Hills Author Peter Osterlund Thrives in His Own Orbit

If you haven’t heard of Peter Osterlund, chances are you or your family will soon be seeing and hearing more about this very creative Hills author. The 24-year-old has been out and about signing copies of his first published book, Lost Orbit, at the Alfie & Noa store at Castle Towers.

From the first impression, it seems Hills residents can’t get enough of their local author, with Peter signing hundreds of copies of Lost Orbit already.

The book, self-published in June 2024, is a sci-fi mystery about a scientist investigating Earth’s disappearance.

“At the moment, my first book has sold over 1000 copies, which I have to confess I did not expect to reach that number, especially since they’re only available on Amazon and at my signings,” Peter said. “There have been some sales overseas in the USA but as of now, Australia is the main seller.

Peter followed his debut novel with The King’s Pen Pal, a fantasy comedy about a King travelling the country to meet his pen pal. Both his books are fast becoming a favourite with readers, with more than 1500 books snapped up so far.

He is already writing more books as he lives his dream of writing science fiction and fantasy.

Peter, who lives in Cattai, works in retail at the Castle Towers. The soft-spoken author lights up when he discusses his passions.

“I was always a big reader as a kid, plus I was always considered ‘creative’ by coming up with stories and daydreaming about worlds and characters in my head, and I was also into movies,” Peter said.

“The current genres I’ve been writing about are science fiction and fantasy. Those two are my go-to for reading, so naturally, it’s what I want to write about.

“I began my first book Lost Orbit, over a year ago now. I’d finished the first draft of another story and decided to work on something different in the meantime.

“From start to finish, the book took about a year to write, but I wasn’t exactly in a rush to have it finished.”

He has received very good reviews on Amazon with one reader Caitlin Miles writing: “A great little book, easy to read, interesting concept, very enjoyable, a good plot and characters, really looking forward to the next book.”

Another reader said: “I bought this for my 12-year-old, and he read it non-stop throughout. He really enjoyed it and it was the perfect length and level of engagement. Great to support a young, local author too. We look forward to the next instalment!”

Like many present-day authors, Peter has resorted to self-publishing and has been blown away by the positive response at the book store and online.

“With Lost Orbit, I wrote it with the intention of self-publishing as it is relatively short and because I wanted to try it out as an experiment. I figured if it went badly, I’d just go to my other project and try to get that traditionally published. Or if it goes well, then I can keep writing with complete freedom.”

He said Lost Orbit is part of a series he is planning, called Broken Planets, which will be an anthology so anyone can pick up the series at any book. This and his other book are aimed at all ages (eight plus).

Peter said he tries to write whenever he gets the time. “Whether it be on the one or two days off I have or after a long day at work,” he said. “My times change so often – I can sometimes write a good chapter early in the morning after a coffee or can do an all-nighter and write 5000 words.”

Asked if he dreams of having his books made into a movie, Peter replied: “Absolutely. I originally wanted to write movies, so to see one of my books adapted would be a dream come true. For Lost Orbit, I could imagine someone like Jake Gyllenhaal playing the lead character, Doctor Reed Doyle.”

Peter, who attended Marian College, Kenthurst and Macquarie University, is a huge video gamer who spends his free time walking, reading, gaming and of course writing.

“Whether you’re a big-time sci-fi/fantasy fan or you’re just getting into reading, my books are meant for anyone wanting something easy and fun,” Peter said.