Fiona Tarr's Blog

I had so much fun!

I'll be back in far north Queensland next winter, but I'll also be doing more library tours in 2026. It was fabulous to meet readers and I was very surprised to see a full house in Yeppoon at my last event. 

The team at Livingstone (Yeppoon) Library are already talking about finding a larger event for next year and I'll be speaking with other regional libraries in the area to plan next years tour. 

This year has been all about dipping my toe in the various types of events, including book and writers fairs and I've decided I really enjoy library visits the best. 

If you'd like me to visit your library in 2026 or beyond, then please pass on my website contact details to your local library and ask them to touch base with me. I've already agreed to visit the Riverland in SA.

This area is near and dear to my heart because my family are from the area. I'll definitely be making time to get there in 2026. If you are near Berri etc and want me to visit, let me know. 

While traveling, I dabbled in my favourite watersports, but I also did some research for future novels. A visit to the Rubyvale Gemfields sparked an idea for a Dawn Grave book. A day trip to Thursday Island got my mind working on another story, featuring Dawn and Clint flying in to the Cape York airport (which I took photos of just in case). 

There were so many ideas rolling around my head, I just wanted to get started, but I need to finish writing Her Stowed Bones first. This book is due out before Christmas, so keep an eye out for updates as I get writing. 

The best ways to stay up to date with all my news is to either following me on Facebook or join my exclusive readers club. 

Readers club members get a few welcome gifts, so if reading emails is your thing, jump in and join the club. 

For now, here are a few highlights from the trip. You'll find more on Facebook and Instagram. 

I'm currently escaping the cold and scoping out new locations for my books in Tropical Queensland. To follow my trip, join me on Facebook or sign up for my readers club.

Along the way, I'll be stopping off at various libraries to talk about my books, my writing life and doing my bit to support regional libraries and remote communities.

During my travels, I've met the team at the Livingstone Library in Yeppoon and they've added Yeppoon to this years tour, but we're putting plans in place to visit more libraries in the region next year. 

For now, the schedule is set:

Mossman Library - 9th July @11.30am

Cooktown Library - 30th July @10.30am

Yeppoon Library - 15th August @6pm - bookings

These are all free events, but bookings are essential for the Yeppoon event or you might not get a glass of bubbles :) I hope to see you there. 

The Opal Fields story arc was for 6 books. That was the plan. So what's changed?

It seems readers weren't entirely happy for me to leave the outback opal mining town and take Jenny to the small city of Adelaide in urban South Australia. Anyone who has read the Foxy Mysteries series knows it has to happen. There's just no way around it. 

But readers wanted more. Meaning I needed to come up with a way to keep the series going, but make sure it didn't fall flat. This was tricky, considering the reason Jenny became a cop and went to the outback was to solve a family mystery. And that story was done and dusted.

It took me a few months to develop a new story arc. Which was a blessing in disguise, because it taking the series to 9 books, I've been given the opportunity to prepare readers for the future...

Book 7 - Her Lost Bones will release on the 31st May. Preorders are up, and ticking along nicely, but I have to admit I dropped the ball when I stopped at 6 books. 

Her Covered Bones launched with over 1700 pre-orders. We aren't going to get there with Her Lost Bones but I'm looking forward to getting the final books out to readers and laying down the foundation for book 1 in a brand new series. 

It's this new series starter that will answer the Nick question. If you don't know what the Nick question is, you better get reading...

Maybe start with the new boxed set of the first 3 books in the series - releasing on the 1st June.

If you're already up to date on the series, and haven't yet preordered your copy of Her Lost Bones, then click the link below to guarantee you get your hands on it the day it releases. 

 

My recent travels across Australia presented an opportunity for my first dabble into the library and bookshop tour scene. Like all new things, the learning curve was steep.

It was lovely meet the RFDS volunteers in Goolwa - Steph, Wendy and Duncan were very welcoming and I hope the full set of Opal Fields books raises a huge sum for this worthy charity. 

While in South Australia, I called into Baile Books to meet Caitlin who runs this beautiful little preloved bookshop in Strathalbyn. I'll be looking to add this as a stop on my next book tour. The setting and facilities are ideal for a garden party style event.
On the way back to Queensland, we (George and I) stopped off in Balranald, right on the Murrumbidgee River. It was stinking hot, but the town turned out to welcome me at the library and I had some fabulous questions thrown my way—including one from a reader who couldn't make the event. I think it was Kate who asked if Nick was going to get his own series. 

I'll have to ponder that one... A bit tricky when I write strong female leads, but you never know.

I can't thanks to the town's librarian Janaya enough. Janaya is doing a wonderful job of connecting the Balranald community. This little library is so much more than a building full of books. The youth have a safe place to hang out and do homework after school and the mature residents are given every opportunity to connect with one another through the various events Janaya is working so hard to bring to the town. 

Keep up the good worth Janaya and I hope you'll have me back again in the future. 
My final appearance was after a shot stop off at home. I've just gotten home from Port Macquarie where I met Leanne and Kia, along with her mum Chris and one of my ARC team Trevor. The turn out for this event was fantastic and I'm so honoured to have met some lovely readers and answered questions for a few new ones.
All up, the tour was small, but so much fun and I'm going to be far more organised next time. There were quite a few libraries I couldn't fit in on this trip, so I'll be touching base with them well in advance next time I'm ready to tour.

It's always fantastic to be asked to speak at events, but even more so when the audience is full of eager writers.

The Helensvale Writers Group is made up of authors at all stages of their publishing journey and it was a privilege to meet and chat with those who attended.

We covered everything from creative writing techniques for "unputdownable" novels, right through to tips on staying disciplined, finding advanced readers and gaining those sought after reviews. 

It was lovely to see the group fostering writers with regular short story competitions and awards.

Great fun event. Lovely energy and perfectly hosted by true crime journalist and author Megan Norris and group Chair Grahame Moore.

My first journey into the world of audiobooks has been a huge learning curve and a big eye opener. 

Wow! So much time and effort goes into the production of one audiobook. I now understand why they sell for the price they do. 

Courtney has been great, and trying very hard to get the last of the audiobooks in the Opal Fields series out to everyone by late this early, early next year. 

I'm aware that is nothing like the 6 month release period we first anticipated, but like me—although Courtney has done a lot of audio work, she was new to audiobooks and we were both on the same steep learning curve. 

Thankfully - books 1-3 are out now. With 4-5 likely due before December and 6 in the new year. 

Her Scorched Bones is in review still, but should be going wide to all the usual steaming services and library apps very soon. 

Thanks for your patience and I hope you take the time to review the books if you listen to them on audio. They are also available to purchase here, on my website, just click the button below.

 

New Website Launched:

I secured my name for a new website quite some time ago, but it has taken me a while – between books and promotions – to find the time to get this new website up and going.

I think you’ll find fionatarr.com neat, clean and easy to navigate. But another great feature is you can buy paperbacks, and soon my audiobooks online, directly from me through the shop on the website.

Take a look at the site and use the new contact page there to let me know what you think. This website will be redirected there soon.

I've always wanted to write a prequel novella that I could give to my readers as a thank you gift. 

Up until now, I've just never had the right series, or lead character to offer it with... Until Dawn Grave. 

Dawn's story is dark and full of personal trauma. Trauma that I didn't want to overwhelm readers with in book 1 - Grave Regret.

Although we touch on it for the story in book 1, I knew I could go deeper...

So Grave Doubt was born. It's off with my beta team right now and once edited will go out free to everyone who has joined my readers club in the past or future. 

Join the club now to guarantee your copy of Grave Doubt - due out late May.

The launch for this last (for now) book in the Opal Fields series - Her Covered Bones was fabulous.

With over 1700 pre-orders, this sixth instalment exceeded expectations and I wanted to thank each and every reader who purchased a copy before launch, and since. 

With such great numbers in the first week, we reached #1 in the Amazon Australian store in more than one sub-genre and reached the top 25 in the entire store.

This is the stuff of dreams and amazing for an indie author who not long ago was lucky to sell ten books a week, let alone over 2000 in a launch week.

As a thank you, I'm offering a prequel novella in the new Dawn Grave series to everyone who signs up to my email list. I'm in the final edits before it goes to my beta team, but as soon as it is done, you'll get your link to download, free, right to your inbox. 

If this is something you'd be keen to grab, then sign up here. You'll also get a bonus scene that didn't make it into Her Buried Bones because of a timeline mix up.

Grab your copy today.

I promised I’d get straight into writing the new Dawn Grave series and I’m very excited tell you book 1 – Grave Regret has just gone off to my Beta team for feedback.

The Beta team includes:

A former forensic scientist.

A former school principal who worked in an Aboriginal Community in Central South Australia.

An avid reader who is excellent at finding any timeline mishaps or plot holes.

An my husband, who picks up any of my clunky sentences, which thankfully he doesn’t find too often these days.

Here is the cover and blurb for Grave Regret – Due out in June or July

Bringing secrets to light can be dangerous…. keeping them buried might prove deadly.

Dawn Grave is a career detective with Major Crimes. But she’s holding on to a dark past – one that destroys relationships and wreaks havoc on her personal life.

For over twenty years, she’s tried to forget the horrors of her youth – while her sister has spent all that time digging for answers. Now a cryptic text message threatens to throw it all back into the light.

Dawn attempts to call her sister, but when Lisa can’t be reached, she knows something terrible has happened. But finding Lisa means returning to the remote tropical town in northern Australia where her nightmares all began.

Dawn is out of her jurisdiction, but nothing is going to stop her investigating her sister’s disappearance. When Lisa’s car is found abandoned and a body is retrieved from the water, she’s afraid her past has come back to haunt her.

When she’s called to ID the body, she realises, her search for the truth has only just begun…