Creative, Inspired, ALIVE

My guest today on CREATIVE. INSPIRED. HAPPY is Lisa Jewell, #1 New York Times and international bestselling author of 24 novels. Her latest psychological thriller, Don't Let Him In, is out now.

Today, we talk about:

* Lisa's preferred reading format—physical books, ebooks or audio books—and her “dark” secret as a reader,

* Why she writes and what has kept her going in such a long and successful career,

* behind the scenes of her writing process for Don't Let Him In,

* how she keeps her stories fresh to make sure she's not repeating herself with each new book,

* what the most misunderstood part of being a bestselling author is,

* a few sneaky hints about her next book,

* her favorite interactions with readers,

* one thing that readers might be surprised to find out about her,

and so much more.

Want more of Lisa?

You can find Lisa on X and Instagram. Her newest novel, Don’t Let Him In, is available in bookstores everywhere or from your favorite online retailer!

🟨 Looking for our community of readers and writers?

Join 24,000+ at CreativeInspiredHappy.com :

- ask questions of upcoming podcast guests,

- behind-the-scenes publishing insights,

- creativity mini-challenges,

- Book Club for Writers & Curious Readers,

- and more.

Podcast booking inquiries:

[email protected]

How changing my perspective of ordinary moments became my quiet rebellion.

Welcome back to Letters from the Creative Life. These occasional essays explore the quieter corners of living: small reflections on art, ambition, and the tender balancing act of building a meaningful life in a noisy world. Think of them as letters from my life to yours. Enjoy!

This is the audio version of an essay I wrote. If you prefer to read it, it's at CreativeInspiredHappy.com.

My guest today on CREATIVE. INSPIRED. HAPPY is V.E. Schwab, #1 New York Times bestselling author of 25 books, including The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. Her latest novel, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, is out now.

Today, we talk about:

* the curse of perfectionism and how Victoria copes with it,

* fighting Imposter Syndrome,

* why it's important to her to share both the victories and disappointments in publishing,

* the part of Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil that Victoria re-wrote at the last minute, to the chagrin of her publisher,

* why defining books in genres is a box that writers and readers should actively fight against,

* which part of writing is her most hated, and which is her favorite,

* whether her poetic prose comes in the first draft or later in the editing phase,

* reading reviews of her own books,

* and so much more.

»(Plus a guest appearance in the video from one of Victoria’s cats)

Want more of Victoria?

You can find Victoria on Instagram or check out her website to sign up for her newsletter. Her newest novel, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, is available in bookstores everywhere or from your favorite online retailer!

🟨 Want more writing advice and community?

Join 24,000+ writers at CreativeInspiredHappy.com :

- ask questions of upcoming podcast guests,

- behind-the-scenes publishing insights,

- creativity mini-challenges,

- Book Club for Writers & Curious Readers,

- and more.

Podcast booking inquiries:

[email protected]

How I found balance between big dreams and small, personal moments.

Welcome to Letters from the Creative Life, a new feature on my podcast and Substack. These occasional essays explore the quieter corners of living: small reflections on art, ambition, and the tender balancing act of building a meaningful life in a noisy world. Think of them as letters from my life to yours. Enjoy!

(If you'd like to read the essay instead, you can find it at CreativeInspiredHappy.com )

Hello, Protagonists!

My guest today on CREATIVE. INSPIRED. HAPPY is Adam Met, multi-platinum recording artist (he's the A in the band AJR). He is also a professor, and now author of a new book, AMPLIFY.

Today, we talk about:

* the kinds of books Adam likes to read

* the process of co-authoring a book with another writer

* how to outline a non-fiction book

* breaking rules to build fanbases

* storytelling in songs vs in books

* avoiding burnout in creative careers, and

* how to find your personal happiness and fulfillment in life

🟨 Want more writing advice and community?

Join more than 20,000 writers at CreativeInspiredHappy.com :

- ask questions of upcoming podcast guests,

- behind-the-scenes publishing insights,

- creativity mini-challenges,

- Book Club for Writers & Curious Readers,

- and more.

Podcast booking inquiries:

[email protected]

Want more of Adam?

For book tour information and more, you can find Adam on Instagram, X, and his website.

Adam’s book Amplify is available in bookstores everywhere or from your favorite online retailer!

My guest today on CREATIVE. INSPIRED. HAPPY is Mike Sowden, the author behind the hugely popular Substack, “Everything is Amazing.” He is also a former archaeologist and travel writer, and one of the humblest writers I know. (Don't be fooled when he starts out the interview by telling you he has no idea what he's doing.)

Today, we talk about:

* What is Substack, and is it too late to get started there?

* How Mike found his writing voice, a unique blend of scientific explanation and approachable humor

* The joy of trying things even when you're not an expert on the topic

* Growth on Substack - what works and what doesn't?

* The concept of writing seasons (a.k.a. finding a publishing cadence that doesn't kill you)

* What we can learn from Liz Gilbert's multimedia approach to writing,

and so much more.

Want more of Mike?

Fill your life with more WOW at Everything is Amazing.

🟨 Want more writing advice and community?

Join 24,000+ writers at CreativeInspiredHappy.com :

- ask questions of upcoming podcast guests,

- behind-the-scenes publishing insights,

- creativity mini-challenges,

- Book Club for Writers & Curious Readers,

- and more.

Podcast booking inquiries:

[email protected]

Hello, Protagonists!

My guest today on CREATIVE. INSPIRED. HAPPY is Katherine Center, New York Times Bestselling author and one of the reigning queens of hopeful, feel-good fiction. She’s also had two books adapted into hit movies on Netflix. Her latest novel, The Love Haters, is out now.

Today, we talk about:

* finding inspiration which Katherine describes catching butterflies

* discovering your place and mission in writing—a.k.a. what kind of author do you want to be?

* maintaining a pace of publishing one book a year

(Sample production timeline in traditional publishing)

* her trick for writing deep characters

* balancing "normal life" as a mom with being a professional writer

* what does long-term success look like for a novelist

* and so much more.

🟨 Want more writing advice and community?

Join more than 20,000 writers at CreativeInspiredHappy.com :

- ask questions of upcoming podcast guests,

- behind-the-scenes publishing insights,

- creativity mini-challenges,

- Book Club for Writers & Curious Readers,

- and more.

Podcast booking inquiries:

i[email protected]

Want more of Katherine?

You can find Katherine on Instagram, or check out her website to sign up for her email list. The movie versions of her books The Lost Husband and Happiness for Beginners are on Netflix.

Katherine’s newest novel, The Love Haters, is available in bookstores everywhere or from your favorite online retailer!

My guest today on CREATIVE. INSPIRED. HAPPY is Andrea Bartz, New York Times Bestselling thriller author. Her books have been a Reese’s Book Club pick, a Good Morning America Bonus Buzz pick, and a Marie Claire book club pick; one of them was optioned by Mila Kunis and another is in production at Netflix.

Andi’s latest thriller, The Last Ferry Out, is out next week.

Today, we talk about:

* who Andi considers the “greats” of thriller writing

* what she learned from being a Reese’s Book Club pick and how it changed the trajectory of her career

* understanding the market and how reader feedback might affect what to write

* tricks for building suspense and managing pacing, in any kind of fiction

* clear definitions of a “reveal” and a “twist” and why they're different,

* using Substack as a way to connect with other writers,

* and so much more.

🟨 Want more writing advice and community?

Join more than 20,000 writers at CreativeInspiredHappy.com :

- ask questions of upcoming podcast guests,

- behind-the-scenes publishing insights,

- creativity mini-challenges,

- Book Club for Writers & Curious Readers,

- and more.

Podcast booking inquiries:

[email protected]

Want more of Andi?

You can find Andi on Substack, Instagram, and her website.

The Last Ferry Out will be out next week (May 20, 2025) and available in bookstores everywhere or from your favorite online retailer!

My guest today on CREATIVE. INSPIRED. HAPPY is Allegra Goodman, New York Times bestselling author of Sam and, more recently, Isola. Allegra's books have also been a National Book Award Finalist, a Reese's Book Club pick and a Read with Jenna/TODAY Show pick.

Today, we talk about:

* what Allegra would do if she won a book-shopping spree,

* how reading has influenced the way she writes,

* why writing in third person or first person changes the experience for both the author and the reader,

* writing historical fiction in a way that resonates with contemporary readers,

* whether celebrity book club endorsements (Reese Witherspoon and Jenna Hager Bush) has changed the way Allegra thinks about the audience for her books

* recent books she's read that surprised or delighted her

and so much more.

🟨 Want more writing advice and community?

Join more than 20,000 writers at CreativeInspiredHappy.com :

- ask questions of upcoming podcast guests,

- behind-the-scenes publishing insights,

- creativity mini-challenges,

- Book Club for Writers & Curious Readers,

- and more.

Podcast booking inquiries:

[email protected]

Want more of Allegra?

You can find Allegra on her literary Instagram or her website, and Isola and her other novels are available everywhere books are sold!

My guest today on CREATIVE. INSPIRED. HAPPY is Sarah Penner, New York Times Bestselling author of The Lost Apothecary, which has sold over 1 1/2 million copies. Her latest novel, The Amalfi Curse, is out now.

Today, we talk about:

* the books that influenced young Sarah as a reader, and later, as a writer,

* behind-the-scenes of Collector's Editions—how an author finds out about special endpapers and sprayed edges on their books,

* how she manages to write and weave together dual timelines,

* the importance of big "hooks" for her stories,

* the unknown book about the Cotswalds that she wrote during the pandemic that never got published,

* her dream book club menu,

and so much more.

🟨 Want more writing advice and community?

Join more than 20,000 writers at CreativeInspiredHappy.com :

- ask questions of upcoming podcast guests,

- behind-the-scenes publishing insights,

- creativity mini-challenges,

- Book Club for Writers & Curious Readers,

- and more.

Podcast booking inquiries:

[email protected]

Want more of Sarah?

You can find Sarah on Instagram, Facebook, or her website, and The Amalfi Curse and her other novels are available everywhere books are sold!