Five Compelling Questions with Shawn

Shawn chats with bestselling author Lisa Barr about her latest book, The Goddess of Warsaw, inspiration, character development, revenge, redemption, historical fiction, and Lisa's personal connection to the Holocaust.

Shawn chats with debut author Lori Brand about her book Bodies to Die For, body image, societal pressures on women, Lori's personal fitness journey, writing motivation, getting published, empowerment, self-acceptance, the need for solidarity among women, and the importance of strength over appearance.

Shawn chats with Lorie Lewis Ham, a multifaceted writer involved in journalism, fiction, and podcasting, about Lorie's journey as a writer, the inception of her online magazine Kings River Life, balancing responsibilities, the importance of community in the mystery writing genre, and the novels in the Tower District series.

Shawn chats with stand-up comedian and author Suzanne Park, a Korean American writer, about her latest book, One Last Word, the unique premise of the book, which revolves around an app that allows users to send their final messages to loved ones upon their deaths, comedic influences, joy and empowerment, the importance of character development, the challenges of being a female writer in the venture capital world, and the significance of representation in literature.

Shawn chats with debut author Evan S. Porter about his novel Dad Camp, his journey from blogging to writing fiction, the themes of fatherhood, masculinity, and the emotional challenges faced by parents, especially fathers, his daughters and how they inspired his writing, his hopes for readers to find humor and depth in his work, and the importance of storytelling in processing emotions.

Shawn chats with Liza Palmer, a two-time Emmy-nominated author, about her latest book, Family Reservations, family dynamics, the restaurant industry, the challenges of writing through personal adversity, cancer, the importance of food as a love language, and the complexities of female relationships in a male-dominated industry.

Shawn welcomes back author Ramona Ausubel to discuss the paperback release of The Last Animal, its themes, the reception it has received, the creative process of writing, the challenges of adapting literature for the screen, and the surprising feedback from readers.

Shawn chats with Hugh Lessig about his debut novel, Fadeaway Joe, the inspiration behind the book, dementia, hope, personal experiences, journalism to novel writing, and the importance of character development.

Shawn chats with Author Sheryl Ickes about her journey into writing cozy mysteries, particularly her Slice of Life Mystery Series, cake decorating, truck driving, the pros and cons of self-publishing versus traditional publishing, and the importance of marketing for authors.

Shawn chats with Author Josh Pachter about his debut novel, Dutch Threat, being a seasoned writer with a career spanning over five decades, writing short stories and publishing his first novel, the challenges he faced along the way, the writing process, the impact of editing on his work, and valuable advice for aspiring writers who are interested in a long-term writing career.