Are YOU ready to unlock your potential in 2026? Join us for a special ‘manifestation’ episode of the podcast, as Valerie is joined by Matt Cooke, author of Beyond Wanting: The Art of True Manifestation. Matt shares his personal story into manifestation – from skeptic to believer AND how he manifested his book deal – and some key ideas you can use immediately in taking actionable steps towards achieving goals. It’s a positive blend of inspiration and practical advice for anyone looking to make meaningful changes in the year ahead!

00:00 Welcome
03:25 Practical steps and skepticism
04:34 Valerie's personal connection to goal setting
07:53 Writer in residence: Matt Cooke
09:06 Understanding ‘Beyond Wanting’ and manifestation
13:35 Common manifestation mistakes
17:10 Matt’s own journey
17:50 Getting the book deal of his dreams – literally
26:01 How Matt got into manifestation
33:40 The power of gratitude for future events
34:20 The science of reality
39:23 Signs and synchronicities to look for
43:20 The numerical significance of 2026
48:18 Manifestation stories and lessons
57:07 Practical steps for the year ahead
1:03:01 Final thoughts

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Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.com

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We’ve all heard of the ‘muse’ but what about the ‘mewwwws’? That’s the sound of authors' cats, and in this episode, Susannah Fullerton discusses her wonderfully titled book, Great Writers and the Cats Who Owned Them – exploring the unique relationships between famous authors and their feline companions. Susannah shares how she researched the topic, choosing the authors and the magical publishing story, as well as offering tips to aspiring nonfiction writers.

00:00 Welcome
07:26 Writing tip: Follow the formatting guidelines
09:36 WIN!: Tailored Realities by Brandon Sanderson
12:24 Word of the week: ‘Clerisy’
12:59 Writer in residence: Susannah Fullerton
14:10 Explaining her book, Great Writers and the Cats Who Owned Them
14:45 The inspiration for the book
17:50 Choosing and placing authors in the book
19:30 Animal protection and authors
22:30 Research methods
24:40 Organising all her notes
26:41 The timeline of writing the book
27:35 The pitching process
30:01 The joy of getting published
32:22 Publicity and promotion of the book
36:34 Merchandising and collaborations
37:27 Balancing lecturing and writing
38:22 Where her ideas come from
42:51 The timeless appeal of classics
46:32 Advice for aspiring nonfiction writers
48:58 Final thoughts

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Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook
Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve heard of crashing weddings, but what about funerals? That’s the topic that bestselling author Joanna Nell has tackled for her sixth book, The Funeral Crashers. In this episode, she joins us to discuss the experience behind writing this latest novel as well as the turning point in her life that got her publishing her first book in her fifties.

00:00 Welcome
06:44 Writing tip: Overcoming technology distractions
11:16 WIN!: A Complete Fiction by R.L. Maizes
12:46 Word of the week: ‘Emolument’
13:22 Writer in residence: Joanna Nell
15:05 What her latest book, The Funeral Crashers, is about
18:36 Patients inspiring her writing
22:06 Rediscovering a passion for writing
24:58 The joy of finding a writing community
26:23 Lessons learned from a decade of writing
29:29 A word about writing short fiction
31:23 A day in the life of a full-time writer
33:40 Writing retreats
35:22 Creating memorable characters
40:06 Promoting the latest novel
41:02 Future Projects
41:58 Final thoughts

Read the show notes

Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook
Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.