Read my thoughts on writing ‘Book 2’ in my final outing as guest blogger on Nicole Alexander’s website. Thanks for having me, Nicole!
http://nicolealexander.com.au/2010/09/sara-foster-on-the-difficult-2nd-novel/col-md-2
Posts
An older version of this blog also appeared on the Random House ‘Random Blogs’ website on 8th April 2010
For me, for a long time my writing was my hobby, and as such I would get through everything else first, promising myself writing time later, as some kind of reward. However, it’s far too easy for that time to never arrive. It was only when I dedicated myself to finishing Come Back to Me at the end of 2007 that I really made the strides forward that I needed to then pursue publication. Now I do try to schedule time to write, but it’s not always easy. I have an active one-year-old little girl, all the general aspects of life to keep going, and my husband would quite like some attention sometimes too, I think. I have just finished my second book, and managed it by making the most of the time my little girl was asleep or my husband was here to care for her, as well as having the help of a wonderful childminder for a few hours a week. (Also invaluable was a well-timed visit by my mother!) Although I used to write at all hours of the day, for now I have to make the most of this dedicated, limited time. I usually have lots of scribbled notes to work through by the time each session comes around, as when I’m busy on other things I still make sure to make notes on ideas so that I can refer back to them later.
As with many other writers, it may well be necessary for me to continue my day job of editing to make a living. Then I will not only have to remind myself to make time for my writing, but to work hard to make sure that time actually happens. When the task at hand seems enormous, I also remind myself to just make a start, and that if I keep doing that every day, one day I’ll reach the finish line! And, if I don’t find the time I need, I may have to look hard at the things I am making time for. I once heard a popular fiction writer in England talking about how if you just turned off EastEnders, a prime-time soap opera that runs for half an hour four nights a week, and used the time to write, in six months you would have a book. It’s worth thinking about.col-md-2
Pages
Shallow Breath
How far would you go to save someone you love?
Two years ago, Desi Priest made a horrific mistake and destroyed her family.
Now, she is coming home to make amends: to her daughter Maya, who’s nurturing her own dangerous plan; to her brother Jackson, who blames himself; and to her close friend Pete, who has spent years shielding her from a devastating truth.
But as Desi returns to her beloved house by the ocean, there is a stranger waiting for her. Someone who needs her help. Someone whose arrival will reveal a chain of secrets hidden for over twenty years.
And one by one the family will be forced to confront the possibility that they have somehow got things terribly, tragically wrong …
Set across five continents, Shallow Breath is a compelling novel of dashed dreams and second chances. But most of all it is a story about love, and what it really means to be free.
‘The narrative burden shifts between characters, all of whom have winning strengths and credible frailties, and the action emanates from these qualities with effortless suspense and dramatic power…’
Sydney Morning Herald PICK OF THE WEEK
‘well-crafted psychological suspense’
Saturday Age PICK OF THE WEEK
‘set quite uniquely against a fascinating and intelligent backdrop of Australian wildlife and it’s struggle for survival in the modern world’
Australian Women’s Weekly
‘a love letter to the ocean’
Bookseller and Publisher
Praise for Shallow Breath
‘Gripping, touching, and close to my heart. I was hooked from start to finish.’
FAVEL PARRETT, author of Past the Shallows
‘Shallow Breath invites breathless anticipation, building towards a shocking climax. It is a really satisfying read.’
‘…the steady unveiling of all that lies below the surface is suspenseful, complicated and deeply mired in oceanic metaphors … Foster is a gifted writer who has much to teach us in amongst this intriguing family saga.
‘a thrilling novel about love and freedom’
Green Lifestyle magazine
‘compelling, emotional and graphic’ 5/5 stars
‘Shallow Breath is a beautifully written novel that quite easily draws you in to this somewhat broken family and the fragile relationships that are struggling to knit themselves back together … It further cements Sara Foster as a writer with a real talent for suspense and pacing and the ability to flesh out her novels with characters that are so real you can imagine yourself living next door to them.’
‘… with Western Australian author Sara Foster’s skilled pen, there is a vitality and urgency to the pace of Shallow Breath than catapults the reader right into the heart of the action.’
Australian Women’s Weekly
‘…beautifully researched and written with enormous passion … the perfect holiday companion for those wanting to lose themselves in a good story.’
Writing WA review in the West Australian
‘Shallow Breath is a fast-paced read which interweaves drama, intrigue, loss and the fate animals can face at the hands of humans. The author’s clever use of psychological suspense played out in this book reeled me in and delivered the animal conservation message with a powerful punch.’
Port Macquarie News
‘Shallow Breath is a modern Australian saga, written by an author who knows how to breathe life into characters. The story reaches through the pages pulling you into its watery depths and when it is over the characters will stay with you as if you’ve connected deeply with new friends.’
‘An engaging novel that is sure to haunt you, this is an absorbing read. Dive into Shallow Breath – you won’t regret it.‘
‘…an absorbing novel about the loneliness of secrets and how love yearns to be free of them.’
Canberra Times
‘a double whammy of suspense coupled with some nicely nuanced characters…‘
Geelong Advertiser
‘Foster has such a knack for intrigue and is so engaging with her storytelling…,and this, her third novel – set in her adopted WA – is sharper and more mysterious than ever.’
The West Australian
‘another taut, suspenseful read bursting with family secrets and hope… Shallow Breath is one of those books you want to dive into and not come back out of until it’s finished.’
MONIQUE MULLIGAN, Write Note Reviews
For Bookclubs
Book Club Questions (downloadable PDF)
If you’d like to read Shallow Breath for your book club, this downloadable PDF reading guide includes discussion questions for your group. Do you have a burning question that you want to ask Sara about the book, or would you like a personalised video for your book club? Use the contact form to get in touch. You can find downloadable PDFs for all Sara’s books on the Book Club page. Add this book to your GoodReads library:
CONTACT
Before completing the contact form, please check out all the information on this page.
Events in 2025
I am currently only accepting requests for in-person events (with the exception of literary festivals) for April, May and June 2025.
Please be aware that, aside from bookshop events, I charge a speaker’s fee and travel fee for all in-person events. When enquiring about the event, please let us know the following: what kind of event you are looking for (speaking engagement, panel discussion, workshop, etc.), where it will be, proposed dates, estimated number of attendees, and any other relevant information.
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Kimberley.Allsopp@harpercollins.com.au
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Contact Form
You can also write to me through the website.
Book Clubs
I am unable to attend book clubs in person. However, I will happily send short video messages for your book club or answer questions via video. Please message me your request via the contact form.
Representation
For other writing enquiries, please contact Tara Wynne at Curtis Brown Australia on 02 9361 6161, or email tara@curtisbrown.com.au
Writing to Sara
You can contact me at the following address, or by using the online form:
Sara Foster
c/o Curtis Brown Australia
PO Box 19,
PADDINGTON NSW 2121
Writing Queries
I am unable to respond to general writing queries. Please sign up to my weekly Substack posts at The Resilient Author for lots more of my insights into writing, publishing and creativity.
Endorsement Policy
I have limited opportunities to read and endorse books, and I will usually only endorse books in my specialist subject/genre areas: psychological suspense fiction, dystopian fiction or female-led fiction. You are very welcome to contact me about endorsements, but please note I will only reply if I’m able to read the book (otherwise these emails get very time-consuming). I usually reply promptly, so if you don’t hear anything from me within a week it’s because I have my head down writing and can’t help at this time.
