PODCAST · arts
Dear Rach & Soph
by Sophie Hamley
Bestselling Australian authors Rachael Johns (The Lucky Sisters, The Other Bridget, The Patterson Girls) and Sophie Green (The Frock Shop, Lessons in Love at the Seaside Salon, Weekends with the Sunshine Gardening Society) talk about writing and books and all sorts of things. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
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Talking about People Skills - with novelist Nina Kenwood
Nina Kenwood was one of the featured authors at this year’s Rachael Johns Book Club Readers Retreat in Geelong, Victoria, a few months ago, so we met her there. At the time we had not organised to talk to Nina about her new novel, People Skills, which will be released by Text Publishing on 6...
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Romance novels and new starts
A year ago, on the podcast, we talked to Chloe Berry, who was in the process of launching a digital marketing agency for authors and also planning to become a literary agent. Chloe is in her twenties and has worked in publishing as a marketer for romance and other genre fiction. Starting her own...
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Writers need to have confidence - and other topics of interest
Listeners-slash-viewers a.k.a. liewers, you’re going to have to watch or listen to find out why, quite early on in our latest episode, Rachael says, ‘This is not a poo podcast.’ We're not giving you any hints! What we will say is that we recorded this ahead of her going to the RWA conference in...
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An unintentional conversation about rural romance
At the time of recording this episode Rachael was preparing her day-long workshop for the RWA Conference, which is happening this weekend. Sophie was meant to attend but, due to personal circumstances, had to cancel, so we aren’t seeing each other in person as planned. Yet we are together on…
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All about The Frock Shop
As has become customary, each time Rachael or Sophie releases a book, we devote an episode of the podcast to discussing it. This time it’s Sophie's turn, with The Frock Shop, which was published on 21 July 2026 (blurb below). We had quite the discussion about clothes and why Sophie chose to write…
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Petronella McGovern on her new novel, Every Time She Wakes
This episode of the podcast was recorded a few weeks before Sophie's latest novel, The Frock Shop, was published and Rachael asked her some questions about it, including how she manages writing multiple points of view (there are give in this novel). Sophie also mentions some events and how at the...
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Listener questions about writing
For the past four years Rachael has - with her book club co-host Anthea Hodgson - run a readers retreat. Sophie has attended twice as a ‘featured author’ and this year she was on staff, partly to teach a one-hour writing workshop on the Sunday morning. A few weeks before, in the Facebook group…
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Tales from the wild west - with guest Anthea Hodgson
We recorded this episode a week ahead of the 2026 RJ Book Club Readers Retreat, which was held in Geelong and was as jam-packed and fun as the previous years. Rachael runs the book club and the retreats (and the podcast Reading Between Deadlines) with Anthea Hodgson, who is also from Perth and…
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The Italian Correspondent with guest Belinda Alexandra
Belinda Alexandra is one of Australia’s favourite novelists, with very good reason - her books are wonderful! And there’s some biographical information about her below, as well as the blurb of her latest novel, The Italian Correspondent. She is also, as you shall discover in this episode of Dear...
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On bookshops and buried pasts with guest Sarah Clutton
From Sophie: At the time of recording this episode I had a cold and Rachael was in the middle of preparing her house to go on the market. When I pressed ‘record’ I forgot to pull my microphone close enough and my usual camera wasn’t connecting so it’s the substandard version, which the internet...
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We decide to talk about A.I.
Have you heard the term ‘regurgitated volume’ before? No? Good. That’s because Sophie made it up in this episode of Dear Rach & Soph, to describe large volumes of content being produced by generate A.I. In other words: books being written by A.I. But she's not going to call them that, and we...
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Why are we posting on social media?
From Sophie: On this podcast Rachael Johns and I let these conversations go where they will, and in this episode we start talking about how important it is for grown-ups to engage in play. That means in our writing as well, even if - perhaps especially if - we are constrained by expectations and...
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On not saying 'sorry'
In this episode we talk about a subject that has been on our list for a while: the reflexive nature of saying ‘sorry’. Admittedly it’s something Sophie put on the list, as it’s something she's had an interest in - you’ll have to watch/listen to this episode for the back story - and which she…
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We're baaaaack - season 4 begins
Hello longtime Dear Rach & Soph liewers (that's listeners + viewers to the uninitiated)! Thank you for your patience while Rachael Johns and I took a break to focus on writing our next books (two of them, in Rach's case) and other things. Over the hiatus we've both had feedback that you mostly…
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Summer reading sorted! With these new releases from Q4 2025
Due to manuscript deadlines and other commitments, it’s taken until now to bring you up to date with October and November new releases. But it’s just in time for summer reading! See how I managed to spin that! As a reminder: these are the books we know about. If you’re an author with a 2026...
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All about The Lucky Sisters
**SPOILER ALERT** If you haven’t read Rachael Johns’s latest novel, The Lucky Sisters, please be advised that in this bonus episode of our podcast, Dear Rach & Soph, we discuss the ending of the book. The episode was recorded before the book was published and held until now to give people time to...
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All about audiobooks from an audio insider, with guest Chiara Priorelli from Wavesound
We recorded this episode in September, and Rachael was under the weather at the time, but she’s not any more! And she also talks about her latest novel, The Lucky Sisters, maybe being out by the time this episode is - and that novel is indeed out now. Our guest for this episode is the wonderful...
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From self-publishing to series smash and new stories - with guest Lyla Sage
When Rachael and I were offered the chance to have Lyla Sage as a guest on the podcast, we said yes straightaway. While our focus is Australian books and authors, Lyla has created something special in her Rebel Blue Ranch series and new novel Soul Searching, which kicks off the new series...
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When a writer works for a writers festival - with guest Qin Qin
Note from Sophie: This is an episode featuring me alone - not because Rachael lost her voice or anything else, but because my guest is Qin Qin, and I published her book, Model Minority Gone Rogue: How an unfulfilled daughter of a tiger mother went way off script, so it made sense for me to do…
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How a respected journalist becomes a bestselling crime novelist - with guest Michael Brissenden
Michael Brissenden had a long career as an esteemed journalist (see bio below) and all the while was writing fiction, as we found out when we spoke to him recently. We were interested in finding out more about how he has moved from investigative journalism to writing fiction that has won him lots...
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From emergency medicine to compelling fiction - guest Michelle Johnston
‘So I just get this tiny snapshot of extreme humanity at its most tempestuous or its most vulnerable almost … I obviously have had a lifetime of influence of what humans can do when they're pushed to the edge in whatever way. And that obviously has to kind of influence how I see humanity and...
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From blogging to writing fiction - with guest Holly Brunnbauer
This year Holly Brunnbauer released her first novel, What Did I Miss? - but it is far from her first attempt at writing (and not even her first fiction manuscript). Holly began writing in earnest when she created a blog about motherhood in Melbourne and turned it into an enterprise. That taught…
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From helping others to healing through stories - guest Renae Black
Renae Black (bio below) was a guest on the first season of Dear Rach & Soph, and at that time we talked about whether or not she needed a literary agent. This time around, we wanted to talk to Renae about how her work in child protection has influenced the stories she writes, including her…
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September 2025 new releases
These are the Australian books being released in September 2025 that we know about. There is no one central place to find out about book releases so we rely on authors reporting to us and also on the publishers who have added us to their mailing lists for advance notice of releases (as opposed to...
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Writing, characters, pitching - we answer questions!
When we started doing this podcast it was mainly us talking to each other. Then we started bringing guests onto the podcast and that has taken on its own life. And we certainly love talking to other writers! However, every now and again we go back to talking to each other, thanks to…
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Is there a ‘second novel syndrome’? With guests Saman Shad and Emma Pei Yin
Two guests join me and Rachael Johns in this episode, and they are both fabulous (you can read their bios below). Emma Pei Yin has just released her first novel, When Sleeping Women Wake, and is working on her second. Saman Shad released her second novel, The Sex Lives of Married Women, earlier...
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From marketing romance to writing romance - with guest Patrick Lenton
Patrick Lenton is the author of the book of short stories A Man Made Entirely of Bats (2015), the book of comedic essays Uncle Hercules and Other Lies (2019), and the full length short story collection Sexy Tales of Paleontology (2021). His debut novel, a rom-com called In Spite of You is out now...
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All about Lessons in Love at the Seaside Salon
Each time one of us releases a book (separately) we devote an episode of Dear Rach & Soph to discussing the book - Sophie will interview Rachael about hers, and vice versa. This latest episode, which we’re releasing as a bonus episode, is about Sophie's new novel, Lessons in Love at the Seaside...
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The ins, outs, ups and downs of romance writing - with guest Amy Barry
As the Romance Writers of Australia conference is taking place this weekend, we thought it was a good time to publish the episode we recorded with Amy Barry. Rachael is an expert romance writer; Amy is a romance writer and also an academic expert in romance fiction (her bio appears below). Note...
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From historical fiction to Italian crime - with guest Kayte Nunn
Kayte Nunn’s previous books were mostly historical fiction, and there was often an element of intrigue, so the signs were there that she was heading for crime, and it’s a genre that she has taken to like the proverbial duck to water in her latest novel, THE PALAZZO. We loved speaking to Kayte…
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August 2025 new releases
These are the new fiction releases in Australia for August 2025 – that we know about! We’re relying on information from authors and publishers, but not all of them send it to us, so if you’re an author with an upcoming release, please let us know! HISTORICAL FICTION Until the Red Leaves Fall by...
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Living a fully creative life - with guest Maya Linnell
Maya Linnell is a beloved author of seven novels, the latest of which is COCKATOO COVE (blurb below). Her writing life began with journalism, and she worked at a rural newspaper before moving into public relations then into writing fiction as well as blogging for Romance Writers Australia. Maya...
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Changing genres, changing lives - with guest Jess Kitching
We never know where a conversation will go on this podcast, whether it’s us talking to each other or talking to a guest. While questions are prepared, a script is never followed to the letter - we both tend to let conversations go where they go. This conversation with Jess Kitching, author of new...
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Writer therapy! With guest Ky Garvey
Here’s the latest instalment of our ‘writer therapy’ and this time our guest is Ky Garvey (bio below), who volunteered herself for some of the tough love we seem to dish out. Please note we are not therapists! But we are writers (who may need therapy) and as Sophie is also a publisher (who often...
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July 2025 new releases
It’s a double episode today! That’s because we're late posting the July new releases. As it happens, Rachael recorded that one on her own, and as Sophie made the Emma Clancey episode (posted earlier) on her own, it has lined up nicely that we post both episodes today. So instead of one episode…
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From medical school to magical worlds - with guest Emma Clancey
‘Writing and healthcare aren’t that different. At their core it’s an interest in people and it’s an interest in telling and understanding stories.’ Sydney-based medical student and author Emma Clancey says this deep in Sophie's recent interview about her outstanding YA fantasy This Dream Will...
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Making a creative career change - with guest Miranda Nation
Some people will make a change from a ‘conventional’ career path to a creative career; some will move from one form of creative practice to another. Melburnian Miranda Nation has done both. After commencing studies in medicine at university, Miranda instead decided to pursue a creative life,...
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Productivity, plot twists and personal growth: Inside Leonie Kelsall’s writing life
Léonie Kelsall is the bestselling author of seven rural romance novels. Her eighth is The Path Through the Coojong Trees, has just been released. Léonie keeps a fast pace as a writer, currently producing two books a year while also running a counselling practice and running a farm that is home to...
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The Biggest Disappointment - with guest Allison Tait
This episode is long and all of it worth your attention, mostly because Allison Tait - who writes as A.L. Tait - is one of the most dynamic people working in Australian writing and publishing, and you can find her bio below. Also because it’s an unusual conversation we have for some of it - and...
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Writer 'therapy': Stuck in the draft! With guest Mona Farrokhi
Dear listeners-slash-viewers - or ‘liewers’, as Soph has taken to calling you - this episode was recorded in April and because Soph mentioned her upcoming appearance at the Festival of Fiction in it, we had to hold it until the festival was announced, which has just happened! And the reason we...
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Writing fiction about a real person, with guest Kimberley Freeman
Kimberley Freeman is an award-winning writer in children’s, historical and speculative fiction under her birth name Kim Wilkins. She has written several bestselling novels, including Wildflower Hill, Evergreen Falls and Stars Across the Ocean. Her latest novel is The Secret Year of Zara Holt,...
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Your next favourite read might be in this episode!
Welcome to our atypical episode in which co-hosts Rachael Johns and Sophie Green do not chat amongst ourselves or with guests but, instead, tell you all about some wonderful new books to put on your TBR list or in the TBR pile. They’re organised by genre, as Soph learnt her lesson the first time…
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How to write 25+ books - with guest Karly Lane
Karly Lane is the bestselling author of 25 rural romance novels - the latest of which is NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK (blurb below) - which have sold over 600 000 copies. When Sophie was a literary agent Karly was her client, but they never actually met, as Karly lives on the mid north coast of New South...
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Plotless novels, genre creep & the art of children's books: a masterclass from Danielle Binks
It was Rach who suggested we invite award-winning children’s author, literary agent and writing teacher Danielle Binks onto the podcast. I know Danielle, as we’ve both worked in the publishing industry for years - and we are both industry professionals who have published multiple books - plus…
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A new literary agent talks book marketing - with guest Chloe Berry
This week’s episode wasn’t planned, in that the list of subjects Rachael Johns and I want to cover on the podcast did not include talking to a new literary agent with a background in book marketing - simply because not many new agents come along. Until recently Chloe Berry worked at...
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Perfectionism and procrastination and writing crime - guest Dinuka McKenzie
This week we have a wonderful guest, Dinuka McKenzie, who was willing to talk about perfectionism and procrastination, paired subjects that have been on our list for a while … not that we were procrastinating about discussing them (or were we??). Dinuka was honest about her perfectionism and how…
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All the May 2025 book releases you need to know about!
New books mentioned in this episode: General fiction The Remarkable Truth of Alfie Bains by Sarah Clutton (Allen & Unwin) Lonely Mouth by Jacqueline Maley (HarperCollins) Everything Lost, Everything Found by Matthew Hooton (HarperCollins) The Good Mistress by Anne Tiernan (Hachette) – NZ author...
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Why the World Needs Your Creativity | with guest Amie McNee
There have been several well-known books written about creativity. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron is a classic. Rachael and I talked about Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic in an episode last year. Both of them deserve the hype and longevity, and there are others too of course. None of the books...
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Season 3, episode 5 - Scrivener: The cases for - with guest Karina May
‘It’s solving overwhelm’. Our guest this week, novelist Karina May, is an experienced user of writing software Scrivener and the above is one of the reasons why she uses it. Rachael has tried using it; I never have. Will I be convinced to try by the end of this episode? Listen and find out! We...
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Season 3, episode 4 - 'Writer therapy' with guest Emily Paull, author of The Distance Between Dreams
Not that long ago I put a message on social media basically saying that Rachael Johns says she gets ‘writing therapy’ from me and asking if anyone else would like some. We had responses! Thus, this will be the first of several episodes of such ‘therapy’ [NB: neither Rach nor I is a therapist,...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Bestselling Australian authors Rachael Johns (The Lucky Sisters, The Other Bridget, The Patterson Girls) and Sophie Green (The Frock Shop, Lessons in Love at the Seaside Salon, Weekends with the Sunshine Gardening Society) talk about writing and books and all sorts of things.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
HOSTED BY
Sophie Hamley
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Dear Rach & Soph have?
Dear Rach & Soph currently has 87 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Dear Rach & Soph about?
Bestselling Australian authors Rachael Johns (The Lucky Sisters, The Other Bridget, The Patterson Girls) and Sophie Green (The Frock Shop, Lessons in Love at the Seaside Salon, Weekends with the Sunshine Gardening Society) talk about writing and books and all sorts of things. Hosted on Acast. See...
How often does Dear Rach & Soph release new episodes?
Dear Rach & Soph has 87 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Dear Rach & Soph?
You can listen to Dear Rach & Soph on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Dear Rach & Soph?
Dear Rach & Soph is created and hosted by Sophie Hamley.
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