What are the odds of an author penning not one, but two, debut novels - and of BOTH being fabulous?! Newly retrenched from a career in aged care, Karen Herbert wrote “The Castaways of Harewood Hall”, a not so gentle comedy featuring elderly people and animals. She quickly followed that with “The River Mouth”, a dark drama set in a small WA town similar to where she grew up.

and

Dr Diane Velasquez loves reading romance novels. So much so, they propelled her into academia where she’s been conducting research into what librarians think of romance novels and the people who borrow them. Diane is a firm believer that all reading, no matter the genre, is important and she’s become a crusader for ensuring snobbery doesn’t deter people from borrowing the books they love.

Guests

Karen Herbert, author of “The River Mouth” and “The Castaways of Harewood Hall”. Her next book will be “Vertigo”

Dr Diane Velasquez, Program Director for Information Management in the STEM unit at Uni SA

Our Random Reader is David

Other books that get a mention:

Annie mentions John Mortimer “A Summer’s Lease” and Cath mentions Mick Herron author of “Slow Horses”

Diane mentions:

“Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded” was first published in 1740 by English writer Samuel Richardson.

Nora Roberts author of the Dragon Heart Legacy Trilogy, “Hideaway” and “Northern Lights”…she also writes futuristic suspense under the pseudonym JD Robb

Nalini Singh author of “Archangel’s Blade”, “Play of Passion”, “Heart of Obsidian” and others

Stephanie Laurens author of “Cynster”, “Bastion Club”, “Black Cobra Quartet” and others

Michaela mentions “Anne of Green Gables” by L.M. Montgomery and “Black Moth” by Georgette Heyer

David mentions “Lord of the Rings” J.R.R. Tolkien, “Dune” Frank Herbert, “When Androids Dream of Electric Sheep” Philip K Dick and “The Devil’s Dictionary” Steven Kotler

INSTA - @herbert_whittle

INSTA - @fremantlepress

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