Sara Foster

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About

jameswilliams90 — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:50:00 +0000

I moved to Perth, WA, from the UK in my late twenties, and I’m proud to belong to both places. I remember sitting in the back of a car travelling through Melbourne when I was seven years old, peering out at gum trees and somehow knowing this country was home too. Britain has better pubs, greener grass and tastier chocolate, but Australia has sunnier beaches, bigger portions of cake and a brilliant assortment of weird animals waiting for me to photograph them, so here I am. My extended family is scattered worldwide, and I’m resigned to always missing someone. However, I’m soppily grateful that I get to see my husband and daughter every day. I was at my wisest when I was about five years old – back then I’m sure I knew exactly what life was about, and could have told you I wanted to write for a living. However, by the time I left university I was overwhelmed by possibilities. Life had to keep intervening and pointing the way for me, until finally I began to get it. I then pursued my writing very quietly for a number of years, while moonlighting as an editor helping other people with similar dreams. Eventually, I took the plunge and waved my book off into the big wide world, where it was fortunate enough to meet some brilliant people who have helped it climb onto shelves around the country. I hope it is the first of many. I have volunteered for various charities throughout my life, including Save the Children, War Child and more recently Sea Shepherd. I'm a strong believer in the tremendous difference they all make to the world, and would always like to do more. Back in 2002, I went for drinks with Jessica Adams and Helen Basini, and our enthusiastic conversation about books for charity laid the foundation for the international bestselling Kids’ Night In series, raising money for War Child. I continue to work with Jessica on the fantastic female-friendly travel website www.holidaygoddess.com, as one of their contributors. I enjoy living in my imagination, but occasionally I also like to get out into the real world, where in the past I have strapped myself onto rucksacks, photography gear, scuba diving tanks, and on two occasions a burly parachutist. At present I am usually found clinging on to a small toddler’s hand, while said toddler tries to shake me off and lose me. If she gets too good at this, she may find herself strapped to me as well.

Come Back to Me

jameswilliams90 — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 03:23:06 +0000

Do you have to honour a promise you made in the past if it means losing all that you have now? When Mark introduces his date, Julia, to Chloe and her husband at a London restaurant, it’s obvious something is very, very wrong. Alex and Julia pretend not to know each other, but the shocked expressions on their faces tell another story. As the mystery of Julia’s identity unravels, a terrible tragedy from ten years ago gradually comes to light. While Chloe struggles with a secret of her own, Alex has to decide whether he should take Julia back to Australia to try to lay the past to rest, when doing so will risk all he has with the wife he loves. And Julia must decide whether to finally confront Alex with the whole truth about what happened back then. Set in London and Perth, Come Back to Me is a taut psychological drama that will keep you enthralled until the very last page. ISBN: 9781741668698 Suspenseful, heartrending and transcontinental... Australian Book Review ...a book to read in one sitting... Woman's Day Come Back to Me is a wonderful debut novel. Aussiereviews.com …a dark psychological guessing game... NW

Brilliant. The Reading Stack

...a very promising debut... Chicklitclub.com

This taut psychological drama will keep you enthralled... Northern Daily Leader

To see a full list of reviews for Come Back to Me, click here.

Come Back to Me - Sara Foster

jameswilliams90 — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 03:25:28 +0000

Kids Night In 3

jameswilliams90 — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:15:23 +0000

A Sea of Stories and Oceans of Other Stuff… From the bottom of the sea to the highest mountain, there’s a story here for everyone … Kids’ Night In 3 might just be the most amazing collection of stories ever. And every copy you buy helps to raise money for War Child, the aid organisation that helps children all over the world, affected by war. It’s an ocean of bedtime stories, poetry, recipes, hilarious cartoons and cool art to explore! Publication date: 28 September 2009

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jameswilliams90 — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:19:03 +0000

Book Clubs

jameswilliams90 — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:23:52 +0000

If you belong to a book club or reading group, the following questions should help generate discussion about Come Back to Me. Please feel free to get in touch, as I am happy to receive comments and questions directly. I will do my best to reply to each group personally. Click on the 'Contact' page to find out how you can write to me or email me.

1. Explore the different ways that the title theme of ‘Come Back to Me’ resonates throughout the book. 2. What do you think of Alex’s dilemma and choices? Can a person be truly in love with two people at the same time? 3. The changing nature of relationships between parents and children features prominently in the book. Discuss the nature and complexities of adult children’s relationships with their parents. 4. Each character goes on some kind of figurative journey within the novel. By the end, what do you think they each have learned, and how might it change them? 5. Different types of loss feature heavily in the novel. Which types of loss stand out most for you? How have these losses shaped the characters’ lives? 6. Each character in the book has personality traits that appear to be holding them back in life. Can you identify them? Do they change during the course of the story? If so, how? 7. Explore Alex’s motivations and experiences in the story. How much is he a victim of circumstance, and how much does he bring on himself through his decisions? 8. Where did your sympathies lie during the course of the novel, and why?

Come Back to Me

jameswilliams90 — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:26:15 +0000

Suspenseful, heartrending and transcontinental, Come Back to Me's dynamic scenes extend from debauchery at an office party to a shocking outback crime. A complex psychological tale, Sara Foster's debut novel...throws us headfirst into marital distress. Set in a middle-class world of city lawyers and designers, Come Back to Me is essentially a story of consequences...With its easy prose and short chapters, this is a novel suited to air travel. Yet it is sophisticated in two ways: it carefully considers the ramifications of split-second decisions on human relationships, and it highlights the importance of a strong question to a narrative...Each character, trapped in this undercurrent of longing, makes the story somewhat earnest. But there is a balance in carefully placed moments of the everyday, like those in the relationship between Chloe and her wayward cousin. As a result, we, the avid readers, are continually reminded of the particular strength of the characters. It is a gentle strength, but a relatable one: the strength that comes from the simple, gallant act of moving forward. Kirsten Law, Australian Book Review, March 2010 This taut psychological drama will keep you enthralled as the mystery and tragedy of ten years ago gradually unravels. Northern Daily Leader, 20 February 2010 Come Back to Me is a wonderful debut novel. The stories of the four main characters are interwoven, with the reader taken on a journey through their past lives and the present, with revelations continuing right till the end... There is nothing not to like about this story - intriguing characters, plot twists, action and beautiful writing combine to produce a satisfying package. Sally Murphy, www.aussiereviews.com The novel is both a stunning thriller and complex love story. It is an entertaining read. Border Mail, 27 February 2010 A new voice on the Australian fiction scene, Foster has taken an incident that she read about years ago when travelling and uses it to tell a haunting tale about relationships and the history that binds them. The Examiner [Launceston], 20 February 2010 ...a dark psychological guessing game that will surprise you all the way till the end. 'Read of the Week', NW, 22 February 2010 Alex is happily married when he unexpectedly comes face to face with the girl he once loved. He has to decide if he should revisit the past, and risk everything with the wife he adores. This clever novel is deftly pulled together with secrets revealed right through to the last page. New Idea, 13 February 2010 Come Back to Me is a book for anyone who likes to be surprised by multiple twists and turns. Brilliant http://www.thereadingstack.blogspot.com/ This is a very promising debut, with a storyline teeming with slowly revealed secrets and unexpected turns. http://www.chicklitclub.com There's no leisurely introduction to this story. Chloe and her husband Alex go to dine with her colleague Mark and his new date, Julia. But when Alex is introduced to Julia, it is soon apparent that something is very wrong. Julia vanishes, Alex is silent, Mark is furious, and Chloe struggles with her own secret as well as wondering about Alex's past. Alex decides the only way for closure is to take Julia back to Perth where something dreadful happened. But in doing so, will he lose all he has? Can Julia face the past - and finally tell the truth? It's a book to read in one sitting - you'll be enthralled by the disquieting possibilities. Woman's Day, 1 February 2010 What-ifs are the heart and soul of any good relationship story: what if we had stayed together, what if I had married someone different, what if I wasn't having a baby? Here, Foster ties together all those life-crisis questions with the mysterious arrival of a missing ex-girlfriend. Although this will almost exclusively appeal to women, it is far from light and fluffy... [Rated 4/5 stars] The West Australian, Tuesday, 26 January 2010 A gripping read. Rewarding to the very end. Nicole Alexander, author of The Bark Cutters

For author interviews and general media, click here

Gallery

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Contact

jameswilliams90 — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:27:46 +0000

Writing to Sara

You can contact Sara at the following address: Sara Foster c/o Curtis Brown Australia PO Box 19, PADDINGTON NSW 2121

Representation

For writing enquiries, please contact Tara Wynne at Curtis Brown Australia on 02 9361 6161

Contact Form

You can also write to Sara through the website. [contact-form 1 "Contact form 1"]

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Sara will be at the Perth Writers Festival, February 2010

Sara — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 00:33:27 +0000

Sara will be at the Perth Writers Festival at the end of February 2010. Her participation includes: 'Genre is not a Dirty Word', with Michael Koryta and Marianne Delacourt. Saturday, 27 February, 11am-12pm, Dolphin Theatre, UWA. Free event, no bookings needed. Editing workshop: Saturday, 27 February, 2-5 pm. For more information, and to book a place, click here. 'Escaping the Pigeonhole', with Liz Byrski and Anita Heiss. Sunday, 28 February, 3-4pm, Dolphin Theatre, UWA. Free event, no bookings needed. Launch of Come Back to Me: Sunday, 28 February, 5.15-6.15pm, Sunken Garden amphitheatre, UWA. All welcome.

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News

jameswilliams90 — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 02:52:39 +0000

Perth Writers Festival 2010

jameswilliams90 — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 03:00:45 +0000

Cover of Come Back to Me by Sara Foster

jameswilliams90 — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 03:18:29 +0000

Come Back To Me

jameswilliams90 — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 03:19:17 +0000

Do you have to honour a promise you made in the past if it means losing all that you have now? When Mark introduces his date, Julia, to Chloe and her husband at a London restaurant, it’s obvious something is very, very wrong. Alex and Julia pretend not to know each other, but the shocked expressions on their faces tell another story. As the mystery of Julia’s identity unravels, a terrible tragedy from ten years ago gradually comes to light. While Chloe struggles with a secret of her own, Alex has to decide whether he should take Julia back to Australia to try to lay the past to rest, when doing so will risk all he has with the wife he loves. And Julia must decide whether to finally confront Alex with the whole truth about what happened back then. Set in London and Perth, Come Back to Me is a taut psychological drama that will keep you enthralled until the very last page.

Sara’s first novel, Come Back to Me, will be out in Australia on 1st February 2010.

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jameswilliams90 — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 08:24:46 +0000

Sara Foster

jameswilliams90 — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 04:09:00 +0000

picture of author Sara Foster

Media

Sara — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 02:36:21 +0000

Links to author interviews and general articles:

Random House Blogs, 5-9 April 2010 Sydney Writers' Centre podcast, March 2010 Interview with www.chicklitclub.com, February 2010 'Sara turns over a new page in Perth', North Coast Times, 2 February 2010 (www.inmycommunity.com.au) 'Perth helps to bring out the creativity in author', West Australian, 2 February 2010

To see reviews of Come Back to Me, click here.

Come Back to Me - in stores now

Sara — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 02:56:39 +0000

Come Back to Me is now available from all good bookstores. I really hope you enjoy it. Please recommend it to your friends too by entering Random House's competition at www.randomhouse.com.au/comebacktome - and you could get yourself a free book!

The Shifting Fog

Sara — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 03:02:57 +0000

My favourite book of 2009. I couldn't put it down - Kate Morton is a superb storyteller.

The West Australian, 2 Feb 2010

Sara — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 08:46:46 +0000

Perth Writers Festival 2010

Sara — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:04:09 +0000

I had a fantastic time at the Perth Writers Festival. It was a new experience for me to be on panel discussions, and I am very grateful to Grant Stone, Michael Koryta, Helen Merrick, Liz Byrski and Anita Heiss for making it such a thoroughly enjoyable debut. I very much enjoyed talking about book editing too: first of all in a Publishing Seminar on the Friday before the main festival, with Georgia Richter, Jon Doust and Donna Ward, and then with 25 brave participants at my workshop on Saturday afternoon - where we spent 3 hours in a room without air conditioning on a 40 degree day! It was lovely to meet so many fellow booklovers over the course of the weekend, and to cap it all off, Come Back to Me was launched on a balmy Sunday evening in the beautiful Sunken Amphitheatre at UWA, by Amanda Curtin, author of the wonderful WA-based book The Sinkings. Thank you to the organisers and volunteers at the festival for making everything run so smoothly - I'm in awe of the organisational skill that must go into such an event. I'm looking forward to doing more events in future - but first I have the small matter of a book to finish!

Sara Foster

Sara — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 01:46:56 +0000

picture of Sara Foster

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jameswilliams90 — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 02:21:59 +0000

Advert for The Sinkings

Sara — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 02:22:28 +0000

Amanda Curtin's book The Sinkings is now advertised on YouTube [youtube]DE8tHdt9b0g[/youtube]

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Sara — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 02:36:39 +0000

Sticker

Sara — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 02:39:14 +0000

To view Come Back to me sticker, click here.

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Podcast with the Sydney Writers' Centre

Sara — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 12:34:26 +0000

Click here to listen to me talk about Come Back to Me, writing and editing with Valerie Khoo at the Sydney Writers' Centre.

Random Blogs header

Sara — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 12:40:18 +0000

Read Random Blogs with Sara Foster

Sara — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 12:43:58 +0000

You can read my blogs on writing and editing every day this week on the Random House website.

The Bark Cutters by Nicole Alexander

Sara — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 05:59:31 +0000

Past and present interweave in a story that traces the Gordon family from the arrival of Scottish immigrant Hamish Gordon in the 1850s to the life of his great-granddaughter Sarah, on their family property, Wangallon, in the Australian bush. I was lucky enough to see this debut fiction novel before it was published. An engrossing multi-generational saga set around Wangallon, the Gordon family homestead, this multi-layered story of romance, risk and family secrets by Nicole Alexander, 'Australia's Newest Bush Storyteller', is highly recommended.

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

Sara — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 05:46:55 +0000

I'm racing through this book at the moment, and really enjoying it. Kate Morton peppers her narrative with stunning turns of phrase and I'm in awe of her ability to keep the multigenerational story flowing, as the plot is pretty complex. My favourite description so far begins 'He was a scribble of a man...' at the start of chapter 13. I'm not sure yet whether, for me, it will match The Shifting Fog, which was my favourite read of 2009, but I'll let you know...!

Peruvian flowers

Sara — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 06:45:46 +0000

Cultivating new stories

Sara — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 07:36:26 +0000

I've reached a very exciting point in my fledgling writing career. With the two novels that have dominated my mind for the last six or seven years now completed, I finally get to let loose all those other little seedlings of ideas for what might make a great story. I've already whittled them down to a chosen few that I'm germinating both in my mind and on paper. I'm playing around a lot with different concepts and seeing what begins to bed down and grow. I have notebooks full of ideas and short pieces of writing, so I don't feel stuck. The challenge is to come up with a clear and compelling plan that I can begin to work on in earnest. I had this crazy notion that I might take a short hiatus in between writing, but it seems that a writer without a story is like a sad little droopy plant starved of nourishment. Oh well, nothing for it but to keep scribbling and see what happens!

Come Back to Me cover

Sara — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 10:50:54 +0000

Books

Sara — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 10:53:18 +0000

Come Back to Me

Do you have to honour a promise you made in the past if it means losing all that you have now?

Come Back to Me was published by Random House Australia in 2010.

Click here to read more.

Beneath the Shadows

How do you begin to move on, if the past won’t let you go?

Beneath the Shadows will be published by Random House Australia in early 2011.

Click here to read more.

Beneath the Shadows

Sara — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:00:10 +0000

How do you begin to move on, if the past won’t let you go?

When Grace’s husband, Adam, inherits a property on the isolated yet beautiful North Yorkshire moors, Grace leaves familiar London behind to try a new life. But just a week later, Adam disappears. One year on, Grace returns to the cottage with her young daughter, intent on tying up all loose ends so she can move on. Yet she finds herself capitvated by the beautiful yet bleak moorside, ravaged by nature in the harsher months of the year; and populated more by ghosts than by mortals if the local tales are to be believed. Despite her neighbours’ attempts at welcome, and the offer of practical help from the aloof and taciturn Ben, the village atmosphere is dense with secrets, and before long Grace realises there may be more to Adam’s disappearance than she first feared. As she hunts for answers, winter closes in and large snowfalls begins to cut the village off. Grace suspects that someone close to her is doing everything they can to keep her from the truth – but how far will they go?

Beneath the Shadows will be published by Random House Australia in 2011. Keep checking www.sarafoster.com.au for more updates.

Book 2 is complete!

Sara — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:23:05 +0000

Finally, I have a complete first draft of my new book. It's called Beneath the Shadows, and it's a spooky page-turner set on the North Yorkshire moors, as a young woman searches for her husband, who has mysteriously disappeared... Read more here, and keep checking the website for publication updates!

When characters get minds of their own

Sara — Sun, 02 May 2010 16:01:21 +0000

This blog also appeared on the Random House 'Random Blogs' website on 5th April 2010 I find it very easy to lose myself in my writing, and once I do, I often feel more like an observer within the story rather than its creator. On coming back from one of these reveries it can seem like I’m waking up, since I’ve usually forgotten where I am. During these times, one of the absolute pleasures I get from writing is when my characters turn around and do something completely unexpected. When I was working on Come Back to Me, my husband would give me the raised eyebrow on occasions where I would excitedly announce that ‘Wow, my character did something so strange today… it took me completely by surprise’, or, ‘I found out something I never knew about my character today’. And I don’t blame him – depending on how you look at it, this sounds anything from a little bit pretentious to borderline insane. However, I’ve heard many other writers talk about experiencing the same thing. I’m inclined to believe that it happens when your imagination is firing so well that the process of creation is occurring spontaneously rather than through concerted effort. This doesn’t happen to me all the time, but it does occur now and again – and then I find my stories going off in directions that I’m quite sure were not in the original concept. However, on evaluating such occurrences, while sometimes I love them, at other times it looks more like my characters have just been having fun running amuck in my head upon realising I’ve let them loose. Which is why it is great to be able to put my editor’s hat on again, and examine just what these new events are doing for my story. Ultimately, are they contributing to it, or taking it off on too much of a tangent. Because now and again it’s not a bad idea to remind my characters who’s boss.

Your editor is on your side

Sara — Mon, 03 May 2010 16:01:53 +0000

This blog also appeared on the Random House 'Random Blogs' website on 6th April 2010 It is always interesting to see how writers respond to editorial guidance. Some are completely open to suggestions, others are not, and there’s a third category who seem to be keen for a critique, but then either don’t like the reality, or don’t seem to alter anything much as a result. What many writers appear to get stuck on is the ‘Well, I like it’, or ‘It has to happen because…’ response. A writer becomes so attached to a piece of writing, or a certain event in their plot, that they will hold on to it come hell or high water. But I believe that the more malleable you see your work, right up to the point it becomes set in print, then the more likely you are to create a better book. This doesn’t mean you have to follow any or all editorial suggestions, because ultimately, and quite rightly, the author has the final say. However, it is worth remembering that editors are there to help you produce the best finished product you can, not to ruin your treasured script! Therefore their comments should not be dismissed too lightly. That’s the theory, anyway, coming from an editor’s perspective. But how did I go as a writer? Well, I had this experience with Come Back to Me. The book had a prologue, which was the very first thing I wrote for the novel, and I loved it. Every time I reread the prologue, it made me think that maybe, just maybe, I could get this thing published. So when the script came back with a big pencil line streaking across the first page, I did have a bit of a gulp. And, if I hadn’t had an editing background, I would have probably argued passionately for it to remain – because I loved it. However, the thing is, while I felt it was a fine piece of writing, it interfered with something more important: it delayed the real start to my story. So when I’d had a few minutes to think about it, I knew the editor was right. The prologue was a personally beloved part of an earlier draft, but it didn’t belong in the finished piece. So out it went. And the book is better for it.

Friends and family readers

Sara — Tue, 04 May 2010 16:01:40 +0000

This blog also appeared on the Random House 'Random Blogs' website on 7th April 2010 For the past eighteen months I have been telling family and friends that my book will be published. Before that I was just ‘writing a book’ – an oft-heard phrase. I think many of them have grown so used to hearing about this mythical book that it will actually be quite a surprise when they see it on sale. However, waiting for family and friends’ reactions is in many ways as daunting as waiting for the reviews. Because they read it from a different perspective, knowing me and my story. And because I can’t scrunch them all up and throw them in the bin if I don’t like what they say! Although, I’m not sure I can even trust their feedback – after all, I don’t think I would tell anyone I was fond of that I thought their book was a load of rubbish – at least, not if I wanted to remain on speaking terms. I also realised a while ago that there’s another potential problem with having people I know read my book. I’m not sure if it’s a bigger problem for me or for them really. The question is: how many of them will be looking for themselves somewhere inside the pages? Sure enough, when my mother had finished reading Come Back to Me, one of her first comments was that she hoped the character of Chloe’s mother wasn’t modelled on her! I was pleased to reassure her that it wasn’t the case. None of my characters have been modelled on anyone I know, though no doubt at times I have drawn on my own experiences with people to help me to look further into a character’s actions and motivations. But it’s very general – believe me! Although perhaps I should do a quick friend tally now, and see if anyone stops speaking to me in the next few months – the reason why, whether valid or not, might just lie within the pages of my novel.

Finding the time to write

Sara — Wed, 05 May 2010 16:01:27 +0000

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.

On pursuing publication

Sara — Thu, 06 May 2010 16:01:42 +0000

This blog also appeared on the Random House 'Random Blogs' website on 9th April 2010 I was recently asked advice on how to become a published writer. Here’s my take on what it takes: Originality In general, the more original your concept, the better. But originality must still be able to be placed within the market. Sometimes what’s original to one person can be just a bit too way out to the next reader, so don’t go too far. Alternatively, you may want to follow a trend – vampires, anyone? – but you still need an original take on it. And you need to get the timing right, so the market isn’t oversaturated by the time you finish your book. Determination You have to really want to succeed, be prepared for knockbacks, not get bogged down in them but use them to make you stronger. Stamina First of all to finish the book. An enormous feat. Then to go over and over it yourself, figuring out how you can make it better. Then to allow other people to do the same. Enthusiasm To learn from those who have been there. Listen to published writers. They can give you so many ideas, and to hear them talk is often inspirational. No one begins life as a published writer, they were all once in unpublished shoes, without exception. Read lots of books. They all have something to inspire you – even if it’s only, ‘I could do better than this!’ Listening skills Listen to critique. While it’s great to wholly believe in what you have written, it’s also good to remember that your readers might just have a point. Try to look dispassionately at your writing, and pay particular attention if you hear the same comment more than once, even if it’s not what you want to hear. Insight Put yourself in a busy publisher’s shoes. They have thirty manuscripts. Four meetings that morning. Which should they pick up? I can guarantee you that it will usually be the one sent with a bit of razzmatazz from an agent. So then perhaps you should find an agent. If you decide to go this route, put yourself in their shoes. They have thirty manuscripts. Four meetings that morning. Which should they pick up? The one that’s double-line spaced, interestingly presented, with a quick-to-grasp concept. And a covering letter that stands out. From someone who phoned or emailed first with a great, succinct pitch (although do check what type of contact each agent prefers before doing this)? Or the single-spaced scruffy sheaf of papers, appended to a meandering cover letter, from a person they’ve never heard of or from. I know which I would choose. And finally: Passion For the written word. For writing for writing’s sake, not just for publishing’s sake. Because that joy and commitment will be immediately recognisable to the reader, and there is little more compelling than that.

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Sara — Sat, 08 May 2010 12:50:42 +0000

books (1) 75dpi

Sara — Sat, 08 May 2010 12:56:06 +0000

Book pages 1

Sara — Sat, 08 May 2010 13:05:03 +0000

Book pages 2

Sara — Sat, 08 May 2010 13:11:46 +0000

One Day by David Nicholls

Sara — Tue, 11 May 2010 23:49:15 +0000

Emma and Dexter meet on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways. So where will they be on this one day next year? And the year after that? And every year that follows? This was on my reading list for ages. It took me a little while to get into the characters, but once I did I really enjoyed it, and there were a few laugh-out-loud moments. A compelling exploration of the evolution of a relationship while trying to find one's way in life beyond the university years - some of it disconcertingly familiar!

Beautiful Malice by Rebecca James

Sara — Sun, 23 May 2010 01:58:04 +0000

Katherine has moved to Sydney to start afresh, after a terrible tragedy shattered her family. There she meets alluring Alice, but their friendship grows gradually darker and more troubled, spiralling towards a shocking finale. I’m always eager to read a book I’ve heard a lot about, and this one didn’t disappoint. An absolute page-turner that draws you in from the start, I read it in one sitting, and was only disappointed when it finished. Looking forward to the next one!

Editing Beneath the Shadows

Sara — Sun, 23 May 2010 02:14:06 +0000

I'm about to start editing Beneath the Shadows, and I'm very excited about it. It is through this process that my book will gradually evolve from its raw first draft into a finely polished finished piece. With a background as an editor I feel very open to the editing process, which can be pretty daunting and confronting for a writer. Everything from characters, plot and pace, and the strength of the writing itself, is examined thoroughly during editing; and as a result the book can change quite a bit, sometimes in ways the author never envisioned. Come Back to Me was a much better book after editing, and I'm sure that it will be the same for Beneath the Shadows. Beneath the Shadows is currently at the structural editing stage. So we're looking at things like how the chapters work, both on their own and with one another; whether the characters are developing fully; if there are gaps that need filling, or sections that need paring back. So wish me luck, and I'll post some updates on how it's going.

The House at Midnight by Lucie Whitehouse

Sara — Sun, 30 May 2010 12:14:43 +0000

A group of friends are drawn into the murky legacy of one of their own, Lucas, after he inherits his uncle's large, eerie house in the English countryside. I really enjoyed the first half of this book, with its superb build-up of tension, and glorious writing. However, I didn't feel it lived up to its promise, and petered out at the end. A shame after such a great start.

Finally, perhaps an end to whaling

Sara — Sun, 30 May 2010 12:20:51 +0000

My passion for the sea and marine life meant I was thrilled on Friday, when the Australian government announced they would press ahead with legal action to try to stop whaling in the Antarctic. It’s been a long time coming, but hopefully this will prove to be a true step towards change. Of course, the real celebration will come when whaling actually ends for good.

breaching whale

Sara — Sun, 30 May 2010 12:33:57 +0000

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

Sara — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 12:19:03 +0000

A lost child…a terrible secret…a mysterious inheritance… I enjoyed this, although not as much as The Shifting Fog, which was by far my favourite read of 2009. Kate Morton is a master of original and evocative descriptions of people and places, not to mention time shifts, and the book moves easily between different decades. Considering how many threads she was tying together she did a great job of keeping me focused. I love the fairy tales running through the book too, which really bring the story to life. Would definitely recommend this one.

Come Back to Me - Autumn page-turner

Sara — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:46:39 +0000

It's exciting to see Come Back to Me featured as an Autumn page-turner on SheSaid.com.au. If you find your local bookshop hasn't got a copy of the book, ask them to order you one in, quoting the ISBN number: 9781741668698.

Layout 1

Sara — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 05:33:15 +0000

Come Back to Me - the ebook

Sara — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 05:34:11 +0000

I've just learned that Random House Australia are currently converting Come Back to Me into an ebook, and it should be available in a few weeks. Watch this space ...

Cairns Library Hot Speed Reads

Sara — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 05:47:41 +0000

Come Back to Me is currently in Cairns library's 'Hot Speed Reads', which offers the hottest bestsellers for a period of 10 days for $4. Also featured are great titles from top authors including Stieg Larsson, Lisa Heidke, Harlan Coben, Jodi Picoult - and one of my personal favourites, The Time Traveller's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger.

The Hand that First Held Mine by Maggie O'Farrell

Sara — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 07:26:50 +0000

Lexie Sinclair's life revolves around the Soho art scene of the 1950s, whereas in the present day Elina is struggling with the demands of motherhood. But despite living decades apart, these two women are connected in ways neither could ever have expected. I have long been a fan of Maggie O'Farrell, as her first book, After You'd Gone, ranks as one of my all-time favourites. In this, her latest work, her writing is mesmeric, and I was captivated from start to finish. Such overt manipulation of narrative voice is difficult to achieve without losing the reader, but O'Farrell is fearless, and as a result The Hand that First Held Mine is a wonderful, unique piece of fiction.

All eyes on Africa this week

Sara — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 11:59:17 +0000

Every year my family goes out onto the Indian Ocean to watch the whales travelling down the WA coast on their annual migration. Sometimes we're lucky and a whale comes to investigate the boat, or flings itself joyfully out of the water nearby. I am one of those whose life has been deeply affected by the contact I've had with these magnificent creatures - ever since I had the privilege of scuba diving at close quarters with a minke whale ten years ago on the Great Barrier Reef. So this week I'll be watching events in Morocco, as the IWC meets to discuss whaling. The strides forward that many people around the world have campaigned tirelessly for are now threatened, with deals for the resumption of commercial whaling on the table. I firmly believe that whaling has no place in a progressive future for the world, and I hope that compassion and conservation rather than commerce win the day. On a lighter note, I'm also avidly watching the World Cup, and with my dual loyalties hoping that both the Socceroos and England can make it through the group stage. They're certainly making us sweat...!

Come Back to Me on www.goodreads.com

Sara — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 13:17:20 +0000

Come Back to Me is now listed on www.goodreads.com. If you enjoyed the book, please recommend it - first-time authors like me rely on word of mouth to keep our books in the shops. Search for 'Come Back to Me Sara Foster' to bring it up straight away. I'm still busy with the structural edit for Beneath the Shadows, hoping to be finished by the end of the week. As an editor myself, I take the editing stage of publication very seriously! It's been a long, involved process, but I am working hard to make the book as beautiful and enjoyable as possible. I can't wait to see the typeset pages in a few weeks.

Editing workshops and author events

Sara — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 01:29:43 +0000

If you would like to be kept informed of future editing workshops or courses, or author events, please drop me a line through my contact page.

Bye bye editing, hello life!

Sara — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 05:43:02 +0000

Finally, after six long weeks of work, I have finished the structural edit of Beneath the Shadows. It's lovely to put my head up again, as I've literally been working morning, noon and night, around my toddler's waking hours, to get everything done. I am already thinking of things that need changing or tweaking, but I will get another chance to do that when the copy-editing begins. I have a little bit of a love-hate relationship with this side of the editing process, which is ironic since I've been a book editor for the last ten years. But editing someone else's work is fun. Editing my own novels seems to be much more gruelling, since I find myself continually re-examining every aspect of plot, characters and writing, and coming up with more and more problems or weaknesses that need fixing. However, I thrive on the challenge, and so far I've had two great editors who have really pushed me to make my books stronger. So, while I've been taking a break, I've been dabbling with my bookshelf on goodreads.com. I now have an author profile, which I'm still working on, and you'll find my latest book reviews on there as well as on this website. You'll notice they all tend to be rather positive, but I often don't finish books I'm not enjoying, and as a result I don't feel entirely qualified to comment on them! I'm currently reading and loving Water for Elephants, so you can expect another positive review soon! Lately, quite a few aspiring authors have asked me for advice on what to do when you feel your novel is ready to go out into the world. So, while I have some downtime, I'll shortly put up a blog or two with some general advice and information. Good luck to you all. Book publishing is a tough world, but it's a very exciting and fulfilling one too, and I love being part of it.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Sara — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 04:39:58 +0000

A story of love, ambition, and a spirited elephant called Rosie, set amid a travelling circus during the Great Depression of the 1930s. I had heard lots of good things about this book, but the subject matter didn't automatically appeal so I took my time in getting to it. However, I'm really glad I did - the characters and the circus jumped right off the page and every time I picked it up I was absorbed. Highly recommended.

Breath by Tim Winton

Sara — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 05:11:06 +0000

When paramedic Bruce Pike arrives too late to save a boy found hanged in his bedroom, the unusual circumstances of the death return him to his memories of adolescence, a turbulent time of unlikely friendships and recklessness that pushed him towards the darker edges of life. I am a little ashamed to admit that this is the first Tim Winton I’ve read, since he is perhaps the most prestigious author in my home state of WA. I have long had Cloudstreet and Dirt Music on my list as well as this one, but when a friend suddenly gave it to me all other books were cast aside. I read it in a couple of days, and while it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, on reflection I think it was better. I am regularly disappointed by lauded, award-winning books – perhaps the hype kills them for me. Yet Tim Winton’s prose here is beautiful, stark and spare – it’s to-the-point, incisive fiction. The subject matter and the plot didn’t grab me all the way through, but the writing did – Winton absolutely lives and breathes his characters. I’m really looking forward to Cloudstreet now. NB: At the moment, Save Our Marine Life (Australia)’s page on facebook features an open letter from Tim Winton about the importance of marine conservation. It’s well worth reading.

Don't get rejected before they've even read a word...

Sara — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 06:12:47 +0000

People who work in book publishing always have a ridiculous amount of reading to get through. I once worked on what is pejoratively termed the ‘slush pile’ in the HarperCollins fiction department, where I would often be the first reader. As such, I would get to decide if the story was worth further consideration by those higher up the chain. There were so many submissions I don't think I was ever on top of it. So, when submitting your work, to give yourself a head start you need to make your book stand out. Why does the publisher HAVE to read it? (If you’re not sure, how can they be?) Why do you believe in what you are doing? What is it about this book that warrants the attention of the book-buying public? If you are able to provide an agent or publisher with this kind of information BEFORE they look at it, then – as long as they are enthusiastic, of course – you’re a step ahead. How can you make a potential agent or publisher want to read a script? It's a big question, and you should take your time and consider your approach. First and foremost you need to stop thinking like a writer and start thinking like a marketeer. Can you condense your story down into one or two awesome sentences? If you can, you’ve developed a pitch, and depending on the policy of the publisher/agent in question, you can use this to get people interested – either on the phone or via cover letters/emails. I realise this can be scary, as you might get an immediate no. But the pitch will remain important right through to the book-buying stage, because in this frenetically paced market you never have very long to grab anyone’s attention. Don’t start pitching until you’re ready, as a publisher isn’t going to take very seriously the person who develops a new pitch every few weeks. They want to know you are focused and serious about what you are doing. Do you know which market you’re aiming for? Have you thought about how your book will compete with others on the shelves? Why is it different? Why will readers pick up your travel book on Rome rather than the Lonely Planet’s? If you can give a publisher answers to these kinds of questions (without them having to ask), you will pique their interest. Otherwise, if such questions come up and you have no reply, you will look naïve. Look at submissions policies very carefully and use them to your advantage. A script that comes in clean, tidy, correctly formatted according to guidelines, and with a concise covering letter will get more attention than the dog-eared, single-spaced tome with a rambling two-page explanation. Are there small embellishments you can use to draw people’s attention – artwork, for example? Be careful with using unusual fonts – only attempt it if they fit the kind of book you are working on, and remember they must still be easily readable. If you make the presentation too much of a challenge for a publisher, you are shooting yourself in the foot before you’ve begun. Can you do anything else differently to get people’s attention? Your ploys need to be subtle, as at this stage a busy agent/publisher is doing you a favour by reading your work. When I worked in-house we would get writers ringing up demanding why we hadn’t yet got to their synopsis and outline, and that didn't go down well. Never mind the writing, who wants to work on publishing a book with a stroppy, argumentative author. If you haven’t heard anything for a while, keep your inquiry courteous. You can remind them why they really should read your book, but be careful how far you push. The submissions stage is one where books and dreams are made or broken. Success is a combination of skill, perseverance, patience and good fortune (and much more besides) - but the only way the final line is ever drawn is the moment you give up. Good luck!

writing (2) 75 dpi

Sara — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 06:30:34 +0000

Buy

Sara — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 06:52:14 +0000

Come Back to Me is currently available in all good bookstores in Australia and New Zealand. If you can't find it on the shelf, any bookseller should be able to order you a copy if you quote the ISBN number: 978-1-74166-869-8. A comprehensive list of national, independent and online booksellers is available through Random House's website. Click this link to be redirected. Come Back to Me will be released as an e-book on 1 September 2010. Check this page for updates on where you can purchase it, or go to the Random House page for Come Back to Me and click on 'Buy'. Beneath the Shadows will be released 1 February 2011. Keep checking this website for updates, or use the contact page to request notification when the book is released.

My bedside table...

Sara — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 06:52:48 +0000

I like to keep my current reading matter on my bedside table, but although I try very hard to maintain a small, neat pile, sooner or later it always deteriorates into a precarious tower of half-read books. I’ve just taken an inventory and thought I’d share it with you. On the top is A Mercy by Toni Morrison. I wrote part of my Bachelor of Arts dissertation on Beloved, and I can’t begin to tell you how much I admire Morrison, but I wouldn’t call her stories easy reads. With this one, the haunting lines that close the first chapter will see me through to the end of the book on their own. Underneath A Mercy is The True Story of Butterfish by Nick Earls, which I’ve only just started, but it’s good and I’m keen to keep going. Next comes a children’s book – The Whitby Witches by Robin Jarvis – which I’m reading because a) it is set in Yorkshire, England, and b) on the cover is a brilliant but terrifying picture of a black barghest (a black dog that is legendary in the area). Both Yorkshire and the barghest also feature in my upcoming novel, Beneath the Shadows, and I want to see what Jarvis has made of them. Halfway down the pile is Mandela, which is there because I watched Invictus the other day and wanted to find out more about ‘Madiba’. And below Mandela are two books a friend lent me: The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak and The Observations by Jane Harris. Pretty much everyone I know has raved about The Book Thief, while I’d never heard of The Observations. When I’ve finished them, I’ll report back on both. I always have some kind of inspirational reading by my bed too. At the moment there is an old book called the Handbook for the Soul, edited by Richard Carlson & Benjamin Shield, and a recent book called The Shift by Wayne Dyer (who I saw speak in Perth on Saturday, and who was tremendous). I love these kinds of books as they inspire me and challenge me to keep thinking about things differently. Alongside those I’ve got Karma Kids, because I’m keen to instil some Buddhist values in my daughter at some point, perhaps in a few years’ time when I can slow her down for a few seconds! And I’m also gradually making my way through two Lonely Planet books – a guide to Wildlife Travel Photography, and A Year of Watching Wildlife – because in my dreams of an ideal life I’m often in the middle of nowhere, stalking something with a camera. And, finally, last night I added my own Come Back to Me to the pile. The smaller paperback edition will be coming out in February along with Beneath the Shadows, so I thought I’d better refamiliarise myself with my old friends! And that’s it…! It’s messy, I know, but at least it means I can choose just what I feel like reading on any given night. And I’ll get through them all…as long as they can keep close to the top of the pile. Because I was in New Edition bookshop in Fremantle yesterday, and there were thousands of undiscovered worlds wrapped in shiny covers, all calling out to me…

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Sara — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 12:04:00 +0000

Bedside table Aug 10

Sara — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 12:07:46 +0000

BENEATH THE SHADOWS

Sara — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 12:53:12 +0000

Drumroll please...

Sara — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 12:54:14 +0000

I'm very proud to present the cover of Beneath the Shadows. I'm really thrilled with it, and can't wait to see it on the shelves. I realise I have been very quiet of late, but I have been up to my ears in deadlines, and also struck down by a cold that won't go away...sniff. I'm currently working hard on finishing the edit of Beneath the Shadows - in just a few weeks I'll get to see the book in print. I can tell you that the prospect is no less exciting the second time around. Now I can't wait to start promoting it. I'm also hoping to revamp my website a little over the next couple of months, so keep checking in and I'll keep you posted...

Guest blog

Sara — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 09:40:16 +0000

This month I'm guest blogging on Nicole Alexander's website. Visit www.nicolealexander.com.au to find out what I've been saying!

That Difficult Second Novel

Sara — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 07:01:30 +0000

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/

There's nothing wrong with being popular!

Sara — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 05:39:05 +0000

I was very excited this morning to read Jessica Rudd’s blog on Mama Mia, speaking out in defence of chick lit and commercial fiction. Go Jessica! While my books don’t fall easily into the chick lit category (they are a bit too dark, although they usually have at least one female chick-lit-style character doing her utmost to lighten things up) they are certainly commercial. And I’m very proud of that. I want everyone, and I mean everyone, to read them! The joy of reading is that it’s such a personal experience. We form relationships with the characters we read about, and we have our own reactions to the journeys they are on, which are interlinked to our own feelings and experiences. Stories are places of freedom, of escape, and of personal interpretation, so it’s a sad state of affairs when any kind of snobbery begins to try to dictate our reading passions. Besides, sweeping whole genres into generalised definitions is plain daft. I’ve read some brilliant chick-lit that has had me crying with laughter – Watermelon by Marian Keyes springs to mind. I’ve also read plenty of books in the same genre that I thought were a load of old rubbish (and will therefore remain nameless!). It’s the same with ‘lit fic’ – I’ve waded my way through a few prize-winning, critically acclaimed doorstoppers wondering why I felt compelled to waste my time; and yet other books have had me in awe – Swimmer by Bill Broady, and Beloved by Toni Morrison are two of my all-time favourites. But I should add that I did my dissertation on Beloved. It was by studying it that I got such a lot out of it. In fact, I think I gave all my friends copies of Beloved for Christmas that year, and, in hindsight, since most weren’t doing English degrees they would probably rather have had the latest Bridget Jones. Wouldn’t it be great if all types of writing could simply co-exist and try not to squabble? But it’s unlikely, isn’t it. Life just isn’t like that, at least not yet. In the meantime, I have made a conscious choice to try to write the kind of books I love to read. And there is nothing I enjoy quite as much as a spine-tingling mystery with characters you can’t stop thinking about. If that makes my stories your guilty pleasure, then so be it. I promise you’ll get your money’s worth!

The month that was: October 2010

Sara — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 13:33:12 +0000

October has been busy, busy, busy. I spent two weeks reading proof pages of Beneath the Shadows – which means clutching pencil, eraser, ruler, conjuring up copious amounts of concentration and in return getting an incredibly stiff neck. I got stuck in my usual proofreading loop, wanting to read it ‘just one more time’, until eventually Random House managed to prise my fingers one by one from the tattered pages and took it away. No time for too much sighing and sleeping though, since I was immediately into discussing promotions. Beneath the Shadows certainly has some exciting times ahead – it will be Random House’s February book of the month, and will have a lovely 5-starred sticker on the front of it, guaranteeing you a great read or your money back. I can’t wait to stop stressing over the text and start talking about the book! However, next on the agenda, the Foster family are heading back to England for a holiday. I apologise to any of you unlucky enough to join us on the journey, as I get the distinct feeling we will be the ones chasing an over-excited, over-tired toddler up and down the aisle for the duration of the veeeeeerrrrry long flight. During the time we’re in the UK we will be heading to the North Yorkshire moors, the setting of my new gothic mystery suspense, to catch up with family. And while I’m there I’m planning to take footage of the area to get you all in the mood of an English winter amidst a dark and forbidding landscape… Meanwhile, my website is currently undergoing some changes , and I can’t wait to unveil its fresh look and layout. If you haven’t already, please sign up and follow me on facebook or twitter for instant access to all my news updates. Sara F x

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Sara — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 14:29:27 +0000

North Yorkshire moors, early November 2010

Sara — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 15:27:00 +0000

North Yorkshire moors November 2010

Sara — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 23:53:44 +0000

Commie snow 75 dpi

Sara — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 23:55:22 +0000

North Yorkshire moors, beginning of December 2010

Sara — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 23:59:49 +0000

The month that was: November 2010

Sara — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 00:27:36 +0000

[caption id="attachment_405" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="North Yorkshire moors November 2010"][/caption] November has been a blur of travelling, mostly racing around England. The somewhat rushed hellos and goodbyes with family and friends we haven’t seen for years make these trips a bittersweet experience, but it was wonderful to see everyone. And it seems we have a toddler who was born to travel – hurrah! While we stayed with my husband’s family in North Yorkshire, I had the opportunity to soak up the atmosphere of the moors again. We spent some time filming a few of the places mentioned in Beneath the Shadows, and my talented brother-in-law is busy editing the footage, so I’ll let you know when it’s ready to watch. I can’t believe we missed the snow by only a couple of weeks! While I was in the UK I went through the final proofs for Beneath the Shadows, and the book is being printed as I type. The editing process has seemed gruelling this time – though I suspect I’m becoming ever more of a perfectionist and having trouble letting go. But now I can prepare for the excitement of finished copies – one of the most deeply satisfying moments of the whole process. [caption id="attachment_407" align="alignright" width="234" caption="North Yorkshire moors, beginning of December 2010"][/caption] So it’s time to get ready for promotion. I will be out and about in WA in February and planning a trip to the eastern states in March. Watch this space for events near you. There are also a few other exciting things in the pipeline, including two overseas deals for Beneath the Shadows, which I can’t wait to tell you about when they’re finalised. And, as you can see, my website changes are progressing and will be finished by the New Year. Finally, I attended the 'Save the Kimberley' rally at Cottesloe on Sunday 28 November. It was a great turnout, but the people involved need everyone's support in stopping oil companies from destroying one of the great last pristine wildernesses. Go to www.savethekimberley.com, or the websites of the Wilderness Society and the Conservation Council of WA for more details as to how you can help. Wishing you all a very merry Christmas! Sara F x