In this episode, we spoke to romantic fantasy author Imani Erriu, author of the recently released Heavenly Bodies, the first book in her beloved series of the same name. Imani is a lover of the fantasy genre (both as a reader and a writer), and her writing rose to virality on TikTok after she shared a single scene from her unfinished manuscript! Imani’s next book, Fallen Stars, is the second in this five-book series. Heavenly Bodies is available in Canada and the US via Penguin Random House.

Imani told us all about her writing journey, moving from indie publishing to traditional publishing, using astrology as writing inspiration, creating her own mythology for her world, advice on world-building, and much, much more! We had a great time chatting with Imani and sharing our own interest in astrology and love of the fantasy genre. Tune in to this invigorating interview – especially if you’re a fantasy fan!

Learn more on Imani’s website and follow Imani on TikTok and Instagram.

Welcome to the Kobo ReWriting Life Podcast! Alongside your regularly scheduled Kobo Writing Life podcast episode releases, we will also be featuring some highlights from our backlist. We're starting this new series with an episode from February 2020 all about writing retreats and writing communities!

USA Today bestselling author Darcy Burke sits down with Steph and Tara to discuss the importance of having a writing group, what writing retreats are really like, and how to keep your backlist fresh to attract new readers.

Learn more via Darcy's website and check out Darcy's books on Kobo.

In this episode, we are joined by author, animator, director, and co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, Michael Dante DiMartino! We were excited to talk to Michael about his latest self-published novel, Both Here and Gone, a coming-of-age YA novel about a fourteen-year-old boy named Jack, who “has experienced a perfect storm of grief and uncertainty with his father's sudden departure, the impending loss of his beloved home, and his best friend Alyssa's life-altering accident. But when Alyssa miraculously emerges from a coma with no memory of the incident, she turns to Jack for answers, forcing him to confront the painful truth he has been avoiding.” Michael is also the author of the middle grade fantasy series, Rebel Genius, and much more!

We asked Michael about his career, his approaches to storytelling, the creation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, how Michael develops his fantasy worlds, what it’s like self-publishing vs. traditional publishing and working on other forms of media, and so much more! We had a wonderful time talking to Michael and are looking forward to seeing what he is working on next.

Learn more on Michael’s website, and follow him on Facebook and Instagram. Be sure to find out more about Both Here and Gone and check out Michael’s books on Kobo.

In this episode, we are joined by Kobo’s own CEO, Michael Tamblyn! MT has been in the book business for much of his career, and he was directly involved with the founding of Kobo and its launch in 2010. MT is our “content guy” and is passionate about books and bookselling – including indie publishing. In this illuminating interview, we get to hear all about MT’s career, his thoughts on reading and publishing, insights into bookselling, and so much more.

We talked to MT about his start in the book business, his part in the creation of Kobo Writing Life, where he thinks the book business and publishing industry is going, the twenty-five year digital reading revolution, climbing mountains of death, the importance of indie authors and publishers, and, of course, a mention of MT’s boxing match with Rachel. For those looking for more insight into Kobo and Kobo Writing Life, don’t miss this episode.

Visit Kobo, Kobo Writing Life and the Kobo blog for more! And don't miss out on listening to MT and Nathan host Kobo in Conversation.

In this episode, we spoke to Jennifer L. Armentrout, best-selling author of over seventy books in multiple genres from fantasy to contemporary and suspense and back again – but all of her books contain strong elements of romance within their pages. Jennifer’s romantasy series, Blood and Ash, is a TikTok favourite and beloved book series all around! The latest from JLA is her expansion of the Blood and Ash world – the Flesh and Fire series. It was great to sit down with Jennifer and talk about all things romantic fantasy and her nearly fifteen-year-long publishing career. The final instalment in the Blood and Ash series, The Primal of Blood and Bone, is available for pre-order now.

We previously featured Jennifer on the podcast in 2021 – don’t miss that episode either! We are very excited to have Jennifer join us again to discuss all things romantic fantasy, indie publishing, her writing journey, her thoughts on the publishing industry, what’s next for her, and much more.

For more, visit Jennifer’s website, and follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and X/Twitter

And, of course, find Jennifer’s books on Kobo!

In this episode, we are joined by Barbara Kellyn, winner of the Kobo Originals Holiday Rom-Com Writing Contest for her novella, Polar Opposites! Barbara is the author of five novels and two novellas, and has been dubbed by her readers as “the queen of banter.” This was Barbara’s first foray into writing contests – and she was delighted to have won!

There was so much excitement this episode for the release of Polar Opposites, which is out now – exclusively from Kobo Originals!

We spoke to Barbara about starting her writing career in her late thirties, her inspiration for entering the contest, and her writing process behind Polar Opposites We also hear about how she crafts her characters, and learn more about the polar bear capital of the world, the setting of Polar Opposites, and much more!

We also hear from Jessica Khadoo, whose recent live Q&A with us illuminated our audience to all things Kobo Originals! Jess is the manager of Kobo Originals, Kobo’s in-house publisher of original content. We had a great conversation with Jess about all things Originals, so if you’re interested in learning more (and perhaps working with the team), don’t miss out.

For more, check out Barbara’s website and follow Barbara on Instagram and Threads.

In this episode, we spoke to Holly Cassidy, also known as Hannah Mary McKinnon, author of holiday romance novels as Holly and thrillers as Hannah! Holly’s latest, The Christmas Countdown, is a “charming holiday rom com about a young, recently heartbroken woman who is tasked by her sister to complete Advent calendar challenges in the lead up to Christmas to reignite her belief in herself, the holidays, and love again.” The Christmas Countdown is Hannah’s second holiday novel writing as Holly Cassidy, the first being The Christmas Wager.

We discussed Hannah’s writing career (and, as she says, how it was borne of failure), writing ten novels, moving from rom-coms to thrillers and back again, writing in two very different genres, how she creates her characters, her pen name, details about The Christmas Countdown and how it relates to her own holiday traditions, and much more! Hannah has had such a wonderful career and it was great to hear from such a prolific author with unique perspectives on both romantic comedies and thrillers. Don’t miss this episode if you’re a write (or reader) of either… or both, just like Hannah!

To learn more, visit Hannah’s website and follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Threads and X/Twitter.

In this episode, we are joined by New York Times and USA Today best-selling author and prolific writer Michelle M. Pillow, author of dozens of novels across several series. Michelle writes in the genres of fantasy romance, paranormal romance, science fiction, cozy mysteries, and more.  Michelle has sold over a million copies of her books and has written over 100 titles! Her prolific catalogue and years of experience mean she has a wealth of advice to author for indie authors, those both established and entirely new to the world of indie publishing.

Her latest release is Mostly Shattered, the second book in the urban fantasy romance series Merely Mortal. Be sure to check out the rest of the series.

We spoke to Michelle about her start as a writer, how she plots her books and what her writing process entails, her world-building process, her experiences in the early days of indie publishing, marketing her backlist and balancing new writing projects, writing (or not writing) to the changing reader market, and much more!

Learn more on Michelle’s website, and follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X/Twitter, and TikTok.

In this episode, we spoke to Golden Angel, USA Today best-selling author of “heart-and bottom-warming romance,” whose series include Masters of Marquis, Desire and Discipline, the Bridal Discipline series, and more! Golden’s publishing journey began back in 2012 (but she’s been writing even longer), and she became a full-time indie author in 2020. As the author of dozens of books across several series, her successful career spans over a decade, and she has so much great advice and insights to offer!

Golden has also presented her marketing advice and shared her expertise at InkersCon, Romance Author Mastermind, and more. She hosts a marketing and publishing advice series on her TikTok – aptly titled “Just the Tip.” We had a great time discussing all things indie publishing, writing kinky romance, marketing tips and tricks, the importance of your newsletter and so much more.

Follow Golden on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X/Twitter and be sure to check out her website for more.

In this episode, we spoke to Vancouver-based author and former ghostwriter, Katrina Kwan! Her romance novel debut, the rom-com Knives, Seasoning, and a Dash of Love is “a spicy romance between the talented and hotheaded chef Alexander Chen and his new hire Eden Monroe. When her bubbly attitude collides with his sharp edges, can they handle the heat between them or will their love be a recipe for disaster?”

Katrina is also the author of two fantasy novels, The Last Dragon of the East, available October 7th 2024, and the forthcoming The Legend of the Nine-tailed Fox. We had a wonderful time talking about all things contemporary romance, writing inspirations, her transition from ghostwriting to writing under her own name, all about Knives, Seasoning, and a Dash of Love, what’s next for Katrina, and much more! We had a lovely time speaking with Katrina and learning all about her writing career and can't wait to read her upcoming releases.

Learn more on Katrina’s website and follow Katrina on Instagram.