*This podcast was made possible through the generous support of Book Alchemy’s paid membership. To support the show and future projects, please consider becoming at member at secretlibrarypodcast.com Saying goodbye is bittersweet Nine years ago, I launched a podcast with very little certainty that it would thrive. I didn’t know if we would even hit ten episodes. Today I fact-checked my total of 250+ episodes and learned I was WILDLY off. This is technically episode 487. I would not have been abl...
Jun 19, 2025•1 hr
*This podcast is made possible through the generous support of Book Alchemy’s paid membership. To support the show, please consider becoming at member at secretlibrarypodcast.com Creating a cloud in book form This week, I spoke with the queen of fog, Laura Pashby, a photographer and author with a deep fascination for this ethereal phenomenon. We dive into the inspiration behind Laura's latest book Chasing Fog , discussing her lifelong relationship with fog, its role in her photography and writin...
Jun 05, 2025•42 min
*This podcast is made possible through the generous support of Book Alchemy’s paid membership. To support the show, please consider becoming at member at secretlibrarypodcast.com Burnt out to embracing joyous reading + writing In this episode of The Secret Library Podcast, I am joined by Petya Grady, writer and the creator of A reading life on Substack. Petya shares her unique journey from Bulgaria to the US, including her unexpected career transition from academia to UX strategy and social impa...
May 22, 2025•41 min
*This podcast is made possible through the generous support of Book Alchemy’s paid membership. To support the show, please consider becoming at member at secretlibrarypodcast.com From Chef to Sleuth In this delicious episode, my guest is Orlando Murrin, a former high-profile food writer who transitioned into the world of mystery writing. After sharing his foundation in food writing, Orlando reveals the pivotal moment when a friend's book deal ignited his own passion for writing mysteries. I lear...
May 08, 2025•48 min
*This podcast is made possible through the generous support of Book Alchemy’s paid membership. To support the show, please consider becoming at member at secretlibrarypodcast.com Diving into the Cold In this episode of the Secret Library Podcast, I speak with Anna Brones from the middle of her current book writing adventure. Anna shares her experiences working on her forthcoming book about cold water practices and communities, inspired by her own cold water swimming routine. We look at the shift...
Apr 24, 2025•44 min
*This podcast is made possible through the generous support of Book Alchemy’s paid membership. To support the show, please consider upgrading your subscription at secretlibrarypodcast.com Self-Discovery Through Fiction In this episode, Emma Gannon and I explore the nuances of writing fiction versus non-fiction, the significance of intergenerational friendships, and the representation of women in literature, particularly through the lens of the aunt figure. We delve into the themes of self-discov...
Apr 10, 2025•39 min
*This podcast is made possible through the generous support of Book Alchemy’s paid membership. To support the show, please consider upgrading your subscription at secretlibrarypodcast.com The Scientific Method Meets Writing In this conversation, Anne-Laure Le Cunff and I discuss the principles behind her book, Tiny Experiments , exploring how small, manageable experiments can transform the writing process. We explore the importance of curiosity, community, and redefining success in creative ende...
Mar 13, 2025•39 min
*This podcast is made possible by the generous support of Book Alchemy’s paid membership. To support the show, please consider upgrading your subscription. The Pound Project In this episode, I speak with JP Watson, a writer from Birmingham, UK, and the founder of The Pound Project. This initiative has published and sold thousands of books worldwide. JP shares how his frustration with the publishing industry's limitations led him to create a unique publishing model based on collaboration and sust...
Feb 27, 2025•44 min
*This podcast is made possible by the generous support of Book Alchemy’s paid membership. To support the show, please consider upgrading your subscription. Ready to Read Yourself Happy? In this engaging conversation, Daisy and I explore the profound impact of reading on personal well-being, the joy of rediscovering old favorites, and the importance of embracing diverse reading preferences. We discuss the comfort found in rereading beloved books, the slow reading movement, and how literature can ...
Feb 13, 2025•46 min•Season 11Ep. 1
It’s almost my favorite time of year: Novel Possible time! For the past two years, I’ve run a challenge every November with a few simple guidelines: * Mission Prompts arrive every day * You can choose to accept the mission and write it, or not * The Mission Prompt self-destructs after we reach midnight around the world * Write as many days as you like * No falling behind and no guilt Writing can be fun! If you’d like to play around with me this November, join us for Novel Possible. You can play ...
Oct 30, 2024•1 min
*To support the show, please visit membership.secretlibrarypodcast.com. So many of us take soul-sucking jobs for a living, while we promise ourselves that we’ll write at night or on the weekends… but years go by and we haven’t made progress, and instead feel defeated and depressed. If you’re in this camp, know that you’re not alone. Sonal Champsee is back on the Secret Library podcast to share her day job tales from software engineering, freelance writing, and real estate before focusing entirel...
Jun 20, 2024•55 min
*To support the show, please visit membership.secretlibrarypodcast.com. I can’t think of anyone more fitting for our penultimate episode of the season than Jacqueline Winspear, a Secret Library veteran and author of 20+ books. Her series, Maisie Dobbs , ends this spring after two decades with the release of The Comfort of Ghosts this spring*.* Throughout our conversation, Jacqueline shares how she knew the series was ready to wrap and what to include in the last book. We discuss what’s next for ...
Jun 06, 2024•55 min
*To support the show, please visit membership.secretlibrarypodcast.com. Approaching the topic of money can be hard because it not only brings up feelings of stress, overwhelm, scarcity, and more — but it also can have a massive effect on our nervous system. The good news, though? We can use different techniques to heal and train our nervous system and how we respond to stressful situations. Sonya Brewer, psychotherapist, trauma specialist and relationship expert, joins me today on the Secret Lib...
May 23, 2024•47 min
*To support the show, please visit membership.secretlibrarypodcast.com. There’s historical fiction, then there’s pre-historical fiction. Judith Lindbergh’s newest book is based in the 5th century BC and she’s masterful at not only researching but connecting the past to her readers today. I’m thrilled to have her on this episode of the Secret Library as she shares her experiences of working with a large traditional publisher, then transferring to a smaller press. Judith is also no stranger to rej...
May 09, 2024•51 min
*To support the show, please visit membership.secretlibrarypodcast.com. My guest this week is Carl Richards, who is the author of the One Page Financial Plan: A simple way to be smart about your money, and the Behavior Gap: Simple ways to stop doing dumb things with money. He was also the creator of the Sketch Guy Column , which appeared weekly for a decade in the New York Times. Carl has many other qualifications, but I wanted to include him in this season of the SLP because of his incredible a...
Apr 25, 2024•47 min
My guest this week is Billy Broas. He is the author, along with Tiago Forte, of the forthcoming Simple Marketing for Smart People . Before you panicabout the word marketing, hear me out. Billy's created systems to help creative and nerdy people understand marketing, like those of us who write and love books. I’ve studied with Billy to help me get the word out about courses and books at Book Alchemy and the Secret Library. I wanted to share Billy's expertise with you for us to help get your wonde...
Apr 11, 2024•51 min
*To support the show, please visit membership.secretlibrarypodcast.com . Summary: Today’s episode of the Secret Library is such a treat – we are joined by Erika Rasure, an internationally recognized leader, educator, and researcher in holistic financial wellness. Throughout the episode, we chat about our respective experiences as writers who are also Enneagram 4s and how Erika uses the Enneagram in her work. We also spend a lot of time talking about how creatives often wait for the “perfect cond...
Mar 28, 2024•56 min
*To support the show, please visit membership.secretlibrarypodcast.com. Summary : What if book franchises were as extensive as movie franchises? Would you buy a perfume or a sweater that was curated specifically for your favorite book? Finding new ways to make money as a writer is a theme throughout season 10 and I’m excited to dig deeper with Heidi Fiedler in today’s episode of the Secret Library. Heidi is a writer and editor who has worked on hundreds of children’s books, giving her tons of ex...
Mar 14, 2024•56 min
Summary This week on the Secret Library podcast, my guest is Kern Carter. Kern Carter, based in Toronto, Canada, is an author, educator, and mentor celebrated for his captivating storytelling. With three books published and two more on the horizon for 2024, Kern has garnered critical acclaim and a devoted following. Through partnerships with various organizations, he amplifies the voices of countless writers who may not have had the opportunity otherwise. Kern's dedication extends to teaching pa...
Feb 29, 2024•48 min
Summary My first guest this season is Bari Tessler, author of The Art of Money, The Art of Money Workbook, and the creator of the year long Art of Money School. She has been my money mentor since I met her over 20 years ago. I knew she had to be our first guest for this season because she was the first guest ever on this show, and has generously brought the art of money into all of our conversations. In this episode, we look at money beliefs creatives hold about themselves and how we can change ...
Feb 15, 2024•47 min
Welcome back to the Secret Library podcast! In season 10, we are switching up the show in more ways than one, the first of which is starting with a solo episode. This time around, we are looking at money. The world has been shaky for the past several years and economic shifts really hurt those on the fringes first while the upturns benefit us last. Let’s get ahead of this conversation, moving toward prevention and flexibility. I have found that making a plan and engaging with it on my terms as m...
Feb 01, 2024•35 min
This is the final episode of season ninth season of the Secret Library. In this episode, there's no guest, it's just you and me to take a final look at this very important topic, which is publishing now, which is constantly changing. Over the past eight years of hosting the show, it's always been my goal to address each topic in such a way that it will be valid for a long time, I wanted to create a library of interviews and conversations that would be supportive to a writer discovering the show ...
Nov 23, 2023•33 min
We’ve got a repeat guest this week on the podcast to give us such a fun update! AL Berggren was on the show in season six to share about her self-publishing journey, and this week she’s back to let us know where her book, Secret Crying Minds, stands! She’s been working with BooksOffice to get her novel adapted to film, one of her lifelong dreams and the motivation behind all of her writing. Along with that, we also talk about getting focused to endure day-long writing sessions to prioritize the ...
Nov 16, 2023•35 min
We’ve had a lot of amazing authors on the show to date, but something we haven’t highlighted as much are the authors of children’s books. So with that, I’m so excited to have Jo Loring-Fisher on the show today to give us a bit of insight on the publishing process of a children’s book and how it differs from other genres. Jo has so much to share about her journey a writer, what she wishes she would have known, and the state of creative arts today. I learned a bit and I think you will, too! Connec...
Nov 09, 2023•44 min
It’s always such a treat to read a novel that has a main character who is a writer, but writing a main character who is a writer is a whole different thing. Huma Qureshi, author of Playing Games, is on the Secret Library today and she’s sharing her journey of finally writing the book that she knew she was always meant to write — even in her 40s. Huma talks through the magic of flow, humanizing your characters, and working through every motion of the writing process. This episode is such a deligh...
Nov 02, 2023•50 min
I’m delighted to have Craig Mod, book producer and author, on the show today. In our conversation, he shares how he created his own press after receiving rejection after rejection. We also get to hear about his creative process which is a real treat because Craig’s books are really like no other, they are a work of art alongside amazing writing. Craig shows us how you can do publishing your own way, there’s so much to takeaway from this episode. It’s my hope you’ll leave feeling a little bit mor...
Oct 26, 2023•1 hr 10 min
What a rare moment to have the perspective of literary agent and author on the podcast. Jennifer Herrera is on the Secret Library today and she’s sharing the current state of the publishing industry — most notably, how you can write to make sure you’re a sure thing in this risk-adverse environment. So much to learn from this episode! Connect with Caroline on Instagram: @carodonahue This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, vis...
Oct 19, 2023•52 min
This might be one of the most vulnerable episodes of the Secret Library I’ve shared so far. Joanna Penn joins and shares why she’s chosen to publish on Kickstarter rather than going the traditional route. We also do a bit of a live coaching session as we talk through the shadow over all, but also my shadow about publishing. Learn how to embrace it, and get the courage to put your work out there (all of it!). This episode is full of gems, enjoy! Connect with Caroline on Instagram: @carodonahue . ...
Oct 12, 2023•53 min
Sometimes it feels like authors are psychic, right? The books they write are published in the exactly right historical moment which makes their work immediately timeless. This is certainly the case for Kerri Maher and her most recent book, All You Have to Do Is Call , which focuses on the true story of Chicago’s Jane Collective and the brave women who fought for reproductive rights. In our conversation today Kerri and I unpack the timing phenomenon, how she balances the POV and arcs of all of he...
Oct 05, 2023•44 min
Halloween will be here before we know it, and to get into the spirit I’m excited to share this episode with Laura Sims, author of Looker and her newest book, How Can I Help You, which explores the darker side of humanity — all happening within a library which is a delight. Laura masters the art of rotating POV and dialogue in her newest work, so we dive into that and much more throughout this ep. Enjoy! Connect with Caroline on Instagram: @carodonahue This is a public episode. If you'd like to d...
Sep 28, 2023•27 min
