Interview with Raymond Boyd Dunn

Published 2014-04-01.
Where did you grow up?
I am a Queenslander, and proud of it. I was born in the small Burnett Valley town of Monto shortly after the first buildings were erected.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
I have retired, and have plenty of spare time, therefore I spend a great deal of time churning out Indie ebooks .
When I run out of ideas for a story, which is often, I...
1. Watch and listen to DVDs; mainly André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra.
2. Read Indie ebooks.
3. Learn a language.
4. Mow the lawn.
5. Take a nanny nap.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
It was in about Grade Four at a small country primary school. As part of English the class was writing a story, and each week a new chapter had to be written, the best effort by a pupil being rewarded by being included as the next chapter in a story which had no preconceived plot. As an eight-year-old I was very proud to have my effort included once.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
It was in 1938 at the small country school mentioned. I had inherited a passion for cricket from my father, and the book 'The Twelfth Man' was given to me at the end of the year as a school prize. I don't remember the name of the author.
How do you approach cover design?
With great difficulty! Against all good advice I opt for a cheap $5 one.
What is your e-reading device of choice?
A Kindle.
Describe your desk
Tidy...untidy...then tidy again...and so on.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
In a small country town, and it didn't.
When did you first start writing?
Upon retirement. An autobiography for my grandchildren gave me a thirst for writing, and a visit to Cooktown in North Queensland, where I learnt of the Palmer River goldrush led me to write my first novel 'Palmer Gold.'
What's the story behind your latest book?
The story of Burke and Wills and the 'Dig' tree.
What motivated you to become an indie author?
I'd written three novels when someone suggested I should publish them on the Internet. I didn't know how to do so until someone suggested Smashwords, and as it was free, I had nothing to lose. The rest, as they say, is history.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
To be able to say: "I wrote that."
What do your fans mean to you?
What fans?
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
The fact that I woke up!
How do you discover the ebooks you read?
Search for the genre I'm interested in.
What is your writing process?
Sit down and start.
Smashwords Interviews are created by the profiled author or publisher.

Latest books by This Author

Jessie James - Lady Bushranger
Series: Outlaws of Australia. Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 32,130. Language: English. Published: October 23, 2014 . Categories: Fiction » Historical » Australia & New Zealand, Fiction » Adventure » Action
You share the emotions of a teenager as she frees herself from her present life of drudgery, and becomes a bushranger, because she yearns for a new, adventurous lifestyle.
The Vintage Years
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 57,150. Language: English. Published: August 7, 2014 . Categories: Fiction » Plays & Screenplays » Asian
When Lew and Barbara Chiverton-Jones, on their honeymoon, board the passenger train service from Geelong to Melbourne, little do they realise that a man they are about to meet will have an impact upon their lives. Although they will never meet the man again, the few hours they are spending in his company will plant the seeds of a splendid idea.
Burke and Wills
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 14,550. Language: English. Published: March 1, 2014 . Categories: Fiction » Historical » Australia & New Zealand, Fiction » Adventure » Men’s adventure
It was an expedition, comprehensively equipped like no other exploratory party before it or since. Despite achieving its objective of crossing the vast Australian continent from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria, it ended in tragedy. It was plagued by poor decision making, harsh conditions and bad luck. The story is a tribute to brave men exploring the unknown. It is the story of the Dig Tree.
Death on the Valley Rattler
Series: Maxwell Marlowe, Private Eye, Book 8. Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 20,230. Language: English. Published: January 2, 2014 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Hard-Boiled
The Mary Valley Rattler (or ‘The Valley Rattler’), is a tourist train which runs through the Mary River Valley in Queensland, from Gympie to the small country town of Imbil. It is a restored C17 class, steam locomotive which originally ran in the early 1920s. The tour is conducted by the Mary Valley Heritage Railway. This is the story of a mysterious death on an adventure tour on the train.
The Destiny of Darkie Dixon
Series: Outlaws of Australia, Book 7. Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 21,500. Language: English. Published: December 7, 2013 . Categories: Fiction » Historical » Australia & New Zealand, Fiction » Adventure » Action
Destiny, that amorphous but inevitable fate over which some say we have no control, was to deal unkindly with Darkie Dixon. That was not the name he was born with. It was not even a dignified Christian name. There was no way of knowing the identity which was bestowed upon him at birth! This is the story of his life ─ how his destiny was fulfilled.
Buckley's Chance
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 15,850. Language: English. Published: October 18, 2013 . Categories: Fiction » Historical » Australia & New Zealand, Fiction » Plays & Screenplays » European
In the Australian vernacular “you’ve got Buckley’s Chance” or “you’ve got Buckley’s” means “you have no chance”, or “it’s nearly impossible”; despite the eventual outcome of his adventure, the phrase is believed to refer to the improbable survival of an escaped convict, William Buckley, who lived among the Aborigines of Victoria, Australia, for thirty-two years, before returning to civilization.
Maxwell Marlowe, Private Eye...Blackmail in Paradise
Series: Maxwell Marlowe, Private Eye, Book 7. Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 22,150. Language: English. Published: August 14, 2013 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Hard-Boiled, Fiction » Humor & comedy » General
Max has to deal with a woman who is being blackmailed over raunchy photographs taken years before, but won’t go to the Police to report it. She would rather pay up and hope the villain would honour his word…Some hope! While dealing with this, Max has to attend a wedding and a funeral.
The Bully
Price: Free! Words: 1,050. Language: English. Published: July 15, 2013 . Categories: Essay » Sociology
A timid boy's problem, being bullied after school on his way home. Too ashamed to tell anyone, and not big enough to defend himself, he tries to keep it a secret.
The Adventures of Ben Hall, Bushranger
Series: Outlaws of Australia, Book 5. Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 21,000. Language: English. Published: July 11, 2013 . Categories: Fiction » Historical » Australia & New Zealand
Before Ned Kelly, the infamous Australian bushranger, there was Ben Hall. In fact, it is thought by numerous people that many of Ben Hall’s exploits were copied by Ned. Hall operated in New South Wales, and his daring escapades earned him the title of ‘Brave Ben Hall’, making him a part of Australian folklore.
Outlaws of the Australian Bush
Series: Outlaws of Australia, Book 6. Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 166,950. Language: English. Published: June 19, 2013 . Categories: Fiction » Adventure » Action, Fiction » Historical » Australia & New Zealand
The Bushranger...the outlaw of the Australian Bush. The young men of the late 19th century, living outside the law, who found adventure on the back of a fast horse; an adventure fraught with danger; and the likelihood of finishing on the end of a rope. A compilation of 1.Bushranger 2. Birth of a Bushranger 3. Millie and the Bushranger 4. Bushranger's Gold 5. Adventures of Ben Hall 7. Darkie Dixon
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