What a joy to have this absolute delight of a human on the show this week: THE Alexis Maragold!!! Debut author of THIS SAFE DARKNESS. We can't wait for you to tune in and hear all the inspiring things Alexis had to share with us in our interview. But first, here's more about our girl!

Alexis Maragold is a disabled fantasy author who’s learned the hard way that life doesn’t have to be painless to be full. She hopes to offer readers an indulgent, unputdownable escape while illuminating the layered realities of those with invisible disabilities.

When she’s not playing mastermind with her pen, Alexis can be found making a fool of herself on Instagram, dabbling in just about every art form, dusting off her design skills, or searching for portals in the pines around her Raleigh, NC home.

THIS SAFE DARKNESS is her debut novel.

About THIS SAFE DARKNESS: The Hunt was intended to make us an example, not a threat. That changes now.
Thirty-year-old Orelle Bren knows the best way to avoid death is to play by the rules of a society that only values women as wives and wombs. Though it would be nice to reclaim the dream life her ex-husband stole from her, Orelle would gladly settle for a loveless engagement that exempts her from being among the ten unwed, childless women drafted for the annual Hunt.
It’s supposed to be an honor, being selected to leave their underground utopia to eliminate the Sols—humans who’ve been mutated with corrupt magic by exposure to the sun.
But Orelle knows it’s a glorified death sentence, especially for someone who’s already in a daily battle with their own body.
When her desperate attempts at enticement fail and she’s cast above into the fatal world of light, an unexpected ally challenges Orelle to find a new dream of living—and maybe even loving—out of spite.
To do that, there are few lines she won’t cross to uncover the true monsters before becoming one herself, or something even worse: prey.

Find Alexis:

https://alexismaragold.com/

https://www.instagram.com/alexismaragold/?hl=en

We missed chatting together way too much, and with release day just days away, we couldn't resist doing a check in episode to talk all things Carnival Fantástico with the icon, the legend, the moment herself, THE Angela Montoya.

Of the Publishing Persuasion is a writing and bookish podcast HOSTED BY: @angelamontoya_author & @melanie_schubert_writer

#OfthePublishingPersuasion #podcast #writingcommunity #publishing #writing#booklover #bookstagram #writinglife #writeradvice #querying #querytrenches #books #authorscommunity #authorsofinstragram #womensupportingwomen #writer #writingpodcast #carnivalfantastico #yaromantasy #romantasybooks #secondchanceromance

New year, new episode!! And this one is the writer therapy we needed chatting with absolutely incredible human that is THE Kate Dramis! We can't wait for you all to tune in! But first, here's more about Kate!

Kate Dramis is an Atlanta-based writer whose obsession with fantasy worlds and escaping into a good love story eventually drove her to chase her dreams of being an author.

Inspired by a dream about a woman calling down lightning to save a friend, The Curse of Saints was Kate’s debut novel and became an instant #2 Sunday Times Best Seller. It has been translated in over 10 languages.

Kate also writes contemporary romance, and her debut in the genre, The Odds of You, releases January 6th, 2026 from St. Martin’s Press & Bloomsbury UK. 

Prior to becoming a full-time author, Kate was a professional copywriter with a decade of experience in copywriting and marketing strategy. She owned 23 North & Co, a boutique copywriting and consulting agency that helped business owners increase their exposure online.

Kate has a BA in Journalism from the University of Georgia. 

Of the Publishing Persuasion is a writing and bookish podcast HOSTED BY @angelamontoya_author and @melanie_schubert_writer

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Today's guest is USA TODAY BESTSELLER & award-winning fantasy and romance author, the absolutely magical human that is THE Nia Davenport/ N.E. Davenport!

We can't wait for you to hear all the amazing things she had to say, but first, here's more about Nia:

Nia "N.E." Davenport is the Science Fiction/Fantasy author of The Praetorian Trials and its sequel (Harper Voyager). She has a B.A. in Biology and an M.A. in Secondary Education. She’s an advocate for diverse perspectives and protagonists in literature. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys traveling, skiing, and being a huge foodie.

Find Nia:

Website: https://www.nedavenport.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/nia.davenport/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@niadavenport

Of the Publishing Persuasion is a writing podcast. Co-hosted by @angelamontoya_author And @melanie_schubert_writer

#OfthePublishingPersuasion #podcast #writingcommunity #writer #author #Bookstagram

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We were so lucky to chat with the absolute queen that is bestselling author Kathleen Glasgow this week!

We can't wait for you to hear all the amazing things she had to say, but first, here's more about Kathleen:

Kathleen Glasgow started as a poet and somehow found herself writing novels. She's the author of the New York Times and internationally bestselling novels Girl in Pieces, The Glass Girl,You'd Be Home Now, and How to Make Friends With the Dark, She's the coauthor, with Liz Lawson, of the bestselling mystery series, The Agathas and The Night in Question. Girl in Pieces was a Target Book Club Pick and an Amelia Walden Honor book. The Glass Girl was named Target's Young Adult Book of the Year in 2024. How to Make Friends With the Dark was an ILA Honor Book. Her books have won numerous state reading awards for schools and been featured in People Magazine, Publishers Weekly, The Horn Book, The Irish Times, The Sunday Times, Cosmopolitan, and Vanity Fair. The Agathas was a Barnes and Noble YA Book Club Pick, a Parnassus Book Club Pick, and the sequel, The Night inQuestion was a Jenna Bush Hagar Today Show Book Club selection. She has an MFA in Poetry from The University of Minnesota.

Our chat with legendary, mother-daughter Dork Diaries duo: Nikki and Rachel, felt like a big warm hug. We just adore these two, and it's easy to see why their books are a global success!

We can't wait for you to listen to all the wonderful things they both had to say, but first, here's more about Nikki and Rachel.

Rachel Renée Russell is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dork Diaries, an international blockbuster series chronicling the life and misadventures of middle school students, Nikki Maxwell and her best friends Chloe and Zoey. With humor and wit, Rachel’s books encourage tweens to embrace their individuality and always let their inner dork shine through. The Dork Diaries series has been translated into fifty-two languages worldwide and its characters are as diverse as the millions of tweens who read the books. With more than fifty-five million books in print, the series has garnered such honors as two Kids’ Book Choice Awards, an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work for Children, the Milner Award for Children’s Literature, and a Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Book of the Year nomination. Rachel is also the author of a second New York Times bestselling series, The Misadventures of Max Crumbly, which received a Kids’ Book Choice Award. Her daughter, Nikki Russell, is the illustrator for both book series. The mother-daughter team has released twenty-one consecutive New York Times bestsellers.

Find Rachel and Nikki: 

Website: https://dorkdiaries.com/meet-the-author/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dorkdiaries?lang=en

IG: https://www.instagram.com/dorkdiaries/?hl=en

We cannot​​​ even begin to express how glorious it was to be joined by some of our incredible contributing authors ahead of the release for Jingle These Bells this week! We absolutely adore you all and are so thrilled for all your spicy holiday stories to be out in the world soon!! Thanks for joining us !!!
Robin Alvarez @authorrobinalvarez

Katya de Becerra @katyadebecerra

Lucy Nightshade @marissayarrowauthor

Kerrie Faye @kerriefayebooks

Diane Billas @dianebillaswrites

S.M. Perez @smperezwrites

Louise White @louisewhitewrites

Honey Hazzard @honeyhazzardbooks

Amanda Aoki @amandaaaoki

Jingle these Bells is a Spicy Holiday anthology edited by @angelamontoya_author & @melanie_schubert_writer ... also your chaotic cloaca hosts of the writing podcast Of the Publishing Persuasion

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Q: How to Feel Smarter & Healed as a Writer? A: Chatting with THE Chloe Gong!

We were completely starstruck over on the podcast this week, chatting with the absolute legend that is Chloe Gong! We can't wait for you all to tune in and hear all the amazing things she had to say. But first, here's more about Chloe:

Chloe Gong is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Secret Shanghai novels, as well as the Flesh and False Gods trilogy. Her books have been published in over twenty countries and have been featured in the New York Times, People, Cosmopolitan, and more. She was named one of the Forbes 30 Under 30 for 2024. Chloe graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in English and international relations. Born in Shanghai and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, she is now located in New York City. 

You can find her on Instagram, X, and TikTok at @thechloegong. She is represented by Laura Crockett.

Her next book is Coldwire, the first installment of a YA cyberpunk dystopian trilogy, available everywhere books are sold on November 4th, 2025.

 #coldwire #chloegong #booktok #dystopianbooks #bookstagram #yabooks #books #bookrecommendations #yabookstagram #youngadultbooks #scifibooks #bookish #booksta #youngadultbookstagram

Our next guest had us hanging off her every word. Of course, we are talking about the one and only Diana Rodriguez Wallach.

We were fascinated to hear all Diane had to say about the Troubled Teen industry in America and her journey through multiple agents to finding the right fit for her.

We can't wait for you all to tune in! But first, here's more about Diana:

Diana Rodriguez Wallach is a lover of ghosts, historical murders, and all things spooky. She is also the author of eight YA novels, including her YA horror novels Small Town Monsters and Hatchet Girls. She currently lives in the Philadelphia area with her husband and two children.

Find Diana:

Website: https://dianarodriguezwallach.com/

Instagram: @dianawallachauthor

TikTok: @dianarodriguezwallach

We are still fangirling over today's amazing guest, Bestselling Author and YouTube star THE Jenna Moreci @jennamoreci. 

Please also join us is celebrating Jenna's brand new release: HOW TO WRITE ROMANTASY

Happy Release day Jenna!! We can't wait for you all to tune into this raw, open conversation. But first, here's more about Jenna:

Jenna Moreci is a bestselling dark fantasy romance and writing craft author, as well as a YouTube sensation with hundreds of thousands of subscribers. Her first installment in The Savior’s Series, The Savior’s Champion, was voted one of the Best Books of All Time by Book Depository.

​

Born and raised in Silicon Valley, Jenna spends her free time snuggling up with her charming partner and their tiny dog, Buttercup.

Find Jenna: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/jennamoreci

Website: https://www.jennamoreci.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennamoreci/

#writingcommunity #writingtips #romancewritersofinstagram #romantasy #romantasybooks #fantasyromance #howtowriteromantasy #Romantasy #WritingMastery #AmWriting #Author