As always, click the links below to purchase a copy of Magpie's Bend, Bottlebrush Creek or Wildflower Ridge.

First, a little favour please!

If you loved Bottlebrush Creek, I'd be ever so grateful if you quickly voted for it in the Better Reading Top 100 contest. This contest is a huge deal for new authors because the chosen books will stay on the shelves of all Big W outlets Australia-wide for 12 months as part of the campaign, instead of the usual one to three months.

And as a bonus incentive, all voters go in the draw to WIN the top 100 books, so get voting via the link below and share with any book-loving friends. It'll only take a minute, I promise. Sending huge thanks to everyone who has already voted and advance thanks to those who vote after they finish reading the newsletter!

Romance Readers Award Shortlisting

There were two major writing-related highlights for me in February. The first excitement was discovering Bottlebrush Creek was shortlisted for the Favourite Australian-set Romance of 2020 in the Australian Romance Readers Association Awards. What an honour! Angie's story is in great company (and up against stiff competition) with authors I admire. Regardless of the outcome in late March, I'm delighted to make the shortlisting.

Lara comes to life on the cover

The second amazing thing to happen in February was the front cover of Magpie's Bend. I shouldn't choose favourites, but the team at Allen & Unwin have excelled themselves, and judging for your lovely messages, you all agree it's the best one yet! Cover designer Nada used a landscape shot from a photographer I've been following for years, @min.mccormack, and combined it with a pitch-perfect Lara. And I was so very touched by the cover quote provided by Catriona Rowntree.

'Maya Linnell knows how to tug on our heartstrings, with just the right dollop of reality...I couldn't put it down.' 

As well as being an amazing TV host on Getaway, and the all-new Country House Hunters, Catriona is a keen reader. She raced through an early copy of Magpie's Bend and her glowing endorsement had me grinning from ear to ear. 

March author spotlight

I'm a huge fan of novels with heart and stories with a social conscience, so it delights me to bring you two fabulous new releases that tick both boxes, A Home Like Ours by Fiona Lowe and A Week To Remember by Esther Campion.

In A Home Like Ours, Fiona gives us a unique insight into the trials and triumphs of a community garden on the Murray River. Featuring family, friendship and love, her witty and engaging novel also explores homelessness, racism, health and social isolation.

Esther's third novel, A Week To Remember is a charming combination of Irish and Australian storytelling that made me smile, laugh and dream of a week by the rugged Cork coastline. Read the full reviews below and enter the contest for your chance to win a copy!

Your baking and dahlia pictures

Once again, I'm so chuffed to see my favourite recipes and flowers out in the wild. Beck in Adelaide had a great win with my muesli bar slice, Margi in Beachport wowed me with her fab dahlias grown from my 2020 #luckydipdahlias giveaway and Megan in WA did a wonderful job with her little helpers to make the yo-yo biscuits from my website. Feel free to send me your pics or tag me in your posts so I can see when you've tried one of my recipes too!

Fresh from my garden

We've been enjoying an Indian summer here in Western Vic, which is great from a beach swimming perspective, but the garden is looking drier than ever. We're enjoying the last of the strawberries, sunflowers and sugar snap peas, the tomatoes are hitting their stride, apples are coming off the trees looking better than any supermarket selection, and zucchini features in nearly every single meal!

Just like the last lockdown, the children and I resurrected the free roadside dahlia stall during February's surprise Statewide lockdown. It was the perfect distraction during an uncertain time, and we loved spreading joy and seeing the smiles as drivers stopped for bunches of our colourful flowers.

I'm also continuing to harvest seeds for Magpie's Bend launch and Mother's Day giveaways. Watch this space!

What's cooking, good looking?

Thanks to our abundant garden, this chocolate zucchini cake recipe has been on high rotation, I've been dehydrating tomatoes and apples by the bucket-load, and stocking the pantry with oodles of strawberry and plum jam. My first batch of strawberry jam was super runny (more like ice cream topping), the second batch was much firmer thanks to a tip from a friend about increasing the lemon juice, and my third batch was an absolute winner.

The third batch was made using the fabulous blue-ribbon recipe included in Josephine Moon's new novel. The Jam Queens is out in all good book shops in April, and it's oozing with Jo's signature foodie style of writing. A great one to add to your to-be-read pile!

From my writing desk...

I finished the very last proofread of Magpie's Bend last week and posted it off to Allen & Unwin, where the final, final changes will be entered before it goes off to the printers! Woohoo! I can also confirm it will be turned into an audiobook, voiced by one of my favourite narrators. I'll reveal all next newsletter, safe to say it's going to be a ripper!

With the 2021 book done and dusted, I'm returning my attention to Diana's story for 2022 release, which at 80,000 words, still remains nameless. Gosh, we will have to fix that soon, won't we? Suggestions will be gratefully received. It can't have ridge, creek or bend in the title, as we've already used those, and it needs an Aussie flavour too, preferably a two-word Australian-botanical or fauna title to match in with my first three books. Get your thinking caps on!

MARCH WRITING TIP: If you love writing or reading, get some podcasts under your belt. I listen whilst driving, cleaning, gardening, baking and walking. The Writers Book Club Podcast is a new one exploring the craft of writing, the Words and Nerds Podcast has loads of great author interviews and they occasionally let me sneak into the hosting chair, Writes4Women did a great ep with Joanna Nell recently, Talking Aussie Books is back for a new season, and if you're visual person, check out BookWorm TV.

Thanks for your company, friends.

And remember to make your vote count for the Better Reading Top 100 contest by clicking the link below! Much love from my paddock to yours

xx Maya

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye...