Meet the Author: Melissa Doyle - North Lakes

In early 2020, for the first time in her life, journalist Melissa Doyle had trouble sleeping.

Her 50th birthday was nearing, the show she anchored had been cancelled, and her eldest son was about to leave the country. The idea of a book about ways to cope with personal upheaval started to form in her mind.

Then the pandemic hit, and everything changed. All of humanity was feeling deeply uneasy and uncertain, and livelihoods, relationships and mental health were affected.

Melissa found herself reflecting on some of the extraordinary people she’d met over the years – women and men who were able to find their way through the darkest of times. Could these inspiring people share how they were able to navigate their experiences and grief?

So 15 Seconds of Brave was born.

Melissa shares the stories of eight incredible people, the events life has thrown at them and how they were able to get through their experiences: Meet Tonya, whose daughter killed her father; Grace, who was abducted into a life of slavery with the Ugandan Lord’s Resistance Army – and forced to be a child bride to the man who killed her father; and Danny, whose three children and niece were tragically killed in a hit and run accident in Western Sydney. These brave men and women show how hope can prevail and we can all, as one remarkable little boy put it, find our "fifteen seconds of brave".

"As natural as it is to feel apprehensive about the future nowadays, engaging again with these remarkable women and men has buoyed me during the most turbulent time I can remember. As difficult as their journeys have been, I’m grateful for their candour, their courage and their wisdom. I have learned a lot from them. I hope you will, too." - Melissa Doyle

Free. Bookings required. Doors open at 6:30 PM for 7:00 PM start.

Melissa Doyle will be signing copies of 15 Seconds of Brave. Copies of 15 Seconds of Brave will be available for purchase on the night.

About the author: Journalist, TV presenter, radio host, author, wife and mum of two, Melissa is one of the best-known and trusted people in the Australian media with more than 30 years experience.