Author Express podcast

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Innhold levert av Shawna Rodrigues, Kathleen Basi, Kristi Leonard, Shawna Rodrigues, Kathleen Basi, and Kristi Leonard. Alt podcastinnhold, inkludert episoder, grafikk og podcastbeskrivelser, lastes opp og leveres direkte av Shawna Rodrigues, Kathleen Basi, Kristi Leonard, Shawna Rodrigues, Kathleen Basi, and Kristi Leonard eller deres podcastplattformpartner. Hvis du tror at noen bruker det opphavsrettsbeskyttede verket ditt uten din tillatelse, kan du følge prosessen skissert her https://no.player.fm/legal.

<div class="span index">1</div> <span><a class="" data-remote="true" data-type="html" href="/series/ask-grumpy">Ask Grumpy</a></span>

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Ask Grumpy

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Ask Grumpy, a podcast featuring Steve Bender, AKA Southern Living’s Grumpy Gardener is back for Season 3. For more than 30 years, Grumpy has been sharing advice on what to grow, when to plant, and how to manage just about anything in your garden. Tune in for short episodes every Wednesday and Saturday as Grumpy answers reader questions, solves seasonal conundrums, and provides need-to-know advice for gardeners with his very Grumpy sense of humor. Be sure to follow Ask Grumpy wherever you listen so you don't miss an episode.

Author Express

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This is your place to hear the voice behind the pages of your favorite books. Here you’ll get a feel for the person who spent hours, weeks, months, and even years to fill the pages and build a world where you can not only use yourself but possibly find yourself as well. Our gift is a glance at the human side of writing; perhaps a morsel from the author’s childhood, insight on the character to which they are most attached, or a little on the passion that fueled the topics in the book. It’s your chance to get to know some of your favorite writers in a new light. We’ll give you a quick glimpse into their latest work and pique your interest in your next read, but we’ll also let you get to know a little about the authors themselves. As you’ll see in our episodes, we end up in some great conversations, whether they are about the historical significance of a topic, a laugh around chasing cows in the mud, or a few moments musing on travel and the best parts about visiting France. It is our goal to connect you with authors from varying genres and styles of writing and to keep in concert with our title by keeping them “Express” so you can easily work them into your weekly routine. This show is co-hosted by Kathleen Basi, Kristi Leonard, and Shawna Rodrigues. Kathleen Basi is a musical composer and songwriter, feature writer, essayist, nonfiction author, and of course, storyteller. Kristi Leonard is the owner and host of Writers in the Wild Retreats, nonfiction voice over artist, and president of the Women's Fiction Writers Association (WFWA). Shawna Rodrigues is a Podcast Strategist, Founder of Authentic Connections Podcast Network, Host of The Grit Show www.thegritshow.com, and Internationally Best-Selling Author.

124 episoder

#Society #Books #Conversations #Arts #Documentaries #Shawna Rodrigues, Kathleen Basi, Kristi Leonard #Kathleen Basi #Kristi Leonard #Shawna Rodrigues #Womens Fiction

Author Express

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124 episoder

#Society #Books #Conversations #Arts #Documentaries #Shawna Rodrigues, Kathleen Basi, Kristi Leonard #Kathleen Basi #Kristi Leonard #Shawna Rodrigues #Womens Fiction

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Author Express

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Defining Success, Embracing the Messy Middle, and Writing What Moves You -121 16:40

for 10 dager siden16:40

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Meet bestselling author Rochelle Weinstein in this episode of Author Express as she shares her heart-stirring journey from the world of music in Los Angeles to becoming a full-time novelist in Miami. Discover the real-life inspiration behind her latest novel, We Are Made of Stars , likened to "Virgin River meets White Lotus," and hear what makes her settings and characters so unforgettable. As host Kristi Leonard explores topics like writing process evolution, balancing emotion with entertainment, and the meaning of literary success, listeners get insider tips and encouragement for their own creative paths. Real connections, a behind-the-scenes peek at character creation, and a glimpse into the world of women's fiction await—tune in for thoughtful insights and inspiration for writers, readers, and dreamers alike. Rochelle B. Weinstein is the USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of seven novels. A former entertainment industry executive, she splits her time between South Florida and the mountains of North Carolina. Rochelle is the monthly book contributor for Miami's AQUA Magazine and literary salon Women Writers, Women's Books. She also teaches publishing workshops at Nova Southeastern University’s Alvin Sherman Library. Rochelle loves connecting with readers through her newsletter. Connect with Rochelle: Website- rochelle.myflodesk.com Instagram - @rochellebweinstein Facebook - rochelle.b.weinstein Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of We Are Made of Stars at Bookshop.org A little about today's host- Kristi Leonard is a modern Renaissance woman deeply rooted in the book world. When she's not immersed in crafting novels, she's orchestrating writing retreats through her business, Writers in the Wild, or lending her voice to non-fiction audiobooks. She leads the Women’s Fiction Writers Association as the president of the board, and interviews her writer pals as one of the hosts of the Author Express Podcast. She will start querying her first book in 2024. Beyond the realm of words, Kristi embraces the Florida sunshine by hiking with her writer-hiker group and leisurely walks on the beach. She and her husband juggle a couple side businesses and take turns sharing the couch with their goofy Golden-doodle, Maddie. Kristi enjoys travel adventures with her twin sister and living vicariously through her grown children. You can learn more about her and connect at: https://linktr.ee/kristileonard . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Trading Trials for Tales: Elisabeth Dini’s Path from International Law to Uplifting Fiction -120 14:46

for 24 dager siden14:46

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Ready to meet an author who’s lived a story as gripping as the ones she writes? On this episode, Kathleen Basi interviews Elisabeth Dini, a former Hague prosecutor whose first novel blends laugh-out-loud romance with a twist of World War II secrets. Elisabeth shares the behind-the-scenes process of plotting a narrative filled with stolen jewels, hidden resistance—and even a mysterious “bearer of bad news” gig. With a background in high-stakes law and a passion for uncovering uncelebrated heroines, Elisabeth offers perspectives on pursuing big changes and embracing unexpected challenges. Join us to hear teasers about her writing journey and the real women who inspired her latest work. Elisabeth Dini is a lawyer and former prosecutor of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court. Born in Nevada, she is a graduate of Brandeis University and Stanford Law School. Elisabeth currently lives in the Netherlands with her husband and a bevy of mostly well-adjusted houseplants. Bearer of Bad News (or BOBN, rhymes with "robin") is her debut novel, available for pre-order whenever books are sold. You can find her on Instagram @elisabethdiniauthor (where she'll be doing Gratitude Giveaways on the 29th of every month leading up to the publication of BOBN) or on her website: www.elisabethdini.com . Her book launches on April 29, 2025. Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Bearer of Bad News at Bookshop.org . A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Girl Meets Boy Again Plus Floral Fun: A Look at Orly Konig’s Love Story - 119 14:35

for 5 weeks siden14:35

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Ever wondered how an author weaves real-life inspirations into their fictional worlds? In this episode of Author Express, join Kristi Leonard as she welcomes Orly Konig, who reveals how writing became her unexpected therapeutic escape. Orly recounts her fascination with the language of flowers and how it blossomed into the delightful sabotage elements in her novel, The Arrangements . Explore the emotional intricacies of transitioning friendships into romance and how Orly’s personal life experiences influence her storytelling. Orly’s journey is a testament to embracing life’s unexpected twists. Tune in for a mix of laughter, poignant moments, and the creative magic that breathes life into every sentence. Orly Konig writes hopeful stories with a dash of humor about finding resilience during life's messy detours. She is a passionate believer in the power of coffee, an animal lover, a crocheter of fun critters, and an unapologetic advocate for defining (and redefining) a confident, happy life. She's the author of The Arrangements, Carousel Beach, and The Distance Home . Orly lives in Maryland, sharing her personal space with two oversized and over-fluffed cats. You can find out more about Orly on her website at orlykonig.com and follow her on Instagram at @orlykonig . Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of T he Arrangements , Carousel Beach , and The Distance Home at Bookshop.org. A little about today's host- Kristi Leonard is a modern Renaissance woman deeply rooted in the book world. When she's not immersed in crafting novels, she's orchestrating writing retreats through her business, Writers in the Wild, or lending her voice to non-fiction audiobooks. She leads the Women’s Fiction Writers Association as the president of the board, and interviews her writer pals as one of the hosts of the Author Express Podcast. She will start querying her first book in 2024. Beyond the realm of words, Kristi embraces the Florida sunshine by hiking with her writer-hiker group and leisurely walks on the beach. She and her husband juggle a couple side businesses and take turns sharing the couch with their goofy Golden-doodle, Maddie. Kristi enjoys travel adventures with her twin sister and living vicariously through her grown children. You can learn more about her and connect at: https://linktr.ee/kristileonard . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Why Being an Author Is Like Running a Tech Startup, with Jennifer Klepper -118 14:38

for 7 weeks siden14:38

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Step into the world of Jennifer Klepper, the USA Today bestselling author, as she joins Kathleen Basi on Author Express to unravel her multifaceted journey from a lawyer and tech-startup founder to a full-time writer. Jennifer talks about her deep-rooted passion for Nebraska Cornhusker football and how that ties into her sense of home. Listen as she shares intriguing tidbits about her new book, The Last Road Trip , a tale of old sorority sisters attempting to complete an unfinished cross-country adventure. With a plot inspired by her husband’s real-life post-college road trip, discover the layers of friendship, nostalgia, and revelation that promise to captivate readers. If you’re a fan of characters with heart and stories that keep you engaged, this episode is your perfect companion. Jennifer Klepper is the USA Today Bestselling author of Unbroken Threads and co-founder of Early Works. Born and raised in Iowa and Nebraska, she attended college in Dallas, law school in Charlottesville, and worked in Texas and Massachusetts before settling for good in Maryland. She's worked for Big Law, small law, start-ups, and Google. She lives in a forest by a river near Annapolis, Maryland. Connect with her through instagram at @jennifer_klepper . Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Unbroken Threads & The Last Road Trip at Bookshop.org . A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Mirror Me: Belonging & Connection in Lisa Rosenberg's Exploration of Self-Identity-117 16:33

for 9 weeks siden16:33

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Join us this week on Author Express as Kristi Leonard sits down with the multifaceted Lisa Rosenberg. An author, psychotherapist, and former ballet dancer, Lisa shares insights into her unique journey from the bustling streets of 1970s New York City to the serene complexity of psychotherapy and writing. Discover how her diverse experiences shape her storytelling, weaving threads of her biracial identity and childhood memories into her works. If you're interested in stories that capture the richness of human experience and identity, you won't want to miss this episode. Lisa Williamson Rosenberg is an author and psychotherapist in private practice specializing in developmental trauma and racial identity. A Pushcart Prize nominee, Lisa’s short fiction has appeared in Literary Mama and The Piltdown Review, her essays in Literary Hub, Longreads, Narratively, The Common, Grok Nation, and Mamalode. Her debut novel, Embers on the Wind , was released on August 1, 2022 by Little A Books. Lisa’s second novel, Mirror Me , was released on December 1, 2024, also by Little A. A born-and-raised New Yorker, Lisa now lives in Montclair, New Jersey with her husband and dog. She is the mother of two college kids. Connect with Lisa: Website - lisawrosenberg.com Instagram - @lwrose.author Facebook - Lwrose.author Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Embers on the Wind and Mirror Me at Bookshop.org A little about today's host- Kristi Leonard is a modern Renaissance woman deeply rooted in the book world. When she's not immersed in crafting novels, she's orchestrating writing retreats through her business, Writers in the Wild, or lending her voice to non-fiction audiobooks. She leads the Women’s Fiction Writers Association as the president of the board, and interviews her writer pals as one of the hosts of the Author Express Podcast. She will start querying her first book in 2024. Beyond the realm of words, Kristi embraces the Florida sunshine by hiking with her writer-hiker group and leisurely walks on the beach. She and her husband juggle a couple side businesses and take turns sharing the couch with their goofy Golden-doodle, Maddie. Kristi enjoys travel adventures with her twin sister and living vicariously through her grown children. You can learn more about her and connect at: https://linktr.ee/kristileonard . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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A Creative Process on Crafting Women's Fiction and Character Development -116 17:03

for 11 weeks siden17:03

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Are you a fan of women's fiction that resonates deeply and moves the soul? In this captivating episode of Author Express, meet Donna Norman-Carbone, the creative force behind beloved titles such as All That Is Sacred . Discover how Donna's experiences as an educator influences her compelling storytelling and character development. This episode offers a delightful mix of literary intrigue, including a sneak peek into the mysterious connective threads in her work, Of Lies and Honey . Topics like social class dynamics, debutante societies, and motherhood struggles weave through her novels, offering rich discussion points for book enthusiasts. Tune in to explore these gripping themes and gain insight into the art of balancing multiple storylines. Don't miss out on an enriching conversation that promises to ignite your passion for well-told tales. Donna Norman-Carbone , the award-winning author of All That is Sacred and Of Lies and Honey , published by Red Adept Publishing, has a passion for writing women’s fiction that tugs at the heartstrings. Donna is also co-host of the podcast, Authors Talking Bookish, and the program director for the Bookish Road Trip. Website- www.donnanormancarbone.com Instagram & Threads- @donnanormancarbone Facebook- dncarboneauthor Amazon author page- Donna Norman-Carbone Authors Talking Bookish: www.authorstalkingbookish.com Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of All That Is Scared and Of Lies and Honey at Bookshop.org A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Explore Powerful Social Issues Through Fiction with Author Paulette Stout -115 15:33

for 13 weeks siden15:33

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Step into the vibrant world of Paulette Stout, the award-winning author renowned for her brave, spicy tales. This episode of Author Express offers a fascinating peek into her latest novel, What We Give Away . Stout's book is described as a "mesmerizing tapestry of realism" that tackles diet culture in a way that's both enlightening and engaging. You’ll also hear about Paulette's personal journey, including the impact of living in Manhattan on her writing and life philosophy. If you're curious about the blend of research and fiction in contemporary women's literature or how characters can reflect real-life truths about social issues, this episode is your perfect gateway. Paulette Stout is the multi-award-winning author of empowering stories about women finding their voices, being heard, and embracing love. Read in 43 countries, Paulette delights readers with bingeable storylines and relatable characters that keep pages turning. Her 17 book award recognitions span her three novels, What Eyes Can’t See, What We Never Say, Love, Only Better , adding to her three advertising industry awards, including a MediaWeek All-Star. Paulette’s fourth novel, What We Give Away , launched to raves earlier this year. By day, Paulette leads brand marketing for a Nasdaq-listed, global software company, honing those marketing skills you hear each week on the Best of Book Marketing podcast. She also offers 1x1 author coaching. Connect with Paulette on her website at paulettestout.com , on Instagram , Facebook or TikTok @paulettestoutauthor or on Twitter @StoutContent . Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of What Eyes Can’t See , What We Never Say , and Love, Only Better , and What We Give Away at Bookshop.org A little about today's host- Kristi Leonard is a modern Renaissance woman deeply rooted in the book world. When she's not immersed in crafting novels, she's orchestrating writing retreats through her business, Writers in the Wild, or lending her voice to non-fiction audiobooks. She leads the Women’s Fiction Writers Association as the president of the board, and interviews her writer pals as one of the hosts of the Author Express Podcast. She will start querying her first book in 2024. Beyond the realm of words, Kristi embraces the Florida sunshine by hiking with her writer-hiker group and leisurely walks on the beach. She and her husband juggle a couple side businesses and take turns sharing the couch with their goofy Golden-doodle, Maddie. Kristi enjoys travel adventures with her twin sister and living vicariously through her grown children. You can learn more about her and connect at: https://linktr.ee/kristileonard . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Shawna Rodrigues' Top Three Books & Her Personal Revelations -114 17:01

for 14 weeks siden17:01

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Uncover what makes Author Express special as Shawna Rodrigues opens up about three books that sculpted her worldview. Not merely narratives, these chosen books serve as windows into cultural, historical, and personal realms, urging listeners to reflect on their own pivotal reads. Alongside, Shawna shares a heartfelt announcement about her health journey and the temporary episode schedule change. This episode underscores the essence of storytelling and community, nurturing an understanding of different voices, much like the rich tapestry of characters within the highlighted books. Perfect for anyone seeking literary inspiration and authentic connection. Want to hear Shawna's full conversation as an author? Check out Episode #7 of Author Express when Kathleen interviewed her. Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Jane Eyre , The Invention of Wings , Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo at Bookshop.org A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Valentine’s Reads and Second Chances: a Look at "Considering Us" -113 14:38

for 15 weeks siden14:38

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Join us on this episode of Author Express as we chat with Jenn Bouchard, the acclaimed author behind First Course and the much anticipated Considering Us . Explore the fascinating world of Boston suburbs, exploring local traditions like revolutionary war reenactments and New England-style town meetings straight out of the "Gilmore Girls." Jenn also shares her journey from high school social studies teacher to award-winning novelist and reveals the one thing she wishes she had known when she was 20. Tune in for a blend of history, humor, and heartfelt insights into the life of a successful author! Jenn Bouchard is the author of First Course , which was published in 2021 and won 14 awards. Her second novel Considering Us which will be published on February 6, 2025 by Black Rose Writing. She has also published several short stories. A high school social studies teacher of 25 years, she lives with her family in the Boston suburbs. Facebook: jennbouchardBOS Instagram: jennbouchardbos Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of First Course & Considering Us at Bookshop.org A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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How Kerry Chaput Reminds us that Life is Magic with her Historical Fiction -112 16:36

for 16 weeks siden16:36

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In this engaging episode of Author Express, host Shawna Rodrigues chats with the talented historical fiction author, Kerry Chaput. Listen as Kerry recounts her childhood in the unique Danish settlement of Solvang, California, and how it influenced her storytelling. With her new book, Wild as the Stars , set to release in June 2025, Chaput teases fans with a tale of magic, adventure, and prohibition-era intrigue. Get a sneak peek into her creative process and how she adds a whimsical touch of magic to her meticulously researched historical narratives. Tune in for an entertaining conversation that promises to leave you wanting more! Kerry Chaput is a multi-award-winning historical fiction author who writes of daring women with loads of adventure, and a splash of magic. Born in California, she now calls the Pacific Northwest home, where she spends her days hitting the trails, chasing historical rabbit holes, and feeding her addiction to espresso and doggy cuddles. Explore more stories from women's history at www.kerrywrites.com and check out her successful TikTok page @kerrywrites with weekly highlights of fascinating women from history. Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Daughter of the King , Daughter of the Shadows & Chasing Eleanor at Bookshop.org. A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Debut Thriller with a Love Story Wrapped inside Redefines Historical Fiction -111 15:29

for 17 weeks siden15:29

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Author Express brings you an intriguing conversation with Kay Smith-Blum, an Austin-born, Seattle-based writer who transitioned from high-end retail to become an acclaimed author. Join Kristi Leonard as they explore the compelling backstory of Kay’s novel Tangles , which sheds light on the Hanford nuclear site controversy. Be enthralled by Kay’s unique journey from a successful career in fashion to crafting a story rooted in deeply researched history and personal accounts. Find out what it was like for her to weave intricate narratives and how she channels her twin sons' gardens and lap pool sessions into overcoming writer's block. This episode is a must-listen for those wanting to connect with the human stories behind historical events. Kay Smith-Blum is a former business owner and Seattle School Board President. An avid gardener, Smith-Blum founded Environmental Endeavors, the first greenhouse program in Seattle Public Elementary Schools. A fan of mid-20th-century history, Smith-Blum has penned two other manuscripts set in Texas, but the recent upheaval over leaking radioactive waste tanks at the Hanford Nuclear site drew her in. A meticulous researcher, Smith-Blum felt compelled to write the Hanford story in a way that would educate and entertain readers. The result is her debut novel, Tangles , named Book of the Year by the Literary Global Book Awards and Best Debut Fiction by the American Writing Awards 2024. Smith-Blum’s published short works may be found in multiple literary journals. A companion short story to Tangles is included in the 2024 award-winning anthology, Feisty Deeds that Smith-Blum co-edited. Named the Western WA Woman Business Owner of 2013, Smith-Blum has lived in Washington State for four decades. A sunrise writer, she works out her writer’s block in her sons’ gardens and the nearest lap pool. Learn more about Kay Smith-Blum: Website - www.kaysmith-blum.com Instagram - @discerningKSB Facebook - Kay Smith-Blum Interested in meeting Kay in person? If you are in Washington state you can catch her for an Author Signing at Barnes and Noble in Totem Lake on Feb 8, 2025 from 12:00 pm- 3pm PDT. Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Tangles at Bookshop.org A little about today's host- Kristi Leonard is a modern Renaissance woman deeply rooted in the book world. When she's not immersed in crafting novels, she's orchestrating writing retreats through her business, Writers in the Wild, or lending her voice to non-fiction audiobooks. She leads the Women’s Fiction Writers Association as the president of the board, and interviews her writer pals as one of the hosts of the Author Express Podcast. She will start querying her first book in 2024. Beyond the realm of words, Kristi embraces the Florida sunshine by hiking with her writer-hiker group and leisurely walks on the beach. She and her husband juggle a couple side businesses and take turns sharing the couch with their goofy Golden-doodle, Maddie. Kristi enjoys travel adventures with her twin sister and living vicariously through her grown children. You can learn more about her and connect at: https://linktr.ee/kristileonard . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Behind the Pages: Sharon M. Peterson on Her Creative Writing World -110 14:52

for 18 weeks siden14:52

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In this engaging episode of Author Express, Kathleen Basi hosts Sharon M. Peterson, whose romcom The Fast Lane has been lauded for its wit and heartfelt moments. Sharon reveals the most interesting fact about her small town, discusses her unique writing process, and shares an amusing anecdote about her inexplicable fear of poodles. Listen as Sharon talks about her inspiration for characters, touching on real-life experiences and how she navigates writing disabilities authentically. Tune in for a blend of humor, sincerity, and literary wisdom that will inspire both readers and writers alike. Sharon M. Peterson writes romantic comedies that will make you laugh. Readers have praised her books, not only for their humor, but for her ability to write relatable, memorable characters you’d want to be friends in real life. Sharon has always used humor to deal with the messy, hard things that life throws her way. Her favorite quote, from Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, is: “It was her habit to build up laughter from inadequate materials.” Life has given her lots of inadequate material. As a mom to four children, including her two sons with autism, there are often challenges (and more than a little chaos). Being able to find humor in hard situations is her superpower. Laughter in the middle of tough times is, at its core, hope. Not all is lost if we can find a way to smile through it. Her roots are in women’s fiction so her romcoms are full of messy families, emotional character arcs, and lovable side characters. She also doesn’t believe the best love stories are about perfect size twos and billionaires. For her, the real romances are the ones we see every day. We all have a love story to share, and she loves exploring how us real folks fall in love. And the best part? These love stories always have happy endings. Both romance and humor are essentially about hope—hope for a better day, a new future, in the here-and-now. Hope has been a driving force in Sharon’s life, and she loves to share that with other people through her stories. Her debut novel, The Do-Over , was released in August of 2022 (Bookouture) and while it’s never been a best seller, it has steadily won over the hearts of readers. It’s being translated into five languages and was recently released as a trade paperback with Grand Central. She’s released two other romcoms, The Fake Out and The Fast Lane , over the last two years. If you would like to see her on a daily basis, check her out on Instagram at @stone4031 or visit her website at www.sharonmpeterson.com . Her books are available in paperback, on audiobook, and in Kindle Unlimited. You should definitely read them. Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of her debut novel The Do-Over and romcoms The Fake Out & The Fast Lane at Bookshop.org. A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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New Year. New You! Inspiration from the Me List; 2025's Perfect Fiction Novel -109 14:50

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Join Shawna Rodrigues on Author Express as she welcomes Julee Balko, a talented writer who can turn everyday moments into literary gold. This episode reveals fascinating snippets about Julee's life, from navigating power outages to creating viral kitten clips. Learn about the profound impact of her latest book, The Me List , and why it's an ideal choice for your New Year's resolutions. Julee also candidly shares her journey with her neurodivergent daughters, which inspired her upcoming book, Square Hearts . This is an episode filled with laughter, heartfelt moments, and a sneak peek into Julee's creative process. Julee Balko is a freelance writer, mother, and an author who loves writing novels with complicated women characters. Her debut novel, The Things We Keep , takes on grief, secrets, and family dysfunction. The Me List is her second novel and is full of snark and heart as it brings to life an unlikely friendship between neighbors. Check out her website: www.juleebalko.com and follow her on Instagram , Threads and TikTok @juleebalko. Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of The Me List at Bookshop.org A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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BEST OF AUTHOR EXRESS - The Southern Roots this Author Admits Provoke Her Soulful Writing Career -108 15:50

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Join host Kristi Leonard as we revisit her interview from earlier this year with the talented Sheila Athens. Sheila, the author of Neena Lee Is Seeing Things captivates us with the unique premise of her latest novel where John F. Kennedy Jr. asks for help—25 years after his death. Sheila unravels the fascinating inspirations behind her characters and settings, takes us to Jacksonville, Florida, and gives insight into her writing journey. Whether you're an aspiring writer or an avid reader, this episode promises a thought-provoking conversation about the process of creating multi-layered, soulful stories. Tune in to discover what makes this novelist tick and what’s coming next from her pen! Sheila Athens is a native of Jacksonville, Florida, a city often overlooked in favor of the more touristy parts of the state. Growing up near the Georgia border, Sheila has always felt more connected to the southern roots of her state rather than the urban, modern image that Florida often portrays. This unique perspective has influenced her writing and passion for showcasing the true, often overlooked, beauty of the South. With her book, she hopes to shed light on the real Florida, away from the stereotypes and tourist attractions. Her debut novel, The Truth About Love , was a finalist for the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Golden Heart Award. With that background, she can’t help but weave a strong love story thread throughout each of her books, even though she now writes Southern women’s fiction. She turned from romance to women’s fiction because all the stories swirling around in her head needed a bigger canvas on which to be told. Sheila didn’t realize she wanted to write fiction until she was in her early forties. Her first book was published two days after her fifty-third birthday, so she’s a good example for those who fear they’ve waited too long to pursue their passion. Learn more about Shiela from her website www.SheilaAthens.com . Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Neena Lee Is Seeing Things at Bookshop.org A little about today's host- Kristi Leonard is a modern Renaissance woman deeply rooted in the book world. When she's not immersed in crafting novels, she's orchestrating writing retreats through her business, Writers in the Wild, or lending her voice to non-fiction audiobooks. She leads the Women’s Fiction Writers Association as the president of the board, and interviews her writer pals as one of the hosts of the Author Express Podcast. She will start querying her first book in 2024. Beyond the realm of words, Kristi embraces the Florida sunshine by hiking with her writer-hiker group and leisurely walks on the beach. She and her husband juggle a couple side businesses and take turns sharing the couch with their goofy Golden-doodle, Maddie. Kristi enjoys travel adventures with her twin sister and living vicariously through her grown children. You can learn more about her and connect at: https://linktr.ee/kristileonard . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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BEST OF Author Express - Kimberly Nixon Explains Why There is More to the Story -107 12:42

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Celebrate the magic of storytelling in this holiday episode of Author Express as host Kathleen Basi chats with Kimberly Nixon about her compelling novel, Rock Island Rising . Kimberly's remarkable ability to weave her family's tumultuous past into gripping fiction takes center stage. With tales of a grandmother who once robbed a train and the supportive community of Austin, Texas, where she lives, Kimberly offers a unique blend of historical depth and modern vitality. Whether you are a history buff, a lover of strong female leads, or simply curious about how past traumas shape present lives, this episode will leave you eager for more. Get ready to be captivated by stories that defy the ordinary. Kimberly considers herself the family storyteller and has built a career around exploring family stories, both for herself and others. She closed her small business, which archived generations of family memories for extended families. For a brief period, Kimberly considered returning to a “real job,” but her grandmother’s story ultimately led her to a writing desk. She first wrote the true story of her family, detailing everything she knew to be fact about her mother and grandmother, for her family’s benefit. Before writing a fictionalized version, she wanted her children and siblings to understand what was true. Kimberly then enrolled in writing courses and started a writers' critique group. Five years later, she completed the first draft of Rock Bottom, Tennessee . Not wanting to undertake the difficult task of querying agents, Kimberly founded her own publishing company. With her background in marketing and business, she was well-equipped to manage the process. Rock Bottom, Tennessee was launched in April 2022, and her readers quickly asked for a sequel. Kimberly delivered, and Rock Bottom Rising was released in February 2024, taking readers on a journey from Ruby’s conviction to her quest for redemption and reconnection with her children, abandoned after her arrest. Kimberly’s next project is a memoir based on retracing her father’s WWII journey across Europe. Her father never spoke about the war, and his records were destroyed in a fire at the National Archive. Kimberly has recreated his daily journey from Africa to Berlin, visiting many of the historic battle sites where he fought and stood where he was wounded for the first and second times during his service. You can read more about Kimberly’s passion for family stories and news of her upcoming release at her website www.kimberlynixon.com . Follow Kimberly’s writing journey on her Instagram page @kimberlynixon.author Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Rock Bottom Rising at Bookshop.org A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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How to Defy Genres: Lyn Liao Butler Knows her Voice from Thrillers to Sweet Rom Coms -106 16:06

for 22 weeks siden16:06

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In this episode of Author Express, Shawna Rodrigues chats with Lyn Liao Butler, a Taiwanese American author whose portfolio spans thrillers, upmarket fiction, and rom coms. Are you curious about how someone expertly juggles writing multiple genres? Lyn charmingly shares her inspirations, the commonalities her novels share, and the unique workings of her creative process. You'll even learn about Lyn’s fascinating bi-coastal lifestyle between New York and Kauai and the unique backdrops that influence her work. Whether you prefer the depth of upmarket fiction, the intrigue of a thrillers, or the joy of a light-hearted romance, Lyn’s insights and stories will captivate you. Tune in to discover the vibrant experiences that shape Lyn's storytelling and why you'll want her next book on your nightstand. She's also the perfect author you'll want to know as you shop for everyone on your holiday list! Lyn Liao Butler is a Taiwanese American author of thrillers, upmarket fiction, and rom coms. Her most recent thriller, Someone Else’s Life , was an Amazon bestseller and her second book, Red Thread of Fate, was a finalist in the WFWA Star Awards for 2023. If you are looking for a rom com - don't miss, Crazy Bao You . She and her family divide their time between New York and Kauai. You can connect with Lyn through @lynliaobutler across all social media platforms and her website is lynliaobutler.com Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Someone Else’s Life or Crazy Bao You at Bookshop.org - you'll find all of her other novels there as well! A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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The Dual Timelines & Unique Perspectives of Lisa Montanaro’s Debut Novel -105 16:29

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Author Express presents Lisa Montanaro, an Italian American writer with a compelling journey. This episode uncovers the layers of Lisa’s debut novel, " Everything We Thought Was True ," involving family secrets and multidimensional characters. Lisa articulates how her personal history, including her role as an employment discrimination lawyer, intertwines with her storytelling. Additionally, she offers a sneak peek into the process behind her authentic character creation, layered with her firsthand experience in diverse communities. Don’t miss out on Lisa’s invaluable advice on overcoming obstacles and utilizing a growth mindset, making this episode a treasure trove for writers and readers alike. Learn About Lisa Montanaro: Lisa writes book club fiction featuring complex characters breaking barriers and fighting to truly be themselves despite obstacles in their way—including the time they live in and societal stigmas. At turns heartbreaking and hopeful, her debut novel explores not only the consequences of secrets—even secrets kept out of love—but also the courage it takes to speak the truth, to forgive, and to let go. Lisa is part no-nonsense Italian American New Yorker and part sunny Californian. She has a unique background as a performer, teacher of deaf students, lawyer, coach, speaker, and author. Lisa's nonfiction book, The Ultimate Life Organizer, was published by Peter Pauper Press. She serves as webinar host for the Women's Fiction Writers Association and is a member of its diversity and inclusion committee. She also serves as co-facilitator of the Retro COLAGE group for adult children of LGBTQ parents. When not writing, Lisa enjoys cycling and hiking with her veterinarian husband, tending to her garden, and chasing after her rescue dogs. Lisa has enjoyed living snow-free since 2012 in Northern California, where she’s made it her mission to sample the wines of the region. Her blog and newsletter, Prosecco & Prose, are where she shares author updates, writerly musings, book recommendations, and virtual bubbly! Visit her website at www.lisamontanarowrites.com . She also loves connecting with readers, writers, and lovers of creativity on social media, so find her on Instagram at @lisa.montanaro and say ciao! Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Everything We Thought Was True at Bookshop.org A little about today's host- Kristi Leonard is a modern Renaissance woman deeply rooted in the book world. When she's not immersed in crafting novels, she's orchestrating writing retreats through her business, Writers in the Wild, or lending her voice to non-fiction audiobooks. She leads the Women’s Fiction Writers Association as the president of the board, and interviews her writer pals as one of the hosts of the Author Express Podcast. She will start querying her first book in 2024. Beyond the realm of words, Kristi embraces the Florida sunshine by hiking with her writer-hiker group and leisurely walks on the beach. She and her husband juggle a couple side businesses and take turns sharing the couch with their goofy Golden-doodle, Maddie. Kristi enjoys travel adventures with her twin sister and living vicariously through her grown children. You can learn more about her and connect at: https://linktr.ee/kristileonard . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Celebrating Two Years: Hosts Reflect on Best Episodes and Books -104 17:52

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17:52

Meet the voices behind the Author Express Podcast as they mark a milestone—two years of sharing riveting stories and interviews! Hosts Shawna Rodrigues, Kristi Leonard, and Kathleen Basi share their most impactful reads of the year, from a gripping secret life narrative to tales of foster parenting and family bonds. Kristi reminisces about the author that ushered her into podcasting, while Shawna recounts a conversation that made her want to hop on a plane! Curious about what makes each host tick? Find out where Kathleen first learned to drive, the creature Kristi doesn't fret over, and Shawna’s touching book dedication to her hometown. Tune in for a literary journey that promises to kindle your curiosity and inspire your next read. A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . A little about today's host- Kristi Leonard is a modern Renaissance woman deeply rooted in the book world. When she's not immersed in crafting novels, she's orchestrating writing retreats through her business, Writers in the Wild, or lending her voice to non-fiction audiobooks. She leads the Women’s Fiction Writers Association as the president of the board, and interviews her writer pals as one of the hosts of the Author Express Podcast. She will start querying her first book in 2024. Beyond the realm of words, Kristi embraces the Florida sunshine by hiking with her writer-hiker group and leisurely walks on the beach. She and her husband juggle a couple side businesses and take turns sharing the couch with their goofy Golden-doodle, Maddie. Kristi enjoys travel adventures with her twin sister and living vicariously through her grown children. You can learn more about her and connect at: https://linktr.ee/kristileonard . A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Jen Sinclair Unveils Her Debut Novel on Author Express -103 15:16

for 26 weeks siden15:16

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In this uplifting episode of "Author Express," Kristi Leonard interviews Jen Sinclair, the author of the enthralling novel There's Always a Price . Jen shares the unique aspects of her storytelling, including complex relationships and morally gray characters. Hear about her upbringing in Toms River, New Jersey, a town with its own quirky claims to fame. Jen delves into the emotional depths of her writing process and offers a touching story from her childhood that still influences her work today. Learn how she finds inspiration and keeps writer's block at bay, making this episode perfect for readers and writers alike looking for a dash of creativity and motivation. Don't miss this inspiring chat that brings out the heart behind Jen Sinclair's captivating fiction. Learn more about Jen Sinclair: Jen Sinclair writes contemporary fiction that explores complicated relationships, love, loss, and all the messiness of life. She uses humor, heart, and compelling plot elements to explore what it means to be human. Her stories often follow women who must fight to overcome tragic circumstances and loss to discover who they are and what they want. Readers applaud her mix of humor and high concept plot elements to portray the gray parts of life. Jen is a freelance writer who lives in Saint Augustine, Florida, with her husband, kids, and spoiled puppy. When she isn’t working out story elements, belting out songs from one of her many Spotify playlists, or having conversations with imaginary friends, she enjoys spending time outside walking beaches and trails, paddling waterways, or driving around with the top off her Jeep. There’s Always a Price is her first novel. Follow Jen on her website at www.jensinclairwrites.com where you can sign up for her newsletter and be the first to know about her upcoming release in early 2025. You can also find her on Instagram @jensinclairwrites and Facebook at Jen Sinclair Author . A little about today's host- Kristi Leonard is a modern Renaissance woman deeply rooted in the book world. When she's not immersed in crafting novels, she's orchestrating writing retreats through her business, Writers in the Wild, or lending her voice to non-fiction audiobooks. She leads the Women’s Fiction Writers Association as the president of the board, and interviews her writer pals as one of the hosts of the Author Express Podcast. She will start querying her first book in 2024. Beyond the realm of words, Kristi embraces the Florida sunshine by hiking with her writer-hiker group and leisurely walks on the beach. She and her husband juggle a couple side businesses and take turns sharing the couch with their goofy Golden-doodle, Maddie. Kristi enjoys travel adventures with her twin sister and living vicariously through her grown children. You can learn more about her and connect at: https://linktr.ee/kristileonard . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Unveiling Family Dynamics in the Digital Age with Erin Quinn-Kong -102 15:01

for 27 weeks siden15:01

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On today’s episode we get to chat with Erin Quinn-Kong, a longtime magazine editor who started writing fiction after having her second child, while she was a freelance writer. She started writing Hate Follow in December 2020 after unsuccessfully querying a women’s fiction novel. She knew this idea was different as it had such a solid, newsworthy hook: an influencer who gets sued by her teen daughter for invasion of privacy (something Erin swears is going to happen one day—probably soon!) Currently managing editor of Texas Highways, Erin has also been an editor at Austin Monthly, Us Weekly, and Allure. As a magazine editor, Erin has watched social media and influencers change the publishing industry and our society as a whole, almost without anyone realizing it. Along with examining social media and whose story parents are allowed to tell online, the mother-daughter struggle in Hate Follow is something that all parents will relate to. New York Times bestselling author Amanda Eyre Ward calls Hate Follow "a rich and witty story with two complicated women at its heart.” She adds, “Quinn-Kong's story of an influencer mom sued by her resentful daughter is of the moment, but its exploration of female power and privilege is timeless. It’s a beautiful debut." Erin is a member of WFWA and the Writer’s League of Texas. When she’s not working or writing, you can find Erin exploring Texas and beyond with her husband and two kiddos. They love to eat good food, roller skate, swim, and burn all the kids’ energy off at every playground they can find. Erin is also part of a writing group called The Still Writing Squad, four mom writers who came together after years of not having publishing success and quickly found agents and published novels—three of which debuted in 2024. You can get a peek into their group on their Substack, The (Writing) Group Chat. You can learn more about Erin on her website www.erinquinnkong.com and follow her on Instagram @ erinquinnkongwrites -which will be the best place find out about her next novel. Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Hate Follow at Bookshop.org A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Exploring Little Avalanches: Becky Ellis on Writing, Trauma, and Healing - 101 17:04

for 28 weeks siden17:04

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In this heartwarming episode of Author Express, join host Shawna Rodrigues as she sits down with Becky Ellis, a celebrated Northwest author from Portland. Discover Becky's journey growing up across various cities in California and how her complex family dynamics shaped her memoir, "Little Avalanches." Gain insights into the intriguing conversation she had with her father, a decorated WWII combat sergeant, that transformed her life's narrative. Learn about the specific challenges and emotional landscapes she navigated while writing her story. Don't miss Becky's unique strategy for structuring this dual-memoir and her tips on balancing the craft of writing with the rawness of personal experience. Perfect for fans of nonfiction and anyone fascinated by military family stories or memoir writing techniques. Becky Ellis is a Timberwolf Pup. Her father was a WWII veteran and carried the weight of his combat experience internally, never sharing his stories, yet allowing them to influence his life deeply. Growing up, Becky could easily have broken ties with her father, but instead she gave him grace and listened when he was ready to talk. Becky's memoir, Little Avalanches, is detailed in 3 parts with her childhood, her father's daily account of WWII and how they came together through conversation decades later. Becky is helping people start the conversations that need to be had with family members, especially those who have been in combat while also raising awareness of the great need our veterans have when they come home in dealing with the trauma they experience. You can learn more about Becky by visiting her website, https://beckyellis.net , or following her on Instagram, @beckyellisauthor . Get your copy of Little Avalanches here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKPP93Z8/ A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Tiffany Yates Martin on How to Create a Delightful Writing Career - 100 17:06

for 28 weeks siden17:06

17:06

Tiffany Yates Martin started in the publishing industry in her twenties as a copy editor for many of the Big Six (back then), when the business still used red pencils and to fact-check she had to spend a day at the New York Public Library in the stacks. For the last fifteen-plus years as a developmental editor she’s worked directly with authors as well as through major publishing houses, on titles by New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal bestselling and award-winning authors as well as manuscripts for indie-published and newer writers. In her thirty years in the industry, Tiffany has seen thousands of writers' weather publishing’s constant ups and downs. Some seem to always land on their feet and some flame out; some hold on to the joy and satisfaction in creating that first sparked them to become an author, while others lose heart, confidence, or hope. The difference between success and struggle has little to do with the publishing industry itself, despite its many challenges and how many variables are outside the creator’s control—but rather with the author. Those who sustain and succeed are the authors who know why they write, what they want from their career, and how to take the reins in creating a fulfilling, joyful writing career they can happily maintain for a lifetime. Writers are so often given the advice to persist and be resilient if they want to create a successful career—but what does that actually mean, and how do you do it? Tiffany talks about practical, actionable ways to handle the most common issues, obstacles, and pitfalls of being an author: from practical issues like writer’s block, feedback and rejection, and advocating yourself as an author; to managing the demons that so often beset creatives (impostor syndrome, comparison, procrastination) and staying motivated and confident; and how to integrate writing into a healthy, rewarding, well-rounded life. Find her (along with her online course, weekly blog on craft and career, and lots of free resources) at: https://foxprinteditorial.com named as a Writer’s Digest Best Websites for Writers for the last two years in a row. Buy her book Intuitive Editing : A Creative and Practical Guide for Writers , here: https://foxprinteditorial.com/intuitive-editing/ A little about today's host- Kristi Leonard is a modern Renaissance woman deeply rooted in the book world. When she's not immersed in crafting novels, she's orchestrating writing retreats through her business, Writers in the Wild, or lending her voice to non-fiction audiobooks. She leads the Women’s Fiction Writers Association as the president of the board, and interviews her writer pals as one of the hosts of the Author Express Podcast. She will start querying her first book in 2024. Beyond the realm of words, Kristi embraces the Florida sunshine by hiking with her writer-hiker group and leisurely walks on the beach. She and her husband juggle a couple side businesses and take turns sharing the couch with their goofy Golden-doodle, Maddie. Kristi enjoys travel adventures with her twin sister and living vicariously through her grown children. You can learn more about her and connect at: https://linktr.ee/kristileonard . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Fire Eating, Friendship, and Female Empowerment With Cherie Dawn Haas -99 13:53

for 29 weeks siden13:53

13:53

Curious about the life experiences that fuel a writer's imagination? In today's episode of Author Express, host Kathleen Basi chats with prolific author Cherie Dawn Haas. Cherie wrote her first book in 2016, titled Girl on Fire . It was inspired by her days as a fire eater and tribal belly dancer, and came at a time when she wanted to spend more time at home. While still a fire dancer at heart, Cherie Dawn now expresses herself through the written word. By day, she is an online editor for the art division of Streamline Publishing, and by night (and weekends) writes fiction and poetry in addition to teaching yoga. Cherie is a member of the Women's Fiction Writers Association, and she leads the county library’s Rough Draft Collab writers group, as well as writing retreats and online coaching in writing, publishing, meditation, and yoga. Living on a small farm helps inspire her work as well; you’ll often see this in her poetry and short stories that feature dogs, such as her Plott hound, Dangit Rusty, and her chickens. For example, Ashes for William, Cherie Dawn’s second novel, features a rooster who plays quite a role in this rural story of a tested friendship. You can learn more on her website, CherieDawn.com , find links to her podcast and books, and click the Newsletter link to receive her monthly LifeSoup email with inspiration and motivation on how to live better with yourself and others. A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Anything is Possible When You Release the Reins with Author Catherine Matthews -98 16:50

for 30 weeks siden16:50

16:50

On today’s episode, we will be chatting with Catherine Matthews, a Women’s Fiction author whose recently launched her debut novel, Releasing the Reins . This dual timeline novel follows Bunny O’Kelly’s as she storms off to Alaska to prove her worth, not just as a ranch hand, but as a woman in a world that doesn’t want her. As the title implies, Bunny has something to learn about trust—not just in others but in herself. Catherine took that journey along with Bunny as she let go of a thirty-four-year career in education to write full-time. Adventurous and headstrong like Bunny, Catherine is driven to achieve her goals. Earning a Bachelor of Science, and a Master’s and Doctorate in Educational Leadership, her career followed a carefully charted path from high school science teacher and coach to high school principal to Director of Assessment and Research. When her father became ill though, she deviated from the plan. Her childhood memories bubbled up, forcing a groundswell of emotion to the surface and she began to write. These stories became a blog as she took her first truly vulnerable step of trusting her own voice and sending it out into the world. Her debut novel took root as she explored her own experiences from being a young woman working traditionally male jobs in Alaska in the 1980s to being a professional in the present. Releasing the reins in her own life, she embraced her passion for writing stories about strong women who face the storms of life with courage and live their dreams. She is driven to explore how people find that place they truly belong in the world so that they can live as their authentic selves. Family secrets and their effect on relationships are a source of endless fascination for her as you will read in her next book Roadside Sisters. Catherine is the Vice President of Technology for the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. As with all of her main characters, she is usually in the company of her faithful dogs, Buttercup and Boxer. Delta regularly attends the WFWA Writing Dates to make sure everyone is on task. You can learn more about her on her website www.CatherineMatthewsAuthor.com and follow her on Instagram @catherinematthewsauthor . Get your copy of Releasing the Reins in paperback, eBook, or audiobook at your favorite bookseller: https://books2read.com/CatherineMatthews or at Bookshop.org . A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Talking History and Research with Madeline Martin -97 16:03

for 31 weeks siden16:03

16:03

Get ready to be inspired on this episode of Author Express as we introduce you to the acclaimed historical fiction and romance author, Madeline Martin. Host Kristi Leonard pulls back the curtain on Madeline’s fascinating journey from being an Army brat in Germany to becoming a New York Times and USA Today bestseller. Discover how Madeline transitioned from writing over thirty romance novels to the world of historical fiction, with a special focus on her latest heartwarming book, The Book Lovers Library . Listen in as Madeline shares the challenges and joys of researching historical events, including WWII evacuations and the hidden gems of Nottingham. This episode is a treasure trove for book lovers and aspiring authors alike, full of insights and behind-the-scenes stories that will leave you eager for more. Madeline Martin is a New York Times, USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly, and internationally bestselling author of historical fiction and historical romance with books that have been translated into over twenty-five different languages. She lives in sunny Florida with her two daughters (known collectively as the minions), two incredibly spoiled cats and a man so wonderful he’s been dubbed Mr. Awesome. She is a die-hard history lover who will happily lose herself in research any day. When she’s not writing, researching or ‘moming’, you can find her spending time with her family at Disney or sneaking a couple spoonfuls of Nutella while laughing over cat videos. She also loves to travel, attributing her fascination with history to having spent most of her childhood as an Army brat in Germany. You can learn more about Madeline Martin and request for her to join you via zoom for your next book club at her website: MadelineMartin.com Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of The Book Lovers Library at Bookshop.org . A little about today's host- Kristi Leonard is a modern Renaissance woman deeply rooted in the book world. When she's not immersed in crafting novels, she's orchestrating writing retreats through her business, Writers in the Wild, or lending her voice to non-fiction audiobooks. She leads the Women’s Fiction Writers Association as the president of the board, and interviews her writer pals as one of the hosts of the Author Express Podcast. She will start querying her first book in 2024. Beyond the realm of words, Kristi embraces the Florida sunshine by hiking with her writer-hiker group and leisurely walks on the beach. She and her husband juggle a couple side businesses and take turns sharing the couch with their goofy Golden-doodle, Maddie. Kristi enjoys travel adventures with her twin sister and living vicariously through her grown children. You can learn more about her and connect at: https://linktr.ee/kristileonard . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Laughing About Depression with Author Amy Watson -96 12:32

for 32 weeks siden12:32

12:32

On today’s episode, we’re chatting with Amy Watson, a Women’s Fiction and romance author. One day, at the prompting of her therapist, she went home and told her husband she was going to write a novel. Mind you, she wasn’t a writer at the time. Hadn’t done more than dabble in poetry in college. She took a couple of creative writing courses online, and that November wrote the first 50,000 words to her novel Closer to Okay . Three years and approximately twenty versions later, her book was published. Closer to Okay focuses on the life of the main character, Kyle, and her life on the other side of a suicide attempt. Kyle finds herself in a mental health facility with three other patients, all with different illnesses. Across the street, there’s a coffee shop called The Coffee Shop that she watches from her window at the halfway house. When she finally gets permission to leave, she heads straight across the street in need of a decent caffeine fix. There she finds Jackson. Her connection with Jackson is immediate as well as unwelcome – the last thing she needs right then is a relationship. The book follows Kyle during her time in Hope House, her release, and her attempts at dating Jackson. You can learn more about her on her website www.amywatsonwrites.com and follow her on Instagram @amywatsonwrites -which will be the best place to be kept up to date on her next release! Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Closer to Okay at Bookshop.org. A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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The Why in Why I Write with Yvonne Battle-Felton -95 20:25

for 33 weeks siden20:25

20:25

Join Shawna Rodrigues as she chats with Yvonne Battle-Felton on this episode of Author Express, where an exciting narrative journey awaits. Yvonne, a seasoned writer and creative force, reveals snippets of her rich life experiences and their impact on her writing. Discover the inspirations behind her debut, Remembered , and get a preview of her upcoming release, Curdle Creek , an American Gothic novel. They explore themes like identity, family, and the peculiar charm of small towns that perfectly set the stage for thrilling tales. Perfect for book lovers and aspiring writers, this episode is brimming with insights and heart. Yvonne Battle-Felton is an author, academic, host, creative producer, and writer. Her debut, Remembered, was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction (2019) and shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize (2020). Winner of a Northern Writers Award in fiction (2017), Yvonne has six titles in Penguin Random House’s The Ladybird Tales of Superheroes and The Ladybird Tales of Crowns and Thrones. She has received a British Library Eccles Centre Fellowship (2019) and a Kimbilio Fiction Fellowship (2023). Yvonne is Senior Commissioning Editor at John Murray Press (UK) and the academic director of creative writing at Cambridge University Institute of Continuing Education. Host of Write Your Novel with Yvonne Battle-Felton and Bookable Space, her second book, Curdle Creek, an American Gothic about a sinister town with a strict population policy, will be published in October 2024 with Dialogue Books (UK) and Henry Holt (US). Learn more about Yvonne on her website https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ . You can catch up with Yvonne on socials on X , Instagram , and tiktok @whyiwritebattlefelton Support your local bookstore & this podcast by pre-ordering your copy of Curdle Creek or getting your copy of Remembered at Bookshop.org, or pre-order it on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQHJG76H A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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A Visit to The Top of The Eiffel Tower with Aimie K. Runyan -94 16:55

for 34 weeks siden16:55

16:55

Aimie K. Runyan writes to celebrate the spirit of strong women. She has been honored as a Historical Novel Society Editors’ Choice selection, as a five-time finalist for the Colorado Book Awards, and as a nominee for the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer of the Year. Aimie is active as an educator and speaker in the writing community and beyond. Her next books Mademoiselle Eiffel, which was released September 10th, 2024, and The Wandering Season, which in coming April 1st, 2025 and will be released by Harper Collins. She lives in Colorado with her amazing husband, two (usually) adorable children, two (always) adorable kitties, and a dragon. To learn more about Aimie, please visit www.aimiekrunyan.com . She is also active on Facebook , Instagram , Threads , and occasionally TikTok and enjoys engaging with readers Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Mademoiselle Eiffel at Bookshop.org . A little about today's host- Kristi Leonard is a modern Renaissance woman deeply rooted in the book world. When she's not immersed in crafting novels, she's orchestrating writing retreats through her business, Writers in the Wild, or lending her voice to non-fiction audiobooks. She leads the Women’s Fiction Writers Association as the president of the board, and interviews her writer pals as one of the hosts of the Author Express Podcast. She will start querying her first book in 2024. Beyond the realm of words, Kristi embraces the Florida sunshine by hiking with her writer-hiker group and leisurely walks on the beach. She and her husband juggle a couple side businesses and take turns sharing the couch with their goofy Golden-doodle, Maddie. Kristi enjoys travel adventures with her twin sister and living vicariously through her grown children. You can learn more about her and connect at: https://linktr.ee/kristileonard . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Writing the Truth About Motherhood with Author Hadley Leggett -93 14:20

for 35 weeks siden14:20

14:20

On today's episode we get to chat with Hadley Leggett, award-winning author of the debut novel, All They Ask Is Everything . A love letter to the messiness of motherhood, the book tells the story of three very different women who each want custody of the same two little girls — and discover they have more in common than the children they’re fighting for. Hadley fell in love with storytelling as a child, but as a people-pleaser born into a family of scientists, it never occurred to her she could become a novelist. Instead she went to medical school, became a science journalist, and then spent nearly a decade as a stay-at-home mom of three. During those years, she was too busy trying not to drown in breast milk and toddler tantrums and postpartum anxiety to write, but when her youngest daughter finally started preschool, she returned to her childhood dream of becoming an author. For her first book, Hadley wanted to explore modern society’s brutal expectations for mothers—how moms are expected to give everything to their children, all the time, without any real assistance in terms of childcare, paid time off, or mental health support. She drew on her experiences both in medical school and as a mother, and also did extensive research on the foster care system in her home state of Washington. Bestselling author Ann Garvin describes the book as “a relevant and absorbing exploration into parenting, foster care, and love,” and NYT-bestselling author Tara Conklin says, “This book spoke to me on so many levels. I didn't want it to end.” You can learn more about Hadley at www.hadley.ink . Follow her on Instagram, Threads, and Facebook as @hadleyleggett . Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of All They Ask Is Everything at Bookshop.org. A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Author Bella Ellwood-Clayton discusses Mean Girls, Mean Moms, and Social Media -92 16:33

for 36 weeks siden16:33

16:33

Dr. Bella Ellwood-Clayton is an award-winning author and editor. She has a BA from Concordia University in Montréal and a Ph.D. from the University of Melbourne in sexual anthropology—and, yes, that makes for interesting dinner party conversations. Bella’s novel, Weekend Friends , was published in 2023 by Post Hill Press. Her nonfiction book, Sex Drive: In Pursuit of Female Desire , was published by Allen & Unwin in 2012. Bella has published short stories, poetry, and written for publications such as Huffington Post and Daily Life. She frequently appears on TV and gives talks, including a TEDx talk. Her work has been featured in a National Geographic documentary. Married to a real-life superhero, she lives in Melbourne and has two spirited—eek—teens and a mini Maltese who truly believes he’s a pit bull. When she’s not on her laptop, you can find her downward dogging, pleading with her offspring to go outside, randomly blurting out, “Oh, that’s a good story idea,” and consuming too many vegetarian dumplings. You can learn more about her on her website www.drbella.com.au and follow her on Instagram @bellaellwoodclayton - which will be the best place to be kept up to date on her next release! Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Weekend Friends at Bookshop.org or from Amazon. A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Explore Genre-Crossing Success with Award-Winning Author Mindy McGinnis -91 16:15

for 37 weeks siden16:15

16:15

In this riveting episode of Author Express, Kathleen Basi chats with Edgar award-winning novelist Mindy McGinnis. If you’re fascinated by the balance between a cheerful personality and dark, compelling writing, Mindy’s story will captivate you. Get a glimpse into her life in a small Ohio town, marked by historical tragedies and quirky facts. Mindy’s new book, Under This Red Rock , a dark-themed murder mystery involving LGBTQ and mental health topics, offers a raw and honest perspective borne from her personal experiences. Don’t miss this episode if you’re interested in mental health awareness, author journeys, or simply love a good literary discussion. You can learn more about Mindy on her website www.mindymcginnis.com and follow her on Facebook at Mindy McGinnis and Instagram @mindymcginnisauthor Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Under This Red Rock at Bookshop.org A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Exploration vs. Exploitation: Diving into Dark Literature with Author Deirdre Swinden 14:51

for 38 weeks siden14:51

14:51

On today’s episode we get to chat with Deirdre Swinden, a dark fiction author with a penchant for ghost stories. After twenty+ years as a leader in corporate communications, Dee took a leap of faith and set out to build her creative writing skills. She dove into the realms of sci-fi, horror and speculative fiction during her MFA. Her thesis novel, Somnium , offers readers a blend of psychological horror and high-tech science fiction via a fast-paced nightmare journey where dreams can kill. It’s a novel that explores the shadowy boundaries of fear and technology and is sure to thrill fans of cutting-edge psychological thrillers and high-stakes survival horror. But it is also a journey through the darkest corridors of the human psyche and the lingering effects of emotional and psychological abuse. After extracting herself from an emotionally abusive marriage, Deirdre is now looking to give a voice to those who suffer verbal and emotional abuse in silence. She has chosen dark fiction as a means to explore that horror and the myriad beliefs and situations that can lead a woman to surrender her voice. She hopes that by exploring her own trauma via fiction, her readers will unearth the courage to rise and rediscover their own voices—as she has rediscovered hers. You can learn more about her on her website www.deirdreswinden.com and follow her on Instagram @dswinden531 Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Somnium from Crystal Lake Publishing at Bookshop.org . A little about today's host- Kristi Leonard is a modern Renaissance woman deeply rooted in the book world. When she's not immersed in crafting novels, she's orchestrating writing retreats through her business, Writers in the Wild, or lending her voice to non-fiction audiobooks. She leads the Women’s Fiction Writers Association as the president of the board, and interviews her writer pals as one of the hosts of the Author Express Podcast. She will start querying her first book in 2024. Beyond the realm of words, Kristi embraces the Florida sunshine by hiking with her writer-hiker group and leisurely walks on the beach. She and her husband juggle a couple side businesses and take turns sharing the couch with their goofy Golden-doodle, Maddie. Kristi enjoys travel adventures with her twin sister and living vicariously through her grown children. You can learn more about her and connect at: https://linktr.ee/kristileonard . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Novelist Mindy Friddle Works with a Constellation of Perspectives -89 13:31

for 39 weeks siden13:31

13:31

On today’s episode, we get to chat with southern novelist Mindy Friddle, whose third book (and first domestic thriller) Her Best Self is out now from Regal House Publishing. Her Best Self includes the perspectives of a constellation of characters, including first-person point-of-view from the protagonist, a small-town matriarch, as well as third-person from a range of characters including her husband, adult children, a neurodiverse grandson with an affinity for animals, and the antagonist, a magnetic grifter. Joining us for a conversation about the value in bringing not only multiple POVs to a thriller, but branching those perspectives out in all directions, Mindy casts the spotlight on puzzling through perspective, and building suspense. Mindy Friddle is author of the novel, Secret Keepers , (winner of the Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction). The Garden Angel , her first novel and SIBA bestseller, was selected for Barnes & Noble’s Discover Great New Writers. The South Carolina Arts Commission awarded Mindy a prose fellowship, and she has twice won the state’s Fiction Prize. Her stories and essays have appeared in numerous journals. She holds an MFA from Warren Wilson and lives on Edisto Island, South Carolina. You can find Mindy online at mindyfriddle.com , and on Instagram @mindyfriddle Her Best Self is available from Regal House Publishing or support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Her Best Self at Bookshop.org A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Amy Neff on her debut novel The Days I Loved You Most -88 13:37

for 40 weeks siden13:37

13:37

Once every few years, a great love story sweeps readers off their feet and becomes a runaway sensation. Amy Neff’s stunning debut The Days I Loved You Most is perfectly poised to become that next great love story for the ages. The book asks the question: Could you live without the love of your life? And centers on a couple in a coastal Connecticut town who decide to redefine the ending to their love story, on their own terms. It just received a glowing starred review from Booklist which praises: “As the story weaves between the past and the present, the reader witnesses the heartaches and triumphs of their long, intertwined lives. This bittersweet tale, both heartbreaking and heartfelt, will leave even the most stoic reader with tears in their eyes.” And Jodi Picoult lauds: “I’ve never read a story quite like this deeply moving, complex novel — the truths we owe ourselves and others; the difference between self and selfishness; the parts of love that make us want to leave...and the parts that make us desperate to stay.” The Days I Loved You Most is an unforgettable and deeply romantic debut, a moving tribute to the enduring power of love, a celebration of a lifetime spent together, and a reminder that even in the darkest moments, there is always hope and beauty to be found. Amy Neff's debut novel, The Days I Loved You Most , is a love letter to the seaside town where her family has spent summers since the early 1900s. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, two sons, and their rescue dog. Connect with her on social media or find her online at www.amyneff.com. Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of The Days I Loved You Most at Bookshop.org A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Master Class in Tenacity with Author Christine Gunderson -87 18:12

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In today's episode, we chat with Christine Gunderson about her ten year journey to a traditional publishing deal, tenacity, and how to deal with rejection. She wrote her debut novel, Friends with Secrets, in her mini van in the school pick up line, at piano lessons, during drama rehearsals, at swim team practice, basketball practice, crew practice, and in lots of other unglamourous and uncomfortable places where only a mother who writes would write. Like most writers, Christine started life as a reader. Born and raised on a fourth-generation family farm in rural North Dakota, she devoured Laura Ingalls Wilder books in her very own little house on the prairie. She also burned holes in her chenille bedspread while attempting to read Trixie Belden books under the covers when she was supposed to be asleep. During these formative years growing up on the farm, Christine learned to haul grain, drive a combine, and pick rocks, skills that have yet to be useful later in life. Growing up on the prairie fifty miles from the nearest McDonalds also gave Christine a lifelong aversion to trees, and a craving for wide open spaces. She eventually left the farm, attended college, then headed into the wide world to seek her fortune. She pursued the kind of jobs where you get paid to talk and write and no one cares that you almost failed algebra. She worked as television anchor and reporter and a Capitol Hill press secretary, then left it all behind to stay home with her children, where algebra still continues to baffle her all these years later. Christine currently live in the Washington D.C. suburbs with her three children, Star the Wonder Dog, and a very patient husband. When not writing, she's sailing the Chesapeake Bay with her family, playing Star Wars monopoly, re-reading Jane Austen novels or unloading the dishwasher. After years of rejection and heartache on the road to publication, the fact that someone is actually reading a book she's written continues to astonish her, and she absolutely loves to hear thoughts and ideas from readers. You can contact her at www.christinegunderson.com and sign up for her newsletter, Notes on Love and Laundry. Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of the #1 Best Seller Friends with Secrets at Bookshop.org https://bookshop.org/a/90599/9781662522710 or support this podcast by getting your copy of Friends with Secrets through our Amazon Affiliate link - https://amzn.to/3WRCt8c Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Building an Extended Universe with Casey Dembowski -86 13:26

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On today's episode, we have Casey Dembowski, the author of three award-winning romance novels, When We're Thirty , The Corey Effect , and Get A Room . Her fourth novel The First Love Myth is coming soon from Red Adept Publishing. Kirkus called her debut "absorbing and satisfying" while Midwest Book Reviews labeled Get A Room "A study in humor, irony, romantic encounters, and the evolution of a friendship…" Casey's novels are connected standalones, all exisitng in the same extended universe. Today, she'll discuss how she created this universe, ways to layer in easter eggs for each book, and how to give enough backstory for new readers without boring existing readers. Casey lives in New Jersey with her family. She has an MFA in Fiction from Adelphi University, and currently works in corporate marketing communications. In her (limited) spare time, she enjoys reading, baking, and watching her favorite television shows on repeat. You can learn more about Casey and her novels on her website CaseyDembowski.com and follow her on Instagram at @casey_dembowski for the most up-to-date news. Pick up your copy of her books today: Amazon.com: Casey Dembowski or Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of When We're Thirty at Bookshop.org A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Deeply Rooted and Diverse Christian Romance with Jenny Erlingsson -85 17:44

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On today's episode we will be chatting with Jenny Erlingsson, a Nigerian-American born author and speaker. After serving on the pastoral staff of a church in Huntsville, Alabama for twelve years, her family lives in a small village on the southern coast of Iceland, the land of Fire and Ice. She is married to a joyful viking and mother to four adorably, feisty kids. They keep her laughing, challenged and in prayer, all day every day! She never imagined that she'd have the opportunity to continue her publishing journey in such a special way from Iceland. After years of fighting off discouragement and seeing her call to write reignited, she loves getting to encourage women through her Milk and Honey Women content and support writers through her Milk and Honey Books author services. As she encourages the writing dream of others, she has seen her own childhood aspirations unfold with the recent release of her debut novel, Her Part to Play . This "modern romance with old-fashioned courage and depth", according to author Patricia Raybon, is a reflection of Jenny's desire to continue to write faith-filled novels that reflect the beautiful and vibrant communities of modern followers of Christ. Along with working on fiction manuscripts, she's authored several books and creative resources including her most recent, Milk & Honey in the Land of Fire & Ice . This book, along with her book Becoming His , feature Biblical fiction and devotional content used in Bible Studies and small groups. She also writes for various blogs, helps writers publish their books, and speaks at gatherings from Alabama to Austria. She's excited about continuing to share with readers through diverse novels that are deeply rooted—with a touch of romance. Words upon words that she hopes reflect the glory and goodness of God. Jenny is a member of ACFW, Called Creatives, and also writes for and serves on the board of Velvet Ashes, a ministry dedicated to encouraging women serving cross-culturally. You can learn more about her on her website www.jennyerlingsson.com and follow her on Instagram at @jennyerlingsson. Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Her Part to Play at Bookshop.org A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Amy Dressler Brings Shakespeare's Women to the 21st Century -84 16:21

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Amy Dressler writes contemporary fiction featuring heroines who wrestle their emotional baggage while maintaining a sense of humor. How to Align the Stars , Amy's debut novel, is a feminist, body-positive spin on Much Ado About Nothing. It is the first book in the Shakespeare Project, a series in which Amy will reimagine Shakespeare's classic comedies with a focus on the inner journeys of the heroines. Retellings allow us to explore classic stories more deeply by hanging modern stories on a known framework. Shakespeare’s women are rich ground for this. In the plays, we only get their dialogue and how the other characters regard and interact with them. We see very little of their inner thoughts because they were written for the stage, and to be played by young, inexperienced male actors. This leaves so much room to create complex emotional arcs. Amy is an active member of the Author's Guild, Women's Fiction Writers Association, and the Pacific Northwest Author's Association, where her books have twice been recognized as contest finalists. She holds a certificate in Popular Fiction from the University of Washington, as well as a BA in English from Whitman College and a Master's in Library and Information Science, also from the University of Washington. She spends her days shepherding government documents but has also worked as an academic librarian and freelance pop culture writer. Amy’s hobbies include barely running (she’s completed ten half marathons, slowly), cooking and baking, hiking, tending her neighborhood Little Free Library, relaxed traveling, and attending live theater. When she’s not writing, Amy can often be found cozied up reading, eating fancy cheese, shopping for fancy cheese, or cooking with fancy cheese. She lives in the Seattle suburbs with her husband, two senior cats, and next door to her sister. Amy’s love language is jokes. Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of How to Align the Stars at Bookshop.org A little about today's host- Kristi Leonard is a modern Renaissance woman deeply rooted in the book world. When she's not immersed in crafting novels, she's orchestrating writing retreats through her business, Writers in the Wild, or lending her voice to non-fiction audiobooks. She leads the Women’s Fiction Writers Association as the president of the board, and interviews her writer pals as one of the hosts of the Author Express Podcast. She will start querying her first book in 2024. Beyond the realm of words, Kristi embraces the Florida sunshine by hiking with her writer-hiker group and leisurely walks on the beach. She and her husband juggle a couple side businesses and take turns sharing the couch with their goofy Golden-doodle, Maddie. Kristi enjoys travel adventures with her twin sister and living vicariously through her grown children. You can learn more about her and connect at: https://linktr.ee/kristileonard . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Exploring the Theme of Found Families with Author Pamela Stockwell -83 14:08

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Award-winning author Pamela Stockwell was born in Texas and raised in South Carolina. In between, she lived in the Philippines and, along with her big sister, became fluent in Tagalog name-calling. She abandoned her foreign language studies at age five and went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from the University of South Carolina. Pamela lives with her husband in Central New Jersey. She has three children in various stages of young adulthood, one dog, and too many cats. Her first novel, A Boundless Place , debuted in 2021. Her second novel, The Tender Silver Stars , was published in April of this year. Her poetry and creative nonfiction have appeared in several online literary journals and anthologies. In her newest book, The Tender Silver Stars , her main characters are two women who meet by chance after each impetuously derails her life. Together, they forge new paths forward and form strong bonds. This theme of found families has played out in her life—her three children were adopted, and she got so close to the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, she donated a kidney to fellow member Kelly Hartog. Although Pamela has always wanted to be a writer, she didn’t publish her first novel until she was 58. She worked in corporate writing for fifteen years, then she adopted her children and accidently became a stay-at-home mom. Being alone all day with three young kids forced her to be creative with motherhood—such as conceiving her own home camp she named Camp Stockwell, which was really just her and her kids. Now she pours that creativity into writing—novels, poetry, short stories, and essays. Her two novels are set in a trailer park—very much modeled after the neighborhood where she grew up in South Carolina. And while not a series, some of the characters from her first novel are featured in her second. She has had people tell her that after reading her first book, A Boundless Place , they had a sudden urge to move to a trailer park because they loved the characters so much. You can learn more about Pamela on her website www.pamelastockwell.com — and this is also the best place to buy her book, The Tender Silver Stars . You can also support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of The Tender Silver Stars at Bookshop.org at this link bookshop.org . You can also follow her on Substack at https://pamelastockwellauthor.substack.com/publish/posts where she writes quick easy to read posts about life and life’s lessons. A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Author Heather Osoy’s Confrontational Alter Ego Writes Her Books -82 12:55

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An avid reader and writer since she was a child, Heather Osoy found her voice through literature. She wrote a number of plays, poems, short stories and even a screenplay during her formative years. The passing of a beloved family member right before the pandemic encouraged her to use that voice to publish her first novel, To Hold Oneself. She chose the indie route, so no one could interfere with what she wanted to say. Her stories are full of imperfect people trying to find their own voices. The subject matter tends to be heavy, but that makes the characters' journeys far more imperative. Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of To Hold Oneself at Bookshop.org at this link bookshop.org Her next installment to her series Discomfort of the Blended entitled Suspension of the Writ will be released August 24, 2024. You can find Heather Osoy on Instagram @heather_writes and Facebook www.facebook.com/heatherosoywrites . Her body of work: 2022, To Hold Oneself 2023, Comfort for Community 2024, Suspension of the Writ Learn more about her at https://linktr.ee/heatherosoy A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Where Fiction Meets Reality with Author Sharon J. Wishnow -81 15:37

for 47 weeks siden15:37

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On today’s episode we’re traveling south to Virginia to speak with Sharon Wishnow, a women’s fiction author who is more than a little obsessed with pelicans and writing about what is outside her back yard. Sharon’s writing career spans thirty years, starting as a freelance writer in the Netherlands where she established a beat in the supermarket and food industries. When she returned to the US, she garnered her experience along with a few professional degrees into a communications career before turning to fiction. She’s currently the executive editor for WriteON! the magazine of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA). She’s the former Vice President of Communications for WFWA and the founder of Women’s Fiction Day celebrated yearly on June 8th. Sharon’s novel, The Pelican Tide is about a Cajun chef, Josie Babineaux and her family living in Grand Isle, Louisiana during the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill that devastated the entire Gulf Coast of the United States. While the book is fiction, it closely follows the actual 87-day timeline of events from the oil well explosion to when it was capped. The story features Gumbo, a quirky brown pelican who has adopted the family as his people. Gumbo is modeled after a real pelican, Big Bird, a great white pelican that was rescued in Tanzania. His humans taught him how to fish and survive. Sharon’s story is one of a family on the brink of financial and social collapse while their home is facing an environmental collapse. Her stories often highlight how changes in the environment change people. She’s quick to say she doesn’t write about dystopian stories but rather stories of strong women who fight for what is most important to them. Along with the lighthearted antics of Gumbo the pelican is a hot sauce competition. The book also includes recipes from Chef Josie that Sharon hopes will be shared along with her story. As a seasoned nonfiction writer, her writing is always informed by actual events. In 2021, eleven years after the Deepwater Horizon spill, Grand Isle was destroyed by Hurricane Ida. The barrier island took a direct hit and 100% property damage. Sharon is now working with the nonprofit Restore Grand Isle to help raise funds and talk about the important work that still needs to be done to rebuild the island and preserve its unique ecosystem. The island is an important rest stop for migrating birds around the world. The people are extraordinary too. You can learn more about Sharon, her book, Grand Isle, and subscribe to her newsletter Research for Writers and Other Curious People on her website www.sharonwishnow.com . You can also connect with her on Instagram @sjwishnow . Sharon also encourages readers to visit Restore Grand Isle to learn how they can help https://restoregrandisle.com…

Author Express

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Women's familial stories and the fantastical, with Nancy Taber -80 12:59

for 48 weeks siden12:59

12:59

On today’s episode we chat with Nancy Taber, an author whose stories are inspired by women’s forgotten histories, her military service, and her love of the fantastical. Nancy grew up in a military family, joined the military herself, graduated from military college, and served as a Sea King helicopter Tactical Coordinator. When she completed her service, she earned her Master’s and PhD degrees, and became a university professor researching the intersection of gender, militarism, and learning. Nancy is a facilitator for Writers Collective of Canada, was named a Top Woman in Defence 2022 by Esprit de Corps magazine, and is a member of the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame. The idea for her debut novel, A Sea of Spectres , began when her mother sent her an article about their ancestors' experiences in the 1758 Acadian expulsion from Prince Edward Island. The focus of the article was on a man, with only brief mention of his wife, Madeleine. And she thought, I can't have that - Madeleine deserves to be the heroine of her own story. So she intertwined Madeleine’s narrative with Acadian folklore and two point-of-view descendants, inspired by Acadian history, an 1864 almanac, and her research about women's service in contemporary (para)military contexts. Nancy believes in the importance of highlighting women’s stories, demonstrating how past connects to present, families lose and find each other, and the fantastical dwells beneath the surface of everyday life. In A Sea of Spectres , she deftly braids three timelines together, each as engaging and fully drawn as the other. With whip-smart contemporary dialogue and moving, evocative historical writing, she brings to life three different generations of Acadian women in a riveting, crackling, chilling mystery. Please visit https://www.nancytaber.ca to connect with Nancy and for links to order her novel. Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of A Sea of Spectres at Bookshop.org https://bookshop.org/a/90599/9781773661575 A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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From Fan Letters to Bestsellers: Kimberley Woodhouse and Tracie Peterson's Partnership -79 22:09

for 49 weeks siden22:09

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Join host Shawna Rodrigues on this exciting episode of Author Express as she welcomes bestselling and award-winning authors Kimberley Woodhouse and Tracie Peterson. You'll learn about this dynamic duo's long-standing friendship and collaboration that has produced nearly 200 books. Discover intriguing facts about their hometowns and learn how a fan letter sparked a 30-year bond and successful partnership. Listen in as they share their love for settings like Kalispell, Montana, and their passion for weaving deep, layered stories. Get inspired by their expert insights on writing, research, and maintaining creativity. Tune in for an engaging conversation that promises to offer both laughter and valuable takeaways for aspiring writers and avid readers alike. Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of With Each Tomorrow at Bookshop.org - https://bookshop.org/a/90599/9780764238994 A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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From Memoir To Historical Fiction with author LL Kirchner -78 14:14

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After running marketing and communications campaigns for organizations like The Andy Warhol Museum, Carnegie Mellon University, and the The TriBeCa Film Festival, L.L. Kirchner ditched the corporate world and moved to India. She moved to New York City to write and teach yoga, and how she’s an award-winning screenwriter and Pushcart-nominated author whose life and work as an expat in Asia became the basis of two memoirs, including BLISSFUL THINKING: A Memoir of Overcoming the Wellness Revolution , and AMERICAN LADY CREATURE: My Change in the Middle East. A Qatar Memoir (named one of Bustle’s “11 Books to Battle the Blues"). Her forthcoming trilogy, the Queenpin Chronicles, debuted with her novel, FLORIDA GIRLS which released May 28, 2024. You can support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy now through Bookshop.org at this link- https://bookshop.org/a/90599/9798985815245 Author Express listeners, get a free audio bonus of LL Kirchner reading the intro to Florida Girls at http://tinyurl.com/FloridaBookIntro Get her latest writing as well as craft and publishing tips at https://illbehavedwomen.com . To find your ideal meditation style, check out https://llkirchner.com/short-moments and click around! Find her on Instagram at @LLKirchner_ and TikTok @LLKirchner A little about today's host- Kristi Leonard is a modern Renaissance woman deeply rooted in the book world. When she's not immersed in crafting novels, she's orchestrating writing retreats through her business, Writers in the Wild, or lending her voice to non-fiction audiobooks. She leads the Women’s Fiction Writers Association as the president of the board, and interviews her writer pals as one of the hosts of the Author Express Podcast. She will start querying her first book in 2024. Beyond the realm of words, Kristi embraces the Florida sunshine by hiking with her writer-hiker group and leisurely walks on the beach. She and her husband juggle a couple side businesses and take turns sharing the couch with their goofy Golden-doodle, Maddie. Kristi enjoys travel adventures with her twin sister and living vicariously through her grown children. You can learn more about her and connect at: https://linktr.ee/kristileonard . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Prickly Company is Good Company with Kitty Johnson -77 13:25

for 51 weeks siden13:25

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On today’s show we get to meet Margaret Johnson, who’s published by Lake Union Publishing under the pen-name Kitty Johnson. Margaret doesn’t mind whether people call her Margaret or Kitty – she answers to both names! Margaret first started writing in her twenties after finishing a Fine Art degree. Faced with an uncertain future – making money from art is a notoriously precarious prospect – Margaret had the bright idea of writing a best-selling novel to finance her painting career. This first novel was never published – she says she basically swapped one precarious way of living for another - but by the time it was completed, Margaret had firmly caught the writing bug. Since then, her writing career has included romance novels published by small publishing houses, a raft of graded readers for academic publishers which have sold around the world, as well as women's fiction which she self-published before she snagged an agent – the wonderful Carly Watters of PS Literary – via a pitch event organized by the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. That was her gateway to publication by Lake Union Publishing – Five Winters was published on the 1st of January 2023, and Prickly Company is to be published on 28th May 2024. A third novel – Closest Kept – will be published sometime in 2025. Margaret frequently draws on her life and experience for her writing – with Five Winters , she used her memories of hopeless crushes in her teens and twenties, as well as her strong yearning to have a child. Prickly Company was partly inspired by the small community where she lives, as well as by her experience as a volunteer for the charity Hodmedods Hedgehog Support. She also drew on her observations of students at the beginning of a new course – the way different characters come to the fore, and others stay back, and how some people can dominate proceedings if the teacher isn’t careful. You can learn more about Margaret on her website at https://www.kittyjohnsonbooks.com and follow her on Instagram @ kittyjohnsonbooks -which will be the best place to be kept up to date on her next release! Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Five Winters or pre-ordering your copy of Prickly Company from Bookshop.org. A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Elizabeth Goddard Writes for the Thrill of it -76 12:05

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Elizabeth Goddard was an avid reader from a very young age and always longed to write, but it wasn’t until she had her first child at age 29 that she resigned from corporate America and finally answered the call of her heart. She started the long and arduous road to publication. Elizabeth chose the traditional route and attended writing conferences for years until she was finally published. With her latest Missing in Alaska series, Elizabeth has found her stride with action and adventure romantic suspense novels set in stunning locations. Now, she’s the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of more than sixty novels, including Christy Award winner Cold Light of Day and Shadows at Dusk, as well as the Rocky Mountain Courage and Uncommon Justice series. Her books have sold nearly 1.5 million copies. She is a Carol Award and Reader’s Choice Award winner and a Daphne du Maurier Award and HOLT Medallion finalist. When she’s not writing, she loves spending time with her family, traveling to find inspiration for her next book, and serving with her husband in ministry. You can learn more about her books at www.ElizabethGoddard.com where you can subscribe to her newsletter, and you can follow her on her Amazon page. Get your copy of HIDDEN IN THE NIGHT, the last installment of Missing in Alaska, today! A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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The Art of Storytelling: Author J. Marie Rundquist Shares the Joy of Literary Twists -75 15:02

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J. Marie Rundquist believes a day isn't complete without time spent reading. Stories she loves best—to read and to write—feature characters from all walks of life who learn from one another. When she isn't writing, you'll find J. Marie exploring all the K‐12 public education world has to offer through teaching, learning, and supporting others in their educational roles. In spite of trying to live in other parts of the US, J. Marie accepted her fate and now embraces six‐month winters in Minnesota, showing off photos of hiking in sub‐zero temperatures. She lives in the Twin Cities with her family, two cats, and a never‐ending supply of Dr. Pepper. The best way to keep up with J. Marie Rundquist's latest stories and upcoming releases, is through her newsletter. You can subscribe on her website, www.jmarierundquist.com . Order As Though You Were Mine in your favorite format: https://books2read.com/u/mVeQ72 Order All I'm Asking in your favorite format: https://books2read.com/u/m0lvny A little about today's host- Kristi Leonard is a modern Renaissance woman deeply rooted in the book world. When she's not immersed in crafting novels, she's orchestrating writing retreats through her business, Writers in the Wild, or lending her voice to non-fiction audiobooks. She leads the Women’s Fiction Writers Association as the president of the board, and interviews her writer pals as one of the hosts of the Author Express Podcast. She will start querying her first book in 2024. Beyond the realm of words, Kristi embraces the Florida sunshine by hiking with her writer-hiker group and leisurely walks on the beach. She and her husband juggle a couple side businesses and take turns sharing the couch with their goofy Golden-doodle, Maddie. Kristi enjoys travel adventures with her twin sister and living vicariously through her grown children. You can learn more about her and connect at: https://linktr.ee/kristileonard . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Mixing Cybersecurity and Domestic Suspense with Author Janet Roberts -74 14:33

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On today’s episode we get to chat with Janet Roberts, a Women’s Fiction author and poet in Pittsburgh, PA, who has a background in cybersecurity. After fifteen+ years as a global leader in cybersecurity awareness and education, Janet transitioned to full time writer and part-time consultant in 2023, to be able to chase her dream of focusing nearly all of her time on her writing. While employed full time, she self-published two novels - The Narrow Gate (2015) and The Leaf Queen (2016) - both of which won First Place in Fiction from Pittsburgh’s The Author Zone, and a small memoir - Seven Thin Dimes. Her third novel, What Lies We Keep, to be released in May 2024 by TEN 16 Press, was written over a five year period while leading a cybersecurity awareness program for a multinational corporation. Her poetry has been published in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and San Fedele Press’ Art in A Time of Covid. All of her novels are set wholly or partially in Western PA, but What Lies We Keep is her first novel to include cybersecurity in the plot. In her work, Janet’s female characters are women struggling with low self-esteem or lack of confidence who find their super power as they grow through adversity in her novels. But, having grown up with brothers and male cousins - and working in a primarily male dominated environment most of her adult life - her books often have both a female and male point of view. She was raised in Erie, PA, by a father from Cleveland, Ohio, and a mother from a small town outside of Pittsburgh, PA, spending a good amount of her childhood in the Pittsburgh area visiting relatives. As an adult, she moved a lot during her career, but in 2019 her deep Western PA roots called her to head back home. She’s a graduate of Temple University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, and of Edinboro University of Pennsylvania (Now PennWest Edinboro) where she earned a Master of Arts in Communications. You can learn more about Janet and her work on her website www.booksbyjanetroberts.com . Follow her on social media at @janetroberts77 (Instagram or Threads) or LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetroberts/ to keep up to date on her next release! A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Sweet Scoops: Dishing on "Love on a Whim" with Author Suzanne Woods Fisher -73 15:44

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Suzanne Woods Fisher is known for her heartwarming Amish fiction and contemporary romance novels. where faith, community, and love take center stage. Through her enchanting storytelling, she whisks readers away to charming settings and introduces them to unforgettable characters. When she's not weaving captivating tales, Suzanne enjoys life with her husband, Steve, along with their four children and numerous grandchildren. Fun fact: Steve is a professional ice cream maker, a skill he honed at Penn State's ice cream school. His expertise inspired Suzanne's "Cape Cod Creamery" series, set in Chatham, Massachusetts, featuring an ice cream shop run by a mother-daughter duo. You can get a sneak peek by pre-ordering "Love on a Whim," the series' third installment, here: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/553561 With a string of bestselling novels and a natural gift for storytelling, Suzanne continues to enthrall readers globally. Her books provide a cozy escape, reminding us of life's simple yet beautiful moments. Connect with Suzanne on her website, www.suzannewoodsfisher.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter for updates on new releases, giveaways, and more. Suzanne adores interacting with her readers and cherishes staying connected! A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Examining the Balancing Act in Life with Marie W. Watts -72 15:08

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On today’s episode, we get to chat with Marie W. Watts, a Women’s Fiction author with one crazy back story from which she draws heavily to create her quirky, well-developed characters facing and overcoming obstacles in life. Her own journey began with what appears to be a perfectly normal middle-class childhood for the 1950s and 60s in Baytown, Texas. Two caring parents, a brother 18 months younger to fight with, a stay-at-home mom, vacations to interesting places, and a good education. But it wasn’t normal…. During her preschool years, she knew the name of the stockbroker—Merril, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner, and Smith—and watched her mother sit by the phone, smoke cigarettes, and talk to her broker. It wasn’t until 7th grade that Marie realized college was not mandatory! The other strange thing that happened was that her parents, particularly her dad, had the same aspirations for both her and her brother. Apparently, her dad had lived a very sheltered existence until he was shipped to Europe in WWII and didn’t want that for his children. She remembers, as a small child, standing with him in a phone booth, rain hammering down, and, with his coaching, calling the operator and placing a call to her uncle to tell him the family’s arrival time. Along with her brother, Marie learned to play ball, mowed the lawn, and was expected to excel at school. The rude awakening didn’t come until fourth grade when she stood on the sidelines, watching her brother try out for little league. One of the other boys attempted to catch a slow grounder but it rolled between his legs. Incensed, Marie realized she could play baseball better than half the boys but wasn’t allowed to try out because of her sex! Time passed. Marie graduated from college, got married, had children (two fantastic girls who gave her three wonderful grandsons), and then came the divorce during Houston’s oil bust of the 1980s. Jobs were scarce, but she managed to land at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, investigating employment discrimination; eventually remarrying and moving to the private sector as a human resource manager and director. Later she opened her own business, focusing on encouraging diversity and preventing discrimination. Her adolescent dream, however, was never far from her mind. She would envision life, dressed in her Girl Scout Camp uniform (white shirt, dark green shorts, and green knee socks), patrolling the borders of the island she owned. Occupation—writer. Dreams never die; they just get postponed. She currently owns a 50-acre ranch in central Texas (her island), named Las Tortugas. And, although she can’t fit into her Girl Scout uniform anymore, she writes. You can learn more about Marie and her blog, “Stories About Life” on her website www.mariewatts.com Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Tough Trail Home at https://bookshop.org/a/90599/9781685133917 A little about today's host- Kristi Leonard is a modern Renaissance woman deeply rooted in the book world. When she's not immersed in crafting novels, she's orchestrating writing retreats through her business, Writers in the Wild, or lending her voice to non-fiction audiobooks. She leads the Women’s Fiction Writers Association as the president of the board, and interviews her writer pals as one of the hosts of the Author Express Podcast. She will start querying her first book in 2024. Beyond the realm of words, Kristi embraces the Florida sunshine by hiking with her writer-hiker group and leisurely walks on the beach. She and her husband juggle a couple side businesses and take turns sharing the couch with their goofy Golden-doodle, Maddie. Kristi enjoys travel adventures with her twin sister and living vicariously through her grown children. You can learn more about her and connect at: https://linktr.ee/kristileonard . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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How to Find Your Unique Creative Voice with Author Davon and Greene -71 12:36

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Growing up as the son of author and composer BB Johnson AKA Joseph Greene (Together Brothers, Across the Alley from the Alamo) DaVon and Greene (the pen name of Jonathan Greene) knew writing was in his blood. Drawn towards cartels, crime, and drugs DaVon and Greene completed his first serious undertaking in his early teens and gave it to his father's friend, Saul David (Director: Logan's Run and Fantastic Voyage) to get an honest critique. Saul was intrigued, but wasn't overwhelmed. His critique sent DaVon and Greene’s life into a whole other direction, putting down the pen and entering the world that he wrote about in an endless cycle that there was no escape from, ultimately leading to incarceration. After jail, employment was hard to find, so when DaVon and Greene’s now wife offered him a job interview at a beer company he seized the opportunity. Working hard he rose through the ranks with promotion after promotion. Within six months DaVon and Greene was on a six figure salary. Several years later, DaVon and Greene’s beer career came to a halt when the company was sold. So DaVon and Greene started flipping Real Estate which provided him with a life filled with fast cars, boats and houses, until the crash of 2007. Not to be defeated, DaVon and Greene turned to insurance, then consulting before starting a successful trucking business. Resting in his truck at night gave DaVon and Greene time to write and finally fulfil his dream to become an author. Thriller, Laredo Nuevo, was published in 2021 and his fast-paced new book, Paladin launched in February 2024. DaVon and Greene is father to eight children and five grandchildren. When he’s not writing or trucking across the country Jonathan can be found in California where he lives with his wife. You can learn more about DaVon and Greene at www.davonandgreene.com/home and also follow him on Instagram @davon_and_greene . A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Author Michele Kwasniewski Explores The Darker Side of Fame -70 12:55

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Michele Kwasniewski translated her career behind the scenes in entertainment into an award-winning young adult trilogy that shines a spotlight on the darker side of fame. Starting out as a set production assistant on movies such as INDEPENDENCE DAY and EVITA, Michele moved to the small screen and worked her way up the ladder to production manager, on television shows such as BIG BROTHER. A life-long southern California resident, Michele always dreamed of writing books despite almost failing seventh grade English grammar. THE RISE AND FALL OF DANI TRUEHART trilogy consists of books RISING STAR BURNING BRIGHT and FALLING STAR About RISING STAR, Publisher’s Weekly said “…Kwasniewski deftly conveys nuanced family dynamics and interpersonal relationships from a teen perspective.” Kirkus called BURNING BRIGHT, …”A realistic and absorbing look at a teen celebrity’s struggle with the pressures of success.” Kirkus called the final installment of the trilogy, “eminently readable.” You can learn more about Michele on her website https://www.michelekwasniewski.com/ and follow her on Instagram at @author.michelekwas The Rise and Fall of Dani Truehart trilogy is available at your favorite bookseller or on Amazon . or support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of The Rise and Fall of Dani Truehart trilogy at https://bookshop.org/a/90599/9781950544363 A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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When Real Life Inspires Fiction -69 13:51

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Jill Hannah Anderson first began writing in eighth grade when a friend gave her a large notebook with Donny Osmund on the cover. She started using it as a diary, and added several more diary notebooks over the years. She also started writing notes for stories in notebooks. Cruddy, haphazard plot ideas… but the writing bug had burrowed in. Then “life” happened. Marriage, kids, owning a business, and a day job. She took a few writing classes, and in 2006, when she was at the busiest point in her life, she stumbled upon a women’s magazine that she wanted to write for. While working full-time at a Communications company, part-time bartending (to help with her eldest daughter’s upcoming wedding and three more kids in college), and training for her first half-marathon, Jill wrote the first of thirty articles/stories for the Minnesota women’s magazine. A few years later, shortly after the last of the kid’s graduated college and Jill quit bartending, her best friend was dying of cancer, and it planted a seed of a story in Jill’s head. The idea of losing your support system when you need them most transpired to become Jill’s first book, The to Hell and Back Club . Jill hit the writing ground running, wisely quitting the magazine side job after ten years and focusing on books. The following year, Crazy Little Town Called Love was released, and in 2022, A Life Unraveled was published. Closer to Home debuted in March, and by the time this podcast is live, Jill will have submitted her fifth book to her publisher. She has been a proud member of WFWA (Women's Fiction Writers Association) from its early stages before it was an association, back when it was a Yahoo email group! You can learn more about Jill on her website: www.jillhannahanderson.com and follow her on Facebook, the best social media place to get book updates from her: https://www.facebook.com/jillhannah.anderson/ Get your copy of Closer to Home here: https://amzn.to/3VEqiLN or support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Closer to Home at https://bookshop.org/a/90599/9781958231432 A little about today's host- Kristi Leonard is a modern Renaissance woman deeply rooted in the book world. When she's not immersed in crafting novels, she's orchestrating writing retreats through her business, Writers in the Wild, or lending her voice to non-fiction audiobooks. She leads the Women’s Fiction Writers Association as the president of the board, and interviews her writer pals as one of the hosts of the Author Express Podcast. She will start querying her first book in 2024. Beyond the realm of words, Kristi embraces the Florida sunshine by hiking with her writer-hiker group and leisurely walks on the beach. She and her husband juggle a couple side businesses and take turns sharing the couch with their goofy Golden-doodle, Maddie. Kristi enjoys travel adventures with her twin sister and living vicariously through her grown children. You can learn more about her and connect at: https://linktr.ee/kristileonard . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Ghosts, unlikely friendships, and snarky humor with Author Tracey Buchanan -68 11:32

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Tracey's journey pursuing the right words has been both straight-forward and circuitous. She wrote nothing but the facts as a journalist and has created worlds out of pure imagination as a novelist. Either way she loves telling stories because stories are connectors that bridge our experiences and help us understand each other better. Tracey's story began in the bootheel of Missouri, but quickly moved to a little corner of western Kentucky called Paducah, a UNESCO Creative City which is home to the National Quilt Museum and the birthplace of Vice President Alben Barkley. After she graduated cum laude with a degree in journalism from Texas A&M University, she returned to Paducah with her husband, Kent, also an Aggie. She worked as the editor of the lifestyle section of her hometown newspaper, where she earned awards like Best Feature Writer of Kentucky and Best Column from the Kentucky Press Association. After having her second son, she decided to write from home and began freelancing. She eventually became editor of a nationally distributed health magazine. She also wrote dramatizations for the City of Paducah, and that's where many of the characters in Toward the Corner of Mercy and Peace were formed. Tracey's also an artist and ran a business for several years selling her watercolor and ink illustrations she called "flutterbies." But, even as an artist she included words in her paintings and collages. She's an author at heart. She and her husband have two married sons, eight grandchildren, and a kooky little Corgi-Yorkie mix that's still frisky at age 16. You can learn more about Tracey on her website, www.traceybuchanan.com . You can also follow her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TraceyBuchananAuthor/ and Instagram: @tracey_d_buchanan . Toward the Corner of Mercy and Peace is available from her publisher, Amazon or support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Toward the Corner of Mercy and Peace at https://bookshop.org/a/90599/9781646033379 A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Author Heather Dixon Shares the Power of Persistence & Universal Experiences 15:18

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This week on Author Express we welcome upmarket women's fiction author Heather Dixon from outside Toronto, Canada. Heather has published three novels filled with compelling themes of family, friendship, and secrets. Discover the incredible story behind her debut novel, "Burlington," and how the setting of the book ties into a thought-provoking metaphor that reflects universal experiences among women. We'll also explore the intriguing plot of her latest book, "The Summerville Sisters," as Heather explores the complexities of sisterhood and the enduring bond of forgiveness. Discover the intricacies of writing, the publishing process, and the joy of staying true to the art of storytelling despite the uncertainties of the publishing journey. Join us this week to explore the vulnerabilities, inspirations, and unexpected similarities in the writing processes of authors from both sides of the border. Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of The Summerville Sisters at https://bookshop.org/a/90599/9781805083207 A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Mining Life's Small Moments for Big Meaning with Erin Bartels -66 16:33

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On today's episode we got to chat with Erin Bartels, an award-winning author who is endlessly fascinated with why people do and say the things they do and say. Her preoccupation with human nature has led her to write character-driven novels that book clubs adore for their layered storytelling and loads of discussion starters. Whether she's delving into history or tackling contemporary issues, whether set in her beloved state of Michigan or venturing abroad, her novels reflect the questions and issues all of us struggle with in life. Her latest, The Lady with the Dark Hair, can be found here: https://erinbartels.com/home/books/the-lady-with-the-dark-hair/ Because the creative life is so important to her, Erin has looked for opportunities to teach and encourage other writers from the beginning, organizing conferences and retreats, teaching workshops, visiting high schools, coaching writers, and doing in-depth developmental edits that help other writers level up. She also loves using her skills as a longtime professional copywriter in the publishing industry to help writers market their self-published books. She recently started a Substack called Experimental Wolves to teach and encourage writers and offer weekly writing prompts to spur their creativity. Check out Experimental Wolves at https://experimentalwolves.substack.com/ You can also find her on Instagram @erinbartelswrites and Facebook @ErinBartelsAuthor . Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of The Lady with the Dark Hair at https://bookshop.org/a/90599/9780800741662 A little about today's host- Kristi Leonard is a modern Renaissance woman deeply rooted in the book world. When she's not immersed in crafting novels, she's orchestrating writing retreats through her business, Writers in the Wild, or lending her voice to non-fiction audiobooks. She leads the Women’s Fiction Writers Association as the president of the board, and interviews her writer pals as one of the hosts of the Author Express Podcast. She will start querying her first book in 2024. Beyond the realm of words, Kristi embraces the Florida sunshine by hiking with her writer-hiker group and leisurely walks on the beach. She and her husband juggle a couple side businesses and take turns sharing the couch with their goofy Golden-doodle, Maddie. Kristi enjoys travel adventures with her twin sister and living vicariously through her grown children. You can learn more about her and connect at: https://linktr.ee/kristileonard . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Kimberly Nixon Explains Why There is More to the Story -65 12:20

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On today’s episode, we’ll talk with Kimberly Nixon who made quite a discovery a few years back. She found her grandmother’s felony conviction papers. She had always heard that her grandmother robbed a train in 1920s in Appalachia and her research persistence paid off. The 125-page record gave Kimberly the details about her grandmother that she had only met twice. Kimberly considers herself the family storyteller and has made a career of exploring family stories for herself and others. She had closed her small business which archived generations of family memories for extended families. For a short period of time, Kimberly considered going back to a “real job” but her grandmother’s story pulled her to a writing desk. First, she wrote the true story of the family tale, detailing everything she knew to be fact about her mother and grandmother for her family. Before she wrote the fictionalized version, she wanted her children and siblings to know what was true. Then, she enrolled in writing courses and started a writer’s critique group. Five years later, Kimberly finished her first draft of Rock Bottom, Tennessee . Not wanting to do the arduous task of querying, Kimberly started her own publishing company. She knew how to market products and run a business from previous experience. Rock Bottom, Tennessee launched April of 2022. Her readers asked for a sequel and Kimberly delivered. Rock Bottom Rising will release February 2024 and will take the readers from Ruby’s conviction on a journey to find redemption and reconnection with her children, abandoned after her arrest. Kimberly’s next project will be a memoir based on retracing her father’s WWII steps throughout Europe. Her father never talked about the war and his records were destroyed by a fire at the National Archive. She has recreated his daily journey from Africa to Berlin and has visited the site of many of her father’s historic battles and has stood where her father was wounded for the first and second time of his service. You can read about Kimberly’s passion for the family story and news of her upcoming release at her website https://www.kimberlynixon.com . Follow Kimberly’s writing journey on her Instagram page @kimberlynixon.author . Get a signed copy of Rock Bottom, Tennessee at Kimberly’s website or see where to find it at this universal link https://books2read.com/u/3nGVMo or support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Rock Bottom Rising at https://bookshop.org/a/90599/9781957513119 A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Rebecca Connolly Shares Real Life Heroine with Latest Book; Hidden Yellow Stars -64 13:31

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On today’s episode, we chat with Rebecca Connolly, author of the upcoming book, Hidden Yellow Stars , as well as A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice , Under the Cover of Mercy , and over 40 romance titles. Rebecca was born in California, but grew up in the Midwest, specifically in Ohio and Indiana. She considers herself a Midwest girl, with all of the wholesome sweetness and "girl next door" attributes that come along with that. According to home videos, she was always loved to make up stories. There was nothing simple about a game of House, and every game involving imagination had some sort of plot, whether it was fighting off dragons or being a school teacher. Her elementary school had a little book press for stories by students, and she had so many little books printed [but very poorly illustrated!] that she could fill a box at home. She has always been a bookworm, and her grandma would send her books almost every month so she would never run out. Book Fairs were like a carnival to her, and libraries her happy place. Her creative writing professor in college once said, "In order to be a great writer, you must be a great reader." That gave her hope, since she had been reading her entire life! She received her bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, which is where she completed her first novel on the side, and started collecting the ideas for many others. She worked for several years after that, dabbling in writing and reading and other activities, and then went on to get her master's degree from West Virginia University. She came back to the Midwest after all of that, and has no desire to leave it again! She is now a full-time author, and learning how to be her own boss. Follow her on Instagram at @author.rebecca.connolly and sign up for her newsletter at rebeccaconnolly.com . Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Hidden Yellow Stars at https://bookshop.org/a/90599/9781639932344 A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Writing What You Most Want to Write with Author Sara Read -63 14:28

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Before she started writing fiction, Sara got a degree in Women’s Studies from U.C. Santa Cruz. She tried the nine-to-five life for about a nanosecond before moving to rural Virginia to become a flute-maker’s apprentice and traditional fiddle player. Some years and two babies later, she returned to school for a Masters in Nursing. A cancer survivor herself, she now has the privilege of caring for cancer patients as a nurse. Sara writes stories about women with purpose and passion who contend with the foes within (self-doubt, mental illness, family struggle) and without (patriarchy) to become their most whole selves. She has yet to meet a moral dilemma that doesn't fascinate her. JOHANNA PORTER IS NOT SORRY , released in March 2023, was Sara's debut novel. Her latest novel, PRINCIPLES OF (E)MOTION came out January 2024. She is hard at work on her third novel, which is hard at work trying to kill her. Sara's short stories have been published in The Missouri Review, Beloit Fiction Journal, and Zone 3 Press, and she has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She is represented by Laura Bradford of Bradford Literary Agency. Sara is co-host of #MomsWritersClub, a BlueSky community and YouTube channel. She lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, with her husband, two teens, a terrier, and three snarky cats. A little about today's host- Kristi Leonard is a modern Renaissance woman deeply rooted in the book world. When she's not immersed in crafting novels, she's orchestrating writing retreats through her business, Writers in the Wild, or lending her voice to non-fiction audiobooks. She leads the Women’s Fiction Writers Association as the president of the board, and interviews her writer pals as one of the hosts of the Author Express Podcast. She will start querying her first book in 2024. Beyond the realm of words, Kristi embraces the Florida sunshine by hiking with her writer-hiker group and leisurely walks on the beach. She and her husband juggle a couple side businesses and take turns sharing the couch with their goofy Golden-doodle, Maddie. Kristi enjoys travel adventures with her twin sister and living vicariously through her grown children. You can learn more about her and connect at: https://linktr.ee/kristileonard . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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From Musical Dreams to Literary Success: Tamatha Cain Always Weaves in Romance -62 14:36

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Tamatha Cain is the award winning author of Song of the Chimney Sweep , a dual timeline women's fiction novel with not one but two mysteries (and an ending that satisfies in the most delightful way), and Only Oona , the first biographical fiction about Oona O'Neill Chaplin. After careers as a vocalist and then sugar artist and baker, she finally allowed herself to believe the pages of writing she'd shoved in a drawer over the years could be more than a hobby, and her first novel won a Royal Palm Literary Award. She went on to write and publish two more novels, and has just completed a fourth. With each one, she flexed a different part of her writing muscles, but her love of timely details and historical accuracy runs through all of her work. Featuring strong female main characters and multicultural casts, her stories often illuminate a unique perspective on American life, one informed by her own diverse cultural background. As the daughter of an Air Force code interceptor and the brilliant Indian woman he met while stationed at a strategic outpost in Pakistan, she's lived in four countries, seven states, and so many houses she lost track. She is a wife, mother of four, and a new grandma. Her little dog Luly would like you to know she puts her own toys away every night. You can learn more about her at www.TamathaCain.com , and while you're there sign up for her popular quarterly newsletter which always starts with happy news and a selection of hilarious memes. A link to all her social media and special events can be found at https://linktr.ee/tamathacain . Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Song of the Chimney Sweep at https://bookshop.org/a/90599/9781949935387 A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Glimpses of 4 New Favorite Authors from Black Writer Therapy -61 19:56

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In this episode of Author Express, we get the gift of meeting four authors through their conversations on the Black Writer Therapy podcast, with Ella Shawn. Get ready to hear heartfelt moments from authors like Stacy Hawkins Adams, Piper Huguley, and N.D. Jones, sharing personal experiences and the inspiration behind their powerful storytelling. From discussing the complexities of marriage and womanhood to the essence of historical fiction and the importance of diving into untold histories, this episode offers a captivating insight into the minds of these incredible writers and introduces you to a podcast that utilizes a longer format to offer more depth and enlightenment. Black Writer Therapy is a gift that we should all experience, and this is a unique opportunity to sample morsels that will help you decide where you should start. Be sure to join Ella Shawn's Substack and continue to gain from her literary insight and grace - https://ellashawn.substack.com/ Episodes mentioned in this episode- Writing, Healing, and Forging Authentic Connections with Stacy Hawkins Adams Piper Huguley on Redesigning Black History Pt.1 One Black Woman's Literary Revolution with N.D. Jones Book mentioned from N.D. Jones clip- Mafdet's Claws Links to the bonus episodes- Session Notes: Black Women Writers Catch Hell Across the Globe Breaking Gender and Racial Barriers with Author, Paulette Stout Episode 3 from Author Express: Driving Societal Change Through Novels with Paulette Stout Episode 30 from Author Express: The Legacy of Fractured Living: An Exploration of Mothers, Daughters, and Sensuality with Ella Shawn A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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A Cleaning Lady Coming Clean by Beth Uznis Johnson -60 16:08

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Beth Johnson always had dreams of writing a novel, but it wasn’t until her baby son Alex was home sick one day that Beth decided: this day job is too much. "I should write a novel so I can stay home to write and take care of Alex." It was a wildly unrealistic plan that took going back to school, keeping the day job, two decades, and hundreds of rejection letters. But hey, what writer has it easy? And who cares if Alex is 23 years old now and lives in his apartment? Getting Coming Clean published was worth the wait and the work. It was that labor of love that taught both her sons to never give up. Beth feels like she found herself in writing and has published short stories and essays in some of the most reputable literary journals. Coming Clean is the fourth novel she drafted, but the first to find a home with Regal House Publishing. She has high hopes for her other projects and, at 52, sees no reason not to believe maybe someday she’ll be able to lose the day job and make a living as a creative writer. Until then, she has found meaningful work at the University of Chicago, writing fundraising materials for the UChicago Medicine Biological Sciences Division. Beth’s writing journey has included a low-residency MFA program, writing conferences and workshops, and prioritizing continuing education. Building a writing community kept her going—summer workshops, the AWP Conference, and the Women’s Fiction Writer’s Association daily write-ins. These connections made a difference when it came to finding a publisher. Coming Clean was always Beth’s favorite project and the one she kept returning to. The idea of a cleaning lady having access to 5 homes worth of people’s stuff was too enticing to give up. The novel takes place over one week. Dawn cleans a different home each day. In the process, Dawn’s backstory unfolds. She is grieving the death of her fiancé, Terry, in a motorcycle crash. She lives in a trailer. She cleans houses for a living. This is not the life she pictured. But, Dawn changes and grows. Matthew’s photography project forces her to compare her life to her customers. She makes major decisions, but most importantly, comes clean about a secret she’s been keeping since Terry’s death. You can learn more on her website, bethujohnson.com , and find her on Instagram , Facebook , and Twitter @buzjohn (which sounds like a drunk man but is actually a condensed version of Beth Uznis Johnson). Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Coming Clean at https://bookshop.org/a/90599/9781646034154 A little about today's host- Kristi Leonard is a modern Renaissance woman deeply rooted in the book world. When she's not immersed in crafting novels, she's orchestrating writing retreats through her business, Writers in the Wild, or lending her voice to non-fiction audiobooks. She leads the Women’s Fiction Writers Association as the president of the board, and interviews her writer pals as one of the hosts of the Author Express Podcast. She will start querying her first book in 2024. Beyond the realm of words, Kristi embraces the Florida sunshine by hiking with her writer-hiker group and leisurely walks on the beach. She and her husband juggle a couple side businesses and take turns sharing the couch with their goofy Golden-doodle, Maddie. Kristi enjoys travel adventures with her twin sister and living vicariously through her grown children. You can learn more about her and connect at: https://linktr.ee/kristileonard . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Sarahlyn Bruck Shares the Depths of Writing from Soccer to Friendship & Literary Inspiration -59 12:57

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Join Kathleen Basi as she sits down with award-winning author Sarahlyn Bruck in this captivating episode of Author Express. Discover the fascinating details about Sarahlyn's background growing up in Northern California, her experience as an actor doing improv, and her journey as a writer. Gain insights into her upcoming book "Light of the Fire," set in a small town in New Jersey, and learn about the deep connections and themes woven into its storyline. Listen in as Sarahlyn shares her perspective on the writing journey and offers a valuable piece of advice for aspiring writers. If you're curious about finding inspiration, getting through editing challenges, and connecting with others through literature, this episode is a must-listen! A little about today's author - Sarahlyn Bruck writes contemporary, book club fiction and is the award-winning author of three novels: Light of the Fire (2024), Daytime Drama (2021), and Designer You (2018). When she’s not writing, Sarahlyn moonlights as a full-time writing and literature professor at a local community college. She’s also a co-host of the pop culture podcast, Pretty Much Pop . From Northern California, she now lives in Philadelphia with her family. For the latest book news, events, and announcements, check out her website and subscribe to her newsletter . Follow her on Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter @sarahlynbruck. Light of the Fire released 1/23/24 and is available for purchase. Use these links to buy *now* with an affiliate link that supports this podcast: https://amzn.to/3OcLowg A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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The Shift to Writing New Adult Urban Fantasy; Celebrating Amanda Sinatra's Exciting Re-Release -58 11:53

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International Best Selling Author of Hollow and Shattered, Amanda’s love for writing started at the age of 13. Her favorite genres are fantasy, romance, and thriller. Amanda has a Master’s degree in Creative Writing with a concentration in Fiction. She currently resides in the suburbs of Massachusetts with her black lab named Jack. You can catch her in person at Tatnuck Bookseller in Westborough, Massachusetts on Feb. 17, 2024 from 1-4 pm and get signed copies of the special edition of Hollow! The pre-order is available now at- https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hollow-amanda-sinatra/1135537203?ean=9798369295892 Check out amandasinatra.com for more information. You can also follow her on Facebook Amanda Sinatra - Author , on Instagram @amandamsinatra , and on TikTok @authoramandasinatra . A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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The Southern Roots Sheila Athens Admits Provoke Her Soulful Writing Career -57 15:30

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On today’s show, we chat with Sheila Athens, who writes women’s fiction set where the South meets the Sunshine state. Her stories are about women seeking to find the peace we all deserve. Readers are drawn to her work because they believe that everyday heroes can make a difference in our world. Her debut novel, The Truth About Love, was a finalist for the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Golden Heart Award. With that background, she can’t help but weave a strong love story thread throughout each of her books, even though she now writes Southern women’s fiction. She turned from romance to women’s fiction because all the stories swirling around in her head needed a bigger canvas on which to be told. Sheila didn’t realize she wanted to write fiction until she was in her early forties. Her first book was published two days after her fifty-third birthday, so she’s a good example for those who fear they’ve waited too long to pursue their passion. We chat with Sheila about her latest novel, Neena Lee Is Seeing Things, features an interesting character: the ghost of John F. Kennedy, Jr. The story is set on Cumberland Island, the barrier island off the coast of Georgia, where John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette were married in a private, paparazzi-free wedding. Neena Lee Is Seeing Things is available in eBook, paperback and audiobook through all major retailers and through your local independent bookstore. Links are available on Sheila’s website: www.SheilaAthens.com . There’s also a form there for book clubs that are reading Sheila’s book to invite her to join them either in person or via Zoom or support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Neena Lee Is Seeing Things at https://bookshop.org/a/90599/9798989164714 A little about today's host- Kristi Leonard is a modern Renaissance woman deeply rooted in the book world. When she's not immersed in crafting novels, she's orchestrating writing retreats through her business, Writers in the Wild, or lending her voice to non-fiction audiobooks. She leads the Women’s Fiction Writers Association as the president of the board, and interviews her writer pals as one of the hosts of the Author Express Podcast. She will start querying her first book in 2024. Beyond the realm of words, Kristi embraces the Florida sunshine by hiking with her writer-hiker group and leisurely walks on the beach. She and her husband juggle a couple side businesses and take turns sharing the couch with their goofy Golden-doodle, Maddie. Kristi enjoys travel adventures with her twin sister and living vicariously through her grown children. You can learn more about her and connect at: https://linktr.ee/kristileonard . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Diane Barnes Writes Stories about Overcoming Obstacles in Life -56 11:23

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Today we welcome Diane Barnes to the podcast. Diane lives in Massachusetts and spends a large part of the summer in the White Mountains in Maine in a camp without an internet connection or a stable cell signal. It’s where she gets her best writing done because there are no distractions. Diane writes Women’s Fiction, and her books often focus on friendships between women and how female friendships have the power to help women overcome obstacles in their lives. Diane fell in love with writing in second grade when she returned from recess one day to find large paper footprints leaving a trail through the classroom. Her teacher asked the class to write a story, and Diane had been writing ever since. She studied journalism in college and worked at a newspaper and magazine before settling into a career as a marketing and corporate communication writer. Diane’s fourth novel, ALL WE COULD STILL HAVE, released November 7 by Lake Union. The book is about a couple that desperately wants children but struggles with infertility. The story started with a writing prompt that best-selling author Elizabeth Berg gave Diane during a four-day intensive writing workshop in Boston. When Diane read the scene she wrote based on the prompt, the attendees and Elizabeth laughed at the beginning and by the end they were in tears. At the time of the workshop, Diane was writing her debut. She finished that and two other novels before going back to the story she started in that workshop that would eventually become All We Could Still Have . You can learn more about Diane and her novels on her website at www.dianembarnes.com or on Instagram and Twitter @DianeBarnes777. Order your copy of All We Could Still Have at your favorite bookstore https://bookshop.org/a/90599/9781662511813 or you can lend a little bit of support to the production of this podcast by ordering it through this affiliate link with Amazon https://amzn.to/41Gxjg5 A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Estranged Sisters -How a Literary Thriller offers relatable characters & bitterly high stakes -55 12:04

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Get ready for an exhilarating ride as we dive into a riveting discussion with the multi-genre author, Mary Carroll Moore. From her culinary adventures as a food journalist to her transition into literary thrillers, Mary's journey promises excitement and inspiration. Delve into her latest book, "A Woman's Guide to Search and Rescue," where estranged sisters, both aviators, twist and turn through gripping situations, all while exploring the enduring power of female bonds. But that's not all – discover an exclusive peek into her upcoming book, "Last Bets," set on a Caribbean island amidst high-stakes gambling and a looming tropical storm. Join us for a fascinating exploration of fierce heroines, unexpected plot twists, and the captivating art of storytelling. A little about today's author - Mary Carroll Moore is a bestselling and award-winning author of 14 books in 3 genres, chef and former cooking school instructor. Her latest novel, A Woman's Guide To Search & Rescue , is a cross-genre literary thriller that details a woman's escape for survival and how she flees to her estranged sister...who doesn't even know she exists. A story that highlights women as heroes, the power of sisterly bonds and what happens when family finds each other, Mary keeps the reader hooked! Mary has her MFA and has taught writing throughout the world. Her incredible writing journey started after attending Le Cordon Bleu in Paris where she went on to write cookbooks for the California Culinary Academy and a culinary column for the LA Times for over a decade. Some of her expert topics include: · A Woman's Guide To Search & Rescue - The WASP Pilot Who Inspired This Story (Mary's Mother) · Incorporating Yourself Into Your Characters - How Writers Bring Their Experiences To Books · From Award Winning Cookbook Writer To Writing Novels - Mary's Unique Journey. Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of A Woman's Guide to Search and Rescue at https://bookshop.org/a/90599/9798987531709 A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Avoid Cliché. How to Make Writing Relatable - Integrating Children with Special Needs -54 14:09

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With a background in romance, Gina Andrew has published a series of Halloween romantic comedy novellas, two romantic suspense novels, and the novelette Girl Meets Grammarian, which was included in World Weaver Press’s collection Covalent Bonds and nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She has also had short romances published in Woman’s World magazine and is a freelance writer for the reader sites BookBub and Scribd. In 2018, Gina pivoted to writing more women’s fiction, and that fall became represented by Laura Crockett at Triada US. Last year, she had the idea of getting together with a group of women’s fiction authors to write a short story collection, and A Million Ways: Stories of Motherhood was born . The collection includes short women’s fiction stories from 13 authors centered around the theme of motherhood and spanning the past century. The title is drawn from a quote by Jill Churchill, which reads, “There’s no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one.” Gina is excited to share this collection and particularly discuss her story, “Everything Left Unsaid,” which draws from both her love of cooking and her experience as the mom to two boys with nonverbal autism and intellectual disability. You can learn more about Gina on her website, www.ggandrew.com , or find her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/writerggandrew . A Million Ways is available on Amazon https://amzn.to/3v6jone - purchasing through this affiliate link is one way you can show support for this podcast! A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Humor and Heartbreak: Leanne Treese weaves both. Today we focus on her Holiday Romantic Comedy! -53 16:20

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On today's episode, we'll chat with Leanne Treese, an author of both Women's Fiction and Romantic Comedy. After working as a matrimonial lawyer for eighteen years, Leanne turned her focus to writing. Her debut work of fiction, Their Last Chance, sought to demonstrate the pitfalls of the legal process as it pertains to divorce. Leanne wrote a second legal-themed book, Mother of the Accused, which tells the story of a single mother whose eighteen-year-old son is accused of sexual assault during his senior year in high school. While Leanne loves writing of all kinds, she found writing the few funny parts of these more serious novels especially enjoyable and wrote two romantic comedies: The Santa Games and Fun Lessons. Though these books are light in theme, they tackle difficult issues such as navigating life with ADHD or learning to accept a transgender sibling. You can learn more about Leanne and her books on her website www.leannetreese.com and follow her on Instagram @leannetreese . If you are hearing this before 12/15/23 - be sure to rush over to Amazon and get Santa Games while it is on special!! - https://amzn.to/3TgULhN Mother of the Accused is also in Kindle Unlimited on Amazon - https://amzn.to/3Tkv3Ji If you are interested in checking out the Rose River Romance series by Avery Lawrence - you can start with Fire from the Ashes - https://amzn.to/41fuTEZ *All Amazon links shared are affiliate links and if you use them, you will bring a small bit of support back to this podcast! A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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How to Manifest an Author Life with Jennifer Lauer -52 13:12

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On today’s episode, we get to chat with Jennifer Lauer, a sci-fi author and lover of jalapeño bagels. Jennifer writes books as well as tv/film, and enjoys being a mom to humans, cats and a dog. She lives in LA, by way of Massachusetts, where she has performed her written works at The Moth, Improv Olympic, and The Comedy Store. Her current projects are her novel, THE GIRL IN THE ZOO , a dystopia about a human held captive in by AI, and fiction podcast, THE STRANGE CHRONICLES , which follows a female noir detective who investigates supernatural mysteries. She’s a proud member of Women’s Fiction Writers Association and The Thoreau Society. The best place to find her work, is through her website www.jenniferleelauer.com and follow her on Instagram @jenniferleelauer Please join her free Substack newsletter called The Delicate Papers, just hit the purple button on the front page of her website www.jenniferleelauer.com and it will take you to the newsletter. When you add your email, you will be sent a list of 5 ways to manifest your goal, it’s the exact 5 things she did to manifest her goal of becoming an author. A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Becoming a USA Today Bestseller at Seventy with Barbara Conrey 16:46

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Barbara Conrey is the USA Today Bestselling author of Nowhere Near Goodbye , her debut, published on August 4, 2020, by Red Adept Publishing. Liza Fleissig represents her at the Liza Royce Agency. Her sophomore novel, My Secret to Keep , was released on August 23, 2022. Barbara is an active member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, Women’s National Book Association, and Author Talk Network. She also moderates the online book club for the Facebook Group Bookish Road Trip. Travel is her passion, along with reading, writing, hiking, and exploring antique shops. Her greatest love is Miss Molly, her rescue beagle. Barbara lives in Pennsylvania, close to family and friends. If you’d like to know more about her and her books you can find her at www.barbaraconreyauthor.com https://www.amazon.com/Nowhere-Near-Goodbye-Barbara-Conrey/dp/1948051575 https://www.amazon.com/My-Secret-Keep-Barbara-Conrey/dp/1958231010 A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Advice to Take Your Main Character in Book's Lead- Grant Her Bravery & Piracy - 51 14:53

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On today’s show, we get to revisit our previous conversation with Sarah Branson to celebrate the one year anniversary of Author Express! Sarah is a former nurse-midwife who now writes cross-genre action/adventure, speculative, and women’s fiction for both adults and teens/tweens that involves air-borne pirates three hundred years in the future. Her stories are set against the backdrop of an Earth changed by fires, floods, and pandemics, but are firmly rooted in the strength and resiliency and hope of the human spirit. A little about today's author - Sarah first started conjuring stories of pirates when her family hopped a freighter to Australia when she was seven. She has since grown up, traveling extensively across the US and the globe. She raised her family in Michigan and still longs to swim in the bays of Northern Michigan. She worked as a receptionist, retail clerk, writing tutor, business owner, and certified nurse midwife. She also taught science and history to middle school and high school students in the U.S., Brazil, and Japan. Through these myriad experiences, she developed a deep appreciation for people’s strength and endurance and fully believes that badass women will inherit the earth and the Earth will be better for it. An indie author, she draws on all of her experiences when creating stories about strong and determined people finding adventure, love, and their paths in worlds that are constantly changing. Pirates of New Earth is her first series Book 1: A Merry Life , Book 2: Navigating the Storm Book 3: Burn the Ship Book 4: Blow the Man Down A Million Ways: Stories of Motherhood , an anthology of short stories, and her YA spin-off, Unfurling the Sails , are available now with a middle-grade spin-off coming in February. And her protagonist, Kat Wallace, is insisting on another adventure, so stay tuned for that story later in 2024. Sarah lives with her husband in Connecticut. You can learn more about her at www.sarahbranson.com A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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After Penning 14 Romance & Women's Fiction Stories - Laura Drake Still Has More to Write -50 13:05

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Laura Drake is a hybrid author of Women's Fiction and Romance. Her debut, The Sweet Spot , won the 2014 Romance Writers of America® RITA® award. She’s since published 14 more books. She is a founding member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association and Writers in the Storm blog. Laura is a city girl who never grew out of her tomboy ways. She gave up the corporate CFO gig to write full-time. She realized a lifelong dream of becoming a Texan and is currently working on her accent. She's a wife, grandmother, and motorcycle chick in the remaining waking hours. Her logline is, 'Ordinary women at the edge of extraordinary change'. She's been described as, 'One of the most thoughtful authors out there today.' You can learn more and sign up for her quarterly newsletter at her website: https://lauradrakebooks.com She has a fun group on Facebook - Laura Drake's Peace, Love & Books. Come join us for coffee, snark, and mayhem! www.facebook.com/groups/lauradrakespeaceloveandbooks You can support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Amazing Gracie at https://bookshop.org/a/90599/9781611883527 A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Building a Foundation for an Author Career with Z.S. Diamanti -49 22:44

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Z.S. Diamanti is an author, illustrator, and creator. The Stone & Sky series is an epic fantasy adventure and the result of his great passion for fun and fantastical stories. He went to college forever and has too many pieces of paper on his wall. He is a USAF veteran of OEF and worked in ministry for over 10 years. He and his wife reside in Colorado with their four children where they enjoy hikes and tabletop games. You can get a FREE series of his stories at https://FreeFantasyFiction.com Connect with him on social media: https://zsdiamanti.com/links A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Finding Fiction in Fractured Families for Author Judith Turner-Yamamoto -48 13:51

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Judith Turner-Yamamoto grew up in rural North Carolina in a small mill town where people either worked the land or left the land to work the mills. As an art historian, she first came to writing through learning to appraise what she saw and to describe what moved her. Her work has appeared in StorySOUTH, Mississippi Review, Snake Nation Review, and American Literary Review, among others, and in many anthologies, including Walking the Edge: A Southern Gothic Anthology, Show Us Your Papers, and Gravity Dancers. Her debut novel and Petrichor Prize finalist, Loving the Dead and Gone , is the 2023 IPPY Awards Gold Medalist in Southern Fiction, was shortlisted for the 2023 Eric Hoffer Book Award Grand Prize, and was General Fiction Honorable Mention and finalist for the Hoffer First Horizon Award. In Loving the Dead and Gone, a freak car crash in rural 1960s North Carolina puts in motion moments of grace that bring redemption to two generations of women and the lives they touch. Compact in setting; and large in emotional scope, this lyrical novel set in the tobacco farms and textile mills of central North Carolina transports readers to a very small place to experience life's biggest emotions. Full of character and common tragedy, fans of unveiled family and community secrets will appreciate this intergenerational story of love, loss, grief, and grace that offers humanity hope for healing. Judith's other awards include two Virginia Arts Commission fellowships, an Ohio Arts Council fellowship, VCCA and Fundaciön Valparaiso fellowship residencies, the Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize, the Washington Prize for Fiction, and the Virginia Screenwriting Award. An inveterate traveler, her article assignments, which include interviews with such luminaries as Frank Gehry, Annie Leibovitz, Alison Krauss, and Lucinda Williams, have taken her all over the world, and she has published more than a thousand cover stories and features on the arts, design, architecture, interiors and gardens, travel, food, fashion, and books in such publications as The Boston Globe Magazine, Elle, Interiors, Art & Antiques, The Los Angeles Times, and Travel & Leisure. Her on-air interviews were featured on NPR affiliate WVXU. She has taught fiction at the Chautauqua Writers' Center, Chautauqua Institution, the Danville Writer's Conference, and the Writers' Center, Bethesda, Maryland. She lives in Cincinnati, OH with her husband, visual artist Shinji Turner-Yamamoto. You can learn more about Judith on her website: turneryamamoto.com . Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @jturneryamamoto and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/judith.turneryamamoto . Get your copy of Loving the Dead and Gone at your favorite bookstore or on Amazon at www.amazon.com/Loving-Dead-Gone-Judith-Turner-Yamamoto or support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Loving the Dead and Gone at www.bookshop.org/a/90599/9781646032587 A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Give Power to Author Voice by Confidently Drawing from Life with Lynne Golodner -47 14:50

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This week on Author Express we bring you an engaging conversation that touches on how an author's body of work can reach beyond genre to connect with readers in multiple ways. We are excited for you to get to know the writer we have with us today - Lynne Golodner writes emotional novels with compelling Jewish characters who are determined to fill their lives with passion, purpose, and love. Her first novel, Woman of Valor , joins a body of work that includes two poetry collections and six nonfiction books, including Hide and Seek: Jewish Women and Hair Covering and The Flavors of Faith: Holy Breads . Lynne is a writing coach, marketing entrepreneur, and host of the Make Meaning Podcast, and her creative nonfiction has been published around the world. With a BA from the University of Michigan and an MFA from Goddard College, Lynne is a mother of four and lives in Huntington Woods, Michigan, with her husband, Dan. A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Perseverance is really all author Amy Hagstrom knows (lol) -46 13:07

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On today’s episode, we get to chat with Amy Hagstrom, a Contemporary Fiction author with her debut coming out this fall. Amy began her writing career as a travel writer and editor whose work appeared in US News, OutdoorsNW Magazine, Travel Oregon, and Huffington Post, among others, and for over a decade, she was lucky to travel all over the world, often with her children in tow. A lifelong outdoors enthusiast, she also served as a volunteer EMT with her local county search and rescue unit before launching her fiction writing career. After raising her three children in the Pacific Northwest, Amy traded the Cascade, Siskiyou, and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges for the Sierra Madre mountains, making her home in central Mexico with her wife. Perhaps thanks to her love of travel, Amy finds much of her inspiration for her novels in a deeply entrenched sense of place, often considering the setting of each of her novels to be a character in itself. Amy's four completed manuscripts take place in treasured locations across the American West, ranging from the California Sierra to the Pacific Northwest's San Juan Islands, Wyoming's Tetons, and her longtime home in Southern Oregon. The many wildfires of this region inspired her second book deal in her novel currently titled, SMOKE SEASON, which comes out with Lake Union in 2024. You can learn more about Amy on her website www.amyhagstrom.com and follow her on Instagram @amyhagstromwrites or on Threads under the same handle. Sign up for her newsletter on her website to stay up to date on her upcoming releases, and preorder THE WILD BETWEEN US on Amazon at www.amazon.com/dp/1662511485/ or support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of The Wild Between Us at https://bookshop.org/a/90599/9781662511486 A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Author Heather B. Moore sets the truth free after interviewing a WWII prison camp survivor -45 18:32

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“I never thought it was important, best to forget and left alone. The past is the past and who wants to read, hear, and know about war and its atrocities? I certainly did not and neither did anyone else who went through it. Then in my golden years, I realized the world needs to know and hear from real people who survived wars, not history books. First, that war is terrible, secondly that those who are free need to be more grateful and realize freedom comes with a price tag, and at great cost.” –Marie Vischer Elliott Marie, who goes by Rita in the historical novel, Under the Java Moon , was at first reluctant to have her story told in novel form by Heather B. Moore. In August 2021, Heather met Marie for the first time, where they both vetted each other. Heather wondered if she’d be able to do justice to a story that Marie had kept to herself for so many decades. Marie wondered if she was truly ready to trust such private and difficult memories to a historical fiction format. Marie told Heather that her family never spoke of the war after it ended. Her parents had wanted to fully move on. Because of all that she had endured, Marie never watched war movies or read books about wars. She especially stayed away from stories about concentration or prison camps and their victims and survivors. Like her parents, she kept her past firmly behind her. But in recent years, as Marie watched her grandchildren grow and have children of her own, she realized she needed to share her past. Even though she feared the pain that would return by recalling her memories, she wanted her grandchildren to know the price of freedom and to find gratitude in all walks of life. You can learn more about her on her website www.hbmoore.com and follow her on Instagram @authorhbmoore Get your copy of Under the Java Moon at your favorite bookseller https://shadowmountain.com/product/under-the-java-moon/ or support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Under the Java Moon at https://bookshop.org/a/ A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Nancy Christie Shares her Thoughts on Living the Writing Life -44 14:54

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Nancy Christie has been living the writing life for more years than she can remember. Her writing background, like so many other writers, has been a hodgepodge of freelance work (newspaper, magazine, and corporate clients), short stories, and fiction and nonfiction books. And again, like so many other writers, she finds it challenging to balance income-producing work with what she really wants to write, which right now are the books in her Midlife Moxie Novel Series and more short stories for her fourth collection, The Language of Love, due out in 2025. In her early years, she juggled motherhood and writing, then much later, caregiving and writing. And now, it’s book marketing—and writing. The central through line for her is always fiction writing—whether she only gets half an hour a day or can manage an entire weekend. As for her novel series, she sees herself as the poster child for midlife reinvention. It wasn’t until she was forty that she had her first short story published, and she was fifty when her first book was published. Ten years later, her first short fiction collection came out and now, at the tender age of sixty-nine, she’s released her first novel, Reinventing Rita . And she plans to continue living this writing life as long as she can. You can learn more about Nancy on her website, www.nancychristie.com , where you can find links to her books, her Living the Writing Life podcast, and her Midlife Moxie Novel Series on YouTube and sign up for her newsletters. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Get your copy of Reinventing Rita at your favorite bookseller, at https://store.bookbaby.com/book/reinventing-rita , or support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Reinventing Rita at https://bookshop.org/a/ A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Narcissistic Abuse Memoir from the Victim's Perspective with Author Dana S. Diaz -43 30:04

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Dana S. Diaz made her debut as an author in June 2023, when she released her gripping memoir, GASPING FOR AIR: THE STRANGLEHOLD OF NARCISSISTIC ABUSE . The Best-Selling book invites readers along her odyssey of healing and empowerment as she breaks free from the grasp of her 25-year-long abusive relationship. She fearlessly delves into old wounds to reveal the truth behind a lifetime of lies and stitches them closed as a new and resilient woman. An inspiring true story filled with strife and revelation, Gasping for Air exposes the raw truth of emotional, psychological and physical trauma. Although some of Dana's experiences are triggering for other victims of abuse, GASPING FOR AIR has helped them better understand their circumstances and know they're not alone. It has been a tremendous help for mental health and legal professionals as well, to better understand what abuse looks and feels like from a victim's perspective, since most victims of abuse and domestic violence are unable, afraid or ashamed to express the complexities of their situation otherwise. Dana is currently working on the prequel and sequel to GASPING FOR AIR. The Prequel will delve into her childhood, wherein she was abused by her stepfather and gas lighted to believe it wasn't abuse by her mother. The Sequel will feature another narcissist who Dana didn't see coming. This one threatens to destroy her "happily ever after." Aside from writing, Dana enjoys her country life with her husband, Doug, and two cats, Tigger and Kitty Kitty. She wears her gray Converse shoes every day, enjoys walking and listening to music (she's a total "Swiftie"), and looks forward to the many vacations she takes with Doug around the world every year. For more information about Dana and to take a quiz to see if you've experienced narcissistic abuse, please visit www.danasdiaz.com . GASPING FOR AIR is available anywhere books are sold online. There is also a link on www.danasdiaz.com OR Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of GASPING FOR AIR at https://bookshop.org/a/ Please follow Dana on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DanaSDiazAuthor/ or on Instagram at www.instagram.com/danas.diaz/ A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Meg Calvin Writes Like Her Parents Are Dead (will give credit for this quote to Jason Aaron who originally said it) -42 12:55

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Meg Calvin is an Amazon Bestselling Author and writing and marketing coach who helps writers do the deep spiritual work to create their Amazon bestselling books (paperback, Kindle, and Audible). After 15+ years as a minister, Meg began serving nonfiction and memoir writers who are fellow (as she refers to them) Spiritually-Attuned Go-Getters back in 2020. Regardless of their book's topic, a Spiritually-Attuned Go-Getters is a writer who doesn't only have a high frequency of service to others, but also believes that ambition is holy and that birthing a book is *truly* a divine process. Through her intuitive gifts, time-tested writing and marketing techniques, and, at times, unconventional practices, she guides writers in forever unblocking those deep subconscious blocks around their identity, their time, their unique writing style, monetizing and marketing their book, and their book's target audience--just to name a few. As these become unblocked, the writer becomes unstoppable on his/her/their path in birthing an Amazon Bestselling Book that transforms readers' lives. Connect with Meg on social media (Meg Calvin) or at MegCalvin.com . She is excited to be learning the science of fiction writing as she births her third book. The Bluebonnet Child: Finding Grace in Poor Soil with Wipf & Stock, is her first book. It seeks to equip us to offer hope to kids whose homes seem hopeless and equips churches, schools, and other non-profits to be the supplemental family to kids of troubled homes, i.e., bluebonnet children. Her second book and Amazon Bestseller, I Am My Own Sanctuar y, with Quoir Publishing, reads like Seth Myers and the Benedictine nun, Joan Chittister conceived a book-baby. This “Full-steam comedic rant”, as Dr. David Dault of the NPR Show, Things Not Seen called it, was written for other “recovering-people-pleasers” and encourages them to take back the power over their lives from others by tapping into the power of the Divine within. It’s available on Kindle, Audible, and paperback. There is a supplemental I Am My Own Sanctuary Journal that guides readers into deeper reflection with ten questions per chapter and fancy-lined pages. Meg has been featured on NPR and has served as a workshop presenter at state-wide and national conferences. Enjoy a FREE TRAINING called, 3 WAYS TO MAKE MARKETING YOUR BOOK MORE FUN AND LESS FRUSTRATING over at MegCalvin.com and she'd love to continue the conversation with you over on the socials: Instagram: @heymegcalvin Facebook: @megcalvin TikTok: @megcalvin or Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of I Am My Own Sanctuary at https://bookshop.org/a/ A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Assassins, Dragons, and Royal Intrigue with Author E.A. Winters -41 18:01

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On today's episode, we sit down with YA fantasy author E.A. Winters, a mom, Licensed Professional Counselor, military spouse, and—dragon rider?? Well, dragon writer, anyway! E.A. Winters has loved reading since childhood and wanted to be an author around the same time she wanted to be a dolphin trainer. Neither panned out at first, but then in 2017 she started writing her debut novel, The Forgotten Stone , a Lord of the Rings meets Narnia vibe quest adventure standalone. The Forgotten Stone took a year to write and another year to edit, but Winters was bitten by the writing bug and soon dove into book one of a dragons and assassins series, The Blood and Flame Saga. Book 1 took her four months to write, and she's now working on a branch-off series called The Melderblood Chronicles that can be enjoyed on its own or enriched by reading the original series first. Inspired by fast-paced, high-stakes stories that sweep you away the minute you open the page, E.A. Winters' books might be what you're looking for if you love stories of blackmail, kidnapping, royal intrigue, dragons, and assassins—especially if you love romance intertwined, but would rather skip explicit language and sexual material. Learn more on her website at https://www.eawinters.com and follow her on Instagram at @e.a.winters and TikTok at @eawinters . Ready for some dragon and assassin adventures? Dive into Dragon's Kiss today at books2read.com/u/bQNq8P or Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Dragon's Kiss at https://bookshop.org/a/ A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

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What Historical Fiction Characters Teach You About Contemporary Living with Author Elaine Stock -40 12:10

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lways the curious and independent (“I can do it myself”) child, Historical Fiction/Women’s Fiction author Elaine Stock was stumped when she asked family members questions about her heritage and discovered no one wanted to talk about the past. She also was bemused when especially her beloved grandmother would reply “Why? Are you going to write a book about it?” Years later, after penning a few inspirational titles, Elaine, determined to write what she loved to read—historical fiction—researched her paternal heritage from Brzeziny, Poland. Learning that the likely reason behind why her family did not share about the ‘Old Country’ was because of sheer tragedy due to the horrific loss of lives in Brzeziny during the Holocaust, which would include family members that didn’t immigrate to the US, she passionately wanted to create a story of two women friends (one who is deaf and inspired by her great aunt) who dared to overcome the horrific times of a world war and the occupation of Poland by encouraging each other to continue forward despite the tough times by believing that better days are ahead for themselves, that they are the ones who have the power to make these days brighter. This first and huge leap in a new fiction direction has launched Elaine as an author of Historical Fiction, blended with Women’s Fiction. She has not one regret! Her love letter to Brzeziny became the award-winning, and Amazon Best Seller novel, We Shall Not Shatter. It also just earned the rank of 2023 Category Finalist in the Erich Hoffer Award. Like her female characters, Elaine is learning how to shove aside several fears and worries and embrace the power of hope in living on this fast-spinning planet. A member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association and The Historical Novel Society, she was born in Brooklyn, New York, and lives in upstate, New York with her husband and enjoys long walks down country roads, visiting New England towns, and of course, a good book. You can learn more about Elaine and her novels on her website https://elainestock.com/ and follow her on Facebook where she hangs out with a growing readership community: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorElaineStock Get your copies of the Resilient Women of WWII Trilogy books here https://amzn.to/416o2wk or support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of We Shall Not Shatter at https://bookshop.org/a/ A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

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Feminism, Imagination, and Beyond: A Conversation with Anna Quinn -39 15:35

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In this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Anna Quinn, an author, and founder of the Writers’ Workshoppe in Port Townsend, Washington. Her debut novel, THE NIGHT CHILD, published in 2018, was a Washington State Book Award finalist, listed as #1 Best Real Psychological Fiction on Goodreads, and has been praised for its powerful portrayal of trauma and its impact on identity and relationships, as well as its lyrical writing and gripping storyline. Anna's latest book, ANGELINE, nominated for the National Book Award, is a powerful exploration of feminism, grief, and the imagination. Drawing on her own life experiences, as well as insights from leading feminist thinkers and writers, Anna gives voice to the silenced and the visionaries through her characters and shows how love and collaboration can free us from limiting social constructs and create a more equitable world. A little about today's author - Anna Quinn's twenty-five-year experience as a public school teacher has had an invaluable influence on her writing. Throughout her career as a teacher, she witnessed firsthand the struggles and challenges her students faced. Many of her students came from difficult backgrounds and had experienced abuse, bullying, poverty, or other forms of hardship. As a result of her time as a teacher, Quinn became deeply invested in exploring the themes of identity formation, equality, imagination, and resilience in her writing. In this podcast, Anna will also share insights into her writing process and the techniques she uses to create compelling stories. For her, writing is all about tapping into the power of the imagination and approaching her work with a sense of openness and curiosity. She rarely knows where a story is going to take her, and that's part of the magic she loves. She believes that nurturing and protecting one’s voice is an essential part of writing stories that resonate deeply with readers. To learn more about Anna and her work, you can visit her website at https://annamquinn.com. Her latest book, ANGELINE, is available for purchase at https://bookshop.org/p/ and https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5PDRTML A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

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Writing as Personal Transformation with Author Rachel Stone -38 13:38

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Today we catch up with Rachel Stone, author of The Blue Iris who writes stories of hope and redemption, often set against vibrant Canadian backdrops. A former labour relations specialist, Rachel left the corporate world behind when a health issue from years earlier came back to haunt her. Desperate for distraction, she enrolled in creative writing courses in the hopes of finally giving her writing dream a dedicated shot. When a short writing assignment formed the seedling of The Blue Iris, Rachel found herself transfixed by the process of developing the novel's vibrant cast of characters, who offered a timely escape from her real-world health worries. The Blue Iris quickly took up residence in her heart, fulfilling Rachel in a way she'd never experienced as she re-examined her whole approach to life and made writing it a priority. Subsequent medical tests proved shocking: not only had pursuing her passion filled her soul with sparkles -- it also appeared to be healing her body. Rachel vowed to see the book through no matter how many rewrites, edits and queries it took (spoiler: it took a LOT!), then go on writing like her health depended on it. Rachel holds degrees in psychology and industrial relations, and once worked seven summers at a flower market. She’s an active member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association and proud co-founder of a local volunteer initiative supporting new and newly-immigrated families in need. Born and raised in Toronto, Rachel lives near the city with her family and on weekends you’ll find her along the south shore of Georgian Bay, belting nineties pop rock from her paddleboard. You can learn more about Rachel at her website: www.rachelstoneauthor.com. The Blue Iris is available to preorder now. A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

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Genealogy Research Prompts A Next Chapter -37 11:19

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Janis Robinson Daly grew up in Massachusetts and remained there, graduating with a B.A. in Psychology from Wheaton College, at the time, an all-women’s college. At Wheaton, she developed an appreciation of the supportive relationships established between women and a heightened awareness of female-centric issues. Both directed her writing of THE UNLOCKED PATH. With a love of history and plot and themes sketched, Janis enrolled in a creative writing course to hone hery skills. Combining years of extensive research, feedback from writers’ conferences, beta readers, and editors, and with a contract in hand from indie press Black Rose Writing, she published THE UNLOCKED PATH ten weeks after her 60th birthday. My next chapter had begun. THE UNLOCKED PATH presents a “New Woman” of the 20th century: educated, career-minded, independent Eliza Pearson Edwards. In 1897 Philadelphia, after witnessing her aunt's suicide, Eliza rejects her mother’s wishes for a society debut, and at a time when five percent of doctors are female, she enters a woman’s medical college. With the support of a circle of women and driven by a determination to conquer curriculum demands, battle sexism, and overcome doubts, Eliza charts her new life path. Combining science and sympathy, she triumphs to heal others and herself. Organic Chemistry may slay her, if the strain of endless study, odoriferous labs, and gruesome surgeries don’t claim her first. As a young intern, she summons a forthright confidence asserting her abilities to those mistrustful of a woman doctor. Through her work with poverty-stricken patients, she defines her version of suffrage work to champion women’s rights for and beyond the right to vote. Love is found, love is lost. During a visit to the fairy-tale-like city of Newport, a new relationship may fulfill her desires. By 1912 Eliza moves to Boston, using her medical skills to assist at settlement houses in the South and West Ends. When global events devolve into chaos with the 1918 influenza pandemic and a world war, Eliza renews her vow to help and heal. Janis, her husband, and rescue pup now split their time between Cape Cod, NH, FL, and hotels along Route 95. She has spoken at over twenty-five libraries and joined many local book clubs for an author presentation. You can learn more about Janis, her novel, local appearances, and how to book her for an event at www.janisrdaly.com . THE UNLOCKED PATH has recently been showcased as a Top Ten book by the Women's Fiction Writers' Association which celebrates women’s fiction titles that showcase Twentieth Century Historical Fiction (1900 – 1989) and shines a light on the societal barriers women scrambled over on their journey to live and love as fully as possible. THE UNLOCKED PATH is available through Amazon in paperback, Kindle and Audible and can be ordered through any local indie bookstore or Bookshop.org . A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

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The Age Gap Summer Beach Read with Author Zachary Downing -36 12:53

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On today’s episode we speak with author Zachary Downing, a coming-of-age novelist who enjoys writing funny and relatable characters trudging through the everyday, frantic and transformative trials of life. His first novel, Flounder, was published in 2022, and concerns a college Freshman who stops going to class, but keeps going to parties. Downing wrote it to be the crazy college version of “The Little Engine That Could.” In 2023, Downing has published his second novel, Manhattan to Montauk, which involves a whirlwind summer romance between a 22-year-old man and a 17-year-old woman. Set in 1995, in New York City and the Long Island vacation community of Montauk, this book examines early-adulthood love through changing seasons, setting and circumstance. You can purchase Manhattan to Montauk and Flounder, through his website: zdowning.com. You can also follow Zach on Instagram at: Zachary_Downing_writes. A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

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Carla Damron Explores How Fiction can Make a Difference -35 12:54

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In today’s episode, writer and social worker Carla Damron explores how her two careers are intertwined. Damron worked as a clinical social worker and mental health agency administrator for thirty+ years. She worked with numerous clients experiencing serious mental illness and found she learned more from them than she’d ever learned in a textbook. After retiring from the mental health organization, Damron directed an advocacy organization where she learned more than she ever wanted to know about the prevalence and impact of human trafficking. Both legs of her career (mental health and advocacy) have informed her writing. In her mysteries, suspense, and women’s fiction, Damron tackles social issues like mental illness, homelessness, and human trafficking—with the goal of entertaining her readers while expanding their awareness of these important issues. Damron’s most recent novel, The Orchid Tattoo, has garnered several awards, but what has been more satisfying is the impact it’s had on readers, who reach out to her asking what they can do to combat human trafficking. Damron donates a large portion of her royalties to an organization that supports the recovery of trafficking survivors. You can learn more about her work at www.carladamron.com and purchase her latest book here: https://bookshop.org/a/ A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

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Foodie Fiction at a Cookie Company with Author Delise Torres -34 14:44

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Delise Torres grew up in Puerto Rico, watching telenovelas and re-enacting scenes with her Barbies. Once she outgrew her dolls, she turned to daydreaming, and it wasn’t until her late thirties when she finally put her own stories to paper, and her passion for writing was born. She has a PhD in Food Science and former work experience as a quality assurance manager in the food industry. When not writing, you can find her trying to time-manage her life, singing, reading, and streaming shows and movies. She lives in Germany with her daughter and German husband. Her debut foodie women’s fiction, One Tough Cookie, comes out on July 18. Find bonus content and join Delise’s mailing list on her website at https://delisetorres.com/ and follow her on Instagram @torresdelise or Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of One Tough Cookie at https://bookshop.org/a/ A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

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Rachel Corsini's Hot Mess Millennials and How They Clean it Up -33 12:19

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After declaring herself a pretty pink princess during her first ballet class, Rachel dreamt of sugarplums and began pirouetting her way through life. While studying to become a ballerina, she compulsively read books under her covers by flashlight and scribbled in spiral-bound notebooks. The urge to tell stories culminated in her graduation from Columbia College Chicago with a B.F.A. in fiction writing. Never one to keep her feet on the ground, she traveled the world from Prague to Cape Town. Once settled back in Queens, she dabbled in journalism before working as an Editorial Assistant for a medical publisher. Seeking a more fulfilling career, she earned her MAT from Queens College and currently works as an English teacher in an alternative program in NYC. Rachel spends her time sipping coffee, trying to cook, and practicing her pirouettes. She currently resides in Freeport, Long Island. You can learn more about Rachel at her website www.rachelcorsini.com and follow her on instagram , twitter and tiktok @madameraerae. Get your copy of Sushi and Sea Lions here https://books2read.com/u/bONod9 or Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Sushi and Sea Lions at https://bookshop.org/a/ A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

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Change is the Spice of Life -32 12:24

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Anna E. Collins is a Seattle area author of contemporary romantic comedies and women’s fiction who was a dual debut in 2022 with romcom LOVE AT FIRST SPITE , and women’s fiction novel THESE NUMBERED DAYS . Anna grew up in Sweden where she was always a voracious reader with a vivid imagination, but other than occasional poems and songs, she didn’t start putting her own stories into writing until after she had kids. By that point, she had worked as a high school teacher for several years, married an American, undertaken two international moves, and needed a new outlet. Her first venture into fiction was a gargantuan 260,000-word historical family saga that will never see the light of day but that sparked a passion for creating people and worlds that illustrate and illuminate aspects of the human experience that connect us. A couple more books and a master’s degree in educational psychology later, Anna caught the break that would allow her to consider writing more than a hobby when she got into PitchWars in 2017. Since that crash course in editing and the world of publishing, she has never looked back. She placed 2nd in the PNWA literary contest 2018 and was a RWA Golden Heart finalist in 2019 with two of her women’s fiction novels. Then in 2020, with the pandemic upon us, she decided to branch into something more lighthearted and wrote the romcom that ended up being her debut. Regardless of genre, Anna aspires to write characters that jump off the page, and relationships that are as complex and imperfect as the ones we find in our everyday life. The sweet spot is where recognized experiences can be infused with fictional sprinkles to create something that’s familiar but just enough “other” to transport the reader and widen perspectives. When not writing, Anna stays busy driving her teenage kids around, training her eternal shadow and companion Archie the mini goldendoodle, and engaging in other creative pursuits such as drawing, woodworking, and baking. She is currently in the middle of the launch of her second women’s fiction novel, A Life in Bloom (Red Adept), and revising the second of two romcoms scheduled to be released in 2024 and 2025 (Forever). You can keep up with Anna on Instagram @aeccreates, and on her website www.aecollinsbooks.com where you’ll also find links to order her books or Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of A Life in Bloom at https://bookshop.org/a/ A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

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Publishing and Persistence with Author Gabi Coatsworth -31 14:56

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Today's guest Gabi Coatsworth was born in Britain but has spent most of her life trying to figure out how America works by living here. She arrived forty years ago to work for six months, but couldn't resist a particular American, so she stayed. Her award-winning memoir about that relationship, Love’s Journey Home , was published last year by Atmosphere Press, who also recently published her debut novel, A Beginner's Guide to Starting Over . It's not her first novel - she has two more languishing in a desk drawer. Writing historical fiction turned out to be harder than she expected. She began the first one on a bus in Vietnam, as a NaNoWriMo effort. Nowadays she lives in Connecticut in a cottage that's American on the outside, and English inside. If she’s not writing, reading, or traveling, she’s usually to be found in her flower garden, wondering whether to weed, and holding a cup of her preferred beverage, strong English tea – she believes Earl Grey is too weak. Unlike many writers, she only drinks coffee as a last resort. Gabi runs writers groups in Connecticut, and you can connect with her here. https://linktr.ee/gabicoatsworth A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

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The Legacy of Fractured Living: An Exploration of Mothers, Daughters, and Sensuality with Ella Shawn -30 14:48

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On today's episode, we're chatting with Ella Shawn, a southern erotic women's fiction author who at one point, housed 13 guinea pigs, and that's just the beginning of this southerner's charm. After thirteen years of teaching high school English and creative writing, a diagnosis of systemic lupus and narcolepsy with cataplexy freed Ella from accepting a good-enough-for-now-life and demanded she creates an I-deserve-it-all-life. Ella Shawn tells the forbidden stories of Black, Southern women who find healing and freedom through the practice of sacred eroticism. She is the author of the Broken Souls Series (Broken Souls, Mirrored Souls , Consecrated Souls , Harmonious Souls ), and host of the Enchanted BEAST Podcast, available on twelve platforms. Ella is excited to launch her latest podcast in June of this year entitled, Black Writer Therapy. As a member of the South Carolina Writers Association, she serves as the Critique Chapter Liaison to the Board of Directors. She is also an active member of the Women's Fiction Writer Association. At home, Ella Shawn is one-half of an old married couple. Together for thirty years, married for twenty-three of those… the high school sweethearts have three brilliant daughters, two cats, and a service dog. Ella knows without the love and support of her family and fur family, she would not be able to do any of what she does. If you'd like to purchase Ella's books, connect with her on social media, or join her monthly newsletter list, use the link below. https://bio.site/EllaShawnWrites You can also check out Ella Shawn's latest podcast, Black Writer Therapy right where you are listening to this podcast or visit - https://www.ellashawn.com/podcast for more information. A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

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Kelly I. Hitchcock Makes You Laugh While She Steals Your Heart -29 14:19

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On today's episode we chat with Kelly I. Hitchcock, a humorous fiction author who brings her wry character voice to her newest novel, Community Klepto. Kelly I. Hitchcock is a literary fiction author, humorist, and poet in Austin, Texas. She has published several poems, short stories, and creative non-fiction works in literary journals, and is the author of the coming-of-age novel The Redheaded Stepchild and the short story collection Portrait of Woman in Ink: A Tattoo Storybook. Her newest novel, Community Klepto, released June 2022, courtesy of She Writes Press and was a finalist for the Montaigne Medal from the Eric Hoffer Awards. She is world-renowned among a growing readership of several folks. She is an editorial contributor to Austin Moms and Zibby Mag. A little about today's author - Raised by a single father in the small town of Buffalo, Missouri, Kelly has fond memories of life being broke as shit in the Ozarks that strongly influence her writing and way of life. She’s a graduate of Missouri State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing. She has seven-year-old identical twins and a full-time job, so writing and picking up LEGO are the only other things she can devote herself to. You can learn more about Kelly and her work on her website www.kellyhitchcock.com and follow her on all social media as Kelly Hitchcock. Get your copy of Community Klepto to support your local bookstore & this podcast through Bookshop.org . A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Adding Emotional Suspense to Women's Fiction with Jen Craven -28 13:54

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In today’s episode, we chat with women’s fiction author Jen Craven. After two historical fiction novels, Jen made the jump forward to contemporary times, now focusing on stories in the present day, featuring flawed protagonists making split-second decisions. Her books target readers who are drawn to complex families, morally gray characters, and fast-paced plotlines that serve for excellent chit-chat well after the last page. In fact, one of Jen’s favorite things it to join in on book club meetings—she’s Zoomed into everywhere from Florida to New England. As an indie author, Jen learned the ins and outs of self-publishing and how to make her books stand out. Her contemporary debut, Best Years of Your Life (Aug. 2022), is set on a fictional college campus where both professors and students get wrapped up in cheating scandals. Her next two books, scheduled for fall 2023 and spring 2024 will be published by Bookouture. When she’s not writing— Er, well…actually, she’s always writing, whether that’s at her computer, in her head on long walks, or at her three children’s sporting events in northwestern Pennsylvania. Jen is most active on Instagram @jencravenauthor , where she loves to create relatable, uplifting writing and book content. Learn more about Jen and her books at www.jencraven.com or Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Best Years of Your Life at https://bookshop.org/a/ A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Networking is an Author's Super Power says Maggie Smith -27 12:48

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Today's guest, Maggie Smith, makes her home in Wisconsin, land of the three seasons—summer, fall, winter. (For some reason, spring usually passes us by). When her husband starts to lobby for them to move to a warmer climate, she points to fires, tornadoes, and rising sea levels as the reason to stay put in the middle of the heartland. She doesn't mention how she likes the crunch of freshly fallen snow beneath her boots as she trudges to the mailbox. But the main reason she stays put are the great women friends she's made here. With age comes wisdom about what’s truly important, and they are. She writes full-time after a short career as a psychologist and a much longer one as the founder and CEO of a national art consulting company. If she's being honest, she's a writing conference junkie, having penned her first published short story as a result of a stint at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival and she regularly attend several events each year when a pandemic doesn’t get in the way. She's had many mentors along the way, and her way of paying that forward is by supporting fellow authors, particularly those just starting out, through podcast interviews, teaching, speaking gigs, and through shout-outs and posts on social media. She came to writing through her first love–reading. Yes, she was one of those kids who grabbed a book as a toddler and read it until the cover fell off. Now that she's got the luxury of a home office, she's lined it with bookshelves—three shelves with short story collections, twelve for novels, five for books on writing. When her husband was wooing her, he presented her with a box filled with every Agatha Christie mystery ever published, which he’d scoured used bookstores for months to find. That collection sits alongside the Sherlock Holmes canon and Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe novels. And yes, she decided to marry him shortly after. Not just because of the books, but she admits, it helped. Another passion of hers is movies, from the classic noirs of the forties through modern-day classics. She's decorated one hallway with lobby cards from her favorites, including Vertigo, Silence of the Lambs, and Chinatown. And has been known to throw elaborate Oscar parties with champagne and door prizes. On a personal note: her debut novel TRUTH & OTHER LIES, is at its heart about how, at a formative age, young women often pattern themselves after someone older and seemingly wiser and how that choice can affect the trajectory of their lives. That theme resonated with her because of her own experiences growing up in Oklahoma until she left for college in Chicago. She describes having a prickly relationship with her mother, that they were strangers to each other, shouting across the great expanse of changing women’s roles. Her mother was a product of the Depression and a world war and thought her daughter's dreams of a career in journalism were cock-eyed and unattainable. In many ways, the scenes between Megan and her mother in her debut were easy to write because she'd lived them. She never had a role model like her famous journalist, Jocelyn Jones. And she never mended her relationship with her own mother, who died a decade ago. So in some ways writing this first novel was her attempt to come to terms with both those facts. To write a story where her 25-year-old protagonist was able to achieve what she could not. To give her own life story a better ending. You can learn more about Maggie at her website www.maggiesmithwriter.com and connect with her on Instragram at https://www.instagram.com/maggiesmithwrites/ To purchase her debut, Truth and Other Lies, follow this link: (https://www.amazon.com/Truth-Other-Lies-Maggie-Smith-ebook/dp/B09BDHHZP2) or Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Truth and Other Lies at https://bookshop.org/a/ A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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The Intersection of Epilepsy and Mental Health: A Debut Author Brings Important Topics to Light -26 13:42

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Today our guest is Sara Staggs, former civil rights attorney-turned-author. She writes upmarket fiction and YA, and her debut novel, Uncontrollable , launches on May 25th from Black Rose Writing. Sara practiced civil rights litigation for several years before she had to stop because of her epilepsy. After two brain surgeries in six years, she wrote a novel based on her experiences with epilepsy, which mixes fiction with autobiographical fiction ("auto-fiction"). Uncontrollable is a 5-star Reader's Favorite, and has received amazing advance reviews from Independent Book Review, Midwest Book Review, Pacific Book Review, Indie Reader, and featured in Publisher's Weekly as Booklife Editor's Favorite. Sara started her writing journey after her second brain surgery, using writing as therapy. She kept a journal while she was in the hospital, and started writing to deal with the trauma and PTSD that she experienced during her pre-surgical work-ups. After finishing the medical scenes, she wondered if she could create a novel inspired by her life, and the result was Uncontrollable. Sara keeps a blog about writing and publishing, living with epilepsy, and parenting a transgender child. Her next book is a YA LGBTQ+ book that she hopes to query this fall. Sara has a three-city book tour starting on May 25th, and here is the list of events currently lined up. If you are in Portland, Dallas, or Cleveland, come see her speak and leave with a signed copy of a book that has been described by best-selling author Alisa Kennedy Jones as "UN-PUT-DOWNABLE!" Cleveland May 25th: WEWS live interview at 10am Presentation at Empower Epilepsy with Cleveland Clinic neurologist, Dr. Imad Najm. Event from 5pm-8pm. Free to all. Register here . Dallas June 9th: Book event at Interabang Books at 6pm, moderated by professional speaker, Karen Cortell Reisman. Come early for food and mingling! RSVP here . Portland June 6th: Book reading, Q&A, and signing at Annie Bloom's Books at 7pm. Come early for food! Children welcome. RSVP here. June 14th: Author's Night at the University Club at 6pm. Wine tasting and snacks start at 5:30. Open to all. RSVP here . You can learn more about Sara on her website www.sarastaggswrites.com . Sign up for her newsletter to keep up-to-date on events, her next release, and for new blog posts! You can follow her on Instagram www.instagram.com/sarastaggswrites and on Twitter @SaraStaggs. Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Uncontrollable at https://bookshop.org/a/90599/9781685132019 or see all the options to order on Sara's website www.sarastaggswrites.com . A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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It's - Almost - All About New England for Author Geeta Schrayter -25 11:46

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On today’s episode, we chat with Geeta Schrayter, a women’s fiction author who gathers most of her inspiration from her everyday life in New England. As soon as Geeta discovered the magic of books, the desire to write rooted itself within her. As a child, she crafted pretend newspapers and penned short stories (when she wasn't devouring library books borrowed by the armload). She won her first writing competition in fifth grade, and it was then she decided to be a writer when she grew up – and never faltered in that decision. She received her undergraduate degree in communication with a journalism concentration, and over the years she’s been a travel blogger, magazine intern, freelance writer, reporter, and assistant newspaper editor, but her greatest love is fiction writing. When she’s not trying to make her characters behave, she loves to work her way through an endless TBR, travel, bake, run, and adventure with her husband and children. Some of her favorite things include the Christmas season, Paris, pink, polar bears, starry skies, sunrise, macarons, and avocados. A lifelong Connecticut resident, Geeta’s TBW (to be written) list contains ideas inspired by life in New England. Along with editing her next novel, training for her 6th marathon, and getting ready to try her hand at NaNoWriMo, Geeta’s preparing to launch The Cardigan Club, which offers members exclusive short stories, gifts, recommendations, events and more– all centered around New England. A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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It's Never too Late to Live the Life You Want With Author Sharon Wray -24 16:13

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Today we’re chatting with Sharon Wray, a USA Today Bestselling romance and women’s fiction author who spent most of her life trying not to write. She started her career as a chemical and patent librarian for major pharmaceutical companies and then moved into archival work for the Newspaper Association of America. She also studied dress design in the couture houses of Paris and worked as a Red Cross Caseworker in South Korea. Finally, after years of traveling, working, having kids, and ignoring the characters speaking in her head, she decided to become a novelist. Because it took her forever to decide what she wanted to do when she grew up, she is now passionate about the idea that it’s never too late to change your life. Although Sharon began her writing career as a romance author, and loves writing contemporary romance and romantic suspense, she is moving into the Women’s Fiction. A Hollow in the Reed, which takes place during the last days of WWII, is about Claire, a grieving widow, who struggles to reconnect with her young daughter. But when the threat of war reaches their remote Maine lighthouse island, Claire makes a desperate attempt to save her daughter and learns the true meaning of sacrifice. The historical background to this story is based on a little-known true event—the night a German U-boat blew up the USS Eagle 56 off the coast of Maine. A tragedy that happened two weeks before the war ended in Europe. Only 13 of the 62 crewman survived. While this historical event is a minor part of the story, the idea of believing what one hopes to be true versus the real truth ties into the story’s premise: Learning to love again defeats living in the past because you’re afraid of losing the people you love. Her next women's fiction project, Last Dance at Aigrette Hall, brings us back to the contemporary world with a gothic ghost story about a woman who is desperate to find the truth about a so-called paranormal event that tore apart her childhood and changed her life forever. Sharon also blogs almost every day and is the author of the popular blog series The Hungry {Romance} Writer, The Write Prepper, and The Romance Herbalist. You can learn more about Sharon, her books, her blog series, and sign up for her newsletter on her website at www.sharonwray.com . You can also keep up with her new releases and other news on Instagram - @sharonwrayauthor And if you love interacting with your favorite authors, she is one of the founding members of The Isn’t it Romantic Book Club on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/750250638747822 where they interview the some of the biggest romance, mystery, thriller, and women’s fiction authors. A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Is Fiction The Best Way To Tell Hard Truths? -23 14:19

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Gloria Mattioni is an award-winning feature writer and the award-winning author of 'California Sister'. She writes fiction and narrative non-fiction. In fact, she previously published 'Reckless - The Outrageous Lives of Nine Kick-Ass Women' and ' Dakota Warrior - The Story of James R. Weddell .' Earlier on, she published in Italy a novel, 'Con Altri Occhi', and three non-fiction books, 'Guerriero Dakota', 'Wild Women,' and 'La Tribù dei Mangiatori di Sogni'. As soon as her debut women's fiction, 'California Sister', was completed, she started writing her second novel, a mystery along the lines of the books written by Claire Waters, the main character and narrator of California Sister. Growing up, Mattioni dreamed of being a pirate, an astronaut, and an explorer but she was a storyteller since she learned to speak in complete sentences and became a professional writer at eighteen. She's been, among other things, an investigative reporter, human rights activist, animal rescuer, editor and magazine writer. She has a penchant for social justice and tries to infuse her writing with it, unafraid of taking controversial stands on hot topics like the injustice of the justice system or the right to die with dignity. Either as a journalist or author, she chooses to tell stories that can inspire her readers to trust their hearts, follow their passion, and be compassionate with all living beings. She was born in Milan, Italy, but moved to Los Angeles in 1992. She still lives in California with her husband and rescue dog, conjures six impossible things every morning before breakfast, and travels much. She loves hiking in the mountains, swimming and surfing in the ocean, but also getting lost on city streets or jump in her car or motorhome for impromptu road trips. You can learn more about her on her website www.gloriamattioni.com or follow her on Instagram at @gloriamattioni to keep up with her new releases. Order your copy of California Sister either through your favorite independent bookstore or at any online vendor by clicking on the links listed on the homepage of her website or Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of California Sister at https://bookshop.org/a/ A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Melissa Gowdy Baldwin Creates a New Marriage System in Her Dystopian Book -22 12:43

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On today’s episode we get to chat with Melissa Gowdy Baldwin, a Dystopian Fiction author with a penchant for pairing music and astrology signs with all her characters. A veteran teacher, mother, cat and dog lover, Melissa has taken her educational experience in American Studies and English and Creative Writing and channeled it into her first novel. A book that engages in dialogue about social issues and expectations of both men and women, The Marriage Wars: Book One is part of a larger project which includes a trilogy, two prequels, and a novella if the audience asks. Not long after having her first child, Melissa started writing longer length novels as a way to process her world and the new identities she was embodying. When marriage equality became a focus in the country in 2008 and again in 2012, Melissa created a world highlighting the hyper-focus obsession the country has with ideas of marriage. With her background in gender studies and research on marriage, race, and sexuality, the dystopian world and its rules came natural to her. After putting the book on the back burner because of a second child and a successful teaching career, Melissa went back to school for another Masters and finished writing the book during the pandemic. As the world unfolded around her, she was able to channel observations in her post-pandemic, post Roe v. Wade, and post equal marriage law setting. By including relatable morally gray characters in a not too distant future, Melissa creates a dystopian story that speaks to universal truths about choice, voice, and power. Eager to finish book two of the trilogy as well as write her first romantic comedy, Melissa hopes her readers see themselves in the characters and the situations asking for those characters to make a choice even with the consequences. You can learn more about her on her website www.melissagowdybaldwin.com/ and follow her on Instagram www.instagram.com/melissagowdybaldwin/ -which will be the best place to be kept up to date on her book release or Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of The Marriage Wars: Book One at https://bookshop.org/a/ A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Writing Characters Who are Nonverbal or Intellectually Disabled -21 13:58

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With a background in romance, Gina Andrew has published a series of Halloween romantic comedy novellas, two romantic suspense novels, and the novelette Girl Meets Grammarian, which was included in World Weaver Press’s collection Covalent Bonds and nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She has also had short romances published in Woman’s World magazine and is a freelance writer for the reader sites BookBub and Scribd. In 2018, Gina pivoted to writing more women’s fiction, and that fall became represented by Laura Crockett at Triada US. Last year, she had the idea of getting together with a group of women’s fiction authors to write a short story collection, and A Million Ways: Stories of Motherhood was born. https://books2read.com/amillionways The collection includes short women’s fiction stories from 13 authors centered around the theme of motherhood and spanning the past century. The title is drawn from a quote by Jill Churchill, which reads, “There’s no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one.” Gina is excited to share this collection and particularly discuss her story, “Everything Left Unsaid,” which draws from both her love of cooking and her experience as the mom to two boys with nonverbal autism and intellectual disability. You can learn more about Gina on her website, www.ggandrew.com , or find her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/writerggandrew or Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of A Million Ways: Stories of Motherhood at https://bookshop.org/a/ A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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E.D. Hackett: Turning a Chronic Illness Journey into a Fictionalized Novel -20 12:50

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E.D. Hackett is a Speech-language pathologist by day and a writer by night. She has been writing since the first grade and still has her first book, "How I Lost My Tooth." She writes self-published novels that investigate layers of self-expectations, family dynamics, following dreams, and learning how to love and accept yourself while opening your heart to accept love from others. E.D. Hackett has four women’s fiction novel out on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited. Her fifth novel (and first sweet romance) was published on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited in February 2023. Her women’s fiction novels have romantic elements and her sweet romance novels have women’s fiction elements. All her stories end happily because life is hard enough… reading for pleasure shouldn’t be. She hopes that her readers enjoy her novels just as much as she enjoyed writing them. Reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and BookBub are always welcome. Her two kids keep her busy, when they aren't hanging out on video games or with their friends. Her husband has encouraged her to follow her dreams, no matter their size. She lives in New England but in her heart, she feels that she belongs in Ireland. She loves books over movies, ice cream over cake, and dreams about being a full-time author. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook or on her website at www.edhackettwrites.com All her links are found at https://linktr.ee/edhackett You can also get a copy of her most popular book, Farm Cove Bliss from Bookshop.org and support local bookstores and this podcast in the process. A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Writing from the Heart and Vulnerability with Author Christie Leigh Babirad -19 14:21

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Today on Author Express we have Author, Christie Leigh Babirad, a Women’s Fiction author and Poetess who will say without hesitation that the connection she has created with her readers has come through writing directly from the heart and a place of fearless vulnerability. Christie Leigh celebrated the fourth anniversary of her debut Women’s Fiction story, As the Winds Change , this past February, and speaks on how grateful she is to have had this story has her first of now a total of four fiction books, including the follow-up to As the Winds Change, “Where You Are” . All of her writing weaves threads of the life subjects that mean the most to her and what she hopes in some cases will create change in us all caring more about each other, inspiring us to reach out to each other in greater perspectives and understanding. Her stories and poetry write to the topics of relationship dynamics, spirituality- believing that our loved ones who have passed on are still with us through signs and gentle whispers until we meet again, discovering what are life callings are and not letting anything hold us back, feeling different and dealing with loneliness, empathy, caring about each other more, media and society- that connects with isolated emotions, and Love- every kind- romantic, familial, friendship. She is currently working on her fourth poetry collection, and possibly her next novel. She explains how her novel is in that very early stage where you don’t want to say too much until the story is fully grounded. When she’s not writing, she is running her miles, a routine she’s grateful to have developed in her younger years. In addition to being an author, she works as a freelance editor and collaborator. She also has a lot of passion for all different kinds of music and has found that this medium has really inspired her writing. You can stay up to date with all of Christie Leigh’s releases and content through Instagram @ Christie Leigh Babirad (@christieleighbabiradauthor) • Instagram photos and videos and her Facebook Author Page @ Author, Christie Leigh Babirad | Facebook To view her books, please visit https://amzn.to/3xfIz4C Amazon.com/author/christieleighbabirad A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Settings Come Alive in the Horror Tales of Robert Harrison -18 13:53

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Today we're chatting with Robert Harrison, who writes horror and supernatural thrillers under the pen name R.W. Harrison. He's a marketing professional currently living in Florida, but preparing for a move to the Cleveland, Ohio area, where he's from originally. He published his first book, The Onyx Seed , in 2014 and it was inspired by a series of poltergeist experiences he had around 1990. Shortly after his son was born, strange things started happening in the house, such as rocking chairs rocking by themselves, electronic devices turning on and off by themselves, light switches flipping up and down, hearing voices, etc. He had been recounting these occurrences for years and decided to write a book based on the 18-month-long experience. Robert also conducted extensive research on Filipino folklore and introduced some elements from it to elevate the story above the run-of-the-mill ghost story. A sense of place is important to his writing, whether it's upstate New York for the setting of the Onyx Trilogy ( The Onyx Seed , Onyx Rising , Onyx Nightmare ), or the Ocala National Forest in Florida for Raven's Temple, or the New England coastline for The Ghost of Witch's Point , Robert uses his deep connections to the areas in such a way that they almost become characters in the stories. He felt this the most in the Onyx Trilogy, set in and around Letchworth State Park, about fifty miles east of Buffalo. Both his mother and father were born and raised not far from the 17-mile-long gorge that is the centerpiece of the park, featuring three major waterfalls on the Genesee River, and a railroad trestle over the Upper Falls. Letchworth is a magical place, with 500-foot cliffs and stunning overlooks, and Robert tried to -- surprisingly -- incorporate as much beauty as he could into a series of horror novels. You can learn more about Robert and his books at his website, www.rwharrisonbooks.com , and can download his free novella, The Ghost of Witch's Point, exclusively on his site. All his books are available on Amazon. You can also follow him on Instagram at www.instagram.com/robertharrison_author . A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Women's History, Please. And Bring the Action. -17 14:22

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Today we get to chat with Kerry Chaput, award-winning historical fiction author with a passion for adventure stories. She attempted her first story at age twelve but didn’t find the courage to pursue writing until she turned forty. With a twenty-year career in physical therapy and raised by a US History teacher, it’s no surprise she gravitated toward historical action-adventure as a genre. After joining the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, her commitment to learning the craft of writing took on obsessive proportions, and she’s never looked back. Her debut historical Daughter of the King won a gold medal in the Independent Publisher Awards and is a finalist for the 2022 Chaucer Award for early historical fiction. It continues to top the charts in French Historical Fiction more than a year after its release. The follow-up Daughter of the Shadows , releases March 30, and the final installment of the trilogy is slated for release in March 2024. Her first young adult historical Chasing Eleanor is also in preorder, with a release date of June 15. She balance a full time job in healthcare with a family and a continued drive for her passion for storytelling. She has no plans to slow down any time soon. You can connect with her at her website kerrywrites.com and check out her successful TikTok page @kerrywrites with weekly highlights of fascinating women from history. A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Writing to Recover and Reimagine with Kayla Degala-Paraiso -16 11:00

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On today's episode, we're chatting with Kayla Degala-Paraiso, an experimental, cross-genre, short-form writer. She has a B.A. in Creative Writing from Pitzer College. The title-story of her undergraduate capstone collection, “Morena,” was awarded the 2018 Bea Matas Hollfelder Award. Her debut publication, “This Is How You Haunt Me,” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in Creative Nonfiction. Her writing often explores emotional and political entanglements; challenges craft conventions; and sucker-punches you in the gut. Kayla’s family migrated from the Philippines. Movement is in Kayla’s bones: she has lived in NYC, Connecticut, Southern California, Italy, Nepal, Boston, Northern California, and Los Angeles. Movement has taught her that there are endless ways of existing — both within oneself and as a part of society. She has learned that those who cannot exist in peace suffer because of dissonance between how they exist within themselves, and how society requires them to exist. Kayla dedicates her life to replacing that dissonance with harmony through socio-political change and writing. Thus, she organizes communities around labor, immigration, and transnational human rights; and teaches both literature and creative writing. While her literature classes are offered exclusively to UCLA students through UCLA’s Department of Comparative Literature, her virtual creative writing classes are hosted through GrubStreet and are open to the public. Kayla also consults writers of all genres and forms on their writerly projects. Kayla is currently a student in UCLA Luskin’s dual Master of Public Policy and Master of Social Welfare program. When she’s not studying or teaching, Kayla works on two writerly projects: a speculative story about the missing goddess of the underworld, and a collection of pieces about surviving the westside of Los Angeles. Kayla publishes under “K.” Follow her at kdegalaparaiso.com. Kayla metioned A Bestiary by Lily Hoang https://bookshop.org/a/90599/9780996316743 A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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A Psychological Thriller Perfect For Our Times -15 12:36

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Today we meet author Leslie Kain, who was cursed with a subtle droll wit that even her husband often doesn't "get" as a joke. Leslie has always been writing something, even as a kindergartener. Stories, riddles, plays, poems, inventions, secret plans. Culminating in running away across country at the age of fifteen, never looking back, which launched other adventures she won't divulge. Then with degrees from Wellesley College and Boston University, she had careers in psychology, government intelligence and nonprofits for mental health, during which her writing was limited to nonfiction. Eventually though, some complicated characters found their way out of her head into short stories published in journals and anthologies. More characters began pestering her with THEIR stories, expanding into novels about messed-up people and families whose greatest barriers to happiness lie within them. Very few of her stories end in Happily Ever After. While Leslie's first novel sits on a shelf awaiting revision, her second novel, 'Secrets In The Mirror' was published by Atmosphere Press last September. Each of the four main characters in that story had to undertake arduous emotional journeys to personal transformation. Although not all of those characters' journeys were successful, Leslie didn't think the ending warranted a sequel. But her main character had other ideas, and now she's writing a sequel. Will there be a Happy Ever After? Meantime, Leslie has an overstuffed folder of many story ideas awaiting her. But living in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, an international mecca for history, music and all the arts, it's not always easy to find time to tackle all those new stories begging to be told. You can learn more about Leslie -- and stay up to date on her new writing -- on her website https://lesliekain-psychfiction.com/, and by following her Facebook Author page https://www.facebook.com/Psychological.Fiction as well as on Instagram @leslie.kain and Twitter @lesliekainauth1 A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Bringing More Inclusivity to Story Time with Children's Author Lindsey Larsen -14 14:42

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As a mother herself, Lindsey understands the hectic nature of parenting as well as the time demands placed on children. Yet, as parents we also have the responsibility to educate our children in a variety of topics such as areas of personal growth and development. Lindsey hopes to provide engaging stories that spark nurturing conversations about these very topics during story time with your children! You can learn more about Lindsey and find links to her book on her website Lindsey-larsen.com. You can also follow her on Instagram @ot_homeschool_mom or Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Lindsey's book, Meeting Exceptional Friends at https://bookshop.org/a/ . A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Best Selling Author Nancy Yeager Enjoys Story Telling In All Forms -13 15:47

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Today we’re chatting with Nancy Yeager, a bestselling author of historical and contemporary romance who is adding women’s fiction to her repertoire. Her first women’s fiction novel, WHEN WE WERE FRIENDS , released on October 25, 2022. Nancy spent her early years longing to be an English countryside vet thanks to James Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small series, and dreaming of being an adventurist-archaeologist thanks to George Lucas’s Indiana Jones character. After studying veterinary pre-med and earning an anthropology degree, she realized her true passion is story in all its forms. When she’s not reading, writing, or binge-watching stories, Nancy is often pursuing fitness goals like completing 90-day fitness challenges and aspiring to achieve the perfect crow pose. She also spends her time drinking too much coffee, not enough red wine, and just the right amount of bourbon. She lives in Maryland with her fabulous family, which includes some very spoiled rescue cats. You can learn more about Nancy’s work and sign up to receive stories and sample chapters of her work at her website, https://nancyyeagerbooks.com. You can also follow her at https://www.bookbub.com/profile/nancy-yeager to keep up with all of her book news. A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Blue Skies 39:46

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Connection is something we seek from the time we are children. Building friendships and finding connection is something that can seem harder as we get older, rather than easier. Yet, connection, community, and collaboration are things we all need. Trish and Diane found commonality in their roles as leaders in the fire service. With less than 1% of women occupying the roles they are in, it was valuable to find someone else with this shared experience The two have built a solid connection over time, and in this episode reflect some on how they have cultivated and found value in this relationship. They also touch on the journey of a leader and the importance of the community you create that can help to hold you up when times are challenging. They touch on some leaders they look up to, share some challenging experiences they have been through, and share the ways they have grown. Trish says it best, she is a ‘perfectly imperfect’ leader, and the most important ingredient is to always be authentic and embrace the uniqueness that you bring to the table and to the position. Trish Connolly lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband, son, and highly anxious dog- Duncan. She loves all outdoor activities, including mountain hikes, snowboarding, and mountain biking. She is a yogi, book club advocate, and inspiring meditator. Trish works at Bend Fire & Rescue and has been with her department for 22 years. She was the first female firefighter hired at her department and now holds the rank of Deputy Chief. The best way to connect with Trish is on Linked In: https://linkedin.com/in/trish-connolly-a7337353 How to connect with Diane : www.thefireinsideher.com Diane@Thefireinsideher.com Instagram @TheRealFireInHer Linked In - www.linkedin.com/in/dianeschroeder5 / Are you excited to get your copy of the Self Care Audio download that Diane mentioned? You can get that HERE - TheFireInsideHer.com/audio…

Author Express

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The Indie Author's Local Author -12 17:08

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Today's episode features Z or Zachary Jeffries, two pen names from one author writing Science Fiction and Fantasy for readers nine years old and up. Always a late bloomer, Jeffries didn't get into novel-writing until his late-thirties, and by then he'd amassed experience storytelling through short stories, poetry, and theatre. Thanks to the support and community he found in local writer's groups as well as NaNoWriMo, Jeffries realized his long-held dream of completing a novel, releasing Chase: The Boy Who Hid (Book One of the Hide & Seek Chronicles) in 2020. After releasing four books in his upper Middle Grade series, the Hide & Seek Chronicles ( Miss: the Girl in Disguise , Gamble: One Champion Wins , Gamble: Two Lives Away ) and traditionally Middle Grade book, Pro Wrestling Saves Earth , Jeffries began finding success in local in-person events. Since he'd begun self-publishing amid COVID, by the time the opportunity to sell and sign books arose, he had a five book backlist with one on the way. Jeffries quickly fell in love with meeting readers, hand-selling books, and connecting with kids with a similar affinity for words. Fresh off his Valentine's Day release of his first Young Adult Paranormal Romance, Angel of Fate (available at https://bookshop.org/a/ ), Jeffries prides himself in his title as local author. Through local events and media, he's established himself within his community as a storyteller, library volunteer, and resource for budding authors. He's taken his experience and infectious optimism to TikTok, where he hopes to spread the word on how a lesser-known indie author can become a local author well-known in their hometown. You can get a taste for Jeffries' writing at www.zjeffries.com and catch his videos over at https://www.tiktok.com/@zjeffries?lang=en . With books that take place in small towns across America as well as his focus on building readerships nearby then branching out, he hopes to be every indie author's local author! A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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The Power of a Sad Story - Why Books can be Therapeutic with Julee Balko -11 14:28

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Julee Balko has been a Creative Director, brand builder, and content creator for years – while mothering and lassoing her three crazy daughters in her spare time. But she’s always wanted to be a “real” writer – the kind who has a book with her name on it. The Things We Keep is her first novel and a dream come true. Julee started writing The Things We Keep after her mother passed away because she was thrust into a world of grief that no one talks about. Julee has always been drawn to writing about interesting characters and complex relationships. She wanted to create characters that go way beyond your “let’s go shopping” kind of mothers. This book was especially written for women and men who are a part of the sandwich generation – those who are trying to take care of their aging parents while balancing parenting, a job, and multiple glasses of wine. She just finished her second novel, “The Me List,” which brings to life an unlikely friendship between neighbors. Sometimes the realtor next door helps you find a home. Sometimes she helps you find yourself. Learn more about The Things We Keep : https://www.juleebalko.com/ Follow her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/juleebalko/ or Twitter https://twitter.com/misplacedcomma2 A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Amey Zeigler: Finding Your Author Purpose -10 14:26

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Our special guest today is award-winning and best-selling author, Amey Zeigler. She is best known for her heartwarming and laugh-out-loud romances, reminiscent of the chick-lit genre of the early 2000’s mixed with a healthy dose of women’s fiction. Her most successful book, The Casserole Dish, is a tribute to a neighborhood that taught her how to offer the olive branch of forgiveness, using her own experiences with depression and loss to guide the characters through their journey. It also explores the theme that everyone has a reason for acting the way they do and to not judge people too harshly. Although The Casserole Dish has won a few awards, what touches Amey the most is the many readers have contacted her and shared how the book has impacted their life. What keeps Amey writing books is how words heal her readers. She once had a friend who’d been through a tough time and was struggling. She read one of Amey’s books and called her, laughing so hard, she couldn’t even speak. The humor in the book helped her through a tough time. This became Amey’s main motivation for writing, to heal the wounded soul, to make them laugh or cry as a moment of catharsis. In her twenties, she lived in Switzerland and France for sixteen months as a volunteer missionary, learning to speak French. She struggled to adapt to the culture and to speak the language. Humor is pain plus time. She wrote the laugh-out-loud and award-winning romantic comedy, The Swiss Mishap , as a love-letter to Switzerland and all the experiences she had while there--all reimagined in the voice of a chocohaulic young woman getting the wrong internship. You can sign up for her newsletter on www.ameyzeigler.com or follow her in Instagram http://www.instagram.com/ameyzeigler You can find The Casserole Dish Amazon or B&N at https://tinyurl.com/md8b8sne A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Shifting Voices and Multiple Points of View with Carolyn Korsmeyer -9 11:50

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After some years pursuing an academic career, Carolyn Korsmeyer now spends most of her time at the keyboard writing fiction. In addition to wanting to see what happens as her plots unfold (for she is an incurable pantser), Carolyn sees fictional narrative as an opportunity to reflect on memory, impression, and the different angles that characters (and the sorts of people they represent) have on the same subject. This inspired the focus of today’s talk: “Shifting Voices and Multiple Points of View.” Many of the scenes in her new novel, Little Follies: A Mystery at the Millennium , present differing perspectives on events that are imperfectly understood. Two of the main characters are Americans who have moved to Krakow for several months. They are not familiar with the place, only one of them speaks Polish, and to add to that source of disorientation, they stumble across the path of a man who is dabbling in magic. Adam, a historian, is conducting research at the archives of a large museum. His companion, Joan, has come along for the ride, harboring vague plans to re-boot her journalism career. As the story progresses, it is her perspective that comes to guide the reader, for it is Joan who emerges as the person whose actions and points of view prevail. She is an example of a female character who begins fictional life in a role that is adjunct to her male companion, but whose voice becomes more and more prominent as her inventiveness and sense of adventure propel the plot and its resolution. Carolyn is familiar with Krakow—one of her favorite cities—from five extended visits there. She discovered on each trip how radically and quickly the city was changing. In Little Follies, she tries to capture the feeling of the place at the end of the last century. This novel took a very long time to complete, as each time she came back to Krakow she wanted to revisit the scenes where the story takes place. Little Follies is an example of a book where patience and a lot of revision finally paid off. You can learn more about Carolyn at her website: www.carolynkorsmeyer.com, where there are links to her books, blogs, and podcasts. Please find your copy of Little Follies at your favorite bookseller, at Black Rose Writing: https://www.blackrosewriting.com/mystery/littlefollies or Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Little Follies at https://bookshop.org/a/ A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Coastal Reads with Jenn Bouchard -8 15:44

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On today's episode, we will chat with Jenn Bouchard, speaking with us from the Boston suburbs. Jenn has been teaching high school social studies for 23 years and is the parent of two teenagers. After completing a major volunteer position as the president of her college's alumni association in 2014, she had the out-of-the-blue idea to write a novel. Not having written anything fictitious since middle school, she had no idea what she was doing. Three years later, she had completed a draft of FIRST COURSE . After many edits and a few bumps and detours, it was ultimately published in 2021 by TouchPoint Press. From 2020-2022, five of her short stories were also published by literary magazines. Her second book PALMS ON THE CAPE only took six months to draft, as Jenn found a system of writing that works for her. It will be published this summer. She is getting ready to self-edit her third novel CONSIDERING US before passing it along to her trusted chief beta reader, one of her closest friends from growing up as a military brat. She plans to begin work on a fourth novel this spring. Jenn is a member of the Women's Fiction Writers Association and Grub Street, a writing center in Boston. She is also a part of the Every Damn Day Writers and Bookish Road Trip Facebook groups, as well as the Author Collective, a small group of women writers who are dedicated to supporting each other in their writing careers. She has found being a part of the community of authors to be one of the biggest surprises of her life, as she never really thought about the friends she would make along the way. She is very grateful for them. You can learn more about her on her website, jennbouchard.com and follow her on Instagram at @jennbouchardbos - which is the best place to learn about the upcoming publication of PALMS ON THE CAPE. Get your copy of FIRST COURSE at your favorite bookseller or through links at https://linktr.ee/jennbouchard A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Writing That Connects is Key for Author Shawna Rodrigues -7 12:58

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On today’s episode we get to chat with Shawna Rodrigues, a Women’s Fiction author with a laugh you will not easily forget. You may also recognize her as one of our hosts! After twenty+ years as a leader in the public and non-profit sector, Shawna transitioned to work as a consultant, all so she could finally finish the novel she always dreamed of writing. It was a joyous and arduous journey, but less than a year after leaving her career, she penned the final words of her debut novel, Beyond the Pear Blossoms . The jubilation was quickly eclipsed, as days later her hometown succumbed to unimaginable tragedy. The Almeda Wildfire hit the Rogue Valley in September 2020 and in less than 24 hours, they had lost over 2600 homes, including the home of her niece, fiancé, and her future mother-in-law. After seeing the way the community mobilized to address this tragedy, she dedicated her novel to the resilience of the residents in this community and half of the author’s proceeds are being donated to the Rogue Valley Habitat for Humanity as they continue to build affordable homes alongside individuals displaced by the fire. By interweaving life lessons with endearing characters and transformative experiences, Shawna creates Women’s Fiction that helps us see how universal our experiences are and what a gift of escape reading can be. Boldly chasing her writing dream also unlocked other creative adventures and Shawna credits it for making her podcast, The Grit Show possible. This path also led to her creating the Authentic Connections Network, a podcasting network with a primary goal of amplifying women’s voices in podcasting and increasing the abysmal 27% of podcasts hosted by women by 10% in 5 years; 37 by 27. This audacious goal and focus make it harder to find time for writing, but she will release the short story, "Every Mother's Peanut Butter" as part of a Women's Fiction anthology A Million Ways: Stories of Motherhood in the Spring of 2023 - the pre-order is now available at https://bookshop.org/a/ . She also continues to make slow and steady progress on her narrative non-fiction Daughter of the Accused. This is a story that will take time to bring out into the world. You can learn more about her on her website www.ShawnaRodrigues.com and follow her on Instagram www.instagram.com/shawnabospdx -which will be the best place to be kept up to date on her next release! or Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Beyond the Pear Blossoms at https://bookshop.org/a/ A little about today's host- Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.” Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/ . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Feminist Fiction and Why So Little Women's Fiction is Set in the Work World w/ Lainey Cameron -6 15:39

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Lainey Cameron is an author of women's fiction and a recovering tech industry executive. Her award-winning novel, The Exit Strategy , an Amazon #1 bestseller, was inspired by a decade of being the only woman in the corporate boardroom. It's been called a "rallying call for women to believe in themselves and join together" and tells the story of a Silicon Valley investor who first meets her husband's mistress across the negotiating table. She’s the founder and host of the popular Best of Women’s Fiction podcast, a proud member of Women’s Fiction Writers Association, believes community makes the author's life worthwhile, and is on a mission to obliterate the term aspiring writer. A digital nomad—meaning she picks locations around the world to live (and write) for months at a time—Lainey is an avid instagrammer, and loves to share her book and travel insights. Originally from Scotland, she has a soft spot for kilts and good malt whisky. Connect with Lainey and join her mailing list on her website https://www.laineycameron.com/ and follow her on Instagram @ lainey_cameron Best of Women's Fiction Podcast: https://www.bestofwomensfiction.com/ A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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America's Misinformed Nostalgia for the 1950's with Author D.W. Hogan 13:22

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On today's episode we will talk with DAWN HOGAN about what is known as "The Baby Scoop Era." She was inspired to write her debut novel UNBROKEN BONDS when she was asked by a dear friend to search for the birth mother who gave her up for adoption, Dawn's research uncovered the rarely talked about homes for unwed mothers who shamefully coerced millions of young women to relinquish their babies to sealed adoptions. She was fascinated and appalled by the degrading tactics perpetrated by the institutions that profited unscrupulously under the guise of benevolence. During this time in history, the basic rights of the unfortunate girls were not presented, and they were told to go on with their lives as if nothing had happened. Unable to shelve the nagging emotions which effected these women and their rehomed children, Dawn constructed a fictional account of the disturbingly true circumstances which make up one of this country’s disgraceful and hidden secrets. Check out DWHogan.com for more information. You can follow her on Facebook D.W. Hogan author, on Instagram @dawnhoganauthor, Twitter @DawnDWHogan1 and https://www.goodreads.com/dawnhogan A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Writing with Aphantasia & the Benefits of Beta Readers w/ Maggie Giles -4 13:43

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Maggie Giles is a positive, outgoing person who enjoys creating new connections and experiencing new opportunities. She is a Canadian author whose debut novel - The Things We Lost - published in April 2022. The Things We Lost began as a story about what if. It started when Maggie had her own what if questions about the turns her life had taken. What started as a therapeutic project, turned into a relatable story that has a woman wondering if the grass is truly greener. Maggie is an active member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association where she has volunteered as their Social Media Director since June 2014. If she’s not writing, Maggie is usually bogged down with some other creative project. She has a love for knitting and sewing as well as cooking up a storm. She also has an irrational obsession with Shawn Spencer. With two more novels scheduled for publication, Maggie's next books follow a detective as he uncovers the gritter side of Toronto and Ottawa, and investigates a mysterious prescription drug. You can learn more about her on her website, www.maggiegiles.com and sign up for her newsletter. If you want to keep up to date with her writing projects, check her out on instagram at www.instagram.com/maggiegiles_ A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Driving Societal Change Through Novels with Paulette Stout -3 14:58

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Today we’re talking to Paulette Stout, author of fast-paced contemporary women’s fiction novels, which each focus on a different social issue. Some topics may be new to readers; others may be familiar—but with a fresh twist. Regardless of theme, Paulette delivers lively, readable prose that keeps readers eagerly turning pages. Raised by a single dad in Manhattan, Paulette is the gold-star wordsmith and owner of her content marketing agency, Media Goddess Inc., where she crafts content for her list of global clients. Prior to MGI, she led content and design teams at several tech companies, and one educational publisher where her elimination of the Oxford comma caused a near riot. Paulette now balances her marketing work with living her dream as a published author. To date, Paulette has published two novels, Love, Only Better , and her most recent release, What We Never Say . Paulette also has published two short stories available for free on her website, and will be included in a women’s fiction anthology due out in Spring 2023. Connect with Paulette on her website for book links, blogs, and free reads at www.paulettestout.com. You can also find Paulette on Facebook and Instagram @paulettestoutauthor and on Twitter @StoutContent. A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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An Unconventional Road Trip with Author Kathleen Basi -2 12:58

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Today we visit with author and composer Kathleen M. Basi. Kathleen is mother to three active boys (read that: always breaking something) and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. A proud native of flyover country and an honest-to-goodness farm girl (as in cattle, hogs, chickens, grain bins and a combine), she spent her childhood climbing trees, jumping off hay bales and chasing cattle back into their pasture when they broke through fences. (But she never once tipped a cow.) Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD , follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Road trips are familiar territory for Kathleen, as she took several cross-country RV vacations with her grandparents as a child. She saw more national parks in her first 10 years than many people see in their entire childhood. These days, though, she likes to dig in and find the local flavor, when she can. Her degrees are in flute performance, and she has been involved in music for worship since she was ten years old. She’s been writing stories even longer than that. (School bus. Second grade. Orphan Annie fanfic.) She believes the world—and life—is beautiful, and her fiction explores the beauty that can be found even in the most difficult circumstances. Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, her fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. Follow on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kathleenmbasi and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kathleenbasi/ for updates on her next book, set in California's wine country. A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Follow Your Main Character's Lead - Especially When She's a Pirate with Author Sarah Branson -1 13:56

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On today’s show we get to know Sarah Branson, a former nurse-midwife who now writes cross-genre speculative and women’s fiction that involves air-borne pirates three hundred years in the future. Her stories are set against the backdrop of an Earth changed by fires, floods, and pandemics, but are firmly rooted in the strength and resiliency of the human spirit. Sarah first started conjuring stories of pirates when her family hopped a freighter to Australia when she was seven. She has since grown up, traveling extensively across the US and the globe. She raised her family in Michigan and still longs to swim in the bays of Northern Michigan. She worked as a receptionist, retail clerk, writing tutor, business owner, and certified nurse midwife. She also taught science and history to middle school and high school students in the U.S., Brazil, and Japan. Through these myriad experiences, she developed a deep appreciation for people’s strength and endurance and fully believes that badass women will inherit the earth and the Earth will be better for it. An indie author, she draws on all of her experiences when creating stories about strong women and men finding adventure, love and their paths in worlds that are constantly changing. Pirates of New Earth is her first series and Book 1: A Merry Life , Book 2: Navigating the Storm , and Book 3: Burn the Ship are available now with the final book of the series, Book 4: Blow the Man Down planned for January 2023. Sarah lives with her husband in Connecticut. You can learn more about her at www.sarahbranson.com A little about today's host- Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms . Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies . She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts , and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27 . Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books - https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast…

Author Express

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Author Express- Teaser Episode- Just an Introduction 2:23

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Author Express is your chance to discover the voice behind the pages. An opportunity to get to know the human side of writing as we visit with authors form a variety of genres. This teaser is meant to tell you more about our format and what we offer. We ask you to follow us and join our double entendre each Wednesday as we keep episodes close to fifteen minutes and glean an impressive amount from our writers.…

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