Frequently Asked Questions

Hello! I love that you have questions and I hope I've answered them below.

1. Is this a true story?

No. It's fiction—intended to entertain you. But it is historical in its origins. I call it historical fiction. Indigo's Key is an action-adventure historical fiction novel. The Templar Knights are real, the Kings and Queens, Popes and assassins mentioned are real and their deeds are well documented in the history books. Rosslyn Chapel, the Chartres Cathedral, The Church of Resurrection and the Gothic bank's Cathedral Room are places you can visit. The clues and the puzzles, karate moves and languages are real. There's much to learn about the world though experiencing it for your self, and through reading books and doing research online and in libraries across the world. However, the story is pure entertainment to take you on a journey with Indigo as she learns about the world, and its people—just as you are doing right now.

2. How long did it take to write it?

The idea started at the end of 2015 when I was living and working in Los Angeles and attending the American Film Market. I met a man from Jerusalem who wished there were more stories, from and around the world, that were filmed in his city. I told him, I wished the same for my beautiful city, Melbourne. As I went to get lunch that day—I realised I had a story in my heart that I'd always wanted to tell about a seriously cool kid who went on an adventurous quest, on her own, around the world or wherever the clues took her, to find her true path in life. I knew it would start in Melbourne, and probably end in Jerusalem. That summer back in Australia, I couldn't stop thinking about Indigo and Templar Knights. As a daughter and grand daughter of Freemasons I grew up believing friendship was the most important way to understand the world and its people—so I guess, it took a few decades to create the story, and a chance encounter in Santa Monica at the end of 2015, plus four months of full time research and mapping out the plot points and clues, and finally, another two years to write and re-write, and re-write again to polish it ready for publishing. It is my first novel, so I was writing the story, but also learning and experimenting with how to best tell that story in the form of a novel. I hope the second book doesn't take as long to write!

3. Will there be a sequel?

If enough people love the book enough to recommend it to their friends and the book sales tell me that people want to read more of Indigo's adventures—then a second and third book are possible. I have mapped out three books in this series—should there be enough interest from readers.

4. What is your writing process?

I'm a writer who likes to plan well and think, and think and think some more, and map out the story beats and clues from start to end. Then I start to fill out the story beats with snippits of dialogue and images that are important to capture as they come to me. It doesn't happen from the start middle and end in a straight line—it happens more like fragments of dreams of each sequence and then I write it down and eventually start to flesh out the in between bits until I have a full script. Then, I only ever read and re-write it from start to end, without stopping. Finally, I polish the language, dialogue, descriptions, and make sure my grammar and punctuation tell the reader exactly what I want to express. Finally, friends and editors get to read it and let me know where it might be confusing, too long, too short, boring or funny and I take on board the feedback to consider how I have expressed the story to others and make my intentions clear.

5. Where did you write the book?

Mostly, I wrote it at my desk at home, and in the public libraries in my area. I'm lucky to live in Hobsons Bay which has well lit, comfortable and friendly libraries in Altona, Altona Meadows, Newport, and Williamstown, and I wrote in every one of them. I also caught the train into the State Library of Victoria in the city and wrote under the dome in the Reading Room, for atmosphere and inspiration. It's inspiring to write a book, surrounded by books. Occasionally, I took my laptop to a local cafe—but to be honest—I wasn't very productive in these sessions.