Philippa Kaye is one of three local authors who will launch their new books at Kincumber Library on June 1 as part of the Words on the Waves Writers Festival.
In 1984, hairstyles were big, skirts were short, and every girl – and some boys – was watching Michael Hutchence swing his gorgeous hips.
Kaye’s debut novel, Girl Detectives Just Wanna Have Fun, takes the reader back to the 80s when there was no COVID, no social media and the environment was nowhere near in crisis.
Life was all about reading Cleo magazine and having fun.
Girl Detectives Just Wanna Have Fun is a cosy mystery with romance and follows protagonist, Birdie Mealing, whose uncle goes missing.
Detective Herb Lawson would like her to leave the serious investigating to him, but when it comes to Birdie and her determination, he’s got Buckley’s chance.
Birdie has to contend with shady council members, a sleazy film producer, an intriguing crime boss, a weekend stopover in Terrigal, shoulder pads and her own heart as she and her friends try and discover what happened to her beloved uncle.
Originally from southwest Sydney, Kaye has lived on the Central Coast for just over 20 years.
She lives with her husband and three children and has experience teaching in primary, secondary and tertiary settings.
She currently teaches secondary English and lectures at the University of Newcastle’s Ourimbah campus.
Her great aunt was an Olympian, her dad invented Pavlova Magic and in her spare time she paints pictures on the wall.
Her first published work, Jack’s Bike, featured in The NSW School Magazine and her short story, And We Run, features in BAD Sydney WestWords Crime Anthology.
“Because I have three jobs, I have to really focus on my writing, which I do, religiously, one day a week,” she said.
“I also write when I can on weekends and during the school and uni holidays.
“In the Christmas holidays I wrote 40,000 words, which is about half a novel.
“I wrote Girl Detectives Just Wanna Have Fun while we were in and out of lockdown, there were bushfires and Trump was in power.
“The world around us was overwhelming.
“I wanted people to be able to escape their troubles and get lost in a fun story, a slice of romance and a bit of a mystery to solve.
“Plus, the 80s was such a great moment in history to drop Birdie and her friends into.”
Also launching their books on the night are L.L. Hunter and Hazel Paton.
L.L. Hunter is the bestselling author of more than 50 published works.
Her novel House of Fire and Blood is an epic fantasy romance about two babies, born with the blood of witches – one of darkness, one of light.
A former high school teacher of English, modern history and languages, Hazel Paton but now turns her hand to storytelling.
Her novel, The Missing Years, tells the story of two brothers – a priest and a detective in the bleak famine of Paris and the relative abundance of rural France as they face two enemies – the occupying Germans and their own past.
The launch will take place on Thursday, June 1, at Kincumber Library from 6pm to 7.15pm with doors opening at 5.30pm.
For more details see the Words on the Waves website.
Terry Collins