Before I started writing for SheSociety I had no social media at all. Yet through the magic of Instagram I’ve gained new friends all around the world. Many of my Instagram friends are writers and that is how I came to be friends with author, Maya Linnell. I loved Maya’s feed filled with country life, baking , writing and coastal walks with her kids. Little did I know that we’d meet in real life at the last Romance Writers Australia Conference in Sydney. Maya was just as lovely and friendly in real life as I had imagined and with our shared love of reading and writing we bonded instantly.
We are now firm friends and I was so excited when Maya’s debut novel Wildflower Ridge was released. The book has been a huge success and has been sitting on bestseller lists, keeping company with the likes of Trent Dalton and Jane Harper. A copy of Wildflower Ridge was a gift from publishers, Allen and Unwin, and I instantly fell in love with Maya’s characters, setting and the elements of romance within her pages. I’m proud to say that Maya and I were in – conversation at Ashgrove Library on August 22nd. To hear our lively discussion watch out for the next episode of my podcast, Buzzing About Books. It was great to meet so many of our Instagram friends in person at Maya’s launch and we all learned so much about writing and publishing from this effervescent author. Everyone I’ve recommended Maya’s book to has loved it. What a wonderful writing success story!
About Wildflower Ridge
Author Fleur McDonald describes Wildflower Ridge as, “ A moving tale of endings, new beginnings and love. A page turner.”
It tells the story of four sisters, one farm and a second chance at following your heart.
This debut novel tells the story of main character, Penny McIntyre, a high powered businesswoman who is felled by a mystery illness. She must leave the city and her live in boyfriend to recuperate at her family farm, Wildflower Ridge. To her annoyance she encounters her ex boyfriend Tim Patterson, who is now working on the farm. Tim was the reason she left in the first place.
She must also re- connect with her three sisters and the townsfolk she thought she’d left far behind. When her father has an accident , Penny must decide whether to stay and help or go back to her life in the city. Complicating her decision even more , is the fact that Tim has also expressed an interest in buying the property.Wildflower Ridge is rural fiction straight from the heart. You will care deeply about the whole McIntyre family, their trials and triumphs.
About Maya Linnell
Maya Linnell grew up in a small country town, which is why her story is so authentic. She was a bookworm who found her feet in journalism by working at a rural newspaper. She then segued into public relations and now fiction writing , whilst also blogging for Romance Writers Australia. Wildflower Ridge is her first novel and it gathers inspiration from her rural upbringing and the small communities she has always lived in and loved. Maya currently lives in rural Victoria with her husband and three children. She has recently been crisscrossing the country for her book tour and has seen parts of Australia that she’d never dreamed of seeing. In Queensland she visited Brisbane, Gympie, Peregian Beach and Maleny.
Maya’s beautiful story is filled with all the things she loves; the rural landscape, family, farming , community and baking. I defy you not to make a batch of scones or muffins whilst reading this book! Her voice, as an author, takes you right into the heart of the country and you will fall in love with Penny McIntyre and her family. Maya is also busy writing several sequels to this story which encompass the lives of Penny’s sisters. The next book which focuses on the youngest McIntyre sister, Angie, will be published next year. I can’t wait to hear more from this refreshing new voice in Australian fiction. Perhaps one of the characters in her next story will be an Instagram friend from Queensland!
Michelle Beesley is a Brisbane born and bred former primary school teacher. A wife, proud grandma and mother of three grown sons, Michelle is thrilled to have recently published her debut contemporary romance novel, It Happened in Paris, with Serenade Publishing. Her novella – Escape to D’ Amour was published in 2019. Michelle’s work can be found in the anthologies – Destination Romance and Short & Sweet. When not reading or writing Michelle can be found at a coffee shop chatting with friends, front row at a fashion show, or beside a rugby union field cheering on her favourite teams.
Michelle is a reluctant traveller, Francophile, keen walker and avid yoga enthusiast plus a book, film and theatre lover who loves everything pink and sparkly (including champagne). You can find Michelle on instagram @michellebeesley_writer and her website: michellebeesley.com.
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