Podcast
Welcome to the Thriving Authors Podcast, where we delve into all aspects of what it takes to get your dream book out of your heart, onto the page and into the world, connecting with a wide audience of readers.
I don’t just want you to be a published author – I want you to be a THRIVING author, confidently sharing your ideas, making an impact with your words, and owning your unique voice that deserves to be heard! I’m here to guide you through the writing journey, from first draft to revision process, from mindset issues to craft questions, from finding inspiration to building a sustainable writing career!
On this podcast, you will find behind-the-scenes lessons from my own book-writing and publishing journey, interviews with successful published authors, and tips and advice you can start using today to move you forward in your writing life.
Episode 51: Interview with JD Spero
Johannah Davies (JD) Spero’s writing career took off when her first release, Catcher’s Keeper, was a finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award in 2013. Since then, she’s found similar success with her young adult fantasy Forte series, winning recognition from National Indie Excellence Award (2014, 2016) and Adirondack Literary Award — Best Book of Children’s Literature (2015). Her novel Boy on Hold was a 2020 Book Excellence Award winner and a 2020 IPPY GOLD winner for Best Mystery/Thriller, and its sequel Boy Released came out earlier this year. After living in various cities from St. Petersburg (Russia) to Boston, Johannah now lives with her family in the Lake George area, where she was born and raised.
Episode 50: Virtual Book Launch!
This is a special episode: a recording of my virtual book launch for my new novel Thanks, Carissa, For Ruining My Life! My amazing sister & librarian extraordinaire Allyson McAuley chatted with me about the ten years it took to bring this book into the world, crafting multidimensional characters, giving yourself permission to write and read a variety of genres, planning out book structure, and more! I also give a little reading from the book – a part I’ve never shared publicly before.
Episode 49: Interview with Lisa Czarina Michaud
Lisa Czarina Michaud is a novelist and translator. Her debut novel, SLANTED & DISENCHANTED, came out last year to rave reviews. Born and raised in Chelsea before a family relocation to Long Island, she has been writing her New York stories her entire life. Wanting to see the left coast, she attended The Evergreen State College before stumbling through adulthood in Hollywood, then back east to Brooklyn and eventually Paris. Lisa's work has been featured in various publications. She currently lives in France with her husband, son, and cat, Le Tigre.
Episode 48: Interview with Cynthia Morris
Author and Certified Coach Cynthia Morris is the founder of Original Impulse, helping people become the writers they’ve always wanted to be. Cynthia has published seven non-fiction books and a Paris historical novel. Her most recent book is The Busy Woman’s Guide to Writing a World-Changing Book. She speaks globally on writing and the creative process and leads retreats, and hosts the podcast Stumbling Toward Genius.
Episode 47: Interview with Elizabeth Gonzalez James
Before becoming a writer Elizabeth was a waitress, a pollster, an Avon lady, and an opera singer. Her stories and essays have appeared in The Idaho Review, The Rumpus, StorySouth, PANK, and elsewhere, and have received numerous Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominations. She is the Interviews Editor at The Rumpus, as well as a regular contributor to Ploughshares Blog. Her first novel, MONA AT SEA, was a finalist in the 2019 SFWP Literary Awards judged by Carmen Maria Machado, and is available now from Santa Fe Writers Project. Originally from South Texas, Elizabeth now lives with her family in Massachusetts.
Episode 46: Interview with Ethel Rohan
Ethel Rohan is the author of In the Event of Contact, winner of the Dzanc Short Story Collection Prize (2021). Her debut novel The Weight of Him (St. Martin's Press and Atlantic Books, 2017) was an Amazon, Bustle, KOBO, and San Francisco Chronicle Best Book, and was shortlisted for the Reading Women Award. She is also the author of the story collections Goodnight Nobody and Cut Through the Bone, the former longlisted for the Edge Hill Prize and the latter longlisted for the Story Prize. Her work has appeared widely, including The New York Times, World Literature Today, The Washington Post, PEN America, Tin House, Guernica, and more. Raised in Ireland, she lives in San Francisco where she is a member of the Writers Grotto. Connect with her at www.ethelrohan.com.
Episode 45: Interview with Rebecca Prenevost
Rebecca Prenevost is the author of The Mom Walks series: Starting in Fifth, Getting Crushed, and Catching Up. Never in a million years did Rebecca think she’d be a writer. But she was looking for fiction books that reflected her everyday struggles of parenting tween girls, and she couldn’t find them. She wanted something light, heart-warming, and relatable. So she tried writing one, and she had a blast. If you liked The Baby-Sitters Club books when you were younger and enjoyed Gilmore Girls not too long ago, her books could be perfect for you.
Episode 44: Interview with Shanthi Sekaran
Shanthi Sekaran's most recent novel, The Samosa Rebellion, was written for 8-13 year olds, but it's definitely the kind of book adults can get into, too. (I LOVED it!) Her most recent adult novel, Lucky Boy (Putnam/Penguin), was named an IndieNext Great Read and an NPR Best Book of 2017. Her writing has also appeared in The New York Times, Salon.com, LA Review of Books and Huffington Post. When she's not writing books, she writes for television, on the staff of the NBC medical drama, New Amsterdam. Shanthi lives in Berkeley with her family and a cat named Frog. Connect with Shanthi at www.shanthisekaran.com.
Episode 43: Interview with Audiobook Narrator Elise Arsenault
Shanthi Sekaran's most recent novel, The Samosa Rebellion, was written for 8-13 year olds, but it's definitely the kind of book adults can get into, too. (I LOVED it!) Her most recent adult novel, Lucky Boy (Putnam/Penguin), was named an IndieNext Great Read and an NPR Best Book of 2017. Her writing has also appeared in The New York Times, Salon.com, LA Review of Books and Huffington Post. When she's not writing books, she writes for television, on the staff of the NBC medical drama, New Amsterdam. Shanthi lives in Berkeley with her family and a cat named Frog. Connect with Shanthi at www.shanthisekaran.com.
Episode 42: Interview with Joan Steinau Lester
Joan Steinau Lester is an award-winning commentator, columnist, and author of critically acclaimed books, including Mama's Child and Black, White, Other. Her writing has appeared in such publications as USA Today, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, Cosmopolitan, and Huffington Post. Her latest book Loving Before Loving: A Marriage in Black and White chronicles her marriage to the Black writer Julius Lester, and tells the story of a writer and activist fighting for love and justice before, during, and after the Supreme Court’s 1967 decision striking down bans on interracial marriage in Loving v. Virginia. Speaking candidly about every facet of her life, Lester illuminates her journey to fulfillment and healing.
Episode 41: Interview with Ruth Mitchell
Ruth Mitchell is the author of the award-winning novel Deleted, described as "Inception meets 50 First Dates." She was born and raised in Salt Lake City and grew up writing plays for the neighborhood kids and “exploring” the woods near her home.
Episode 40: Interview with Rachel Huffmire
Rachel grew up in the middle of a wheat field where she found plenty of time to read and dream. Her mom paid her a dollar per classic novel she read so, in a quest to amass a small fortune, Rachel read over 200 classic novels before junior high. After dabbling with writing novels and stage plays, she ran to the BYU bookstore for her first job. She sat behind the register, voraciously reading Shannon Hale novels while Brandon Sanderson and other internationally-selling authors held book signings in front of her. That was when she began dreaming up plots of her own.
Episode 39: Interview with Emma Dhesi
Emma Dhesi writes contemporary Women’s Fiction. She began writing seriously while a stay at home mom with 3 children under five years of age. She needed something for herself and for her future. By changing her mindset, being consistent and developing confidence, Emma has gone from having a collection of handwritten notes to two fully written, edited and published novels titled THE DAY SHE CAME HOME, and BELONGING.
Episode 37: Interview with Holli H.L. Anderson
Holli H.L. Anderson has a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing—which has nothing to do with writing, except maybe by adding some pretty descriptive injury scenes to her books. She discovered her joy of writing during a very trying period in her life when escaping into make-believe saved her. She enjoys reading any book she gets her hands on, but has a particular love for anything fantasy.
Episode 36: Interview with Sonya Judd
As a thriving professional in the tech industry, Sonya Judd's life was interrupted by a premature baby and spontaneous twins less than a year later. Having three children born within a year of each other, often referred to as Irish triplets, she speaks and writes about becoming your best you when life throws you curveballs. She studied Finance and Economics at NYU and Columbia, and works as a business strategist in the tech industry. Her debut book Rest in the Nest was released earlier this year.
Episode 35: Interview with Katya Cengel
Katya Cengel is an author and freelance writer. Her work has appeared in New York Times Magazine, Marie Claire, Newsweek, Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post among other publications. She has reported from North and Central America, Europe, Asia and Africa and was based in the former Soviet Union for half a decade. She is the author of Independent Publisher Book Award (IPPY) 2020 winner and Foreword Indies 2019 winner From Chernobyl with Love: Reporting from the Ruins of the Soviet Union (Potomac, 2019); Exiled: From the Killing Fields of Cambodia to California and Back (Potomac, 2018) and 2013 Kentucky Literary Award finalist Bluegrass Baseball: A Year in the Minor League Life (Nebraska, 2012).
Episode 34: Interview with Mary Potter Kenyon
Mary Potter Kenyon graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a BA in Psychology, and is a certified grief counselor. She is the Program Coordinator for the Shalom Spirituality Center. Mary is widely published in magazines, newspapers, and anthologies, including ten Chicken Soup books. She conducts writing workshops and does public speaking on the topics of writing, utilizing your creativity in your everyday life, and finding hope and healing in grief. She is the author of seven books including the award-winning Refined By Fire: A Journey of Grief and Grace and Expressive Writing for Healing. Her book on creativity, Called to Be Creative, was released in August 2020.
Episode 33: Interview with Emily Grabatin
Emily Grabatin is the author of the book DARE TO DECIDE: Discovering Peace, Clarity and Courage at Life's Crossroads. Through coaching, writing and leadership development, she helps individuals recognize who they are, uncover what makes them feel alive, and streamline their focus so they can flourish.
Episode 32: Dallas Woodburn interview with UCL Writers' Society
This episode is a bit different! I was recently invited to be a guest speaker for the Writers' Society at the University College of London to answer questions about my writing journey. Our conversation was so fruitful and interesting that I asked for their permission to share part of it with you. Hope you enjoy this glimpse into my writing life!
Episode 31: Interview with Kelli Warner
Kelli Warner is the author of NOT WITH THE BAND and THE MOMENT WE FELL: humorous and relatable young adult and contemporary romance novels, the kind of stories that get your insides so wound up in an ooey-gooey mess that you forget about the un-fun stuff in life. She's passionate for a good cup of coffee (even a bad one on a desperate day), enjoying time with friends and family, and spending lazy Saturday mornings watching the Food Network. Kelli and her husband live in Oregon with their two teenaged children and a border collie named Lucy. Connect with her at https://www.kelliwarner.com