2426

Where Shadows Fall: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01APYF1G8

Did you find the number? If you did, then click Tom Fallwell link – http://tomfallwell.com to continue Virtual FantasyCon’s Blog Hop Hunt.

Tackle Your TBR Read-a-thon!

I came across this challenge on Goodreads, and since I have a massive To-Be-Read pile, I really appreciated the sentiment behind it!

My challenge is to take a photo of your favorite books from when you were growing up and tag me on Instagram, (@katie_hamstead) If you don't have Instagram, share it on my Facebook page and mention the Read-a-thon.

Also, I have a reading challenge that you can find on Goodreads, and I have joined in with myself. And, since my books fit the profile, I highly encourage you to use them to join in with the fun. (Find my books HERE) Australian Women Writers Challenge.


I also have a giveaway for you! So click below and enter to win some books!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the Soul Mate Publishing Blog-a-thon

Writer Momma #Bloghop

I'm so late posting this, but here it is! I know I'm not supposed to answer all the questions, but I really don't have much to say, and, being in my last trimester I'm super scatterbrained. So, here goes...

• How do you make time to write?

I rely on bed time. All the time. Once the kid is sleeping, I get working. there's also preschool hours which I use as much as possible. I have a feeling over the summer, with swimming lessons and other summer classes as well as having this baby, I won't have uch time to play with.

• How does your spouse feel about your writing?

He's pretty indifferent, I think. He likes that it brings in an extra income and I can stay at home, but he's not terribly interested in what I write. He's a real man's man, and I write pretty girly stuff.

• What are the common questions or comments you get about being a writing mom?

How do I find the time is a big one. Sometimes I hear people say I'm more focused on my writing than my kid, and that really hurts. My kid, soon to be kids, come first, even with deadlines. 

• Where is the strangest place or circumstance where you've found time to get some writing done?

Ahhh....  I scrawled on scrap paper by firelight while camping. That's about as strange as I've got. I'm not overly unusual. I was the kid you played sports and joined in with choir. A real participator, so I didn't really develop an overly quirky side lol.

• How much time a week do you spend writing? How quickly do you write books?

I used to be very quick, but nowadays I don't have anywhere near the free time that I used to with my kid not napping anymore. As a result, writing has come right down to here and there, and where I could easily write a novel in a month, I take several now. It makes me a little sad, because that on top of marketing, I struggle to implement the heart I use to have in my manuscripts. I need to find that again.

• What impact (if any) do you hope to have on your children by being an author? Would you want your children to follow in your footsteps?

I hope they develop a love for reading and learning though my example. If they want to follow in my footsteps, sure, but mostly I want them to see that as long as they put their mind to it, they can accomplish whatever dreams they have. Since I have little girls, I want them to see a good role model in me of being a mom and working to help their dad support their family by doing something I enjoy. I want them to know that just because your a wife an mother, doesn't mean you can't accomplish other things too. There's a lot of dignity in these roles, and I want them to see that dignity and not that life has to be career or family, it can be both.

• How old will your children have to be before you let them read your books (if ever)?

Mid teens, at least. They can be a little mature.

• What tips or words of wisdom do you have to share?

If it's important to you, you'll make it work. Sometimes there aren't enough hours in the day, and that's okay. As long as you're doing your best, then that's what counts.

Fall Into Fantasy Final Week!

Welcome to the Fall Into Fantasy Tour, where we are keeping your mind off any end-of-summer blues and welcoming the cooler weather by introducing you to some incredible fantasy reads to curl up with and giving you plenty of chances to win awesome prizes!

Week 17: Meratis Trilogy
Book One: Evensong
By Krista Walsh

Author Jeff Powell wakes up to find the impossible has happened. He is within his own novel—summoned into the fictional world of Feldall’s Keep by a spell he didn’t write. One the House enchantress hasn’t figured out how to reverse.

When the villain he’s been struggling to write reveals himself, unleashing waves of terror and chaos, Jeff must use more than his imagination to save the characters he created—and the woman he loves.

Trapped within a world of his own creation, he must step outside the bounds of his narrative to help his characters defeat an evil no one anticipated, even if he must sacrifice his greatest gift. In the end, he has to ask: are novels really fiction, or windows into other worlds?

Buy it from: Amazon, Kobo, Nook, iTunes
Or add it to Goodreads

ABOUT KRISTA WALSH

Known for witty, vivid characters, Krista Walsh never has more fun than getting them into trouble and taking her time getting them out. After publishing a few short stories and novellas in various anthologies, she has now released her own anthology, the serial collection Greylands. When not writing, or working at her day job, she can be found reading, gaming, or watching a film – anything to get lost in a good story. She currently lives in Ottawa, Ontario.

Find Krista online: Website  Facebook  Twitter

Want to get involved with the Fall Into Fantasy promotional tour?

• Don't forget to join us at the Facebook party here! 
• If you are interested in joining up as a blogger, you can always sign up here. We are happy to welcome more bloggers into the fold as the promotion continues. 
• If you are an author or blogger and want to sign up to help with the party, please fill out this form.

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Catch Me When I Fall by Vicki Leigh Blog Tour and Hop

Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press

Date of Release­­: October 23, 2014

Cover Artist: Conzpiracy Digital Arts

About Catch Me When I Fall:

Recruited at his death to be a Protector of the Night, seventeen-year-old Daniel Graham has spent two-hundred years fighting Nightmares and guarding humans from the clawed, red-eyed creatures that feed off people’s fears. Each night, he risks his eternal life, having given up his chance at an afterlife when he chose to become a Protector. That doesn’t stop a burnt-out Daniel from risking daring maneuvers during each battle. He’s become one of the best, but he wants nothing more than to stop.

Then he’s given an assignment to watch over sixteen-year-old Kayla Bartlett, a clinically depressed patient in a psychiatric ward. Nightmares love a human with a tortured past. Yet, when they take a deep interest in her, appearing in unprecedented numbers, the job becomes more dangerous than any Daniel’s ever experienced. He fights ruthlessly to keep the Nightmares from overwhelming his team and Kayla. Soon, Daniel finds himself watching over Kayla during the day, drawn to why she’s different, and what it is about her that attracts the Nightmares. And him.

A vicious attack on Kayla forces Daniel to break the first Law and reveal his identity. Driven by his growing feelings for her, he whisks her away to Rome where others like him can keep her safe. Under their roof, the Protectors discover what Kayla is and why someone who can manipulate Nightmares has her in his sights. But before they can make a move, the Protectors are betrayed and Kayla is kidnapped. Daniel will stop at nothing to save her. Even if it means giving up his immortality.

Find Catch Me When I Fall Online:

Goodreads | Amazon  US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Today, I’m taking part in Vicki Leigh’s “My Worst Nightmare” blog hop, to celebrate the recent release of her young-adult, paranormal-romance/ urban-fantasy, CATCH ME WHEN I FALL, which centres around seventeen-year-old Daniel Graham, a Protector of the Night, who has spent two-hundred years fighting Nightmares and guarding humans from the clawed, red-eyed creatures that feed off people’s fears.

Rules:

·        On 11.03.14 post about your worst nightmare, and what form the clawed, red-eyed creatures would take if they fed off your fears.

·        Visit the other participants of the blog hop, and comment on their worst nightmares

At the end of the blog tour, on 11.14.14, Vicki Leigh will pick one of the participants at random and award them with [prize].

My worst nightmare? It's simple: Someone kidnapping and hurting my kid. I'd kill if someone did that, no joke. That's the only thing I'd ever hurt anyone over, protecting my child.
The form it would take? It's probably best I don't disclose that because it might offend someone, since it's a real person that I don't trust.

Participants:

Cassidie Jhones  at Rebook424 - Cassidie's Reviews | Tawney Bland Twinning for Twins              

Laura Rueckert | Katie Teller at Katie's Stories | Ayden Morgen at A.K. Morgen Writes              

Sharon Bayliss | Emma Adams at From the Writer's Nest   | The Writer Diaries       

Katie at Writing, Reading, and Life | Robyn Koshel at Elder Park Book Reviews        

Jenny at J. Keller Ford - Fantasy Author YA Junkie | S. K. Anthony   

Merisha Abbott  at Blissful Book Reviews | Sarah at Ink of Blood  

Amy at Home Is Where the Wine Is Book Blog | Zoraida Cordova at Wonderlands  

Ryan Hill at Ryan Hill Writes | Christie Gibrich at A Geek In Librarian's Clothing        

Nichole Giles at Random-ish | Kayl Hughes at Kayl's Krazy Obsession           

Rebecca at Sister Sinister Speaks | Kathy Kozak at Ordinary Girlz Book Reviews       

Victoria Biram at Scribblings of an Aspiring Author | Vicki Keire at Vicki Keire Writes                              Chelsea at To Each Their Own Reviews | Sarit at Coffee Books & Art                          

Jennifer Brooks at The Cubicle Escapee | Katja at Cautious                            

Cait Spivey | Lucy Lala at Book-A-Holic                   

Vicki Leigh's CATCH ME WHEN I FALL Book Playlist

It’s no secret that I prefer to write in silence. Writing, to me, is often like acting, and I can’t get in the heads of my main characters when there’s music in the background. I need to be able to visualize each scene, hear the dialogue between my characters, and stay in the voice of my character.

But there is something to be said for music and emotion. The right song can transport me to a “place of serenity”—like Daniel says about Kayla’s talent with the violin—bring tears to my eyes, fill me with energy, or even make me smile. So, as a person who’s played music since I was six-years-old, part of my revision is always creating a book playlist. That way, knowing my story, I can listen to a particular song before editing a scene and ensuring the right emotions fill the page.

Today, I’d like to share with you my book playlist for CATCH ME WHEN I FALL. For the sake of avoiding spoilers, I’m only going to share details about a few songs, as to not give anything away. But I’m positive that once you read the book, you’ll be able to figure out where each song goes. J

So, without further ado, here’s the Book Playlist for CATCH ME WHEN I FALL:

Theme Song: "Saved" - The Spill Canvas

Daniel's Theme: "Follow Me" - Muse

Kayla's Theme: "Storm" - Lifehouse

"I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" - Aerosmith

"I Will Not Bow" - Breaking Benjamin

"1, 2, 3, 4" - Plain White T's

"Fallin' For You" - Colbie Caillat

"Shatter Me" - Lindsey Stirling ft. Lzzy Hale

"Distant Lives" (From Becoming Jane) - Adrian Johnston

Adopted at three-days-old by a construction worker and a stay-at-home mom, Vicki Leigh grew up in a small suburb of Akron, Ohio where she learned to read by the age of four and considered being sent to her room for punishment as an opportunity to dive into another book. By the sixth grade, Vicki penned her first, full-length screenplay. If she couldn’t be a writer, Vicki would be a Hunter (think Dean and Sam Winchester) or a Jedi. Her favorite place on earth is Hogwarts (she refuses to believe it doesn’t exist), and her favorite dreams include solving cases alongside Sherlock Holmes.Vicki is an editor for Curiosity Quills Press and is represented by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary Agency.

Find Vicki Leigh Online:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Scavenger Hunt Blog Hop: The Gateway Through Which They Came by Heather Marie

To celebrate the release of Heather Marie’s The Gateway Through Which They Came, we're having a scavenger hunt blog hop.

It's easy to join in the fun !! Each of the Scavenger Hunt hosts will post an architectural letter (to keep with The Gateway theme) somewhere hidden in their post about Heather Marie's new book.

Collect all eight letters and unscramble the word used in The Gateway Through Which They Came.

Each site will have a rafflecopter portal for you to enter the winning answer once you've collected all the letters.

The Scavenger Hunt runs from Wednesday, August 27th to Wednesday, September 10th.

One winner will be chosen from all entrants to win a paperback copy of The Gateway Through Which They Came signed by Heather Marie.

Introduce Your Main Character Blog-Hop

I was tagged by Mara Valderran for this one. So, I thought it's been a while since I really talked about Kiya, so I'd introduce Kiya/Naomi to you here.

1. What is the name of your main character? Is she fictional or a historic person?

Kiya is a real historical figure who I fictionalized through Naomi. The real Kiya was a wife of Akhenaten, the only wife aside from Nefertiti and her daughters that is mentioned as his wife. By combining her with Naomi it gave me room to fictionalize the events and remove the dryness that usually comes with fact driven Hist Fic. Although I used a historical timeline as the basis to the story, it is a work of fiction.

2. When and where is the story set?

18th Dynasty Egypt. The trilogy spans just over twenty years and five Pharaohs.

3. What should we know about her?

Naomi has a heart full of love. Her love drives her to be smart (but sometimes rash and stupid), compassionate, tender, protective and to fight for the people around her.

4. What is the main conflict? What messes up her life?

When Egyptians come to her people and try to take her younger sisters to be the Pharaoh's wives. Naomi can't let that happen, so hands herself over instead. That one choice changes the course of her simple life.

5. What is her personal goal?

To protect her family, even at her own expense.

6. Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it?

All three books are published. You can find the on Amazon. Their purchase links can be found in the "My Books" tab above.

7. When can we expect the books to be published?

They're out now :-)

I tag... Jenny Holt, Cassandra Page, and Anabel Gonzalez.

Author Support Blog Hop

Thanks to Sharon Bayliss for organizing this blog hop! I love this opportunity to be frank about how crazy life as a writer can be.

• WHAT do you do? Give us a summary of your crazy life and all your responsibilities

Well... let's see. I work part time as a Clerk with a Lien company. I think the hardest thing about that is getting someone to watch my daughter, or it could be my chronic mommy lateness. I swear, I used to be so punctual, even a little early!

My most time consuming commitments are as a mother and wife. My daughter is still young, and needs me to watch her and help entertain her as well as help her grow intellectually, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. I think the job of mother is something you can never anticipate how much effort you need to invest into it. This little life is going to be molded on my example and teachings, and that's a huge responsibility. But, I'm getting off topic.

Being a wife also fills a lot of my time. Being married isn't the end of the story, it's ongoing, and my hubs needs a ton of attention.

I also work part time as an Acquisitions editor with Curiosity Quills. It's so much fun, and honestly, I wish I had more time to do it. As a side note, I've noticed the quality of submissions has improved of late. Good job, people!

Last of all, I need to edit and write, plus everything else that entails. Promotion isn't where I'd like it, simply because I don't have the time or energy to push my books and do things as much as I'd like. I also don't get as much time to write as I used to. I miss it.

• HOW do you do it? How do you manage to find time to write? What tips can you share?

I have NO IDEA! I'm losing my freaking mind! lol. I guess it's just a labor of love and struggling to keep things balanced and scheduled. My smart phone helps too.

• WHY do you do it? Other than just sheer insanity, what keeps you going? Why have you chosen the life of an over-stressed author? What keeps you motivated during dark days?

I just love telling stories. It's in my heart, and no matter what, I want to get it out and share the joy it brings me. Although the criticism and rejection often makes me want to quit, I can't stop telling stories.

• QUESTIONS and PLEAS for help. Other authors will be reading your post, so if you have questions or want advice, you can ask. Also, if there is anything you need, or anything you can do to help others, mention that here as well.

Do you ever feel incredibly lonely? I feel like I'm the only one who cares about what I do and my books. I try to help people as much as I can with cover reveals, blog tours, guests posts, CP/Beta reading, retweets and reviews (btw, I'm happy to help with any of these if you want, although I'm limited with reading time due to my acquisitions work. Feel free to ask about any!) But I still feel isolated. What about you?

Please leave a comment below, and visit the other hoppers in the linky below!

Featuring... Blog Hop Banners

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.

Writing Process Blog Hop

Thanks to Stacey Trombley for tagging me for this hop. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to tag anyone else. If you want to continue it, leave me a comment and I'll tag you.

So, on with the show.

1) What am I working on?
At this point I'm mainly working on edits for Papina, which I will be self publishing soon. I will also have edits for Deceptive Cadence coming up soon.

But writing wise, I am working through my seven book series, FairyTale Galaxy.

2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I don't really sit in one specific genre. I'm totally a genre hopper. But I do lean to strong female leads in the upper YA/NA range.

3) Why do I write what I do?

It's just what comes to me. I'm a purist, so write from the heart. I don't care about trends or what not, I just want to tell a story that uplifts and makes people happy and feel better from reading it.

4) How does my writing process work?

I'm a panster, so whatever comes, comes. I usually know the beginning and end, a few scenes I want to incorporate, but that's it.

Kiya: Hope of the Pharaoh Turns One!

I cannot believe a year has passed since my debut novel released. What an amazing year it has been! The support, the new friendships I have made, the things I have learned are all invaluable.
Since its release, the rest of the trilogy has also become available, and I've gone on to contract several more books. It's available as ebook, paperback, audio book and soon in hardback as well. Kiya has done an incredible job at kick starting my writing career. To to celebrate, and say thank you, I am hosting this blog hop with prizes to find along the way. I will giveaway copies of Kiya and critiques to participants of the hop. For the details, go here

For my 500 word short story, I'm going to do a short Horemheb perspective. As per the game, please add to it in the comments in 365 words or less. Commenters go in the running for prizes!

He paused outside, knowing if he entered prematurely he could face possible execution. But with Kiya gone, he didn’t feel like he had much else to lose. He burst through the door, and found himself looking across a round courtyard with a pool in the middle. Women gathered in, whispering to each other, and across the other side of the room, he saw Ay with Nefertiti. That meant Akhenaten was somewhere nearby.

“Where’s the king?” he demanded.

One of the concubines turned to him and pointed down a hallway.

He rushed down it, and near the end, found Gerlind sobbing in Abi’s arms. Abi held onto her, her cheeks wet, but she remained composed.

“What has happened?” Horemheb asked.

Gerlind jumped and looked up at him. “You!”

Abi pulled her behind her. “Commander, Mordad is dead.”

“What? How?”

Akhenaten stepped out of the dark room beside them. His head hung, as he spoke in a low voice. “My wives have turned against one another. My beloved Kiya is gone, and my dear Mordad now lies dead from an asp planted to kill Kiya.”

“My lord.” Abi hurried over and touched his face. “Gerlind and I remain.”

Gerlind nodded and grabbed his hand. “Yes, we will remain at your side.”

He half smiled, but his head fell. “Commander?”

“Yes, my lord?”

“How do I know what love is when my heart is torn from me by the very people who claim to love me?”

Horemheb didn’t know how to answer. He shook his head. “No man knows love like you, my lord.”

Akhenaten lifted his head and glared down the hall. “I wish I could…” He huffed. “Why do I still love her?”

“Who?”

Akhenaten lowered his voice. “That vicious creature Nefertiti.” He ran his hand over his face and tossed his crown to the ground.

Horemheb flinched and plucked it up. “My lord―”

“Did you see Kiya flee, Horemheb? Is she safe?”

He nodded. “She disappeared before the horn sounded―”

“And why didn’t you go with her? Hmm?”

Horemheb paused, seeing the ice in Akhenaten’s eyes. He knew how he felt for her, he had to know. “I need to remain here with you.”

Akhenaten sneered. “Ah yes, loyal to the crown aren’t we, Commander? I bet you only stayed to ensure her son gets that once I die.” He motioned at the crown in Horemheb’s hand.

Horemheb lifted it to him. “He’s your son, my lord.”

Akhenaten snatched it from him. “I have no one left to trust. Kiya kept everything together. She gave me love and devotion where everyone else feigned it. I am alone. Completely alone to bear this burden.” He waved the crown in the air.

Horemheb shook his head. “My lord, I still…”

Akhenaten shoved his chest. “You desire my Kiya. You only remain loyal for her.”

Now add away!!!

Here's the linky code:

Kiya's One Year Anniversary

I have been pondering over this for a while. I wanted to do something fun to celebrate Kiya: Hope of the Pharaoh's one year anniversary. It's success has blown me away and humbled me. So, I want to give a special thank you to everyone who has loved Kiya enough to read and follow this journey.

To celebrate, I am going to host a blog hop. There will be prizes, like a signed copy of each of the three books, ebooks, and I will throw in a first chapter critique and a query critique. Also, some of the bloggers will be throwing in a prize of their own.

What you need to do: On April 30th, post a fan-fic short story, Max 500 words. It could be about a side character, a pharaoh before or after the period, whatever you like, it just needs to follow the theme of Ancient Egypt in some way. Next, hop to the other blogs to continue the story. It's like that game in school where you have a piece of paper, one person writes a starting sentence, folds it over, gives two words to start the next sentence, then you pass it around the group until you are done. Then, once it gets back to the start, you read the story out loud and its a comical mess. The hop is like a variation of that. Someone writes a short story, then other hoppers leave an extension of the story in the comments. This extension must be a max. of 365 words. The more stories you add to, the more chances you have of winning!

Prizes will be awarded for Kiya fanaticism (I wanna see swooning over the guys, behind the scenes action, crazy fangirl/guy-ing etc), comic relief, creativity, and anything else that catches the blogger's eye. But let's keep it PG guys ;-)

So let's have some fun! Sign up below and get ready for the celebration.

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