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Rebecca Alasdair
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  • on reading

    What to do when your bookshelf overflows

    Rebecca Alasdair / 9 April 2020 / No Comments

    SOS! Send help! My bookshelf is about to overflow! Said every bookworm ever as they despaired over where to store their “excess” books. I’ve done a little searching online, and today I present a few different options for when your space is running out. If you have any unique ideas or experiences, I’d love to hear all about them! →

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  • on reading

    Anticipated book releases of 2020

    Rebecca Alasdair / 14 February 2020 / No Comments

    New year, new book releases, and I couldn’t be more excited! Like bookworms around the world, I have been eagerly scanning the lists of books set to be published in 2020, and today I am sharing the new books I am anticipating most. What books are YOU looking forward to this year? →

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  • on reading

    My top ten reads of 2019

    Rebecca Alasdair / 21 December 2019 / No Comments

    There is still a little over a week left in 2019, but to date I have read a total of 74 books, and the time has come to announce my TOP TEN reads of the year! Bookworms, come forth, and let’s discuss our favourite books that we read in 2019!! →

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  • on reading

    How to spray the edges of a paperback book // ft. INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY

    Rebecca Alasdair / 19 November 2019 / 6 Comments

    I finally took the plunge and sprayed the edges of my misfit paperback of Spellslinger. It turned out so well! Come and find out the steps I took to avoid completely destroying the book, and enter my GIVEAWAY for the chance to win your own sprayed-edge copy of Spellslinger!! →

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  • on reading

    Ten of my favourite opening lines

    Rebecca Alasdair / 10 November 2019 / No Comments

    The first few sentences of a book are arguably the most important. They are the first exposure the reader has to the story, and have to be interesting enough to “hook” them into reading more!! In this post, I share some of my all-time favourite opening lines from fiction novels. What are yours? →

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  • on reading

    Ten of my favourite fictional battles

    Rebecca Alasdair / 23 April 2019 / No Comments

    With Anzac Day coming up later this week, I thought I’d take the opportunity to reflect on some of my all-time favourite battles in fiction. I LOVE fight sequences, but the following ten made a particular impression on me. What are your favourite fictional battles? →

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  • on reading

    Favourite reads of 2018

    Rebecca Alasdair / 21 December 2018 / No Comments

    This year, I read 77 books, exceeding my target of 60, and the time has finally come to announce my favourites! Bookworms, come forth, and let's talk about the books we loved most in 2018! >>

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  • on reading

    Ruined it! The novels I studied in high school

    Rebecca Alasdair / 12 October 2018 / No Comments

    This may come as a surprise, but I hated studying books at school. We always managed to butcher them. Today I take a brief look at the six novels we ruined and my fleeting memories of each. What books did YOU study in high school? >>

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  • on reading

    What makes a book cover a GOOD book cover?

    Rebecca Alasdair / 14 September 2018 / No Comments

    I am an unapologetic cover snob. When it comes to books, one way to catch my eye is to dress them up in pretty clothes. But what, exactly, makes a book cover a GOOD book cover? This is my take on it all! >>

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  • about me,  on reading

    My Grand Tour of Europe: Germany

    Rebecca Alasdair / 23 July 2018 / No Comments

    My “Grand Tour of Europe” draws to a close with a quick-as-lightning 3 day stop in southern Germany. Take a look at my final few pictures and the books that made the cut! >>

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Welcome! I'm Rebecca Alasdair, an Australian indie author whose one true love is fantasy—the more epic, the better.

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What is the most common/popular paperback trim siz What is the most common/popular paperback trim size where you live?

Here in Australia, at least in my city of Melbourne, the most common is the "B format" 129×198mm (about 5.1x7.8"). A lot of fantasy novels initially release in the larger 6×9" format, which I genuinely dislike because it's so damn big in my small hands, but these tend to be replaced by the smaller B format version after a year or two.

But I'm curious about what size(s) are most common in other places, especially the US and UK, as I ponder what size to publish my epic fantasy series in. What size do you prefer? Would the B format (my fave) seem strange to you?

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#bookdesign #bookformatting #booksize #bookstagram #booklover #indieauthor #authorsofig #writerslife
R is for the Red Plague! 👇 This next post in R is for the Red Plague! 👇 

This next post in the A to Z of worldbuilding elements in the #GracebornSeries is all about plagues. What's a fantasy world without a good plague—either current or historical.

In my world, the Red Plague was a highly contagious and fatal plague that devastated the Ten Dominions around three centuries after the Fall of Corraidhin. A cure was eventually found by Follain the Healer, but not before the population had been decimated. People still fear the Red Plague even now, and Graceborn Healers are constantly on the lookout for a resurgence.

What's the most interesting plague or illness you've come across in a fantasy novel? 🤒🦠

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#worldbuilding #fantasybooks #fantasyseries #epicfantasy #fantasywriter #fantasyauthor #indieauthor #writersofig
Look, I'm sure it feels great to have your book hi Look, I'm sure it feels great to have your book hit a bestseller list, but there's something to be said for the quiet achievements.

"Success" in writing and publishing looks different for everyone, and it's not all about the number of copies sold. I would LOVE for my upcoming epic fantasy series to do well, but as I work through my line edits, I feel pretty damn proud of the story I've told. And that's worth celebrating. 😊

What do you think?

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#writingquotes #writinginspiration #writersofig #authorsofig #indieauthor #fantasyauthor #writerslife #authorlife
Line edits are in! Wish me luck as I dive into the Line edits are in! Wish me luck as I dive into them over the next few weeks and polish this book off. 😅

There's still plenty of work to do to get it ready for publication, but it finally feels like I'm creeping closer!

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#amediting #bookedits #writerslife #authorlife #indieauthor #fantasyauthor #fantasyseries #gracebornseries
Happy 1st birthday to the bestest writing buddy a Happy 1st birthday to the bestest writing buddy a girl could ask for 💜🥳

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#birthdaygirl #birthdaydog #dogsofinstagram #minischnauzer #writingbuddy #writerslife #writersofig #indieauthor
Say hello to Tora Kolmarden, a key character in th Say hello to Tora Kolmarden, a key character in the #GracebornSeries...

...or don't. You might want to run and hide, actually. Most people do when they hear Tora's name. She's something of an enforcer for the Council of Eight: cold, ruthless to the point of cruelty, and her tongue is as sharp as her blades.

But this death-wielding warrior has her reasons. She has her secrets, her hidden dreams. And her arc throughout the series is not what you might expect. I can't wait for you to meet her in book 1, "Blood of Old", in (hopefully) 2026!

Another big thank you to the talented @sophielouisedraws for capturing Tora so perfectly!! 🤩

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#characterart #characterartwork #artreveal #digitalart #indieauthor #fantasyauthor #fantasybooks #fantasyseries #epicfantasy
Are you ready? There's only one more sleep until m Are you ready? There's only one more sleep until my next piece of character art is revealed! 😱

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#characterart #characterartwork #artreveal #digitalart #indieauthor #fantasyauthor #fantasybooks #fantasyseries #epicfantasy #gracebornseries
Q is for qava! 👇 In today's post on the A to Q is for qava! 👇 

In today's post on the A to Z of worldbuilding elements in the #GracebornSeries, I wanted to talk about food and drink in fantasy novels.

Do you enjoy seeing new types of food or drink—or even new names for known types of food or drink—in the books you read? I find it adds a certain richness and depth to the worldbuilding in fantasy fiction.

I haven't been all that creative in my own epic fantasy series, but I have come up with a drink called "qava", which you may note bears a striking resemblance to coffee... 🤣☕️

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#worldbuilding #fantasybooks #fantasyseries #epicfantasy #fantasywriter #fantasyauthor #indieauthor #writersofig

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