Welcome to the 'Indie Author Life' show, hosted by indie author MG Hunt.
Here, we discuss creative journeys, trials and triumphs that indie authors face. Tune in to gain inspiration, learn practical strategies, and discover real-life stories shared from other indie authors navigating this world. Enjoy!
mghunt.substack.com (https://mghunt.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)
Enter the Indie Realm | Author Chat with Shannon Riley
Book shop owner (The Indie Realm, WA) and romantasy author, Shannon Riley is a presence in the West. There are lots of bookish things happening in Western Australia, and according to Shannon, it’s only getting started.
Shannon noted that one of the challenges facing the bookish scene in WA is the limited number of book related events. There are many reasons for this; logistical and financial at the heart of it. It can be costly to hold an event, even in Australia’s fourth largest city. The sheer size of the country is a barrier for a lot of people to travel too. From where I am in Melbourne, it is quicker for me to fly to Auckland, New Zealand (a whole different country!) than to get to Perth, the capital of the West.
But Shannon is confident there will be a continuous growth of book events, with the success of Wild Out West (WOW) being a positive sign.
Shannon made it clear that she writes and create stories purposefully, and for the pure joy of it. She states that she doesn’t (and can’t) write ‘crap’. She has to be in the mood to write, and write well, in order to tell her stories. If she’s not in the best headspace, the writing doesn’t happen.
There is something to take away from this mindset. Being gentle with yourself perhaps if the words aren’t coming out, it is ok, and encouraged, to take a step away from the writing desk/laptop.
Enjoy the episode!
Timestamps
00:00 introduction
00:45 Shannon’s Background
04:15 Not writing to fit tropes
05:12 Shannon’s daily life
10:27 The hardest vs. most enjoyable part of writing
19:46 Book Events (West Australian ones)
30:03 Why Shannon’s drawn to romantasy
41:57 Write for yourself, not what’s popular
46:00 Different drafting and editing processes
47:36 Follow Shannon Riley
Shannon Riley Links
* Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/shannonrileyauthor)
* Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22694169.Shannon_Riley)
* Tiktok (https://tr.ee/2tyozcGjqV)
* Amazon (https://www.amazon.com.au/stores/author/B0B9L7995J/about?_encoding=UTF8&ref_=aufs_ap_ahdr_dsk_aa&pd_rd_w=BqhE6&content-id=amzn1.sym.b4344408-bcb0-46d7-b9b0-ac31160009fa&pf_rd_p=b4344408-bcb0-46d7-b9b0-ac31160009fa&pf_rd_r=356-3343060-2395020&pd_rd_wg=IxHp9&pd_rd_r=f6349d10-eeef-470a-b76a-9af6241950b4)
* Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ShannonRileyAuthor?mibextid=LQQJ4d)
* The Indie Realm Perth (https://beacons.ai/theindierealm?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAcGRvZgJzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAaestnlP5xvOeDxW-0pIkg4z_Dg-FYfUjR5jiqzynVGgYn7w7KkNlbqQM6WTDA_aem_TdIouGe6O-Y0dtlmUzJlcw)
MG Hunt Links
* Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/mghunt.author)
* Threads (https://www.threads.com/@mghunt.author)
* Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/51228189.M_G_Hunt)
* TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@mghunt.author)
* Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/mghunt.author)
* Website (http://mghunt.com)
* Amazon (https://www.amazon.com.au/stores/MG-Hunt/author/B0DBQS869T)
Thanks for tuning in to the Indie Author Life show! If you’d like to support my work, my Ko‑Fi author shop (https://ko-fi.com/mghunt/) has signed copies of my books and a range of bookish goodies, including pins, bookmarks, and art prints.
Thanks for reading Indie Author Life! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mghunt.substack.com (https://mghunt.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
23 Sept 2026
The Darkness in the Flesh Book Launch
It is both daunting and special to share your book with other people.
Writing can often feel solitary. As authors, we are alone with our thoughts of character arcs, dialogs and visions of far off fantasy lands. We bring our thoughts together into one vessel (paperback, electronically, or otherwise), offering it to the world at large.
When we send our book out to the universe, it can also feel similarly solitary. Sometimes, it is a isolated celebration for releasing something so personal and precious - a little cheer from behind the screen as you post your announcement on social media. No matter how isolated it can feel, it is still a moment to cherish.
One can launch their book in many ways. This time, for my second full-length novel Darkness in the Flesh, I wanted an opportunity to launch it in both an intimate and inviting way. The Leaf Bookshop (https://leafbookshop.com.au), and all my wonderful friends and family, made that possible.
Enjoy this special episode of the Indie Author Life Show, where a recording of my book launch for Darkness in the Flesh is available for you to watch or listen.
If you are interested in grabbing a copy of Darkness in the Flesh, visit my online author shop (https://ko-fi.com/s/bde0a8f72d) on Ko-Fi.
Please note: This was filmed with my vlog camera, so I apologise if the audio and visual quality may be a bit hard to hear/see at times.
Thanks for reading Indie Author Life! This post is public so feel free to share it.
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
02:50 What Darkness in the Flesh is about
05:24 The writing experience for MG Hunt
08:47 Why I wanted to tell Gatira’s story
11:10 On writing powerful women
12:45 Romance in Darkness in the Flesh
16:39 Friendships and found family
18:56 Writing in first person
20:24 World-building process in MG Hunt’s books
24:20 Balancing life with writing
26:30 Why Identity is a big theme for Gatira’s story
27:48 Creation of the magik system
30:35 Looking at elemental magik heritage in book 2
31:36 Why MG Hunt writes young adult fantasy
33:40 What MG Hunt would like readers to take away from the book
34:34 Which fantasy author’s inspire MG Hunt
37:15 If I had to choose another genre
38:20 Plotter or pantser?
39:42 Movie or film casting
43:10 Audience QnA
MG Hunt’s Links:
* Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/mghunt.author)
* Threads (https://www.threads.com/@mghunt.author)
* Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/51228189.M_G_Hunt)
* TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@mghunt.author)
* Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/mghunt.author)
* Website (http://mghunt.com)
* Amazon (https://www.amazon.com.au/stores/MG-Hunt/author/B0DBQS869T)
Thanks for tuning in to the Indie Author Life show! If you’d like to support my work, my Ko‑Fi author shop (https://ko-fi.com/mghunt/) has signed copies of my books and a range of bookish goodies, including pins, bookmarks, and art prints.
Thanks for reading Indie Author Life! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mghunt.substack.com (https://mghunt.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
10 Sept 2026
A conversation with Isobelle Carmody and Olivia O’Flynn | Unbound Fantasy Event
Welcome to a special episode of the indie author life show!
This episode is a recording of my panel chat at Unbound Fantasy event, held on 27th August 2026. I was honoured to be on a panel with two fantastic authors: Olivia O’Flynn (https://www.oliviaoflynn.com) and Isobelle Carmody (https://isobellecarmody.net.au). We shared our thoughts on Fantasy writing, world building, magic and the publishing industry. I came to the chat with an indie author perspective, which was great to contrast against some of the opinions shared by Olivia and Isobelle who are both traditionally published.
I recorded both the video and audio on my own devices. The lighting was a little dark and I had limited filming spots, so the visuals may be a bit hard to see at times. However, the audio is still enjoyable, and I hope you can sit back, relax, and enjoy this special episode of the indie author life show.
Special thanks to: Em Meades, JMC Academy, Olivia O’Flynn and Isobelle Carmody.
Enjoy the episode!
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
01:17 Panel chat begins
02:25 Author introductions
05:28 What draws you to writing fantasy
14:27 What types of characters we like to write.
23:38 Spirituality informing writing practices
35:11 World-building of our stories
42:34 Question time
Isobelle Carmody Links:
* Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/isobellecarmody/)
* Website (https://isobellecarmody.net.au)
* Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/26878.Isobelle_Carmody)
* Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/isobellec)
* Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/u18489457)
Olivia O’Flynn Links:
* Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/oliviaoflynnauthor/)
* Website (https://www.oliviaoflynn.com)
* Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/53482175.Olivia_O_Flynn)
* TikTok (https://tiktok.com/@oliviaoflynnauthor)
MG Hunt’s Links:
* Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/mghunt.author)
* Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/51228189.M_G_Hunt)
* TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@mghunt.author)
* Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/mghunt.author)
* Website (http://mghunt.com)
Thank you so much for tuning in to the episode. I hope you enjoyed it! If you want to check out more indie author life episodes, check out our Substack or Youtube channel. Episodes are also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and many other similar distribution channels.
If you’d like to, please consider giving this episode a like, subscribe or consider following our social media accounts on TikTok and Instagram, @IndieAuthorLifeShow.
Finally, if you want to check out some of my books, you can find my fantasy novels over on my website which is mghunt.com (http://mghunt.com).
Take care, and see you in the next episode.
Thanks for reading Indie Author Life! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mghunt.substack.com (https://mghunt.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
Who has been a guest on Indie Author Life
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Morgana Sandpiper
Nicole Rowles
EM Greville
Emma Mugglestone
Melissa J Kincaid
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
22,323
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Podcast Authority Score: 21 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
14
Social presence
0
YouTube
72
Engagement
0
Contact Indie Author Life
Guest appearances
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