Talking Aussie Books

Memorable books are the ones that make me feel something. Books that make me laugh or hold my breath with anticipation; stories that make me feel hopeful and most of all... the books that make me cry. These are the ones that become indelibly printed on my heart.

‘Saving Charli’ (Scholastic Australia) written by Victorian-based author, Di Walker is a book that made me feel SO many of these things all at once.

Until ‘Saving Charli’ I hadn’t read any of Di’s work. But that’s something I’m going to have to change in the near future.

‘Saving Charli’ is a middle-grade novel about a set of twins and their friends as they finish primary school and begin their first year of high school, trying to navigate a momentous change in their collective lives at the same time.

Exploring friendships, family, love and loss - it’s a tender, insightful, beautifully written book which can be enjoyed by adults and kids alike.

Highly recommended reading!

I was delighted to welcome Di to the podcast recently to chat about this wonderful book.

Veronica Lando is a crime writer who burst onto the Australian literary scene a couple of years ago when her then unpublished manuscript won the 2021 Banjo Prize. That manuscript 'The Whispering' was published by HarperCollins in 2022 to widespread acclaim.

This year, Veronica's second book 'The Drowning Girls' was also published by HarperCollins. And if it's anything like 'The Whispering', I can see why Veronica's literary star is well and truly on the rise.

Dark, tense and twisty, 'The Drowning Girls' was a story about small-town secrets underscored by the ever-present menace of a hostile landscape.

Utterly captivating.

I was super excited to chat with Veronica recently about her books and meteoric writing career.

Philippa Kaye is a mother, educator, and now published novelist who lives on the Central Coast of NSW and was inspired to write her debut novel, 'Girl Detectives Just Wanna Have Fun' during COVID.

Set in 1984, 'Girl Detectives Just Wanna Have Fun' is a pacy mystery novel flavoured with lots of fun eighties nostalgia - big hair, short skirts and shoulder pads - not to mention a spicy romance for some extra fun!

I enjoyed this novel and welcomed the chance to speak with Philippa on the podcast recently about her novel and journey to publication.

Lucy Lever is a former social worker who lives in the bush on Sydney’s coastal fringe with her husband. 

As proof that it is never too late to follow your dreams, Lucy decided to give creative writing a go later in life.  The result is 'Mystic Ridge' published earlier this month by HQ Fiction.

It was on her frequent visits to family on the NSW North Coast that Lucy found inspiration for Mystic Ridge - a delightful, contemporary novel with a fun twist on the rural romance genre. 

I was delighted to have the chance to welcome Lucy to the podcast recently to chat about her debut novel.

Since first meeting Vanessa McCausland back in 2020,  I have marvelled at her gift for evocative and unforgettable story-telling. 

First through the Lost Summers of Driftwood, then The Valley of Lost Stories, again with the The Beautiful Words and now…Dreaming in French.  

Not only is Vanessa a warm, lovely person and supportive member of the Australian writing community, but Vanessa has come to be known for her beautiful words (perhaps its no coincidence that this is one of the titles of her books). 

Released last week by HarperCollins, Vanessa's new book 'Dreaming in French' is an evocative, achingly beautiful and gut-wrenching story that will not be easily forgotten; a book that has already received rave reviews and blurbs from the likes of literary giants such Natasha Lester and Hannah Richell.

I was thrilled to welcome Vanessa back to the podcast to chat about this stunning book.

Kelly Rimmer is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of 13 novels.  

Writing both historical and contemporary novels, Kelly’s titles include The German Wife, The Warsaw Orphan, The Things We Cannot Say and Truths I Never Told You.

Kelly has sold more than 2 million books to date. And her work has been translated into dozens of languages.

If that wasn’t impressive enough, in 2022, Kelly purchased the Collins Booksellers in Orange near where she lives with her human and furry families. 

And this year, Kelly is back with a brand new novel.  Called ‘The Paris Agent’ and set to be released by Hachette across Australia this week, this is a powerful, emotionally compelling novel that delivers everything you’d expect from one of Kelly’s novels and indeed more. 

I was super excited to welcome Kelly back to the podcast earlier this week.

Listeners, a couple of weeks ago I was at the annual Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival and had the joy of interviewing an author whose career I have been watching for a few years now.  

And recently, I got to do it all over again. 

Paul Dalgarno is a Melbourne-based author of two novels and two non-fiction titles.  

Born and raised in Scotland, Paul has lived in Australia since 2010 and has written for a variety of publications including The Guardian, Big Issue Scotland and Australian Book Review. 

Paul has worked as deputy editor of The Conversation Australia and features editor for The Herald Newspaper Group in the UK. 

Earlier this year, Paul’s second novel ‘A Country of Eternal Light’ was published by HarperCollins. And listeners, what a novel it is! 

A wonderfully perceptive, witty and brilliantly crafted examination of grief, which left me marvelling at Paul’s immense talent. 

A must-listen episode for writers and readers alike!

I first interviewed Jennifer McKenzie Dunbar back in April 2020, just after she'd self-published her debut novel, 'Vivaldi's Lost Concerto'. And what a debut it was. So much fascinating research and detail coloured the historical thread of the narrative of that book along with the harrowing experiences of a contemporary woman who had been through the prison system. Something Jennifer was able to write drawing on her experiences as a social worker.

This year, Jennifer is back with a new novel. A story that she in fact foreshadowed when we last chatted.

Called 'Missing Pieces' (Midnight Sun Publishing) this novel bears Jennifer's trade mark fascination with real historical events.

This time we learn about the discovery of a priceless hoard of medieval handcrafted chess pieces on the remote Scottish island of Lewis in 1831.

A remarkable tale. You won't want to miss this episode!

Phillipa Nefri Clark is an Australian author based in country Victoria and a USA Today best-selling author of more than 20 novels.

Her writing is not only prolific but spans a number of different genres - from romance, to mystery and crime thrillers.

Earlier this year I was offered the opportunity to read the first of Phillipa's Detective Liz Moorland novels, 'Lest We Forgive' and thoroughly enjoyed it!

A gritty, page-turning novel about bitter, reclusive ex-cop Vince who in the aftermath of his daughter's tragic death in a car crash, becomes his granddaughter's sole living relative and carer. Convinced his daughter's death was not an accident, he turns to his former colleague Detective Liz Moorland for help to catch his daughter's killer.

Knowing that Phillipa has another two planned in this series is exciting to say the least.

I was truly delighted to speak with Phillipa about this book and her successful career as an indie (self-published) author.

Robyn Cadwallader is an award winning Canberra-based author  - with three historical novels to her name, along with poems, prize-winning short stories and a non-fiction book based on her PhD thesis about virginity and female agency in the Middle Ages.

Robyn’s first novel, ‘The Anchoress’ was published in 2015 to critical acclaim and was awarded the Canberra Critics Circle Award for fiction and the ACT Book of the Year People’s Choice Award.

Her second novel, Book of Colours followed in 2018 - winning the 2019 ACT Book of the Year Award along with another Canberra Critics Circle Award AND it was shortlisted for a Voss Award. 

In early May, Robyn’s third novel ‘The Fire and The Rose’ was released by HarperCollins. 

And listeners, what a book it is.  A deeply moving, mesmerising and timeless story about a forbidden love.  A story about the power of words and a women’s fight to be with the man she loves:  going against her Church, against the law and against her King. 

A novel that explores prejudice and racism along with faith, this book left a deep and lasting impression on me.

And so it was with great delight that I welcomed Robyn to the podcast recently to chat about her marvellous new book.