Author Express

On today’s episode we get to chat with Erin Quinn-Kong, a longtime magazine editor who started writing fiction after having her second child, while she was a freelance writer. She started writing Hate Follow in December 2020 after unsuccessfully querying a women’s fiction novel. She knew this idea was different as it had such a solid, newsworthy hook: an influencer who gets sued by her teen daughter for invasion of privacy (something Erin swears is going to happen one day—probably soon!)

Currently managing editor of Texas Highways, Erin has also been an editor at Austin Monthly, Us Weekly, and Allure. As a magazine editor, Erin has watched social media and influencers change the publishing industry and our society as a whole, almost without anyone realizing it. Along with examining social media and whose story parents are allowed to tell online, the mother-daughter struggle in Hate Follow is something that all parents will relate to. New York Times bestselling author Amanda Eyre Ward calls Hate Follow "a rich and witty story with two complicated women at its heart.” She adds, “Quinn-Kong's story of an influencer mom sued by her resentful daughter is of the moment, but its exploration of female power and privilege is timeless. It’s a beautiful debut."

Erin is a member of WFWA and the Writer’s League of Texas. When she’s not working or writing, you can find Erin exploring Texas and beyond with her husband and two kiddos. They love to eat good food, roller skate, swim, and burn all the kids’ energy off at every playground they can find. Erin is also part of a writing group called The Still Writing Squad, four mom writers who came together after years of not having publishing success and quickly found agents and published novels—three of which debuted in 2024. You can get a peek into their group on their Substack, The (Writing) Group Chat.

You can learn more about Erin on her website www.erinquinnkong.com and follow her on Instagram @erinquinnkongwrites -which will be the best place find out about her next novel.

Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Hate Follow at Bookshop.org

Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD, follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.”

Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/. 

Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast

Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books -

https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast

In this heartwarming episode of Author Express, join host Shawna Rodrigues as she sits down with Becky Ellis, a celebrated Northwest author from Portland. Discover Becky's journey growing up across various cities in California and how her complex family dynamics shaped her memoir, "Little Avalanches." Gain insights into the intriguing conversation she had with her father, a decorated WWII combat sergeant, that transformed her life's narrative. Learn about the specific challenges and emotional landscapes she navigated while writing her story. Don't miss Becky's unique strategy for structuring this dual-memoir and her tips on balancing the craft of writing with the rawness of personal experience. Perfect for fans of nonfiction and anyone fascinated by military family stories or memoir writing techniques.

Becky Ellis is a Timberwolf Pup. Her father was a WWII veteran and carried the weight of his combat experience internally, never sharing his stories, yet allowing them to influence his life deeply. Growing up, Becky could easily have broken ties with her father, but instead she gave him grace and listened when he was ready to talk. Becky's memoir, Little Avalanches, is detailed in 3 parts with her childhood, her father's daily account of WWII and how they came together through conversation decades later.

Becky is helping people start the conversations that need to be had with family members, especially those who have been in combat while also raising awareness of the great need our veterans have when they come home in dealing with the trauma they experience.

You can learn more about Becky by visiting her website, https://beckyellis.net, or following her on Instagram, @beckyellisauthor.

Get your copy of Little Avalanches here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKPP93Z8/

Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms. Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies.

She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram-@ShawnaPodcasts, and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27.

Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast

Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books -

https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast

Tiffany Yates Martin started in the publishing industry in her twenties as a copy editor for many of the Big Six (back then), when the business still used red pencils and to fact-check she had to spend a day at the New York Public Library in the stacks. For the last fifteen-plus years as a developmental editor she’s worked directly with authors as well as through major publishing houses, on titles by New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal bestselling and award-winning authors as well as manuscripts for indie-published and newer writers.

In her thirty years in the industry, Tiffany has seen thousands of writers' weather publishing’s constant ups and downs. Some seem to always land on their feet and some flame out; some hold on to the joy and satisfaction in creating that first sparked them to become an author, while others lose heart, confidence, or hope.

The difference between success and struggle has little to do with the publishing industry itself, despite its many challenges and how many variables are outside the creator’s control—but rather with the author. Those who sustain and succeed are the authors who know why they write, what they want from their career, and how to take the reins in creating a fulfilling, joyful writing career they can happily maintain for a lifetime.

Writers are so often given the advice to persist and be resilient if they want to create a successful career—but what does that actually mean, and how do you do it? Tiffany talks about practical, actionable ways to handle the most common issues, obstacles, and pitfalls of being an author: from practical issues like writer’s block, feedback and rejection, and advocating yourself as an author; to managing the demons that so often beset creatives (impostor syndrome, comparison, procrastination) and staying motivated and confident; and how to integrate writing into a healthy, rewarding, well-rounded life.

Find her (along with her online course, weekly blog on craft and career, and lots of free resources) at: https://foxprinteditorial.com named as a Writer’s Digest Best Websites for Writers for the last two years in a row.

Buy her book Intuitive Editing: A Creative and Practical Guide for Writers, here: https://foxprinteditorial.com/intuitive-editing/

Kristi Leonard is a modern Renaissance woman deeply rooted in the book world. When she's not immersed in crafting novels, she's orchestrating writing retreats through her business, Writers in the Wild, or lending her voice to non-fiction audiobooks. She leads the Women’s Fiction Writers Association as the president of the board, and interviews her writer pals as one of the hosts of the Author Express Podcast. She will start querying her first book in 2024.

Beyond the realm of words, Kristi embraces the Florida sunshine by hiking with her writer-hiker group and leisurely walks on the beach. She and her husband juggle a couple side businesses and take turns sharing the couch with their goofy Golden-doodle, Maddie. Kristi enjoys travel adventures with her twin sister and living vicariously through her grown children. You can learn more about her and connect at: https://linktr.ee/kristileonard.

Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast

Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books -

https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast

Curious about the life experiences that fuel a writer's imagination? In today's episode of Author Express, host Kathleen Basi chats with prolific author Cherie Dawn Haas. Cherie wrote her first book in 2016, titled Girl on Fire. It was inspired by her days as a fire eater and tribal belly dancer, and came at a time when she wanted to spend more time at home. While still a fire dancer at heart, Cherie Dawn now expresses herself through the written word. By day, she is an online editor for the art division of Streamline Publishing, and by night (and weekends) writes fiction and poetry in addition to teaching yoga.

Cherie is a member of the Women's Fiction Writers Association, and she leads the county library’s Rough Draft Collab writers group, as well as writing retreats and online coaching in writing, publishing, meditation, and yoga.

Living on a small farm helps inspire her work as well; you’ll often see this in her poetry and short stories that feature dogs, such as her Plott hound, Dangit Rusty, and her chickens. For example, Ashes for William, Cherie Dawn’s second novel, features a rooster who plays quite a role in this rural story of a tested friendship.

You can learn more on her website, CherieDawn.com, find links to her podcast and books, and click the Newsletter link to receive her monthly LifeSoup email with inspiration and motivation on how to live better with yourself and others.

Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD, follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.”

Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/. 

Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast

Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books -

https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast

On today’s episode, we will be chatting with Catherine Matthews, a Women’s Fiction author whose recently launched her debut novel, Releasing the Reins. This dual timeline novel follows Bunny O’Kelly’s as she storms off to Alaska to prove her worth, not just as a ranch hand, but as a woman in a world that doesn’t want her. As the title implies, Bunny has something to learn about trust—not just in others but in herself. Catherine took that journey along with Bunny as she let go of a thirty-four-year career in education to write full-time. Adventurous and headstrong like Bunny, Catherine is driven to achieve her goals. Earning a Bachelor of Science, and a Master’s and Doctorate in Educational Leadership, her career followed a carefully charted path from high school science teacher and coach to high school principal to Director of Assessment and Research. When her father became ill though, she deviated from the plan. Her childhood memories bubbled up, forcing a groundswell of emotion to the surface and she began to write. These stories became a blog as she took her first truly vulnerable step of trusting her own voice and sending it out into the world. Her debut novel took root as she explored her own experiences from being a young woman working traditionally male jobs in Alaska in the 1980s to being a professional in the present. Releasing the reins in her own life, she embraced her passion for writing stories about strong women who face the storms of life with courage and live their dreams. She is driven to explore how people find that place they truly belong in the world so that they can live as their authentic selves. Family secrets and their effect on relationships are a source of endless fascination for her as you will read in her next book Roadside Sisters.

Catherine is the Vice President of Technology for the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. As with all of her main characters, she is usually in the company of her faithful dogs, Buttercup and Boxer. Delta regularly attends the WFWA Writing Dates to make sure everyone is on task.

You can learn more about her on her website www.CatherineMatthewsAuthor.com and follow her on Instagram @catherinematthewsauthor.

Get your copy of Releasing the Reins in paperback, eBook, or audiobook at your favorite bookseller: https://books2read.com/CatherineMatthews or at Bookshop.org.

Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms. Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies.

She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram-@ShawnaPodcasts, and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27.

Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast

Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books -

https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast

Get ready to be inspired on this episode of Author Express as we introduce you to the acclaimed historical fiction and romance author, Madeline Martin. Host Kristi Leonard pulls back the curtain on Madeline’s fascinating journey from being an Army brat in Germany to becoming a New York Times and USA Today bestseller. Discover how Madeline transitioned from writing over thirty romance novels to the world of historical fiction, with a special focus on her latest heartwarming book, The Book Lovers Library. Listen in as Madeline shares the challenges and joys of researching historical events, including WWII evacuations and the hidden gems of Nottingham. This episode is a treasure trove for book lovers and aspiring authors alike, full of insights and behind-the-scenes stories that will leave you eager for more.

Madeline Martin is a New York Times, USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly, and internationally bestselling author of historical fiction and historical romance with books that have been translated into over twenty-five different languages. She lives in sunny Florida with her two daughters (known collectively as the minions), two incredibly spoiled cats and a man so wonderful he’s been dubbed Mr. Awesome. She is a die-hard history lover who will happily lose herself in research any day. When she’s not writing, researching or ‘moming’, you can find her spending time with her family at Disney or sneaking a couple spoonfuls of Nutella while laughing over cat videos. She also loves to travel, attributing her fascination with history to having spent most of her childhood as an Army brat in Germany.

You can learn more about Madeline Martin and request for her to join you via zoom for your next book club at her website: MadelineMartin.com

Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of  The Book Lovers Library at Bookshop.org.

Kristi Leonard is a modern Renaissance woman deeply rooted in the book world. When she's not immersed in crafting novels, she's orchestrating writing retreats through her business, Writers in the Wild, or lending her voice to non-fiction audiobooks. She leads the Women’s Fiction Writers Association as the president of the board, and interviews her writer pals as one of the hosts of the Author Express Podcast. She will start querying her first book in 2024.

Beyond the realm of words, Kristi embraces the Florida sunshine by hiking with her writer-hiker group and leisurely walks on the beach. She and her husband juggle a couple side businesses and take turns sharing the couch with their goofy Golden-doodle, Maddie. Kristi enjoys travel adventures with her twin sister and living vicariously through her grown children. You can learn more about her and connect at: https://linktr.ee/kristileonard.

Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast

Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books -

https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast

On today’s episode, we’re chatting with Amy Watson, a Women’s Fiction and romance author. One day, at the prompting of her therapist, she went home and told her husband she was going to write a novel. Mind you, she wasn’t a writer at the time. Hadn’t done more than dabble in poetry in college. She took a couple of creative writing courses online, and that November wrote the first 50,000 words to her novel Closer to Okay. Three years and approximately twenty versions later, her book was published.

Closer to Okay focuses on the life of the main character, Kyle, and her life on the other side of a suicide attempt. Kyle finds herself in a mental health facility with three other patients, all with different illnesses. Across the street, there’s a coffee shop called The Coffee Shop that she watches from her window at the halfway house. When she finally gets permission to leave, she heads straight across the street in need of a decent caffeine fix. There she finds Jackson. Her connection with Jackson is immediate as well as unwelcome – the last thing she needs right then is a relationship. The book follows Kyle during her time in Hope House, her release, and her attempts at dating Jackson.

You can learn more about her on her website www.amywatsonwrites.com and follow her on Instagram @amywatsonwrites -which will be the best place to be kept up to date on her next release!

Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Closer to Okay at Bookshop.org.

Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD, follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.”

Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/. 

Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast

Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books -

https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast

Join Shawna Rodrigues as she chats with Yvonne Battle-Felton on this episode of Author Express, where an exciting narrative journey awaits. Yvonne, a seasoned writer and creative force, reveals snippets of her rich life experiences and their impact on her writing. Discover the inspirations behind her debut, Remembered, and get a preview of her upcoming release, Curdle Creek, an American Gothic novel. They explore themes like identity, family, and the peculiar charm of small towns that perfectly set the stage for thrilling tales. Perfect for book lovers and aspiring writers, this episode is brimming with insights and heart.

Yvonne Battle-Felton is an author, academic, host, creative producer, and writer. Her debut, Remembered, was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction (2019) and shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize (2020). Winner of a Northern Writers Award in fiction (2017), Yvonne has six titles in Penguin Random House’s The Ladybird Tales of Superheroes and The Ladybird Tales of Crowns and Thrones. She has received a British Library Eccles Centre Fellowship (2019) and a Kimbilio Fiction Fellowship (2023). Yvonne is Senior Commissioning Editor at John Murray Press (UK) and the academic director of creative writing at Cambridge University Institute of Continuing Education. Host of Write Your Novel with Yvonne Battle-Felton and Bookable Space, her second book, Curdle Creek, an American Gothic about a sinister town with a strict population policy, will be published in October 2024 with Dialogue Books (UK) and Henry Holt (US).

Learn more about Yvonne on her website https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/.

You can catch up with Yvonne on socials on X, Instagram, and tiktok @whyiwritebattlefelton

Support your local bookstore & this podcast by pre-ordering your copy of Curdle Creek or getting your copy of Remembered at Bookshop.org, or pre-order it on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQHJG76H

Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms. Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies.

She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram-@ShawnaPodcasts, and learn more about the network and community at https://linktr.ee/37by27.

Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast

Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books -

https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast

Aimie K. Runyan writes to celebrate the spirit of strong women. She has been honored as a Historical Novel Society Editors’ Choice selection, as a five-time finalist for the Colorado Book Awards, and as a nominee for the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer of the Year. Aimie is active as an educator and speaker in the writing community and beyond. Her next books Mademoiselle Eiffel, which was released September 10th, 2024, and The Wandering Season, which in coming April 1st, 2025 and will be released by Harper Collins. She lives in Colorado with her amazing husband, two (usually) adorable children, two (always) adorable kitties, and a dragon.

To learn more about Aimie, please visit www.aimiekrunyan.com.

She is also active on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and occasionally TikTok and enjoys engaging with readers

Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Mademoiselle Eiffel at Bookshop.org.

Kristi Leonard is a modern Renaissance woman deeply rooted in the book world. When she's not immersed in crafting novels, she's orchestrating writing retreats through her business, Writers in the Wild, or lending her voice to non-fiction audiobooks. She leads the Women’s Fiction Writers Association as the president of the board, and interviews her writer pals as one of the hosts of the Author Express Podcast. She will start querying her first book in 2024.

Beyond the realm of words, Kristi embraces the Florida sunshine by hiking with her writer-hiker group and leisurely walks on the beach. She and her husband juggle a couple side businesses and take turns sharing the couch with their goofy Golden-doodle, Maddie. Kristi enjoys travel adventures with her twin sister and living vicariously through her grown children. You can learn more about her and connect at: https://linktr.ee/kristileonard.

Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast

Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books -

https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast

On today's episode we get to chat with Hadley Leggett, award-winning author of the debut novel, All They Ask Is Everything. A love letter to the messiness of motherhood, the book tells the story of three very different women who each want custody of the same two little girls — and discover they have more in common than the children they’re fighting for.

Hadley fell in love with storytelling as a child, but as a people-pleaser born into a family of scientists, it never occurred to her she could become a novelist. Instead she went to medical school, became a science journalist, and then spent nearly a decade as a stay-at-home mom of three. During those years, she was too busy trying not to drown in breast milk and toddler tantrums and postpartum anxiety to write, but when her youngest daughter finally started preschool, she returned to her childhood dream of becoming an author.

For her first book, Hadley wanted to explore modern society’s brutal expectations for mothers—how moms are expected to give everything to their children, all the time, without any real assistance in terms of childcare, paid time off, or mental health support. She drew on her experiences both in medical school and as a mother, and also did extensive research on the foster care system in her home state of Washington.

Bestselling author Ann Garvin describes the book as “a relevant and absorbing exploration into parenting, foster care, and love,” and NYT-bestselling author Tara Conklin says, “This book spoke to me on so many levels. I didn't want it to end.”

You can learn more about Hadley at www.hadley.ink.

Follow her on Instagram, Threads, and Facebook as @hadleyleggett.

Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of All They Ask Is Everything at Bookshop.org. 

Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD, follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.”

Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/. 

Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast

Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books -

https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast