Terrific and insightful review. Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Ha! Long time ago now 🤣

A fine chestnut thoroughbred, plaited up and looking beautiful, captured mid-air over a white showjump. His rider (it's me!) is wearing formal attire: helmet, green coat, cream jodhpurs and long black boots. She looks a bit worried (she always did, that horse was a handful!)

I’m a rider, a horse lover & owner. Yes that's me in the pic. So I was rapt to discover, as part of my biographical research, that my subject was a skilled equestrienne. For a little more about the horsey adventures of Louisa Lawson (1848-1920) try: michellescotttucker.com/louisa-lawso...
#biography

Thank you 🙏🏻

Oh my goodness! Spirit of the Crocodile is shortlisted again! For 2026 ABIA awards. Humbled, excited, honoured & thrilled - all at once!!
The Australian Book Industry Awards are all about bringing Australian books to readers.
Winners announced 21 May.
#BookSky #MiddleGradeFiction #TorresStrait

Australia has a similar PLR system. ❤️📚

Pretty happy about my Easter TBR pile. Can’t wait to get stuck in!
#BookSky
#WritingLife
#Biography
#AmReading

Thanks!

Spirit of the Crocodile, a novel for middle grade readers.

Wow. Just wow. Shortlisted for the 2026 Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards. Stunned and delighted 💚🐊💚 #BookSky #SpiritoftheCrocodile
#MiddleGrade

Louisa Lawson: Primary Sources | Michelle Scott Tucker How is it that we know anything at all about Louisa Lawson? In this enlightening post, we examine the existing archival documents.

michellescotttucker.com/louisa-lawso...

Oh I hear you! Helm is just … brilliant.

Cover of a book called Helm by Sarah Hall.

Astonishing. Beautiful. And so, so moving. You think you know what good writing is then Sarah Hall comes along and … Blows. Your. Mind. #bookreview #amreading #Helm #BookSky

Yellow and orange nasturtiums in a small ceramic vase.

Today’s desk posy

That’s so kind! Thank you 🙏🏻

Thanks!

Cover of Spirit of the Crocodile, a novel for middle grade readers. Cover boasts two medals, for literary awards.

Wow, just wow. Spirit of the Crocodile has been listed as a 2026 Notable Book by the Children's Book Council Of Australia. From 181 entries in our category. Aaron Fa'Aoso & I are delighted, honoured & more than a little humbled that our happy little novel for middle grade readers has been included.

… doesn’t smell bad (unlike dog poo, which is foul). Been to a horse riding competition? The racetrack? Horses everywhere. Lots of poo. No bad smell.
21st century writers consistently get horses wrong in all sorts of ways and it drives me nuts.
3/3
#writingtips #BookSky #biography #horses

… how stinky those piles were. Um, nope. Historically inaccurate, my learned friend. Horses are herbivores. Unless the poo is very fresh, it smells like nothing much. Compost maybe. Even fresh horse poo …
2/3
#writingtips #BookSky #biography #horses

A writing tip from a writer who collects poo daily. An otherwise excellent history book biography described the collection of 18th century London’s horse manure, emphasising …
1/3
#writingtips #BookSky #biography #horses

Photo of six cherry tomatoes on a white bench. These are my 1st crop of the year. Yes, it’s very late in the season for a first crop. Yes, I’m a crap gardener. But though we’re only 70kms from Melbourne, we’re also 600m above sea level, so the growing season here is quite different.

Did you know ‘love apples’ was a 16th century name for tomatoes? A fun fact to amaze and entice your Valentine today. 🤣 ❤️🍎❤️

A floofy grey cat walks on a table, behind a vase of white hydrangea blooms.

Today’s desk posy (again with added cat)

Louisa Lawson's Statue | Michelle Scott Tucker Louisa Lawson’s statue is an important step forward in ensuring women occupy space – literally – in the public domain.

I recently visited Louisa Lawson's statue - and it was eye-opening in all the best ways. I wrote about it here... If you have thoughts, I'd love to hear them.
#australianwomenwriters #biography #louisalawson #BookSky

michellescotttucker.com/louisa-lawso...

Thanks Sally!

That’s such a lovely response, thank you. 🙏🏻

That’s so kind. It doesn’t always feel that way … 🤷‍♀️🤣

Big milestone approaching for the draft MS of my Louisa Lawson biography. Probs about 16,000 words to go before revising & cutting. Needs to go to publisher in Oct for publication next year.
Remind me again why I volunteered for this? 🤣🤣
#BookSky
#biography
#australianwomenwriters
#louisalawson

A dog sits next to a sign. The sign says ‘What is Dracula’s favourite dog? A bloodhound’.

Reasons why Blue likes visiting the vet.

Close up of Louisa Lawson's Miner's Right certificate, dated 1897-1898.

Today? I'm writing about how Louisa Lawson attempted to establish a mining company for women. Seriously - was there anything that woman didn't try?

Details about Louisa Lawson on my website - link in the bio.
#biography
#australianwomenwriters
#amwriting
#louisalawson

Love it so much. Although it was years before I realised their name wasn’t Aztec Hammer (thanks radio announcers 🤷‍♀️).