In this episode, host Will Rose speaks with author Stephanie Austin about her debut novel, Burn, which will be released on February 3, 2026, from Cowboy Jamboree Press.

Stephanie reflects on the novel’s remarkable twenty-year journey to publication, tracing how the story evolved across drafts, forms, and decades before finally finding its true shape. She discusses why returning the book's setting to the 1990s was essential -- not as nostalgia, but as a narrative necessity -- and how themes of longing, miscommunication, and self-discovery depend on a world without constant digital access. The conversation also explores Stephanie’s relationship with her protagonist, the sense of grief that comes with finishing a long-gestating book, and the challenges of letting a beloved character go.

You can learn more about Stephanie Austin and her books at https://www.stephanieaustin.net/.