Tea with Jess: Chatting with Authors & Artists: Recent Episodes
Jess Montgomery
Thank you for joining me, author Jess Montgomery, for afternoon tea breaks as I chat with authors and artists about inspiration, creative process, motivation, connecting with audiences, and more. Every other week, I chat with authors and artists about their work, process, insights, techniques, challenges and more. I find these chats inspiring and refreshing for my own creative work, and share these chats with you in the hope that if you are also a creator, you'll find inspiration and ideas in these chats, wherever you are in your creative journey. And if you're a fan of the arts, I hope you'll find these behind-the-scenes chats interesting and informative. Enjoy the show!
In this episode, I chat with Hannah Mary McKinnon about her newest thriller, "Never Coming Home," which releases May 24, 2022.
Learn more about Hannah at: https://hannahmarymckinnon.com/
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In this episode of Tea with Jess, I chat with John Scalzi, a New York Times best seller in fiction. His first published series novel, "Old Man's War," was a Hugo Award for best novel Nominee, ranked #1 on the Locus Online reader poll, and is listed on the NPR.com reader poll of the Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy Book/Series.
Since then awards won include the Hugo, the Locus, the Audie, among others, and John is the recipient of the 2016 Governor’s Award for the Arts in Ohio. His works have been translated into 30+ languages.
He is also creative Consultant for the Stargate: Universe television series. Writer for the video game Midnight Star, by Industrial Toys. Former president (7/10 – 6/13) of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Executive Producer for Old Man’s War and The Collapsing Empire, both currently in development for film/TV. Writer of five short stories adapted into episodes of the Netflix series Love, Death + Robots.
John and I chat about the writing process, creative inspiration, a coin flip and a church purchase, plus more!
Learn more about John at https://whatever.scalzi.com/ Don’t miss an episode of Tea with Jess! Subscribe via your favorite podcast App.
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C.L. Pauwels (aka, my friend Cyndi) and I chat about her newest novel, "Unwelcome Ties," what it's like to write a "prequel," in this case a novel that includes a character who is the main character in novels C.L. has already published ("Forty and Out" and "Burned Bridges"), staying connected and motivated as a writer in the best of times and the pandemic of times.
I first met C.L. as one of her mentors as she worked on her master's thesis--a very early version of what has grown and developed into "Unwelcome Ties," a thriller set in Toledo. Then, through the Antioch Writers' Workshop, we became colleagues and friends.
This is one of the biggest joys of the creative life--meeting other creators along the way and being part of their journey!
Learn more about C.L. at https://clpauwels.com/ Don’t miss an episode of Tea with Jess! Subscribe via your favorite podcast App.
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In this episode, I take a tea break to chat with author Meredith Doench about her newest book, "Whereabouts Unknown." It's also her first standalone thriller, so we talk about making the transition from series books to a standalone, her inspiration for the novel, how she does research and selects themes, and more.
I first met Meredith through the Dayton, Ohio writing community and now serve with her on the board of the Midwest Chapter of Mystery Writers of America (MWA). She's always interesting to talk with, and I know you'll discover that too as you listen in on our chat!
Meredith is the author of the Luce Hansen Thriller Series from Bold Strokes Books. Crossed, the first in the series, was published in August of 2015 and was the runner-up for the 2015 IndieFab Awards in the Mystery Genre. The next two in the series are Forsaken Trust and Deadeye, both of which were mystery/thriller Goldie Award finalists in their respective years from Golden Crown Literary Society. Whereabouts Unknown, Doench’s fourth thriller and stand alone novel, will release in March 1 2022 available from publisher Bold Strokes Books and becomes available March 15 from all retailers.
In addition to her work on the MWA Midwest chapter board, Meredith is a member of Golden Crown Literary Society and Sisters in Crime. Meredith lives in Dayton, Ohio where she is a senior lecturer of creative writing, literature, and composition at the University of Dayton.
Learn more about Meredith at https://www.meredithdoench.com/ Don’t miss an episode of Tea with Jess! Subscribe via your favorite podcast App.
WANT BONUS CONTENT, GIVEAWAYS, AND UPDATES FROM ME? SUBSCRIBE TO MY FREE E-NEWSLETTER BY CLICKING HERE!
Christina Consolino is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in multiple online and print outlets. Her debut novel, Rewrite the Stars, was named one of ten finalists for the Ohio Writers' Association Great Novel Contest 2020.
I first met Christina through the Antioch Writers' Workshop, where she served as a member of the Board of Directors, and I served as Director of the workshop. I quickly came to appreciate Christina as a kind and generous human, with a great passion for writing and helping other writers. And I greatly enjoyed reading her debut novel, "Rewrite the Stars." So it was particularly enjoyable to chat with her about her experiences as a debut novelist.
Listeners, I think you'll find a lot of inspiration in our chat and Christina's insights!
Learn more about Christina at https://christinaconsolino.com/
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Katrina Kittle is the author of four books for adults—"Traveling Light," "Two Truths and a Lie," "The Kindness of Strangers," and "The Blessings of the Animals"— and one novel for tweens, "Reasons to Be Happy. "
"The Kindness of Strangers" was the winner of the 2006 Great Lakes Book Award for Fiction. Katrina teaches creative writing workshops for all ages, focusing on craft and motivation (and is especially good at jumpstarting stalled writers). She teaches online and in the Dayton-Cincinnati-Columbus area through Word’s Worth Writing Connections, and is a Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Dayton. She is a public speaker, most often leading her “Leap and the Net Will Appear” and “Happy Class” workshops, and she has been a Dayton TedX speaker.
Learn more about Katrina, her writing and her classes at www.katrinakittle.com
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I had the honor of reading Kimi Cunningham Grant's novel, "These Silent Woods," before its publication and blurbing it. The novel is beautifully evocative and quietly yet powerfully suspenseful.
So I was quite excited to chat with Kimi about her novel, her inspiration and her writing process. We talk about our love of nature and how we find it both restorative and empowering, the writing life, encouragement for writers, and more.
Besides "These Silent Woods," Kimi is the author of Fallen Mountains and Silver Like Dust. She is a two-time winner of a Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Memorial Prize in Poetry and a recipient of a Pennsylvania Council on the Arts fellowship in creative nonfiction. Her poems and essays have appeared in Fathom, Literary Mama, RATTLE, Poet Lore, and Whitefish Review.
Learn more about Kimi at https://www.kimicunninghamgrant.com/
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In this episode, I take a tea break and chat with Karen Odden, Author of "Down a Dark River," set in 1870s London, and introducing Inspector Michael Corravan, who must investigate when a deceased young woman is found in a small boat floating down the Thames River.
Karen and I chat about the joys and challenges (and rabbit holes) of researching historical fiction, what drew her to the era she writes about, creative challenges, and more!
Karen earned her Ph.D. in English from New York University and subsequently taught literature at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She has contributed essays to numerous books and journals, written introductions for Victorian novels in the Barnes & Noble classics series, and edited for the journal Victorian Literature and Culture (Cambridge UP). Her previous novels, also set in 1870s London, have won awards for historical fiction and mystery. A member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime and the recipient of a grant from the Arizona Commission on the Arts, Karen lives in Arizona with her family and her rescue beagle Rosy.
Learn more about Karen here, https://karenodden.com
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During my tea break with Eliot Parker, we talk about his newest mystery novel, "A Final Call," and about:
- why he writes mystery novels
- why he writes short stories
- the challenges, differences and similarities of the two forms
- his Cleveland setting for this novel
- how he juggles writing with being a professor
- and other tips for writers
In addition to "A Final Call," Eliot Parker is the author of five novels: Breakdown at Clear River, Making Arrangements, Fragile Brilliance, Code for Murder, and A Knife's Edge. He currently teaches English at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), and hosts the podcast program “Now, Appalachia” across the Authors on the Air Global Radio Network and BlogTalk Radio, which profiles authors, and publishers who live and write about Appalachia.
Learn more about Eliot at www.eliotparker.com
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In this episode, I chat with Herbert Woodward Martin, renowned poet and librettist. He shares his wisdom, ("gamble with words!"), what he learned from THE Edward Albee (!!), and his answer to my question that he says no one has ever asked him before!
Herbert is the author of multiple collections of poetry including Sometimes Say My Name, the Shape of Regret, Inscribing My Name, and others, and is a scholar and interpreter of Paul Laurence Dunbar. His Dayton TedX talk provides additional insight into his work.
After earning degrees at University of Toledo and Breadloaf School of English, teaching at Aquinas College in Michigan, and publishing his first book of poetry, Martin became poet-in-residence and assistant professor at University of Dayton in 1970. Since then, Martin earned a Doctorate of Arts at Carnegie-Mellon University, published numerous volumes of his own poetry, has become a scholar on Dunbar and other, and has won accolades including a Fulbright Scholarship, the Ohio Governor’s Award for an individual artist, an honorary PhD from the University of Dayton, and many others. His most recent collections are “Sometimes Say My Name” and “The Shape of Regret.”
Herbert also has a successful career as a librettist, working with American composers such as Adolphus Hailstork on an opera, “Paul Laurence Dunbar: Common Ground.” He composed the text for “Nobody Know,” a concert aria by Hailstork and commissioned by The Harlem Chamber Players to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the first Africans brought to America as slaves and premiered by the Players in February 2019.
Most recently, he wrote the text for “TULSA 1921,” about the Tulsa, Oklahoma massacre of Black Americans in the Greenwood District of Tulsa.
WANT BONUS CONTENT, GIVEAWAYS,AND UPDATES? SUBSCRIBE TO MY FREE E-NEWSLETTER BY CLICKING HERE (AND GET EXCLUSIVE BONUS CONTENT FROM MY FIRST NOVEL IN THE KINSHIP SERIES)!
I first met Erin Flanagan through our mutual involvement in a writers' workshop. I was struck by her devotion to the writing community, and then quickly became a fan of her ability to create literary gems out of human foibles in her two short story collections–The Usual Mistakes and It’s Not Going to Kill You and Other Stories.Just as amazing is her debut novel, Deer Season, which examines relationships and what we will do to protect those we love, in a small town setting that rings so very true. This novel and her story collections are all published by The University of Nebraska Press in their Flyover Fiction series. Erin Flanagan’s next novel, the thriller Blackout, is forthcoming in fall 2022 with Thomas & Mercer.
Erin has held fellowships to Yaddo, MacDowell, The Sewanee Writers’ Conference, The Breadloaf Writers’ Conference, UCross, and The Vermont Studio Center. She contributes regular book reviews to Publishers Weekly and other venues. She is an English professor at Wright State University--my alma mater. Go Raiders!
Erin joins me on Tea with Jess to talk about the importance of writing realistic small town and rural settings without either pandering or idealizing, the similarities and differences in writing short fiction versus longer forms, whether the 1980s count as historic in fiction, and setting goals as an artist even when motivation is a challenge.
Learn more about Erin at her website: https://www.erinflanagan.net
WANT BONUS CONTENT, GIVEAWAYS,AND UPDATES? SUBSCRIBE TO MY FREE E-NEWSLETTER BY CLICKING HERE (AND GET EXCLUSIVE BONUS CONTENT FROM MY FIRST NOVEL IN THE KINSHIP SERIES)!
Hank Phillippi Ryan is the USA Today best-selling author of 13 thrillers, including most recently, "Her Perfect Life," receiving starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly, which called it “a superlative thriller.”
In this episode of "Tea with Jess," Hank and I chat about the themes behind her newest thriller as well as her body of work as a novelist. Our conversation also delves into the pressure, and price, of the perception of perfection that seems to be required of public figures. And of course, we give ourselves over to word-nerd revelry, with a whole hearted discussion of the pros and cons of pre-planning creative work versus following inspiration.
A bit more about Hank: she’s won the most prestigious awards in the mystery genre, including five Agathas, four Anthonys, and the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award. And she is an on-air investigative reporter for Boston’s WHDH-TV, with 37 EMMYs and dozens more journalism honors.
As a reader, I’ve certainly been kept on the edge of my seat by the superb suspense plotting which is a hallmark of Hank’s books, including “Her Perfect Life.” And as a writer, I've been riveted by her insights when attending several presentations, and deeply admire Hank for the myriad ways in which she lifts up fellow authors and readers, including through the Jungle Reds blog, Career Authors website, the Back Room zoom book discussion gathering which she co-hosts with Karen Dionne, First Chapter Fun Instagram and Facebook group which she co-hosts with Hannah Mary McKinnon, who has also been a guest on Tea with Jess, and most recently, as the regular host of A Mighty Mystery on A Mighty Blaze.
I hope you enjoy listening into our tea break chat, and please check out Hank's website for more details about her superb career, her books, upcoming events, and more. hankphillippiryan.com
WANT BONUS CONTENT, GIVEAWAYS,AND UPDATES? SUBSCRIBE TO JESS'S FREE E-NEWSLETTER BY CLICKING HERE (AND GET EXCLUSIVE BONUS CONTENT FROM THE FIRST NOVEL IN THE KINSHIP SERIES)!
Mariah Fredericks is the author of the lady's maid Jane Prescott mystery series set in the Gilded Age in New York City. Her newest entry in the series, "Death of a Showman," was listed on NPR's Weekend Edition's "Four Fabulous Beach Reads." How cool is that?
In "Death of a Showman," it's the summer of 1914 and Jane learns that her old dancing partner, Leo Hirschfeld, has married a chorus girl in his new Broadway musical. Soon, Jane and her employer Louise Tyler are pulled into the sparkling and scandalous world of Broadway, as a star struck Louise invests in Leo's show, and Jane chaperones her at rehearsals. But behind the glittering facade of the theater, there are rivalries, secret romances, and some very dodgy business practices.
Mariah and I chat about her newest book, the challenges and joys of researching and writing historical fiction, and her inspirations for her creative work.
Tiffany Yates Martin is, I must say, is an editing genius. Her insights into editing and revision--specifically, how these practices can shape a first draft from a lump of clay into a unique and compelling sculpture--and career changing for writers.
How do I know? Tiffany helped me take the first draft of THE WIDOWS to the next level, and I am still (and will always) apply the lessons I learned from working with her to my writing.
She runs Fox Print Editorial, wrote "Intuitive Editing" which I regard as a must have for every writer at any stage, and as Phoebe Fox walks-the-walk or should I say writes-the-write with her terrific novels of love, relationships and family.
During our tea, we chat about what inspired Tiffany to become an editor, her philosophy behind revising and editing as the heart of the writing process, tips for writers, tips for staying inspired, how working with writers is in some ways like coaching (and in others ways is not), and more.
I hope you'll find inspiration and insights for your own creative work, and enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at the craft of writing.
I can think of at least a million reasons for why you'll love "A Million Reasons Why," author Jessica Strawser's newest dynamic domestic thriller, as well as our chat about her creative process behind the novel.
- "A Million Reasons Why" is edge-of-the-seat...
- ...character-driven...
- ...domestic suspense.
- Jessica is compelling...
- ...funny...
- ...charming...
- ...smart...
- ...honest...
Well, you get the idea! Listen in to our conversation for inspiration and insight.
And learn more about Jessica's work here: https://jessicastrawser.com/
Heather Webber is one of the most prolific and delightful writers I know. (Full disclosure: she is also one of my best friends.)
As Heather Webber, she's written two mystery series: The Nina Quinn Mysteries, featuring a landscape designer, and The Lucy Valentine series featuring a matchmaker with a unique twist; Lucy matches up people and their lost objects. As Heather Blake, she's written two additional mystery series: the Wishcraft Mysteries and the Magic Potion Mysteries.
Now, again as Heather Webber, she's writing stand alone magical realism novels, all set in Alabama, and all built around themes of family, forgiveness, and relationships.
Her newest magical realism novel is The Lights of Sugarberry Cove. In this episode, we talk about her inspiration for this novel (hint: a clue is in the beautiful cover of the book), her love of Alabama and baking and how those elements play a role in her novels, and the themes of family, forgiveness and redemption that she explores in her work.
Learn more about Heather at www.heatherwebber.com
In this episode, I chat with Jyotsna Sreenivasan about her newest book, a collection of short stories and a novella, "These Americans." Jyotsna is also the author of the novel, "And Laughter Fell From The Sky."
In her newest collection, she explores through fiction the experience of second generation Indian-American women, from birth through later in life, in a Midwestern setting.
We chat about how second-generation American experiences are different from experiences of new immigrants, Native Americans, and Americans who are multiple generations removed from the immigration experience. And we also discuss how everyone can, in some way, relate to second-generation experiences. We explore how Jyotsna's own lived experiences as a second generation Indian-American have influenced her as a writer, how she balances a writing life with a career as a teacher, and tips and techniques she uses as a writer.
I hope you enjoy our chat!
Learn more about Jyotsna and her work at her website, www.secondgenstories.com.
In this episode, I chat with Ron Rollins, an Action, Abstract, and Gestural Painter. (He also happens to be my former newspaper editor!) We talk about what inspires his art, what drew him to his particular style of painting, childhood and other influences, and tip he has for creating--and appreciating--art of all styles.
Learn more about Ron and his art at http://www.rollinsart.org/
Note: Ron cites several artists whose work influence his own, including Jackson Pollock, Robert Motherwell, Franz Kline, Lee Krasner, Joan Mitchell, Willem de Kooning, and Hans Hofmann.
In this episode, I chat with author Hannah Mary McKinnon about her newest thriller, "You Will Remember Me," which explores what happens when a man who wakes up on a beach in Maryland in only his swim trunks, a gash on his head, and no memory of what happened or his past. Meanwhile, a woman wonders why her fiance hasn't come back from a simple errand, and another woman searches for her missing step-brother. How are these situations twisted together?
Intrigued? Well, I've personally dubbed best-selling author Hannah Mary McKinnon as the Queen of Twists.
Join us as we chat about her writing journey, how she delivers up delicious twists and turns in her fiction, and her fascinating research into amnesia for her newest thriller!