Jess is a mother to two wriggly boys, a Drama/English teacher, and a senior English curriculum Principal Education Officer. In 2020, when her own family unit changed dramatically, Jess wrote this book, Some Families Change, for her boys (at the time aged two and four) to help them understand the changes that their family was about to navigate.

She is passionate about working with school children of all ages, engaging them in play, learning and literacy. Jess believes picture books are where the magic of reading begins! Representation in picture books is the key to getting all children interested in reading and understanding their world.

What's inside this episode?

• Jess delves into the personal circumstances that led her to write the book, specifically the need to explain her separation to her young children.
• She discusses the support and knowledge she wished she had discovered earlier in her publishing journey.
• Jess shares her perspective on picture books as important tools for building empathy and understanding of diversity in the young people reading them.
• Learn about the author/illustrator relationship and creative collaboration in creating picture books.

Listen now if you need...

… insights into creating authentic and impactful stories for children.

My favourite quote:

"I wish I'd known that there was a community out there that were already doing this that could have given me all of the answers I needed at the time, and I wished I'd met them sooner, because they are gorgeous."

📖 What is the last book that Jess read and loved? If Cats Disappeared from the World by Genki Kawamura

Some Families Change by Jess Galatola is available to purchase wherever you buy your books. Alternatively, check in with your local library. If they don’t have a copy yet, put in a request!

Extra (important) information!

✨ You can find Jess Galatola (she/ her) at jessgalatolaauthor.com

✨ Download The Ultimate Checklist to PREPARE, WRITE and PITCH your Book for FREE!

✨ Subscribe to The Writer, seeks. (I answer writing and publishing questions - for free!!)

✨ Join the Debut Books private writing community!

✨ Buy my debut book, The Little Black Book of Publishing!

✨ Check out the list of Debut Australian authors for 2024 and 2025

✨ Check out Big Pitch Energy, a self-paced online course to help you pitch and submit your manuscript to Australian agents and publishers with clarity and confidence.

✨ Join Your Novel Adventure, a one-of-a-kind mentorship program that utilises a subscription model, increasing accessibility for aspiring authors without an application process - this mentor program is available to any aspiring author who wants and needs it.

👋🏼 Until next time friend!

Born in Adelaide as the daughter of German immigrants, Kyra Geddes spent her infancy in the South Australian opal fields before moving to Sydney. Following a successful career in marketing, Kyra returned to university to study English and pursue her life-long dream of writing, publishing two short stories and earning the Vice-Chancellor's Award for Academic Excellence.

The Story Thief is her debut novel, and the culmination of almost a decade of research and writing. When not at her desk, Kyra can often be found visiting one of Sydney's many art galleries or daydreaming about future travel with her husband and two children.

What's inside this episode?

• Kyra's journey of writing The Story Thief, inspired by The Drover's Wife by Henry Lawson and her own connection to the Australian outback.
• A deep dive into Kyra's extensive research process, including academic study, historical fiction, and online resources across 10 years.
• An honest account of the post publishing demands of an author

Listen now if you need...

... permission to take time writing your book.

My favourite quote:

“I think one of the biggest myths for first-time authors is that writing the manuscript and getting it in a publisher's hands is the hardest part. It's not. It is everything that comes afterwards!

📖 What is the last book that Kyra read and loved? Breath by Carly-Jay Metcalfe

The Story Thief by Kyra Geddes is available to purchase wherever you buy your books. Alternatively, check in with your local library. If they don’t have a copy yet, put in a request!

Extra (important) information!

✨ You can find Kyra Geddes (she/ her) at kyrageddes.com

✨ Download The Ultimate Checklist to PREPARE, WRITE and PITCH your Book for FREE!

✨ Subscribe to The Writer, seeks. (I answer writing and publishing questions - for free!!)

✨ Join the Debut Books private writing community!

✨ Buy my debut book, The Little Black Book of Publishing!

✨ Check out the list of Debut Australian authors for 2024 and 2025

✨ Check out Big Pitch Energy, a self-paced online course to help you pitch and submit your manuscript to Australian agents and publishers with clarity and confidence.

✨ Join Your Novel Adventure, a one-of-a-kind mentorship program that utilises a subscription model, increasing accessibility for aspiring authors without an application process - this mentor program is available to any aspiring author who wants and needs it.

👋🏼 Until next time friend!

Lisa Medved is an Australian author who divides her time between Melbourne and The Hague. After completing a Bachelor of Arts in history and fine art from the University of Melbourne, Lisa went on to work in public relations and event management, honing her writing skills for various corporate publications and several magazines in the UK and the Netherlands.

The Engraver's Secret is her first novel, and was born out of a passion for history and art, a curiosity in the life of a little-known Flemish engraver and his relationship with a world-renowned painter, and a desire to explore the secrets that can lie beneath the surface of family dynamics. Lisa is currently working on her second novel, which is set in fin-de-siècle Vienna and post-WWI London around the art of Gustav Klimt.

What's inside this episode?

• Lisa discusses the importance of feedback, both from writing courses and professional editors, to the editorial process with her agent and publisher.
• When writing historical fiction, she notes needing to be careful not to bog the story down with too much historical detail.
• And also, how not to let the research become procrastination.
• Lisa shares her journey publishing in multiple languages - Dutch and then English
• She share’s some great advice about starting your story at the point that is most relatable to you if you don’t know where to start!

Listen now if you need...

... permission to write a story based on a niche interest.

My favourite quote:

"The best advice is to filter feedback and listen to that little voice inside your head that is telling you whether it's feedback that you should accept or or whether you should adjust it to your own expectations, or whether you should just let it go."

📖 What is the last book that Lisa read and loved? Rapture by Emily Maguire

The Engraver's Secret by Lisa Medved is available to purchase wherever you buy your books. Alternatively, check in with your local library. If they don’t have a copy yet, put in a request!

Extra (important) information!

✨ You can find Lisa Medved (she/ her) at lisamedved.com

✨ Download The Ultimate Checklist to PREPARE, WRITE and PITCH your Book for FREE!

✨ Subscribe to The Writer, seeks. (I answer writing and publishing questions - for free!!)

✨ Join the Debut Books private writing community!

✨ Buy my debut book, The Little Black Book of Publishing!

✨ Check out the list of Debut Australian authors for 2024 and 2025

✨ Check out Big Pitch Energy, a self-paced online course to help you pitch and submit your manuscript to Australian agents and publishers with clarity and confidence.

✨ Join Your Novel Adventure, a one-of-a-kind mentorship program that utilises a subscription model, increasing accessibility for aspiring authors without an application process - this mentor program is available to any aspiring author who wants and needs it.

👋🏼 Until next time friend!