Need something new to read? Get your hands on a copy of Magpie's Bend, Bottlebrush Creek and Wildflower Ridge today.

Facebook LIVE online event 10am today

I’m very excited for today's live event with author and journalist, Frances Whiting, thanks to Brisbane Libraries. It was supposed to be in person, but lockdown saw us pivot to an online format and the huge bonus is you can join us from wherever you are! Head across to the Brisbane Libraries Facebook page at 10am AEST (July 3). 

I'm also doing an online event with Lockyer Valley Libraries at 10am on July 12. They will soon update the link for you to watch live. Both these interviews will be available to rewatch at a later date too.

Fingers crossed the SA/Vic events will still go ahead, kicking off with Hamilton, Vic on August 4. More details TBC.

Road tripping with Magpie's Bend

You know what they say about the best-laid plans...! The Magpie's Bend book tour was off to a ripping start. We packed the car and set off for Queensland in late June, stopping at book stores along the way to sign books, with a lovely in-store stopover at Collins Wagga Wagga. 

Keen to avoid the rising Covid situation in NSW, we put in huge travelling days to get to Queensland, only to be chased across the border by a policeman who gleefully informed us he had already turned back plenty of Victorian holiday-makers and was happy to do the same to us if our paperwork wasn't 100%. What a welcome!

Next stop Toowoomba. Their main library has four copies of Wildflower Ridge in their catalogue, and the librarian told me the title had been borrowed 120+ times. Pretty neat! The very first in-person event for Magpie's Bend was held in Chinchilla, a lovely little library with a big heart. Then onto Dalby (whose librarian Anne is the most amazing baker), Proston (with their fabulous CWA catering) and Kingaroy (who put together a beautiful display with freshly picked grevillias). 

We headed to the Sunshine Coast, sneaking in a very welcome day of relaxing, swimming and reading by the pool before a Covid case was announced in Brisbane. The Gympie event went ahead the next day, just before lockdown hit.

It was rotten luck and I must admit, it was very stressful trying to devise Plan A, B & C to get home to Victoria. After many, many hours on hold to airlines and state Covid hotlines, a few false starts and cancelled flights, and the crushing decision to cut our trip short, we waved off the boys (they drove home) and the girls and I flew home. We’re back in Victoria now, hunkering down in home quarantine for the next two weeks, as per restrictions.

My heart goes out to everyone else in lockdown. After five bites of the (sour) cherry, I can certainly empathise.

There were many silver linings to our trip though and we were grateful for the wonderful hospitality of our friend Michelle in the Sunny Coast, the chance to visit several new places on our 5600km roundtrip and meeting readers who love the McIntyre family just as much as I do.

Golden ticket contest

I hid special golden tickets in three of the books I signed as we travelled around last month and I can’t wait to hear from the lucky winners who found them. There’s something Willy Wonka-esque about sneaking lucky tickets into books and waiting for them to be discovered.

Newsletter subscribers, I’ll give you the inside tip to look very carefully at books purchased in Wangaratta, Vic, Wagga Wagga, NSW and Gympie, Qld. Thanks to Allen & Unwin, the lucky buyers will also receive a special book pack.

Magpie's Bend photo contest winners

There were so many great pictures, I wish I had enough seeds to send to everyone! The winners were chosen at random, congratulations to Amy S, Anna Maree and @inthegoodbooksblog for winning. Below are just a few of the other fantastic entries. 

July author spotlight

I have two fabulous books up for grabs this month. The wickedly camp and entertaining cosy mystery - Nancy Business by RWR McDonald and a dark, captivating insight into hoarding - Love Objects by Emily Maguire. Read the full interviews with Rob and Emily, then head across to my website for your chance to win a copy.

From my writing desk...

With all the excitement of release month, I didn’t make much progress on the second draft of my 2022 book, Rosella Hill. However, with an August 1 deadline looming, whipping the manuscript, and Diana’s story, into shape will be my main July focus.

Home baking and hot reviews...

Emails, reviews and messages from readers always make my day, and it is lovely to be reminded of how books can whisk people away to another world.

It was great to see my favourite museli bar slice getting a run with Meagan in SA (left) and Julie in NSW (right) who took the slice bushwalking and then shared the recipe with her friends because they loved it too. And how fab does the 12-egg sponge cake look in Sueanne's Queensland kitchen (in the middle). I can't take any credit for this sponge recipe, apart from baking, sharing and loving it, find it on the Gourmet Traveller site HERE.

Here's part of a glowing review of Magpie's Bend that Anna from Cronulla shared to Good Reads yesterday ‘I love the flowers, the baking, the friendship and family..I also very much loved the 'Friends' love and who doesn’t love the nutbush...maybe I wouldn’t recommend reading it on a diet, I couldn’t get to the scones with homemade jam and cream fast enough.’

Just in case you didn't know, word of mouth recommendations and reviews are such a big help for authors. They don't need to be lengthy or detailed either.

Thanks for your company, friends. Please keep your photos and messages coming through, and sing out if you happen to see any media mentions or book store displays of Magpie's Bend. It's so lovely to have your eyes and ears on the ground! Have a great July and I'll be in touch next month.

xx Maya

Until next month...