Today it’s my pleasure to welcome Western Australian author Elaine Fraser to the blog. Be sure to read to the end for your chance to win two of Elaine’s fabulous books. I’m so glad you could share with us today, Elaine.
Living a Beautiful Life
On your website, you say that you like to inspire young women to ‘live the lives they were destined for’ and ‘to develop characteristics in their lives that create beauty’. Can you elaborate a bit on what you mean by that, especially in regard to your ‘Beauty Tips for the Soul’ books?
I believe that God has sown something special in each one of us and it excites me to see young women living out what I call their story promise.
My ‘Beauty Tips for the Soul’ books were born out of devotions I presented in high schools over fifteen years of teaching.
My encouragement to the students, both boys and girls, is to live a beautiful life that lives up to the potential sown into them by God.
The 'Beautiful Lives' Novels
You’ve also developed that theme in your ‘Beautiful Lives’ series of young adult novels. Can you tell us a bit more about that series?
After writing ‘Beautiful: beauty tips for the soul’ and ‘Too Beautiful: more beauty tips for the soul’, I was inspired to write a series of novels based on the ideals I had written about.
I took the keywords in ‘Too Beautiful’ and plotted out stories featuring characters who struggle and work through various issues in their lives. They emerge stronger and more resilient.
There are five books in my ‘Beautiful Lives’ series of novels: ‘Perfect Mercy’, ‘Love, Justice’, ‘Amazing Grace’, ‘Scarlett Love’ and ‘Finding Joy’. Each story features a particular girl who is facing a particular life issue. If you’d like to find out more about each of the books, you can read the blurbs on my website.
My hope for these novels is that the people who read them enjoy the stories but are also inspired to build strong and beautiful lives. I want readers to be left with the knowledge that God loves them beyond anything. No sin is too big that God can’t forgive. No problem is too small for God to be concerned with. God cares about every facet of our lives.
Each one of us has a purpose that’s beyond ourselves and we should use our gifts and talents to help others in any way we can. My books have a strong social justice theme and encourage kindness and compassion.
I want girls to read about other girls who may have the same questions and take away the feeling that they’re not the only ones who struggle. They’re not the only one who is still working things out.
Living the Life You Dreamed
You’re releasing a new nonfiction book at the end of April, entitled ‘Live Your Story Promise: 12 Steps to Living the Life You Dream Of’. Can you give us a sneak peek at one of those steps?
Live Your Story Promise is both a story of how my husband and I changed our lives and a workbook for those who want to live a more adventurous and satisfying life.
When I taught Year Twelves, I’d do an activity with them at the end of the year called The List. The List is one hundred things you want to do in your life. They can be whimsical, career-orientated or downright crazy, but it has to be one hundred. To encourage my students, I’d work on my own list alongside them.
When you think of one hundred things, a pattern emerges. There are indulgent items like drinking champagne in a bubble bath, but by the time you reach one hundred, the really important things will emerge.
Some would write that they wanted to volunteer in an orphanage overseas or work to end poverty or homelessness. The List often began with selfish items, but would soon become others-focused.
Then, I’d tell them about The Rule. As one item is crossed off, it has to be replaced with something new. That way, you will never feel like your life is over, and you always have one hundred things to look forward to — it’s a never-ending bucket-list.
Writing The List led me to get serious about my writing. Since then, I’ve crossed many things off my list.
If you want to read the first three chapters of Live Your Story Promise, sign up for my monthly newsletter and you can download a PDF.
Secrets to Productivity
You’ve had a busy start to 2021, with Book 4 of the Beautiful Lives series released recently and Book 5 due out soon, along with your latest nonfiction book. What’s the secret to your productivity? Do you have any tips you can share with us?
To be honest, I haven’t been as productive as it seems! My last book was out in 2016 so I’ve had quite a gap between books. I’m just catching up really. Last year, Covid threw me a little at first and I actually slowed up and became a bit stuck. During the second half of the year, I got myself together and decided to finish all that I’d started.
The best tip I can give is to never stop writing, even when you feel stuck or motivation seems to have disappeared. I kept writing little bits here and there and all of a sudden I had enough to publish.
Even writing for fifteen minutes a day for two hundred days of the year at about two hundred words each session will add up to about forty thousand words. If you also include a few long days of writing, a retreat, and a few ‘shut up and write’ sessions here and there, you could easily write double that in a year.
Maths was never my strong point at school, but numbers are helpful when quantifying your achievement or setting goals.
COVID, Travel and Reframing
You and your husband Steve have done a lot of travel over the years. Can you tell us a bit about the work you’ve done overseas? How has life changed for you since COVID-19?
Travel has been one of the great joys and inspirations of my life. My husband Steve is a landscape photographer and we travel often for his work. I also attend an annual writing retreat in Tuscany. One year, I completed summer school at Oxford University (A definite List item!)
We have also had opportunities to speak in the USA. We spoke at TEDx UC Davis in San Francisco in 2014 and at events in New York, Seattle, and LA.
I’ve been to Antarctica and to the top of the world to Lapland, with many other places in between.
When COVID-19 hit we had four months of travel planned. I was supposed to be running a writer’s retreat in France. Steve was supposed to be working in the Dolomites in Italy. We were also visiting our son and his wife in London and travelling with them to Paris and Ireland. Then, we were going to the US to attend a poetry festival and catch up with friends. Cancelling four months of travel was hard.
However, we defaulted to our principle of living an adventurous life and had very, very small local adventures. We went on bush walks, rode our mountain bikes, and took part in Zooms with people around the world. This year, we’ve travelled within our state and had some lovely experiences.
We’re grateful we live in Australia where we have avoided the devastating effects of COVID-19 on a big scale.
Lockdown taught us that adventure is a state of mind. That is where books come in. You can travel the world and be exposed to many experiences just by reading.
An Encouraging Word
If you could leave us with one word of encouragement for this year, what would it be?
One day, Covid-19 will become a memory and we will talk about the days when we were stuck at home and separated from loved ones.
We will talk about how we learned new lessons.
We will talk about how we made home and people our priority.
We will talk about the simplicity of a reduced life.
We will talk about what uncertainty taught us about faith.
We will talk about the ways God spoke to us when we were forced to live quietly.
One day, we will be thankful for the lessons learned. One day.
Book Giveaways
What a great note to finish on. Thanks so much for sharing with us today, Elaine.
Elaine has kindly made available two prize packs for two lucky readers. Prize pack #1 includes copies of ‘Beautiful’ and ‘Too Beautiful’. Prize pack #2 includes the latest two books in the Beautiful Lives series: ‘Scarlett Love’ and ‘Finding Joy’.
In order to enter the draw for the prizes, just add a comment below by midnight on Sunday 18 April 2021 (Australian Eastern Standard Time). In your comment, please specify which prize pack you would prefer. The winners will be chosen at random from the eligible comments, and their names will be published in the comments section of this blog post, in my next newsletter and on the Nola Lorraine Facebook page. As the prizes are print books, this giveaway is only available for those with an Australian postal address. For complete terms and conditions, click here.
Author Bio
Elaine realised she wanted to be a writer at ten years of age when the words flew off the page during a creative writing lesson.
She studied English and Education at university and went on to spend many years as a high school English teacher, teaching others how to write.
In 2005, Elaine took the plunge and began writing full-time. Since then she has published six books, with two more being released in 2021. She also blogs at www.elainefraser.co.
Elaine’s passion is to write about real issues with a spiritual edge.
When she’s not travelling the world in search of quirky bookstores or attending writing retreats in exotic locations, or volunteering overseas, she can be found in the Perth hills sitting in her library—writing, reading, and mentoring writers.
Connect with Elaine
Website: www.elainefraser.co
Link for PDF of first three chapters from Live Your Life Story: https://mailchi.mp/2505599890fc/l0sqmjc0je
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElaineFraserBeautifulBooks
Buy Elaine's Books
Elaine’s books can be bought via her website, through Novella Distribution, and through Koorong.
Photo Credits
The featured photo was taken in Finland and the beach photo was taken in the Cocos Islands. Both were taken by landscape photographer Steve Fraser. You can see more of Steve’s work at http://stevefraser.co
30 Responses
Really enjoyed reading about your writing and your life, Elaine–thank you for sharing your story here. I love your points at the end in particular re how we will look back one day and realise the lessons we learnt during COVID. God bless and encourage you, as you release your next three books!
Thank you, Jo-Anne. You’re always so kind and encouraging. Xx❤️
Forgot to say I would choose Prize Pack 1, if my name is drawn–but it’s a hard choice!
I think I would like pack 2. Right now I am dealing with things that would have put on a list. One of them will never happen but I realise God had a different plan for me. I have to look for that. I actually started writing a story based on the loss of being able to have children. I had a hysterectomy late last year.
Thank you for sharing, Melanie. I’m so sorry to hear of your surgery. That’s a huge grief to bear. 😢
Sending prayers and love. Xxx
What an interesting journey you’ve had! A great read, thanks Nola and Elaine.
Thank you for reading, Janelle. 😊
Thank you, Elaine and Nola for this interesting interview. I found it especially interesting as I often thought in my teenage years – a long time ago now – that I was the only one experiencing certain trials. Then I came to realise many others were also experiencing trials. I was also interested because we lived in Western Australia for two and a half years, in Narrogin. We did enjoy our time there. My husband and I have also been involved in ministries of help here and overseas, especially in Indonesia and the Philippines. We have our own foundation that presently assists underprivileged children and others in the Philippines. We have been especially called on for help there during COVID.
I would love Pack #1 for myself, but as we have three teenage and early 20s granddaughters, I would ask for Pack #2 to give to them.
Thank you again and God bless your ministries.
Wow, Heather! You’ve had an interesting life journey! Thank you reading and joining the conversation. 😊
I love The List! It’s interesting how the content becomes more valuable further into its creation. I’m going to do this, thank you.
I’d love to receive book pack 1 for a personal read and then to add to my school library.
Thank you for sharing in this interview.
The List is an interesting exercise. You can divide it into categories as well–contribution to others, spiritual goals, health goals etc.
Thanks for joining the conversation, Kylie. 😊
Thanks Nola for your invitation to Elaine to tell us about her journey. My favourite part of your interview Elaine, was ‘when you cross off one thing from your 100 list ADD another, that way you never feel your life is over’. Brilliant advice!!
I’d be happy with either pack….
Thanks for reading and joining in, Dianne! 😊
What a lovely interview Nola and Elaine. I’m so amazed at how many books you’ve published Elaine. Love your passion to write and your passion to help other writers. Love hearing of the adventurous lifestyle you and your husband lead. Your new book sounds exciting and that will be something different since your other books are fiction. Well done for using the covid year to be productive in spite of the challenges. Pack 2 would be great! Thank you. Keep writing and beautiful YOU!
I love this, just what I needed to read. Thank you for always encouraging others.
Pack one would be lovely.
Thanks for commenting, Tracey. Elaine had a lot of positive things to say.
Thank you, Tracey. I’m glad you got something out of the post. 😊
Thank you lovely Anusha! It’s always a joy to receive your encouragement. xx❤️❤️
Thanks so much for sharing. What an adventurous life you have led. We were hoping to start our travel adventures last year but alas! I would be happy with either pack. But #2 since its your latest books.
Covid-19 was certainly an interruption to travel! Micro adventures in our own areas will have to suffice for a while. One day we’ll all be able to travel again. 🙏🙏🙏😊
What a lovely interview Nola. Elaine, you are such an inspiration. Oh, how I wish as a tweener & teenager I had your books to help me through such a lot of struggles. Just think how many girls – now young women – you have steered into more fruitful lives! You have a real insight into the mindset of this group. Also Congratulations on keeping on with your writing. I have bitter-sweet memories of life during Covid. It was a time when I could give complete loving care to my husband before he went to be with the Lord. And I treasure that. Many others are more deserving but should I happen to be chosen, I’d love to give books #2 to a family of girls who I know would be thrilled to receive them. God bless you
Thank you so much for joining in the conversation, Rita. Thank you for your beautiful encouragement. ❤️
Big hugs to you as you reflect on those bitter-sweet memories of the last year. God bless you and keep you as you navigate this next season of life without your beloved. xxx 🙏🙏🙏🙏
Thank you for this wonderful post Elaine and Nola. Gently encouraging ♡ I am now planning to begin my list of 100 things. I’d be happy with either pack, and if I’m not successful, I’ll probably snap up the lot from Koorong. Thank you again, this blog post is absolutely inspiring.
God bless ♡
Thank you so much, Josephine. I hope you enjoy planning your 100 things!
God bless you. xx ❤️🙏
It was lovely to read about your background, and your journey from where you started to where you are today. I too love to travel, and also have a passionate heart about real life issues with a spiritual edge. Your winter photo (above) is really lovely (great shot Steve – as always).
If fortunate to be chosen for a book pack, I would like pack 2.
Thank you for joining in, Barbara. Your encouragement is always appreciated! I’d love to give you some books if we met in person. We don’t live far away and I’m sure it could be arranged! xx❤️❤️❤️
Thank you to everyone who commented on the blog. Entries to the giveaway are now closed and the results of the random draws are as follows. The winner of Pack 1 (Beautiful and Too Beautiful) is Josephine from NSW. The winner of Pack 2 (Finding Joy and Scarlett Love) is Leisa from Queensland. I know you’ll enjoy the books. And thank you to Elaine for her generosity in making these prizes available.
Obviously I’m not commenting to win a book as I’m only ready this now in 2022!
I just wanted to say that I love the way in which Elaine writes and I will be ordering one of her books for my teenage granddaughter whom has been raised with atheist parents. I love Elaine’s outlook, her positivity and her passion.
God’s best to you this coming year.
I’m excited to continue with my own writing journey and I’m so grateful to God that we have connected xoxo
Thanks for that, Liisa. It’s never too late to comment. I’m glad you’ve appreciated Elaine’s books. She certainly does have a positive message. May God bless your writing journey. Take care
Hi Lisa, thank you for your kind comments.
I love your positive attitude and outlook as well. I’m looking forward to seeing more of your writing! ❤️