The Premise

Elise is most interested in well-written narrative non-fiction (particularly trade-friendly history, cultural studies, and science) as well as character-driven literary fiction.

Some of Elise's representative non-fiction titles include Cynthia Barnett’s Rain: A Natural and Cultural History (Crown), which was long-listed for the National Book Award and the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award; Meera Subramanian's A River Runs Again: India’s Natural World in Crisis, from the Barren Cliffs of Rajasthan to the Farmlands of Karnataka (Public Affairs); Jack Shuler's The Thirteenth Turn: A History of the Noose (Public Affairs); Jonathon Keats’s You Belong to the Universe: Buckminster Fuller and the Future (Oxford University Press); Leo Braudy's Haunted; Jane Vandenburgh's The Wrong Dog Dream: A True Romance (Counterpoint); Billy Smith's Ship of Death: The Voyage That Changed the Atlantic World (Yale); and more.

Find her online here
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Jeniffer and Chad talk to Audio Book Narrator, Writer and Performer Tavia Gilbert. They discuss her background in theater and how one ah-ha moment sparked her passion. She tells them  how she got her start narrating audio books and the details of the process that goes into it. Gilbert gives some good tips on having an audio friendly voice, talks about how her past informs the tone of the characters she narrates, and proves that when one door shuts, there is always another way in. This one might also leave you pondering why teachers, of all people, sometimes discourage their students from following their dreams. It'll also remind you that those teachers aren't always right.

Find her at: https://taviagilbert.com/

Dr. Gloria Chance is a Creative/Expressive Arts and Peak Performance Psychologist and the Founder, CEO The Mousai Group. In this episode Jeniffer and Chad talk with her about her work bringing art and business together to find creative solutions. Dr. Chance tells them about her workshops and retreats and her holistic processes to create new patterns and trigger active creative thinking. This one is a fascinating look into our minds and how our past and habits can affect our choices and limit our progress—but more importantly, it shows us how we can change them! So let your guard down and open yourself to the possibilities.
Visit her website here: https://themousaigroup.com/

Brooke Warner is publisher of She Writes Press and SparkPress, president of Warner Coaching Inc. and the author of Write On, Sisters!, Green-light Your Book, and What’s Your Book? She's also a TEDx speaker and the former Executive Editor of Seal Publishing and a current columnist at Publishers Weekly. And these are just some of her accomplishments. In this episode Jeniffer and Chad talk with Brooke about why she left traditional publishing and forged her own path forward with a mission to create more diversity in the publishing world. She also gives some valuable inside information on the publishing world and tips on how aspiring Indie authors can make it.

She Writes Press
Visit her site
Buy Brooke's books

Susan Blackwell is a Broadway and TV actor, who is also a playwright and host of the talk show, Side by Side by Susan Blackwell. Chad and Jeniffer talk with her about some of the outrageous things she's done on stage as well as her experience in the corporate world and ultimate escape from it. Susan explains how she maintains balance in her life and they talk creativity, impostor syndrome, and the vampires of self-doubt that plague even the most accomplished and seemingly self-confident of us. This one is engaging, hilarious and even has a really interesting deviled egg recipe.

Check out her acting reel here.
Her IMDB page is here.
Check out Side by Side with Susan Blackwell here.

Prolific writer and author of the NYT Bestseller, Shanghai Girls, Lisa See talks with Jeniffer and Chad about how she began writing books and how those humble aspirational beginnings turned into a life-long career. Her other works include Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, and most recently, The Island of Sea Women, among several others. They discuss her writing process, her inspiration, and the time it takes to research her historical dramas. Lisa also gives a bit of a lesson on the tea making process and admits that though she definitely has a brand, she's still not really sure what that means. 

Marika Flatt, Founder of PR By the Book, a book publicity firm, and Travel Editor for Texas Lifestyle Magazine talks with Jeniffer and Chad about her path to the world of publicity. You'll learn what she and other publicity firms do. And don't do. They also talk about who does what during the book marketing process and what's expected of authors themselves. Marika tells The Premise how she manages to do all she does, and what it's like to own your own business and work with your spouse—which Jeniffer and Chad may know a thing or two about. 

In this episode, Jeniffer and Chad have the pleasure of talking with Belo Cipriani, Founder of Oleb Books, Oleb Media and the author of the memoir, Blind. Belo is also an equal rights advocate, journalist, and a Lambda Literary and Yaddo fellow—amongst other titles. 
 
They discuss his path to entrepreneurship, career shifts, and the events that drove those decisions, including the one that changed the trajectory of his life by leaving him blind. This one will make you think!  And introduce you to some fascinating details and impressive technologies that you may be completely unaware of if you happen to be able-bodied.

Find Belo at: https://olebbooks.com/
And: https://belocipriani.com/

Check out Joe's website at: https://www.joeide.com/
He'll also be at the San Diego Writers Festival on April 4th 2020
https://sandiegowritersfestival.com/

Check out Mara's website at http://www.mara-altman.com/
Check out Mara's hilarious videos here: http://bit.ly/2Si18jx