Etteleah Books | Updates

Being a prolific writer creates 'Suspicion'

Etteleah Books — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 22:39:07 -0400

The Facebook post...is it accusatory?

There is a lot more to the way I write, and remember, I just love writing.

Firstly a book idea:

People often ask me where my ideas come from.

The truth is, I don't really know.

Stories simply seem to appear when I least expect them. They are hidden in everyday things that most people walk past without giving them a second thought. A building, a street sign, a conversation overheard while waiting in a queue, an old photograph, a newspaper article, or sometimes just a single word can suddenly unlock a memory that has been sitting quietly in the back of my mind for fifty years.

One particular morning I looked out from my apartment on the Cairns Esplanade towards the Catholic school across the road.

I have lived here for years.

I had looked at that school thousands of times without really seeing it.

Then, for some reason, my eyes settled on the crucifix and the word Mercy.

That single word instantly carried me back to my own childhood at a Catholic primary school. Memories I hadn't thought about for decades came flooding back all at once. Within days I had begun writing A Good Shepherd From Mercy.

That's how most of my books begin.

Not with a carefully planned outline.

Just a thought.

Then another.

Eventually those thoughts begin talking to each other until they become a story that refuses to leave me alone.

People often imagine authors sitting in romantic little cottages with a typewriter beside an open fire.

My office is considerably less impressive.

I sit at my desk between two Apple iMacs.

The computer on my left is my research assistant. That one spends its days searching maps, checking dates, confirming historical facts, looking at old photographs and wandering around Google Earth.

The computer on my right has a much more important job.

That's where the stories live.

I write everything in Apple Pages. Years ago I designed my own book templates so that, rather than writing a manuscript and worrying about formatting later, I actually write directly into what already looks like the finished eBook.

It may not be the orthodox way of doing things, but then I've never claimed to be orthodox.

Grammarly quietly follows me around correcting my spelling and grammar while I type, although it occasionally suggests changes that would remove every trace of my personality if I accepted them all.

Once the manuscript is finished it is handed over to my wife, Lynette, together with a handful of trusted friends who are brave enough to point out the mistakes I have somehow become completely blind to.

Only then do I make the final corrections.

Creating the paperback is almost disappointingly simple.

I duplicate the eBook file and rename it "Paperback."

Apple Pages does most of the heavy lifting. I switch to two-page view, select opposing pages, add the title page, copyright page, contents and the other front matter, shuffle everything onto the correct side of the spread, and before long I have a properly formatted paperback ready for publication.

People sometimes expect there to be a mysterious publishing secret hidden somewhere in that process.

There isn't.

Most books take me around six weeks to write.

Some never make it.

For reasons I cannot explain, I occasionally reach thirty thousand words and simply lose interest.

Nothing is wrong with the story.

Nothing is wrong with the characters.

I just wake up one morning and decide I would rather write something else.

At last count there were around a dozen unfinished manuscripts quietly sitting in their own folders on my computer.

Every now and then I open one.

Sometimes I read a few pages and close it again.

Other times I wonder why I ever stopped writing it in the first place, and suddenly the story comes alive again.

Apparently manuscripts can hibernate.

Book covers are another addiction altogether.

I probably don’t spend almost as much time creating covers as I do writing the books themselves.

Here is where my second favourite Apple program comes in ‘Keynote’, come to life…what a great graphic editing tool, even if it’s not mean’t to be.

Ideas come easily.

Successful ideas don't.

I might create half a dozen different covers before deciding that none of them are quite right.

Then I'll suddenly see a photograph somewhere that makes everything fall into place.

Most of my source material comes from places such as Pexels and other royalty-free image libraries before I begin combining, modifying and designing the final cover.

Sometimes the very first design survives.

Usually it doesn't.

I'm forever changing covers because I enjoy the creative process almost as much as writing the story itself.

According to my wife, I write all the time.

She's probably right.

I don't have a writing schedule.

Some mornings I begin before breakfast.

Sometimes I wake at two o'clock in the morning with a scene playing in my head that refuses to wait until sunrise.

Other days I can spend almost the entire day writing without noticing where the time has gone.

Curiously, I rarely write in the evenings.

I have absolutely no idea why.

Perhaps my imagination clocks off before I do.

When I begin a new book, I generally stay with it completely.

The research grows with the story.

One chapter creates questions that lead to more research, which creates more ideas, which create more chapters.

It's a wonderfully untidy process.

I wouldn't change it for the world.

People occasionally ask why all of my books are self-published.

That's the easiest question of all.

My wife answers it before I can.

"He's too impatient."

She's absolutely right.

I have submitted manuscripts to traditional publishers.

A few days later an automated email arrives thanking me for submitting my work and explaining that, if I haven't heard from them within three months, I should assume they are not interested.

Three months?

By then I could have written another two books.

There is simply no way I am going to lock a completed story away in a drawer while somebody else decides whether the world is allowed to read it.

So I became an independent author.

Not because I dislike publishers.

Not because I think I know better.

Simply because life is too short to spend waiting.

People also assume that writers are driven by book sales.

Of course it's nice when someone buys one of my books.

It's even nicer when they enjoy reading it.

But money has never been the reason I write.

Writing is my hobby.

It costs me very little.

It keeps my mind active.

It allows me to turn ordinary observations into extraordinary journeys.

Most of all, it gives me the opportunity to experiment with words, ideas and different styles of storytelling.

Everything I know about writing has been self-taught.

There were no university courses.

No creative writing degrees.

Just curiosity, practice, mistakes and the determination to keep improving with every book.

Looking back, I sometimes find it remarkable that I didn't begin writing until later in life.

Perhaps I simply needed seventy-odd years of living before I had enough stories worth telling.

Or perhaps the stories were always there, quietly waiting for me to notice them.

Either way, I'm glad I finally did.

Because the truth is wonderfully simple.

I just love writing.

]]>

To find a book by, Michael, Max, or, Joy? Just take your time and scroll down.

Etteleah Books — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Which Author Would You Compare Michael Holding To?

It's a question every author is asked, but the honest answer is that Michael Holding doesn't write like any one writer. His work blends elements of several great storytellers while developing a voice that is distinctly his own.

Readers familiar with Bryce Courtenay will recognise the sweeping Australian settings, resilient characters and stories that follow lives rather than simply plots. Fans of Garry Disher will appreciate the authentic Australian flavour of the James Roxby novels, where believable policing and country communities take centre stage.

There is also something of Nevil Shute in Holding's style. His stories unfold naturally, allowing readers to become immersed in the characters instead of relying on constant action.

Perhaps the most distinctive feature of Michael Holding's writing is his ability to educate while entertaining. Whether exploring Australian history, the Snowy Mountains Scheme, country policing or Catholic education, his novels weave real-life knowledge seamlessly into engaging stories.

If a publisher needed a simple comparison, it might read:

"Michael Holding combines Bryce Courtenay's gift for Australian storytelling with Garry Disher's authenticity to create novels that are unmistakably Australian."

Ultimately, the best comparison is Michael Holding himself. His storytelling voice has become one that readers increasingly recognise as uniquely his own.

Which Author Would You Compare Max Barrington To?

If Michael Holding is the storyteller, Max Barrington is the raconteur—the fellow at the pub who can turn an ordinary afternoon into a story you'll be laughing about days later.

The closest comparison is probably Bill Bryson, thanks to Barrington's knack for finding humour in everyday life. There's also a touch of John Clarke in the wonderfully dry delivery, where the funniest moments are written as though they're perfectly normal.

His stories celebrate the quirks of Australian life—country towns, local councils, neighbours, caravan parks and the colourful characters who make them unforgettable. The humour is observational rather than slapstick, affectionate rather than cynical.

What sets Max Barrington apart is his conversational style. Long, flowing sentences and unexpected detours create the feeling that you're listening to a gifted storyteller rather than simply reading a book.

A publisher might describe his work like this:

"Imagine John Clarke writing Australian comic novels with the observational wit of Bill Bryson."

Like all memorable authors, however, Max Barrington has developed a voice that belongs entirely to him. Readers don't simply enjoy the stories—they enjoy spending time with the storyteller.

Which Author Would You Compare Joy Wilde To?

Joy Wilde writes stories that find the extraordinary in ordinary lives.

Her work is gentle, warm and quietly observant, inviting readers to slow down and appreciate the humour, emotion and subtle complexities of everyday Australian life. Rather than relying on dramatic twists, Joy Wilde explores the relationships, decisions and moments that shape ordinary people.

Readers may recognise echoes of Maeve Binchy's warmth, Monica McInerney's family-centred storytelling and the gentle observations of Alexander McCall Smith. Yet Joy Wilde's voice remains unmistakably Australian, with a quiet wit and an affection for the people and communities she writes about.

Whether exploring family, friendship, rural life or the small moments that often pass unnoticed, Joy Wilde reminds us that the best stories are frequently the ones happening right in front of us.

A publisher might describe her writing this way:

"Joy Wilde combines the warmth of Maeve Binchy with the gentle observations of Alexander McCall Smith, creating stories that celebrate the richness of everyday Australian life."

Like all memorable authors, however, Joy Wilde's greatest strength is not who she resembles, but the distinctive voice that readers soon recognise as uniquely her own.

]]>