Finding Elara

Dianna and Julz meet up again to reflect on the last 5 guests, favourite episodes in the last set and talk about the treasure chest. Discuss why the schedule is changing to weekly. Dianna continues on with the winners draw and close.   Massive thank you to all of our sponsors Book reality and the supporters in the shadow lair Sponsor Info Book Reality https://bookreality.com/ Shadow Lair: https://ko-fi.com/findingelara   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 facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577758720164   Contact JA Duxbury Facebook Author Page www.facebook.com/jaduxbury1 Facebook Group J A Duxbury's Weird Words: www.facebook.com/groups/3357069671029525 LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/julie-duxbury-0462153b/ Website: www.jaduxbury.com/ Grow Write: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2561860470756578 Contac

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: www.authorryannull.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ryannullofficial; Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/ryanjohnnull/; YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RyanJohnNull TikTok

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: www.authorryannull.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ryannullofficial; Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/ryanjohnnull/; YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RyanJohnNull TikTok

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: www.sueellenpashl

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: www.sueellenpashl

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

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

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