A cuppa with Meredith
Welcome!
Well hello lovely
How have you been? Not too hot? Not too wet? Hopefully getting plenty of lazy reading time. I don’t really feel like the year has begun until about March. I start off with all these good intentions that I am going to take the year slow but it never happens!
My first bit of good news is that I have finished the third draft of Title #3 (Catchy title, right?) In case you’re wondering, yes, I know, I already have four books out but this is my third novel with HarperCollins Publishers Australia. A huge sigh of relief at this end. One final read through and then it’s off to my publisher to see what she thinks.
I’ve read heaps the past couple of months and I have six great books to recommend to you. Plus six books to giveaway!
And, I have some exciting news of another kind. I’m launching a new newsletter. It’s called New Voices Down Under. You can see I’ve applied the KISS principle (as in, Keep It Simple, Stupid) to the name. Scroll down for all the details.
Lastly, a big thank you to everyone who has voted for The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison or The Tricky Art of Forgiveness in the Dymocks Top 101 and the 2022 Better Reading Top 100. In case you missed it, all the details to follow. And you can win all 100 titles in the Top 100!
Right, let’s talk books!
Better Reading Top 100
Have you seen this fabulous Better Reading Campaign? In case you haven’t, I thought I’d share the news here. I have been spruiking this on social media and but I know not everyone has been sucked into the vortex of socials so it’s worth sharing again. And maybe you missed my special edition newsletter. Who knows? We’re all busy people, these things happen.
Here’s the deal. Jump onto the Better Reading website and vote for your Australia’s Top 100 Favourite Books of 2022. To make your life super simple, here’s the link. Now, I’m going to be honest with you and say that if either The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison or The Tricky Art of Forgiveness just happens to be your favourite read of 2022, then I would be over the moon if you voted for them.
And if you’re thinking, can I really be bothered? Think again. Everyone who votes goes in the running to win the whole 100 books. That’s right. Seven (7!) lucky voters will win the entire collection. Wouldn’t that be amazing?
What it’s in to for me? Well, those Top 100 books have their own special spot inside every Big W store across the country for an entire year. It’s exposure an author can only dream of. It’s a way to connect with a whole new bunch of readers who are yet to discover the joy of spending time with Derek and the lads or seeing Diana get her groove back. Simply, it would make my day.
Voting closes 13 March 2023 … So get voting!
My Favourite Reads
I actually have more than three recommendations for you this newsletter but I simply don’t have the space to write reviews for all of them. To this list, I can add three fabulous books I urge you to check out.
Taken is Dinuka McKenzie’s second novel and follows DS Kate Miles as she investigates her first case since coming back from maternity leave. It’s a case that’s too close to home as a baby has been snatched from its bassinet and there are too many suspects with a good reason to do so.
I also loved the debut novel by Sally Colin-James, One Illumined Thread. A sweeping historical novel, inspired by a Renaissance painting, it follows the lives of three women across centuries, each connected to the painting. It’s about the complex relationship between mother and child and forging a creative and intellectual path within the constraints of society, love and the times in which they live.
And if you feel in the mood for a fun bit of escapism, I highly recommend Kate Solly’s debut, Tuesday Evenings with the Copeton Craft Resistance. A crochet club turns guerrilla when community feelings are stirred by the plans to build a new mosque in their sleepy town. United by their desire to thwart racism and bigotry, this motley crew of yarners are determined to save their town.
I’ll Leave You With This by Kylie Ladd
The O’Shea sisters—Allison, Bridie, Clare and Emma—meet every year for lunch at their brother Daniel’s favourite restaurant. Daniel was gunned down in a terrorist attack three years ago and the annual lunch is their way of celebrating a life cut short. Clare announces that she’s keen to find out what happened to Daniel’s organs, which were donated at the time, and see how his death his changed others’ lives. Allison and Bride think it’s a terrible idea. Only the youngest, Emma, and Daniel’s ex-boyfriend Josh, show any support.
Since Daniel’s death, the sisters have drifted apart. Allison is caught up in successful career as a Chief Obstetrician. Bride, who had a hit film a decade ago, has struggled to maintain the momentum of her earlier success and is now the ‘plus one’ to her husband’s burgeoning acting career. Clare’s marriage to Sophie has broken under successive rounds of failed IVF and Emma has foregone life as a cellist to follow God into the Crossfire church to escape her deep loneliness.
Slowly, Clare traces the recipients of Daniel’s donation. People whose lives have been changed forever through the gift of skin, corneas, a kidney, bone, a heart and a hand. As the legacy of Daniel’s gift is revealed, the sisters draw together and, in turn, find a way to channel grief into gratitude. And, in the process, find strength in family.
Kylie Ladd’s sixth novel is a stand out. From a family of doctors and a practising neuropsychologist herself, she lost her own brother, Piers, ten years ago when he died suddenly of a brain aneurism. When they received an anonymous letter from the recipient of Piers’ kidney telling them how life-changing this had been, it brought them a measure of relief to know that though they’d lost a brother and a son, so many people had benefited because he was a registered organ donor.
However, I’ll Leave You With This is so much more than this. It’s a novel about family and sisters. Ladd weaves a rich tapestry as the story moves from each sister’s point of view, from the contemporary narrative to the past events that shaped who they are today. At times laugh out loud funny (hello, John Thomas, Daniel’s dachshund) and terribly moving, I’ll Leave You With This is a tender examination of family, grief, and the legacy we leave.
If you’d like to listen to the podcast I recorded with Kylie, then jump over here to the Writes4Women website or find it on your favourite podcast platform. Writes4Women is overflowing with terrific interviews, episodes on writing craft and is a wonderful way to discover new authors.
Weyward by Emilia Hart
Three women, all struggling to find and assert their power in a male-dominated environment. In 1619, Altha is on trial for witchcraft after the death of a local dairy farmer. Like her mother before her, Altha is both feared and revered as a healer but death is always a close companion to illness and if someone dies, who is to blame?
In 1942, sixteen-year-old Violet is a virtual prisoner on her violent father’s estate. Never allowed to go near the village, she spends her time in nature, following the lives of the insects and small creatures who inhabit the garden. But when cousin Freddie comes to visit, on leave from the war front, he will change her life in more ways than she could ever imagine.
In 2019, Kate finally manages to flee her abusive partner and escapes to a small cottage called Weyward, left to her by her great-aunt, on the outskirts of a village in Cumbria. Terrified of discovery, Kate must find a way back to the woman she used to be. Little does she imagine that the secrets of run-down Weyward cottage have the answers she needs to grow strong again.
There are so many good things to say about this novel. For starters, Hart wrote this book during lockdowns in the UK where she was based in Cumbria for the duration. Here she discovered that the Pendle Witch Trials were held in nearby Lancaster in 1612 and the seeds of inspiration were sown. In many ways, witches are the ultimate form of misogyny. Fear of female power and the need to oppress it is a theme as relevant today as it was centuries ago. Hart deftly explores the lives of three women who resist male control, of being labelled and outcast, and who forge their own paths. This novel was heartily recommended to me by the author Jacqueline Maley (The Truth About Her) when we on stage at the Berry Writers Festival. And she was dead right. Weyward is a sparkling debut filled with intrigue and is darkly atmospheric. In case you’re wondering, the title comes from the First Folio edition of Macbeth.
The Last Love Note by Emma Grey
Kate and Cam met in the first few weeks of university and fell madly in love. They travelled the world and eventually settle in Canberra where Cam is a Professor of English at the University and Kate is a whizz at events management and fund raising. They have a little boy, Charlie, she has her best friend, Grace, and life seems perfect. And it is, until Cam is diagnosed with early onset dementia. Life, Kate, rapidly unravels.
Kate’s boss, Hugh, is there for them. Somehow, he seems to intuit exactly the right thing to do to support Kate at work and be the friend Cam needs as this insidious disease swallows him whole. All around their house are post-it notes which Cam has written to aid his memory and to say the things he wanted to say in moments of lucidity. In the aftermath of grief, Kate struggles to hold it together, to find a way to move forward, for Charlie’s sake. Cam’s notes are the only thing holding her together.
But when their flight is grounded, Kate and Hugh are stranded in Byron Bay and their business trip takes an unexpected turn. Alone, and with Charlie safely in the care of her mother, she is finally free to process all that she has lost — the grief, the love and the anger. What she doesn’t expect is for Hugh to reveal that Cam had a secret that he promised never to reveal. All she has are Cam’s notes to lead her to the answers she craves and set her free.
This special novel is for anyone who loves to laugh and cry. The Last Love Note is both a heart-warming romantic comedy and a heart-breaking tale of love lost in tragic circumstances. Thought-provoking and tender, this is one of those books that makes you want to tear through to the end while never wanting the story to end. Simply put, it is an absolute joy of a read.
Giveaways Galore!
This issue, I have three giveaway copies of both I’ll Leave You With This and The Last Love Note. To win a copy of either title, all you have to do is send me a reply email with the answer to these questions (or both if you’d like a chance to win both books.)
I’ll Leave You With This: What is the name of Daniel’s dog?
The Last Love Note: Where are Kate and Hugh stranded?
Remember, winners will need to be Australian residents because, you know, postage.
Upcoming Events
Here is a list of my upcoming events. Full program details are on my website (time, place, etc.) I try to keep this list updated, so do jump on over there for any new events that might be being held in your neck of the woods. I'd love you to come and say hello so that we can meet IRL.
Australia Reads
Thursday March 9
Australian Reading Hour is a national day dedicated to sharing the joys of books, reading and stories. They ask Australians to spend one hour on the day reading, sharing and enjoying the stories they love with others!
This year, they have introduced Story Snippets, where you can read the first chapter of eight amazing Australian novels for free. Here’s the link.
StoryFest
Thursday June 15 to Sunday June 18, 2023
StoryFest is on again in 2023! Regional festivals have such a great atmosphere and really, who needs an excuse to spend a weekend talking books and writing and ideas on the glorious NSW South Coast? Program details will be released in April but I will be there at the festival. I’d love to say hello IRL.
To find out more, including program details and when tickets go on sale, sign up to their newsletter here.
Keep an eye on my socials and website for further details.
New Voices Down Under
I’ve been a long-term fan of debut fiction, ever since I started as the Books Editor at The Hoopla back in 2012. I love nothing more than discovering new voices and new stories. However, getting new fiction in front of an audience has become increasingly difficult. So, I’ve decided to set up a newsletter dedicated to debut Australian Fiction, called New Voices Down Under.
On the 28th of every month, I’ll review three new fiction titles, interview a debut author about their journey to publication and catch up on the newbie news. Of course, there’ll be giveaways galore so we can all celebrate wonderful Australian voices!
The first newsletter will go out on 28th March 2023 and will feature upcoming new releases for the following month and an interview with a brand spanking new author.
At the moment, I’m busy behind the scenes setting up the newsletter platform, website and social media and, of course, reading new fiction. I would love you to join me on this journey and celebrate all the wonderful new fiction from Australian writers. I will send you a dedicated email in late March to point you in the right direction to sign up to the newsletter.
The end of the cup...
Well, my friend, my cup is empty. I hope you've found some wonderful new books to add to your (teetering?) To Be Read pile. I wish you all the best for the coming months.
You can check out updates on events at www.meredithjaffe.com or you will always find me chatting on socials on either Instagram or Facebook @meredithjaffeauthor
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