Hi guys!

Gosh I'm having a wonderful August. It started with a visit to Kununurra W.A. for the Kimberley Writer’s Festival, and honestly, I can’t quite find the words for how amazing it was. In fact, I would put it up there with one of the best trips of my life. What a special part of the world! And I don’t just mean the scenery, the art or the crocodiles. It was the PEOPLE. I did not meet a single person who was not fascinating. From the woman who lived in a donga (btw: a donga in W.A. is a granny flat… quite different to a ‘donger’ in Victoria), to the woman who had worked for a porn publisher as well as for a diamond mine, I can guarantee I’d never felt less interesting.

I was also so lucky to spend what we affectionally called “school camp” with five other wonderful authors who I now consider friends - Jessica Rowe, Natasha Lester, A.J. Betts, Michael Trent and Scott Wilson. The whole experience was a delight and I just wish I could turn back time and do it all again. None of it would have been possible had it not been for the amazing librarians and festival organisers who went above and beyond to make our trip memorable.

Was I depressed to come home? Naturally. But luckily I have been able to distract myself with some other fun events - like last night, when I interviewed one of my favourite crime writers J.P. Pomare at a sell-out event at Beaumaris Library. J.P. is a sensational writer and his novel, 17 Years Later, is his best yet.

And just in case that’s not enough fun for one month… on 29 August I’m interviewing my ride-or-die author LIANE MORIARTY. No, YOU shut up. I have spent the best part of a decade begging, pleading, plotting and stalking to make this happen, and so to those of you just starting out in your stalking journey… don’t give up. Play the long game. Also come to my event with Liane and ask me for tips. Tickets here.

Oh, and in case you’re worried about the comedown from all the fun this month - next month I’m off to the Whitsundays Writers Festival! Is this real life? I’ve also tacked on a couple of days of R & R at Beach Club Hamilton Island, because I figured it would be rude not to. Follow along on Instagram for all my Whitsundays recommendations. 

Speaking of recommendations - I have lots below.

Sally x

Two Daughters by Alison Edwards

I was lucky enough to read and blurb an early copy of this book and now it’s out in the world! Two Daughters follows two storylines that eventually merge together, and skilfully explores issues of motherhood, class, abandonment stretching from the beautiful south coast of NSW over to Cambridge in the UK. Buy here.

No Trace by Michael Trant

What do you get when you combine an outback thriller with a locked door mystery? This book! I met Michael Trant at the Kimberley Writers Festival and picked up a copy of his books, which I’m excited to read. The latest, No Trace, follows Gabe, a dog-trapper who’s hiding out in the Pilbara region when things start to go wrong around him and he suspects he might be being hunted too. Buy here.

The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard by Natasha Lester

I adore Natasha Lester’s historical novels about strong women and her latest is no different! The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard follows three storylines and three timelines: Paris 1917 with an orphaned fashion legend, New York 1970 with an iconic designer and present-day French countryside with the daughter of the infamous ‘70s fashion power couple. Buy here.

One Song by AJ Betts

WA-based writer AJ Betts is a total sweetheart and I can’t wait for my daughters Clem and Eloise to graduate into reading her books! Aspiring singer-songwriter Eva has one last chance to enter Triple J Unearthed High and break into the music industry. But after three failed attempts, she needs some help so starts a band with a bunch of strangers… Can they record the most important song of their lives? Buy here.

Diary of a Crap Housewife by Jess Rowe

My favourite of all Jess Rowe’s books is her 2019 memoir Diary of a Crap Housewife (can relate… lol), but she’s written so many others, including most recently Everyday Not-so-Crap Meals, which makes cooking easy for people like me who hate cooking. Not to mention Jess is just generally a delight and I loved spending time with her at the festival. Buy here.

Getting up early

This week, I became a morning person. As I write this, I’ve had a four-day streak and you have never seen a smugger person (is smugger a word? I should probably know this.) Listen - it’s hard to get up early. Harder still when it's cold and dark. No one knows this more than me. But wow, it feels good to have a little time to myself in the morning. Out in the darkness with my dog, or in the kitchen as I unpack the dishwasher in a quiet house, I’m reminded of how it feels to have a minute alone with my thoughts. It feels like an indulgence. If you want that sort of indulgence, give it a try. You too can become as smug as I am.

Fake (Paramount)

Asher Keddie's new series, Fake, is based on the true story of journalist Stephanie Woods and her relationship with a serial scammer, which she wrote about in the book of the same name. You guys, I gobbled this series up… it was so anxiety-inducing but relatable and heartfelt. The general premise is that Asher Keddie’s character is online dating and meets David Wenham’s character, who seems like a nice guy, but as things unravel, we learn not is all as it seems.

House of the Dragon (Binge)

As someone who loved Game of Thrones, obviously I gravitated to House of the Dragon, which is set in the same world but hundreds of years prior… kind of like a prequel. It takes us back nearly 200 years to the time in Westerosi history when House Targaryen was in power. There’s sex and violence and lots of characters and drama and I’m loving it. Season 2 just finished and if you haven’t watched it, I highly recommend you give it a crack. 

I’m funny on Instagram.