Book Shop Chats:

Book Shop Chats:

By Victoria HopkinsEducationArtsBooksFiction
Download on the App Store

Book Shop Chats: episodes

  • How Hockey Practice Became the Birthplace of a Greek Mythology Novel with Lore Wren

    Lori Wren shares how a trip to Pompeii inspired her mythological retelling "Meddromeda," which she wrote primarily in her phone's notes app during her children's hockey practices.

    • Reimagining Medusa's story from a more compassionate perspective, showing humanity before monstrosity
    • Navigating the self-publishing process as a newcomer to the industry
    • Building unexpected international connections with readers who resonated with the story
    • The importance of community support from other authors

    If you are a writer or author in need of a developmental editor, reach out to Victoria Jane Editorial. Everything is linked in the show notes, and it would be an absolute honour to get eyes on your novel.


    Book Blurb:
    The myth of Medromeda explores the life of Medusa before she became the feared monster that turns men to stone. Amidst the confines of her imposed darkness, light is revealed in the most unexpected ways, proving that seeing the world though another’s eyes can change the heart of man, and maybe, even the gods.

    On the sleepy island of Seriphos, a young Medusa saves a wounded crow with the heroic help of Perseus. The three form an inseparable bond. On the neighboring island of Patmos, Princess Andromeda lives a lonely, conflicted life that values power over love.


    About the Author : Lore Wren, grew up in contrasting worlds. Her childhood was spent following her maverick father on adventures around the world. Her mother kept her and her siblings grounded by spending long summer nights chasing fireflies at her family’s farm in Nebraska. It was here she learned that the simple things in life mattered most. 

    Growing up observing life on private planes and corn fields gave her a sea of characters and stories.  With her father’s risk-taking spirit and her mother’s unyielding love, she explored life searching for what connects us.  Her professional career has been spent behind the scenes at an opera company, doing celebrity interviews for a magazine, creating a public sculpture, and raising money for the arts and education. 

    LINKS:
    IG
    WEBSITE
    BUY THE BOOK


    About Victoria:

    Hey there, I’m Victoria! As a writer and developmental editor, I specialize in helping busy writers bring their publishing dreams to life without the overwhelm. Editing doesn’t have to feel like pulling teeth—it's the magic that transforms your story from “meh” to masterpiece!

    Here’s how I can help:
    📖 FREE Manuscript Prep Workbook: Take the stress out of editing with simple steps to organize your revisions.
    Grab it HERE

    📝 Developmental Editing: Get expert feedback that elevates your manuscript, strengthens your story, and polishes your characters.
    ✍️ 1:1 writing support : Revitalize your creativity, map out your novel, and unleash your authentic voice.

    Your story deserves to shine, and I’m here to make it happen. Let’s turn your writing dreams into a reality!

    📱 IG: @editsbyvictoria
    🌐 LINKS: Victor

    22 min
  • Why Every Writer Should Embrace Their Unique Voice and Story with Enewerome

    Nigerian Christian romance author Enewerome shares her journey from childhood stories to publishing her debut novel "Ready to be Loved by You" while navigating international publishing challenges. Her passion, persistence, and faith-based approach to storytelling demonstrate how indie authors can overcome obstacles through consistency and confidence in their unique vision.

    • Started writing at age 15 with a YA novella shared among classmates before taking breaks to focus on education and career
    • Returned to writing after feeling divinely led to tell this specific romance story
    • Emphasizes that marketing is "a marathon not a sprint" requiring patience and persistence
    • Found success through an attractive book cover that independently draws readers to her work

    Author bio:

    Besides being a nonfiction ghostwriter and book editor, Enewerome strives to make her life count by doing the one thing she was put on this earth to do—write books that glorify Jesus Christ and spread the message of salvation one story at a time. Ready to Be Loved By You is her debut contemporary Christian romance novel and she hopes to release her first standalone Christian romance series in 2025. Enewerome lives in Nigeria, with her husband and toddler.

    Book blurb:

    Haunted by the wounds from her past, Vivienne Adetokunbo, a fiercely independent professional bridesmaid and video content creator, wants nothing to do with God, love, or marriage. Levi Edegware, despite being saddled with the weight of a past mistake, is a devout Christian and hopeless romantic events coordinator who desires a happy family with a woman who shares the same faith and values about marriage as him. When a wedding mishap throws them together, their first encounter is far from a fairytale. However, things take a turn when Vivienne and Levi become colleagues, which forces them to confront their fears, beliefs, and desires.  As Levi shows Vivienne kindness she's never known, an undeniable connection grows between them. But will Vivienne let go of her fears to embrace God's love and a future with Levi, or will her walls remain unbroken? Will Levi forsake all he has ever known to be with the woman he sees a future with? 

    Tropes: 

    • Slow burn 
    • Contemporary Christian romance 
    • Enemies to lovers 
    • Workplace romance 
    • Forced proximity
    • Dual POV

    Links:

    Amazon
    Threads
    Instagram
    TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@enewerome_author

    About Victoria:

    Hey there, I’m Victoria! As a writer and developmental editor, I specialize in helping busy writers bring their publishing dreams to life without the overwhelm. Editing doesn’t have to feel like pulling teeth—it's the magic that transforms your story from “meh” to masterpiece!

    Here’s how I can help:
    📖 FREE Manuscript Prep Workbook: Take the stress out of editing with simple steps to organize your revisions.
    Grab it HERE

    📝 Developmental Editing: Get expert feedback that elevates your manuscript, strengthens your story, and polishes your characters.
    ✍️ 1:1 writing support : Revitalize your creativity, map out your novel, and unleash your authentic voice.

    Your story deserves to shine, and I’m here to make it happen. Let’s turn your writing dreams into a reality!

    📱 IG: @editsbyvictoria
    🌐 LINKS:

    27 min
  • Rejection-Proof: How to Keep Writing When No One's Saying Yes with Dan Desai Martin

    Dan Desai Martin shares his debut fantasy novel "In the Shadow of the Sanctum" and discusses his ten-year journey from idea to publication with Gold Dust Publishing.


    • Dan's background in religious studies heavily influenced his world-building
    • Fantasy allows creators to explore complex religious and societal dynamics in unique settings
    • Rejection is part of the process and doesn't reflect on your worth as a writer
    • Small press publishing creates opportunities to connect with fellow authors
    • Writing requires patience and celebrating small milestones along the way
    • Two key pieces of advice: "just write" and ignore advice that doesn't work for you

    Author Bio:

    Dan Desai Martin is a fantasy author signed with Gold Dust Publishing. He grew up reading fantasy classics (from The Hobbit to the Dragonlance series to Wheel of Time) and has never lost his love for the genre. After graduating with a degree in Religious Studies, Dan spent the past few decades trying to make the world a more just and equitable place, with jobs ranging from policy advocate to journalist to communications consultant. In addition to his own writing, Dan is actively involved in the Maryland Writer’s Association where he served as one of the editors for Emerging Voices: Poetry and Prose by Maryland Teens Volume 9, a selection of short stories, novel excerpts, and poems by members of the association’s teen writers’ clubs.  He lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, with his spouse.

    Book blurb:
    Dan's debut novel, tentatively titled In the Shadow of the Sanctum, is set to be published in 2026. The fantasy novel combines the religious dystopia in Margaret Atwood’s A Handmaid’s Tale with the coming-of-age elements of Sabaa Tahir’s Ember in the Ashes series. In a realm where the twelve Holy Sanctums maintain absolute control through violence and manipulation,  Ehla yearns for safety after fleeing a particularly sadistic High Priest. Instead of finding peace, she stumbles into a friendship with rebels seeking to free the realm from the Sanctum's shadow. As the truth and lies about the One God blur, Ehla must overcome anxiety from her past, distrust of those around her, and a growing desire for vengeance directed at the all-powerful and corrupt holy Sanctum.

    LINKS: website: www.DanDesaiMartin.com,  social media (@dandesaimartin) on Bluesky, Threads, and Instagram.  

    About Victoria:

    Hey there, I’m Victoria! As a writer and developmental editor, I specialize in helping busy writers bring their publishing dreams to life without the overwhelm. Editing doesn’t have to feel like pulling teeth—it's the magic that transforms your story from “meh” to masterpiece!

    Here’s how I can help:
    📖 FREE Manuscript Prep Workbook: Take the stress out of editing with simple steps to organize your revisions.
    Grab it HERE

    📝 Developmental Editing: Get expert feedback that elevates your manuscript, strengthens your story, and polishes your characters.
    ✍️ 1:1 monthly support: Revitalize your creativity, map out your novel, and unleash your authentic voice.

    Your story deserves to shine, and I’m here to make it happen. Let’s turn your writing dreams into a reality!

    📱 IG: @editsbyvictoria
    🌐 LINKS:

    35 min
  • Finding Yourself Through Fiction: How Writing Saved a Stay-at-Home Mom with Amanda Stacey

    Victoria Jane welcomes author Amanda Stacey to discuss her reimagined Lilith story, the journey from stay-at-home mom to published author, and the unexpected self-discovery that came from creating a strong female protagonist.

    • Amanda's book features Lilith as a monster hunter in a dual-timeline narrative that explores her history and present
    • The real monsters in her story are often ordinary men rather than supernatural creatures
    • Writing became Amanda's lifeline during a period of depression and isolation as a stay-at-home mother
    • Creating a strong, independent protagonist helped Amanda discover her own inner strength
    • Self-publishing requires building authentic connections with readers and fellow authors
    • Social media and in-person events are valuable for marketing without spending excessive money
    • Success as an author is a slow build rather than overnight viral sensation
    • Being a "pantser" rather than a plotter worked better for Amanda's creative process
    • Your first book might not be your best-selling one, but each publication increases your visibility
    • Celebrate small wins rather than comparing yourself to established authors

    Find Amanda Stacey on social media @amandastaceyauthor on most platforms and @amandastaceybook on TikTok. Her book "Born Out of Darkness" is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and can be requested at libraries. If you're a writer in need of a developmental editor, contact Victoria through the links in the show notes.

    Book Blurb:

    Lilith may be older than time, but don't underestimate her. The immortal woman lives in the shadows, hunting evil men and monsters alike. A routine life of monster hunting is upended when she meets Mallory, a pregnant mortal and anything but routine.

    The duo must fight just to keep Mallory alive as she is hunted for the supernatural baby in her womb. Time is of the essence for the fragile mortal as unseen forces bring out the darkest parts of Lilith.

    Can Lilith keep Mallory alive while fighting her own inner darkness? Find out in Born Out of Darkness. A reimagined tale of love, loss, friendship, supernatural power, and the first woman, Lilith.


    Author Bio I am an indie author and mom to a heard of kids. When I'm not wrangling kids or cleaning up messes, I'm brainstorming storylines and working on my second novel. My first book, Born Out of Darkness, was self-published in 2023. It is the first book of The Lilith Series, a supernatural fantasy series that reimagines the infamous first woman, Lilith.


    Social media handles: 

    Instagram, threads, facebook: @amandastaceyauthor TikTok: @amandastaceybooks


    About Victoria:

    Hey there, I’m Victoria! As a writer and developmental editor, I specialize in helping busy writers bring their publishing dreams to life without the overwhelm. Editing doesn’t have to feel like pulling teeth—it's the magic that transforms your story from “meh” to masterpiece!

    Here’s how I can help:
    📖 FREE Manuscript Prep Workbook: Take the stress out of editing with simple steps to organize your revisions.
    Grab it HERE

    📝 Developmental Editing: Get expert feedback that elevates your manuscript, strengthens your story, and polishes your characters.
    ✍️ 1:1 monthly support Writer's Haven: Revitalize your creativity, map out your novel, and unleash your authentic voice.

    Your story deserves to shine, and I’m here to make it happen. Let’s turn your writing dreams into a reality!

    📱 IG: @editsbyvictoria
    🌐 LINKS: Victoria Jane

    38 min
  • Dragon Riders and Western Romance: Maggie Hoopis's Universe

    Victoria Jane welcomes Maggie Hoopis to discuss her debut novel "Grace of Dragons," a genre-blending Western romantasy featuring dragons instead of horses and a strong female lead who knows exactly who she is.

    • "Grace of Dragons" combines Western elements with fantasy and romance
    • Maggie created the book as a "palette cleanser" between heavier reads
    • Writing process influenced by Rebecca Ross's Writer's Conservatory class
    • Character-driven plotting and improv techniques shape Maggie's storytelling approach
    • Balancing motherhood and writing requires flexibility rather than rigid routines
    • "Quilting" approach to writing - working on different parts as inspiration strikes
    • Working with a PA helps manage the marketing side of indie publishing
    • Community support crucial for navigating imposter syndrome
    • Second book coming fall 2024 - an interconnected standalone following side characters
    • Independent publishing allows quicker response to reader interests than traditional route

    Find Grace of Dragons on Amazon, Kindle Unlimited, or through Ingram Spark retailers. Connect with Maggie on Instagram @maggiehoopis.author or visit maggiehoopis.com for signed copies and merchandise.

    Book Blurb: Grace of Dragons

    A blizzard is blowing into the Old West. Are you fierce enough to brave the storm?

    Grace of Dragons is an Adult Western Romantasy full of adventure, snark, spice, tenderness, a brazen FMC, and dragons!  In this captivating tale of self-discovery, empowerment, and sweeping romance, Grace will be pushed to her limits as she grapples with the transformative powers of loss, grief, and love.


    Author bio: Maggie grew up with a strong love of reading. Her dream of writing has been fueled by the support and inspiration of fellow beta readers. She co-founded the Indie Romantasy Reads Book of the Month Club, which focuses on championing indie literature and fostering a deeper connection between readers and writers. She lives in Illinois with her husband, daughter, and Duck Tolling Retriever, who lovingly support her in her endeavors.

    LINKS:
    Instagram: @maggiehoopis.author

    Author Website: https://www.maggiehoopis.com/

    About Victoria:

    Hey there, I’m Victoria! As a writer and developmental editor, I specialize in helping busy writers bring their publishing dreams to life without the overwhelm. Editing doesn’t have to feel like pulling teeth—it's the magic that transforms your story from “meh” to masterpiece!

    Here’s how I can help:
    📖 FREE Manuscript Prep Workbook: Take the stress out of editing with simple steps to organize your revisions.
    Grab it HERE

    📝 Developmental Editing: Get expert feedback that elevates your manuscript, strengthens your story, and polishes your characters.
    ✍️ 1:1 monthly support Writer's Haven: Revitalize your creativity, map out your novel, and unleash your authentic voice.

    Your story deserves to shine, and I’m here to make it happen. Let’s turn your writing dreams into a reality!

    📱 IG: @editsbyvictoria
    🌐 LINKS: Victoria Jane Editorial



    43 min
  • From Fandoms to Romance: Writing Love Stories for Geeks and Nerds with Jasmine C. Caldwell

    Victoria welcomes Jasmine C Caldwell to discuss her eleven published books and her mission to flip tired romance tropes on their head. Jasmine shares how frustration with the "nerdy girl makeover" narrative inspired her Geek Girl Squad series featuring confident women with their own fandoms who expect men to prove they're "nerdy enough" to date them.

    • Writing romance for "geeks and nerds" across multiple subgenres including contemporary, fantasy, and romantic suspense
    • Creating characters who embrace their authentic interests rather than changing to find love
    • How Jasmine incorporates different fandoms (anime, D&D, comics, video games) into her storytelling
    • The advantages of self-publishing, especially for authors who value creative control
    • Navigating cover design and finding the right publishing partners as an indie author
    • Marketing strategies including illustrated covers that accurately represent character descriptions
    • How life events and personal challenges influenced Jasmine's publishing journey
    • Writing advice: "Write what you want to write and worry about marketing later"

    Author Bio:

    Jasmine is a lover of all things romance. When she’s not reading or writing, you can find her baking or playing board games with her friends and family. She lives in Pennsylvania with her patient husband and too many books.

    Series Blurb for The Geek Girl Squad:

    Introducing the Geek Girl Squad! They’re smart, they’re sweet, and they’d burn the world down for each other. Best friends since college, they find themselves navigating the rough waters of adulthood, career, and love. Read the whole series to find out how romance finds each of them!


    Thief's Bodyguard:

    She's the one night stand he can't forget. Now he's her bodyguard, and she's keeping a secret that could get them both killed.

    Links:

    https://www.jasmineccaldwell.com/

    https://www.facebook.com/jasmineccaldwell

    https://www.instagram.com/jccaldwellromance/

    https://www.tiktok.com/@jasminecaldwell701

    About Victoria:

    Hey there, I’m Victoria! As a writer and developmental editor, I specialize in helping busy writers bring their publishing dreams to life without the overwhelm. Editing doesn’t have to feel like pulling teeth—it's the magic that transforms your story from “meh” to masterpiece!

    Here’s how I can help:
    📖 FREE Manuscript Prep Workbook: Take the stress out of editing with simple steps to organize your revisions.
    Grab it HERE

    📝 Developmental Editing: Get expert feedback that elevates your manuscript, strengthens your story, and polishes your characters.
    ✍️ 1:1 monthly support Writer's Haven: Revitalize your creativity, map out your novel, and unleash your authentic voice.

    Your story deserves to shine, and I’m here to make it happen. Let’s turn your writing dreams into a reality!

    📱 IG: @editsbyvictoria
    🌐 LINKS: Victoria Jane Editorial


    26 min
  • From Regency Romance to NYT's Best Books: J.M Frey's Writing Adventure

    Friends this episode is full of wisdom! Grab an iced coffee and get your steps in.

    J.M Frey shares the extraordinary journey of her latest novel "Time and Tide," a sapphic Regency romance that made the New York Times Best Romance Books of the Year list after a 16-year path to publication.

    • From idea to New York Times recognition: how a visit to the Jane Austen Center sparked a time-slip romance concept
    • Why traditional publishing requires patience—Time and Tide went through 17+ drafts before publication
    • Fan fiction as valuable training ground for developing voice, taking critique, and understanding story structure
    • After 327 rejections on her newest manuscript, why Frey is embracing self-publishing
    • The importance of finding joy in writing again when creativity becomes a commodity
    • How returning to fan fiction helped reignite creative passion and productivity

    Check out Time and Tide from Wattpad Books, distributed by Penguin Random House Canada, and visit jmfry.net to explore all of Jess's books, including her worldbuilding guide for fantasy writers.

    Bio:

    J.M. Frey is an author, voice actor, and lapsed academic. She writes queer speculative fiction and fantasy, both fabulist cozy romances and high fantasy epics. Her life’s ambition is to step foot on every continent – only three left! She lives in Toronto where she is surrounded by houseplants, because she is allergic to anything with fur. She is also allergic to chocolate. But not wine.

    TIME AND TIDE: New York Times Best Romance Books of 2024

    Just a twenty-first century gal with nineteenth-century problems…

    When Sam’s plane crashes catastrophically over the Atlantic, it defies all odds for Sam to be the sole survivor, but it seems impossible that she’s rescued by a warship in 1805. With a dashing sea captain as her guide, she begins to find her footing in a world she’d only seen in movies.

    Then Sam is betrayed. At the mercy of the men and morals of the time and without the means to survive on her own, she’s left with no choice but to throw herself on the charity of the captain’s sisters. She resigns herself to a quiet life of forever hiding her true self. What she doesn’t expect is that her new landlady is Margaret Goodenough—the world famous author whose yet-to-be-completed novel will contain the first lesbian kiss in the history of British Literature, and a clever woman. Clever enough to know her new companion has a secret.

    As the two women grow ever closer, Sam must tread the tenuous line between finding her own happiness in a place where she doesn’t think she’ll ever fit in, and possibly accidentally changing the course of history.

    About Victoria:

    Hey there, I’m Victoria! As a writer and developmental editor, I specialize in helping busy writers bring their publishing dreams to life without the overwhelm. Editing doesn’t have to feel like pulling teeth—it's the magic that transforms your story from “meh” to masterpiece!

    Here’s how I can help:
    📖 FREE Manuscript Prep Workbook: Take the stress out of editing with simple steps to organize your revisions.
    Grab it HERE

    📝 Developmental Editing: Get expert feedback that elevates your manuscript, strengthens your story, and polishes your characters.
    ✍️ 1:1 monthly support Writer's Haven: Revitalize your creativity, map out your novel, and unleash your authentic voice.

    Your story deserves to shine, and I’m here to make it happen. Let’s turn your writing dreams into a reality!

    📱 IG: @editsbyvictoria
    🌐 LINKS: Victoria Jane Editorial

    57 min
  • Writing is a Marathon, Not a Sprint: K.C. Harper's Publishing Path

    Victoria Jane welcomes fantasy and contemporary romance author KC Harper to discuss her publishing journey and creative process. Casey shares insider perspectives on traditional publishing, genre-switching, and character development techniques while revealing both the rewards and challenges of the author life.

    • From voracious reader to published author after a simple challenge from her husband
    • Working with an editorial agent who helps polish manuscripts before submission
    • The terrifying acquisition process where "money people" decide a book's fate 
    • Switching genres provides creative refreshment from complex world-building
    • Reading your own manuscript 6,000 times before publication
    • Creating characters with unique dialogue patterns and body language
    • The importance of finding critique partners who understand genre conventions
    • Learning to differentiate between helpful critique and unhelpful criticism

    Author bio:
    K.C. Harper grew up on Canada's east coast and spends her time plotting to destroy the happiness of her characters. She’s an avid reader, developmental editor, and a full-time human servant to a 4.5 lb teacup Chihuahua. She's represented by Helen Lane at the Ki Literary Agency.

    Book blurb:

    Loving Kane nearly destroyed Briar once . . . now that he’s alpha, he could be her end. 

    Briar’s life collapsed the day Kane abandoned her four years ago, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. Now, she needs his help. She has one shot to save her V-addicted brother, as long as she can solve a series of murders plaguing the city. It’ll mean diving head first into the political minefield of the supernatural elite and going head-to-head with the new alpha. He’s dangerous, he’s devastating, and he just so happens to be the man who obliterated her world all those years ago. 

    The deal: fake being his mate to solve the case.

    The cost: everything.

    As catastrophe looms and old passions ignite, Briar is faced with the impossible choice between loyalty and love. While the killer is watching and waiting to strike.

    Links:

    To keep up on my publishing related news or purchase my books, people can sign up for my (semi-frequent) newsletter at my website:

    www.kcharper.com

    https://linktr.ee/kcharperauthor

    About Victoria:

    Hey there, I’m Victoria! As a writer and developmental editor, I specialize in helping busy writers bring their publishing dreams to life without the overwhelm. Editing doesn’t have to feel like pulling teeth—it's the magic that transforms your story from “meh” to masterpiece!

    Here’s how I can help:
    📖 FREE Manuscript Prep Workbook: Take the stress out of editing with simple steps to organize your revisions.
    Grab it HERE

    📝 Developmental Editing: Get expert feedback that elevates your manuscript, strengthens your story, and polishes your characters.
    ✍️ Creativity Coaching sessions: Revitalize your creativity, map out your novel, and unleash your authentic voice.

    Your story deserves to shine, and I’m here to make it happen. Let’s turn your writing dreams into a reality!

    📱 IG: @editsbyvictoria
    🌐 LINKS: Victoria Jane Editorial


    42 min
  • From Twilight Fans to Novelists: Amanda and Lisa Marie's Journey of Co-Writing, Creative Challenges, and Book Promotion

    Collaboration can be a powerful catalyst for creativity, as Amanda and Lisa Marie share in this episode about their journey of writing a book together. They delve into the dynamics of co-authoring, navigating marketing challenges, and the importance of supporting each other in both writing and in-person events.

    • Exploring the process of co-writing and its benefits  
    • Discussing their unique characters and different writing perspectives  
    • How their Twilight fandom turned into a writing partnership  
    • Challenges and joys of marketing as indie authors  
    • Balancing writing with family life and personal commitments  
    • Embracing vulnerability in in-person events as authors  
    • The importance of patience and persistence in the writing journey  

    Blurb:

    Pressured by her looming deadline and an unfinished romance manuscript, author Molly Covington applies her immersive research skills and goes all in. She hires a male companion for inspiration during three days of research in Las Vegas.

    Enter sexy, confident Jared Washington—an extreme sports enthusiast and relationship skeptic who moonlights as a Plus One male companion. Molly’s contract puts him within arm’s reach of buying his own business and making his dreams come true.

    The chemistry between her and Jared is surprisingly easy. Before their Vegas rendezvous comes to an end, one of them will need to lay all their cards on the table to discover if they’ll be lucky in love.

    Author bio:

    Amanda and Lisa-Marie are an award-winning, co-writing team of best friends who share imaginary worlds, including a short story, Shivers, published in Moments Between. Lisa Marie Potter (BIPOC) is a mom of four who grew up in Nottingham, England, and now resides in Alaska with her husband and golden retriever. Amanda Nelson grew up in Maryland and moved to Arizona, where she attended college and currently lives with her husband and four kids. Both women are hopeless romantics, but Lisa-Marie enjoys suspense novels, while Amanda's second go-to genre is romancy. The duo also review books on their socials, hike the Olympic National Park, and fight over the same fictional crushes.

    Links:
    Website: NELSON POTTER 

    Amazon: https://a.co/d/cUEN9tf  or Barnes & Noble Men in Books Aren't Better by Amanda Nelson | eBook | Barnes & Noble®

    About Victoria:

    Hey there, I’m Victoria! As a writer and developmental editor, I specialize in helping busy writers bring their publishing dreams to life without the overwhelm. Editing doesn’t have to feel like pulling teeth—it's the magic that transforms your story from “meh” to masterpiece!

    Here’s how I can help:
    📖 FREE Manuscript Prep Workbook: Take the stress out of editing with simple steps to organize your revisions.
    Grab it HERE
    📝 Developmental Editing: Get expert feedback that elevates your manuscript, strengthens your story, and polishes your characters.
    ✍️ Creativity Coaching sessions: Revitalize your creativity, map out your novel, and unleash your authentic voice.

    Your story deserves to shine, and I’m here to make it happen. Let’s turn your writing dreams into a reality!

    📱 IG: @editsbyvictoria
    🌐 LINKS: Victoria Jane Editorial

    29 min
  • The Transformative Power of Storytelling: A Journey with Author Amy Vogel

    What if storytelling could be your path to healing and transformation? Amy's candid revelations about how writing has been her therapeutic outlet highlight the profound cathartic power of storytelling, and she offers insights into her prolific year, which also saw the release of "The Assist," a spicy soccer romance, and a novella within the Teleosis universe.

    We also discuss the unique perspectives that neurodivergent individuals bring to the storytelling process, enriching it with their distinct voices. As indie authors often bear the marketing mantle alone, Amy shares practical advice on building meaningful connections over mere sales and finding authenticity in social media outreach. 

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Amy Vogel is an author and women's book coach. Her fiction books are themed for feminine empowerment, offering readers a fresh perspective on what it means to be a woman. Through her nonfiction works, she provides practical tools for healing and finding hope. As an entrepreneur and coach, Amy is dedicated to empowering women to share their stories, helping them cast a vision for a better world by turning their publishing dreams into reality.

    Teleosis - Teleosis is a sweeping tale of magic, passion, and second chances in a unique urban fantasy setting. When Inira’s destiny as High Priestess crumbles, she must rise from the wreckage to face ancient enemies, betrayal, and her own darkness. Packed with action, intrigue, and hope, Teleosis will leave you inspired and believing in transformation.

     The Assist - The Assist is a contemporary later in life sports romance full of love, healing, and the courage to seize happiness when it unexpectedly comes knocking. Find your own vision for a happily ever after as you witness Carrie and Conner find theirs.

    Feminine Rising - Feminine Rising is a historical fantasy novella blending mysticism, love, and epic resistance. Follow Adia, a First Century B.C. heroine, as she defies oppressors, saves her people, and claims her destiny through divine power, love, and resilience. Spicy, empowering, unforgettable.

    Come to Me – In a world of chaos and pain, Come to Me offers solace and healing through daily reflections and simple spiritual practices. This devotional guides you to peace, renewed vision, and spiritual growth. Begin your journey to wholeness—find hope, clarity, and purpose every day.

    LINKS

    About Victoria:

    Hey there, I’m Victoria! As a writer and developmental editor, I specialize in helping busy writers bring their publishing dreams to life without the overwhelm. Editing doesn’t have to feel like pulling teeth—it's the magic that transforms your story from “meh” to masterpiece!

    Here’s how I can help:
    📖 FREE Manuscript Prep Workbook: Take the stress out of editing with simple steps to organize your revisions.
    Grab it HERE

    📝 Developmental Editing: Get expert feedback that elevates your manuscript, strengthens your story, and polishes your characters.
    ✍️ Creativity Coaching sessions: Revitalize your creativity, map out your novel, and unleash your authentic voice.

    Your story deserves to shine, and I’m here to make it happen. Let’s turn your writing dreams into a reality!

    📱 IG: @editsbyvictoria
    🌐 LINKS: Victoria Jane Editorial


    35 min

About Book Shop Chats:

From the publisher's feed

Welcome to Book Shop Chats, your go to podcast for indie authors and learning insight into what it takes to write a book (HINT: You can do it too!!)

Join authors as they share their personal…