Vanessa McCausland's debut novel "The Lost Summers of Driftwood" is another shining example of the quality of Australian fiction on offer at the moment.

A novel redolent of long, lazy summers and days gone-by, this novel made me nostalgic for my own childhood. Of days before smart phones and the internet. . .when being bored meant heading outside to play instead of being glued to a device.

Tune in to my chat with the lovely Vanessa and then. . .get this book. You won't be sorry. I LOVED it.

Candice Fox is the international best-selling crime writer with a swag of title and awards to her name. Her new book, "Gathering Dark" (Penguin) is a gritty, clever and compulsive tale about an unlikely group of women who band together to find a missing girl. The result is a thrilling read which made me wonder anew at the inner machinations of a crime writer and what inspires them to write such tales.

Join me for this insightful and highly entertaining chat.

Sandie Docker is the best-selling author of "The Kookaburra Creek Café" and "The Cottage at Rosella Cove". A novelist whose star is definitely on a stratospheric rise.

Her new novel, "The Banksia Bay Beach Shack" has just been released. And she returns to the podcast today to chat to me about first loves, last chances and secrets that rocked a small Australian seaside town in the 1960s.

Tune in to my fun and wide-ranging chat with the inimitable Sandie.

Hope you love this book as much as I did.

Anna Romer is the author of four books published by Simon & Schuster and writes stories that evoke our unique Australian landscape. Stories that uncover dark family secrets, old rambling houses and characters who are haunted by their past. Her latest book, 'Under the Midnight Sky' (2019) had a generous dash of all these elements. A beautiful tale that explores the underbelly of trauma and grief in an evocative tale that will keep you turning pages until its thrilling conclusion. If you haven't picked up one of Anna's books yet, I highly recommend this one.

Tune in as we chat about Anna's inspiration, Stockholm syndrome, life in rural Australia, poetry and much, much more.

Kerri Turner is a Sydney-based author of two historical fiction titles. Her latest, "The Daughter of Victory Lights" (HQ Fiction) is a meticulously researched exploration of the difficulties faced by women after the end of the second World War, about wartime sacrifice and of its lasting impacts on those who survived and those who came after them. An illuminating, compelling read to say the least.

Join me as I chat to Kerri about her background, her inspiration and much, much more.

In the very first episode of Talking Aussie Books for 2020, I chat to Kelly Rimmer - a USA Today best-selling author of seven contemporary fiction titles. Kelly has sold over a million books which have been translated into more than 20 language, her titles include "Me Without You", "Before I Let You Go" and "The Things We Cannot Say".

Kelly's books explore themes and dilemmas that test the strength of human relationships with compassion and insight. And her latest, "Truths I Never Told You" (Hachette Australia) is no exception.

Tune in now!

Episode 44: In 2018, former journalist Chris Hammer shot up the literary charts with his debut international best-selling, award-winning crime novel, 'Scrublands' (Allen & Unwin). An instant hit in a genre that has now been dubbed "Antipodean Noir'.

In 'Scrublands' we meet traumatised journalist Martin Scarsden when he's sent to an isolated Riverina country town to write a story about a young priest who opens fire on a seemingly peaceful gathering of his congregation - killing five before being shot and killed himself. You're already interested, right?

Earlier this year Chris followed up the phenomenal success of his debut Martin Scarsden novel with 'Silver' which picks up where 'Scrublands' left off in another page-turning read.

Join me as Chris and I chat about the phenomenal success of these novels, his inspiration, meeting Val McDermid and what he's planning next in this highly entertaining and informative interview.

Episode 43: Nadia Worland is the co-author of the POWman book series. The first instalment, POWman: Unleash the Hero Within (Harbour Publishing House) released in 2018 was a runaway success.

Created by Nadia and Dave "Powman" Tabain, the book was written to help start difficult conversations around the insidious issue of bullying and to help kids turn negative experiences into positive ones.

A year on, Nadia and Dave have added another instalment to the series - POWman: Discover the Strength Within (New Holland) - a story about karate-fanatic, Frankie Tabain, and the way she deals with the bullies in her new school.

Beautifully illustrated by Shane Ogilvie, these books are proving to be powerful tools that parents, teachers and kids can all use to help them deal with this widespread issue.

Join Nadia and I as we chat about her inspiration, experiences and future books in the POWman series.

A highly relevant and informative interview for anyone who has been affected by bullying. . .

Episode 42: Nathan Besser's latest book, "Wild" (Viking an imprint of Penguin, 2019) is based on the extraordinary story of how the lives of Daniel Defoe (of Robinson Crusoe fame), notorious crime figure Jonathan Wild and petty criminal Jack Sheppard became intertwined in the turbulent underbelly of London in the early 18th century.

A witty, highly entertaining but fictionalised account of the intersection of these historical personalities, "Wild" casts a contemporary spotlight on an era which arguable spawned the modern phenomena of crime writing and tabloid journalism.

Tune in to this informative interview as Nathan and I chat about the London that these men lived in, what they were really like and how Nathan balances a writing career with family and business.

Episode 41: Sara Foster is the best-selling author of six psychological suspense thrillers. Her latest "You Don't Know Me" (Simon & Schuster) is a stunning example of why Sara is fast becoming an international sensation.

A darkly compelling tale that is part murder mystery and part family drama, set in Sydney and Thailand, "You Don't Know Me" will keep you on the edge of your seat until its mind-blowing conclusion.

Join Sara and I as we chat about her inspiration, life as a mother, full-time writer, PhD candidate and much more.