Castle News

I am returned this day to answer your queries. Although there have been many, I will only answer questions three. Your patience and understanding will be rewarded in well-considered responses. The demands on my time are high and the answers I provide will sate the most curious mind.

Over the years, we have put furniture together for many different reasons. Loft beds, cupboards, moving houses (taking things apart to put them together again. So it isn't our first rodeo. We were prepared to amp up our patience with each other and monitor each others moods and leave the room if we don't align with our methods. It isn't perfect. We have been married for more than 20 years though, so we can generally pick up on each others moods.

My conversations with Lexy were varied and interesting. There were a few side quests along the way, but we always returned to the pathway in the end. I enjoy it when it is like that, diverting. It is interesting and tends to align with my own thought processes. I hope that you can follow the line of conversation as we spoke on the show.

Getting your book out into the world is quite the achievement, but it doesn't end there. There are more than and estimated 22k books released each year in Australia alone. Then you have to consider; when you are on the internet it is an international Market! I couldn't even guess how many books are released annually worldwide. There are so many creatives striving for attention.

It doesn't matter what job you have, there are times when it can feel like you need to wear a number of different hats to get through the day. There is (in no particular order) the creative hat, marketing hat, family hat, identity hat ... and so many more! I don't know if there is or should be a way of integrating these personalities. You would have to ask a professional about that. But, I feel that if you work on your core values, you can strengthen your drive for these shif

There is an alignment that settles over me when I get up early in the morning compared to sleeping in. I feel as though sleeping in equals missing out on so much. Normally it isn't a dramatic sleep in. But a sleep in none the less makes me feel like I didn't do what I was meant to. I think this is something that I need to work on. I was riding every day in the mornings but that fell through after a time and I didn't even get a chance to see the sunrise. I would get up with h

I was so excited to do this interview with Cecilia. I am a fan of the Pitt, Greys Anatomy, Chicago Med and a bunch of other medical dramas. Not as much of a fans as Cecilia who literally wrote the book on it. Working as a Dr IRL has come through was inspiration for her. I have just received a copy of her first 2 books and I am confident there will be so much more from this talented new author.

Book 4 of the Otherworldly Emergence Speculative Fictions Novella series is Awakening the Mother of Beasts by Selina Shapland and it is brilliant. The journey that the Author made from story concept to completed manuscript has been amazing to watch and be a part of. I met Selina through Romance Writers of Australia (RWA) as she was running a mastermind about the different forms of editing and the benefits of having a book coach. I was unfamiliar with the term when I first he

I was really excited to put out this interview because I was the guest! It was a little topsy turvy to come in as a guest on my own show, but I really enjoyed the experience. Izzy, the sound girl was gracious and patient with me. I was focussed on limiting my nervous ticks throughout the interview as I am aware of how challenging that is to edit.

There is such a thoughtful and considered product with so many complimentary products that Vanessa has considered throughout her business that it is worth a serious look for small business people.

There is something quite magical about Vanessa's books. It is not just about her. It is a family environment and a chance for creative expressions. Her Son also has his own stories to share with the world. Starting in horror she found that there was more fun to have in different genres, but she has always stayed true to her roots.

I met J A Duxbury online not long after I started the Bushland Castle Productions. I think it was something to do with the podcast and advertising the second series on her writing group. I was open to new interviews at the time and she was keen to come on as a guest. We discussed the business at length and as I had been out of the game for so long I wanted to know how I could best support current writers. I had a fair idea what I was interested in, but there was a chance thin

I was so excited to talk to Heather, not only because she is an incredible creative, but because she one of the squires for the Otherworldly Emergence Speculative Fiction Novella Series. I had been meeting with her on teams and discord for some time before we met in person. So talking about her creative process and the full stories she has released to the world was awesome. I hope you enjoy the chat.

At the end of February I thought that is would be a fabulous idea to undertake a mindfulness challenge for March. I didn't want to over complicate it. The activities had to be completed within 5 minutes a day. I wanted to highlight the multiple techniques that would calm the mind and help reframe your mindset when in stressful situations. After alll, the best way to learn a different technique is when you are calm. Practicing something new may help add that skill to your ment

I thought that it would be fun to start and daily post within the Bushland Pages community. Something that will help people try mindfulness for at least 5 minutes a day. These activities are short and things that you most likely already do every day. I am just writing it down and suggesting people give it a go. People have been sharing their reflections with me and it has been great to hear some of the creative interpretations of these different activities.

For some people the creativity flows continuously and it is hard to capture all the drops in time before distractions steals it away. For others, there seems to be a blockage in their pipes! The blank page elicits fear and confusion. The self doubt spiral begins to spin like the water down a drain.

There are several reasons in the creative industries that you may require a media pack. When you are guesting on a podcast, any interview opportunities, speaking engagements, building collaborations and potentially sponsorships. These are created as your one stop information package to send out. It could be through a google link, or an email, as long as the information gets through.

The creation and development of a book is more than just the story. The front and back matter relates to all the material included inside the covers before and after the prose. This includes but is not limited to the cover pages, the copyright material, acknowledgements, thank you pages and glossaries. Depending on how you choose to publish your book your choice in what is included may vary.

Leading into the Otherworldly emergence we need to start raising awareness of the series and provide little teasers about what is coming with the series. The hooks for each of the stories and the development of the covers. At BCP we are trying to be transparent about out process and keep people who are interested in the loop with what we are putting together to share with the world.

Have you ever considered writing about something that you are uncomfortable with? Something that challenges your balance and makes you rethink the world as you see it? That is something that you do in literary fiction.