Writers often dive into research. In this edition of the Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen chats with Wendy Samford, author of the upcoming book The First Wrinkle about adults who were raised in the foster care system in the United States. Wendy believes there's a whole lot more good than bad in the world and we can find a way to be a part of the change in the hidden epidemic we call abuse. 

Wendy Samford's book "The First Wrinkle" is the follow-up book to "Bloom Where Planted” showcasing stories of individuals who were raised in foster care and the experiences of those who work diligently to repair this broken system. Discover more at WSamford.com

How do you become immortal? Be a student in Ann Brooks's 3rd-grade class. Psychological Thriller author Ann Brooks has branched into the territory of Young Adult Fantasy inspired by her students. When they discovered she was an author, they wanted in--of course, they aren't quite YA readers yet, but in a few short years, they will discover themselves on the page. Listen to the whole story in this edition of the Florida Writer Podcast with host Alison Nissen.

Ann Brooks grew up in a small town off the Gulf Coast of Florida, where she cultivated a passion for the water. She completed her Bachelors in Psychology at the University of Florida. She worked in social work for a few years, before making a career change to early elementary education. She has taught for over thirteen years.

#FloridaWriters #AlisonNissen #AnnBrooksAuthor

Mystery writers think differently. When they walk to the beach, they consider multiple ways a body or two might wash up on a beach. In this edition of the Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen chats with 2019 RPLA Mystery and Suspense Writer of the Year JC Gatlin. Discover his process for plotting and avoiding writer's block and some lessons on creating your own book tour, the 2021 edition.

Award-winning author JC Gatlin lives in Tampa, Florida and has written six mystery-suspense novels set in the Sunshine State. His novel H_NGM_N: Murder is the Word was honored by the Florida Writers Association with its coveted Royal Palm Literary Award for Best Mystery / Crime Fiction in 2019. A year before that, 21 Dares went to Number One on Amazon’s Mystery Suspense and Top Young Adult charts. The novel was also a semi-finalist in the Royal Palm Literary Awards. #FloridaWriters #Writers Life

 

 

Curious about #PitchWars and #PitMad on Twitter? Don't know what it is or want to learn more? In this week's edition of the Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen chats with Sarah Nicolas about these Twitter events along with Sarah's top 4 things every writer's website needs and how to create spectacular book covers.   Sarah Nicolas is a recovering mechanical engineer, library event planner, and author who lives in Orlando. Sarah writes YA novels as Sarah Nicolas and romance under the name Aria Kane. Sarah has published both traditionally and independently, and has also worked in the publishing industry as an editorial intern, editorial assistant, publicist, publicity director, cover artist, and art director. Sarah is the current Board Treasurer and Agent Liaison for Pitch Wars and the host/producer of PubTalk Live, AgentChat Live, and Queries, Qualms, & Quirks. When not writing, Sarah can be found playing volleyball or listening to audiobooks Sarah is a contributor for Book Riot and is represented by Rebecca Podos of Rees Literary Agency.  

Check out the upcoming Pitch Wars & PitMad Schedule:

• September 11-25, 2021: Pitch Wars Mentor Wishlist Blog Hop
• September 26, 2021 (midnight EDT): Mentee Submission Window Opens 
• September 30, 2021 (10PM EDT): Mentee Submission Window Closes 
• November 6, 2021: Pitch Wars Mentees Announced
• December 2, 2021: #PitMad Twitter Pitch Party (8AM – 8PM EST)
• February 9-14, 2022: Agent Showcase
  • February 9: Adult entries are live on the Pitch Wars site
  • February 10: MG entries are live on the Pitch Wars site
  • February 11: YA entries are live on the Pitch Wars site
• March 3, 2022: #PitMad Twitter Pitch Party (8AM – 8PM EST)

What do you do when you look at the bookshelves and don't see any books that "speak to you?" You write them! In this episode of the Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen chats with MJ Fievre about her self-empowerment books for black girls and young adults: The Badass Black Girl series.

MJ Fievre is the bestselling author of the Badass Black Girl series which addresses issues of concern for Black girls and young women. The seminal title, Badass Black Girl, released in 2020, has reached the top-ten bestselling spot in three categories on Amazon’s rankings for the U.S. and the U.K. Empowered Black Girl (2021) raises awareness and provides insight on issues Black girls and women encounter in society while empowering them to take action through self-discovery and activism.

https://www.badassblackgirl.com/

 

Hear an interesting lyric? Have an earworm stuck in your head? Try using CJ Juliao's technique of crafting a story around music. In this edition of the Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen chats with CJ about how his characters evolve as he has in both his writing and personal life. 

CJ Juliao has always been someone lost in his imagination. Where others around him are usually grounded in reality, his mind constantly wanders to various worlds and universes that live within his mind. Visit @Fallen_Chaos_Writing on Instagram to discover more.

E.J. Wenstrom, author of FWA's 2016 Florida Writer Published Book of the Year for MUD is at it again with a new Young Adult dystopian world. In this Florida Writer Podcast episode, host Alison Nissen and E.J. discuss the messiness of world-building and the satisfaction of getting it right by sticking with it, using Beta readers, multiple revisions, and encouraging rejections.  

E.J. Wenstrom believes in complicated heroes, horrifying monsters, purple hair dye and standing to the right on escalators so the left side can walk. She writes dark speculative fiction for adults and teens, including Royal Palm Literary Awards’ Book of the Year, Mud, the first novel in her Chronicles of the Third Realm War series, and the young adult dystopian novel Departures. When she isn’t writing fiction, E. J. Wenstrom is a regular contributor to DIY MFA and BookRiot, and co-hosts the FANTASY+GIRL Podcast.

Building your platform and gathering reviews are taxing, but often writers find writing the back cover blurb to be the most challenging. In this edition of the Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen chats with Silver Grove Publication's Marketing Manager Jennifer Quick about how to get out of your head and think like a consumer. 

Jennifer Quick is the Social Media and Marketing Manager for Silver Grove Publications. Silver Grove Publications strives to combat the unfairness in traditional publishing houses and the stigma around independent publishing methods by providing a comfortable middle ground between both worlds: higher royalty rates for the authors with no upfront cost to authors. Silver Grove Publications

Don't be shy! In this edition of the Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen speaks with Vince Warnock, author of Chasing the Insights, on digital marketing, overcoming imposter syndrome, and growing your tribe. As both a marketing expert and published author, Vince helps us discover ways to build a team that will champion our book. 

Vince Warnock is an award-winning marketer, author, marketing strategist and a sought-after public speaker. Vince is a Fearless50 recipient, a program that recognizes the top 50 marketers in the world who are driving bold, fearless marketing and digital transformation. Discover more at ChasingtheInsights.com

Want to write a screenplay but don't know how to get started? Do you want to be taken seriously as a screenwriter? Should you publish a novel before selling your screenplay? Discover the answers to these questions and more as Florida Writer Podcast Host Alison Nissen chats with screenplay writer and award-winning author Jennie Jarvis about screenwriting and more!

Jennie Jarvis is an award-winning author, story consultant, and college educator. Her work appeared in Writer’s Digest Magazine, The Florida Writer, Bad Apple Zine, Qu Literary Magazine, and more. Her textbook, Crafting the Character Arc: A Practical Guide to Character Creation and Development, is used in creative writing classes worldwide. Find her @JarvisWrites