Latest updates

Book Feature: Dog of Thieves by Neil S. Placky

19 July 2023 | Accomplished writer Neil Placky shares the inspiration behind his latest cosy mystery release. Spoiler alert: they're furry, friendly, and provide unconditional love.

Birdie Song's Newsletter: On finding community

2 July 2023 | Writing is a lonely career. The people you spend the most time with are the ones in your head, who you're desperately trying to bring to life on the page (or computer screen). After wading waist-deep in this kind of work for a long enough time, even an introvert can start craving a bit of community.

Three things I learned while writing The Guy from the Flower Shop

28 June 2023 | The Guy from the Flower Shop was my first contemporary romance release. It came out in 2020 when I was accumulating a lot of nervous energy around Perth's first lockdown. I'm very grateful that the situation in my city wasn't as bad as it might have been, but everything was uncertain at the time. Finding a new creative outlet was the most positive thing I could think of to do., 1. Short stories can be just as emotionally compelling as novels

Meet D.V. Stone, author of Sophia's Magic Beans

21 June 2023 | I had the pleasure of interviewing D.V. Stone about her recent sweet romance release, Sophia's Magic Beans, a small-town romance with guardian angels, bookstore owners, and of course, a happy ending.

The Best Bit: Thread and Buried by Janet Bolin

14 June 2023 | Thread and Buried by Janet Bolin found me in one of those limnial moments between books, between projects, between fixed headspaces, just when I needed it most. The edition I read was acquired at a library book sale, of all places, in a neighbourhood next to my neighbourhood, which helped prop up the fantasy of cosy small town vibes.

On writing romantic conflict

31 May 2023 | Working on The Guy from the Wedding has me thinking a lot about writing effective conflict between the two main characters of a monogamous contemporary romance. Particularly in an angsty romance that draws on the Enemies to Lovers trope. The challenge, which I realise now I've always struggled with, is:

Random writing update

3 May 2023 | Things have changed a bit in the three years since chatting with D.V. Stone about my work desk. I no longer have three work desks, but one official workspace that doesn't need to be repurposed for storage every few months.