Where would you be without your writer friends? And how do you go about writing a novel readers won't be able to put down? Dive into the suspenseful world of psychological thrillers with debut author Lisa Kenway on this week's episode of Writes4Women. Tune in as Lisa shares the long journey to publication behind her gripping novel ALL YOU TOOK FROM ME and how her writing friends kept her going through rejections. Plus, discover how the beauty and menace of the Blue Mountains play a crucial role ...
Aug 08, 2024•48 min•Season 5Ep. 26
Join host Pamela Cook in this week's episode of Writes4Women for a deep dive into the books that have significantly influenced her writing journey. Discover how THE HOURS by Michael Cunningham captured women's lives, THE ARTISTS’ WAY by Julia Cameron unlocked creativity, and Tim Winton's works enriched settings and characters. Explore the emotional depths in Emily Henry's romcoms and understand how diving into your favourite books can enhance your own writing craft. Don't miss this insightful pe...
Aug 01, 2024•34 min•Season 5Ep. 25
In this episode of 'Writes for Women,' host Pamela Cook is joined by multi-published Australian author Sandie Docker to discuss her latest novel, 'The Lyrebird Lake Ladies Choir.' Sandie shares insights into her inspiration for the story, the challenges of writing dual timelines, and the emotional depth of her characters. The discussion also delves into the importance of author branding, the concept of belonging, and the therapeutic power of music. Pam and Sandie also chat about the 'women's fic...
Jul 25, 2024•59 min•Season 5Ep. 24
This week on Writes4Women, get encouraged to reimagine your pathway to publishing. Pamela Cook hosts the unstoppable Sasha Wasley , diving into her riveting journey as a hybrid author. Don’t miss Sasha’s insights on being resilient in publishing, generating multiple revenue streams, and the exciting prospects of mixing traditional and indie publishing worlds! Timestamps: Pam’s Introduction and Personal Writing Updates Exciting News: Pam’s Backlist and New Publisher Meet Today's Guest: Sasha Wasl...
Jul 18, 2024•59 min•Season 5Ep. 23
What’s an eco-thriller and what does Tim Winton have to do with this week’s author’s latest book, THE REWILDING? Find out in the latest episode of Writes4Women with host Pamela Cook and novelist Donna Cameron. Donna shares her journey from playwright to novelist, the deep character psychology, the crucial role of hope, and the joys of writing that keep her going. Tune in for her thought-provoking insights and heartwarming humour! SHOW NOTES: Writes4Women www.writes4women.com Facebook @writes4wom...
Jul 11, 2024•52 min•Season 5Ep. 22
In an interview it would be a crime to miss, thriller author and guest host Rae Cairns goes deep on the writing process with acclaimed police procedural best selling author, Sarah Bailey. Sarah spills the beans on her dynamic writing process, from initial ideas to final edits. Don’t miss insights on creating gripping tension, managing ethical dilemmas, and the thrill of seeing her series potentially hit the TV screen! A riveting episode for both readers and writers, regardless of what genre you'...
Jul 04, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 5Ep. 21
Ever wondered how debut authors navigate the rollercoaster of their first publication? In this insightful episode of Writes4Women, Pam chats with debut novelists Maxine Fawcett, Jill Valentine and Helen Signy. From the emotional highs and lows of the writing process to the triumphs and challenges of getting published, this episode is packed with candid conversations and valuable advice. Tune in to discover the real stories behind their debut novels and gain inspiration for your own writing journ...
Jun 20, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Season 5Ep. 20
How do you keep the publishing dream alive when the going gets tough? In this heartfelt episode of Writes4Women, Lisa Darcy joins Pam for an open-book conversation packed with reflections and practical tips. Discover how to stay motivated and keep reaching towards your publication goals, even in challenging times. Lisa also talks about re-inventing her backlist and finding life in old manuscripts, as well as finding a new pen name. Grab a cuppa, pop on your headphones and enjoy this chat with Li...
Jun 13, 2024•47 min•Season 5Ep. 19
Feeling overwhelmed by the pressures of writing? Join Maya Linnell as she chats with New York Times bestselling author Katherine Center on the Writes4Women Podcast! Catherine shares her journey of moving from a slow burn to success, her love for the joyful process of writing, and the art of self-encouragement. Discover how hope and humor blend seamlessly in her stories, and why embracing joy can make all the difference. Don't miss out on this inspiring episode filled with wisdom, laughter, and h...
Jun 06, 2024•51 min•Season 5Ep. 17
Sometimes publishing hurts, but that doesn’t mean you should give up on writing! Pam gets personal in this special Heart 2 Heart episode of Writes4Women, giving you 5 reasons you should keep writing that DON’T include signing a book contract. If the sometimes fickle publishing industry has you a bit down, have a moment with Pam and find your mojo again Timestamps: (01:30 - 02:45) Sometimes Publishing Hurts - What Inspired this Episode (15:08 - 16:57) Reason 1: Writing as Creative Expression (18:...
May 30, 2024•32 min•Season 5Ep. 16
Guest host Mary-Lou Stephens chats to fellow historical fiction author Julie Bennet about her second novel, The Lost Letters of Rose Carey. A former journalist Julie's novels are inspired by her experiences on stage as a child extra in the newly-opened Sydney Opera House (The Understudy) and now by her research into the life of 1920's movie icon Annette Kellerman. Set in 2024 and 1923 the dual timeline story is a stirring tale of mystery and romance about the 'million dollar mermaid'. Julie talk...
May 23, 2024•35 min•Season 5Ep. 15
Discover the inspiring story of Ber Carroll in this captivating episode of Writes4Women. Join us as we trace her 20-year publishing journey, from the release of her debut novel to her latest work, ONE OF US IS MISSING. Gain invaluable insights into Ber's process of dealing with publishing highs and lows, her approach to creating compelling family drama, and the crucial role of rewriting. This episode is a treasure trove for aspiring writers and fans of Ber Carroll's novels, offering practical ad...
May 02, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 5Ep. 14
In this episode host Pamela Cook chats to Karen Viggers about her recent release Sidelines . The novel centres around a violent brawl at a suburban junior soccer game. Some onlookers are shocked. But others saw it coming. Rivalry, parental pressure, coaching bias, inequity, and many other factors have played a part in turning Saturday mornings into a pressure cooker. The story is told from multiple points of view and takes us into the competitive world of children's sport. Karen Viggers is an au...
Apr 25, 2024•1 hr•Season 5Ep. 13
Today's episode features rural romance author Renae Black, and is all about getting your debut novel published. Renae is the author of Red Dirt Home , published by HQ Harper Collins. Renae Black's family stretches back at least three generations of farmers on both her mum and dad's side. She spent her formative years growing up on a property north of Wagga New South Wales, that bred cattle and hosted the odd ostrich sale. A qualified social worker, Renae has spent the last decade working in the ...
Apr 18, 2024•45 min•Season 5Ep. 12
Lauren Chater is the author of the historical novels The Lace Weaver, Gulliver's Wife and The Winter Dress. Her latest book, The Beauties is a seductive story of rivalry, artistic passion and a woman bold enough to use her beauty as a weapon. It's a dual timeline, multiple point of view narrative set in the seventeenth century written in Lauren's beautiful prose style, and meticulously weaving fact and fiction. In this episode Pamela chats to Lauren about the inspiration for the book, her writin...
Apr 12, 2024•1 hr•Season 5Ep. 11
Jenna Lo Bianco is a writer, educator, PhD Candidate, and advocate for Italian language education in Australia. She is the author of the newly released contemporary fiction title, The Italian Marriage , the first of three books all set in Italy. With nearly 60 publications to her name, Jenna is trusted nationally and internationally to write about all things ‘Italian’. She is a Fellow of the International Specialised Skills Institute and Italian Australian Foundation, regular contributor to Segm...
Apr 04, 2024•39 min•Season 5Ep. 10
Tate James, USA Today Bestselling Author of Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, and Urban Fantasy chats to host Pamela Cook about life as an indie author and her reverse harem Maddison Kate series. Unable to find enough of the books she wanted to read, Tate turned her hand to writing reverse harem novels. Since then she has written over 45 novels and hit the best-seller lists time and time again. In this episode she reveals the secrets of her success, her writing process and talks about how writing the...
Mar 28, 2024•47 min•Season 5Ep. 10
Brendan Novak is the New York Times bestselling author of over 75 books. She has been writing for over 25 years, and began when she found her childcare provider drugging her children with cough syrup and Tylenol to get them to sleep. Horrified and not able to trust anyone with her babies anymore, she needed something to do while working from home. A diehard bookworm, Brenda decided to try her hand at writing fiction.That first book was a historical romance. In the last 25 years, Brenda has also ...
Mar 28, 2024•38 min•Season 5Ep. 9
Mary-Lou Stephens talks to host Pamela Cook about her second historical fiction novel, The Chocolate Factory . As the title suggests it's a tale of intrigue and romance, woven into the factual story of the beginnings of the Cadbury chocolate factory in Tasmania. Mary-Lou talks about the inspiration for the novel, the pressures of writing 'the second book', research rabbit holes and bringing her characters to life on the page. Pam also delves into Mary-Lou's writing process, particularly now she'...
Mar 21, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Season 5Ep. 8
Guest host Meredith Jaffé, author of The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah and The Tricky Art of Forgiveness, chats to Jane Tara about her new release Tilda is Visible. Jane has published over a hundred children's books, several plays ya in romance novels, as well as travel and educational books and journalism. She spent 13 years wandering the world and lived in five countries, but is now happily at home in Sydney. Jane is also the general manager of Better Reading, a community of engaged readers, and...
Mar 14, 2024•54 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Something a little different this week as host Pamela Cook chats to novelist and memoir writer Kathryn Abdul-Baki about her memoir Dancing into the Light, a beautiful story of growing up between two cultures and coming to grips with grief. Kathryn was born in Washington, DC to a Palestinian father and an American mother, and grew up in Iran, Kuwait, Beirut, and Jerusalem, where she attended Arabic, British and American schools. After working as a journalist and a features writer for an English w...
Mar 07, 2024•48 min•Season 5Ep. 6
Rae Cairns hosts a compelling interview with bestselling crime author Dervla McTiernan, who shares insights on her latest book WHAT HAPPENED TO NINA? . The conversation delves into McTiernan's writing process, the evolution of her craft from her first book to her ninth, and the thematic exploration of toxic relationships and the weaponization of media in her novel. McTiernan's personal journey, including her remarkable path to publication and her battle with a brain tumour, is also highlighted, ...
Feb 29, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 5Ep. 5
Dr Amy T. Matthews is an award-winning author, an Associate Professor in Creative Writing at Flinders University, and the co-host of the podcasts Word Docs and Love on Campus . Her most recent release, Someone Else's Bucket List , a P.S. I Love You for the digital age, is about an outgoing social media influencer who leaves crippling medical debt behind after her tragically young death from leukemia, and her final wish is for her introverted younger sister to take over her accounts and complete ...
Feb 22, 2024•46 min•Season 5Ep. 4
Kylie Orr is an Australian author of dark and twisty contemporary fiction. Her debut novel, Someone Else's Child was published in 2022 to industry and reader acclaim. Her new novel, The Eleventh Floor, is a page turning read about a sleep deprived first time mum and a crime she wishes she didn't witness. In this episode Pam chats to Kylie about her experience of writing 'the second novel', pushing the 'make things worse' mantra to the limit and the importance of determination in pushing through ...
Feb 15, 2024•54 min•Season 5Ep. 3
Ever wondered what it would be like to have the same name as a famous literary character? Pam chats to best-selling Australian author Rachael Johns about her new release The Other Bridget , a fabulous contemporary romance which draws inspiration from one of the all time great rom coms, The Diary of Bridget Jones by Helen Fielding. Rachael shares where the original idea for the story came from, how she developed a large cast of characters, the enemies to lovers trope and all ab out her librarian ...
Feb 08, 2024•47 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Welcome to Season 5 of Writes4Women! In this captivating episode of Writes4Women, we sit down with acclaimed author Hannah Richell to dive into her writing journey, the challenges she's faced, and her change of direction as she takes on the psychological thriller genre in her new release The Search Party. Hannah opens up about overcoming writer's block, the profound influence of setting in her stories, and the joy of rediscovering her passion for writing. Additionally, she discusses the impactfu...
Feb 01, 2024•51 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Join us for a fascinating year-end discussion as we sit down with some of our favourite guest authors from 2023 who share their writing highlights, challenges and some delightful book recommendations to snuggle up with this holiday season. We celebrate 25,000 downloads of the podcast and look back on the year that was. We believe that the best gift we can give our readers this Christmas is the love of reading, so here's to a year filled with writing, challenges, triumphs, and of course great boo...
Dec 14, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 4Ep. 41
In this episode of Writes4Women, guest host Laura Boon facilitates a detailed conversation with debut crime author Lynne Johnson about her experience writing The Bait Trap . Lynne writes crime with feeling, that deals with gritty social issues, like addiction. The Bait Trap draws on her own struggles with alcoholism. Lynne's characters are richly layered and her narrative delves deeply into issues around alcoholism and recovery. Lynne discusses her writing process, research methods, and the impo...
Dec 07, 2023•50 min•Season 4Ep. 40
Nancy Cunningham is a writer from Adelaide, South Australia, who has always loved storytelling in all its forms. Novels, short stories, TV, movies, video games, songs and poetry have all inspired her to write stories in genres from historical to romance to crime and science fiction to short literary fiction. But 20th century historical fiction is where her writing heart really lies, especially stories involving stoic heroines of the past overcoming adversity. Nancy's debut, Crossing the Bridge ,...
Nov 30, 2023•55 min•Season 4Ep. 39
Camille Booker is an award-winning author and creative writing teacher at the university of Wollongong. Her debut novel, What if You Fly? , a World War II historical fiction, was published by Hawkeye Publishing in 2021. It was long listed for the 2019 Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize, and was runner up in the 2020 Hawkeye Publishing Manuscript Development Prize. In 2022, Camille completed the Curtis Brown Creative Six Month Novel Writing course. During which she wrote her second historical fiction n...
Nov 23, 2023•49 min•Season 4Ep. 38
