Ready for an escape to the country? Get your hands on a copy of Magpie's Bend, Bottlebrush Creek and Wildflower Ridge today. Also, did you spot the Amazon sale on Bottlebrush Creek? It’s only $2.59 for the month of October. Get in quick before the sale ends!

Time to win big!

Following the success of last year’s giveaway, I’ve teamed up with four fab publishers to

Spread a little pre-Christmas cheer and YOU get double the chance to win, just for being a newsletter subscriber.

I've chosen 12 great books to suit a range of readers, perfect for putting under the Christmas tree or savouring over summer. I'll share an individual graphic for each giveaway on my social media each day from October 31. To enter, just share the post with the book pack you'd like to win and tag a friend.

You could win:

1. A junior reader book pack thanks to Allen & Unwin, including Treasure in the Lake by Jason Pamment, The School Between Winter and Fairyland by Heather Fawcett and Huda & Me by H. Hayek (Contest goes live Sunday October 31).

2. A historical book pack thanks to Penguin Random House, including The Eighth Wonder by Tania Farrelly, The Tour by Andrew Mackie and Secrets my Father Kept by Rachel Givney. (Contest goes live Monday November 1).

3. A Christmas book pack thanks to Hachette, including The Wish by Nicholas Sparks, Little Bilby’s Aussie Bush Christmas by Yvonne Mes and Jody Pratt and Stay Another Day by Juno Dawson. (Contest goes live Tuesday November 2).

4. A rural romance book pack thanks to Harper Collins, featuring Snowy Mountains Daughter by Alissa Callen, Meet me in Bendigo by Eva Scott and Outback Secrets by Rachael Johns. (Contest goes live Wednesday November 3).

Are you excited yet? I am! To enter you must:

1. Be following me on either Facebook or Instagram

2. Head to my Instagram or Facebook author page and find the graphic with the books you'd like to win

3. Share the post (make sure you tag me in this post, so I see it)

4. Tag a friend in the comments

And, because I love all my subscribers, you guys get a bonus entry into each contest just for being part of my book-loving community.

Australian postal addresses only please. Contest opens October 31 and closes November 7. You're very welcome to enter all the giveaways, just make sure you tag me when you share each individual graphic, so I can enter you into the draw. Good luck!

Lamb lovers anonymous

We welcomed two new lambs in October – babies from the ewes we bottle-reared last year. Little Lucy Lou (above) has a huge personality, and although her mum, Fluffy, lost interest quickly, we were happy to step in as surrogates. Lucy’s now four weeks old and going great guns on powdered milk.

And then just this week, Gidget impressed us with a thumping baby boy, Scully. As you’d guess from the name, Gidget’s only a petite lass, and after several midnight paddock checks (in my dressing gown and boots), I was relieved that she went into labour in the daytime. The children watched, wide-eyed, as I stepped in to help deliver the stuck lamb, and we all sat in the paddock for an hour afterwards marvelling at Scully’s first steps, Gidget’s instinctive mothering skills and (I know it sounds cheesy but it’s true) the miracle of new life. I'll share lots of pictures on my Instagram, but here's Gidget and Scully at three days old and Lucy getting her morning bottle. 

Our little property here in western Victoria sure brings us a lot of joy!

At the top of my TBR pile...

This weekend I’m starting The Tea Ladies of St Jude’s Hospital by Joanna Nell. I’m a big fan of Joanna’s novels, with their plucky characters, heart-warming plots and focus on positive aging. Released late September, it’s sure to be jam-packed with Joanna’s trademark sensitivity, humour and insights from her career as a doctor. Thanks to Hachette for sending me an early copy.

From the mailbag

Remember last month’s carrot cake bake off? I was thrilled to see local reader Andrea using the recipe – looks fabulous, Andrea. Also great to have a letter from a lovely reader Lois, who not only has resident magpie in her garden but relatives from the Grampians area with the surname McIntyre - what a neat coincidence! Big thanks also to Leearna from Melbourne for sending in a photo with her prize from my September newsletter. A keen writer and avid reader, she was very thrilled to receive Natasha Lester’s fabulous new historical novel, The Riviera House.

Love rural romance? Me too! I’ll be in conversation with Rachael Johns on November 11 for my local library – Glenelg Libraries. We’ll be talking about her new release Outback Secrets (which I can highly recommend). If you’re a local, come join the audience in Portland, Rachael will be Zooming into this event and it’ll also be shared on the library’s Facebook page afterward. Details here.

Hard to beat a book club!

Earlier this month, I had the honour of Zooming into a book club meeting with readers from the tiny SA town of Coonalpyn. The ladies and I had a great chat about writing Bottlebrush Creek, being roped into volunteer roles, children that bite, memorable mothers-in-law and the beauty of libraries. Thanks for inviting me, Katie and the Coonalpyn crew!

Do you have a book club? If so, I’d love you to consider Magpie’s Bend, Bottlebrush Creek or Wildflower Ridge for your 2022 list! And if not, perhaps now is a fabulous time to start one. Libraries regularly purchase book-club sets for their readers, why not choose something rural for your next read?

Around the property...

Spring is a wonderful time to be in the garden. My roses are back in bloom, the ranunculus are still flowering, our sweeping collection of irises are waving at me as I write this newsletter (quite battered from the hige storm Thursday night) and the lovely tall foxgloves are a riot of pink and cream by the chook house.

Having lifted, divided and replanted hundreds of dahlias this last month, I’ve also roped Jason into helping me with more structural supports, using old redgum posts and fencing wire (photo below). All this writing about flowers in my 2022 book Rosella Hill has made me even keener to expand, so I’m dotting them all around the property as an experiment, as well as in my two main dahlia patches. If you’ve divided and planted your dahlias, make sure you watch those pesky snails. It’s also neat to see little seedlings popping up from where I scattered the seeds in May and wondering what surprises are in store this year (as unlike tubers, seeds throw up completely new colours and shapes).

I’ve also got poppies, sweet peas and columbines blooming all over the place, sunflowers and summer veggies sprouting nicely and tomato-rama is underway with about twenty plants in the ground. Did you know tomatoes freeze beautifully? Just quarter them and pop in ziplock bags, then pull out months later for soups, stews, spag bol. No peeling or pre-cooking required. 

From my writing desk

School holidays and lockdowns been tough on my structural edits for Rosella Hill. Although I’ve been working through them steadily this month, the bigger changes, like a whole new ending, will be easier now the kids are back at school. It’s coming along nicely though and I really love spending time with Diana, Ned and the McIntyre clan. Thanks also to my Instagram friends who helped with a name suggestion for an elderly gent in my novel. I seem to gravitate towards similar names, and after realising how similar Merv was to a female character called Maeve, I needed a fresh name. Loads of great suggestions, in the end I went with Reg, which was a great option from Cindy in WA and Eliza in SA.

A great excuse for baking

Now that Victoria is finally out of lockdown, I’m excited to bake for special Melbourne guests – my sister, her partner and their beautiful baby boy – this weekend. My little sis has put in a request for homemade sausages, pizza, sausage rolls and scones and there’ll also be sponge cake, pavlova and self-saucing pudding on the menu – all things that she’s been dreaming of during the lengthy lockdown. As you might have guessed from my books and newsletters, I believe food really is the language of love! 

Alas, I’m yet to get home to South Australia. After sending last month’s newsletter, my border permit was cancelled due to a local Covid case. Dad’s been in and out of hospital for non-cancer related emergency surgery since then (he really can’t win a trick right now), but he's in good spirits and I’m optimistic for a reunion in November.

A few fun things to finish on...

Good things to bake: We made these AMAZING choc chip peanut bikkies from Sophie Hansen and it’s now my new favourite biscuit

Good things to listen to: This episode of the Writers4Women podcast with Joanna Nell and Pamela Cook on the craft of editing

Good things to watch: This Australian Story episode on enduring love, resilience, and country spirit

Have a sensational November, folks. Sending sunshine and lamb snuggles your way, I'll be back next month with a Christmas blog special, festive reads and my favourite gingerbread house recipe

x Maya

Until next month...