JCVArtStudio: Recent Episodes
Joanna Vandervlugt
Author of Dealer's Child and The Unravelling, Joanna Vandervlugt will take you on a creative journey whether it's discussing writing tips, chatting with guest authors and artists or escaping into a story. Joanna has over 20 years of writing experience and her debut novel The Unravelling (the first in her Jade & Sage thriller series), was a Canadian Book Club Awards finalist. She's a member of the Crime Writers of Canada, and her short stories have been published in their anthologies. Her personal essay No Beatles Reunion was published in the Dropped Threads 3: Beyond the Small Circle anthology
Today, I have a great time reading the short story, Georgie, written by Nancy Lynn Jarvis.
Nancy Lynn Jarvis wore many hats before she started writing. After earning a BA in behavioral science from San Jose State University, she worked in the advertising department of the San Jose Mercury News, as a librarian, as the business manager for Shakespeare/Santa Cruz, and as a realtor.
She has written seven Regan McHenry Real Estate Mysteries; a stand-alone novel Mags and the AARP Gang about a group of octogenarian bank robbers; edited Cozy Food: 128 Cozy Mystery Writers Share Their Favorite Recipes and a short story anthology, Santa Cruz Weird. She is currently working on PIP Inc. Mysteries, a cozy mystery series about a downsized librarian turned PI.
Nancy Lynn Jarvis
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Allan Hudson was born in Saint John, New Brunswick. Growing up in South Branch, he was encouraged to read from an early age by his mother, a school teacher. He lives in the seaside community of Cocagne with his wife, Gloria. He has enjoyed a lifetime of adventure, travel and uses the many experiences as ideas for his writing. He is an author of action/adventure novels, historical fiction and a short story collection. His short stories, The Ship Breakers, and In the Abyss, received Honourable Mentions in the New Brunswick Writer's Federation competition.
He is a strong advocate for writers supporting writers. He has interviewed many authors, including myself. His blog interviews can be found at South Branch Scribbler.
Today, I read an excerpt from his novel Vigilantes.
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A CIA action officer is released from prison. A Chief Justice is murdered, and the Law Society is scrutinizing Jade Thyme’s conduct. Jade’s life can’t get much worse until she is coerced into finding an elusive double agent. Tangled in lies and political agendas, high speed chases and sticky bombs, can Jade outplay a dangerous Hungarian assassin before her own life is terminated?
On today's episode, Joanna reads the first chapter from her novel, Spy Girls, which is available for pre-order on Amazon and Kobo, and will be released on Saturday, March 16, 2024. https://www.amazon.ca/Spy-Girls-Jade-Sage-Thriller-ebook/dp/B0CJ3P9Z1B/
Reviews are coming in such as this one:
“Spy Girls is adrenaline-fueled, adventure packed with heart-pounding action, unexpected twists, and a riveting plot that keeps readers hooked from the first page. With lives hanging in the balance and loyalties questioned, trust in each other is the only way to survive. But even the strongest bonds can be tested when faced with external threats and personal demons.”
—Joe Goldberg, author of the award-winning The Spy Devils thrillers https://www.joegoldbergbooks.com/
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Heather L. Barksdale was born in Waterville, Maine. Her adventure into travel started young when her parents packed up the two-year-old and drove across the country to Seattle, Washington. They then flew to Fairbanks, Alaska to live until she was eight years old. She would move several more times throughout the years, living in places as different as Larimore, North Dakota, and Keflavik, Iceland.
As a military brat, her experience with travel grew throughout the years and her passion for reading thrived. With all the travel came many different schools and both the challenge and opportunity to make new friends. Constant though, was the presence of a good book. Her mom, an elementary school teacher, always encouraged her to read and eventually write. It was her mom that often introduced her to the books and genres that she would grow to love.
After realizing that one of the friends that she had made along the way was actually the love of her life, she and her husband married. They settled in Jacksonville, Florida where they continue to make a home today. Heather finds time to travel whenever possible. She has now traveled throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia seeking new adventures. She is an avid fan of historical fiction and calls upon her adventures as inspiration for her stories.
One such adventure, in Barbados, provided the motivation she needed (as well as some of the inspiration) to write her first book, Arriving Through Time. Heather is currently working on a sequel to her time travel adventure while also delving into her darker side with a new storyline filled with compelling characters - and killers.
Heather L. Barksdale
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Donalee Moulton's first mystery book Hung out to Die was published in 2023. Her historical mystery, Conflagration, will be published in 2024.
Donalee's short story Swan Song appeared in Cold Canadian Crime and Black Cat Weekly. It will appear in the Mystery Most International anthology in 2024. Her second short story was published this spring in Black Cat Weekly. Her short story “Moist” originally appeared in After Dinner Conversation.
Donalee is also the author of The Thong Principle: Saying What You Mean and Meaning What You Say, and co-authored Celebrity Court Cases: Trials of the Rich and Famous.
She is an award-winning freelance journalist, and she has written articles for Chatelaine, Lawyer’s Daily, the National Post, and Canadian Business. She lives in Halifax happily surrounded by family, friends, pets, and words of all shapes, sizes, and syllables.
https://donaleemoulton.com/https://donaleemoulton.com/
Donalee Moulton interview
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J.E. (Jayne) Barnard is best known for her Falls Mystery novels of women's wilderness suspense from Dundurn Press, winner of the CWC Award of Excellence and finalist for the CWA Debut Dagger, and for the Maddie Hatter Adventures fantasy series, winner of the BPAA Alberta Book of the Year and twice nominated for the Prix Aurora. Between work on upcoming novels and short stories, she devotes almost equal time to editing, mentoring, and literary juries. She migrates annually between the Alberta Rockies and the Vancouver Island rainforests. Find out more about Jayne and her works at the links below:
jaynebarnard.ca
Incisive Editing Services
Linktree
Today, I had the pleasure of reading Jayne's short story, Bow Tide. In this episode spousal assault is discussed. In British Columbia the spousal assault crisis line is 1-800-784-2433. In the United States, the The Hotline can be accessed via the nationwide number 1−800−799−SAFE(7233) or TTY 1−800−787−3224 or (206) 518-9361 (Video Phone Only for Deaf Callers).
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Andrew Welsh-Huggins is a Shamus, Derringer, and International Thriller Writers-award nominated mystery author of eleven books with more in the works.
His latest novel, The End of the Road, was named one of the best thrillers of the first half of 2023 by Library Journal and called by Kirkus, “A crackerjack crime yarn chockablock with miscreants and a supersonic pace.”
Andrew's seven-volume (with an eighth on the way) Andy Hayes series features a former Ohio State and Cleveland Browns quarterback turned investigator. “Readers who love old-fashioned detective novels will be in hog heaven as they tear into Welsh-Huggins’ latest adventure featuring Andy Hayes,” said Booklist of Fatal Judgment.
Andrew is also the editor of the Columbus Noir anthology from Akashic Books, a collection of fourteen mystery stories each set in a different Columbus neighborhood, named one of CrimeReads’ most anticipated crime books of 2020.
Andrew’s short mystery fiction has appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Mystery Weekly, and many others. His stories have also appeared in multiple anthologies, including Best American Mystery Stories 2021; Mickey Finn 21st Century Noir, Vols. 1, 3 and 4; Paranoia Blues: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Paul Simon; Groovy Gumshoes: Private Eyes in the Psychedelic Sixties; and the 2021 Bouchercon convention anthology, This Time for Sure. Andrew’s story, "The Murderous Type," won the 2017 Al Blanchard Prize for Best New England Short Crime Story.
https://www.andrewwelshhuggins.com/
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Ardelle Holden is the author of The Samantha Bowers Mysteries. Her latest novel is an Oliver Frampton Mystery and is being released on Tuesday, January 30, 2024. If you like suspenseful, emotional, coming-of-age angst, you’ll love Ardelle Holden’s gripping story of Olly’s imaginary friends who torment and frustrate his life until, at twenty, Oliver discovers what really happened when he was eight.
Vancouver Island is Ardelle's home. She enjoys the glorious sunsets over Quennell Lake and Mount Benson. It’s a perfect spot for writing. Her plastic plants and polyester pets have allowed Ardelle and her husband, Pat, to winter in Mexico since 2006. The views of Mount Garcia over Lake Chapala provide another quiet scene conducive to writing as well as other artistic pursuits.
Ardelle's website is www.ardelleholden.com
I had a fabulous time reading the first chapter in Killing Imaginary Friends, and I'm looking forward to receiving the book.
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E171 - W.L. Hawkin loves to travel to the locations where her novels are situated so she can soak up that sensory landscape. A graduate of Trent University in Ontario, having completed a B.A. in Indigenous Studies, Wendy is a prolific author. Her Hollystone Mysteries are based on a coven of witches who solve murders.
She is a member of the Crime Writers of Canada, the Federation of B.C. Writers, ALLi, the Writers Union of Canada and many more organizations. If you would like to learn more about W.L. Hawkin and Blue Haven Press, her website is Blue Haven Press To purchase Wendy's book, here is the link.
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Despite being a captive of the Civil Service for thirty-five years, C.J. has always been a writer. She lives in Victoria BC in a crooked old building on a crooked street where she stares out the window at the sea waiting for stories and poems to smack her on the head. C.J. finds humour in the unlikeliest places. She laughs at the wrong times and says things she probably shouldn’t. Life has provided C.J. with a palette of strange, wonderful characters and unique situations; many find their way into stories.
Her essays, short stories, and poems have been published in Monday Magazine, Senior Living Magazine, The Victoria Times Colonist newspaper, and online at Commuterlit.com. Her story “Leandra” was accepted by Stories Less Spoken. Her work appears in three anthologies: Dropped Threads 2, Blood on the Holly, and the Sisters in Crime Anthology, Crimewave Two: Women of a Certain Age. She is currently working on a novel about eccentric people solving life-threatening dilemmas in unique ways.
Today, I have the pleasure of reading her short story, Murder at the Acropolis, which is published in the January 2024 issue of SAM Magazine.
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Today, I have the pleasure of reading the short mystery story Plan D, written by Judy Penz Sheluk. Plan D first appeared in The Whole She-Bang 2 (Sisters in Crime Toronto) in 2014 and was reprinted in The Best Laid Plans: 21 Stories of Mystery & Suspense in June 2020 (Superior Shores Press).
A former journalist and magazine editor, Judy Penz Sheluk is the bestselling author of Finding Your Path to Publication and Self-publishing: The Ins & Outs of Going Indie, as well as two mystery series: the Glass Dolphin Mysteries and Marketville Mysteries, both of which have been published in multiple languages. Her short crime fiction appears in several collections, including the Superior Shores Anthologies, which she also edited.
With a passion for understanding the ins and outs of all aspects of publishing, Judy is also the founder and owner of Superior Shores Press, which she established in February 2018.
Judy is a member of the Independent Book Publishers Association, Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and Crime Writers of Canada, where she served on the Board of Directors for five years, the final two as Chair. She lives in Northern Ontario. Find her at www.judypenzsheluk.com.
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Mother Always Kept A Gun is a short story written by C.J. Papoutsis in 2007. It was also accepted in the Blood on the Holly Crime Writers of Canada anthology. I have memories of critiquing this story with C.J., in coffee shops and at each other's homes. We still critique each other's work today. It's amazing the work that goes into a short story. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you C.J. for sharing your story with SAM Magazine.
There is some language in this story which may not be suitable for all listeners.
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The Parrot and Wild Mushroom Stuffing is a short story I wrote under my then pseudonym, J.C. Szasz. It was accepted in the Blood on the Holly Crime Writers of Canada anthology. The inspiration for this story came to me when my youngest daughter, a teenager at the time, worked part-time in the meat department of a grocery store. She would come home and vent about the very stressed shoppers, some yelled at her, while others hug her. I wrote this story in 2007. I'm happy to see that it has stood the test of time. I hope you enjoy it.
Joanna Vander Vlugt
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JP (Jo-Anne) McLean is the author of ten books in the urban fantasy and thriller genres. She is an Eric Hoffer and Global Book Award winner and was a finalist in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards, the Chanticleer International Book Awards, and the Independent Author Network Awards. She is a B.R.A.G. medallion honoree and three-time Literary Titan award winner. Reviewers call her books addictive, smart, and fun.
Raised in Toronto, Ontario, JP now lives with her husband on Denman Island, which is nestled between the coast of British Columbia and Vancouver Island. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her cooking dishes that turn out looking nothing like the recipe photos, or arguing with weeds in the garden. She enjoys hearing from readers. Contact her via her website, jpmcleanauthor.com. Reviews are always welcome and greatly appreciated.
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TRIGGER WARNING: the fictional short story being read on today’s podcast deals with suicide. If you, or someone you love, need to talk about suicide, please reach out to Talk Suicide Canada at 1-833-456-4566, and in the United States, please call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline 988.
Today, I read Laurie Wood’s short story, Natural Consequences, which is from the Sisters in Crime Canada West anthology, Women of a Certain Age. Laurie is the author of the Heroes of the Tundra series, set in Churchill, Manitoba and available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google+, and Thalia. Her latest novel in this series, Northern Protector, is out now.
Laurie is also a military wife who’s lived across Canada. She and her husband successfully raised two children with Down Syndrome who are a great blessing to them. Her house is full of rescued cats and dogs.
Laurie is a member of Sisters in Crime International and Sisters in Crime Canada West. She enjoys corresponding with her readers, and she can be found at the following links:
https://www.lauriewoodauthor.com
https://www.facebook.com/lauriewoodreadersgroup
https://www.twitter.com/LaurieJeanWood
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Today's short story is from a prolific author of acclaimed short fiction, Edward M. Lerner. I have the pleasure of reading Edward's short story, The Torchman's Tale, which can be found in his anthology, The Best of Edward M. Lerner. Edward has also just released his latest novel, On the Shoals of Space-Time.
On Edward’s website, it is written Edward is the perpetrator of science fiction and techno-thrillers. While you probably know Edward from his SF novels, including the InterstellarNet series and the epic Fleet of Worlds series with Larry Niven, Ed is a prolific author of acclaimed short fiction. The Best of Edward M. Lerner showcases his finest and favorite shorter works.
Edward is a physicist and computer scientist. After thirty years in the industry, working at every level from individual technical contributor to senior vice president, he now writes full-time. In addition to science fiction and technothrillers, he also writes popular science, notably including Trope-ing the Light Fantastic: The Science behind the Fiction. Edward is the recipient of the Canopus Award, a Hugo finalist for best novelette Championship B’tok; Fate of Worlds (with Larry Niven) was a Locus Award finalist, and many more.
Here is the link to my interview with Edward in season 4, Edward M. Lerner interview, as well as Edward's website.
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Joanna Vander Vlugt reads Winona Kent's story, Herd Maintenance, from Winona's anthology Ten Stories That Worried My Mother.
Winona Kent was born in London, England and grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan, where she completed her BA in English at the University of Regina. After moving to Vancouver, she graduated from UBC with an MFA in Creative Writing. More recently, she received her diploma in Writing for Screen and TV from Vancouver Film School.
Winona’s debut novel Skywatcher was a finalist in the Seal Books First Novel Award and was published by Bantam Books in 1989. Since then, she has written nine more books, including her Jason Davey Mysteries—four novels featuring professional musician / amateur sleuth Jason Davey Figgis. The fifth book in the series, Bad Boy, will be released in 2023.
Winona’s also the author of a number of short short stories, which she’s gathered together for her anthology Ten Stories That Worried My Mother (published in August 2023).
Winona's currently the national Vice-Chair and the regional BC/YT rep for the Crime Writers of Canada, and is also an active member of Sisters in Crime – Canada West. After many decades working in jobs completely unrelated to writing, Winona is now happily embracing life as a full-time author. She lives in New Westminster, BC.
If you would like to learn more about Winona or read Herd Maintenance yourself, you can find her in the September 2023 issue of SAM Magazine, www.sam-magazine.com or Winona Kent's website, www.winonakent.com
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Joanna Vander Vlugt briefly explains what has occurred and how the JCVArtStudio podcast has changed from an interview to a short story podcast, in support of SAM Magazine. In today's podcast Joanna reads her short story Egyptian Queen, published in 2006 in the Crime Writers of Canada anthology, Dead In the Water, by Rendezvous Press.
Joanna is the author of the Jade & Sage thriller series in which her heroine Jade Thyme is a prosecutor who finds herself embroiled with drug dealers and espionage. The Unravelling and Dealer's Child are out now. Spy Girls is being released March 2024.
SAM Magazine can be purchased at https://www.sam-magazine.com/
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If you check out author Charlotte Morganti’s website, you’ll see that she, “like the protagonist in one of her novels,” is a recovering lawyer. In addition to her law degree, she holds an MFA in creative writing. She’s an active member of the Canada West chapter of Sisters in Crime, a collegial group of writers of mostly crime fiction, and Crime Writers of Canada. Charlotte writes fiction (mysteries, both dark and light), and the personal essay or review. Her short stories have been published in magazines and anthologies. A true writer, Charlotte is fascinated by the many absurdities of life. She’s addicted to chocolate and caramel, crime fiction and mysteries, sunshine, and white sand, to name a few. She can be found singing along with Willie Nelson, Ian Tyson, ZZ Top, Queen, and Bob Dylan.
Today we discuss her debut thriller novel, The End Game, and yes, we do talk about "the voices "in our head." Thank you Charlotte.
https://charlottemorganti.com/
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Kalee Boisvert has been in the financial industry for over 15 years, but her love of money started very young. Growing up in a single parent household, she watched her mom struggle with finances and wished there was something she could do to help. Around this time, she realized she needed to find her own way to save and earn if she wasn’t going to allow her circumstances to define her. And so, her own journey to financial literacy began.
Today, as a single mom and financially independent woman, Kalee is called to support women in their financial lives. She felt the pull toward a career that would allow her to pursue this deeply personal goal to advocate for women and their money, which led her on the path to becoming a financial advisor. Being an advisor allows her to work directly with women to empower and support them and help put an end to any money-related stress and doubts.
In today's episode we talk about MONEY, and in particular Kalee's two books, Moneywise Mabel’s Bursting Bank and then the adult book Make Money Your Thing.
https://kaleeboisvert.com/
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Today's episode is the fourth and final in a series of podcasts I’m doing in my capacity as the Official Podcast Host for the 2022 Canadian Book Club Award winners. Today, I talk with poet Natasha Silva, author of North Star Heart; and Isis Maria Henriquez, the author of Mangos and Snowflakes. Their books were the winners of the 2022 Canadian Book Club Awards in their categories.
Natasha Silva is a dual citizen of Portugal and Canada. She graduated from UBC’s School of Creative Writing, and an avid lover of the outdoors. It was through the Langley Fine Arts School where she began writing, and her passion to write has grown ever since.
https://natashasilva.ca/
Isis Maria Henriquez comes from a Salvadoran family. She was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, and grew up in Canada. At the age of 7, her parents piled the family into a baby blue 1977 Dodge van, and drove from Edmonton, Alberta to San Salvador, El Salvador. Fascinated by the experience, she knew that the journey marked the beginning of her life as an educator, traveller, and storyteller. Her first novel, Mangos and Snowflakes, is an unconventional novel that tells the silenced stories of the victims of the Salvadoran civil war and provides a multigenerational connection between those who were lost, those who survived, and those who are the fruit of the fight for survival.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59110085-mangos-and-snowflakes
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Kim Herdman Shapiro with me and we’re going to talk about the first novel in her Wynter Island cozy mystery series, The Raven’s Cry.
Kim Herdman Shapiro worked as a journalist in Canada for many years, with experience in both print and broadcast journalism. Her book, Gelato with the Pope, highlights her time as a syndicated travel columnist in the Nineties. In addition to her travel column, she has written feature articles for numerous publications, edited a monthly children’s publication in British Columbia, and had her poetry published in Do Whales Jump at Night?: A Canadian Anthology of Children’s Poetry.
She won a Microsoft Network award for best website for Footloose, one of the first digital e-zines on the internet. For the past eight years she has been working on her video project, What the Hell is a Toque? which chronicles her travels with her sons from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island and north to the Canadian Arctic. Kim is also a board member of Sisters in Crime New England. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband, two sons, and three dogs.
https://www.kimhshapiro.com/
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Susan Calder is a Calgary writer who grew up in Montreal. Spring Into Danger is her fifth novel and the fourth book in her Paula Savard Mystery series. Susan’s short stories and poems have won contests and appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies. She has worked as an insurance claims examiner and served on the boards of the Alexandra Writers’ Centre Society, Crime Writers of Canada, and When Words Collide Festival for Readers and Writers. Susan is a co-chair for Boucheron World Mystery Convention, Calgary 2026. Today we’re going to talk about her latest Paula Savard mystery, Spring into Danger.
https://susancalder.com/
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Francesca Maria writes dark fiction surrounded by cats near the Pacific Ocean. She is the
creator of the Black Cat Chronicles, a true horror comic book series narrated by a mystical black cat. Her short story collection, They Hide: Short Stories to Tell in the Dark is out now, published by Brigid’s Gate Press. Her short stories and essays can be found in Crystal Lake
Publishing's Shallow Waters series and anthologies and Death’s Garden Revisited. You can
find her at Francesa Maria and on Twitter @Writer_of_Weird.
They Hide: Short Stories to Tell in the Dark is a collection of 13 chilling tales that weave through shadows, exploring the nature of fear, powerlessness and control.
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Tony Ollivier is the author of the David Knight, high concept thriller series. The first book was released on March 2020, The Amsterdam Deception, and on Wednesday, August 9, 2023, the second novel in his series, The Tokyo Diversion, a fast-paced international thriller that starts in Tokyo. I never knew Tokyo had so many dispensing machines.
A child of the 60s, Tony voraciously read every science fiction and adventure book he could. He lives in Vancouver with his wife.
Tony works in Competitive Intelligence in a software company based out of Portugal. His high-tech career included stints at Xerox, Apple, IBM, and Microsoft. Prior to joining the corporate and writing world, Tony worked as a bartender, a DJ, and a tobacco picker! On August 22, 2023, he'll be launching The Tokyo Diversion at the Outdoor Terrace Lounge at the Library Square Public House with fellow authors Meredith Hambrock, Sarah M. Stephen, Charlotte Morganti, Winona Kent, Karen Dodd, Yvonne Maximchuk, Ken MacQueen, and with special guest David Rabinovitch. The event begins at 8:30 pm.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyollivier/
https://twitter.com/tonyollivier
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Donalee's mother knew she was going to be a writer in grade two. When asked to write a sentence using a specific word, like “tree” or “house” and provide one line for each sentence, one line, apparently, would not do. Donalee's first sentence ran off the line, down the margin, along the bottom of the page, and over onto the next page. A story, after all, is as long as a story needs to be.
As a communications professional, Donalee worked with words to shape messages for clients, wonderful people doing important work that matters. But it was their work, and ultimately their words. Today, Donalee and I talk about her words in her her debut mystery novel, Hung Out to Die, a Riel Brava mystery.
Donalee Moulton
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Season 6 begins with an all-star Canadian cast of authors. Today's episode is the third in a a series of podcasts I’m doing in my capacity as the Official Podcast Host for the 2022 Canadian Book Club Award winners. I’m excited to feature three fiction authors this morning, Sophie Sullivan, author of The Rules for Faking It: A Romantic Comedy; Tony Ollivier, the author of The Amsterdam Deception and soon to be released, The Tokyo Diversion; and Kate Gately, the author of Tides of the Sovereign. We have a great conversation discussing the collective pain of being an author, what is success, do you interview your characters, or let those characters speak to you. The ultimate goal, despite our process, is to entertain the reader. Check it out!
https://www.sophiesullivanauthor.com/
https://kategateley.com/
https://www.facebook.com/authortonyo
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This episode is how you end a season!
Craig Colby is an executive producer, writer and director, and his productions have appeared on Discovery, ESPN+, TSN, BBC, CTV, and Netflix to name a few. Craig talks about the connections, trauma, and new beginnings behind each cap from the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Pittsburgh Steelers in his memoir, All Caps. https://www.colbyvision.net/craigcolby
Katelyn E. Kenealy is the winner of numerous awards, including Woman of Achievement 2022, Young Professional of the Year 2021, Brainz Magazine 500 Global List, and Woman of Vision and Courage. Katelyn aims to break the stigma surrounding mental illness in her workbook, Healing is Messy AF. https://www.kenealycounseling.com/
Jane Enright is an inspiring and humorous thought leader. Her book Butter Side Up is the winner of the Living Now Book Awards and a finalist in the Eric Hoffer Award. This award-winning Canadian author, speaker, university lecture and founder of My Super Awesome Life, Jane discusses the resilience, joy, creating new beginnings, and keeping the tank full in her book, Butter Side Up. https://www.janeenrightauthor.com/
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Sara Desai is a multi-published romance author. She has been a been a lawyer, radio DJ, marathon runner, historian, bouncer and librarian. She wrote her first novel when she was three years old. Sara’s diverse romantic comedy books have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, People, Oprah Magazine, Marie Claire, Pop Sugar, Bustle, Buzzfeed, Booklist, Hello Giggles, Publishers’ Weekly, Kirkus, Library Journal, Frolic, USA Today, Woman’s World, and Hello! Canada. Today we talked about her latest romance novel, To Have and To Heist.
https://saradesai.com/
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Martha Anne Toll is the author of the novel, Three Muses, (her debut novel) which was shortlisted for the Gotham Book Prize and won the Petrichor Prize for Finely Crafted Fiction. It has received glowing reviews from the Washington Post, Vulture, Kirkus Starred Review, and many more.
Martha is a book reviewer and author interviewer at NPR Books, the Washington Post, Pointe Magazine, The Millions, and elsewhere. She brings a long career in social justice to her work covering writers of color and women writers. Martha also publishes short fiction and essays. In 2021, she was excited to be nominated for a Pushcart Prize for her short story “The Gigolo.” Her short fiction has also appeared in Catapult, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, eMerge, Slush Pile Magazine, Yale's Letters Journal, Poetica E Magazine, and elsewhere.
A graduate of Yale University and and Boston University School of Law, Martha has recently joined the Board of Directors of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation. Today we talk about her beautifully written novel Three Muses. https://www.marthaannetoll.com/
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W.L. Hawkin, writes “edgy urban fantasy with a twist of murder” from Vancouver Island, B.C. Her novels—To Charm a Killer, To Sleep with Stones, To Render a Raven, and To Kill a King each stand alone but form the Hollystone Mysteries series. This coven of West Coast witches, and their eccentric friends, solve murders using ritual magic and a little help from the gods.
Although she’s an introvert, in each book her characters go on a journey where Hawkin’s travelled herself. She researches all her locales (Ireland, Scotland, the B.C. Coast) to soak up the sensory landscape. In 2017, she climbed Croghan Hill in Ireland to survey the land her king would rule in To Kill a King, a romantic time-travel thriller set in Iron Age Ireland.
A seeker and mystic, fascinated by language, archaeology, and mythology, Hawkin graduated from Trent University, Ontario, and has post-bac diplomas from SFU in B.C. Her background in Indigenous Studies and Humanities informs her work. She found her voice publishing poetry and Native Rights articles in Canadian news magazines and is now an Indie author/publisher at Blue Haven Press. http://bluehavenpress.com. Today, we are going to learn about the bog body and Iron Age Ireland, mixed with intrigue and witchcraft.
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Dr. Roger Leslie is a scholar in the fields of success and education. Through major literary houses, medium and small presses, and his own publishing house, Leslie has published fiction and nonfiction books in multiple genres: historical fiction, inspirational self-help, spirituality, writing and publishing, movie references, teaching and librarianship, biography, history, and a memoir.
Roger has won numerous national awards including the ForeWord Book of the Year, The Ben Franklin Award, and Writer’s Digest’s #1 Inspirational Book of the Year. At its inaugural event, Roger received the Houston Literary Award for his body of work. Roger is in demand as a teacher, coach, and keynote speaker. He leads FLY (First Last Year) courses based on his blockbuster memoir, My First Last Year. He draws from decades as an author, editor, and in response to a spiritual dream, Roger lived a year as if it were his last. Today, Roger and I talked about his latest book, Light Come Out of the Closet.
https://rogerleslie.com/
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Multi-published author, Yvonne Maximchuk is with me in the studio. Many readers are familiar with Yvonne's paintings, pottery and books. Yvonne is an artist of the Broughton Archipelago, where her new novel, Murder Rides A Gale Force Wind; an Island Mystery, is situated. Throughout the eight years of writing this book, Yvonne drew on the complex and rich beauty of her home environment, the Broughton Archipelago and used it as the framework on which to hang the story. Tales from neighbour Bill Proctor, plus thirty-six years of small-town life provided plenty of material to set the story in the small coastal community of Echo Bay. The author weaves the past into the present, along with the various social, political and personal issues that demand everyone’s attention, and of course, a mysterious death.
https://www.yvonnemaximchuk.com
https://www.amazon.ca/Yvonne-Maximchuk/e/B00JAM5TL4%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share
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Kelly Shuto and D.F. Wibley were the 2022 Canadian Book Club Award Winners. They are the first two authors to kick off my summer series as Official Podcast Host for the 2022 Canadian Book Club Award winners. I've included the link if you want to find more information about the Canadian Book Club Awards, presented by the Self Publishing Agency .
Kelly Shuto is a kindergarten and grade one teacher on the West Coast of British Columbia, Canada. She has two boys who are active in sports and a cat who is active in sleeping. She loves exploring nature, spending time with friends and family, and morning walks with a coffee. Kelly values big smiles and a good belly laugh. We talk about her award-winning book, What Does It Mean to Be Your Best.
She is passionate about helping children to recognize their self worth, their own bravery and their individual accomplishments by celebrating all successes. One of her favourite ways to share messages with her students is through thought provoking picture books that allow for meaningful connections and introspection. Her goal is to help the children she works with to leave each school day feeling happier and more confident then when they entered the classroom that morning...and, of course, to make them laugh.
https://kellyshuto.ca/
Kelly Shuto on Amazon
D.F. Whibley was born and raised in Montreal, Canada, his career took him around the world several times. His award-winning book, One Arctic Night, is based off several experiences and observations he made while travelling the Canadian Arctic. D.F. Whibley describes village life in a Canadian Arctic town in a way you will feel like you are walking through the town with his characters. Having travelled the world for many years, he brings an in-depth point of view regarding social problems that cross all borders.
D.F. Wibley on Amazon
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Ling Ge is a Pushcart nominee who studies creative writing and works as a statistician in Toronto. In her literary work, she uses a combination of Eastern and Western styles. Her work has appeared in the Spadina Literary Review, Ribbons, the Rising Phoenix Review, and the Wales Haiku Journal. Today, we talked about Ling’s writing life, her short story She Left as if She Never Came, which can be found online at Ricepaper Magazine. Ling wants to write about unrealized beauty, unrealized issues, and unrealized stories.
Podcast art provided by Ricepaper Magazine. Illustration by Anderson Lee.
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Scott Overton was a well-known radio morning host for more than 30 years in Ontario, Canada. Scott has now built a second career as an author. His radio-themed debut novel Dead Air was shortlisted for a Northern Lit Award in 2012, and his science fiction/thriller novels The Primus Labyrinth, Naïda, and The Dispossession of Dylan Knox have been well-received too, with readers most often comparing them to the work of Michael Crichton.
Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo award-winning author says about Scott's latest novel, Augment Nation, “Scott Overton is a terrific writer and his vision of tomorrow is both realistic and frightening. Read this book!” Scott's a member of the Canadian Authors Association, SFCanada, and a past President of the Sudbury Writers Guild. Today, we talked about Augment Nation.
http://www.scottoverton.ca/
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D. C. Gomez is an award winner, USA Today Best-selling Author, public speaker, mentor and podcaster. She writes in multiple genres from Urban Fantasy, Contemporary Lit, YA, Children’s Books, and even Devotionals. She has a quirky and at times dark sense of humor that can be seen across her different books.
When she is not creating new stories, D. C. is working on her podcast, Inside the Minds of Authors. The podcast features upcoming and popular authors with new episodes each Friday. These fun and inspiring conversations provide the listeners with an inside look at the creation process of books as well as the charisma of the authors.
D.C. has an undergraduate degree in Film and Television from NYU. After college, she joined the US Army, where she proudly served for four years. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New England, she now calls Texas her new adoptive home. On today's podcast we talked about Kickstarter, her proudest moment as an author, and of course, her latest novel, The Traitor. https://dcgomez-author.com/
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Prolific author Hannah Mary McKinnon joins me today. Hannah was born in Manchester, UK to British & Swiss parents. Her family moved to Switzerland, and Hannah loved the mountains, chocolate, and cheese…or mountains of chocolate and cheese.
After completing commercial studies in Geneva, she worked as a PA for DuPont. A year later she moved to Neuchâtel and became the Purchasing Manager for a high-tech company that made motors for industrial and space applications. While working, she returned to university, studying part-time for a Bachelor of Science.
Hanna’s writing career began after her family moved to Oakville in Ontario, Canada in 2010. It is noted on her website that maybe it was the failed attempt at a start-up company, or an early mid-life crisis, but one morning she decided to follow her oldest passion, started writing, and she never looked back. Her first book was a romantic comedy, but then she switched to the dark side of suspense. Today, we talk about her latest thriller, The Revenge List.
https://hannahmarymckinnon.com/
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Author Marian O’Shea Wernicke joins me today. She is the author of the stellar and beautiful novel, Out of Ireland. Marian was born and raised in an Irish Catholic family in St. Louis, Missouri. She is the author of the novel Toward That Which is Beautiful, a finalist in both Literary Fiction and Romance Fiction in the 2021 Independent Book Awards, and a finalist in Multicultural Fiction in the 2021 American Fiction Awards. The 2021 Catholic Press Association awarded the novel an Honorable Mention in Fiction.
A nun for 11 years, Marian worked in Lima, Peru, for 3 years. After leaving the convent, Marian taught English as a second language in Madrid, and later was a professor of English and creative writing at Pensacola State College for 25 years. Out of Ireland is available on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, and can be pre-ordered now.
https://www.marianosheawernicke.com/ A shout out to the talented book designer, Mimi Bark for the beautiful book cover.
https://www.mimibark.com/
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David A. Bowles is the fifth generation of his family to be born in Austin Texas. Both parents were from pioneer settlers. His great grandmother, Elnora Van Cleve was the first child born in Austin on April 14, 1841. His award-winning series, the Westward Sagas is based on her family and their one-hundred-year journey from Pennsylvania to Texas. David and his dog Becka, enjoy Texas from October-May. When the last bluebonnet has lost its bloom, they pack up the RV and head for cooler weather telling and writing stories. Today, David talked with me about book 5 in Westward Saga series, Sheriff of Starr County.
https://www.davidabowlesauthor.com/
https://westwardsagas.com/david_bowles/
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Danièle Cybulskie has been researching and writing about the Middle Ages for over a decade. She is the author of The Five-Minute Medievalist and is a featured writer at Medievalists.net. A former college professor and specialist in medieval literature and Renaissance drama, her work has been published across international magazines, spanning topics from The Hundred Years’ War to Roman togas. Her mission is to make history fun, entertaining, and engaging, as well as to draw attention to our shared human nature across the centuries.
Today, we talked about her latest book, How to Live Like a Monk. Publishers Weekly gives the book great reviews, saying, “This beautifully illustrated self-help guide . . . reimagines monastic practices to help readers live with greater peace, simplicity and purpose.”
Danièle, thank you for a thought-provoking book and discussion.
https://www.danielecybulskie.com/
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Amy Tector has spent more than 20 years plumbing the secrets squirrelled away in archives — whether it's uncovering a whale's ear (true story) in a box of old photographs, or working in The Hague for the United Nations' International Criminal Tribunal for War Crimes in the former Yugoslavia, she has been privy to hidden records and extraordinary secrets. Amy’s debut novel, THE HONEYBEE EMERALDS was published in spring 2022. Her second novel, THE FOULEST THINGS, is the first in a loose trilogy centered on murders and mayhem in the archives.
Amy has a PhD in English literature and lives in Ottawa with a daughter named Violet, a husband named Andrew and a dog named Daffodil. We also talked about Leonard Cohen and his song Who by Fire; having the first draft of a novel focusing on the story, then the characters; and of course her latest novel, Speak for the Dead. Thank you very much Amy for a great conversation.
https://www.amytector.com/https://amytector.substack.com/
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Mark Everglade has spent his life studying social conflict. He runs the website www.markeverglade.com where he reviews cyberpunk media and interviews other great authors. He also runs Cyberpunk Day, October 10, each year with a group dedicated to bringing dystopian fiction to a new generation. His short stories have been featured beside legendary authors like Cory Doctorow, Walter Jon Williams, and Dr. Rudy Rucker. Today, we talked about his latest novel, Inertia, as well as music, the band Rush, and binary code. Mark also has a link to writing resources https://www.markeverglade.com/writersresources
Thank you Mark for a fascinating interview.
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HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN is the USA Today bestselling author of 14 psychological thrillers, winning the genre's most prestigious awards: five Agathas, five Anthonys, and the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award. She’s also an investigative reporter for Boston's WHDH-TV, winning 37 EMMYs. National book reviewers call her “a superb and gifted storyteller.” Her newest is the page-turning standalone THE HOUSE GUEST – a story of psychological manipulation exploring the dark heart of marriage and friendship—it’s Gaslight meets Thelma & Louise! Publishers Weekly says, “Ryan is a master of suspense!” and the Library Journal starred review calls it "Binge-worthy.”
https://hankphillippiryan.com/
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Stephanie Ellis writes dark speculative prose and poetry and has been published in a variety of magazines and anthologies. Her longer work includes the novel, The Five Turns of the Wheel and the novellas, Bottled and Paused. Her short stories can be found in the collections, The Reckoning, and As the Wheel Turns.
Her poetry has been published in the HWA Poetry Showcase Volumes VI, VII and VII, as well as other publications. She has also co-written a collection of found poetry, Foundlings, with Cindy O’Quinn based on the work Alessandro Manzetti and Linda D. Addison. A gathering of her dark twists on traditional nursery rhymes can be found in the collection, One, Two, I See You. She is co-editor of Trembling With Fear, HorrorTree.com’s online magazine and also co-edited the Daughters of Darkness anthologies. She is an active member of the HWA (Horror Writers Association).
She lives in Wrexham, Wales, yes, that Wrexham where Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds purchased the football club, and she loves heavy metal music and poetry. Thank you Stephanie for a fun interview.
https://stephanieellis.org
Horror Tree site : https://horrortree.com
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Joe Goldberg has been a CIA covert action officer, corporate intelligence director, international political consultant, and currently he is a college instructor and author.
His work at the CIA garnered 3 Exceptional Performance Awards. In the private sector, as leader of Corporate Intelligence at Motorola, Joe received the Meritorious Award recognizing a single individual who has made significant contributions to the intelligence profession. He has consulted on numerous international presidential, prime minister, and legislative elections. Joe is the best-selling Amazon author of two awarding-winning espionage novels, Secret Wars: An Espionage Story (2014), The Spy Devils (2021) and today I interviewed him about his latest novel, Rebellious Son.
We talked about everything from super secret things, to being a Pantzer, plotter, the avocado wars and cartels. Thank you Joe. I had a great time.
https://www.joegoldbergbooks.com/
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Eileen Cook is a multi-published, award-winning author. Her novels have been published in nine languages and optioned for film and TV. She spent most of her teen years wishing she was someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer. She’s an instructor/mentor with The Creative Academy and Simon Fraser University Writer’s Studio Program, where she loves helping other writers find their unique story to tell. She was a keynote speaker at the Surrey International Writers' Conference, won the Battle of the Books competition and survived talking in front of a group of over 300 grade one through three students.
Eileen and I had a great talk about her novel, You Owe Me a Murder, and the just released writing resource, Build Better Settings - How To use Setting to Show Character Arc in Your Fiction, co-written with Crystal Hunt. Thank you Eileen for a fantastic interview.
https://eileencook.com/thrillers/
https://creativeacademyforwriters.com/
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Kev Harrison is a British author of dark fiction, living on the outskirts of Lisbon, Portugal. His novella, Below, is out now, while his earlier novella, The Balance, is available from Lycan Valley Press. His debut collection, Paths Best Left Untrodden, is out now from Northern Republic. His short fiction has been featured in a number of anthologies and magazines, as well as on podcasts such as Tales to Terrify and The Other Stories from Hawk and Cleaver. When not writing dark tales, Kev can be found running, sampling too many craft beers for his own good, singing bizarre songs to his cats, and travelling to far flung places with his better half, Ana.
Kev and I discuss character motivation, be it a thriller novel or horror; religion and running.
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Debra Purdy Kong was a criminology student and spent many hours writing about criminal behaviour for term papers. When she received her diploma from Douglas College, she realized that she’d rather write crime fiction than work for the Criminal Justice System, a decision she’s never regretted. While learning the craft of writing through courses, conferences, workshops, books, and critique groups, she worked as a secretary for accountants, academics, lawyers, and others. When she left full time employment to raise her children, she used pockets of free time to develop short fiction while she kept working on mystery novels. When her children grew older, she ventured into security work. In today's podcast we talk about 2023 being a year of transition and how transition is occurring in her personal life as well as in her writing life. We also talked about Debra's security work and how she's worked it into her Casey Holland mystery series, in particular, her latest novella, A Gold Satin Murder.
Debra Purdy Kong
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Jonathan Whitelaw is an author, award-winning journalist and broadcaster. He’s worked the frontline of Scottish politics, before he moved into journalism. The subjects he’s covered have varied from breaking news, the arts, culture, sports, radioactive waste, music and fashion. He’s a reviewer for the BBC and STV. We talk about his third novel, The Bingo Hall Detectives, a fast-paced, intriguing, laugh-out-loud cozy. As well, I find out why Jonathan and his family moved from Scotland to Edmonton, Alberta during the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Thank you to the Whitelaw family for moving to Canada. Thank you Jonathan for a fun interview, and I'm glad I asked you a super hard question. Besides Jonathan's social links, I have links to the writing courses Jonathan also instructs.
Writing Courses:
https://www.alexandrawriters.org/store/p229/get-cozy-with-your-killers.html https://www.alexandrawriters.org/store/p208/online-the-zebra-got-away-with-it.html
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Jennifer Anne Gordon is an award-winning author and the popular host of the Vox Vomitus podcast. Her novel Beautiful, Frightening and Silent won the Kindle Award for Best Horror/Suspense for 2020, Best Horror 2020 from Authors on the Air, and a finalist for American Book Fest’s Best Book Award-Horror, 2020. It also received the Platinum 5 Star Review from Reader’s Choice as well as the Gold Seal from Book View. Her latest novel Pretty/Ugly won the Helicon Award for Best Horror for 2022, as well as the Gold Medal from Literary Titan. Jennifer is a member of Mystery Writers of America, the Horror Writers Association (where she served on the jury for the Stoker Awards), and is a A&E chair of the New England Crime Bake Committee.
https://www.jenniferannegordon.com/
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Patti Lee brings women's fiction stories to life, tapping into the hopes and sometimes fears of readers. Her debut novel, Between February and November placed in the top 10 in Notebook Publishing’s #IndieApril contest and took first place in the 2022 Firebird Book Awards fiction category. An award-winning essay writer, her creative non-fiction has been included in Crone Rising by Jazz House Publications. Her short story, The Ward House, was included in the autumn anthology Of Cottages and Cauldrons, also by Jazz House Publications.
We talked about motivation. I re-told the Randy Bachman pizza story and quoted David Bowie. We also discussed challenging ourselves, feeling like a writer and Patti's four cats and my two dogs. A great Season 5 opening podcast. Thank you Patti.
https://www.pattileewriter.com/
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Christine Milkovic Krauss is a children’s author of picture books, which highlight educational points about pet care, support, inclusivity and celebrate being different together. When Christine is not writing picture books, she works as an essential service worker. Her children’s book Teddy Loses His Ear is based on her family’s experience during the pandemic. Teddy Loves Spaghetti, the second book in this adorable series, is also available now. Thank you Christine.
https://cmkauthor.wixsite.com/christinemilkovic
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W.L. (Wendy) Hawkin writes mysteries and romantic adventures, often charged with “myth, magic, and mayhem” from her home near Vancouver, Canada. Her Hollystone Mysteries features a coven of West Coast witches who solve murders using ritual magic and a little help from the gods. Those books are To Charm a Killer, To Sleep with Stones, To Render a Raven, and To Kill a King. Her latest, Lure, of the Lure River Romances, is a small-town romantic suspense series. When Wendy's not writing, she writes book reviews for Opal Magazine. On today's podcast we talk about her novel Lure, Muskoka, Ontario, cottages, cabins and we unpackage her characters.
http://bluehavenpress.com/
https://linktr.ee/wlhawkin
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Diane Bator is a prolific Canadian mystery writer and the mom of three kids, two cats and a step-dog as well as the author of Wild Blue Mysteries, Gilda Wright Mysteries, Glitter Bay Mysteries, and the Audra Clemmings Mysteries from Books We Love Ltd. with many more books and plays to come! Diane was on the show on August 6, 2022 when we talked about her novel Dead Without Honor, a Gilda Wright mystery. Today, we talked about her latest Audra Clemmings' Mystery, Dead Man's Doll, book 2 in her Sugarwood Mysteries as well as the theatre.
https://dianebator.ca/
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Freddy Cruz is the founder of Freddy Cruz Creative Works, a boutique media company in the Greater Houston area. Freddy’s work spans twenty-six years, three with the iconic KDWB/Minneapolis-Saint Paul and twenty-one with the legendary, two-time Marconi Award winning KRBE/Houston. The Greater Houston area has heard Freddy’s voice for more than seventeen thousand hours via weekday shows, community affairs shows and podcasts. And he has elevated world class brands by means of over fifty-eight thousand hours worth of production elements and traditional ads. When he's not in the lab creating auditory satisfaction, you can find him nose deep in a book, snuggling with his dog Sparrow, or jogging on the trail (trying hard to not sound like a horror movie villain).
Today we talk about his thriller novel, Allow Me To Ruin Your Christmas, which is his third novel. Humor, sarcasm, writing, we talk about it all, and being the author unique to your personality instead of trying to be someone else. Thank you.
https://www.freddycruzcreativeworks.com/books
https://linktr.ee/thefreddycruz
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Jule Selbo moved from a career as a screenwriter in Los Angeles four years ago (her work as a screenwriter includes Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, animated Disney movies (Hunchback of Notre Dame Part Deux, Ariel’s Beginning and more, Melrose Place, Hercules, HBO’s Women Behind Bars, Space Above and Beyond, Flash, Life Goes On and more) to live in Portland Maine and focus on eating, drinking and writing novels. Four have been published so far, her most recent: 10 DAYS: A Dee Rommel Mystery (on the 2021 top-five list of Kirkus’ best crime/mysteries and nominated for a Foreword Review Best Award. She has just completed the second in her series: 9 DAYS, A Dee Rommel Mystery – it is out now.
https://www.juleselbo.com/
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Tanis Rideout’s internationally acclaimed first novel, Above All Things, was a national bestseller, named to numerous best books of the year lists, and published in several languages around the world. It was awarded the Premio ITAS del Libro di Montagna and was longlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. Her new novel is The Sea Between Two Shores. She is also the author of the poetry collection Arguments with the Lake, and, in 2006, she was named the “Poet Laureate for Lake Ontario” by the environmental advocacy group Lake Ontario Waterkeeper. Born in Belgium, she grew up in Bermuda and in Kingston, Ontario, and now lives in Los Angeles.
We talked about The Sea Between Two Shores, which begins in the early 1800s when a Nova Scotian couple arrive on an island in the Oceanic archipelago, now known as Vanuatu, to convert the local Indigenous people. Two hundred years later a Toronto family are mourning the loss of their son. The lives of both families connect by their desire for healing.
We talked about Canada's past, the digital country disappearing due to climate change, and hopepunk!
https://www.tanisrideout.com/
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Ann Charles is a USA Today Best-selling author, and she joined me in the studio. Ann enjoys writing spicy mysteries, and has written numerous series, including the Junction Mystery Series, the Dig Site Mystery Series, the Deadwood Undertaker Series (with her husband, Sam Lucky), and the AC Silly Circus Mystery Series. Her Deadwood Mystery Series has won multiple national awards, including the Daphne du Maurier for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. Ann has a B.A. in English with an emphasis on creative writing from the University of Washington. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and Western Writers of America. As well, her Deadwood series has been a question on Jeopardy. We had a great conversation about her western supernatural series. Thank you, Ann.
https://anncharles.com/
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E119 - Susan Jane Wright has just come off the book launch of her second Evie Valentine series, that being The Glass Lake. Susan Jane Wright is a Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence Finalist. Her debut novel Box of Secrets was in Amazon’s top 100 and held the number 3 spot, then moved to the number 2 spot in its second week of release. Susan was a lawyer and an executive in the energy sector before she became a writer. Her legal career took her from the board rooms in Calgary to the streets of Beijing. She’s received the PIA Public Interest Award for Southern Alberta and the Canadian Law Blog Award for her legal blog Susan on the Soapbox. We talk about writing books that are different, pipelines, and timelines and so much more.
Susan Jane Wright
https://www.instagram.com/susanjjwright/
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E118 - Meredith Hambrock is a Canadian fiction and television writer who grew up in Toronto and now lives in Vancouver. Her short fiction has appeared in several magazines, including Maisonneuve and Descant. She’s been a finalist for the CBC Short Story Prize and most recently wrote for the sitcom Corner Gas Animated. Today we’ll be talking about her debut novel, Other People’s Secrets, as well as 5 beat story structure, that vomit first draft, messy heroines and the events that occur in small towns. Thank you Meredith for joining me.
Meredith Hambrock
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E117 - Award-winning sci-fiction author Edward M. Lerner joins me in the studio. On Edward’s website, it is written Edward is the perpetrator of science fiction and techno-thrillers. While you probably know Ed from his SF novels, including the InterstellarNet series and the epic Fleet of Worlds series with Larry Niven, Ed is a prolific author of acclaimed short fiction. The Best of Edward M. Lerner showcases his finest and favorite shorter works.
Edward is a physicist and computer scientist. After thirty years in the industry, working at every level from individual technical contributor to senior vice president, he now writes full-time. In addition to science fiction and technothrillers, he also writes popular science, notably including Trope-ing the Light Fantastic: The Science behind the Fiction. Edward is the recipient of the Canopus Award, a Hugo finalist for best novelette Championship B’tok; Fate of Worlds (with Larry Niven) was a Locus Award finalist, and many more.
https://www.edwardmlerner.com/
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E116 - Award-winning author Benny Sims returns to the podcast and we talk about his second novel, Mile Marker Zero. Benny's love of storytelling traces back to reading Jack London’s The Call of The Wild when he was seven years old. He remembers his uncle telling him stories about being an artillery cannoneer in North Africa and Italy during World War II.
Benny grew up in Tennessee but moved to the small town of Benton in southern Illinois when he was 14. After attending college in Murray, Kentucky, he relocated back to Tennessee to work as a journalist. Later he worked for three decades in the aerospace industry in Huntsville, Alabama.
Benny and I talk about Benton, the late George Harrison, and George Harrison's sister. As well as, when is that novel really done? And how many endings do we write, before we write the ending.
https://bennysims.com/books/
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E115 - Thriller authors, Susan Jane Wright and PJ (Pamela) Donnison join me in the studio. We enjoyed a roundtable discussion about lawyers as protagonists and the hazards and legalities involved with our protagonists having that occupation. Susan Jane Wright is a Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence Finalist. Her debut novel Box of Secrets was in Amazon’s top 100 and was at the number 3 spot in the Calgary Herald Best Sellers list then went up to #2 in its second week of release. The second novel in her Evie Valentine series, The Glass Lake is being released on Nov 23, 2022. Susan was a lawyer and an executive in the energy sector before she became a writer. Her legal career took her from the board rooms in Calgary to the streets of Beijing. She’s received the PIA Public Interest Award for Southern Alberta and the Canadian Law Blog Award for her legal blog Susan on the Soapbox. Welcome, Susan.
PJ (Pamela) Donison, has been a writer in one iteration or other her entire life. Currently a practicing attorney, she is a former award-winning military journalist and acquisitions manager for a division of Harcourt Brace. Her work has been published in numerous legal periodicals, as well as chapters in three legal anthologies. Her short fiction has been published by The Dillydoun Review and Drunk Monkeys. Pamela’s first full-length novel, Death Comes for Christmas, is a murder mystery set in Regina, Saskatchewan, and the first in her Camelia Belmont series of 12.
https://susanjanewright.ca/
https://pjdonison.com/
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E114 - Zachary Hagen is a Mississippi based fantasy author and editor. When he isn't busy writing his next book or working with an editing client, you can often find him walking around his neighborhood or hiking.
From a young age he was enthralled with the world of story. From the stories his parents read to him from his blue bedtime story books to the first two series that he read, The Chronicles of Narnia and A Series of Unfortunate Events. Zachary's tastes continued to develop throughout his years of reading. The influences for his first series, The Eternal Chronicles, include Christopher Paolini, J. R. R. Tolkien, and C. S. Lewis to name a few.
Thank you Zachary for an interesting conversation about faith and using the bible for inspiration for novels.
https://zacharyhagenwrites.com/
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E113 - Award-winning author JP (Jo-Anne) McLean writes urban fantasy and supernatural thrillers that readers call addictive, smart, and fun. She is a 2021 finalist for the Chanticleer Paranormal Award for Supernatural Fiction, and the Wishing Shelf Book award for Adult Fiction. Her work has won a Readers’ Favorite Award, a Gold Literary Titan medal, and honourable mentions from the Whistler Independent Book Awards and the Victoria Writers’ Society. JP is a graduate of the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business. She makes her home on the coast of British Columbia. We talked about her paranormal thriller, setting the scene and the Big Island Book Festival in Courtenay! Thank you, JP.
https://jpmcleanauthor.com/
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E112 - Natasha Deen writes for kids, teens, and adults. She believes the world is changed one story at a time, and as a Guyanese-Canadian whose family immigrated to Canada, she’s seen first-hand how stories have the power to shape the world. When she’s not writing, Natasha enjoys visiting schools, libraries and other organizations to help people to find and tell the stories that live inside them. She also spends an inordinate amount of time trying to convince her pets that she’s the boss of the house. Natasha is the author of the Lark & Connor Ba series (CCBC Best Pick for Kids & Teens, Starred Selection) and the Guardian series (Moonbeam Award, Sunburst Award nominee, Alberta Readers’ Choice nominee). Her latest novel, In the Key of Nira Ghani, is a Junior Library Guild selection and a Barnes and Noble Top 25 Most Anticipated Own Voices novel.
Natasha enjoyed "growing up in a country of snow and flannel," but sometimes being the only mixed-race child in the classroom meant being bullied and feeling invisible. There were no reflections of kids like her on TV or in the movies. Natasha and I talked right away about inclusion in the publishing world. Thank you Natasha for a great conversation.
www.natashadeen.com
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E111 - International Amazon Bestselling author, Shoshona Freedman’s debut novel, The Faithful, was an International Amazon Bestseller, it reached the Quarter Finals in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, and was selected by Suspense Magazine as a "Best Debut of 2015.” Shoshona was on my podcast on April 10, 2021, when we discussed her novel, The Day She Died. Her latest novel, Blood Atonement, is out now. Shoshona lives in Vancouver with her husband and two children. She’s a proud member of Sisters in Crime, Crime Writers of Canada, International Thriller Writers, and Mystery Writers of America.
Shoshona and I talked about cults, being in the sometimes heavy world of our fiction, and how we come up for air, especially with regards to Blood Atonement. As well as being sensitive and respectful to the portrayal of victims. It may be fiction, but our words have impact. Thank you Shoshona. It was a pleasure.
https://www.smfreedman.com/
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E110 - D.C. Gomez is a four-year army vet who has a morbid and quirky sense of humor. Her heart thumps for those who serve their country and those who support them. Her love-journey of humanity is ongoing. She is an award winning, USA Today Bestselling author, public speaker, mentor and podcaster. Her podcast is Inside the Minds of Authors. She writes multiple genres from Urban Fantasy, Contemporary Literature, YA, Children’s Books and Devotionals. I believe the current count for her novels and novellas is 18. She has an undergraduate degree in Film and Television from NYU. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New England, she now calls Texas her new adoptive home.
https://dcgomez-author.com/
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E109 - Award-winning science fiction and fantasy author, Edward Willett, joined me on the podcast. Edward (Ed) has written over 60 science fiction, fantasy and non-fiction books for readers of all ages. His science fiction and fantasy novels are published through DAW Books in New York. Under the pseudonym Lee Arthur Chane, he is the author of the steampunk fantasy novel Magebane, and as E.C. Blake, he wrote the Masks of Aygrima fantasy trilogy, Masks, Shadows, and Faces. His novel Marseguro won the 2009 Aurora Award which honours Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy. His novel Terra Insegura was a 2010 Aurora finalist and his YA novel, Star Song, was a 2022 finalist. He has also won a Saskatchewan Book Award for his YA fantasy Spirit Singer, and been shortlisted multiple times. We had a good conversation exploring sci-fi, and I learned about the lunar brewpub.
https://edwardwillett.com/
https://shadowpawpress.com/about/
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K.L. Abrahamson writes suspenseful stories of crime, adventure and romance for readers who like to be transported to unusual locations around the world. From murder mysteries set in the heart of a re-imagined Russia, or on the rugged coast of British Columbia, to magical romances set in the heart of a summer beach town, K. L. Abrahamson creates immersive worlds of fully realized characters that readers can root for. Her work has been described as having a “connection to culture” with “powerful characters (who) make an incredible story.” Karen’s short stories can be found in issues of Ellery Queen Magazine and Black Cat Mystery Magazine. In today’s episode we’ll be in the modern world with retired schoolteacher, Phoebe Clay, as she travels to Cambodia and returns home to Canada. K.L. (Karen) Abrahamson and I also talk about writing culturally rich novels as well as character arcs. We discuss the Sisters-in-Crime--CW (Canada West) anthology, Crime Wave, Women of a Certain Age. Thank you Karen for joining me in an excellent discussion.
http://www.karenlabrahamson.com/
https://sinc-cw.ca/anthology/
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E107 - Jane Baird Warren writes for kids and adults, who, like her, still read Middle Grade and Young Adult fiction—Harry Potter was a game-changer for Jane. Jane has an MFA in creative writing from UBC. Her writing has been featured on CBC radio and in more than a dozen literary magazines in North America and the UK. In her fiction and real life, Jane is fascinated with people, but what she enjoys in both worlds is kindness and courage. She has a ridiculous memory for trivia, which she’d always believed was the most useless superpower a girl could have, until she started writing.
We talked about the issues she expertly wove into the classroom setting, the importance of acceptance, and I learned a little Scottish. Thank you Jane for a great discussion.
https://www.janebairdwarren.com/
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E106 - Fern Brady is a fantasy author and the founder of Inklings Publishing. She holds multiple Masters degrees. She began her professional life as a foreign correspondent and taught for 15 years in Alief ISD. She has published numerous short stories, two children's picture books, and a couple of poems. Her debut novel, United Vidden, book one in her Thyrein’s Galactic Wall Series, was given a glowing review by Dr. Who Online, the official site of the fandom. Also available for purchase is volume one of her graphic novel/novella hybrid project, New Beginning. She has returned to the leadership of the Houston Writers Guild, with whom she served as CEO for four years previously. She co-hosts two podcasts – Author Talk and The Hot Mess Express. Besides being Municipal Liaison for Nanowrimo Houston, she is also a member of Blood Over Texas, Romance Writers of America, and American Booksellers Association. Fern lives in Houston TX with her parents and her talkative husky.
https://www.fernbrady.com/
https://www.inklingspublishing.com/
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E105 - JM Landels wears so many hats from author, literary magazine publisher (she is also the managing editor), and swordplay on horseback with Academie Cavallo at Cornwall Ridge Farm. Jennifer has a BA in Medieval English Literature from UBC and may some day return to her doctorate in Arthurian Romance at University College London. She has been a keynote speaker at numerous events including Write Vancouver, The Royal City Arts Society, VCON and the Creative Ink Festival. She has travelled to France, Germany, the UK and the US to speak and teach at conferences. Her debut fantasy novel, Allaigna’s Song: Overture was an Amazon bestseller and the sequel, Allaigna’s Song: Aria was published in 2020. We had a great conversation about her magazine Pulp Literature which features shoebox stories from authors Joan MacLeod, Chris Humphreys and Susanna Kearsley. We even talked about the rock bands she played in, such as Stiff Bunnies. Thank you JM Landels.
https://pulpliterature.com/
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E104 - Diann Floyd Boehm is a humanitarian, educator and award-winning author. Diann was responsible for getting computers and technology into Texas classrooms. She lived overseas in many different countries, including Dubai and the The Philippines. But foremost, she's an author, having written picture books and YA novels. She is republishing her books in the dyslexia font and has many more books about to be published.
We talked about her children's books and her YA novel, Rise! A Girl's Struggle for More, which was an Amazon bestseller, and has been compared to Anne of Green Gables. Diann's The Moonling Adventures - The Serengeti, won Best Texas Children's Book 2021. We also talked about Dubai.
Diann, you renewed my faith in mankind and I wish you were my grade 4 teacher. Thank you.
https://www.diannfloydboehm.com/
https://www.dyslexiefont.com/
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E103 - Sebastien deCastell has an interesting story on how he began writing, which involved camping on an island. Sebastien has been nominated for many amazing awards. He was the 2019 finalist in the Sunburst (Canada) Best Young Adult; 2019 Finalist in the Grand Prix D’Imaginaire (France) Best Foreign YA; the 2019 Winner of the Centurion Award (UK) Best Novel, and the list goes on. You can check out Sebastien’s website and see the beautiful Booknest Fantasy Award 2018 he won for Saint’s Blood. Today, we talk about his fantasy novel, Way of the Argosi, Book 1 of The Argosi. Rock music, fencing, and film options, we talk about it all. Thank you Sebastien.
https://decastell.com/
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J. Lynn Else loves reading and writing about awesome women from antiquity. She was "... getting frustrated with the way historical women were being portrayed in numerous books which focused more on their sexual escapades than their own self-sustaining strength in overcoming social bonds. I wanted to satisfy both my wants as a reader and a writer.”
J. Lynn is a fan of Star Wars, Star Trek and MST3K (Mystery Science Theatre 3000 – American science fiction comedy). J. Lynn graduated from college with a theatre major and a dance minor. She’s self-published two historical fiction novels set in ancient Egypt, The Forgotten: Aten’s Last Queen and The Forgotten: Heir of the Heretic and one science fiction novella, Strangely Constructed Souls. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and two kids. Their shelves are overrun with books, her kitchen is overrun with loose-leaf tea, and her workroom is overrun with Funko Pop figures.
We discussed whether King Arthur was a historical character, or mythical? And J. Lynn gave me her take on Lapsang souchong. After this episode, everyone's going to want to be Twig Lady.
Finally, HAPPY BIRTHDAY J. LYNN!!
https://www.teasippinnerdymom.com/
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E101 - Amy Tector loved reading and writing since a child. She grew up in Quebec’s Eastern Townships. When her husband got a job being a NATO archivist, they lived the expat life for almost three years. In Belgium, Amy returned to her PhD and wrote 460 pages about the representation of disability in Canadian novels of the First World War. You may remember Amy from when we talked about her novel, The Honeybee Emeralds, E91.
Her debut novel, which was a 2008 finalist in the Crime Writer’s of Canada Unhanged Arthur Award, has grown and morphed into the book which is available now, and we talk about The Foulest Things today. It is Book 1 in her Dominion Archives Mystery. In reference to Amy's novel, Louise Penny’s writes The Foulest Things, is, “A literary joy ride.”
https://www.amytector.com/
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E100 - Philip Fracassi is the author of the award-winning story collection, Behold the Void, which won “Best Collection of the Year” from This Is Horror and Strange Aeons Magazine.
His newest collection, Beneath a Pale Sky, was published in 2021 by Lethe Press. It received a starred review from Library Journal, and was named “Best Collection of the Year” by Rue Morgue Magazine. It was nominated for a Bram Stoker award. His novels include A Child Alone with Strangers, Gothic, and Boys in the Valley. Philip’s books have been translated into multiple languages and his stories have been published in numerous magazines and anthologies, including Best Horror of the Year, Nightmare Magazine, Black Static, Dark Discoveries, and Cemetery Dance. The New York Times calls his work “terrifically scary.” As a screenwriter, his feature films have been distributed by Disney Entertainment and Lifetime Television. He currently has several stories under option for film/TV adaption.
Philip lives in Los Angeles and on today's podcast, we talk about his novel, Gothic. As well as his podcast, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dark-word/id1617331704
https://pfracassi.com/
Thank you, Philip.
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E99 - M.N. Grenside was born and raised in London. He began his career at Lloyds of London, specializing in Kidnap, Ransom and Extortion Insurance. At age twenty-five M.N. Grenside decided it was time for a career change and he started his media career working for Jim Henson and The Muppets. He has been involved in entertainment ever since. He is an award-winning producer, producing television series and mini-series such a Lonesome Dove, Merlin, Treasure Island, Fraggle Rock and much more. Mark appeared at the renowned Oxford Literary Festival, the Malta Book Festival, and he was interviewed by the Crime Writers of Canada author A.J. Devlin There’s a lot more to say about M.N. Grenside which will be revealed in the podcast. Today, we talk about his thriller novel, Fall Out.
https://mngrenside.com/
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E98 - Sarah M. Stephen started writing at an early age, first scribbling pages of notes while pretending to be a journalist before she could print. After mastering the alphabet, she moved into poetry and short stories. Following a few successes in grade school (a regional poetry prize) and university (a short story published in an anthology), she traded creative tales for corporate ones. A few years ago, she rediscovered her love of words and resumed creative writing. She is a graduate of The Writer's Studio creative writing program at Simon Fraser University and a co-host of the Clued in Mystery podcast. Sarah tries to balance working, parenting, and writing, while leaving a bit of time for baking and running.
https://sarahmstephen.ca/
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E97 - Teoni Spathelfer is a member of the Heiltsuk Nation from coastal BC. Since childhood she has loved immersing herself in her own culture and learning about other cultures around the world. Teoni has worked as a publicist; a radio journalist, host, and producer; and an arts and music writer. Her documentary Teoni’s Dream, informed by her mother’s residential school experience, has aired nationwide on CBC Radio. Her photography has been featured across various media and sold privately. She has been blessed with three daughters and four grandchildren.
Today, Teoni and I discuss the third book in her Little Wolf series, Abalone Woman. "Stories are medicine," Teoni writes. So true. It has been a great experience watching Teoni's journey. Our first interview was about the first book in the series, Little Wolf, followed up by White Raven, and then capping off with Abalone Woman. Thank you Teoni for sharing your stories and experiences on the podcast. All these books can be purchased from Strong Nations (link below), Indigo, Amazon, Munro bookstore (Victoria)
https://www.strongnations.com/gs/show.php?gs=3&gsd=8400
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E96 - Mickey Mikkelson is the founder of Creative Edge Publicity.
In 2006, he began his work in the literary and bookseller industry as the Special Events Manager for Chapters/Indigo, Canada’s largest bookstore chain, in St. Albert, Alberta. Ten years later, he formed Creative Edge Publicity, an aggressive publicity firm that specializes in advocating for both the traditional and independent artist.
Since founding Creative Edge, Mickey has signed some of the top talents in the literary industry, including multiple award-winning authors, New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors, and successful indie authors, many of whom have become international bestselling authors while working within the Creative Edge brand.
Mickey and I have an informative conversation about publicity versus selling books. We talk about the gritty .... money. Mickey's humor makes for a fun podcast, including his story about the National Enquirer, and the red flags authors should be aware of when it comes to finding a publicist. Mickey also shares the touching story of how his daughter came up with the idea for Creative Edge Publicity logo. With over a hundred clients, Mickey explains how a simple, "I can get you a book signing," turned into what has become a boutique publicity firm, Creative Edge Publicity. Thank you so much Mickey.
https://www.creative-edge.services/
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E95 - Author Diane Bator has been writing since she was able to tell a story and pick up a pencil. She works full-time at a live-stage theatre. After winning a mystery contest, she published several mystery novels, and she is a member of the Crime Writers of Canada and a local writing group. We talked about writing and her numerous series, and creating relatable heroines. Also, what do authors do on TikTok? We think we've figured it out.
https://dianebator.ca/
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E94 - H.S. Burney and I discuss her debut novel, The Lake Templeton Murders, a Fati Rizvi Private Investigator Murder Mystery. It is a fast-moving, action-packed mystery. Her sleuth, Fati Rizvi, is strong and independent and will let nothing get in her way when it comes to an investigation. We also talk about the local settings. The novel is situated on the West coast of Canada. And horror movies, we talk about horror movies! Thank you, H.S. for a fun conversation.
https://hsburney.com/
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E93 - Gordon Mott, the author of Lithuanian Lullaby, The Angels of Klaipeda, and now Tears of Jurate is back and we talk about his latest novel. Gordon is quoted in the Baltic Times, “I have a special place in my heart for the Baltics.” Gordon is a former American-Lithuanian English teacher and he met his wife, Asta, in Lithuania in the early 1990s. Gordon’s first book, Lithuanian Lullaby, was published in early 2021, and immediately took off. The novel has been on the Amazon bestseller list in both the USA and Canada in the Lithuania category – it even achieved the coveted number 1 position in both countries. It has also sold well in Europe and has been purchased by readers as far away as India. Tears of Jurate carries on with Vana and Darius's story as well as the courageous story of Jurate, a market trader. As Gordon writes in his novel, "Welcome to 1997!"
https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100065013460047
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E92 - Award-winning and USA Today bestselling author P.D. Workman joins me on the podcast. P.D. was born in Fort McMurray, Alberta and later moved to Calgary. She wrote her first novel-length fiction at the age of 12. She continued writing novels for her own enjoyment but did not publish her debut novel until 2013. She has now published over 80 novels. Her earlier books focused on young adult literature. Her focus now is mystery and suspense. She is best known for her cozy mystery series, Auntie Clem’s Bakery; Reg Rawlins, Psychic Investigator; and her P.I. series, Zachary Goldman Mysteries. We talk about Cut Out Cookie, book 17 in her Auntie Clem’s Bakery Mystery and On the Slab Pie, book 18, which is scheduled for release July 15, 2022. We also talk about Amazon, the benefits of having your own platform, and cake! Thank you P.D.
https://pdworkman.com/
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E91 - Amy Tector talked to me about her debut novel, The Honeybee Emeralds which is a fantastic summer read. Amy holds a PhD in English literature from the Universite Libre de Bruxelles. She works at Canada’s national archives, Library and Archives Canada. She spent many years as an expat, living in Brussels and in The Hague, where she worked for the International Criminal Tribunal for War Crimes in Yugoslavia.
In The Honeybee Emeralds Amy beautifully weaves fiction and fact, as beautifully as the diamonds and emeralds in the honeybee emerald necklace. This suspenseful mystery is situated in Paris. From French royalty, Josephine Baker to the Mata Hari, this novel has intrigue, suspense, humor and the reader is rooting for the wonderful cast of characters. She even has The Honeybee Emeralds Parisian playlist on her Linktree account. Thank you Amy.
https://www.amytector.com/
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All the way from Wanganui, New Zealand, I had the pleasure of interviewing fantasy author and landscape artist Steven Raaymakers. Steven has a love for fantasy art and stories. He has painted concept art for the last 8 years including many commissions. He considers himself a visual storyteller. Steven wrote and created art during his teens, and we discuss the meshing of art and writing when it comes to crafting a series. We also discussed internal and external conflict, hand-in-hand in his novel, A Canticle of Two Souls, book 1, and his impactful words "war children." Steven's latest novel, A Canticle of War, book 3 was just published April 4, 2022. Thank you, Steven for joining me on the podcast.
https://www.stevenraaymakers.com/
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E89 - TARA MOSS is an internationally bestselling author, human rights activist, documentary and podcast host, and model. Her crime novels have been published in nineteen countries and thirteen languages, and her memoir, The Fictional Woman, was a #1 international bestseller. Her most recent novel is The War Widow, the first in the Billie Walker mystery series. A UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, she has received the Edna Ryan Award for significant contributions to feminist debate and for speaking out on behalf of women and children. In 2017, Tara Moss was recognized as one of the Global Top 50 Diversity Figures in Public Life. In 2021, she hosted the Audible Original true-crime podcast The Man in the Balaclava. Tara Moss lives in Vancouver with her family.
Tara and I have a great discussion about her fast-paced, thrilling new novel, The Ghosts of Paris. The dialogue is intense, and the reader feels like they are watching a tennis match. Funny scenes, that noir setting, and an intriguing and secretive plot makes for a dynamite novel. Thank you Tara.
https://taramoss.com/
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Some people thought Laura Ellen Scott's novel Blue Billy was a cozy. She proved them wrong.
Laura and I had a fun and lively discussion about Blue Billy, the third novel in her New Royal Mysteries. Laura is a multi-published author of novels and short stories, as well as a professor at George Mason University. Laura likes writing stories with dark themes and quirky characters. She was born and raised in Northern Ohio and currently lives in Fairfax, Virginia.
We talked about the presentation and contest she had with her students and the naming of a character. I learned what Blue Billy really is--a blue contaminated soil. I also learned about coke ovens. It's not what you think, and creepy statues from dolls to Santa Claus. Thank you Laura.
https://www.lauraellenscott.com/
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Elgon Williams was born in Springfield, Ohio and grew up on a farm in southeastern Clark County near the town of South Charleston. Elgon is the author of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Mystery with Pandamoon Publishing. His publications include Fried Windows (In a Light White Sauce); the Thuperman trilogy, starting with Becoming Thuperman, Homer Underby and the final book in the series, Thuperheroes. We talked about book 2 in the Fried Windows series. The first book being Fried Windows and the newly released second book, Ninja Bread Castles. From how our characters travel in time to onion bagels and science, we covered a lot of ground. Thank you Elgon.
https://elgonwilliams.com/
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E86 - Children's author Michelle Fizzard and I talked about her children's book Amazing Grace, A True Story of a Classroom Cat. As well as writing and the definition of success. What is success? A book deal? Completing a manuscript? Showing up? Let your writing be messy, just write. We also talked about the five writing fears. Michelle shares a humorous story about her father, as well as a touching story about her mother. Oh, and Cuddles's retirement party. Michelle is writing a new book and we talked a little about that as well. Michelle, thank you for stopping by the studio.
http://www.michellebfizzard.com/
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International bestselling author, Hannah Mary McKinnon, returns to the podcast to talk about her latest novel, Never Coming Home.
Hanna was born in the UK. She grew up in Switzerland and now lives in Canada with her husband and three sons. Before moving to Canada, she had completed commercial studies in Geneva and worked as a PA for DuPont. Later she moved to Neuchatel and became the Purchasing Manager for a high-tech company. Hannah is the author of numerous essays and pieces. Her sixth novel, Never Coming Home is in stores now, and it's receiving great reviews.
“Sly and deliciously clever, Hannah Mary McKinnon captivates with this engrossing tale of a missing wife and the devious husband who hopes to inherit her fortune.”
“Hannah Mary McKinnon is back with another sit up and read until the small hours of the morning thriller.”
Hanna and I discuss Never Coming Home, and writing that evil yet loveable character and so much more. Thank you Hannah.
https://hannahmarymckinnon.com/
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L.A. Kessler returns to the podcast and we discuss her thriller novel, Perfect. After reading her thriller you'll think twice about saying that word ... Perfect. There is humor in her novel which balances the thrilling escapes and the subject matter. As much as I tried to be analytical reading Perfect, I kept being pulled into the story.
Lisa shares a touching story of how her mother was the inspiration for her heroine, Juliette, and which character Lisa relates to the most.
Lisa is the bestselling author of passionate, page-turning fiction. She has written 40 books in over 10 years. She has twice won the San Diego Book Award for Best Published Fantasy Sci-Fi Horror and Best Published Romance. Her books have also won the PRISM award and her vampire story, Immortal Beloved was a finalist in the Bram Stoker Award. Lisa has multiple series, a blog and is the host of the podcast BookLights, which I had the pleasure of being on. If you missed the first interview I had with Lisa about her novel, Sedona Salvation, that podcast was published on March 26, 2021.
https://www.authorlisakessler.com/
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E83 - Award-winning author A.G. Flitcher of the Boone and Jacque urban fantasy series is back on the podcast. Today, we talk about book 3 in his series, Boone and Jacque: Saddleton Haunting. We have a thorough discussion about characters, settings and motivations, as well as his pansexual and transgender characters.
A.G. Flitcher reveals the trauma he's recovering from in his personal life. He also talks about the take-away he wants writers and readers to experience after reading his novels.
A.G. Flitcher's first podcast interview when we talk about book one, Boone & Jacque: Saddleton's Secret can be found in season 1, March 6, 2021.
https://www.facebook.com/A.G.Flitcher/
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E82 - Deborah Lambert, fantasy author and veterinarian, joins me from Sooke, BC. Deborah is the author of the Son of No Man series. We talk about Julius Caesar, Augustus, and how our calendars have no place in the fantasy world. We also talk about writing as therapy. Our discussion about a dragon's anatomy, using science and biology to make a dragon fly and how to splint a dragon's foot will forever be in my memory. Deborah thank you. I had a great time chatting with you about your novels. Please check out the maps of The World of the Tainted under "extras" on Deborah's web page.
https://www.dlambertauthor.com/
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Today, award-winning mystery author Mike Martin is on the podcast to talk about his latest novel and the first virtual Maple Leaf Mystery Conference which takes place over 5 days from May 24 to 28, 2022.
Mike was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Mike has always been a writer, and during the last 15 years he’s worked as a freelance writer, specializing in workplace and social policy issues. He’s been published in newspapers and magazines across Canada, the US and New Zealand. His first book was Change the Thing You Can: Dealing with Difficult People. The Walker on the Cape was his first published fiction novel. He has also published a number of short stories in periodicals and on-line.
In today's podcast we talk about his 12th Sgt. Windflower novel, Dangerous Waters, the B&B which was constructed using a shipwreck's lumber; St. Pierre, which is part of France, and the virtual Maple Leaf Mystery Conference featuring a great line-up of Canadian authors and International best-selling author, Ian Rankin.
https://sgtwindflowermysteries.com/
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Crime author Alice Bienia is back! We start the podcast talking about rocks, boulders and snakes, tapping into Alice's previous profession as a Geologist. But soon we are talking about Alice's latest Jorja Knight novel, Knight Vision. I learned that Alice is testing Jorja, putting her in situations where Jorja is weighing fact versus fantasy. Jorja's new client is a clairvoyant, who has "seen" her own murder. Alice's readers love her books and want to be her heroine's friend. I enjoy reading about Jorja and also want to warn Jorja to "watch her back". Alice talks about the opening hook in that first chapter to using real crimes as inspiration for her novels. From fat freezing to seances and our own movie analysis, Alice and I have a good time, as always. Thank you, Alice for coming into the studio.
http://www.alicebienia.com/
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Award-winning author Winona Kent returns to the podcast and we talk about Ticket to Ride, her 4th Jason Davey novel, which is her 10th novel overall. Winona was born in London, England, but grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan where she completed her BA in English at the University of Regina. She moved to Vancouver, and obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts in creative writing from UBC. Winona’s writing breakthrough happened when she won first place in Flare magazine’s fiction contest with her short story, Tower of Power, about an all-night radio newsman. More awards followed, including being a finalist in Seal Books First Novel contest with her spy book, Skywatcher.
Winona and I talk about the time she turned down having dinner and drinks with actor Sean Bean of Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones, as well as scouting locations for our books, creating websites and Instagram accounts for our characters and the various avenues of marketing. I've included the link to the Figgis Green tour website as well as Winona's various social media handles. Winona, welcome back!
https://www.winonakent.com/
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Prolific award-winning thriller author Karen Dodd joins me, and we have a good discussion about characters making mistakes, keeping our characters real, corruption, the mafia as well as being a discovery writer. Karen is the president of the Sisters In Crime – Canada West chapter. I was excited to talk with her about her novel Everybody Knows, a sophisticated thriller which is hard to put down. It’s the first novel in a new series, the Nicolo Moretti Crime Thriller Series. There are a few spoiler alerts. We talk about everything, including her blog and The Prostitute Pasta Sauce.
https://karendodd.com/home/
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Lisa Kessler's writing career was foretold to her by a fortune teller. When she received writing advice from Ray Bradbury, she knew she was on the right path. Forty books within a 10 year period, Lisa has numerous series under her belt. She writes a blog, and she is a podcast host. Lisa's books have won the PRISM award, she has twice won the San Diego Book Award, and her vampire story, Immortal Beloved, was a Bram Stoker finalist.
Lisa and I discuss the writing advice Ray Bradbury shared with her. Great advice that involves short stories and commitment. Using tarot cards to plot your novel, and we even discussed what an author should put on their Tik Tok account! Sunshine pirates and grumpy heroines, it's all in today's electric podcast. Thank you, Lisa.
https://www.authorlisakessler.com/
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Cindy DeJager is a gracious human and an amazing magazine publisher. She is the entrepreneur behind Opal Writer's Magazine and Opal Rising Magazine. Her magazine is packed with great information for writers and authors at various stages of their career. She shares why the magazine is called opal, which is a beautiful and tender story in itself. Opal Writer's Magazine started in Alberta seven years ago, now, it has subscribers from all over Canada, the US, the UK, Australia and just recently Denmark. Each month the magazine showcases an author as well as featuring individuals in the business, such as Mark Leslie Lefebrve, who was the Director of Author Relations and Self-Publishing for Rakuten Kobo. In the May 2019 issue (attached) there is advice from Jenny Hoops about D-I-Y audiobooks. Links to both issues are attached. As well, her cat Sophie, expresses her opinions. Thank you very much Cindy for coming on the podcast.
https://opalpublishing.ca/
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Award-winning YA author, Alisha Sevigny chatted with me about the 2nd and 3rd books in her Secret Sands Series, The Desert Prince and The Oracle of Avaris. The original novel in the series being The Lost Scroll of the Physician. Alisha is a talented author. Her novels can be read by all age groups, and her fierce heroine, Sesha, is an inspiration for all females. Her novels deal with issues relevant today. In fact, we acknowledged what's going on in the world and the connection to her novels. As well, The Oracle of Avaris is a YAdudebooks Award winner. Congratulations Alisha. Thank you for joining me.
https://www.alishasevigny.com/
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Award-winning Vancouver crime writer of the Wakeland novels, Sam Wiebe, and I discuss his latest novel, Hell and Gone, which is the third novel in his Dave Wakeland series. Sam's prose is gritty and authentic. He gives the reader a great sense of living on the streets of Vancouver. We talk about beats, and Sam's not meaning music, conflict, as well as the writing courses he offers, the flagship course being Mystery Writing Mastery. I came away from this interview thinking dig down when it comes to your protagonist's conflict, keep adding layers.
Sam’s work has won the Crime Writers of Canada award and the Kobo Emerging Writer’s prize. He has been shortlisted for the Edgar, Hammet, Shamus and City of Vancouver book prizes. As well, I got a scoop. Small screen. Tune in to find out what's on the horizon for Sam.
http://samwiebe.com/
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The Joanna and Benny Show. Yes, two authors, myself and Benny Sims, we are fans of each other's novels and writing styles. We talk about everything from writing in the 3rd person point-of-view to the first person point-of-view. Character arcs. What we've learned and what we still want to learn. Book trailers, promotion, and using life experiences in plotting a novel.
Benny joins me from his writing shed in Alabama. We celebrate Benny's novel Code Gray winning Killer Nashville's Silver Falchion Award for best mystery, and Dealer's Child placing #60 and #64 in Amazon's top 100 during it's first week of release. And did Benny really have 70 questions for me to answer? It's a fun conversation across the border.
Benny Sims | Writing, reading, and various other mayhem
Cover art photo courtesy of Jeremy Yap.
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Artist Cory Scott, moved back to Canada with three suitcases. A creative soul since a child, he's travelled the world and worked various jobs. When he and his fiancée left Australia and were selling their possessions, Cory was pleasantly surprised when Australians wanted to buy his paintings hanging on the walls. Cory knew this was a sign and pursued art fulltime. Cory’s art has won numerous awards, including in 2020, the Award of Excellence at the Sooke Fine Arts Show. On Cory’s website, Cory writes that he, “was born a daydreamer in the prairie city of Brandon, Manitoba, spending his days fishing in the Assiniboine River and melting coins on the railway tracks.” Cory explains the backstory behind the yellow VW bus, the yellow house and the yellow mailbox in his painting, Victoria, The Redfern Nursery, featured in the podcast art.
https://www.coryscottgallery.com/
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Have you heard the term story bible? Or reading guides? Multi-published, bestselling historical romance author, Celeste Barclay, joins me in the studio. She is the author of 31 historical romances and after 16 years in the classroom where she was a Social Studies and English teacher, she is now a full-time author, entrepreneur, independent publisher and mentor. We talk about her historical romances, writing as a business, and her upcoming new releases. Celeste and I had a great conversation, and two days shy of Valentine's Day, it was great to talk about romance.
https://www.celestebarclay.com/
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Author Mark Creedon joins me on the podcast and we talk about his historical fiction novel, Caught Between Two Devils, which is based on the real experiences of family members, Antanas Paskevicius, and Antanas's wife Jadwyga and his sister Maria in April 1944, when they, along with other prisoners, escaped from a forced labor camp during WWII. A moving interview, Mark and I discuss favourite scenes, the little Polish car that looks like a small frog, war, romance, humanity and helping your neighbour.
Mark worked in Child Welfare and Family Services agencies for 38 years until he retired in 2013. Caught Between Two Devils is available in paperback and Kindle format through Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.
DISCLAIMER: this podcast contains a story or two about war crimes which some listeners may find upsetting.
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Amazon bestselling author Gordon Mott returns to the podcast. Gordon and I previously talked on the podcast about his hugely popular novel, Lithuanian Lullaby and today we talk about Gordon’s second novel, The Angels of Klaipeda.
Gordon and I have an extensive discussion about characters, their strengths, their weaknesses and finding the character to carry a new series or new story. We also talk about the Stockholm syndrome and using life events to fuel a novel, in particular the kidnapping of Terry Waite.
If you live in the Chicago, Illinois area, on Saturday, April 9, 2022 at 2:00 PM, Gordon will be speaking about and signing his latest novel, The Angels of Klaipeda at the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture.
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Multi-published author Marcelle Dube joins me on the podcast. Marcelle is the author of numerous mystery novels and short stories. Her bibliography is incredible. She is also on the executive of the Sisters in Crime – Chapter West. Marcelle grew up in Montreal, and after trying a few provinces, she set roots in the Yukon for 35 years and she now lives in Alberta, which she says is, “much like the Yukon in all the ways that counts.” Today, we will be talking about her latest novel, The Wronged Woman, the common error novelists make when writing the short story, the "dirty middle" and the "boys in the basement."
http://www.marcellemdube.com/
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Christine Gabriel is the author of the Best-Selling, Young Adult, Paranormal Romance novel, Crimson Forest, the first novel in her Crimson Chronicles Series. Her fiction has been nominated for such awards as The People’s Book Award and The Buckeye Book Award. Christine's been in the marketing industry for over 15 years and is in charge of the publicity & graphics department at Pandamoon Publishing, based out of Austin, Texas. Christine and I shared many laughs and writing experiences. In this podcast we discuss the series arc, and spoiler, yes, Christine has another series in the works. I learned about red moss and talked about Whistler's pink snow and why German tourists think Canadians are tough. Christine talked about the tough scenes, and the scene that made her go through two boxes of Kleenex.
Christine Gabriel - Writer, Books, Marketing (christine-gabriel.com)
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Award-winning author Valerie Dunsmore studied creative writing at Kwantlen College and graduated from the journalism program at Grant MacEwan College. She and I discuss her fiction novel, Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit, the sister relationship and her character Lily, and the lessons Lily will learn from hatred to healing. Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit is the winner of the Whistler Independent Book Awards for Best Fiction, the 29th Annual Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards and it placed Silver for Fantasy in the Foreword Review's Indie Book of the Year Awards. We have a magical discussion about nature and what we take for granted, and do rabbits really talk to the underworld? Pay particular attention to the podcast art on this podcast.
Valerie Dunsmore - Valerie Dunsmore
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Colleen van Niekerk grew up in South Africa as a person of colour in the eighties and nineties. This meant being surrounded by stories and art, an act of expression. Her evocative debut novel, A Conspiracy of Mothers is set during a defining period in South Africa’s history. Colleen's gripping novel tells a story of love and betrayal from multiple perspectives while balancing the painful legacy of apartheid with the trials of motherhood. Colleen thank you for writing a gripping story and coming on my podcast. Listeners can catch Colleen's book launch on December 2, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. at the Massy Art Society.
HOME | author (colleenvanniekerk.com)
@vanniekerk | Linktree
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Today, multi-published author and Ellery Queen author, K.L. Abrahamson is back in the dressing room. On Karen’s website, the visitor is greeted with these words, “Writing at the dangerous ends of the earth; The various incarnations of Karen L. Abrahamson.” Karen writes, mystery, fantasy, and romance. She is also a prolific short story author and her stories have appeared in numerous anthologies. Karen has worked as a special constable, a correctional officer, a probation officer and ESL instructor. She has travelled to East and West Africa, Burma, China, Northern India, and Peru. Karen and I talk about Beneath Malabar Nets, the second novel in her Phoebe Clay mystery series.
Writing at the dangerous ends of the earth – The various Incarnations of Author Karen L. Abrahamson (karenlabrahamson.com)
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Prolific science fiction, fantasy and mystery author Elgon Williams returned to the podcast and we talked about the Thuperman Trilogy, in particular Thuper Heroes, the last novel in his Thuperman trilogy. We talked about books, plotting, life imitating art, and what's next with Elgon now that this trilogy has ended.
Elgon was born and raised in Springfield, Ohio. He grew up on a farm in southeastern Clark County near the town of South Charleston. He’s a graduate of Purdue University, The University of Texas, and the Defense Language Institute.
The One & Only Elgon – Where the Magic Is Real (elgonwilliams.com)
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Stranger danger. Yes, a lot was discussed on today's podcast with Alice Bienia. Three Dog Knight is the third in her Jorja Knight thriller/mystery series. We talk about writing lessons learned, the integrity of characters, and using humour for those lighter moments. Did I mention tension? Oh, and how about the series' story arc? Check out this podcast and learn about Alice's real life events that were the basis for scenes in Three Dog Knight.
Also, do not forget to complete the poll.
Alice Bienia – Crime Writer
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Multi-published author, Barbara Fradkin is back on the podcast, and we discuss her latest Inspector Green series, The Devil to Pay, which also features Inspector Green's daughter, Hannah, now a rookie patrol officer.
Barbara is a retired psychologist who is fascinated with why people turn bad. She has written numerous short stories and novellas as well as the critically acclaimed Inspector Green novels. She has been nominated 4 times for the Arthur Ellis Award of Excellence in the Best Novel category and she has won twice with her Inspector Green series.
Barbara provides details about her virtual book launch which is happening on October 26, 2021 from 7 to 8 pm EST. The link to her website below has the virtual link details: Barbara Fradkin - Home
Thank you Barbara for stopping by the dressing room and talking with me about characters, changing up the trope and tension
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Judy J. Johnson and I talk about her non-fiction/fiction book, Thief of Reason. Judy is a Professor Emerita, Psychology Department of Mount Royal University, Calgary, AB. Her M.Sc. and Ph.D. theses, and her post doc fellowship at the Ellis Institute in NYC, explored the biological, social, and psychological forces that shaped the 13 characteristics of dogmatism’s rigid profile. Her non-fiction book What’s So Wrong With Being Right: The Dangerous Nature of Dogmatic Belief, and her novel, Thief of Reason, focus on dogmatism. She has taught psychology courses to university students, inmates in 2 correctional institutions and indigenous women on the Sarcee Reserve. In the summers of 1990 and 1991, she also taught students in Gaza, Israel during the intifada. She has given numerous presentations on dogmatism to academics in Canadian and international universities including Cambridge, and she is a recipient of Mount Royal University’s Distinguished Teaching Award.
We had a good discussion about dogmatism and recognizing the three types of dogmatism in individuals and how to deal with dogmatic people.
DogmatismCA
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Cindy Buckshon's art has been shown in numerous art exhibitions. She obtained her BFA in Visual Arts at the University of Victoria. Her final project for the honours program was a series of paintings of Vancouver's trolley buses. She is also a graphic designer and author. In 2019 Cindy wrote Liar, Liar, Gown on Fire, a memoir about her lifelong struggle with mental illnesses, specifically bipolar disorder and factitious disorder, commonly known as Munchausen syndrome. Liar, Liar, Gown on Fire is so well written, you'll feel you're riding the buses with Cindy, a pastime that provided Cindy with much-needed peace, and ultimately long-lasting friendships. You witness Cindy's turmoil and hope she can pull through the difficult times, and you rejoice her successes.
Thank you Cindy for coming on the podcast and bringing awareness to mental illness.
About – Cindy Buckshon Creative
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Susan Jane Wright studied anthropology and architecture before settling on law. She worked as a litigator before moving in–house. Her career has taken her from the boardrooms of Calgary to the streets of Beijing. Susan writes legal thrillers. Box of Secrets is her debut novel and the first in the Evie Valentine mystery series. It was a finalist in the 2021 Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence for Best Unpublished Manuscript.
When she’s not writing Susan’s travelling with her husband and two daughters. Her favourite vacation was a trip from Prague to London on the Orient Express.
Susan is celebrating the virtual launch of Box of Secrets. Listeners can register for the launch through Owls Nest Books through this link
https://susanjanewright.ca
Susan Jane Wright (@susanjjwright) • Instagram photos and videos
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Alice Bienia has a passion for nature, photography, motorcycles, and coffee. She went to university and emerged with a Bachelor of Science in geology. Her work in remote regions of Canada honed her insatiable curiosity, fuelled her imagination and deepened her desire to learn. She writes full time. She approaches her creativity, imagination with the all important, ‘head down, butt in chair,’ skill she’s acquired along the way to creating challenging crimes. The author of Knight Blind, Knight Trials and her recently released Three Dog Knight, Alice Bienia joins the panel in the dressing room to talk about humour. Alice Bienia – Crime Writer
C.J. Papoutsis lives in a crooked old building on a crooked old street near the sea in Victoria, B.C. where she stares out the window waiting for brilliant stories and poems to smack her on the head. Writing is Carolanne’s lifelong passion. From the time she was five, she made little books from cut-up paper and scribbled on the pages. Despite being captive in Civil Service for 35 years and a cancer skirmish, she has kept on writing “because it’s more fun than therapy.” She also designs and makes jewellery. Her essays, short stories, mysteries and poetry have been published in Monday Magazine, Senior Living Magazine and two anthologies; Dropped Threads 2, Blood on the Holly, and on Stories Less Spoken, and Commuterlit.com.
Erik D'Souza is the author of Death in Halfmoon Bay, a Suzanne Rickson mystery. Erik's first book, Straight Men in Gay Bars sold internationally. His novella and short stories have been published in various literary magazines, both in print and online. Like all authors, Erik has many stories to tell. We talk about how important pacing is when it comes to writing humour. Learn about Erik's publishing company Timbercrest Publishing and how it has helped authors reach their publishing dreams. https://timbercrestpublishing.com/ and
http://erikdsouza.com/
Photo taken by Photo by Srinivas Bandari on Unsplash
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Do you know what a mud angel is? You'll find out with this episode's multi-talented author, Jule Selbo.
Jule spent 20+ years working as a screenwriter at major film studios in Los Angeles, including working for industry giant George Lucas on The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. Other shows Jule worked on were HBO’s Women Behind Bars, George Romero’s Tales from the Darkside and Monsters, and Aaron Spelling’s Melrose Place. Portland, Maine, Jule calls home, and this multi-published author, playwright, screenwriter, producer and professor, joined me on the podcast and we talked about using screenwriting techniques to plot a novel.
Jule’s short stories have been published in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. Jule shares what she learned about her heroine Dee Rommel in her debut novel, 10 Days. And I also learned that Jule has a clever shot on the pickle ball court.
Jule Selbo
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Children’s author Trevor Atkins and I had a blast in this episode. There's a lot of laughter and a GIVEAWAY, so listen closely. Trevor educated me on pirates and the extensive research he did crafting this exciting and intriguing children's novel. The Youtube portion of this podcast will be uploaded in a few days and listeners can see the many drawings and illustrations that Trevor makes reference to.
Trevor lives with his family on the west coast of Canada and has been working with words for much of his life, but he has only recently pursued historical fiction. A storyteller and role player of detailed characters, Trevor finds it natural to weave together many intertwining plot threads when writing.
The Day the Pirates Went Mad is a middle-grade historical fiction, set at the turn of the 18th century. Follow the adventures of orphanage runaway Emma Sharpe as she voyages to the West Indies aboard the New Adventure. This book is not only a children’s book, but also a great resource for teachers. Trevor has created a comprehensive website which includes a teacher’s guide, an author’s log and games.
There is one section near the end of the podcast when Trevor and I are talking about pirate games, and my internet was interrupted, but Trevor does explain if his pirate game is connected to his novel, The Day the Pirates Went Mad.
Now Available – The Day the Pirates Went Mad (emmasharpesadventures.com)
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The dressing room is taken over by Rudy, the rescue dog and Rudy's human. This time the interviewer, Joanna Vander Vlugt, is the interviewee. Susan Jane Wright, author of the soon-to-be-released novel, Box of Secrets, questions Joanna about the second novel in the Jade & Sage thriller series, Dealer's Child. What were the tough scenes? Why does Joanna insist on doing her own book covers? Is Jade, Joanna's alter ego? We also learn about the new characters that came to life on the pages of Dealer's Child. Joanna mentions Bill Morrison, the author of Lions in the Grass, Gordon Mott, the author of Lithuanian Lullaby and author Debra Purdy Kong.
www.joannavandervlugt.com
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Debra Purdy Kong has 40 years of writing experience. A former criminology student, Debra draws upon life experiences, including her security work, to plot her novels. She has two series, the Alex Bellamy series and the Casey Holland series. A prolific author, we talk about writing (of course), language, characters aging and does that impact their dialogue. As well as over-cooked brussels sprouts!
Mystery Author, DEBRA PURDY KONG - Home
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Gordon Mott is the author of the historical fiction novels, Lithuanian Lullaby and The Angels of Klaipeda. He has lived and worked in the UK, Australia, Canada and Lithuania. With a degree in politics from Trent University in Peterborough, Canada, he holds an interest in East European development and has taught and travelled extensively in the region. We had a good discussion about the writing of his first novel, Lithuanian Lullaby, an epic historical fiction novel which is also a love story. The novel highlights western and eastern cultures between 1987 and 1997 following Lithuania's Independence and has been number one on Amazon in Canada and the U.S.
Gordon has been interviewed extensively overseas, and his novel has been featured in numerous publications worldwide. I was honoured to be his first Canadian interview.
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Have you heard the JAWS-approach of storytelling? Josh talks about using the JAWS-approach when it came to writing his short story The Stork, which is not only story, but also poem, which Josh also illustrated. Author, illustrator, creative, Josh and I discuss what success means to us, writing fiction that has weight, and sharing experiences through writing and art. Which came first? Art or writing?
Illustrator | Josh Kully | British Columbia
Josh (@joshkully) • Instagram photos and videos
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Stella Harvey is a multi-published author, the Creative Director behind the Whistler Writers Festival, and a mentor in the Writer's Studio at SFU. She has a wealth of insight and writing experience, and she is not afraid to take risks. Born in Cairo, and having lived in Rome and Calgary, she now calls Whistler home. This beautiful mountainside location is where she found her writing community and where her writing career took off. A simple advertisement in the local paper started a writing group which bloomed into the Whistler Writers Festival. We had a great discussion about writing, taking chances, Canadian poet and novelist Andreas Schroeder staying in her home, and Ernest Hemingway's connection to Canada. And, Happy 50th episode JCVArtStudio from the Dressing Room.
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Penni Jones’s website is titled, Scapegoats and Sacred Cows, and under that title is written This is my existential crises, get your own. She has a sharp, refreshing voice. Penni is also an editor, screenwriter & t-shirt wearer. Her novels are Suicide Souls, Kricket and On the Bricks. Penni and I talked about writing, imaginations and how in her dedication she writes about the grief following suicide. As we talked about Suicide Souls, we agreed that her novel has many layers, it's part thriller, part mystery and has humour. As much as this is a work of fiction, Penni respectfully writes about the topic of suicide. We have a good conversation including her inspiration behind some of her scenes. Would you believe the Detroit airport? And ghosts. Scapegoats and Sacred Cows – This is my existential crisis. Get your own.
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Kemeasha Brown is a children's author, who, after flight delays, touched down in New York City and joined me on the podcast. Kemeasha's children's book, "It's Ok to Not Be Ok," is a doorway for parents and children to discuss mental health. Her book is enjoyed by all ages and is receiving accolades from all over. Kemeasha's "attitude of gratitude" comes through in our discussion. Kemeasha explains the inspiration for her book, including the book cover and illustrations. Our discussion levered into issues affecting us all. Kemeasha knew the timing of her book was just right when she saw Japanese professional tennis player, Naomi Osaka, on the cover of time with the caption "It's Ok to Not Be Ok." After listening to this podcast, you'll come away feeling inspired. "What act of kindness have you done today?"
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Sue Stoney has authored textbooks. She has sewn for as long as she can remember. She creates her own dyes and dyes her own wool, silk and other fabrics, as well as producing her own patterns. Zero waste. When she’s not scouring linen with soda ash to prepare it for dying with onion skins, Sue is blogging or zigzagging around Australia discovering all sorts of public art. Sue joins me on the podcast and we talk about zero waste as well as kick around the idea of Sue writing a fictional novel. fadanista – For indulging my fads
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Ashley Good is an author, podcaster and indie filmmaker. She joins me on the podcast and we discuss everything from her YA novel, Mary & the Alien, filmmaking, and being the creative behind the Foggy Isle Film Festival. We discover we are both fans of The Umbrella Academy, and we agree that creative expression is not about following the rules but creating and putting your creation out there, be it novel or film.
Ashley Good
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Six amazing authors join me in the dressing room and we talk about their short stories in the Moonlight and Misadventure anthology, which is the third short story anthology from Judy Penz Sheluk’s Superior Shores Press. Award-winning short story authors from the US and Canada are featured in this anthology, as well as talented new authors, who are breaking into Canada's mystery writing scene with their unique voices. These individual stories flow so nicely together. They are notes in a phrase of music. And to tap into your moonlight theme, when I read the stories of these authors, I thought of Claude Debussy’s Clair de Lune. This anthology was a pleasure to read.
Susan Daly - Joie de Livre
Judy Penz Sheluk | One Writer's Journey
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Edgy, different and a nameless protagonist. Candas Jane Dorsey's writing style defies convention. As I said to Candas during our interview, she's in the driver's seat of a Bugatti and she's just told me to "buckle up." Candas is a prolific internationally known award-winning author. In 2005 she was awarded the Province of Alberta Centennial Gold Medal for her artistic achievement and community work, and in 2017 the WGA Golden Pen Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Literary Arts. In 2019 she was inducted into the City of Edmonton's Arts and Cultural Hall of Fame. Candas and I share favorite story lines and discuss her nameless protagonist in her book The Adventures of Isabel, the first in her Epitome Apartments Mystery series.
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"What are you that Random House is not?" "Be nimble. Be quick." Today, I have award-winning author and consultant, Bill Morrison on the podcast. Bill is the author of Lions in the Grass, a #1 Amazon Bestseller as well as the 2020 Canadian Book Club Award winner in the 2020 Business/Self-Help category. He has appeared on the CTV Morning Show talking about “the tricks of professional persuaders” and is a consultant in the field of emotional positioning and consumer behaviour. He has spent the last 25 years uncovering the elements of influence and persuasion that impact human motivation. After two decades of unprecedented success in condominium tower marketing, he now consults with corporations, brands and individuals on how to emotionally connect their audience with their offerings.
In the beginning of the podcast you will hear about Bill's 2 book giveaway. The first two listeners to email me the correct answer to the question: What is the title of the "great great book" written by Sun Tzu that Bill refers to in the podcast? will win a free copy of Bill's book Lions in the Grass.
Bill Morrison Author of Lions in the Grass (morrisonwrites.com)
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Today I'm excited to share my discussion with creative Teoni Spathelfer. Because the recording is a little difficult to hear in some sections, we had horrible weather during the recording, I wanted to note the names mentioned. Teoni shared the sound effects of the waves for her documentary, Teoni's Dream, with Elder Gilbert Joe. Teoni mentions Chief Dr. Robert Joseph, who is part of Reconciliation Canada. Heritage House is the publisher of Little Wolf, which we discuss on today's podcast.
Teoni's Dream can be listened to at the 4:40 mark here February 26, 2010 - Part 1 | CBC.ca. Teoni felt her ancestors were bringing her a message through her dreams. Little Wolf is the first in a trilogy, and it tackles topics such as racism, isolation and overcoming challenges. The second book in this trilogy is White Raven. Teoni blends three generations of women to create her character, Little Wolf. A beautiful children's book which is appropriate for children and adults. Tune in and learn about Fire Woman who came to Teoni in her dreams.
Teoni Spathelfer | Facebook
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Lauren was a registered nurse and mom at an early age. She didn't anticipate after her first child, she would suffer from post-partum depression. With the love of her family and help from her physician, she slowly started to feel better and emerged from those dark days and found her calling as a Scroll Saw Artist. She now chases her dreams one project at a time in her garage. Lauren's business Wild Wood Creative is thriving. I was able to get this Scroll Saw Artist to stop by for a quick discussion about her journey and art. Www.wildwood-creative.com
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Hannah Mary McKinnon was born in the UK. She grew up in Switzerland and now lives in Canada with her husband and three sons. Before moving to Canada, she had completed commercial studies in Geneva and worked as a PA for DuPont. Later she moved to Neuchatel and became the Purchasing Manager for a high-tech company. Hannah is the author of numerous essays and pieces. Her fifth novel, You Will Remember Me is in stores now, and it's receiving great reviews. On Friday, May 28, it was on the Globe and Mail’s list of “riveting thriller novels to start summer off with a bang.” They also tweeted that, “McKinnon is a writer to remember.” Hanna and I discuss using “sweet” similes to describe a voice, how Hanna went from writing a rom-com to suspense, writing in multiple first-person points-of-view, and breaking rules to produce the best novel possible.
https://hannahmarymckinnon.com/
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"Three years of hoping and dreaming and praying and begging. Three years of anticipation and disappointment hang here in this room."
Lila Harrison King has been on her own motherhood journey. She is a writer, and a podcaster, who wanted to reach out to mothers all over the world. She created a beautiful, one of a kind keepsake book, Love Like a Mama. This book is for moms in any stage of motherhood. Its daily dose of encouragement reminds us that being a mom comes in all shapes and stories. There isn't a right way to mother. Just a loving way. Her hardcover book is filled with daily encouraging thoughts, wide margins for doodles, and a journaling section. Lila joins me on the podcast and we share stories of motherhood, not wanting to disappoint our children, wishing we could offer more, lots of laughs and love. You'll feel like you've had a virtual hug. Lila's podcast, Love Like a Mama can be heard on any listening platform.
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Brian Richmond, a U.K. promoter of indie authors, and I have a virtual coffee and catch up on what's new on his website Home (bluedevilbooks.com), and what's new in my life as an indie author and podcaster. We discuss traditional publishers and how today's indie author is learning to do everything, including book trailers in particular, my book trailer of The Unravelling. Brian and I share our proudest moments, the pros and cons of social media, and learning about marketing. I recap about some of the authors I've had on the podcast from Canada and abroad, and Brian and I agree, location has nothing to do with a good book. Erase the borders and it all comes down to good storytelling.
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Ana Warner's two novels, The Soul Contract and The Soul Union are fictional stories to teach about the important lessons about love. Ana was born in Bucharest, Romania. In her early years she was raised in West Africa and immigrated to Saskatchewan as a teenager, where she received a Bachelor of Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan. Ana began writing poetry, short stories and lyrics to music at the age of eleven. As she grew older, her quest to understand who people are and why they behave the way they do lead her to educate herself in Astrology. We have a good conversation about self-respect, toxic reality and expectations in a relationships. I also learn about the twin-flames journey.
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Benny Sims is a fan of Lee Child's, Jack Reacher series. He's worked with the aerospace industry making windows for the President's Air Force One. Benny has always liked storytelling. He can trace that fondness to reading Jack London’s The Call of the Wild when he was in second grade and listening to his great uncle tell war stories from his time as an artillery cannoneer in North Africa and Italy during WW II.
Benny was born and grew up in middle Tennessee, but his family moved to Benton, Illinois. It was there that his teachers noticed his aptitude for writing and encouraged him to pursue it. He attended college at Murray State University in Kentucky where he studied journalism. After college, he landed a job as sports writer and editor with a small newspaper near his hometown.
Benny and I have a great conversation. We talk about his really good prologue which didn't make it into the book and why (YouTube link below), as well as Lee Child's writing style of two steps forward and one step back. I learned about the Fairness Doctrine. Have you heard of a pitch party on Twitter? You will today. And Benny surprised me when I found out when he wrote Code Gray, his debut novel. Benny writes like a seasoned author with multiple novels under his belt.
Prologue for CODE GRAY Book Reading with Author Benny Sims - YouTube
Code Gray Book Trailer - YouTube
Benny Sims, Author | Books | Series | Interview | Deals | Newsletter | Contact | Site | AllAuthor
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"When the rubber meets the road," Elgon Williams. It was a trip down memory lane talking with Elgon Williams about his novel, Becoming Thuperman, the first in his Thuperman series. His middle-grade reader novel takes the reader to simpler times, in fact 1988, through the eyes of Will, his 8-year old protagonist. I enjoyed interviewing Elgon as I virtually jumped across the border to Las Vegas to chat with this Science Fiction, Fantasy and Mystery author. Elgon was born and raised in Springfield, Ohio. He grew up on a farm in southeastern Clark County near the town of South Charleston. He’s a graduate of Purdue University, The University of Texas, and the Defense Language Institute. We talked books, piano, karate, life choices and even a little about the Vietnam War.
https://elgonwilliams.com/
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Multi-published author and Ellery Queen author, K.L. Abrahamson is in the dressing room. On Karen’s website, the visitor is greeted with these words, “Writing at the dangerous ends of the earth; The various incarnations of Karen L. Abrahamson.” Karen writes, mystery, fantasy, and romance. She is also a prolific short story author and her stories have appeared in numerous anthologies. Karen has worked as a special constable, a correctional officer, a probation officer and ESL instructor. She has travelled to East and West Africa, Burma, China, Northern India, and Peru. We talk about stepping out onto the ledge when writing, real camping, and her thrilling and breath-taking novel, Through Dark Water. We had a great discussion even after being podcast-bombed by Shiva and Ozzy.
Writing at the dangerous ends of the earth – The various Incarnations of Author Karen L. Abrahamson (karenlabrahamson.com)
Karen L. Abrahamson | Facebook
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Alisha Sevigny is an author of Young Adult, Middle Grade and Children’s Books. She is a literary consultant for those seeking assistance in writing and publishing their novel. She holds a degree in Professional Writing and Sociology from the University of Victoria, is a film school graduate, former literary agent and yoga teacher. She is passionate about Ancient Civilizations and her new middle-grade series Secrets of the Sands launched in 2020 with The Lost Scroll of the Physician and is followed by The Desert Prince. No matter what your age, this is a thrilling series for any lover of Ancient Egypt, mystery and adventure.
Alisha Sevigny alisha sevigny (@alishasevigny) / Twitter (2) Alisha Sevigny, Author | Facebook
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Vanessa Åsell Tsuruga leads the Digital and Content portfolio, weaving in the contractual sponsorship assets from the sports and entertainment properties in the Rakuten portfolio. Prior to Rakuten, she worked for ASICS in Sponsorship Activation, Sports Marketing, and PR roles at the Global Headquarter (Kobe, Japan) and Scandinavian office in Stockholm, Sweden. She also worked as a Tokyo based BBC World Service freelance reporter. Vanessa holds a Master’s Degree in "Olympic Studies, Olympic Education, Organization and Management of Olympic Events" from the International Olympic Academy and a BA Journalism from City University, London. She has run 6 marathons.
Vanessa is also an author. She published her debut novel in Swedish on International Women’s Day 2020, and had it translated into English. Forget-me-not Forever is available on Kobo as an eBook. Join Vanessa and I as we talk about translations, Frankensteining-sections of text, using the New York marathon as a metaphor for life and why Vanessa is constantly receiving pancake emojis.
Vanessa Åsell Tsuruga - Senior Manager | Global Sports Digital Strategy - Rakuten | LinkedIn Vanessa Åsell Tsuruga | Facebook
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International Amazon Bestselling author, S.M. (Shoshona) Freedman, joins me in the dressing room. Her debut novel The Faithful was selected by Suspense Magazine as a "Best Debut of 2015." The sequel, Impact Winter, was published in 2016. Shoshona and I talk about writing what we fear, nightmares, keeping the intensity and keeping the story human. Shoshona acknowledges "working" to write the perfect narrative paragraph, and she jokes about the original title for her standalone thriller The Day She Died, a novel I could not put down. We delve into Judaism and Catholicism.
Shoshona is currently working on the third and final instalment in The Faithful Series. Her standalone psychological thriller novel, The Day She Died, published by Dundurn Press, is being released April 27. Signed copies of The Day She Died is available through Book Warehouse. Shoshona is a proud member of the Sisters in Crime, Crime Writers of Canada, International Thriller Writers, and Mystery Writers of America. At my urging, Shoshona shares what it was like to watch the sun set on a rooftop in New York City during Thrillerfest. S.M.F (smfreedman.com)
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Crime Wave is the Canada West anthology published by the Sisters in Crime - CW chapter. It features K.L. Abrahamson, J.E. Barnard, Alice Bienia, Marcelle Dubè, Debra Henry, Winona Kent, Charlotte Morganti and Merrilee Robson. Melodie Campbell writes the Foreword in this collection explaining why crime has always been a woman's genre, and each of these talented authors joins me in the dressing room. I learned a lot such as retro-fitting a story, skiing 10 kilometres in -20 degrees in the Yukon, working from a 3-act structure, the snowflake method of plotting and there's even some Shakespeare. As much as these authors are dedicated and serious about their craft, they are also incredibly funny. Thank you Sisters in Crime - CW for joining me in the dressing room. We have to do this again in person. Cheers.
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As a child Judy Toews published the neighbourhood news at $0.25 a pop, then she was the editor of two school newspapers. Her first novel, Give Out Creek, was a finalist for the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Unpublished Crime Novel and the 2019 Lefty Award for Best Debut Mystery novel. Her protagonist, Stella Mosconi, is a newspaper reporter, and we discuss Judy's second novel in the Stella Mosconi series, Lucky Jack Road.
Judy used to work as a nutritionist. She has a love for science and forensic work. Judy shares a few good resources, such as Howdunit Forensics: A Guide for Writers, written by D.P. Lyle. To learn more about Judy check out her website https://www.jgtoews.com
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"Play with words." Editor Jennifer Kaddoura is an artist who has found her perfect creative space. Her devotion to critical thinking, creative writing and empathy is obvious in her editing approach. Jennifer is intensely curious about insights gained through lived experience and finds joy in helping her clients achieve their publishing goals. She encourages her clients to courageously share their insights, helping them to present their vision clearly and, often, compellingly. “What matters in this complex and crowded world is the authenticity and clarity of your voice — freeze-framing your kaleidoscope so that others may benefit from your insights.” She has extensive experience in both customer service and editing. She began her career at an innovative, fast-growing software company. Her client service skills and commitment to meeting every deadline propelled her into positions requiring steadfast dependability. She became the primary relationship contact for numerous large companies in both Canada and the US, as well as the primary contact for white-glove executive services across all clients. When the company sought to better their education materials, her talents in clear communication and document design were put to use in the position of comprehensive editor. She has since moved to Victoria, B.C., where she is employed as a Legislative Editor for the B.C. Attorney General Ministry. Additional Victoria editing experiences include Senior Editor at Hansard Services, with the Legislative Assembly of B.C., as well as editing various projects through her freelance platform — historical fiction, creative non-fiction, online material, professional content for small businesses and local-area artists and academic theses (Master's level), with projects in Canadian and American English.
Jennifer Kaddoura Editorial Services (editmebrilliant.com)
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Andre Gress is the author of Boone and Jacque Saddleton's Secret, the first novel in his urban fantasy series. In this novel readers are introduced to the great friendship between Boone and Jacque as they discover there's more going on in Saddleton. Why do the teachers only teach history from grades to 3 to 5? Who is Shammy, the girl who, "smells like cotton candy and cookies," and should Boone and Jacque join the Saddleton Truth Seekers? Andre discusses drawing upon real life events to shape Boone and Jacque's journey and the underlying themes.
Andre is writing book 3 and when he's not involved with Boone and Jacque's adventures, he writes poetry.
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Jenn Ashton considered herself a writer at age 6 and she was first published at age 14. She writes in many genres and forms from children's books, newspaper editorials, music magazine columns to training materials and literary fiction. In 2015 she began working as a virtual artist in North Vancouver. Her work has the nuances of Picasso. In 2020 she was long listed for the Kanturk Arts Festivals' Flash Fiction, in 2019 she was the recipient of the Muriel's Journey Prize for Poetry as well as the Jericho Writer's Flash Contest. She searched for her First Nation's family history. Her fiction novel, People Like Frank: And Other Stories from the Edge of Normal, will have you laughing and reflecting, as you follow the stories of life's real heroes--the people on the edge.
Author Jenn Ashton (jenniferashton.ca)
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Helen Garlick joins me from the UK. We talk about her memoir, No Place to Lie. Helen and I discuss the circumstances surrounding her brother's suicide, the importance of conversation and having no secrets, expressing and showing love. Despite our serious conversation we also share light moments and special memories, including when Helen met Princess Diana. Hello! It's better to talk - YouTube
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Point of view such as 3rd person fixed, back stories for all characters, creating tension in a cozy, check out today's podcast with multi-published author Erik D'Souza as we discuss his latest novel Death in Halfmoon Bay, a Suzanne Rickson mystery. Erik's first book, Straight Men in Gay Bars sold internationally. His novella and short stories have been published in various literary magazines, both in print and online. Like all authors, Erik has many stories to tell. We talk about the characters in Death in Halfmoon Bay, finding humour at the kitchen table and paying homage to writing greats Agatha Christie and L.R. Wright. Learn which Canadian authors are Erik's favourite, 3 out of 4 who have stopped in the dressing room. Get the scoop on his publishing company Timbercrest Publishing and how it has helped authors reach their publishing dreams. As well as, find out what everyone keeps asking Erik to write about.
https://timbercrestpublishing.com/ and http://erikdsouza.com/
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Mystery, plotting and poetry. Brenda Chapman is the author of over twenty published novels, and that’s not including short stories. She has written the lauded Stonechild and Rouleau police procedural series, the PI Anna Sweet mystery novellas and the Jennifer Bannon mysteries for middle grade readers. Her work has been shortlisted for several awards including 4 Arthur Ellis awards. We talk about her latest novel, Closing Time, as well as Elmore Leonard, Ann Gorman and Bob Dylan.
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Barbara Fradkin's latest Amanda Doucette novel is being launched January 28, 2021, and you have an invite to her free launch. Listen to our informative podcast and how Barbara is paying homage to Canada and its beautiful scenery through her writing. Learn about a braided story and how each chapter should have conflict. And, MacKenzie and Ozzy did not steal the show, although they tried. Grad a coffee, tea or glass of wine and enjoy writing wisdom from Barbara. Barbara Fradkin - Home
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Your purse is made out of wine cork. Join me in a fun conversation with my sister, Linda Maki, the entrepreneur behind the shop Lanyos Handmade and the writer of the sewing blog Nice Dress! Thanks I Made It. Linda’s journey started in her teens with a blue sewing machine and a pair of pink pants. As an adult, to satisfy her purse habit, she started creating her own purses. Linda’s philanthropy includes making masks, the proceeds of which are donated to the ALS.
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Lou Who? Louise Johnson is the author of Lou Who? a memoir of self discovery, as well as the blogger of the popular blog Divorced and Dating at 30 Blog - Author Louise Johnson (louisejohnsonauthor.com). In 2013 Lou saved herself from a destructive marriage, and with a one-way ticket in her hand, she left behind her old life in Edinburgh, Scotland and started a new life in Vancouver, British Columbia. Her memoir reflects her honest and raw journey of self discovery.
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This entrepreneur has been in the top 5 for the BC Business Awards. She has written her own memoir, a beautiful love story. She has met with Hollywood execs to get her memoir optioned into a movie. Writers who have self-published with her have seen their books optioned. Her self-published authors have been written about in U.S. trade magazines. She has been featured on Global TV as well as in “I Like Her Style” Magazine and the cover of North Van Run magazine. The CEO behind The Self-Publishing Agency, Megan Williams, is on today's podcast.
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Tarneet Kaur is an abstract artist from Ontario. She has been featured by Art Feature Magazine and World Art by Ecoreal. Her use of bright colours in her abstract pieces are beautiful. Her art is available on coasters, pillowcases and prints which can all be purchased through her Etsy shop Soul Art One.
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Alice Bienia is the author behind the Jorja Knight mystery series. Her debut novel was a 2016 Arthur Ellis Award finalist for unpublished crime novel. Alice's writing is clear and fast-paced. You'll find yourself staying up late to read "one more chapter," and then laughing out loud with her humour. Alice is a member of the Sisters of Crime. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in geology. Website:
http://www.alicebienia.com
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A talk with the Chair of the Crime Writers of Canada and multipublished author Judy Penz Sheluk about her mystery series, writing cozies, plotting, and hooking in the reader. Do you know what a holographic will is?
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Tara Moss, human rights activist and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador talks about her latest book, The War Widow, a gripping novel set just after WW II. Discover Tara's latest heroine, P.I., Billie Walker, a fierce feminist heroine. As well, learn what Tara has endured for the sake of research.
https://www.taramoss.com/
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Laesa Faith Kim's novel, Can't Breathe, won the 2020 Whistler Writer's Independent book award. Laesa's writing is honest and raw. You will reach for tissues and laugh out loud, as you read her story about raising her beautiful little daughter, and the challenges involved . A story that renew one's faith in humanity.
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With his debut novel, The Amsterdam Deception, Tony Ollivier takes readers on a dangerous adventure through the streets of Paris and Amsterdam with hero David Knight battling not only his memories, but the memories of a dead spy. Tune in to learn about Tony's writing process and the rockstars of writing.
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How do you make the perfect espresso? What should you do to your pasta for good luck? Tune in to listen to Mamma Marzia as she talks about leaving Italy and coming to Canada, and the love and stories behind each recipe in her cookbook.
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Seamus Heffernan says, "...if you want a fun story..." join Seamus and I as we talk about writing expectations, balancing fatherhood with writing a novel, and the highs and lows of being an author. Seamus Heffernan
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Tune in for part 2 as Dave talks about the 3 "p's" in writing, hearing his first night hunt and sharing many insights in the writer's journey. The Author – Dave Butler Writing
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Learn about the new mystery genre gaining momentum involving a new type of heroine. Tune in for Part 1 of this fun and engaging interview with award-winning and multi-published author, Dave Butler. The Author – Dave Butler Writing
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This is the episode every indie author needs to hear. Blue Devil Books in the U.K. wants to promote you. Brian Richmond joined me and explained the process and the desire to support indie authors from around the world. Check it out. Home (bluedevilbooks.com)
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Using her own novel, The Unravelling, as an example, Joanna provides listeners with tips of what to include in your scene. Tune in for updates and announcements.
www.joannavandervlugt.com
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Be entertained by Joanna's and Rachel's intimate, lighthearted and reflective art conversation across the Canadian/US border.
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The Falls is more than a mystery series. It takes on issues such as PTSD and M.A.I.D. Listen to this intimate discussion with Jayne Barnard as she talks about drawing upon personal experiences to bring these issues to light. Author Talk (jaynebarnard.ca)
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A fun heartfelt interview with author Winona Kent, discussing everything from book covers, a G-String, writing, publishing, characters and locations. Winona Kent
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Joanna takes listeners on her journey independently publishing her novel after not writing for 20 years to the valuable lesson she learned about having the right book cover.
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This episode is how you end a season!
Craig Colby is an executive producer, writer and director, and his productions have appeared on Discovery, ESPN+, TSN, BBC, CTV, and Netflix to name a few. Craig talks about the connections, trauma, and new beginnings behind each cap from the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Pittsburgh Steelers in his memoir, All Caps. https://www.colbyvision.net/craigcolby
Katelyn E. Kenealy is the winner of numerous awards, including Woman of Achievement 2022, Young Professional of the Year 2021, Brainz Magazine 500 Global List, and Woman of Vision and Courage. Katelyn aims to break the stigma surrounding mental illness in her workbook, Healing is Messy AF. https://www.kenealycounseling.com/
Jane Enright is an inspiring and humorous thought leader. Her book Butter Side Up is the winner of the Living Now Book Awards and a finalist in the Eric Hoffer Award. This award-winning Canadian author, speaker, university lecture and founder of My Super Awesome Life, Jane discusses the resilience, joy, creating new beginnings, and keeping the tank full in her book, Butter Side Up. https://www.janeenrightauthor.com/
Sara Desai is a multi-published romance author. She has been a been a lawyer, radio DJ, marathon runner, historian, bouncer and librarian. She wrote her first novel when she was three years old. Sara’s diverse romantic comedy books have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, People, Oprah Magazine, Marie Claire, Pop Sugar, Bustle, Buzzfeed, Booklist, Hello Giggles, Publishers’ Weekly, Kirkus, Library Journal, Frolic, USA Today, Woman’s World, and Hello! Canada. Today we talked about her latest romance novel, To Have and To Heist.
Martha Anne Toll is the author of the novel, Three Muses, (her debut novel) which was shortlisted for the Gotham Book Prize and won the Petrichor Prize for Finely Crafted Fiction. It has received glowing reviews from the Washington Post, Vulture, Kirkus Starred Review, and many more.
Martha is a book reviewer and author interviewer at NPR Books, the Washington Post, Pointe Magazine, The Millions, and elsewhere. She brings a long career in social justice to her work covering writers of color and women writers. Martha also publishes short fiction and essays. In 2021, she was excited to be nominated for a Pushcart Prize for her short story “The Gigolo.” Her short fiction has also appeared in Catapult, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, eMerge, Slush Pile Magazine, Yale's Letters Journal, Poetica E Magazine, and elsewhere.
A graduate of Yale University and and Boston University School of Law, Martha has recently joined the Board of Directors of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation. Today we talk about her beautifully written novel Three Muses.
https://www.marthaannetoll.com/
W.L. Hawkin, writes “edgy urban fantasy with a twist of murder” from Vancouver Island, B.C. Her novels—To Charm a Killer, To Sleep with Stones, To Render a Raven, and To Kill a King each stand alone but form the Hollystone Mysteries series. This coven of West Coast witches, and their eccentric friends, solve murders using ritual magic and a little help from the gods.
Although she’s an introvert, in each book her characters go on a journey where Hawkin’s travelled herself. She researches all her locales (Ireland, Scotland, the B.C. Coast) to soak up the sensory landscape. In 2017, she climbed Croghan Hill in Ireland to survey the land her king would rule in To Kill a King, a romantic time-travel thriller set in Iron Age Ireland.
A seeker and mystic, fascinated by language, archaeology, and mythology, Hawkin graduated from Trent University, Ontario, and has post-bac diplomas from SFU in B.C. Her background in Indigenous Studies and Humanities informs her work. She found her voice publishing poetry and Native Rights articles in Canadian news magazines and is now an Indie author/publisher at Blue Haven Press. http://bluehavenpress.com. Today, we are going to learn about the bog body and Iron Age Ireland, mixed with intrigue and witchcraft.
Dr. Roger Leslie is a scholar in the fields of success and education. Through major literary houses, medium and small presses, and his own publishing house, Leslie has published fiction and nonfiction books in multiple genres: historical fiction, inspirational self-help, spirituality, writing and publishing, movie references, teaching and librarianship, biography, history, and a memoir. Roger has won numerous national awards including the ForeWord Book of the Year, The Ben Franklin Award, and Writer’s Digest’s #1 Inspirational Book of the Year. At its inaugural event, Roger received the Houston Literary Award for his body of work. Roger is in demand as a teacher, coach, and keynote speaker. He leads FLY (First Last Year) courses based on his blockbuster memoir, My First Last Year. He draws from decades as an author, editor, and in response to a spiritual dream, Roger lived a year as if it were his last. Today, Roger and I talked about his latest book, Light Come Out of the Closet, Memoir of a Gay Soul. https://rogerleslie.com/
Multi-published author, Yvonne Maximchuk is with me in the studio. Many readers are familiar with Yvonne's paintings, pottery and books. Yvonne is an artist of the Broughton Archipelago, where her new novel, Murder Rides A Gale Force Wind; an Island Mystery, is situated.
Throughout the eight years of writing this book, Yvonne drew on the complex and rich beauty of her home environment, the Broughton Archipelago and used it as the framework on which to hang the story. Tales from neighbour Bill Proctor, plus thirty-six years of small-town life provided plenty of material to set the story in the small coastal community of Echo Bay. The author weaves the past into the present, along with the various social, political and personal issues that demand everyone’s attention, and of course, a mysterious death.
https://www.yvonnemaximchuk.com
https://www.amazon.ca/Yvonne-Maximchuk/e/B00JAM5TL4%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share
Kelly Shuto and D.F. Wibley were the 2022 Canadian Book Club Award Winners. They are the first two authors to kick off my summer series as Official Podcast Host for the 2022 Canadian Book Club Award winners. I've included the link if you want to find more information about the Canadian Book Club Awards, presented by the Self Publishing Agency .
Kelly Shuto is a kindergarten and grade one teacher on the West Coast of British Columbia, Canada. She has two boys who are active in sports and a cat who is active in sleeping. She loves exploring nature, spending time with friends and family, and morning walks with a coffee. Kelly values big smiles and a good belly laugh. We talk about her award-winning book, What Does It Mean to Be Your Best.
She is passionate about helping children to recognize their self worth, their own bravery and their individual accomplishments by celebrating all successes. One of her favourite ways to share messages with her students is through thought provoking picture books that allow for meaningful connections and introspection. Her goal is to help the children she works with to leave each school day feeling happier and more confident then when they entered the classroom that morning...and, of course, to make them laugh.
https://kellyshuto.ca/
Kelly Shuto on Amazon
D.F. Whibley was born and raised in Montreal, Canada, his career took him around the world several times. His award-winning book, One Arctic Night, is based off several experiences and observations he made while travelling the Canadian Arctic. D.F. Whibley describes village life in a Canadian Arctic town in a way you will feel like you are walking through the town with his characters. Having travelled the world for many years, he brings an in-depth point of view regarding social problems that cross all borders.
D.F. Wibley on Amazon
Ling Ge is a Pushcart nominee who studies creative writing and works as a statistician in Toronto. In her literary work, she uses a combination of Eastern and Western styles. Her work has appeared in the Spadina Literary Review, Ribbons, the Rising Phoenix Review, and the Wales Haiku Journal. Today, we talked about Ling’s writing life, her short story She Left as if She Never Came, which can be found online at Ricepaper Magazine. Ling wants to write about unrealized beauty, unrealized issues, and unrealized stories.
Podcast art provided by Ricepaper Magazine. Illustration by Anderson Lee.
Scott Overton was a well-known radio morning host for more than 30 years in Ontario, Canada. Scott has now built a second career as an author. His radio-themed debut novel Dead Air was shortlisted for a Northern Lit Award in 2012, and his science fiction/thriller novels The Primus Labyrinth, Naïda, and TheDispossession of Dylan Knox have been well-received too, with readers most often comparing them to the work of Michael Crichton.
Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo award-winning author says about Scott's latest novel, Augment Nation, “Scott Overton is a terrific writer and his vision of tomorrow is both realistic and frightening. Read this book!”Scott's a member of the Canadian Authors Association, SFCanada, and a past President of the Sudbury Writers Guild. Today, we talked about Augment Nation.
http://www.scottoverton.ca/
D. C. Gomez is an award winner, USA Today Best-selling Author, public speaker, mentor and podcaster. She writes in multiple genres from Urban Fantasy, Contemporary Lit, YA, Children’s Books, and even Devotionals. She has a quirky and at times dark sense of humor that can be seen across her different books.
When she is not creating new stories, D. C. is working on her podcast, Inside the Minds of Authors. The podcast features upcoming and popular authors with new episodes each Friday. These fun and inspiring conversations provide the listeners with an inside look at the creation process of books as well as the charisma of the authors.
D.C. has an undergraduate degree in Film and Television from NYU. After college, she joined the US Army, where she proudly served for four years. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New England, she now calls Texas her new adoptive home. On today's podcast we talked about Kickstarter, her proudest moment as an author, and of course, her latest novel, The Traitor.https://dcgomez-author.com/
Prolific author Hannah Mary McKinnon joins me today. Hannah was born in Manchester, UK to British & Swiss parents. Her family moved to Switzerland, and Hannah loved the mountains, chocolate, and cheese…or mountains of chocolate and cheese.
After completing commercial studies in Geneva, she worked as a PA for DuPont. A year later she moved to Neuchâtel and became the Purchasing Manager for a high-tech company that made motors for industrial and space applications. While working, she returned to university, studying part-time for a Bachelor of Science.
Hanna’s writing career began after her family moved to Oakville in Ontario, Canada in 2010. It is noted on her website that maybe it was the failed attempt at a start-up company, or an early mid-life crisis, but one morning she decided to follow her oldest passion, started writing, and she never looked back. Her first book was a romantic comedy, but then she switched to the dark side of suspense. Today, we talk about her latest thriller, The Revenge List.
https://hannahmarymckinnon.com/
Author Marian O’Shea Wernicke joins me today. She is the author of the stellar and beautiful novel, Out of Ireland. Marian was born and raised inan Irish Catholic family in St. Louis, Missouri. She is the author of the novel Toward That Which is Beautiful, a finalist in both Literary Fiction andRomance Fiction in the 2021 Independent Book Awards, and a finalist in Multicultural Fiction in the 2021 American Fiction Awards. The 2021 CatholicPress Association awarded the novel an Honorable Mention in Fiction.
A nun for 11 years, Marian worked in Lima, Peru, for 3 years. After leaving the convent, Marian taught English as a second language in Madrid, and later was a professor of English and creative writing at Pensacola State College for 25 years. Out of Ireland is available on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, and can be pre-ordered now.
https://www.marianosheawernicke.com/A shout out to the talented book designer, Mimi Bark for the beautiful book cover.
https://www.mimibark.com/
David A. Bowles is the fifth generation of his family to be born in Austin Texas. Both parents were from pioneer settlers. His great grandmother,Elnora Van Cleve was the first child born in Austin on April 14, 1841. His award-winning series, the Westward Sagas is based on her family and theirone-hundred-year journey from Pennsylvania to Texas. David and his dog Becka, enjoy Texas from October-May. When the last bluebonnet has lost its bloom, they pack up the RV and head for cooler weather telling and writing stories. Today, David talked with me about book 5 in Westward Saga series, Sheriff of Starr County.
https://www.davidabowlesauthor.com/
https://westwardsagas.com/david_bowles/
Danièle Cybulskie has been researching and writing about the Middle Ages for over a decade. She is the author of The Five-Minute Medievalistand is a featured writer at Medievalists.net. A former college professor and specialist in medieval literature and Renaissance drama, her work has beenpublished across international magazines, spanning topics from The Hundred Years’ War to Roman togas. Her mission is to make history fun, entertaining,and engaging, as well as to draw attention to our shared human nature across the centuries.
Today, we talked about her latest book, How to Live Like a Monk. Publishers Weekly gives the book great reviews, saying, “This beautifully illustrated self-help guide . . . reimagines monastic practices to help readers live with greater peace, simplicity and purpose.”
Danièle, thank you for a thought-provoking book and discussion.
https://www.danielecybulskie.com/
Amy Tector has spent more than 20 years plumbing the secrets squirrelled away in archives — whether it's uncovering a whale's ear (true story) in a box of oldphotographs, or working in The Hague for the United Nations' International Criminal Tribunal for War Crimes in the former Yugoslavia, she has been privyto hidden records and extraordinary secrets. Amy’s debut novel, THE HONEYBEE EMERALDS was published in spring 2022. Her second novel, THE FOULEST THINGS, is the first in a loose trilogy centered on murders and mayhem in the archives.
Amy has a PhD in English literature and lives in Ottawa with a daughter named Violet, a husband named Andrew and a dog named Daffodil. We also talked about Leonard Cohen and his song Who by Fire; having the first draft of a novel focusing on the story, then the characters; and of course her latest novel, Speak for the Dead. Thank you very much Amy for a great conversation.
https://www.amytector.com/https://amytector.substack.com/
Mark Everglade has spent his life studying social conflict. He runs the website www.markeverglade.com where he reviews cyberpunk media and interviews other great authors. He also runs Cyberpunk Day, October 10, each year with a group dedicated to bringing dystopian fiction to a new generation. His short stories have been featured beside legendary authors like Cory Doctorow, Walter Jon Williams, and Dr. Rudy Rucker. Today, we talked about his latest novel, Inertia, as well as music, the band Rush, and binary code. Mark also has a link to writing resources https://www.markeverglade.com/writersresources
Thank you Mark for a fascinating interview.
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN is the USA Today bestselling author of 14 psychological thrillers, winning the genre's most prestigious awards: five Agathas, five Anthonys, and the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award. She’s also an investigative reporter for Boston's WHDH-TV, winning 37 EMMYs. National book reviewers call her “a superb and gifted storyteller.” Her newest is the page-turning standalone THE HOUSE GUEST – a story of psychological manipulation exploring the dark heart of marriage and friendship—it’s Gaslight meets Thelma & Louise! Publishers Weekly says, “Ryan is a master of suspense!” and the Library Journal starred review calls it "Binge-worthy.”
https://hankphillippiryan.com/
https://hankphillippiryan.com/events/
https://www.facebook.com/HankPhillippiRyanAuthor
https://twitter.com/hankpryan
https://www.instagram.com/hankpryan/
Stephanie Ellis writes dark speculative prose and poetry and has been published in a variety of magazines and anthologies. Her longer work includes the novel, The Five Turns of the Wheel and the novellas, Bottled and Paused. Her short stories can be found in the collections, The Reckoning, and As the Wheel Turns.
Her poetry has been published in the HWA Poetry Showcase Volumes VI, VII and VII, as well as other publications. She has also co-written a collection of found poetry, Foundlings, with Cindy O’Quinn based on the work Alessandro Manzetti and Linda D. Addison. A gathering of her dark twists on traditional nursery rhymes can be found in the collection, One, Two, I See You. She is co-editor of Trembling With Fear, HorrorTree.com’s online magazine and also co-edited the Daughters of Darkness anthologies. She is an active member of the HWA (Horror Writers Association).
She lives in Wrexham, Wales, yes, that Wrexham where Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds purchased the football club, and she loves heavy metal music and poetry. Thank you Stephanie for a fun interview.
https://stephanieellis.org
https://twitter.com/el_stevie
https://facebook.com/stephanie.ellis.353
https://instagram.com/stephanieellis7963
Horror Tree site : https://horrortree.com
Joe Goldberg has been a CIA covert action officer, corporate intelligence director, international political consultant, and currently he is a college instructor and author.
His work at the CIA garnered 3 Exceptional Performance Awards. In the private sector, as leader of Corporate Intelligence at Motorola, Joe received the Meritorious Award recognizing a single individual who has made significant contributions to the intelligence profession. He has consulted on numerous international presidential, prime minister, and legislative elections. Joe is the best-selling Amazon author of two awarding-winning espionage novels, Secret Wars: An Espionage Story (2014), The Spy Devils (2021) and today I interviewed him about his latest novel, Rebellious Son.
We talked about everything from super secret things, to being a Pantzer, plotter, the avocado wars and cartels. Thank you Joe. I had a great time.
https://www.joegoldbergbooks.com/
https://twitter.com/JoeGoldbergBook
https://www.facebook.com/JoeGoldbergBooks
https://www.instagram.com/joegoldbergbooks/
E132 - Eileen Cook is a multi-published, award-winning author. Her novels have been published in nine languages and optioned for film and TV. She spent most of her teen years wishing she was someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer. She’s an instructor/mentor with The Creative Academy and Simon Fraser University Writer’s Studio Program, where she loves helping other writers find their unique story to tell. She was a keynote speaker at the Surrey International Writers' Conference, won the Battle of the Books competition and survived talking in front of a group of over 300 grade one through three students.
Eileen and I had a great talk about her novel, You Owe Me a Murder, and the just released writing resource, Build Better Settings - How To use Setting to Show Character Arc in Your Fiction, co-written with Crystal Hunt. Thank you Eileen for a fantastic interview.
https://eileencook.com/thrillers/
https://www.instagram.com/eileencookwriter/?next=%2Feileencookwriter%2F
https://www.facebook.com/EileenCook.author
https://twitter.com/Eileenwriter
https://creativeacademyforwriters.com/
E131 - Kev Harrison is a British author of dark fiction, living on the outskirts of Lisbon, Portugal. His novella, Below, is out now, while his earlier novella, The Balance, is available from Lycan Valley Press. His debut collection, Paths Best Left Untrodden, is out now from Northern Republic. His short fiction has been featured in a number of anthologies and magazines, as well as on podcasts such as Tales to Terrify and The Other Stories from Hawk and Cleaver. When not writing dark tales, Kev can be found running, sampling too many craft beers for his own good, singing bizarre songs to his cats, and travelling to far flung places with his better half, Ana.Kev and I discussed Below, and venturing into dark caves. Could you? As well as character motivation, be it a thriller novel or horror; religion, inspiration and running. Oh, and Portugal! Kev, thank you for coming on the podcast.https://kevharrisonfiction.com/https://twitter.com/LisboetaIngles
E130 - Debra Purdy Kong was a criminology student and spent many hours writing about criminal behaviour for term papers. When she received her diploma from Douglas College, she realized that she’d rather write crime fiction than work for the Criminal Justice System, a decision she’s never regretted.
While learning the craft of writing through courses, conferences, workshops, books, and critique groups, she worked as a secretary for accountants, academics, lawyers, and others. When she left full time employment to raise her children, she used pockets of free time to develop short fiction while she kept working on mystery novels. When her children grew older, she ventured into security work. In today's podcast we talk about 2023 being a year of transition and how transition is occurring in her personal life as well as in her writing life. We also talked about Debra's security work and how she's worked it into her Casey Holland mystery series, in particular, her latest novella, A Gold Satin Murder.
http://www.debrapurdykong.com/
https://debrapurdykong.wordpress.com/
E129 - Jonathan Whitelaw is an author, award-winning journalist and broadcaster. He’s worked the frontline of Scottish politics, before he moved into journalism. The subjects he’s covered have varied from breaking news, the arts, culture, sports, radioactive waste, music and fashion. He’s a reviewer for the BBC and STV. We talk about his third novel, The Bingo Hall Detectives, a fast-paced, intriguing, laugh-out-loud cozy. As well, I find out why Jonathan and his family moved from Scotland to Edmonton, Alberta during the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Thank you to the Whitelaw family for moving to Canada. Thank you Jonathan for a fun interview, and I'm glad I asked you a super hard question.Besides Jonathan's social links, I have links to the writing courses Jonathan also instructs.Writing Courses:https://www.alexandrawriters.org/store/p229/get-cozy-with-your-killers.htmlhttps://www.alexandrawriters.org/store/p208/online-the-zebra-got-away-with-it.htmlSocial links:https://www.facebook.com/JonathanWhitelawAuthorhttps://twitter.com/JDWhitelaw13https://www.instagram.com/jdwhitelaw13/
E128 - Jennifer Anne Gordon is an award-winning author and the popular host of the Vox Vomitus podcast. Her novel Beautiful, Frightening and Silent won the Kindle Award for Best Horror/Suspense for 2020, Best Horror 2020 from Authors on the Air, and a finalist for American Book Fest’s Best Book Award-Horror, 2020. It also received the Platinum 5 Star Review from Reader’s Choice as well as the Gold Seal from Book View. Her latest novel Pretty/Ugly won the Helicon Award for Best Horror for 2022, as well as the Gold Medal from Literary Titan. Jennifer is a member of Mystery Writers of America, the Horror Writers Association (where she served on the jury for the Stoker Awards), and is a A&E chair of the New England Crime Bake Committee.https://www.jenniferannegordon.com/https://open.spotify.com/show/0ODEyfgfuXC3eeOfLI5raehttps://www.facebook.com/JenniferAnneGordonAuthor/https://www.instagram.com/jennifergenevievegordon/
E127 - Patti Lee brings women's fiction stories to life, tapping into the hopes and sometimes fears of readers. Her debut novel, Between February and November placed in the top 10 in Notebook Publishing’s #IndieApril contest and took first place in the 2022 Firebird Book Awards fiction category. An award-winning essay writer, her creative non-fiction has been included in Crone Rising by Jazz House Publications. Her short story, The Ward House, was included in the autumn anthology Of Cottages and Cauldrons, also by Jazz House Publications.
We talked about motivation. I re-told the Randy Bachman pizza story and quoted David Bowie. We also discussed challenging ourselves, feeling like a writer and Patti's four cats and my two dogs. A great Season 5 opening podcast. Thank you Patti.
https://www.pattileewriter.com/
https://twitter.com/PattiAuthor
https://www.facebook.com/PattiLeeAuthorPage
https://www.instagram.com/authorpattilee/
E126 - Christine Milkovic Krauss is a children’s author of picture books, which highlight educational points about pet care, support, inclusivity and celebrate being different together. When Christine is not writing picture books, she works as an essential service worker. Her children’s book Teddy Loses His Ear is based on her family’s experience during the pandemic. Teddy Loves Spaghetti, the second book in this adorable series, is also available now. Thank you Christine.
https://cmkauthor.wixsite.com/christinemilkovic
E125 - W.L. (Wendy) Hawkin writes mysteries and romantic adventures, often charged with “myth, magic, and mayhem” from her home near Vancouver, Canada. Her Hollystone Mysteries features a coven of West Coast witches who solve murders using ritual magic and a little help from the gods. Those books are To Charm a Killer, To Sleep with Stones, To Render a Raven, and To Kill a King. Her latest, Lure, of the Lure River Romances, is a small-town romantic suspense series. When Wendy's not writing, she writes book reviews for Opal Magazine. On today's podcast we talk about her novel Lure, Muskoka, Ontario, cottages, cabins and we unpackage her characters.
http://bluehavenpress.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@wlhawkin/videos
https://linktr.ee/wlhawkin
E124 - Diane Bator is a prolific Canadian mystery writer and the mom of three kids, two cats and a step-dog as well as the author of Wild Blue Mysteries, Gilda Wright Mysteries, Glitter Bay Mysteries, and the Audra Clemmings Mysteries from Books We Love Ltd. with many more books and plays to come! Diane was on the show on August 6, 2022 when we talked about her novel Dead Without Honor, a Gilda Wright mystery. Today, we talked about her latest Audra Clemmings' Mystery, Dead Man's Doll, book 2 in her Sugarwood Mysteries as well as the theatre.
https://dianebator.ca/
https://www.instagram.com/dianebatorauthor/
https://www.facebook.com/dianebatorauthor/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/diane-bator-35b63418/
E123 - Freddy Cruz is the founder of Freddy Cruz Creative Works, a boutique media company in the Greater Houston area. Freddy’s work spans twenty-six years, three with the iconic KDWB/Minneapolis-Saint Paul and twenty-one with the legendary, two-time Marconi Award winning KRBE/Houston. The Greater Houston area has heard Freddy’s voice for more than seventeen thousand hours via weekday shows, community affairs shows and podcasts. And he has elevated world class brands by means of over fifty-eight thousand hours worth of production elements and traditional ads. When he's not in the lab creating auditory satisfaction, you can find him nose deep in a book, snuggling with his dog Sparrow, or jogging on the trail (trying hard to not sound like a horror movie villain).
Today we talk about his thriller novel, Allow Me To Ruin Your Christmas, which is his third novel. Humor, sarcasm, writing, we talk about it all, and being the author unique to your personality instead of trying to be someone else. Thank you.
https://www.freddycruzcreativeworks.com/books
https://linktr.ee/thefreddycruz
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBwWaCiNZQmBU4uFFnY-7yg
https://www.facebook.com/freddycruz
https://www.instagram.com/thefreddycruz/
E122 - Jule Selbo had just returned from Sweden where she was a speaker at a film conference when she joined me in the studio to talk about her latest novel, 9 Days, A Dee Rommel Mystery. Jule switched gears in her prolific career as a screenwriter in Los Angeles, (her work includes Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, animated Disney movies (Hunchback of Notre Dame Part Deux, Ariel’s Beginning), Melrose Place, Hercules, HBO’s Women Behind Bars, to name a few), and now lives in Portland Maine where she is focusing on eating, drinking and writing novels. Four novels have been published so far. Her most recent: 10 DAYS: A Dee Rommel Mystery was a Silver Falchion 2021 Award winner, as well as on the 2021 top-five list of Kirkus’ best crime/mysteries and nominated for a Foreword Review Best Award. The second novel in her series: 9 DAYS, A Dee Rommel Mystery, is out now. We talked about everything from Columbo to the 1934 Production Code which prohibited profanity, nudity, drug use and much more, including women producing and directing their films.
https://www.juleselbo.com/
https://www.facebook.com/jule.selbo
https://twitter.com/juleselbo?lang=en
E121 - Tanis Rideout’s internationally acclaimed first novel, Above All Things, was a national bestseller, named to numerous best books of the year lists, and published in several languages around the world. It was awarded the Premio ITAS del Libro di Montagna and was longlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. Her new novel is The Sea Between Two Shores. She is also the author of the poetry collection Arguments with the Lake, and, in 2006, she was named the “Poet Laureate for Lake Ontario” by the environmental advocacy group Lake Ontario Waterkeeper. Born in Belgium, she grew up in Bermuda and in Kingston, Ontario, and now lives in Los Angeles.
We talked about her latest novel out now, The Sea Between Two Shores, which begins in the early 1800s when a Nova Scotian couple arrive on an island in the Oceanic archipelago, now known as Vanuatu, to convert the local Indigenous peoples. Two hundred years later a Toronto family are mourning the loss of their son. The lives of both families connect by their desire for healing and the desire to heal the actions of their ancestors.
We talked about Canada's past, the digital country, disappearing due to climate change, and hopepunk!
https://www.tanisrideout.com/
https://www.instagram.com/tanisrideout/?next=%2F
https://twitter.com/tanisrideout
E120 - Ann Charles is a USA Today Best-selling author, and she joined me in the studio. Ann enjoys writing spicy mysteries, and has written numerous series, including the Junction Mystery Series, the Dig Site Mystery Series, the Deadwood Undertaker Series (with her husband, Sam Lucky), and the AC Silly Circus Mystery Series. Her Deadwood Mystery Series has won multiple national awards, including the Daphne du Maurier for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. Ann has a B.A. in English with an emphasis on creative writing from the University of Washington. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and Western Writers of America. As well, her Deadwood series has been a question on Jeopardy. We had a great conversation about her western supernatural series. Thank you, Ann.
https://anncharles.com/
https://www.facebook.com/AnnCharlesAuthorPage/
https://www.instagram.com/ann_charles/
https://twitter.com/AnnWCharles
E119 - Susan Jane Wright has just come off the book launch of her second Evie Valentine series, that being The Glass Lake. Susan Jane Wright is a Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence Finalist. Her debut novel Box of Secrets was in Amazon’s top 100 and held the number 3 spot, then moved to the number 2 spot in its second week of release. Susan was a lawyer and an executive in the energy sector before she became a writer. Her legal career took her from the board rooms in Calgary to the streets of Beijing. She’s received the PIA Public Interest Award for Southern Alberta and the Canadian Law Blog Award for her legal blog Susan on the Soapbox. We talk about writing books that are different, pipelines, and timelines and so much more.https://susanjanewright.ca/https://www.facebook.com/SusanJJWrighthttps://www.instagram.com/susanjjwright/?next=%2F
E118 - Meredith Hambrock is a Canadian fiction and television writer who grew up in Toronto and now lives in Vancouver. Her short fiction has appeared in several magazines, including Maisonneuve and Descant. She’s been a finalist for the CBC Short Story Prize and most recently wrote for the sitcom Corner Gas Animated. Today we’ll be talking about her debut novel, Other People’s Secrets, as well as 5 beat story structure, that vomit first draft, messy heroines and the events that occur in small towns. Thank you Meredith for joining me.
https://www.meredithhambrock.com/
https://twitter.com/meredithambrock
https://www.instagram.com/meredithhambrockbooks/?next=%2Fmeredithhambrockbooks%2F
E117 - Award-winning sci-fiction author Edward M. Lerner joins me in the studio. On Edward’s website, it is written Edward is the perpetrator of science fiction and techno-thrillers. While you probably know Ed from his SF novels, including the InterstellarNet series and the epic Fleet of Worlds series with Larry Niven, Ed is a prolific author of acclaimed short fiction. The Best of Edward M. Lerner showcases his finest and favorite shorter works.
Edward is a physicist and computer scientist. After thirty years in the industry, working at every level from individual technical contributor to senior vice president, he now writes full-time. In addition to science fiction and technothrillers, he also writes popular science, notably including Trope-ing the Light Fantastic: The Science behind the Fiction. Edward is the recipient of the Canopus Award, a Hugo finalist for best novelette Championship B’tok; Fate of Worlds (with Larry Niven) was a Locus Award finalist, and many more.
https://www.edwardmlerner.com/
https://www.facebook.com/EdwardMLerner
E116 - Award-winning author Benny Sims returns to the podcast and we talk about his second novel, Mile Marker Zero. Benny's love of storytelling traces back to reading Jack London’s The Call of The Wild when he was seven years old. He remembers his uncle telling him stories about being an artillery cannoneer in North Africa and Italy during World War II.
Benny grew up in Tennessee but moved to the small town of Benton in southern Illinois when he was 14. After attending college in Murray, Kentucky, he relocated back to Tennessee to work as a journalist. Later he worked for three decades in the aerospace industry in Huntsville, Alabama.
Benny and I talk about Benton, the late George Harrison, and George Harrison's sister. As well as, when is that novel really done? And how many endings do we write, before we write the ending.
https://bennysims.com/books/
https://www.instagram.com/btsims17/
https://www.facebook.com/benny.sims.77
E115 - Thriller authors, Susan Jane Wright and PJ (Pamela) Donnison join me in the studio. We enjoyed a roundtable discussion about lawyers as protagonists and the hazards and legalities involved with our protagonists having that occupation. Susan Jane Wright is a Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence Finalist. Her debut novel Box of Secrets was in Amazon’s top 100 and was at the number 3 spot in the Calgary Herald Best Sellers list then went up to #2 in its second week of release. The second novel in her Evie Valentine series, The Glass Lake is being released on Nov 23, 2022. Susan was a lawyer and an executive in the energy sector before she became a writer. Her legal career took her from the board rooms in Calgary to the streets of Beijing. She’s received the PIA Public Interest Award for Southern Alberta and the Canadian Law Blog Award for her legal blog Susan on the Soapbox. Welcome, Susan. PJ (Pamela) Donison, has been a writer in one iteration or other her entire life. Currently a practicing attorney, she is a former award-winning military journalist and acquisitions manager for a division of Harcourt Brace. Her work has been published in numerous legal periodicals, as well as chapters in three legal anthologies. Her short fiction has been published by The Dillydoun Review and Drunk Monkeys. Pamela’s first full-length novel, Death Comes for Christmas, is a murder mystery set in Regina, Saskatchewan, and the first in her Camelia Belmont series of 12. https://susanjanewright.ca/ https://www.facebook.com/SusanJJWright https://www.instagram.com/susanjjwright/ https://twitter.com/SusanJJWright https://pjdonison.com/ https://www.instagram.com/pjdonison/
E114 - Zachary Hagen is a Mississippi based fantasy author and editor. When he isn't busy writing his next book or working with an editing client, you can often find him walking around his neighborhood or hiking.
From a young age he was enthralled with the world of story. From the stories his parents read to him from his blue bedtime story books to the first two series that he read, The Chronicles of Narnia and A Series of Unfortunate Events. Zachary's tastes continued to develop throughout his years of reading. The influences for his first series, The Eternal Chronicles, include Christopher Paolini, J. R. R. Tolkien, and C. S. Lewis to name a few.
Thank you Zachary for an interesting conversation about faith and using the bible for inspiration for novels.
https://zacharyhagenwrites.com/
https://www.facebook.com/people/Zachary-Hagen-Writes/100076206160257/
https://www.tiktok.com/@zacharyhagen_writes?lang=en
https://mobile.twitter.com/mr_zhagen
E113 - Award-winning author JP (Jo-Anne) McLean writes urban fantasy and supernatural thrillers that readers call addictive, smart, and fun. She is a 2021 finalist for the Chanticleer Paranormal Award for Supernatural Fiction, and the Wishing Shelf Book award for Adult Fiction. Her work has won a Readers’ Favorite Award, a Gold Literary Titan medal, and honourable mentions from the Whistler Independent Book Awards and the Victoria Writers’ Society. JP is a graduate of the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business. She makes her home on the coast of British Columbia. We talked about her paranormal thriller, setting the scene and the Big Island Book Festival in Courtenay! Thank you, JP. https://jpmcleanauthor.com/ https://www.facebook.com/JPMcLeanBooks https://twitter.com/jpmcleanauthor https://linktr.ee/JPMcLean
E112 - Natasha Deen writes for kids, teens, and adults. She believes the world is changed one story at a time, and as a Guyanese-Canadian whose family immigrated to Canada, she’s seen first-hand how stories have the power to shape the world. When she’s not writing, Natasha enjoys visiting schools, libraries and other organizations to help people to find and tell the stories that live inside them. She also spends an inordinate amount of time trying to convince her pets that she’s the boss of the house. Natasha is the author of the Lark & Connor Ba series (CCBC Best Pick for Kids & Teens, Starred Selection) and the Guardian series (Moonbeam Award, Sunburst Award nominee, Alberta Readers’ Choice nominee). Her latest novel, In the Key of Nira Ghani, is a Junior Library Guild selection and a Barnes and Noble Top 25 Most Anticipated Own Voices novel.
Natasha enjoyed "growing up in a country of snow and flannel," but sometimes being the only mixed-race child in the classroom meant being bullied and feeling invisible. There were no reflections of kids like her on TV or in the movies. Natasha and I talked right away about inclusion in the publishing world. Thank you Natasha for a great conversation.
www.natashadeen.com
https://twitter.com/natasha_deen
E111 - International Amazon Bestselling author, Shoshona Freedman’s debut novel, The Faithful, wasan International Amazon Bestseller, it reached the Quarter Finals in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, and was selected by Suspense Magazine as a "Best Debut of 2015.” Shoshona was on my podcast on April 10, 2021, when we discussed her novel, The Day She Died. Her latest novel, Blood Atonement, is out now. Shoshona lives in Vancouver with her husband and two children. She’s a proud member of Sisters in Crime, Crime Writers of Canada, International Thriller Writers, and Mystery Writers of America.
Shoshona and I talked about cults, being in the sometimes heavy world of our fiction, and how we come up for air, especially with regards to Blood Atonement. As well as being sensitive and respectful to the portrayal of victims. It may be fiction, but our words have impact. Thank you Shoshona. It was a pleasure.
https://www.smfreedman.com/
https://www.instagram.com/smfreedmanauthor/?next=%2Fsmfreedmanauthor%2F
https://www.facebook.com/smfreedmanauthor
https://twitter.com/SMFreedman
https://www.tiktok.com/@authorsmfreedman
E110 - D.C. Gomez is a four-year army vet who has a morbid and quirky sense of humor. Her heart thumps for those who serve their country and those who support them. Her love-journey of humanity is ongoing. She is an award winning, USA Today Bestselling author, public speaker, mentor and podcaster. Her podcast is Inside the Minds of Authors. She writes multiple genres from Urban Fantasy, Contemporary Literature, YA, Children’s Books and Devotionals. I believe the current count for her novels and novellas is 18. She has an undergraduate degree in Film and Television from NYU. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New England, she now calls Texas her new adoptive home.
https://dcgomez-author.com/
https://www.facebook.com/dcgomez.author
https://www.instagram.com/dc.gomez/
http://christinegerardidesigns.weebly.com/
https://dcgomez-author.com/podcast/
E109 - Award-winning science fiction and fantasy author, Edward Willett, joined me on the podcast. Edward (Ed) has written over 60 science fiction, fantasy and non-fiction books for readers of all ages. His science fiction and fantasy novels are published through DAW Books in New York. Under the pseudonym Lee Arthur Chane, he is the author of the steampunk fantasy novel Magebane, and as E.C. Blake, he wrote the Masks of Aygrima fantasy trilogy, Masks, Shadows, and Faces. His novel Marseguro won the 2009 Aurora Award which honours Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy. His novel Terra Insegura was a 2010 Aurora finalist and his YA novel, Star Song, was a 2022 finalist. He has also won a Saskatchewan Book Award for his YA fantasy Spirit Singer, and been shortlisted multiple times. We had a good conversation exploring sci-fi, and I learned about the lunar brewpub.
https://edwardwillett.com/
https://shadowpawpress.com/about/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=543186719
https://www.instagram.com/edwardwillettauthor/?next=%2F
K.L. Abrahamson writes suspenseful stories of crime, adventure and romance for readers who like to be transported to unusual locations around the world. From murder mysteries set in the heart of a re-imagined Russia, or on the rugged coast of British Columbia, to magical romances set in the heart of a summer beach town, K. L. Abrahamson creates immersive worlds of fully realized characters that readers can root for. Her work has been described as having a “connection to culture” with “powerful characters (who) make an incredible story.” Karen’s short stories can be found in issues of Ellery Queen Magazine and Black Cat Mystery Magazine. In today’s episode we’ll be in the modern world with retired schoolteacher, Phoebe Clay, as she travels to Cambodia and returns home to Canada. K.L. (Karen) Abrahamson and I also talk about writing culturally rich novels as well as character arcs. We discuss the Sisters-in-Crime--CW (Canada West) anthology, Crime Wave, Women of a Certain Age. Thank you Karen for joining me in an excellent discussion. http://www.karenlabrahamson.com/ https://sinc-cw.ca/anthology/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001516647878 https://www.instagram.com/karenlabrahamson/
E107 - Jane Baird Warren writes for kids and adults, who, like her, still read Middle Grade and Young Adult fiction—Harry Potter was a game-changer for Jane. Jane has an MFA in creative writing from UBC. Her writing has been featured on CBC radio and in more than a dozen literary magazines in North America and the UK. In her fiction and real life, Jane is fascinated with people, but what she enjoys in both worlds is kindness and courage. She has a ridiculous memory for trivia, which she’d always believed was the most useless superpower a girl could have, until she started writing.
We talked about the issues she expertly wove into the classroom setting, the importance of acceptance, and I learned a little Scottish. Thank you Jane for a great discussion.
https://www.janebairdwarren.com/
https://www.janebairdwarren.com/book
https://www.instagram.com/jbwarren2/
https://www.facebook.com/jane.bairdwarren.1
https://twitter.com/jbwarren2
E106 - Fern Brady is a fantasy author and the founder of Inklings Publishing. She holds multiple Masters degrees. She began her professional life as a foreign correspondent and taught for 15 years in Alief ISD. She has published numerous short stories, two children's picture books, and a couple of poems. Her debut novel, United Vidden, book one in her Thyrein’s Galactic Wall Series, was given a glowing review by Dr. Who Online, the official site of the fandom. Also available for purchase is volume one of her graphic novel/novella hybrid project, New Beginning. She has returned to the leadership of the Houston Writers Guild, with whom she served as CEO for four years previously. She co-hosts two podcasts – Author Talk and The Hot Mess Express. Besides being Municipal Liaison for Nanowrimo Houston, she is also a member of Blood Over Texas, Romance Writers of America, and American Booksellers Association. Fern lives in Houston TX with her parents and her talkative husky. https://www.fernbrady.com/ https://www.inklingspublishing.com/ https://www.facebook.com/fernbradyauthor/ https://www.instagram.com/fbrady03/ https://twitter.com/Fbrady03
E105 - JM Landels wears so many hats from author, literary magazine publisher (she is also the managing editor), and swordplay on horseback with Academie Cavallo at Cornwall Ridge Farm. Jennifer has a BA in Medieval English Literature from UBC and may some day return to her doctorate in Arthurian Romance at University College London. She has been a keynote speaker at numerous events including Write Vancouver, The Royal City Arts Society, VCON and the Creative Ink Festival. She has travelled to France, Germany, the UK and the US to speak and teach at conferences. Her debut fantasy novel, Allaigna’s Song: Overture was an Amazon bestseller and the sequel, Allaigna’s Song: Aria was published in 2020. We had a great conversation about her magazine Pulp Literature which features shoebox stories from authors Joan MacLeod, Chris Humphreys and Susanna Kearsley. We even talked about the rock bands she played in, such as Stiff Bunnies. Thank you JM Landels. https://pulpliterature.com/ https://www.instagram.com/pulpliterature/ https://www.facebook.com/pulpliteraturepress https://www.facebook.com/jm.landels https://www.tiktok.com/@pulpliterature?lang=en
E104 - Diann Floyd Boehm is a humanitarian, educator and award-winning author. Diann was responsible for getting computers and technology into Texas classrooms. She lived overseas in many different countries, including Dubai and the The Philippines. But foremost, she's an author, having written picture books and YA novels. She is republishing her books in the dyslexia font and has many more books about to be published.
We talked about her children's books and her YA novel, Rise! A Girl's Struggle for More, which was an Amazon bestseller, and has been compared to Anne of Green Gables. Diann's The Moonling Adventures - The Serengeti, won Best Texas Children's Book 2021. We also talked about Dubai.
Diann, you renewed my faith in mankind and I wish you were my grade 4 teacher. Thank you.
https://www.diannfloydboehm.com/
https://www.dyslexiefont.com/
https://www.facebook.com/diannfloydboehm/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/diannfloydboehm/
https://www.instagram.com/diann_floyd_boehm/
E103 - Sebastien deCastell has an interesting story on how he began writing, which involved camping on an island. Sebastien has been nominated for many amazing awards. He was the 2019 finalist in the Sunburst (Canada) Best Young Adult; 2019 Finalist in the Grand Prix D’Imaginaire (France) Best Foreign YA; the 2019 Winner of the Centurion Award (UK) Best Novel, and the list goes on. You can check out Sebastien’s website and see the beautiful Booknest Fantasy Award 2018 he won for Saint’s Blood. Today, we talk about his fantasy novel, Way of the Argosi, Book 1 of The Argosi. Rock music, fencing, and film options, we talk about it all. Thank you Sebastien.
https://decastell.com/
https://www.facebook.com/decastell
https://www.instagram.com/sebastiendecastell/
J. Lynn Else loves reading and writing about awesome women from antiquity. She was "... getting frustrated with the way historical women were being portrayed in numerous books which focused more on their sexual escapades than their own self-sustaining strength in overcoming social bonds. I wanted to satisfy both my wants as a reader and a writer.”
J. Lynn is a fan of Star Wars, Star Trek and MST3K (Mystery Science Theatre 3000 – American science fiction comedy). J. Lynn graduated from college with a theatre major and a dance minor. She’s self-published two historical fiction novels set in ancient Egypt, The Forgotten: Aten’s Last Queen and The Forgotten: Heir of the Heretic and one science fiction novella, Strangely Constructed Souls. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and two kids. Their shelves are overrun with books, her kitchen is overrun with loose-leaf tea, and her workroom is overrun with Funko Pop figures.
We discussed whether King Arthur was a historical character, or mythical? And J. Lynn gave me her take on Lapsang souchong. After this episode, everyone's going to want to be Twig Lady.
Finally, HAPPY BIRTHDAY J. LYNN!!
https://www.teasippinnerdymom.com/
https://www.instagram.com/jlynnelseauthor/
https://twitter.com/JLynnElseAuthor?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.teasippinnerdymom.com%2F
E101 - Amy Tector loved reading and writing since a child. She grew up in Quebec’s Eastern Townships. When her husband got a job being a NATO archivist, they lived the expat life for almost three years. In Belgium, Amy returned to her PhD and wrote 460 pages about the representation of disability in Canadian novels of the First World War. You may remember Amy from when we talked about her novel, The Honeybee Emeralds, E91.
Her debut novel, which was a 2008 finalist in the Crime Writer’s of Canada Unhanged Arthur Award, has grown and morphed into the book which is available now, and we talk about The Foulest Things today. It is Book 1 in her Dominion Archives Mystery. In reference to Amy's novel, Louise Penny’s writes The Foulest Things, is, “A literary joy ride.”
https://www.amytector.com/
https://twitter.com/amy_tector
https://www.instagram.com/amytectorwrites/
E100 - Philip Fracassi is the author of the award-winning story collection, Behold the Void, which won “Best Collection of the Year” from This Is Horror and Strange Aeons Magazine.
His newest collection, Beneath a Pale Sky, was published in 2021 by Lethe Press. It received a starred review from Library Journal, and was named“Best Collection of the Year”by Rue Morgue Magazine. It was nominated for a Bram Stoker award. His novels include A Child Alone with Strangers, Gothic, and Boys in the Valley. Philip’s books have been translated into multiple languages and his stories have been published in numerous magazines and anthologies, including Best Horror of the Year, Nightmare Magazine, Black Static, Dark Discoveries, and Cemetery Dance. The New York Times calls his work “terrifically scary.” As a screenwriter, his feature films have been distributed by Disney Entertainment and Lifetime Television. He currently has several stories under option for film/TV adaption.
Philip lives in Los Angeles and on today's podcast, we talk about his novel, Gothic. As well as his podcast, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dark-word/id1617331704
https://pfracassi.com/
Thank you, Philip.
E99 - M.N. Grenside was born and raised in London. He began his career at Lloyds of London, specializing in Kidnap, Ransom and Extortion Insurance. At age twenty-five M.N. Grenside decided it was time for a career change and he started his media career working for Jim Henson and The Muppets. He has been involved in entertainment ever since. He is an award-winning producer, producing television series and mini-series such a Lonesome Dove, Merlin, Treasure Island, Fraggle Rock and much more. Mark appeared at the renowned Oxford Literary Festival, the Malta Book Festival, and he was interviewed by the Crime Writers of Canada author A.J. Devlin There’s a lot more to say about M.N. Grenside which will be revealed in the podcast. Today, we talk about his thriller novel, Fall Out.
https://mngrenside.com/
https://mngrenside.com/and-another-thing/
https://twitter.com/MNGrenside
https://www.facebook.com/MGrenside
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58891098-fall-out
E98 - Sarah M. Stephen started writing at an early age, first scribbling pages of notes while pretending to be a journalist before she could print. After mastering the alphabet, she moved into poetry and short stories. Following a few successes in grade school (a regional poetry prize) and university (a short story published in an anthology), she traded creative tales for corporate ones. A few years ago, she rediscovered her love of words and resumed creative writing. She is a graduate of The Writer's Studio creative writing program at Simon Fraser University and a co-host of the Clued in Mystery podcast. Sarah tries to balance working, parenting, and writing, while leaving a bit of time for baking and running. https://sarahmstephen.ca/ https://sarahmstephen.ca/links/ https://www.instagram.com/sarahmstephenauthor/
E97 - Teoni Spathelfer is a member of the Heiltsuk Nation from coastal BC. Since childhood she has loved immersing herself in her own culture and learning about other cultures around the world. Teoni has worked as a publicist; a radio journalist, host, and producer; and an arts and music writer. Her documentary Teoni’s Dream, informed by her mother’s residential school experience, has aired nationwide on CBC Radio. Her photography has been featured across various media and sold privately. She has been blessed with three daughters and four grandchildren.
Today, Teoni and I discuss the third book in her Little Wolf series, Abalone Woman. "Stories are medicine," Teoni writes. So true. It has been a great experience watching Teoni's journey. Our first interview was about the first book in the series, Little Wolf, followed up by White Raven, and then capping off with Abalone Woman. Thank you Teoni for sharing your stories and experiences on the podcast. All these books can be purchased from Strong Nations (link below), Indigo, Amazon, Munro bookstore (Victoria)
https://www.strongnations.com/gs/show.php?gs=3&gsd=8400
https://www.instagram.com/teonispathelfer/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/teoni-spathelfer-ab456144/
E96 - Mickey Mikkelson is the founder of Creative Edge Publicity.
In 2006, he began his work in the literary and bookseller industry as the Special Events Manager for Chapters/Indigo, Canada’s largest bookstore chain, in St. Albert, Alberta. Ten years later, he formed Creative Edge Publicity, an aggressive publicity firm that specializes in advocating for both the traditional and independent artist.
Since founding Creative Edge, Mickey has signed some of the top talents in the literary industry, including multiple award-winning authors, New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors, and successful indie authors, many of whom have become international bestselling authors while working within the Creative Edge brand.
Mickey and I have an informative conversation about publicity versus selling books. We talk about the gritty .... money. Mickey's humor makes for a fun podcast, including his story about the National Enquirer, and the red flags authors should be aware of when it comes to finding a publicist. Mickey also shares the touching story of how his daughter came up with the idea for Creative Edge Publicity logo. With over a hundred clients, Mickey explains how a simple, "I can get you a book signing," turned into what has become a boutique publicity firm, Creative Edge Publicity. Thank you so much Mickey.
https://www.creative-edge.services/
https://www.facebook.com/mmcreativeedge
https://twitter.com/MickeyCreative
E95 - Author Diane Bator has been writing since she was able to tell a story and pick up a pencil. She works full-time at a live-stage theatre. After winning a mystery contest, she published several mystery novels, and she is a member of the Crime Writers of Canada and a local writing group. We talked about writing and her numerous series, and creating relatable heroines. Also, what do authors do on TikTok? We think we've figured it out. https://dianebator.ca/ https://www.instagram.com/accounts/login/?next=/dianebatorauthor/ https://www.facebook.com/dianebatorauthor/ https://twitter.com/bator_l https://www.linkedin.com/in/diane-bator-35b63418/ https://dbator.blogspot.com/
E94 - H.S. Burney and I discuss her debut novel, The Lake Templeton Murders, a Fati Rizvi Private Investigator Murder Mystery. It is a fast-moving, action-packed mystery. Her sleuth, Fati Rizvi, is strong and independent and will let nothing get in her way when it comes to an investigation. We also talk about the local settings. The novel is situated on the West coast of Canada. And horror movies, we talk about horror movies! Thank you, H.S. for a fun conversation. https://hsburney.com/ https://www.instagram.com/hsburneyauthor/ https://twitter.com/hsburneyauthor
E93 - Gordon Mott, the author of Lithuanian Lullaby, The Angels of Klaipeda, and now Tears of Jurate is back and we talk about his latest novel. Gordon is quoted in the Baltic Times, “I have a special place in my heart for the Baltics.” Gordon is a former American-Lithuanian English teacher and he met his wife, Asta, in Lithuania in the early 1990s. Gordon’s first book, Lithuanian Lullaby, was published in early 2021, and immediately took off. The novel has been on the Amazon bestseller list in both the USA and Canada in the Lithuania category – it even achieved the coveted number 1 position in both countries. It has also sold well in Europe and has been purchased by readers as far away as India. Tears of Jurate carries on with Vana and Darius's story as well as the courageous story of Jurate, a market trader. As Gordon writes in his novel, "Welcome to 1997!"
https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100065013460047
https://ca.linkedin.com/in/gordon-mott-0938154
https://www.amazon.ca/Books-Gordon-Mott/s?rh=n%3A916520%2Cp_27%3AGordon+Mott
E92 - Award-winning and USA Today bestselling author P.D. Workman joins me on the podcast. P.D. was born in Fort McMurray, Alberta and later moved to Calgary. She wrote her first novel-length fiction at the age of 12. She continued writing novels for her own enjoyment but did not publish her debut novel until 2013. She has now published over 80 novels. Her earlier books focused on young adult literature. Her focus now is mystery and suspense. She is best known for her cozy mystery series, Auntie Clem’s Bakery; Reg Rawlins, Psychic Investigator; and her P.I. series, Zachary Goldman Mysteries. We talk about Cut Out Cookie, book 17 in her Auntie Clem’s Bakery Mystery and On the Slab Pie, book 18, which is scheduled for release July 15, 2022. We also talk about Amazon, the benefits of having your own platform, and cake! Thank you P.D. https://pdworkman.com/ https://www.instagram.com/pdworkmanauthor/ https://linktr.ee/pdworkmanauthor https://www.facebook.com/pdworkmanauthor https://twitter.com/pdworkmanauthor
E91 - Amy Tector talked to me about her debut novel, The Honeybee Emeralds which is a fantastic summer read. Amy holds a PhD in English literature from the Universite Libre de Bruxelles. She works at Canada’s national archives, Library and Archives Canada. She spent many years as an expat, living in Brussels and in The Hague, where she worked for the International Criminal Tribunal for War Crimes in Yugoslavia.
In The Honeybee Emeralds Amy beautifully weaves fiction and fact, as beautifully as the diamonds and emeralds in the honeybee emerald necklace. This suspenseful mystery is situated in Paris. From French royalty, Josephine Baker to the Mata Hari, this novel has intrigue, suspense, humor and the reader is rooting for the wonderful cast of characters. She even has The Honeybee Emeralds Parisian playlist on her Linktree account. Thank you Amy.
https://www.amytector.com/
https://linktr.ee/AmyTector
https://instagram.com/amytectorwrites?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
https://twitter.com/amy_tector?lang=en
All the way from Wanganui, New Zealand, I had the pleasure of interviewing fantasy author and landscape artist Steven Raaymakers. Steven has a love for fantasy art and stories. He has painted concept art for the last 8 years including many commissions. He considers himself a visual storyteller. Steven wrote and created art during his teens, and we discuss the meshing of art and writing when it comes to crafting a series. We also discussed internal and external conflict, hand-in-hand in his novel, A Canticle of Two Souls, book 1, and his impactful words "war children." Steven's latest novel, A Canticle of War, book 3 was just published April 4, 2022. Thank you, Steven for joining me on the podcast.
https://www.stevenraaymakers.com/
https://www.facebook.com/stevenraaymakersauthor
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17562159.Steven_Raaymakers
https://twitter.com/svraaymakers
E89 - TARA MOSS is an internationally bestselling author, human rights activist, documentary and podcast host, and model. Her crime novels have been published in nineteen countries and thirteen languages, and her memoir, The Fictional Woman, was a #1 international bestseller. Her most recent novel is The War Widow, the first in the Billie Walker mystery series. A UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, she has received the Edna Ryan Award for significant contributions to feminist debate and for speaking out on behalf of women and children. In 2017, Tara Moss was recognized as one of the Global Top 50 Diversity Figures in Public Life. In 2021, she hosted the Audible Original true-crime podcast The Man in the Balaclava. Tara Moss lives in Vancouver with her family.
Tara and I have a great discussion about her fast-paced, thrilling new novel, The Ghosts of Paris. The dialogue is intense, and the reader feels like they are watching a tennis match. Funny scenes, that noir setting, and an intriguing and secretive plot makes for a dynamite novel. Thank you Tara.
https://taramoss.com/
https://www.instagram.com/taramossauthor/
https://www.facebook.com/taramossauthor/
https://twitter.com/tara_moss
https://www.pinterest.com.au/taramossauthor/?autologin=true
E88 - Some people thought Laura Ellen Scott's novel Blue Billy was a cozy. She proved them wrong.
Laura and I had a fun and lively discussion about Blue Billy, the third novel in her New Royal Mysteries. Laura is a multi-published author of novels and short stories, as well as a professor at George Mason University. Laura likes writing stories with dark themes and quirky characters. She was born and raised in Northern Ohio and currently lives in Fairfax, Virginia.
We talked about the presentation and contest she had with her students and the naming of a character. I learned what Blue Billy really is--a blue contaminated soil. I also learned about coke ovens. It's not what you think, and creepy statues from dolls to Santa Claus. Thank you Laura.
https://www.lauraellenscott.com/
https://www.facebook.com/LauraEllenScottAuthor/
https://twitter.com/LauraEllenScott
https://instagram.com/lauraellenscottles?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Elgon Williams was born in Springfield, Ohio and grew up on a farm in southeastern Clark County near the town of South Charleston. Elgon is the author of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Mystery with Pandamoon Publishing. His publications include Fried Windows (In a Light White Sauce); the Thuperman trilogy, starting with Becoming Thuperman, Homer Underby and the final book in the series, Thuperheroes. We talked about book 2 in the Fried Windows series. The first book being Fried Windows and the newly released second book, Ninja Bread Castles. From how our characters travel in time to onion bagels and science, we covered a lot of ground. Thank you Elgon.
E86 - Children's author Michelle Fizzard and I talked about her children's book Amazing Grace, A True Story of a Classroom Cat. As well as writing and the definition of success. What is success? A book deal? Completing a manuscript? Showing up? Let your writing be messy, just write. We also talked about the five writing fears. Michelle shares a humorous story about her father, as well as a touching story about her mother. Oh, and Cuddles's retirement party. Michelle is writing a new book and we talked a little about that as well. Michelle, thank you for stopping by the studio. http://www.michellebfizzard.com/ https://www.instagram.com/michellebfizzard/ https://business.facebook.com/michellebfizzard/ https://twitter.com/michellefizzar3 https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-b-fizzard-04265a17/
E85 - International bestselling author, Hannah Mary McKinnon, returns to the podcast to talk about her latest novel, Never Coming Home.
Hanna was born in the UK. She grew up in Switzerland and now lives in Canada with her husband and three sons. Before moving to Canada, she had completed commercial studies in Geneva and worked as a PA for DuPont. Later she moved to Neuchatel and became the Purchasing Manager for a high-tech company. Hannah is the author of numerous essays and pieces. Her sixth novel, Never Coming Home is in stores now, and it's receiving great reviews.
“Sly and deliciously clever, Hannah Mary McKinnon captivates with this engrossing tale of a missing wife and the devious husband who hopes to inherit her fortune.”
“Hannah Mary McKinnon is back with another sit up and read until the small hours of the morning thriller.”
Hanna and I discuss Never Coming Home,and writing that evil yet loveable character and so much more. Thank you Hannah.
https://hannahmarymckinnon.com/
https://www.instagram.com/hannahmarymckinnon/?hl=en
https://www.facebook.com/hannahmarymckinnon
https://twitter.com/HannahMMcKinnon
E84 - L.A. Kessler returns to the podcast and we discuss her thriller novel, Perfect. After reading her thriller you'll think twice about saying that word ... Perfect. There is humor in her novel which balances the thrilling escapes and the subject matter. As much as I tried to be analytical reading Perfect, I kept being pulled into the story.
Lisa shares a touching story of how her mother was the inspiration for her heroine, Juliette, and which character Lisa relates to the most.
Lisa is the bestselling author of passionate, page-turning fiction. She has written 40 books in over 10 years. She has twice won the San Diego Book Award for Best Published Fantasy Sci-Fi Horror and Best Published Romance. Her books have also won the PRISM award and her vampire story, Immortal Beloved was a finalist in the Bram Stoker Award. Lisa has multiple series, a blog and is the host of the podcast BookLights, which I had the pleasure of being on. If you missed the first interview I had with Lisa about her novel, Sedona Salvation, that podcast was published on March 26, 2021.
https://www.authorlisakessler.com/
https://www.instagram.com/ldydisney/?hl=en
https://www.facebook.com/LisaKesslerWriter
https://twitter.com/LdyDisney?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
E83 - Award-winning author A.G. Flitcher of the Boone and Jacque urban fantasy series is back on the podcast. Today, we talk about book 3 in his series, Boone and Jacque: Saddleton Haunting. We have a thorough discussion about characters, settings and motivations, as well as his pansexual and transgender characters.
A.G. Flitcher reveals the trauma he's recovering from in his personal life. He also talks about the take-away he wants writers and readers to experience after reading his novels.
A.G. Flitcher's first podcast interview when we talk about book one, Boone & Jacque: Saddleton's Secret can be found in season 1, March 6, 2021.
https://www.facebook.com/A.G.Flitcher/
https://twitter.com/agflitcher?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9EWTIZ6JNCRglAEsJtGGhw
https://www.instagram.com/agflitcher/
E82 - Deborah Lambert, fantasy author and veterinarian, joins me from Sooke, BC. Deborah is the author of the Son of No Man series. We talk about Julius Caesar, Augustus, and how our calendars have no place in the fantasy world. We also talk about writing as therapy. Our discussion about a dragon's anatomy, using science and biology to make a dragon fly and how to splint a dragon's foot will forever be in my memory. Deborah thank you. I had a great time chatting with you about your novels. Please check out the maps of The World of the Tainted under "extras" on Deborah's web page. https://www.dlambertauthor.com/ Books: https://www.dlambertauthor.com/books.html Specifically Rydan (book 1) https://books2read.com/Rydan Social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/dlambertauthor FB: https://www.facebook.com/dlambert42 IG: https://www.instagram.com/dlambertauthor/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20837445.D_Lambert Shortened: https://bit.ly/3lPFMHR Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.ca/D-Lambert/e/B08K8HZNXV/
E81 - Today, award-winning mystery author Mike Martin is on the podcast to talk about his latest novel and the first virtual Maple Leaf Mystery Conference which takes place over 5 days from May 24 to 28, 2022.
Mike was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Mike has always been a writer, and during the last 15 years he’s worked as a freelance writer, specializing in workplace and social policy issues. He’s been published in newspapers and magazines across Canada, the US and New Zealand. His first book was Change the Thing You Can: Dealing with Difficult People. The Walker on the Cape was his first published fiction novel. He has also published a number of short stories in periodicals and on-line.
In today's podcast we talk about his 12th Sgt. Windflower novel, Dangerous Waters, the B&B which was constructed using a shipwreck's lumber; St. Pierre, which is part of France, and the virtual Maple Leaf Mystery Conference featuring a great line-up of Canadian authors and International best-selling author, Ian Rankin.
https://sgtwindflowermysteries.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore
https://www.facebook.com/mike54martin
https://twitter.com/mike54martin
E80 - Crime author Alice Bienia is back! We start the podcast talking about rocks, boulders and snakes, tapping into Alice's previous profession as a Geologist. But soon we are talking about Alice's latest Jorja Knight novel, Knight Vision. I learned that Alice is testing Jorja, putting her in situations where Jorja is weighing fact versus fantasy. Jorja's new client is a clairvoyant, who has "seen" her own murder. Alice's readers love her books and want to be her heroine's friend. I enjoy reading about Jorja and also want to warn Jorja to "watch her back". Alice talks about the opening hook in that first chapter to using real crimes as inspiration for her novels. From fat freezing to seances and our own movie analysis, Alice and I have a good time, as always. Thank you, Alice for coming into the studio. http://www.alicebienia.com/ https://www.facebook.com/Alice-Bienia-Crime-Writer-569256493252674/
E79 - Prolific award-winning thriller author Karen Dodd joins me, and we have a good discussion about characters making mistakes, keeping our characters real, corruption, the mafia as well as being a discovery writer. Karen is the president of the Sisters In Crime – Canada West chapter. I was excited to talk with her about her novel Everybody Knows, a sophisticated thriller which is hard to put down. It’s the first novel in a new series, the Nicolo Moretti Crime Thriller Series. There are a few spoiler alerts. We talk about everything, including her blog and The Prostitute Pasta Sauce. https://karendodd.com/home/ https://www.bookbub.com/authors/karen-dodd https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7468898.Karen_Dodd https://www.instagram.com/karendodd.author/ https://www.facebook.com/karendodd.author
E78 - Award-winning author Winona Kent returns to the podcast and we talk about Ticket to Ride, her 4th Jason Davey novel, which is her 10th novel overall. Winona was born in London, England, but grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan where she completed her BA in English at the University of Regina. She moved to Vancouver, and obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts in creative writing from UBC. Winona’s writing breakthrough happened when she won first place in Flare magazine’s fiction contest with her short story, Tower of Power, about an all-night radio newsman. More awards followed, including being a finalist in Seal Books First Novel contest with her spy book, Skywatcher. Winona and I talk about the time she turned down having dinner and drinks with actor Sean Bean of Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones, as well as scouting locations for our books, creating websites and Instagram accounts for our characters and the various avenues of marketing. I've included the link to the Figgis Green tour website as well as Winona's various social media handles. Winona, welcome back! https://www.winonakent.com/ http://www.figgisgreen.co.uk/ https://www.facebook.com/winonakentauthor/ https://twitter.com/winonakent https://www.instagram.com/winonakent/
E77 - Lisa Kessler's writing career was foretold to her by a fortune teller. When she received writing advice from Ray Bradbury, she knew she was on the right path. Forty books within a 10 year period, Lisa has numerous series under her belt. She writes a blog, and she is a podcast host. Lisa's books have won the PRISM award, she has twice won the San Diego Book Award, and her vampire story, Immortal Beloved, was a Bram Stoker finalist.
Lisa and I discuss the writing advice Ray Bradbury shared with her. Great advice that involves short stories and commitment. Using tarot cards to plot your novel, and we even discussed what an author should put on their Tik Tok account! Sunshine pirates and grumpy heroines, it's all in today's electric podcast. Thank you, Lisa.
https://www.authorlisakessler.com/
https://www.instagram.com/ldydisney/?hl=en
https://twitter.com/ldydisney
E76 - Cindy DeJager is a gracious human and an amazing magazine publisher. She is the entrepreneur behind Opal Writer's Magazine and Opal Rising Magazine. Her magazine is packed with great information for writers and authors at various stages of their career. She shares why the magazine is called opal, which is a beautiful and tender story in itself. Opal Writer's Magazine started in Alberta seven years ago, now, it has subscribers from all over Canada, the US, the UK, Australia and just recently Denmark. Each month the magazine showcases an author as well as featuring individuals in the business, such as Mark Leslie Lefebrve, who was the Director of Author Relations and Self-Publishing for Rakuten Kobo. In the May 2019 issue (attached) there is advice from Jenny Hoops about D-I-Y audiobooks. Links to both issues are attached. As well, her cat Sophie, expresses her opinions. Thank you very much Cindy for coming on the podcast.
https://opalpublishing.ca/
https://opalpublishing.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/may-owm.pdf
https://opalpublishing.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/mar-owm_2022.pdf
E75 - Award-winning YA author, Alisha Sevigny chatted with me about the 2nd and 3rd books in her Secret Sands Series, The Desert Prince and The Oracle of Avaris. The original novel in the series being The Lost Scroll of the Physician. Alisha is a talented author. Her novels can be read by all age groups, and her fierce heroine, Sesha, is an inspiration for all females. Her novels deal with issues relevant today. In fact, we acknowledged what's going on in the world and the connection to her novels. As well, The Oracle of Avaris is a YAdudebooks Award winner. Congratulations Alisha. Thank you for joining me.
https://www.alishasevigny.com/
E74 - Award-winning Vancouver crime writer of the Wakeland novels, Sam Wiebe, and I discuss his latest novel, Hell and Gone, which is the third novel in his Dave Wakeland series. Sam's prose is gritty and authentic. He gives the reader a great sense of living on the streets of Vancouver. We talk about beats, and Sam's not meaning music, conflict, as well as the writing courses he offers, the flagship course being Mystery Writing Mastery. I came away from this interview thinking dig down when it comes to your protagonist's conflict, keep adding layers.
Sam’s work has won the Crime Writers of Canada award and the Kobo Emerging Writer’s prize. He has been shortlisted for the Edgar, Hammet, Shamus and City of Vancouver book prizes. As well, I got a scoop. Small screen. Tune in to find out what's on the horizon for Sam.
http://samwiebe.com/
72 - Artist Cory Scott, moved back to Canada with three suitcases. A creative soul since a child, he's travelled the world and worked various jobs. When he and his fiancée left Australia and were selling their possessions, Cory was pleasantly surprised when Australians wanted to buy his paintings hanging on the walls. Cory knew this was a sign and pursued art fulltime. Cory’s art has won numerous awards, including in 2020, the Award of Excellence at the Sooke Fine Arts Show. On Cory’s website, Cory writes that he, “was born a daydreamer in the prairie city of Brandon, Manitoba, spending his days fishing in the Assiniboine River and melting coins on the railway tracks.” Cory explains the backstory behind the yellow VW bus, the yellow house and the yellow mailbox in his painting, Victoria, The Redfern Nursery, featured in the podcast art.
https://www.coryscottgallery.com/
https://www.instagram.com/coryscottgallery/
https://www.facebook.com/coryscottgallery
Have you heard the term story bible? Or reading guides? Multi-published, bestselling historical romance author, Celeste Barclay, joins me in the studio. She is the author of 31 historical romances and after 16 years in the classroom where she was a Social Studies and English teacher, she is now a full-time author, entrepreneur, independent publisher and mentor. We talk about her historical romances, writing as a business, and her upcoming new releases. Celeste and I had a great conversation, and two days shy of Valentine's Day, it was great to talk about romance.
https://www.celestebarclay.com/
Author Mark Creedon joins me on the podcast and we talk about his historical fiction novel, Caught Between Two Devils, which is based on the real experiences of family members, Antanas Paskevicius, and Antanas's wife Jadwyga and his sister Maria in April 1944, when they, along with other prisoners, escaped from a forced labor camp during WWII. A moving interview, Mark and I discuss favourite scenes, the little Polish car that looks like a small frog, war, romance, humanity and helping your neighbour.
Mark worked in Child Welfare and Family Services agencies for 38 years until he retired in 2013. Caught Between Two Devils is available in paperback and Kindle format through Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.
DISCLAIMER: this podcast contains a story or two about war crimes which some listeners may find upsetting.
Amazon bestselling author Gordon Mott returns to the podcast. Gordon and I previously talked on the podcast about his hugely popular novel, Lithuanian Lullaby and today we talk about Gordon’s second novel, The Angels of Klaipeda.
Gordon and I have an extensive discussion about characters, their strengths, their weaknesses and finding the character to carry a new series or new story. We also talk about the Stockholm syndrome and using life events to fuel a novel, in particular the kidnapping of Terry Waite.
If you live in the Chicago, Illinois area, on Saturday, April 9, 2022 at 2:00 PM, Gordon will be speaking about and signing his latest novel, The Angels of Klaipeda at the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture. Details can be found on Gordon’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100065013460047
Multi-published author Marcelle Dube joins me on the podcast. Marcelle is the author of numerous mystery novels and short stories. Her bibliography is incredible. She is also on the executive of the Sisters in Crime – Chapter West. Marcelle grew up in Montreal, and after trying a few provinces, she set roots in the Yukon for 35 years and she now lives in Alberta, which she says is, “much like the Yukon in all the ways that counts.” Today, we will be talking about her latest novel, The Wronged Woman, the common error novelists make when writing the short story, the "dirty middle" and the "boys in the basement."
http://www.marcellemdube.com/
Christine Gabriel is the author of the Best-Selling, Young Adult, Paranormal Romance novel, Crimson Forest, the first novel in her Crimson Chronicles Series. Her fiction has been nominated for such awards as The People’s Book Award and The Buckeye Book Award. Christine's been in the marketing industry for over 15 years and is in charge of the publicity & graphics department at Pandamoon Publishing, based out of Austin, Texas. Christine and I shared many laughs and writing experiences. In this podcast we discuss the series arc, and spoiler, yes, Christine has another series in the works. I learned about red moss and talked about Whistler's pink snow and why German tourists think Canadians are tough. Christine talked about the tough scenes, and the scene that made her go through two boxes of Kleenex.
Christine Gabriel - Writer, Books, Marketing (christine-gabriel.com)
Christine Gabriel - Home | Facebook
Christine Gabriel (@christinegabriel31) • Instagram photos and videos
Christine Gabriel - YouTube
Award-winning author Valerie Dunsmore studied creative writing at Kwantlen College and graduated from the journalism program at Grant MacEwan College. She and I discuss her fiction novel, Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit, the sister relationship and her character Lily, and the lessons Lily will learn from hatred to healing. Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit is the winner of the Whistler Independent Book Awards for Best Fiction, the 29th Annual Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards and it placed Silver for Fantasy in the Foreword Review's Indie Book of the Year Awards. We have a magical discussion about nature and what we take for granted, and do rabbits really talk to the underworld? Pay particular attention to the podcast art on this podcast.
Valerie Dunsmore - Valerie Dunsmore
The Joanna and Benny Show. Yes, two authors, myself and Benny Sims, we are fans of each other's novels and writing styles. We talk about everything from writing in the 3rd person point-of-view to the first person point-of-view. Character arcs. What we've learned and what we still want to learn. Book trailers, promotion, and using life experiences in plotting a novel.
Benny joins me from his writing shed in Alabama. We celebrate Benny's novel Code Gray winning Killer Nashville's Silver Falchion Award for best mystery, and Dealer's Child placing #60 and #64 in Amazon's top 100 during it's first week of release. And did Benny really have 70 questions for me to answer? It's a fun conversation across the border.
Benny Sims | Writing, reading, and various other mayhem
Cover art photo courtesy of Jeremy Yap.
Colleen van Niekerk grew up in South Africa as a person of colour in the eighties and nineties. This meant being surrounded by stories and art, an act of expression. Her evocative debut novel, A Conspiracy of Mothers is set during a defining period in South Africa’s history. Colleen's gripping novel tells a story of love and betrayal from multiple perspectives while balancing the painful legacy of apartheid with the trials of motherhood. Colleen thank you for writing a gripping story and coming on my podcast. Listeners can catch Colleen's book launch on December 2, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. at the Massy Art Society.
HOME | author (colleenvanniekerk.com)
@vanniekerk | Linktree
Colleen van Niekerk (@colleenauthor) • Instagram photos and videos
Colleen van Niekerk - Home | Facebook
Today, multi-published author and Ellery Queen author, K.L. Abrahamson is back in the dressing room. On Karen’s website, the visitor is greeted with these words, “Writing at the dangerous ends of the earth; The various incarnations of Karen L. Abrahamson.” Karen writes, mystery, fantasy, and romance. She is also a prolific short story author and her stories have appeared in numerous anthologies. Karen has worked as a special constable, a correctional officer, a probation officer and ESL instructor. She has travelled to East and West Africa, Burma, China, Northern India, and Peru. Karen and I talk about Beneath Malabar Nets, the second novel in her Phoebe Clay mystery series.
Writing at the dangerous ends of the earth – The various Incarnations of Author Karen L. Abrahamson (karenlabrahamson.com)
Prolific science fiction, fantasy and mystery author Elgon Williams returned to the podcast and we talked about the Thuperman Trilogy, in particular Thuper Heroes, the last novel in his Thuperman trilogy. We talked about books, plotting, life imitating art, and what's next with Elgon now that this trilogy has ended.
Elgon was born and raised in Springfield, Ohio. He grew up on a farm in southeastern Clark County near the town of South Charleston. He’s a graduate of Purdue University, The University of Texas, and the Defense Language Institute.
The One & Only Elgon – Where the Magic Is Real (elgonwilliams.com)
Elgon Williams (@elgonewolf) • Instagram photos and videos
Elgon Williams | Facebook
Stranger danger. Yes, a lot was discussed on today's podcast with Alice Bienia. Three Dog Knight is the third in her Jorja Knight thriller/mystery series. We talk about writing lessons learned, the integrity of characters, and using humour for those lighter moments. Did I mention tension? Oh, and how about the series' story arc? Check out this podcast and learn about Alice's real life events that were the basis for scenes in Three Dog Knight.
Also, do not forget to complete the poll.
Alice Bienia – Crime Writer
Multi-published author, Barbara Fradkin is back on the podcast, and we discuss her latest Inspector Green series, The Devil to Pay, which also features Inspector Green's daughter, Hannah, now a rookie patrol officer.
Barbara is a retired psychologist who is fascinated with why people turn bad. She has written numerous short stories and novellas as well as the critically acclaimed Inspector Green novels. She has been nominated 4 times for the Arthur Ellis Award of Excellence in the Best Novel category and she has won twice with her Inspector Green series.
Barbara provides details about her virtual book launch which is happening on October 26, 2021 from 7 to 8 pm EST. The link to her website below has the virtual link details: Barbara Fradkin - Home as well, here is the Eventbrite link: Online Event Page | Eventbrite
Thank you Barbara for stopping by the dressing room and talking with me about characters, changing up the trope and tension.
Judy J. Johnson and I talk about her non-fiction/fiction book, Thief of Reason. Judy is a Professor Emerita, Psychology Department of Mount Royal University, Calgary, AB. Her M.Sc. and Ph.D. theses, and her post doc fellowship at the Ellis Institute in NYC, explored the biological, social, and psychological forces that shaped the 13 characteristics of dogmatism’s rigid profile. Her non-fiction book What’s So Wrong With Being Right: The Dangerous Nature of Dogmatic Belief, and her novel, Thief of Reason, focus on dogmatism. She has taught psychology courses to university students, inmates in 2 correctional institutions and indigenous women on the Sarcee Reserve. In the summers of 1990 and 1991, she also taught students in Gaza, Israel during the intifada. She has given numerous presentations on dogmatism to academics in Canadian and international universities including Cambridge, and she is a recipient of Mount Royal University’s Distinguished Teaching Award.
We had a good discussion about dogmatism and recognizing the three types of dogmatism in individuals and how to deal with dogmatic people.
DogmatismCA
Cindy Buckshon's art has been shown in numerous art exhibitions. She obtained her BFA in Visual Arts at the University of Victoria. Her final project for the honours program was a series of paintings of Vancouver's trolley buses. She is also a graphic designer and author. In 2019 Cindy wrote Liar, Liar, Gown on Fire, a memoir about her lifelong struggle with mental illnesses, specifically bipolar disorder and factitious disorder, commonly known as Munchausen syndrome. Liar, Liar, Gown on Fire is so well written, you'll feel you're riding the buses with Cindy, a pastime that provided Cindy with much-needed peace, and ultimately long-lasting friendships. You witness Cindy's turmoil and hope she can pull through the difficult times, and you rejoice her successes.
Thank you Cindy for coming on the podcast and bringing awareness to mental illness.
About – Cindy Buckshon Creative
(4) Cindy Buckshon | Facebook
Cindy Buckshon (@cbuckshon) • Instagram photos and videos
Liar, Liar, Gown on Fire eBook : Buckshon, Cindy: Amazon.ca: Kindle Store
Susan Jane Wright studied anthropology and architecture before settling on law. She worked as a litigator before moving in–house. Her career has taken her from the boardrooms of Calgary to the streets of Beijing. Susan writes legal thrillers. Box of Secrets is her debut novel and the first in the Evie Valentine mystery series. It was a finalist in the 2021 Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence for Best Unpublished Manuscript.
When she’s not writing Susan’s travelling with her husband and two daughters. Her favourite vacation was a trip from Prague to London on the Orient Express.
Susan is celebrating the virtual launch of Box of Secrets. Listeners can register for the launch through Owls Nest Books through this link https://shop.owlsnestbooks.com/events/14540.
https://susanjanewright.ca
Susan Jane Wright (@susanjjwright) • Instagram photos and videos
Alice Bienia has a passion for nature, photography, motorcycles, and coffee. She went to university and emerged with a Bachelor of Science in geology. Her work in remote regions of Canada honed her insatiable curiosity, fuelled her imagination and deepened her desire to learn. She writes full time. She approaches her creativity, imagination with the all important, ‘head down, butt in chair,’ skill she’s acquired along the way to creating challenging crimes. The author of Knight Blind, Knight Trials and her recently released Three Dog Knight, Alice Bienia joins the panel in the dressing room to talk about humour. Alice Bienia – Crime Writer
C.J. Papoutsis lives in a crooked old building on a crooked old street near the sea in Victoria, B.C. where she stares out the window waiting for brilliant stories and poems to smack her on the head. Writing is Carolanne’s lifelong passion. From the time she was five, she made little books from cut-up paper and scribbled on the pages. Despite being captive in Civil Service for 35 years and a cancer skirmish, she has kept on writing “because it’s more fun than therapy.” She also designs and makes jewellery. Her essays, short stories, mysteries and poetry have been published in Monday Magazine, Senior Living Magazine and two anthologies; Dropped Threads 2, Blood on the Holly, and on Stories Less Spoken, and Commuterlit.com.
Erik D'Souza is the author of Death in Halfmoon Bay, a Suzanne Rickson mystery. Erik's first book, Straight Men in Gay Bars sold internationally. His novella and short stories have been published in various literary magazines, both in print and online. Like all authors, Erik has many stories to tell. We talk about how important pacing is when it comes to writing humour. Learn about Erik's publishing company Timbercrest Publishing and how it has helped authors reach their publishing dreams. https://timbercrestpublishing.com/ and http://erikdsouza.com/
Photo taken by Photo by Srinivas Bandari on Unsplash
Do you know what a mud angel is? You'll find out with this episode's multi-talented author, Jule Selbo.
Jule spent 20+ years working as a screenwriter at major film studios in Los Angeles, including working for industry giant George Lucas on The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. Other shows Jule worked on were HBO’s Women Behind Bars, George Romero’s Tales from the Darkside and Monsters, and Aaron Spelling’s Melrose Place. Portland, Maine, Jule calls home, and this multi-published author, playwright, screenwriter, producer and professor, joined me on the podcast and we talked about using screenwriting techniques to plot a novel.
Jule’s short stories have been published in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. Jule shares what she learned about her heroine Dee Rommel in her debut novel, 10 Days. And I also learned that Jule has a clever shot on the pickle ball court.
Jule Selbo
Jule Selbo (@juleselbo) • Instagram photos and videos
Children’s author Trevor Atkins and I had a blast in this episode. There's a lot of laughter and a GIVEAWAY, so listen closely. Trevor educated me on pirates and the extensive research he did crafting this exciting and intriguing children's novel. The Youtube portion of this podcast will be uploaded in a few days and listeners can see the many drawings and illustrations that Trevor makes reference to.
Trevor lives with his family on the west coast of Canada and has been working with words for much of his life, but he has only recently pursued historical fiction. A storyteller and role player of detailed characters, Trevor finds it natural to weave together many intertwining plot threads when writing.
The Day the Pirates Went Mad is a middle-grade historical fiction, set at the turn of the 18th century. Follow the adventures of orphanage runaway Emma Sharpe as she voyages to the West Indies aboard the New Adventure. This book is not only a children’s book, but also a great resource for teachers. Trevor has created a comprehensive website which includes a teacher’s guide, an author’s log and games.
There is one section near the end of the podcast when Trevor and I are talking about pirate games, and my internet was interrupted, but Trevor does explain if his pirate game is connected to his novel, The Day the Pirates Went Mad.
Now Available – The Day the Pirates Went Mad (emmasharpesadventures.com)
Trevor Atkins writes - Home | Facebook
September 30, 2021 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada.
Teoni Spathelfer, author of Little Wolf, returns to the podcast to talk about her second children's book in this series, White Raven. Through the pages of a children's book, Teoni recounts her mother's experience at a residential school. For so long many residential school survivors were not believed when they recounted their stories. Through reconciliation and reconcili-action, we can be a part of the change. As Teoni suggests, watch a First Nations movie, read a First Nations story.
White Raven can be purchased at Munro Books, Bolen Books, Indigo, the Sooke Museum, Amazon, and Strong Nation.
Teoni Spathelfer | Facebook
Teoni Spathelfer (@teonispathelfer) • Instagram photos and videos
The dressing room is taken over by Rudy, the rescue dog and Rudy's human. This time the interviewer, Joanna Vander Vlugt, is the interviewee. Susan Jane Wright, author of the soon-to-be-released novel, Box of Secrets, questions Joanna about the second novel in the Jade & Sage thriller series, Dealer's Child. What were the tough scenes? Why does Joanna insist on doing her own book covers? Is Jade, Joanna's alter ego? We also learn about the new characters that came to life on the pages of Dealer's Child. Joanna mentions Bill Morrison, the author of Lions in the Grass, Gordon Mott, the author of Lithuanian Lullaby and author Debra Purdy Kong. www.jcvartstudio.net JCVARTSTUDIO-theDressing-Room (@jcvartstudio_thedressing_room) • Instagram photos and videos JoannaVandervlugt (@jcvartstudio) • Instagram photos and videos
Debra Purdy Kong has 40 years of writing experience. A former criminology student, Debra draws upon life experiences, including her security work, to plot her novels. She has two series, the Alex Bellamy series and the Casey Holland series. A prolific author, we talk about writing (of course), language, characters aging and does that impact their dialogue. As well as over-cooked brussels sprouts!
Mystery Author, DEBRA PURDY KONG - Home
Gordon Mott is the author of the historical fiction novels, Lithuanian Lullaby and The Angels of Klaipeda. He has lived and worked in the UK, Australia, Canada and Lithuania. With a degree in politics from Trent University in Peterborough, Canada, he holds an interest in East European development and has taught and travelled extensively in the region. We had a good discussion about the writing of his first novel, Lithuanian Lullaby, an epic historical fiction novel which is also a love story. The novel highlights western and eastern cultures between 1987 and 1997 following Lithuania's Independence and has been number one on Amazon in Canada and the U.S.
Gordon has been interviewed extensively overseas, and his novel has been featured in numerous publications worldwide. I was honoured to be his first Canadian interview.
Have you heard the JAWS-approach of storytelling? Josh talks about using the JAWS-approach when it came to writing his short story The Stork, which is not only story, but also poem, which Josh also illustrated. Author, illustrator, creative, Josh and I discuss what success means to us, writing fiction that has weight, and sharing experiences through writing and art. Which came first? Art or writing?
Illustrator | Josh Kully | British Columbia
Josh (@joshkully) • Instagram photos and videos
Joshua Kully | Facebook
Josh Kully - YouTube
Josh Kully (@JoshKully) / Twitter
Stella Harvey is a multi-published author, the Creative Director behind the Whistler Writers Festival, and a mentor in the Writer's Studio at SFU. She has a wealth of insight and writing experience, and she is not afraid to take risks. Born in Cairo, and having lived in Rome and Calgary, she now calls Whistler home. This beautiful mountainside location is where she found her writing community and where her writing career took off. A simple advertisement in the local paper started a writing group which bloomed into the Whistler Writers Festival. We had a great discussion about writing, taking chances, Canadian poet and novelist Andreas Schroeder staying in her home, and Ernest Hemingway's connection to Canada. And, Happy 50th episode JCVArtStudio from the Dressing Room.
Penni Jones’s website is titled, Scapegoats and Sacred Cows, and under that title is written This is my existential crises, get your own. She has a sharp, refreshing voice. Penni is also an editor, screenwriter & t-shirt wearer. Her novels are Suicide Souls, Kricket and On the Bricks. Penni and I talked about writing, imaginations and how in her dedication she writes about the grief following suicide. As we talked about Suicide Souls, we agreed that her novel has many layers, it's part thriller, part mystery and has humour. As much as this is a work of fiction, Penni respectfully writes about the topic of suicide. We have a good conversation including her inspiration behind some of her scenes. Would you believe the Detroit airport? And ghosts. Scapegoats and Sacred Cows – This is my existential crisis. Get your own. Penni Jones author (@pennijonesauthor) • Instagram photos and videos
Kemeasha Brown is a children's author, who, after flight delays, touched down in New York City and joined me on the podcast. Kemeasha's children's book, "It's Ok to Not Be Ok," is a doorway for parents and children to discuss mental health. Her book is enjoyed by all ages and is receiving accolades from all over. Kemeasha's "attitude of gratitude" comes through in our discussion. Kemeasha explains the inspiration for her book, including the book cover and illustrations. Our discussion levered into issues affecting us all. Kemeasha knew the timing of her book was just right when she saw Japanese professional tennis player, Naomi Osaka, on the cover of time with the caption "It's Ok to Not Be Ok." After listening to this podcast, you'll come away feeling inspired. "What act of kindness have you done today?" Kemeasha Brown (@meashawritebooks) • Instagram photos and videos Meashawritebooks Thank you to Vitriol for the new music.
Sue Stoney has authored textbooks. She has sewn for as long as she can remember. She creates her own dyes and dyes her own wool, silk and other fabrics, as well as producing her own patterns. Zero waste. When she’s not scouring linen with soda ash to prepare it for dying with onion skins, Sue is blogging or zigzagging around Australia discovering all sorts of public art. Sue joins me on the podcast and we talk about zero waste as well as kick around the idea of Sue writing a fictional novel. fadanista – For indulging my fads Sue Stoney (@suestoney) • Instagram photos and videos 2021 British Columbia Fires - Canadian Red Cross
Ashley Good is an author, podcaster and indie filmmaker. She joins me on the podcast and we discuss everything from her YA novel, Mary & the Alien, filmmaking, and being the creative behind the Foggy Isle Film Festival. We discover we are both fans of The Umbrella Academy, and we agree that creative expression is not about following the rules but creating and putting your creation out there, be it novel or film.
Ashley Good
Mary & the Alien — Ashley Good
Foggy Isle Film Festival – Foggy Isle Film Festival (foggyislefilms.com)
Ready, Set with Ashley Good — Ashley Good
Six amazing authors join me in the dressing room and we talk about their short stories in the Moonlight and Misadventure anthology, which is the third short story anthology from Judy Penz Sheluk’s Superior Shores Press. Award-winning short story authors from the US and Canada are featured in this anthology, as well as talented new authors, who are breaking into Canada's mystery writing scene with their unique voices. These individual stories flow so nicely together. They are notes in a phrase of music. And to tap into your moonlight theme, when I read the stories of these authors, I thought of Claude Debussy’s Clair de Lune. This anthology was a pleasure to read.
Susan Daly - Joie de Livre
Judy Penz Sheluk | One Writer's Journey
Edgy, different and a nameless protagonist. Candas Jane Dorsey's writing style defies convention. As I said to Candas during our interview, she's in the driver's seat of a Bugatti and she's just told me to "buckle up." Candas is a prolific internationally known award-winning author. In 2005 she was awarded the Province of Alberta Centennial Gold Medal for her artistic achievement and community work, and in 2017 the WGA Golden Pen Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Literary Arts. In 2019 she was inducted into the City of Edmonton's Arts and Cultural Hall of Fame. Candas and I share favorite story lines and discuss her nameless protagonist in her book The Adventures of Isabel, the first in her Epitome Apartments Mystery series. Candas can be found on the socials at Candas Jane Dorsey at art - Home | Facebook and Candas Jane Dorsey (@CJDwriter) / Twitter Photo taken by PJ Groeneveldt
"What are you that Random House is not?" "Be nimble. Be quick." Today, I have award-winning author and consultant, Bill Morrison on the podcast. Bill is the author of Lions in the Grass, a #1 Amazon Bestseller as well as the 2020 Canadian Book Club Award winner in the 2020 Business/Self-Help category. He has appeared on the CTV Morning Show talking about “the tricks of professional persuaders” and is a consultant in the field of emotional positioning and consumer behaviour. He has spent the last 25 years uncovering the elements of influence and persuasion that impact human motivation. After two decades of unprecedented success in condominium tower marketing, he now consults with corporations, brands and individuals on how to emotionally connect their audience with their offerings.
In the beginning of the podcast you will hear about Bill's 2 book giveaway. The first two listeners to email me the correct answer to the question: What is the title of the "great great book" written by Sun Tzu that Bill refers to in the podcast? will win a free copy of Bill's book Lions in the Grass.
Bill Morrison Author of Lions in the Grass (morrisonwrites.com)
Bill Morrison (@billmorrisonwrites) • Instagram photos and videos
Bill Morrison - President - Newterra Marketing Consulting | LinkedIn
Morrison Writes - Home | Facebook
Today I'm excited to share my discussion with creative Teoni Spathelfer. Because the recording is a little difficult to hear in some sections, we had horrible weather during the recording, I wanted to note the names mentioned. Teoni shared the sound effects of the waves for her documentary, Teoni's Dream, with Elder Gilbert Joe. Teoni mentions Chief Dr. Robert Joseph, who is part of Reconciliation Canada. Heritage House is the publisher of Little Wolf, which we discuss on today's podcast.
Teoni's Dream can be listened to at the 4:40 mark here February 26, 2010 - Part 1 | CBC.ca. Teoni felt her ancestors were bringing her a message through her dreams. Little Wolf is the first in a trilogy, and it tackles topics such as racism, isolation and overcoming challenges. The second book in this trilogy is White Raven. Teoni blends three generations of women to create her character, Little Wolf. A beautiful children's book which is appropriate for children and adults. Tune in and learn about Fire Woman who came to Teoni in her dreams.
Teoni Spathelfer | Facebook
Teoni Spathelfer (@teonispathelfer) • Instagram photos and videos
65 Canadian picture books to check out in spring 2021 | CBC Books
Lauren was a registered nurse and mom at an early age. She didn't anticipate after her first child, she would suffer from post-partum depression. With the love of her family and help from her physician, she slowly started to feel better and emerged from those dark days and found her calling as a Scroll Saw Artist. She now chases her dreams one project at a time in her garage. Lauren's business Wild Wood Creative is thriving. I was able to get this Scroll Saw Artist to stop by for a quick discussion about her journey and art. Www.wildwood-creative.com Wild Wood Creative - Home | Facebook Wild Wood Creative (@wild.wood.creative) • Instagram photos and videos
Hannah Mary McKinnon was born in the UK. She grew up in Switzerland and now lives in Canada with her husband and three sons. Before moving to Canada, she had completed commercial studies in Geneva and worked as a PA for DuPont. Later she moved to Neuchatel and became the Purchasing Manager for a high-tech company. Hannah is the author of numerous essays and pieces. Her fifth novel, You Will Remember Me is in stores now, and it's receiving great reviews. On Friday, May 28, it was on the Globe and Mail’s list of “riveting thriller novels to start summer off with a bang.” They also tweeted that, “McKinnon is a writer to remember.” Hanna and I discuss using “sweet” similes to describe a voice, how Hanna went from writing a rom-com to suspense, writing in multiple first-person points-of-view, and breaking rules to produce the best novel possible. Home - hannahmarymckinnon.com Hannah Mary McKinnon Author 📚 (@hannahmarymckinnon) • Instagram photos and videos Hannah Mary McKinnon - Home | Facebook
"Three years of hoping and dreaming and praying and begging. Three years of anticipation and disappointment hang here in this room." Lila Harrison King has been on her own motherhood journey. She is a writer, and a podcaster, who wanted to reach out to mothers all over the world. She created a beautiful, one of a kind keepsake book, Love Like a Mama. This book is for moms in any stage of motherhood. Its daily dose of encouragement reminds us that being a mom comes in all shapes and stories. There isn't a right way to mother. Just a loving way. Her hardcover book is filled with daily encouraging thoughts, wide margins for doodles, and a journaling section. Lila joins me on the podcast and we share stories of motherhood, not wanting to disappoint our children, wishing we could offer more, lots of laughs and love. You'll feel like you've had a virtual hug. Lila's podcast, Love Like a Mama can be heard on any listening platform. Love Like A Mama | Lila Harrison King Lila Harrison King (@lovelikeamama_) • Instagram photos and videos Love Like A Mama (facebook.com)
Ana Warner's two novels, The Soul Contract and The Soul Union are fictional stories to teach about the important lessons about love. Ana was born in Bucharest, Romania. In her early years she was raised in West Africa and immigrated to Saskatchewan as a teenager, where she received a Bachelor of Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan. Ana began writing poetry, short stories and lyrics to music at the age of eleven. As she grew older, her quest to understand who people are and why they behave the way they do lead her to educate herself in Astrology. We have a good conversation about self-respect, toxic reality and expectations in a relationships. I also learn about the twin-flames journey. Ana can be found at Ana Warner 🇱🇷🇷🇴 (@anico28) • Instagram photos and videos https://www.facebook.com/ana.warner.52
Brian Richmond, a U.K. promoter of indie authors, and I have a virtual coffee and catch up on what's new on his website Home (bluedevilbooks.com), and what's new in my life as an indie author and podcaster. We discuss traditional publishers and how today's indie author is learning to do everything, including book trailers in particular, my book trailer of The Unravelling The Unravelling (jcvartstudio.net). Brian and I share our proudest moments, the pros and cons of social media, and learning about marketing. I recap about some of the authors I've had on the podcast from Canada and abroad, and Brian and I agree, location has nothing to do with a good book. Erase the borders and it all comes down to good storytelling.
Benny Sims is a fan of Lee Child's, Jack Reacher series. He's worked with the aerospace industry making windows for the President's Air Force One. Benny has always liked storytelling. He can trace that fondness to reading Jack London’s The Call of the Wild when he was in second grade and listening to his great uncle tell war stories from his time as an artillery cannoneer in North Africa and Italy during WW II.
Benny was born and grew up in middle Tennessee, but his family moved to Benton, Illinois. It was there that his teachers noticed his aptitude for writing and encouraged him to pursue it. He attended college at Murray State University in Kentucky where he studied journalism. After college, he landed a job as sports writer and editor with a small newspaper near his hometown.
Benny and I have a great conversation. We talk about his really good prologue which didn't make it into the book and why (YouTube link below), as well as Lee Child's writing style of two steps forward and one step back. I learned about the Fairness Doctrine. Have you heard of a pitch party on Twitter? You will today. And Benny surprised me when I found out when he wrote Code Gray, his debut novel. Benny writes like a seasoned author with multiple novels under his belt.
Prologue for CODE GRAY Book Reading with Author Benny Sims - YouTube
Code Gray Book Trailer - YouTube
Benny Sims, Author | Books | Series | Interview | Deals | Newsletter | Contact | Site | AllAuthor
"When the rubber meets the road," Elgon Williams. It was a trip down memory lane talking with Elgon Williams about his novel, Becoming Thuperman, the first in his Thuperman series. His middle-grade reader novel takes the reader to simpler times, in fact 1988, through the eyes of Will, his 8-year old protagonist. I enjoyed interviewing Elgon as I virtually jumped across the border to Las Vegas to chat with this Science Fiction, Fantasy and Mystery author. Elgon was born and raised in Springfield, Ohio. He grew up on a farm in southeastern Clark County near the town of South Charleston. He’s a graduate of Purdue University, The University of Texas, and the Defense Language Institute. We talked books, piano, karate, life choices and even a little about the Vietnam War. The One & Only Elgon – Where the Magic Is Real (elgonwilliams.com) Elgon Williams (@elgon.williams) • Instagram photos and videos https://www.facebook.com/elgonwilliamsauthor
Multi-published author and Ellery Queen author, K.L. Abrahamson is in the dressing room. On Karen’s website, the visitor is greeted with these words, “Writing at the dangerous ends of the earth; The various incarnations of Karen L. Abrahamson.” Karen writes, mystery, fantasy, and romance. She is also a prolific short story author and her stories have appeared in numerous anthologies. Karen has worked as a special constable, a correctional officer, a probation officer and ESL instructor. She has travelled to East and West Africa, Burma, China, Northern India, and Peru. We talk about stepping out onto the ledge when writing, real camping, and her thrilling and breath-taking novel, Through Dark Water. We had a great discussion even after being podcast-bombed by Shiva and Ozzy.
Writing at the dangerous ends of the earth – The various Incarnations of Author Karen L. Abrahamson (karenlabrahamson.com)
Karen L. Abrahamson | Facebook
Alisha Sevigny is an author of Young Adult, Middle Grade and Children’s Books. She is a literary consultant for those seeking assistance in writing and publishing their novel. She holds a degree in Professional Writing and Sociology from the University of Victoria, is a film school graduate, former literary agent and yoga teacher. She is passionate about Ancient Civilizations and her new middle-grade series Secrets of the Sands launched in 2020 with The Lost Scroll of the Physician and is followed by The Desert Prince. No matter what your age, this is a thrilling series for any lover of Ancient Egypt, mystery and adventure. Alisha Sevigny
alisha sevigny (@alishasevigny) / Twitter
(2) Alisha Sevigny, Author | Facebook
Vanessa Åsell Tsuruga leads the Digital and Content portfolio, weaving in the contractual sponsorship assets from the sports and entertainment properties in the Rakuten portfolio. Prior to Rakuten, she worked for ASICS in Sponsorship Activation, Sports Marketing, and PR roles at the Global Headquarter (Kobe, Japan) and Scandinavian office in Stockholm, Sweden. She also worked as a Tokyo based BBC World Service freelance reporter. Vanessa holds a Master’s Degree in "Olympic Studies, Olympic Education, Organization and Management of Olympic Events" from the International Olympic Academy and a BA Journalism from City University, London. She has run 6 marathons.
Vanessa is also an author. She published her debut novel in Swedish on International Women’s Day 2020, and had it translated into English. Forget-me-not Forever is available on Kobo as an eBook. Join Vanessa and I as we talk about translations, Frankensteining-sections of text, using the New York marathon as a metaphor for life and why Vanessa is constantly receiving pancake emojis.
Vanessa Åsell Tsuruga - Senior Manager | Global Sports Digital Strategy - Rakuten | LinkedIn
Vanessa Åsell Tsuruga | Facebook
Vanessa Åsell Tsuruga (@vanessaaselltsuruga) • Instagram photos and videos
Forget-me-not Forever eBook by Vanessa Åsell Tsuruga - 1230003979167 | Rakuten Kobo Canada Förgätmigej för alltid eBook by Vanessa Åsell Tsuruga - 1230003700594 | Rakuten Kobo Canada
International Amazon Bestselling author, S.M. (Shoshona) Freedman, joins me in the dressing room. Her debut novel The Faithful was selected by Suspense Magazine as a "Best Debut of 2015." The sequel, Impact Winter, was published in 2016. Shoshona and I talk about writing what we fear, nightmares, keeping the intensity and keeping the story human. Shoshona acknowledges "working" to write the perfect narrative paragraph, and she jokes about the original title for her standalone thriller The Day She Died, a novel I could not put down. We delve into Judaism and Catholicism.
Shoshona is currently working on the third and final instalment in The Faithful Series. Her standalone psychological thriller novel, The Day She Died, published by Dundurn Press, is being released April 27. Signed copies of The Day She Died is available through Book Warehouse. Shoshona is a proud member of the Sisters in Crime, Crime Writers of Canada, International Thriller Writers, and Mystery Writers of America. At my urging, Shoshona shares what it was like to watch the sun set on a rooftop in New York City during Thrillerfest. S.M.F (smfreedman.com)
S.M. Freedman - Home | Facebook
S.M. Freedman (@smfreedmanauthor) • Instagram photos and videos
S.M. Freedman - Pre-order The Day She Died Now (@SMFreedman) / Twitter
As a child Judy Toews published the neighbourhood news at $0.25 a pop, then she was the editor of two school newspapers. Her first novel, Give Out Creek, was a finalist for the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Unpublished Crime Novel and the 2019 Lefty Award for Best Debut Mystery novel. Her protagonist, Stella Mosconi, is a newspaper reporter, and we discuss Judy's second novel in the Stella Mosconi series, Lucky Jack Road.
Judy used to work as a nutritionist. She has a love for science and forensic work. Judy shares a few good resources, such as Howdunit Forensics: A Guide for Writers, written by D.P. Lyle. To learn more about Judy check out her website https://www.jgtoews.com She can be found on Instagram at JG Toews (@jgtoews) • Instagram photos and videos Twitter JG Toews (@JudyToews) / Twitter and on Facebook JG Toews | Facebook.
Crime Wave is the Canada West anthology published by the Sisters in Crime - CW chapter. It features K.L. Abrahamson, J.E. Barnard, Alice Bienia, Marcelle Dubè, Debra Henry, Winona Kent, Charlotte Morganti and Merrilee Robson. Melodie Campbell writes the Foreword in this collection explaining why crime has always been a woman's genre, and each of these talented authors joins me in the dressing room. I learned a lot such as retro-fitting a story, skiing 10 kilometres in -20 degrees in the Yukon, working from a 3-act structure, the snowflake method of plotting and there's even some Shakespeare. As much as these authors are dedicated and serious about their craft, they are also incredibly funny. Thank you Sisters in Crime - CW for joining me in the dressing room. We have to do this again in person. Cheers.
"Play with words." Editor Jennifer Kaddoura is an artist who has found her perfect creative space. Her devotion to critical thinking, creative writing and empathy is obvious in her editing approach. Jennifer is intensely curious about insights gained through lived experience and finds joy in helping her clients achieve their publishing goals. She encourages her clients to courageously share their insights, helping them to present their vision clearly and, often, compellingly. “What matters in this complex and crowded world is the authenticity and clarity of your voice — freeze-framing your kaleidoscope so that others may benefit from your insights.” She has extensive experience in both customer service and editing. She began her career at an innovative, fast-growing software company. Her client service skills and commitment to meeting every deadline propelled her into positions requiring steadfast dependability. She became the primary relationship contact for numerous large companies in both Canada and the US, as well as the primary contact for white-glove executive services across all clients. When the company sought to better their education materials, her talents in clear communication and document design were put to use in the position of comprehensive editor. She has since moved to Victoria, B.C., where she is employed as a Legislative Editor for the B.C. Attorney General Ministry. Additional Victoria editing experiences include Senior Editor at Hansard Services, with the Legislative Assembly of B.C., as well as editing various projects through her freelance platform — historical fiction, creative non-fiction, online material, professional content for small businesses and local-area artists and academic theses (Master's level), with projects in Canadian and American English. Jennifer Kaddoura Editorial Services (editmebrilliant.com)
Andre Gress is the author of Boone and Jacque Saddleton's Secret, the first novel in his urban fantasy series. In this novel readers are introduced to the great friendship between Boone and Jacque as they discover there's more going on in Saddleton. Why do the teachers only teach history from grades to 3 to 5? Who is Shammy, the girl who, "smells like cotton candy and cookies," and should Boone and Jacque join the Saddleton Truth Seekers? Andre discusses drawing upon real life events to shape Boone and Jacque's journey and the underlying themes.
Andre is writing book 3 and when he's not involved with Boone and Jacque's adventures, he writes poetry which can be found on his website agflitcher – writing is truly powerful when someone says thank you for what you created. (wordpress.com)
Inga Kruse has been writing since she first drew and wrote political newsletters for her classmates in grade 4. Twenty years ago this Montrealer moved to BC, captivated by its rugged mountainous landscape and the love of her life.
Her young adult mystery novel Lou and the Whale of a Crime features Lou, a fifteen-year-old teenage girl who, with her curious engineering mind, builds her own spy gear. Lou and her huge Great Dane, Rocky are befriended by Oliver, a wheelchair user. He is known for his clever Shakespearean quotes and his determination. The two are thrust into a serious investigation that has international implications. Inga outlines the depths she undertook to authentically represent the Indigenous people of Squamish, and the detailed feedback she received from her 12-year-old beta readers.
Inga has her own amazing backstory. She explains the inspiration behind the exoskeleton, a project she was involved with as executive director of a charitable Veteran's organization, They rallied with others behind Captain Trevor Greene, the man MacLeans magazine captioned the Iron Soldier.
Jenn Ashton considered herself a writer at age 6 and she was first published at age 14. She writes in many genres and forms from children's books, newspaper editorials, music magazine columns to training materials and literary fiction. In 2015 she began working as a virtual artist in North Vancouver. Her work has the nuances of Picasso. In 2020 she was long listed for the Kanturk Arts Festivals' Flash Fiction, in 2019 she was the recipient of the Muriel's Journey Prize for Poetry as well as the Jericho Writer's Flash Contest. She searched for her First Nation's family history. Her fiction novel, People Like Frank: And Other Stories from the Edge of Normal, will have you laughing and reflecting, as you follow the stories of life's real heroes--the people on the edge. Author Jenn Ashton (jenniferashton.ca) Jenn Ashton Art (jenniferashton.ca)
Helen Garlick joins me from the UK. We talk about her memoir, No Place to Lie. Helen and I discuss the circumstances surrounding her brother's suicide, the importance of conversation and having no secrets, expressing and showing love. Despite our serious conversation we also share light moments and special memories, including when Helen met Princess Diana. Hello! It's better to talk - YouTube
Point of view such as 3rd person fixed, back stories for all characters, creating tension in a cozy, check out today's podcast with multi-published author Erik D'Souza as we discuss his latest novel Death in Halfmoon Bay, a Suzanne Rickson mystery. Erik's first book, Straight Men in Gay Bars sold internationally. His novella and short stories have been published in various literary magazines, both in print and online. Like all authors, Erik has many stories to tell. We talk about the characters in Death in Halfmoon Bay, finding humour at the kitchen table and paying homage to writing greats Agatha Christie and L.R. Wright. Learn which Canadian authors are Erik's favourite, 3 out of 4 who have stopped in the dressing room. Get the scoop on his publishing company Timbercrest Publishing and how it has helped authors reach their publishing dreams. As well as, find out what everyone keeps asking Erik to write about. https://timbercrestpublishing.com/ and http://erikdsouza.com/
Mystery, plotting and poetry. Brenda Chapman is the author of over twenty published novels, and that’s not including short stories. She has written the lauded Stonechild and Rouleau police procedural series, the PI Anna Sweet mystery novellas and the Jennifer Bannon mysteries for middle grade readers. Her work has been shortlisted for several awards including 4 Arthur Ellis awards. We talk about her latest novel, Closing Time, as well as Elmore Leonard, Ann Gorman and Bob Dylan. Brenda Chapman – Mystery Author
Barbara Fradkin's latest Amanda Doucette novel is being launched January 28, 2021, and you have an invite to her free launch. Listen to our informative podcast and how Barbara is paying homage to Canada and its beautiful scenery through her writing. Learn about a braided story and how each chapter should have conflict. And, MacKenzie and Ozzy did not steal the show, although they tried. Grad a coffee, tea or glass of wine and enjoy writing wisdom from Barbara. Barbara Fradkin - Home
Your purse is made out of wine cork. Join me in a fun conversation with my sister, Linda Maki, the entrepreneur behind the shop Lanyos Handmade and the writer of the sewing blog Nice Dress! Thanks I Made It. Linda’s journey started in her teens with a blue sewing machine and a pair of pink pants. As an adult, to satisfy her purse habit, she started creating her own purses. Linda’s philanthropy includes making masks, the proceeds of which are donated to the ALS.
Lou Who? Louise Johnson is the author of Lou Who? a memoir of self discovery, as well as the blogger of the popular blog Divorced and Dating at 30 Blog - Author Louise Johnson (louisejohnsonauthor.com). In 2013 Lou saved herself from a destructive marriage, and with a one-way ticket in her hand, she left behind her old life in Edinburgh, Scotland and started a new life in Vancouver, British Columbia. Her memoir reflects her honest and raw journey of self discovery. Louise Johnson - Author of Lou Who?
This entrepreneur has been in the top 5 for the BC Business Awards. She has written her own memoir, a beautiful love story. She has met with Hollywood execs to get her memoir optioned into a movie. Writers who have self-published with her have seen their books optioned. Her self-published authors have been written about in U.S. trade magazines. She has been featured on Global TV as well as in “I Like Her Style” Magazine and the cover of North Van Run magazine. The CEO behind The Self-Publishing Agency, Megan Williams, is on today's podcast.
Tarneet Kaur is an abstract artist from Ontario. She has been featured by Art Feature Magazine and World Art by Ecoreal. Her use of bright colours in her abstract pieces are beautiful. Her art is available on coasters, pillowcases and prints which can all be purchased through her Etsy shop Soul Art One.
Alice Bienia is the author behind the Jorja Knight mystery series. Her debut novel was a 2016 Arthur Ellis Award finalist for unpublished crime novel. Alice's writing is clear and fast-paced. You'll find yourself staying up late to read "one more chapter," and then laughing out loud with her humour. Alice is a member of the Sisters of Crime. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in geology. Website: http://www.alicebienia.com
A talk with the Chair of the Crime Writers of Canada and multipublished author Judy Penz Sheluk about her mystery series, writing cozies, plotting, and hooking in the reader. Do you know what a holographic will is?
Tara Moss, human rights activist and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador talks about her latest book, The War Widow, a gripping novel set just after WW II. Discover Tara's latest heroine, P.I., Billie Walker, a fierce feminist heroine. As well, learn what Tara has endured for the sake of research.
Laesa Faith Kim's novel, Can't Breathe, won the 2020 Whistler Writer's Independent book award. Laesa's writing is honest and raw. You will reach for tissues and laugh out loud, as you read her story about raising her beautiful little daughter, and the challenges involved . A story that renew one's faith in humanity.
With his debut novel, The Amsterdam Deception, Tony Ollivier takes readers on a dangerous adventure through the streets of Paris and Amsterdam with hero David Knight battling not only his memories, but the memories of a dead spy. Tune in to learn about Tony's writing process and the rockstars of writing.
How do you make the perfect espresso? What should you do to your pasta for good luck? Tune in to listen to Mamma Marzia as she talks about leaving Italy and coming to Canada, and the love and stories behind each recipe in her cookbook.
Seamus Heffernan says, "...if you want a fun story..." join Seamus and I as we talk about writing expectations, balancing fatherhood with writing a novel, and the highs and lows of being an author. Seamus Heffernan
Tune in for part 2 as Dave talks about the 3 "p's" in writing, hearing his first night hunt and sharing many insights in the writer's journey. The Author – Dave Butler Writing
Learn about the new mystery genre gaining momentum involving a new type of heroine. Tune in for Part 1 of this fun and engaging interview with award-winning and multi-published author, Dave Butler. The Author – Dave Butler Writing
This is the episode every indie author needs to hear. Blue Devil Books in the U.K. wants to promote you. Brian Richmond joined me and explained the process and the desire to support indie authors from around the world. Check it out. Home (bluedevilbooks.com)
Using her own novel, The Unravelling, as an example, Joanna provides listeners with tips of what to include in your scene. Tune in for updates and announcements.
Be entertained by Joanna's and Rachel's intimate, lighthearted and reflective art conversation across the Canadian/US border.
The Falls is more than a mystery series. It takes on issues such as PTSD and M.A.I.D. Listen to this intimate discussion with Jayne Barnard as she talks about drawing upon personal experiences to bring these issues to light. Author Talk (jaynebarnard.ca)
A fun heartfelt interview with author Winona Kent, discussing everything from book covers, a G-String, writing, publishing, characters and locations. Winona Kent
Joanna takes listeners on her journey independently publishing her novel after not writing for 20 years to the valuable lesson she learned about having the right book cover.