Talking Aussie Books

Tania Farrelly's debut novel "The Eighth Wonder" (Penguin) is one of those books I found so brilliant it left me amazed and envious in equal measures! It was inspired, nuanced, thought-provoking and intelligent - so much so, it's difficult to fathom that it's a debut.

It's book that takes readers on a journey through New York in the early 20th century. A time of great contradictions and one that posed so many challenges for women.

I was thrilled to have the chance to speak with Tania about this divine book earlier this year.

Two years ago I had the great fortune to chat with Kaneana May on the release of her debut novel, "The One" (Harlequin, 2019). A story that took us behind the scenes of a popular reality dating show and the lengths someone will go to to find their one true love.

This year Kaneana is back with another fabulous novel. A beautiful and moving story about friendship, love and loss. Something that I know many of you out there will absolutely adore.

The novel is called "All We Have Is Now" (Harlequin) and I was so happy to welcome Kaneana back to the podcast in June of this year.

"Girl, 11" is the explosive, incredible debut novel written by Melbourne-based author, Amy Suiter Clarke. For lovers of true crime and the podcasts that shine a spotlight on cold cases, this book was a nail-biting page-turner that I devoured.

I had a terrific time chatting with Amy on the podcast a little while ago.

Rachel Givney is an international best-selling author and film-maker with a list of TV and film credits to her name. In 2020, Rachel added novel-writing to her impressive list of achievements with her runaway success break-out novel, 'Jane in Love '. A romantic comedy that fans will no doubt be delighted to learn has been optioned by Amazon Studios and Di Novi Pictures for a film adaptation.

This year, Rachel released her second novel. But this time we are transported back to Poland in the lead-up to WWII in a truly captivating novel about a young woman's quest to find the truth behind her mother's mysterious disappearance 15 years earlier.

Called "Secrets My Father Kept" (Penguin), this novel is a must read.

I was so thrilled to chat with Rachel about her book earlier this year.

Maya Linnell and I connected via social media when her first book, 'Wildflower Ridge' was about to be published back in 2019. Almost two years to the day, we had our first podcast chat.

In that time I have watched Maya's rising star with awe and amazement. She is a force to be reckoned with. A talented writer, home-baker, garden guru, social media and marketing whizz, avid reader, book reviewer and staunch supporter of her writing peers.

Maya's third book, "Magpie's Bend" was released by Allen & Unwin in June 2021 and I was delighted to welcome Maya back to the podcast for a fun and wide-ranging chat about writing inspiration, farm-life, marketing, baking and so much more!

"Lovebirds" (Penguin) is the latest release from Sydney-based novelist, Amanda Hampson. A heart-warming story about the power of love and family that sensitively deals with a number of heavy themes.

It was the first of Amanda's novels that I've had the good fortune to read. Now I'm itching to go through her backlist. Titles that include "The Olive Sisters", "Two For the Road", 'The French Perfumer", "The Yellow Villa" and "Sixty Summers."

Back in May, I had the pleasure of chatting with Amanda about the warm, witty, uplifting story.

Kelly Rimmer is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of ten novels. Her titles include, "Before I let you Go", "The Things We cannot Say" and "Truths I Never Told You."

Her brand new novel, "The Warsaw Orphan" was released by Hachette Australia at the end of April this year. And what an incredible story of courage, resilience and survival it is.

Meticulously researched and utterly compelling. . .this has to be one of Kelly's best novels to date.

I was thrilled to welcome Kelly to the podcast earlier this year.

Lawrence McMahon is a Melbourne-based author whose writing career began as a medical student some thirty years ago. He has won multiple national and regional short story awards and somewhere in and around his medical career and position as Professor of Nephrology at Monash University, Lawrence has written an astonishing debut novel - drawing on his experiences as a doctor both in Australia and abroad.

The book is called "As Swallows Fly" (Ventura Press) and I was lucky to have the opportunity to speak with Lawrence about it on the podcast earlier this year.

Nicola Moriarty is a Sydney-based novelist and copywriter whose works include bestselling novels, "The Fifth Letter", "Those Other Women" and "The Ex".

Her brand new novel, "You Need to Know" was released by HarperCollins in early April this year and I have to tell you listeners, this is one you will not want to miss.

A thrilling, compulsive page-turner, this book had me breathless til the last page.

I was super excited to welcome Nicola to the podcast to chat about the book, her inspiration, what it's like coming from a family of writers, research, writerly tips and so much more.

Cassandra Austin is the author of three novels and describes herself as a homesick Australian who lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children.

Before deciding to pursue a career in writing, she worked as a criminologist and a documentary film-maker.

Cassandra's new novel "Like Mother" (Penguin), is a captivating and compelling addition to a growing body of work known as "domestic noir".

"Like Mother" takes a deep dive into motherhood through the eyes of a mother and daughter during the events of one terrible day in 1969 small town Australia.

I was delighted to welcome Cassandra to the podcast earlier this year.