Rose's Vintage by Kayte Nunn *Guest Post, Review & Giveaway*

Rose's Vintage by Kayte Nunn *Guest Post, Review & Giveaway*

Hey Everyone!

I'd like to introduce you to Kayte Nunn, who has just released her debut novel, Rose's Vintage. Don't forget to enter the giveaway at the bottom for your chance to win one of two paperback copies of  Rose's Vintage (open to Australian residents only). Handing the reins over to Kayte.


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Without being really aware of it, I have always written - diaries, bad poetry, little bits of stories and so on. After studying English and Publishing at university I worked in book publishing as an assistant and then an editor. Realising that I wanted to do more of my own writing, I went to work in magazines, first as a features writer, a copy editor and then an editor. 

I have been a freelance features writer and project editor for five years, and it was during this time that I began to write fiction. ROSE'S VINTAGE came about as I was musing one day what it would be like to arrive in Australia and find it completely unlike anything you'd expected. Its vineyard setting came about as a result of many visits to wineries during the years I edited Gourmet Traveller WINE magazine. I loved the sense of community I found in these regions, and wanted to capture that in the novel.

I have finished a second book in the series, called The Angel's Share (yet to be published), and both books sold at auction to Piper verlag in Germany. 

I am currently working on my third novel, a historical thriller.



Guest Post - Writing Tips

Kayte Nunn is the author of Rose’s Vintage, a novel set in the fictional Australian winemaking region of the Shingle Valley. Here she shares a few tips for getting started as a writer. 

1.     Read. It goes without saying that if you are not a reader then you have no business thinking of becoming a writer. But, more importantly, read critically – re-read your favourite books and try to work out what you love about them. Is it how the author builds tension, the language they use, the way they start and finish paragraphs, the detail they include, how they create the voice of the main characters, even the balance between description and dialogue.

2.     Write the book you would love to read – you’re going to be working on this project for a long time, possibly even years, so it makes sense to spend your time on something that appeals to you.

3.     Pay attention – to what’s going on around you, how people speak, to language, to slang, to what you are reading, to the little details of a person’s appearance, to landscape. Think about how you’d write about these things.

4.     Set yourself goals – whether that is writing for an hour a day or 500 words a day, or setting your alarm and getting up earlier to write a few mornings a week. Turn off the TV and write. Think about your story when you’re not writing and make notes as ideas come to you – always have a notebook handy, or even use the notes function on your phone.

5.     Be a storyteller, not just a writer. Storytelling is an art, but it can be learned. It’s like opening up the back of a watch and seeing how it all works. Read a few books on creative writing, take a workshop or a course run by a writer you admire if you can. A couple of books that were recommended to me and were particularly helpful were Stephen King’s On Writing, Donald Maass’ Writing the Breakout Novel, and Immediate Fiction by Jerry Cleaver.

6.     Have courage and ignore the tiny voice in your head telling you it’s not worth it, or your writing is terrible, or it’s all too hard. Just keep going!


Rose’s Vintage is published on April 18 by Black Inc Books and is available on Amazon.co.uk or from Book Depository. 

Connect with Kayte via



Rose's Vintage by Kayte Nunn

British blow-in, Rose Bennett, is heartbroken, overweight, irritable and a long way from home. She isn’t sure what exactly she’s doing at Kalkari Wines in the Australian Shingle Valley – it’s the middle of winter and far from the lush, romantic vineyard setting she’d been expecting. 

Her brother thinks she’s spying for him, her bad-tempered new boss thinks she’s the au pair and the nanny can’t wait for her to clean the place up. 

Discovering pagan bonfire ceremonies, bizarre winemaking practices and a valley full of eccentric locals, Rose just wishes she’d ended up somewhere a bit warmer. But as the weather improves, the valley reveals its beauty, and Rose starts to fall in love: with the valley, the wines, the two children she’s helping to look after, and one of the men there. 

When her boss’s estranged wife returns and her brother descends, wanting answers, Rose is forced to make the hardest decision of her life.




Hey! Here's my review.



This is the latest in the string of lighthearted Aussie vineyard romances that I've read. I love them and keep coming back for more. I thought I had this one all figured out, but Kayte threw a few twists at me to keep me on my toes.

I loved Rose, although I wanted to talk some sense into her at times. If she wants some warm Aussie weather, she can come visit me in Darwin! The kids were adorable and the ex-wife a manipulative psycho, the perfect mix to keep things entertaining. 


I received this book free in exchange for an honest review.

★★★★

  • Where: Author Invitation
  • Format: ebook