🎙️ What comes after you publish the book?

On this episode of Author Talk, we sit down with publishing strategist, author advocate, and Women in Publishing Summit founder Alexa Bigwarfe to talk about what it really takes to build visibility, grow your platform, and create opportunities that go far beyond simply publishing a book.

We also get the inside scoop on Stages & Pages, the upcoming live event Alexa is co-hosting with April Adams Pertuis in San Antonio, Texas, October 15–16, 2026. The event is designed to bring together women authors, speakers, coaches, and consultants who are ready to turn their stories and expertise into greater visibility and impact.

During our conversation, we talk about:

📚 What authors should be thinking about beyond publishing
🎤 Using your book to open doors to speaking opportunities
✨ Building visibility and a recognizable author platform
💡 Why authors need to think bigger than simply selling books
🎟️ What attendees can expect from Stages & Pages in San Antonio
❤️ And Alexa’s passion for helping women get their stories and expertise into the world

Whether you’re working on your first book, already published, or wondering what your next step should be, there’s so much to take away from this conversation.

👍 Like, subscribe, and join the conversation in the comments!

#AuthorTalk #AlexaBigwarfe #StagesAndPages #WomenInPublishing #AuthorInterview #BookMarketing #AuthorMarketing #Publishing #WomenAuthors #AuthorCommunity #SanAntonio #AuthorEvents

🎙️ Author Talk with Sandy Malone 🌴📚

What happens when you take more than 500 real-life destination weddings, add a little romance, a little mystery, and ALL the behind-the-scenes chaos…and turn it into fiction? 👀

This week on Author Talk, we’re sitting down with author and former TLC Wedding Island star Sandy Malone!

We’re talking about Sandy’s Gem of the Golden Isles series, the real-life experiences that inspired Tally Davis and her adventures on Jekyll Island, and what it was like making the leap from wedding planner and journalist to fiction author.

And trust us—when you’ve planned more than 500 weddings, you have STORIES. 😂

We’ll also get into Sandy’s writing journey, the inspiration she pulls from Jekyll Island, and what’s coming next for her as an author.

📚 Romance, mystery, island life, crazy weddings and plenty of stories you simply can’t make up.

🎧 Come hang out with us on Author Talk!

#AuthorTalk #SandyMalone #GemOfTheGoldenIsles #JekyllIsland #WeddingIsland #AuthorInterview #RomanticSuspense #WomensFiction #BookPodcast #BookCommunity #AuthorLife #BookLovers

🎙️ Author Talk: Just Us! 📚☕

No guest this week — just Russell, Valerie, and me catching up and talking all things books, writing, publishing…and probably getting a little off topic along the way. 😂

Sometimes our favorite conversations are the ones where we have absolutely no idea where they’re going to take us.

We’re talking about what’s happening in the book world, what we’ve been working on, what authors should have on their radar, and whatever else comes up when you put the three of us together for an hour.

Come hang out with us, bring your coffee, and join the conversation! ❤️

🎧 It’s Author Talk — just us this time!

#AuthorTalk #AuthorTalkPodcast #WritingCommunity #AuthorLife #BookCommunity #IndieAuthors #Publishing #BookTalk #WritersLife #AuthorsSupportingAuthors

🎙️ Author Talk with Ed McDonald 🎬📚

You’ve seen Goodfellas… but do you know the REAL stories behind it?

This week on Author Talk, I sit down with former federal prosecutor Ed McDonald to talk about his upcoming memoir, Chasing Goodfellas: Lufthansa, Henry Hill, Point Shaving, and Making Movies.

And when we say Ed had a front-row seat to mob history, we mean it.

From taking on organized crime and prosecuting the infamous Lufthansa heist and Boston College point-shaving scandal, to his complicated relationship with Henry Hill—and somehow ending up playing himself in Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas—Ed has stories you simply couldn’t make up.

We talk about the cases, the characters, what Hollywood got right (and wrong!), and what it was really like to go head-to-head with some of the most notorious names in organized crime.

If you love true crime, mob history, Goodfellas, or just an incredible “you had to be there” story, you’re going to LOVE this conversation.

🎧 Catch our conversation on Author Talk!

#AuthorTalk #EdMcDonald #ChasingGoodfellas #Goodfellas #TrueCrime #TrueCrimeBooks #MobHistory #OrganizedCrime #HenryHill #LufthansaHeist #AuthorInterview #BookPodcast #Memoir #BookCommunity

🎙️ Author Talk with A.D. Solomon

What happens when two ordinary people are pulled from Earth and dropped into a world filled with magic, ancient powers, and secrets they were never meant to uncover?

This week on Author Talk, we’re joined by fantasy author A.D. Solomon, creator of the Lex Anders Saga and the world of Eldradune.

We talk about Twin Moons of Eldradune and the larger saga behind it, including the inspiration for this expansive fantasy world, the characters of Lex Anders and Mara Thorne, and the themes of friendship, identity, destiny, sacrifice, and the choices that shape our lives.

A.D. also shares what inspired his love of fantasy and worldbuilding—from Star Wars and Star Trek to some of the genre's most influential authors—and what it takes to create a story that can grow across an entire saga.

📚 In this episode, we talk about:
✨ The creation of Eldradune
⚔️ Lex and Mara's journey
🌙 Twin Moons of Eldradune
🗺️ Building an expansive fantasy world
❤️ The human connections at the heart of epic fantasy
✍️ A.D. Solomon's journey as an author

If you're a fan of epic fantasy, immersive worldbuilding, magic, adventure, and stories that transport you somewhere completely new, you'll definitely want to check out this episode.

🎧 Tune in to Author Talk and meet the author behind Eldradune!

#AuthorTalk #ADSolomon #TwinMoonsOfEldradune #LexAnders #Eldradune #EpicFantasy #FantasyBooks #FantasyAuthor #AuthorInterview #BookPodcast #BookCommunity #FantasyReaders #BookLovers #AmReading

I’m excited to welcome author Rachael M. Colby to Author Talk!We’ll be discussing her book, Tropical Dreams, along with the inspiration behind it, her writing journey, and the message she hopes readers take away from her work.

Join us for a thoughtful conversation about faith, purpose, storytelling, and the experiences that shaped this book.#AuthorTalk #RachaelMColby #TattooItOnYourHeart #AuthorInterview #BookTalk #WritingCommunity #FaithAndWriting

A community theatre production, a suspicious death, and a senior sleuth who may be smarter than the police… what could possibly go wrong?

On this episode of Author Talk, I’m chatting with author Erik D’Souza about Death on the Rocks, his Suzanne Rickson Mystery series, and the inspiration behind his traditional, twist-filled whodunits.