Author Pep Talks

Author Pep Talks

By Laekan Zea KempArtsBooks
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Author Pep Talks episodes

  • Episode 3: Rocky Callen

    Today I’m interviewing Rocky Callen, the author of the Young Adult novel, A Breath Too Late, which debuted in April of 2020.

    Rocky is the daughter of an Ecuadorian immigrant and has long lived a life of service ever since she was a 13-year-old advocating for the undocumented immigrants in her community. She interned at NASA at 12 years old, started lobbying congress at 13, and wrote and produced student radio stories at NPR at 14.

    She was a behavioral therapist for over ten years. She received an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and lives outside of Washington, DC with her husband, daughter, and baby boy.

    Rocky founded the Bleed Ink Foundation, a creative hub and resource center for writers, and the HoldOn2Hope Project, which unites creatives in suicide prevention and mental health awareness.

    Today, we’re talking about creating and maintaining safeguards to protect your mental health, listening to your body when it’s begging you to take a break, and cherishing every season of a creative life.

    I experienced such a range of emotions listening to Rocky speak and she said so many things that I personally really needed to hear. I hope that by listening to our conversation, you’ll find the same much needed optimism and clarity. So grab a pen and notebook, because trust me, you’re going to want to write all of this down, and then enjoy my conversation with Rocky Callen.

    If you’d like to learn more about Rocky or her book, please visit her website at http://www.rockycallen.com/ or find her on social media @RockyWrites on Instagram and @Rocky_Writes on Twitter. And be sure to buy her book, A Breath Too Late, published by Macmillan, at your local indie bookstore.

    Rocky's Website

    Twitter

    Instagram

    Buy her books!

    47 min
  • Episode 2: Nikki Barthelmess

    Today I’m interviewing Nikki Barthelmess, the author of The Quiet You Carry, which debuted in March of 2019 and the sequel, Quiet No More, which was released in October of 2020.

    Nikki entered foster care in Nevada at twelve and spent the next six years living in six different towns. During this time, Nikki found solace in books, her journal, and the teachers who encouraged her as a writer. A graduate of the University of Nevada, Nikki lives in Santa Barbara with her husband, daughter, and pride-and-joy Corgi pup.

    Today, we’re talking about juggling multiple deadlines, balancing writing with a new baby, and the idea of writing as a hopeful act.

    Nikki offers so much great advice grounded in both actionable steps, as well as shifts in mindset. If you’re struggling with motivation or how to break down mountainous tasks, she’s got you covered. So without further ado, here is my conversation with Nikki Barthelmess.

    If you’d like to learn more about Nikki or her books, please visit her website at NikkiBarthelmess.com or find her on social media @NikkiBarthelmess on Instagram and @ NikkiGrey_ on Twitter. And be sure to buy her novels, The Quiet You Carry and Quiet No More, published by Flux, at your local indie bookstore.

    Nikki's Website

    Twitter

    Instagram

    Buy her books!

    30 min
  • Episode 1: Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

    Today I’m interviewing Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, the author of Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything, which debuted in August 2020 and was one of my absolute favorite books of the year.

    Raquel is a Mexican American poet, novelist and painter. She received her MFA in poetry from the University of Alaska, Anchorage in 2017. She’s most inspired by fog and seeds and the lineages of all things. When not writing, Raquel tells stories to her plants and they tell her stories back. She lives in Tennessee with her beloved family and mountains.

    Today, we’re talking about what it was like debuting during a pandemic after her own bout with COVID, movement as a tool for healing, and maintaining a creative practice 300 words at a time.

    Raquel is so full of wisdom and I absolutely loved our conversation. And if you, like me, have found it especially difficult to be creative this year, I know you’ll love it too.

    If you’d like to learn more about Raquel or her books, please visit her website at RaquelVasquezGilliland.com or find her on social media @poet_RaquelVGIL. And be sure to buy her debut novel, Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything published by Simon & Schuster, at your local indie bookstore.

    Raquel's Website

    Twitter

    Instagram

    Buy her books!

    34 min
  • Introduction

    Hey friends! Welcome to episode 0 of Author Pep Talks, a podcast where I interview writers who have faced hardship and written through it.

    They'll be sharing advice, encouragement, and mini-episodes AKA "Pep Talks" straight from their hearts to yours to help you push through the fear, fatigue, and occasional writer's block that has been exponentially worse in this, the year of our Dark Lord, 2020.


    Subscribe to the Author Pep Talks podcast now and be sure to connect with me on social media for updates, sneak peaks, and exclusives.

    Podcast Website: https://www.authorpeptalkspod.com/

    Laekan's Website: http://www.laekanzeakemp.com/

    Laekan's Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/laekanzeakemp

    4 min

About Author Pep Talks

From the publisher's feed

A podcast on writing through grief, trauma, and heartbreak.