I’ve adored making YouTube videos (or should I say BookTube) 🎥
When it starts to cool off here, my mood reading seriously kicks in and I just KNOW I need a variety of books on my shelves to help battle the indecisiveness of what to read.
I’m so very grateful to Rhianna King with Affirm Press, and Joel McKerrow for generously sending me their brand-new books!
If you love a reading palette of romance, fantasy, crime fiction and historical fiction – this book haul is for you 📖
I cannot fathom that this little idea I thought up around 2 years ago is now a ACTUAL REAL THING!
Like legit, it is real – it’s happening in less than 2 months and I think I’m still on the high of excitement and not in the pits of nervousness.
I cannot predict what emotions I’ll be feeling in a months time, or even in 2 weeks out from the event but what I can say is that right now – things are on track and somehow, I don’t know why, but I feel settled in this feeling that people will turn up and it will all be okay. A bit like when we were in the thick of applying for grants and I just had this gut feeling, we’d be okay.
I think one of the main things keeping me feeling centred and focused is that I’ve had such a positive experience working within a team of strong, intelligent and generous women. For these women to surround me, encourage me and propel me forward has been hands down, one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. And they’re all volunteering their time to do this! I get emotional thinking about it – the weight of that encompassing belief of “you can do it” and “we believe in you”.
It feels like we’re just putting the finishing touches on now and creating a run-sheet of what our team has had running over and over in our minds for the past 6 months.
So two months out and my day-to-day looks like – planning our social media content, trying to post 3 times per week with paid promotions behind some posts. Myself and the team are distributing promotional posters, bookmark and bits and bobs around the region. We’re organising media interviews and I’m getting calls from newspapers.
The sense of community excitement is creeping in and it’s a wonderful feeling that is hard to describe. Maybe on the day of the festival, I’ll find the words.
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 for Birds 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 💖
You can find Rhianna and I on Instagram Live this morning at 10am 🎥
Hi book friends!
It’s been little while since I dedicated some personal time to writing on my blog … and I’ve missed it SO MUCH!
I think a big part of me not making the time to write, debrief and escape is because this is a place where a big portion of my life hasn’t been shared before. And in turn, I haven’t really made space for it before on here either.
So that’s about to change!
I wanted to give you an update of where things are up to at the moment in the life of Mel Reviews Her Books and what you can expect to see going forward. Here goes:
🤓 I have been reading so many books – I think I’m at a total of 20 already this year – but I’ve been debriefing them in a Reading Journal. I’ve really enjoyed this process and would like to maybe share bits and pieces of that more on here. I think I’d also like to run a local and/or regional workshops for this as well sometime soon! I find the downtime, away from a screen and listening to F.R.I.E.N.D.S on the tv in the background, incredibly relaxing.
🎥 I still ADORE planning and filming Author Talks on here as a long-form written interview and also via Instagram Live. This is something I’ve dedicated to hosting once a month, with predominately debut Aussie Authors to help bring light to their wonderful work and celebrate this new exciting path they’re on. You’ll still find me doing this on the ‘Author Talks’ tab and on my Instagram –> here
💙 I have been creating, forming, planning and am now 2 months away from delivering a book festival, called the Riverina Readers Festival. This has been over a year in the making. Our Festival is set to take place in the Riverina, NSW on Saturday 13 July.
To say my life has been consumed by this epic endeavour is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s been an absolute dream come true to work on morphing this younger Mel idea into fruition. It’s real and it’s happening – I don’t think that has really sunk in yet.
I cannot believe the excitement already building and anticipation in the air. So in saying this, I want to share a little more about what the journey and experience has been like in creating a Book Festival. The hows, whens, oh no’s’, and ‘oh my god this is happening’ moments. Right now, you can find us at www.riverinareadersfestival.org.au
📧 I did have all good intentions of producing and delivering an email into your inbox once a month – it was a new years goal. But you know, sometimes new years goals don’t work out the way you expect and instead, I now create newsletters for the Riverina Readers Festival! So if you’d like to hear from me in newsletter form, click here –> sign up
📖 I also had good intentions of running an online bookclub, however that has now transitioned into planning and coordinating a book club for the Riverina Readers Festival following our one-day book festival! So if you’re interested in a book club that highlights Aussie talent and meets only a few times a year, click here –> sign up to book club news
So in essence, I’m well and run off my feet + filling with nervous excitement as time inches closer to the Riverina Readers Festival 💙 I can’t wait to start sharing some bits and pieces with you and changing up this webpage a little.
👀 Keep your eyes peeled!
Mel xx
After the small snippet reviews I’d seen and heard about Powerless by Lauren Roberts, I knew that the experience of reading this novel would be one I wanted to vlog. I hope you enjoy ⭐️
Someone needs to hold me back because I’m about to YELL all over this review about how FANTASTIC this read was!
Imagine Throne of Glass + The Hunger Games + a Sarah Adam’s romance novel angst and pining = Powerless by Lauren Roberts
Here are a good few reasons as to why you should pick up this book RIGHT NOW or slide it up to the top of your TBR pile:
✅ Actual enemies to lovers: Paedyn (love this name) and Malakai aka Prince Kai, are from different sides of the track and have very different loyalties.
Paedyn is an Ordinary hidden in plain sight. This means she was not born with any magical, mind bending or magnificent power such as morphing into animals, mind reading or mind silencing, invisibility or time warping. Those that do have these powers certainly show it and they are called the Elites.
The current King, who is an Elite, has poisoned society into believing that Ordinary’s actually make Elite’s sick and it is crucial that Ordinary’s are removed from society – ie. Paedyn. However, she is much more clever than most, as was her Father when training her, because she is posing as an Elite who has Psychic abilities.
Every year the annual Trials come around, which involve the most powerful Elites showing off their powers in a range of life-threatening and vengeful situations. Some people are naturally selected due to their status (ie. Prince Kai) and some are selected by society (ie. Paedyn). All are voted on and viewed by Ilya – determining the winner and ‘most powerful’ of the year.
✅ The fighting scenes are FANTASTIC and I was personally so pleased with the balance of angst and weaponry.
For Paedyn to survive in Loot (the poorest part of Ilya) she thieves coins and belongings. Prince Kai comes along, unbeknown to her of who he is. To Paedyn, he just looked like a well off guy holding a fat stack of coins. Drama and death tends to follow Prince Kai as he is the ‘Enforcer’ for the King, while also being his second son. Paedyn robs Prince Kai and walks away feeling chuffed, until a Mind Silencer starts attacking him.
Paedyn is triggered by a past event in her life when watching Prince Kai being attacked and she cannot stop herself from stepping in to save him. This action tumble-rolls Paedyn’s future. She is selected by Ilya to participate in the Trials as she is seen as strong, but in actual fact, she is physically strong and trained in conflict yet actual magical power? Zlitch.
✅ Angst was at an all time high!
The back and forward banter, love to hate relationship between Pae and Kai was incredibly entertaining. Him pulling down his walls around her because of his either genuine concern or curiosity + her desire to be around him yet knowing that he is in fact the worst person for her to befriend … or more.
Admittedly, there was a time there when I was starting to get a little over the back and forward without any consequence happening. They became so close at one stage that you would think the end of the scene was inevitable – but then it simmered again. I do believe that if their relationship had developed a little more, then the ending, Payden’s choices and Kai perspective would be heavier and more emotional.
In saying that, I think the reveal of Paedyn’s political actions and her powerless power in the final chapters was great. I wouldn’t say the final chapters were unpredictable (one element of the final challenge was), or that the outcome – couldn’t be guessed – but you know what, I still read and loved each and every page anyways!
Sometimes it’s not about the guessing game of a novel, it’s about connecting with the characters and just letting the story be told the way the author wants us to see it. And this novel certainly ticked all those boxes for me!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)
It may be blurry and it may be chopped up not just right, but you know what – it’s there and we did it!
And it’s recommending you 4 new books to help get you out of those pesky book slumps 💫
Enjoy my book friends 💖
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 💖
February has been a month of fun times, event busy-ness and new experiences.
This past month, Riverina Readers Festival had a whopping success of an event and I was so proud to see the love, care and time that all those involved put towards the event being a smash hit. I think for me, when we deliver a successful event it’s important to celebrate. So this past week, I’ve not gone so hard on the emails, festival strategy work and planning. I took a breath and relished in our teamwork and passion towards a common goal.
I’ve also had some fun times in my new working gal role. This month I started a new job where I get to combine my passions for local community, service/program opportunity and event planning + delivery. I recognise that I am so privileged to say that I attend a workplace where work does not feel like work. I’m currently getting paid to train, work on and deliver something I’m super passionate about and I just smile every time I think about that! I truly hope each and every one of you get to experience this feeling one day because if I could bottle it up, I’d give it to every single person I meet.
When I’m feeling good and in a healthy headspace, I’m also more open to creative projects, experimenting with ideas and dreaming towards my own long term goals. I’ve let myself lean into that this week and sometimes the result is fantastic, sometimes it’s just a “I’ll tuck this away for later” (and proceed to create another folder on my laptop with images, dot points and unfinished documents) 🤣
But all in all, I think breathing in new experiences, celebrating the wins and letting your mind dream is so important. Especially when we can lead busy lives majority of the time. I’d recommend you try it and see what creative ideas or plans spring to mind 💖🧠
Comment below a win you’ve had this month 💭
Sometimes a Sunday Cake fills that little niggling feeling inside of you that desires something easy, yummy and super satisfying while you’re lazing around the house, in your pj’s … avoiding housework.
I’ve found the perfect cake to fill that void and let me tell you, I just KNOW you’ll be making this for yourself, your neighbours, for special occasions and just a simple but wholesome afternoon tea with loved ones.
I introduce to you, the gluten free cake of your dreams ☁️ A Lemon & Thyme cake with healthish cream cheese icing!
I sought this recipe from the Gluten Free Shop & added my own little spin by removing, replacing and adding some ingredients. Also, this Sunday Cake doesn’t include traditional cooking sugar, which I love!
CAKE INGREDIENTS
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
METHOD:
Mel Reviews Her Books 