The Bush Telegraph marks the return of a character from one of her previous novels, and while it isn't technically a sequel, Fiona was still happy for the chance to bring one of her creations full circle.

"This is a standalone novel, but the story follows one of my old characters, Maddy Locke, who my readers might remember from my novel The Baby Doctor," she told the Argus.

"The story picks up eleven years after Maddy left Spinifex, the small outback town where she gave birth to her daughter, and she returns home to prove she's got what it takes to run the medical centre, facing the memories of that challenging time in her life.

"I fall in love with my characters, and it's hard to let them go, so it was great to be able to revisit Maddy."

Fiona's latest novel once again draws on her experience as a midwife, and she explores several key themes, including celebrating tough times and supporting others.

"I've met many women in the outback who are so resilient I love their survival instincts," she said.

"I really wanted to showcase something that not a lot of people would have seen or experienced, there is a vast world out there, and people do incredible things.

"I believe the world needs us to appreciate the inherent goodness and gentleness of people, to counter the negatives we see every day in the news."

This year has seen plenty of disruption and lock downs due to COVID-19, but Fiona has been able to use the time to focus on her writing and prepare another round of books for her readers.

Aside from The Bush Telegraph, the bestselling author has two upcoming novels, one set to debut in September of 2021 and another in September 2022, along with several special releases.

"I've recently gotten the rights back to some of my old books, I've decided to self publish them, I love the old stories but they just need a tweak to make them a bit more up to date," Fiona said.

"I'm very lucky to live in such a beautiful place in the Macleay, during the lock down I was able to sit back and enjoy the writing process, rather than focusing on racing to finish.

"I'm still doing plenty of author panels via zoom, which is great, but I love to travel and talk to people, I'll be happy when I can get back out there and start meeting readers face to face again."

Fiona McArthur's latest novel, The Bush Telegraph, will be available from next week, September 1.

For more information on Fiona and a full list of her books, head over to her website by clicking here.

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