Forever Young: Finding Ursula

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We would never have found my cousin Ursula if it wasn’t for the amazing team at the AFP including Marina Simoncini and our much loved Rebecca Kotz, who lives on in our hearts.
Marina, Beck and I in Sydney in 2015, searching for Ursula.

Write About Me

I took a copy of my newly published book Write About Me to give to  Beck in Canberra in 2013 to ask if she could go into the back end of their website and update the details they had wrong about her disappearance including eye and hair colour and date she went missing (so naive!!).
Beck had a box of tissues and used as many as I did when I told her how long we’d lived not knowing where Ursula was (at that time it was 26 years). From that day on she never gave up on getting NSW police to put fresh eyes on the case, then we were so blessed they put the eyes of Kurt & Amy from Kings Cross Detectives onto it a year later.
After Ursula was Found, Australian Story weren’t able to fit everyone who played a crucial role in finding Ursula into their 30-minute episode, but they all feature prominently in the book I’ve written which I might publish one of these days.

Join the conversation – book club for Write About Me

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When I was in my late twenties a friend and I started a book club in the tiny rural Victoria town of Minyip, home of the television series The Flying Doctors. Nikki and I wanted to discover books that were not on bestseller lists, to challenge ourselves by reading books we would never consider purchasing in a bookshop, and to find books that didn’t follow a formula. Okay, we also wanted an excuse to get together and drink wine!

I have since moved away and our book club is no longer running, but many of us still keep in touch and remember the wonderful books we read and the robust discussions each book inspired. Although I had always wanted to be an author, I never imagined that one day book clubs just like mine would be reading and discussing my books.

I have prepared questions and answered a few as well for Book Clubs to get you started. And make sure you have a glass of wine for me! I’d also be happy to join your book club discussion – get in touch and we can arrange a live stream from anywhere in the world.

  • If you would like to join a book club discussion with the University of Southern Queensland, they are hosting a webinar with me on Thursday, 24 August 2023 – between 7pm – 8pm Brisbane, Australia Time Zone to coincide with National Missing Persons Week. Anyone is welcome to join and you’ll find details HERE.

 

Reader review for Write About Me

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When someone takes the time to leave a review on one of my books, my heart sings! Reviews on sites such as Amazon and Goodreads also help my books get noticed among the millions of other books that are all vying for attention. Here is one which made my day/week/year for Write About Me:

“I am amazed at how deftly Melissa Pouliot wove her stories around what could (and no doubt does) happen when someone goes missing. Centering around the intricate webs of daily life, a simple decision like whether to turn left or to turn right, a decision any one of us could make on any given day, makes all the difference in someone’s survival.

I am also grateful that this story has opened my eyes to the plight of Missing Persons and that if I ever notice something ‘not quite right’ I know to reach out to a person and/or turn to the various resources in our community without hesitation. My heart goes out to all family and friends of Missing Persons ~ may your loved ones be found!”

  • To find my books and leave a review please visit my Amazon Author Page.

True crime podcast recommendations

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books Write About Me Found

Continuing on the theme of fact or fiction, I’ve been travelling a lot and listening to true crime podcast series including Casefile, ‘The Detective’s Dilemma’. This took me back to 2014 when a retired UK Detective Inspector, Chris Gould, read Write About Me then asked me to endorse a safety app inspired by the case in this podcast.

I’ve dug into the archives for the story I wrote about meeting Chris, it was such a big moment for me. It also highlights is how far technology has come since 2014! Back then I couldn’t believe there was an app that could help track a missing person’s last movements, never imagining that 9 years later we would have an app to track just about every little thing. Read How an author and 2 knights make a SafeKnight.

The Detectives Dilemma true crime podcast also highlights is how people can get away with murder on a technicality and really honours the trauma their families endure. Another true crime podcast series that further emphasises this point is ‘Matty’ on Casefile which I also highly recommend. Matty’s father has a great quote – “It is not a justice system, it’s just a system.”

And the number #1 podcast on Spotify right now is ‘The Frankston Murders’. I am yet to listen but I am so looking forward to it. This is narrated by Australian true crime podcaster and author Vikki Petraitis (who came to my Sisters in Crime event in my hometown last year) and is part of a really big push to prevent a serial killer from being released from jail.

PODCAST LINKS

 

Fact Or Fiction, Or That Dangerous Space Inbetween?

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“I don’t think that would happen in real life, it’s not believable.”

I was indignant at the comments of a former editor of my books who felt one of the storylines about a missing teenager was taking the crime and trauma she went through to unrealistic levels. I fought hard against her editing advice and didn’t change a thing. As a writer you need to have confidence in your words and stick by the work you have created. As a self-published author it is a lot easier for me to do this, and I wonder what it would be like for traditionally published authors who hand their manuscript over to a publishing house and potentially lose some of that decision making.

I’ve always strived to stay true to writing from somewhere real. My self-published stories come from a deep dark place inside myself and are inspired by my early media career in outback Queensland and rural Victoria reporting on stories you couldn’t even dream up. Add into the mix that I lived for 30 years without knowing what happened to my cousin Ursula. Our family agonised over her whereabouts, wondering if she was a victim of serial killer Ivan Milat. The last confirmed sighting of Ursula in 1987 was in Kings Cross Sydney; we also wondered whether she’d gotten caught up in police corruption, or if she had become part of the Underbelly scene of this time.

Writing and self-publishing crime fiction has become an escape from reality for me, and as an avid reader of crime fiction, I want to write books that other readers can escape into as well. I also want to leave you wondering – is this fact or fiction or that dangerous space inbetween?

  • Write About Me sparked a new investigation into the cold case mystery of Ursula Dianne Barwick. Australian Story’s episode Forever Young tries to untangle the tangled story which led us to the truth.

How an author and 2 knights make a SafeKnight

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From the archives

I wrote this blog in 2014, soon after I met retired UK Detective Inspector Chris Gould, who was instrumental in helping me put together fresh evidence for my cousin Ursula Barwick’s case and take it to NSW Police, resulting in new Kings Cross detectives being assigned, helping us solve the 30 year mystery of Ursula’s disappearance. Chris also endorsed my debut crime fiction bestseller Write About Me, describing it as ‘enthralling, emotionally and psychologically accurate’ (read full review below).

My reasons for digging this story out of the archives is having listened to two podcast series. I highly recommend them and have included links for you to download!

Posted on January 31, 2014 

Recently I met two knights. Their names are Chris Gould and Chris Hawthorn.

Knight 1 is Chris Gould, chairman and founder of Child-Safe International. Knight 2 is Chris Hawthorn, who founded The SafeKnight Foundation and poured his life savings into developing the SafeKnight mobile phone app. This free app is BBC Click’s Best App of 2012 and was a top five finalist in a World Youth & Student Travel Conference competition in Sydney last September.

I have decided to refer to them as Knight 1 and 2 instead of Chris 1 and 2 because what they are doing all over the world for young people can truly be likened to ‘knights in shining armour’.

Knight 1 Chris Gould contacted me  after reading ‘Write About Me’, my debut crime fiction bestseller about a missing Australian teenager called Annabelle Brown which is inspired by my cousin Ursula Barwick, missing for more than 26 years.

I have met Knight 1 in person and Knight 2 Chris Hawthorn via the virtual world.

It is an honour and a privilege to be collaborating with them  to help prevent young people from going missing and to find missing people via this amazing technology.

Write About Me Review

By Chris Gould

As an ex-professional who has worked on numerous cases of missing people, I found the story enthralling, emotionally and psychologically accurate with a wide range of implicit messages and support for those families and friends who have ever found themselves in such an awful position.

Advances in the development of social media; support in Australia with the introduction of the AFP National Missing Persons Co-ordination Centre, Crimestoppers, Missing Persons Advocacy Network (MPAN), Australian Missing Persons Register and other such organisations, campaigns and technology – there is today, much more help available than in the 1980s.

Child-Safe International and the SafeKnight Foundation are now collaborating with author Melissa Pouliot to endorse her book ‘Write About Me’ and to promote a new FREE mobile download safety app called SafeKnight. A tool not available for those like Ursula Barwick (a case on which “Write About Me’ is based, in the 1980s).

‘Write About Me‘ is an excellent read and I would like to personally give it my endorsement and support. Once started, I couldn’t put the book down. A tribute to the author.

Kind words for Write About Me & Found

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books Write About Me Found

What I love most about being an author is getting feedback from my readers on my two crime fiction series – the Missing Annabelle Brown Series and the Rhiannon Series. It’s not all positive and it does require developing a thick skin, but the kind words far outweigh those that are not so kind! When I’m doubting my ability as a writer or suffering from writer’s block and feel stuck on my work in progress, I go to my reviews to remind me – this is why I write!!

Here is one book review from Write About Me which is book 1 in the Annabelle Brown Missing Series that has absolutely made my day.

I am amazed at how deftly Melissa Pouliot wove her stories around what could (and no doubt does) happen when someone goes missing. Centering around the intricate webs of daily life, a simple decision like whether to turn left or to turn right, a decision any one of us could make on any given day, makes all the difference in someone’s survival.

I am also grateful that this story has opened my eyes to the plight of Missing Persons and that if I ever notice something ‘not quite right’ I know to reach out to a person and/or turn to the various resources in our community without hesitation. My heart goes out to all family and friends of Missing Persons ~ may your loved ones be found!

And another book review for the sequel, Found.

Page turning, gripping and beautifully written. Heartbreaking and heartwarming. FOUND highlights an issue that affects so many, missing, and gives you a very personal insight into what it’s like for those who are left behind. Bring tissues.

Book Boxes made with love

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Every year for as long as I can remember my husband’s parents put together a Christmas hamper for us filled with treasures they’ve collected during the year. Each item in these hampers has been thoughtfully added, and it’s always so much fun looking through because many of these items reflect the trips they’ve taken and the places they’ve visited which they want to share with us.

You can imagine my delight when a business that’s started near where I live on the coast approached me to add my crime novels into their hampers. 4 Blue Stones started as food welcome packs for motels to include in their accommodation packages, and has evolved into pamper hampers, wedding hampers, Valentine’s hampers and now book boxes!

Wendy is the owner behind 4 Blue Stones and she spends a lot of time sourcing local products and thinking how they best go together – she’s paired my books with wine, chocolate, biscuits, hand cream, candles, tea – the options are endless!

I just love how she’s styled Write About Me, my debut bestseller inspired by the cold case mystery of my cousin Ursula who went missing when we were teenagers. What Wendy didn’t realise when she styled it with the gorgeous yellow flower biscuit is that yellow was Ursula’s favourite colour. Synchronicity!

What would you love to receive a book box with one of your favourite books? If you have any suggestions and ideas I’ll pass them on to Wendy!

Yellow Sunbird

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This week is National Missing Persons Week in Australia, which is an opportunity for the media, the community and the world to take a moment for the many thousands of people who go missing every day and the families and friends who are left wondering. In Australia the number of reported missing people is around 145 a day, or 53,000 a year.

Can you imagine for a moment how many people who are impacted by that? A LOT.  I am one of those.

My experience when my cousin Ursula went missing when we were teenagers was traumatic, complex and impossible to describe in a few sentences. Which is why I have written many many sentences and turned them into a whole book.

The title is Yellow Sunbird and I’m working with an amazing woman in the US who is super excited to read my work, who is helping me edit and get it ready to send to publishers. I thought to mark National Missing Persons Week I would share with you the opening chapter. I’d love to know how it makes you feel.

Melissa x
………………………

May 6, 2016, 6.31pm

The usual Friday night. A race to meet my unmeetable work deadlines, three tired kids, and an even more tired Mum seriously contemplating serving dinner from a can. Wondering if I’d have the energy, after they had all settled in their beds, to sit back at my computer to continue editing my fourth crime novel.

You’ll Never Find Me is the title, reflecting the excruciating frustration at the twists and turns of the past three years, and the twenty-six before that. My angst burns bright on the pages and my chapter plan and narrative arc are all over the shop. This book is a dog’s breakfast and that’s exactly how my life was too.

I’d forgotten to turn my mobile onto silent and its stupid ringtone added fuel to my burning stress pile. With a frown, which had deepened considerably and was in need of Botox, I see unknown number.

Since I started searching three years ago with renewed vigour, earnest and blind desperation for my cousin Ursula, who disappeared in 1987, I  discovered ‘unknown number’ could be one of two people. Someone from the Australian Federal Police or one of the two dedicated and tenacious Kings Cross detectives investigating her case.

The other person it could be was my accountant, but I doubted he would call after six on a Friday.

It is Aims, or rather, Detective Senior Constable Amy Scott. She apologised for it being late, explained she didn’t want to call during work hours. She said she wanted to leave me a weekend before having to face the weekly routine again. That she would prefer to sit down face to face. That she didn’t know where to start.

By now I had moved rooms and was sitting in the quietest place in the house, on the edge of my bed. I had shut the bedroom door to muffle the household chaos.

The bedside lamp glowed a warm yellow and my feet gripped the white carpet, making me lose my train of thought as I wondered what possessed the previous owners to choose white. It is impossible to keep clean. I frown again as I noticed the vomit stain from a midnight visit from a child I can’t seem to get out. Mundane thoughts amongst madness, or maybe a sign of madness?

Finally finished with her bumbling around Aims brought me back to the here and now with five punchy, life-altering words.

‘We think we’ve found her.’

Search for Sky coming soon

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Missing people, the stark landscape of the Australian outback and the police system in the mid 90s combine for Melissa Pouliot’s next page-turning crime novel, Search for Sky. The fourth instalment in the Rhiannon Series picks up the story of detective Rhiannon McVee who has made a name for herself with her new approach to investigating missing persons cases. Her approach is simple – find them – but it’s not how the culture of the police system works. When someone starts leaving clues in the remote outback, leading Rhiannon closer and closer to a suspected serial killer, will the next body she discovers be the people she is searching for, or someone else?

Search for Sky is my much awaited sixth book after I took a break from writing when Kings Cross Detectives found my cousin Ursula in 2017 after a 30 year search.

Prior to that I released a book a year in an effort to keep public scrutiny on the disappearance of Ursula in 1987 when we were teenagers.

I’m thrilled to back into my fiction writing after taking a break. It has been a fairly intense few years for everyone that I know. For me, discovering what happened to Ursula and going through the coronial process, bushfires, COVID and moving house created the (im)perfect storm. Every time I tried to pick up this book which I started in 2017, the words wouldn’t come. It’s an age-old excuse for writers, but life definitely got in the way!

What is it about?

Hope can come from the most surprising of places.

In Australia Ayala Philips is still missing.
So is Keely Johnson.
So are thousands of others.
Their cases are getting colder and Rhiannon McVee’s hopes of solving them are fading.

When someone starts leaving clues in the remote Australian outback, leading Rhiannon closer and closer to a suspected serial killer, will the next body she discovers be Ayala, Keely or someone else?

Crime fiction inspired by real life, written by the cousin of one of Australia’s most compelling and heartbreaking missing persons cases.