Author, speaker and voice actor, Aaron Ryan joins me in Episode 4 of Season 3. Having written and published over 50 books thus far, this guy is a wellspring of information and inspiration for Indie authors. We go into his writing practices, his stance on the usage of AI, marketing strategies, cover design software and much more. Aaron gets real about the struggles of maintaining the belief and fortitude required to keep on authoring despite the lack and/or abundance of endorsements by outside sources. He reveals his core values that keep him moving forward. And, of course, we talk about his latest release - As The World Burns - which launched on September 26, 2026.

www.authoraaronryan.com

manuscriptreport.com

affinity.studio

Fantasy author D.E. Carlson (aka Dorothy) is with me in Episode 3 of Season 3. She is the author of the Empire of Ash & Song trilogy as well as several novellas. Also, the second book of the Empire of Blood & Storm series is due out in early 2027. Her own story of moving through loss and grief to storyteller is a true beauty for ashes transformation. Dorothy is an indie author who has built a strong fan base through intentional community platforms and marketing investments like Kickstarter campaigns. Much to learn from this North Dakota rancher, mother, homesteader, wife and author!

decarlsonauthor.com

@decarlsonauthor

Episode 2 of Season 3 is with debut novelist, Tirzah Rae. Her YA fantasy book, Land of Guiding Lies, was released in September of 2026. Packed with three young protagonists weaving their way through a tumultuous time in the land of Panthera, the story has everything fantasy fans will love - world building complete with historical archives and language, brave but flawed heroes, villains expected as well as surprising and, of course, a bit of magic. In this interview, we explore the decade long journey that Tirzah took to move this story from the imagination of her fifteen-year-old self all the way to her stunning indie published book. She offers her tips and insights about what that looked like from cover design and formatting partnerships to doing a Kickstarter campaign. Some of the resources she referred to and conferences she attended are listed below along with her website.

Tirzahrae.com

Kairosbookdesign.com

Realm Makers Conference and Novel Marketing Conference

We're into Season 3 of the podcast! In Episode 1, I interview Jason Godinho the author of the memoir Fasting For Freedom. Is it a book about prayer and fasting? Yes, but it is about so much more. Jason transparently and powerfully lays bare in the book the time he very unexpectedly spent in federal prison. You'll have to listen to hear the details of how that all transpired but let's just say it was not for any violent crime but rather for a crime incubated by hubris. As a believer suddenly isolated from his family, church and businesses, Jason quickly realized he needed to surrender to whatever God had in mind for him during his prison term. What followed was forty days of fasting and so much more as the Holy Spirit transformed Jason's inner convictions to match the outward life he longed to live. It's quite a story! And quite a book.

Check out Jason's website for his Convicted Coaching and Convicted Community links.

https://jasongodinho.com/

Ever been in the Appalachian Mountains? No? Me either but after reading Cindy Sproles latest novel, I feel like I've been immersed in those hills and hollers. The Eyes Of River is set in the early 1900's in the Appalachians and follows a young woman through a harrowing flight to clear her name and save her brother's life...not to mention her own. In Episode 20 of Season 2 - the finale for this season - Cindy uncovers her steps from having a deep seated desire to be a writer, to publishing her first novels, to starting a devotional ministry, to becoming an editor/publisher, to building an author mentoring program and more. She is also the director of the Asheville Christian Writers Conference which is held at the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cover each year. So hold on to your hats...this conversation with Cindy is quite a ride. You can follow her at www.CindySproles.com and find her ministry at www.christiandevotions.us.

Ocieanna Fleiss has published books in a number of genres from memoir to romance to cozy mystery to devotional. It was hard to pick which one to chat about...so, we covered them all in Episode 19 of Season 2. We start with her memoir - Love Like There's No Tomorrow: How A Cardiac Arrest Brought My Heart To Life. At age 41, she literally died and had to be revived - more than once. But the interventions of God both in those first harrowing days and in the slow recuperative days that followed speak to his amazing, tender healing power. We also go over her romance novels written in tandem with Tricia Goyer - how that came about and how it proceeded. Her cozy mysteries, published by Guidepost, are two of an extensive series set at the Wayfarers Inn in Marietta, OH. Working in conjunction with an entire group of writers via a shared Facebook group and a deeply involved editor, makes this series flow seamlessly. And then there's Ocieanna's stunning devotional - Awaiting the Manger: Whispers of Advent in the Old Testament. Yup, we covered lots of ground and loved every minute. I think you will too! Check out all of Ocieanna's books and her blog at www.ocieanna.com

Eva Marie Everson is my guest in Episode 18 of Season 2. Her latest novel, Miss Beth Bettencourt, is being released on May 12, 2026. We discuss the evolution of that story from the combination of a Miss Abby column and a writing exercise into a full-blown novel set in small-town Georgia. We also get to delve into Eva's various ventures beyond her prolific writing career such as being the conference director for Florida Christian Writers Conference, the CEO of Word Weavers International and the overseer of the Selah Awards and Foundation Awards for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. Eva Marie shares about setting goals in her writing process with word count and deadlines in mind while also recognizing that life happens to all of us despite our best laid plans. Her advice? Embrace real life even as you enjoy the journey of writing.

Another debut novelist joins me in Episode 17 of Season 2. Karen Higgin's book A Garden Grows is the first of three books scheduled in The Hills of Harvest series. Karen is traditionally published through Mountain Brook Ink but the journey to get to her recent book launch has taken years. While homeschooling her kids and teaching them about writing, a desire within her own heart opened up to become an author. So, in the midst of many years of busy mothering of five kids, Karen grabbed every moment she could to add to her growing storyline. She also attended writers conferences and joined a critique group as she continually sought to hone her craft along the way. Until, voila! In April of 2026 her book is published and two more are coming close behind it.