SPA Girls Podcast

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Typical duration
63 min
per episode

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SPA Girls Podcast episodes

May 29, 2019 SPA Girls Podcast – EP189 – Pantsing with Patricia McLinn
If you’re a writer who struggles to outline, you’ll love this week’s podcast! We talk to Patricia McLinn, a USA Today bestselling author of mystery and romance, who is also a pantser who writes out of sequence. She’s here to tell you that it doesn’t matter how you write it, as long as it comes together in the end!
Patricia worked at the Washington Post for more than 20 years, is a past president of NINC, and has published more than 50 novels (at least that’s how many we could count on her website…) so she’s an experienced writer and editor who knows what she’s talking about.
She talks about how she writes first and subsequent drafts, her techniques for ensuring she has the right structure, and how her characters talk to her until she writes their stories…
Are you worried that you can’t outline, and that you’re not following the latest advice on how to write faster, better or smarter? Join us to hear Patricia’s take on how to succeed as someone who writes by the seat of their pants and still keeps producing many, many books.
Pat’s website: www.PatriciaMcLinn.com
1 hr 3 min
May 22, 2019 SPA Girls Podcast – EP188 – Cozy Mysteries With Morgana Best
Morgana Best is the best-selling author of over 40 Cozy Mysteries, and she joins us in the SPA to tell us everything she knows about writing Cozies.
From word counts to reader expectations, and even her writing process – which involves using Dragon Dictate, and is totally fascinating – Morgana gives us insider information on how to put together a bestselling Cozy Mystery.
She also talks about her daily schedule, her marketing techniques and how she chooses her victims…
If you love Cozy Mysteries, or you’ve ever thought you’d like to write a Cozy Mystery, this is the episode for you!
For more information about the lovely Morgana Best, check out her website here: https://morganabest.com/
55 min
May 22, 2019 SPA Girls Podcast – EP188 – Cozy Mysteries With Morgana Best
Morgana Best is the best-selling author of over 40 Cozy Mysteries, and she joins us in the SPA to tell us everything she knows about writing Cozies.
From word counts to reader expectations, and even her writing process – which involves using Dragon Dictate, and is totally fascinating – Morgana gives us insider information on how to put together a bestselling Cozy Mystery.
She also talks about her daily schedule, her marketing techniques and how she chooses her victims…
If you love Cozy Mysteries, or you’ve ever thought you’d like to write a Cozy Mystery, this is the episode for you!
For more information about the lovely Morgana Best, check out her website here: https://morganabest.com/
55 min
May 15, 2019 SPA Girls Podcast – EP187 – Interview With Forensics Expert Geoff Symon
Want to figure out how to create the perfect crime for your cozy mystery character to solve?

Or find out how your investigator protagonist would investigate a murder?

Perhaps you just want to find out what investigators look for at a crime scene so you can figure out what to plant at your fictitious scene?

Well, your questions will all be answered during this in-depth chat with Federal Law Enforcement Special Agent, Geoff Symon.

A forensics expert with 20 years of experience, Geoff gave us his expert guidance on crime scenes for authors, giving us the correct language (it's spatter not splatter, people) as well as explaining jargon like 'crime scene integrity' and 'crime scene cross-contamination', and even what an investigator might get wrong when you need them to make mistakes for your story.

He also debunked popular stereotypes, and gave us a behind the scenes glimpse into forensics investigations in the US, all in his charming, personable style...

Another fantastic guest for Mystery May, giving you valuable insight into crimes and the people who solve them.
1 hr
May 15, 2019 SPA Girls Podcast – EP187 – Interview With Forensics Expert Geoff Symon
Want to figure out how to create the perfect crime for your cozy mystery character to solve?
Or find out how your investigator protagonist would investigate a murder?
Perhaps you just want to discover what investigators look for at a crime scene so you can figure out what to plant at your fictitious scene?
Well, your questions will all be answered during this in-depth chat with Federal Law Enforcement Special Agent, Geoff Symon.
For more than 20 years, Geoff has been using his expertise and experience to put away the bad guys. Now he’s begun lecturing and consulting with authors in genre fiction communities to help bring verisimilitude and meaningful detail to the depiction of crime and investigation.
A forensics expert, Geoff was able to give us his expert guidance on crime scenes for authors, giving us the correct language (it’s spatter not splatter, people) as well as explaining jargon like ‘crime scene integrity’ and ‘crime scene cross-contamination’, and even what an investigator might get wrong when you need them to make mistakes for your story.
He also debunked popular stereotypes, and gave us a behind the scenes glimpse into forensics investigations in the US, all in his charming, hilarious style…
Another fantastic guest for Mystery May, giving you valuable insight into crimes and the people who solve them.
geoffsymon.com
1 hr
May 08, 2019 SPA Girls Podcast – EP186 – What Authors Get Wrong About Weapons of Mass Destruction
Have you ever wondered whether your character would survive holding highly enriched uranium metal in their hand?

What about if they'd handled that green goo from the barrel marked with a radiation symbol?

That's the kind of knowledge that you'll get from listening to this hilarious episode of the SPA Girls Podcast. We talk to Natasha Bajema, an expert in national security issues, especially weapons of mass destruction (WMD), nuclear proliferation and emerging technologies.

She's worked at cool places like the Pentagon and the National Defence University during her career (and yes, you can find out what she says to security every time they insist on searching her at the Pentagon).

Using examples from television shows like Madam Secretary, House of Cards and Jack Ryan, Natasha talks about how WMD like radiation, biological weapons, and chemical bombs really work, and how authors can avoid making terrible WMD faux pas...
53 min
May 08, 2019 SPA Girls Podcast – EP186 – What Authors Get Wrong About Weapons of Mass Destruction
Have you ever wondered whether your character would survive holding highly enriched uranium metal in their hand?
What about if they’d handled that green goo from the barrel marked with a radiation symbol?
That’s the kind of knowledge that you’ll get from listening to this hilarious episode of the SPA Girls Podcast. We talk to Natasha Bajema, an expert in national security issues, especially weapons of mass destruction (WMD), nuclear proliferation and emerging technologies.
She’s worked at cool places like the Pentagon and the National Defence University during her career (and yes, you can find out what she says to security every time they insist on searching her at the Pentagon).
Using examples from television shows like Madam Secretary, House of Cards and Jack Ryan, Natasha talks about how WMD like radiation, biological weapons, and chemical bombs really work, and how authors can avoid making terrible WMD faux pas…
Natasha is also a podcaster (authors of mass destruction podcast) and a mystery author and can be found at www.natashabajema.com
53 min
May 01, 2019 SPA Girls Podcast – EP185 – Interview with the Writer’s Detective, Adam Richardson
It’s the start of Mystery May, and we have a doozy to start you off!
The SPA Girls spent time with Adam Richardson, an American cop who helps authors and screenwriters with their crime-fiction questions through his website and podcast called the Writer’s Detective Bureau. He knows his stuff – Adam spent seventeen years of his 20+ year law enforcement career as a detective – and he was able to answer all our silly/strange/just-plain-dumb questions about being a cop in the US.
We talk about everything from what writers need to know about law enforcement in the US, how the police and sheriff departments’ work, how detectives approach a crime scene and deal with witnesses and suspects, and a myriad of other interesting details.
Whether you write romance with a mystery subplot, or are a fully fledged suspense or mystery writer, this episode is for you.
Learn more from Adam at: https://www.writersdetective.com where you can sign up to his All Points Bulletin for writers.
Don’t miss his facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/WRITERSDETECTIVE/
Adam’s podcast Writer’s Detective Bureau: https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/writers-detective-bureau/id1418826910?mt=2
56 min
May 01, 2019 SPA Girls Podcast – EP185 – Interview with the Writer’s Detective, Adam Richardson
It’s the start of Mystery May, and we have a doozy to start you off!
The SPA Girls spent time with Adam Richardson, an American cop who helps authors and screenwriters with their crime-fiction questions through his website and podcast called the Writer’s Detective Bureau. He knows his stuff – Adam spent seventeen years of his 20+ year law enforcement career as a detective – and he was able to answer all our silly/strange/just-plain-dumb questions about being a cop in the US.
We talk about everything from what writers need to know about law enforcement in the US, how the police and sheriff departments’ work, how detectives approach a crime scene and deal with witnesses and suspects, and a myriad of other interesting details.
Whether you write romance with a mystery subplot, or are a fully fledged suspense or mystery writer, this episode is for you.
Learn more from Adam at: https://www.writersdetective.com where you can sign up to his All Points Bulletin for writers.
Don’t miss his facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/WRITERSDETECTIVE/
Adam’s podcast Writer’s Detective Bureau: https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/writers-detective-bureau/id1418826910?mt=2
56 min
April 24, 2019 SPA Girls Podcast – EP184 – Keeping The Faith
Do you have family and friends telling you not to write?

Do they tell you that you've got your head in the clouds, and you need to get a real job? Perhaps people ask you how your little hobby is going, like it's not a real career?

Don't let them get you down!

Based on a listener question, this week the SPA Girls talk about how to deal with negativity from the people around you (especially in the beginning when you're starting out) and how to turn it around and stay motivated.

In the beginning, we end up spending large amounts of time essentially working for free, on the hope and dream of making our writing into a career. It takes grit, perseverance, and determination.

The last thing you need is someone telling you to give up!

We've all had those conversations; the ones where people who are important to us question our choices when it comes to writing. This episode is all about how we've dealt with those conversations, and how we've managed to turn it around and stay positive, and how you can too.
38 min