In this episode of Literary Lines, GiGi Meier sits down with Alessandro Biuso, whose Into the Perfect Storm weaves a poignant tale of love and self-discovery across borders. A storyteller with theater in his bones, Alessandro reveals how his background on stage shapes his writing—transforming characters into living, breathing forces that leap off the page with cinematic intensity.

Listeners will get an inside look at his creative alchemy: how travel fuels his narratives, why he’s pivoting to a new thriller project, and the challenges of balancing writing with life’s demands. Alessandro opens up about the pivotal moment that pushed him to publish, his take on the self-publishing vs. traditional divide, and his dream of seeing his work adapted for the screen.

Packed with hard-won wisdom about craft and perseverance, this conversation is a masterclass in emotional storytelling—and a thrilling preview of what’s next from a writer who treats every scene like a stage waiting to be lit.

Find Alessandro here:

Website:

https://www.alessandrobiuso.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/alessandro_biuso67

How to find GiGi:

Website:

https://www.gigimeier.com/

Free Bonus and Deleted Scenes:

https://www.gigimeier.com/freebies

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/authorgigimeier

Substack:

https://gigimeier.substack.com

The Cougar Den Facebook Reader Group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/authorgigimeier

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@gigimeier

In this gripping Literary Lines episode, GiGi Meier sits down with author S. Von, whose writing journey began with a literal dream—one so vivid it became Taken Not Destroyed, a high-stakes cartel romance duology about kidnapping, obsession, and harrowing survival. Now, she’s pivoting to an expansive fantasy saga (Hearts Burn Slow, coming September) while using her platform to spotlight real-world trafficking through her newsletter’s dedicated resource section.

S. Von pulls back the curtain on how that fateful dream scene unfolded into a published duet, why dark romance chose her (rather than the other way around), and the steep learning curve of finding the perfect editor and cover artist as a new indie author. She reveals how she wrote Mission of Destruction while editing its predecessor, and why her upcoming 11-book fantasy series—featuring a human heroine torn between worlds—promises even more slow-burn tension and moral complexity.

For writers, this is a masterclass in trusting creative instincts; for readers, it’s a thrilling preview of gritty romance and sprawling fantasy—all woven with S. Von’s commitment to storytelling that entertains and educates.

Find S. Von here:

Website:

https://www.svonauthor.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/petergribble3/

How to find GiGi:

Website:

https://www.gigimeier.com/

Free Bonus and Deleted Scenes:

https://www.gigimeier.com/freebies

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/authorgigimeier

Substack:

https://gigimeier.substack.com

The Cougar Den Facebook Reader Group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/authorgigimeier

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@gigimeier

In this episode of Literary Lines, GiGi Meier sits down with Bill Hulseman—former Catholic educator, seminary student, and middle school principal—whose journey through unimaginable loss birthed the exquisite essay collection Six to Carry the Casket and One to Say the Mass. After a year that claimed his mother, sister, and father, Bill stepped away from education to grieve, write, and ultimately craft a new life centered on ritual, queer spirituality, and the quiet magic of ordinary moments.

What began as a weekly newsletter evolved into a book that dances between hilarity and heartbreak, exploring everything from how advice columnist Dan Savage unexpectedly reshaped his life to why weddings (and funerals, and even film screenings) deserve to be reimagined as radical acts of connection. Bill opens up about shedding the guilt of self-prioritization, the freedom in releasing perfectionism, and his next project: rethinking social rituals in a disconnected world.

For anyone who’s faced loss, questioned their path, or longed to find the sacred in the mundane, this conversation is a balm—and an invitation to carry your own grief (and joy) with equal tenderness.

Website:

https://www.billhulseman.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/billhulsemanrituals

Website:

https://www.gigimeier.com/

Free Bonus and Deleted Scenes:

https://www.gigimeier.com/freebies

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/authorgigimeier

Substack:

https://gigimeier.substack.com

The Cougar Den Facebook Reader Group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/authorgigimeier

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@gigimeier