In this week’s episode, Geoff is talking to Maya Linnell who was a Finalist in the 2006 Young Achiever Awards for Victoria.
Maya is a bestselling rural romance author and was recently shortlisted as the ARRA 2019 Favourite Australian Romance Author. Her novels Wildflower Ridge and Bottlebrush Creek both gather inspiration from her rural upbringing and the small communities she has always lived in and loved.
A former country journalist and PR writer, Maya now prefers the world of fiction over fact and blogs for Romance Writers Australia. She loves baking up a storm, tending to her rambling garden, and raising three little bookworms. Maya lives on a small property in country Victoria with her family, her menagerie of farm animals and the odd snake or two.
In this episode:
- Hear about Maya’s incredibly diverse life on her way to becoming a best-selling author
- Check out Maya’s website – books to buy, free recipes, sewing patterns, newsletters, blogs and so much more!
Links
Connect with Maya on Instagram
Follow us on our Inspirational.Australians Instagram Page
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Transcript
Annette:
Welcome to the inspirational Australians podcast, where we chat to people, making a difference in their communities and in the lives of others. And here is your host for today, Geoff Griffin
Geoff:
I’m super excited to speak with today’s podcast guest Maya Linnell. Maya was a finalist in the 2006 Regional Initiative Award in the Essay, Young Achiever Award. And I still remember my is beaming smile as she was presented on stage. Maya was more recently shortlisted as the Australian Romance Readers Association, 2019 Favorite Australian romance author in a debut novel. Wildflower Ridge was shortlisted for two national awards. She’s a country girl, and she’s proud of it. Welcome to the podcast, Maya!
Maya:
Thank you very much, Geoff. It’s lovely to be here, chatting with you today.
Geoff:
Yeah, it’s really, it takes me back. Um, as we talked before, the interview started about 2006. It was a while ago, but I really remember how passionate and vibrant you were and that smile has resonated. And I remembered that, uh, ever since, so that alone you’ve inspired many, which is fantastic. Clearly you’re an extraordinary young woman and clearly very talented. And I believe as I say, from memory, you were nominated for being an inspirational role model. What do you think the judge has saw in you and what were the, what were you involved with way back in 2006 that you think awarded you a top three finalists position.
Maya:
Thank you, Geoff. It is really interesting. Isn’t it? To cast your mind back that far? It seems like a lifetime ago that was pre-children, um, pre moving to Victoria, pre becoming an author. So way back in 2006, I was working as a cadet journalist at the Southeastern Times Newspaper Millicent. And I figured to myself, look, I’ve got my lunch time free. What will I do with myself? I couldn’t sit and eat my sandwich. I could sit and read a book or I could go get out and do something in the community. So two of my lunchtimes, I would spend one at the local high school, Millicent High mentoring, a young teenager who was at the time deemed at risk. And then in another day I would go to the primary school and worked with a student who was not so engaged, but teachers could see she had potential, but she just wasn’t reaching it. So I spent two days a week, one with a high school kid, one with the primary school kid. I’m doing this fantastic mentoring role, which I really enjoyed. And it was lovely to be able to give back to the community. I was also involved in the community radio station, which was called five DFM. It’s a tiny, tiny little organization and they were looking for volunteers and I thought, well, you know what? I’m not doing much on a Friday night. I’ll stick my hand up. Then the first radio show. So for a couple of years there, I was hosting a show called boots and all which was a modern country music show. And, you know, as well as gauge place for my favorite music, I had the opportunity to interview different country music artists like Troy Cassa Daly, Adam Brand, and, um, you know, get to go to different shows with my media pass, so that was a big bonus for me. Uh, I was also involved in the Nooorla Yo-Long Youth Care at Rendlesham, and that was a high ropes outdoor education facility that as well as targeting at risk youth, they also, um, took school groups through. They took, um, adult leadership, you know, I still need to talk of team story. So I was on the board of that for quite a few years as well. And, and that was a really lovely initiative and to see it grow and the different funding that it received, um, to make it a better place was wonderful.
Um, I also was lucky enough to be named as the Water Range Council Young Citizen of the Year back in, I think it was 2005 or 2006. So that was really wonderful to have the community, you know, kind of gather around. And as a young kid at journalist, I just got out there and did my job and had a great time reporting on the people and the different characters that we had in our community. So, you know, it was a really rewarding, fulfilling career getting out and about it. And I just loved it. So I would walk around with a camera around my neck, a note pad in my hand, and a big smile on my face. Cause I felt like it was pretty good living. Um, and it was, and then I was also very fortunate to be short shortlist in the end that I ended up winning a national news week competition. So I just scraped deem on the youth side of things. I think the cut-off was 25 and I was 24 or something very similar to that. Um, and I’d written a story. It was supposed to be fiction. And I thought when I write every day facts, the newspaper, I’m sure I can come up with something fictional. But what I ended up doing was mining my own experience of scraping up cow’s poop from a friend’s dairy, the Laneway. And we sold her on the side of the road when I was 12. That was a huge big fundraising initiative, my best friend and I did. We raised over $300 each over a series of six months or so I’m selling $1 bags of cow poop to anyone who’d go past and stuff and how little highway store. And that was the money that I wanted to go to New Zealand on a, on a holiday to go visit my grandparents. So, you know, it’s a little bit innovative and entrepreneurial for a young age. Um, and then you don’t pipe backwards when I was in my twenties because I wrote this story about it, called it fiction entered It in the competition and, and managed to win this fantastic prize. So, you know, that was, I guess, the start of my career in writing, writing about things that I loved and being able to represent rural Australia in a way that, you know, maybe these are stories that hadn’t been told before. So it was a lovely, lovely time of my life.
Geoff:
Absolutely brilliant. That is just amazing. And clearly you wanted to give back to make a difference to share, I guess, your enthusiasm, happiness with life and to hear all those things, no wonder you’ve made the finals. It’s awesome. And looking back, and of course the memory fades, but yeah, what an amazing thing you did for your local community. And it’s so important that people show compassion and kindness and, and give where you can, like you did with those young people, with the schools and as a young cadet, but also, um, in much more broad, a voluntary capacity. And as you said, the entrepreneurial flare was there right from the beginning. That is very innovative. And I do hope I did have this have a thought, I wonder if Maya had given us lots of good plans through Southeastern Times when you a cadet a bit of go back and check, I think making the finals helped you personally and also your career.
Maya:
Absolutely. Geoff. I was so very proud and my family and my workplace and the community was really proud to say, you know, someone getting out there having a crack and then being rewarded and recognized on a much larger scale. It was just wonderful. So for me, um, going forward, I was able to put that on my resume. I was able to talk about that. And I think that was the start of, you know, my first foray of being on the other side of the camera being interviewed about this wonderful award and what the initiative meant to me. But I think it just, you know, cemented the fact that someone’s got to apply for these different awards. And if you don’t, sometimes it can feel a little bit, cringe-worthy to blow your own horn, but, um, if you don’t get out there and stick your head out and have it go, then those opportunities fall to wayside. So I think for me, it was a really good lesson in going after the things that you wanted and not being too scared to be, you know, put your hand up and say, look, I’m really having a go here. And I think it’s going okay,
Geoff:
Absolutely. Yeah, perfectly said, and it’s felon nation, you know, when you are nominated or when you reach the semi finals or a finals, it’s validation for your work, which is really wonderful as well. And we shouldn’t be afraid of failure. Most successful people have failed over and over and I’m sure, and we’ll get through your book shortly, but you know, you probably wrote and rewrote sections of your book over and over. Nothing happens perfectly many people anyway, uh, very often. So don’t be afraid to have a go and not win or not be successful at a job offer or whatever it is. Just have a go and be proud people, my digress, but people often say to me Maya, traveling around the country with these awards, what’s something in common that most of these young achievers have. And I would say, it’s not having that fear of failure, having a go, not being afraid of not being successful. We are, we learn as we go to fail because people tell us we’re going to, you won’t be able to do that. That won’t work well. That’s not right. You hear it over and over. And you actually ingrained with that fear of failing. So more power to you to having go right from that beginning, particularly with the cow poop, that was, it’s pretty impressive because the smell of it would put anybody off. You saw already, you went after it and you achieved the goal side. Well done too. And thank you for your kind words about how there was, have, have helped you since then, of course, a lot has changed what precipitated the change from newspaper cadet journalists to author.
Maya:
Yeah. So there was a few steps in between when I finished up at the newspaper, I took a job in local government and, um, I found that was great. I moved o Victoria to be with my partner, who’s now my husband. Uh, and I quite enjoyed that time in local government. I did a little bit of work in economic development, and then I kind of sidestepped into the media and communications role, which, um, wasn’t available when I’d first taken the job. But luckily that popped up pretty quickly. So that was a lovely little side step. And then I put that down when I had my first child and I took, uh, I took my responsibilities as a stay at home. Mum, stay at home mum really seriously. And I really wanted to see what I could do to give my kids the best shot. So for me, that looks like, you know, lots of biking with them, lots of reading to them, you know, being with them day in, day out, I did a couple of little contract jobs for a local public relations firm, which was more writing and copy editing and things like that. So, so that was good just to keep my hand in the game. And then we decided to build a house ourselves and I’m not talking just a little bit of a project. This is a huge project where we made our own bricks and all. So it was a, it was a big gamble. We hadn’t built, we’d renovated a house previously, but we hadn’t done this whole form of making our own bricks. But in 2014 we bought a rural property on the country area of Victoria and thought, well, this is what we’re going to have a crack at next. And so 1400, uh, 1,748 bricks later, we have a two story house that we do it from the ground up. It’s just a pay cow paddock when we bought the property. Um, and then I could just see the, um, the horizon there. I, and see that, you know, eventually my youngest child would be at school and we’d be finished building the house and I needed to do something else in the workforce. And what was it going to be? So I thought, well, I could do home economics because I really enjoy baking, I enjoy sewing, but then I don’t have the patients necessarily do with teenagers day in and day out. So I showed that idea and I decided that, um, I’d have a look at creative writing because, you know, I always loved writing and I always dreamed of being a published author, but I didn’t know anyone who had actually written a book before.
So I thought it was one of those pipe dreams that people say one day, I’ll write a book and never do it. So I thought the best way to go about this is to research it. So I researched the heck out of it. Um, listen to a lot of podcasts, just like this one, talking about inspiring people, who’ve followed their dreams, um, authors that have taken those steps to, um, you know, build their first draft and how they went about taking it to publishers and editing it. So I follow those different steps. And by the time we’d finished building the house, I had a finished manuscript and I was pretty much ready to, to set the world on fire with rural romance. And luckily for me, Geoff, it’s gone really well. And I’ve been very fortunate to be picked up by Allen & Unwin right off the bat. Pretty much it was. I finished the manuscript in March and I had a publishing contract in June. So very fortunate for me, but all those stars aligned and what I was writing seemed to fit perfectly with what Allen & Unwin was looking for.
Geoff:
Absolutely brilliant. So inspiring. I just sitting here listening and taking every word, you’ll say it’s such a wonderful, wonderful story. And it does sound very much to me like everything you do, you put your heart and your soul into it and made me think that has been a real secret to success. In my opinion, work hard, have a go! There is that balance, of course. And there always needs to be. I heard a saying once I’ve never forgotten that, gee, I am lucky the harder I work, the luckier, I get it. Now, when you hear people say, aren’t you, you’re lucky and luck comes down to hard work, research, planning, thinking things through of course, and being objective about what you do, but really just getting in there and having a go, so all power to you, Maya. I think that really is extraordinary for me to be able to plan and sit and think about a story line and then actually achieve it is just extraordinary. And I’m absolutely in awe of you. Now, your two books, Wildflower Ridge and Bottlebrush Creek have been super successful. What can readers expect when they pick up the books?
Maya:
Yeah, Geoff, I’ve been, I’m really delighted with the feedback for what, um, both of my novels and they both were rural in it. So, you know, you’re going to have a rural setting. So the first, uh, novel Wildflower Ridge, I’ve set in the Grampians, uh, because we, you know, it leaves quite close to the Grampians for quite a few years, and it’s such a beautiful spot and that lovely mountain vine of blue mountains against the horizon. It’s something that you never forget if you’ve looked at it from your back deck or from your kitchen window, it’s kind of sticks with you as a very picturesque place. I thought, well, why not send a book there? And then for the second book, I had a little bit focused in the Grampians as well, but then I picked up my main character and I moved her down to the coast to Southwest Victoria, close to where we live and it’s on the tail edge of the great ocean road, really beautiful spot, lots of dairy farms, lots of beautiful lush green, um, land around here. So I thought, well, you know, I’ll set it there. And that’s been wonderful as well. The feedback from readers who live locally or have been to this region and have just loved seeing, you know, their local towns, different place sittings, um, mentioned in the novel, which is great. Uh, so if they pick up my book, they’ll find a lot about family dynamics. Um, there’s a lot of humor in the books. There’s a lot of baking, there’s gardening. I love dilators. So I’ve really popped in, um, a little daily theme through that book as well, but the most recent Bottlebrush Creek, um, there’s a lot of country living in advocating country living as well. And your beautiful tip about, um, working hard that resonates with me to Geoff because I remember reading the same hard work puts you where luck can find you. And I think that just absolutely hits the nail on the head because you’re right. You do, there’s a lot of hard work involved behind the scenes, but someone who’s super lucky and gets that break without even trying. There’s, there’s all those different factors that go into it beforehand. Sorry. So I really, I really liked that thought. Um, and one of the things that people talk about, um, when they leave reviews, my book is they love the authenticity of it. The fact that I’ve always lived in small country areas. And so for me, it’s as natural as breathing is to talk about a scene with a flocking glass go straight past, or, um, I’m looking over my computer as I’m speaking to you now, and I can see lambs walking across our paddocks. Um, and I know that come three o’clock, there’s going to be a raucous noise coming out, um, that I’ll be able to hear from my office because of be ready for the bushel it’s, um, these little things that I can just thread through about small communities, the good side, the bad side, the really wonderful side that keeps you returning to these beautiful country areas again and again. So people say it’s an escape to the country. And I think that really hits a perfectly,
Geoff:
Sounds like there’s a lot of realness to your, to your novels. People will be able to engage and really feel a part of it as if it’s real, because it is. And I was going to ask the question, are there, there any of the people in your books that modelled on real life, people that, you know, it sounds like you’ve done that part of the locations and scenery.
Maya:
I do. Geoff, I do. I kind of take a little wisp of inspiration from, from people that I’ve met or people that I know, and I kind of wrap it up together with a big dose of water. So I think, okay, well, if Joe blogs over the row, you know, over eager grandmother, what would happen if she took it too far and in Bottle Bush Creek, there’s a lovely storyline where there’s a lot of conflict between the daughter in law and the mother in law and the fixer, the fixer up and cottage that they go to renovate and just happens to be right next door to the dairy farm that, um, age is in-laws. So there’s a lot of fun playing with dynamics there. And my neighbor, who’s very lovely. She’s got grandchildren. And she said to me, Maya, after I’d read it, I wondered whether that was me in the story, the overeager grandmother. I said, no, no. Then my characters are completely fictional. And for that particular character, it’s just an amalgamation of all the very overeager, wonderful grandmothers in the world that I’ve ever met. So I’m just kinda rolling little bits from here, from there and it all into one to create an interesting little plot line there. And I seem to, you know, I find that quite easy to do, to pick up little bits of real people, real scenarios, and just transforming them into something completely fictional. It’s a lovely thing to do.
Geoff:
Absolutely love. It sounds perfect. And the books of course have hit multiple bestseller lists and a Better Reading Top 100. You tell us a little bit about that and what it means to you.
Maya:
So yes Geoff, the Better Reading Top 100 was a huge career as a debut author, that’s one of those lists that you dream of getting onto. Um, and then for the books to make the bestselling charts as well, the top romance charts, and it came out in the weekend, Australian last weekend, it may number four there. So we’ve got Nora Roberts, we’ve got Danielle Steele and then we’ve got Maya. So it’s one of those things that you kind of go, is this for real, do I need to pitch myself because I never dreamed when I was reading, Danielle Steele and Nora Roberts back when I was in high school, all that I would ever be on a list with them. So it’s one of those very affirming moments where you know, that you must be doing something right. So to, to make that list. And then I was also very fortunate to be, um, on the June best seller lists for both of my books. Um, last June with what that region is doing for Bottlebrush Creek as a top selling in the top 10 Australian books for the month. So those types of wins are very, very rewarding. And you’re so humble to know that people are liking your books and recommending it to friends. They’re telling their mom to go buy it for their sister-in-law or whatnot. It’s, it’s really, really a lovely feeling. I would say. I have moments that I feel, um, that the, the smaller moments that aren’t necessarily recognized, but I’ll get these beautiful emails and messages and, um, messages on Facebook and Instagram as well from people who’ve picked up the book and loved it. You know, they don’t know me for a far, so, but they’ve taken the time to write to me and show me what they loved about it. And if I can just share this one lovely lady in Queensland, she said, Maya Bottlebrush Creek really helped me while I was going through radiation for breast cancer. Your book kept me feeling good and happy for all those days. I was feeling sad, scared and unhappy with my body, keep writing your beautiful books and spreading your happiness. And that just really made me tear up to read that my stories are completely coming out of my head. Um, have such an impact on people in that ability, take them away for something that’s really hard to do within that line. It’s, um, it’s really touching. It’s probably the unexpected bonus that I never realized I’d get from being a published author.
Geoff:
Oh, that’s so beautiful. I know. And that’s the, are the person ringing or emailing saying I listened to the podcast. It was so inspiring and there it is. It’s truly rewarding to know that you can make a difference you clearly doing that and news flash people were talking with a mega star and how am I going to autograph Maya as well? I need to know before I become more expensive, I think we need to get in and get one of those autographs real quick. You know, all seriousness, It’s absolutely brilliant and it’s must be very validating and encouraging that your name is up there with those immortals in a sense in the book. Well, so well done to you. It’s absolutely extraordinary. And being such an extraordinary achiever, would you encourage our listeners to nominate someone or, or to nominate themselves for an award.
Maya:
Absolutely. Geoff, I think it’s one of the best things that you can do for someone if you see them doing well. And you know, there’s, a lot of people are very humble and would never put their hand up for anything. So I think that’s the perfect push, um, for other people to nominate people that they see doing well that might not necessarily nominate themselves, but I also think there’s nothing wrong with putting forward yourself for this type of award, because there is such a range. There’s, there’s all the different varieties that you guys have got is the youth, there’s the community involvement is all these great options. And there’s so many people that would fit into these categories beautifully, but should give it a shot because it is, it’s definitely something that you can put on your resume. Um, if you’ve got, if you’ve got a business that, um, it’s a wonderful thing to be able to, um, endorse business is, is for it to have an award like that behind it, or even just making the finals or the semi-finals. It’s wonderful. So I certainly don’t hesitate to recommend, um, these different kind of things and you never know where it can take you more tools in off might happen because you put your hand up or no, maybe someone else for an award highly recommend.
Geoff:
Yeah. And if you’re nominated someone, the comma pays forward because you just feel really good about yourself, as well as the person you’re nominating feeling really great that you’ve nominated them too. And of course, as you said, man, by putting yourself forward, no one knows better what you’re doing than you do. So someone else may do you with this service. So don’t be afraid to tell your story. The benefit of that also is of course, you’re putting yourself out there so that others can find out what you’re doing, have access to the services, the stories in your case, whatever it may be. You’re opening up to tell others about what’s on offer that you have to give no matter what, something on a little different tag that we might or might not know about you.
Maya:
Well, I’m a little bit of an open book. I do, um, tell exactly what I’m feeling and thinking. And I take so many photographs for my author platform on Instagram and Facebook. So if anyone has a sneak peek there, they’ll pretty quickly realize that I love a bit of sewing, loved gardening, and I’ll go soft spot for roses. And I’d much rather buy 10 Rose bushes than a pair of new shoes any day of the week. Um, I’m pretty keen to hold animals, um, encouraging my husband to get some more piglets. We’ve raised a few batches of pigs now. Um, so I’m waiting on him for that one. I also have blocks of chocolate hidden all across the house. Sorry, I’ve got to, you know, my pajama drawer in the top drawer of my desk, even in the braid mic, which is in the laundry, I’ll often put a little block in there. So there’s a couple of little things, uh, baking. I do love baking as well. So I really sprinkle a lot of cooking and baking. And you know, there’s a special recipe books that have got handwritten notes in the margin where, you know, you made this one for the show and you made this one for someone’s birthday, little notes, which recipes. I love those. I think there’s a really special
Geoff:
What comes across to me Maya is that, uh, you’re an ordinary person, but you are doing extraordinary things. And that’s the message for everybody. People who are extraordinary, like Maya now are just ordinary people with ordinary lives ordinary interests, go that extra mile, work hard to achieve their goals. And we are all able to do that if we work hard. So thank you for sharing that a little bit about you. I think that was just wonderful to hear because it’s a so touched and a word that comes out of your mouth. Maya a number of times as well. If you love to put stuff up to make a difference, you love to help people. You love what you do. And that is really a great message for everybody. I think. So thank you for, for inspiring us with those personal bits that we may, and we didn’t know about you, there must be type. And so when you feel a little low, how do you lift your spirits?
Maya:
Yeah, Geoff, I think there’s a, in the publishing industry, there’s definitely peaks and troughs. So I’ll send off the manuscript to my publisher and I have to wait three months before I hear what she thinks about it. So you’ve got, you know, I’ll spend a year of writing that book and then all of a sudden I’ve got three months to find out whether it’s complete rubbish and I have to write a new one and I’d better hurry up really quickly and get that done or whether it’s going to be okay. There’s also, um, you know, a very busy period around promotion of a new book. So any time a new book comes out, there’s wonderful opportunities to talk about your book, whether it’s author events, whether it’s radio interviews, newspaper interviews, fantastic podcasts like your own. Um, and that can be quite consuming, um, in a great way because you know, you have this fantastic product things so proud of, um, but it can take its toll. And I think the best thing that I can do is try and make sure that, you know, I do balance out the frenetic energy of, you know, trying to do my best every day and make sure that I’m doing my best, you know, putting my best foot forward and giving my book the best shot at Scott at finding new readers. But I need to pull away into things like jigsaw puzzles and sit down and try. And so things, um, skirts and aprons a much nicer to make and COVID masks, but given the time we were in at moment, that’s the type of sewing I’m doing. Um, I also love a bit of online yoga, so there’s a wonderful YouTube called Adrian. And she has a channel called yoga with Adrian and it’s free. There’s all sorts of different lengths of videos. So you can do this morning. I did a 25 minute session and some of them have got laid, but some of them are yoga for bronchitis. So if you’ve got a really sore neck or yoga for runners, but some of them are uplifting yoga or start your day on the right track yoga. So it’s things like that that I think are really important to get that, get that grounding, get that mental health, um, flow happening in good walks along the beach. We were really lucky down the bottom of our paddock. We kind of go from our chook house, plus the old dairy over the sand junior, we’re at the beach. So it’s a pretty nice place to live here along the coast. And I do take advantage of that beautiful beach. There’s not normally anyone on it. It’s very secluded. And you know, you’ve got a lot of time to think over plot problems. Think about the different things that are waking up at 3:00 AM in the morning and just look at the ocean and being whole that’s there forever. You know, these things will pass, COVID will pass. Um, and it’s a really good way to recharge
Geoff:
Really helpful list Maya. I love that there are a number of different things that you can choose to do that may help you at different times. So that’s awesome. And of course, if any of our listeners are really struggling mentally, it is a tough time with COVID-19 particularly in Victoria. I really encourage our listeners to contact Lifeline. If you are, if you don’t have someone that you can talk to, if you don’t have somewhere where you can walk or things that you feel that you can do, that will help you in times of doubts or darkness, call Lifeline at one three double one, one four. And I know our good friend Ray Ellis CEO of first National Real Estate would agree is they’re fantastic supporters of Lifeline as well as our program, the Young Achievers nationally, and we all need support sometimes. So please don’t be afraid to call lifeline if you need, they’re there to help not judge, but really appreciate your words of wisdom there, Maya, and how you go about alleviating some of that doubt, which there must be as you referred to when you’re waiting for the publisher three months must go very long. Sometimes it’s more like, sounds like, or seems like three years. So what’s next for Maya Linnell?
Maya:
Well, Geoff, I have just sent that manuscript off to the publisher. So I that’s my 2021 book, which I’m contracted for. Um, so that’ll be the third book in the series. And, and I say series quite loosely because you can read any of my books out of order and it won’t matter. But, um, for those who’ve already read the first story Wildflower Ridge, and the second story Bottlebrush Creek, they will get a bit of an insight into a different sister. Um, one of the McIntyre girls at some Lara and she’s working to the fight for her community general store. So she’s really, you know, in the, in the throes of trying to save her local community. So that’s a lovely story. That’ll be out next winter. Um, and then I’ve also got to start work on the fourth book. So that’ll be coming out hopefully in 2022.
Geoff:
Wow. So you are a busy person for sure. That’s pretty exciting. I’m looking forward to reading about whether the general store gets saved, but not whether she is able to achieve her goal. So it is really impressive what you do and you clearly, it has been said a few times now and an extraordinary young person. Do you have any words of wisdom or additional words of wisdom, frail business or something that you’d like to leave them with? Is there just one thing that works for you that you’d like to leave people with?
Maya:
I think always keep trying and keep looking for different opportunities to, um, to do what you love. I’m really lucky to be, um, advocating for country living and telling the stories of rural Australia. And I think that had, I just, you know, going back to journalism and doing exactly what I knew that I wouldn’t necessarily have the chance to be in position of being a published author. So I think, you know, it keeps searching, keep looking for something that can really take you towards doing what you love.
Geoff:
Yeah. Be smart, but be brave.
Maya:
Absolutely.
Geoff:
Have a go. You’ll never get there unless you give it a go and try. Don’t die. Wondering.
Maya:
No, That’s right. We’re looking never, never, never, never, know.
Geoff:
Exactly. Right. Maya where can our listeners connect with you online or get a copy of your books?
Maya:
Yes, Geoff, my, um, both of my books are available in ebook, paperback and audio book from any good bookstore. So independent bookstores, Michael Collins, or Dimmick’s will have it in stock. Um, right at the start of when the book came out, it was in Kmart, Target, Big W as well. But those type of stores don’t generally restock. Once they sell them out, they go, well, we’re done onto the next book. So if you’re after it, you can also find a copy of your local library and I also loved libraries because, um, you know, it is a tiny bit of revenue that all forgets. Every time someone borrows their book or every time a library purchases it books. So, you know, don’t ever be afraid to, um, that you’re not supporting authors by borrowing from the library because we love libraries. So, you know, I’ve got a website it’s mayalinnell.com. I put out a newsletter every month and it’s usually got a book giveaway. So that’s always something to look out for if you’d like a free book. And then there’s my Instagram and my Facebook, which is maya.linnell.writes. and I love hearing from people and seeing what they’re reading and having going about their, their general life. So it’s a really nice way to connect.
Geoff:
Absolutely brilliant. So that’s M-A-Y-A, Maya Linnell, L I double N E double L, for those who are Google search and you, or do you have a LinkedIn?
Maya:
I do have LinkedIn, Geoff, but I’ve not utilized it to its full extent. So I think I set it up a couple of years ago and haven’t done too much on it since it’s, it’s one of those ones that I’m not sure exactly how to go about it. So yes, I might need to up my game on that.
Geoff:
Uh, you’re not the only one that is in that boat. Let me just say. Maya it’s been an absolute privilege to have you on the podcast today. You are a true champion. You are an inspiration, you are Maya Linnell, who is extraordinary. Our podcast is about every day. People just like you Maya are doing extraordinary things. Thank you so much for being our guest today.
Maya:
Thank you very much, Geoff for having me and Annette for being our tech support behind the, behind the microphone there. It’s a, it’s really nice to be able to talk about, um, you know, achieving and striving to achieve your goals. So thanks very much to Awards Australia for having one on the podcast and also for, you know, your endorsement years ago, that really helped me become the person I am.
Geoff:
Thank you, Maya. Well, hope you’ve all enjoyed my chat with Maya today. All of the links from today’s podcast will be in the show notes on our website at awardsaustralia.com/podcast until next week. Thanks for listening. Stay safe, be kind and keep making a difference.
Annette:
Thanks for joining us today on the inspirational Australians podcast, we hope you enjoyed listening and have been inspired by ordinary Australians, achieving extraordinary things. So it’s goodbye for another week. Remember together, we make a difference.
