Hear us Roar

My guest this week is Micki Berthelot Morency (The Island Sisters, BHC Press, June 2023). Her book is a perfect adjunct for Women's Fiction Week as her inspiration for putting pen to paper was to give voice to the often-unheard from victims of physical and mental abuse—women she encountered growing up in Haiti as well as women she worked with in her career as a care manager in the U.S. We explore the challenge of writing in a "third" language (after Creole and French), how her book found a home at a small publisher, and the success she's had going outside the typical "book promotion channels" like bookstores and libraries into college campuses, often sponsored by sexual assault and other support organizations, including one university that including it in their class curriculum.

Micki Berthelot Morency is a Haitian-American, who has lived in the US for decades. Her debut novel, THE ISLAND SISTERS was launched in 2023. She's a graduate of Northeastern University and The Institute for Writers. Micki is a fierce advocate for women and children. Her stories have appeared in Writer's Digest Magazine, The Tampa Bay Times, The Weekly Challenger, Print magazines and E-zines. Micki is a mother of daughters. She lives in Florida with her husband.

To learn more about Micki and her writing, click here.

My guest this week is Marcy Lane (A Mercy of Widows, indie published, August 2023). Hear how two life events – serving on a jury and losing a partner – formed the basis of Marcy's debut novel. We discuss the MAID initiative in Canada (Medical Assistant in Dying), her very personal reason for determining early on to self-publish, and how her second book is springing not from what she knows but what she wants to know more about. We close with an interesting result from a DNA test.

Marcy Lane writes character-driven fiction rooted in the quiet resilience of ordinary people navigating extraordinary challenges. Her debut novel, A Mercy of Widows (2023), explores grief, assisted dying, friendship and second chances—drawing on her lived experience of losing two life partners to cancer. After a long career leading a local charity, she turned to fiction in early 2021, diving headfirst into workshops, retreats and critique groups with a beginner's mindset and a deep curiosity for craft.

Born to parents with itchy feet, Marcy grew up as an army brat, living across Canada, the UK, and Germany—experiences that lend authenticity to her settings. Today, she lives in a small cottage in southwestern Ontario with her two opinionated dogs, Bug and Lucy. She draws inspiration from art supplies, Lake Erie's moods, and the layered history of her adopted community. She's currently working on a cozy mystery set in Erie Bluff, a fictional lakeside town steeped in small-town warmth and buried secrets.

To learn more about Marcy, click here.

Our guest this week is Rosey Lee (The Gardins of Edin, Waterbrook Press, January 2024). Rosey, whose alter ego is as a float physician and health equity advocate, first began with flash fiction, which eventually helped her complete a rough draft of her novel in only 6 weeks. We discuss finding an agent and publisher for crossover "Christian" fiction, her use of a mental health sensitivity reader, and how she augmented her publisher's marketing plan with her own, including a self-funded book tour.

Rosey Lee writes stories about complicated families and complex friendships, but a happy ending is guaranteed. She is a nominee for a 2025 Georgia Author of the Year Award for The Gardins of Edin, her debut novel. A Gardin Wedding is her second novel. Rosey lives in Atlanta, about an hour away from the fictional town of Edin, Georgia, where her characters live. She grew up on the Westbank of New Orleans and carries the area and her loved ones in her heart when she's away from them.

To learn more about Rosey, click here.

This week we talk with Lorraine Norwood (The Solitary Sparrow, Atmosphere Press, February 2024). Lorraine fell in love with the Middle Ages at a young age and carried that interest paired with her love of research into adulthood where, as a young mother, she started writing a book about a fictional peasant girl who aspired to be the first woman doctor in 14th century England, a novel which took her 30 years to write. We discuss finding the perfect agent but being unable to land a publisher, her decision to sign with a hybrid publisher and an inspiring story of how her interest in archaeology came full circle in her fifties, when she joined a dig in York and unearthed the shoe of a Viking and the bones of a dog buried centuries ago.

Lorraine is a North Carolina native who lives in the Blue Ridge mountains. The Solitary Sparrow is her first novel. She is working on the sequel, A Pelican in the Wilderness. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society and the Women's Fiction Writers Association where she served as a judge in the Rising Star awards. She worked as a professional journalist for over 20 years, then took a turn at midlife, earning an anthropology degree and a master's in medieval archaeology. She then worked in archaeology and historic preservation, participating in excavations in the US and England. She is the mother of two grown daughters and two granddaughters. She is happy that at long last, after two marriages, two children, fourteen jobs, three college degrees, and twenty-three moves (two of which were abroad), she has a room of her own in which to write.

To learn more about Lorraine, click here.

This week's guest is Beth Uznis Johnson (Coming Clean, Regal House, January 2024). Beth turned her lifelong interest in what people's belongings say about them into a novel centered on a cleaning lady at a crossroads and how one week with 5 different households helps her make life-altering decisions. We discuss the value of WFWA's weekly virtual write-ins, how continuing education is a mantra for her, and how writing short stories at the same time she's writing novels helps her not only flex her creative muscles but enhances her platform as a writer.

Beth Uznis Johnson has published fiction and creative nonfiction in Massachusetts Review, Cincinnati Review, Story Quarterly, Mississippi Review, Best American Essays 2018, and elsewhere. Her first novel, Coming Clean, was released by Regal House Publishing on January 9, 2024. She was the recipient of the 2017 McGinnis-Ritchie Award from Southwest Review and a finalist in the 2019 Mississippi Review fiction contest. She has an MFA in fiction from Queens University of Charlotte and lives in Chicago.

To learn more about Beth, click here.

Our guest this week is Kathryn Dodson (Tequila Midnight, indie published, July 2023). We discuss how being a book coach gave her a leg up when she decided to publish on her own, the tricky parts to writing a series in terms of backstory, and the writing process she uses to produce 3 books a year. Hear about her decision to concentrate on building an online audience vs. personal appearances and her major piece of advice for beginning writers.

Resources mentioned during this interview: Story Genius by Lisa Cron; 20 Books to 50K Conference (now Author Nation), Blueprint for a Book by Jennie Nash.

Kathryn writes about women who have to become their own heroes - whether they're solving a crime or figuring out the next phase of their lives. She grew up writing and riding horses in far West Texas. She graduated from SMU in English/Creative Writing and went on to get an MBA from Thunderbird and a PhD from Clemson. She has worked on both sides of the US/Mexico border and has held jobs with governments, chambers of commerce, and other businesses. Kathryn loves to travel and has visited 30 countries and 44 states. This inspires her novels about interesting women in fascinating places.

Originally from Texas, Kathryn had the good fortune to live in Spain, Mexico, Tanzania, and several U.S. states, and the good sense to end up in Carlsbad, California. She loves travel, fiery food, hanging out with the neighbors in the front yard on Friday evenings, and reading.

To learn more about Kathryn, click here.

This week guest is Raven West (Vashti's Daughter, indie published, July 2023). Before there was Esther in the Bible there was Vashti, whose story provided the impetus for Raven's women's fiction novel set in 366 AD. We discuss why sometimes it's good when a book takes a long time to germinate, the difficulty in finding comps for certain novels, why she went the indie route, and the four best pieces of advice she has for authors just starting out.

A seasoned guest on radio shows, podcasts, and literary festivals, Raven West has dedicated her career not just to writing but to engaging with her readers, championing independent authorship, and pushing the boundaries of storytelling

With an impressive repertoire spanning multiple genres—from riveting thrillers and espionage novels to historical fiction and deeply personal non-fiction—her storytelling is as compelling as it is diverse. Her works, including Red Wine for Breakfast, First Class Male, Undercover Reunion, and Vashti's Daughter, have captivated readers with their rich narratives and unforgettable characters.

To learn more about Raven West, click here

This week's guest is Marie McCurdy (The Wolf Queen, indie published, November 2023). Marie's novel, set in the Year 1 AD was five years in the making and involved a deep dive into historical records dating back to the height of the Roman Empire and its attempted invasion of the Germanic territories of Europe. We discuss the challenges of writing an historical women's fiction about a female character where little is known, how she broke with her first publisher, and the all importance of the right cover designer and copy editor for historical novels.

Marie is a Florida native, California transplant, and has lived almost everywhere between. She's been writing stories since she could hold a pen, but didn't get serious until she joined the Marines in 2009 as a Combat Correspondent. After five years telling Marine Corps stories, she knew it was time to start telling stories of her own. Marie currently lives in New Orleans with her fur family; three delightful cats and one questionable chihuahua mix.

To learn more about Marie, click here.

Our podcast guest this week is Sheila Athens (Neena Lee Is Seeing Things, indie published, January 2024). Sheila and I discuss how her book started with a famous person and a setting near her home and grew from there, how she thinks storytelling differs from writing, and how the thing readers love best about her novel is the older protagonist. Hear why she opted to spend her money on a book coach rather than a developmental editor and how an upcoming anniversary was the final push she needed to decide to self-publish.

Resources mentioned during the interview: ebooklaunch.com; suzyapprovedbooktours.com; jennienash.com; Story Genius by Lisa Cron.

Sheila Athens writes smart contemporary fiction set where the South meets the Sunshine state. Her stories are about women seeking to find the peace we all deserve. Readers are drawn to her work because they believe that everyday heroes can make a difference in our world.

After growing up in the Ozarks, she moved to Florida—sight unseen—with the man who would become her husband. Thirty-five years later, she's still on the shores of the Atlantic, grateful that her two grown sons and their families live nearby.

After many years as a vice president of human resources, she now spends her time ensconced in her quiet little lair, where she reads, writes and communes with the ducks who live on the lake right off her back porch. She loves quiet spaces, eccentric people and the little band of writer hikers who walk at sunrise on a regular basis.

To learn more about Sheila, to subscribe to her newsletter, or to invite her to your book club, click here.

This week's guest is Gayle Brown (A Deadly Game, Black Rose Writing, December 2023). We why you might want to consider hiring a book coach, how a TV show provided the spark for this suspense book, and how Gayle re-wrote her ending numerous times to make sure it hit the sweet spot between satisfying but also surprising. She gives us her take on publishing with the Big Five vs. a smaller press, the marketing efforts behind her successful launch, and how she's planning to grow her new career as a full-time writer.

Formerly a full-time teacher, now a full-time writer, my passion for writing started when I could hold a crayon in my hand, using the walls as my storyboard. Since then, I've connected pen to paper and fingers to the keyboard at every given chance. My debut novel, A DEADLY GAME, came out in December 2023. Aside from a being a full-time writer, I am also a writing mentor for The Book Incubator, a twelve-month, comprehensive alternative to an MFA, and a member of various organizations, including Women's Fiction Writers Association (where I'm also a mentor), The International Women's Writing Guild, SavvyAuthors, and Sisters in Crime. When not writing or reading, you can find me working out, traveling, and spending time in Florida with my family, including a very spoiled mini dachshund.

To learn more about Gayle, click here.