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There are many triggers for story ideas, but real life is a popular one

9/19/2014

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On the second anniversary of the publishing of Destiny Road, Melissa Wray was asked this question by Uncommon YA.

What sparked the idea to write Destiny Road?

Here is her very personal response.

 We moved to North Queensland when I was 14. After a year or so Mum could see that something about Townsville and I did not mix. Strangely enough it was her suggestion to ring my dad and ask if I could move back south.

 So I did. Then I packed my bags and moved 3,000km away to live with him. This decision is what sparked the idea for Destiny Road.

Now I never set out to write this story, let alone have it published. It just kind of happened. It came about because one night I was lying in bed and couldn’t sleep. There was an unspoken conversation going on in my mind. It was a conversation that I regret not having and has played on my mind over the years. This particular night it got the better of me so I got up and began to write. It wasn’t until after I read through those mad ramblings a couple of weeks later that I thought hmmm … I could create a story from this. So I began writing. I passed my 10,000 word milestone. Then 20 then 30 then before I knew it 50,000 words had been typed.

You see I think about that one phone call I made all those years ago sometimes. I have often thought about how that decision, that one pivotal moment that is talked about in Destiny Road, really did change the course of my life. I’m sure as you're reading this you can look back over your life, and pinpoint one moment that has shaped it in a big way. I truly believe that Dad saying yes when I asked was a determining factor in how things have turned out for me.

 One afternoon I was sitting with him. He got to talking about his philosophy on life and death. Dad had been fighting a battle against cancer for a while at this point and I was kneeling next to him as he sat on his reclining chair. He was holding my hand as he shared these ideas on life and death. He said to me "It’s cool. Whatever happens, it’s cool." My dad used cool a lot when he spoke. He was pretty cool. He was also a big believer in God. So that afternoon he said "It’s cool if I die because I get to meet my maker." ‘Then he said "But it’s cool if I live because I get to be with the ones I love." This was his philosophy. Either way was cool with him.

I remember kneeling there, holding his hand and wishing I could say thankyou to him. Thanks for saying yes all those years ago. Thanks for that pivotal moment in my life. I wanted him to know how much that meant. But I couldn’t. I just couldn’t get those words out.

That night he passed away.

 I never did get to tell him and have regretted that for the past 10 years. So you see once the spark to write Destiny Road was lit, it had to finished. It was my tribute, my thankyou and I am beyond thrilled it was published.

Now I’m not going to bore you with my views on life and death but I can’t help but wonder something, because anyone who knew my dad, Rod Morris, and anyone who knew his sense of humour ... well I can’t help but wonder if there wasn’t a helping hand when Morris Publishing (no relation) chose to publish Destiny Road. I like to think so.

 



 

It's hard to believe two years has passed since the launch of Destiny Road. To celebrate there is a chance to win 2 x $20 Gift Cards, ENTER NOW!

a Rafflecopter giveaway



 

 

To connect with Melissa;

 

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Read the 1st chapter of Destiny Road FREE.





 


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This author brings the world of his novels into his 'real' world

9/17/2014

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I think every writer is pictured as, and feels a little 'different'. After all, we live in two worlds (at least), (the real world and the world in our novels) at the same time when we are writing our stories, but most of us don't bring the world of our novels into our real world. Not so this quirky author, Royce Bond. I asked him to give us a brief glimpse into his life story. The fascinating result is below:

'I  was born in Rockhampton, but I have spent a lot of time in the bush. I come from a farm labouring background. I began working on market gardens as a hand-picker at aged 7. I spent many years on farms and doing other labouring jobs.

I eventually became a teacher and spent many happy years doing that. A few years ago, I retired. I am currently a househusband. I look after the home while my wife works.

I started my journey as a writer in the car park of the Baptist Theologiccal College of Queensland. It was a very cold night. I had just watched an episode of The A Team and was putting the rubbish out before I went to bed. I stood outside and looked up at the stars. Inspired by the program I had just watched, I dreamed of writing a wacky story about some bumbling space pirates. Many decades later that became my first published YA fantasy novel, The Princess and The Pirate.

The desire to write became so strong that I couldn’t resist. Many stories were written, and tucked away, or used to entertain my students. That desire to write has never left me. It is still with me every day.

During my teaching career, I realised that there was a need for chapter books that explained science to students in a fun way. After I won the National B.H.P. /C.S.I.R.O. Science Teacher's Award, my first book in the science field, Kitchen Science, followed and was published by Ashton Scholastic. This book was used in schools throughout Australia, New Zealand, South East Asia, and in some schools in South America. Twelve books in the science field followed.

I took a break for some time, and when I returned to writing I went back to my original ideas, and young adult fantasy novels were the result. Morris Publishing Australia published The Princess and The Pirate, the first in the series The Knights of Katesch, in 2013. The Summoning of The One is the second in the series and there are many more to follow.

My books reflect my interest in the medieval. I am a medieval re-enactor and love fighting with metal swords as well as shooting arrows at armoured knights as they rush towards me. It wasn’t hard to move from this make-believe activity to writing about medieval style fantasy. As a child, I used to love make believing that I had some sort of super powers, so it wasn’t hard to include this in my writing as well.

Down stairs, I have created a medieval room, a space that looks like it comes from the 13th Century, as my writing room. When I have a lamp over my desk and some music on, I’m not in 2014 anymore; I’m in my fantasy world.

Many of the weapons I need, for medieval re-enacting, I make. I recently made a 50 kilogram draw-weight bow from a single piece of timber. I can only fire it once and then my shoulder gives out.

I have made and used trebuchets (a type of catapult) in duels with my son. We fired water balloons at one another.

I have always been an inventor and made my 8 inch reflector telescope when I was 18 years old. I ground the mirror by hand and it still works today almost 40 years later. Whatever I needed I had a go at making. For instance, I wanted to do some fishing from a boat, so I made two corrugated iron canoes, lashed them together, and put a tarp up as a sail. I then sailed out onto lagoons to do my fishing.

I love doing wacky science experiments at home, sometimes turning my kitchen into a science lab.

My current project is to make and learn to play my own bamboo flutes.'

 Sometimes this passion for making new things interferes with my writing, but most of the time it enhances it.


Visit the sites below to find out more about this exciting book and its unique author.

Sept. 14th http://helenrosswrites.com

Sept. 15th http://clancytucker.blogspot.com.au

Sept. 16th http://writingclassesforkids.com

Sept. 17th http://authorjillsmith.wordpress.com

Sept. 18th http://morrispublishingaustralia.com

Sept. 19th http://www.robynopie.com

Sept. 20th http://diannedibates.blogspot.com.au

Sept. 21st http://www.kids-bookreview.com

Sept. 22nd http://jackiehoskingpio.wordpress.com/school-magazine

Sept. 23rd http://www.alisonreynolds.com.au

Sept. 24th http://elaineoustonauthor.com

Sept. 25th http://roycebondauthor.com 

Sept. 26th http://www.buzzwordsmagazine.com 


 










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