In the spotlight is Tracy Clark, a Chicago native and the author of the award-winning Cass Raines Chicago Mystery series, featuring ex-cop turned private investigator Cassandra Raines, and the detective Harriet Foster series, featuring Harriet Foster, a homicide detective with the Chicago Police Department. Two tough, smart, African American female characters working the mean streets of the Windy City. We discuss: >> Creating characters >> Cassandra Raines >> Harriet Foster >...
Jun 26, 2025•57 min•Ep. 185
In the spotlight is Christine Estima — playwright, novelist, a performer. Her debut novel, “Letters to Kafka” is scheduled for release in September, and was preceded by her debut book, “The Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society,” named one of the best books of 2023 by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. We discuss: >> Milena Jesenská, the Czech writer and translator of Franz Kafka novels >> Short stories versus novels >> How to respect one’s readers >> The Arab immigrant experienc...
Jun 04, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 184
In the spotlight is Hank Quense, whose latest book is titled “The Author’s AI Tool Kit: From Concept to Publication.” Quense’s fiction works include the Gundarland series, the Princess Moxie series, and the soon-to-be-published Zaftan series. His non-fiction books include titles such as “How to Self-Publish and Market a Book, “Book Marketing Fundamentals, “Business Basics for Authors,” and “Creating Your First Novel.” Quense has been strongly influenced by two authors in particular: Douglas Adam...
May 31, 2025•40 min•Ep. 183
In the spotlight is Melissa Edwards, literary agent and executive vice president at Stonesong, the New York-based literary agency. She also acts as a contract consultant for authors and agents under the business MLE Consulting. We discuss: >> Traditional versus self-publishing >> Handling incoming manuscripts >> Importance of the query letter >> Standard agent/author agreements >> Expectation of the author/agent relationship >> Etc. Learn more about Melissa Ed...
May 23, 2025•50 min•Ep. 182
In the spotlight is Ruby Peru who, studied under Kurt Vonnegut during the 1980s, and David Foster Wallace during the 1990s, and today ghostwrites memoirs, as well as offering developmental editing services. She has also written a novel titled “Bits of String too Small to Save,” among other books. We discuss: >> The distinction between memoirs and autobiographies >> Ruby Peru’s ghostwriting methodology >> The keys to writing a successful memoir >> Development book editing ...
May 07, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 181
In the spotlight is Kevin Moore, author of “The Book of Souls,” a mystical ghost story and the first in a series of books featuring protagonist Jack Kelly and his paranormal abilities. The sequel to that book is “The Book of Demons” (think Harry Potter meets The Exorcist). Moore will continue the Jack Kelly paranormal saga with a third book released later this year. His play, “Conversations from the Sports Arena,” was performed at the HBO Theater in Hollywood, and his children’s picture book, “M...
Apr 29, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 180
In the spotlight is Yasmin Angoe, the Anthony-nominated author of the critically acclaimed thriller Her Name Is Knight of the Nena Knight series, which has been optioned for a television series . Her Name Is Knight has appeared in the New York Times Book Review, OprahDaily.com, POPSUGAR, Nerd Daily, the Washington Independent Review of Books, The Guardian, and other platforms. Yasmin Angoe is a first-generation immigrant from Ghana, Africa, and in 2020 received the Eleanor Taylor Bland Award for...
Apr 11, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 179
In the spotlight is award-winning political fiction writer Michael Fedor. He is the author of three published novels: “Tree of Liberty,” “What It Takes to Kill a Bull Moose” and “The Senate Deception.” With more than 20 years of political organizing experience, Fedor is known for writing fast-paced and dramatic copy, underpinned by meticulous research into his subject matter. A former candidate and elected official himself, Fedor retired from political life in 2020. Like Bull Moose, his main cha...
Apr 03, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 178
In the spotlight is Libby Cudmore, Shamus and Black Orchid award winner and the author of the acclaimed novel The Big Rewind, as well as a novel titled Negative Girl. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, among other publications. She has also co-edited the Anthony-nominated anthology Lawyers, Guns & Money: Crime Fiction Inspired by The Music of Warren Zevon. We discuss: >> Creating characters >> The importance o...
Mar 11, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 177
In the spotlight is Abigail Owen, the #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today bestselling author of more than 30 books that range from YA epic romantasy to adult modern mythic romantasy to super-spicy adult paranormal romance. She is also the author of a Writer’s Digest article about how to get your novel off to a great start. We discuss: >> The writers’ and agents’ ocean cruise >> Focusing on small, achievable daily goals >> Writing with ADHD >> Her best marketing tip? >&g...
Feb 25, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 176
In the spotlight is Amy Daughters, author of the books “Dear Dana” and “You Cannot Mess This Up.” She is also a keynote speaker and a “spreader of the hope.” >> Writing letters >> Facebook connections >> Her appearance on the Kelly Clarkson Show >> Comedic writing >> The Houston Astrodome >> The Texas panhandle >> Her time in England >> Writing for the Bleacher Report >> Etc. Learn more about Amy Daughters here: https://www.amydaughters.com N...
Feb 14, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 175
In the spotlight is Ran Walker, short fiction proponent and the author of more than 35 books, ranging from novellas, short stories and flash fiction to micro-fiction and poetry. Walker worked in magazine publishing and practiced law in Mississippi before fully committing himself to fiction writing. He is also at work on various short movie projects, with an eye toward films around one minute in length. Walker is also an associate professor of English and creative writing at Hampton University an...
Jan 16, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 174
In the spotlight is Alyson Richman, a USA Today and international bestselling author of historical novels, including “The Velvet Hours,” “The Garden of Letters,” and “The Lost Wife,” which is in development as a motion picture. Alyson Richman is also an accomplished painter, and her novels combine her penchant for art, historical research and travel. Her novels have been published in 25 languages and have reached the bestseller lists both in the United States and abroad. We discuss: >> Wri...
Jan 04, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 173
In the spotlight is Sandra Scofield, a National Book Award finalist who made the monumental decision to move from traditional publishing to self-publishing with her ninth novel, titled “Little Ships,” which Scofield deems her best and most mature work yet. In addition to her novels, Scofield has authored a memoir, a book of essays, a book of stories, and two books on the craft of writing. She is a faculty member of the Solstice MFA low residency program at Lasell University and has taught at the...
Dec 24, 2024•50 min•Ep. 172
In the spotlight, joining us from the City of Brotherly Love, is C.J. Spataro. C.J. (who also goes by the name Carla) is cofounder of the literary magazine Philadelphia Stories and director of the MFA writing program at Rosemont College, as well as director of the master’s in publishing program at the college. Her short fiction has won numerous awards, including her short story “The Twi-Lite,” which won the Iron Horse Literary Review Fiction Trifecta. Though she made her name in short fiction, S...
Nov 23, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 171
In the spotlight is the late, great novelist Paul Auster and one of his friends and biographers, I.B. Siegumfeldt, who spent three years logging conversations between herself and Paul Auster and compiling those conversations into a book titled A LIFE IN WORDS — a wide-ranging dialogue between Auster and the Danish professor, in what has been called a “remarkably candid and sharply focused investigation” into Auster’s art, craft and life. In total, Paul Auster wrote more than 30 books, some trans...
Nov 11, 2024•53 min•Ep. 170
In the spotlight is Chad Boudreaux, former deputy chief of staff for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security where he advised department leader Michael Chertoff, and current chief legal officer at Huntington Ingalls Industries, the nation’s largest military shipbuilder. Along the way, Boudreaux became a novelist, writing the thrillers “Scavenger Hunt” and “Homecoming.” His forthcoming novel is titled “Mob Justice.” We discuss: >> Legal versus fiction writing >> Tom Clancy and Robert...
Nov 07, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 169
In the spotlight is Rosie Walker, author of psychological thrillers, her latest being “My Husband's Ex.” That novel was pre-dated by three other psych trillers: “ The Baby Monitor,” “The House Fire” and “Secrets of a Serial Killer.” We discuss: >> The role of the unconscious mind >> Plotting and analysis using an Excel spreadsheet >> Hitting a daily word count >> Pacing >> Being open to agents and editors’ input >> Keeping up the momentum >> Book coachin...
Oct 28, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 168
In the spotlight is best-selling author, Emmy-award-winning television producer and media strategist Paula Rizzo. She did the television production thing for nearly 20 years before going on her own to train experts, authors and entrepreneurs on how to be media-ready and build their reputations in the traditional and social media realms. We discuss: >> Her path to television production >> The decision to move from TV to media strategist >> How she works with authors >> The...
Oct 21, 2024•46 min•Ep. 167
She was born in Saudi Arabia, moved to India as an adolescent, and later to the United States and Canada in her twenties. Today, Deepa Rajagopalan has published a short story collection titled “Peacocks of Instagram,” whose title story won the 2021 PEN Canada New Voices Award, and is now working on her first novel, titled “We Have Come Empty Handed,” the story of a disparate group of Indian workers in Saudi Arabia, whose lives become entangled and caught in the exigencies of war, deception and i...
Oct 16, 2024•45 min•Ep. 166
She began her career as an actor for stage and screen, then became a novelist around age 40, selling more than half-a-million books thus far. Today, Barbara Kyle is also a mentor, book coach and popular speaker at writers’ conferences. We discuss: >> The move from acting to fiction writing >> Three things agents and publishers must see and the first 30 pages of a would-be novel >> The importance of writing a detailed >> The problem with passive characters >> The chi...
Oct 12, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 165
In the spotlight is John Darnton, novelist and author of six novels, including “Burning Sky,” his latest. Darnton worked 40 years at the New York Times cover city hall before becoming a foreign correspondent in Africa; Warsaw, Poland; Madrid; and London. Along the way he won a Pulitzer Prize and two George Polk Awards, while moonlighting as a novelist. In addition to his six novels, Darnton has also written a memoir (“Almost a Family”) about his father’s life and death as a foreign war correspon...
Oct 05, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 164
In the spotlight is Rachel Turow, a San Francisco native who earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Oregon. She is the author of the book The Self-Talk Workout: Six Science-Backed Strategies to Dissolve Self-Criticism and Transform the Voice in Your Head. We discuss: >> The principles of self-talk >> Feeling bad about feeling bad >> Wordless self-criticism >> Speaking about yourself in third person >> Organizing a self-talk group >> Medit...
Sep 14, 2024•49 min•Ep. 163
In the spotlight is U.K.-based novelist Marek Handzel, the author of six titles, including the forthcoming book “The Anchorite.” His other titles include “The Dojang,” “I Must Stay Home,” “Redemptio,” “Through Open Doors” and “The Gaff.” We discuss: >> The Shroud of Turin >> Isolation >> Catholicism >> Martial arts >> Writing at night >> Naming characters >> Historical references >> Novellas vs. novels >> Etc. Novelist Spotlight is produced a...
Sep 06, 2024•45 min•Ep. 162
In the spotlight is the late novelist Joseph Heller of Catch-22 fame, and one of his biographers, Tracy Daughtery, who is himself the author of six novels, a novella connection, six short story collections, a book of personal essays, and a collection of essays on literature and writing. In addition, he has published biographies of Donald Barthelme, Larry McMurtry, Joan Didion, Billy Lee Brammer, etc. We discuss: >> Catch-22’s original title >> Heller’s celebrity lifestyle >> Hi...
Aug 15, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 161
In the spotlight is Tom Zoellner, the author of nine nonfiction books, including Island on Fire: The Revolt that Ended Slavery in the British Empire, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for the best nonfiction book of 2020 and a finalist for the Bancroft Prize and the California Book Award. He works as a professor at Chapman University and Dartmouth College, and as an editor-at-large for the Los Angeles Review of Books . We discuss: >> The three questions every author should a...
Jul 24, 2024•55 min•Ep. 160
In the spotlight is biographer and storyteller Laurence Leamer, whose most recent bio, “Capote’s Women,” has been turned into a Hulu series and has been nominated for five Emmy Awards. He is the author of more than 18 books, including five New York Times bestsellers and one off-Broadway play. We discuss: >> His choice of subjects >> His work style >> Being fired by Newsweek magazine >> Johnny Carson and his ex-wives >> Andy Warhol’s muses >> Truman Capote’s de...
Jul 18, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 159
In the spotlight is Amanda DuBois, author of the Camille Delaney mystery series. She is the founder and managing partner of the DuBois Levias Law Group, a woman-owned boutique family law practice in Seattle. She was also a former high-risk labor and delivery nurse at the University of Washington Medical Center, before beginning her legal career in medical malpractice. Today, she writes from her own experiences of confronting injustice. We discuss: >> Legal thrillers >> Developmental ...
Jun 24, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 158
In the spotlight is Paula Treick DeBoard, novelist and new bookstore owner. In April 2024, DeBoard opened Bookish in Modesto, Calif., and discusses her motivation and her strategy for succeeding. She is also the author of four family dramas, the novels “The Mourning Hours,” “The Fragile World,” “The Drowning Girls” and “Here We Lie.” She also teaches writing at the University of California, Merced. Check out the Bookish website here: https://www.bookishmodesto.com/ Learn more about Paula Treick ...
Jun 13, 2024•37 min•Ep. 157
Ask literary critics to name the greatest American novelists of the past 50 years and Don DeLillo’s name is sure to be there. DeLillo, now 87, has written more than 18 novels and has won awards ranging from the National Book Award and PEN/Faulkner Award to the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction. Discussing his career during this episode are Jesse Kavadlo and Aaron DeRosa, both members of the Don DeLillo Society. Kavadlo is also a professor of English and humanities and the director o...
May 28, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 156
