Today's guest, Melody Carlson, is the author of more than 200 novels for teens and women. Several of her novels have also been adapted into movies for Hallmark and other channels — on many authors' bucket lists! In this Book Talk, we chatted about where she gets her ideas, what you can expect when you pick up her recent novels, as well as her most recent novel Second Time Around. If you love DIY shows, then you will enjoy this sweet romance. I also picked her brain about screenplays and what it's like to turn her novels into that version of themselves. We chatted about which comes first plot or characters and if she's a plotter or pantser. I think you'll love getting to know this prolific author, who has more than 7.5 million copies of her books in print.

Connect with Melody Carlson
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Thanks to the sponsor of this episode — Revell!

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Many of you have read and love Dani Pettrey's books. In fact, many of you asked me to have her on Book Talk, something I was delighted to do. Dani writes amazing romantic suspense and romantic adventure, books that are gripping and pull you deeply into the setting and group of friends. We had so much fun talking about her novels, her settings, how she writes multiple characters in each book and so much more. We chatted about the benefits of real versus fictional settings, how to dig deep into real settings, and the challenges of coming up with names for all of our characters. We talked about her plot mountains and process and the challenges of writing one series while editing another. We also talked about her novella that releases this month as the wrap-up to her best-selling Coastal Guardians series. I hope you enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at Dani and her books.

Connect with Dani Pettrey
Facebook | Instagram | GoodReads | Pinterest

For more episodes, and to learn more about the authors I interview, visit https://caraputman.com/podcast

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Are you a reader who loves a new series? Do you fly through a series as fast as you can? Do you also love some diversity in your reading? Then this is the Book Talk for you. In this episode, I connect with Shelley Shephard Gray, who writes Amish romance, Elizabeth Goddard, who writes great romantic suspense, and Amanda Cabot, who writes westerns set in 1880s Texas. In this conversation, we chat about their latest novels which all launch new series. So whether you love Amish, romantic suspense, historic Western romances, or want to try something new, this episode will introduce you to some great authors and books.

Connect with Shelley Shephard Gray
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Connect with Elizabeth Goddard
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Connect with Amanda Cabot
Facebook | BookBub | Twitter

For more episodes, and to learn more about the authors I interview, visit https://caraputman.com/podcast

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I had so much fun talking books and Captain America with my friend J'Nell Ciesielski and think you'll enjoy meeting her and learning more about her early 20th-century novels. I adored her latest novel Brilliance of Stars which reminds me of Marvel movies that center on Captain America. There's a reason! The idea came to her while watching those. We talked all about research, WWI, what makes a hero heroic, and her writing journey. I hope you enjoy meeting her and learning more about her novels.

Connect with J'Nell Ciesielski

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Y'all, I always have way too much fun with these romantic suspense-writing friends. Today is no exception. Lynette Eason, Lynn H. Blackburn, and Natalie Walters are authors whose books are those I preorder and read the moment they land on my Kindle or in my mailbox. In fact, I often end up with multiple copies. In this episode, I may have gushed about their latest novels, which happened to be the last books in each of their series. They claimed they were the hardest to write. I'm not sure I buy it because I adored the way the hero and heroine came together in each. We talked about what makes a great hero. The challenge about writing the last book in a series. And so much more. Enjoy — because we sure did!

Connect with Lynette Eason

Connect with Lynn H. Blackburn

Connect with Natalie Walters

For more episodes, and to learn more about the authors I interview, visit https://caraputman.com/podcast

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This episode was such fun to record for several reasons. First, Tricia Goyer and I have been friends since I had two kids and she had three — I now have four and she has ten. I've known Christen Krumm for years as she's been a virtual assistant for many of my friends and now for me for years. And I always enjoy meeting new authors like Elly Gilbert. Why did we come together for this episode? Christen and Elly were selected through blind auditions to be authors on the Sunrise Big Sky Montana Amish series, extending Tricia's original best-selling series of books. It was so much fun to talk about their process, books, and celebrating — or lack of celebrating — the end. You'll enjoy learning more about what it's like to be mentored by an author of more than 80 titles and what makes a great hero.

Connect with Tricia Goyer

Connect with Christen Krumm

Connect with Elly Gilbert

For more episodes, and to learn more about the authors I interview, visit https://caraputman.com/podcast

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Do you love slip-time novels? Adore World War II fiction? Love a book that can sweep you into the time and place in a way that makes you feel part of the action and story? Then you will love Melanie Dobson's books. It was a joy to connect with my friend and talk about her books. She has written thirty and we discussed her passion for telling stories of ordinary people in extraordinary times that are based on real people. But we also talked about the power of moving from the facts of journalism into the passion and emotion of story. I hope you enjoy getting to know more about Melanie and her books.

Connect with Melanie Dobson

For more episodes, and to learn more about the authors I interview, visit https://caraputman.com/podcast

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When you meet Mary Connealy you meet an author who cares deeply about creating characters who resonate with readers. She wants to entertain while also touching people's hearts. Her stories do that for me every time and I love how her most recent stories are a combination of strong women and hearts. In this episode, we talk about how she finds her stories and why she's so passionate about writing these books about strong women set in the late 1800s. You'll love getting to know Mary. Our careers have run on parallel paths in many ways, but she has outpaced me in the number of books she's written, and I'm so glad.

Connect with Mary Connealy

For more episodes, and to learn more about the authors I interview, visit https://caraputman.com/podcast

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There are few people I adore more in the writing world than Kristy Cambron, and you'll understand after listening (or watching) a few minutes of this Book Talk with Cara. Kristy is one of the warmest people I know and she is passionate about books. Her books have a wonderful blend of hope in the midst of darkness, usually war. I have loved her work since her debut novel, The Butterfly and the Violin, and in this episode, we talk about her latest novel The Italian Ballerina as well as the book she is writing now. We may geek out on all the research. Then we dive into her role as an agent, and she shares her wishlist of projects. If you're an aspiring writer, you do not want to miss her list.

Connect with Kristy Cambron

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On this episode of Book Talk, I get to introduce you to my friend Jill Eileen Smith. Jill is the author of twenty Biblical fiction novels. If there's a woman in the Old Testament, then she has probably written a novel bringing that woman's story to life. In this episode we discuss how she does her research, some of the books she's enjoyed writing, which books were challenging, and her next title Daughter of Eden. I hope you enjoy this look behind the scenes at what it's like for her to write these books that we get to enjoy.

Connect with Jill Eileen Smith

For more episodes, and to learn more about the authors I interview, visit https://caraputman.com/podcast

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