Lori Gold discusses her transition from writing young adult to commercial book club fiction. She and Kris chat about writing in the age of Artificial Intelligence. Lori discusses her current works-in-progress, teaching other writers through Grub Street Center for Creative Writing, and her latest novel, Romantic Friction which Sally Hepworth, New York Times bestselling author of Darling Girls, describes: “Relatable characters, sharp writing, and emotional turbulence will make you laugh and cry." Amy Tintera, author of Listen for the Lie, calls it "Smart, funny, and unpredictable." 

Gold is the author of four novels for young adults as well as an adult historical novel (all under Lori Goldstein). She teaches creative writing at Grub Street in Boston and lives on the South Shore of Massachusetts. Her latest novel, ROMANTIC FRICTION, was included in Zibby Media’s Most Anticipated Books of 2025. 

Learn more at www.lorigoldsteinbooks.com. 

Click the links to learn about Lori's teaching, her current plotting and querying classes available, or Grub Street Center for Creative Writing. 

Special thanks to NetGalley for advance review copies. 

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Kelly Foster Lundquist explores the secrets of her first marriage, how she found the courage to love again, and what it took to share her story with readers. 

A teacher of writing at North Hennepin Community College in Brooklyn Park, MN. Lundquist is originally from Mississippi and has taught writing all over the United States (Boston, Chicago, Mississippi, Seattle, California, etc), as well as in Slovakia and Scotland. Her poetry and nonfiction can be seen in many places, including Villain Era Lit, Last Syllable Lit, Whale Road Review, and Image Journal. Her work has been nominated for a 2024 Best of the Net Award as well as a Pushcart Prize. She is the recipient of grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board as well as the Central Minnesota Arts Board. She lives in a little red house in Minnesota with her spouse and daughter. Today, we’ll talk about her memoir: Beard: A Memoir of a Marriage. 

Learn more at kellyfosterlundquist.com 

Special thanks to Net Galley for advance copies. 

For information about the nonprofit receiving a portion of the profits made off Beard, visit: pfundfoundation.org

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Heather Gudenkauf is the Edgar Award nominated, New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of ten novels, including The Overnight Guest and her most recent thriller Everyone is Watching. Her debut novel, The Weight of Silence, was an instant NYT bestseller and remained on the list for 22 weeks. Gudenkauf’s critically acclaimed novels have been published in over 25 countries and have sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide. Her books have been featured on many Best Of roundups including lists by The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, Amazon, Apple Books, GoodReads, and more. Heather was born in Wagner, South Dakota, the youngest of six children. At one month of age, her family returned to the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota where her father was employed as a guidance counselor and her mother as a school nurse. Heather lives in Iowa with her family and a very spoiled German Shorthaired Pointer named Lolo. In her free time, Heather enjoys spending time with her family, reading, swimming, and hiking. Her latest novel is The Perfect Hosts. 

Learn more at heathergudenkauf.com 

Killer Author Club: killerauthorclub.com

Iowa Writer's House: Iowawritershouse.com

Special thanks to NetGalley for an early preview copy. 

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Author of Chocolat, the best-selling novel that became the acclaimed movie starring Juliette Binoche, Dame Judi Dench, and Johnny Depp, Joanne Harris weighs in on her latest novel, Vianne and what it's taken to maintain her successful writing career. 

Joanne Harris is the internationally renowned and award-winning author of more than twenty novels, plus novellas, cookbooks, scripts, short stories, libretti, lyrics, articles, and a self-help book for writers. Her books are published in fifty countries. She holds honorary doctorates from the Universities of Sheffield and Huddersfield, is an honorary Fellow of St. Catharine's College, Cambridge, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Joanne was born in South Yorkshire, England, of a French mother and an English father, and lives with her husband in Yorkshire. She is the author of the acclaimed novel, Chocolat, which became a movie starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp. Today, we’ll discuss the prequel, Vianne. 

“Is chocolate magic? Whether you savored the 1999 bestseller or the 2000 movie, this sensuous prequel to Chocolat will make you a believer.” —People Magazine, Best New Books

Special thanks to NetGalley for an early preview copy. 

Learn more at www.joanne-harris.co.uk 

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Olivia Dade sheds light on the jobs predating her writing career and why maintaining voice is important to an author's success. 

Dade grew up an undeniable nerd, prone to ignoring the world around her as she read any book she could find. Her favorites, though, were always, always romances. As an adult, she earned an M.A. in American history and worked in a variety of jobs that required the donning of actual pants: Colonial Williamsburg interpreter, high school teacher, academic tutor, and (of course librarian. Now, however, she has finally achieved her lifelong goal of wearing pajamas all day as a hermit-like writer and enthusiastic hag. She currently lives outside Stockholm with her delightful family and their ever-burgeoning collection of books. Her latest novel is Second Chance Romance. 

Learn more at oliviadade.com 

Special thanks to NetGalley for early review copies. 

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Elizabeth Bass Parnam queried over two-hundred times before landing an agent and finding her novel in a four-way bidding war. Not giving up landed her where she'd always wanted to be: living the life of a professional novelist. This episode, Elizabeth shares her journey and discusses her newest novel, Bees in June. 

Elizabeth is a native Nashvillian, who had the extraordinarily good fortune of having as an English teacher in middle school author Lee Smith. Lee told Elizabeth to always keep writing, which she has joyfully done. She received her Bachelor’s degree in English literature from Hamilton College in upstate New York after spending a glorious Junior year in Canterbury, England, attending the University of Kent. She visited a dozen countries during her time there, much to the detriment of her GPA. As an Anglophile, one of the highlights of her travels was finding herself in a tiny museum in Wales, alone with Princess Diana’s wedding dress. After a year working in Manhattan, she returned to Nashville and married her high school sweetheart. They have now-grown identical twin daughters. She holds a Master’s degree in education from Belmont University in Nashville, and recently retired from a non-profit, working with children and adults with reading-based learning disabilities such as dyslexia. Elizabeth is a member of the Women's Fiction Writers Association and the Nashville Writers Alliance. Her latest novel is THE BEES IN JUNE. 

Learn more at elizabethbassparnam.com 

Special thanks to NetGalley for a preview of The Bees in June. 

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Writing can be a struggle between joy and pain, but Jennifer Probst seems to have figured out how to pivot during the less enjoyable times. 

Jennifer is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over fifty books in contemporary romance fiction. Her work has been translated in over a dozen countries, sold over 2 million copies, and was dubbed a "romance phenom" by Kirkus Reviews. Her passions include reading, horse racing, Scrabble, Italian wine and food, shameful reality television, and rescue dogs. Like some of her characters, Probst, along with her husband and two sons, calls New York’s Hudson Valley home. She released THE RELUCTANT FLIRT this summer and will release COVET in September. 

Learn more at Jenniferprobst.com 

Jennifer's Write Naked Programming can be found here. 

Special thanks to NetGalley for early previews. 

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Poppy and Kris have an honest conversation about writing with neurodivergence and other health issues, and Poppy gives the background of her latest novel, Battle of the Bookshops. 

Poppy Alexander is the author of The Littlest Library, Storybook Ending, and 25 Days ’Til Christmas. She wrote her first book when she was five. There was a long gap in her writing career while she was at school, and after studying classical music at university, she decided the world of music was better off without her and took up public relations, campaigning, political lobbying, and a bit of journalism instead. She takes an anthropological interest in family, friends, and life in her West Sussex village (think The Archers crossed with Twin Peaks), where she lives with her husband, children, and various other pets. Her latest novel is Battle of the Bookshops. 

Learn more at PoppyAlexander.com 

Special thanks to NetGalley. 

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Hannah McKinnon enjoyed success writing for young people. Then, pulled back when asked to write edgier novels, recalibrating and finding success in the adult market. 

Hannah is the author of several acclaimed novels, including The Lake Season, Mystic Summer, The Summer House, Sailing Lessons, The View from Here, Message in the Sand, The Darlings, The Summer Club, and her latest, The Sandy Page Bookshop. She graduated from Connecticut College and the University of South Australia. She lives in Connecticut, with her family, a flock of chickens, and two raggedy rescue dogs. 

Learn more at HannahMcKinnon.com 

Special thanks to NetGalley for providing advanced copies. 

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Courtney Psak graduated with a degree in Communications and Journalism with a master’s degree in Publishing. She currently lives in Palm Beach, Florida with her husband and two sons. She is a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, the National Writers Association, International Thriller Writers and a board member for the Mystery Writers of America. Her newest novel is The Tutor.

 Special thanks to NetGalley for an early copy. 

Learn more at courtneypsak.com 

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