The Author From Down Under

With a name like Ellen Read, you would say this author from Townsville, Queensland, Australia was destined to be a writer...either that or a bookworm. In either case, none of that would indicate that she would have a love for photography; let alone be AMAZING at it! 

AURi noticed her by chance as part of a tight-knit community on Instagram that she calls her "Insta-family". She features fellow writers in her "Insta-family" on her blog because, "with nearly every one of them, I have been a guest on their blog. It’s a case of authors supporting authors...We’ve become friends. We chat every day. We share interests other than writing. So I know them very well."

Ellen Read fits the AURi brand because we also strive to discover, read, support, connect, and promote fellow artists. Enough about us, here's more Ellen.
  
AR: Explain to us what "Author Hop" is and how it came about.

ER: Anna B Madrise, one of my Insta-family, conceived ‘Author Hop’. The inaugural three-day event was held in early Spring/Autumn. Eighteen Instagram authors from all over the globe had Giveaways listed on their page, a copy of their book, for instance. The Hop was timed to simultaneously go live. Readers could then ‘hop’ between authors and follow the simple instructions, such as ‘liking’ the author’s page and leaving a comment, for a chance to win. The Hop gave readers exposure to the author’s books through the power of a group event.

AR: That sounds uniquely awesome! Are there any "Author Hop" events planned for the future?

ER: Future Hops are planned for each Season. The next is in June for Summer/Winter.
  
AR: We'll look forward to that. Your photography is amazing! The flora collection seems to just pop out at you. What is your favorite thing to shoot?

ER: Thank you so much. Flowers and architecture are my favourite subjects. Both are complex in their structure. When you really look at flowers, every petal is individual, forming it’s own unique shape. I love the colours. Architecture is the same. A building is made of many parts and each cornice and each arch is different.
  
AR: Photography is all about the intricate details. Does your love for photography influence your writing style? 

ER: I agree. Photography is about intricate detail. It’s all about observation. In turn, observation is a prerequisite for a writer. My photography adds another dimension to my writing. I’m writing historical fiction. While I’m researching, I like to go to the location I’ve chosen for my story and take photos. I mean, hundreds of photos. A mansion in Victoria, Australia, was my inspiration for the family home in my book The Dragon Sleeps. I took photos of the house, the grounds, gardens, and the district. While I’m writing, these photos are my reference and help me to easily slip into the story.

AR: Such a practical tactic. You mentioned that you have manuscripts that will never see the light of day. How many do you think you have?

ER: I have ten novels in ‘the bottom drawer’, so to speak. A couple of them are Young Adult Fantasy, most are Adult and are historically set. In a way, they show my writing’s journey. The first one, for instance, needs a lot of work. The last manuscript will see the light of day. In fact, I am editing it. It’s a big story, a lot of words, but I’ll get there. I have two more murder mysteries to follow on from The Dragon Sleeps. They’ll each have a separate mystery but will follow the lives of the main characters.

AR: How far do you wish to take your writing career?

ER: I’d like to take my writing career as far as I can. If an opportunity arises, I’ll certainly take it. Besides the murder mysteries and the ‘bottom drawer’ manuscript, I have two more almost ready to start, once I’ve finished the others. I have no shortage of ideas. Besides writing, I work hard at building an online presence, which helps with marketing.

AR: What changes would you like to see in the writing field? 

ER: As an Indie author, I’ve already seen changes. Ten years ago, Indie authors weren’t recognised and accepted as legitimate authors by traditionally published authors and the publishing world in general. This has changed. Indie authors have arrived. I’d like to see more shops stock books by Indie authors. Some bookstores will take books by local authors and this is fabulous. Every author appreciates it. I’d like to see this happening more often.

Here at AURi, we believe that the writing industry will only go as far as we push it. If you share Ellen Read's dream please click on the links below: 



AURi...where u and i come together.

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