Bio
I found my way to writing books quite late in life and I do blame a mid life crisis on the sudden shift in careers from the travel industry into becoming a full time author. But while it’s been a zig-zag path to writing, I think I’ve always been headed toward it and now feel I’ve found my place.
I was very fortunate that my first attempt to write a novel got me noticed by the biggest publisher of the fantasy genre in Australia. Voyager offered me a three-book contract and I am still writing fantasy novels for HarperCollins that I’m delighted say sell worldwide. I read crime through choice and so it seemed the logical place to turn when I was looking to diversify. And then children’s fantasy was always going to happen for me.
The catalyst that made this whole writing thing happen was Bryce Courtenay and his summer fiction writing course that he held in Hobart every two years. And so it seems fitting that the novel I have always wanted to write but until recently haven’t felt equipped to do so is a big family style saga along the lines that Bryce is known for. The result is that in 2010 my first saga – set in the 1920s – was released by Penguin. I think the floodgates have opened…now I want to write more of these big books and regularly.
The next of these sagas will be released in April 2012 and from there on I hope to write one of these each year and the plan now is to juggle all of these genres. I say if you like my fantasy, you’ll probably enjoy the saga novels because the same hallmarks are there in the storytelling and writing style no matter what genre. And when you need a break from the epic stories of fantasy and historical saga, there is no better indulgence than a good crime. The children’s books – well they’re for everyone and simply something I had to do.
I am traveling constantly for books these days, either researching or attending events for publishers and readers, so my life really has come full circle as my globetrotting days are as active as ever. When I’m not on the move I live in South Australia with my very patient husband and our twin sons. Sharing our lives are a bossy mini foxy terrier and a very barmy border colie.
I don’t have much time for hobbies but my passion is cooking – especially baking – so any spare time is spent in the kitchen…or I’m happy to lose myself in movies. They are both wonderful escapes. I have recently become addicted to making my own coffee with a manual machine and so there’s a lot of ritual and pleasure to coffee making in our household now. I’m always trying new roasts, fiddling with the grind, perfecting the stretching and frothing of milk. It’s fun and I love the end result.
I won’t even begin to discuss my chocolate addiction…but I am seeking help for it!
[...] Fiona McIntosh publishes Fantasy, Crime and Historical fiction. She is well known in Australian Speculative fiction for her Quickening and Valisar Series. [...]
I love your books and the design of your website is very appealing (I liked the colors at first glance) however I struggled to read it on my iPad. I may have slight dyslexia as I found it difficult to read the white text on a black background, everything seemed to keep moving. I asked my husband for his opinion and he also believed it made it more difficult to read. Just thought I’d let you know in case others were having similar issues.
I must admit, I struggled on and will continue to visit your website regardless of my reading problems.
Looking forward to reading future book releases from you.
Trudy
Hi Trudy
Thanks for loving the books! Always very grateful to have happy readers. Now can anyone else confirm please if they’re having trouble with the website and reading it as Trudy is? If so, I’ll have to change it. I’m going to log on via iPad and see if we have the same dramas. Thanks for the heads up, Trudy and please, please keep coming back. Best F
Hi Fiona,
Firstly i’d like to say that i love your books, and i am roughly 100 pages though Blood and Memory. Compliments aside, I need help. I have read the first book in The Quickening Series, and I am now required to do a school assignment on the book and yourself. I understand this is entirely my fault, but my assignment is due tomorrow, and i need roughly half a page of information on you, and i found the internet not to be the greatest of resources. I could easily find one thousand words to ramble about your book, but I don’t have much information on yourself.
Anything will do, so far I’ve taken the liberty to say that ‘Fiona McIntosh has travelled to and lived in many different countries that partially inspired her work’ ! (of course, I stretched that out to almost one hundred words)
anyway, just tell me anything about yourself that you feel comfortable with, and i’ll lie about how its directly intertwined with your story writing, haha.
of course, i doubt you’ll read this before tomorrow, but still, it was worth a shot.
PS. I’m from South Australia, and the librarians that i borrowed your books from seemed to think you lived here too. Is that true?
Hi Jeremy
Check your email. Hope that all helps. All best with your assignment. F
Hi Fiona, My wife Ruth and I have just finished reading ” Fields of Gold” which we both enjoyed immensly. I particularly like Ausie authors, and have not realy appreciated till recently that there are so many fantastic lady authors out there, guys too of course but the lady,s take Gold. Its great that Email gives us the opportunity to be able to very easily contact authors and show our appreciation of a fine story. Not long ago I was able to send a very well known Ausie author some photo,s of an event she had written about I had taken 60 years ago, she was thrilled. Best wish’s Garth
hello
i absolutely LOVE your novel ‘The Whisperer’ (read it about 3-4 times…) and can’t wait to read more of you books! I am doing a school assignment on you and if you could send me some information, i would appreciate it so much. (possible a bit from when you where young and about your novels
Also i’m attempting to write a novel and any tips/advice would be absolutely adored!
i must say i think you are awesome and are in my top three authors including C.S. Lewis and Enid Blyton!
thankyou !!!
Mariska