Reading By Candlelight Book Club

I hope you enjoy this final episode of the 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘉𝘺 𝘊𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 podcast. I’m so grateful I was able to finish with the author who was the very first person I ever interviewed for the podcast - and my first interview 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 - my wonderfully talented friend and bestselling author 𝗝𝗼 𝗗𝗶𝘅𝗼𝗻 🥰 Jo featured in the Book Boxes in January 2023 and January 2024, and was also the featured author in the 2025...

Join our host Fiona Taylor for the final RBC Book Club episode for 2025. December’s @readingby.candlelight Crime/Thriller Book Box features the brilliant Matthew Spencer and his gripping new novel BROKE ROAD. Broke Road is the second instalment in Spencer’s acclaimed Rose Riley series, and it’s an absolute masterclass in crime writing. When a woman is found dead in the Hunter Valley, Detective Ser...

December’s @readingby.candlelight Historical Fiction Book Box features the incredibly talented Emily Paull and her debut novel THE DISTANCE BETWEEN DREAMS — and our interview is now live! The Distance Between Dreams is a sweeping dual-timeline love story spanning continents and generations. A long-buried family secret links two families from opposite sides of the tracks, and when their children fa...

November’s @readingby.candlelight 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲/𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗕𝗼𝘅 features the incredible 𝗧𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗮 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝘁𝘁 and her debut novel 𝘚𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳. It has been called one of the most explosive crime debuts of the year, and it absolutely lives up to the hype! In our chat, Tanya and our host Fiona Taylor dive into:  ✨ The spark that inspired 𝘚𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳  ✨ How her medical career shaped the novel’s themes  ✨ How she lan...

November’s @readingby.candlelight General Fiction Book Box featured the wonderful Kimberley Allsopp and her second novel,  Rise and Shine. In our cosy half-hour chat, Kimberley and our host Fiona talk about:  ✨ Why she started the book at the end of a marriage  ✨ How a rejection of her first novel led her to write Rise and Shine at lightning speed to meet her deadline ✨ Whether her background i...

October’s @readingby.candlelight  Romance Book Box featured the lovely Emma Mugglestone and her friends-to-lovers rom-com In The Long Run — and now our interview is live! 🎧💛 In our cosy half-hour chat, we talk about : 🏃‍♀️ her love of running (and run-club romance energy) 🥐 matching her croissant jumper to her book (iconic) 💕 the joy and generosity of the romance writing community 📚 how she...

What really happens when a writing retreat turns deadly? 🕯️✍️ In this episode, our host Fiona Taylor chats with January Gilchrist , author of the twist-filled thriller The Final Chapter — a story that takes the idea of “writer’s block” to a whole new level. We talk about the dark side of creativity, the lure of isolation, and how far people will go for a story worth telling. It’s atmospheric, unse...

Our host, Fiona Taylor, had the absolute pleasure of chatting with author Alli Parker about her brilliant new novel, Until the Red Leaves Fall , our September Historical Fiction Book Box pick Set in the velvet seats and backstage shadows of 1950s Melbourne theatre, it’s a story of secrets, betrayal, and resilience — with unforgettable characters like Emmy Darling, dancer Isadora Westlake, and the...

I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Mark Muptosa-Russell , author of The Wolf Who Called Boy , for the @readingby.candlelight Book Club. Mark’s debut is a powerful, lyrical story that blends myth, memory, and the search for belonging. In our conversation, he shared the inspiration behind the book, how his own personal experience shaped the story, and what it means to write about identity,...

What happens when a king tide washes up more than just seaweed? 🌊  Luke Johnson’s debut novel King Tide reveals the long-buried secrets of a small community… This epiosde on the Reading By Candlelight Book Club , we dive into Luke’s writing journey, his inspirations, and what it feels like to finally see your debut novel on shelves. 🎧 Listen now or watch on YouTube.  📖 Have you read King Tide y...

📚 August Book Club – General Fiction This month, I chat with author Jessica Seaborn (@seabornj) about her brilliantly titled second novel, Isn't It Nice We Both Hate The Same Things — a powerful, funny, and insightful look at adult friendships, fractured ties, and starting over in your thirties. As always, there are no spoilers as Jess talks about where the idea for the book began, her writi...

Our host Fiona Taylor chats with debut author Emma Babbington about her twisty thriller  "The Neighbours" in this SPOILER-FREE episode.  𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗡𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 is a sharp, fresh spin on the domestic thriller. 𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘳… 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥? That’s the unsettling dilemma facing Liv Elliot when her odious neighbour, Dr Richard Wellington — morning...

You won’t want to miss this! Our host Fiona Taylor chats with debut author Holly Brunnbauer (@holly) about her delightful rom-com #WhatDidIMiss in this SPOILER-FREE episode.  𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘋𝘪𝘥 𝘐 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴? is a fresh and feisty rom-com about Makayla - newly divorced, nearly 30, and on a mission to make up for everything she missed in her twenties. The book starts with a bang (literally wink) and takes us on a w...

Join our host Fiona Taylor as she chats with author Madeleine Cleary about her debut historical novel The Butterfly Women in this SPOILER-FREE episode.  The Butterfly Women is Madeleine’s first novel and was published in April 2025 with Affirm Press. Rich in story, dark in tone and meticulously researched, this is a story that is at its heart about women’s friendships as much as being a historical...

Our host Fiona Taylor is chatting with author Angie Faye Martin about her stunning debut crime novel Melaleuca, in this SPOILER-FREE episode.  𝘔𝘌𝘓𝘈𝘓𝘌𝘜𝘊𝘈 - Police Detective Renee Taylor returns to her small town roots only to be thrust into a murder investigation that uncovers more than she expects when it links to a past case. As Renee delves deeper into the past, the mystery grows, spotlighting i...

Join our host Fiona Taylor as she chats with the multi-talented Darcy Tindale about Burning Mountain , the gripping second book in her Detective Rebecca Giles series, in a spoiler-free interview. Darcy was an absolute delight to speak with - her background as an actor, theatre sports performer, and director gives her a wonderfully diverse perspective to draw from in her writing. 𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘔𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 i...

Join our host Fiona Taylor as she chats with debut author Sarah Clutton about her delightful book #TheRemarkableTruthsOfAlfieBains in a SPOILER-FREE interview (under 30 mins!) 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘭𝘧𝘪𝘦 𝘉𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 is a truly heart-warming story about family and the ties that bind. A delight to read - it made me laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time. I dare anyone not to fall for the irrepressib...

Join our host Fiona Taylor as she chats with debut author Anna Maynard about her book "Dancing with Bees" in a SPOILER-FREE interview. They discuss how beekeeping and hip hop factor into the story, why Anna loves romance and rom-coms, and what she is working on next. When she isn't writing, Anna works as a doctor and is the lead singer for Nuria (check them out on Spotify!).  Dancin...

Join our host Fiona Taylor as she chats with bestselling author Michelle Prak (@prakky) about her brand new thriller #BarrenCape in a SPOILER-FREE interview. " 𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 " 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘊𝘢𝘱𝘦 is the follow-up to Michelle’s bestselling thriller debut 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘶𝘴𝘩, which was one of my favourite reads of 2023. We talk about her inspiration for the story, how the setting...

March Book Box (Crime/Thriller) – The Woman in the Waves Join our host Fiona Taylor as she chats with award-winning author Camille Booker , about her second novel - The Woman in the Waves - in a SPOILER-FREE interview you won’t want to miss! Camille shares the inspiration behind her story, who her detective is loosely based on and her love of gothic mysteries and Peaky Blinders. The Woman in the W...

March Book Box (Historical Fiction) – 𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐵𝑖𝑟𝑑𝑠 𝐶𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝐻𝑒𝑟 𝑁𝑎𝑚𝑒 Join me as I chat with bestselling author Claire van Ryn, about her second novel - 𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐵𝑖𝑟𝑑𝑠 𝐶𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝐻𝑒𝑟 𝑁𝑎𝑚𝑒 in a SPOILER-FREE interview you won’t want to miss! Claire shares the family history and research behind this beautiful story of family, secrets, and yes, the gorgeous birds of Tasmania. 𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐵𝑖𝑟𝑑𝑠 𝐶𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝐻𝑒𝑟 𝑁𝑎𝑚𝑒 is...

𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐁𝐨𝐱 (𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧) - “𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐟 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡"    Join our host Fiona Taylor as she talks with debut author Nadia Mahjouri about her beautiful novel 𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 in this SPOILER-FREE interview. “𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺” 𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 is a powerful, deeply personal story inspired by Nadia’s own lived experiences and the life of her Moroccan grandmother. This multigeneration...

𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐁𝐨𝐱 ( 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞 / 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 ) - “ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 " Join our host Fiona Taylor as she talks with debut author Bronwyn Rivers about her twisty thriller, “The Reunion" in this SPOILER-FREE interview. “𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦 ' 𝑙𝑙 𝑤𝑖𝑠ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑤𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 ” 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑅𝑒𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑜𝑛 is a gripping thriller about a day that changes the characters forever. It is a story of friendship, grief, secrets and lies. It is...

January Book Box (Romance) - "Special Delivery". Join our host Fiona Taylor as she talks with debut author Leesa Ronald about her enemies-to-lovers rom-com, "Special Delivery" in this SPOILER-FREE interview. She was expecting... but she wasn't expecting him! Special Delivery is a laugh-out-loud debut that will be a huge favourite with readers and Book Clubs alike. It’s a d...

January Book Box (Crime/Thriller) - "The Inheritance". Join our host Fiona Taylor as she talks with debut author Kate Horan about her domestic suspense novel, "The Inheritance" in this SPOILER FREE interview. Families lie. DNA doesn't. The Inheritance is a brilliant debut that will be a huge favourite with readers and Book Clubs alike. It’s tensely plotted, and has all the...