CREATIVE. INSPIRED. HAPPY with Evelyn Skye

The podcast is on a short break for Thanksgiving, so today I have a piece I wrote that was originally published on Beyond with Jane Ratcliffe.

We have a lot of new community members here at CREATIVE. INSPIRED. HAPPY, so I wanted to share a part of me that you might not know. Thank you for being here.

💛

~evelyn

My guest today is Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author and an icon in the historical fiction space.

Today we talk about:

* writing what you're drawn to and if/when marketability goes into that decision

* The Hero's Journey vs The Heroine's Journey for character development and plotting

* how to draw the line between fact and fiction when writing about real life people or historical events

* advice for both aspiring writers and writers who are a few books into their careers

* and so much more.

I hope you enjoy the show!

»Please leave a rating for me on Apple or Spotify 💛)

🤓 Are you serious about your writing?

Every Tuesday & Friday, you’ll get a new author interview, publishing insights, creativity mini-challenge, or something else to make you more creative, inspired, or happy. Subscribe now--it's free! CreativeInspiredHappy.com .

Want more of Kate?

The Briar Club and The Phoenix Crown are both on sale now.

You can also find Kate online on Facebook, Instagram, and her website (where you can also sign up for her newsletter and get the free Alice Network short story.)

Podcast booking inquiries:

[email protected]

My guest today is Taran Matharu, New York Times bestselling author with over 3 million copies sold. Taran is also co-founder of a small publishing house, Portal Books.

Today, we talk about:

* how Taran got his start on Wattpad during NaNoWriMo, and then landed multiple book deals with traditional publishers,

* advice for anyone participating in a novel writing challenge this month,

* why he decided to start his own publishing house

* what he's learned about the book industry since becoming a publisher

* how he balances his work as a writer and as a publisher,

* and so much more.

I hope you enjoy the show!

»Watch here, or listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Podcasts! (please leave a rating for me on Apple or Spotify 💛)

🎥 Past episodes of the podcast live here!

»Interviews with New York Times bestselling authors including Alka Joshi, J. Courtney Sullivan, Alison Espach, National Book Award winner Sabaa Tahir, and many more.

Want more of Taran?

Taran is on X and Instagram, and you can find his books at your favorite retailer. For more information on his publishing house, you can visit Portal Books on their website.

🟨 Full video version of this interview is available free at CreativeInspiredHappy.com, along with $1,000 & $2,500 Scholarships for Aspiring Writers, a Book Club for Writers & Curious Readers, behind-the-scenes insights into a bestselling authors' life, mini-creativity challenges, and more.

Podcast booking inquiries:

[email protected]

My guest today is Brian Weisfeld, co-author of four middle grade books—both fiction and non-fiction—as well as the founder of The Startup Squad Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to teaching kids about entrepreneurship.

Today we talk about:

* how a personal mission can drive your writing career

* the differences in writing fiction, nonfiction and graphic novels

* what Brian has learned through some ups and downs in publishing

* how to come up with out-of-the-box ideas for book events to promote your work, and so much more

I hope you enjoy the show!

» Past podcast episodes live HERE

Special swag and autograph offer:

Brian has generously offered to send autographed bookplates and some swag to anyone in our podcast community who purchases his books. To get an autographed bookplate and swag, just send an email to [email protected] and mention the CREATIVE. INSPIRED. HAPPY podcast in the subject line!

✍🏼 And don’t forget about our $1,000 Scholarships for Aspiring Writers (more info here).

🟨 Full video version available free at CreativeInspiredHappy.com, along with $1,000 & $2,500 Scholarships for Aspiring Writers, a Book Club for Writers & Curious Readers, behind-the-scenes insights into a bestselling authors' life, mini-creativity challenges, and more.

My guest today is Cait Jacobs, who is My guest today is Cait Jacobs, who is THE Original Booktooker--yes, Cait literally created that massive TikTok phenomenon that has completely changed the publishing industry. Cait is also the author of a novel slated for next year, called Medievally Blonde.

In this episode, we talk about:

* what led Cait to post their first video on TikTok, and whether they had any idea it would go viral and blow up the way it did,

* what Cait has learned from BookTok about what readers love, and how they have applied to their writing,

* why they chose traditional publishing over self-publishing,

* advice for writers both for their writing and their online marketing efforts,

* navigating social anxiety and fame, and so much more.

I hope you enjoy the show!

🟨 Full video version available free at CreativeInspiredHappy.com, along with $1,000 & $2,500 Scholarships for Aspiring Writers, a Book Club for Writers & Curious Readers, behind-the-scenes insights into a bestselling authors' life, mini-creativity challenges, and more.

Want more of Cait?

You can find them online as caitsbooks on TikTok / Instagram / X / YouTube / Tumblr

My guest today is Maureen Lee Lenker, who is a Senior Writer at Entertainment Weekly and also the author of two novels, It Happened One Fight. She also has a podcast, Hollywood-ography.

Today we take look at creativity on both sides, writing about books while writing books, and how she taps into her creative energy without burning out on either end.

We also talk about:

* what it's like to work at a magazine and how she pitches stories she wants to cover

* how to juggle a day job and writing fiction

* how the book industry has changed, from her perspective as a journalist,

* book-to-film production companies,

* and so much more

I hope you enjoy the show!

🟨 Full video version available free at CreativeInspiredHappy.com, along with $1,000 & $2,500 Scholarships for Aspiring Writers, a Book Club for Writers & Curious Readers, behind-the-scenes insights into a bestselling authors' life, mini-creativity challenges, and more.

📚 Want more of Maureen?

You can also find her on her website, as well as writing about books, TV, film, and theater at Entertainment Weekly. Her podcast is Hollywood-ography.

My guests today are Sara Raasch and Beth Revis, both New York Times bestselling authors and co-authors of the YA fantasy duology, Night of the Witch and The Fate of Magic.

Today we talk about:

* the process of writing a book together, from ideation to revision

* diversifying your writing career, including publishing traditionally and through self-publishing at the same time

* tips for what works on social media, as well as what not to expect from it

* what to do if you hate the book cover your publisher gave you, and so much more.

It was such a pleasure to hang out with Sara and Beth because we've been friends for a long time and "grew up” together in this industry. So be forewarned that we laugh a lot in this episode.

I hope you enjoy the show!

✍🏼 And don’t forget about our $1,000 Scholarships for Aspiring Writers (more info here).

🟨 Full video version available free at CreativeInspiredHappy.com, along with $1,000 & $2,500 Scholarships for Aspiring Writers, a Book Club for Writers & Curious Readers, behind-the-scenes insights into a bestselling authors' life, mini-creativity challenges, and more.

Want more of Sara and Beth?

You can find their tour schedules and social media here:

Sara Raasch: Website / Instagram / TikTok

Beth Revis: Substack / Website / Instagram / Patreon / Wordsmith Workshops

My guest today is J. Courtney Sullivan, a New York Times bestselling author whose books have not only been Reese Witherspoon book picks twice, but have also been optioned by Reese's production company.

Today we talk about:

* how to know when an idea is "right"

* doing research, and writing stories in layers

* ignoring genre categories and instead, writing whatever you want

* the most important guiding principle to hold onto in a creative career

* the coolest, most unexpected things that have happened to Courtney in her writing career, and so much more

Courtney was so fun and easy to talk to. I hope you enjoy the show!

✍🏼 And don’t forget about our $1,000 Scholarships for Aspiring Writers (more info here).

🟨 Full video version available free at CreativeInspiredHappy.com, along with $1,000 & $2,500 Scholarships for Aspiring Writers, a Book Club for Writers & Curious Readers, behind-the-scenes insights into a bestselling authors' life, mini-creativity challenges, and more.

Want more of Courtney?

Her latest novel, The Cliffs, is available everywhere. You can also find Courtney on Instagram and X.

My guest today is Alison Espach, author of The Wedding People, which was a Read with Jenna /Today Show book club pick.

Alison is also a creative writing professor, and today we talk about:

* making the decision to turn writing from hobby to career?

* coming up with ideas and knowing when it's the right time to write it, or when to leave it be for a while

* where Alison was when she found out that her book had been chosen for Read with Jenna and what it was like actually being on The Today Show

* and how to continue believing in yourself in a career that requires years of patience and hard work, often in isolation.

This was a really meaty conversation full of wonderful anecdotes from Alison's writer side, and wisdom and guidance from her creative writing professor side.

I hope you enjoy the show!

✍🏼 And don’t forget about our $1,000 Scholarships for Aspiring Writers (more info here).

🟨 Full video version available free at CreativeInspiredHappy.com, along with $1,000 & $2,500 Scholarships for Aspiring Writers, a Book Club for Writers & Curious Readers, behind-the-scenes insights into a bestselling authors' life, mini-creativity challenges, and more.

>>Want more of Alison?

Instagram: @alison.espach

Facebook: author page

My guest today is Danielle Walker, New York Times bestselling cookbook author who shot to fame with her first book, Against All Grain. Danielle was a Forbes 30 under 30, and has appeared many times on The Today Show. She is also an advocate for those with autoimmune diseases like hers. She's written many cookbooks, and her latest is Make it Easy.

Today we talk about:

* building community as a writer

* the intersection of book titles and branding

* behind the scenes of The Today Show

* the creative process of recipe creation, and so much more.

I hope you enjoy the show!

$1,000 and $2,500 Scholarships for Aspiring Writers. Applications now open! More information here.

🟨 Full video version available free at CreativeInspiredHappy.com, along with $1,000 & $2,500 Scholarships for Aspiring Writers, a Book Club for Writers & Curious Readers, behind-the-scenes insights into a bestselling authors' life, mini-creativity challenges, and more.

Podcast inquiries: [email protected]

Want more of Danielle?

Make it Good newsletter & weekly recipes (Substack)

Instagram: daniellewalker

Website: daniellewalker.com