Totally Lit!

In this episode Ky Garvey talks with Gabriella Page, an Australian opera chorister living in Italy,  about her new middle-grade mystery The Nardi Puzzle, which sends a 12-year-old into a 13-hour escape game inside an Italian mansion. They discuss Gabriella's pathway to publication, the puzzle design and research behind the book, and how she balances a singing career with writing while staying connected to the Australian kid-lit community from abroad.
Gabriella also shares personal moments from her mentorship experience, coping with loss, and the joys and challenges of creating stories that invite young readers to solve clues alongside the protagonists.
About the book:
Thirteen players. Thirteen hours. One extraordinary prize.
When 12-year-old Sebastian Walker is invited to legendary game-maker Elisabetta Nardi’s mansion in Sardinia, he thinks he can finally leave his troubles behind. Instead, he’s thrust into a real-world escape game with the other twelve guests, and the prize could change his life.
If Sebastian wants to solve the clues hidden around the mysterious East Wing and find the secret exit, he must team up with the bubbly Lali and brilliant Vita. Even as a team, though, it won’t be easy … and elimination is always just around the corner.
The Nardi Puzzle
About the author:
Gabriella Page is a West Australian singer and children’s author based in Italy. Since completing her master’s degree in classical music, she’s worked as an opera chorister, English teacher and occasional translator. In 2022, Gabriella was selected to take part in the ASA/CA Award Mentorship programme. She has a penchant for puzzles and mystery, and she aims to blend humour and darkness in her novels. When Gabriella is not singing or writing, you can find her trawling the gelato shops around Cagliari, hoarding books or applying sunscreen.
To learn more about Gabriella and her upcoming projects, head to www.gabriellapage.com
Host: Ky Garvey
Theme Song: Claire Houghton
Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/
Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/
Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends.  You can also make a contribution at:
www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit
For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. 
I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media:
Totallylitpodcast@gmail.com

Author Dan Thomas chats with Ky Garvey about his new picture book Bedtime and No Butts, the creative process behind writing for children, and the joys and anxieties of being an author. They discuss illustration, publishing journeys, school visits, and connecting with young readers.
The conversation also covers Dan's past work in advertising, stand-up, and documentary filmmaking, plus tips on pitching, writing routines, and the changing landscape of publishing.
About the book: It's bedtime for Boris … but he is not ready! But I can't find Bear! But we haven't had our story! But I'm thirsty! But, but, but! Will Boris ever stop with the bedtime buts?!
A cheeky, charming and all-too relatable story for bedtime wrigglers … (and their poor grown-ups!)
About the author: Dan Thomas has written all sorts of stuff, including comedy, commercials, TV and t-shirts – but what he really loves is picture books! Dan also runs a production company 'All About Me Films' which saves people's stories on film. He has two children and lives in Melbourne with his wife, author Ingrid Laguna.
Dan Thomas | Scholastic Australia
Buy the book: Books | Online Bookshop | QBD (This is an affiliate link)
Host: Ky Garvey
Theme Song: Claire Houghton
Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/
Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/
Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends.  You can also make a contribution at:
www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit
For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. 
I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media:
Totallylitpodcast@gmail.com
 

Host Ky Garvey chats with Jemima Parker about her debut picture book Poppy Makes Pockets (EK Books), her upcoming titles with EK and Scholastic, and the real-life moments that launched her publishing journey — from open submissions to writing retreats and personal connections.
Jemima shares practical tips for aspiring authors, the joy of collaborating with an illustrator, and release details (Poppy Makes Pockets out 14 July, launch at The Book Cow on 25 July).
About the book:
Poppy loves collecting treasures while out exploring, from smooth stones to glossy feathers and everything in between. But hardly any of her clothes have pockets to carry them! Join Poppy as she sets about solving her pocket-less problem, for herself and the whole neighbourhood. Touching on themes of creativity, fabric upcycling and community, Poppy Makes Pockets will bring a smile to the face of little readers everywhere – and might even inspire some to get crafting themselves.
About the author:
Jemima Parker has been writing and sewing for as long as she can remember, and is passionate about nurturing creativity in children. She holds a degree in Visual Arts (Textiles) from the Australian National University School of Art and Design, and has exhibited widely throughout Australia and abroad.
Poppy Makes Pockets is Jemima’s first picture book. She was inspired to write it by her young nieces, who love to collect treasures but almost never have any pockets to carry them. Inevitably, Jemima ends up carrying a handful of special pebbles, leaves and sticks. She once sewed two large, brightly coloured pockets onto a pair of trousers for her two-year-old niece, so she could carry her own treasures.
When Jemima’s not writing, you’ll find her playing with her dogs, practicing yoga or curled up somewhere with a good book. She was born in a small town on Australia’s far-south coast, and now lives in Canberra.
Poppy Makes Pockets
jemima parker
Buy the book: Books | Online Bookshop | QBD (This is an affiliate link)
Host: Ky Garvey
Theme Song: Claire Houghton
Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/
Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/
Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends.  You can also make a contribution at:
www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit
For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. 
I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media:
Totallylitpodcast@gmail.com
 
 
 
 
 

In this episode Ky talks with children’s author Lellie Lopoter about her picture book Bella Grows a Bicycle — a heartwarming tale of a girl who starts with a single seed and, through bartering, upcycling and community swaps, works her way to a bicycle. The story introduces kids to the swap economy, resourcefulness, goal-setting and resilience in a fun, uplifting way.
The conversation also covers the author’s personal background, her research and PhD in sustainability and public value, the publishing process with Five Mile, marketing and launch plans, and upcoming residencies. It’s an encouraging chat about creativity, persistence and making the most of what you have.
About the book:
Join clever and determined Bella on a delightful swapping adventure! Starting with a tiny seed, Bella dreams big and trades her way through a series of creative exchanges, working towards her goal of a shiny new bicycle. Along the way, she discovers the value of patience, resourcefulness, and thinking outside the box.
With charming illustrations and an engaging, feel-good storyline, Bella Grows a Bicycle introduces young readers to early financial literacy concepts in a fun and accessible way, celebrating perseverance, independence, and the joy of achieving a goal.
About the author:
Kellie, publishing under the pseudonym Lellie Lopter, is an award-winning author, illustrator, and creator. She won the Marshall Allan Hill Writing Competition, was a finalist in the NYC Midnight Flash Fiction Competition, and was shortlisted for the Noble Hawk Illustration Prize. Her debut book Rhyme Time (2023) was a finalist in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards, while My Brother Born Sleeping (2023) received an Honourable Mention in the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards.​​​​
​Kellie studied art in Broken Hill, children’s illustration in Mildura, and she completed the Certificate of Professional Children’s Writing with Cengage Australia. She has undertaken mentorships with the NSW Writing Centre and Exisle Academy and she was selected for Writers Victoria’s 2024 Writeability Goes Online program for writers with a disability. Lellie is a passionate advocate for children’s literacy, and she is a member of SCBWI, ASA, and Writers Victoria. Lellie actively contributes to the PLCC Author Backpack Project, the Author Pen Pals Program, the Incognito Art Show, and she leads Sunraysia’s Free Little Library Project.
Home Page | Lellielopter
Bella Grows a Bicycle by Lellie Lopter – Five Mile Press
Buy the book: Books | Online Bookshop | QBD (This is an affiliate link)
Host: Ky Garvey
Theme Song: Claire Houghton
Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/
Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/
Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends.  You can also make a contribution at:
www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit
For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. 
I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media:
Totallylitpodcast@gmail.com

Host Ky Garvey interviews children’s author Janeen Brian about her new picture book Somewhere You Can Dream, her early TV work (including Humphrey Bear), collaboration with illustrators, writing habits, and the importance of persistence, community, and hope for emerging writers. She also discusses upcoming projects like Water Baby and offers practical tips for writers starting out.
About the book:
From the smallest cubby to the highest hilltop, this heart-warming, read-aloud picture book is all about finding your own special place in the world. From award-winning creators Janeen Brian and Hilary Jean Tapper.
Do you love shadowy secret nooks or cosy hideaways?Leafy, shady trees or sheltered, rocky bays?Do you love comfy little cubbies or tree forts way up tall?Or spaces behind places where you can curl up small?A beautiful, lyrical story that asks readers to consider where in the world they feel most at home, exploring safe spaces and cosy feelings, self-awareness and belonging. Perfect for reading at bedtime, with glorious illustrations by award-winning illustrator Hilary Jean Tapper.
 
About the author:
Janeen Brian is an internationally published, award-winning children’s author and poet with over 110 books published. She enjoys writing picture books, junior fiction, poetry, novels and non-fiction. More than 200 stories, poems, plays and articles have been published in children’s magazines or anthologies.
Janeen received a May Gibbs’ Children’s Literature Trust Fellowship in 2009, was the recipient of the 2012 Adelaide Festival of Literature Carclew Fellowship in 2012 and is an Ambassador for Raising Literacy Australia.
She lives in the seaside city of Glenelg in South Australia and loves reading, creating, Yoga, Aquarobics, theatre and seaside and country walks.
Janeen Brian
Somewhere You Can Dream - Janeen Brian, illustrated by Hilary Jean Tapper -- A&U Children's - 9781761181764 - Allen & Unwin - Australia
Buy the book: Books | Online Bookshop | QBD (This is an affiliate link)
Host: Ky Garvey
Theme Song: Claire Houghton
Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/
Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/
Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends.  You can also make a contribution at:
www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit
For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. 
I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media:
Totallylitpodcast@gmail.com
 

Host Ky Garvey talks with Lauren Williams about her debut novel Neighbourhood Watch — a darkly comic, Melbourne-set thriller inspired by a real scarecrow competition. The episode explores the book's plot (a judge's body arranged as a scarecrow), Detective Sergeant Priyanka Powell's investigation, and the sisters Emma and Margot grappling with the fallout and corruption close to home.
They also discuss Williams's journey from acting and diplomacy to publishing, her writing process and influences, the lead-up to launch day, and her forthcoming projects.
About the book: ‘Neighbourhood Watch is a sharp, stylish thriller with a killer opening hook, a generous dose of dark humour, and a truly distinctive voice.’ Christian White
The annual Curlew Street scarecrow competition is back, and the residents of Melbourne’s inner north have never seen an entry like it. Shirt bloody, head and arms slumped over a scarecrow crucifix: Victoria’s most conservative Supreme Court Judge, Harry ‘The Pope’ Somerton, is dead.Priyanka Pal, a former psychologist turned homicide detective, is disturbed when her investigation uncovers corruption close to home. Forced to confront the abuses of powerful men – the very reason she left psychology – Priyanka’s faith in the justice system falters. Emma Bloom is sophisticated, intelligent, and seems to have it all together. But her prickly, estranged sister, Margot, knows the truth. Their attempts at reconciliation spiral into crisis with the death of Emma’s abusive husband, The Pope.As secrets unravel and Priyanka’s investigation cuts close to home, the sisters risk losing what fragile family ties they have left, and Priyanka’s career is on the edge. None of them will ever feel the same way about themselves (or their neighbours) again. P.S. Mind the cat.
Buy the book: Books | Online Bookshop | QBD (This is an affiliate lin
About the author: Before turning to fiction, Lauren worked as a lawyer, diplomat, actor, arts journalist and museum communications manager (not all at once). This is her first novel.
Neighbourhood Watch | Book by Lauren Williams | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster AU
Host: Ky Garvey
Theme Song: Claire Houghton
Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/
Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/
Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends.  You can also make a contribution at:
www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit
For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. 
I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media:
Totallylitpodcast@gmail.com

Host Ky Garvey interviews thriller author Matt Rogers about his new book The Damned (the sequel to The Forsaken), his transition from years of successful self-publishing to traditional publishing with Simon & Schuster, his writing and editing process, thoughts on AI and the industry, and practical advice for aspiring writers.
About the Book: Retired assassin Logan Booth is ready to settle down – but Jacinta Murphy, the President of the United States, has other ideas. Paranoid he will expose her past mistakes, the President triggers a chain of events that drive Logan to Colombia and into the middle of a new war.After colliding with the wrong cartel, Logan finds himself on the run across the mountainous Colombian countryside. His only chance of survival lies with Alice Mason, an unlikely friend and confidant. Desperate to keep her out of harm’s way, Logan refuses to call on her for aid. But what if she turns up unbidden? How is he supposed to stop her running headfirst into danger when he’s barely keeping himself alive?
Buy the book: Books | Online Bookshop | QBD (This is an affiliate link)
About the Author: Matt Rogers is the internationally bestselling author of the Dante Jacoby series. Matt began self-publishing at the age of eighteen, and in the following eight years he single-handedly wrote and marketed more than thirty-five thriller novels. His books have collectively sold over one million copies. His stories weave stimulating philosophy with relentless, page-turning action, and he aims to educate and entertain in equal measure. As an ultramarathon runner and mountain trekker, Matt enjoys exploring the capabilities of the body and mind, lending experiential weight to his visceral writing. You can follow Matt on Facebook and Instagram @mattrogersauthor.
Home | mattrogersbooks
The Damned | Book by Matt Rogers | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster AU
Host: Ky Garvey
Theme Song: Claire Houghton
Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/
Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/
Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends.  You can also make a contribution at:
www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit
For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. 
I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media:
Totallylitpodcast@gmail.com
 

Martin Evans, known online as This_Chubby_Bois Life, shares his journey from an on-again/off-again reader to a thriving Bookstagram and BookTok creator who champions indie and traditional authors, builds meaningful friendships, and navigates the highs and lows of content creation.
The episode highlights Martin’s community-driven work with Chapters for Change, his passion for supporting literacy and authors, and how bookish events, interviews, and genuine connections have shaped his reading revival and online career.
Host: Ky Garvey
Theme Song: Claire Houghton
Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/
Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/
Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends.  You can also make a contribution at:
www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit
For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. 
I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media:
Totallylitpodcast@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/totallylitpodcast

Lauren recounts her journey from viral Wattpad success to signing with Penguin, explaining how she moved from self-publishing to traditional publishing and now writes across multiple romance subgenres.
She also discusses balancing a day job, motherhood and social media, shares launch and marketing experiences, and offers practical advice to aspiring authors to keep writing and get the first draft down.
About the author: Lauren Jackson is an Australian author and an avid reader. Her hobby of writing stories developed into a passion when she discovered an online writing website at age fourteen. Since 2012, she has garnered thousands of followers and millions of views on her stories, which have helped grow and develop her love of writing. Lauren loves to write steamy romances (with a little mystery) and is always writing a new book.
Home | Lauren Jackson
Fight for Us by Lauren Jackson - Penguin Books Australia
Mine After Midnight by Lauren Jackson - Penguin Books Australia
Host: Ky Garvey
Theme Song: Claire Houghton
Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/
Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/
Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends.  You can also make a contribution at:
www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit
For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. 
I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media:
Totallylitpodcast@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/totallylitpodcast

Host Ky Garvey interviews K D Aldyn about her new crime thriller You Girls Play Nice, exploring themes of female rage, revenge and loyalty as four friends’ hypothetical murders are replicated in real life. They discuss Katie’s writing process across genres, her publishing journey, and personal insights from life on the road and living with dyscalculia and mild synesthesia.
About the book: When their best friend is murdered, four women decide to take hypothetical revenge. But their imagined murders soon turn into total carnage when someone discovers their secret desires and is bent on taking them down in this dark thriller perfect for fans of Karin Slaughter and The Butcher Game.
Perfect for fans of Karin Slaughter and The Butcher Game, comes a chilling, "Good for Her" revenge thriller that paints a searing picture of friendship, justice, and vengeance, both imagined and actualized, that will leave you questioning how far would you go to avenge your friend?Four friends. Four plans for revenge. One secret killer.
When Helen Wyatt is brutally murdered, her four best friends anxiously wait in the courtroom to ensure justice is served. But when her attacker is acquitted of all charges, the women decide to get revenge.
Hypothetically, of course.
The friends host a girl's night, each presenting a different way they would kill the culprit to avenge Helen. It's a silly thing, a way to ease their grief. Until, a week later, a murder is discovered that mirrors one of their imagined killings. Then another. What started as a cathartic exercise soon ends in carnage, with suspicion quickly falling on the four friends.
Someone has discovered their secrets. And now, the women will have to hunt down who is framing them for murder. Or, even more chillingly, question who among them may be capable of being a killer themselves…
You can buy the book the book here: Books | Online Bookshop | QBD
(This is an affiliate link) 
About the author: KD Aldyn lives everywhere and nowhere (home is where the Wi-Fi is). She most often wears black (and sometimes red) and sometimes dances like Elaine from Seinfeld. Sister, Butcher, Sister is her debut.
https://kdaldyn.com/
You Girls Play Nice by KD Aldyn - Penguin Books Australia
Host: Ky Garvey
Theme Song: Claire Houghton
Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/
Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/
Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends.  You can also make a contribution at:
www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit
For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. 
I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media:
Totallylitpodcast@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/totallylitpodcast