This Week

Melbourne Writers Festival

Over the weekend I attended Melbourne Writers Festival. I always try to make sure that I attend something at the festival, and this time I was able to attend three events.

On Saturday, we attended an In Conversation with Anita Heiss which was facilitated by Shelley Ware. This was a wide ranging conversation from being a method writer to the inclusion of indigenous people in Australian stories to the plight of children in the current situation. Heiss' latest book, which was originally an Audible original, is called Red Dust Running and features an Indigenous cowboy so both of the presenters were dressed up in jeans, boots and cowboy hats. I have met Anita Heiss before and she is always engaging too listen too, very funny, and yet covering important topics!

On Sunday, I attended two sessions. The first was too hear Japanese author Asako Yuzuki who was interviewed by cookbook author and TV host Alice Zaslavsky. The conversation covered topics from food, the roles and expectations of women in modern Japanese society, and so much more. Like last year when we saw Toshikazu Kawaguchi in conversation, this was a translater assisted session, and she did an amazing job. There was a lady behind us who spoke Japanese relatively well and at the end of the session she was gushing about how well the translator did!

The final session was Australian author Jane Harper In Conversation with Irish author Marian Keyes. Keyes got a rapturous welcome from the moment that she walked on stage and she kept the audience engaged from the outset. I am pretty sure Harper could have asked just one question and just let Marian Keyes talk for the whole hour. One of the highlights of the conversation included the news that there is a TV series being made of the Walsh sisters books which has been sold to an Australian streaming service. It is going to be shown in Ireland later this year so hopefully we won't have to wait too long for it here! The audience laughed and clapped all the way through the hour and there was a real buzz in the room. I am so glad to have had the chance to hear her talk live. Now I wish I had time to go back and re-read all the Walsh sisters books!

I have some other photos from the two days on my Bookstagram account - Intrepidreaderandbaker.

While the festival doesn't feel the same as it did a few years ago when it was over two weekends, it was heavily promoted as a city event and there was a real buzz in the host locations, it is an event that really fills my cup. And the bonus is we get to visit some iconic Melbourne locations as well. One if the Capitol Theatre which usually isn't open to the public. This place is gorgeous! And the ceiling - amazing art deco style!

I'm reading

I mentioned last week that I was reading The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson as it is the current selection for Cook the Books. I finished that book this week, and I know what I am going to cook for the cooking part of the equation. Now I just need to find the time to make it, hopefully this week. 

I also finished The House At River's Edge by Rachel Burton, which I reviewed here.

The other book that I had to read last week as I had committed to a review date was Booked for Summer by Kathryn Freeman. I reviewed that book here. 

Even though I have two books to review this week that I haven't started yet, I started reading An Italian Wedding Adventure by Leonie Mack. I really like this author's books and so far this is a good one too. 

I also started The Madamoiselle Alliance by Natasha Lester. I went and heard her speak a couple of weeks ago and the story that she told about the main character in this book was fascinating. This is one of the two book club books that we will be talking about at the Rachael Johns Readers Retreat this coming weekend. I think that there is every chance that I might be reading the other book on the plane on the way over to Perth!

I'm watching


We are very lucky here as there are often film festivals which bring movies to the big screen that I would otherwise never hear about. The German Film Festival is currently on, and one of the two movies that I really wanted to see was the book to screen adaptation of the Door to Door Bookstore. I read the book last year and liked it. I was a bit surprised to see that it had been made into a very family friendly movie and I thought it a sweet movie. There was almost a cartoonish feel to it from some of the costumes to the sets and more. It also shared the magic of books and story, about the importance of found family and the impact of grief. 

On Saturday night my husband and I went to see Thunderbolts, the latest Marvel movie, and it was really good! Definitely felt like a return to form. 

We also watched a new Netflix documentary called Pangolin: Kulu's Journey. Before watching this show I had no idea what a pangolin even looked like. It is made by the same people who made My Octopus Teacher and once again it is a really nicely made documentary. 

Here's the trailer:

Life

Not much more to add here really

Posts from the last week



Top Ten Tuesday: Authors Attending the Rachael Johns Readers Retreat

Blog Tour: One More Day of Us by Shari Low

Blog Tour: The House at River's Edge by Rachel Burton

Blog Tour: Booked for Summer by Kathryn Freeman

Weekend Cooking: The Bittersweet Bakery Cafe by Catherine Greer

Sunday Salon: Historical Fiction Reading Challenge - April stats






I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? hosted by Book Date and Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz

Sunday Salon: Historical Fiction Reading Challenge - April stats

 Every month I share some of the statistics related to the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. I try very hard to visit every post which has been linked (time permitting) and I find it interesting to see what are the books that people are reading and reviewing! I often end up adding a couple of books to my never ending TBR list.

In terms of the books read in March , there were 61 reviews linked up for the challenge, shared by 19 participants. There were 54 individual titles reviewed, written by 52 different authors. There were 6 reviewers who reviewed 5 or more books each. Thank you to everyone who shared their links whether it be 6 or just 1.

So which books were reviewed more than once in April ? There were actually two books that were reviewed three times each, and then a further 3 books that were reviewed twice!

The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry was reviewed by Jenia at Story for Dessert, Barbara at Stray Thoughts and at Laura's Reviews. Interestingly, there was also a short audio story called which was also written by this author, although this time the name it was published under was just Patti Callahan which Barbara also posted about!

The other book reviewed three times was Nancy Bilyeau's new book The Versailles Formula which was reviewed three times by Laura at Reading Books Again, Helen at She Reads Novels and by Davida at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews.

The books that were reviewed twice were A Slash of Emerald by Patrice McDonough reviewed by Kim and Bev at My Reader's Block, Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall which was reviewed by Cathy from What Cathy Read Next and at Laura's Reviews. The third book was The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie which was reviewed by Shellie from Shellie Loves Books and Laura from Laura's Reviews.

There was also another Patrice McDonough book reviewed by Kim which was Murder by Lamplight.

Kerry Greenwood was the other author who was reviewed more than once this month with Bev at My Reader's Block reading both Blood and Circuses and The Castlemaine Murders. I also read a Kerry Greenwood book this month, but the review won't be up until next week...probably!

In other news, the shortlist for the Sir Walter Fiction Prize for Historical Fiction was announced in April, and they shared a cool video announcement

The shortlisted books are:


The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry
The Mare by Angharad Hampshire
The Book of Days by Francesca Kay
Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon
The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden

I know that we have a couple of participants in the challenge who are reading the nominated books. Have you read any of these?

I wonder what books will be featured next month!

If you love historical fiction and reading challenges, it isn't too late to join us! All the details can be found in the sign up post.

I am sharing this with Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz

Weekend Cooking: The Bittersweet Bakery Cafe by Catherine Greer

 

Audrey Sweetman-Brown has a pretty good life. She's in line to be promoted to Creative Director in the advertising agency where she has worked for the last twenty years, she has a good marriage and a beautiful home. Yes, she has faced some challenges, and some of those have left lasting impacts on her day to day life but she does her best to maintain her recovery every day.  She doesn't know it yet, but all of that is about to change, and not in a good way. By the end of the day, she is no longer employed, her marriage is over and she needs to get away to somewhere new quickly.

The only place she can think of is to head to Whitehaven Bay which is a small coastal town a couple of hours away from the city which is famous for its white sandy beach. It is somewhere that her mother used to take her as a child and that alone is enough to give comfort while she begins to sort her life out. And while she does that, she intends to bake up a storm. It is something that reminds her of her mother and bring her a little bit of joy.

There she meets a very colourful bunch of locals from Shez the wannabe business tycoon (who owns one small town motel) and her boyfriend Lem, Buddy who ends up being her landlord and who has a tendency to take his daily constitutional walk to the beach in the nude, Doctor Flood the handsome retired doctor and Billie, a non-binary teenager who seems to attract trouble wherever they go. And then there is Ruth, Billie's mother, who is a former judge and seems to be the only person that doesn't take to Audrey from day one.

Soon everyone is town is encouraging Audrey to start selling her delicious creations, but none of them expect her fortune cookies to go viral. Audrey hand makes her fortune cookies, impressing edible flowers into the cookies so they look beautiful. However, it is the fortunes inside that make these different. These are tell it like it is messages that say things like "Three can keep a secret....if you get rid of two." Suddenly, she has a start up business and she is struggling to keep up with demand.

Audrey is someone I related to. She is pretty much my age, and looking back on a career and wondering what step to take next, flirting with letting her hair go grey and more. I am very lucky as I don't need to face the same issues as she does in her marriage, but there were other aspects that I definitely recognised. Audrey doesn't always think everything through and as a result she doesn't always do the right thing, but she does try very hard to. 

I loved the secondary characters in this book. They all had their own secrets that they have managed to keep even in a small town when everyone knows everyone else's business. I think my favourite was Billie. They do seem to have the uncanny ability to bring trouble on themselves but the way that the author showed the struggle of not fitting in, not meeting their mother's expectation, of trying to do the things that they are passionate about and good at, and of just wanting to be seen for exactly who they are was written really well

Sometimes I am bit wary of a book where the back cover blurbs or the author recommendations tell you that a book is laugh out loud funny because a lot of the time, the book doesn't do that for me. This one absolutely did! There are a couple of times when there are some bikies from the Coffin Cheaters bikie gang turn up on the page and their parts, in particular, made me laugh out loud. And I also ended up reading those passages out loud to my husband!

You can tell that the baking in this book isn't something that the author has just shoe-horned in for story purposes. Greer is very clearly a baker, and she has very generously shared several recipes, most of which played an important part in the book. These include recipes for Cinnamon Buns with Cream Cheese Frosting, Chip, Chip, Hooray Cookies, Raspberry Shortbread Cookies with White Chocolate, Dark Chocolate Birthday Cake, the recipe for the fortune cookies and more. I read this book from the library but I am seriously tempted to buy the book just so I have some of these recipes. 

I thought I would make one of the recipes, but it was a challenge deciding which one. In the end I decided on the Raspberry Shortbread Cookies with White Chocolate and they are delicious. Every time he eats one my husband says something along the lines of these are so good!

This is Canadian-Australian Catherine Greer's first novel. She has written some kids books and some non fiction. I will definitely be looking forward to her next novel! 

I am sharing this review with Foodies Read hosted at Based on a True Story and New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. 

Rating 4.5/5

Weekly meals

Saturday - Barbecued Honey Chicken, Rice and Broccolini
Sunday -  Beef Pepper Casserole
Monday - Chicken Schnitzel Chips and Gravy
Tuesday - One Pot Pastichio
Wednesday - Chicken Enchiladas
Thursday - Curry Roast chicken and Masala roast potatoes
Friday - Takeaway

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page

Blog Tour: Booked for Summer by Kathryn Freeman

 

Gorgeous blonde English woman Jade Taylor is looking for a bit of direction in life. She works as a publishing assistant (read general dogsbody) and she know she wants to work with books but she's not sure exactly what! She decides to take a three month contract running a bookstore on Nantucket Island to see if this helps give her some clarity. This time away will also help her reinvent herself. No more disastrous relationships with men. She is determined that she will only fall for someone who sees her true worth, something she is not sure even her family does. 

When Jade arrives in the harbour where she needs to catch a boat to get to the island she mistakenly assumes which boat she needs to get on. The first boat she gets on is manned by a gorgeous man and there is an instant sizzle of attraction between them! What can a bit of fun hurt? 

What no one has told her is Liam is in the process of buying the bookstore and the adjacent private wharf, which is next to the upmarket resort he owns, and he has plans to shut the store down as soon as the deal is finalised. Jade's working arrangement looks like it is going to end before it even gets started.

As much as Jade is attracted to Liam, she is also not afraid to stand up to him and fight for opportunity for the cosy seaside bookstore to stay open. It doesn't take Jade long to round up the locals to join the fight. Some are keen to see the bookstore stay because they like books, but others just want to see Liam Haven get some comeuppance. 

Liam grew up on the island but never really fit in because he wasn't a member of the established rich families on the island. As a result of the hurt and rejection from those years, Liam has built big barriers around himself. The only person who he allows into his inner world is his grandmother who raised him, and now Jade. He is, however, really confused by the feelings that Jade provokes in him so he often says and does the wrong thing. There is always a push-pull between them.

I really enjoyed some of the secondary characters in this book, especially Jeremy and his fiance Leroy. Jeremy is trying really hard to help Liam become less rigid when it comes to his interactions with everyone around him. Liam keeps on rejecting Jeremy's well intentioned assistance, but Jeremy is determined that they will one day be more than just boss and team members. Watching that play out was a lot of fun, and I was impressed with Jeremy's persistence.

This is your classic grumpy/sunshine romance which is based on a serious case on instant attraction. There is good chemistry between Liam and Jade on the page, but there were times when the push-pull became a bit much for me.

I loved reading about the island of Nantucket which sounds like a gorgeous place to visit. In the author's note she mentioned that she thought about setting this story in the Maldives. We are going to Sri Lanka and the Maldives later in the year, and now I am wondering if there are other books set there that I could start reading before we go.

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews and the Bookish Books Reading Challenge hosted at Bloggin' Bout Books. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.

Rating 3.5/5

About the Book

Booked for Summer

A love story she didn't see coming…

When book lover Jade Taylor applies to manage the Little Bay Book Shack on Nantucket Island over the summer, the last thing she needs is the distraction of billionaire resort owner, Liam Haven.

But things take an unexpected turn when Liam becomes Jade’s boss – a man who only reads contracts for pleasure…

In a bid to save the bookshop from being absorbed into the Haven resort, Jade is determined to teach Liam that there’s more to life than acquiring real estate. And if she can make him realise happily ever afters do exist, might she be able to save the island’s bookshop in the process?

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DBJNP9K5

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DBJNP9K5

About the Author 

A former pharmacist, Kathryn now writes romantic comedies. Feel good books that are sexy and sweet, funny yet heart-warming. Mr Right Across the Street won the RNA Award for Romantic Comedy in 2022.

With a husband who asks every Valentine’s Day whether he has to buy a card (yes, he does), the romance in her own life is all in her head. Then again, his unstinting support of her career change proves love isn't always about hearts and flowers - and heroes come in many disguises.

Social Media Links

Twitter: @kathrynfreeman1
Facebook: facebook.com/kathrynfreeman
Instagram: kathryn.freeman_author
Website: http://kathrynfreeman.co.uk

Blog Tour: The House at River's Edge by Rachel Burton

 

In the summer of 1914, Grace Villiers, her brother William, his friend Bertie and his sister Winn come together at Egerton Hall to enjoy long sunny afternoons, play croquet, read and just generally enjoy the country life before they all go their separate ways. Grace and Winn are planning to continue at Girton College, despite the fact that women can't obtain a degree, with Winn keen to advance the suffragette cause. Bertie is looking for what he wants to do. He is the third son in an aristocratic family and is at a bit of a loss, as is William.  Into this close knit group, comes Algernon Lake, a published poet with something of a reputation. To say Grace is unimpressed is an understatement.

Everything is not as it seems at Egerton. Everyone is concerned about the news coming out of Europe, and what that might mean for both the immediate and long term future of them all. Soon Grace is spending more time with Algie, especially when he offers to help her to overcome her biggest fear of all. He wants to teach her to swim. Can she trust herself with this man?

And then war is declared, and everything changes.

Fast forward to 1997 and Barbara is reeling after the loss of her father due to stroke. For her mother, she has not only lost her beloved but she also now needs to move out of her home, as it was provided by Cambridge College where he was the master. Now he is gone, a new master will be appointed and the prospective master's wives are circling to take a closer look at what might be their new home. Fortunately her mother had inherited a home called Oakdene which she has never lived in it as it has always had tenants. Barbara had been intending to make a move to an apartment by herself, but it seems her mother has other plans for them both to move into the big house.

It turns out that Oakdene is literally falling apart around them, so they need to clear everything out to make way for expensive and lengthy repairs. They find a photo of two young men which appears to have been taken during WWI. On the back is the inscription The best of friends. The best of summers. Whilst her mum knows that one of the men is her father, she has no idea who the other is. Then they find a large trunk filled with letters, poems and a violin.

Barbara's grandparents love story is legendary among the family. They met, fell in love and married quickly during the war, but now things aren't quite adding up, and the reasons behind a long family feud are being revealed along with many other secrets. Barbara's academic daughter Penny is struggling to find what her dissertation is going to be about,  so the discovery of a long lost poems by a war poet could give her the direction she needs. However, that may mean publicly revealing many of the secrets that they are discovering as they follow the trail of history back to WWI. Is this something that the family is ready for?

Woven through both storylines are a love of the violin and of poetry. Barbara's husband was an influential rock violinist and she also played, but she hasn't picked up the violin since he died. Maybe the discovery of the violin in the trunk will help her, and she can start to move on? Her daughter certainly thinks it is time.

I really thought the author did a great job of building up the tension at various points in the book, especially the historical timeline. You could feel the underlying tensions whilst the group were enjoying that last summer before the war was declared, in the wait for news, and then in the difficulties faced once the war was over. 

There are some really big themes covered in this book including what it was like to be gay in Britain in the 1910s, the changes to society in the aftermath of The Great War, shell-shock, grief and so much more. However, the author balanced this nicely in both parts of the story, so whilst it was emotional at times, it was never overwhelming. I hadn't read Rachel Burton before but based on this book, I will be keeping an eye out for her books.

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host here. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. 

Rating 4/5

About the book

The House at River's Edge

1914: Anticipating a long summer of freedom at her friend's family estate in Cambridge, Grace Villiers is disappointed by an unexpected addition to their party. Then the new arrival offers to teach Grace to swim, and she is forced to see there is more to Algernon Lake than his reputation. But, with war brewing across Europe, this will be a summer that changes everything.

1997: Following her father’s sudden death, Barbara finds herself living with her mother in a house that is, literally, falling down around them. As she tries to put their new home in order, she discovers a photograph of her grandfather as a young man with his friend – two soldiers at the start of the First World War. Setting aside her grief, Barbara becomes determined to uncover their story, hoping it will bring her closer to the family she feels slipping away.

But when her search for answers opens up truths she isn’t prepared for, Barbara will come to realise, some secrets may be best left alone.

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/houseatriversedge

About the Author –

Rachel Burton is the bestselling author of historical timeslip novels and romantic comedies. Rachel was born in Cambridge and studied Classics and English Literature before starting a career in law. She lives in Yorkshire with her husband, a variety of cats and far too many books.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: @RachelBurton74
Twitter: @RachelBWriter
Instagram: @RachelBWriter
Newsletter Sign Up:https://bit.ly/RachelBurtonNews
Bookbub profile: @RachelBurton

Blog Tour: One More Day of Us by Shari Low

 

It is 1990, and Moira Chiles is on an adventure. She has decided to leave Scotland and travel to Hong Kong to join a performance group where she will make her living as a singer. Whilst the bar that she performs in every day is very swanky, the accommodation where she is staying is a dump. The only thing that makes it any better are the two girls she became instant friends with and the hot reception guy who looks a lot like Michael Hutchence from INXS. Carina and Lisa are in Hong Kong for their own reasons but what they know is that they are going to be friends forever.

Fast forward to 2025 and the three of them are living very different lives. They are still in touch but it's more of an exchange of Christmas cards type of friendship than the all encompassing one they imagined they would have lived. Moira has spent her life raising her son Ollie and singing on cruise ships to make a living, Carina has moved all round the world with her very wealthy and successful husband and two daughters, and Lisa has lived a very quiet life raising her daughter, Stevie.

Moira has now retired from cruising and she decides that she wants to go back to Hong Kong and hopefully Carina and Lisa can join her so they can relive their misspent youth and maybe rekindle their friendship along the way. At first Carina was not going to join Moira in Hong Kong, but then something happens that changes her mind and she impulsively decides she will go. 

Both Moira and Carina are quite surprised when it is not Lisa who shows up but rather her lookalike daughter Stevie. The heavy partying Lisa that Moira and Carina knew back in the day is very different from the ultra conservative mother Stevie knows. Can Stevie begin to understand why her mother was so strict? Can Moira and Carina learn what happened in those last couple of months before they all went their separate ways? And what does it all mean to their future lives?

This book brought back so many memories of the 90s. I left home to move to the UK in 1993 and whilst I wasn't singing up a storm in a nightclub, there was a level of freedom associated with being so far away from home for the first time. I stayed in the UK for 5 years and I am still in contact with a couple of people and Facebook friends with a few others. I went to the UK with a suitcase and a backpack and came back with two suitcases, a backpack and a baby. That baby is now 26 years old. 

There were a lot of 90s pop culture references throughout the book, which I enjoyed finding, but really this is an ode to the endurance of the music of Fleetwood Mac, from the iconic music, to the distinct look of Stevie Nicks and so much more. 

Also we visited Hong Kong last year and I found myself reminiscing about doing things like taking the ferry across the harbour, taking the tram up to Victoria Peak and the humidity as I read this book.  Oh, the humidity.

When I said yes to being on this blog tour, I did go back and read One Day and Forever because some of the same characters appeared in both books. I have now come to understand that there are links to other books as well so it is a bit of a tangled web as far as any kind of reading order is concerned, I am a stickler for reading books in order normally,. Even though there is a crossover in characters they are completely different stories with connections but nothing to stop you from reading each book as a standalone. I hadn't read Shari Low before this year. I had looked at her books and had them on my read one day list, but I enjoyed these two books so much that I have mentally moved her backlist to the need to read it now list! And you can be sure I will be reading her future books as well. 

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. 

Rating 4.5/5

About the book

One More Day of Us

Would you give up your dreams for love?

1990: In a hot, humid Hong Kong summer, three young singers are loving life, performing to packed crowds every night in a swanky hotel bar. Twenty-three-year-old Scottish songbird, Moira Chiles is living the dream alongside Carina Lloyd and Lisa Dixon. They work hard, play hard, and always stick together… until one day Moira has to make a choice that changes everything.

Fast forward to…

2025: In a wet, chilly, Glasgow summer, Moira has just retired after singing in Glasgow pubs and Caribbean cruise ships for three decades. Now she’s ready for a new adventure – one that takes her to Hong Kong to revisit a world she left behind. Moira hasn’t seen Carina or Lisa for over thirty years, but will an invitation to join her on a holiday of a lifetime rekindle the friendships that changed her life? Or will stepping back in time expose secrets that could break their hearts?

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/OneMoreDayofUS

About the Author –

Shari Low is the multi-million copy bestselling author of over 30 novels, including the #1 bestsellers One Day with You and One Midnight with You.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: @sharilowbooks
Twitter: @ShariLow
Instagram: @sharilowbooks
Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/ShariLownews
Bookbub profile: @ShariLow

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors attending the Rachael Johns Reader Retreat 2025

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Authors (or books by authors) Who Live In My State/Country (submitted by Jennifer @ Funk-N-Fiction)

I love it when I am able to focus on Australian authors, and I think I could write a post just on authors who live in Melbourne but I am going to narrow it down a little bit. In a couple of weeks I am heading over to Perth for the weekend to see some family and to attend the 3rd Rachael Johns Reader Retreat. There will be about 100 readers and 20 featured authors attending and I am looking forward to it! 

Today, I am sharing ten authors who are attending the retreat! A lot of these authors live in Perth so it is good for them not to have to travel to the retreat this year. I have met some of the other authors at previous retreats so I am going to start with the ones I have not yet met.

I posted about the previous retreats. This is the post for 2024 and this is the one for 2023.

Some of these might be a bit hard to track down for anyone living outside Australia, but I hope that this list is still of interest

Barbara Hannay - I have read Barbara Hannay before when she was part of the quartet of writers who wrote the Outback Brides of Wirralong (reviewed here) and the Outback Babies series. She has quite an extensive backlist!

Kylie Kaden - I am not familiar with this author's books so it will be interesting to learn more about her!

Alexandra Almond - A debut author who comes from Melbourne!

Nadia Mahjouri - I have heard such good things about this author's debut novel.

Deb Jordan - The third of the debut authors who will be attending the retreat

Nicole Flockton - I am not really that familiar with this author although she has written a lot and is a USA Today best selling author! I had to pick this title as soon as I saw it although this particular book doesn't come out until June!

Christine Wells - I have been meaning to read Christine Wells for the longest time as I should love her books! I did start this one once but didn't get very far before I got distracted!

Sara Foster - Technically I did meet Sara Foster years ago, but it was a very, very long time ago!

Natasha Lester - I actually did meet Natasha Lester a couple of weeks ago, but her book The Madamoiselle Alliance is one of the book club books we will be discussing over the weekend.

Stella Quinn - This is the other book club book that we will be discussing over the weekend. Stella was at the inaugural retreat a couple of years ago.

There are lots of other authors going that I have met before! I will most likely post something about the retreat once I get back!