I’d like to invite you to join Bookish Banter newsletter, a project I’m collaborating on with two other authors: Sarah Bourne and Lisa Darcy. We aim to entertain you with quick updates about our writing lives, and to share our current reads and watches. And we promise not to bombard you; we’ll only email once a month. For more info about why I’ve started a newsletter, read on.
To join, check out our landing page.
In case you ask…
Why a newsletter?
From time to time, I speak to a friend I haven’t caught up with for a while and they’re surprised to hear I’ve published another book. I’m quite active on social media, so I assumed they’d already have this information, but either they aren’t on socials, or the algorithm means they don’t see my posts. I need a way to inform people directly when I have books news, and a newsletter arrives straight in people’s inbox.
Why do you need newsletter when you already have a blog?
They each serve a different purpose. The newsletter offers regular updates about my writing life – new books, events, and what I’m working on. The blog focuses on one topic in greater detail – an interview, a specific detail of my writing or personal life, or the occasional short story. Not all my book readers will subscribe to the blog, but the newsletter will give them the information they need.
Why three authors not one?
For years, I’ve been advised by industry experts to set up a newsletter, but it costs time and money, and I’ve never found the energy. Lisa and Sarah felt the same way. By doing it this together, we can motive each other and hopefully, it will be more fun both for you and for us.
Our book genres differ slightly, but we share the goal of writing compelling stories with rich characters and realistic portrayal of relationships.
Can you tell me a bit about the other authors?
I’ll let them speak for themselves…
Sarah Bourne: I was born in London and although I’ve lived over half my life in Australia, every time I try to set a book here, my characters pack their bags and head off to England before the end of the first page, so I’ve had to accept that I’ll never write the great Australian novel.
I write character-driven contemporary women’s fiction which often touch on issues of mental health, as that is my professional background. The Train, Ella’s War, InVisible, Exile, When Lives Collide and Letting Go were published between 2020 and 2025.
I’ve now turned my hand to historical fiction.
When not chained to my computer, I enjoy reading, yoga, swimming, walking and spending time with family and friends, especially if those occasions involve food I haven’t had to cook.
Lisa Darcy: I live at Gerroa on the NSW south coast and write contemporary fiction that explores the lives of women navigating friendship, careers, romance, and ultimately triumphing over adversity. My published novels include Lily’s Little Flower Shop, My Big Greek Holiday, Should You Keep a Secret?, and Christmas Actually.
Beyond writing, I have conducted retreats and taught writing workshops for many years, with a particular focus on novel structure, character development, and point of view. Most recently, I led a week-long live in retreat in Tuscany, Italy.
How do I join?
Click the link to reach our landing page.
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