I'm so excited to announce that you can now have your first look at Oasis - its exclusive excerpt was revealed this week over at The Nerd Daily. I'm beyond thrilled to see one of my absolute favorite entertainment sites host this reveal for my novel. Here's the snippet of the announcement on Twitter: You can now read this excerpt which I've personally selected for this purpose here: https://www.thenerddaily.com/oasis-katya-de-becerra-excerpt/ Like what you see? Don't forget to add this book on Goodreads . Or why not pre-order now , so you can receive it as soon as it's released AND support its author 😉(After all, pre-orders show to publishers that there's lots of interest in a particular book and that means the author's chances of ever publishing another book grow!)

So many things to tell you about, so many book news to share! I'm back from a very eventful trip and now preparing for yet another trip that also promises to be eventful. Last month, I had a much needed holiday before I headed to the US for a bunch of events, including YALLWEST and my very first ever solo North American book signing event at Barnes & Noble. But before I tell you all about the massive excitement  that was YAllWEST and my solo book signing, I have to share this news about my second book - OASIS . OASIS has a new (US) publication date! Please take note that OASIS is now scheduled to release on January 7, 2020 and you can pre-order your hardback copy now in all good stores and retailers.  My wonderful US publisher, Imprint/Macmillan, has these pre-order/buy links conveniently listed all in one place: get OASIS   And you can also check your local indie bookstore and ask them to buy it for you, add this book on Goodreads , wish f...

That question I used to dread... "So how's your book going?" is the type of question I used to/get a lot these days, but has been struggling to answer for a while. "Which one?", as in "Which one are you referring to" has been my first reaction response ever since my 2018-debut-to-be WHAT THE WOODS KEEP sold to Imprint Macmillan in 2016 (along with my book # 2, OASIS). I've been evasive in my responses, true, but only because it takes energy and time to explain the difference between 'I have a book contract' to 'I am a published author/You can buy/read my book NOW' to my friends, family and an army of acquaintances curious about the status of my writing career but not involved in the publishing in any way themselves. The truth is, it can take years for a book to be published. Factors affecting the book publishing process are many and, guess what, they are rarely in your control. When I first signed with my agent, she ask...

A couple of years ago I was going through Amazon Kindle's latest offerings for new reads. I came across  Into the Deep by Lauryn April  and something about the cover appealed to me. When I read the book's synopsis I was hooked and by the time I finished with the first few chapters, I couldn't stop reading.  It's years later and I've read all of Lauryn's books and I can proudly say I'm a fan. With her fourth book Unearthed After Sunset on the way and signalling the beginning of the Cereus Vampire Chronicles , I'm happy to present to you an interview with Lauryn, where she talks about her writing inspirations, creative process and her new book. About Lauryn April Lauryn has always been fascinated by the paranormal, picking up a healthy Stephen King habit by the age of thirteen. Her favorite TV show growing up was "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", and she's always preferred bands like The Rolling Stones, and The Doors ov...

Swinburne Writers Festival opened yesterday with a symposium on Teaching Writing and Editing in collaboration between Swinburne University of Technology and The Wheeler Centre.  One of the Festival’s largest panels – What Makes a Good Story – brought together Dr Carolyn Beasley , Dr Jacqueline Ross and Larry Schwartz , and was moderated by Nicholas  Brasch . The panel also featured a ‘mystery guest’ volunteer from the audience (this was a nice touch). The panel was gender and genre balanced.  Nicholas led the discussion before inviting further questions from the audience.  Here are some insights I took away from the panel – arranged by the questions the panellists were asked.     What film/book would you take with you to an uninhabited island? Both Carolyn and Larry would take either a ‘How To Build A Boat’ or ‘How To Survive on a Deserted Island’ volume with them, because they do not wish to stay on this island forever. Se...

Rainswept town stood still. My phone buzzed pulling me out of mid arvo trance - J. telling me there was a book sitting on a street corner about a hundred metres from our place. I asked what was the book's title (who was I kidding - it didn't matter, really. I would do it for any book. Well, maybe not for the Fifty Shades of Grey...). J. told me it was Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’ . I thought I'd let it be, but then slowly drove myself mad with torment of guilt over the next thirty minutes. I imagined the book getting soaked wet and damaged ( The Unthinkable! ), dying and haunting me later. I thought of it as if it had feelings, was a friend of mine or maybe a homeless puppy. Finally, I decided tobrave the elements and save the book. Fortunately, nobody I know saw me skipping across the road and back in my Alice Cooper T-shirt, tights and UGGs - an image to behold. There it was… Sitting on the corner, just like J. described - moist wind leafing through its y...