Chris Johnson's Blog

October 29, 2025

How to Thank Your Favourite Authors (Without Spending a Cent)

The other day, someone told me they’d read my supernatural thriller. But here’s the twist—they hadn’t bought it. A workmate had lent them their copy of While He Was Sleeping.

Now, some authors might whinge at the idea of a shared book rather than a sale, but honestly? It made my day. Not just because they read it, but because they loved it enough to track me down and say so. Even better, they wanted to know what else I’d written.

Moments like this remind me that writing isn’t just about sales—it’s about readers, connection, and stories that stick with people. And while buying books is a great way to support authors, there are plenty of ways to say thanks that don’t cost a cent.

Read more on my site: www.larrikinbooks.com.
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Published on October 29, 2025 20:58

April 17, 2025

New Release on Pre-order

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Sci-Fi Adventure The Legacy Unwritten Explores Time Travel, Mystery, and Historical Intrigue

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – ‘The Legacy Unwritten’, the latest installment in the ChronoSpace series, is set to launch on May 2, 2025, delivering a high-stakes, time-bending adventure filled with action, historical mysteries, and unexpected twists.

Written by Chris Johnson, an author known for blending fast-paced sci-fi with history and light urban fantasy, The Legacy Unwritten follows time traveller Tony Nowlan as he faces the perils of history, facing legendary figures, secret cults, and the consequences of rewriting time itself.

“This book is about more than just time travel,” says Chris Johnson. “It’s about the legacy we leave behind, the choices that shape history, and the personal cost of changing fate. Plus, there’s some historical mischief along the way.”

Perfect for fans of Doctor Who, The Time Traveler’s Wife, and Outlander, ‘The Legacy Unwritten’ brings historical settings to life while delivering a thrilling sci-fi mystery.

About the Author

Chris Johnson is an Australian sci-fi author with a passion for time travel, history, and adventure. His ChronoSpace series has been praised for its engaging storytelling, witty dialogue, and seamless blend of speculative fiction and real-world history.

Availability

The Legacy Unwritten will be available on Amazon, Kobo, Apple, Barnes & Noble, and his website. For review copies, interviews, or more information, contact at larrikinbooks (dot) com.
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Published on April 17, 2025 03:59 Tags: new-release, sci-fi, time-travel

April 15, 2025

New Website

G’day, folks —

Quick update: I’ve just launched my official Payhip store, where you can now buy all my books directly from me—including thrillers with a sci-fi twist, time travel adventures, and a touch of the supernatural.

Here’s the link: https://payhip.com/chrisjohnsonauthor

Buying direct means:

You support me more directly (Payhip takes a smaller cut than the big retailers)

You get the same great ePub/Mobi/PDF files

Plus the occasional exclusive deal or early release I’ll share there before it hits the usual platforms

I’d love it if you dropped by. Even just bookmarking the page or sharing it with a friend helps more than you know.

Thanks for reading—and for being part of the wild ride.

—Chris
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Published on April 15, 2025 01:32 Tags: australian-author, bookstore, direct-sales, ebooks, indie-author, payhip, sci-fi, thrillers, time-travel

January 8, 2023

Call Me: the Story Behind The Story

One of my first published stories is dedicated to someone I never knew.

A lady called Hannah.

That's all I know about her. I've never seen the way she walks, so I don't know how many men's furtive glances she attracts while grocery shopping. Nor have I seen the light dancing from her eyes.

Only her voice drifts through my memory, and the shock and fear that tinged it when she mistakenly dialled my number on that October afternoon in 2002.

I was three weeks into a new in-between clerical job at a mortgage broker company in Perth when my phone rang.

Looking around to make sure no one was watching me talking on work time, I rolled my chair close to the window, and answered the unfamiliar number. And hoped it wasn't a debt collector.

"Hello?"

Honey-sweet aural ambrosia flowed into my ear. A bewitching voice filled with the kind of feminine vulnerability that could inspire a war as she sobbed, then stammered: "I've had an accident."

She should've been talking to someone she knew and trusted. Not a stranger. Not me.

"You have the wrong number."

"Wait!"

I stopped from hanging up. "Yes?"

"I've called the ambulance. But I -"

Then I recognised her voice. The sound of someone who needs a kind caring ear.

"Sure. Let's talk."

So I listened to her. We talked. She said she was on the Stirling Highway -- not that far from my office. She had swerved to avoid a car that had braked suddenly. Hit a guard rail or something. She was in shock. We talked until help arrived for her.

I never heard from her again, until my phone beeped a couple of months later.

"Merry Christmas from Hannah. You probably don't remember me, but you answered my wrong number call from a traffic accident. Thank you for listening."

On New Year's Eve 2002, while waiting for the witching hour, I started writing "Call Me", the opening scene inspired by the mysterious woman and her call to a wrong number in an hour of need. I kept putting it off before finally finishing it in 2008.

But it remains a favourite of mine because I learned something.

People won't always recall our names, but they will always remember how we made them feel. 

To read more of her story, it's the first in Twelve Strokes of Midnight.

Read it here at: https://payhip.com/b/kjZc

You can subscribe to my newsletter at: https://www.subscribepage.com/chrisjohnsonwrites

Twelve Strokes of Midnight

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Published on January 08, 2023 13:24 Tags: background-story, supernatural, suspense, thriller

April 28, 2020

Ian Lomond -- Australian Crime Writer

Living in Sydney, Ian writes about places he knows, and crimes and stories that we can imagine on the front page murder, corruption, greed and lies. His career has focused on technology and change, where over a decade working for NSW Police and the Justice sector allows him to expertly weave in and share a perspective readers dont often get.
With more ideas than time, Ians words are wrestled to the page, beaten into submission, and always in need of interrogation.



Privacy. Is it worth...
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Published on April 28, 2020 22:18

February 9, 2020

Champagne Charlie and the Amazing Gladys - Interview with BG Hilton

It's not everyday one meets an author like BG Hilton, so when the fates crossed our paths, I'm glad I had the opportunity. BG has also had a varied career over the years. For all I know, we may have crossed paths in IT.

BG Hilton is an Australian speculative fiction author. Over the years, he has worked in IT, finance, advertising and hospitality, doing jobs so tedious that his only escape was entertaining himself with crazy fantasy stories. Now he has a more interesting life in the education...
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Published on February 09, 2020 21:25

January 16, 2020

Read the Paperback... Before Everyone Else

My latest novel, "While He Was Sleeping" is due to release on the Ides of March -- 15th March, 2020.

And you have the chance to READ THE PAPERBACK before the masses.

From the 3rd February, 2020, I will be taking advance orders and sending off the bulk request to my printer on the 7th February.

BUT this is an exclusive offer for my Newsletter Subscribers who I will tell more on the 1st February.

If you're not a newsletter subscriber, here's your chance to see more behind-the-scenes ramblings and...
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Published on January 16, 2020 12:58

January 7, 2020

While He Was Sleeping - Coming Soon

Fresh from its nest, a juvenile magpie danced on my front footpath under its mother's watchful eye as she sat on my fence. A cup of green tea beside me, my pen danced across my notebook in which I have kept my ideas since brainstorming Demon Blade.
I remembered other books I had written or had planned to write. There were about seven in total I had written in high school. One is a series of five I actually finished. I'm toying with the idea of rewriting it and refreshing it for modern times....
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Published on January 07, 2020 21:43

December 18, 2019

MG Ryan - Australian Author of the Vampire Hunter Prophecy Series

M. G. Ryan is the author of the Urban Fantasy series – ‘The Vampire Hunter Prophecy’.  ‘From Dusk’, the first book in the series, is now followed by the sequel ‘To Dawn’.

M. G. Ryan has enjoyed writing in different forms, including short stories and poetry.  She enjoys the freedom that writing offers, with all first drafts written in free hand .  It was after an inspirational trip to Scotland, that she came up with the concept for ‘The Vampire Hunter Prophecy’ and started taking...
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Published on December 18, 2019 12:27

December 12, 2019

DL Richardson Unleashed: A Look Behind the Scenes

D L Richardson is one of the first friends I made online as a writer. She asked my opinion of one of her books, a sci-fi apocalyptic novel called Welcome to the Apocalypse. If you haven't read it, treat yourself to it.

Even as a psychic entertainer, I never dreamed I would one day interview her about her work.

D L Richardson is the best selling author of science fiction and supernatural fiction. Her books have received starred reviews in Readers Favorite, Chick-Lit Cafe, and BestThrillers.com....
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Published on December 12, 2019 11:00