2023 in Review: From Writer’s Block to Bestsellers
2023 in Review: From Writer’s Block to Bestsellers
Episode notes
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 books. Let's raise a toast to the stories that make us who we are, and the ones yet to be written.
Episode Chapters
0:06:25 - Book in a Winery (48 Seconds)
0:11:55 - Rachel Johns' Successful Book Club Retreat (137 Seconds)
0:19:34 - Writing Odyssey (90 Seconds)
0:23:04 - Highlights of My Writing Year (97 Seconds)
0:33:58 - Challenges of Writing Books on Contract (116 Seconds)
0:41:30 - Overcoming Self Doubt as an Author (106 Seconds)
0:49:36 - Christmas Reading List and Suggestions (52 Seconds)
0:53:20 - Christmas Novella With a Unique Twist (64 Seconds)
0:57:18 - Book Recommendations and Reading Plans (75 Seconds)
1:01:54 - Book Recommendation and Author Discussion (59 Seconds)
Transcript
Pamela:
Hello everyone. Welcome to the very last episode of Writes4Women for 2023. Feels like not very long ago that I was recording the very first episode. But anyway, that's just the way things go these days, isn't it? So I'm really excited to be here tonight with some of my guest hosts for Writes4Women.
Unfortunately, a few people couldn't join us. Rae Cairns, Meredith Jaffe, Laura Boon and Cassie Hamer all send their hellos and have a great Christmases via us tonight. But I am really excited to have the other guest hosts here who are Maya Linnell, Penelope Janu, Joanna Nell, Rachael Johns, Mary Lou Stephens, and Jo Riccioni who'll be joining us.
So it's been such a weight off my shoulders to be able to have some fabulous guest hosts on the podcast and to just provide a lot more variety, I think, for listeners as well, to be able to listen to different people posing different questions to guests and to inviting guests on that they really wanna talk to.
And it's always great for me to edit those episodes too, because they're, episodes that I haven't heard, haven't been in on the planning, and it's always really lovely to edit them and to, hear the interviews for the first time as I'm editing them, and then to release them out into the world.
So I think it's been a great year for Writes4Women. I went onto the analytics the other day 'cause I'm really hopeless at looking at all that sort of stuff. And it's, we've had over 25,000 downloads this year of the podcast I'm. Really happy about that. I'd love to increase that even more.
And I'm sure that as next year rolls on that we'll gather even more listeners and, the word about the podcast, we'll get out there. So tonight we're gonna be speaking about our writing highlights, our writing challenges for the year as well, and also what we're recommending and what we are reading as we roll into Christmas and holidays.
So there's no need to really go on with a longer introduction to these lovely writers because everybody has heard them on the podcast. So let's start with the first question, which is, what has been the writing highlight for you for 2023? Maya, can we start with you?
Maya:
Yeah, absolutely. Thank you Pam. And 25,000 downloads. That is amazing. Congratulations. There's lots of people with some really good in podcasts out.
So for me, a real writing highlight for 2023 was setting a book in South Australia, which is my home state, and getting to go across the border and do a bunch of events with the South Australian audience.
So I got to see lots of local readers that knew the places that I was referring to. Lots of new readers that had never actually picked up any of my books. But a friend had encouraged them to come along or a librarian and said, oh, Maya Linnell’s gonna be speaking, you should come along. But having that book that's set in South Australia KOOKABURRA COTTAGE.
It's got this real winery theme to it as well. It talks about a boutique winery called LA Wing Estate. So I got to do a whole slew of beautiful winery related promos, which I haven't done before. So a wonderful day tasting wines at Coonawarra, which is set in the limestone coast. It's a wonderful award-winning internationally acclaimed wineries.
And they opened their cellar doors and said, Maya, come on in, film some content. Would you like to taste the sparkling? How about we try and try you on the Shiraz? And it was wonderful. So I think setting a book in a winery is really strategic.
Pamela:
Great idea. I can understand why that's been a highlight for you, Maya. Brilliant.
Maya:
Yeah, it is really nice because there's always been that Victorian South Australian divide and as a youngster growing up it was really hard to hand over my driver's licence as a South Australian to get that Victorian driver's licence. So it felt really lovely to go home and present this book that was, like an ode to my home region of the limestone coast.
Pamela:
Fantastic. And of course, that's the first of your new series, isn't it?
Maya:
It is. So there's two more books at least set in that series. So I get to spend a fair bit more time in the beautiful areas, the coastal towns and those beautiful wine growing regions.
Pamela:
Oh, fantastic. How about you, Pen? What was your writing highlight? I know you've had a few books out this year, so might hard for you to choose.
Penelope:
And I think that the highlight is a bit of a wave like that. I sat down and I had my most recent book SUNSHINE THROUGH THE RAIN was like, okay, that's lovely. That's the book that's only just come out. And then, but of course I had, I mean I don't normally have so many books and of course it takes time to write them all, but it just happened that I had a January release.
And then what would've been the other, the next January release came out in December. So in January I had SHELTER FROM THE STORM and I had to put them here. So I remembered what they all were. So I had SHELTER FROM THE STORM in January and then I had the SUNSHINE THROUGH THE RAIN, which just came out last week.
And then in the midst of all that, then I had IN AT THE DEEP END, which was a re-release in June. And this is the little book that could, 'cause this is my first book. It was released in 2017 and they put a new sort of rom-com cover, and it's actually being released in the UK beginning of next year.
So that was really exciting. And then, A COUNTRY VET CHRISTMAS which was Pamela and I were obviously both wrote a Christmas story for this anthology, A COUNTRY VET CHRISTMAS and Pam, and it could be just 'cause I've lost a bit of memory lately. But my most recent really happy time too has been on the road trip with you where we actually toured regional New South Wales, which were both really yeah, we just loved that area anyway.
And we just went to one bit of it and then we're already saying, oh, but we've gotta go there. We've gotta go here and we've gotta go there. The one one road trip of many hopefully, 'cause that was just such a wonderful opportunity to connect with readers in regional areas. One of those highlights of course was that.
Rachael:
I was gonna say also was being with me in Tamworth.
Penelope:
Oh, absolutely, that was another road trip for a book. That was also good. And next time Rachel, we go, I insist we have a caravan. We share a bit because we, that would be a lot of fun too. So yeah. So I've just had, yeah, had a really good, had a really lovely year. But, what makes the year is obviously in, in the writing terms yeah.
The readers and other writers, and I've been so blessed to, have had some fantastic times with all of you guys actually through the year, which is, couldn't be better.
Pamela:
Yeah, I, you've had a really busy year Pen, and thank you for reminding me about the road trip. I'd actually forgotten about that as a highlight.
Penelope:
And my biggest memory, Pamela.
Pamela:
Yeah, no, it was great. It was great. I'll talk about more than that when we get to me, but, Rach, why don't we go on with you, ' what's been the highlight of your writing?
Rachael:
Oh it's hard as well because yeah, so many, it is about meeting, seeing people, I think. And I've had a few times where I've been able to connect with people over a couple of Love Comes to Town Events that I've done and obviously the Romance Writers of Australia Conference, which is always a highlight.
Writing wise, I would say I've had one book out this year called TALK TO THE HEART, which was my rural romance, so that was a bit crazy. That was fun. But I think the biggest highlight was probably writing my first, I romantic comedy. Like a contemporary romance book, which is THE OTHER BRIDGET, and I wrote it in first person, present tense, stuff that I used to hate. So I feel like I've grown in terms of what I dislike.
Pamela:
How did you find that, Rachel? 'cause I've just started a novella in first person tense, which is new for me too.
Rachael:
I eased into it I guess because most of my books were in third person. And then I did first person with JUST ONE WISH a few years ago and FLYING THE NEST but both of those books were past tense still. My hates in reading always were first person and present tense.
Like it just really cracked it on me, but with JUST ONE WISH, it just, I had to write in first person. It sounds woo and weird, but the characters just, that's just the way it was, like for about three women. But I knew that it was one person who was saying to me, no, it's my point of view. I'm telling the story in first person.
So I just did it that way and I really enjoyed it. And the same kind of happened, I guess with THE OTHER BRIDGET it just fell into first person, present tense, and I thought, what am I doing? I got used to it and then I think it's hard. I find it now hard switching back because then I write in third person often for my rurals.
And so I do find it a bit jarring switching back. But I, yeah, I really enjoyed it and I think actually what helps me switching point of views for different books or using a different tense is in my rules, it's always third person dual point of view and past tense. So that kind of just helps me set the mood and the tone for those books.
And in my women's fiction, it's all different, but in the romcom, like when it was a lighter sort of fun type of book, I think having it in the first person really helped me with that in the present tense too. So I think it just, it helps me set the theme, the tone for the book, if that makes
Pamela:
Yeah. Fantastic. And we're gonna be talking about the other Bridget early Jan. So it's gonna be the very first episodes in 2024 for the podcast. But correct me if I'm wrong, but what we get your readers retreat this year.
Rachael:
Yes, that was my other big highlight of the year. I've got that written. I don’t know if I can be a hog and say too many things, but definitely the first Rachel John's Online Book Club Reader Retreat. It happened in beautiful wine country. And Penelope was there and Pam and many other authors. And it was honestly, we had a hundred readers.
I had no idea how it was going to go. Organised it with my co-host, Anthea Hodgson. It's a Facebook group. Anyone wants to join. And honestly it exceeded my expectations, it was just so lovely. Everyone was so friendly and enthusiastic and, apart from a few food issues, dietary requirement issues, there were no issues.
And it was just an amazing weekend. And so we're doing it all again next year on the Gold Coast with different authors. So Maya, Joanna, and Mary Lou. I've got you. I'm eyeing you five.
Penelope:
It’s such a fantastic experience. And as a writer and I, Pam, you'll say the same. I've never had people you would come, 'cause they knew that the authors that were going and they would have all like seven of my books they'd had. And even better, they were dogeared and they'd been red and had been read multiple times.
It was just like, oh my, it is like the author's dream moments, really. It was.
Rachael:
I think the chance to get in front of a hundred and slightly more next year readers who are diehard readers, they're gonna buy every book you've written. They're going to not only buy it, but they're going to tell everyone that they know about it.
They're gonna follow you, they're gonna become a groupie. And so they're really, great readers to have. And I know there were a couple of authors who weren't as well known there as maybe you two. And they, we did a survey afterwards and there were a lot of them. It was really beneficial for people who either only had books that were only published overseas or a debut or stuff.
Yeah, I think it really was, it was amazing. It's a lot of work, it brings a lot of joy.
Pamela:
Yeah. No you and an did such a brilliant job of organising that Rach, and I think, yeah. I'm really interested to see how it grows over the years to come. It was fantastic. Mary Lou, let's go to you.
So tell us where you are coming to us from, and then talk about your writing highlights for the year.
Mary Lou:
And I can finally take a break and take a look around me because I'm in Vietnam at the moment. I'm here for three months. The book that I had to send was written and edited. I did five drafts before. I sent it off to my publisher in six different countries across Southeast Asia and before we set off slow travelling.
So what we do is called slow travelling. So you go to a country, as long as the tourist visa will allow you to stay, that's how long you stay. And by doing that, you cut down your accommodation costs dramatically, and you are not jumping in planes left right. And if you're writing a book, immerse yourself in the culture. so For the next little while in Vietnam, I'm really looking forward to doing that because I'm gonna have a bit of a break now over summer. But it's been an extraordinary experience writing this book in all these different locations in all these places around the world.
And we were in Borneo for three months in Coing, the independent state of Malaysia. It's called sac. And I even had a writer's group there 'cause I was there for three months. Writers from all over the world. There's only five or six of us, but it was an English speaking group.
That's been one of the things you know is finding people to speak English with and that was just so lovely and that's what I was really looking forward to today. Today is actually one of the highlights of my year because connecting with other writers, I really miss my writing groups in Australia.
They're just so crucial. I think this writing life is to have that connection with people who know what you're going through, who support you, who cheer for you, who cry with you, all that stuff. And in this past year that we've been slow travelling, that's something that I have really missed. So great to see everyone today and talk about writing.
Now, I haven't done wine bars, but because my book that's coming out end of January next year is called THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. What I have done wherever we've gone, and this has been a real highlight for my year, is got to visit a chocolate factory
It’s astounding. It's astounding how many there are throughout Asia because this is perfect cacao growing weather climate. So there are little bean to bar factories everywhere. And I think I've visited just about four of them. Where in Kuala Lump, just a while. And I visited two or three there in Saigon. I went to three. We're going up to in the mountains. There's another one there. In Thailand, there's quite a few in Cambodia.
There's a great one. In the Philippines. It's just everywhere. So I've been visiting lots of chocolate factories. And Rachel, we were saying before about writers and wine going together. I think writers and chocolate go together too.
Rachael:
And I love this book.
Mary Lou:
Oh, thank you. Oh, thank you so much. I really appreciate that. I love this book. And just the other thing I wanted to pop in, Rachel, while you're here with me sharing this space is that the book that I have just sent is in first person, but it's in past tense and apart from my memoir, which came out 10 years ago with Pam McMillan, I've never written in first person before, but it's the same thing.
It's what the book demanded. I searched and hoped for other protagonists pop up but none of them did. None of them did. It was just this one voice. And I wrote to my publisher and I went, I'm freaking out a bit. 'cause I think this book's in first person. What do you think? And she said, if that's what's calling to your heart, that's what you're doing.
So there's this massive 120,000 word book, which was 150, and it's all just one protagonist, and I love it. I really love it.
Penelope:
Yeah, I do that annually. Mary Lou, and then that was, people don't really write in first person either, but I think you just, yeah, you do it. That's the way you do it.
Rachael:
It's good to be different then as well, isn't it?
Pamela:
It's part of your voice.
Penelope:
Yeah, sometimes the voice, it's, that's been a lovely discussion tonight that yeah. Which, what voice does the book demand, you think? And that's something in edits and things.
Obviously somebody could say, no, I think this would work better in third person, and then you'd consider it. But to actually write the story and get the story out, sometimes you just have to do it in that voice that feels right for you.
Pamela:
Definitely. I think that's great for writers out there to hear too, Pen. Thank you. Jo Nell, what's been the highlight of your writing year?
Joanna:
Got my chocolate there, so I'm glamorous, travelled virtually to Greece and the highlight of my year is seeing this book finished and out in the world. So I think I've talked to Pam on the interview, on the podcast about some of the issues that, and challenges with writing this book (MRS WINTERBOTTOM TAKES A GAP YEAR) and the various iterations.
And I jokingly was calling it telling somebody it was Shirley Valentine meets Homer's Odyssey. And I certainly feel like I've been on an odyssey with this. I feel like I've been lured by the sirens in the wrong direction and then come up against many headed monsters and all sorts of things.
But it's here and I, I'm very proud of it and it's been out since the 1st of November and it's been lovely because the last. Two books I released during lockdown. So I didn't have any kind of launch with those, or not an in-person launch. And I didn't have a book out at all last year.
So I was, seeing everybody else putting their books out and that was all wonderful, having a little bit of FOMO with it. So it's really nice to have a book out this year and to be doing those events that we're all talking about is meeting the people again. And I don't have wine bars. I have a lot of readers in retirement villages, so it's a yeah, there's the sherry and the Capso tea and scones.
But it's been doing those and libraries and bookshops, so some lovely events and it's all winding up now. So yeah, that's been the highlight of my year.
Pamela:
It's been so good to see you have another book out, Jo, and of course this one is just, I think you're just getting better and better with each book and it's, I can't wait to see what's going to happen next.
Joanna:
Oh, thank you. No, it's lovely that this seems to have resonated with people. It's amazing how many people seem to think that they're married to an Alan, who's the husband in here, so it seems to have resonated with a certain demographic anyway.
Mary Lou:
Jo, I just wanted to say that I'm listening to THE LAST VOYAGE OF MRS HENRY PARKER on audio at the moment, and I'm just loving it. Yeah, it's great. I think perhaps part of my home hope sickness is that I just read and listen to Australian authors.
Pamela:
Jo Riccioni, of course you've got your beautiful covers for THE RISING behind very recently out. I think I know what might be the highlight of your writing year, but do tell us.
Jo R:
It's the highlight of my writing career so far. The second, having that geology complete was a big deal for me. The other highlights had to be, there's several highlights actually gonna Supernova, which was twice. I went to Supernova Brisbane this year and Supernova Adelaide. And, um, that was phenomenal.
I had a great time seeing someone else in my writers' group published their first novel this year was an absolute highlight. That's Lucy Lieber's book, so that was a real trip. And what else is a highlight? There's big news that's gonna drop this year that I'm not allowed to actually talk I'm gonna which is to do with, big things for the series.
Pamela:
You've got lots to celebrate. Fantastic. Who's left? Me, what's been the highlight as Pen reminded me, definitely going on the road trip out west was so much fun.
Meeting readers, new readers, and also travelling with fantastic writing buddy Penelope Janu, and also the Rachael John's readers retreat that actually Rachel, I came home from that pretty blown away too, because I haven't had a book out in the trad since, for a few years now.
I've had indie publications out, but I was blown away with a, how many people actually had my books there and knew who I was and how many people came up and said, oh, wow, I can't wait to read your books.
I haven't come across them before. And then like you say, okay, that's a hundred people, but those a hundred people are gonna talk to other people. They're gonna share on social media. And I think, things like that are just. So good for spreading the word about our books.
Rachael:
Yeah, I think it's because there are a hundred people who are prepared to spend money going on a reading retreat. They are your, as we said, diehard readers who are to them, they're not just gonna read your book and be quiet about it. They're going poke about it, they're gonna tell their friends they're gonna, so yeah.
I feel like, I think it was Tess Woods told me years ago that Tess Woods told me that Stephen King said that you need a thousand rabid fans.
And sometimes those those really passionate readers are the ones that can hopefully, spread about your books. There's nothing like word of mouth. Yeah.
TikTok came along. Which is word of mouth on steroids.
Pamela:
It is depending on what genre you're in, other highlights for me was having my, the novella out A COUNTRY CHRISTMAS VET. So really good to be published in trad print again this year after not having had that for a few years. And also just finishing a novella and, um, something that I'd never done before and putting it out there and being reasonably happy with that product and getting nice feedback from readers.
And also having my books out on audio has been really great for me this year. I've only had one book previously out on audio, THE CROSSROADS, which was through a smaller, well through an English company that's been quite inaccessible. But to have sold my backlist, which I did at the end of last year and have that out.
So they're gradually coming out every kind of. Probably four months or so my backlist has been coming out. And then in the new year, a new very brand new book, which is a sequel to or follow on story from my first book BLACK WATTLE LAKE will be out in the new year at some point. But CLOSE TO HOME is the next one that's coming out on audio on the 1st of February.
So new covers and breathing some new life into my backlist, which has been fantastic. And just really good.
So lots of highlights really. It's been fun. Let's move on to challenges, what's been our biggest writing challenge for the year? Pen? Can we start with you?
Penelope:
Okay. I'm gonna start with a downer.
Pamela:
All right It's a challenge.
Penelope:
The challenge. Look, I think it is challenging. I think sometimes continuing to write when can I use this word? Yeah. Like shit happens like it does in our families, in our personal lives and around the world. Most of us write, we write stories where readers escape into those stories. And that is such a joy as a reader, as all as readers.
We know that it is just so important to us that we can actually pick up a book and we can escape to another world and another life. And that's what we try to write when we write books as well. But sometimes it can be a little bit difficult, as a writer. There can be certain challenges and some things just suddenly get to you where you think, oh, that it makes you sad.
And yeah. So I suppose that's a challenge. It's always a bit of a challenge and I think it's a challenge for all of us writers. And most people, other writers obviously understand it. But, so if you get a really narky review or something and you think you don't be mean it makes me sad as a mother of like an adult women and obviously men as well, but then some people just seem to be really mean. I think, don't be mean to writers if you don't like a book, that's absolutely fine.
Don't read it, don't be mean about it. Don't be personal about it. yeah, that's a yes. Yes. And don't tag us, especially on Christmas Day. I think I've forgotten which writer it was that said that, but don't tag me with a three star review on Christmas Day. Fair enough. but yeah, that's just a little bit, a bit of a challenge I suppose, and I think that's for all of us.
Pamela:
I'm gonna jump in with mine right now, Pen. 'cause I agree with that. For me, the challenge is always sitting down every day. And I don't do it every day. Pen is much better at this, and all of you are much better at this, I think, than I am. Actually putting my bum on that seat and getting the words out is a constant challenge.
And it's ridiculous because when I do, I get into it and I love it and I'm really happy that I've done it after I've done it. But the actual thought of sitting down and writing new words is a continual challenge for me. So that hasn't changed probably for a long time. Not to say that I'm not gonna keep doing it and I keep, I do keep going back to it and doing it.
But like you say, Pen, when there's things going on in the world and things in your life that kind of take up a lot of head space and drag you away from it, it can be just that continual challenge to sit down and do it. But yeah, we keep coming back for more, so let's hope we just keep doing that next year and the year after and the year after that.
We flick to you, Jo Nell. been your biggest challenge for the year? You alluded to it before, but there might be something. Something else you wanted to add?
Joanna:
Yeah, no, I agree. I echo exactly what you're saying and I'm wondering whether, when there are other things going on in the world and when they are, we are looking at that news cycle of bad news, whether it's a constant low level of anxiety that sort of zaps your creative energy a bit. I don't know whether that's across the board, but certainly, there's, there've been times this year, the latter end of the year when it has for me.
Yeah, there were the challenges of getting MRS WINTERBOTTOM TAKES A GAP YEAR right? Which I think I did in the end, but the greatest challenge. Looking back was doing the copy edit in hospital. So I just had my long awaited knee replacement, which on a happier note is absolutely fantastic.
I'm so happy it, and I'm hiking and going to the gym and doing all these things that I couldn't do before. So it's absolutely wonderful. I don't regret it, but of course, it's a process and it hurts. And, life doesn't stop because you're, you're in hospital, you're on painkillers.
So the copier edit arrived at the hospital, arrived on the ward by courier and brought to me at my bedside, and I pulled that little tray table over and spread out my copy, edit in hard copy. And was doing that while I was on a really excellent, very strong painkilling drug told everybody.
If you're wondering I think it I did the whole thing with a lot more energy and spark quite honestly. But, if there are any typos or anything, I can blame the drugs. So that was a challenge. And then I think having had a book that's been well received but well reviewed and has had very good sales.
Then starting a new project. The weight of expectation of that, and everyone's saying we want your next novel to be even bigger. It, it's, that's crushing. It sends the muse off, hiding, whimpering into a corner sometimes. So I think my other challenge has been getting my head around the new project and really getting, getting right, putting all the rest of it aside, all the publicity and everything else, and just getting my head into a new set of characters and a new book, which I think come the new year will be very exciting.
But just all those other distractions at the moment.
Pamela:
Yeah. And maybe once you've had that little bit of a break from, 'cause you've still been doing a lot of publicity for Mrs. Winter Bottom too, so maybe over Christmas having that break from that and then being able to get back into the next one afresh might help with that,
Joanna:
I know a lot of authors are, they're writing one, editing another and publicising another. But I think I've lost that ability to multitask and I, my brain is just crying, craving to focus on one project at a time.
Pamela:
Brilliant. Can be onto that in the new year Jo. What about you, Maya?
Maya:
For me, the first one that springs to mind, Pam, is a sync issue. So I'm usually pretty good at backing up my work and saving my work, emailing myself a copy of a manuscript at regular intervals. I've taught myself, ever since I was a journalist, to automatically press command s as I'm typing, I'll be typing a sentence and just command S is just automatic for me, but all of that falls to the wayside when you save to the cloud.
And then I usually have a pretty good system, things on USB when I'm switching between my laptop. My MacBook Pro and my desktop, my iMac. But on a week and a bit ago I was on deadline. I really worked my guts out on getting this structural entity and I only had 48 hours to get it done. And I was heading off on holidays the day after it was due.
So I needed it done and it was this glorious day outside. We live in southwest Victoria, so it's regularly quite wet and windy, but it was this day. The kids are on the trampoline with the sprinklers. I'm holed up in the office doing structural edits and that final real push. And you really, you guys would all know, you push yourself to the absolute limit when you're in the throw deadline.
And I just didn't do that extra step of emailing it to myself 'cause I thought no, I'm so close to being finished now. I will just, I've saved it. I know it's there. The next morning I did a little bit of work before the kids went to school, drove one to school, came back, and I thought I'd rather work in my office today rather than a laptop.
Shut down the laptop, made sure everything was saved. Went upstairs, opened the desktop, opened the iCloud, opened the document, and all of a sudden it just wrote over all the work I'd done the whole previous day when it was sunny and beautiful outside. So it's just a lesson. I've had it before. I've been burnt, and it was only a day's work in the end, so it's not like I lost 20,000 words, but.
When you've been pushing yourself so hard on a deadline, barely looking at socials, barely looking at my family. Here's some, here's the code you can feed yourselves. And when you've got so many hours in the seat, it feels so brutal to accidentally override a file. And I couldn't find anything except for mid midway through the previous day.
And I thought I stayed up till nine 30 that night, slogged my guts out and I could have been just outside enjoying the sunshine with the family. But anyway, that should teach me a lesson. And I should certainly remember, always say important things to a USB stick. If I'm going from my laptop to my desktop.
Pamela:
Yeah, that's a good lesson for all of us, I think. And I have to say, I am really bad at that too, with the whole saving extra things and sending emails to myself. So thank you for that reminder. Mary Lou, let's go to you. What's been the biggest challenge for you this year?
Mary Lou:
This is one that a lot of you here are very familiar with, but I was not. So my two books that have been published previously, they were complete before I submitted them and got deals. So THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY which comes out next year, the book for 2025 that I've just pressed send on. They were written on commission and I had never experienced that and it was extraordinary for me.
And I think that other emerging authors probably went through the same thing suddenly, and I got a two book deal on three chapters on a synopsis. And then I had, and I said, oh, we'll give you plenty of time to write it, which was fine 'cause I'd already done all the research. I write historical fiction.
There's a lot of research. I'd already done the research for it. And so that was okay. So I wrote that while I was still back in Australia. But this year while traveling around Southeast Asia, editing one book and writing the next one and doing all the research for it while being away from home and writing from all kinds of different places.
But just that constant pressure of having, and it's for one, writing another one. Also like the book I've just written, the only thing in my contract is a title, a working title. So actually writing a book on contract from nothing has been an extraordinary experience, but also a massive challenge.
It's a very different beast to write a book to contract that you have not written as opposed to have always written in the past, which is plenty of time getting that manuscript assessment, working with a mentor. Lots of time to edit, to refine. When I worked with Monica McInerney on the last, the Apple Blossom, she wouldn't even look at it until I'd done six drafts.
She wouldn't let me submit it until I'd done 10, all that time. And when THE LAST OF THE APPLE BLOSSOM was successful and HQ approached me and said, what have you got for us? And I went and I got this book. It's gonna take me about five years to write. And they went no, you don't have that long. I've got this other idea. And I have done all the research for it as well because I was vacillating between the two because I thought I had all the time in the world. And they went, that's what we want.
And I have lots of friends who are on book a year contracts and they go on along okay for a while and then there'll be a bit of burnout and I can see why. Because it's constant. It's absolutely constant. And when my husband and I decided to go slow travelling, I said to him you know that I, it's gonna be like, I'm gonna be like, I'm at home.
I'm gonna sit in a room on my own a lot of the time. Are you okay going out and seeing the world while I just sit at home? And sometimes we just have had a hotel room and I'm just sitting in the bed and he's had to go sit outside or something.
'cause I'm not one of these people who can write in cafes. I need silence and I need space. So there's been a lot of challenges this year and been fascinating and I have such a new heartfelt in my bones, respect for authors who write a book a year.
Pamela:
Okay, put your hand up if you write a book a year.
Pam jumping in here for those listening on audio to say. Everybody pretty much in that zoom room, other than me put their hand up. So lots of authors out there writing a book a year.
Jo R:
I have written a book year, but it happens and I don't think I can do it again. I'm not sure. And I may have pissed my publishers off, but this is something that I wanted to talk about for my challenges. Is that all right, Pam?
Pamela:
Yeah. Go. Let's roll straight on Jo. Yeah.
Jo R:
That I totally agree with Penny and loads of the other people, Mary Lou who's said, managing that work-life balance.
It has been virtually impossible for me putting a book out a year and listening to Amy Andrew's speech at the RWA, Romance Writers of Australia brought that home to me. Rachel's laughing, but yeah.
Rachael:
Fantastic. It was so good.
Jo R:
It was so good. And it's just for a, for still young, not young age wise, but a young, a newbie writer, this is my third novel, but I still feel like I'm emerging compared to a lot of the romance writers who've been putting out books a year.
And to hear her talk about that and put the warning out there that this is not okay to have you, to do that to yourself and that you need to manage it, you need to manage it really well. And if you're not managing it, you need to do something about it is really valuable feedback from an established author like Amy.
And also the second thing I wanna mention, and I'm, again, it's probably a little bit political, but I'm really interested in talking to writers about this free gig mentality that we've all got. And I think it's something that really needs to be aired amongst writers and in the industry, because we are creatives and other creatives.
Don't do this for free, this stuff for free. And that's been a really challenging thing. And I've always put myself out there for free to do stuff and I'm gonna really try hard just from an just, from a kind of political and, supporting the industry because it's not healthy for us to keep selling our services for free in terms of appearances, in terms of promotional stuff for, for publishers asking us to do promotional stuff for other people's books.
I really think we need to consolidate as industry professionals and say, this is not okay. I know the ASA advocate for this a lot I think we do a lot, which we should not be doing. That's a challenge for me.
Rachael:
Me as well.
Pamela:
Great, Jo, and I reckon we need to have a whole episode on that.
Rachael:
Yeah, I was just gonna say I feel like yeah, I never do anything like events not paid anymore, but I did in the early days. Like now I'm like, no, I'm only doing it unless it's a, um, we've approached them for a book tour, I will.
Oh we need to sell as many books. We need to keep our name out there and all this sort of stuff. And in the end, yeah, sometimes we can overwhelm ourselves and that burnout comes from saying yes, not so much from doing too much writing even though we've gotta be careful of that, but saying yes to all the things.
So next year is my year of, no, I'm saying no to every cover quote, just for one year. And to everything that is outside of my book, releases because I feel that pressure and it's really, yeah. It's hard. So I think we do need to learn to put ourselves first sometimes, which is hard.
Jo R:
It's hard. It's hard when you're a people pleaser and you wanna help other people. But I also think it's us as writers understanding that when another writer says no, they're doing. Really valid.
Rachael:
Not because they hate you and they don't want you to, it's just because sometimes we need to protect our own time.
Pamela:
Yeah, definitely. Rach, what would you say has been the biggest challenge for you?
Rachael:
The biggest challenge for me is remembering that you have plans and life laughs at those plans sometimes. I was hoping to finish my second book for the year, which is insane 'cause I did go through a burnout definitely a few years ago, and then I felt really revived and stuff. And so I thought, yes, I can do these two books a year that were required of me, but I'm not. I've almost managed this year, but I won't.
And I dunno if I'll be able to do it next year. But the biggest challenge for me was, um, two things. I'd say Covid derailing me. So illness actually being unable to work for a week when I was, hoping to be finishing my book. And that's derail my plans for having time off over the summer and stuff and shift that back.
Which, it's so funny because when publishers say, oh, it's fine, don't worry about it. It's that's all very well for you, but I actually rely on this income so I need my submission, acceptance payment and stuff or so if one book's pushed back, pushes back others.
So I think, yeah, that's really derailed me as a sort of thing. You just have no control over it. But the biggest thing for me always is just self-doubt and getting like outside my own head, and just getting words on the page without questioning myself, and that's what I'm constantly doing.
So yeah, that's my biggest challenge is overcoming the self-doubt and just getting a first draft down,
Pamela:
Interesting. I think too, for people listening, Rach, to hear you, who I think out of all of us, you've definitely published more books than any of us. And to still be experiencing that self-doubt, which is completely normal. And, but it just goes to show that it doesn't matter how many books you've put out there, really, it is a constant companion.
Rachael: I think it plays into what Joanna said as well in terms of when you've had some sort of success. I don't know how people like Liane Moriarty and Jane Harper, or maybe they're okay because they like made millions of dollars. That helps. But I always think I like, you put more pressure on yourself each time, so I really relate to Joanna saying that, this book's done really well, but then, that means in some ways you're putting more expectations on yourself the next time and really hard on ourselves.
And so I think the hardest thing for me is to focus on me and remember that I'm not in a race against everyone else. And that, I know I've talked to publishers about people, on the TikTok books that are doing amazingly, which is great, and I've got no, I think it's great that people are reading books basically.
And I think it's great that young people are reading out loud and proud about what they're reading. But a lot, I think you've gotta look back, like you're only in a race against yourself, so you have to look back and go, oh, how, hang on, this is how far I've come. I've stayed in this career for 12 years and managed to put these books out there.
Like just, it's really hard to ignore what's going around and focus on why you're in it. So that's my biggest challenge to remember, all I wanted to do was write a book and maybe make a living out of it. And so to not let that joy disappear. So trying not making any sense, getting all woo.
Pamela:
No, you're making lots of sense. It's great. Yeah. Again, a topic we could talk about for hours, but let's move on and talk about what we're reading or recommending for holiday reading and giving for Christmas gifts.
Maya’s internet breaks up a little bit in her answer here. So just to fill in the book that she's actually talking about is by Fiona Lowe and it's THE MONEY CLUB.
Maya:
Fiona's one that came out this year is THE MONEY CLUB. Fiona writes big juicy books. They're quite thick, so they'll keep you going for a fair bit of the summer holidays. This one's about the really interesting topic of Ponzi schemes and how people can just get, really accidentally in a way sucked in.
And Fiona writes from experience because in the area that she lives, it's been struck by a couple of notorious Ponzi schemes, and she tells a story at her book events. I was lucky enough to host one of her events earlier this year about having someone who was one of the biggest Ponzi schemes fraudsters at her Christmas party once.
So very interesting. It's always a gripping read. She does a great job of relationships and really relevant conflicts and scenarios and great characters that you could just imagine living next door to or having at your Christmas party, drinking your champagne and offering you to join the special exclusive club.
I also have started reading A COUNTRY VET CHRISTMAS by some beloved authors. There's some in there that you recognize and Penelope Janu. Hello there. So wonderful country Christmas stories.
Also, Rachel's newest one kept me company on holidays as well. So lots of fantastic stories out there.
I've got a few already wrapped under the Christmas tree for family, for my daughters, for my dad and my son. Lots of good ones, but they're in earshot, so I better not say exactly they're, I think we're very lucky. There's great authors to choose from and a book that will suit everyone's taste these holidays.
Pamela:
Yeah, there's plenty out there. But Maya, when can we expect your next book?
Maya:
Yeah, so my current one KOOKABURRA COTTAGE is already out on the shelves. People can find that I've been signing some sneaky copies here, there and everywhere where I go. But WALLABY LANE will come out next winter and like my other five books, we are talking rural romance. We're talking close-knit communities.
Lots of country charm. There's always some baking and some gardening in my stories. So yeah, go out and find them.
Pamela:
Oh, great. Thank you, Maya. Pen, what about you? What's on your reading list for Christmas?
Penelope:
I've got MRS WINTERBOTTOM TAKES A GAP YEAR. I'm actually dressed better to match Jo's book than my own but, yes. Look, I this. I, and I'm not just saying 'cause I love Jo, but I just love this book and I've actually given to a number of people as well, one of them my Sister-in-Law, who's a doctor, who's married to a doctor. But fantastic book for everybody DREAMING IN FRENCH by Vanessa McCausland.
Penelope:
Vanessa's just a beautiful writer and this is a beautiful book. I actually, 'cause my mother she's an absolutely avid reader and she's very kind. She does read my books 'cause it would be probably rude not to, but she loves Vanessa's books. So I actually had this one Vanessa actually wrote. An endorsement that was well written to me and to my mom.
But I have actually read it, but I have read it really carefully. Like the spine is still really good. 'cause I'm gonna give it to my mom for Christmas, has got her name in it as well. That's a beautiful book. Love, just in I'll put a plug in here. Natalie Murray's gorgeous books.
I met her through RWA and this is her Dubbo app with Alan, um, which is a really lovely book and it's really so many romcoms, you think, oh, rom, romcom Light and Fluffy. But no, they've invariably got more to them. I'm sure we'll be finding that out through through Rachel's book next year too.
But yeah, LOVE, JUST IN which is just very newly out. And quite a few other books. I have some crime stuff by my friend Rae Cairns. That's a lovely book, DYING TO KNOW. Yeah, that's one on my list for some men who read more crime than not. But Ray writes beautiful crime for men and for women. So yeah, lots of excitement
Pamela:
And of course Pen, you've got SUNSHINE THROUGH THE RAIN out now that people can grab for Christmas gifts as well.
Penelope:
It is, and actually today was my first day that I actually ventured to the shops since I got hit on the head. And I saw lots of copies of it. It looked really nice, it looked nice, stacked this spine looked really nice too. Yeah, so sunshine through the rain. So yeah, I'm really happy that's out.
That's my kind of third weather book as it were with the third Cutright sister. It's got lots of vets in animal welfare.
Pamela:
Rach. What's on your Christmas reading list and suggestions for reading?
Rachael:
Oh, I have read a few books that I've really loved lately, so I'll quickly go through them. HELLO BEAUTIFUL by Anne Napolitano. It's supposedly inspired by LITTLE WOMEN. I didn't think it was that Little Womenish, but I really enjoyed it. What is interesting though is it's pretty much all telling.
Pamela:
Oh, okay.
Rachael:
And I've read a few books like that this year that, as writers were always told show don't tell, show don't tell, show don't tell. But have done really well and I really enjoyed it. I read, I did all this when I was sick with Covid this last week. I read Dolly Alderton’s GOOD MATERIAL, which was fun. It's about a breakup from a male point of view. Really loved Beth O'Leary's, THE WAKE UP CALL.
So that was just a really lovely, sweet kind of romance book that I was really in the mood for. And on my TBR for the summer or for soon, I have, I've been so obsessed ever since I heard the concept for this book. I said to your publisher, Rebecca Saunders, Joanna, I need this book. And so she sent it to me. So I don't know why I haven't read it yet.
So I'm very excited about that. That's gonna be very soon. And the other one I've just recently been sent, which I'm excited about is Karina May’s NEVER EVER FOREVER, another romance. I really enjoyed DUCK A L’ORANGE FOR BREAKFAST, which was her first book in its second book, but earlier in the year.
And if we're going Christmas, I haven't read this one yet, but I do love Karen Swan's books. I've read a couple, but they're really always very gripping and paced and everything. One, she writes a one Christmas book each year, so this one I think is a road trip and meeting like an ex-boyfriend or something. And I'm a sucker for a road trip and a sucker for a second chance romance. So CHRISTMAS BY CANDLELIGHT. I'm looking forward to.
Pamela:
Oh, lovely. Yeah, I just finished listening to CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK.
Okay. Mary Lou Christmas reading and recommended reading for the holidays.
Mary Lou:
I do not have any books to show you. I even haven't, I have not even seen a copy of my advanced reader copy for my own book. I do travel with some books, but they're all research books. And they're not available online. And I had to really search for them in second hand stores. And I don't really think you wanna see them.
They're very specialised. But books I have enjoyed, the eBooks I've enjoyed. I do love historical fiction. That's my genre, that's what I write. And I love Karen Brooks' work, THE GOOD WIFE OF BATH which came out 2021 is one of my favourite ever books. Her latest one THE ESCAPADES OF TRIBULATION JOHNSTON is another fabulous book.
It's set in the late 1600s. It's about the Renaissance period and the theatre of the time. And a very famous playwright that no one's ever heard of 'cause she just happened to be a woman. It's a romp, but there's all kinds of political shenanigans going on, and it's that gorgeous sumptuous writing that she does so well. Another historical fiction I really liked is by Tania Farley, WAR OF HEARTS, which is set in the first World War and features a hot priest. So yeah, that's good. And I've just, oh, I just looked at my list.
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ASTRID BRICARD by Natasha Lester, how I read that book, I just devoured it. I loved it. I think it's the, I look can't, it's hard to say it's the best book she's ever written, but I think it's really on point on a lot of different levels. And having that seventies thing time zone, it's yeah, you've got the zeitgeist there.
It just, it works. It really works. And something that I had just finished. If you just wanna short read and you like Christmas novellas, this one is a different kind of Christmas novella. It's by Kim Kelly, who's another fabulous Australian historical fiction author, and it won the inaugural 2040 Publishing Prize and it's based around two young women leading up Christmas into a very busy and frantic Sydney people desperately trying to forget World War I.
But these two young women can't. It's actually not set during World War, but it's the aftermath and what happens.
And it's a short read. It's a Christmas read, but it deals with grief in the most extraordinary way.
Her writing is like crystal and it resonates. It's incredible. So it's a Christmas novela with a difference. It's called The Room.
Pamela: Oh, I've got that. I ordered a copy of it Mary Lou, and I've got it sitting there waiting, so I'll be jumping into that in the next week or two. I didn't realise it had a bit of a Christmas theme, fantastic. Thank you. Jo have we done you, Jo?
Joanna:
I'm gonna tell you about what I am saving for my holiday, for my Christmas holiday, and they're the latest books to arrive on my shelf. And last week my book club had a Christmas party and we do this sort of Chris Cringle, where we wrap up a book and they've just managed to give me, or I picked the perfect book for me.
It's a staff pick, and it's called FRESHWATER FOR FLOWERS by Valerie Perrin. She's a French author, and this one I say, I haven't read it yet, but I love the premise of it. Violette is the caretaker at a cemetery in a small town in Burgo. Her daily life is lived to the rhythms of the hilarious and touching confidences of random visitors and her colleagues, but her routine is disrupted One day by the arrival of the police chiefs.
Chief wishing to deposit his mother's ashes on the graveside of a complete stranger. And it's a story of of the love, interest of the police chief's mother, and the secrets that are revealed and lost. So I just love the premise of that. It's a pretty little book, so I'm looking forward to that.
Purely by coincidence, I have Penelope Jenny's latest SUNSHINE THROUGH THE RAIN, and I love Penelope's writers so much that there's actually an endorsement there on the top for her writing, encapsulate everything I love about the romance genre and so much more a go-to author for rural Romance for the head, as well as the heart.
So I stand by that. I've heard a lot about being on the journey with philanthropy with this book. I can't wait to meet Primrose Cartwright, the Vet, and also the Scotsman Blake. I'm really looking forward to getting into Blake. Sorry, that doesn't sound right, does it?
Penelope:
I am sure he is looking forward to getting to you too.
Joanna:
Now, this arrived yesterday and I'm very excited about this. This is Graham Simpson's new novel. He's married. I didn't realise he was married to Anne Buist. So his wife Anne, she's an author. She's written under pen names, I think very and her own name. Various genres, but she's a psychiatrist as well.
And this book is about a psychiatry registrar, which I once was a country girl with chaotic history and she'd seen, thought she'd seen it all in the emergency room, but nothing compared to what she sees at the psychiatric ward at Menzies Hospital. Now I have worked in one of those old fashioned Victorian psychiatric hospitals, and I know that they're just full of stories and I'm, I just think, I think the cover is beautiful. This comes out in April next year. This is from this, my publisher sent me that, but I'm just so excited to, to read that one and a sort of new direction really for going. And then this is a male author. Am I allowed to mention male authors?
Pamela:
You can mention them. We don't talk to them here, but you can mention one.
Joanna:
No Christmas would be complete without a David Sedaris for me, and one I've had on my shelf. Three years now, and I'm going to immerse myself in. I just think he is one of the naturally funniest writers, just his observation, his essays something about them that really appeals. They just hits my funny bone.
And I love his his the humanity that's also in included in his stories and essays. So it's a David Sedaris as well.
Pamela:
Lots of reading there for you. Jo, what about you, Jo Ricconi, what are you reading?
Jo R:
I want to dip in and out of this short story collection, fantasy collection called EVERYTHING UNDER THE MOON-Everything-Under-the-Moon-9781922863645) edited by Michael Earp. And there's lots and lots of stories in there, and it's fairytales in a queer light which I haven't started yet, but I'm dipping in and out of it. I'm gonna dip in and out of it over summer.
'cause sometimes you need a little story and then something else. And there's some contributions thereby lots of different writers like, Amy Kaufman and lots of other Australian writers. So that's one. I am gonna read the third instalment of The Power and Bound.
I interviewed Freya for the pod. I absolutely love her first two books in this series, which are A MARVELLOUS LIGHT and A RESTLESS TRUTH. And this is the most amazing series because of its history, murder, queer characters feminist issues, and magic.
Pamela:
Sounded amazing when you interviewed her, Jo. I loved that interview. It just really, it's not a genre that I would normally read, but it just sounds like such a fantastic blend.
Jo R:
Yeah, she's whip smart writer. She's is all over what she's very clear about what she wants to do and what she wants to write. And I just enjoyed that conversation with her because she's so inspiring and clear. She's great to talk to you about the industry as well and her books.
Oh my goodness. They're so good. The other book I'm gonna read is, oh, the one I have already read is THE ASSASSIN'S THIEF by another Australian fantasy writer called Madeline Te Whiu I learned how to pronounce her name when we were at Supernova together. But Melody's book got shortlisted for the Western Australian Premier's Prize, which is an amazing achievement for fantasy to actually get on those lists.
I think fantasy is having a moment because I got shortlisted for a prize as well this year for the Small Press Networks Association of Book of the Year. So that is testament to the fact that Maddie's an incredibly hardworking young writer in the fantasy genre.
And that's the first book in the series. The second one's called The Soul Thief, and she's hard at work on the third one. And yeah, they're really good. So I recommend those to anyone. And then the final one I wanna recommend is actually I think Rachel already said it. I wanna read Karina May’s NEVER EVER FOREVER.
I haven't read it yet, and I'm keen to do that as a summary. Read and get my romance fix alongside my fantasy.
Pamela:
Brilliant. As the host who is the least organised of anybody here, I have no books to actually show on video, but I will say that what I'm currently reading, listening to actually on Audio and Loving is TOM LAKE by Anne Patchett. And as an absolute bonus, the narrator is Meryl Streep.
Anybody that just loves books that are full of character, more character driven than plot driven. But Anne Patchett just has this beautiful way, and particularly in this story of. Weaving backwards and forwards between past and present, and just taking you into the story and having Meryl Streep narrate that is just absolute magic.
And you can just sit back and listen and picture Meryl, telling this story. It's just wonderful. There's lots of books I hope to read over the holidays. I've got a whole list of them there, but one that I'd highly recommend from this year that I've read that kind of surprised me because it was out of genre.
And I did interview her on the podcast, and that's AFTER THE FOREST by Kel Woods. It's an absolutely amazing debut. It's so beautifully written and just has that whole fantasy and fairytale element, but it's very strongly based in historical time period. And the writing is absolutely beautiful. So if you're looking for something a little bit different and that is normally out of your genre, highly recommend that.
And she's working, she's already submitted her next one, and I think that's gonna be fantastic as well. And the other book that I'm taking away with me to Canada is one that I've had sitting on my pile since last year, and that's HORSE by Geraldine Brooks. And it's a great big to of a book and I've been waiting to read it and just because I'm always reading books for the podcast and reading different books, I've had it sitting there and I'm gonna be taking, it's a hard cover, taking that away with me to read in Canada, because I'm going skiing in January, so hopefully come back with all my limbs intact.
Mary Lou:
And that is a brilliant book, Pam. It's just fabulous. And I got to go to one of her literary events when she was touring with the book, and it'll be interesting to see what you think of it because she does talk about her fear of being cancelled because that book. Yeah.
Pamela:
Okay. Yeah,
Mary Lou:
She hasn't been cancelled
.
Pamela:
Good. Yeah, I love her though. I've read all of her books and love them. I'm really interested to read that and I can't believe I haven't read it yet but I'm gonna let you lovely ladies go and actually enjoy the rest of your night or go to bed because we have been talking for quite some time.
Thank you so much for being part of Writes4Women, for hosting the episodes, for putting so much time into the preparation and the reading and the actual recording of the interviews. I love that you're doing that for the whole podcast and the listeners are loving it. So I wish you all a really happy Christmas, fantastic holiday, and can't wait to see you back on the convo couch. Hopefully next year in 2024.