Hear us Roar

This week we're talking to D.K. Silver (The Weight of Flowers, indie published, February 2023). A costume designer for most of her career, Dana is a visual person so vivid descriptions come easily – in fact, the impetus to writing her debut was an image from a dream that was so striking it wouldn't let her go. Not only a terrible speller but severely dyslexic, she struggled in the beginning, producing a 340,000 word opus that required serious editing, but eventually yielded a series. We discuss the fact that her protagonist resembled her personally in many ways, making her the most difficult character to write, and delve into the four major reasons an author might consider indie publishing rather than the traditional route.

D.K. Silver is the author of The Weight of Flowers, the first in a genre-bending saga. The series explores themes of sexual exploitation and dalliance, greed in its many guises and the quest for self-worth.

D.K. Silver is fearless in her determination to explore taboos, using her gifts to relentlessly dig below the surface. As a costume designer, she's been trained to visually reveal a character's truer nature—as a writer, she takes it to another level, passionate to unmask the deliciously decadent, the deviant, and the downright misguided aspects of our collective humanness. Her stories are paced like a slow-motion car crash that's difficult to look away from.

To learn more about D.K., click here.

Our guest on the podcast this week is Annie Cathryn (The Friendship Breakup, Alcove Press, February 2023). After three previous attempts at a novel, Annie hit the motherlode when, in four months, she wrote the story of a Mean Girls/Bad Moms mashup. A unique take on what it's like to be ghosted from your friends group as an adult, the novel struck a cord with new imprint Alcove and became one of their first releases. We discuss how Annie's time as a well-connected Bookstagrammer paid off when authors she'd helped along the way with their own book releases repaid the favor in an organic way with favorable blurbs and reviews.

Annie Cathryn has always dreamed of becoming an author and lives by the motto, "Creating is Living." The Friendship Breakup is her debut book baby, born out of love. When not writing or reading, she's organizing her personal library collection by color and discovering delectable chocolate. She earned a journalism degree and a master's in communications from Marquette University, and lives in Chicagoland with her husband, daughter, and two fur babies.

To learn more about Annie, click here.

This week's guest is Audrey Burges (The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone, Berkley, January 2023). Audrey came up with the title for her book first, wrote it in one month during the pandemic, worked with her WFWA mentor to hone her manuscript, then quickly found both her agent and a Big Five imprint to publish it—a true fairy tale for a debut author. We discuss how she wrote humor essays to build a platform but then that niche became its own entity, how she advises authors to not to do social media to sell books but for its own sake in establishing your writing community, and how she believes not having time enough to write is what makes her so productive (she's currently writing her seventh book)

Audrey writes novels, humor, and essays in Richmond, Virginia. Her second novel, A House Like an Accordion, will be released in May 2024 by Ace/PRH. She is a humor contributor to McSweeney's and The New Yorker. When she isn't writing, she's asking her two kids and very patient husband to bring her some more coffee.

Our guest this week is Kimberly McMillan (Never Enough Time, Warren Publishing, January 2023). Kimberly's debut is squarely in the women's fiction genre, exploring the journey of a young girl who loses her single mother, only to discover the father she thought was dead is alive and well with another family in Texas. The book explores not only this new "found" family unit but gives a POV to the step-mother as well. We discuss how Kimberly found her editor in an unusual way, by reading the acknowledgements of a writer similar to her and tracking that person down. A hybrid publisher was the right answer for her, as Warren helped her every step of the way, including significant editing expertise as well as marketing tips.

Kimberly McMillan lives in Waco, Texas with her husband, Aaron, their two amazing daughters, and a spoiled Standard Poodle. Kimberly attended The University of Texas at Austin where she studied Broadcast Journalism. She is an avid tea drinker, accomplished photographer, dog lover, adventure seeker, book lover, bourbon taster, travel enthusiast, and foodie! When she is not writing, Kimberly loves spending time with her family and friends, enjoying everything life has to offer. Kimberly loves the Lord and hopes her love for Him shines through her work.

To learn more about Kimberly, click here.

This week's guest is Caitlin Avery (Life of Cyn, indie published, Dec. 2022). Tune in for one of our podcast's most raw and honest interviews as Caitlin and I discuss her decision to out her high school rapist in the pages of her women's fiction book, her inability to land an agent (who told her "MeToo" books were dead) and her determination to bring secrets like this out of the closet and into the light, making women aware of the power of sharing their stories. Once she decided to publish on her own, Caitlin found the perfect hook to sell her book through unflinching TikTok videos and IG reels which went viral with 50,000 views and an endorsement from Rosie O'Donnell.

Caitlin Avery writes about women whose lives are amiss and can't resist dangerous impulses. She's the author of the award-winning adventure/thriller, The Last Cruz, its recently released sequel, The Last Con, and the standalone contemporary fiction, Life of Cyn. Her first book, a coming-of-age memoir, is called Lightning in my Wires. When she's not inventing transformative adventures for her readers, she loves to indulge in them. A triathlete, mountain biker, backpacker, black-diamond skier, and yoga enthusiast, she lives outside of Boston with her husband and son, and the cat and dog who rescued her.

To learn more about Caitlin, click here.

Our guest this week is Barbara Boehm Miller (When You See Her, Red Adept Publishing, January 2023). We discuss learning to cut out extraneous back story, why she set her novel in a carnival, and why she chose a plus-size woman for her protagonist. On the marketing side, we talk about how she started out as a lurker on social media and had to get comfortable with what to post. Then we compare notes on the struggle to find an agent in today's climate where ghosting has become acceptable, leaving authors hanging in limbo.

Barbara likes to write about secret societies and marginalized people and to create desperate and unsavory characters who, nonetheless, appeal to readers. WHEN YOU SEE HER is her first novel. In addition, she earned a Master of Arts in writing from Johns Hopkins University and has had several short fiction pieces published in literary journals.

She's also worked for many years as a translator of Romance languages into English and has published a series of translations, primarily in the field of children's rights. She has lived in Costa Rica, France, Mexico, and Spain and, at present, serves as a senior diplomatic translator for the U.S. Department of State.

When not writing, reading, or working, Barbara likes to spend time with her inspiring husband and twin daughters, and her sweet brown dog.

To learn more about Barbara, click here.

This week's guest is Allyson Rice (The Key to Circus-Mom Highway, indie published, January 2023). Allyson, a multi-hyphenated actor, producer, artist, jewelry designer, and writer penned her debut novel as a screenplay to begin with, then used that as a structured outline for shaping her novel, which falls into the "funny but sad" genre of Carl Hiaasen. Allyson also did her own audiobook narration for which she was nominated for a Voice Arts award in the same category as Bono. We discuss how she found the perfect marketing help through an editor at Reedsy, and explore her current project, a documentary called Banned Together which examines the issue of book banning in the US. Set to release this year, it features an interview with Jodi Picoult whose book, 19 Minutes, has been yanked from some high school shelves.

Allyson Rice is the award-winning author of the novel The Key to Circus Mom Highway. ("Fans of family drama, road trips, and non-stop laughs will love this cross-country adventure."–BookLife/Publisher's Weekly). She won an Earphones Award from AudioFile Magazine for her audiobook narration as well as a Voice Arts Award nomination for Best Audiobook Narration by the Author. She is a producer with Atomic Focus Entertainment, currently producing a documentary feature film about fighting book bans titled Banned Together. And she spent decades as an actress on stage and on television, her longest role being seven years as Connor Walsh on As the World Turns. You can see her multi-award-winning, comedic rap music video "Fine, I'll Write My Own Damn Song" on YouTube. She's also an award-winning mixed-media artist and photographer. You can sign up for her newsletter and get the chance to have a funny supporting character in her next book named after you.

To learn more, click here.

My guest this week is Roxana Motiwalla Trabulsi (Of Mud and Honey, Ten16 Press. January 2023). Her debut is based on her parent's struggles in the late 1960's and early 1970's in Yemen as the country morphed into a Communist regime, her father was jailed as a political prisoner, and her mother and siblings were placed under house arrest. We discuss the emotional toll and responsibility of writing your own family's history and how signing with a small press proved the perfect venue to not only tell the story of a little-known country but also gave Roxana the flexibility to publish the book while her parents were still alive. She also shares serendipitous contacts she made through her Internet research and finding the perfect editor who supported her vision.

Born in London, United Kingdom, but raised in Dubai, Roxana now lives just outside of Boston in Massachusetts, where she writes and teaches English Literature at a school for children with learning differences. A graduate of Northeastern University, she worked as a marketing professional for an audio company for several years. She and her husband moved to Tokyo soon after they were married and have lived there twice in the last twenty years. She sits on the board of the local farmer's market where she has not only contributed to creating a sustainable community but has also been able to bring new and diverse programs such as a self-sustainable seed library to her town. Ultimately, she revels most in her role as mum to her three children. She loves all things farmers market, travel, yoga, art and design, and of course, reading. She lives with her husband, her teenage son, and their four-year-old cockapoo.

To learn more about Roxana, click here.

This week's guest is Brynn Barineau (Jaguars and Other Game, Orange Blossom Publishing, November 2022). After writing two YA novels that didn't find a publisher, Brynn tried her hand at adult fiction and, writing from her then-home in South America, penned a gender-flipped three musketeers story based in 1809 Brazil when the Portuguese royal court fled Napoleon's army and relocated to Rio. It's filled with sword fights, diamond smuggling, court intrigue, and best of all, female friendships as three women work to exonerate their friend who's been accused of murder. So even though Brynn grew up equating writers with rock stars, she's become one and is already on sub for book two.

Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Brynn Barineau has a master's in international communication from American University and background in international education. After college, she moved to her husband's native Rio de Janeiro with too many sweaters and not enough Portuguese. Brynn began writing as a way to process life in a new country. Her fiction is rooted in the power and possibilities of relationships across cultures. She's now back in Atlanta rediscovering her hometown with her Brazilian-American family.

Jaguars and Other Game is her debut novel. Kirkus Review called it an "addictive tale with drama, history and delightful protagonists," and national best-selling author Lynn Cullen raved "this atmospheric debut had me turning the pages to cheer on the clever trio." Jaguars and Other Game was a finalist in the National Indie Excellence Awards in multicultural fiction.

To learn more about Brynn, click here.

Our guest this week is Patricia Hudson (Traces, Firesign Industries, Univ of Kentucky Press, November 2022). Patricia's historical fiction debut centers around 3 forgotten women—the wife and two daughters of Daniel Boone, the famous explorer and an early "social influencer" who gained fame for opening up the Kentucky area after the Revolutionary War. Patricia, a former free-lance writer, set out not just to record the what of these women's lives but also the why behind their stories and to do so, joined a low-res MFA program, both to get help writing the novel but also for its networking component. We discuss what it's like to go to market with a university press and how she's found hand-selling to be her best marketing tool.

Patricia Hudson, a one-time university reference librarian, has been a freelance writer for 30 years, specializing in history and travel topics. She was a contributing editor at Americana magazine for more than a decade, and a regular contributor to Southern Living magazine. She's the coeditor of Listen Here: Women Writing in Appalachia, and author of The Carolinas and the Appalachian States, a volume in the Smithsonian Guide to Historic America series. Her library background paved the way for her work on a variety of research projects for other writers, including Alex Haley. She lives in Knoxville, Tennessee with her husband, photographer, Sam Stapleton, and two rescue dogs.

To learn more about Patricia, click here.