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Rebecca Alasdair

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Rebecca Alasdair
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  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • BOOKS
    • HOLDING UP THE SKY
    • GRACEBORN (SERIES)
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  • fantasy fridays

    Playing God: Laying down the law for your WIP’s world

    Rebecca Alasdair / 4 June 2021 / 4 Comments

    The law plays an important role in regulating the behaviour and actions of people—and characters—and is therefore an important aspect of world-building . In today’s Playing God post, I explore different types of law, some key considerations, and give a sneak peek at the legal systems in my own fantasy WIP! →

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  • fantasy fridays

    Playing God: Forming government in your fantasy world

    Rebecca Alasdair / 12 March 2021 / 5 Comments

    Government is an integral part of any civilisation, and an element that should not be overlooked when world-building for a fantasy project. In today’s Playing God post, I explore why government is important in a story, some key considerations, and give a sneak peek at the systems in place in my own fantasy WIP! →

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  • on reading

    5 book passages that gave me goosebumps

    Rebecca Alasdair / 11 February 2021 / No Comments

    As a reader, there’s nothing quite like a passage that makes you break out in goosebumps. I’ve encountered a couple in recent times; today I’d like to share a few such passages and what, exactly, I think caused my strong reaction. Come check them out and share your own examples! →

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  • on reading

    Anticipated book releases of 2021

    Rebecca Alasdair / 25 January 2021 / 5 Comments

    One of my favourite things to do at the start of each year is to sit down and take a look at the books being released over the next 12 months. Today, I share the new books coming out in 2021 that I am super excited to read! What books are YOU looking forward to this year? →

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  • on reading

    My top reads of 2020

    Rebecca Alasdair / 22 December 2020 / 3 Comments

    Somehow, it is once again time to announce my TOP TEN favourite books of the year. I’ve read more than 50 books in 2020 and really enjoyed them, but in the end a select few stand out. So come and check out my list of top reads and join in the bookish discussion!! →

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  • excerpts,  the layers beneath us

    THE LAYERS BENEATH US: NaNoWriMo + snippets + next steps!

    Rebecca Alasdair / 7 December 2020 / 10 Comments

    One week on, I am still super excited to announce that I WON NANOWRIMO 2020! To learn more about how November unfolded for me, read a few juicy snippets from my book, and find out where I’m going from here, come and check out this post! →

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  • on reading

    Books that represent my crazy year

    Rebecca Alasdair / 19 November 2020 / 3 Comments

    As this crazy year stumbles towards its end, I thought it was time to have a little fun by aligning my experiences over the last 10.5 months with books I’ve read in the past. It’s amazing how closely some compare! Please come along and have some fun with this post, and share your own bookish representations!! →

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  • the layers beneath us

    THE LAYERS BENEATH US: Introducing my new writing project

    Rebecca Alasdair / 17 October 2020 / 11 Comments

    I’m delighted to finally announce my brand new writing project! This standalone novel is a YA contemporary that I’ll be starting to draft in November, and today I reveal what it’s all about. Come check out the mock cover, read the blurb, and learn the years-long background!! →

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  • on writing

    What I’ve done to prep for NaNoWriMo 2020

    Rebecca Alasdair / 8 October 2020 / 5 Comments

    November is just around the corner, and with it comes NaNoWriMo 2020! Today I share the step-by-step process I’ve gone through to prepare myself for this year’s challenge without getting burnt out. Come and join the discussion about planning new writing projects!! →

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  • fantasy fridays

    Playing God: Inventing infrastructure for your fantasy WIP

    Rebecca Alasdair / 25 September 2020 / 8 Comments

    Infrastructure is the set of facilities and systems that allow societies to function from day-to-day, and is therefore an essential element of world-building. In today’s Playing God post, I explore the integrated nature of infrastructure, some important considerations, and give a sneak peek at the infrastructure in my own fantasy WIP! →

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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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The information on this website / blog is authentic to the best of my knowledge, and as such, it may contain errors or be absent some key information. Any opinions expressed are my own. Content is generated for entertainment and informative purposes, and is not to be perceived as professional advice. I am not responsible for the comments made by visitors to this site, and will act quickly to remove any inappropriate comments. Abuse and harassment may be reported and the perpetrator’s personal information disclosed in accordance with my Privacy Policy.

Who is the traitor sowing dissent in the ancient c Who is the traitor sowing dissent in the ancient city-state of Asphodel?

I love a good betrayal arc, so of course I had to include one in my fantasy series! It's a bit of a slow-burn subplot, and I hope to keep people guessing who is pulling the strings behind the scenes.

What is the best betrayal arc you've come across in a fantasy series before?

🗺 Map by @cartographybird 

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#fantasymap #fantasybooks #fantasyauthor #indieauthor #gracebornseries
Is it completely shameless of me to capitalise on Is it completely shameless of me to capitalise on this?? 🤭

Social media has been melting down over the last few days following the title and cover reveals for ACOTAR 6 and 7. I had a chuckle to myself when I saw one of the tag lines is "What was lost will be reclaimed", since that's a key line of a prophecy in my own fantasy series!

Now, the #GracebornSeries is not the same sub-genre as ACOTAR, being epic fantasy rather than romantasy. But it really does go to show how similar themes and elements can occur across a broad variety of fantasy books.

If you're looking for a way to pass the time while waiting for ACOTAR 6, would you like an eARC of "Blood of Old"? See link in my bio for details 😊

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#fantasybooks #fantasyseries #fantasyauthor #indieauthor
Kael O'Dair is not the type of MMC everyone likes Kael O'Dair is not the type of MMC everyone likes to fawn over...

There's no quiet brooding, no cunning plans masterfully executed, no sauve confidence and posse of loyal followers.

This guy is a prickly, whiny risk-taker who would love to kill you if only someone would teach him how. His bark might be worse than his bite, yet chaos always trails in his wake.

Request an eARC of "Blood of Old" now through the link in my bio!!

🎨 Art by @sophielouisedraws

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#indieauthor #fantasyseries #fantasybooks #epicfantasy #gracebornseries
Z is for Zamkhulis! 👇 We have finally made it to Z is for Zamkhulis! 👇

We have finally made it to the very last post of my A to Z of worldbuilding elements in the #GracebornSeries! I can't believe it's been going for YEARS!

To celebrate, I thought I'd talk about...celebrations. There are two main celebrations that mark the calendar in the world of Graceborn:

🎉 Zamkhulis, which occurs at midsummer. The longest day, the shortest night, in the very middle of the year on the full moon of summer’s second lunation. It's a vibrant time for celebrating life and the Maker's blessings.

🎉 Zamtaris, which occurs at midwinter. The shortest day, the longest night, on the full moon of winter's second lunation. It is a quiet, reflective time, marking the end of one year and the beginning of the next.

What is the most interesting type of festival or celebration you've come across in fantasy fiction? 🤔

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#worldbuilding #fantasybooks #fantasyseries #fantasyauthor
Guess what I'm working on at the moment! That's r Guess what I'm working on at the moment!

That's right, formatting of the ebook for "Blood of Old" is well underway! I'd originally planned to use Atticus to produce my ebook this time but found it didn't let me get down to the nitty gritty as much as I wanted. So I'm back to using trusty old Calibre. Kindle Previewer is also great for seeing what it will look like on different screens.

In other ebook-related new, eARCs will be going out in only a few short weeks! If you'd like to register for one, head to the link in my bio for more info and to fill out the form. 😊

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#bookformatting #ebook #indieauthor #fantasybooks #freebooks
I am on the hunt for advance readers!! 😱 𝘉𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘰𝘧 I am on the hunt for advance readers!! 😱

𝘉𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘖𝘭𝘥 is the first book in the 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯 series, a gripping new fantasy epic where the bonds of brotherhood will unite a world in chaos...or see it unravel at the seams.

Members of my Advance Reader Crew will receive:

🔥 A free electronic copy of the book (eARC) from early September 2026

🔥 A hopeful request from me that you will read and review the book before its release on 01 December 2026

For more info or to register your interest, head to the link in my bio. If you have any questions, feel free to DM me or send me an email.

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#arcreaderswanted #arcreader #fantasybooks #fantasyseries #gracebornseries
News alert: I bought a place!! 😭 I am incredibly News alert: I bought a place!! 😭

I am incredibly fortunate and exceptionally excited to now have a cosy little apartment of my very own. I've been moving in over the last few weeks and am pretty settled in by now, though my books are still in boxes and my shelves are yet to be reassembled. My study has so much potential, and I'm still figuring out how I want to set it up.

Things have been a bit slow on the writing front because of the move, but I hope to get back into it all shortly. If you're interested in more details, this is your reminder to sign up to my author newsletter (link in bio) 😉

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#writerslife #firsthomeowner #indieauthor #writersofig #writingroom
Asa is the calm. Kael is the storm. They are broth Asa is the calm. Kael is the storm. They are brothers in all but blood, but when they find themselves at the centre of a prophecy that will shape the course of their world, will they stand together...or will fate tear them apart?

The #GracebornSeries is a six-book fantasy epic featuring multiple POVs, a hard magic system, complex worldbuilding, ancient enemies, and sky-high stakes. Book 1, "Blood of Old", will be out on 01 December 2026.

📚 Add to your TBR on Goodreads now (link in bio)

🎨 Art by @sophielouisedraws

🗺 Map by @cartographybird

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