On the podcast today Courtney chats with Melbourne author Jodi McAllister about her rom-com – “An Academic Affair” - a charming new romance about two English professors who embark on a fake relationship…only to discover that it may be harder to pretend than they realized.  Then Sam speaks with NSW writer Sarah Clutton about her novel “The Remarkable Truths of Alfie Bains” - a heart-warming story of family, relationships and being true to oneself.  We hope you enjoy!

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On this special NAIDOC Week episode, our local history librarian Kate speaks with Lenora Thaker - a proud Meriam and Wagedagam woman born and living on Gimuy-Walubarra Yidinji country in Far North Queensland.   They chat about her historical novel, 'The Pearl of Tagai Town' a sweeping, heart-warming and ultimately triumphant story of the life of a young Torres Strait Islander woman from Tagai Town, a shantytown on the northeastern coast of Australia, in the decades before, during and after World War II.  We hope you enjoy!

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Welcome to Back to Chat, a special episode of Book Matters! 

On today’s special episode we are celebrating five years of Book Matters with a familiar and much-loved guest. That’s right—we’re bringing back one of our most popular authors for a return visit!

Please join us as we catch up, see what’s new and dive into their stories—both on and off the page—that continue to inspire our book world. 

It’s a full-circle moment, and we’re thrilled to share it with you!

If you are keen to also listen to our previous interview with Maya Linnell you can find it here: https://bit.ly/44c3NjT

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On Book Matters today, Courtney speaks with Sydney paramedic Sally Gould about her memoir Frog, an intimate look at the human cost of the job and the cumulative effect of trauma. Sally shares a personal story which offers a heartfelt tribute to the resilience, courage and camaraderie that define the high-stakes world of emergency medicine.  Then Janine chats with South Australian crime writer Michelle Prak, we talk about her writing and her new suspense novel Barren Cape, where an abandoned resort seems the perfect place to hide, but is Barren Cape a refuge or a trap.  We hope you enjoy.

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Today on Book Matters we are celebrating Australian crime fiction by chatting to Sydney writer Jane Caro about her compelling and fascinating new mystery novel Lyrebird, which brings a detective out of retirement to investigate a 20-year-old cold case. We hope you enjoy.

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 On Book Matters today Kate speaks with Melbourne author Madeliene Cleary about her new historical fiction novel “The Butterfly Women” which shines a light on Melbourne in 1863, the goldrush and the brothels that operated in that era.   Then Janine speaks with Sydney author Lauren McKellar about her new novel “The Calendar Mums” - a warm, funny and heartbreaking book about what it means to be a mother.  We hope you enjoy.

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On the podcast today Sam chats to Sydney author Catherine Greer about her novel The Bittersweet Bakery Café which sheds light on the complex lives of women, then Kiara speaks with Victoria Brownlee who describes herself as an Eater/Drinker/Writer, about her new novel Eat Your Heart Out.  

We hope you enjoy.

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On the podcast this month Janine speaks with Sydney author Vanessa McCausland about her new release “The Last Illusion of Paige White” a haunting, compelling and beautifully written novel about two women, a tragedy on the lake, and secrets beneath the surface.

Kiara then chats with Ella Ward about her first novel "The Cicada House" - a heartfelt and feel-good time-travelling love story set in London and Australia.

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On the podcast this month Janine speaks with author Kylie Ladd about her new release "The Mix-Up" - A beautifully told and thought-provoking novel about a mix-up that leaves two children wondering who they really are and where they belong . . .  Sam then chats to Darwin based writer Leonie Norrington about her book – A Piece of Red Cloth, A powerful, unique novel based on the oral history of the Yolngu people from north-east Arnhem Land that tells the story of a grandmother who stops at nothing to protect her granddaughter.

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Here at Book Matters we are taking a well-earned break over the holiday period but in the meantime we have put together some great listening in our best in-conversation events held during the year.

Back in October we were fortunate to have well known crime writer and winner of three Ned Kelly awards, Candice Fox here at Bunjil Place.   Fellow crime writer and local girl Kerryn Mayne interviewed Candice about her writing, her collaboration with James Patterson, the adaptations of her novels to the screen and her newest novel “High Wire”.   

The audio quality was a little patchy as it was recorded live but we hope you enjoy.

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Courtney chats with Julie Goodwin about the release of her memoir –
“Your time starts now” - the extraordinary life story of Australia's first winner of MasterChef and bestselling cookbook author. It was by all appearances, a successful, rewarding life. But under the surface relentless pressure from Julie’s outer and inner worlds was taking its toll. Struggling with depression, anxiety and addiction, with bushfires blazing and lockdowns looming, Julie found herself hospitalised in a mental health unit.

We are brought into her story, into her unravelling and quest for healing as she seeks to resume a richly lived life.

We hope you enjoy.

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In our final Book Matters episode for the year Janine speaks with debut author Leesa Ronald about her novel Special Delivery - a heartfelt, laugh-out-loud story of finding love through life's twists and turns and a perfect novel for the summer holidays. 

Then Sam chats to David Lindenmayer about his book The Forest Wars which lifts the lid on what’s happening in our forests.

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On Book Matters today Kate chats with debut author Lauren Keegan about her book “All the bees in the hollows” an atmospheric, original, folkloric mystery set in a remote Lithuanian beekeeping community in the 16th century.  

Then Courtney speaks with best-selling Sydney author Pip Drysdale about her latest book “The Close-Up”, an electrifying, dark and twisty new thriller set in celebrity-soaked Los Angeles.   We hope you enjoy.

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On Book Matters today we speak to two Australian authors who take us to Italy during two different eras. First up Janine speaks to Perth based author Tess Woods about her fourth women's fiction novel The Venice hotel; where the lives of four very different women become entangled in a boutique hotel where dark secrets unravel and where not everyone who checked into the hotel will check out again. Then Kate chats with Sydney based author Emily Maguire about her historical fiction novel Rapture; an enthralling evocation of a world in turmoil threaded through by the life of a singular brilliant woman. An imaginative and audacious historical novel from the best-selling author of Love Objects and An Isolated Incident. We hope you enjoy!

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This month Janine chats with Victorian author Jock Serong about his new novel "Cherrywood" an imaginative, darkly playful and deeply meaningful delight, a novel about legacy, community, wonder, love and reinvention.   Then Courtney speaks with debut novelist Brooke Hardwick about her novel The Fog - a spine-chilling gothic thriller, where a  woman on the brink travels to a remote writers’ retreat to uncover the secrets of her past and lands herself in a deadly situation that could destroy her future.

We hope you enjoy!

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In this episode Janine chats with Sydney writer Nicola Moriarty about her new domestic thriller 'Every Last Suspect' - a gripping thriller that masterfully intertwines suspense and drama, leaving readers hooked from the very first page.

Then Sam chats to debut author Finegan Kruckemeyer about his novel 'The End and everything before it' which is a sweeping, joyous novel about love, loss and the power of stories - an uplifting journey into our deepest humanity.

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 On this episode of Book Matters we are thrilled to be talking to two fabulous writers about their latest releases. First off Janine chats with Canadian crime writer Robyn Harding about her latest thriller The Haters; a twisted tale of fame, obsession, and the dark recesses of social media. Then Kate speaks to Australian author Lia Hill about her novel The desert knows her name; an exquisite novel that speaks to a deep longing for connection with the land, and the silences that persist in contemporary Australia.

We hope you enjoy! 

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 On Book Matters today Janine and Courtney speak with two Australian authors.  Janine speaks with Aoife Clifford about her new mystery novel ‘It takes a town’ which is a vivid story of small-town allegiances and secret grudges.  Then Courtney chats with Amy Hutton about her romantic comedy novel ‘Love from Scratch’ which is a delectable story for dog-lovers, cat-lovers and romance lovers.  We hope you enjoy. 

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On Book Matters today Kate speaks with debut author Kyra Geddes about her novel 'The Story Thief' where fact and fiction meld into one in this stirring family saga set against shifting landscapes and pivotal moments in Australian history.

Lynda then chats with Jo Peck about her memoir 'Suddenly Single at 60' - This inspiring, witty and at times hilarious memoir tells the story of the road from shock and despair to an unexpected new life, of friendship, romance and racy sex—proof that being suddenly single at sixty is not the end, it’s an opportunity for a fabulous new beginning.

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Here at Book Matters we are great supporters of Australian writers, especially those who are publishing their first novels. Today we shine a light on two debut novelists
 Lynne Johnson  is an Australian writer and the author of crime fiction novel, The Bait trap. She writes crime with feeling, that deals with gritty social issues, like addiction. The Bait Trap is about powerlessness, forgiveness, redemption and freedom all set in a fictional rural Australian town.
Abbey Lay is a Melbourne writer whose novel Lead us Not is an emotionally charged novel of female friendship. Her debut novel was shortlisted for the Victorian Premier’s Award for an Unpublished Manuscript.   Lead Us Not is an intriguing, heartbreaking depiction of the complexities of female friendship and the emotional toll of ghosting set in a Catholic Girls School.
We hope you enjoy.

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 In this special Australian Rural Crime episode, Courtney talks to Sydney author Dinuka Mackenzie about her novel – Tipping Point, the third instalment of the Detective Kate Miles series which features, a suicide. a shooting. and a reckoning, decades in the making.  We hear about her writing process and her inspiration for her crime novels, we hope you enjoy.

Reserve your copy here: https://bit.ly/4cEhR9i

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On this episode we have two Australian mystery rural crime writers to chat to. 

Courtney speaks with Vikki Wakefield about her latest release “To the River” about a fire in a remote caravan community which kills 9 people.   

Then Janine speaks with Glenna Thomson about her novel “Gone” which is a gripping rural crime novel of a grieving family and their forty-year journey to discover the truth.   We hope you enjoy.

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WELCOME BACK TO BOOK MATTERS, WE HOPE YOU ALL HAD A LOVELY SUMMER BREAK.   ON OUR FIRST EPISODE OF SEASON 5 WE HAVE TWO VERY DIFFERENT AUTHORS AND BOOKS TO TALK ABOUT.

FIRST UP,  JANINE CHATS WITH CANBERRA BASED AUTHOR KAREN VIGGERS ABOUT HER LATEST NOVEL ‘SIDELINES’, WHICH EXPLORES WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A TEENAGE SOCCER GAME DESCENDS INTO A BRAWL AFTER A CONTROVERSIAL LINE CALL.

NEXT UP COURTNEY SPEAKS WITH MEGAN NORRIS ABOUT HER TRUE CRIME BOOK “LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO – FATHERS WHO KILL” WHICH IS AN EXPLORATION OF REVENGE KILLINGS DURING MARITAL BREAKDOWNS.  

Please note that this interview contains depictions of violence that some people may find disturbing or if you have children around pop on some headphones.

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In our final episode for the year we have two Australian Historical Fiction writers to hear from. 

Janine speaks with Sydney author Tania Blanchard about her new novel A Woman of Courage - A gripping, uplifting new Victorian era novel about passion, love, loss, self-discovery and the right to be heard, inspired by a true story.   

Then Kate speaks with Darry Fraser about her latest novel – The Milliner of Bendigo set in the 1800’s in Bendigo and the mighty Murray River - an exciting and twisty historical mystery and adventure from a bestselling Australian author. 

The team here at Book Matters would like to thank you all for your support over the past year and we would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy festive season and we look forward to bringing you more interviews next year. 

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Janine speaks with UK author Wendy Holden about her novel ”The Princess” which is the final novel in Wendy Holden's trilogy about royal outsiders, and fictionalises Princess Diana's little-known early years. Then Kate speaks with Melbourne writer Kirsty Manning about her new novel  “The Hidden Book” which is a compelling novel based on a true story of a WWII European heirloom that brought down war criminals and travelled through history … to be found in an Australian country shed in 2019. We hope you enjoy!

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