In this episode of the Book Deal podcast Madeleine interviews Australian award-winning author Holly Cardamone. Holly's debut novel, Summer, In Between (Hawkeye Publishing, September 2025) is a great one for your beach bag this summer.

Holly shares insights from her book's developmental journey, including a surprising setback when she lost a notebook filled with manuscript ideas on a train in Italy, followed by a decade-long creative detour. She also discusses her manuscript winning the 2024 Hawkeye Publishing Manuscript Development Prize and the exhilarating process of getting her book published despite numerous challenges. Holly offers valuable advice on writing processes and book promotion strategies. She emphasises the importance of authentic connections within the literary community, engaging with booksellers, and how her background in communications has influenced her successful pre-launch strategy.

As mentioned by Madeleine, join us for a special Zoom Spoiler Book Club with Kate Mildenhall on The Hiding Place on Wednesday 10 December at 7pm. Tickets are free, but you'll need to sign up here.

00:00 Welcome to the Book Deal Podcast

01:23 Holly Cardamone's Debut Novel

03:59 Nostalgia and Setting in 'Summer In Between'

05:12 Holly's Teenage Years and Writing Aspirations

06:57 The Journey to Becoming a Writer

12:27 The Lost Manuscript and Family Life

14:23 Writing 'Summer In Between'

19:23 Crafting Characters and Voice

23:47 Writing Romance and Green Flag Characters

30:11 Manuscript Assessment and Revisions

34:12 The Writing Day Dilemma

35:02 Balancing Life and Writing

36:18 Turning 50 and Running a Marathon

39:23 From Manuscript to Hawkeye Prize

39:57 The Joy of Writing Again

42:14 Winning the Hawkeye Prize

47:13 Building Author Connections

50:26 Social Media and Bookseller Strategies

01:00:49 Final Tips and Conclusion

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