International Women’s Day panel 2023 discusses murdering women and grannie kidnappers

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This is a Dark Matter Zine podcast and I’m your host Nalini Haynes. Today I’m talking to authors Ilsa Evans, Katherine Kovacic and Victoria Helen Stone for Dark Matter Zine’s 2023 International Women’s Day podcast.

Acknowledgement of Country

First Dark Matter Zine Acknowledges this recording is taking place on the unceded Country of the Bunurong Peoples’ of the Kulin Nation as Traditional Owners and Custodians of this Country. I pay my respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.

(I have occasionally acknowledged Country in podcasts. This year I aim to lift my game in many areas, so I plan to Acknowledge Country in every podcast. An Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners can be done by anyone. It’s a way of showing awareness of, and respect for, the Aboriginal Traditional Owners of the land where a meeting or event is held. For more information about Country and respect for Australia’s First Nations, read this post that also has links to useful websites.)

Special guests

Victoria Helen Stone

Victoria Helen Stone, author of the runaway best seller Jane Doe, writes critically acclaimed novels of dark intrigue and emotional suspense. She also published twenty-nine books as USA Today bestselling author Victoria Dahl and won the prestigious American Library Association Reading List award for best genre fiction. Victoria is passionate about dessert, true crime, and her terror of mosquitoes, which have targeted her in a diabolical conspiracy to hunt her down no matter the season.

Jane Doe is about a woman who decides to murder the man who drove her BFF to suicide.

Ilsa Evans

Ilsa Evans published fourteen books across a range of genres, from light fiction and short stories to memoir, murder mystery and YA fantasy. The prestigious Davitt (Sisters in Crime) Awards shortlisted two of her books. Ilsa’s novel about domestic violence, Broken, was an Australian best-seller. Women’s Weekly selected Broken for their Book of the Month.

Ilsa also teaches creative writing students, writes social commentary, and was published in several newspapers and online journals. In 2011, she received the Eliminating Violence Against Women (EVA) Award for online journalism.

Ilsa’s latest book is Family Baggage, released on International Women’s Day in 2023. Her previous book, the Unusual Abduction of Avery Conifer, is a humorous and heartwarming tale about 3 grandmas who abduct their grand and great-granddaughter and go on the run.

For those outside of Australia looking for Ilsa’s books, she’s working on releasing her books internationally. Watch this space and/or sign up for Ilsa’s newsletter.

Katherine Kovacic

Katherine Kovacic was a veterinarian but preferred training and having fun with dogs to taking their temperatures. She seized the chance to return to study and earned an MA, followed by a PhD in Art History. Katherine spends her spare time writing, dancing and teaching other people’s dogs to ride skateboards.

Katherine’s latest book is about a group of sisters of murdered women who decide to murder the murdering men. Harper Collins Australia published Seven Sisters. The byline: “Men get away with murder all the time. Now it’s our turn.”

USA release of Seven Sisters is under discussion so follow Katherine to keep track of progress.

Some of my interview questions for International Women’s Day

Why write stories about domestic violence?

How and why do you imbue humor and heart warming moments into stories like these?

What stories in any medium influenced your writing?

Why Antarctica? (Ilsa Evans will be in Antarctica for International Women’s Day. AND when her next book is launched!)

Please tell us about your next books or, if you don’t have an imminent launch, tell us about another of your books.

Thank you all for being such excellent guests.

The wrap

This has been a Dark Matter Zine podcast. I’m your host Nalini Haynes. I’ve been talking to Ilsa Evans, Katherine Kovacic and Victoria Helen Stone for this, the International Women’s Day podcast for 2023. This recording is taking place a month before International Women’s Day so watch this space to hear who my next guest will be.  Thank you for listening, stay safe and have fun

Related:

“We are a great group of salty women”: International Women’s Day panel includes Jennifer Iacopelli, Tabitha Bird and Hannah Capin Katherine Kovacic loves dogs. Her murdering characters love dogs. “KidLit panel”: Nat Amoore, Andrew Levins, Adrian Beck