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Annette Barlow

@annettebarlow

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Publisher of books; reader; ignorant gardener; bakes; taking to preserving; menagerie staff

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From the opening cocktail party to the closing Great Debate with everything in between, the Northern Beaches Readers Festival was absolutely fantastic! Wonderful to catch up with readers and writers from all over Australia!

On Saturday afternoon in the heat, I enjoyed talking about ‘The Shape of Stories’ discussing our time-bending novels with @emmagreyauthor and @jennyashcroftauthor, with excellent questions by @pamelacookwrites.

I loved listening to other authors on their panels across both days. On Sunday, I chatted on the live broadcast of our local community radio.

And to close off the whole festival, I was part of The Great Debate arguing ‘The villain is more interesting than the hero’. Lots of fun with fellow teammates @sarah_bailey_author and @m_brisso arguing against @joshhortinelawriter @suewilliamswriter and @janecaro57 and moderated by the festival patron @michaelrobotham.

Many thanks to all the hardworking volunteers and congrats to the amazing festival team @sandiedocker @helensigny @kate_horan_author @lindsaybartels_
🎉🎉🎉🎉🙌🙌🙌

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THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU!!!!
To everyone I met on my extended book tour for Every Time She Wakes, across 26 events in 18 towns and visiting 85 bookstores from wintery Ballarat to blossoming Brisbane.

Thank you to everyone who bought a copy, read it, reviewed it and shared with a friend. Thank you to the fabulous booksellers, librarians, my excellent interviewers and all of the bookstagrammers, fellow authors, friends and family who came along to an event.

And here’s to the wonderful publishing team who brought Every Time She Wakes out into the world. @allenandunwin!!

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In my latest mystery, Murder at Thornwood Park, my hero, Rose, dives into the history of the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force which was active during World War II. Doing my own research, I found this little book written by one of its members with fabulous stories and pictures of these wonderful women. The last photo was taken by @kate_horan_author of pictures of her own grandmother and friends who were in the WAAAF. Their spirit informed my book and inspires me still. Thank you, ladies, for your service. 🇦🇺❤️

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Wowee! I just opened an email from my fabulous publisher to discover SUNRISE AT SUNNY CROSS FARM was the third bestselling Australian fiction release in June! Huge thanks to everyone who supported Sunrise at Sunny Cross Farm.

Big thanks also to the team at Allen & Unwin and everyone who spread the word to help this bee keeping-farm gate cafe-reality TV story fly off the shelves! What a lovely way to wrap up this new series in South Australia’s Limestone Coast. Guess who’ll be cracking out the bubbly tonight!?

*Data supplied by Nielsen BookScan, #3 in the Top 10 fiction titles first published in June 2026 by Australian authors and also #7 overall bestselling fiction title from Australian authors in June 2026.

@allenandunwin @annettebarlow

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It’s release day for Sunrise at Sunny Cross Farm and I can’t wait for you to get your hands on a copy! Many thanks to all the team at Allen & Unwin for working with me to bring this novel into the world 🐝🌻📚

Here’s the blurb:

In the heart of rural South Australia, two people must confront their pasts and trust each other to take centre stage in a love story that’s all their own.

Widowed, cautious and clearly out of his depth, Spencer Hawkins never expected to find himself in front of a reality TV crew, let alone as a contestant on Love on the Land.

Clem Crossley has her hands full with her sunflower-filled property, two daughters, her new farm gate cafe and catering for the TV crew, without adding romance to the mix.

As the TV show airs, misleading edits and small-town gossip threaten to undo the bond Spencer and Clem are building. Clem, fiercely protective of her daughters, begins to wonder if Spencer is a risk she can’t afford.

In the heart of rural South Australia, Spencer and Clem must confront their pasts and trust each other to take centrestage in a love story that’s all their own.

@allenandunwin @annettebarlow

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BIG NEWS!!
(listen, and you’ll get what I did there😆)

You can grab these from Allen & Unwin online, from the store on my website, (I’ll put links in the comments)or have your favourite bookstore order them in

Huge thanks to my publisher, Annette, for putting up with my nagging on your behalf - now prove me right by WANTING the matched set!

#newrelease # bigbooks #ruralfiction #Australianauthor #romanceseries

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And we have forty words.

Hey, don’t be Judgy McJudgy pants… I could’ve put my name on that page as well, and had 42 words!

I reckon that’s a fair beginning for book 12… and my brain even kind of knows where the story is going (!!)

Whether said brain will remember where that story was going once my fingers hit the keyboard remains to be seen…

#NewBook #SettlersBridge #BestSeller #AustralianFiction #ruralfiction

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You’ve done it again! Sending ENORMOUS thanks to everyone who voted for Wallaby Lane in the Better Reading Top 100, it was an absolute thrill to hear Lauren and Jack’s story has made it into this list.

Your support, word of mouth recommendations, library borrows, purchases and assistance with these type of promotions means the world to me, thanks so much for keeping this story on the shelves in Big W stores across Australia, for the next 12 months!

🦘😘💛 🦘🎉🤩🥰🦘

@betterreadingau
@annettebarlow @allenandunwin

#RuralRomance #LoveAcrossAustralia #mayalinnell #booksofinstagram #bookshelves

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✨I cannot wait for the next chapter to begin. ✨
This dream has nestled in the quiet corners of my heart for so long, I can hardly believe it’s finally come true.
Nevertheless, I’m deeply grateful to everyone who helped bring it to life — especially my amazing publisher @cassandradibello and the incredible team at @allenandunwin (particularly @annettebarlow). Thank you for loving my stories and giving these books a home. I cannot wait to take this journey with all of you.💛.
And to my agent @taracpwynne @curtisbrownaus — thank you for saying yes, and helping me navigate the things I did not understand! Also to my family and friends for all the years of support and encouragement.
(Special thanks to @kateforsyth and @fionamcintoshbooks xo).
More soon — but for now, just know: I’M SO EXCITED!!! 🥳.
.
#writing #publishing #author #debutcrew2027 #debutauthor #allenandunwinaustralia #allenandunwin #historicalfictionwriter

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Do you own this stack of books?
Because you’re going to need more shelf space…

Books 9 & 10 are hitting the stores in January and July 2026— but wait, that’s not all
(no steak knives involved, sorry!)

My fabulous publisher, Annette Barlow at Allen & Unwin, has offered me an amazing FOUR-book deal.

Looks like it’s time to update the population count on the WELCOME TO SETTLERS BRIDGE sign!

As always, I’m deeply appreciative of the enduring faith and support of the entire Allen & Unwin team

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Cockatoo Cove officially hit the bookshelves today, and after seven books, I can confirm that launch day feels every bit as special as a birthday!

Many thanks to everyone who has shared my excitement today, there’s been champagne, a surprise delivery from a gorgeous friend, a podcast interview with one of my fav librarians and so many beautiful emails, messages and advance reviews for Maggie and Fergus’s story that my heart is full. Big thanks also to the team at Allen & Unwin Books, especially @annettebarlow for bringing these stories to life - it really is a big joint effort!

I was also lucky enough to sneak in an early pre-release launch at the Goondiwindi library, thanks to the warm and generous audience, Lisa for the fantastic questions and my dear friend Courtney who was a whiz on the sales desk.

If you’re after a fictional escape to the country this winter, ask for Cockatoo Cove at your local bookstore, and perhaps check out the events listing to see if I’m heading to a library near you soon. With 17 events planned, I’m covering a lot of new ground - full list of events is at https://www.fictionwithheart.com.au/events @allenandunwin

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Book friends I need help.
Suggestions please for a page turning book. Well written like those by PD James and Mick Heron. Strong plotting like Chris Hammer’s books. appealing characters like those of Louise Penny and Anne Cleeves.
Crime/spy thrillers great but no visceral or psychological violence. Not Nordic noir

I’m a bit partial to speculative fiction and post apocalyptic worlds eg Hugh Howeys Dust or Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series.
They don’t have to be new.
Classics welcome
Think plane reads that are well written.

Tell me what you’ve got 🤓

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