Finding Elara

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: https://angelarhughes.com 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)  https://www.bushlandcastleproductions.com/treasure-chest   Otherworldly emergence Novella: (O

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: https://angelarhughes.com 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)  https://www.bushlandcastleproductions.com/treasure-chest   Otherworldly emergence Novella: (Op

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: anatomyofabookblurb.com Website: www.bookblurbmagic.com  Email: jessie@bookblurbmagic.com Instagram: @bookblurbmagic Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookblurbmagic     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)  https://www.bushlandcast

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: anatomyofabookblurb.com Website: www.bookblurbmagic.com  Email: jessie@bookblurbmagic.com Instagram: @bookblurbmagic Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookblurbmagic     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)  https://www.bushlandcast

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 favou

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 B

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 

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 man

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 mana

Guest Bio Hey! I’m Kylah, a book editor and author. I’ve been a writer from the moment I could do so, writing music, poems and books. I have no published works yet, but my debut novel is in the works! I’m a cat mum of two and love them with my entire heart and I’m an avid fantasy reader.    Links Contact Kylah Elliott Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/k.s.elliottauthor/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@k.s.elliott   Contact Dianna Website: www.dlnix.com Facebook: (DL Nix) https://www.facebook.com/Faepatriantales Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/findingelara/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@findingelarapodcast   Contact the Team Finding Elara Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingElara Discord : https://discord.gg/Ap8EWpPn BCP Website: www.bcpcreative.com.au BCP Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bcp.creative/   Things you can enter Starting a treasure chest Give-away this season (By 01/06/2025) Treasure Chest Giveaway: https://www.bushlandcastleproductions.com/treasure-chest Callin

Guest Bio Hey! I’m Kylah, a book editor and author. I’ve been a writer from the moment I could do so, writing music, poems and books. I have no published works yet, but my debut novel is in the works! I’m a cat mum of two and love them with my entire heart and I’m an avid fantasy reader.    Links Contact Kylah Elliott Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/k.s.elliottauthor/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@k.s.elliott   Contact Dianna Website: www.dlnix.com Facebook: (DL Nix) https://www.facebook.com/Faepatriantales Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/findingelara/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@findingelarapodcast   Contact the Team Finding Elara Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingElara Discord : https://discord.gg/Ap8EWpPn BCP Website: www.bcpcreative.com.au BCP Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bcp.creative/ BCP Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bcpcreative   Things you can enter Starting a treasure chest Give-away this season (By 01/06/2025) Treasure Chest Giveaway: https://www.bu

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: www.alliemccormack.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AllieM

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: Newsletter Sign-up Website: Allie McCormack's Website Facebook: Allie on FB Twitter: Allie on Twitter  

Show Summary Guest Bio JA Duxbury has been writing since an early age, but only returned to 1998 after a hiatus of about 20 years. During the grey period, she worked full-time in places like records management and customer service. She spent a lot of that time writing procedural manuals, training documents and plans as well as creating Wikipedia type pages for her employer. Wver the last 10 years, she's been writing full-time getting all of her ideas on to paper and realising her dream of publishing books that people can lose themselves in. She has an extensive range of interest but her primary interest is creating words that bring to life the characters and stories she creates.   Links Contact Dianna Discord : https://discord.gg/Ap8EWpPn Website: www.dlnix.com Facebook: (DL Nix) https://www.facebook.com/Faepatriantales Finding Elara Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingElara   Contact JA Duxbury Facebook Author Page www.facebook.com/jaduxbury1 Facebook Group J A Duxbury's Weird Words: www.faceboo

Show Summary Guest Bio JA Duxbury has been writing since an early age, but only returned to 1998 after a hiatus of about 20 years. During the grey period, she worked full-time in places like records management and customer service. She spent a lot of that time writing procedural manuals, training documents and plans as well as creating Wikipedia type pages for her employer. Wver the last 10 years, she's been writing full-time getting all of her ideas on to paper and realising her dream of publishing books that people can lose themselves in. She has an extensive range of interest but her primary interest is creating words that bring to life the characters and stories she creates.   Links Contact Dianna Discord : https://discord.gg/Ap8EWpPn Website: www.dlnix.com Facebook: (DL Nix) https://www.facebook.com/Faepatriantales Finding Elara Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindingElara   Contact JA Duxbury Facebook Author Page www.facebook.com/jaduxbury1 Facebook Group J A Duxbury's Weird Words: www.faceboo

In this interview episode, Dianna and Leisl talk about the inspirations that have captivated and inspired Leisl to start writing her novels. The journey from restauranter to novelist is worth the listen. Orphan Black is the topic of the Buffy night section gaining high praise and a large number of stakes. the comp for one luck listener will be drawn 28-jul-2019 and the link is http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/99cd210810/?  

Dianna takes the chance to talk about what's be happening for the last fortnight. The winner of last fortnights competition is announced. Short and sweet content that and then next weeks guest is announced.

Heidi talks to Dianna about her interest in writing that blossomed while watching her mother write stories growing up. With a complete series under her belt and a the start of a new series recently released Heidi has a unique take on world building. The discussion is relaxed and full of surprising pearls of wisdom. There is a competition running for the first listeners to win a copy of the first book in her second series titled, The Whisperers of Evernow. 

Dianna presents the show in her new solo format with five fun things she's been up to in the last fortnight. This new format is short and to the point. 

In this episode of the Finding Elara Episode Dianna interviews Josh Langley about his writing journey and mindful techniques that have pushed him along the way. With several awards and multiple books under his belt Josh has over ten years experience in the industry to share.