On today's episode we got to chat with Erin Bartels, an award-winning author who is endlessly fascinated with why people do and say the things they do and say. Her preoccupation with human nature has led her to write character-driven novels that book clubs adore for their layered storytelling and loads of discussion starters. Whether she's delving into history or tackling contemporary issues, whether set in her beloved state of Michigan or venturing abroad, her novels reflect the questions and issues all of us struggle with in life.

Her latest, The Lady with the Dark Hair, can be found here: https://erinbartels.com/home/books/the-lady-with-the-dark-hair/

Because the creative life is so important to her, Erin has looked for opportunities to teach and encourage other writers from the beginning, organizing conferences and retreats, teaching workshops, visiting high schools, coaching writers, and doing in-depth developmental edits that help other writers level up. She also loves using her skills as a longtime professional copywriter in the publishing industry to help writers market their self-published books. She recently started a Substack called Experimental Wolves to teach and encourage writers and offer weekly writing prompts to spur their creativity.

Check out Experimental Wolves at https://experimentalwolves.substack.com/

You can also find her on Instagram @erinbartelswrites and Facebook @ErinBartelsAuthor.

Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of The Lady with the Dark Hair at https://bookshop.org/a/90599/9780800741662

A little about today's host-

Kristi Leonard is a writer, community builder, and former president of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Since co-hosting on the Author Express Podcast, she has started her own podcast, Pop Culture Plot Lab, where guest authors to turn viral pop culture moments into story sparks and give listeners a peek inside the creative process. Through her writing retreats and volunteer leadership, she’s dedicated to helping other writers find their voice and stay connected to the craft.

A former audiobook narrator, Kristi now spends most of her creative energy on her own fiction and on shaping programs that support women’s voices in publishing. When she isn’t writing or leading, she’s likely hiking Florida trails with her writer-hiker pals or reading with her Golden Retriever, Charlie, at her side. She’s currently at work on her next novel and building the kind of author career she’s long championed for others.

Link to follow me https://linktr.ee/kristileonardwrites

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Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books -

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