The TufFish Show

Welcome Christina Dankert to The TufFish Show, a place to help writers and aspiring authors get out of their own way to leave a legacy by telling the stories they want to share through writing their own books and confidently sharing them with others. The writing process can be tough and the business side can feel scary, but TufFish makes both feel smoother and achievable. Visit https://www.jennifermilius.com/tuffish to learn more.

Christina shared so many tips for bringing her children's picture book to life including how she made sure her book would relate to both adults, the customer, and children, the client. One of the steps for a published book is editing, and Christina shared why she chose to work with editor before she started pitching for publication. 

Christina Dankert is a second-grade teacher and children's book author. She believes it is through children's literature and by reading to the children in our lives that we can change the world.

Visit https://christinadankert.com

Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/books/the-kindness-machine/9781955119092

Welcome Leslie Rasmussen to The TufFish Show, a place to help writers and aspiring authors get out of their own way to leave a legacy by telling the stories they want to share through writing their own books and confidently sharing them with others. The writing process can be tough and the business side can feel scary, but TufFish makes both feel smoother and achievable. Visit https://www.jennifermilius.com/tuffish to learn more.

Leveraging her sit-com screenwriting talents for witty dialogue, Leslie shares some fabulous nuggets on how to use dialogue to create relatable characters. From considering POV to using index cards, Leslie shared so much wisdom that you can incorporate into your writing.

Leslie A. Rasmussen is the award-winning author of the novel, After Happily Ever After. She was born and raised in Los Angeles and graduated from UCLA. She went on to write television comedies for Gerald McRaney, Burt Reynolds, Roseanne Barr, Norm McDonald, Drew Carey, as well as The Wild Thornberrys and Sweet Valley High. Recently, she’s written over twenty essays for Huffington Post, and has spoken on panels discussing empowering women in midlife. Leslie is a member of The Writers Guild of America, as well as Women In Film and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association.

Visit https://www.lesliearasmussen.com

Book purchase link: After Happily Ever After

Welcome Libby Fischer Hellman to The TufFish Show, a place to help writers and aspiring authors get out of their own way to leave a legacy by telling the stories they want to share through writing their own books and confidently sharing them with others. The writing process can be tough and the business side can feel scary, but TufFish makes both feel smoother and achievable. Visit https://www.jennifermilius.com/tuffish to learn more.

Libby and I had a fascinating conversation about writing in multiple genres and building suspense in each. Whether you're writing fiction or non-fiction, you can leverage suspense to create a satisfying experience for your reader, and this episode will help get those juices flowing.

Libby Fischer Hellmann left a career in broadcast news in Washington, DC and moved to Chicago a long time ago, where she, naturally, began to write gritty crime fiction. She soon began writing historical fiction as well. Sixteen novels and twenty-five short stories later, she claims they’ll take her out of the Windy City feet first. She has been nominated for many awards in the mystery and crime writing community and has even won a few. She has been a finalist twice for the Anthony and four times for Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year. She has also been nominated for the Agatha, the Shamus, the Daphne, and she won the The Chicago Writers Association Book of the Year in 2021. In the past she has won the IPPY, Foreword Magazine’s Indie Awards, and the Readers Choice Award multiple times.

Libby also hosts Second Sunday Books, a monthly podcast where she interviews bestselling and emerging authors. 

Visit http://libbyhellmann.com

Book purchase links: https://www.amazon.com/Libby-Fischer-Hellmann/e/B001HMMDZU

Welcome Maggie Smith to The TufFish Show, a place to help writers and aspiring authors get out of their own way to leave a legacy by telling the stories they want to share through writing their own books and confidently sharing them with others. The writing process can be tough and the business side can feel scary, but TufFish makes both feel smoother and achievable. Visit https://www.jennifermilius.com/tuffish to learn more.

Resilience and reinvention are key themes that Maggie shared during our conversation. She explained the importance of having a strong concept for your book, especially as you develop your characters, go through the editing process, and choose the best publishing path for you and your book.

In a career that’s included work as a journalist, a psychologist, and the founder of a national art consulting company, Maggie Smith now adds novelist to her resume with the publication of her debut, Truth and Other Lies. In addition to her writing, Maggie hosts the weekly podcast Hear Us Roar, where she interviews debut authors about their novel and their path to publication and blogs monthly for Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. A board member of the Chicago Writer’s Association, she’s Managing Editor of their Write City Magazine, and coordinator of Book Nook, which highlights Chicago-area independent bookstores.

Visit https://maggiesmithwriter.com

Book purchase link: Truth and Other Lies

Welcome Karen A. Chase to The TufFish Show, a place to help writers and aspiring authors get out of their own way to leave a legacy by telling the stories they want to share through writing their own books and confidently sharing them with others. The writing process can be tough and the business side can feel scary, but TufFish makes both feel smoother and achievable. Visit https://www.jennifermilius.com/tuffish to learn more.

Karen's path leveraged her photography, marketing and writing background such that she published her own books in different genres as well as helped other authors build and establish their businesses. She shared so many nuggets to help authors embrace their role as a business owner and leader. What a fabulous conversation about being in the author business!

Karen A. Chase is an independent author and a Daughter of the American Revolution with the Commonwealth Chapter in Virginia. Her first novel, Carrying Independence, book one of the 3-part Founding-Documents Series, is historical fiction about the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It was a nominee for the 2020 Library of Virginia Literary Awards, and was awarded #12 of the 100 Best Indie Books of 2019. Her first book, Bonjour 40: A Paris Travel Log, garnered seven independent publishing awards, and in 2021 she released a new short food-themed story (with recipes), Mary Angela’s Kitchen. Originally from Canada, Karen is now chasing histories from Richmond, VA.

Visit http://KarenAChase.com

Book purchase link:

All Book Buying Links: http://karenachase.com/books or signed copies: https://karenachase.square.site/

Welcome Lorraine Hawley to The TufFish Show, a place to help writers and aspiring authors get out of their own way to leave a legacy by telling the stories they want to share through writing their own books and confidently sharing them with others. The writing process can be tough and the business side can feel scary, but TufFish makes both feel smoother and achievable. Visit https://www.jennifermilius.com/tuffish to learn more.

Lorraine Hawley writes stories about tweens, teens, and fantastical worlds. While she has attempted to write non-magical stories, her characters refuse to stay reality grounded, leaping off the pages to fly. So she gave up trying to be what she is not. Lorraine is a fantasy writer who hopes to share magic with the world.

Lorraine and I talked about how to find your writing community, including a writing critique partner. We also talked in depth about character development and point of view, especially for characters with sensory sensitivities.

Visit https://lorrainehawley.com/

Book purchase link - Curious World of Dandy-Lion

Welcome Sonja F. Blanco to The TufFish Show, a place to help writers and aspiring authors get out of their own way to leave a legacy by telling the stories they want to share through writing their own books and confidently sharing them with others. The writing process can be tough and the business side can feel scary, but TufFish makes both feel smoother and achievable. Visit https://www.jennifermilius.com/tuffish to learn more.

Sonja and I had a fun conversation that touched on several facets of writing, including structuring your book, point of view, character development, especially villains or antagonists. We talked about how to clear "monkey brain" so that the story can come through you and turn the image in your mind into words on the page.

Sonja F. Blanco grew up in New England where she ran barefoot through the woods, chased lightning bugs, and tapped maple trees for syrup.

Having an ancestor who was hung as a witch, Sonja is naturally drawn to all things magical and fantastical—trees and cemeteries in particular.

Witty comics easily amuse her, as do heavily jowled Hell Hounds that talk in their sleep.

She writes fantasy as if it were real, because believing makes it so.

Visit https://sonjafblanco.com

Book purchase link: Witch of Ware Woods

Witch of Ware Woods - Flood & Fire: This prequel novella is exclusive to Sonja's tribe; sign up for the download and newsletter at: https://sonjafblanco.com/f2

Welcome Emily Myers to The TufFish Show, a place to help writers and aspiring authors get out of their own way to leave a legacy by telling the stories they want to share through writing their own books and confidently sharing them with others. The writing process can be tough and the business side can feel scary, but TufFish makes both feel smoother and achievable. Visit https://www.jennifermilius.com/tuffish to learn more.

When your book really feels like a combination of two different genres, what do you do? Emily's answer is to blend them by letting the story become what it's meant to be. This conversation is packed with how she navigated romance and thriller with her first two books, including character development and setting. We also switched gears a bit and Emily shared some great insights for authors building their brands in social media.

Emily is the author of two romantic thrillers, The Truth About Unspeakable Things and Bound by the Unspeakable, the second of which will launch this summer. Emily is a story teller at heart and is excited to branch into other niches of the romance and mystery and thriller genres after the launch of her second book. In addition to writing, Emily loves dreaming up fun marketing campaigns for her books and encouraging other aspiring authors to follow their dream and publish their first book.

Visit www.emilyamyers.com

Book purchase links:  The Truth About Unspeakable Things and Bound by the Unspeakable 

Welcome Natasha Carlow to The TufFish Show, a place to help writers and aspiring authors get out of their own way to leave a legacy by telling the stories they want to share through writing their own books and confidently sharing them with others. The writing process can be tough and the business side can feel scary, but TufFish makes both feel smoother and achievable. Visit https://www.jennifermilius.com/tuffish to learn more.

This is a powerful conversation you won't want to miss! Natasha opens up and shares how leaning into your why and your vulnerability create powerful stories for children and adults alike. Her mission to share a message of kindness is a theme that shines in her books. Natasha shares in detail how she went about the research for her most recent picture book in order to reach and touch the hearts of a community so dear to her heart.

Natasha Carlow is an Itinerant Counsellor and author residing in the sunny twin Island state of Trinidad and Tobago. She is the mother of two rainbow babies and writes about grief and loss and parenting after loss. She is a contributing writer at Pregnancy After Loss Support and has been featured in Her View From Home Magazine. She is the author of Happy Tears and Rainbow Babies and Mike Nero and The Superhero School.

Visit www.Natashacarlow.com

Book purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/Natasha-Melissa-Carlow/e/B07R2FG8HP%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

Welcome Deborah Shepherd to The TufFish Show, a place to help writers and aspiring authors get out of their own way to leave a legacy by telling the stories they want to share through writing their own books and confidently sharing them with others. The writing process can be tough and the business side can feel scary, but TufFish makes both feel smoother and achievable. Visit https://www.jennifermilius.com/tuffish to learn more.

Deborah and I talked about her journey to bring her first book to life. After writing the first draft, she put it away for 30 years before revisiting and reworking it until she resubmitted it for publication. Deb demonstrates how finding the right communities to nurture your craft and drawing from your own experiences enables your storytelling to touch hearts and readers. 

Deborah K. Shepherd came to writing later in life, after retiring from her position as director of a domestic violence resource center. She holds a BFA in drama from the University of Arizona, and an MSW from the Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service. She is the mother of two adult children, the grandmother of two, and lives with one husband and two rescue dogs on the coast of Maine, where she spends her non-writing time in the garden or with a stack of books.

Visit https://deborahshepherdwrites.com

Book purchase link: So Happy Together