Blog

My childhood in books

My childhood in books

One of the questions I get asked a lot is what age my books are suitable for. I usually answer ‘twelve to one hundred and twelve’. Sometimes people follow up with a comment: ‘my daughter reads everything’, ‘he reads well above his age’, ‘she loves books by [adult author]’. And I smile, knowing my books …

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Writing Inspiration: My Dad

Writing Inspiration: My Dad

There can be all kinds of reasons why someone makes the fateful decision to become a writer. Or it may be no single thing – rather a number of them. One of the big influences for me was my Dad, Bob Larkins. I am thinking about family a lot at the moment. So let me …

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Resilience and Oleanders

Resilience and Oleanders

Today I’d like to introduce you to AJ Collins, a prize-winning, Melbourne-based fiction author. Previously a devotee of adrenaline sports (including bungee, skydiving, parasailing, sky-walking, sky-jumping, and volcano climbing), AJ is now happy to be settled at home with her hubby and two fur-kids, writing her adventures instead of living them. Perhaps her adventurous past …

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My Mandala Journey

My Mandala Journey

When someone says to you ‘I’ve been looking for a writer’, you might be about to begin an intriguing journey. For me that journey took me into the heart of the mandala. My exploration was intriguing and deeply moving. Ultimately, it led to a beautiful book of which I’m very proud. It also led to …

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Frankenstein and Steampunk

Frankenstein and Steampunk

In this blog post I interview author BG Hilton, whose debut novel is the Steampunk adventure Champagne Charlie and the Amazing Gladys. This exciting steampunk adventure has just been released by Odyssey Books. With an abiding interest in Frankenstein, you can guarantee Hilton’s answers to my questions will intrigue. Which writer or writers opened your …

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10 Sure-Fire Ways to Stop Procrastinating

10 Sure-Fire Ways to Stop Procrastinating

By an expert* Procrastinating can be a real problem for writers. Faced with a blank page, the call of the wild twitter-verse can be an enduring temptation. Here are some tried and true techniques this alliterative writer has discovered for taming the monkey mind and getting things done. * an expert at procrastinating, that is. …

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Writer Wisdom: Sometimes the Magic Works by Terry Brooks

Writer Wisdom: Sometimes the Magic Works by Terry Brooks

Over January I’ve been tidying my study and realised I have a LOT of books on writing. Some I’ve read (or skimmed), many I haven’t. I’ve done a Masters and PhD in creative writing as well as attending numerous classes and workshops over the years. But my preference outside of this training has been to …

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What we learn in sorrow

What we learn in sorrow

In Australia at the moment many are grieving. Bushfires have swept our country, taking out huge tracts of land, homes, and many, many lives, both human and wildlife. I have stopped looking at the news because the images are too distressing. My heart grieves at so much loss. And now I have learned that a …

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Time and what you do with it

Time and what you do with it

About this time last year I went to an exhibition of prints, paintings and stained glass by Christian Waller, an art nouveau artist from Castlemaine, Victoria. The artworks were incredible. Absolute artistry: technique combined with expression. Each work had mythical underpinnings as Waller was interested in theosophy and expressed her studies in what she created. …

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Pierrot in Popular Culture

Pierrot in Popular Culture

People often give me blank looks if I say my books are about the Commedia dell’Arte. Italian Renaissance improvised theatre is not well known today. Those who have done theatre studies or drama are likely to know about it, but most don’t. Audiences might remember seeing Commedia-style plays like A Servant of Two Masters and the hilarious …

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