Totally Lit!

.Host Ky Garvey speaks with debut author Carla Salmon about her coastal YA mystery set in a surf life‑saving club, Carla’s three‑year writing journey from teacher to published author, marketing and school‑workshop strategies, tackling imposter syndrome, encouraging teen readers (especially boys), and plans for future standalone teen mysteries.

Carla Salmon Books

https://www.panmacmillan.com.au/9781761566790/

Host: Ky Garvey

Theme Song: Claire Houghton

Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/

Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/

Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends.  You can also make a contribution at:

www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit

For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. 

I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media:

[email protected]

https://www.facebook.com/totallylitpodcast

Host Ky Garvey interviews Carolyn Bourke about her experience as a Chaplain and writer. They discuss Carolyn’s entry in the Totally Lit Micro Fiction Prize, her 10-year journey writing a novel about dementia, and the hopeful ‘garden’ strand that represents spiritual connection and reconciliation.

The conversation covers lived experience with dementia and caregiving, practical publishing tips, mentorship, and the challenges and rewards of writing about difficult topics. Carolyn shares advice for emerging authors and updates on her book’s upcoming release.

Carolyn Bourke – Author | Speaker | Chaplain

Totally Lit Microfiction Competition – Ky Garvey

Host: Ky Garvey

Theme Song: Claire Houghton

Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/

Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/

Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends.  You can also make a contribution at:

www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit

For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. 

I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media:

[email protected]

https://www.facebook.com/totallylitpodcast

Nathan J Thomas, General Manager of Exile Publishing and EK Books, discusses the company’s family history, the challenges of today’s publishing market, and how EK balances community-driven stories with commercial realities. He shares practical advice for authors—know your audience, follow picture-book structure, write your pitch in your own voice—and explains opportunities like the Children’s Publishing Academy, upcoming seminars, and EK’s focus on neurodiversity, global reach, and sustainable publishing practices.

Host: Ky Garvey

Theme Song: Claire Houghton

Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/

Production: Mike Garvey

Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends.  You can also make a contribution at:

www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit

For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. 

I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media:

[email protected]

https://www.facebook.com/totallylitpodcast

In this episode Ky Garvey chats with author Sophie Masson and illustrator Lorena Carrington about the creation of their picture book The Giant — from the moment the idea struck on a walk, to collaborative illustration techniques, publisher relationships, and book launches.

They discuss creative practice, handling rejection, school visits, practical advice for aspiring creatives, and how podcasting and community-building support their work.

Sophie Masson, Author – Official site for author Sophie Masson

Lorena Carrington – Illustrator & Author

https://midnightsunpublishing.com/

Host: Ky Garvey

Theme Song: Claire Houghton

Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/

Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/

Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends.  You can also make a contribution at:

www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit

For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. 

I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media:

[email protected]

https://www.facebook.com/totallylitpodcast

Bethany Loveridge joins Totally Lit to talk about her debut middle-grade novel, Harper Wells: Renegade Timeline Officer — a time-travel adventure where a girl meets a young Edith Cowan and runs afoul of a timeline officer. She discusses the trilogy, the audiobook, and her publisher, Wombat Books.

The conversation covers Bethany’s long path to publication, the role of mentorships and critique groups, practical writing tips (read widely, start in the action, plot your story), the challenges of picture books, and writing about anxiety and historical figures. Plus upcoming launches, school visits and community work.

Bethany Loveridge

Rhiza Press

Host: Ky Garvey

Theme Song: Claire Houghton

Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/

Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/

Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends.  You can also make a contribution at:

www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit

For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. 

I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media:

[email protected]

https://www.facebook.com/totallylitpodcast

Host Ky Garvey chats with author Ben Hobson about his unexpected path to becoming a writer — from punk bands and audiovisual work to university, short-story wins, and his published novels. They discuss research for The Death of John Lacey, collaborations, Ben’s Book Club, and the creative experiments that keep his work alive.

The conversation also dives into practical reality: balancing family, day jobs, and writing time; dealing with imposter syndrome and the search for validation; and Ben’s advice to emerging writers to have fun, take risks, and find small pockets of time to create.

Ben Hobson is a teacher, and an author, based in Brisbane. To Become a Whale, his debut novel, was released in 2017. It was longlisted for the ABIA Debut Fiction award and shortlisted for the Courier-Mail's People's Choice Award. His second novel, Snake Island, a literary thriller, was released in 2019. He also runs Ben's Book Club, a monthly online book club for libraries, and often does in-person interviews with authors. The Death of John Lacey, an Australian Western, was released in 2023, and is his third novel.

ben hobson

Ben's Book Club | Facebook

Libby App: Free ebooks & audiobooks from your library | by OverDrive

*Affiliate link

You can purchase a copy of Ben's book 'The Death of John Lacey':

The Death Of John Lacey by Ben Hobson - 9781761065897

Totally Lit recieves an affiliate payment from sales using this link which contributes to the costs associated with running the podcast.

Host: Ky Garvey

Theme Song: Claire Houghton

Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/

Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/

Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends.  You can also make a contribution at:

www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit

For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. 

I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media:

[email protected]

https://www.facebook.com/totallylitpodcast

Host Ky Garvey interviews author Helen Edwards about her Foreverability Award win for Legend of the Lighthouse Moon, a middle-grade novel featuring a main character with type 1 diabetes set in 1970. Helen shares how her own diagnosis informed the story, the emotional truths that remain the same across eras, and the importance of inclusion in children’s literature.

The conversation explores stigma around diabetes, mental-health challenges, and how books act as mirrors and windows for readers. Helen also describes immersive research trips to lighthouses and shipwreck sites, upcoming projects (including A Light on the Rocks and collaborations with Kate Gordon), and practical advice for emerging historical and magical-historical writers.

Listeners hear about reader responses, the power of representation, and Helen’s passions for music, art, and collaborative writing. The episode celebrates storytelling that blends history, nature, magic, and diverse voices.

Dr Helen Edwards writes diverse stories of nature, magic and history. She is also a freelance writer, mentor and speaker and has a PhD in Psychology. Helen has type 1 diabetes, and lives with anxiety and ADHD. She likes to include characters in her stories who are neurodivergent and/or who live with physical and mental health conditions, out in the world, having adventures. Helen is passionate about inspiring action for our planet and encouraging people to understand how important nature is to all of us. Animals and the environment feature in all her stories. Her debut novel, The Rebels of Mount Buffalo, was published by Riveted Press in 2023. 

https://www.helenedwardswrites.com/

https://www.forevability.org/

https://rivetedpress.com.au/

*Affiliate link

You can purchase a copy of Helen's book 'Legend of the Lighthouse Moon':

https://www.qbd.com.au/legend-of-the-lighthouse-moon/helen-edwards/9781763526013/?a=GARVEY

Totally Lit recieves an affiliate payment from sales using this link which contributes to the costs associated with running the podcast.

Host: Ky Garvey

Theme Song: Claire Houghton

Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/

Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/

Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends.  You can also make a contribution at:

www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit

For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. 

I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media:

[email protected]

https://www.facebook.com/totallylitpodcast

SALLY RIPPIN

As the current Australian Children's Laureate (2024-2025), Sally is travelling around the country and internationally to chat about the ways we can share stories and support children who might struggle to read.

https://www.sallyrippin.com/

LIFE WITHOUT BARRIERS - HOOK INTO BOOKS

We have teamed up with Australian authors, children, young people, carers and our Life Without Barriers workforce to provide an annual literacy campaign, Hook into Books™!

Our goal is to create conditions that nurture a love of reading and engage children and young people in care to share and listen to stories.

Hook into Books creates easy access to a range of fantastic books and multimodal literacy opportunities for our community.

Learn more about Hook into Books™ here>.

https://www.lwb.org.au/

Host: Ky Garvey

Theme Song: Claire Houghton

Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/

Production: Mike Garvey

Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends.  You can also make a contribution at:

www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit

For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. 

I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media:

[email protected]

https://www.facebook.com/totallylitpodcast

In memory of Josh Langley - a wonderful contributor to the kidlit community, a fantasic writer and a very special person. You will be missed Josh.

Josh was amongst my very first top ten guests on Totally Lit. I was so grateful for his support for my emerging podcast. 

Special Guest: Totally Lit's host Ky chats with Josh Langley, on his writing career and his Inspiring Kids Program.

www.joshlangley.com.au

www.bigskypublishing.com.au

www.edwinashaw.com.au

Host: Ky Garvey

Theme Song: Claire Houghton

Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/

Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/

Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends.  You can also make a contribution at:

www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit

For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. 

I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media:

[email protected]

https://www.facebook.com/totallylitpodcast

Welcome to the latest episode of Totally Lit, where we dive deep into the world of young adult literature with author Catriona McKeown. In this engaging conversation, Catriona shares insights into her recent releases, including the intriguing 'Good Luck and Other Lies', a story about teenagers navigating financial hardships and the ethical quandaries of winning a lottery using AI technology.

Catriona discusses her inspiration from real-world issues like the housing crisis and the impact of AI on education while highlighting diverse characters that resonate with today's youth facing similar challenges. We also explore the creation of 'Riser Shorts', books designed for reluctant readers, addressing neurodiversity with relatable themes and accessible formats.

Tune in as host Ky Garvey and Catriona McKeown discuss the powerful role of literature in reflecting societal issues, the importance of inclusive storytelling, and the journey of crafting stories that connect with the realities of young readers.

Host: Ky Garvey

Theme Song: Claire Houghton

Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/

Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/

Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends.  You can also make a contribution at:

www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit

For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. 

I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media:

[email protected]

https://www.facebook.com/totallylitpodcast