Title: If I Tell You Author: Alicia Tuckerman Publisher: Pantera Press (2018) Genre: YA Contemporary If I Tell You follows the story of small-town teenager Alex Summers as she navigates her final year of high school and a budding relationship with her first love, Phoenix Stone. When Phoenix moves to the farming community of Two…
Category: Shelley Carter
Interview: Australian YA author Lisa Walker
Interview by Shelley Carter Lisa Walker is an established Australian author with a range of works under her belt, ranging from young adult fiction to radio plays. Her latest novel, Paris Syndrome, has been likened to author John Green and features a coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of Paris. Editor Shelley Carter spoke to…
Interview: Nova Weetman, middle-grade and YA author
An interview by Shelley Carter Nova Weetman has been writing since she was a preteen and has not stopped since! True to the Underground Writers’ aesthetic, her writing career began with an old, black typewriter. I spoke to Nova about her writing career and what it’s like to write for a middle grade and young…
Interview: Poppy Nwosu, YA author
Poppy Nwosu is an Adelaide-based, young adult author. Growing up in central North Queensland, she enjoyed a thoroughly wild childhood surrounded by rainforest and cane fields. Her debut novel, Making Friends with Alice Dyson, was published in March this year and has just been shortlisted for the prestigious Readings Young Adult Book Prize 2019. Editor…
Review: The Van Apfel Girls Are Gone by Felicity McLean, by Shelley Carter
Title: The Van Apfel Girls Are Gone Author: Felicity McLean Genre: Fiction Thriller/Mystery Favourite Part: When a young Tikka re-enacts (unsuccessfully) the Lindy Chamberlain saga as her talent show act — it was a great juxtaposition to the seriousness that was happening regarding the Van Apfel sisters during the climax of the story, and also…
Issue 26: Ashes
Cover by Ari Moore Issue 26: Ashes is here for your reading pleasure. This month we bring you a tasting plate of short fiction, flash fiction and poetry by writers from around Australia, including Sophie Roberts, Elaine Mead, Nadia Kim, W.D. Farnsworth and Ash Leonard. Editor Shelley Carter gives us a run-down of Gus Henderson’s…
Interview: Lorna Hendry, author
An interview by Shelley Carter Lorna Hendry is a writer, editor, graphic designer and teacher, and studied a Bachelor of Science at university before writing children’s non-fiction. She currently writes for Wild Dog Books and in her current published work How to Win a Nobel Prize, she teams up with Nobel Prize winner Barry Marshall…
Stella Prize 2019 Overview: what was shortlisted this year? By Shelley Carter
Picture credit to 2ser Tuesday Book Club Since its inception in 2013, the Stella Prize has aimed to “recognise and celebrate Australian women writers’ contribution to literature.” It celebrates those who courageously and authentically share their stories, subvert genres, and experiment with form. This year was no different, and both the longlist and shortlist offering…
Interview: Dee White, author & playwright for children & young adults
An interview by Shelley Carter Dee White is a published author of 18 books and two plays for children and young adults, with two new books due out this year. She has had extensive experience in the publishing industry, including conducting writing workshops and online classes about writing. She has presented at a number of…
8 BookTubers to Spice up Your Reading, by Shelley Carter
I discovered Booktube back in 2016. It was like a whole new world of literature had opened up to me. Books I had no idea even existed made their way onto my TBR list, and I even discovered Goodreads because of the people I was watching. I had found a community of people that were…
Interview: Hadley Wickham, author of ‘My Bed is a Blackhole’
Interview with Hadley Wickham, emerging author of My Bed is a Blackhole, by Shelley Carter When I was first introduced to emerging Perth author Hadley Wickham, I was more than intrigued. A Google search gleaned nothing more than a sample of her debut novel, and a single interview. I was put into contact with her through…
Review: Blue in the Red House by Sarah Madden, by Shelley Carter
Title: Blue in the Red House Author: Sarah Madden Genre: Magical Realism & Memoir Favourite Part: When Ms. De Beer and Me-Two meet for the first time Favourite Quote: “She had been poised to triumph, to step out into the world with new resolve and the battle won, but now she was sucked back into…
What We Learnt in 2018
2018 was a big year for learning, and our editors were happy to discuss and share as much as they could. This post pulls together everything we learnt over the year about writing, reading and publishing. Take a look and check out the posts you may have missed or the ones you might want to…
Aussie Titles Reviewed in 2018
2018 was a huge year for reviews with our editors covering a range of genres, themes and authors. Take a trip down memory lane to see all the great Aussie titles we reviewed in 2018! Defying Doomsday edited by Tsana Dolichva and Holly Kench, reviewed by Jemimah Halbert Brewster Grace Beside Me by Sue…
9 Audiobooks to add to your 2019 TBR, by Shelley Carter
Featured image from Canva free stock images As someone who spends a decent amount of time commuting to work each week, audiobooks have been my saviour when it comes to smashing out my Goodreads goal and feeling like I haven’t just wasted an hour sitting in traffic. While some people consider audiobooks to not be…
Shelley’s Gift Guide for Literature Lovers
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Well, until you have to start writing a shopping list for your book-loving friends, and are at a loss as to what to buy them. You could stalk their Goodreads To-Be-Read list, and hope that what’s on there isn’t already sitting on their shelf at home. Or…
Interview: Jaime Collins, literary agent at The Nash Agency
An interview with literary agent Jaime Collins of The Nash Agency, by Shelley Carter née Timms Firstly, introduce yourself! How did you find yourself in the Publishing industry? Funnily enough, I started as a writer! After having my first baby, I figured I finally had time whilst on maternity leave to write a book. I…
Review: ‘Black Cockatoo’ by Carl Merrison & Hakea Hustler, by Shelley Timms
Title: Black Cockatoo Authors: Carl Merrison and Hakea Hustler Genre: Middle grade fiction Favourite part: The inclusion of words from the Jaru language throughout the book – very educational and it added to the authenticity of the story. Favourite quote: “You have his mark, Mia, between your shoulderblades. The dirrarn is your totem. Your jarriny…
Book Cover Monotony and the Rise of the ‘Bouquet Book’, by Shelley Timms
The term ‘judging a book by its cover’ pretty much sums up my shopping technique when looking for new books. Even when I’m at the library, an attractive cover can determine whether or not I bother to learn more about the book. Recently, I have begun to realise that book covers (especially those from the…
Interview: Maddie Godfrey, author of ‘How To Be Held’
An interview by Shelley Timms Photo by Michael Reynolds Firstly, tell us a bit about your book! How To Be Held is my debut poetry collection. It’s pretty vulnerable, to be honest. The dedication is to my teenage self, and all the ways she was resilient without even realising it. The book is meant to not…
Review: Little Lost Girl (#1 Old Balmain House series) by Graham Wilson, by Shelley Timms
Title: Little Lost Girl Author: Graham Wilson Genre: Australian Historical Fiction Favourite Part: The way in which the antique perfume bottle was threaded through the story and linked each era together. Favourite Quote: “There were scents of frangipani, wafting on late summer afternoons, as they played under leafy branches shaded from the hot afternoon sun.”…
Shelley’s Character List
A Character List by Shelley Timms Growing up, I had a hard time identifying with characters in the books I was reading. For me reading was, and still is, escapism. The worlds in which I delve into are often far removed from my own, the stories separated from my own life by fantasy, history, or…
Interview: Graham Wilson, author of the ‘Old Balmain House’ series
Graham Wilson, self-published author of the Old Balmain House series and the Crocodile Dreaming series Graham Wilson, author An interview by Shelley Timms Graham Wilson is an established Australian author residing in Sydney, NSW. He has written two book series, the Old Balmain House Series and the Crocodile Dreaming Series, and has recently completed a memoir, Arnhem’s…
Review: Fire Boy by Sami Shah, by Shelley Timms
Title: Fire Boy Author: Sami Shah Genre: YA Urban Fantasy Favourite Part: The interludes between the regular plot that describe the destruction and pain Djinns cause to civilians. Sounds dark, but it gave more insight into the mythology surrounding them! Favourite quote: “The only thing more powerful than a horny djinn is a girl who…
Interview: Jo Hunt, book designer, by Shelley Timms
An interview with book designer Jo Hunt, by Shelley Timms We’re all guilty of purchasing books based on the pure beauty of their covers. I have a whole shelf dedicated to the “oh, but it was so beautiful!” justification, and do not regret it one bit. It’s so easy to take a book at face…
Review: Stone Circle by Kate Murdoch, by Shelley Timms
Title: Stone Circle Author: Kate Murdoch Genre: Historical Fantasy Favourite part: The scenes that involved Antonius learning how to transform, and learning about the extent of his powers. Favourite quote: “A third image on the next page was an eagle, its coal-black wings extended, its beak a noble flash of gold. Traces of the coloured…
3 Reasons Every Writer Should Use Pinterest, by Shelley Timms
Let’s be real: not every writing session is spent madly tapping the keys, scenes unfolding effortlessly as you ride the wave of inspiration into the early hours of the morning. Unfortunately, writing can be a struggle sometimes and we can find ourselves stagnating when it comes to smashing out that manuscript or assignment. On the…
Interview: Louise Allan, author of ‘The Sisters’ Song’
An interview with Louise Allan by Shelley Timms How did you first get into writing fiction? My previous career was medicine, and I hadn’t written creatively since leaving school around 25 years earlier. I took singing lessons in my 30s, and did that for around 7 years until I realised that singing wasn’t something that…
Australian titles reviewed in 2017!
Below are all the Australian titles reviewed by Underground Writers in 2017! The Other Woman by Kylie Jones, reviewed by Kate, Shelley, and Jess Rae That Eye, the Sky by Tim Winton, reviewed by Kate Lomas Glendenning Rubik by Elizabeth Tan, reviewed by Jess Gately Portable Curiosities by Julie Koh, reviewed by Jemimah…
Shelley’s TBR list – round 2
My TBR list seems to get more and more ambitious the more time I spend perusing Goodreads, and watching YouTube videos from avid readers like myself has definitely broadened my horizons when it comes to genre and theme. I’m also trying to explore more diverse literature and the online reading community is especially helpful when…
Review: ‘Women of a Certain Age’, reviewed by Shelley Timms
Women of a Certain Age is a collection of 15 vastly different, but all beautifully written stories about what it’s like to be “woman on the other side of 40, 50, 60 and 70.” Masterfully collated by editors Jodie Moffat, Maria Scoda and Susan Laura Sullivan, the book features stories from both the past and…
Review: The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan, reviewed by Shelley Timms
Issue 19’s Review The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan A review by editor Shelley Timms (this review can also be read in Issue 19: The List) The Opposite of Loneliness is a collection of essays and stories written by Yale graduate Marina Keegan, and released after her untimely death in 2012. A talented writer with so…
Interview: Rory J. Cole, writer & editor, by Shelley Timms
An interview with professional writer and editor Rory J. Cole, by Underground editor Shelley Timms Firstly, tell us about your experiences in editing manuscripts, and your experiences with having your own work edited. I’ll begin with an experience of being edited, which I think has shaped the way I work with clients and their manuscripts….
Interview: Kylie Jones, author of ‘The Other Woman’
Kylie Jones, self-published author of The Other Woman Kylie Jones’ self-published novel The Other Woman begins with the author’s husband telling her, after 28 years of marriage, that he had always wanted to live as a woman. This story is her journey of attempting to support her husband and hold her family together through the…
Review: The Other Woman by Kylie Jones, reviewed by Kate, Shelley & Jess Rae
Issue 17’s Review The Other Woman by Kylie Jones (self-published) A collaborative review between Shelley Timms, Jessica Wilson-Smith, and Kate Lomas Glendenning (this review can be found in issue 17: The Hitchhiker) The Other Woman is the heart-wrenching true story of a woman coming to terms with her husband transitioning into a woman, and subsequent…
Shelley’s TBR list
The Underground editors are sharing their To Be Read lists: the books they have on their bedside tables just waiting to be read! In this new series we will be sharing each of our TBR books, why we’re looking forward to reading them, and why we picked up those books in the first place. Read…
Interview: Georgia Richter, Publisher at Fremantle Press
Georgia Richter, Publisher at Fremantle Press March, 2017 We are very pleased to present another interview conducted by editor Shelley Timms, this time talking to Georgia Richter, Publisher at Fremantle Press. Georgia shared with us the publishing process, tips on how to find a publisher for your book, some exciting new releases soon to…
December’s review: Saga (Vol. 1), by Shelley Timms
December’s Review Saga (Vol. 1), writer Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Fiona Staples A review by editor Shelley Timms When I first heard about Saga, there was a lot of hype surrounding it on Goodreads and YouTube. People loved it. And, being someone who wasn’t really into graphic novels, I didn’t quite understand why. I…
May’s Review: The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, by Shelley Timms
May’s Review The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North A review by editor Shelley Timms The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August is a time travel story with a difference. He lives, he dies, and then he starts over again; in the exact same place he was born, and with all of…
March’s Review: The Hunting Ground (documentary), by Shelley Timms
March’s Review The Hunting Ground, a documentary directed by Kirby Dick A review by editor Shelley Timms It’s not often that a film leaves me seething. The Hunting Ground, Kirby Dick’s 2015 documentary about college sexual assault, did just that. I discovered this documentary while watching the 2016 Oscars, when Lady Gaga performed ‘Till It Happens…