Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: Today we’re talking with one of the Night Beats crew, the multi-talented Rohan O’Duill! He’s here to tell us about the anthology he contributed to and co-edited, Into the Unknown. Rohan, so good to have you. Let’s start like we always do—tell us about the book!

Rohan: Into the Unknown is a science fiction anthology published by Lower Decks Press, a not-for-profit press set up by my writing group. An anomaly in space attracts the curious and the obsessive. An artificial intelligence expresses very real needs. A civilization lives out its last days on a doomed generation ship. From the recesses of a closet to the dark side of the Moon, from mysterious islands to alien worlds and the furthest reaches of unexplored space, join eleven authors as they explore the mysteries that lie within our technology, our universe, and ourselves. Embark on a science fiction expedition … Into the Unknown.

Sabitha: I fully intend to embark! So how did this book come to be? And what inspired your story, Alinda?

Rohan: Within our writing group, we had suggestions on an anthology theme and voted on those ideas. Exploring the unknown won the vote and I started thinking up ideas for a story. I started working on a very speculative and mind-bending story, but very soon I got bored of it and the writing dried up. I realised that it just wasn’t my style. I write stories for fun, with action and cool characters—I needed to go back to my roots.

Soon the story Alinda was born. It’s set in the Cold Verse that my other works are all written in. Josh and his rag-tag bunch of mercenaries head out on an aging frigate to the asteroid Alinda. Their mission to retrieve a mysterious artefact that had crash landed there hundreds of years earlier, but they soon realise the artefact has other plans. I had recently watched Alien with my son, and I really wanted to recreate that slowly building tension and the impending sense of doom that the movie does so well.

Also, we hope to make a healthy donation for the World Literary Foundation which is our chosen charity for this book.

Sabitha: We have a lot of writers in our community—including you! What’s your writing process?

Rohan: Umh, it might be a bit much to call it a process, lol. I get an idea and then I speed write out the story, almost like I was speaking it. Then I do a couple of run throughs where I tidy it up a bit before I hit up my critique partner for a read through. I always get great feedback from her and I do my big edits after that. Then I send it out to another 3 or 4 betas and I really try and hone down the story with that feedback.

Sabitha: What do you most want your readers to take away from reading your book?

Rohan: I would love readers to feel like they had a bit of fun. I write to give enjoyment, just like when I tell a story in the pub, I want a big ‘OOOOOHH’ or a belly laugh. That is what keeps me writing.

Sabitha: To give away a secret to our community—Rachel A Rosen already has her advance review copy and she’s really enjoying it! Where can everyone else get their copy? And where can they find you?

Rohan: Pre-order the book here. It comes out Sept 1, 2022, and all the proceeds go to charity to support literacy. You can find me on Twitter or check out my First Page Reads on Tiktok.

Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: Today we’re chatting with Lynette Bacon-Nguyen about her fantasy novel, Adventurer’s Overture. Lynette, can you introduce us to your book?

Lynette: My book is called Adventurer’s Overture, it’s a fantasy novel starring two characters, Amber the would be adventurer and Arabella, an apprentice priestess. Amber is trying to join the adventurer’s guild and gain a party and the story is much about her trying to get that goal and the struggles associated with it. It’s also about a few other things happening in the background, especially a recent uptick in instances of the undead entering the city. It’s a story about friendship, overcoming trials and dealing with your own shortcomings. 

Sabitha: Lynette, a lot of writers follow our blog. What advice would you give to someone who’s writing or querying?

Lynette: Make a plan for your story, but don’t force yourself to stick strictly to it. Writing is a creative process which means it’s very subject to change. Treat your outline like a sketch, things will be removed, things will be added and the final picture will be very different once it’s colored and shaded.

Sabitha: That’s solid advice. Can you give our community a writing prompt to inspire their next story?

Lynette: The day after a funeral, you enter the room of the person you loved who has died. As you look through their things, you find a letter addressed to you. What does it say?

Sabitha:  Which character do you relate to the most and why?

Lynette: The main character Amber. Like me, she is very feisty and very impatient. She has to put on a lot of bravado and is very easily frustrated when she doesn’t get her way. Still, she tries her best and pushes through.

Sabitha: Did anything change from when you started planning your first draft to the published version? What?

Lynette: Yes, originally the story was going to be more mystery oriented. There was going to be a crashed ship in the harbor and the ending was going to involve a harvest ball which the characters were invited to and attending. Both ideas were scrapped for simplicity sake and I think the story is better for it.

Sabitha: Stories have a way of transforming as you write. What do you most want your readers to take away from reading your book?

Lynette: The big message of the book is simply, don’t assume because more often than not, you’re wrong. Also don’t attribute simple reasons to complicated actions, everyone has a story and a reason for the things they do even if they don’t readily explain it to you.

Sabitha: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

Lynette: You can pre-order my book on Amazon. And I’m on Twitter.

Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: Kate Martin joins us today to talk to us about her novel Are you Okay, Elliot Hart? We always like to start by learning a bit about the book, so Kate, can you give us an introduction?

Kate: Fifteen-year-old Elliot ‘Matchstick’ Hart spends his days caring for his mum and hiding from the school bully.

Fifteen-year-old Josh McBride spends his days tormenting Elliot and avoiding his abusive stepdad.

Inspired by a picture in an old newspaper, Elliot embarks on an adventure to the city. Little does he know that Josh has decided to join him. On their journey, strangers and surprises force them to look at each other in a different light. As secrets are uncovered, can the boys bury their differences or will it tear them further apart?

Sabitha: This book has a lot of heart. What inspired you to write it?

Kate: I started writing Are you Okay, Elliot Hart? in my late thirties. My mum had poor health since I was a teenager and I was still struggling with the emotions this created—the feelings of helplessness, hurt, and anger. I created the character of Elliot Hart to highlight the daily struggles of being a young carer. I then created the character of Josh McBride to explore the themes of bullying and why teenagers might hurt others. This was mainly inspired by my job as a high school teacher and the pupils I encounter. 

Sabitha: What was your favourite thing to write in the book?

Kate: I actually enjoyed writing a scene where Elliot sings with a busker. I love singing but I am terrible at it! Maybe this was me channeling my dreams! 

Sabitha: My writing voice is also much better than my singing voice! We have a lot of writers in our community, Kate. What’s your writing process?

Kate: Messy and chaotic! I handwrite really bad first drafts. There are lots of notepads scattered around my house. I scribble the first draft down, not concerning myself with whether it is any good. Then I type it up and look at what plot I have. Once I’ve decided on the plot, I type it all up and edit for what feels like forever! I actually like the editing process, making the messy first draft look somewhat coherent and engaging. 

Sabitha: One of the hardest parts of writing a novel is picking the title. How did you choose?

Kate: I had a few ideas at first. I had Matchstick because that was Elliot’s nickname at school. Then I thought of Step Outside because his mum is agoraphobic and Josh bullies him, but I ended up with Are you Okay, Elliot Hart? because really, both Josh and Elliot just need someone to ask them if they are okay. Like we all do!

Sabitha:  If you could pick any author to read your book, who would you want to read it? Why them?

Kate: Maybe Fiona Scarlett? I have recently read her book Boys Don’t Cry and I thought it was so well written. The voices are incredible. I would hope she could give me some tips. She is a teacher as well, so we can talk about the highs and lows of that occupation too!

Sabitha: Thanks for sharing your emotional, heartfelt story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

Kate: You can buy my book from any of the stores here. I’m on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and you can also find me at my website.  

Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Zilla: Zilla here! A quick note for our readers. There’s a pre-order giveaway contest for this book, so make sure you read to the end of the interview to find out how to enter!

Sabitha: Laura May joins us to talk about her LGBTQ+ romance novel, The One Woman. Laura, we’re delighted to have you! Can you tell us a bit about your book?

Laura: The One Woman is a story of a girl meets a girl. But what if the girl is already in a steady relationship with a long-term boyfriend? 

The main character, Julie, a graphic designer, is in a mundane relationship with her boyfriend Mark. Until she meets Ann. Ann is successful, beautiful, and charismatic. Julie can’t deny the spark during their chance meeting. When their present entwines once again in Barcelona the spark is impossible to extinguish. When tragedy strikes, Julie must decide between her devotion to Mark and her love for Ann. Can true love survive when the timing is all wrong?

Sabitha: Okay, I’m intrigued! So what inspired you to write this book?

Laura: The dedication to this book says, ‘To all the books that came before.’ All the books that I’ve read before were my inspiration. From my childhood I always found friends in books—later, they managed to evoke such a magnitude of feelings that I sat stunned, dreaming of one day writing something as remotely emotional as the book I was holding in my hands at that moment.

When the pandemic struck, and we all were confined to our homes with no way to travel, instead of looking out, I started to look in.

The One Woman started in my head as a woman walks into a bar…

Sabitha: What was your favourite thing to write in the book?

Laura: It was not a thing, but a character, Ann. I loved everything about her, and meeting her and writing about her was my favourite thing.

Sabitha: Falling in love with a character is such a magical feeling. But writing isn’t all high points. What advice would you give to someone who’s writing or querying?

Laura: Writing requires just showing on the page, so if you do show regularly, something wonderful will be on that page. You cannot edit the empty page, as they say.

With querying I have only one piece of advice, which I constantly say to myself: don’t stop. In the end, you need only one yes.

Sabitha: How did you choose the title?

Laura: It’s kind of a funny story, or a strange one. I wrote The One Woman by hand and it took two and a half notebooks. The first notebook had a floral cover, with two words: The One. So these two words were with the story from the beginning. Later I added Woman. Because it’s a story of two women, and I hope the readers will find something to relate to in each of them.

Sabitha:  If you could pick any author to read your book, who would you want to read it? Why them?

Laura: I’d be honored if one day TJ Klune, Leigh Bardugo and Taylor Jenkins Reid could read my book. They broke my heart and healed it back with their books, I cried, pressing their books to my chest. Their ideas and stories are so beautifully written, that I would love them to read this, or any of my future books.

Sabitha: This book sounds like a great read. When can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

Laura: Thanks for the interview!  You can find The One Woman here and on Amazon here. You can find out more about me at my website, Instagram and Facebook.

We’re running a pre-order giveaway! Anyone who completes this form and uploads proof of a preorder will be entered to win a $10 Amazon gift card. The prize will be announced at my launch party in August. 

Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha:  Pulkit Khanna joins us today to talk about his novel The Other Side of it. Pulkit, can you introduce us to your book?

Pulkit: A hundred-year-old bridge connects an isolated village of Punjab to the rest of the world & the villagers have lived their entire lives without finding the need to walk on to the other side. But there are always some people whose idea of a life well lived is non conformity. Two such little boys, Jeet and Sabr, embark on a journey to find what lies on the other side of the bridge, and in their quest to find the unknown, they discover some secrets about the villagers that not many knew of. Thus begins a story of love, loss, friendship, belief and most of all—hope.

Sabitha: That’s a fascinating premise for a novel. Which of those characters do you relate to the most and why?

Pulkit: I relate to the boy ‘Sabr’. He’s a little boy who is full of emotions but can also be very mature when the situation requires him to. He believes that kindness is the most important virtue; knowing when to stop being kind is important too.

Sabitha: What was your favourite thing to write in the book?

Pulkit: The ending was my favourite thing to write in the book. I had multiple endings planned but I wanted to leave the readers with the perfect aftertaste. I wanted to blur the line between the last page of the book and their real life that lied on the other side of it.

Sabitha: What advice would you give to someone who’s writing or querying?

Pulkit: There’s a story about a pottery teacher who splits her class into two groups. The first group is tasked with making a single, perfect pot. The other group is tasked with making as many unique pots as possible. At the end, even though the first group had pooled their resources and spent all their time researching, the second group had the best pot. This is because, at the end of the day, your first pot is always going to suck. So, keep writing. Write a dozen stories, a hundred stories, a thousand stories. Eventually, one of them will be a winner.

Sabitha: That’s such a motivational way to think about writing. Has being published changed your feelings about writing?

Pulkit:  As a writer, self-doubt is something that always stays with you. But after I got published, people started talking about my characters like they were real people. It was the kind of acceptance that I was looking for. It was like they gave life to my characters.

Sabitha: What do you most want your readers to take away from reading your book?

Pulkit: Life isn’t easy, grief is omnipresent, and things will almost never go as you want them to. I want them to know that you have to just hold on and just keep on trying. Hold on to hope, hold on to the people that love you, and most importantly hold on to yourself. Eventually, one day, you will most definitely move to the other side of it. And you’ll know it was all worth it.

Sabitha: Thanks for sharing your writing motivation and your story. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

Pulkit: You can buy the book on Amazon. You can find me on my website, Twitter and Instagram (@pulkitkhanna30 & @moonlightissunshinetoo).