My Books

Cover of novel titled Keeper of the Way, building in flames

cover of novel A Single Light, woman screaming

cover of novel, The Ouroboros Key, raven in flight at mouth of cave

Women's Suffrage in Australia: A Timeline of Rebellion

Defining Moments: Women’s Suffrage | National Museum of Australia Writing female-centred fiction, whether historical or fantasy, requires a working knowledge of the status of women in society. Do they have equal rights with men? Can they vote? Do they have body autonomy? My novel, Keeper of the Way, contains some pretty independent women. They don’t have the right to vote (yet) but they are feisty, and involved in their community (social and business). If they were

3 hours ago

Short video of a flowing river with verdant jungle life on its banks. HOvering over the top is the book: Is a River Alive?

Book review: Is a River Alive? by Robert MacFarlane

acFarlane’s creative style blends beautiful storytelling with travel writing, nature writing, environmental and science issues, and personal experience with nature and self.

Book Reviews

Mar 16

Three book covers hovering over an image of vintage books on a desk with a transparent bokeh effect layer. From left to right the books are: The Secret Book Society - cover description A blue book cover with gold flowers. Middle book is You Don't Me - cover description, A book cover with trees, blue sky and text. third book is The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny - description, The book cover is dark blue and filled with title text surrounded with artistic illustration of moon phases.

Reading Recommendations - February 2026 wrap up

Mid-March means it's time for my "Reading Recommendations" - February 2026 featuring The Secret Book Society by Madeline Martin, You Don't Know Me by Sara Foster, and The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai.

Book Reviews

Mar 8

Three of the Callanais Standing Stones on the Isle of Lewis, with a misty, atmospheric backdrop that evokes ancient stone circle mythology.

Turning myth into fiction

Am I honoring this… or just wearing it? ~R.G. Newhouse Story ideas come from anywhere, whether it's within your own field of expertise, culture or not. Fiction is born from mythology. It is our living history that enables us to keep our stories close and write new ones for those that come after us.

On Writing

Feb 24

Two book covers. Cover on left shows Book cover shows a bookshelf holding books and various other items plus a plant on the shelves plus title and author text. Cover on right shows green background with gold embossed stylised tree and illustrated hare at base of tree plus title and author text

Reading Recommendations - January 2026 wrap up

Another month of great reading! Here are my January recommendations: The Story Collector by Evie Woods and By Her Hand by Marion Taffe.

Book Reviews

Feb 8

Woman with short white hair and blue reading glasses holding up a blue covered book in front of a large window. Inside the room are shelves of books. Outside the room are castles and trees.

Why historical fiction matters

Historical fiction bridges past and present, geographic borders, and gender divides in a way that reaches readers outside of educational institutions. A textbook just doesn’t provide as much “experience” and emotional depth as a well-written historical novel.

On Reading

Feb 8