When our dreams *refuse* to arrive on OUR schedule, patience isn’t simply waiting—it's “walking forward with hope.”

In this inspiring (and hilarious!) episode of A LITERAL JOURNEY, I sit down with multi-award-winning author Kaela Rivera to discuss the experiences, family history, and years of persistence that have shaped her journey as an author.

Kaela shares the inspiration behind Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls, including the stories Kaela heard from her abuelo, her growing interest and connection to Mexican mythology, the terrifying legend of El Sombrerón (seriously, it's crazy!), and the question at the heart of the story: What would happen if people could see, touch, or control another person’s soul?

We also discuss her forthcoming middle grade horror novel (yes, *horror novel*), The Hungry Forest—a story about about two grieving brothers who hear their deceased father calling to them from a haunted forest... (don't go into the forest, guys!)

Along the way, Kaela offers powerful advice about rejection, revision, grief, family connection, kindness, and continuing to hope when success takes longer than expected.

Whether you're a reader, writer, parent, teacher, or someone struggling through a season of uncertainty, I hope this episode encourages you to open a book (or pick up a pen) and embark on your own literal journey.

💀 PRE-ORDER the "The Hungry Forest" through the bookstore—The King's English—to get special goodies: https://www.kingsenglish.com/item/R888A8PhO_73dfYNm5BhWA

About KAELA RIVERA:

Kaela Rivera is the multi-award-winning author of the Cece Rios trilogy, LEGO DREAMZzz: Dream Chasers and the Riddle-Spokens, and The Hungry Forest (coming Aug 18, 2026). She grew up reading the folktales of her Mexican-American and British parents in the forests of Tennessee, but now she writes about them from the soaring mountains of Utah. When not weaving together stories, she works in marketing, watches anime, or busies herself illustrating new adventures. She believes in the power of hope and aims to write adventures that heal. Sign up for her newsletter at kaelarivera.com.

💀 ORDER "The Hungry Forest" here: https://amzn.to/4bjUHpR

🌵 ORDER "CeCe Rios" here: https://amzn.to/3T2tv8J

📚 CHECK OUT other books by Kaela Rivera here: https://amzn.to/4vzmsSk

🌐 Visit Kaela Rivera's website: https://www.kaelarivera.com/

🎧 LISTEN on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1CvEfBcK1xALUswAkOwlNf?si=98cea0829ca145e6

🍎 LISTEN on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-literal-journey/id1839517342

🎥 WATCH more episodes of A LITERAL JOURNEY: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRTQ34vyf-9NkrTcSH0KEwXPOhdVqZRVZ

Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to A LITERAL JOURNEY for more exclusive author interviews, book recommendations, and thoughtful conversations about the stories that shape us. 📖✨

#KaelaRivera #CeceRios #MiddleGradeBooks #MiddleGradeHorror #MiddleGradeFantasy #AuthorInterview #WritingAdvice #MexicanFolklore #ChildrensBooks #BookTube #FantasyBooks #HorrorBooks

Hardship didn't destroy George Washington...it forged him.

In this episode of A LITERAL JOURNEY, I sit down with Diederik Hoogstraten, the screenwriter behind Young Washington, and talk about the extraordinary journey that transformed an uncertain young man into one of history's greatest leaders.

Throughout the interview, Diederik and I discuss Washington's failures, his moments of doubt, his remarkable resilience and the relationships that helped him move forward.

During our conversation, Diederik shares some insight from his own journey—including illness, addiction, faith, and redemption—and explains why he believes that some of our greatest challenges and hardships can help us discover our GREATER purpose.

About DIEDERIK HOOGSTRATEN:

Diederik was born and raised in the Netherlands, before settling in New York for school and his early career, then migrating to Los Angeles. As he spent time as a journalist writing about America, he fell in love with the country and became a proud U.S. citizen. He also began covering entertainment when he moved to Los Angeles as a member of the Hollywood Foreign Press and was active with the Golden Globes.

Being in Hollywood also inspired an interest in screenwriting. Most recently, Diederik was honored to write the script for Young Washington with his writing partner Tom Provost and film visionary Jon Erwin.

Diederik has several upcoming projects, and a taste of his work can be viewed at Fuelbreak Road Productions. Diederik lives in Austin, TX with his wife and three children.

🌐 VISIT The Wonder Project Channel: https://amzn.to/4brOvfd

🎧 LISTEN on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1CvEfBcK1xALUswAkOwlNf?si=98cea0829ca145e6

🍎 LISTEN on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-literal-journey/id1839517342

🎥 WATCH more episodes of A LITERAL JOURNEY: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRTQ34vyf-9NkrTcSH0KEwXPOhdVqZRVZ

Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to A LITERAL JOURNEY for more exclusive author interviews, book recommendations, and thoughtful conversations about the stories that shape us. 📖✨

#youngwashington #georgewashington #america #usa #history #americanhistory

The BEST stories don't just entertain us... they remind us of what's TRUE.

In this episode of A LITERAL JOURNEY, award-winning author Emma C. Fox shares how an old copy of The Hobbit, a vivid dream, and a lifelong love of history and fairy tales have shaped her journey as an author.

From the enchanted forests of medieval Germany, to the vast and varied landscapes of Siberia, Emma C. Fox talks about why fairy tales endure, how historical fantasy can reveal timeless truth, and why themes like sacrificial love, hope, and redemption continue to inspire us.

Whether you're a reader, writer, parent, teacher, or someone searching for truth and beauty in an often chaotic world, I hope this episode encourages you to open a book (or pick up a pen) and embark on your own literal journey.

"I do think that the fairy tales and folklore of cultures around the world often so beautifully get at the triumph of light over darkness, of truth over lies." -Emma C. Fox

About EMMA C. FOX:

Emma Fox grew up in and around the legend-drenched city of Savannah, Georgia, where she fell in love with history and fantasy side by side. She now calls "The Magic City" of Birmingham, Alabama home. When she's not tutoring writing, tending to her three children, or dreaming up new novels and poems, you'll likely find her working in the garden among her roses and herbs.

Emma is the author of the award-winning YA fantasy novels THE ARROW AND THE CROWN (2019) and THE CARVER AND THE QUEEN (2023). Her latest historical fantasy novel, HEART OF STONE, a standalone sequel to THE CARVER AND THE QUEEN, releases August 2026 from Owl's Nest Publishers. Emma is also a contributor to several anthologies, including THE LOST TALES OF SIR GALAHAD (Rabbit Room Press, 2022) and I'VE GOT A BAD CASE OF POETRY (Bandersnatch Books, 2025).

Keep up with Emma's author news & events through her inspiring and encouraging monthly newsletter on Substack, "Hiraeth House."

💚 PRE-ORDER "Heart of Stone" here: https://www.owlsnestpublishers.com/store/p65/Heart_of_Stone.html#/

👑 BUY "The Carver and the Queen" here: https://www.owlsnestpublishers.com/store/p43/The_Carver_and_the_Queen.html#/

📚 ORDER other books by Emma C. Fox here: https://amzn.to/4v43D9N

🌐 Visit Emma C. Fox's website: https://emmafoxauthor.com/

🎧 LISTEN on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1CvEfBcK1xALUswAkOwlNf?si=98cea0829ca145e6

🍎 LISTEN on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-literal-journey/id1839517342

🎥 WATCH more episodes of A LITERAL JOURNEY: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRTQ34vyf-9NkrTcSH0KEwXPOhdVqZRVZ

Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to A LITERAL JOURNEY for more exclusive author interviews, book recommendations, and thoughtful conversations about the stories that shape us. 📖✨

#EmmaCFox #author #authorproblems #fantasy #fantasybooks #historicalfantasy #fantasyauthor #booktube #writing #writingadvice #fairytales #books #cslewis #tolkien