Aaron is an award-winning novelist attempting to escape his home time that holds complicated and tightly woven memories for his high school friend group. Covering for one another back then wasn’t a big ask, but in the present it could mean the crumble of the entire life he’s built.
When human remains are discovered in a forest on the edge of Aaron’s hometown, he knows that the protected secrets that haunt him are finally coming to an end.
Back then, Aaron’s best friend had a very different home life to his own. Full of displayed love and hidden violence. Moving from past to present in this story, we learn about the prolonged abusive actions that occurred and the climactic accident that changed the future for all the boys involved. With the setting of this mystery being a small town, the community is also fighting for the answers that they never received. Aaron’s return home brings more questions than answers to the surface, and the layered complexities unravel quickly.
Christian White’s books never fail to keep me on the edge of my seat, as his compelling writing is mostly seen through tv scripts but truly, his novels are pure Australian Crime Fiction magic!
Australian movie star and heartthrob, Ethan James has a problem. He is filming a new movie that is expected to rocket launch his career but his dog Harry cannot cope with the time he constantly needs to spend on set without him. He is in desperate need of a dog sitter.
Hazel is in the process of escaping her everyday life and trying to hide from her career as a chef, after an embarrassing and upending experience over the quality of her food. She’s looking for a job that won’t involve her interacting with self centred humans but rather an energetic, playful and affectionate furry kind.
When approached to become the dog sitter for a mysterious and private individual, paying quite a healthy sum of money and in town for a limited amount of time, Hazel jumps at the opportunity. But little did she know, she was signing up for daily interactions with Australia’s hottest movie star and his beloved pet.
Hazel and Ethan push each other’s buttons, test the limits of their working relationship and reveal slithers of their personalities’ to each other from behind self-conscious walls. Slowly, their trust in each other builds but when their individual goals start being met, can they work through them as a duo? Or will it be the end of this short-term contract?
It’s with a strong mixture of unexplainable joy, pride and exhaustion that I write this post. Our very first Riverina Readers Festival is complete and I felt it was really important to write down how I’m feeling and my experiences as something to look back on and also as way of sharing the feelings underneath the surface with those who read this little book blog and attended our festival.
I’ve learnt throughout this epic process of planning, managing and delivering such a large-scale event that it is quite difficult to put into words how you feel, as the mixture of emotions are still churning inside after 2 days from the Festivals completion.
There has been tidal waves of stress and nervous anticipation in hoping those in attendance feel the love and dedication gone into building this event; overwhelming joy when you’re in the thick of seeing the event run through its schedule effortlessly; buzzing excitement and a high of happiness and disbelief when you’re finished; pride and gratitude when you read feedback forms that pour with happiness and eagerness to see what’s next; awe when people stop you or chase after you on the day to tell you how much they feel like they’ve found a community and made new connections; passion when authors congratulate you and your team on the high quality of each and every aspect of the festival and go away recommending your festival to those near and far in their world; joy when you look back and see all the incredible people who made this happen and continue to be there for the future of this project.
This has been one of the biggest moments in my career/ life/ dreams. And my few tears at the end of this day came through to show people that. Building this vision, finding a supportive and valuable team with their own individual talents and passions, planning this festival and bringing it to our community has been unforgettable. I cannot wait to keep this going, say ‘yes’ to opportunities and watch it grow.
Birds of a Feather is Rhianna King’s debut novel and by gosh, will it blow your socks off!
Rhianna is a professional communicator in State Government environmental agencies and has worked within an Aboriginal-led not-for-profit organisation as well. She’s also a graphic designer, having launched her own freelance business in 2015. How dynamic and talented is this woman who now adds ‘author’ to her resume as well!
I cannot thank Rhianna’s wonderful Affirm Press team for reaching out to me, gifting me Birds of a Feather to honestly read and review + have this opportunity to chat with Rhianna herself 🎙
Welcome to the blog Rhianna! 💖
Rhianna, how does it feel to be a debut Aussie author? Can you speak to the experience of being signed with Affirm Press and how the journey has been so far?
Being a debut Aussie author has been more wonderful than I could have possibly imagined (and I spent a lot of time imaging it!). I was lucky enough that Kelly Doust saw a place forBirds of a Feather in Affirm Press’s incredible collection of commercial women’s fiction and I have loved every second of working with the Affirm Press team. They have guided and advised me at every step, with respect for my vision, and the wisdom of experience.
Stepping behind the curtain of the publishing industry has made me fully appreciate how many people it takes to get a book published and in readers’ hands – the editors, cover designers, type setters, printers, marketing and publicity gurus, voice-over artists, those who get the books on the shelves and those who sell them. The experience has also shown me how much support there is out there for authors. Australia has such a wonderful community of people who love books, write them, enjoy talking about them, and are happy to spread the word about books they’ve enjoyed through their social and online platforms. Connecting with other authors and book lovers has been one of the best parts of this journey.
Birds of a Feather is being absolutely DEVOURED in my household! I’m reading on my lunch break, as soon as I get home and right before bed. When did you know that Beth and Elsie’s story was a keeper? – Thank you! 😊
I started writing the book during 2020, after Zoom trivia and puzzles had lost their novelty, because I wanted somewhere to escape to. I grew to love Beth and all her quirks, and I adored Elise’s character, so, once I started, I kept writing because I genuinely wanted to spend time with them. Being in lock-down gave me a whole new appreciation for being able to spend time with friends and family and in the natural environment so, I guess, it was a love letter to all the things I was missing from my life at the time. I also wanted to write a story that was different to anything I’d read before and I was keen to make a contribution, however small, to increasing representation of diversity in commercial fiction.
Beth’s winnings certainly throw her stickler budget and tightened nature out the window. I really enjoy watching her unfold and let in the world around her. Did you always know where Beth’s story started and where it ended? Or were you just along for the ride with her?!
I did have a pretty structured plan for the book before I started writing it, which I guess is ironic since the story centred around encouraging Beth’s character to be more open to going with the flow!
Much of Beth’s rigidity was in response to her family’s complete lack of structure – she enjoyed order while they preferred spontaneity, she liked well-made plans, where they took a laissez-faire approach to life. But I wanted her to see that it doesn’t have to be one or the other; if you open your heart (even a little) and are prepared to step out of your comfort zone, you can still be in the driver’s seat of your life but also find unexpected joy along the way.
I adore the passages where we watch, feel and listen to Elsie and Beth spend precious time together. Is there anyone in your life or from life experiences that influenced the loving, kind and special familial relationship these two have?
I was so blessed with two incredible grandmothers. Both were remarkable women and, incidentally, both were writers. Spending time with them was such a gift and, even though they’ve both been gone for many years, I still miss them.
I think the relationship between grandparents and their grandkids is so special because in many cases it’s all love, no responsibility. For Beth, Elise was the one person who she felt ‘got’ her when she didn’t feel like she belonged in her immediate family, and the two were bonded by their love of the natural environment. I think that having someone in your life who you trust, and with whom you share a common interest, means you always have someone to feel at home with.
Rhianna – thank you so much for your time and generosity in sharing your answers with us on Mel Reviews Her Books 💖
Last night I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing bestselling Australian rural fiction author, Fleur McDonald, at One Book One Temora.
This annual book event is held at the Temora Shire Library and the beautiful community of Temora comes out to spend an evening listening to an Aussie author, of whom they’ve all read one of the authors’ books for their book clubs.
Fleur is incredibly warm, kind, open and willing to share her knowledge about the book industry and writing fiction for over 15 years. She publishes two novels a year while still running a farm over in Western Australia. She is very involved in her small town community and gives back when she has time off everything books. This truly shows in her passionate discussions about the importance of community and connection.
And in talking about community and connection, one rural town that does it so well is Temora. The Temora Shire Library is a hub of chatter, regular borrowers and weekly program goers. The team there are not only approachable, full of life and generous, but they also represent a pivotal consistent hub in the small country town.
The wonderful Wendy handmade this super special Peachy 🐱 bookmark for me in thanks and I’m OBSESSED! How special and what a talent! Thank you Wendy, in more ways than one!
Writing this bookish experience and enjoying a delicious Eggs Benedict, I can’t help but smile and feel gratitude for meeting such wonderful people again this year. Being invited back to 2024’s One Book One Temora is an absolute privilege 💖
Australian Author, Abra Pressler 📸 Ravi from LiberaArts
Abra Pressler is a Riverina gal, who now lives in Canberra and writes her romantic heart out ❤️
Abra studied Creative Writing at RMIT University in Melbourne, where she lived for three years. But when the pandemic hit, in May 2020, she decided to self-publish an old manuscript, titled More. By December, she’d sold 3,000 copies.
After winning the 2021 Penguin Random House WriteIt Fellowship for Love Other Scores, Abra signed with Pan Macmillan to have the full novel published in 2023! And can I just say, I’m so pleased about this ⭐️🎾
Abra, welcome to Mel Reviews Her Books 💖
Abra, can you please share with us your writing life before Love and Other Scores came into the physical book world? … Because this isn’t your first rodeo.
Like most writers, I devoured books when I was younger and then tried writing my own (very, very bad) books. But writing quickly became my passion. I decided to study writing at university with the dream of being a published author.
After I finished my degree, I got a job in the private sector and kept writing on the side. I wrote several manuscripts in a variety of genres but kept coming back to contemporary romance. Around 2018-2019, I wrote a manuscript called More about an Uber-like delivery driver who dreams of being a chef and a taciturn foreign diplomat who can’t cook (thus orders a lot of takeaway). I pitched it to a few agents and publishers but didn’t get much of a bite. Then COVID-19 hit and I had nothing do to, so I thought I’d just polish it up, edit it, and self-publish. It was also pretty strategic because I knew I wanted to get a traditional publishing contract, and thought ‘Well, if I can show I can write a sellable book, that’ll help!’
I learnt so much about self-publishing (aka I made a lot of mistakes), and More did moderately well (it sold around 6,000 or so copies), so I started writing my next idea, which was Love and Other Scoreswith the intention that I really wanted to get a traditional deal, but if I didn’t, I could always self-publish it. I ended up signing with Pan Macmillan around 8 or 9 months after I started pitching it to agents and publishers.
That goes to say that the first book you ever write may not be the one that will land you a traditional deal (if that’s your goal!). Sometimes it can take 3, 5, or 10 manuscripts and that’s okay. Every draft and book I’ve written has allowed me to grow as a writer and I’m of the firm belief no book idea is ever ‘dead’ even when it’s shelved. It’s just not in its right form yet!
The Australian Open is CLEARLY a huge inspiration for Noah and Gabriel’s love story. What personal experiences brought this idea to life for you?
I’ve been obsessed with tennis from a young age—my friend Bec and I would stay up late watching the Australian Open back when Nadal, Federer and Djokovic were the big three, fighting it out each year for the major titles.
But my actual ‘research’ comes from when I worked at the Australian Open as a barista. Around 2014 or 2015 (I forget which!), I was there making coffee and milkshakes and I had a ground pass for my job, but I could use it whenever I wanted. I’d go hang out and watch matches or see players’ practice. It was great fun!
I studied in Melbourne, lived in Footscray and commuted to my job on Chapel Street. Yes. Chapel Street. (For those unfamiliar, an hour and fifteen minutes on public transport; two hours on Sundays). So a lot of Noah’s experience is based on my life working in South Yarra, being a rat bag and public nuisance, staying out too late, paying way too much to get into Revs—basically, being a young adult with no real sense of direction.
Who came to you first- Noah or Gabriel, and what did you see/feel?
Noah came first, because as I mentioned, a lot of his experiences are based on my life, but his personality was developed over several drafts and his voice shone when I switched from third-person to first-person early in the drafting process. Still, I remember from the first draft I wanted him to have this floppy Leonardo Di Capro-esque blow-cut 90s hairstyle—something that (at the time!) was so out of fashion, but I just felt if anyone could rock that look, Noah could.
Gabriel is a more nuanced character who required much more research to bring to life, both because a) he’s a professional tennis player and b) he’s culturally completely outside of my own experience. But, in the same vein as Noah, I also knew he had to have incredible hair—there’s something about a tennis playerwith amazing hair that just gets the people going!
I instantly fell head over heels for both Noah and Gabriel. I just didn’t want that excited buzzing feeling in the bottom of my stomach to end! Are there more exciting buzzy books coming our way soon?
Thank you—I am always so thrilled to hear when people love my characters. On the topic of more books, I certainly hope so!
Last year, I was lucky enough to win the Voices from the Intersection + Allen & Unwin Fellowship for a sapphic young adult sports romance. It’s a fun, sporty romance that explores those really hard ages between 18 and 20 when everything is changing (school, family, living situation, friendship groups), but it’s also about footy and female empowerment and standing up for what you believe in!
Argh, I’ve probably said too much but I’m in the middle of another draft and it’s all coming together, so I hope there’s a chance I can share it with you soon. And then, who knows! I would never say no to returning to the world of tennis…
Abra – thank you so much for sharing your time, experiences and book journey with us here & on Instagram Live 🎥 Admittedly, reading through your answers I was laughing and smiling – I think that just shows how much your writing in Love and Other Scoreswas a hit for me 👏🏼
It’s been a hot minute since I’ve written a good ol’ fashioned bookish blog post! So here you are my friends – I’m going to fill you in on the 4 books I’ve already whipped through in 2024 📖
The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren was the first book I completed in 2024. I zipped through this in about 3 days because it’s addictive plot line and characters were just divine. The True Love Experiment is about a US best selling romance author going on a reality dating tv show, much like ‘The Bachelorette’ or ‘Love at First Sight’ here in Australia. However, the set up for this reality show is that each guy introduced to our eligible bachelorette needs to be inspired by a romance novel trope, such as ‘the bad boy’, ‘the one that got away’, ‘the nerd’ etc. And of course, our beautiful, kind hearted producer (😉) can see this is a fabulous idea and will help make the tv network the money it needs for him to go back to producing animal documentaries. That is, until he also becomes incredibly invested in the show … and our main character. This book was laugh out loud funny, had great angst and hot moments, but also sweet and down to earth moments. I find Christina Lauren’s books a great palate cleanser ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5 stars)
Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth was my next completed novel. Admittedly, I started this in December of 2023 but just didn’t get around to finishing it until the hustle and bustle of Christmas and New Year was over. This story follows 3 women as they’re thrown into an investigation of the foster home they all lived in as children. A child’s body has been found under the house in present day and all 3 woman are suspects as the police try to put the timeline together. The flashbacks of each woman’s perspective shed light on what actually took place in the house/at this time/who this child could be. Due to the manipulative, abusive and influential experiences all 3 girls had at that house, they consider themselves sisters and are determined to see the woman behind their abusive childhood found guilty. I enjoyed this book. I would say that I saw some of the ending coming but there were other parts that I didn’t! Overall, enjoyable and I would like to try more of Sally Hepworth’s books this year. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5 stars)
Weyward by Emilia Hart was picked up at the perfect time for me! I wanted the feel of magic/fantasy but didn’t want drudge through the whole world-building chapters, not understanding peoples roles and having no clue what peoples names are – you know? 🤣 So Weyward was more magical realism and I found it the perfect slice for my craving. Following 3 quite extended generations of Weyward women, all 3 are guided by their connection to nature, ability to intuitively speak with animals, and also grow their gifts. A strong plot line that I was not expecting in this book is domestic violence and intergenerational trauma. Each woman has either been exposed to and/or experienced domestic abuse, with the male figure being the perpetrator, first hand. This abuse is actually the start of their spark in magic as it is used as both a coping mechanism and also a form of protection or revenge. One woman is in the 1600’s and she is on trial for witchcraft. Another woman is in the 1950’s and she has lost her mother, has a poor relationship with her father and her cousin unexpectedly comes to stay following his time serving in the War. Another woman is in present day, and she is on the run from her husband after just finding out she’s pregnant. This novel certainly hits some cautionary points and has quite descriptive scenes at times. I didn’t find this a bad thing, if anything it made me more passionate about seeing these women through to then end. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5/stars)
Love, Just in by Natalie Murray has been my fourth completed book and I just NEEDED to pick this up because, girl – is she getting some hype (totally worth it I might add)! Love, Just In is a friends to lovers but there is also some high school chasing and then present day heartache. Josie and Zac have been best friends since the moment they bonded over music in high school, but as the years went by, poor timing, dating other people and after Zac experiences a tragic accident, resulting in the loss of someone significant in his life, they’ve drifted. Zac fled Sydney 2 years ago following the tragic accident and since then, him and Josie have barely been in touch. Josie has been offered an opportunity to help progress her news reading/tv presenter career, and it just happens to be in the city Zac fled to – Newcastle. Instantly, their friendship is starting to mend but Josie is seeing Zac in a different light; an attractive light; a more than friends light; a HOT light. Zac & Josie’s story had perfectly timed reveals, angst, funny moments and tender heart moments. The perfect Sunday morning/afternoon read! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)
How are you guys starting your 2024? New books? New hobbies underway? 🙈📖 Comment below 💭
2023 was an epic year in books for me – in the form of reading, reviewing, talking about books with all you book lovers and also talking with authors about their work!
This year I have:
⭐️ Conducted over 10 in person, online and panel interviews
⭐️ Participated in NaNoWriMo & now have 20,000 words on page
⭐️ Started the Riverina Readers Festival
⭐️ Attended two book festivals
⭐️ Met some seriously talented people!
In 2023 I read a total of 26 books! If you’d like to see & follow my individual ratings for each book, you can jump onto my GoodReads (click here)
The 📖 BOOK will indicate that there is a book review of this title on Mel Reviews Her Books
The 🎤 MICROPHONE will indicate that there is an Author Talks with this author on Mel Reviews Her Books
The 🎥 FILM will indicate that you can watch an Instagram Live Interview with this author on @melreviewsherbooks
Heartstrong by Ellidy Pullin 📖
Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley 📖
The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni (2x reread) 📖
The Spice Roads by Maia Ibrihim 📖
Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare
The Redgum River Retreat by Sandie Docker 🎤
The Dangers of Female Provocation by Zoë Coyle 📖🎤🎥
Five Bush Weddings by Clare Fletcher 📖🎤🎥
The Last Love Note by Emma Grey 📖🎤🎥
How to be Remembered by Michael Thompson 📖🎤🎥
Ascension by Nicholas Binge 📖
The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams 📖
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas (3x reread) 📖
The Whispering by Veronica Lando 📖
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros 📖
The Hummingbird Effect by Kate Mildenhall 📖🎤🎥
Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams
A Beginner’s Guide to Scandal by Alivia Fleur
Happy Place by Emily Henry
The Wake-Up Call by Beth O’Leary 📖
The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary (3x reread) 📖
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
Icebreaker by Hannah Grace 📖
The Love Contract by Steph Vizard
The Only One Left by Riley Sager 📖
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett 📖
Kill Your Husbands by Jack Heath 📖🎤🎥
Love and Other Scores by Abra Pressler
Here’s to another year full of books, joy and reading 💖
Bestselling Australian Author, Jack Heath 📸 Curtis Brown Agency
Jack Heath is the #1 bestselling author of 40 novels, published in nine languages. Jack’s first crime thriller, Hangman, was voted one of the 100 best books of all time (twice) – and I think Kill Your Husbands won’t be far behind! His mission is to create books that inspire a love of reading in children and adults.
Welcome Jack, to Mel Reviews Her Books 😊
Jack, Kill Your Husbands is certainly a unique storyline! I mean, we have murder, a touch of romance, a LOT of suspicion and a partner swap! How and where were you inspired to write Kill Your Husbands?
I used to rent a beach house with my old high school friends every year after exams were over. There would be drinking, truth or dare, more drinking, and (my favourite) games of murder in the dark. We’d creep around the house with the lights out, and when someone screamed, we’d all get together in the room with the “body” and try to work out who the killer was.
Writing 7 different perspectives is not an easy feat in the slightest. Why did you choose to split perspectives rapidly in each chapter and do you feel its effect was achieved? (I certainly do!)
When I was a kid I read a murder mystery where the killer turned out to be the narrator, which blew my mind. For Kill Your HusbandsI set myself a challenge – what if the killer was the narrator, and the reader knew it from the start, but they didn’t know which narrator?
In a world where ChatGPT exists, human writers can compete by focusing not just on the characters’ emotions but the readers’. Splitting the perspectives and tightly controlling the flow of information was the only way to create the effect I wanted.
In person and online, you’ve spoken openly about the challenges of making it into the book industry and rewriting, rewriting and rewriting your work before sending it off to be published. 40 novels down the line, what does that process look like for you now?
Things have changed a bit. At the start of my career, I’d write a book and then hope I could find a publisher to sell it to. These days publishers often come to me and ask me to write something for them. This means my income is much more stable, but it also means less creative freedom. I have to outline everything before I write it, and I have so many readers that I’m locked in to certain genres. Nice problems to have, I know!
Our main Police perspective, Kiara, is a recurring character for you. Kiara ends Kill Your Husband by exploring new cases and she’s stepped up into higher ranks as a Detective. Do you feel like there is another story left for her yet?
I hope so! I’ve learned not to plan out long series, because often a book won’t sell well enough to warrant a sequel. I also have several contracts for non-Kiara books, so I’ll be pretty busy either way. But the response to Kill Your Husbands has been tremendous, so I think there’s a market there for another Kiara book if I chose to write one. What do you think of Kill Your Boss?
Kill Your Boss sounds absolutely terrifying! Can’t wait to read it 😉 Jack – thank you SO MUCH for spending your time here on Author Talks. I’m so pleased to have had the opportunity to chat again (virtual this time), it’s always a pleasure 📚
You can find all of Jack Heath’s books via this link: Click Here ⭐️
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