Bula from Fiji!
It’s true, you don’t need to be on an idyllic island to find your mojo … but if the opportunity beckons, why the heck not!
So greetings and best wishes from my absolute favourite spot in the world: Fiji, place of my birth, home not only of my heart, but also multiple reality television shows — Love Island, Survivor, and Beauty and the Geek, Bachelor in Paradise, to name but a few. Why do all these shows get filmed out here? I guess because it’s about as close as you can find to paradise.
It’s perhaps no surprise that for me returning to Fiji always tugs on my heart strings, while also throwing up all manner of possibilities, dreams and writerly (and teaching) aspirations. I honestly can’t imagine a more inspiring place to read and write. In between island-hopping and snorkelling and SUPaddling and splashing about in the water and reading in hammocks, and feeling generally sun-kissed and blessed by the warm hospitality for which the Fijians are known, the words are flowing.
I’m only on holiday here for a week, but it’s got me seriously thinking about returning with a small group of like-minded writers? Fiji is not only the ideal holiday destination, it would be the ideal destination for a writing retreat. There’s the conducive beachside location, the super friendly Fijians, the laidback ambience and let’s not forget the fabulous cocktails. Imagine being one of a small group of writers who get to spend a week here, writing among the palm trees, networking and sharing knowledge with fellow authors, leveling up on self-publishing, marketing and writing skills, and generally finding the breathing space and harmony to harness your writing mojo. Sound good? HERE hits the bullseye for so many reasons. It’s beautiful, it’s friendly, it’s relaxing, it’s ‘real’, it feels like a writers’ haven. I’ve already been in discussion with a writing friend about organising a writers’ retreat for Indie authors right here. If this is potentially something you think you’d be interested in, ping me an email so I can add you on my list of potential Fiji retreatees!
PASSPORT TO LOVE
Of course, I’ve already plotted a new Fiji story in my Passport to Love series, but if you haven’t already read my upbeat, escapist holiday fiction or would like to check out my revamped Passport to Love series are now back on sale on Kindle Unlimited and you can find them right here.
What’s more, Holly Ever After is being offered FREE for three days, 4 - 6th August. It includes additional material. If you’d like to grab your free copy, you can get it here:
In this newsletter, my author in the spotlight is the super-talented and successful Heidi Catherine. It’s always a joy talking to her and I thought I’d ask her to share some of the secrets of her success as an Indie author.
Please can you tell us a little about your background, how you became an author and what sort of books you write?
I have a background working and teaching in marketing but am now lucky enough to be able to focus on my books full time. I write mainly dystopian fiction but also have two fantasy series as well as some domestic suspense novels published as HC Michaels. Like most authors, my passion for writing started at a young age, but my main inspiration came from my mum who had a children’s book published when I was in my early 20s. She’s now my number one reader and fan!
I know you write with another author, Tamar Sloan. Please can you explain how that collaboration came about, the benefits for working collaboratively and how it works in practice?
Tamar and I became friends through Romance Writers of Australia. She had a killer idea for a dystopian series that she asked if I’d like to write with her. It took me about two seconds to say YES! Three series and twenty books later, we’re still writing together so I think it’s safe to say it’s going well. We’ve learnt a lot from each other, and our storylines have really benefited from having two heads at the desk. We’ve been fortunate to have established a loyal reader base with our books having sold about 200,000 copies worldwide in Kindle, paperback and audio.
Our collaboration process is pretty simple. One of us comes up with an idea, then we get together to plot the series and develop a chapter outline. We write dual point of view stories, so we take a character each, then write alternating chapters. We follow the outline (mostly!) and draft our chapters offline. When one of our chapters is ready, we post it in a shared google document for the other to edit. When we’re both happy with the chapter, we switch places. And back and forward it goes until the book is done! Co-writing speeds up the process and means we’re able to publish a new title every two to three months.
What can a reader expect from your books?
That might depend on which book they pick up! I love a plot twist so you can count on that in pretty much any of my stories. And I do try to weave in a little wisdom, humour and romance along the way to keep the reader thinking, laughing and dreaming. I hope that what a reader finds is an entertaining read that keeps them up late at night.
What’s the one book you wished you’d written?
It has to be The Hunger Games. For me, it’s the ultimate book. It has it all… A unique and brave plot. Characters you can get behind. An impossible love triangle. Page-turning action. And a fair few royalties earned for the author as well ;-) It’s the only book I can remember reading where I finished last page and immediately picked up my keys and drove to the bookstore to buy the next one in the series. It takes such magic as a writer to be able to cast a spell on a reader to make them do that.
What are you currently reading yourself? What’s the best book you’ve read by another author this year?
I’m currently reading The Things We Keep by Sally Hepworth, which was my choice for my book group this month. I’ve read all her books and adore her impossible-to-put-down writing style. As for the best book this year… that’s a tricky one. I’m going to go with Fortune Falls by Lou Vane. It’s a story about a group of teens who get trapped in the mountains when a deadly virus breaks out. It’s a very gripping read!
What’s in the pipeline at present and where can readers find your books?
There’s a lot happening at my desk. I just released a free prequel novella for my fantasy series, The Kingdoms of Evernow, and I’m working hard to bring out two new domestic suspense novels over the next year. I’m also about to dive into writing my next dystopian series with Tamar and it has us both very excited!
If you’d like to receive a FREE copy of The Kingdoms of Evernow prequel Heidi has kindly offered it to my newsletter subscribers and you can get it here:
The best place to check out Heidi’s other books is on Amazon or her website: www.heidicatherine.com
So, you may have noticed, this newsletter didn’t actually get sent from Fiji. I’m now back in Australia and wrapped up for winter again…
Seriously! Every day is a gift, and I’m so grateful to come home to this wonderful part of the world.
Last night, I met up with a bunch of writing friends called the Writers’ Clink. It’s just a social group to chat about the whys and wherefores of writing, and as usual, I came away feeling blessed with the friends I have. So here’s to the never-ending support of readers, writers, family and friends. They are all so important in helping us writers believe in ourselves so we keep chasing our dreams. I thank you from the bottom of my foxtrotting heart.
Keep being foxy. Surround yourself with friends. Hold onto your dreams. Read what you love!
Until next time stay well and stay out of trouble!
Anna
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