Show Notes:

Interview 1: Dianna

• Best contact is looking up Khaiah or Hawkeye books

• Loves YA fiction and fantasy.

• The first book was entered into a competition with Hawkeye and won.

• Great supportive and encouraging publisher

• 5 words: YA Fantasy Coming of age.

• Help shape who people want to be through story with YA

• Had no idea how hard Self publishing would be

• Her book has common Supernatural abilities in a world similar than our own.

• Story expanded after writing the first

• Ideal writing environment is a cafe. Likes the white noise.

• Tip: Just write. Start and finish it

• FIrst Draft is really rough!

• Shannon Hale Quote: Life is simply heaping sand into a sand pit so that later I can build castles

• Not sure how many drafts.

Interview 2: Chris

• Always been an avid reader

• Could hold baby and read at the same time

• Could find the book she was looking for so wrote her own.

• The Blackwood is inspired by blackwood river

• Drew on pieces of places that she knew.

• The first on came to her but the second and third were harder.

• Book 1, the town is nothing as it seems.

• Book 2, has elements of regret leaving the town

• Book 3, returns to brown and there is a bit of a battle

• Character not based on anyone she knows.

• Inspired by Xmen Rogue

• Set in a country town and has the vibe from her experience

Where the Excerpt Came From:

Chosen spot in book

Guest Bio:

West Australian Author Khaiah Thomson pens the Blackwood series. The first book Welcome to Blackwood won the Hawkeye Publishing Manuscript Development Prize in 2020. Khaiah has a keen interest in writing Young Adult Fiction and supporting young people to follow their creative passions. When she isn't working or in her home office writing, Khaiah can usually be found nose-deep in a book, procrastigaming, or at the nearest cafe, hovering close to the coffee machine. Khaiah lives in Perth with her husband and two sons.

Booklist:

Welcome to Blackwood (2020)

Leaving Blackwood (2021)

Redeeming Blackwood (2024)

Amazon Link:

https://www.amazon.com.au/s?i=books-single-index&rh=p_27%3AKhaiah%2BThomson

Links

Contact Khaiah Thomson

Website: https://hawkeyebooks.com.au/pages/khaiah-thomson

FB: https://facebook.com/khaiah

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kthomson_author/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kthomsonauthor?_r=1&_t=ZS-91VAfHjk1Mw

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20627759.Khaiah_Thomson

Hawkeye books: https://hawkeyebooks.com.au/products/blackwood-series-bundle-pack-3-books

Contact Finding Elara

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingElara

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/findingelara/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@findingelarapodcast

Contact BCP

Discord: https://discord.gg/Ap8EWpPn

BCP Website: www.bcpcreative.com.au

BCP Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bcp.creative/

BCP facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577758720164

Contact Paul

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paul.van.der.mey.2025

Forrest.chat: http://forrest.chat/episodes

Contact Chris

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chris.ilsley.5

In Collaboration with:

This Event has been sponsored by the Australian Cultural Fund

https://artists.australianculturalfund.org.au/s/project/a2EMn00000Y6idtMAB/findingelara-livestream-from-book-fair

Book Reality: https://bookreality.com/

Look for other Fairs: https://www.indieauthorbookfair.com/

Music by: @keysofmoonmusic

Name: The epic hero