Authorised with Kevin Hillier

Whitney Fitzsimmons is a first time author but one who comes with a very successful media and jounalistic career behind her. Whitney shares the story behind her debut novel 'The Rising' (Ventura Press) and her own unique pathway to becoming a writer.    Thanks to my podcast partners CSCG, a one stop destination for your financial planning. The CSCG team is dedicated, talented and committ...

On October 24th 2023, Wayne Holdsworth's life changed forever. LIke he had done many times before, Wayne had gone to his son Mac's room to wake him up for work. But on this occasion, Wayne discovered Mac had ended his life.  Just on three years since that fateful morning, Wayne joins me to talk about surviving such a traumatic event and the path that has led to creating a movement for sa...

It is a great time for readers with a never ending supply of great books coming for summer. In this episode the spotlight falls on two excellent new releases. Nautilus (Simon & Schuster) by Nick Croydon and  A Suitable Man (Harper Collins) by Jock Serong. Nick follows up his debut novel' The Turning Protocol' with another page turner, carrying on from the last big adventure. As well as be...

Two first-time authors join me to share their pathway to publication - and they are very different literary journeys. Andrew Upton has carved a very successful international career in theatre and film work as a writer, producer and creator, including a stint as co-artistic director of the Sydney Theatre Company with his wife Cate Blanchett. Andrew's ambition to be a novellist has been brewing for...

Music and cars is always a winning combo and our featured authors in this episode bring some great stories from those worlds through the pages of their latest work. Jeff Apter returns to Authorised with Reckless - The Saga of Australian Crawl, while debut author but well-known motoring writer Stephen Corby has produced Drives a Bit Funny.  Writing the Australian Crawl story seems a natural pr...

The things that happen on breakfast radio. You could write a book! Happily, Stephanie MacFie has done just that with her debut novel Once Upon a Breakfast Show (Text Publishing). Stephanie combines some of her own experiences from a long and successful media career with a romantic adventure (or misadventure) playing out with the star of a popular city breakfast radio show.  Robyn Dennison's c...

In this episode emerging authors Mali Cornish and Jane R. Miles share the stories behind their latest work. Mali's The Missing Mother (Allen & Unwin) and Jane's Stay Buried (HQ Fiction) are both captivating thrillers with unique Australian settings and page turning intrigue.  Thanks to my podcast partners CSCG, a one stop destination for your financial planning. In this episode you will m...

Another double banger episode and it is a beauty. Travel and food writer Jane Lawson takes us inside the Japan she has known for more than 40 years with her latest book 'Secret Japan' (Simon & Schuster). Jane shares some unique insights into making the most of your time in Japan.  And then we go from your bucket list to a f*#*it list.    Author Rachel Fox McLeod explains what th...

In this episode meet authors Emma Styles and Matt Rogers. Emma's second book The Shark (Hachette Australia) proved to be a real challenge for Emma as a writer but one she navigated successfully to deliver a page turning thriller.  Matt Rogers is a seasoned writer, having self-published more than 30 books - but his latest The Damned is his second for traditional publishers Simon & Schuster...

Kirsty Manning's latest book Murder in Paris (Allen & Unwin) is the second of her Charlie James mysteries and takes the reader to pre-World War 2 France, a hot spot for the rich and well-to-do, but one with a bubbling undercurrent of drama and mystery.  Kirsty explains how the story developed as well as her cast of characters and how, at the age of 40, she made the leap to beginning life...

Another double banger episode with authors Laura McCluskey and Steve Worland.  Laura brings The Cursed Road (Harper Collins), her second book and the next instalment of with her main characters Lennox and Stewart. Laura takes us through her creative and writing process and the unusual places ideas come from. Swear Wolves (Penguin) is a children's book with a big difference, as the title sugge...

The very talented Sarah Bailey returns to the podcast to chat about the follow-up to her very successful last novel 'The Housemate' which she discussed last time (Series 2 Ep 23  October 2021). As Sarah explains, she wasn't planning a follow-up, it just happened. 'Click' (Allen & Unwin) sees Oli Groves in a slightly new light and a story that will have you captivated from start to finish....

Rugby League's State of Origin series is an annual event unlike any other on the Australian sports calendar. For fans like author Darren Groth and his father Des, it is more than a yearly three-game series between two states, it is part of their DNA. 'Marooned' (Hawkeye Publishing) traces the deeply ingrained commitment and passion the Groths share for the game and each other. Darren shares how he...

In this episode, meet Deborah Lawrie and Steph De Sousa. Deborah is a trailblazer who took on the male dominated airline industry in the seventies and became Australia's first female commercial pilot. Much has been written about the legal battles but in 'Touching the Sky' (Harper Collins), Deborah shares her love of aviation and her determination to make it her life's work.  Steph de Sousa is...

Garry Jack is a name well known to rugby league fans worldwide because he was a genuine superstar of the game. He represented Australia, New South Wales and Balmain in a career that fullfilled almost all his childhood dreams. Garry has teamed with sports journalist Adam Hawse to tell his amazing story of blood, sweat and tears. 'Jumping Jack' (Fair Play Publishing) is more than just a sports tale....

Fleur McDonald returns to Authorised to talk about her new novel 'The Witness' (Harper Collins), the latest in her series set in Kalgoorlie, a celebrated city of many layers in Western Australia. Fleur has a mystery to match those layers, and then some. With almost 30 books to her credit, Fleur is one of Australia's most prolific and popular crime fiction writers. She shares the story behind her l...

How many times has someone suggested the solution to your problem starts with "Take a big, deep breath"? What if your brain could do that? The time and space to do nothing in a world that so often overwhelms us. Health journalist Jodi Wilson offers some wise, sensible and practical methods and practices to create a space in our hectic schedules for that chance to mentally and physically take a bre...

Technology is part of our lives from a very early age and dealing with the choices is hard for adults, let alone kids barely out of nappies, but it is their reality. This terrific new book is just what the doctor ordered and delivered - Dr. Niraj Lal, that is. Behind the Screens is a guide to navigating the internet for 9 to 13 year olds, but it is so much more than that. Like lots of things in li...

Fiona Hardy knows the book business from many angles because as well as being an author, Fiona still works in a bookstore. From hands on to handwritten - well, not quite, but you get the idea. Fiona talks about her second crime novel Old Games (Affirm Press),  another cracking story with a sporting flavour and plenty of twists and turns. All thanks to my podcast partners CSCG, the best people...

Andrew Daddo is a man of many talents: actor, television host, golf tragic, radio presenter, wooden putter maker and prolific author. It is the latter that we will concentrate on in this chat to showcase Bitza - his latest series of books for children. Andrew takes us through his creative process, some interesting observations about being an author, the role of an illustrator and the joy and satis...

For many, it was the absolute must-see television show every Sunday night across Australia. The show that shaped the musical tastes of a generation and made superstars out of many of its discoveries. That show was Countdown, and authors Brett Leslie and Milton Hammon have painstakingly detailed the history of the show in a very large way with their book Countdown - The Complete Episode Guide.&nbsp...

Scott Leckie has written many books but none like Shrewd Little Sleuth and that is not surprising. Scott is a human rights lawyer and has penned dozens of books in the course of that vocation, but this latest book is personal. It is about his grandfather - Arthur Bernard Leckie. Arthur was an FBI Agent back in the days when J Edgar Hoover was running the organisation and history tells us that was...

Kelvin Templeton is a name that needs no introduction to followers of Australian Rules football. The 1980 Brownlow Medallist had a boy's own adventure during his 177 league games, kicking 573 goals for the Footscray and Melbourne Football Clubs. A globetrotting business career followed and now Kelvin enters a new phase of his life as an author. His debut novel Collision (Wilkinson Publishing) show...

Author Grantlee Kieza is prolific and in his return to Authorised, he tells the story behind his latest book Mary Penfold (ABC Books). We all know the Penfold name from the world famous South Australian winery, but Mary's incredible contribution to building that iconic Australian brand has mostly gone unheralded. Grantlee's passion for finding and celebrating unsung Aussie heroes like Mary makes f...

Andrew Sloan and Johan Du Toit are the two featured authors in this episode of Authorised and the two books are Why Things Feel F*cked and When Only Today Matters and other stories. One is a collection of short stories, the other a collection of small solutions to life's many and varying challenges.    Andrew Sloan is a practising psychotherapist and leadership coach and his book Why Thi...