Modern Romance with Melanie Saward and Leesa Ronald

With the recent explosion of romance books hitting the shelves, join two of Australia’s unique voices for a conversation on writing modern Australian romances. Join Melanie Saward and  Leesa Ronald for an exciting book talk centered on contemporary love stories. Melanie’s Love Unleashed explores the complexities of modern relationships and the transformative power of love, while Leesa’s Special Delivery takes readers on a heartfelt journey of unexpected romance, second chances, and personal growth.

Melanie 

Melanie Saward is a proud Bigambul and Wakka Wakka woman. She is a writer, editor, and university lecturer based in Tulmur (Ipswich), Queensland. Her debut novel Burn was published by Affirm Press in September 2023 and she’s also had work published in the literary journals Griffith Review, Meanjin, Overland, Kill Your Darlings, and has fiction published in the anthologies Flock: First Nations Stories Then and Now, and New Australian Fiction. In 2024, her first romantic comedy novel, Love Unleashed, was published by Penguin Random House.

Leesa 

Leesa Ronald  grew up on a farm in Central West NSW and used schoolwork as an excuse to avoid sheepwork. Luckily, her parents indulged her ‘commitment’ to her studies, which sparked her  lifelong love of words and an enduring fear of hard labour. Prior to getting absorbed into corporate/mum life, Leesa’s writing won awards through the Poetry Institute of Australia, the Banjo Paterson Poetry Festival and ABC’s Heywire writing competition. Her work has been published in Style, Mamamia, HealthSmart, Women’s Health and all international editions of Reader’s Digest. Leesa is currently enrolled in a Curtis Brown Creative writing course and is working on her second novel. Her debut book Special Delivery was published by Allen & Unwin in 2024.