Gracewriters Podcast

In this episode, Belinda Pollard and Alison Joy interview our co-host, urban fantasy author, writing teacher, and preacher, Donita Bundy. Donita writes the Armour of Light series of spiritual warfare stories set in near-future versions of Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities of Revelation. She has useful tips for those writing on 'Last Days' themes, and encouragement for all of us who Gracewrite in an increasingly hostile and difficult world.

Don't forget to like and subscribe to the podcast! And go to gracewriters.com for show notes, transcript, useful links and factsheets, and to connect with our online community.

Episode summary:

• What End Times, End of Days and Last Days mean, and why these themes are so attractive to storytellers, both Christian and secular.
• How physical illness 'accidentally' led into Donita writing on these topics, and how her own health challenges have influenced the way she writes her characters.
• How Donita draws plot inspiration from Scripture and also from historical events and situations from the ancient world.
• The role of Bible study and prayer in apocalyptic writing, and in fact, all Gracewriting.
• The fear of getting it wrong, and how to persevere in spite of that.
• Encouraging readers as they feel seen and heard by what's happening in the story. Writing with openness and honesty about genuine human struggles. Helping readers to feel less alone in their own battles.
• Encouraging readers to pay attention, and not become complacent in a world that is changing rapidly. Inspiring them to 'choose God' even when it's hard.
• Entertaining readers with a good story.
• Thinking about what message your reader is going to go away with, no matter what genre or topic you are writing. How to open a fissure for the Holy Spirit to flow into someone's heart through story.
• Giving readers (and us) the courage to stand in the challenges to come.
• Whether to make writing a priority in stressful times. Why our voice is needed.
• How the content of our writing might change in the Last Days. How our writing might be set apart from the world's writing.

In this episode, Belinda Pollard, Donita Bundy and Alison Joy interview book publicist Jason Jones, who works with authors and publishers around the world, producers and editors at some of America's major news outlets and hundreds of faith-based media outlets. Host of the Book Publicist podcast, he has led campaigns for 11 New York Times best-sellers. He shares insights on the changing face of book promotion, including the rise of social media and podcasts.

Don't forget to like and subscribe to the podcast! And go to gracewriters.com for show notes, transcript, useful links and factsheets, and to connect with our online community.

Topics in this episode:

• Jason's unexpected career progression into book publicity.

• How book publicity has changed in recent years – the rising importance of social media over traditional media and news outlets.

• Start very early with book promotion.

• Be prepared to do the work yourself and don't expect your publisher to do all the marketing.

• Start small, start local.

• How the publicity cycle has changed in recent years – not all of it has to be at launch time.

• Promoting non-fiction vs fiction.

• Seasonal promotion at Christmas, and Christmas-themed books.

• The rising possibilities of being interviewed on podcasts.

• The value of perserverance.

In this episode, Donita Bundy and Alison Joy interview Belinda Pollard, author of crime novels, light memoir, devotionals and non-fiction. She is also founder of Gracewriters. Belinda shares what she learned from revising and republishing both a devotional book, MEET THE REAL JESUS, and her first crime novel, POISON BAY.

Don't forget to like and subscribe to the podcast! And go to gracewriters.com for show notes, transcript, useful links and factsheets, and to connect with our online community.

In this episode, Belinda Pollard, Donita Bundy and Alison Joy interview Jack Countryman, author of 35 books based on Bible promises, blessings and prayers, which have sold more than 27 million copies. At 93, Jack has just released another book. He encourages all Christian writers, and especially those writing devotionals, and those who fear they are "too old".

Don't forget to like and subscribe to the podcast! And go to gracewriters.com for show notes, transcript, useful links and factsheets, and to connect with our online community.

In this episode, Belinda Pollard, Donita Bundy and Alison Joy interview Christian non-fiction author Jo Swinney. Jo's books cover important and sensitive topics from dating to depression, but her most challenging project yet was co-writing a book on hospitality with her mother, Miranda Harris, after she had passed away.

Don't forget to like and subscribe to the podcast! And go to gracewriters.com for show notes, transcript, useful links and factsheets, and to connect with our online community.

In this episode, Belinda Pollard, Donita Bundy and Alison Joy interview spy-thriller author Mazzy Adams. Mazzy shares her writing practices, the joy and complexity of defying genre norms, and how writing actually helped rehabilitate her brain after a stroke.

Don't forget to like and subscribe to the podcast! And go to gracewriters.com for show notes, transcript, useful links and factsheets, and to connect with our online community.

In this episode, Belinda Pollard, Donita Bundy and Alison Joy interview Roma Flood, who has lived through the loss of a mother, daughter, husband and granddaughter, but has found a way to bless people with her story of loss and grief. For others who are writing from painful personal experience, she shares about lives that have changed as a result of her book… including her own.

Don't forget to like and subscribe to the podcast! And go to gracewriters.com for show notes, transcript, useful links and factsheets, and to connect with our online community.

In this episode, Belinda Pollard, Donita Bundy and Alison Joy interview Jubilee Lipsey, who writes biblical fiction based on Old Testament narratives. Jubilee shares the methods she uses to invite readers deeper into the stories that form the backbone of Christian faith, while also being changed by the Bible in the process herself.

Don't forget to like and subscribe to the podcast! And go to gracewriters.com for show notes, transcript, useful links and factsheets, and to connect with our online community.

In this episode, Belinda Pollard, Donita Bundy and Alison Joy interview Lisa Boucher, who has trained polo horses, worked as a flight attendant, hairdresser and bartender, and then reconstructed her life as a registered nurse. Lisa's books help women overcome alcoholism, and she draws from her rich life experience to encourage readers to stop micromanaging and surrender to God.

Don't forget to like and subscribe to the podcast! And go to gracewriters.com for show notes, transcript, useful links and factsheets, and to connect with our online community.

In this episode, Belinda Pollard, Donita Bundy and Alison Joy interview Steven James, author of 18 bestselling thrillers and winner of 4 Christy Awards. His non-fiction titles include STORY TRUMPS STRUCTURE and TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR NOVEL for Writer's Digest, and he challenges us to defy the so-called "rules" of writing fiction.

Don't forget to like and subscribe to the podcast! And go to gracewriters.com for show notes, transcript, useful links and factsheets, and to connect with our online community.