Writers Talking

Welcome to a check-in episode with the inimitable Emma Grey where she shares what she's been up to amidst book 3 edits and screen adaptation learnings. It was fascinating! And then we both get vulnerable talking about what book promotion looks like (and costs) authors. I am so appreciative of how open and honest Emma always gets and we each got to share our awkward feelings about balancing gratitude and enjoyment with boundaries around different sorts of industry events.Haven't read The Last Love Note or Pictures of You yet? Get onto it! And find out more about Emma Grey here:https://www.emmagrey.com.au/https://www.instagram.com/emmagreyauthorhttps://www.facebook.com/emmagreyauthor

Our latest convo with the delightful Sara Foster won't disappoint! Sara is shifting back from book promotion mode (for her latest twisty thriller, When She Was Gone) to writing as she's focussed on finishing her 10th novel. We chat about the challenge (and the solutions) of writing in multiple POV, the passion she has for writing more stories centring mothers as well as getting clear about where we stand (and what we expect from) AI in our creative endeavours. Such a comprehensive conversation!Find out more and follow Sara: Wensite - www.sarafoster.com.au Substack for readers - Story Matters Substack for writers - The Resilient Author Facebook - (/sarafosterauthor) Instagram - (@sarafosterauthor)

I had such a brilliant time this week *finally* talking to Jane Costello (as you'll hear, I've been waiting months to have this chat!) who is not only incredibly experienced as an author of 15 novels, but she is so warm and generous with her stories...which is no surprise if you've read her latest fabulous novel, It's Getting Hot in Here!In this episode, Jane tells us about her experience writing with a pseudonym, we share our love for (and exasperation at the derision for) commercial women's fiction and the ways she's changed (or not!) her approach to writing novels, twenty years on... and so much more.Find out more about Jane here (as well as catch her latest exciting news!):https://www.instagram.com/janecostellobooks/https://janecostello.com/Don't forget to get your hands on her latest novel, It's Getting Hot in Here!

This week's chat with Andrew Matthews is masterclass in validation and motivation for writers everywhere. We chatted about his own writerly journey as well as the biggest takeaways that are important for all writers around perserverance and promotion.Andrew Matthews’ books have sold over 8 million copies in 48 languages and today we're taling about his latest, BOUNCING BACK.Andrew’s first book, BEING HAPPY! became a global bestseller. His other titles, including FOLLOW YOUR HEART, BEING A HAPPY TEEN and HAPPINESS IN HARD TIMES, are bestsellers in 70 countries. His gentle, common-sense philosophy has resonated with readers worldwide.Find out more about Andrew here:Website - https://andrewmatthews.com/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/andrewmatthews.author/Videos by Andrew:How to Survive Tough TimesAcceptance is Power: Michael’s Story  Planning Ahead Happiness – a daily decision Focus on What You Want  Do I Need to Love Myself? 

“You put yourself in those shoes as much as you can, in that body and that skin. And when I write scene by scene, at the top of each scene, I do write the emotion I am trying to convey.” - Nanda ReddyDuring this week's writerly convo, I felt as if we just got started! Debut author Nanda Reddy has written a totally compelling, timely and heartwrenching-but-ultimately-hopeful story, A Girl Within a Girl Within a Girl. An instant USA Today bestseller and Apple Books Best Book of March, this is a novel that I can't recommend highly enough (and clearly I'm not alone)!!She shared so much about her process... how she intentionally injects emotion into each scene, her appreciation of beautitful writing (and how it trumps spoilers), the way she used alpha and beta readers to help polish her manuscript before submission, the story of how she landed her agent and so much more! Find out more about Nanda here:https://www.nandareddy.com/https://www.instagram.com/nandareddyauthor

This week I had the pleasure of chatting with DG Rampton, the fabulous author of highly successful Regency romances (plus one contemporary rom-com!) which have hit a collective 100k+ sales!"As soon as I started to take myself seriously and my job (as a writer) seriously, other people started doing the same!" - DG RamptonThat brilliant quote came early on in the conversation and is, I think, something that all writers should note, but we also dove into: how she creates her own writing deadlines, the things shes learnt about editing, the benefits of taking ownership of different aspects of the publishing process and how she keeps herself connected to the stories she wants to write.You can follow DG Rampton on:Website - https://www.dgrampton.comFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/DGRamptonInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/fortheloveofjaneausten

Welcome to Season 4 of Writers Talking!!We are starting this season chatting with the author of a debut novel that's getting a lot of buzz in Australia, Kate Horan...Kate shares how she went from intriguing idea to pantsing her first draft, the (slightly) unexpected path her novel took from query to acquisition, her preferences around plotting during the editorial process and more. I absolutely loved this book AND our convo!!Check out this fantastic book at your local retailer and find out more about Kate here:www.katehoran.comhttps://www.instagram.com/stories/kate_horan_author/

I loved having the chance to catch up with Lisa Darcy again after the release of her most recent book, Christmas Actually!! We dove into topics like bringing real-life anecdotes and experiences into your writing, how to manage a complete storyline pivot suggestion from your editors, staying true to the kind of story you love to write and so much more...Looking for a festive last-minute gift? Buy Lisa's book now:AustraliaUSAUKConnect with Lisa on her socials!Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/lisadarcyauthor.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisadarcyauthor/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lisadarcyauthor4Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisa.darcy.author/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@lisadarcyauthor?hl=en(X)Twitter:  https://twitter.com/lisadarcyauthor

I had the pleasure of connecting with one of my favourite Aussie authors and writerly friend, Dr Anita Heiss...not only did we talk about the second of her fantastic Historical Fiction novels, DIRRAYAWADHA, but so much more!Listen in as Anita chats about how she's surrounded herself with her passions, what she does on a daily basis to get so much done related to each of those passions, how she finds balance when writing (sometimes) heavy storylines, finding the right fit publisher (and recognising that not every project is best fit for every publisher), how important her relationship with her agent has been over many years and more insight into her personal writerly process.Follow her in these places:https://www.anitaheiss.comhttps://anitaheiss.substack.com/https://www.instagram.com/dranitaheissPhoto credit: Morgan Roberts