Hear us Roar

Hear how Barbara came up with the idea to frame her story of Elizabeth, wife, mother, and Ph.D. candidate desperate to find her true self, around the life of famed artist Georgia O'Keefe. As well, we discuss what it's like to publish your debut novel during the middle of the Covid-19 crisis and what Barbara learned about herself in the process of writing this manuscript.

A writer of fiction and non-fiction, Barbara lives on an historic dirt road in New York's Hudson Valley. Her second novel, THE SOUND BETWEEN THE NOTES, will be published in April 2021. Barbara has a PhD in clinical social work, blogs for several award-winning sites for writers, and is a serious amateur pianist.

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Learn why Joanne decided to use dual timelines to tell her story, how critique groups have proved invaluable to her throughout her career, and how she wrote over 20 different endings to her debut novel before finding the right one.

Joanne was born in Chicago, Illinois, has adopted Texas as her home. She lives in the Texas Hill Country on a small ranch with her husband, three rescue terriers, and abundant wildlife. Retired from a career in nursing—with dual specialties in the cold, clinical operating room, and the intense, emotional world of psychiatric nursing, she devotes her time to writing fiction. She is hard at work editing her next novel, JUST ONE LOOK, set in her native Chicago, and looking forward to her next project, LAUREN EATON.

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Linda talks about her experiences working with a small press, her quirky habit of "collecting" bookstores, and how one chance remark on a beach sparked the idea for her novel.

She's a writer and fitness professional, lives with her husband splitting their time between New Jersey and Florida. Her debut novel, The Disharmony of Silence, was published by Black Rose Writers. Linda was a contributor to Women in the Literary Landscape: A WNBA Centennial Publication for the Women's National Book Association. She's had stories published in Foliate Oak and Crack the Spine, both in their online magazine and print anthology and has won the Notable Stories Award in Gemini Magazine's Short Story Contest. When not writing or teaching fitness classes Linda swims, plays tennis and pickleball, enjoys creating with clay in ceramics class and curling up with a good book. She is a member of the Women's Fiction Writers Association and the Women's National Book Association where she is National Recording Secretary and Selections Coordinator of the Great Group Reads committee which chooses books for National Reading Group Month.

To learn more about Linda, click here.

Hear how two Amys (Impellizzeri and Nathan) inspired her to begin writing, how her weekly blog frees up her creative juices, and the story behind her book trailer which you can view at her website listed below.

Michelle, whose career path includes banking, teaching, and college admissions consulting, holds a B.S. in Finance from Lehigh University and a M.S. in Education from St. Joseph's University. Through her blog, elevate, Michelle's goal is to inspire others to shift their perspectives and welcome change as they realize their life purpose. A Pennsylvania native, Michelle and her husband enjoy visiting their sons in Boston and spending time in Bend, Oregon, the settings of her debut novel.

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A practicing cardiologist when she wrote this first novel, Kimmery went through 100 rejections before landing a top agent and then once her book sold, was asked to completely change the last third of her book by her editor. She has interesting anecdotes to share on book cover design, the value of social media, and the importance of sincere engagement with readers. Her second novel, The Antidote for Everything, was published in February, 2020.

She's an emergency medicine doctor-turned novelist whose works of medical fiction have been praised by The Harvard Crimson, Southern Living, The Charlotte Observer and The New York Times, among others. A lifelong literary nerd, she promotes reading, interviews authors, and teaches writing seminars. She's a frequent speaker at libraries, conferences, and bookstores around the United States. Kimmery completed her medical training at the University of Louisville School of Medicine and the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. She lives with her husband and three children in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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Sarah is a prolific writer of romance novels (22 books and counting) but this is her first work in the women's fiction genre. Find out what inspired her story of a young woman fighting to die with dignity, one early readers have compared to This Is Us. In addition to being a savvy author, Sarah works full-time as a therapist in the DC area, a profession she also loves. This is one busy 30-year old – not to mention that at the time of this podcast she was about to become a first-time Mom.

Sarah Robinson first started her writing career as a published poet in high school, and then college, winning several poetry awards and being published in local literary journals.

Never expecting to make a career of it, a freelance writing Craigslist job accidentally introduced her to the world of book publishing. Lengthening her writing from poetry to novels, Robinson published her first book through a small press publisher, before moving into self-publishing, and then finally was picked up by Penguin Random House two years later. She continues to publish both traditionally and indie with over 15+ novels to her name.

In her personal life, Sarah Robinson is in a happy and loving relationship with the man of her dreams. They have a home full of snuggly dogs and cats and are happily living in Arlington, Virginia for the time being.

To learn more about Sarah, click here.

Listen to find out why Jennifer is using a pen name for her women's fiction, how she found her agent through very unconventional means, and how she thinks it's a mistake for authors to typecast themselves into one mode of writing. Plus we love her definition of women's fiction: the extraordinary nature of ordinary lives.

Jennifer Gold writes book club fiction about the relationships of real, flawed women — love, past mistakes, redemption, and all the stuff in between. Critics at Booklist have called her characters "multifaceted" and her storylines "compelling" and "bittersweet." Jenni is a travel-obsessed romantic and ambivert. When she's not writing, you can find her sipping coffee, enjoying the outdoors, or curled up with a book. She loves nature documentaries and realistic hopefully-ever-afters. Jenni lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two cats. Fans can learn more through Jenni's newsletter, which features book-related sneak peeks, photos from her travels, and funny stories from her life as a horse caretaker.

To learn more about Jennifer, click here.

Sarah grew up in the south, a fan of writers like Eudora Welty and Flannery O'Connor. Her novel began as a short story based on a Hemingway vignette and that idea became the middle of her book as she wrote both forward and backwards to complete the arc. Now she's working to master the art of Amazon rankings which she believes controls the fate of every beginning writer's success.

She's a graduate of the University of Tennessee (Go Vols) and has worked as an English teacher and a business writer before retiring to a lake community north of Atlanta, Georgia where she belongs to three book clubs, plays golf and tennis, lounges on the lake, and hosts dinner parties.

To learn more about Sarah, click here.

Lorelei spent two years in Pakistan as part of a US funded project to train local teachers (even receiving a death threat from the Taliban), then turned her observations into a novel centered on an articulate, educated woman living in a culture vastly different than our own. Now she relishes sharing her expertise with churches, health professionals, and educators in the hope of promoting better international understanding. And don't miss the end of the interview – there's a charming anecdote involving a penguin.

Lorelei Brush holds two doctoral degrees, a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology and a Doctor of Ministry focusing on Islam and Christianity. Since 1996, she has worked in international education. From 2006 to 2008 she managed a large USAID-funded education project in northwestern Pakistan, an area seriously affected by the earthquake of October 2005. Uncovering is her first novel, a work of love arising from her time among so many gifted people committed to Islam as a religion of peace and helping others. Along with two beloved cats, she lives outside of Washington, D.C. in a community of good neighbors, friends, and fellow writers. In her spare time she sings, hikes, and shows up for those healthy workouts at the gym.

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After a successful career in higher-education administration, Ellen moved to writing. Her first two novels, both of which caught the attention of agents, nevertheless failed to find a home, but she didn't quit and her current book got 3 immediate offers from agents and sold to a Big Five publisher within one month. Ellen share her adventures on book tour, the challenges of writing dual POV characters, and how she writes whole chapters in the shower before she commits them to paper.

A native New Jerseyite, Ellen lived with her family for twenty-five years in Arizona before moving back. She now lives only blocks away from where Washington crossed the Delaware. She married to Mike and has two grown sons. Chris and Nick, and shares her house with Emma the cat, who is most definitely a reincarnated dog.

To learn more about Ellen, click here.