Caroline Foran joins Kate and Michelle to discuss her new book, Everything I Wish I'd Known About Anxiety, a practical roadmap for anyone who has ever felt frightened by their own mind and desperate for a way through.

Caroline shares the story behind the book, why she designed it as a sequential road map rather than a menu of options and why she is more confident about this book than anything she has written before. She explains why anxiety is not something to be cured but overcome and what that distinction actually means in practice.

She also unpacks two of the book's most illuminating ideas: why morning anxiety is so much more intense than most people expect, and the very real neurological reason for it, and why scrolling through social media is one of the worst things an anxious nervous system can do, even when it feels like a way to relax.

Caroline opens up about her own journey from being physically crippled by anxiety in her twenties, to the extraordinary role her mother played in pulling her through, challenges of parenting and what that has required her to unlearn about parenting.

A warm and deeply honest conversation about anxiety, self-compassion, the nervous system and what it really means to get your life back.

Key takeaways for anyone living with anxiety:

• Anxiety is not a flaw or a failing. It is a nervous system response that can be meaningfully overcome.
• The foundational work matters. Skipping to the fix without laying the groundwork is why so many people go backwards.
• Morning cortisol is biological, not personal. Moving your body is an effective response.
• Social media is a slot machine for your nervous system. Even knowing that, stepping back is hard but the difference is immediate.
• Self-compassion is not a platitude. Meeting yourself where you are is the only real starting point.

Natter is proudly brought to you in association with Bookstation Ireland & IrishCentral.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Louise O'Neill joins Kate and Michelle to discuss her new novel, Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone?, a story of twin sisters, a Hollywood casting that changes everything and the discovery of a storage unit twenty years later that forces Chelsea to ask whether she ever really knew her sister at all.

Louise unpacks how the Paris Hilton storage unit scandal influenced parts of the book, why she set it against the Y2K celebrity era, and what it meant to write about two women on opposite sides of a system that rewards compliance and punishes those who refuse to play along. She also reflects on the very real parallels between that era and what young women are navigating today.

She opens up honestly about handling the publicity of promoting new books, the tension between wanting your book to reach readers and balancing your energy levels during promotions and why being good at something doesn't always mean you enjoy it. Louise also talks about writing her memoir, due out in September.

A rich, wide-ranging conversation about sisterhood, navigating writing multiple books and holding onto hope when the world keeps giving you reasons not to.

Key takeaways for writers:

• Being good at publicity and enjoying it are two very different things, knowing the difference matters.
• Writing nonfiction requires finding a voice that is distinct from your fiction voice, even when it is your own.
• The most powerful character dynamics often come from showing two sides of the same experience.
• Holding onto hope is not naive, for writers exploring dark themes, it is essential.

Natter is proudly brought to you in association with Bookstation Ireland & IrishCentral.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bestselling Irish author Louise Nealon joins Kate and Michelle to talk about her much-anticipated new novel, Everything That Is Beautiful. A story of three women, an Irish wedding and the traumatic secret that has kept them from each other for years.

Louise unpacks how the novel came together, why she made truth itself the central tension of the book and what it means when people are right about something but still cause damage in the way they reveal it. She reflects on the fine line between honesty and being too harsh within families, and the question that sits at the heart of the novel!

She also opens up about the very real pressure of following a debut as celebrated as Snowflake. A deeply honest conversation about storytelling, the subjectivity of truth, imaginary friends and why the best writing often comes from getting out of your own way.

Key takeaways for writers:

• Placing impossibly high literary expectations on yourself is one of the fastest ways to stop writing altogether.
• Characters surprise you, the excitement of not knowing where they'll go is often what keeps you at the desk.
• A "scenes I'd like to see" document can be a more generative planning tool than a chapter-by-chapter outline.
• The sentences you agonise over most are sometimes the ones readers fly past.
• Finishing the book is the only thing you actually have to do, everything else follows from that.

Natter is proudly brought to you in association with Bookstation Ireland & IrishCentral.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bestselling Irish author Ruth O'Leary joins Kate and Michelle to discuss her latest novel, The Last Week of Him, the story of three women reunited in the west of Ireland after receiving a shocking WhatsApp message about the sudden death of their secondary school golden boy.

Ruth walks through exactly how the book came together, she also reflects on the central question she hopes the book raises for readers and book clubs: how well do we really know our friends when so much of our insight into their lives comes through social media? And does a difficult upbringing ever truly excuse the way we treat people?

Away from the page, Ruth shares stories from over twelve years working as a film and TV extra, from playing a nun beside Russell Crowe to running up Wicklow fields as a Viking.

A joyful, generous conversation about storytelling, friendship & writing.

Key takeaways for writers:

• A strong visual concept, can anchor an entire novel before you write a word.
• Using a tight timeframe as a structural scaffold keeps your plot grounded and your pacing sharp.
• Writing detailed character bios with reference images before drafting helps bring fictional people to vivid life.
• Location is not just backdrop, it actively shapes what your characters can and cannot do.
• Epilogues matter: if you are invested in your characters, your readers will be too.

Natter is proudly brought to you in association with Bookstation Ireland & IrishCentral.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After many years of writing, journalist and Sunday Times Ireland political editor Jennifer Bray finally landed her dream book deal and “The Lies Between Us” was worth every moment of the wait.

In this episode, Jen joins Kate and Michelle for an honest conversation about the long road to publication. She reflects on the early manuscripts that didn't make the cut, the emotional chaos of being on submission and why she believes persistence is the single most important quality a writer can have.

She also digs into the concept of the "thoughtful rejection", how detailed feedback from agents, though hard to hear, can completely redirect a writer's journey for the better.

A must-listen for anyone who has ever wondered whether to keep going. Spoiler: keep going.

Key takeaways for writers:

• Every unpublished manuscript teaches you something, don't dismiss the ones that don't make it.
• Treat detailed rejection feedback as a signpost, not a dead end.
• Research agents carefully and show you understand what they're looking for.
• Strong, believable characters are the foundation of great fiction.
• Persistence is one of the only things that separates published writers from unpublished ones.

Natter is proudly brought to you in association with Bookstation Ireland & IrishCentral.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bestselling Irish author Edel Coffey joins Kate and Michelle to discuss her latest thriller, In Glass Houses.

Edel explores how growing up in South County Dublin, walking past peacocks and palatial homes whilst living in a estate, shaped her fascination with class divides and privilege. She discusses the sliding doors moments that change lives forever, how generational wealth creates different moral outcomes and the topic of how we all think we're good people until doing the right thing actually costs us something.

For writers, Edel shares her brilliant practical approach: she wrote much of her debut novel in 15 to 20 minute bursts whilst waiting at the school gates, treating her story like a sourdough starter that needed feeding daily. She's honest about the nature of publishing success and having to continually raise the bar but reveals she's finally feeling more confident in her craft.

Plus, Edel discusses what home truly means when you live far from your roots, her recent militant stance on smartphones and teases a secret project in a completely different genre that's been obsessing her for five years.

Natter is proudly brought to you in association with Bookstation Ireland & IrishCentral.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Season 5 of Natter, this week we are joined by bestselling author Sam Blake as she unveils the inspiration behind her latest book, Your Every Move.

Discover how real-world research shapes her strong, complex characters and how social media influences modern crime narratives.

Listeners will gain insights into balancing creativity with research, crafting memorable characters, and protecting your work from AI copyright theft. Perfect for writers and readers alike, this episode is a masterclass in storytelling and resilience, urging you to manifest your goals and keep stories alive.

Key Takeaways:

1. Manifestation requires action to achieve results.
2. Knowing your story's end can enhance creative flow.
3. Authentic settings deepen reader immersion.
4. Unrelated ideas spark innovative storytelling.
5. Persistent effort is crucial for success

Natter is proudly brought to you in association with Bookstation Ireland & IrishCentral.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this captivating and final episode of Season 4 of Natter, we welcome the esteemed Irish novelist Cecelia Ahern! Cecelia, whose debut novel "P.S. I Love You" became an international bestseller and a beloved film, shares her journey through the literary world, having sold over 25 million copies.

The discussion delves into her latest work, "Paper Heart" a novel that is uplifting, exploring the life of a woman named Pip who learns to take control of her destiny. Cecelia reflects on the inspiration behind her characters, how she maintains creativity, and the evolution of the publishing industry, from traditional methods to the digital age. She discusses the joy she finds in storytelling.

This episode is a heartfelt exploration of creativity, resilience, and the power of narrative to transform lives. Join us for an inspiring conversation that will leave you feeling uplifted and ready to embrace your own story.

Natter is proudly brought to you in association with Bookstation Ireland & IrishCentral.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.