Thriving Authors Podcast

Holli H.L. Anderson has a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing—which has nothing to do with writing, except maybe by adding some pretty descriptive injury scenes to her books. She discovered her joy of writing during a very trying period in her life when escaping into make-believe saved her. She enjoys reading any book she gets her hands on, but has a particular love for anything fantasy. Holli can't decide which genre to write in, so she just writes the stories that won't leave her alone in the dark of night and on long, solitary drives. If you like Middle Grade contemporary, Young Adult Urban Fantasy or Dystopian, or Adult Romantic Thrillers -- she's got a book for you. Along with her husband, Steve, and their four sons, she lives in Grantsville, Utah—the same small town in which she grew up. Her latest novel is UNDER THE VIADUCT.

http://www.holli-anderson.com/

As a thriving professional in the tech industry, Sonya Judd's life was interrupted by a premature baby and spontaneous twins less than a year later. Having three children born within a year of each other, often referred to as Irish triplets, she speaks and writes about becoming your best you when life throws you curveballs. She studied Finance and Economics at NYU and Columbia, and works as a business strategist in the tech industry. Her debut book Rest in the Nest was released earlier this year. 

You can connect with Sonya at her website https://www.sjsexecutivecoaching.com/

Katya Cengel is an author and freelance writer. Her work has appeared in New York Times Magazine, Marie Claire, Newsweek, Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post among other publications. She has reported from North and Central America, Europe, Asia and Africa and was based in the former Soviet Union for half a decade. She is the author of Independent Publisher Book Award (IPPY) 2020 winner and Foreword Indies 2019 winner From Chernobyl with Love: Reporting from the Ruins of the Soviet Union (Potomac, 2019); Exiled: From the Killing Fields of Cambodia to California and Back (Potomac, 2018) and 2013 Kentucky Literary Award finalist Bluegrass Baseball: A Year in the Minor League Life (Nebraska, 2012).

www.katyacengel.com 

Episode Extras! Listen to Katya read an excerpt from her book From Chernobyl with Love as well as share a writing prompt. Visit https://www.patreon.com/dallaswoodburn 

Mary Potter Kenyon graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a BA in Psychology, and is a certified grief counselor. She is the Program Coordinator for the Shalom Spirituality Center. Mary is widely published in magazines, newspapers, and anthologies, including ten Chicken Soup books. She conducts writing workshops and does public speaking on the topics of writing, utilizing your creativity in your everyday life, and finding hope and healing in grief. She is the author of seven books including the award-winning Refined By Fire: A Journey of Grief and Grace and Expressive Writing for Healing. Her book on creativity, Called to Be Creative, was released in August 2020.

https://marypotterkenyon.wordpress.com/

Emily Grabatin is the author of the book DARE TO DECIDE: Discovering Peace, Clarity and Courage at Life's Crossroads. Through coaching, writing and leadership development, she helps individuals recognize who they are, uncover what makes them feel alive, and streamline their focus so they can flourish.

Through seasons of restlessness, burnout and wandering even while working in her dream job in ministry, the greatest gifts Emily has received have been from individuals who saw potential in her before she saw it. Appreciating the value of people holding a space for her to discover her own answers and step out into her calling at her own pace, she’s passionate about offering that gift to others.

What most people don’t know about Emily is her secret box of unfinished novels yellowing in her basement. What she learned about storytelling and why she never finished writing her novels inspired the principles she uses to inspire others in getting clear on their dream and making more confident decisions. Emily lives near Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada with her husband and daughter.

https://daretodecide.ca/

This episode is a bit different! I was recently invited to be a guest speaker for the Writers' Society at the University College of London to answer questions about my writing journey. Our conversation was so fruitful and interesting that I asked for their permission to share part of it with you. Hope you enjoy this glimpse into my writing life!

Dallas Woodburn published her first book, There’s a Huge Pimple On My Nose, when she was in fifth grade… and she hasn’t stopped since! Her published books include the YA novel The Best Week That Never Happened; the YA short-story collection 3 a.m.; the adult short-story collection Woman, Running Late, in a Dress; and the forthcoming YA novel Thanks, Carissa, For Ruining My Life (coming Feb 2022). She has won numerous awards for her writing including the international Glass Woman Prize and the John Steinbeck Creative Writing Fellowship. A passionate champion of young writers, Dallas is the founder of Write On! Books, an organization that empowers youth through reading and writing endeavors, and is also editor of the book series Dancing With The Pen: a collection of today’s best youth writing. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her amazing husband, adorable daughter, and overflowing bookshelves.

Kelli Warner is the author of NOT WITH THE BAND and THE MOMENT WE FELL: humorous and relatable young adult and contemporary romance novels, the kind of stories that get your insides so wound up in an ooey-gooey mess that you forget about the un-fun stuff in life. She's passionate for a good cup of coffee (even a bad one on a desperate day), enjoying time with friends and family, and spending lazy Saturday mornings watching the Food Network. Kelli and her husband live in Oregon with their two teenaged children and a border collie named Lucy. Connect with her at https://www.kelliwarner.com/

Kiley Roache is the author of FRAT GIRL and THE DATING GAME, two young adult novels published by Inkyard Press, a division of HarperCollins. Kiley grew up in the suburbs outside Chicago, and has been writing since the 7th grade. She signed with a literary agent days before graduating high school. She is a graduate of Stanford University where she studied Political Science. She authored both her books while she was still a college student, and once got up early to look at copyedits before painting her face for a tailgate.

Kiley has also worked as a journalist, and her bylines are in The Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, and the Chicago Tribune’s teen publication The Mash, among others. She holds a master’s degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.  In 2018, she wrote an op-ed for The New York Times’s “On Campus”  series entitled “The Future of Frats” arguing that fraternities should go co-ed. It was the lead story in the Times’s “The Edit” newsletter that week.

https://www.kileyroache.com/

Maggie Reyes is the author of the Questions for Couples Journal, and is also a blogger and podcast host. She is a Life Coach and Modern Marriage Mentor who specializes in helping driven, ambitious women create the marriages of their dreams. Her innovative, playful and practical approach to love and marriage takes the principles of cognitive psychology and luxury hospitality service and uses them to teach her clients the most effective ways to break destructive patterns and develop the mindsets and habits that make relationships thrive. 

https://maggiereyes.com/

A.H. Ann Kim was born in Seoul, South Korea and immigrated to the U.S. as a young child. She was educated at Harvard College and Berkeley Law School, where she was an editor of the California Law Review. She is a practicing attorney and has served as chief of staff to the CEO and head of investor relations at a Fortune 200 company. A.H. Kim is the proud mother of two sons, a longtime cancer survivor, community volunteer, and member of the San Francisco Writers Grotto. A GOOD FAMILY is her first novel.

https://www.ahkim.net/