Welcome to Fabulous Fiction, which celebrates books so good, you just want to hug them when you’re done reading. It’s August. It’s conference month. And yes… you’re getting this blog a teensy bit later than its scheduled delivery date, so sorry. Can I blame it on jetlag? (It’s a thing, right, even with a two-hour time difference?) But anyhoo, without further ado, let’s get the drums rolling for August author of the month, RWA’s own Dakota Harrison. Laugh. Cry. Love. That’s the head’s up Dakota gives us on her website of what she’s packing into her stories. There’s some interesting …
The Number One Concept to Stop Confusion About Showing
‘Show don’t tell’ is one of the most worrisome writing guidelines ever created, but it’s also essential to modern authors. Finding the right balance of showing and telling in your story is like patting your head and rubbing your belly while balancing on one leg at the top of a pole in a river full of crocodiles. (And I never exaggerate.) Authors get themselves tied up in knots over showing and telling, but the good news is if you take a deep breath, let go of the minutiae that are bogging you down and remember one simple and liberating concept, …
Writing a Romantic Book Series with Mel A Rowe
How long should a romantic book series be? Releasing book seven of my bestselling Elsie Creek Series, I had to wonder how many books should make up a romance series? So I searched for a popular romance series with seven or more full-sized novels. The results… A random selection from each category, to give you an idea for your own romance series. POPULAR FANTASY LONG SERIES: Fantasy books are amazing places you can really dive into. Even though some of the following titles aren’t classified as romances, we all know there is an element of romance to be found between …
Kiss and Tell | Stella Quinn
Brimming with warmth and humour, Stella Quinn’s new rural romance, A Town Like Clarence, roped me in from the prologue and kept me smiling throughout. There’s so much to love about Kirsty and Joey’s story, from the town committee who spends just as much time planning a community event as they do on project ‘Find Farmer Joey A Wife’, to the restoration of a vintage aeroplane with special significance for pilot Kirsty. Sassy eight-year-old Amy, also deserves a special mention (and quite possibly her own story) and although I’m not usually a poetry fan, I was delighted by the bush …
Kiss and Tell | Sasha Wasley
This month’s Kiss & Tell guest is West Australian writer, Sasha Wasley. The author of three rural romances in the ‘Daughters of the Outback’ series, plus two stand-alone fiction titles, Sasha is also on the cusp of releasing a children’s book for middle grade readers under a pen name Ash Harrier. Her 2021 release Spring Clean for the Peach Queen was one of my favourite reads of 2021 and I’m excited to get stuck into her newest release, A Caravan Like a Canary. RWA members heading to the 2022 conference will also have a chance to meet Sasha in person …
Three things I learned while writing… Keeper Of My Desire, Book 3 The Immortal Keepers
We all know writing can be hard – and especially so for writers who write series. But all that hard work pays off when we see a reader fall into the magic of a good book. RWA member and fantasy romance writer HM Hodgson knows that feeling well, and loves the fantastic places the written word can take us. Join us on the blog today to chat with her about the three things she learned writing the latest novel in ‘The Immortal Keepers’ series: ‘Keeper of my desire’. Welcome HM Hodgson!
Three things I learned while writing… A Twist in the Tail
Welcome to the RWAs ‘Three Things I Learned’ blog. Things are starting to chill for the upcoming winter but over in sunny Western Australia, things are heating up! Romance author, RWA aspiring ambassdor and previous RWA volunteer of the year, D.D.Line has been delighting readers with her romantic suspense novels. Today she comes to chat about the three things she learned writing her latest novel ‘A Twist in the Tail’ -the latest in her Trinket Bay series. Welcome D.D.Line!
Kiss and Tell | Lee Christine
Living by the ocean, far, far away from the ski fields, makes Lee Christine’s snow crime books quite the escapist treat. Dead Horse Gap is mostly from the perspective of undercover detective Nerida Sterling and Detective Mitch Flowers, a well-loved character from Lee’s previous stories. There’s a suspected murder, a long-held family feud, questionable alibis and of course the beautiful alpine backdrop. Readers will enjoy cameo appearances from Christine’s previous characters, and after the cracking finish to Dead Horse Gap, they’ll be eagerly anticipating the change in direction for characters in the next novel. The author has turned her love …
Kickstart Your Novel Dream
By Leeanne Vernon In some ways, I feel like a fraud teaching this course – I’m yet to have a romance novel published, despite trying. That’s not very encouraging if you’re thinking about joining my How to Kick Start your Novel sessions but let me put your mind at ease. I’m an awesome writing coach. Several people I’ve coached have gone on to publish their books. One young man wrote about his travelling adventures including ending up incarcerated in Guantanamo Bay detention centre. Tim left school in Year 10 and knew nothing about writing, but he was passionate about his …
The Secrets of Show Don’t Tell
By Samantha Marshall Whether you’re an aspiring writer finding your feet, an emerging author with a couple of books under your belt or an established author with a career spanning years, chances are you’ve heard the phrase ‘Show, Don’t Tell.’ Perhaps you’ve submitted a manuscript for either assessment or editing, and received feedback highlighting elements of telling in your writing, with the request to show instead. Or maybe you attended a talk with an author you admire, and they encourage their audience to show instead of tell wherever possible. You may even have come across the advice in craft books, …