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Nicole Tadgell is an award-winning children's picture book illustrator. Nicole's lovely illustrations have filled the pages of more than 30 books for children, including her most recent book, Tiara's Hat Parade. Nicole has always been an artist, taking easily to drawing and painting as a kid. Illustrating children's picture books is a passion, and Nicole uses her talents to help books come to life for young readers. She has even begun writing her own stories and illustrating them as well.

Award-winning author Yvonne Ventresca discusses her two young adult novels—Pandemic and Black Flowers, White Lies—and her most recent short story, which appears in a new anthology titled, Voyagers: The Third Ghost. Yvonne's writing journey began with nonfiction works and technical writing, but she eventually transitioned to fiction and hasn't looked back. Her debut novel, Pandemic, is certainly relevant at the moment. It is the story about a contemporary virus outbreak, a most timely topic.

Freelance editor Jessica Hatch discusses her journey through the publishing world, some common mistakes that authors tend to make, and the various types of edits that a book goes through on its way to being published. Jessica got her start in publishing in the hallowed halls of some of New York City's biggest publishing institutions. Today, she puts her knowledge and experience to good use helping her clients edit and revise their manuscripts and successfully market their books.

Author Lauren Kerstein discusses her debut children's picture book, Rosie the Dragon and Charlie Make Waves. It is a story about the challenges of teaching a dragon how to swim, and it's the result of Lauren's writing efforts during National Picture Book Writing Week. Lauren played with different story structures and drew on her own experiences as a therapist and swim team mom to create a story about having courage and learning new skills—such as learning to swim, which is very difficult if you're a dragon.

Author Megan Kinney discusses her debut novel, Dakota Peace. It is the story of a 911 dispatcher struggling with burnout who meets a South Dakota state trooper searching for a kidnapped foster child. In writing this novel, Megan drew upon her own experiences as a foster parent and law enforcement wife. She discusses what she learned when she spent several hours in the 911 dispatch center as part of her research and why writing this story gave her closure for a real life tragedy that hit very close to home.

Author Shaun O. Smith discusses his newest book, Shaun O. Smith: A Collection of Poems. This self-titled work contains poems that are designed to invite the reader to see what Shaun sees when he looks himself in the mirror. Shaun's poems show us who he is, both as a poet and as a person. This collection is filled with the philosophical, existential and emotional ideas that Shaun walks around with on a daily basis, with a dash of humor sprinkled here and there.

Author Patti Stockdale discusses her debut novel, Three Little Things. Inspiration for the book came from a collection of love letters her grandparents exchanged during WWI. The box of letters was given to Patti when she needed a project for a college writing course. Three Little Things is the story of forbidden love. As Arno goes off to war in Europe, Hattie stays behind in Iowa. The young pair exchange letters during the Great War, sharing three secrets in each letter and growing closer with each one.

Author Donna Schlachter discusses her historical mysteries, including her latest book titled, Double Jeopardy. Donna loves a good mystery and has written her own in both novella collections and full-length novels. Tune in to hear Donna discuss her writing journey, how she strikes a balance between planting red herrings and not leading the reader too far astray, and how the best writing advice she ever received involved her husband and a post office mailbox.

Talia Carner, award-winning author of historical fiction based upon true, but little-known facts, discusses her newest release, The Third Daughter. It is the story of a young woman lured from Russia to Buenos Aries in the late 1800's by a false promise of marriage, only to find herself forced into prostitution by a legally-sanctioned union of traffickers called the Zwi Migdal. Talia's books involve social issues that feel as relevant today as they would have in the time period in which her stories are set.

Author Marc Cavella discusses his debut novel, Tabernacle. It is the story of a successful salesman who sells a product that none of his clients actually wants, and he is willing to do everything he can to earn the biggest commission of his career. Tabernacle is a fun mix of dark comedy, western and detective noir. Marc chats about his writing journey, the benefits and challenges of writing a story that is a mashup of different genres, and his plans to expand Tabernacle into a series with two more books.