If you've been looking for some inspiration and practical tips about branding your work, Episode 9 with Steve Brock is just the ticket! His new book - Brand Something Beautiful: A Branding Workbook for Writers, Artists and Other Creatives - is bursting with ideas to guide you through building your own brand. Our conversation ventures from Steve's personal 'why's' behind his latest book to the many and varied ways of hearing from God. We talk about the difference between slogging through what we think we should do in marketing to finding delight in discovering our unique contributions to the world of books through our personal brand. You'll also hear about Steve's passions for both travel and for lifting creatives to new levels of adventures in creativity - both of which resulted in books as well. You can connect with Steve on his website - www.brandsomething beautiful.com to get more information and a sneak peek into the book itself.

Heidi Gray McGill is my guest on Episode 8 of Season 2. Her newest Christmas novella - A Place to Belong - comes out on November 18th. It is the latest book in her Discerning God's Best series. Our conversation runs the gamut from how she first felt called to begin a writing career in 2020, to the why's behind publishing under her own imprint, to her ongoing process of learning the craft of writing novels, to the challenges of writing squeaky clean romances. She pulled out some of her favorite books that have helped her hone her skills (I have listed them below). We also discuss how and why to enter writing contests as well as why she published her audio books 'for free' on YouTube. Heidi is a wealth of knowledge and a generous soul who is willing, wanting and able to help her fellow Christian authors thrive in their writing lane. Again, I learned so much.

GMC: Goal, Motivation & Conflict: The Building Blocks of Good Fiction by Debra Dixon

The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi

Save the Cat! Writes A Novel: The Last Book on Novel Writing You'll Ever Need by Jessica Brody

Understanding Show, Don't Tell (And Really Getting It) by Janice Hardy

The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile by Noah Lukeman

How NOT to Write a Novel: 200 Classic Mistakes and How to Avoid Them--A Misstep-by-Misstep Guide by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman

In Episode 7 we have the privilege of hearing from Val Barschaw who has walked with her husband - a heart transplant recipient - through 35 years of medical care. It was this very personal journey that gave Val the information, the experience and the passion to equip others who are facing hospitalizations for themselves or their loved ones. Surviving the Hospital: Six Secrets Every Patient Should Know is an essential guide for anyone who is navigating the complex world of healthcare - to do so with confidence and empowerment. On the podcast, Val takes us into the moment she knew God called her to write the book and then all the steps that followed to get it published and into the hands of those who need it. You can follow Val and find more resources on her website - www.hospitaltohealth.com