Libsyn Directory

95 | 'I'm Tom Cruise in Bulgaria' with Liz Nugent, author of 'Strange Sally Diamond'

Release Date: 04/02/2024

122 | Bonus ep! How to be a fictional character with Felix Shannon

James and Ashley Stay at Home

In episode 122, Ashley asks fellow crime fiction fan and podcaster what it's like to find yourself as a fictional character in a new novel from one of your favourite authors. Felix 'Flex' Shannon shares his experience of being fictionalised in the latest mystery novel from Sulari Gentill, Five Found Dead. Hear from Sulari in ep 121! Felix Shannon is a radio presenter, producer, technician and educator. Together with Benjamin Herder, Felix hosts the crime and mystery fiction podcast Death of the Reader. Books & authors discussed in this episode: All the Tears...

121 | The crucial element is not panicking with Sulari Gentill, author of 'Five Found Dead'

James and Ashley Stay at Home

When bestselling author Sulari Gentill was diagnosed with stage four cancer, she decided to write the ending she wanted. In episode 121, she joins James and Ashley to discuss her seventeenth novel, Five Found Dead, which features a main character riding the Orient Express to celebrate his recent cancer recovery – and who ends up solving several murders along the way. Sulari shares her own experience of riding the Orient Express and describes how her creativity and writing reminded her who she was at a time when her illness was reducing her sense of self to 'patient'. Plus she...

120 | If society collapses, head to the beach with Michelle Prak, author of 'Barren Cape'

James and Ashley Stay at Home

In episode 120, bestselling author Michelle Prak discusses how she set her latest thriller against the backdrop of Australia’s housing crisis and why she writes flawed, sometimes rash characters. She also reflects on how growing up in a lower socio-economic home influenced her love of reading and her ambition to be a writer, and also how it delayed her efforts to make that dream happen. Michelle Prak is a professional communicator with a thirty-year career in PR, social media, and politics. She lives in Adelaide and teaches communication subjects at the University of South...

119 | Becoming a stranger to yourself with Nathan Dunne, author of 'When Nothing Feels Real'

James and Ashley Stay at Home

In episode 119, debut author Nathan Dunne joins us to discuss his memoir, When Nothing Feels Real, which shares the story of his onset of severe depersonalisation and his quest to find a diagnosis. He shares the challenge of conveying his experience to those unfamiliar with the condition, his multi-year challenge to reach a proper diagnosis, and the long and uneven journey to recovery. We also discuss the community of fellow sufferers that supported him in the completion of his memoir. Nathan Dunne was born in Brisbane and grew up in India. As a journalist and critic, he has contributed...

118 | Cybercrime, murder and audiobooks - behind the scenes on 'Like, Follow, Die'

James and Ashley Stay at Home

Ashley's brand new thriller Like, Follow, Die is out now as an audiobook exclusive from Audible! In episode 118, Ashley discusses the book's unique development and what it was like working with an ensemble cast of prominent Australian actors to bring her third book to life. Like, Follow, Die is a "shattering and provocative psychological thriller that dives into the darkest corners of the internet and the powerful bonds between parents and children." Books & authors discussed in this episode: John Sandford (narrated by Richard Ferrone) JP Pomare Why Can't I Just Enjoy Things? by Pierre...

117 | Writing towards your greatest fear with Melanie Cheng, author of 'The Burrow'

James and Ashley Stay at Home

Award-winning author Melanie Cheng joins James and Ashley to discuss her writing practice, her pet rabbit, and The Burrow, her 'most personal book' and its many parallels to her own life. She also shares her experience of writing toward her greatest fear, coming to terms with her cyclical writing process, and how teaching narrative to medical students can help increase communication between doctors and patients. Melanie Cheng is a writer and general practitioner. She was born in Adelaide, grew up in Hong Kong and now lives in Melbourne. Her debut collection of short stories,...

116 | Bonus ep! 'Cold Truth' Live with Ashley & James

James and Ashley Stay at Home

If you missed hearing Ashley and James live in conversation at the launch of Cold Truth, we've got the full event recording for you here, complete with fake nazi invasions, terrifying cybercrime stats, and the satisfying crunch of James being forced to try genuine Manitoban dill pickle chips. Thanks to local bookseller Roaring Stories for hosting this event! Upcoming events: Join Ashley and podcast fav Hayley Scrivenor for the Mystery and Mayhem Readers Retreat at the 5-star Tamborine Mountain Glades, 3-5 October Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and...

115 | Where's my 'Menopause: What's Happening to Me?' book with Jay Martin, author of 'Boom Town Snap'

James and Ashley Stay at Home

How did Jay Martin go from an award-winning memoir to a fiction manuscript she ultimately abandoned? And what did she learn that helped her craft her debut novel, Boom Town Snap? Jay talks with Ashley and James about what toxic workplaces have in common with abusive relationships, and how we get trapped in toxic relationships at the community level as well. Jay Martin’s first book, Vodka and Apple Juice: Travels of an Undiplomatic Wife in Poland, won the Hungerford Award and was published in 2018. She has worked in a range of roles including in community development, government...

114 | Bonus ep! Winter Writing Retreat with Lynne Ainsworth

James and Ashley Stay at Home

Lynne Ainsworth is the founder of Writers at the Woolshed, an emerging writer, and a person who 'loves hanging out with people who read and write'. She loves it so much, she not only created a pop-up festival to connect authors with regional readers and writers, she's now hosting the first Winter Writing Retreat, featuring masterclasses with Eleanor Limprecht, Betty O'Neil, Audrey Molloy, Ashley Kalagian Blunt and Lee Kofman (from eps 3, 76 and 112). In this special bonus episode, Lynne tells us how she first became a festival director, and shares details of the...

113 | Rewriting your stalker with Pip Drysdale, author of 'The Close-Up'

James and Ashley Stay at Home

How does having a stalker change your life? We talk with bestselling novelist Pip Drysdale about her latest novel 'The Close-Up,' its real-life inspirations, and how surviving a stalker shifted her worldview. We also discuss how to navigate public image and the role anxiety has to play in creative pursuits. Plus, this ep's What Are You Reading? inspires a debate about what's derivative and what's inspired, and if those can be the same thing. . Pip Drysdale is an author, musician and actor. She grew up in Africa, Canada, and Australia, became an adult in New York and...

More Episodes

‘I had thought I was going to be like Harper Lee. I was going to write one book, it was going to be a massive global success, and then I would go into hiding.’

Hear from award-winning Irish author Liz Nugent, whose novel Strange Sally Diamond may have turned Ashley into a total fangirl.

Liz discusses her journey from a childhood accident leading to dystonia, to finding success and self-confidence through writing, and to her recent brain surgery. Liz also dives into her latest novel, sharing insights into the creation of its unique protagonist and her writing process.

Plus, Liz makes a call on the greatest crime novel of the past ten years!

Before becoming a full-time writer, Liz Nugent worked in film, theatre and television. Her five novels – Unravelling Oliver, Lying in Wait, Skin Deep, Our Little Cruelties and Strange Sally Diamond – have each been number one bestsellers. She has won four Irish Book Awards, as well as the James Joyce Medal for Literature. She lives in Dublin.

Books and authors discussed in this episode

The Lost Man by Jane Harper;
Val McDermid;
Ian Rankin;
Graham Norton;
Dervla McTiernan;
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee;
Lisa Jewell;
The Prophet Song by Paul Lynch;
In the Woods by Tana French;
The Hunter by Tana French;
The Search by Tana French;
Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica;
Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov;
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro;
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Get your copy of Strange Sally Diamond from Booktopia or your local bookshop.

Upcoming events

Learn more about Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.

Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.

Get in touch!

ashleykalagianblunt.com
jamesmckenziewatson.com
Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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