Sarah Kate Ishii's Blog, page 2

No Limits: A New Life Principle for Growth and Inspiration

There are no limits on me.

This is one of my new principles for life.

You know, the phrases and mantras you set to help you make decisions and navigate your way of living. The ones that keep you going when things feel tough. When you don’t know what you do.

And I came across this at a swimming lesson.

I was sick as a child, and that made me allergic to the water in British swimming pools. They overloaded the chlorine so much that even walking past a swimming pool building made me feel nauseated. And when the door opened for someone to go in—BAM! It felt like being hit with a wall of chlorine.

So I never learnt to swim.

Now I’m 30, I’m getting lessons (and very happy to say the Australian pools use less chlorine, and my skin is better so it doesn’t react so much).

Why does this relate to my new principle for life?

Well, in the few minutes at the end of the lesson, I had a quick chat with the other lady having lessons that day. She seemed to be doing so well to me, and I asked about the sports watch she was wearing. Turns out, though she was fairly new to swimming, she’d decided she was going to go all out and train to complete a triathlon.

I was amazed!

‘So you can already run and cycle?’

‘Not yet. But I’m also trying that.’

This year she had just decided she was going to start her fitness journey, learn to swim, and why not while she was at it give herself a big goal to motivate her?

A triathlon.

‘I just realised there are no limits on me, so why not do it? I can do whatever I want to try, really. If I’m going to learn how to swim, why not try for a triathlon?’

Why indeed.

A momentary meeting with a soulmate.

(The real kind, not the Hallmark movie romantic kind, but the people we meet every day—even just fleetingly—who provide sparks of ‘Oh, I was meant to meet you.’)

Because it’s true.

There are no limits on us. Save the ones we put on ourselves.

Sometimes we end up in environments that hold us down. Sometimes monetary situations, people, roles. But that’s not forever. It’s a period. And though no one ever knows how long that period might be, thinking about your limits and where you want to go can help you through whatever you’re struggling with.

So you can’t swim—YET. Who says you can’t learn and complete a triathlon? You may as well go all out if you’re learning. (If you want, you might not want to, and that’s okay.)

You might want to start writing. Why put a limit on it? One book? Rather, just say you want to write as much as you can. No limits. You might end up writing several.

Now, it’s that time of year we all reflect on how our year has been so far, or our whole life, and think about goals for next year. I started doing this a little, but found no specific goals came to mind.

Of course I want to keep drafting and publishing as many books as I can. Of course I want to continue in my goals towards financial freedom. Of course I want to keep growing towards a life of good health and vitality and fitness. Of course I want to continue growing as a good parent.

But nothing really sat with me as ‘I WANT TO DO X’.

And I realised it was because I was still reflecting on this limits thing.

There are no limits on me.

I can do whatever I want (really, within reason, of course).

I don’t know what this year will bring, but I know I’ll keep working towards all of my goals. But a lot can happen in a year, and for that reason, instead, I’ve decided to take things as they come, and look forward to exponential growth.

1 thing a day towards my goals is 365 things done in a year. That’s a lot.

Focusing on small daily habits helps you grow as a person incredibly. Exponentially. How can you plan for that? Except to take it day by day and enjoy it.

Perhaps now is the time we don’t think of goals, but instead think about the consistency we want to bring to 2025.

What are our life values?

Family? Fitness? Writing? Creativity? Learning? Language? Communication? The list goes on, but pick three.

Now look in your daily schedule and plan in even just 15 mins a day of each of those. Calendar it in. Make it a date for yourself. A must do. As much as possible.

From there, I like to track each day whether I do it. I love watching the little xs line up as I cross it off as complete each day.

Do I get around to doing it each and every day?

No. Life happens.

But I love watching it grow as much as it can. 4x a week. 5x a week. Sometimes 6x a week!

More than if I never put it in my calendar and hoped I remembered.

There are no limits on me. And that’s exciting. And it makes me want to do as much as I can towards my goals and dreams, because I’m so curious where it will end up.

Look again in 6 months.

1 year.

2 years.

Imagine where it can be in 5 years if you do a little bit every day.

The world will try to impose limits on you. But what if you chose to see those limits as temporary, and your potential as boundless?

Start small. Stay curious. And watch where you end up—because with no limits, the possibilities are endless. And the future is so exciting.

(And I WILL complete more book drafting this year! For those who are waiting for Dynasty Codes 3: Noble Blood and the next Haru & Yuka adventure, thank you so much for your patience! )

How about you? What are your values for 2025? What daily habits will help you bring them to life? Got any exciting creative projects in the works or that you’d like to begin?

The Hidden Side of Being an Author: Beyond the Writing Desk

When people think about being an author, they often imagine a cosy and glamorous life filled with soft lighting, inspiration, coffee cups, and hours spent typing away at a rustic desk. But the truth is, my desk isn't nearly as Instagram-worthy as people might hope, and the life of an author is a lot more complicated—and a lot more admin work—than that.

Let me walk you through the week I just had (because let’s face it, a typical day doesn’t exist in the author world), so you can see the weird mix of things an author might get up to when I'm not trying to finish writing The Dynasty Codes series for you or working on the new fantasy stand alones.

The errands of author life: not just writing

The truth is, being an author today means juggling many hats. Yes, there are creative bursts where I’m fully immersed in writing, but there are also days filled with organising, emailing, and a lot of running errands. Here’s just a glimpse of what this week alone looked like:

Gazebo hunting: Spent some time scrolling through Facebook Marketplace looking for a gazebo (fun news coming soon on that!).

Tested and bought the gazebo: Met the seller in person and made the purchase. I am now the proud owner of my very first pop-up gazebo!

Bunnings adventure: I walked to the local Bunnings to pick up a 13 kg folding table, only to realise after paying I had to carry it back uphill in 35°C heat. (I’ll admit, there were plenty of breaks and some serious sweat involved, but hey, I counted it as my daily workout!) Yes, I should have realised before I went down there, and yes, I could have asked to keep it there while I went to get my car and drive back. But I'm too stubborn, and the weight seemed manageable. It was just the awkward carry shape that was the trouble!

The paperwork and admin Mount Dooms

Okay, that's dramatic, but sometimes it does feel like that scene at the end where Frodo crashes on the mountain with the lava flowing everywhere. Alongside the more physical tasks, there’s the endless paperwork. Finances, stock management, and planning—oh my! It’s easy to forget that all these behind-the-scenes tasks are essential to running an author business. Because that's what it is. A business. And I know that's not what some people glamorising being an author want to believe.

Finances update: I took some time to update my author finances. Seeing the numbers track toward ROI is always satisfying—until I had to pay for another print run of Origin Curse and watched my ROI dip. But that’s part of the game! Stock is necessary, even if it means dipping further into the red for a little while. (I admit I'm a bit of a nerd about finances and love my spreadsheet set up.)

Print run arrival: The latest batch of Origin Curse books arrived, and of course, I had to remember to take a reel of the unboxing for social media (I'll get better at this, I swear!). It’s not my favourite thing to do, but I know it’s part of the marketing effort. This is where I get stubborn and wish I COULD just sit and write. I never know what to say on socials. I have so many ideas when it comes to writing books, but then when it comes to writing something for social media ... crickets.

Stock updates: And, speaking of stock, I communicated with a local bookstore that had run out of my books. So, this week, I’m heading to the post office to deliver a fresh batch just in time for the Christmas rush.

The ‘business’ of being an author

More on that bit above. If you’re an aspiring author, one thing I wish I’d known early on is that writing is only part of the job. The rest is business—serious, hands-on business. As an author, you're not just a creator; you're also the CEO, marketer, and operations manager of your own small business. It's taken a lot of time for me to get into that groove, and I'm still trying to get better at it. It's a life-long thing. [Insert random cliche about marathons-not-sprints that we all gag at now.]

Anyway, here's a quick run-down of things you are expected to do now as an author:

You have to manage your own promotions, marketing, events, stock, and distribution. Everything, really. Yes, even when you go trade.

You have to work with designers, editors, and printing companies, all while adhering to their unique specs and timelines. So I recommend you start developing project management and briefing skills and how to communicate effectively in the publishing industry and the specs and details people need. Everyone has their own processes, so ask clear questions before agreeing to work with people. Find what process works well for you.

And, perhaps most importantly, you need to budget your time. Which leads me to the big question:

Time management: writing vs everything else

The hardest part? Managing your time.

Writing is our sacred task. The big we all enjoy. And while we all wish for it to be the only thing we have to do, there’s so much more. One thing I’ve learned is that when I schedule time for writing, I sometimes have to treat it as 'Author Time', where if something busy and admin-y comes up, now and then I have to allow myself to swap writing for all the other tasks that go into being a business owner.

Can I squeeze everything into other times during the day? That would be the dream. But with work, family commitments, and a million other things, that kind of uninterrupted writing time is often hard to come by. We all struggle with finding enough hours in the day, so every moment of 'Author Time' counts.

Though, of course, one day the dream is to make this a full time gig.

Until then ... writing as much as I can and squeezing other things in is the reality.

All the many hats and juggling balls of being a modern author

Being an author isn't just about writing a book anymore. It’s about managing your business, balancing your time, and dealing with tasks that range from fun (like designing marketing collateral with your partner in book crime [shout out to Donika here for doing this with me this week!] to exhausting (hello, lugging large items up-hill).

And for anyone considering becoming an author, remember: writing is just the beginning. It’s a journey filled with paperwork, logistics, and a lot of emails. But it’s also a journey that’s incredibly fun and rewarding. Especially when you hear the incredible experiences of readers contacting you about how much they loved your books.

For the published writers out there: How do you manage all the responsibilities that come with being a writer? Are you balancing your writing time with the ‘business’ side? Let me know in the comments!

For the want-to-be writers out there: keep it up, and know that it's still a great thing to do. Find your best schedule, and do as little or as much as you can and want to. Everyone has their own race and own pace. Let me know if you have any questions about handling author life amongst life, school, work, children, study, everything ...

P.S. If you’re struggling with author finances, I’ve created a template to track everything from royalties to print runs. Feel free to reach out if you’d like a copy!

Author Website Refresh Alert: an Author Life Update

You're going to see a massive change around here. And it's going to be incredible.

For a while, the problem of what an author website should look like has lingered in my mind. This grand vision of a place of fantasy, inspiration, knowledge, books ... more fantasy.

Something grand. A hub readers could enjoy.

And, yet, to create that website is the challenge.

Until my partner in inspiration and crime, Donika (https://www.artofdonika.com/), mentioned her thoughts on what an author website should be like too.

And the concepts matched. And we both went .

Well, it's happening. Our exploration into the potential that an author website could be.

So, I'll say again. You're going to see a massive change around here. And I'm so excited.

Because my favourite designer is running me ragged and asking me questions until my mind feels like it really will explode like that emoji so we can get a new Sarah Kate Ishii website up and running.

One day soon, you'll come here and poof. It'll be so different. Gloriously so.

And I'd love for you to tell us what you think of it.

Bearing in mind, of course, the process of a website is constant and ever-updating tweaks!

What is the process of making an author website?

You might ask?

Well, with Donika it meant we created a shared spreadsheet, because I love spreadsheets and may have got her into them too.

A list of all the menu items I wanted in the new rendition. And her tweaks of them.

She did an audit of my website and spoke to me about her thoughts, what the wanted to create of it, whether that worked for me, and we agreed on a plan.

(Honestly, though, I'd probably just let her do whatever she wants, because I seem to say yes to all her ideas anyway! She's the pro.)

Within that, she created a list of tasks she was going to work on, assigned a whole bunch to me, plus even more questions.

So many alerts from Google Sheets.

I've gone through many of them, but today I'm working on some of the finer items. The new words.

You see, Donika's idea for a website is you need to build it in this order. So if you're building your own author website, check this bit out:

Foundation first. Larger chunks. What pages do you want? Overall menu items? Themes? Colour schemes? How will it match your branding? (Do you have author branding in the first place.)Big questions. Lots of self-identity searching.

Middle. Now you're working into the specifics of the page. What sections am I going to have on each page? What do I want my subscription form to look like? I'm a fantasy author about to work on some non-fiction too. How do I want that mentioned? What images of me do I want on the page? (This, alone, was so thought out. It took ages because she gave me so much feedback on various photos and asked me to tweak them with different shirt colours, long sleeves, poses that fitted my genre ... I swear I did several rounds. And, I don't exactly live in an aesthetic house. Finding a place suitable for a decent photo was tough.)So, this round is layout. Getting things in place. Getting information. Starting to build up from the foundations but still looking pretty wide.

Light. Here's where I get asked for new text. New 'About Sarah' info. Content where she's thought a new page idea would be good and so asking me to think of an intro para for it. Even a password for a new section we're creating that will be exclusive to subscribers. That part was really fun and interesting! But I got nervous thinking about all the text that could potentially exist, so here's me procrastinating about the process of a website instead. (I'll convince myself it's mulling over in the back of my head.)

Detail. Of course, once you've got all the bulks of things, sections are in place, text is in place, images are in place, you'll end up with the tiny changes and tweaks that will probably take longer than everything else. Refining the words. Changing up some lighting. Checking your systems and passwords work. Testing out the subscription process and emails to make sure people have a simple and easy and enjoyable experience and the content they were promised.Especially as, this time, we'll be sending out a series of free fantasy reads to subscribers, getting that looking grand and in the works and actually sent to readers will be key.

I think a lot of people building their first website get too stuck in the process of each page. Trying to get one page absolutely perfect before moving onto another one. And this might slow them down or make a page feel mismatched to others. You grow so much in the development stage that by the time you get to your fifth website page, your first one is way behind.

Whereas if you were to build it all in levels and work up, you can focus your skills on same-level processes.

Build the foundations of all the pages. Then slowly add them up one by one.

Much like when writing a book, you start with drafting the whole thing. Then you go back through and fix the bigger issues like POV and tone and pacing and tense. Then you go back through and look at paragraph levels. Character names and arcs. Then up and up until you get into tiny details like finally catching those typos and missing full stops and double spaces.

This way your brain is on the same skill. It's not switching between them.

Final thoughts

I'm going to go back to the homework Donika has set me now. Getting the last of that new text written up. But this process has been so interesting to me I had to write it down.

It's these benefits of working with a website designer that doing it by yourself can't bring. Someone else to nudge you. To offer inspiration and thoughts. New perspectives and ideas.

I'd never have thought of the subscriber-only page with a password had she not suggested it. But it's such a beautiful idea: mostly because of the way she is intending to implement it. But that's a secret for now!

Before you go, I'd love to ask what you think.

What do you really want to see on an author website? That would help you engage with their work and their ideas and bring you joy to experience?

Reply in an email or comment if you like! I'd love to know what you think.

(And if you want someone to help you with anything author design, I seriously recommend Donika. The way her brain thinks in all this is just in the best way!)

Finding Freedom in the Little Things: A Writer's Reflection

A thought today: What does freedom mean to you in your everyday choices?

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on freedom as I’ve realised it’s one of my core values.

Freedom to choose who I am.

Freedom to decide how I spend my time.

Freedom to set my own life goals.

Freedom even to shape my career.

Freedom to write.

This is a big one!

Not everyone has these freedoms, and I am deeply grateful to live a life where these choices are available to me.

I know many people don't have a supportive writing community or even the encouragement of their loved ones. Some write in secret, too nervous or afraid to share their dreams. For years, online communities have become sanctuaries for writers who feel isolated in their dreams.

But when you start to view freedom this way, it becomes clear that it isn’t always about big, life-changing decisions. Often, freedom is found in the small, everyday choices we make.

The freedom to decide what’s for dinner.

The freedom to choose when to go to bed.

When to wake up and write.

Or even when to write before heading off to bed!

The freedom to even gain the education and tools needed to write.

When I think about it this way, I feel so fortunate.

These little moments might seem insignificant, but they’re meaningful.

And they add up.

I used to think freedom was this grand, sweeping concept—doing whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, without having to answer to anyone else. (Typical childhood thoughts, right?) But as I’ve grown up, I’ve realised how unrealistic (and overwhelming) that notion is.

True freedom, I think, lies in recognising and appreciating the small choices that shape our days.

So, I’ll ask again:

What does freedom mean to you in your everyday life?

As we near the end of the year, let’s remember to take care of ourselves, cherish our routines, and celebrate the freedoms we have, however small they may seem.

#LifeReflections #EverydayChoices #MindfulLiving #WritingCommunity #Gratitude

Writing at 'Stupid O'clock': What Author Life Taught Me About Resilience and Priorities

Author life has taught me a lot about fitting my creative dreams around a busy day job and family life

Juggling creative dreams around a job and family life is hard. We all know it. And I often feel like there’s never enough time, to the point I envy Stephenie Meyer's vampires and their lack of need for sleep. But honestly, these years of writing around life’s demands have taught me some invaluable lessons, and I often get asked how I fit everything in.

So here's a quick run down of how I handle writing books around job and baby and exercise and ... [the list of need-to-dos goes on and on ...]

✨ Building resilience – There are days when the words just won’t come, or life gets in the way. But showing up anyway—even for a tiny step forward—has been my mantra. Each morning when my 'stupid o'clock' (according to my dad) alarm goes off, and it's cold and dark and I want to roll over, I tell myself 'this is my origin story' and I get up and run through my morning routine. Even if it's condensed. Even if it's just 10 minutes.

✨ Determination and saying 'no' – Carving out time for your dreams isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. I’ve learned to fight for what lights me up, even when it means saying 'no' to other things. And saying 'no' to other things is hard. It's not expected in this society. So that's a big lesson: think about what you're going to say 'no' to when you have something more important you want to do. Is it no TV? No alcohol? No weekend layins? You've got to be strict with yourself and prioritise.

✨ Matching my life to my values – Writing isn’t just something I do; it’s part of who I am. I feel odd on the days I can't do it. Aligning my daily choices with that has brought so much clarity and peace. It took YEARS to do. YEARS to action. YEARS to allow myself that. So what are your values?

Try this: If you need to google a giant list of values, write all the ones that resonate, and then trim them down to your top 5 values (this is what I did), then I recommend this. It gave a whole new perspective to my lifestyle.

✨ Scheduling personal priorities – I’ve made writing time as non-negotiable as work meetings or daycare pickups. It’s not always perfect, or 'enough' time, but it’s mine. What you put in your calendar is what you prioritise, so get it in there. Even if it's only 10 mins a day. You know what they say: 'Show me your calendar, and I'll show you what's important to you.' So I HAD to get creative work and exercise on my calendar.

✨ Waking up early – Early mornings have become my creative sanctuary. There’s something magical about working while the world sleeps (and, importantly, my son, because I'm sure all parents know no work gets done with a toddler climbing all over you!) and letting the words flow. Now, I know some people are night owls VS morning larks like me. That's okay. It took waking up at 'stupid o'clock' for me, but your creative time might be late. Find your creative time, and use it.

✨ Working little by little – Dreams aren’t built in one day. I’ve learned to celebrate the small wins—500 words here, an edited chapter there—because they all add up. I still have moments when I mourn long, beautiful writing time with lots of words. Still feel like a failure when I can only have ten minutes. But then I check myself, and remind myself that at least I'm still plodding forward. And over a year, that's still a lot of progress.

I'll throw in the old '0.1% progress every day' nudge here.

This life has its challenges, but it’s taught me that progress, not perfection, is the goal. It takes a while to learn. I still catch myself in the perfectionist mindset. But writing isn’t always glamorous—it’s messy and raw and sometimes exhausting—but it’s also deeply fulfilling.

And it'll be the same for whatever creative lifestyle you're seeking.

If you’re chasing your creative dreams, I hope you’ll give yourself grace. Work on them bit by bit, show up even when it’s hard, and keep your why close. It'll help you through the tough times.

So, take a moment today to reflect on your creative dreams. What small step can you take right now to move closer to them? I like to remind myself 'Just one thing a day'. What one thing can you do each day to shuffle towards your goals?

Remember: even the tiniest effort counts.

How about you? How do you balance your creative pursuits with the rest of life?

#AuthorLife #Creativity #DreamsAndGoals #Resilience #Determination

Chasing Serendipity - Creating Your Own Luck

Do you see yourself as someone who’s lucky, or unlucky?

And do you believe you can change your luck?

I first came into contact with the word ‘serendipity’ when I was about ten. My mum wanted to open a business and call it ‘Serendipity’, and explained what it meant to me then.

I thought it was a beautiful word, and it’s hidden in the back of my mind ever since.

Fast forward through the years: she never opened the business, but I’m still in love with the word.

For a while, I’d have considered myself someone with neutral luck, or perhaps someone that good luck didn’t come to. I’d never won a competition, not even a lucky door prize or the like, and have only ever seen people around me get the good fortune.

But recently, I’ve been looking into serendipity and luck a bit more, and analysing what I think of it.

Truly, I have been lucky.

When you sit and really think about it, put life into perspective.

I was born at this time. If I was born even a few years earlier, my opportunities as a woman would be much different, or in health, or in work opportunities and life opportunities to live in a world of technology, where perspectives on creators and those who thrive out of the ‘norm’ have changed so rapidly.

I can read, write, I went to school until I was eighteen and then went to university.

I got to choose where I lived. Have lived in a few different countries and chosen my life path.

Got the work I wanted, and been able to adapt and start my own business.

Met a man of my own choice, and had a child of my own choice.

I get to eat good healthy food, drink clean water, and access information and education from so many sources, many free from places like YouTube and free library books.

Could I have done that if I was born someone else? Somewhere else? Sometime else?

I often joke I could never have lived in the past. And it’s true.

I am an awkward woman. They would have hated me.

This time suits me well.

I have been so lucky.

And if you think about it this way, with all these nudges on how you think about your luck, how about you?

If you have space to do so, before you continue reading, I’d like you to sit and think about your own luck in this way. It might make how you take the rest of this post different to had you not.

Has it changed how you thought about luck?

That your life, a series of serendipitous events, has led to you being here, like this, as you are.

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve had so much bad thrown at me, and I’m sure you have too.

In those moments, it’s easy to think we have bad luck. Easy to get stuck in that zone, that world of grey and darkness.

I saw people close to me succumb to that darkness, to only see the bad, and it scared me. Watching them rot and their worlds crumble around them.

Never. Never would I let my world be like that.

And it’s so hard—to actively choose the opposite. To constantly remind yourself to pick yourself up to avoid that fate you’ve seen others fall into.

When times get bad, especially when really bad things happen to you, it can be so hard to keep stepping towards the future, towards the light.

Choosing light as often as you can.

I call it chasing serendipity.

To look for the good things.

And it started with a choice to actively look for the good. After a dark period, I told myself I would look around me and find what was lovely. And I would tell myself about it.

In my head, of course.

Oh, look at that flower over there. I like the orange.

That cat is so cute.

Looking at the blue sky and embracing the warmth of the sun for a moment.

Choosing to tell someone at a shopping counter that I liked their tattoo if it caught my eye.

Actively choosing the good.

The world got brighter, and I got better at seeing the nice things.

And I think around then good things started to come my way more.

Or, at least, looking back, it’s not that they weren’t there, but that I was starting to notice them. To choose them.

When I was given a choice, I became aware of choosing the good one. The one that sometimes seemed harder at the time but gave a better result over all.

Taking risks.

Risks that paid off.

Like moving overseas to move in with my partner. I had never planned or even thought to live in Australia. But here I am. And it’s going well.

I came across in Daniel Priestley’s Entrepreneur Revolution book that he thought you could choose luck. Make your life luckier.

And it’s just about being open to those choices.

An example of his was: watch Netflix, or read a book?

Likely you’ll get more mileage out of the book.

Go out and meet people, or stay home?

Likely you’ll get more out of going out and meeting people. Having conversations in real life. Laughing together. Maybe you’ll share good memories and in the future they’ll have a good opportunity for you.

And a video I watched a while back (sorry, I can’t remember the name, but I’m sure it was a TED talk on serendipity), discussed a study on people paying attention to things around them. Do you notice the money on the floor, or are you trapped in your own world and don’t notice it?

If you think you’re an unlucky person, or you’re not paying attention, you’ll miss opportunities right in front of you.

But if you were to change your mindset—that luck is something that can be changed, can be chosen—you’ll start to see serendipitous encounters more often.

How lucky that you came to town this day. The protein powder you wanted to buy is half price.

Maybe a friend texted you when you’d been thinking about organising a meet up with them. What good timing.

And something that happened to me yesterday on the way home, in a place I never would have expected I bumped into an author and now-friend I love, who I see rarely. We’ve been for coffee together and laughed together, and she did me the honour of coming to my first book launch. There was no reason we hadn’t kept in touch. Such is life, but I am so grateful I bumped into her, and my late train turned into a wonderful conversation and the organisation of another coffee catch up at her recommended French cafe.

Would I have had that lovely experience had I not looked up. Stared into a face I thought I recognised and talked to her again. I could have been frustrated about the late train and buried my face in my phone.

Looking back, I can see that, since I was a child, I’ve been trying to chase the life I wanted. I saw my mother not rise to meet hers, not make any moves even towards it, though she said often what she wanted to do. It was odd to me that she never seemed to take any steps towards it.

I know now there were mental health things there, and while I fight with my own demons like many of us, many of you reading this too, at least taking some small steps towards the life I want helps to control those demons.

Helps me know, no matter how slow, I’m making progress towards the life I want.

I refuse to let it slip through my fingers like that business that would have been called ‘Serendipity’.

Irony, isn’t it.

So here I am, chasing serendipity as much as I can.

Of course there are still days it’s tough, but that’s the day we call out the big guns—looking for even one tiny thing I can look at and call good or beautiful. Keeping me at least walking in the light.

Because it’s looking for the good, the light, that we see those choices that lead us to changing our luck. Having those serendipitous encounters.

It’s all just a series of small decisions and steps. Not some grand event like we think it is.

And now you’ve realised how lucky you are to be here, now, able to read this, I hope you can keep taking steps towards chasing your own serendipity too.

So for today, take a moment to notice one small, beautiful thing around you—a colour, a sound, or an act of kindness. Let it be your reminder that serendipity is always there, waiting for you to see it. Start with this one step, and keep chasing your own serendipity each day.

It’s a habit—a skill—I know you can grow.

The Immersive World of Fantasy: A Promise to My Readers

It’s been a while since I launched Origin Curse and Dark Tides, and the feedback I’ve been receiving from readers has exceeded my wildest dreams.

People tell me the books are immersive reads, making them feel like they’re part of the Dynasty Codes world—interacting with the characters. Everyone shares their favourite character or one they relate to. As the author, this is exactly what I hoped for.

I discovered my love for reading fantasy as a child. I was quite sick and didn’t have the same social options as others, so I buried myself in fantasy books. When I read, it felt like an experience—immersing myself so fully in the stories that I made it my life goal to offer others that same feeling.

Being an author was always my dream, and since that moment, I’ve wanted to give people the opportunity to go on the same adventures I did through books.

I still remember once, sitting on my lunch break in a small office block, reading Robin Hobb’s Liveship Traders series (she's one of my all-time author icons). As I read, the roaring of the winds and water under the ship blended with the background noise of a bustling café, and I suddenly remembered where I was—not in a book, but in an office with just minutes left to rush back to work. Good timing though.

That feeling—of being transported—is what I want to give my readers. Not just reading on a couch or in a room, but experiencing the forest, a magical battle, or the wind whipping past you in the sky. To forget just for a moment where you are in the real world.

It’s a lifelong vision, and I promise to keep growing as an author. I’ll continue to bring you more immersive worlds and characters you can fall in love with. Stick with me, and let's see together where the journey leads.

Why These Stories? A Fantasy Author’s Obsession with Realistic Women, Representation, and Magical Worlds

I wanted to take a moment to chat about why I write the kind of fantasy stories I do. I’ve always been obsessed with creating women who feel real—complex, flawed, strong in ways that go beyond just swinging a sword or using magic. It drives me crazy when women in fantasy are reduced to stereotypes or get stuck in those “of course” moments—you know the ones:

Of course she’s only there to be rescued.

Of course her motivations revolve around the nearest brooding man.

Of course the only reason she can fight is because she had seven older brothers and no mother, and they taught her to be like them.

Not here.

And on the flip side, male characters deserve just as much attention. Too often, they’re trapped in stereotypes as well. Just like we’re expanding how we write women, men need space to be more than the clichés we’re used to.

Let them be more varied.

More vulnerable.

Have interests, quirks, and personalities beyond being the tall, brooding, dark-haired warrior who sulks in a corner, unalives people, and doesn’t talk.

Honestly, how many guys like that do you actually know? That character would be a meme in real life.

I want my characters—men and women—to feel relatable, raw, and reflective of the quiet, inner strength real people show every day. When I look at the women in my life, they’re nothing like the narrow tropes we see in stories.

Why shouldn’t fantasy worlds reflect that richness?

The Importance of Representation

Fantasy, with its endless possibilities, should be a place where everyone can see themselves. Yet too often, it’s not.

Growing up, I noticed the same thing again and again: all the girls in stories were blonde. Barbies were blonde. Every lead in school plays? Blonde. And... I wasn’t. It felt strange never seeing myself in the characters around me.

And I’m as white as anything—thankfully not translucently so. (I pride myself on managing a slight tan now that I live in Australia.) But still, it made me think about perspectives. After all, if I feel unseen, how does a person of colour feel?

People I know, people who were my friends and I went to school with would never have seen themselves unless a book or movie was trying to meet their quote of ‘that’ sole token character.

At least I only had to worry about hair.

And sickness. I was sick a lot as a kid, and they never showed us in books. And if they did they were weakly and pathetic and annoying characters with personality issues, and I never identified that way. I took great offense that they didn’t think we could have character. A personality beyond our sickness. We’re the fighters and the survivors, after all. Showing sick/disabled/allergy people as a certain way is annoying.

I wanted to scream at them.

It’s why I’m intentional about creating diverse characters in my stories. Because the world around us is colourful and full of variety—why shouldn’t magical worlds reflect that too?

It was game changing the day I heard a young teenager reading a snippet of my book and whispering to herself, ‘She looks like me!’

That’s what we do it for.

Big Questions in Fantasy Worlds

And it’s not just about creating characters. This is the perfect segue into why I love using fantasy as a lens to explore big questions—stuff like the human condition, societal issues, and the way life just is. Because as much as writing is about writing about the humans we see around us, it’s about writing about the situations we see too. And adding a commentary.

There’s something freeing about exploring these topics within a fantasy world, let’s say starvation or slavery or homelessness, because it lets us look at them in new, unexpected ways. Maybe sometimes less confrontational ways that allow you to look at it with a wider heart.

Want to explore power structures, the nature of good vs evil, or why we can stomp our authority over someone else?

Sure, but why not do it with dragons, magical creatures, or ancient, forgotten gods?

Words and situations that spark the imagination and bring out that perfect mix of light and dark. Because, let’s be real, light and dark aren’t just black-and-white. I’m fascinated by the way they intertwine—finding the spark of goodness in the villain or the shadows hiding behind the hero’s smile. (People are never that goody-two-shoes.

Life is messy, varied, multicultural, grey and colourful all at once, and my stories reflect that.

Join the Adventure

At the end of the day, it’s about creating places where we can see ourselves, reflect on life, and maybe—just maybe—believe in a little magic again.

If you love stories filled with messy, real characters, thrilling adventures, and immersive worlds where anything is possible, come along for the journey.

Subscribe now to get a free fantasy story, sneak peeks, exclusive behind-the-scenes content, and early access to new releases—because the best adventures always begin with those in the know.

Let’s have some fun. The magic’s waiting. Will you join me?

When Your Characters Are Smarter Than You

Today, I found myself feeling unsure about my progress on something I’m working on. Out of nowhere, a piece of dialogue from my noblebright WIP popped into my mind, and it hit home.

Isn’t it crazy how our characters can inspire us? 

Sometimes, they say things that resonate so deeply, it feels like they’re personally giving us a pep talk. At times like that I’m amazed at how wise they are.

Then it hits me: I wrote those characters. Those words came from me. It's a strange mix of pride and confusion. If I can create such insightful characters, why do I sometimes struggle to listen to my own advice?

And I know that’s something many authors wonder sometimes. Is it even possible to create characters smarter or wiser than you are? How would you do that and have it look authentic?

If my characters are giving me advice, then maybe I’m safe there!

I guess we all need a reminder from time to time. So next time you doubt yourself, consider turning to your characters. Or a character you love in a book or movie. They might just have the words you need to hear, and I don’t think it’s different to turning to a non fiction book.

As they say, non fiction is learning through facts.

Fiction is learning through stories.

And speaking of wise characters, can we talk about Uncle Iroh? He’s a prime example of the wisdom fiction can offer!

(And today’s wisdom? “It starts with one.” That’s from Prince Valaerian in my WIP Iron Angels. Just had to share it, in case serendipity does its thing and someone else reading this needs to hear it too.)

PS, I'll be looking for beta readers for Iron Angels once the drafting stage is over, so drop me a private message if this is something you might be interested in.

The Price of Dynasty Codes

Recently, I've been made aware of some crazy pricing of the Dynasty Codes books on Amazon and other retailers, though mostly Amazon, which are understandably putting some readers off.

I've heard of pricing at $50 or even $80 (!!?!??!) per book, and just want to let people know where I stand with this.

This is NOT the pricing that I set for the Dynasty Codes books.

I know it's quite common for Indie authors to have to price higher on their books to cover costs of printing and production and then (hopefully) chip away at their editing and design costs. Yes, I hope for this too.

But let me reassure you it is definitely not $50 or anything like that.

The RRP for both Origin Curse and Dark Tides is $34.99 (AUD) each, which was set because it was same as trade industry standard for a book of that size.

If other popular fantasy books are set at that price, then mine will be too.

I set it at the lowest possible price I could for my wonderful readers so you could enjoy the story without being out of pocket, at the same price you're used to paying for books of this size. Any lower, I'd be paying for people to buy the books.

So, honestly, when I see Amazon having it higher than this, even selling at $40 per book, it makes me quite frustrated.

But I can't do anything about it.

I'm going to keep looking into it to see what I can do to make the price as accurate as possible so you all can enjoy the story without breaking the bank, but until then please bear with me while the stores are having their power trips.

It's normal. It happens. They do their own thing and change the prices at their own will.

It's scary for first-time authors to see, and annoying to see when readers turn away because of the price and we have no control over it.

So rest assured that the price of Dynasty Codes is quite normal. If you see it looking crazy, I hope you'll come away for a couple of days and check back later and get to buy at a normal time.

And if it gets crazy, get in touch, and I'll see what I can do for you directly - where I get the power to sell at the real price I set it. Which will always be industry normal :)