Putting her own novels on the shelf at home was a dream come true for first time author Tara Ingham, 23,of Capalaba.
And now she is hoping that other people’s shelves will display her novels, but more importantly that her readers will get something out of reading them.
Once I Rise is her first published book, but comes after writing three others, a time she describes as her learning phase.
The novel tells the story of a parallel existence where the dead can interact with the living to help solve their own murders. Ms Ingham writes about a place filled with revenant fledglings, recently departed, and millennials who have lived many lifetimes before. This is a place where no one is safe from the fishers and hunters born with the ability to seek out and kill a revenant, ending their eternal existence.
Ms Ingham said the book sprung from a pet peeve through her own reading.
“I hate reading about say a shy character who next thing is socialising and not being true to their character. I wanted a character with anxiety and social awkwardness and then I had to find a situation to put them in,” she said.
Ironically she was stymied for some years while studying for a Bachelor of Arts majoring in creative writing and literature, journalism and communication.
“During that time, there were a lot of people telling me what I should and shouldn’t be doing. I couldn’t feel what I was writing while I was listening to others tell me what to do. I had to get past that. It’s not that I’m against creative writing workshops. You just have to remember your own ideas at the same time,” she said.
Because of her study, the book took about six years to write, two years of which were spent on planning.
“Part of learning creative writing is also learning about the publishing industry which can be brutal. But I did know what to do and I was lucky that mine was picked up on the second submission. I did quite a bit of editing work between the first and second submission,” she said.
With her book now available, Ms Ingham said seeing the finished product and holding it in her hand felt “amazing”.
“It was raining the day the first box of books arrived. I was so excited. It’s taken me 10 years to get here,” she said.
Ms Ingham has already submitted a sequel and is working on the third book in the series.
“I just hope people enjoy it,” she said.
Once I Rise is available at Avid reader and various Dymocks bookstores as well as Booktopia, although all listed sites offer international shipping. It sells for $24.95 and $4.89US as an Ebook. it is published by Austin Macauley UK, ISBN Paperback 9781787106697, ISBN Ebook: 9781787106703.
