Madeleine D'Este's Blog

Dear Reader

Black Soil White Bread is free from Amazon until 19-August 2025.

Help yourself a slice of Australian folk-horror.

———–

When Nancy reopens her great-aunt Agnes’s award-winning bakery, she doesn’t understand why the locals avoid her shop.

And why they call it ‘the witch house’?

After discovering an old recipe book in the shed, Nancy’s muffins sell out. But when weird things happen and old rumours resurface, who can Nancy trust? And who is telling the truth?

Folklore-inspired Black Soil...

The amazing Laurie and Veronica were kind enough to invite me onto the Australian Book Lovers Podcast – Writer’s Room with science-fantasy author Zena Shapter to talk all things writing and about my new book Black Soil White Bread.

Check us out on Youtube below or find it in your usual podcast app.

The post Interview on Australian Book Lovers Podcast appeared first on .

The physical proofs for Black Soil White Bread are here!

But if you can’t wait, or you are an ebook only person, you can get hold of Black Soil White Bread on 10 June 2025.

I can’t wait to hear what you think.

The post Black Soil White Bread – sneak peek at paperbacks! appeared first on .

Here’s a little sneak peek of Page 1 of my upcoming supernatural mystery folk-horror novel – ‘Black Soil White Bread‘.

Pre-order now for an introductory price of $1.99. Available on 10 June 2025.

2018 – NANCY

Chew, chew

Where are you?

Sister, sister

Black and blue.

Three small girls in knee-length school uniforms sang. Above their heads, orange bunting fluttered from every maple tree and lamppost down Station Street. They squealed as they sprinted past the bakery.

‘Last one gets gobbled up ...

I’m stoked to announce the release of my “new” supernatural mystery novel, Black Soil White Bread on 10 June 2025.

Pre-orders are open on Amazon for an introductory price of $1.99 and for a short time, Black Soil White Bread will be available on Kindle Unlimited.

Black Soil White Bread has been lost in the wilderness for a few years, but I’ve got my publishing rights back and now I’m excited to share it with you.

The post Black Soil White Bread – out on 10 June 2025 appeared first on .

The Call

Who answers their phone these days? Too many spam calls or charity muggers. But that day when my phone, on silent as normal, jittered across the glass coffee table, the caller ID made me frown.

It was my own number.

Before I knew what I was doing, I swiped and pressed the handset to my ear.

‘Who…’ said a robotic voice, with long pauses between each word.

‘Do

You

Want

Dead?’

I gasped and threw down the phone on the couch. My heart clattered as it bounced on the faux suede.

‘Who was that?...

I’ve been lucky enough to spend the last week at the Michael King Writers Centre in Auckland, squirrelling away on a psychological thriller manuscript.

The MKWC offers residential stays for ‘writers-in-residence’ and international ‘visiting writers’ in the old Signalman’s House on slopes of Takarunga Mt Victoria in Devonport, Auckland.

The Centre is halfway up the hill in the background.

The Centre offers peace and quiet, a beautiful natural setting with lots of walks nearby, as well as close...

Very exciting news!

Radcliffe is a finalist in the Aurealis Awards 2023 for Best Horror Novella.

The Aurealis Awards are Australia’s premier awards for speculative fiction and I am over the moon.

The post Radcliffe nominated for an Aurealis Award! appeared first on .

A new short story of mine – ‘A Small Price to Pay’ is available on CommuterLit.com.

The story, about apps and influencers, explore my own fears about the influence of technology and the control it can wield over our lives.

Enjoy.

The post ‘A Small Price to Pay’ – new short story at CommuterLit appeared first on .

Happy Sunday!

I’m thrilled to learn that Radcliffe won the Critters Readers’ Poll for Best Mystery Novel 2023.

Thank you to all who voted.

The post Radcliffe – winner of Best Mystery Novel 2023 appeared first on .