The HYBRID Author

We've hit 199 episodes of The HYBRID Author Podcast! And to celebrate, here's a mashup of all the guests who have appeared since June this year. 

Bel Vidal is the pen name of an Australian-Bolivian writer based in Sydney. Her fiction, non-fiction and poetry have been published in English and Spanish under her pen name, her real name and other pseudonyms. Soon after arriving in Sydney, she received an Australia Council (now Creative Australia) grant to publish a bilingual collection of poems and stories, Arcoiris de Sueños / 'Rainbow of Dreams'.

An earlier draft of her novel ‘Exuberance’ was short-listed for the Varuna-Harper Collins Award for manuscript development and awarded the Varuna Residential Masterclass. It was independently published in 2023, followed by her story collection 'Tales of Suburban Castaways' in 2024.

Bel holds a BA in Communications, majoring in Creative Writing (UTS), and a Masters in Writing for the Media (Macquarie University). She works in the not-for-profit sector as a communications and media professional, and is also a mental health advocate, book lover, bush walking enthusiast, traveller, blogger and firm believer it is never too late to start something new.

In the 198th episode of The HYBRID Author Podcast host Joanne Zara Ellen Morrell, author of young adult fiction, women's fiction and short non-fiction for authors chats to Bel on:

Michael Wendroff is a marketing consultant, and now a debut author with his thriller, ‘What Goes Around.’ It was published by Bloomsbury in the Uk, USA, and Australia, and foreign translation rights were sold in Japanese, Hungarian, and Italian. It is available in hardcover, audiobook, and ebook, and the paperback edition launches this month.

In the 197th episode of The HYBRID Author Podcast host Joanne Zara Ellen Morrell, author of young adult fiction, women's fiction and short non-fiction for authors, chats to Michael on:

Annie Kwan is a lawyer who runs a construction company with her husband.

She is passionate about teaching kids and volunteers at her daughter’s Primary Ethics Program. Annie believes that being kind to others can only start when one is kind to themself first.

The Finch Who Lost her Wing is her first children’s book. She is working on more children’s books and is also writing a novel.

Annie lives in Sydney with her girls, husband and two cats.

In the 196th episode of The HYBRID Author Podcast host Joanne Zara Ellen Morrell, author of young adult fiction, women's fiction and short non-fiction for authors chats to Annie about:

Rose Lane’s writing is inspired by the untold stories of people and places. She has travelled to both London and Nepal as a nurse and has written for multiple publications on topics ranging from anti-war activism to music and disability awareness. 'The Last Tibetan Kingdom' is Rose’s first book and was selected for the 2017 Hardcopy Manuscript Development Program at the Australian Writers’ Centre in Canberra.

In the 195th episode of The HYBRID Author Podcast host Joanne Zara Ellen Morrell, author of young adult fiction, women's fiction and short non-fiction for authors chats to Rose about:

Cameron Sutter is a YA sci-fi/fantasy author, software developer and the inventor of Plottr – the popular visual planning software for books and stories of all kinds. An avid reader who is endlessly learning how things work, his life’s mission is to help writers write more powerful stories (and to encourage everyone else to read the classics). He lives in Oklahoma City with his wife, six kids and several furry friends.

In the 194th episode of The HYBRID Author Podcast host Joanne Zara Ellen Morrell, author of young adult fiction, women's fiction and short non-fiction for authors, chats to Cameron on:

Mila Maxwell is an author from Clare, Nova Scotia, Canada, with a deep-rooted passion for storytelling and a love of the outdoors. A proud French Acadian, Mila draws inspiration from both her cultural heritage and her adventurous lifestyle, which includes being a volunteer firefighter. She lives in Sussex, New Brunswick, Canada with her husband Jeremy, son Bennett, and two French Bulldogs. When not writing, you can find Mila out in nature, at the gym, or helping others through her work in the community.

In episode 193 of The HYBRID Author Podcast host Joanne Zara Ellen Morrell, author of young adult fiction, women's fiction and short non-fiction for authors, chats to Canadian author Mila on:

Julia Lawrinson has published more than fifteen books for children and young people, from a picture book to books for older teenagers, and in 2024 published a memoir called How to Avoid a Happy Life. Her books have been recognised in the Children’s Book Council Awards, the WA Premier’s Book Awards and the Queensland Literary Awards, and she has presented to schools across Australia, in Singapore and in Bali. She is an enthusiastic adult learner of Indonesian, yoga and the cello. Her favourite place on earth is the dog park.

In episode 192 of The HYBRID Author Podcast host Joanne Zara Ellen Morrell, author of young adult fiction, women's fiction and short non-fiction for authors chats to Julia about:

https://www.writersdigest.com/my-first-ideas-arent-my-best-and-ai-only-makes-them-worse?utm_medium=email&utm_source=WDG+-+NL+-+Newsletter&oly_enc_id=0273D2156645J6O

Burnout. It’s the word no self-published author wants to say out loud, but almost every one of us has felt it. Maybe you’ve been there: staring at your manuscript, feeling resentful instead of inspired. Or pushing out content on social media, but dreading every post. Or just wondering if this author dream is worth the grind. 

In episode 191 of The HYBRID Author Podcast host Joanne Zara Ellen Morrell, author of young adult fiction, women's fiction and short non-fiction for authors chats honestly about:

Vanessa Maiorano is a passionate children’s author, a mum of two, and a fierce advocate for families navigating hard times. After her own experience facing cancer as a young mother, she was inspired to create gentle, supportive books that help children understand the big feelings that come with life’s challenges. Her mission is simple: to remind children that no matter what happens, there is always love.

After years of working in office management, Vanessa started her own Virtual Assistant company. This business began while she was going through cancer. Vanessa needed to keep working to manage medical bills and everyday expenses, so started offering administration and business consulting services remotely. As it grew, she was supporting businesses with revenue growth and operational systems while undergoing treatment, healing from surgery, and raising two small children.

Vanessa now consults for a number of companies and helps stay-at-home mums, some who are going through illness and others who are raising children, find flexible virtual work they can do from home. She says, “It’s something that came from a really difficult season but has turned into a purpose-driven part of my life that I’m proud of.”

In the 190th episode of The HYBRID Author Podcast host Joanne Zara Ellen Morrell, author of young adult fiction, women's fiction and short non-fiction for authors chats to Vanessa on:

https://www.writersdigest.com/mindfulness-and-meditation-for-writers-7-easy-ways-to-stay-present-and-boost-creativity?utm_medium=email&utm_source=WDG+-+NL+-+Newsletter&oly_enc_id=3246I9700301H2H