Tales from the Book Nook

Hosted by Kate Toon

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Episodes

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-AU

About the show

Big stories from a little bookshop Join Book Nook owner, author and digital marketing mentor Kate Toon for behind-the-scenes moments, author interviews, reviews, and all the fun that happens in an independent bookshop.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

September 2, 2026Episode 735 min

Chat & Chapter: Creating unease and mystery in Haze with Sam Elliott

Welcome to Tales from the Book Nook, and I'm excited to have another author in my grips. Today I'm talking to Sam Elliott about his excellent debut novel, Haze. In this episode, we chat about what makes a great crime novel and the importance of character-driven narratives. Sam shared the inspiration behind Haze, drawing from his childhood memories and the devastating 2019-2020 bushfires. We talked about the unsettling atmosphere in the book, how Sam's writing process often starts with a single image, and his journey from dodgy publishers to Pan Macmillan. Stay til the end for Sam's advice for aspiring authors, and a tidbit about his next book. Get Haze by Sam Elliott Useful resources: Visit the online shop Check out our book clubs See our upcoming events Freebies: Get the 100 Checklist Join our Facebook community

August 27, 2026Episode 633 min

Nook Gossip: The secret life of a bookstagrammer with Martin Evans

Listen in hear about Martin's journey as a book lover and social media creator, his passion for supporting Australian authors, and his thoughts on book trends and social media culture. We talked about the challenges and best practices for bookshops on social media, the importance of authenticity, and the divisiveness in the book community around genres and formats like audiobooks. Martin shared his reading history, favourite genres, and recommendations for getting back into reading. We also discussed the issue of "tea" or gossip in the book world, the ethics of paid reviews, and the responsibility of influencers. Follow Martin Evans Useful resources: Visit the online shop Check out our book clubs See our upcoming events Freebies: Get the 100 Checklist Join our Facebook community

August 20, 2026Episode 530 min

Chat & Chapter: Exploring Brotherhood and Redemption in Teeth Kicker with Glenn Orgias

Welcome to Tales from the Book Nook. Today we have another author on the show, Glenn Orgias, here to talk about his fabulous new book, Teeth Kicker. Teeth Kicker is a crime novel set in 1990s Newcastle that follows Vincent, a man trying to make amends with his estranged brother while working as a reluctant debt collector for a loan shark. The novel explores themes of brotherhood, forgiveness, and redemption, with influences from shows like Breaking Bad and Mr. Inbetween. Glenn discusses how his writing process took approximately 8-10 years, including time spent writing short stories to learn fiction craft before focusing on the novel. He shares how he worked with a writing group, found an agent through querying, and was quickly snapped up by HarperCollins after the agent connected with the publisher. Get Teeth Kicker by Glenn Orgias Useful resources: Visit the online shop Check out our book clubs See our upcoming events Freebies: Get the 100 Checklist Join our Facebook community

August 12, 2026Episode 432 min

Chat & Chapter: How The Farm came together with Jessica Mansour-Nahra

In this episode, I am chatting with author Jessica Mansour-Nahra. We discussed Jessica's writing career, focusing on her debut novel "The Farm," a gothic thriller set on an Australian farm, and her new book "The Burn," a climate suspense novel. Jessica shared insights into her writing process, her experience with the Faber Academy, and how her personal experiences, such as pregnancy loss and her relationship with her dog, influenced her work. We also talked about the publishing process, including Jessica's two-book deal with Hachette Australia and the importance of dogs, book covers and editing. Get Jessica's books: The Farm The Burn Useful resources: Visit the online shop Check out our book clubs See our upcoming events Freebies: Get the 100 Checklist Join our Facebook community

August 6, 2026Episode 314 min

Nook Reviews: War, Ghosts, and Ancient Magic: 3 Kids Classics You Have To Read

In today's episode, we're reviewing three classic children's books that are a little darker, richer, and more mysterious than the average cosy bedtime story. The Machine Gunners by Robert Westall takes us into wartime Britain, where children stumble into danger after finding a German machine gun. The Ghost of Thomas Kempe by Penelope Lively brings us a haunted house, a mischievous spirit, and a boy no one quite believes. The Dark Is Rising by Susan Coope r sweeps us into myth, magic, winter, and the ancient battle between Light and Dark. Expect wartime danger, haunted houses, ancient magic, and big questions about what children's books can really do. Useful resources: Visit the online shop Check out our book clubs See our upcoming events Freebies: Get the 100 Checklist Join our Facebook community

July 28, 2026Episode 215 min

Behind the Nook: How easy is it to open an independent bookshop?

Welcome to the first episode fo Tales From The Book Nook. In it I'll address the common question of how to open an independent bookshop, providing a realistic perspective on the challenges and considerations involved. I discussed key factors including: location selection (focusing on affordable rent, high foot traffic, and good neighboring businesses), infrastructure planning, technology requirements, stock sourcing and management, and the importance of proper curation and layout design. While opening a bookshop can be rewarding, it requires treating it as a business first rather than just a passion project, highlighting the narrow profit margins, staffing needs, and the significant time and financial investment required, especially in the first few years. Useful resources: Visit the online shop Check out our book clubs See our upcoming events Freebies: Get the 100 Checklist Join our Facebook community

July 22, 2026Episode 12 min

Welcome to Tales from the Book Nook

Hi, I'm Kate Toon, the owner of The Book Nook in Umina, and welcome to my new podcast, Tales from The Book Nook, which will share behind-the-scenes moments from running an indie bookshop, author interviews, book reviews, and stories about the unique community interactions that happen in the store. We'll have four main episode types: Behind the Nook for sharing bookshop processes and challenges, Chat and Chapter for author conversations, Nook Reviews for honest book assessments, and Nook Gossip featuring funny customer moments and shop stories. Subscribe for regular updates about the bookshop's adventures. Useful resources: Visit the online shop Check out our book clubs See our upcoming events Freebies: Get the 100 Checklist Join our Facebook community

September 9, 2025Episode 3638 min

SFWYS: How books can impact your profile and business with Fiona Killackey (Success Story)

So you want to make money while you sleep, but what does that look like in reality? How can an everyday human go from servicing customers one-to-one to creating one-to-many automated digital passive income products? Today, we're talking to a real-life ADPIPer, Fiona Killackey, about how she created her ADPIP empire, how she used her book to boost it, the challenges, the wins, and the lessons she has for you. Tune in to learn: How Fiona got started as a marketing strategist, and why she switched to business coaching The pros and cons of having a membership Why creating a personal connection with an audience through a podcast or book is incredibly effective How Fiona uses her podcasting as part of her onboarding process Why sharing who you are and what you believe within your marketing works best in the long term for customer retention How Fiona got her first book written and published How writing books impacted Fiona's profile and her business How having passive income brings a lot of freedom to Fiona's lifestyle Useful resources: Buy my book: Six Figures While You Sleep Join the Six Figures While You Sleep Program Join the Digital Marketing Collective membership Head to episode notes Freebies: Personal Branding Workbook Productivity Cheat Sheet Join the Misfit Entrepreneurs on Facebook

August 13, 2025Episode 3530 min

SFWYS: How to know when your ADPIP isn't working with Kara Lambert (Success Story)

So you want to make money while you sleep, but what does that look like in reality? How can an everyday human go from servicing customers one-to-one to creating one-to-many automated digital passive income products? Today, we're talking to a real-life ADPIPer, Kara Lambert, about how she created her ADPIPs, the challenges, the wins and what to do when your ADPIPs no longer fit with the business adventure you are on. Tune in to learn: How Kara started her ADPIP empire Kara's specialty as a traditional business coach and her focus on the psychology of business How Kara realised her course wasn't serving what her audience wanted How to pivot to workshops and memberships The benefits of offering one-on-one coaching Why people are more interested in networking in person What Kara plans to focus on with her ADPIPs in the future Useful resources: Come to my Test Before You Invest Workshop Buy my book: Six Figures While You Sleep Join the Six Figures While You Sleep Program Join the Digital Marketing Collective membership Head to episode notes Freebies: Personal Branding Workbook Productivity Cheat Sheet Join the Misfit Entrepreneurs on Facebook

July 15, 2025Episode 3440 min

SFWYS: Maintaining successful memberships with Shan Morrison (Success Story)

So you want to make money while you sleep, but what does that look like in reality? How can an everyday human go from servicing customers one-to-one to creating one-to-many automated digital passive income products? Today, we're talking to Shan Morrison about how he supports others to help them build their ADPIP empires. We're gonna talk through the challenges, the wins, and the lessons he's learned along the way. Tune in to learn: How Shan started working for Stay Tooned How Shan helps other business owners How memberships work Why business owners should choose the membership model What type of entrepreneurs' memberships are suitable for Where to start setting up your membership How to set up realistic boundaries within your community Which platforms work best for memberships How pricing and subscriptions work The differences between making a course vs. a membership Useful resources: Buy my book: Six Figures While You Sleep Join the Six Figures While You Sleep Program Join the Digital Marketing Collective membership Head to episode notes Freebies: Personal Branding Workbook Productivity Cheat Sheet Join the Misfit Entrepreneurs on Facebook