Women Writing

Welcome to Season 3 of the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with Hope Thompson.

Toronto-based author Hope Thompson has a background in theatre, screenwriting, and true crime podcasting. Her plays have been produced in Toronto, Vancouver and Los Angeles; she was a story editor on CBC’s Baroness Von Sketch Show and wrote on the pre-school drag variety show The Fabulous Show with Fay & Fluffy. A licensed PI, Hope has also researched and written for true crime podcasts Crimehub and Whereabouts Unknown. In 2019, she wrote and performed her one-woman show, The Talking Grave—a séance with deceased crime writer, Cornell Woolrich. Dark Thoughts & Other Stories is Hope’s first story collection (DarkWinter Press, 2026).

Learn more at hopethompson.net and hopethompson70

📚 Women Writing Circle

The Women Writing Circle meets every Monday from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. This offering is for paid subscribers. You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. Join us to get focussed writing done in the company of a supportive group of women writers. Please note we are on hiatus in November. Regular meetings resume on Monday, December 7.

Welcome to Season 3 of the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with Alice Major.

Alice Major is a Canadian poet, writer, and essayist who has published 14 books, including 12 collections of poetry and a collection of essays on poetry and science. Her 15th book, Triangularity: Essays on Poetry, Science and Spirit comes out in August, 2026. Her many awards include the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Distinguished Artist Award and an honorary doctorate from the University of Alberta. She is past-president of both the Writers Guild of Alberta and the League of Canadian Poets. She served as the first poet laureate for the City of Edmonton in 2005, and founded the Edmonton Poetry Festival in 2006. Major emigrated from Scotland at the age of eight, grew up in Toronto and, after a short time working on a newspaper in central British Columbia, came to Edmonton, Alberta in 1981.

Find out more at alicemajor.com, and follow on Instagram and Facebook.

📚 Women Writing Circle

The Women Writing Circle meets every Monday from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. This offering is for paid subscribers. You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. Join us to get focussed writing done in the company of a supportive group of women writers.

Welcome to Season 3 of the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with Maria Cichosz.

Maria Cichosz is a writer, critical drug studies scholar, and professor of literature and creative writing at Victoria College in the University of Toronto. Their work has appeared in Critique, The Los Angeles Review of Books, The Literary Review of Canada, American Literature, and on the CBC Literary Awards shortlist, among other places. She is the author of two novels, Cam & Beau (2020) and Middlemen (2026), as well as On Drugs, a forthcoming entry in Biblioasis’s Field Notes series.You can check out Maria's work at mariacichosz.com and nonpublishing.com

📚 Women Writing Circle

The Women Writing Circle meets every Monday from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. This offering is for paid subscribers. You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. Join us to get focussed writing done in the company of a supportive group of women writers.

Welcome to Season 3 of the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with author Robin Blackburn McBride.

Robin Blackburn McBride is a Canadian novelist, poet, teacher, and coach. Her new novel River of Dreams will be released on October 1, 2026 by Guernica Editions. Robin’s first full-length work of fiction, The Shining Fragments, and a volume of her poetry, In Green, were also published by Guernica. Robin is the author of a self-help book, Birdlight: Freeing Your Authentic Creativity. Her short stories and poems have appeared in a variety of North American literary magazines. For many years, Robin worked as a full-time English and language arts teacher, including two decades at Toronto’s Branksome Hall. Before that, she worked as an actress. Robin holds degrees in English, drama, and education from the University of Toronto. She lives with her husband, Hugh, and their black cat, Poe, in Gatineau, Québec.

📚 Women Writing Circle

The Women Writing Circle meets every Monday from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. This offering is for paid subscribers. You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. Join us to get focussed writing done in the company of a supportive group of women writers.

Welcome to Season 3 of the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with author Charlotte Morganti.

Charlotte Morganti is the award-winning mystery author of the Gabrieli Mysteries. Her novel Breaking News: Local Heiress Dead won the inaugural Toby Award for Best Mystery by a Canadian indie author. Charlotte is a former corporate finance lawyer with an MFA in creative writing and writes character-driven crime fiction set in small towns, where sharp humour, buried secrets, and emotionally complex sleuths collide.Charlotte lives and writes in a small town on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. Her publications include the Gabrieli Mysteries, the Breaking News Mysteries, and the Persimmon Worthing Short Mysteries. You can find out more at charlottemorganti.com.

📚 Women Writing Circle

The Women Writing Circle meets every Monday from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. This offering is for paid subscribers. Please note we are writing from 6:00-8:00 pm until the end of October and taking a hiatus in November. You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. Join us to get focussed writing done in the company of a supportive group of women writers.

Welcome to Season 3 of the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with fantasy author Mona Tewari.

Mona Tewari has long been fascinated by the ways in which the narratives of legends and histories shape our views of the present. A graduate of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and UCSF, Tewari practiced as a pediatric dentist for years before turning to writing fiction in her favorite genre: fantasy. As the daughter of two immigrants from India, she didn’t see herself represented in popular media while growing up and became determined to show her daughters they belong in every world. Burn the Sea is her first novel.

📚Word on the Street!

Toronto friends, looking forward to meeting you in person on September 26-27 at the Toronto Sisters in Crime/Crime Writers of Canada booth at Word on the Street. We’ll be in the Writers’ Block section of the Exhibitor Marketplace. See you there!

📚 Women Writing Circle

The Women Writing Circle meets every Monday from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. This offering is for paid subscribers. You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. Join us to get focussed writing done in the company of a supportive group of women writers.

Welcome to Season 3 of the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with Jennifer Chevalier. Congratulations to Jennifer on her Giller Prize nomination for The Winter Witch!

Jennifer Chevalier’s passion for history was sparked by lazy afternoons at the cottage reading historical fiction, a fantastic high school teacher, and a museum job cosplaying a 19th century servant. She worked for many years at the BBC in London before moving home to Ottawa, where she is currently the senior producer of CBC Radio’s political affairs program, The House. Her debut novel, The Winter Witch, was an instant national bestseller. You can follow her on @jchevalierauthor on TikTok and Instagram or read more about her writing and radio work at jenniferchevalier.ca.

📚 Women Writing Circle

The Women Writing Circle meets every Monday from 6:30-8:00 PM ET. This offering is for paid subscribers. You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. Join us to get focussed writing done in the company of a supportive group of women writers. Please note we’re running circles from 6:00-8:00 pm ET until the end of October and pausing in November.

Welcome to Season 3 of the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with author and corporate coach Nicole Fronek.

Known as “The Coach,” Nicole Fronek has supported Fortune 100 firms inclusive of CBRE, Chevron, HP, Citigroup, and Marriott International. With two decades of experience in project management and client services, she has built her career on a foundation of helping others achieve their goals. Nicole is based in The Black Hills of South Dakota, holds a BA in Communications from California State University, Fullerton, and an MSc in Project Management from The University of Liverpool. Publications include Corporate Coach Approach – A Systematic Guide to Career Development.

To learn more about Nicole and her work, follow @corporatecoachapproach or @twohorseproductions605, or visit www.twohorseproductions.com.

📚 Women Writing Circle

The Women Writing Circle meets every Monday from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. This offering is for paid subscribers. You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. Join us to get focussed writing done in the company of a supportive group of women writers.

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with author Shamayne Olivia.

Shamayne Olivia is an author, speaker, and facilitator whose journey of reclaiming her authentic self has defined her life’s work. The eldest of four children, she carried adult responsibilities far too young, navigating the emotional needs of both siblings and parents. Refusing to be defined by these patterns, she chose a path of healing and transformation—breaking the generational cycle and guiding others to do the same with courage, hope, and resilience. She discovered profound insights and revelations that laid the groundwork for her business, Shoes That Fit Her Soul, LLC. The resources designed to help others reclaim their voices, rewrite their stories, and step boldly into lives of purpose include her teaching memoir, Shoes That Fit Her Soul, as well as the Shoes That Fit Her Soul workbook, digital workbook, and workshop. Shamayne lives in the Texas Hill Country, near Austin, with her generously supportive husband, Craig, and their two affectionate cats, Wrigley and Ivy.

You can find Shamayne Olivia at Shoes That Fit Her Soul website.

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📚 Women Writing Circle

The Women Writing Circle meets every Monday from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. This offering is for paid subscribers. You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. Join us to get focussed writing done in the company of a supportive group of women writers.

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with author Tammy Euliano.

Tammy Euliano’s writing is inspired by her day job as a physician, researcher and educator at University of Florida. She’s received numerous teaching awards, ~100,000 views of her YouTube teaching videos, and was featured in a calendar of women inventors. In addition to short fiction, including a 2025 Derringer award, she writes the Kate Downey medical thriller series including Fatal Intent (2021) and Misfire (2023) published by Oceanview. Kathy Reichs called it, “Medical suspense as sharp as it gets.”

📚 Women Writing Circle

The Women Writing Circle meets every Monday from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. This offering is for paid subscribers. You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. Join us to get focussed writing done in the company of a supportive group of women writers.