Words and Nerds: Authors, books and literature.

Dani Vee and Ian Kemish chat about Two Islands, balancing fiction and non-fiction and finding the goodness in characters.

They talk about inherited trauma, political landscapes and the importance of setting.

Two Islands (March 2026) is a debut thriller novel by former Australian diplomat Ian Kemish, focusing on Niko, a Balkan war survivor hiding from pursuers on a remote Scottish island. The story explores themes of trauma, memory, and international conflict through the lens of a quiet community, featuring a plot that involves a, war crimes investigator. Published by UQP.

QWS S5E2 Kemper Donovan and Troy Hunter

🎙️ New QWS Podcast Episode! 🌈✨

In QWS S5E2, Troy chats with USA crime author Kemper Donovan, creator of the bestselling Ghostwriter mystery series: The Busy Body, Loose Lips, and the upcoming Sweet Spot. Kemper talks about his path to publication with his first novel The Decent Proposal, as well as his move into mystery writing. He also discusses how his queer identity influenced his writing, and the value of being published a little later in life.

Kemper and Troy then nerd out on Agatha Christie, discussing Kemper’s wonderful podcast All About Agatha (created with his late friend and co-host Catherine Brobeck) and how Christie continues to influence him today. They also talk about their upcoming appearances at the International Agatha Christie Festival. (Note, we recorded this episode last year before the festival in September 2025.)

Books Kemper recommends:

- What Belongs to You by Garth Greenwell

- Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

You can find links to buy Kemper’s books The Busy Body and Loose Lips (and pre-order Sweet Spot), via his website at https://kemperdonovan.com

You can also follow him and his All About Agatha podcast on Instagram at All About Agatha.

Visit the podcast on Instagram, and me personally at my author website.

Hosted by Troy Hunter who you can find on Insta @troyhunterwriter and at www.troyhuntwriter.com

Troy is the author of Gus and the Missing Boy and Gus and the Burning Stones, with a third Gus novel coming in 2027.

Dani Vee and Laura Brooke Robson chat from Sydney to New York about her new book Love is an Algorithm!

They chat about the timely nature of AI interrupting relationships, technology vs chemistry and human connection and how involving AI in your romantic life might just make it more complicated.

They talk about red flags, why everyone says relationships are hard work and why there is more chance of getting killed by a vending machine than a wild animal or a plane.

Dani and Laura talk about the writing process and what it's like to write fiction.

Listen now!

In this TAKEOVER episode Rory H Mather chats to author Renae Hayward and illustrator Susan Joy Lu about their beautiful new picture book What Can I Get For Mother's Day?

They chat about the creative process of picture book development, taking inspiration from reading to their children, unpacking rhyme, the illustrative process and bringing picture books to life.

Listen now!

Dani Vee and Emma Styles chat about her new crime novel The Shark, a darkly unique thriller from an author who writes contemporary Australian noir about young women taking on the patriarchy.

They chat about the importance of teenage girls at the centre, creating disturbing characters and how to write a thriller.

Listen now!

Dani Vee and Julianne Negri explore the devastating impact of youth suicide through the verse novel The Belly of a Wolf.

They chat about art as medicine, the publishing industry, the importance of friendship, and the challenges of writing a verse novel.

Listen now!

Dani Vee and best selling author Ashley Kalagian Blunt chat about her new crime novel Like, Follow, Die.

They chat about tapping into a parent's fear, multiple perspectives, writing crime and exploring the darker side of the web.

They also chat about managing health conditions and creativity.

Listen now.

Dani Vee and Niraj Lal chat about his new book Behind the Screens and how we can keep our kids safe. Giving your teenager a phone is a big deal, they suddenly have access to the world their parents didn't have before them, so how do we keep them safe?

We chat about how the internet is one of the most life changing inventions in history and how it has changed human behaviour, how tech uses its consumers, data collection and digital surveillance and the debate about AI.

An enlightening chat! Listen now.

Dani Vee chats to author and YKNR host A.L. Tait and Affirm Press publisher Tash Besliev about their brand new collaboration on a children's series set to engage kids in reading.

They chat about how the idea emerged, how the books help parents and librarians select books that engage kids and encourage them to read for pleasure. The series is written and illustrated by a variety of Aussie creatives, and have been created to engage young readers.

Listen now!

Dani Vee and Pip Knight chat about her new book Pip Wants to Die. This is not your average vampire novel. A female vampire who wants to be human.

Dani and Pip chat about vampire culture, tropes and inspirations from The Lost Boys to True Blood, and they talk about the impossibility of writing and taking risks.

Listen now!