Finding Elara

Building worlds with words and sharing those words with the world. A podcast for writers, world builders and artists that would like to take a mindful look inside their creations. This is an interview series that provides an opportunity for Authors to share their Worldbuilding style and Mindfulness tactics.

S02E33-071 Season Finale 10/27/2025

S02E32-070 An essential component with Tony James Slater 10/21/2025

S02E32-070 An essential component with Tony James Slater Guest Bio Tony James Slater is an unusual combination of science-fiction author and travel-memoir writer. He is a very, very strange man. He believes himself to be indestructible, despite considerable evidence to the contrary. He is often to be found making strange faces whilst pretending to be attacked by inanimate objects. But perhaps his biggest problem is this: he has a mouth so big he is at risk of swallowing his own head. It is for this reason (amongst others) that he chooses to spend his life far from mainstream civilization, tackling ridiculous challenges and subjecting himself to constant danger. He gets hurt quite a lot. Links Contact Tony James Slater Facebook: Website: Things you can enter TREASURE CHEST GIVEAWAY From Poppy: 1 e-copy of Woken Kingdom and d1 e-copy of How to edit your own novel. From Elizabeth: Winners Choice of any 1 thing from her etsy store/a copy of her book. From Lourna: A winners choice of one of her Anthologies From RA: The first book in her Amefyre Series From Tony: 1 Copy of 1st Memoir and 1 copy of Earth Warden sci-fi book From BCP: 2x A copy of one of the BCP Low/Medium Content Journal range and 1 $25 Voucher Treasure chest Give-away 3: (open 30/07/2025 closes 8/10/2025) Contact the Team Finding Elara Facebook Group: Discord: BCP Website: BCP Instagram: BCP facebook: Contact Dianna Website: Facebook: (DL Nix) Instagram: Tiktok: Contact Jules Substack: Facebook Author Page: Facebook Group: Discord: jaduxburyauthor Sponsor Info Shadow Lair: Selva’s Ality: Selina Shapland: Show Notes Worldbuilding is an essential component to fiction Memoirs require world painting – additional elements decrease reputation. Memoirs: Dialogue opens up creative license. Worldbuilding and description are different. Favourite Character is Kyra as it was inspired by his wife. Earth is a forbidden planet in his series but Kyra tends to find earth clothes Very conscious of clothing in the series after a critique about jumpsuit Kyra joined us for a role play scenario Only has this world so fae, but the intricacies are well known. Recommends design what you need along the way – you can retcon Star wars has always inspired his works. Phantom menace wis a surprise. Can a speed bump is you don’t research properly in advance Would love telepathy in this world Don’t be a perfectionist with your writing. Minimum viable product talk. Fast Fire Questions 1. What is your favourite Colour? Black 2. What is your favourite thing to draw Sun or Moon? Moon 3. Would you prefer to live near a Beach or River? River 4. What is your dream Holiday destination? Machu Pichu 5. What is your favourite Fairytale? Thumbelina Linking to Elara Question Garry - Which inanimate object has ambushed the author the most? Usually Tea towels because they are the best to do. Lisa - Sounds like someone I can "get". Hurt a lot! As far as questions... If you were a bread, what kind of bread would you be and why? What is the strangest place you have been hurt (and what was injured)? Garlic bread because everyone likes it. Fell on a climbing frame when young, has been a lifelong ingjury. Was blinded in one of his adventures. Julz - Who are his heroes from the old writers of sci fi - talking Asimov, James P Hogan, Jerry Pournelle. Arthur C Clarke. Approach to technology fascinated him. Has he combined things like shifters or vampires into a sci fi story? Haven’t but has sword play and psychic powers. Has he used a gravity weapon on the world and have it backfire Has a compressing space technology How deep did you go into the lore of the starfish creatures Beaks were to differentiate. Starfish are fascinating and did heapd of research. Don’t be a perfectionist with your writing. /episode/index/show/findingelara/id/38722830

S02E31-069 The subject is entirely Tony James Slater 10/06/2025

S02E31-069 The subject is entirely Tony James Slater Guest Bio Tony James Slater is an unusual combination of science-fiction author and travel-memoir writer. He is a very, very strange man. He believes himself to be indestructible, despite considerable evidence to the contrary. He is often to be found making strange faces whilst pretending to be attacked by inanimate objects. But perhaps his biggest problem is this: he has a mouth so big he is at risk of swallowing his own head. It is for this reason (amongst others) that he chooses to spend his life far from mainstream civilization, tackling ridiculous challenges and subjecting himself to constant danger. He gets hurt quite a lot. Links Contact Tony James Slater Facebook: Website: Things you can enter TREASURE CHEST GIVEAWAY From Poppy: 1 e-copy of Woken Kingdom and d1 e-copy of How to edit your own novel. From Elizabeth: Winners Choice of any 1 thing from her etsy store/a copy of her book. From Lourna: A winners choice of one of her Anthologies From RA: The first book in her Amefyre Series From Tony: 1 Copy of 1st Memoir and 1 copy of Earth Warden sci-fi book From BCP: 2x A copy of one of the BCP Low/Medium Content Journal range and 1 $25 Voucher Treasure chest Give-away 3: (open 30/07/2025 closes 8/10/2025) Contact the Team Finding Elara Facebook Group: Discord: BCP Website: BCP Instagram: BCP facebook: Contact Dianna Website: Facebook: (DL Nix) Instagram: Tiktok: Contact Jules Substack: Facebook Author Page: Facebook Group: Discord: jaduxburyauthor Sponsor Info Shadow Lair: Selva’s Ality: Selina Shapland: Show Notes Pacman Reference from Bio Originally wanted to be a famous actor. Realised it wasn't his path. Worked on self development and travelled before first memoir written. People were sick of hearing his story but he still wanted to tell it. That is when he wrote his first Memoir. Shared a spoiler about That Bear Ate My Pants Has a deep appreciation of animals Loves Lego Mindfulness keeps him sane in an uncertain creative world. 'This too shall pass' Works full time as an Author - last 5 years To deal with stress uses Mindspace ap and meditation. Additional responsibility has change his priorities in life. Writing habits - writing comes first. If the writing is too much of a challenge after 1000 words will stick to alternate writing tasks 3 major, 3 minor, rolling to-do list Speaking blew writing out of the water for a short time. Speaking was energizing potentially due to acting background Has 7 Memoirs and 11 Scifi Reads all responses and reviews to his stories. The negative responses are read critically, if there is no value, he doesn't let them bother him. Most recent memoir has had some controversial issues that have impacted readership Will be interested in writing a self help book in the future, not sure if he should put it out in memoir name or not. Lego is favourite this for relaxing at the end of the day, has mindful elements. Main goals are success based, wants a stable income from his writing. Streamline methods and write 3 books a year. Pitched first book was advised need to be famous so we went out to try Met David Gaugran who goncvinced him to self publish Has self published all books currently, is considering pitching publishers for next memoir. Fast Fire Questions Would you rather be a table or a chair? Table Are you a dog person or cat person? Cat Who is your favourite superhero? Spiderman If you were to have a magical power what would it be? Fly What is the first think you would do with a huge lotto win? Parcel out to people who will need it. Buffy Night Star Wars and Firefly Integral to his development and understanding of Sci-fi as a genre and the juxtaposition of in depth world creations and humour within Firefly resonated with his natural humorous nature. /episode/index/show/findingelara/id/38479480

S02E30-068 Start with the part you love most with RA Sandpiper 09/27/2025

S02E30-068 Start with the part you love most with RA Sandpiper Episode Description Guest Bio R A Sandpiper (she/her) is a British fantasy author from the south of England. She has a law degree she's never used despite spending five years in government-adjacent roles, loves games of all kinds (the nerdier the better), and will always dance at weddings. She's passionate about creating strong and complex characters in unkind and twisting worlds, but despite what she puts them through, there will always be a heart-pounding romance. Her debut trilogy, Amefyre, commencing with A Pocket of Lies, is out now. Her next duology will launch with To Touch A Silent Fury in September 2025. Links Contact RA Sandpiper Instagram: rasandpiper Website: Tiktok: oyster_rach Things you can enter TREASURE CHEST GIVEAWAY From Poppy: 1 e-copy of Woken Kingdom and d1 e-copy of How to edit your own novel. From Elizabeth: Winners Choice of any 1 thing from her etsy store/a copy of her book. From Lourna: A winners choice of one of her Anthologies From RA: The first book in her Amefyre Series From BCP: 2x A copy of one of the BCP Low/Medium Content Journal range and 1 $25 Voucher Treasure chest Give-away 3: (open 30/07/2025 closes 8/10/2025) Contact the Team Finding Elara Facebook Group: Discord: BCP Website: BCP Instagram: BCP facebook: Contact Dianna Website: Facebook: (DL Nix) Instagram: Tiktok: Contact Jules Substack: Facebook Author Page: Facebook Group: Discord: jaduxburyauthor Sponsor Info Shadow Lair: Selva’s Ality: Selina Shapland: Show Notes To Touch a silent Fury is the first book in a Duology Fantasy Authors maximise worldbuilds Worldbuilding = Believable Place Internally Consistent logic is required Starts with magical history Loves Hard magical systema Needs consequences to be realistic Tani is the MC of the New book. She had an adventurous LARP After Duology - Only a vague plan Reality into Story – Karma more firmly embedded. Escape from loneliness and belonging From her worlds to here – Dragons would be good here, but will choose the Wine. Lesson - Have more than you think you need Fast Fire Questions What is your favourite Colour? Orange What is your favourite thing to draw Sun or Moon? Moon Would you prefer to live near a Beach or River? River What is your dream Holiday destination? Hiking holiday in Canada What is your favourite Fairytale? Original telling of sleeping beauty Linking to Elara Ryan -Do you build your own worlds? What is your process? Do you create your own maps? World starts from thought excersize. Make all maps on incarnate. Normally after draft or half way through. Julz - Do you call upon legends such as those relating specifically to Cornwall (Kernow)? Don’t know Cornish legend. Reimagining Swan wife story. Could be interesting. You need legends in stories to make them seem real. Selina - What are your top three tips for creating complex characters? 1. Needs versus Wants. 2. Don’t be afraid to give people unlikable traits. 3. Blanking How does your unkind world drive the story forward and strengthen conflict, stakes and tension? Both worlds have brands of unkindness. It strengthens characters and increases tension and engagement. Cynde - What do you prioritize when layering political intrigue, emotional stakes, and fantasy mechanics, do you have guiding principles for keeping the reader emotionally grounded and the narrative clear? Start from Character and it natural builds. Dianna – What inspired the use of silver to dampen the magic? Liked the idea of light and darkness. /episode/index/show/findingelara/id/38376120

S02E29-067 Not Pronunciation Police with RA Sandpiper 09/10/2025

S02E29-067 Not Pronunciation Police with RA Sandpiper Guest Bio R A Sandpiper (she/her) is a British fantasy author from the south of England. She has a law degree she's never used despite spending five years in government-adjacent roles, loves games of all kinds (the nerdier the better), and will always dance at weddings. She's passionate about creating strong and complex characters in unkind and twisting worlds, but despite what she puts them through, there will always be a heart-pounding romance. Her debut trilogy, Amefyre, commencing with A Pocket of Lies, is out now. Her next duology will launch with To Touch A Silent Fury in September 2025. Links Contact RA Sandpiper Instagram: rasandpiper Website: Tiktok: oyster_rach Things you can enter TREASURE CHEST GIVEAWAY From Poppy: 1 e-copy of Woken Kingdom and d1 e-copy of How to edit your own novel. From Elizabeth: Winners Choice of any 1 thing from her etsy store/a copy of her book. From Lourna: A winners choice of one of her Anthologies From RA: The first book in her Amefyre Series From BCP: 2x A copy of one of the BCP Low/Medium Content Journal range and 1 $25 Voucher Treasure chest Give-away 3: (open 30/07/2025 closes 8/10/2025) Contact the Team Finding Elara Facebook Group: Discord: BCP Website: BCP Instagram: BCP facebook: Contact Dianna Website: Facebook: (DL Nix) Instagram: Tiktok: Contact Jules Substack: Facebook Author Page: Facebook Group: Discord: jaduxburyauthor Sponsor Info Shadow Lair: Selva’s Ality: Selina Shapland: Show Notes Tiktok exposure has evolved First full book at 19 while studying Law Creativity gave her purpose + escapism Took writing serious at 25 Mindfulness = being conscious of body and situation No mindfulness when writing. Mindfulness helps with stress cliffs while editing. Not Pronunciations police. Fell into the generic map when creating worls but stepped back and upgraded it. Does Admin in the mornings and had a writing goal for the week, not just the day. Can get anxious about missing deadlines but adjusts. She is kind to herself. Was inspired by an old manager. Main tip is just to start. Perfect is the enemy of good Reward system in Delusion. Favourite Milestone is third Draft Art is more relacing than writing. Wrote Twilight Fanfic – low pressure writing. Relaxes with Artsy Films Future plans uncertain. Fast Fire Questions Would you rather be a table or a chair? Chair Are you a dog person or cat person? Cat Who is your favourite superhero? Spiderman If you were to have a magical power what would it be? Teleportation What is the first think you would do with a huge lotto win? Buy a house Buffy Night DUNE From the to the setting. RA was haunted by the memory of the first time she was exposed the herberts literary genius. Within her stories this is reflected in the desert setting and the religious order that has one messiah. /episode/index/show/findingelara/id/38173205

S02E28-066 An entire world with Lorna Woulfe 09/04/2025

S02E28-066 An entire world with Lorna Woulfe Guest Bio Lorna Woulfe was born and raised in the state of Ohio. She has lived in such exotic locales as Denver CO, Los Angeles, CA, and Nashville, TN. She is the alter ego of L. Anne Wooley who writes nonfiction under that name. Her pen name was created to honor both sides of her family; Lorna was her maternal grandmother (also a writer ). Woulfe is what Wooley descends from, Ireland is here the clan lived. She's a poet, writer, editor and flutist ; also a jewelry designer. She is a co-admin and co-host of an event called Writer's Night, held via the Facebook group Writer's Night Quills for over 11 years now. Also a 16-year veteran of NaNoWriMo and has run many workshops on Nano prep including the history of NaNoWrimo, tips Character Creation, Plotting and Outlining and, of course, World Building. She is published in multiple anthologies with both short stories and poetry. Her latest is a poem in Ohio Bard's Poetry Anthology 2025 Links Contact Lorna Instagram: @velvetdelenn Facebook: Discord: Lisa 089480 Things you can enter TREASURE CHEST GIVEAWAY From Poppy: 1 e-copy of Woken Kingdom and d1 e-copy of How to edit your own novel. From Elizabeth: Winners Choice of any 1 thing from her etsy store/a copy of her book. From Lorna: A winners choice of one of her Anthologies From BCP: 2x A copy of one of the BCP Low/Medium Content Journal range Treasure chest Give-away 3: (open 30/07/2025 closes 8/10/2025) Contact the Team Finding Elara Facebook Group: Discord: BCP Website: BCP Instagram: BCP facebook: Contact Dianna Website: Facebook: (DL Nix) Instagram: Tiktok: Contact Jules Substack: Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=j%20a%20duxbury Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3357069671029525 Discord: jaduxburyauthor Sponsor Info Shadow Lair: Selva’s Ality: Selina Shapland: Show Notes Creating a playground for your characters. Worldbuilding can be a character on its own. The essential worldbuilding handbook by scribe forge SFWA Sack the towel is play character Always need s to work on Character and plot. You can go as deep into the world as you want, but keep in mind what needs to be in the story. There is only 1 character that was like Lorna and it was cathartic. Has written an poem and impact statement for court and it was helpful. External people can sometimes be a lilfeline, sometimes the opposite. Was horse crazy growing up. Fast Fire Questions What’s your favourite Colour? Green Would you rather draw a Sun or a Moon? Moon Would you prefer to live near the beach or a river? Beach Dream Holiday Destination? Italy Favourite Fairy Tale? Snow White Linking to Elara 1. Steph: Regarding writing, poetry and playing the flute (presuming she writes the music), how do you know when a piece is truly finished? How do you deal with writers/creative block? a. When there is no more writing to do. You’re happy with the story. Have others read it. Use text to voice. 2. What is a piece of advice you swear by and one you ignore/ disagree with? a. Writing down to the bones by Natalie Goldburg talks about monkey mind. b. Sir Terry Pratchet: Get story down. c. Just keep writing, Find Joy in what you do. She sees Editing like a Jigsaw puzzle. Become friends with it, ignore the naysayers. 3. Selena: I would love to know more about her experience with anthologies and how they have helped her develop her writing. Also, how does Lorna use poetry to develop her creative writing craft? a. Practice. 4. What are Lorna’s best tips for getting into the flow for poetry writing? What tips does Lorna have for creating monsters or characters from non-human backgrounds and making them intriguing to pull readers into their stories? a. Short story, smaller space with impact. 5. Ryan: Where does she get her poetry inspiration from? What has been her favorite thing to write? a. Nature b. NaHiWrimo c. A poem a day – (Guy who wrote Writer Market) 6. Garry: Dose she play D&D and if so is she a bard? What is her favourite K-Pop Demon Hunter Song? (Moot) a. DND Adventures. Discussed different characters she has played. 7. DL: When you are writing a short story or Novella there are so many edits that you have to go through to get the story just right, do you think with Poetry the words are more considered before the even meet the page? a. Same Same Bibliography: Still in print: Cracks in the tapestry / Warps in the Tapestry. Her poem was the back cover in cracks in the tapestry. The Longest Nightwatch Vol. 2. An anthology dedicated to raising funds for Alzheimer's research. It was an honor of Sir Terry Pratchett. Her story was under L. Anne Wooley at the time. Pride Park This one she edited partially, helped finish and get published. She also wrote the forward. This was written in honor of the victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting. Ohio Bard's poetry anthology 2023-2024 and 2025. COLLABORATION WITH Jamie Winters These Little Lovelies: Under L. Anne Wooley Fandom Universe: A Galaxy Far Far Away. “Star Wars Memories.” Her first Anthology Lupis Animus: Socials: Amazon Author Page: Patreon: Lisa Wooley Goodreads : /episode/index/show/findingelara/id/38086205

S02E27-065 When things fall into Place with Lorna Woulfe 08/29/2025

S02E27-065 When things fall into Place with Lorna Woulfe Guest Bio Lorna Woulfe was born and raised in the state of Ohio. She has lived in such exotic locales as Denver CO, Los Angeles, CA, and Nashville, TN. She is the alter ego of L. Anne Wooley who writes nonfiction under that name. Her pen name was created to honor both sides of her family; Lorna was her maternal grandmother (also a writer ). Woulfe is what Wooley descends from, Ireland is here the clan lived. She's a poet, writer, editor and flutist ; also a jewelry designer. She is a co-admin and co-host of an event called Writer's Night, held via the Facebook group Writer's Night Quills for over 11 years now. Also a 16-year veteran of NaNoWriMo and has run many workshops on Nano prep including the history of NaNoWrimo, tips Character Creation, Plotting and Outlining and, of course, World Building. She is published in multiple anthologies with both short stories and poetry. Her latest is a poem in Ohio Bard's Poetry Anthology 2025 Links Contact Lorna Instagram: @velvetdelenn Facebook: Discord: Lisa 089480 Things you can enter TREASURE CHEST GIVEAWAY From Poppy: 1 e-copy of Woken Kingdom and d1 e-copy of How to edit your own novel. From Elizabeth: Winners Choice of any 1 thing from her etsy store/a copy of her book. From Lorna: A winners choice of one of her Anthologies From BCP: 2x A copy of one of the BCP Low/Medium Content Journal range Treasure chest Give-away 3: (open 30/07/2025 closes 8/10/2025) Contact the Team Finding Elara Facebook Group: Discord: BCP Website: BCP Instagram: BCP facebook: Contact Dianna Website: Facebook: (DL Nix) Instagram: Tiktok: Contact Jules Substack: Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=j%20a%20duxbury Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3357069671029525 Discord: jaduxburyauthor Sponsor Info Shadow Lair: Selva’s Ality: Selina Shapland: Show Notes Struggled with Mindfulness, hard to define – makes sure she can keep an even keel. Poet first. Dream International al ¼ 2004 Returned to writing Had group at a bar; Natalie Goodbridge down the Bones Not the destination it’s the journey Sarah Cannon – you tube Heart Breathing rough draft Challenge Had a few different names before settled on Writer Quills Night Stress is a struggle that she is always trying to do better. Not too different between the writing styles Balance= to work on 1 idea Writing primps are useful Prefers fantasy generally – Urban Likes Colour by numbers and cat time. Been lucky with submissions and has helped a lot with the editing. Remember with a rejections it is not a reflections of her, it is the work. Goal setting helps with finishing projects Unravels plet problems and then sets goals Unwinds at work to rest before going home Writers night helps. Hand writing for warm ups. It activates a different part of the brain. Is a plantser – has been surprised by characters Current goals to finish Haiku Book this year and storm Raven. Fast Fire Questions Would you rather be a table or a chair? Table Are you a dog person or cat person? Cat Who is your favourite superhero? Wonder Woman If you were to have a magical power what would it be? Invisibility What is the first think you would do with a huge lotto win? Pay Bills Buffy Night Babylon 5 Loves the character Growth and development throughout the series. Bibliography: Still in print: Cracks in the tapestry / Warps in the Tapestry. Her poem was the back cover in cracks in the tapestry. The Longest Nightwatch Vol. 2. An anthology dedicated to raising funds for Alzheimer's research. It was an honor of Sir Terry Pratchett. Her story was under L. Anne Wooley at the time. Pride Park This one she edited partially, helped finish and get published. She also wrote the forward. This was written in honor of the victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting. Ohio Bard's poetry anthology 2023-2024 and 2025. COLLABORATION WITH Jamie Winters These Little Lovelies: Under L. Anne Wooley Fandom Universe: A Galaxy Far Far Away. “Star Wars Memories.” Her first Anthology Lupis Animus: Socials: Amazon Author Page: Patreon: Lisa Wooley Goodreads : /episode/index/show/findingelara/id/38016560

S02E26-064 White is for mourning with Elizabeth Chaffin 08/20/2025

S02E26-064 White is for mourning with Elizabeth Chaffin Guest Bio Elizabeth Chaffin is the creator of Bearded Rat Mysteries, through which she has written over 14 digital-download murder mystery games that have been sold around the world. She is also the author of two novels, Dead Man's Swamp and Newfangled Madness, published under the name E. M. Chaffin. Both books feature homeschooled protagonists and explore themes of friendship, courage, and the pursuit of truth. She lives in Oklahoma, USA with her own personal creatures Paisley and Tricki Woo. She enjoys eating mashed potatoes, adventuring to beautiful places, and taking vitamins. There was this one time she floated on the Yellow River on a raft made of inflated sheepskin, but that doesn’t have anything to do with this podcast. Links Contact Elizabeth Website: Instagram for EM: Instagram for BRM: Facebook for EM: Facebook for BRM: Etsy: Things you can enter TREASURE CHEST GIVEAWAY From Poppy: 1 e-copy of Woken Kingdom and d1 e-copy of How to edit your own novel. From Elizabeth: Winners Choice of any 1 thing from her etsy store/a copy of her book. From BCP: A copy of one of the BSP Low/Medium Content Journal range Treasure chest Give-away 3: (open 30/07/2025 closes 8/10/2025) Contact the Team Finding Elara Facebook Group: Discord: BCP Website: BCP Instagram: BCP facebook: Contact Dianna Website: Facebook: (DL Nix) Instagram: Tiktok: Sponsor Info Shadow Lair: Selva’s Ality: Selina Shapland: Show Notes For the Games – She starts with theme + setting followed by murder motivation. Then the characters with the motivation around the victim. For the novels – She starts with character, what story she is after first Didn’t start out as a plotter but has started plotting more each project. After she started doing that she realised that the more plotting the easier it was for the next steps. She always makes sure that the plot is flexible and is kind to herself if things need to change. Worldbuilding = Settings are a character First novel Dead mans swamp has 3 different timelines. New Fangled Madness – has a magic ring to talk to birds. Self published both books – was advised that if she had an audience, to stick to the same sort of theme. Marian – Character from new fangled Madness went on adventures in Elara. She was very brave. Goes on a lot of sidequests when researching games, aske her about circus lore! Fast Fire Questions What’s your favourite Colour? Grey Would you rather draw a Sun or a Moon? Sun Would you prefer to live near the beach or a river? River Dream Holiday Destination? New Zealand Favourite Fairy Tale? Beauty and the beast LINKING TO ELARA Ryan: How do you get their inspiration for the scenes especially murder scenes? Don’t have a good answer! They either come randomly or it is just the first idea when in her writing headspace. Loves Brainstorming. Julz: How do you cope with life after some of the murders you have written about? None of them are to serious in the end. Has had to put it away before and move on to something else. Garry: What originally drew you to irish guacamole and will they be tackling any other river on the sheep raft. Her mum makes the best. Grew up skin off and now has skin on. Joel: You develop such unique and quirky characters. Do you start with the murderer and their character first? For the books definitely the main character. When Developing the victim do you want them to be innocent or do you want them to be more of an antihero? In the games the victim tends to be the worst person. In the books it’s a mixture. Dianna: How do you deal with the emotional resonance in a murder mystery? I like characters each person answer a number of questions. This develops this web of depth. /episode/index/show/findingelara/id/37896320

S02E25-063 The way to it is through it with Elizabeth Chaffin 08/13/2025

S02E25-063 The way to it is through it with Elizabeth Chaffin Guest Bio Elizabeth Chaffin is the creator of Bearded Rat Mysteries, through which she has written over 14 digital-download murder mystery games that have been sold around the world. She is also the author of two novels, Dead Man's Swamp and Newfangled Madness, published under the name E. M. Chaffin. Both books feature homeschooled protagonists and explore themes of friendship, courage, and the pursuit of truth. She lives in Oklahoma, USA with her own personal creatures Paisley and Tricki Woo. She enjoys eating mashed potatoes, adventuring to beautiful places, and taking vitamins. There was this one time she floated on the Yellow River on a raft made of inflated sheepskin, but that doesn’t have anything to do with this podcast. Links Contact Elizabeth Website: Instagram for EM: Instagram for BRM: Facebook for EM: Facebook for BRM: Etsy: Things you can enter TREASURE CHEST GIVEAWAY From Poppy: 1 e-copy of Woken Kingdom and d1 e-copy of How to edit your own novel. From Elizabeth: Winners Choice of any 1 thing from her etsy store/a copy of her book. From BCP: A copy of one of the BSP Low/Medium Content Journal range Treasure chest Give-away 3: (open 30/07/2025 closes 8/10/2025) Contact the Team Finding Elara Facebook Group: Discord: BCP Website: BCP Instagram: BCP facebook: Contact Dianna Website: Facebook: (DL Nix) Instagram: Tiktok: Sponsor Info Shadow Lair: Selva:s Ality: Selina Shapland: Show Notes Her creatures are Dogs Talked about writing Bio challenges. Wrote first Murder Mystery when she was overseas Next one was for family. She found it rewarding and put it on her Etsy page. Had a rat for her 7th birthday and used to joke about having a beard. That’s what lead to the name Bearded rat mysteries. Has 4 brother, all are creatives and creative endeavours where encouraged. Being the 4th child she didn’t have to make any rules as a kid, she always found a way to adapt. She focuses on the reality of homeschooling in her books Celebrate every win along the way. It doesn’t have to be wild or fantastic. Using lists that she can mark off has been rewarding > Trello Good to have some sort of writing ritual – she always makes sure she has a drink and a candle. She plans on learning the Guitar – will have to check back in a couple of years. Favourite game she has created is murder at the masquerade You get what you put in to these games. When writing a series – write them all first. Quotes By Elizabeth Motivation: The way to it is through it. When it comes to writing focus on the Joy Fast Fire Questions Would you rather be a table or a chair? Table Are you a Dog or Cat person? Dog Who is your favourite Superhero? Spiderman If you were to have a magical power what would it be? Talking to animals The first thing you would do with a huge lotto win? Build or buy a castle Buffy Night Lord of the rings Her dad read it to her when she grew up but it really impacted and inspired her when she saw the first movie. /episode/index/show/findingelara/id/37793915

S02E24-062 Pink, Sun and Sleeping Beauty with Poppy Solomon 08/06/2025

S02E24-062 Pink, Sun and Sleeping Beauty with Poppy Solomon Guest Bio Poppy Rose Solomon's novels are inspired by both her coastal childhood in Queensland and her love of escaping into magical worlds. Her debut series is four-book YA fantasy saga Woken Kingdom. She's also a professional editor and loves to help other authors cultivate their voice and tell their story. You'll often find her posting rosy-filtered pictures or yapping about publishing on social media. Find her at Poppy's Pages Editing .com or @PoppysVintageBooks. Links Contact Poppy Website: Instagram: Tiktok: Things you can enter TREASURE CHEST GIVEAWAY From Poppy: 1 e-copy of Woken Kingdom and d1 e-copy of How to edit your own novel. Treasure chest Give-away 3: (open 30/07/2025 closes 8/10/2025) Contact the Team Finding Elara Facebook Group: Discord: BCP Website: BCP Instagram: BCP facebook: Contact Dianna Website: Facebook: (DL Nix) Instagram: Tiktok: Sponsor Info Shadow Lair: Empowered Words: Link for 70s Novella series: Show Notes Worldbuilding early in the story. Take a long time Hand draw maps and gets artist friend Haylee Buswell to digitise. (@h.bpencil) Props to contemporary writers. Chose not to name Woken Kingdom world. 6 territories in WK world. Would bring love interest from book 2 into our world. Quotes By Poppy Practice, Love your craft Fast Fire Questions What’s you favourite Colour? Pink Would you rather draw a Sun or a Moon? Sun Would you prefer to live near the beach or a river? Beach Dream Holiday Destination? New York Favourite Fairy Tale? Sleeping Beauty Linking to Elara DL: Can you tell me Self-Editing milestones to implement rewards and increase motivation? Trust Future you. Julz: How do you treat religion? Do you go monotheistic or multiple? Doesn’t touch religion in the woken kingdom series but recommends you do solid research and approach it respectfully. Izzy: How do you find something unique when everything has already been done before? How do you draw inspirations instead of copying an idea because there is a fine line between drawing inspirations and copying. It is hard! Develop your voice and confidence. Focus on your craft, Practice. Love your thing and the doubt will not be there because it will be uniquely you. /episode/index/show/findingelara/id/37697975

S02E23-061 Table, Cat and Scarlet Witch with Poppy Solomon 07/30/2025

S02E23-061 Table, Cat and Scarlet Witch with Poppy Solomon Guest Bio Poppy Rose Solomon's novels are inspired by both her coastal childhood in Queensland and her love of escaping into magical worlds. Her debut series is four-book YA fantasy saga Woken Kingdom. She's also a professional editor and loves to help other authors cultivate their voice and tell their story. You'll often find her posting rosy-filtered pictures or yapping about publishing on social media. Find her at Poppy's Pages Editing .com or @PoppysVintageBooks. Links Contact Poppy Website: Instagram: Tiktok: Things you can enter TREASURE CHEST GIVEAWAY From Poppy: 1 e-copy of Woken Kingdom and d1 e-copy of How to edit your own novel. Treasure chest Give-away 3: (open 30/07/2025 closes 8/10/2025) Contact the Team Finding Elara Facebook Group: Discord: BCP Website: BCP Instagram: BCP facebook: Contact Dianna Website: Facebook: (DL Nix) Instagram: Tiktok: Sponsor Info Shadow Lair: Show Notes ADHD and Perfectionist – found out through coping strategies Sees things from a different perspective. Part of who she is as a creative. Not good with Bosses – Great in charge. Mixed background NZ, AU, UK. English countryside provided a rich foundation for worldbuilding. Mindfulness: Grounding in your body. Japan Trip – Temples unreal. Zen = garden or beach. Self pubbed and also queried. Different series had different expectations. As authors you have to start on the next one. Tip: Need willingness to accept feedback. Motivation is hard: be kind to yourself. Don’t force motivation. Big plans for the future. Quotes By Poppy Mindfulness: Aiming for a sense of peace amongst the Chaos. Put your ego aside and make sure you’re in a space where you can grow You think there are a 100 things to do and there are 1000 Fast Fire Questions Would you rather be a table or a chair? Table Are you a Dog or Cat person? Cat Who is your favourite Superhero? Scarlet Witch If you were to have a magical Power what would it be? Super Speed The first thing you would do with a huge lotto win? Really big house overlooking the ocean Buffy Night Sleeping Beauty Ballet Started with the love of Classic Barbie movies that came out in the 2000’s Love the ballet and sleeping beauty inspired her woken kingdom series. Loves the dance and the aesthetics. The romance and magic blew her mind! /episode/index/show/findingelara/id/37602705

S02E22-060 Looting the Treasure Chest 07/23/2025

S02E21-059 There are no set rules with Ryan Null 07/17/2025

S02E21-059 There are no set rules with Ryan Null Guest Bio I was born and raised in Indiana. I have three boys. My wife and I have been married for 15 years in August. I love grilling, writing, and working outside. I have six brothers and sisters. I love exploring the country and finding new spots. I have been to a few places. I have a trip planned to London this year in October. I will be in Canada multiple times next year and in India for two weeks. I am part of the prestigious program Author Allstar, for which I will be on live T.V. at the ceremony dinner in December. I am the Vice President of the Midwest Writers Guild Evansville, Indiana. I have over 300 books planned for my immersive series and will dive back into it once the map is complete for my spicy romantasy series. I have also won the International Impact Award in Teen Fantasy. Links Contact Ryan Null Website: Facebook: ; Instagram:; YouTube: TikTok: Things you can enter TREASURE CHEST GIVEAWAY From Ryan Null: A copy of his books. From Sue-Ellen: Readers choice from her extensive list of books. From Selina: Tarot reading for character development on zoom. From Angela: 2x Ebooks for 2 winners (both books each) Elanor and the Song of the Bard and The golden dragon awakens. From Jessie: Access to her Book Blurb Magic Course. From BCP:2 x $25 Voucher From BCP: 1 BCP journal of your choice Treasure chest Give-away 2: (open 17/06/2025 closes 19/07/2025) Otherworldly emergence Novella: (Open 05/07/2025 Closes 27/07/2025) Contact the Team Finding Elara Facebook Group: Discord : BCP Website: BCP Instagram: BCP facebook: Contact Dianna Website: Facebook: (DL Nix) Instagram: Tiktok: Sponsor Info Book Reality Shadow Lair: Show Notes Worldbuilding is to make some thing unique and original You should be able to look at a map and see different aspects that make it more immersive. Worldbuilding and Map building are similar Ryan makes the Map after draft 1 Azerin means Powerful He loves a good cliffhanger Lets the story flow with itself so that it fits the story. There are a lot of real life experiences in the flare chronicles. Would like to bring his dragon race into the real world Want to find opportunities to bring a deeper meaning into the maps and worlds Quotes By Ryan Plotting: I do Kind of have a rough vision of what I want in the series but that doesn’t mean when I write that rough vision on the outline that it will follow that Story Flow: There are no set rules saying you have to put anything in a certain location Fast Fire Questions What is your favourite Colour? Red What is your favourite thing to draw Sun or Moon? Moon Would you prefer to live near a Beach or River? Beach What is your dream Holiday destination? Scotland or Ireland What is your favourite Fairytale? Beauty and The Beast Linking to Elara Izzy - Q: What made you switch to romantasy instead of continuing with Fantasy? A:Reader engagement poll. Was the highest votes. Selva - Q: What inspires you to create your fantasy? Do you meditate to help visualise it? A: Doesn’t Meditate but does close his eyes while he is thinking in his head. Always loves Fantasy. Howhe see’s how the world can be Steph - Q: How do you decide what kind of character/races he includes and why? Is there reasoning behind those chosen and those left out? A: It is on the character flow. Not set names or races in the beginning. Just writes it how it flows. Sometimes has a rough vision. Shaun - Q: Can you put a crazy ginger that likes to bang in his next book? A: Never been asked that before so sure. Garry - Q: So what is your next step in world domination? A: Continue to go to festivals pitch to movie producers and game designers and international tours. Translate the book into different languages and continue to publish more books. Joel - Q: I hear Ryan you are entering a different genre with your writing. Some say it is about the chase, how soon and how often do you think you should bring the sauce? A: It really depends on how the story flows. There are no rules. There needs to be a purpose and a reason to move the story forward. Dianna - Q: How do you find a balance between your hectic schedule and writing. A: No good with Balance but have the support of a loving family and an amazing wife. /episode/index/show/findingelara/id/37436795

S02E20-058 Humbling opportunities with Ryan Null 07/14/2025

S02E20-058 Humbling opportunities with Ryan Null Guest Bio I was born and raised in Indiana. I have three boys. My wife and I have been married for 15 years in August. I love grilling, writing, and working outside. I have six brothers and sisters. I love exploring the country and finding new spots. I have been to a few places. I have a trip planned to London this year in October. I will be in Canada multiple times next year and in India for two weeks. I am part of the prestigious program Author Allstar, for which I will be on live T.V. at the ceremony dinner in December. I am the Vice President of the Midwest Writers Guild Evansville, Indiana. I have over 300 books planned for my immersive series and will dive back into it once the map is complete for my spicy romantasy series. I have also won the International Impact Award in Teen Fantasy. Links Contact Ryan Null Website: Facebook: ; Instagram:; YouTube: TikTok: Things you can enter TREASURE CHEST GIVEAWAY From Ryan Null: A copy of his books. From Sue-Ellen: Readers choice from her extensive list of books. From Selina: Tarot reading for character development on zoom. From Angela: 2x Ebooks for 2 winners (both books each) Elanor and the Song of the Bard and The golden dragon awakens. From Jessie: Access to her Book Blurb Magic Course. From BCP:2 x $25 Voucher From BCP: 1 BCP journal of your choice Treasure chest Give-away 2: (open 17/06/2025 closes 19/07/2025) Otherworldly emergence Novella: (Open 05/07/2025 Closes 27/07/2025) Contact the Team Finding Elara Facebook Group: Discord : BCP Website: BCP Instagram: BCP facebook: Contact Dianna Website: Facebook: (DL Nix) Instagram: Tiktok: Sponsor Info Book Reality Shadow Lair: Show Notes Works best at night Inspired by 8th Grade teacher. Continued from there Published last year and republishing this year through a publisher Created merch to compliments the books through local lady Created all the maps himself. NORTIS Loves hearing the history Diversity and culture isn’t a one shoe fits all Colour coded to add extra layers on the maps Devoted himself to his books and the series. Wants to remain humble while gaining celebrity. Pay it forward and give back Been known to work until he drops. Feels like his purpose is like a fire burning inside of him. Feels like he can’t stop until it’s done. Going on an international tour next year. Writing Tip: Connect with other authors and build a community. Until you know the ropes it is hard! Good to have each others back. Sometimes people need to go through fire to learn. You have to be able to grow so you can get better. Did a social media reader engagement poll and his followers wanted an adult fiction so he went for it. The new Spicy romantasy had no restrictions. Possibilities are endless Being an author really is a small business. Writing is only 25% Quotes By Ryan Writing: It’s not really work because I enjoy it. You’ll learn different aspects of writing sometimes just by talking to other writers. Fast Fire Questions Would you rather be a table or a chair? Chair Are you a dog person or cat person? Dog Who is your favourite superhero? Spiderman If you were to have a magical power what would it be? Time Teleportation What is the first think you would do with a huge lotto win? Set Family up and Donate. Buffy Night Underworld Movie Series Loves the Worldbuilding and the fantasy vibes. Interactions between the Lycans and the vampires. He loves the history and how it played out in the series. The build upon eachother but they are all unique in their own right. /episode/index/show/findingelara/id/37406860

S02E19-057 Feeling comfortable in the space with Sue-Ellen Pashley 07/10/2025

S02E19-057 Feeling comfortable in the space with Sue-Ellen Pashley A writer of a copious amount of words (because if they didn’t come out, she’s sure her head would explode), Sue-Ellen writes everything from picture books to young adult and adult fantasies. A best-selling, internationally published author, she gets a real thrill out of not being able to read a story she’s written when it’s translated to another language. Sue-Ellen was writing stories before she could actually write, reading the scribbles out to her parents, but has definitely progressed from this early start! An eternal optimist, she enjoys making things difficult for her protagonists, but loves a satisfying ending. She enjoys running workshops on writing and all things authory at schools and conferences and sometimes surprises herself with how much she now enjoys public speaking. In her other life, she lives in Central Queensland with her family, a bordoodle called Bella and a snake called Slide. She loves quirky shoes, dark chocolate and a good tea. Links Contact Sue-Ellen Website: Instagram: Facebook: Things you can enter WHATS IN THE CHEST From Sue-Ellen: Readers choice from her extensive list of books. From Selina: Tarot reading for character development on zoom. From Angela: 2x Ebooks for 2 winners (both books each) Elanor and the Song of the Bard and The golden dragon awakens. From Jessie: Access to her Book Blurb Magic Course. From BCP:2 x $25 Voucher From BCP: 1 BCP journal of your choice Treasure chest Give-away 2: (open 17/06/2025 closes 19/07/2025) Otherworldly emergence Novella: (Open 05/07/2025 Closes 27/07/2025) Contact the Team Finding Elara Facebook Group: Discord : BCP Website: BCP Instagram: BCP facebook: Contact Dianna Website: Facebook: (DL Nix) Instagram: Tiktok: Sponsor Info Book Reality Shadow Lair: Show Notes Worldbuilding is pivotal in every story. The World is a character in itself. She still teaches the worldbuilding course but has many more Starts with Characters then layers in the world and other aspects Shocking at side quests. Developing lore depends on the story. Some stories need more than others. There is some reality in the way we see the world in stories. Play: Adaline black entering her office. Horror Story, Contemporaty romance (Aged up), Sci-fi Space, 10 years later. Readers will always pick up if you got the rules wrong. Quotes By Sue-Ellen If we are going to be true to ourselves I think there is always parts of ourselves that we put into out characters sometimes. It’s important that there are aspects of the world that mean to make it harder for your characters; If everything about the world makes it easier for them then you’ve lost some really important plot points that you can bring into it. Fast Fire Questions What is your favourite Colour? Green What is your favourite thing to draw Sun or Moon? Moon Would you prefer to live near a Beach or River? Beech What is your dream Holiday destination? Antartica What is your favourite Fairytale? Cinderella Linking to Elara Garry Q: Which genre do they enjoy writing in or do they enjoy every one of them? A: All of them. Ryan How old is the bordoodle? 6 What was her favourite book she has read or written? All of them. Depending on circumstances. Always recommends Anne Maccaffrey. Bride by Alli Hazelwood for last year. Selina Q: What tips or advice do you have for writers you have an idea for a children’s picture book, but don’t know where to start creating it? For example they may have ideas and have written a rough draft, but don’t know how to turn it into a picture book. A: Read other children’s picture books to understand the rhythm. Understand that the illustrator will be doing half. Start to go to conferences and get feedback. Q: What do kids love most about your stories when it comes to world building? A: Depends on the age of the kids. Young kids like being creative and older kids connect with the connections with their own world. Kids need to see themselves in it to be relatable. Q I love that you have a snake as a companion, does the snake inspire any of your stories or characters? And what kind of snake is it? A: Spotted python. Have their own personality. /episode/index/show/findingelara/id/37357145

S02E18-056 Staying true to your voice with Sue-Ellen Pashley 07/07/2025

S02E18-056 Staying true to your voice with Sue-Ellen Pashley A writer of a copious amount of words (because if they didn’t come out, she’s sure her head would explode), Sue-Ellen writes everything from picture books to young adult and adult fantasies. A best-selling, internationally published author, she gets a real thrill out of not being able to read a story she’s written when it’s translated to another language. Sue-Ellen was writing stories before she could actually write, reading the scribbles out to her parents, but has definitely progressed from this early start! An eternal optimist, she enjoys making things difficult for her protagonists, but loves a satisfying ending. She enjoys running workshops on writing and all things authory at schools and conferences and sometimes surprises herself with how much she now enjoys public speaking. In her other life, she lives in Central Queensland with her family, a bordoodle called Bella and a snake called Slide. She loves quirky shoes, dark chocolate and a good tea. Links Contact Sue-Ellen Website: Instagram: Facebook: Things you can enter WHATS IN THE CHEST From Sue-Ellen: Readers choice from her extensive list of books. From Selina: Tarot reading for character development on zoom. From Angela: 2x Ebooks for 2 winners (both books each) Elanor and the Song of the Bard and The golden dragon awakens. From Jessie: Access to her Book Blurb Magic Course. From BCP:2 x $25 Voucher From BCP: 1 BCP journal of your choice Treasure chest Give-away 2: (open 17/06/2025 closes 19/07/2025) Otherworldly emergence Novella: (Open 05/07/2025 Closes 27/07/2025) Contact the Team Finding Elara Facebook Group: Discord : BCP Website: BCP Instagram: BCP facebook: Contact Dianna Website: Facebook: (DL Nix) Instagram: Tiktok: Sponsor Info Book Reality Shadow Lair: Show Notes Only had 2 books last meeting in episode 27 Still enjoying being in the writing scene Working as a Judge for the CYA in QLD Always written even before it was legible. Made the mindset shift around 10 years ago to take writing seriously Used to fit in between the kids when they were young but now mostly dedicated the weekends to her writing. Likes writing in both the make and female character point of view Mindfulness falls into 2 parts Recognising feelings and putting a name to them. Knowing what that mean Also being in the moment when you are there. Use the senses Most stories are character driven. Mix between pantser and plotter Marketing is not her forte. Prefer to be writing Positive comparisons about trad and self pub journey Benefit in understanding the cycles of stories with publishers. Strong connections in the author world always helpful Need to have realistic expectations about what the book will be. Know where your strengths are and work to them Needs her writing so be flexible. Stay true to your writing voice and listen to the characters. Your book with resonate with different people differently Her self branding is just one more chapter. Stay motivated through milestones. Edits the stories sometimes up to 8 times before sending to an editor. Relaxation at the end of the day normally involves water. The Science of AWE – seeing the greater scope of the world. Really important to share with people you trust at first. Quotes By Sue-Ellen I have come to the conclusion that it is really important that you write in a way that suits you. That we can’t compare ourselves to other writers because if we are doing that we’re gonna feel like we are not doing well enough and yet that strategy may not be a fit for us. Avoid the comparison as much as possible Fast Fire Questions Would you rather be a table or a chair? Chair Are you a dog person or cat person? Dog Who is your favourite superhero? Ironman If you were to have a magical power what would it be? Flight What is the first think you would do with a huge lotto win? Share with Close Friends Buffy Night Ann Mccaffrey Dragon Riders Series Highly recommend because of masterful worldbuilding, complex and interesting character. Should start with Dragon Riders of Pern. /episode/index/show/findingelara/id/37328185

S02E17-055 Building in Layers with Selina Shapland 07/03/2025

S02E17-055 Building in Layers with Selina Shapland Guest Bio Selina Shapland is a certified fiction book coach who uses her developmental editing knowledge and skills to guide aspiring authors through the shadows of storytelling. She has studied fiction since 2008, and she writes paranormal mysteries, romance and horror too. Angels, demons, ghosts, psychics, spirits, vampires, witches, werewolves and monsters populate her stories. Gods and Goddesses grace her fiction pages and she loves sprinkling magic throughout her fictional worlds. The worlds Selina creates often intersect with our world, but there's always something lurking on the other side of the veil to be discovered by her lead characters. In Selina’s writing world, the paranormal is normal, mysteries plague her latest work in progress, and sweet to medium heat romance connects enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, and old crushes with new levels of love with a dash of spice. She lives in Holbrook NSW with her leading man. She’s a poodle mumma, a cat servant and an art dabbler. Links Contact Selina Website: Email: Instagram: Substack: Facebook: Things you can enter WHATS IN THE CHEST From Selina: Tarot reading for character development on zoom. From Angela: 2x Ebooks for 2 winners (both books each) Elanor and the Song of the Bard and The golden dragon awakens. From Jessie: Access to her Book Blurb Magic Course. From BCP:2 x $25 Voucher Treasure chest Give-away 2: (open 17/06/2025 closes 19/07/2025) Otherworldly emergence Novella: (Open 05/07/2025 Closes 27/07/2025) Contact the Team Finding Elara Facebook Group: Discord : BCP Website: BCP Instagram: BCP Tik Tok: Contact Dianna Website: Facebook: (DL Nix) Instagram: Tiktok: Sponsor Info Book Reality Shadow Lair: Show Notes World Building: What is the universe the character is in. Starts with the character first and their history. Writing contemporary – still need to worldbuild. Worldbuilding is layered Play: Sookie entering her office Talked about the trauma you need to give your characters. Has a soft spot for parallel world stories. Pre-Plots her stories Explores different genres depending on her mood. Likes to have pictures of settings for inspiration. Quotes By Selina Every Character I write starts out with a little bit of me The world needs to serve the story Fast Fire Questions What is your favourite Colour? Red What is your favourite thing to draw Sun or Moon? Moon Would you prefer to live near a Beach or River? Beach What is your dream Holiday destination? Scotland What is your favourite Fairytale? The ugly Duckling Linking to Elara Garry: Can a zombie and a ghost come from the same person? Yes, she thinks they could. Because if the person at the time of passing the soul separated from their physical form, so you would be able to have the ghost and then body is reanimated then it could definitely be a zombie. Ari : What’s you’re go to advice when people are stuck in the shadows? Depends on the scenario. Recommends reaching out to a coach and having that conversation. Check you haven’t written yourself into a corner by writing a tangent. Tangents are often where you end up in the shadows. Ari: What’s your favourite monster and Why? Vampires. Because they are romantic and dangerous. Complex characters. Joel: How much of your storyline is dictated by the lore of the creatures? Depends on the character position in the story. If it is a main character it is super important. DL: What is your favourite otherworldly emergence storyline? Fan of Harry Potter. Loving the Dark Gothic at the moment, but enjoys a mix of different Genres. /episode/index/show/findingelara/id/37269820

S02E16-054 Getting in the flow with Selina Shapland 06/30/2025

S02E16-054 Getting in the flow with Selina Shapland Guest Bio Selina Shapland is a certified fiction book coach who uses her developmental editing knowledge and skills to guide aspiring authors through the shadows of storytelling. She has studied fiction since 2008, and she writes paranormal mysteries, romance and horror too. Angels, demons, ghosts, psychics, spirits, vampires, witches, werewolves and monsters populate her stories. Gods and Goddesses grace her fiction pages and she loves sprinkling magic throughout her fictional worlds. The worlds Selina creates often intersect with our world, but there's always something lurking on the other side of the veil to be discovered by her lead characters. In Selina’s writing world, the paranormal is normal, mysteries plague her latest work in progress, and sweet to medium heat romance connects enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, and old crushes with new levels of love with a dash of spice. She lives in Holbrook NSW with her leading man. She’s a poodle mumma, a cat servant and an art dabbler. Links Contact Selina Website: Email: Instagram: Substack: Facebook: Things you can enter WHATS IN THE CHEST From Selina: Tarot reading for character development on zoom. From Angela: 2x Ebooks for 2 winners (both books each) Elanor and the Song of the Bard and The golden dragon awakens. From Jessie: Access to her Book Blurb Magic Course. From BCP:2 x $25 Voucher Treasure chest Give-away 2: (open 17/06/2025 closes 19/07/2025) Otherworldly emergence Novella: (Open 05/07/2025 Closes 07/07/2025) Contact the Team Finding Elara Facebook Group: Discord : BCP Website: BCP Instagram: BCP Tik Tok: Contact Dianna Website: Facebook: (DL Nix) Instagram: Tiktok: Sponsor Info Book Reality Shadow Lair: Show Notes\ 20 years of experience writing fiction Studied how to write and how to coach others. Developmental Editor and book coach for empowered words Romance Writers Australia inspires romantic elements Loves the research Mindfulness: Getting in the moment Connecting with the earth, drawing on the elements. Overwhelm: Has notebook with checklist. Writes problems on paper and puts it a rock salt jar. Tip: be kind to yourself. Have a structure that works for you. Writing sprints with Buddies Look at the structure before you look at the polishing of the words. To stay Motivated: Hire Book coaches. Drawing you need to be fully present in the moment. Helps with Mindfulness She is still finding herself as a writer. Quotes By Selina Writers need to know themselves There’s nothing wasted in the writing journey as far as stories are concerned Fast Fire Questions Would you rather be a table or a chair? Chair Are you a dog person or cat person? Dog Who is your favourite superhero? Wonderwoman If you were to have a magical power what would it be? Telepathy What is the first think you would do with a huge lotto win? Stop working and write full time then travel to New Zealand Buffy Night Tru Blood – Books and TV Series Selina was inspired about the parallel world and how they made vampires mainstream. Supernatural beings with real life problems. /episode/index/show/findingelara/id/37230735

S02E15-053 Retelling old Myths With Angela Hughes 06/26/2025

S02E15-053 Retelling old Myths With Angela Hughes Guest Bio Historical & Paranormal fantasy author Angela R. Hughes believes in the power of storytelling. Her ambition to write stories that grip and inspire readers has led her to study Celtic Mythology and live for a time in Ireland, where she fell in love with the history and landscapes of the ‘Emerald Isle,’ Wales, Scotland and England. When she isn’t traveling or researching Arthurian legend, she is chatting with fellow fantasy nerds over coffee or spending time with her family at home in Waco, Texas. Links Contact Angela Website: Instagram: @angela.r.hughes TikTok: @Angela.r.hughes Things you can enter WHATS IN THE CHEST From Angela: 2x Ebooks for 2 winners (both books each) Elanor and the Song of the Bard and The golden dragon awakens. From Jessie: Access to her Book Blurb Magic Course. From BCP: $25 Voucher Treasure chest Give-away 2: (open 17/06/2025 closes 19/07/2025) Otherworldly emergence Novella: (Open 05/07/2025 Closes 07/07/2025) Contact the Team Finding Elara Facebook Group: Discord : BCP Website: BCP Instagram: BCP Tik Tok: Contact Dianna Website: Facebook: (DL Nix) Instagram: Tiktok: Sponsor Info Book Reality Shadow Lair: Show Notes Arthurian Legend is far older than the Sword in the stone. Worldbuilding in a historical setting. Loves retelling old myths. Inspired by Merlin and his magic. Sees Arthur as a noble person you would aspire to be real. Character play: Chose Merlin. He visited her office played around in a contemporary romance and an action scenario. Decided on location for new story after her visit to Ireland. Solid plotter when writing. Likes to have all the knowledge in advance where possible. 100% of self in characters. They are all a part of her yet none are her. Writing tip: make sure you are healed before you plunder the darker feelings. Quotes By Angela On the other side of Hopelesness there is hope. You need to be healed to plunder the darkness Every story that I write changes me. You can’t go back to who you were when the process began. If my books are changing me then they might have the opportunity to change other people. Fast Fire Questions What is your favourite Colour? Blue What is your favourite thing to draw Sun or Moon? Sun Would you prefer to live near a Beach or River? River What is your dream Holiday destination? Always Ireland but South of france What is your favourite Fairytale? Beauty and the Beast. Finding Elara From Selina: What is it about the Arthurian legend that inspires your world building and fiction? Morgan Le Fae is often portrayed as manipulative and evil but what do you think about her part in Arthurian legend? There was The BBC TV show Merlin that has aspect of Honour, Knights, Valour, Sacrifice, Brotherhood … The Arthurian legends have these sort of things in spades. The long history and and mystique was inspiring but she didn’t like the ending. In her stories she wanted to fix it. Wanted to know what happened next. The Morgana Le Fae Character in her stories is also a manipulative character and plays an interesting role in her new book. Garry: Do you research your creatures or are they all free style or do you then to flavour your creatures to a certain land of mythology? LOTS OF RESEARCH. Celtic Monsters, Mythological Creatures, Superstitions, real monsters and then give them a little twist. Steph: What was the pivotal point that lead her down the path of Celtic Mythology? Was it always an interest, or did it crop up after an event/ experience or the like? Got a book about ald Celtic saints and within the stories there were supernatural and magical elements that made her think, what if they were real. She loved other mythologies but staying ing Ireland and seeing the celtic landscape and walking through mythical places cemented it in her mind. Donna: Have you thought about Nessy and the stories that surround the Myth. Some from superstitions. Sightings. Paranormal and supernatural stories. What if they do exist. There are so many mysteries, maybe only the select few can see? Lynn: Has she written much about unicorns? Surely as the national animal of Scotland she would have come across a few. Favourite Movie was last unicorn while growing up. Was going to have unicorn in the title of her book! DL: Do you think the population in such a small landmass hs been a good breeding ground for all the myths and legends? There have been many conquorers over history and now there are many races. The ownership of different tales has long been contested, but there a similarities that flow through all mythologies, the floods the giants… makes one wonder. The Celtic ones in particular are rich and raw. /episode/index/show/findingelara/id/37156540

S02E14-052 Create Time to Write with Angela Hughes 06/23/2025

S02E14-052 Create Time to Write with Angela Hughes Guest Bio Historical & Paranormal fantasy author Angela R. Hughes believes in the power of storytelling. Her ambition to write stories that grip and inspire readers has led her to study Celtic Mythology and live for a time in Ireland, where she fell in love with the history and landscapes of the ‘Emerald Isle,’ Wales, Scotland and England. When she isn’t traveling or researching Arthurian legend, she is chatting with fellow fantasy nerds over coffee or spending time with her family at home in Waco, Texas. Links Contact Angela Website: Instagram: @angela.r.hughes TikTok: @Angela.r.hughes Things you can enter WHATS IN THE CHEST From Angela: 2x Ebooks for 2 winners (both books each) Elanor and the song of the bard and The golden dragon awakens. From Jessie: Access to her Book Blurb Magic Course. From BCP: $25 Voucher Treasure chest Give-away 2: (open 17/06/2025 closes 19/07/2025) Otherworldly emergence Novella: (Open 05/07/2025 Closes 07/07/2025) Contact the Team Finding Elara Facebook Group: Discord : BCP Website: BCP Instagram: BCP Tik Tok: Contact Dianna Website: Facebook: (DL Nix) Instagram: Tiktok: Sponsor Info Book Reality Shadow Lair: Show Notes Started with Artistry in the 80s’ didn’t see writing as her career Thought that other writers were smarter than her. Toyed with the first book idea for years before a friend suggested it was her story to write. Worked with a book coach for the first book Started writing adventure in her 40s Started with self publishing before finding a trad publisher Lore and legacy is a something she has started with a friend this year. More than enough room at the table for all of us. Created time to write on her schedule – you have to get past the ‘I don’t wanna' Needed to learn to be good at saying noDon’t wait for space to feel like it Social media mindset – given permission to be there. Be you x12 Schedules change with life – you need to reanalyse from time to time. Advice: Make a mess with your first draft. Free yourself from what others think at first Motivation: Learning from edits and making cleaner work. Understand the difference between someone being critical and Critique Go into writing teachable and humble. Difference between reader critiques and writer critiques. Quotes By Angela There’s more than enough room at the table Be you x12 Break through the ‘I don’t wanna’ Fast Fire Questions Would you rather be a table or a chair? Table Are you a cat or a dog person? Dog Who is your favourite Superhero? Superman, or Thor or the flash If you had a magical power what would you want it to be? Transport like Jumper What would you do with a huge lotto win? European Vacation and then invest in books. Buffy Night Merlin TV Series (BBC Version)vLoves the aspect of brotherhood. Teaches that there is a cost to any calling. 100% recommended! /episode/index/show/findingelara/id/37128620

S02E13-051 Crazy Plant Lady Writes Blurbs with Jessie Cunniffe 06/19/2025

S02E13-051 Crazy Plant Lady Writes Blurbs with Jessie Cunniffe Guest Bio Jessie Cunniffe* is a professional blurb writer and book blurb coach from Sydney, Australia. A passionate advocate of the indie author community, Jessie has dedicated herself to taking the pain out of blurb-writing with her custom blurb services and two signature courses: Book Blurb Magic and The Spicy Blurb Playbook. When she’s not writing or dreaming up the next BBM product, Jessie can be found journaling, exploring new ocean pools, and playing her guitar. On the occasion that Jessie manages to snatch some reading time, she’s probably buried in P. G. Wodehouse or Agatha Christie. Links Contact Jessie FREE blurb cheatsheet: Website: Email: Instagram: Facebook: Things you can enter WHATS IN THE CHEST From Jessie: Access to her Book Blurb Magic Course. From BCP: $25 Voucher Treasure chest Give-away 2: (open 17/06/2025 closes 19/07/2025) Otherworldly emergence Novella: (Open 05/07/2025 Closes 07/07/2025) Contact the Team Finding Elara Facebook Group: Discord : BCP Website: BCP Instagram: BCP Tik Tok: Contact Dianna Website: Facebook: (DL Nix) Instagram: Tiktok: Sponsor Info Book Reality Shadow Lair: Show Notes · Worldbuilding is her Brand – daily emails to subscribers. · Emails Sent 5 days a week. · Met Readers overseas and had cuppa, easy and welcoming. · Conscious about ROI for time writing · Side quests can pay off. · Hubby = Hype Coach Around all the Time. · Storytelling is the best way to teach information · Daily Emails are good as commitment · Very personal business so aligns with goals easily Quotes By Jessie I love my emails because I get to hang out with my subscribers Sometimes these side quests really pay off Fast Fire Questions 1. What is your favourite Colour? Blue 2. What is your favourite thing to draw Sun or Moon? Sun 3. Would you prefer to live near a Beach or River? Beach 4. What is your dream Holiday destination? Anywhere with a Beach 5. What is your favourite Fairytale? Sleeping Beauty Linking to Elara 1. There is an argument in some writing circles that you should write a blurb as a milestone for your story, as what point do you think you can write a blurb? Dianna a. Can write different versions of the blurb and is you have one at the start then you will have to revisit it. To go to here for the final blurb the story needs to be done. Final stages of Line editing. Can’t rais stakes if you don’t know what they are. 2. What Key aspects do you want in a basic Blurb. a. Inciting Incident. The whole reason to read. The Moment of no return. A couple of plot points and rais the stakes. Hint about choice at the end. 3. How to get people interested without spoilers – Garry a. Make the Inciting incident the Star, it isn’t spoilers. Plot points that make readers ask questions. so they are excited and curious. 4. What’s the best hook to put in a book blurb? That would its features include? – Julz a. No best hook. Just one that gets readers excited about reading the rest of the blurb. Like a headline. No names or characters. Just want to set the atmosphere. Us an element of contrast, juxtaposition. Element of Surprise. Hooks are creative and varied, there is no word count but a loose guideline of 15 words. There are several ways to go about it. /episode/index/show/findingelara/id/37066475

S02E12-050 Intentional Creative Rest with Jessie Cunniffe 06/17/2025

S02E12-050 Intentional Creative Rest with Jessie Cunniffe Guest Bio Jessie Cunniffe* is a professional blurb writer and book blurb coach from Sydney, Australia. A passionate advocate of the indie author community, Jessie has dedicated herself to taking the pain out of blurb-writing with her custom blurb services and two signature courses: Book Blurb Magic and The Spicy Blurb Playbook. When she’s not writing or dreaming up the next BBM product, Jessie can be found journaling, exploring new ocean pools, and playing her guitar. On the occasion that Jessie manages to snatch some reading time, she’s probably buried in P. G. Wodehouse or Agatha Christie. Links Contact Jessie FREE blurb cheatsheet: Website: Email: Instagram: Facebook: Things you can enter WHATS IN THE CHEST From Jessie: Access to her Book Blurb Magic Course. From BCP: $25 Voucher Treasure chest Give-away 2: (open 17/06/2025 closes 19/07/2025) Otherworldly emergence Novella: (Open 05/07/2025 Closes 07/07/2025) Contact the Team Finding Elara Facebook Group: Discord : BCP Website: BCP Instagram: BCP Tik Tok: Contact Dianna Website: Facebook: (DL Nix) Instagram: Tiktok: Sponsor Info Book Reality Shadow Lair: Show Notes Inspired by Becoming a writer Dorothe Brande Regular Consistent writing built trust in self to become a secure creative Grew up in the Blue Mountains – surrounded by tourist atmosphere To beat overwhelm, got an assistant and built a team. Rostered a 4 day work week to ensure intentional creative rest. Reward self with Spare time. Walks around the city to clear head. Dealing with rejection – remember it is collaborative and you have to be creatively vulnerable. Writing habit tip = Consistency Other creative endeavours, hand crafts. (knit, cross-stitch, beading) Playing it safe never works, you have to be creatively brave. Quotes By Jessie Overwhelm comes for feeling like we should be doing something in a particular way … becoming aware of the ebs and flows and being ok with the need to rest so you can come back better than before is the secret. I know that when ideas slow down it’s not that I am running out of ideas, It’s that I haven’t had enough creative rest. Consistency is the buzz word; it’s the important thing. Learning to be creatively brave Look at expectations Are they Realistic? Are they Serving you? Are they helping you get more done? Fast fire questions Would you rather be a table or a chair? Table Are you a dog person or cat person? Dog Who is your favourite superhero? Not a superhero person If you were to have a magical power what would it be? There were 2 – Flying or Invisibility What is the first think you would do with a huge lotto win? Buy a Waterfront Apartment Buffy Night Graham Green Book Club She loves how Meta the stories are and what they inspire in her about writing every day. /episode/index/show/findingelara/id/37036090

S02E11049 Treasure Chest Summary and winners 06/10/2025

S02E11049 Treasure Chest Summary and winners Show Summary Dianna and Julz have a chat about the last 10 episodes. Prize list Clans in conflict trilogy Magic of Wishes and Dreams 1/2 prices manuscript edit You'll never walk alone Slaughtered Nursery Rhymes South of the Sun Australian Fairy Tales for the 21st century 4 x $25 vouchers Fast Fives Julz Allie Kylah Ian Jo 1. Would you rather be a table or a chair? Table Table Chair Table Chair 2. Are you a dog person or cat person? Cat Cat Cat Cat Cat 3. Who is your favourite superhero? Flash No Spiderman Buffy Wonderwoman 4. If you were to have a magical power what would it be? Shielding Protection Teleport Invisibility Rewind button Time Management / Time Tunnel 5. What is the first think you would do with a huge lotto win? Pay off house, buy a winnebago and donate to cancer research Hire a housekeeper and cook Buy her Mum a house Pay whole families Debt Travel 1. What is your favourite Colour? Purple or Blue Purple with Gold Blue Green Green Terquise 2. What is your favourite thing to draw Sun or Moon? Sun (Seascapes) Sun Sun Sun Moon 3. Would you prefer to live near a Beach or River? Beach River River River Beach 4. What is your dream Holiday destination? Egypt Ohare the city in where darkness falls. Rome The world Iceland, British Isles, The world 5. What is your favourite Fairytale? The Swan Princess Snow white and Rose red Peter Pan The Princess Bride 12 Dancing Princesses Links Things you can enter Calling for Authors to write about otherworldly Emergence (Before 07/07/2025) Otherworldly emergence Novella: Contact the Team Finding Elara Facebook Group: Discord : BCP Website: BCP Instagram: BCP Tik Tok: Sponsor Info New Shadow Lair subscription, if you want exclusive and advanced content for the show. /episode/index/show/findingelara/id/36934145

S2E10-048 The Storytelling world of Jo Henwood 06/03/2025

S2E10-048 The Storytelling world of Jo Henwood Show Notes To Jo worldbuilding means transferring what is in your brain to the audience. Linking to the senses and clothing that reality a way the audience will underestand Research is so important as an aspect of worldbuilding. Loop of the information coming in and the story you share. Fairytails were subversive when they were written and inspired collaborative work for Jo Be the creative you want others to see Guest Bio Jo Henwood is an Accredited Storyteller with Australian Storytellers, accredited Professional Guide with the Institute of Australian Tour Guides, and has been President of the Australian Fairy Tale Society. She is a museum theatre creative, and workshop leader on literature, history, creative writing, folklore, and storytelling. As a Tour Guide she leads tours around Sydney, as and Education Officer she interprets history and science in heritage sites, and she was a FEAST (Federation of Asian Storytellers) mentor to Storytellers performing in heritage sites. Her qualifications include BA (Library Science), Tour Guiding Cert III, Graduate Diploma of Museum Studies, Graduate Certificate of Gifted Education, and Master of Cultural Heritage. Jo has been performing stories for over 25 years, specialising in historical stories and fairy tales, and storytelling in heritage sites, but also performing myths, mysteries, romances, ghost and literary stories, for audiences from pre school to elderly, including school age, families, teens, and People With Disability. Links Contact Jo Website: Facebook: Australian Fairytale Society Website: Conference: Things you can enter Starting a treasure chest Give-away this season (By 04/06/2025) Treasure Chest Giveaway: Calling for Authors to write about otherworldly Emergence (Before 07/07/2025) Otherworldly emergence Novella: Contact the Team Finding Elara Facebook Group: Discord : BCP Website: BCP Instagram: BCP Tik Tok: Contact Dianna Website: Facebook: (DL Nix) Instagram: Tiktok: Sponsor Info Ask for ‘Your world reading’ for a listener discount New Shadow Lair subscription, if you want exclusive and advanced content for the show. /episode/index/show/findingelara/id/36829050

S2E9-047 Mindful Growth with Jo Henwood 05/29/2025

S2E9-047 Mindful Growth with Jo Henwood Show Notes ‘I’ve constructed the life that meets my dreams’ Wrong Bassinet at the Hospital When you have the choice to learn something practical or something you Loe then go for the one that you love. Oscure path leads to Niche Started Australian Fairytale Society in August 2013 She lives and out of the Rut life because of her different jobs. Jo is not scared of hard work Motivation is easy to find when you are inspired and interested Was pleased to learn Storytelling was a profession Don’t need to be original to be a storyteller, you take the scaffolding from something that is already there. To stop overwhelm – pretend to be tough. Guest Bio Jo Henwood is an Accredited Storyteller with Australian Storytellers, accredited Professional Guide with the Institute of Australian Tour Guides, and has been President of the Australian Fairy Tale Society. She is a museum theatre creative, and workshop leader on literature, history, creative writing, folklore, and storytelling. As a Tour Guide she leads tours around Sydney, as and Education Officer she interprets history and science in heritage sites, and she was a FEAST (Federation of Asian Storytellers) mentor to Storytellers performing in heritage sites. Her qualifications include BA (Library Science), Tour Guiding Cert III, Graduate Diploma of Museum Studies, Graduate Certificate of Gifted Education, and Master of Cultural Heritage. Jo has been performing stories for over 25 years, specialising in historical stories and fairy tales, and storytelling in heritage sites, but also performing myths, mysteries, romances, ghost and literary stories, for audiences from pre school to elderly, including school age, families, teens, and People With Disability. Links Contact Jo Website: Facebook: Australian Fairytale Society Website: Conference: Things you can enter Starting a treasure chest Give-away this season (By 04/06/2025) Treasure Chest Giveaway: Calling for Authors to write about otherworldly Emergence (Before 07/07/2025) Otherworldly emergence Novella: Contact the Team Finding Elara Facebook Group: Discord : BCP Website: BCP Instagram: BCP Tik Tok: Contact Dianna Website: Facebook: (DL Nix) Instagram: Tiktok: Sponsor Info Ask for ‘Your world reading’ for a listener discount New Shadow Lair subscription, if you want exclusive and advanced content for the show. /episode/index/show/findingelara/id/36766030

S2E8-046 Detecting fictional Worlds with Ian Hooper 05/26/2025

S2E8-046 Detecting fictional Worlds with Ian Hooper Guest Bio Ian Hooper grew up in the coastal town of Larne, Northern Ireland. He joined the Royal Air Force at age eighteen and worked initially as an aircraft technician before being commissioned as an Intelligence Officer. After serving for two decades, he and his Australian wife relocated to the southwest of Western Australia. In 2014, writing under the pen name of Ian Andrew, his first novel, A Time to Every Purpose, was released to critical acclaim, and in 2018, the first of his ‘Wright and Tran’ crime series, Face Value, won the Publishers Weekly Booklife prize for fiction. In 2024, his poem, Just Enough won the Shore Lines writing for performance prize. He is now the executive director of independent publisher, Leschenault Press and its imprint, The Book Reality Experience, as well as being an author, editor and ghost-writer. In addition, he is the co-founder of the international series of independent author book fairs. A fellow of the Australian Institute of Management, he holds qualifications in management, training, and learning design as well as a master’s in creative writing. Living in rural Western Australia, surrounded by a resident mob of kangaroos, he is currently working on the next novel in the Wright & Tran series of detective stories. Links Contact Ian Website: Website: Things you can enter Starting a treasure chest Give-away this season (By 01/06/2025) Treasure Chest Giveaway: Calling for Authors to write about otherworldly Emergence (Before 07/07/2025) Otherworldly emergence Novella: Contact the Team Finding Elara Facebook Group: Discord : BCP Website: BCP Instagram: BCP Tik Tok: Contact Dianna Website: Facebook: (DL Nix) Instagram: Tiktok: Sponsor Info Ask for ‘Your world reading’ for a listener discount New Shadow Lair subscription, if you want exclusive and advanced content for the show. Show Notes Ian describe his cool novel inventions, the Forephone and time goggles. Remember the Genre to suspend Disbelief Consider Jargon for different readers Loves Side quests Cozy office – Lots of trinkets from familiar to cherished. Strawberry plant writer – Half way between plotter and Pantser. Two women detectives are in the lead for his detective series Is the princess bride a fairytale? /episode/index/show/findingelara/id/36710915

S2E7-045 Being Present with Ian Hooper 05/22/2025

S2E7-045 Being Present with Ian Hooper Guest Bio Ian Hooper grew up in the coastal town of Larne, Northern Ireland. He joined the Royal Air Force at age eighteen and worked initially as an aircraft technician before being commissioned as an Intelligence Officer. After serving for two decades, he and his Australian wife relocated to the southwest of Western Australia. In 2014, writing under the pen name of Ian Andrew, his first novel, A Time to Every Purpose, was released to critical acclaim, and in 2018, the first of his ‘Wright and Tran’ crime series, Face Value, won the Publishers Weekly Booklife prize for fiction. In 2024, his poem, Just Enough won the Shore Lines writing for performance prize. He is now the executive director of independent publisher, Leschenault Press and its imprint, The Book Reality Experience, as well as being an author, editor and ghost-writer. In addition, he is the co-founder of the international series of independent author book fairs. A fellow of the Australian Institute of Management, he holds qualifications in management, training, and learning design as well as a master’s in creative writing. Living in rural Western Australia, surrounded by a resident mob of kangaroos, he is currently working on the next novel in the Wright & Tran series of detective stories. Links Contact Ian Website: Website: Things you can enter Starting a treasure chest Give-away this season (By 04/06/2025) Treasure Chest Giveaway: Calling for Authors to write about otherworldly Emergence (Before 07/07/2025) Otherworldly emergence Novella: Contact the Team Finding Elara Facebook Group: Discord : BCP Website: BCP Instagram: BCP Tik Tok: Contact Dianna Website: Facebook: (DL Nix) Instagram: Tiktok: Sponsor Info Ask for ‘Your world reading’ for a listener discount New Shadow Lair subscription, if you want exclusive and advanced content for the show. Show Notes Ian was the go to for farewell poems and short stories. Started writing first story on the train Chose self publishing thinking only a few people would want his book. Ran training courses for others to self Pub Still provides assistance to other Authors through Book Publishing Experience Started writing first as Ian Andrew (first and middle name) Chose to have female leads in his detective series. Mindfulness means to be present Recommends App called ‘Balance’ Reward to see Authors open their books for the first time. Reward self – Travel to Europe End of day Decompress = Bourbon and Coke. A part of Indie Author Book fair series. Discussed alternate perspectives of Indie publishers internationally. Superpower = Rewind button /episode/index/show/findingelara/id/36664515

S2E6-044 Peeking into the world of Kylah Elliott 05/15/2025

S2E5-043 Mindful Chat with Kylah Elliott 05/13/2025

S2E4-042 WorldPlay with Allie McCormack 05/08/2025

S2E4-042 WorldPlay with Allie McCormack Show Summary Guest Bio Allie McCormack is a disabled U.S. military veteran who has transformed her life-long dream of writing into reality. Having lived across the United States and spent memorable years in both Cairo, Egypt as an exchange student and Saudi Arabia working at a hospital in Riyadh, Allie now crafts her stories from the beautiful California wine country she calls home, accompanied by her family and two rescue cats. When not weaving tales of romance and adventure, Allie explores the intersection of art and technology through AI-generated artwork, finding new ways to express her creativity. Her passion for storytelling drives everything she does, bringing to life the countless characters and worlds that populate her imagination. Whether through words or images, Allie believes in creating works that touch hearts and spark joy. Links Contact Allie McCormack Sign up for my author newsletter: Alliemccormack.com/newsletter/ Website: Facebook: Twitter: Contact Dianna Website: Facebook: (DL Nix) Instagram: Tiktok: Contact the Team Finding Elara Facebook Group: Discord : BCP Website: BCP Instagram: BCP Tik Tok: Things you can enter Starting a treasure chest Give-away this season (By 01/06/2025) Treasure Chest Giveaway: Calling for Authors to write about otherworldly Emergence (Before 07/07/2025) Otherworldly emergence Novella: Writing 45k in 30 Days Registration Plot storming Sponsor Info Ask for ‘Your world reading’ for a listener discount New Shadow Lair subscription, if you want exclusive and advanced content for the show. Show Notes Allie had an odd start to worldbuilding as she didn’t intend on writing a series. Truck Stop was written after driving through Wyoming. Based Swan song on experience in Santa Barbara – was sad when fires went through. When Darkness falls was inspired by second life role play Uses AI for her own enjoyment, wouldn’t recommend for worldbuilding because of dubious consistency. A different way to use scrivener to align story ideas and rules. /episode/index/show/findingelara/id/36479325

Finding Elara

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