Thriving Authors Podcast

Author and Certified Coach Cynthia Morris is the founder of Original Impulse, helping people become the writers they’ve always wanted to be. Cynthia has published seven non-fiction books and a Paris historical novel. Her most recent book is The Busy Woman’s Guide to Writing a World-Changing Book. She speaks globally on writing and the creative process and leads retreats, and hosts the podcast Stumbling Toward Genius.

Connect with Cynthia at www.originalimpulse.com.

Before becoming a writer Elizabeth was a waitress, a pollster, an Avon lady, and an opera singer. Her stories and essays have appeared in The Idaho Review, The Rumpus, StorySouth, PANK, and elsewhere, and have received numerous Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominations. She is the Interviews Editor at The Rumpus, as well as a regular contributor to Ploughshares Blog. Her first novel, MONA AT SEA, was a finalist in the 2019 SFWP Literary Awards judged by Carmen Maria Machado, and is available now from Santa Fe Writers Project. Originally from South Texas, Elizabeth now lives with her family in Massachusetts.

You can find her on Twitter and Instagram: @unefemmejames. Her website is www.elizabethgonzalezjames.com 

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Ethel Rohan is the author of In the Event of Contact, winner of the Dzanc Short Story Collection Prize (2021). Her debut novel The Weight of Him (St. Martin's Press and Atlantic Books, 2017) was an Amazon, Bustle, KOBO, and San Francisco Chronicle Best Book, and was shortlisted for the Reading Women Award. She is also the author of the story collections Goodnight Nobody and Cut Through the Bone, the former longlisted for the Edge Hill Prize and the latter longlisted for the Story Prize. Her work has appeared widely, including The New York Times, World Literature Today, The Washington Post, PEN America, Tin House, Guernica, and more. Raised in Ireland, she lives in San Francisco where she is a member of the Writers Grotto. Connect with her at www.ethelrohan.com. 

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Rebecca Prenevost is the author of The Mom Walks series: Starting in Fifth, Getting Crushed, and Catching Up. Never in a million years did Rebecca think she’d be a writer. But she was looking for fiction books that reflected her everyday struggles of parenting tween girls, and she couldn’t find them. She wanted something light, heart-warming, and relatable. So she tried writing one, and she had a blast. If you liked The Baby-Sitters Club books when you were younger and enjoyed Gilmore Girls not too long ago, her books could be perfect for you.

http://rebeccaprenevost.com/

Shanthi Sekaran's most recent novel, The Samosa Rebellion, was written for 8-13 year olds, but it's definitely the kind of book adults can get into, too. (I LOVED it!) Her most recent adult novel, Lucky Boy (Putnam/Penguin), was named an IndieNext Great Read and an NPR Best Book of 2017. Her writing has also appeared in The New York Times, Salon.com, LA Review of Books and Huffington Post. When she's not writing books, she writes for television, on the staff of the NBC medical drama, New Amsterdam. Shanthi lives in Berkeley with her family and a cat named Frog.  Connect with Shanthi at www.shanthisekaran.com.

Elise Arsenault is the amazingly talented voice actor who narrated the audiobook of my novel The Best Week That Never Happened. She is a classically trained actor, singer, and voice-over artist. She has worked throughout the country with various regional theaters, including Merrimack Rep, Lyric Stage Company of Boston, Ivoryton Playhouse, Imagination Stage, and the Discovery Theater at the Smithsonian Institute. She has narrated more than 130 audiobooks in a variety of genres, from nonfiction to cozy mystery to sci-fi. She is also a career coach for actors!

Connect with Elise at her website http://www.elisearsenault.com/

Joan Steinau Lester is an award-winning commentator, columnist, and author of critically acclaimed books, including Mama's Child and Black, White, Other. Her writing has appeared in such publications as USA Today, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, Cosmopolitan, and Huffington Post. Her latest book Loving Before Loving: A Marriage in Black and White chronicles her marriage to the Black writer Julius Lester, and tells the story of a writer and activist fighting for love and justice before, during, and after the Supreme Court’s 1967 decision striking down bans on interracial marriage in Loving v. Virginia. Speaking candidly about every facet of her life, Lester illuminates her journey to fulfillment and healing.

Connect with Joan at www.joanlester.com.

Ruth Mitchell is the author of the award-winning novel Deleted, described as "Inception meets 50 First Dates." She was born and raised in Salt Lake City and grew up writing plays for the neighborhood kids and “exploring” the woods near her home. In high school, she founded a Dead Poets’ Society, as well as successfully campaigning to make the school’s all-male service club accept female students. She met her husband, Bill, on their first day of classes at the University of Utah, where she graduated with a BA in journalism. Working for the Deseret News, she reported on wildfires, shootings and human interest stories. When her husband finished medical school, they moved with their two small daughters to Texas. In Dallas they learned to love good barbecue, bluebonnets and Texans. With a little Texan in tow (a boy!) they moved to San Diego. In California, they welcomed another son and put down roots. In addition to dreaming up new book ideas, Ruth loves long rambling conversations, baking, hiking, party-planning and running (slowly) along the coasts and canyons of Southern California.

Connect with her at www.literallyruth.com.

Rachel grew up in the middle of a wheat field where she found plenty of time to read and dream. Her mom paid her a dollar per classic novel

https://www.rachelhuffmire.com/

This episode is sponsored by Patreon supporter Michael Swaidan. Thank you, Michael!!

http://emmadhesiauthor.com/