Meet Julie Bennett, author of The Lost Letters of Rose Carey. Julie discusses her writing process, the inspiration behind her novel, researching historical fiction and career journey so far.
00:00 Introduction and welcome 00:19 Exploring Rocketbook 04:06 Shoutout to Jane Sullivan 05:29 Nat Newman writing tip: Introduce a dinosaur 14:12 Book giveaway: The Wilds by Sarah Pearse 15:55 Word of the week: avoirdupois 18:37 Interview with Julie Bennett 26:03 Plotting vs. pantsing: A writer's journey 26:42 Discovering the inspiration behind the novel 28:49 From child performer to author 30:52 Committing to writing 31:51 A lifelong love for stories 32:37 Writing The Understudy: From idea to manuscript 34:03 Getting published 36:06 Balancing PR work and writing 40:38 Researching historical fiction 45:51 The reality of being an author 48:50 Future plans and writing tips 52:27 Conclusion and final thoughts
Formerly a journalist, Julie became a public relations consultant in 2004 and a published author in 2022. Her first novel, The Understudy, was published by Simon & Schuster Australia in 2022. Her second novel, The Lost Letters of Rose Carey, was also published by Simon & Schuster Australia, in 2024.
Both these novels were inspired by her experiences on stage as a child extra in the newly-opened Sydney Opera House and her love of Australian history.
Julie is currently working on her third novel, another Australian historical mystery set in the fabulous 1960s.
She currently lives in the beautiful city of Sydney with her husband, Bruce and their kelpie cross dog, Riley, within walking distance of the Sydney Opera House. They enjoy the theatre, movies, e-biking, and road-tripping. They also love visiting libraries, book stores and book clubs around Australia.
