VIDEO CONTENT BEGINS AT 6 MINS

This week on Writes4Women, guest host Michelle Barraclough sits down with bestselling author and fellow podcaster Jessica Dettmann to chat about her brand new novel Your Friend and Mine. From ghost letters and dead best friends to the joy of researching in stylish trench coats, this conversation is full of warmth, humour, and beautifully honest insights into the writing life.

Michelle and Jess explore:

* The power of midlife reinvention and detoured dreams

* How a few ghost seats in a London theatre helped shape the plot

* Research trips, pop culture references, and writing with hyperrealism

* Why epistolary fiction is the ultimate cheat code

* Crafting fiction that makes you laugh and ache—often at the same time

Whether you’re a writer, a reader, or just someone wondering what your younger self might think of you now…this ep is a joy.

Timestamps:

[00:00] – Pam’s intro + Substack reset updates[00:06:00] – Meet Jess (and her time as the City of Sydney Christmas Angel)[00:10:00] – The spark behind Your Friend and Mine[00:14:00] – “Somebody invent a new animal” (on cooking + midlife drudgery)[00:20:00] – London research trip, ghost theatres, and Google Maps sleuthing[00:24:00] – Writing letters from the dead, and why it works[00:29:00] – The real ending, and what makes an editor great[00:34:00] – Writing funny when things are dark[00:38:00] – Events, readers, and what’s next for Jess

✨ ABOUT JESSICA DETTMANJessica Dettmann is the bestselling author of How to Be Second Best, This Has Been Absolutely Lovely, and Without Further Ado. Her fourth novel, Your Friend and Mine, is a warm, wise, and hilarious exploration of grief, friendship, and reinvention. A former editor and once-upon-a-time Christmas Angel for the City of Sydney, Jess lives in Sydney with her family, two cats, and an enviable wit.

What readers are saying about Your Friend and Mine…

🎤 ABOUT MICHELLE BARRACLOUGHMichelle Barraclough is an emerging writer and host of the much-loved Writer’s Book Club podcast. She’s also a web designer at Fresh Web Design (responsible for Pam’s stunning author site), and a dear friend of Jess’s—making her the perfect guest host for this ep.

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