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Rebecca Alasdair

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

    Playing God: Music, art & literature in the world of your WIP

    Rebecca Alasdair / 7 August 2020 / No Comments

    Music, art and literature are three of the “cultural universals” found in every society, so they ought to be considered when world-building for a fantasy WIP. In today’s Playing God post, I explore each of these aspects in some detail, and give a sneak peek at the music, art and literature in my own fantasy world!! →

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  • on writing

    A non-exhaustive list of character terminology

    Rebecca Alasdair / 17 June 2020 / No Comments

    Characters are the lens through which a reader is guided through a narrative. There are many different types of characters that exist within a story, and the terminology of these can be confusing. So here is a summary of the most common character terms and definitions!! →

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  • fantasy fridays

    Playing God: The language of your fantasy world

    Rebecca Alasdair / 12 June 2020 / No Comments

    Language is how we communicate, an inextricable part of our everyday lives, and an important consideration when creating a fantasy world. In today’s Playing God post, I explore the significance of language, how to shape vernacular and new phrases, and give a sneak peek at the language in my own fantasy WIP!! →

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  • fantasy fridays

    Playing God: Shaping race and culture in your fantasy WIP

    Rebecca Alasdair / 24 April 2020 / No Comments

    Race and culture have a vital role in shaping society and human identity, so in turn they deserve careful shaping when world-building for a fantasy WIP. In today’s Playing God post, I explore the definitions and significance of race and culture, some important considerations, and give a sneak peek at these concepts in my own fantasy world! →

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  • on writing

    Conceptualising a story idea with the 5W1H method

    Rebecca Alasdair / 11 March 2020 / No Comments

    There are many different ways in which a writer may conceptualise a story idea, and half the time we don’t even realise we’re doing it. But in this post I share one method of bringing order to the chaos…by asking yourself six key questions about your story concept! →

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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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  • graceborn

    A call for beta readers!

    Rebecca Alasdair / 12 December 2019 / No Comments

    *NOW CLOSED* I am OFFICIALLY looking for beta readers for the first book in my WIP fantasy series! Blood of Old (Graceborn #1) is a 195,000-word novel about two brothers, one a healer and the other a troublemaker, thrown into an ancient conflict where they both have a role to play. Keep reading for more information and details on how…

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  • excerpts,  graceborn

    GRACEBORN: NaNoWriMo + next steps + book 2 reveal!

    Rebecca Alasdair / 3 December 2019 / No Comments

    Did you participate in NaNoWriMo 2019? I did, and I finally finished the draft of the first book in my fantasy series Graceborn! Woohoo! Come and check out the details, featuring some exciting SNIPPETS from the book, what I plan to do next, and the reveal of the title and mock cover for book two!! →

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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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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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