Author Express

On today’s show, we chat with Sheila Athens, who writes women’s fiction set where the South meets the Sunshine state. Her stories are about women seeking to find the peace we all deserve. Readers are drawn to her work because they believe that everyday heroes can make a difference in our world.

Her debut novel, The Truth About Love, was a finalist for the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Golden Heart Award. With that background, she can’t help but weave a strong love story thread throughout each of her books, even though she now writes Southern women’s fiction. She turned from romance to women’s fiction because all the stories swirling around in her head needed a bigger canvas on which to be told.

Sheila didn’t realize she wanted to write fiction until she was in her early forties. Her first book was published two days after her fifty-third birthday, so she’s a good example for those who fear they’ve waited too long to pursue their passion.

We chat with Sheila about her latest novel, Neena Lee Is Seeing Things, features an interesting character: the ghost of John F. Kennedy, Jr. The story is set on Cumberland Island, the barrier island off the coast of Georgia, where John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette were married in a private, paparazzi-free wedding.

Neena Lee Is Seeing Things is available in eBook, paperback and audiobook through all major retailers and through your local independent bookstore. Links are available on Sheila’s website: www.SheilaAthens.com. There’s also a form there for book clubs that are reading Sheila’s book to invite her to join them either in person or via Zoom

or

support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Neena Lee Is Seeing Things at https://bookshop.org/a/90599/9798989164714

Kristi Leonard is a writer, community builder, and former president of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Since co-hosting on the Author Express Podcast, she has started her own podcast, Pop Culture Plot Lab, where guest authors to turn viral pop culture moments into story sparks and give listeners a peek inside the creative process. Through her writing retreats and volunteer leadership, she’s dedicated to helping other writers find their voice and stay connected to the craft.

A former audiobook narrator, Kristi now spends most of her creative energy on her own fiction and on shaping programs that support women’s voices in publishing. When she isn’t writing or leading, she’s likely hiking Florida trails with her writer-hiker pals or reading with her Golden Retriever, Charlie, at her side. She’s currently at work on her next novel and building the kind of author career she’s long championed for others.

Link to follow me https://linktr.ee/kristileonardwrites

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 -

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Today we welcome Diane Barnes to the podcast. Diane lives in Massachusetts and spends a large part of the summer in the White Mountains in Maine in a camp without an internet connection or a stable cell signal. It’s where she gets her best writing done because there are no distractions.

Diane writes Women’s Fiction, and her books often focus on friendships between women and how female friendships have the power to help women overcome obstacles in their lives.

Diane fell in love with writing in second grade when she returned from recess one day to find large paper footprints leaving a trail through the classroom. Her teacher asked the class to write a story, and Diane had been writing ever since. She studied journalism in college and worked at a newspaper and magazine before settling into a career as a marketing and corporate communication writer.

Diane’s fourth novel, ALL WE COULD STILL HAVE, released November 7 by Lake Union. The book is about a couple that desperately wants children but struggles with infertility. The story started with a writing prompt that best-selling author Elizabeth Berg gave Diane during a four-day intensive writing workshop in Boston. When Diane read the scene she wrote based on the prompt, the attendees and Elizabeth laughed at the beginning and by the end they were in tears. At the time of the workshop, Diane was writing her debut. She finished that and two other novels before going back to the story she started in that workshop that would eventually become All We Could Still Have.

You can learn more about Diane and her novels on her website at www.dianembarnes.com or on Instagram and Twitter @DianeBarnes777.

Order your copy of All We Could Still Have at your favorite bookstore https://bookshop.org/a/90599/9781662511813 or you can lend a little bit of support to the production of this podcast by ordering it through this affiliate link with Amazon https://amzn.to/41Gxjg5

Kathleen Basi is a novelist, musical composer, and nature lover. 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 in 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 -

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Get ready for an exhilarating ride as we dive into a riveting discussion with the multi-genre author, Mary Carroll Moore. From her culinary adventures as a food journalist to her transition into literary thrillers, Mary's journey promises excitement and inspiration. Delve into her latest book, "A Woman's Guide to Search and Rescue," where estranged sisters, both aviators, twist and turn through gripping situations, all while exploring the enduring power of female bonds. But that's not all – discover an exclusive peek into her upcoming book, "Last Bets," set on a Caribbean island amidst high-stakes gambling and a looming tropical storm. Join us for a fascinating exploration of fierce heroines, unexpected plot twists, and the captivating art of storytelling.

Mary Carroll Moore is a bestselling and award-winning author of 14 books in 3 genres, chef and former cooking school instructor. Her latest novel, A Woman's Guide To Search & Rescue, is a cross-genre literary thriller that details a woman's escape for survival and how she flees to her estranged sister...who doesn't even know she exists. A story that highlights women as heroes, the power of sisterly bonds and what happens when family finds each other, Mary keeps the reader hooked!

Mary has her MFA and has taught writing throughout the world. Her incredible writing journey started after attending Le Cordon Bleu in Paris where she went on to write cookbooks for the California Culinary Academy and a culinary column for the LA Times for over a decade. Some of her expert topics include:

· A Woman's Guide To Search & Rescue - The WASP Pilot Who Inspired This Story (Mary's Mother)

· Incorporating Yourself Into Your Characters - How Writers Bring Their Experiences To Books

· From Award Winning Cookbook Writer To Writing Novels - Mary's Unique Journey.

Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of A Woman's Guide to Search and Rescue at https://bookshop.org/a/90599/9798987531709

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

With a background in romance, Gina Andrew has published a series of Halloween romantic comedy novellas, two romantic suspense novels, and the novelette Girl Meets Grammarian, which was included in World Weaver Press’s collection Covalent Bonds and nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She has also had short romances published in Woman’s World magazine and is a freelance writer for the reader sites BookBub and Scribd.

In 2018, Gina pivoted to writing more women’s fiction, and that fall became represented by Laura Crockett at Triada US. Last year, she had the idea of getting together with a group of women’s fiction authors to write a short story collection, and A Million Ways: Stories of Motherhood was born. The collection includes short women’s fiction stories from 13 authors centered around the theme of motherhood and spanning the past century. The title is drawn from a quote by Jill Churchill, which reads, “There’s no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one.” Gina is excited to share this collection and particularly discuss her story, “Everything Left Unsaid,” which draws from both her love of cooking and her experience as the mom to two boys with nonverbal autism and intellectual disability.

You can learn more about Gina on her website, www.ggandrew.com, or find her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/writerggandrew.

A Million Ways is available on Amazon https://amzn.to/3v6jone - purchasing through this affiliate link is one way you can show support for this podcast!

Kathleen Basi is a novelist, musical composer, and nature lover. 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 in 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'll chat with Leanne Treese, an author of both Women's Fiction and Romantic Comedy. After working as a matrimonial lawyer for eighteen years, Leanne turned her focus to writing. Her debut work of fiction, Their Last Chance, sought to demonstrate the pitfalls of the legal process as it pertains to divorce. Leanne wrote a second legal-themed book, Mother of the Accused, which tells the story of a single mother whose eighteen-year-old son is accused of sexual assault during his senior year in high school. While Leanne loves writing of all kinds, she found writing the few funny parts of these more serious novels especially enjoyable and wrote two romantic comedies: The Santa Games and Fun Lessons. Though these books are light in theme, they tackle difficult issues such as navigating life with ADHD or learning to accept a transgender sibling.

You can learn more about Leanne and her books on her website www.leannetreese.com and follow her on Instagram @leannetreese.

If you are hearing this before 12/15/23 - be sure to rush over to Amazon and get Santa Games while it is on special!! - https://amzn.to/3TgULhN

Mother of the Accused is also in Kindle Unlimited on Amazon - https://amzn.to/3Tkv3Ji

If you are interested in checking out the Rose River Romance series by Avery Lawrence - you can start with Fire from the Ashes - https://amzn.to/41fuTEZ

*All Amazon links shared are affiliate links and if you use them, you will bring a small bit of support back to this podcast!

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

On today’s episode, we get to chat with Jennifer Lauer, a sci-fi author and lover of jalapeño bagels. Jennifer writes books as well as tv/film, and enjoys being a mom to humans, cats and a dog. She lives in LA, by way of Massachusetts, where she has performed her written works at The Moth, Improv Olympic, and The Comedy Store. Her current projects are her novel, THE GIRL IN THE ZOO, a dystopia about a human held captive in by AI, and fiction podcast, THE STRANGE CHRONICLES, which follows a female noir detective who investigates supernatural mysteries. She’s a proud member of Women’s Fiction Writers Association and The Thoreau Society.

The best place to find her work, is through her website www.jenniferleelauer.com and follow her on Instagram @jenniferleelauer

Please join her free Substack newsletter called The Delicate Papers, just hit the purple button on the front page of her website www.jenniferleelauer.com and it will take you to the newsletter. When you add your email, you will be sent a list of 5 ways to manifest your goal, it’s the exact 5 things she did to manifest her goal of becoming an author.

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

Barbara Conrey is the USA Today Bestselling author of Nowhere Near Goodbye, her debut, published on August 4, 2020, by Red Adept Publishing. Liza Fleissig represents her at the Liza Royce Agency.

Her sophomore novel, My Secret to Keep, was released on August 23, 2022.

Barbara is an active member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, Women’s National Book Association, and Author Talk Network. She also moderates the online book club for the Facebook Group Bookish Road Trip.

Travel is her passion, along with reading, writing, hiking, and exploring antique shops. Her greatest love is Miss Molly, her rescue beagle. Barbara lives in Pennsylvania, close to family and friends.

If you’d like to know more about her and her books you can find her at www.barbaraconreyauthor.com

https://www.amazon.com/Nowhere-Near-Goodbye-Barbara-Conrey/dp/1948051575

https://www.amazon.com/My-Secret-Keep-Barbara-Conrey/dp/1958231010

Kathleen Basi is a novelist, musical composer, and nature lover. 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 in 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 show, we get to revisit our previous conversation with Sarah Branson to celebrate the one year anniversary of Author Express! Sarah is a former nurse-midwife who now writes cross-genre action/adventure, speculative, and women’s fiction for both adults and teens/tweens that involves air-borne pirates three hundred years in the future. Her stories are set against the backdrop of an Earth changed by fires, floods, and pandemics, but are firmly rooted in the strength and resiliency and hope of the human spirit.

Sarah first started conjuring stories of pirates when her family hopped a freighter to Australia when she was seven. She has since grown up, traveling extensively across the US and the globe. She raised her family in Michigan and still longs to swim in the bays of Northern Michigan. She worked as a receptionist, retail clerk, writing tutor, business owner, and certified nurse midwife. She also taught science and history to middle school and high school students in the U.S., Brazil, and Japan. Through these myriad experiences, she developed a deep appreciation for people’s strength and endurance and fully believes that badass women will inherit the earth and the Earth will be better for it.

An indie author, she draws on all of her experiences when creating stories about strong and determined people finding adventure, love, and their paths in worlds that are constantly changing.

Pirates of New Earth is her first series

Book 1: A Merry Life,

Book 2: Navigating the Storm

Book 3: Burn the Ship

Book 4: Blow the Man Down

A Million Ways: Stories of Motherhood, an anthology of short stories, and her YA spin-off, Unfurling the Sails, are available now with a middle-grade spin-off coming in February. And her protagonist, Kat Wallace, is insisting on another adventure, so stay tuned for that story later in 2024. Sarah lives with her husband in Connecticut.

You can learn more about her at www.sarahbranson.com

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

Laura Drake is a hybrid author of Women's Fiction and Romance. Her debut, The Sweet Spot, won the 2014 Romance Writers of America® RITA® award. She’s since published 14 more books. She is a founding member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association and Writers in the Storm blog.

Laura is a city girl who never grew out of her tomboy ways. She gave up the corporate CFO gig to write full-time. She realized a lifelong dream of becoming a Texan and is currently working on her accent. She's a wife, grandmother, and motorcycle chick in the remaining waking hours.

Her logline is, 'Ordinary women at the edge of extraordinary change'. She's been described as, 'One of the most thoughtful authors out there today.'

You can learn more and sign up for her quarterly newsletter at her website: https://lauradrakebooks.com

She has a fun group on Facebook - Laura Drake's Peace, Love & Books. Come join us for coffee, snark, and mayhem! www.facebook.com/groups/lauradrakespeaceloveandbooks

You can support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Amazing Gracie at https://bookshop.org/a/90599/9781611883527

Kathleen Basi is a novelist, musical composer, and nature lover. 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 in 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

Z.S. Diamanti is an author, illustrator, and creator. The Stone & Sky series is an epic fantasy adventure and the result of his great passion for fun and fantastical stories. He went to college forever and has too many pieces of paper on his wall. He is a USAF veteran of OEF and worked in ministry for over 10 years. He and his wife reside in Colorado with their four children where they enjoy hikes and tabletop games.

You can get a FREE series of his stories at https://FreeFantasyFiction.com

Connect with him on social media: https://zsdiamanti.com/links

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