This week guest is Raven West (Vashti’s Daughter, indie published, July 2023). Before there was Esther in the Bible there was Vashti, whose story provided the impetus for Raven’s women’s fiction novel set in 366 AD. We discuss why sometimes it’s good when a book takes a long time to germinate, the difficulty in finding comps for certain novels, why she went the indie route, and the four best pieces of advice she has for authors just starting out.

A seasoned guest on radio shows, podcasts, and literary festivals, Raven West has dedicated her career not just to writing but to engaging with her readers, championing independent authorship, and pushing the boundaries of storytelling

With an impressive repertoire spanning multiple genres—from riveting thrillers and espionage novels to historical fiction and deeply personal non-fiction—her storytelling is as compelling as it is diverse. Her works, including Red Wine for Breakfast, First Class Male, Undercover Reunion, and Vashti’s Daughter, have captivated readers with their rich narratives and unforgettable characters.

To learn more about Raven West, click here

This week’s guest is Marie McCurdy (The Wolf Queen, indie published, November 2023). Marie’s novel, set in the Year 1 AD was five years in the making and involved a deep dive into historical records dating back to the height of the Roman Empire and its attempted invasion of the Germanic territories of Europe. We discuss the challenges of writing an historical women’s fiction about a female character where little is known, how she broke with her first publisher, and the all importance of the right cover designer and copy editor for historical novels.

Marie is a Florida native, California transplant, and has lived almost everywhere between. She’s been writing stories since she could hold a pen, but didn’t get serious until she joined the Marines in 2009 as a Combat Correspondent. After five years telling Marine Corps stories, she knew it was time to start telling stories of her own. Marie currently lives in New Orleans with her fur family; three delightful cats and one questionable chihuahua mix.

To learn more about Marie, click here.

Our podcast guest this week is Sheila Athens (Neena Lee Is Seeing Things, indie published, January 2024). Sheila and I discuss how her book started with a famous person and a setting near her home and grew from there, how she thinks storytelling differs from writing, and how the thing readers love best about her novel is the older protagonist. Hear why she opted to spend her money on a book coach rather than a developmental editor and how an upcoming anniversary was the final push she needed to decide to self-publish.

Resources mentioned during the interview: ebooklaunch.com; suzyapprovedbooktours.com; jennienash.com; Story Genius by Lisa Cron.

Sheila Athens writes smart contemporary fiction set where the South meets the Sunshine state. Her stories are about women seeking to find the peace we all deserve. Readers are drawn to her work because they believe that everyday heroes can make a difference in our world.

After growing up in the Ozarks, she moved to Florida—sight unseen—with the man who would become her husband. Thirty-five years later, she’s still on the shores of the Atlantic, grateful that her two grown sons and their families live nearby.

After many years as a vice president of human resources, she now spends her time ensconced in her quiet little lair, where she reads, writes and communes with the ducks who live on the lake right off her back porch. She loves quiet spaces, eccentric people and the little band of writer hikers who walk at sunrise on a regular basis.

To learn more about Sheila, to subscribe to her newsletter, or to invite her to your book club, click here.

This week’s guest is Gayle Brown (A Deadly Game, Black Rose Writing, December 2023). We why you might want to consider hiring a book coach, how a TV show provided the spark for this suspense book, and how Gayle re-wrote her ending numerous times to make sure it hit the sweet spot between satisfying but also surprising. She gives us her take on publishing with the Big Five vs. a smaller press, the marketing efforts behind her successful launch, and how she’s planning to grow her new career as a full-time writer.

Formerly a full-time teacher, now a full-time writer, my passion for writing started when I could hold a crayon in my hand, using the walls as my storyboard. Since then, I’ve connected pen to paper and fingers to the keyboard at every given chance. My debut novel, A DEADLY GAME, came out in December 2023. Aside from a being a full-time writer, I am also a writing mentor for The Book Incubator, a twelve-month, comprehensive alternative to an MFA, and a member of various organizations, including Women’s Fiction Writers Association (where I'm also a mentor), The International Women’s Writing Guild, SavvyAuthors, and Sisters in Crime. When not writing or reading, you can find me working out, traveling, and spending time in Florida with my family, including a very spoiled mini dachshund.

To learn more about Gayle, click here.

My guest this week is Olivia Sparrow (Secret of the Sassafras, indie published, October 2023). Olivia’s someone who dived into the writing world with the attitude of “I’ll figure it out” and has done just that, including initially penning a 175,000 word debut (a Beta Reader taught her about word count), turning to Google and the library for Query Tracker and agent contacts, using Fiverr and Reedsy to find book cover designers and editors, and teaching herself Vellum software to format her book. If you’ve ever wondered about TikTok and its BookTok and BookMail communities, Olivia’s got some advice. Come for the magical description of the moment that set her on the writing path, stay for her upbeat attitude about how to find and nurture readers.

Award-winning author Olivia Sparrow grew up in a small Indiana town, where her passion for reading first sparked her love for storytelling. After relocating to New York City, she encountered both the challenges and triumphs of city life that ultimately inspired her debut novel, Secret of the Sassafras—a heartfelt tribute to courageous women and the city that helped her discover her own resilience. A seasoned portrait photographer with over fifteen years of experience, Olivia's transition from capturing images behind the lens to weaving stories on the page marks a bold new chapter in her creative journey. Her writing uncovers long-buried secrets and exposes the deeper truths often hidden behind outwardly flawless, yet deceptive, facades.

When she’s not crafting stories, Olivia, a self-proclaimed California enthusiast, can be found hiking the national parks or wandering the rugged beauty of Big Sur with her family and their dog, Zuzu.

To learn more about Olivia, click here.

My guest this week is Amy Hagstrom (The Wild Between Us, Lake Union Press, November 2023). If you’ve ever wondered whether to keep working on a manuscript or put it in a drawer, this episode will resonate with you. Amy’s debut was one that got rejected by over a hundred agents, but she kept revising this dual-timeline, dual POV story of lost kids in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and after landing an agent with another book that didn’t get picked up, this one found a home at the Amazon women’s fiction imprint and her career took off. Now working on what will be her third published novel, we discuss the women’s fiction genre, what the right agent brings to the table, and what it’s like to sign on with the biggest book retailer in the world.

Amy Hagstrom is the author of The Wild Between Us and Smoke Season. She is a writer and editor with two decades of experience in the travel and outdoor industry, recognized as an O Magazine Insider and previous columnist and feature writer at Travel Oregon, US News, and Huff Post. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing from Whitworth University. A lifelong outdoors enthusiast, she served as a volunteer EMT with her local county search and rescue unit before launching her travel writing career. After raising three children in the Pacific Northwest, Amy traded the Cascade, Siskiyou, and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges for The Berkshires, making her home in Western Mass with her wife. You can find her writing on Substack at Beyond the Books.

To learn more about Amy, go to her website here.

This week’s guest is Kerry F. Freeman (Sedona: A Novel, The Wild Rose Press, November 2023). Kerry’s book, a reimagining of The Wizard of Oz set in present-day Sedona, was written as an antidote to COVID-isolation and has proved a hit with book clubs as they chase down the Easter Eggs Kerry planted from the original source material, including who’s the lion, the tinman, and the scarecrow. We discuss how she started a feature on her website called Books and Bevies which led to a fan base even before she was published and how that led to partnering with a well-known Charlotte brewery to produce an exclusive IPA beer for her launch.

Kerry Fryar Freeman crafts fiction as if it were a new puzzle. The settings are real and well-researched, the details are rich and layered, and the stories absorb and propel readers one piece at a time. Kerry’s debut novel, SEDONA: A NOVEL, was published by Wild Rose Press in November of 2023 and was long-listed for the Santa Fe Writers Project Literary Award and a 2023 finalist for Indie Ink’s Best Setting Award. Kerry also writes a blog called “Books and Bevies” where she features an array of authors from New York Times and Amazon bestsellers to debut Indie gems. Books and Bevies can be found on her website www.KerryFryarFreeman.com or by following her on X @KerryFFreeman and Instagram @Books_and_Bevies. Kerry resides in North Carolina and is a member of the NC Writers’ Network and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association.

To learn more about Kerry, click here.

Our guest this week is Karen Klink (At What Cost, Silence? She Writes Press, October 2023). Karen’s novel grew out of her desire to explore bi-sexuality but in an historical setting – in this case, pre-Civil War. We discuss how her writing journey began when she contributed to a fan-fiction internet site and subsequently received encouragement from a writing professor. Unable to find an agent and thus closed out of traditional publishing, she received a posthumous monetary gift from a lifelong friend which allowed her to publish through a hybrid press. We discuss research rabbit holes, her decision to write a trilogy, and how writing about sexual abuse in her novel helped her get over her own childhood trauma.

Karen’s interest and experience in psychology and therapy inform her writing about individuals who persevere through difficulty and crisis in order to become stronger and accept themselves for who they truly are. Karen is a child abuse survivor, and humbly hopes her stories give readers pleasure and confidence to face their own difficulties, knowing they are not alone.

Karen believes in taking risks, for this is how we grow. With over fifty years of overcoming her own fears and challenges she hopes to help others find their own true selves, to not only survive, but to thrive.

To learn more about Karen, click here.