Mary-Lou Stephens is a Tasmanian born author, whose divine debut novel "The Last of the Apple Blossom" (HQ Fiction) I recently had the pleasure of reading.

In this book we get to re-live the highs and lows of being an apple orchardist, through the eyes of two life-long friends Catherine Turner and Annie Pearson.

This was a spectacularly rich, thoroughly researched and highly emotive family drama that offers a poignant insight into the drawn out demise of this once thriving industry and the incredible courage and resilience of the families affected by this tragedy.

An absolute cracker.

I was thrilled to have the chance to speak with Mary-Lou on the podcast recently.

From award-winning bestselling author, Sarah Bailey, comes a brand new nail-biting thriller.

"The Housemates", published by Allen & Unwin, is Sarah's fourth book and her first stand-alone novel.

A gritty urban crime novel, "The Housemates" introduces us to Olive Groves - a Melbourne -based journalist who became obsessed by a case dubbed the "Housemate Homicide" involving three housemates: one murdered, another missing and one accused of murder.

Listeners, this was one heck of a thrilling read.

I was so excited to welcome Sarah to the podcast earlier this year.

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of reading a new novel from Sydney-based writer, Tessa Lunney.

Called "Autumn Leaves, 1922", it's the second book in Tessa's Kiki Button mysteries. A novel that does much to capture post-war sentiment in Europe at the time.

Think Phrynne Fisher meets The Great Gatsby. A complex tale with a colourful and vibrant cast of characters - both real and imagined.

I was thrilled to have the chance to speak with Tessa on the podcast.

Margaret Hickey's novel, "Cutter's End" (Penguin) is a deeply atmospheric, mesmerising crime novel that explores the chilling underbelly of the Australian outback. In a story that has echoes of Jane Harper's "The Dry" and Chris Hammer's "Scrublands" fans of outback noir are in for a treat.

This was a highly entertaining, addictive page-turner that I cannot recommend highly enough.

I was so delighted to have the chance to speak with Margaret on the podcast a little while ago.

Barbara Hannay is an international best-selling Australian author. With over 50 titles to her name and over 12 million books sold globally, Barbara is a force to be reckoned with.

Her new book, "The Garden of Hopes and Dreams" (published by Penguin) was released in early August 2021.

A delightfully heartwarming book about the importance of community and connection that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I was delighted welcome Barbara back to the podcast a little while ago.

Tough times mean it's never been more important to have feel good stories we can turn to. Stories that send us on a welcome journey away from reality, if only for a little while. And that's exactly what Jodi Gibson's new book did for me.

"The Five Year Plan" (Brio Books) is a super-fun story which follows the adventures of Melbourne woman, Demi Moretti, as she tries to navigate life bearing the weight of her family's expectations and tick the boxes of her five year plan.

It's a story to tantalise our tastebuds as well as send us on some much-needed arm-chair travel.

A wonderful read!

I welcomed Jodi to the podcast ahead of her book's release a little while back.

Hannah Bent is a Sydney-based author whose debut novel 'When Things Are Alive They Hum', was recently published by one of Australia's newest publishing houses, Ultimo Press.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Hannah studied Fine Art and Film in London before deciding to pursue further studies in writing in Sydney. Completing a Masters In Creative Writing, Hannah was awarded the Ray Koppe Young Writer's Award in 2013 for her novel in progress.

Listeners, this book is something to behold. Exploring themes of grief, love, sisterhood and existence, this story brought me to tears with its exquisite tenderness and insight.

It was with much pleasure that I welcomed Hannah to the podcast earlier this year.

I was so thrilled to join this stellar cast of women podcasters recently to celebrate Dani Vee's 400th episode of her fabulous Words and Nerds Podcast.

Not only is Dani an exceptional, authentic and inspirational human, she's a wonderful supporter of Australian writers and other podcasters.

Join Dani, Pamela Cook, Alison Tait, Ashley Kalagian Blunt and I as we celebrate this incredible milestone event by chatting all things podcasting. . .the highs, the lows and everything in between.

It was an online pyjama party, with champagne, popcorn, some cheese, one crown, raucous laughter and a great deal of verbal diarrhoea from me!

So. . .apologies in advance.

Enjoy!

Simon Rowell is a Victorian based author with an eclectic working background. His first novel, "The Echo of Others" was an Amazon bestseller and went on to be Longlisted for the Ned Kelly Awards - Best First Crime for 2018.

This year, he returns with a brand new crime thriller. A book that is propulsive, filled with twists and turns, and a new and unforgettable crime-busting duo.

Called "The Long Game" and released by Text Publishing, this book is highly recommended for crime fiction junkies.

I was delighted to welcome Simon to the podcast recently.

In mid-2020 I had the happy privilege of chatting with rural fiction author, Léonie Kelsall about her gorgeous book, "The Farm at Peppertree Crossing".

With its well developed characters and strong sense of place, it was a book that offered humour and hope and a way of making sense of some of the tough issues often faced by our rural neighbours.

So I guess it comes as no surprise to learn that this book went onto become a national best-seller.

This year, Lee is back with her second rural fiction title, "The Wattleseed Inn" (Allen & Unwin). And it's another winner! A warm and wonderful story filled with loveable, yet flawed characters along with a large dose of country charm.

It's a must-read for lovers of Australian contemporary fiction. A perfect balance of romance, drama and an exploration of deeper themes that speak to modern audiences. The perfect anti-dote to lockdown blues.

I was excited to welcome Lee back to the podcast.