Blog
End-of-Life Choice in Victoria
November 20, 2025
Thank you to the Victorian Parliament for passing the Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) amendments. These improvements bring me great peace of mind, because it’s reassuring to know that I have choices – and good choices – at the end of my life. Personally, I’m not afraid of death, but I’ve always worried about how I’m…
Why Off Track Still Matters
November 3, 2025
When I first wrote Off Track, I thought of it as a story about the 1970s – a time of anti-Vietnam War marches, first love, and struggling to find your place in an uncertain, rapidly-changing era. But as the years have passed, I’ve realised it’s about something much bigger – something that still feels relevant…
Love and Change in 1970s Australia – Off Track Now $5 Off!
October 24, 2025
*Climb into the back of an old Holden panel van with Lucy and Scotchie for a ride through 1970s Australia in my novel _*Off Track_. Fall in love for the first time, sunbake for hours on Shoreham beach, dance wildly at parties to vinyl records that always skipped, and dream like every teenager about infinite…
Off Track Novel Reviews: What Readers and Critics Are Saying
October 16, 2025
Me with an earlier edition of Off Track.This story of love, friendship, and the twists and turns of life in 1970s Australia has resonated with many readers. Here’s what a few have said: “This is a great story – full of reminiscences of the 1970s, with references to bands and songs, places and issues that…
Writing from Memory: Real Moments Behind Off Track
October 10, 2025
I write from what I know, using memory as scaffolding for the story I want to tell. Off Track is not an autobiography; it’s a novel. But to write it, I had to dig into my own memories – like an actor preparing for a role – to inhabit the world of the story. Writing…
First Love, A Story of Us
October 4, 2025
Murray and me – my first love. 1972. Who was your first love? Murray was a wild, rebellious, and funny teenager – always with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. I wanted to capture his story, our story, and the way this boy from Eltham changed my life. The book I eventually wrote is deeply…
Stuck in Traffic, Saved by Song
September 25, 2025
Our traffic isn’t as wild as Nawalgarh in India – but it’s maddening enough. Is it actually getting worse, or am I just catastrophising? The massive sinkhole that closed one of our main roads has meant a major detour for months. Add in the usual potholes, delays, and a ‘peak hour’ that drags on forever,…
Advice Needed: Do I Change the Ending of My Short Story?
September 18, 2025
I first wrote Local Reality Show back in 2016. The ending was sparked by a fleeting news report at the time – three Palestinian teenagers shot dead by Israeli soldiers. What I wanted was a murder mystery parody that also exposed the infuriating way people devour fictional murders (and TV reality shows) yet quickly turn…
Protecting Nillumbik’s Kangaroos: A Community Victory
September 11, 2025
This little joey’s face helped a community stand up for its wildlife. We were determined to win – and we did. Nillumbik’s kangaroos are no longer part of Victoria’s commercial slaughter program. Strong community campaigns can – and often do – succeed. Throughout 2023, many of us worked tirelessly to get Nillumbik kangaroos out of…
From Local Politics to Fiction: How Local Reality Show Came to Life
September 4, 2025
I never became a politician – though my students and friends might have imagined otherwise. Back in 2010, I was thrilled to be preselected in the sixth spot on the Senate ticket, supporting lead candidate Richard di Natale. At the time, I was teaching a group of adult migrants and proudly shared the news with…