KT Literary podcast

What the heck is going on with supply chain issues? Why aren't there more books? What can we do about it? What advice do we have for authors?

This week, Sara Megibow joins the podcast to talk about all these issues and more! We get granular about how books are made, what the "pain points" are in the process, and what that means for books releasing now. And though it all sounds a little depressing, we promise, it isn't! We also talk about a few tangible things that authors and readers can do to get through this.

This is an episode for veteran authors, debut authors, authors on submission, and readers alike. 

Sara's on Twitter! Follow her @SaraMegibow. 

You can find us at ktliterary.com and on Twitter and Instagram.

Listen to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitchr, IHeartRadio and more.

Mayonn Paassewe-Valchev has always been a storyteller. From her youth in Liberia, to her time living in the Netherlands, and now residing with her family in Georgia, stories have played an important part in her life.

In this interview we talk about mythology, capturing oral storytelling on the page and how she did that in her new Middle Grade book THE LEOPARD BEHIND THE MOON. 

Buy THE LEOPARD BEHIND THE MOON.

Follow Mayonn on Twitter, Instagram and find her on her website, mayonn.com.

You can find us at ktliterary.com and on Twitter and Instagram.

Listen to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitchr, IHeartRadio and more.

Considering a post-pandemic trip to a quaint English Village? Be sure to add this book to your packing list.

Maureen Johnson, Jay Cooper, and Kate Testerman get together to discuss the new book YOUR GUIDE TO NOT GETTING MURDERED IN A QUAINT ENGLISH VILLAGE. We discuss the most dangerous element of a quaint English Village, the thing that would probably get us killed, the age-old place to dump a bodë (It's IKEA) and whether or not The Doctor (the Timelord) can be considered an English detective. 

Buy the book.

Socials:

Maureen's Twitter, Instagram

Jay Cooper's Twitter, Instagram

Kate Testerman's Twitter Instagram

Maggie Wells is prolific in the romance genre and definitely knows her stuff. One of the most interesting things we talk about is her experience as a hybrid author. Hybrid authors’ books are usually a blend of traditionally published books and indie or self-published ones. Maggie takes the time to pull back the curtain on her experience in publishing . 

Check out Maggie Wells on Twitter, Instagram and on her website.

You can find AN ABSENCE OF MOTIVE here!

You can find us at ktliterary.com and on Twitter and Instagram.

R.W.W. Greene is a SciFi author, an educator, and an all around great guy. He has such an interesting perspective on the SciFi genre and what makes for a great story. He talks about so many different books in our conversation and if you're a student of SciFi, I recommend you have a pen handy.

We talk about writing near SciFi, what he's reading right now (THE GALAXY, AND THE GROUND WITHIN by Becky Chambers), and his delightful Covid-vaccinated summer plans.

R. W. W. Greene: website, Twitter and Instagram

You can buy THE LIGHT YEARS right now! Or Preorder TWENTY-FIVE TO LIFE (Out in August 2021!)

You can find us at ktliterary.com and on Twitter and Instagram.

Michelle Ruiz Kiel’s modern stories with mythic sensibilities are some of my favorites. She is someone I wanted to have on the podcast for a long time. I think it started when I heard her panel on modern fairy tales at the ALA Midwinter conference in Seattle a few years ago. I wanted to bring her on and ask her all about writing mythology, magical realism, and modern fairytales.

Michelle join me to talk about all things mythology, storytelling, and her new novel SUMMER IN THE CITY OF ROSES. We also talk about the gorgeous covers for both of her books and the amazing artists who created them!  You can find them on Instagram.

The artist for the ALL OF US WITH WINGS cover is Whitney Salgado @ws.illustration

The artist for the SUMMER IN THE CITY OF ROSES cover is Maga Gon @maga.sama

Find Michelle on her Website, Twitter and Instagram. 

You can find us at ktliterary.com and on Twitter and Instagram.

Buy River Magic and Nightingale!

Today, I have the privilege of speaking with two of our Powerhouse Middle Grade authors, Ellen Booraem and Deva Fagan. These women are both from Maine and they both write beautiful, sharp, emotionally resonant Middle Grade fantasy.

We talk about writing, magic, LARPing, and puppers. We also talk about promoting their books with a group of authors who all release in April 2021. Ellen and Deva have been joined by Nancy Werlin whose YA release is called ZOE ROSENTHAL IS NOT LAWFUL GOOD and Leah Cypess' Middle Grade fantasy THORNWOOD.

I had such a wonderful time speaking with Deva and Ellen and I hope you enjoy the conversation, too.

Deva Fagan: website, Twitter and Instagram

Ellen Booraem: website, Twitter, Facebook

You can find us at ktliterary.com and on Twitter and Instagram.

Today I have the privilege of speaking with New York Times Bestselling author, Jason Hough. Jason is the author of The Dire Earth series, ZERO WORLD, and video game tie in books for Gears of War and Mass Effect.  We talk about writing IP for video games, James Bond's pacing, and using movie soundtracks as writing music. 

Preorder INSTINCT!

Jason's website 

Jason's Twitter

You can find us at ktliterary.com and on Twitter and Instagram.

This week I have the privilege of interviewing novelist Jennifer Greunke. Jennifer’s debut novel, OF SILVER AND SHADOW just came out in February. Jennifer’s book was originally supposed to come out in May of 2020 and the release date was pushed back almost a year because of Covid-19. We have an interesting conversation about that process. We also discuss writing fantasy, and the best way for writers to curate their social media accounts.

One of my favorite parts of the interview, Quick Query Corner was thwarted by technical difficulties, which bummed me out because its always one of my favorite parts of any interview. So sadly, you don’t get to know Jennifer quite as well as I would like you to. But that’s all the more reason for you to go check out her dreamy Instagram page! She is a veteran bookstagrammer and is well connected in the YA writing world. I’ve put a link to her social media in the show notes. 

Madeline L’Engle once said in an interview “You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.” I can’t think of a better way to describe Jen Petro-Roy’s books. She’s the author of the books PS I MISS YOU, GOOD ENOUGH, and her brand new release LIFE IN THE BALANCE.

We actually talk a lot about balance in this episode. Balancing honesty and humor. Adult problems in a children’s book. Creativity and quarantine. And one thing that is abundantly clear is that Jen’s a student of children’s literature. Before her life as a writer, she was a librarian, and her love and respect for her young audience shows in her work. 

Here's where you can find Jen Petro-Roy online! jenpetroroy.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

And pick up a copy of LIFE IN THE BALANCE here. 

You can find us at ktliterary.com and on Twitter and Instagram.