In episode #179 Veronica and Laurie have collected a trio of terrifying storytellers to delve into all things horror: Matthew R. Davis, Chuck McKenzie and David Schembri. Scary tales and useful advice...

YouTube video by Australian Book Lovers

PHOTO PROMPT © Sandra Crook Wherever blood has been spilt poppies grow. That’s what the old women say. A carpet of red covered the countryside, seen for miles through the dirty glass of the keep. She wondered what they felt like under foot as she stared over the crimson landscape. She was prisoner inside this keep. They’d branded her witch when taken prisoner by the King’s men.

PHOTO PROMPT © Roger Bultot During the day the elderly play. A time of chatter, laughter, friendship and exercise. Sorely needed in this time of the air. The ground was off limits now. Now that the floodwater had come to stay. Recreation was on rooftops. It reminded the older folk of the pandemics. Rolling sickness. Rolling lockdowns. They gathered here. High up.

PHOTO PROMPT © Lisa Fox “I’m going.” “No, you’re not. It’s a strange party invitation, through a strange portal doorway to another realm. You don’t know where you’ll end up, or what will happen.” “I finally got away from him. I’m finally free. I’m making my own choices at last. I’m going.” “Then I’m going with you.” “Really? I’d love that.”

PHOTO PROMPT © A member of the Fields Family who didn’t care to be Identified.  Why are the buildings so different? Different religions. But they are all the same. They are all human. Bipedal mammals. Why would they believe in different things? Remember what the tour guide told us. Humans are contrary creatures. They think one thing then the opposite the next day.

PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields He tells people they are nothing but doll heads, waiting for repair. It’s partly the truth. But these ‘dolls’ are something else… something alive… something evil. Conjured creatures, brought to life. Eyes flashing red. Craving blood. They died too soon. He couldn’t figure out why. His collection was growing. The basement held the furnace. He travelled down there once a week.

Episode #178 is a celebration of words, writing competitions, festivals and short stories. Veronica and Laurie chat with Kailum Graves, the winner of the 2026 Furphy Literary Award about his writing a...

YouTube video by Australian Book Lovers

PHOTO PROMPT (c) Dale Rogerson “Well, this is a right mess.” “Hornet’s nest?” “Sorry?” “It’s an expression, nevermind sir. Shall we order the squadron to launch.” “Indeed. Was this our fault, Sergeant?” “No sir. The instructions were followed precisely.” “The alien instructions?” “Yes sir.” “Is it possible there was a translation error?” “I can’t imagine so, sir. They translated it for us themselves.”

In episode #177 Veronica and Laurie share their writing progress, publishing news (Ingram Spark Share & Sell), special guest reading news from Shay Leighton (Tough Guy Book Club), events, and quot...

YouTube video by Australian Book Lovers

PHOTO PROMPT © Lori Wilson The light was inviting. She stood outside unable to move her feet. How could she pretend that today was just another day. I travelled in space. They’ll never believe me. Her abduction—visit, they said visit—had been early this morning, snatched from her front yard and here she was returned on the same day. …

PHOTO PROMPT © Lisa Fox Piece after piece is hidden inside. Child, Woman, Daughter, Sister, Granddaughter, Worker, Investigator, Spy, Witch, Crone. The outer shell is the one I call myself. Monster. I am what they have created. The outer shell is all that I am. I am given a target. Until I have achieved my objective that is all that I am.

Ep 176 has Veronica and Laurie on writing groups (Ascolta Women Inc), reading groups (Book Doof), book bedazzling classes (Romancing the Novel Bookshop), first sale doctrine and machine learning, and ...

YouTube video by Australian Book Lovers

PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields I stare at the water yet it is nothing more than a blur before my eyes. The day seems so damned normal. How do I go on? No one knows the world nearly ended last night. My mind spins over what had nearly happened. People walk past me like the day is just another day. My skin is pebbled with left over fear, all cold and clammy.

About the book: She came for Baby Rhyme Time. She found a dead body. Now she’s solving a murder between nap times. Frida thought the hardest part of motherhood would be the sleepless nights.Then someone is murdered at Baby Rhyme Time. Exhausted, anxious, and desperate to escape the isolation of new motherhood, Frida finds comfort in the weekly library gathering.

About the book: Grayson sneezed. This in itself is not unusual but it's what happened next which freaked him out. A small pink elephant appeared.Enter Penelope, a glamorous cottage witch with a drinking problem. She's been sent to help Grayson master his new wizard powers. And she's here to fix his sneezy magical mishaps.Grayson has also fallen in love.

It's episode 175 and we are back in school. Veronica and Laurie chat with middle-grade authors Leisa Fail, Tina Strachan and Charlie Archbold about story inspirations, animals, adventures, learning fr...

YouTube video by Australian Book Lovers

PHOTO PROMPT © Sandra Crook The migration took place each year at this time. Rapid, intense, deadly. The alien fungus attacked anything that stopped moving for even a moment. You could not stop moving, or sit or stand still. You could not sleep. The entire population took to the air when the migration occurred. If you didn’t, you died. Cities of long term air travel – sky cities were built in the in between times.

PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields What are those things? Giant box things. I dunno. They fit the rest of this place though. People sized for people. So they’re only giant because we are small? Sure. But what do they do? Ask em. I can’t. You know that. We are not supposed to let them see us. That’s why we’re here though.

PHOTO PROMPT © Carol Carr The doors are wide open. They didn’t used to be. It’s been years since this place has incarcerated folks. You’d think it would be empty. Certainly not. There are thousands of us here. Those who were killed. Those that starved, or were beaten, or were “tripped” behind these walls. We wait. They are turning it into accommodation.

PHOTO PROMPT © Lisa Fox What is that? Hmmmm? That bell thing… didn’t the handbook say humans use bells for celebrations or warnings? What is it doing there? There’s a small human on it. Child. What? Small humans are called child or children if there’s more than one. Ugh, you and your handbook. It has been useful. You have to admit that.

PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson The flower appeared at the same place on the same day every year. Me and my mates guessed it was a memory… ah… memorial thing, you know, where people leave a flower after someone dies. Made us wonder what happened, you know? Like how did they die? None of us guessed what it was really for.

Episode 173 has Veronica and Laurie on a deep dive into non-fiction writing. We chat with Debbie O'Shea, Hacia Atherton and Valentyna Solowij, on their writing inspiration, their incredible experience...

YouTube video by Australian Book Lovers

PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields The horizon was lined with mountains. Blue sky, white fluffy clouds. The giant hand that reached above the mountain and came down with a thud sent their car swerving across the highway, the ground trembling, ripping apart, screams couldn’t be heard above the thunderous cry that accompanied the hand and yet they filled the air.

PHOTO PROMPT © C. E. Ayr It was an ordinary day. As ordinary days go. Sunshine, a slight breeze, light, laughter, families picnicking, children playing in the local park. Ordinary. Until a darkening cloud appeared. A beam of light shone down, spearing into the earth driving a wedge deep into the mantle. Amid the panic and the screams a voice boomed across the world.