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Ever wondered what happens after you land that dream literary agent? Award-winning journalist and novelist Lisa Rookes pulls back the curtain on publishing's hidden realities in this eye-opening conversation with Nadine Matheson.

Lisa shares her journey from early agent excitement (receiving eight offers of representation!), the sobering reality when her manuscript didn't sell and her new novel, The Empty Cradle. Through candid storytelling, Lisa dismantles the myth that good writing automatically leads to publishing success, explaining how timing, market trends, and commercial factors often matter more than quality.

The Empty Cradle

Amy's so sure that her husband, Joel, is deeply invested in their future together. After all, it's his dream of a family together that has them trying so hard to have a baby, despite a series of disappointments. It's this certainty that leaves Amy absolutely floored when she learns of Joel's affair with her best friend.

Heartbroken and horrified, Amy flees to a dilapidated cottage in a Yorkshire village, a place she'd bought with dreams of making it feel homey and warm. In the new village, she feels like a clear outsider, but a group of local women soon take her under their wing. They gather for a routine book club, they say. Before Amy knows it, these women are in her life, and in her home.

Amy wakes one night to find herself outside in the fields. Strange offerings seem to be left on her doorstep. And the surveillance camera she installs shows shapes creeping around her house in the night. Strangest of all, she suddenly finds she's pregnant. A pregnancy that feels like a cruel joke.

The book club is incredibly invested in Amy's pregnancy. And it migh

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What happens when you dare to change direction in your 50s? Niloufar Lamakan's creative journey is nothing short of extraordinary. Transitioning from economics and technology to award-winning interior design and published fiction, all beginning in her late 40s.

Her debut novel "Aged to Perfection" features a 60-year-old protagonist navigating dating and sexuality, what Niloufar calls "a rebel yell for older women to say don't write us off." For anyone contemplating a creative shift later in life, Niloufar's story proves it's never too late to reinvent yourself.

Aged To Perfection

Sophia is determined to grow old disgracefully and refuses to be invisible. She craves fiery passion and steamy romance, not targeted ads for funeral plans. After a heart-shattering breakup, she ditches love to date a new man each week for a year.

As she flirts, fumbles and sips fizz through an array of encounters, from an opera buff in a cape to an orgasm whisperer, she discovers it's never too late to rewrite your own love story, even if it's not the one you expected…

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What does success mean when you've spent your life running away rather than running towards something? Marcia Hutchinson's journey from a challenging childhood in Bradford to acclaimed debut novelist offers profound insights into resilience, creativity, and learning to celebrate life's achievements.

As Marcia Hutchinson celebrates her recognition as one of the Observer's debut novelists to watch in 2025 alongside the publication of "The Mercy Step," she's learning to run towards joy rather than away from pain. Her story reminds us that sometimes our most painful experiences can become the source of our greatest strengths.

The Mercy Step

Bradford, December 1962.

A precocious Mercy makes her reluctant entrance into the world, torn from the warm embrace of her mother’s womb, to a chaotic household that seems to have no place for her. Her siblings do not understand her, her mother’s attention is given to the Church, and the entire family lives at the whims of her father’s quick temper.

Left to herself, Mercy finds solace in books, her imagination, and the quiet comfort of her faithful toy, Dolly. But escapism has its limits, and as the grip of family, faith and fear threatens to close in, Mercy learns she must act if she wants a different future; one where she is seen, heard, and her family set free.

The Mercy Step is a sharply-witted and tender portrait of a young girl’s quiet rebellion, and her refusal to be broken.

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Patricia Marques joins us for the final Coffee Break of Season 3 to discuss "The Burning Woman," the fourth and concluding novel in her Inspector Reis series. For readers who enjoy their crime fiction with a speculative twist, this finale delivers a satisfying end to character arcs while introducing a complex serial killer investigation.

The Inspector Reis Series

1. The Colours of Death
2. House of Silence
3. Broken Oaths

4. The Burning Woman

A local woman is found in a children's playground, tied up and burned to death. Her clothes are neatly folded and laid at the base of a nearby tree. Her body, charred and still smoking, is on display for all to see.

One town over, another victim is discovered in the scorched remains of a brutal fire, her clothes having been laid out just beyond the reach of the vicious flames.

Isabel Reis is called back to her post in the PolÍcia Judiciária hunt the serial killer and extinguish the red-hot city of Lisbon, or will she too get caught up in the smoke of the fire burning so close to home . . .

The blood-tingling final instalment in the critically acclaimed Inspector Reis series propels us back to Portugal, right into the path of a serial killer.

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You can purchase books by the authors featured in our conversations through my affiliate shop on Bookshop.org. By using this link, you’ll be supporting independent bookstores, and I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

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What happens when you accidentally walk into the wrong room? For Clare Mackintosh, it launched an unexpected police career that would eventually lead to her Sunday Times Bestselling debut, 'I Let You Go'.

In this fascinating conversation, Clare shares the surprising twists that led her from management studies to policing to becoming an author with over three million books sold worldwide. We also talk about the challenges of writing a series and her new novel, Other People's Houses'.

For writers at any stage, Clare's journey demonstrates the value of embracing unexpected paths, maintaining creative bravery, and approaching your writing career with both analytical rigor and artistic integrity.

Other People's Houses

Even on the most desirable street, there's a dark side . . .

The Hill is the kind of place everyone wants to live: luxurious, exclusive and safe. But now someone is breaking and entering these Cheshire homes one by one, and DS Leo Brady suspects the burglar is looking for something, or someone, in particular.

Over the border in Wales, DC Ffion Morgan recovers the body of an estate agent from the lake. There's no love lost between Ffion and estate agents, but who hated this one enough to want her dead - and why?

As their cases collide, Ffion and Leo discover people will pay a high price to keep their secrets behind closed doors . . .

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"Enjoying 'The Conversation'? Support the podcast by buying me a cup of coffee ☕️! Every contribution helps keep the show going.
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You can purchase books by the authors featured in our conversations through my affiliate shop on Bookshop.org. By using this link, you’ll be supporting independent bookstores, and I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

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What does it truly take to survive in the bewildering world of publishing? My conversation with Catherine Yardley reveals the resilience at the heart of every writer's journey.

From her unconventional start sending manuscripts directly to major publishers (without an agent!) to self-publishing multiple books, Yardley embodies the persistence required to navigate an industry that often operates on its own inscrutable timeline.

Drawing from her decade-long acting career, Yardley brings authenticity to her latest novel "Where the Light is Hottest," which follows actress Natasha from small-town Scotland to Hollywood stardom.

Whether you're a writer battling rejection, a creative seeking your path, or simply someone navigating life's unpredictability, this conversation offers wisdom, warmth, and the reassurance that persistence is never wasted.

Where The Light Is Hottest

Natasha Jones has everything - a successful acting career, an Oscar, a wonderful husband and ‎beautiful kids. But what does she have to go through to get there? From humble beginnings in a ‎small town, Natasha's path to stardom is paved with setbacks, heartaches and moments of doubt.

‎ In the glittering world of fame and fortune, where dreams are spun from starlight and ambition ‎fuels the relentless pursuit of success, one woman's journey stands as a testament to the resilience ‎of the human spirit.

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"Enjoying 'The Conversation'? Support the podcast by buying me a cup of coffee ☕️! Every contribution helps keep the show going.
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You can purchase books by the authors featured in our conversations through my affiliate shop on Bookshop.org. By using this link, you’ll be supporting independent bookstores, and I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

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What happens when a dedicated poet decides to try their hand at fiction? For Krystelle Bamford, it led to a four-publisher auction and her stunning debut novel, Idle Grounds.

Our conversation delves into the peculiar contradictions of the publishing world, how everything happens both excruciatingly slowly and startlingly fast, how validation feels wonderful yet fleeting, and how imposter syndrome persists regardless of success.

Whether you're a writer navigating the publishing landscape or simply curious about creative journeys, this conversation offers honest reflections on finding your path, managing expectations, and discovering what truly matters in artistic pursuits. Listen now and join the conversation.

Idle Grounds

As always with these things it started with a birthday party.

On a bright summer day in 1989 New England, Abi, three years old, vanishes from her aunt’s secluded home. Upstairs, her young cousins are looking out of the window. Something is unfolding in the distance at the edge of the forest – something sinister that is watching them back.

The adults don’t seem to notice that the youngest of the group has disappeared. Too busy bickering over politics and reminiscing about the family’s domineering late matriarch, Beezy, they leave the children with no choice but to get Abi back themselves. As the cousins embark on a quest through their grandmother’s sprawling estate, buried family secrets come to light and long-awaited plans are set in motion. Will they lose themselves while trying to find her?

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"Enjoying 'The Conversation'? Support the podcast by buying me a cup of coffee ☕️! Every contribution helps keep the show going.
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You can purchase books by the authors featured in our conversations through my affiliate shop on Bookshop.org. By using this link, you’ll be supporting independent bookstores, and I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

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Sunday Times Bestselling author, Dorothy Koomson, is joining me for a 'Coffee Break' to talk about her new short story, 'Beach Hut 512'.

Dorothy reveals how a simple walk along the beach sparked the idea for this tightly-crafted mystery that explores what happens when a woman named Sims finds her sanctuary violated in the most horrific way.

Buy Beach Hut 512

When vandals destroy beach hut 512 on Brighton’s iconic seafront, they reveal a dead body that has apparently lain undisturbed for two months. But according to the hut’s owner, Sims, its locks rusted shut three months ago and she hasn’t had access to it since. So how could the man have got in, and why is there no evidence of the murderer?

Sims has spent the past three years recovering from the trauma of being targeted by a serial killer and narrowly escaping with her life. But this grim discovery feels like too much of a coincidence: could the person who put the body in her hut be the same man who wants her dead? In a desperate race against time, can she uncover the truth behind beach hut 512 before a murderer with a chilling obsession strikes again?

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"Enjoying 'The Conversation'? Support the podcast by buying me a cup of coffee ☕️! Every contribution helps keep the show going.
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Don't forget to subscribe, download and review.

You can purchase books by the authors featured in our conversations through my affiliate shop on Bookshop.org. By using this link, you’ll be supporting independent bookstores, and I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

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