Writer Groupie Podcast

Hi Groupies! This week we are changing it up a little. The fantastic Stephen Zimmer is on the blog as an author interviewee. Stephen, as you may know, has been mentioned quite a lot on my podcast, Writer Groupie. He is a very inspiring author, and he’s been my friend for a lot of years, and I am so happy to have him on Writer Groupie!

I did make a podcast for you below the interview, and yes, it HAS the BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! Now that it is December I can finally talk about it!

Official Bio: Stephen Zimmer is an award-winning author and filmmaker

based in Lexington Kentucky. His work includes the cross-genre Rising

Dawn Saga, the epic fantasy Fires in Eden series, the sword and sorcery

Dark Sun Sawn Trilogy, featuring Rayden Valkyrie, the Harvey and Solomon

Steampunk tales and the Hellscapes and Chronicles of Ave short story

collections.

Share about yourself

I am just the kind of guy who keeps moving forward as best as I can. No one thing defines me, but there are a lot of things that are a big part of me. I have a love of writing, music, martial arts, travel, cars, and Kentucky bourbon! I do enjoy many modes of expression, whether it is playing the guitar, or going through a strenuos workout that challenges me, or writing a short story or novel.

I currently reside in Lexington, Kentucky, and am a proud Kentuckian. I work with Seventh Star Press, which includes the Imaginarium Convention and Star Chamber Show podcast, in addition to my author path.

Share about your work

Currently, I have books published in the fantasy, sword and sorcery, cross-genre, and horror genres, with some additional steampunk short stories in the amazing Dreams of Steam anthologies from Dark Oak Press.

My road started with The Exodus Gate, the first book of the cross-genre Rising Dawn Saga. Four of the seven novels in that series are available. My other major series is the Fires in Eden series, which is epic fantasy, ensemble cast, with three of the seven books in that series out.

I have a short story collection set in the world featured in the Fires in Eden series out called the Chronicles of Ave. I also have a colllection of horror short stories, the Hellscapes, with two volumes currently available. My heroic character Rayden Valkyrie , who first appeared in the Thunder on the Battlefield: Sword anthology in a short story, is now featured in a novel, Heart of a Lion, the first of the Dark Sun Dawn Trilogy.

Tell us about your writing style

I would say that my writing style strives to be very visual or cinematic, in a manner of speaking. I strive to evoke imagery and convey the fantastical things of my own imagination in a way that the reader can make their own.

I write in third person, as I like to give a storyteller kind of perspective to a given tale, and make things known that the characters involved may not notice yet. I’m not ruling out doing something in first person, at some point, but I enjoy third person the most.

I also gravitate toward ensemble casts, as life involves ensemble casts. My Rayden Valkyrie tales are a bit of an exception to that, but she embodies so much, on so many levels, that I am pulled to spotlight her on her own.

What do you find challenging about the writing life?

The flood of content out there and the constant challenge of staying on the radar. With the advance of eBooks and self-publishing, it’s the best and worst of times. There are no gatekeepers as in the past, but at the same time there is a tidal wave of content flooding out there and not all of it involves due diligence in terms of the process necessary of producing a quality title.

Welcome, Groupies! Welcome to Episode 44! Today I interview Barbara Ehrentreu, YA author and poet. Her books are If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor and After.

In my special intro, I talk about focusing in on your niche and how it is critical for today’s book marketing world. So if you are interested in ways to be more focused on your niche, be sure to have a listen to the audio only version.

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Barbara Ehrentreu is published by Muse It Up Publishing and has many insights about writing. She is an editor as well, and I am happy to have her on Writer Groupie Podcast.

SHOW NOTES:

In this episode, we learn about:

* How Barbara got started writing and how getting her master’s degree was the catalyst for it

* How Paula Danziger influenced Barbara’s writing

* How critique groups helped shaped her YA novel

* How real life influenced If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor

* Insider details on the Muse It Up Online Conference!

* How Barbara received 25 reviews

* Why Barbara hasn’t gone commercial with her editing

* Discussion about Pen Letters, a national group for writers

* Insight into Barbara’s poetry

* Details about Barbara’s poetry anthologies

* BONUS:Info about Barbara’s podcast, The Red River Writers Tales from the Pages

Find Barbara Ehrentreu on these sites:

Facebook

Twitter

Blog

Podcast

Get a journal to keep your poetry in!

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AUDIO ONLY WITH SPECIAL INTRO

You can also subscribe to this podcast in iTunes HERE

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Thank you for visiting Writer Groupie Podcast! For more writing information and education, try the Articles page (from the home page click on Articles for Writers).

Like this site? Subscribe to my blog via a subscribe button on any page, or here at my RSS feed and never miss another episode or informative blog post.

Follow me on Twitter.

Join the Facebook group “Writing Motivators”

Book Cover Art and Design

Welcome, Groupies! Welcome to Episode 43! Today I interview Aaron Drown of Aaron Drown Designs. Aaron tells us all about design work and things to look for in book cover art and things to stay away from if we are DiY-ing.

In my intro, I update you on Disk of Death, my first Shannon Wallace mystery, and let you know what is going on with me and Nano. It’s only on the audio version of the podcast, so be sure to check it out.

Off we go…and on with the show!

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Aaron Drown has his own business in design work (including book cover design!), and has many items in print, as well as digitally. He is an author also, and I am happy to have him on Writer Groupie Podcast.

SHOW NOTES:

In this episode, we learn about:

* How working at Kinko’s(now owned by Fed Ex) led Aaron to become a book cover artist/graphic designer

* We create a new name for what Aaron does, (and yes, it is an indie name) and we discuss a little about today’s indie movement in the arts

* What he feels an author’s strength is versus an author as an artist

* How cover art should be designed (less is more)

* How Hellscapes II (Seventh Star Press) cover art (Aaron’s design) is a well-done design, ie. focal point, color scheme, etc.

* How authors sometimes have trouble relinquishing control of the art to the artist when it is so critical–and how it is a collaborative effort between the two

* Whether people on the covers sell more books or not and whether that argument is even a matter of design

* Insider details: THREE TIPS FOR DIY

* How typography plays a big part in design and what you should do to get it right

* Aaron’s best advice for an aspiring designer

* BONUS: the MOST important thing for aspiring authors/artists

Find Aaron Drown on these sites:

Aaron’s design site

Aaron’s Facebook

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AUDIO ONLY WITH SPECIAL INTRO

You can also subscribe to this podcast in iTunes HERE

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Thank you for visiting Writer Groupie Podcast! For more writing information and education, try the Articles page (from the home page click on Articles for Writers).

Like this site? Subscribe to my blog via a subscribe button on any page, or here at my RSS feed and never miss another episode or informative blog post.

Follow me on Twitter.

Join the Facebook group “Writing Motivators”

Welcome, Groupies! This is episode 42 of the podcast, and today I chat with Sharon Stogner. Sharon is co-creator of the quirky multi-media review site I Smell Sheep, which was voted Best Review Site 2015 in the Editors and Preditors Reader’s Poll, and freelance editor(Devil in the Details Editing Services). Born and raised in NC, she received a B.S. in Biology from UNC and a Masters in Microbiology from NCSC back before cell phones became popular. Married and mother of two girls, she loves reading speculative fiction, blow’em up movies, and eating spaghetti.

So, here we go…on with the show!

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I SMELL SHEEP

Sharon Stogner is full of great information for authors seeking reviews, and what editing can do for your novel. I am excited to have her on Writer Groupie Podcast. Be sure to check out her sites at the bottom of this post.

SHOW NOTES:

In this episode, we learn about:

* How Sharon and I met at Imaginarium and what she and her co-partner, Katie Dawson are planning for con-going

* All about I Smell Sheep and how Sharon got started working with them

* How many reviewers work for I-S-S

* Insider info on blog tours and how they can lead to reviews and how that all benefits authors

* The difference between reader reviews and pro reviews and why authors need pro reviews to give them more exposure

* Education about negative reviews and how to avoid them

* The different specialities of the reviewers at I-S-S

* Insider info on submission guidelines for getting reviews at I Smell Sheep and other sites

* Book covers and how important they are for reviews- they really do pick books by their covers!

* Devil in the Details Editing and how it came to be

* Information on how to book Sharon for editing and what kinds of editing she does

* Details on how she approaches her clients and their work

* Top three tips for getting book reviews

***BONUS*** Insider details on guest interviews and other goodies, swag, and contests, for authors at I Smell Sheep

Find Sharon Stogner on these sites:

I SMELL SHEEP

DEVIL IN THE DETAILS EDITING

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AUDIO ONLY WITH SPECIAL INTRO

You can also subscribe to this podcast in iTunes HERE

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Thank you for visiting Writer Groupie Podcast! For more writing information and education, try the Articles page (from the home page click on Articles for Writers).

Like this site? Subscribe to my blog via a subscribe button on any page, or here at my RSS feed and never miss another episode or informative blog post.

Follow me on Twitter.

Join the Facebook group “Writing Motivators”

Welcome, Groupies! This is episode 41 of the podcast, and today I chat with H W Vivian, author of War of Rain, Chasers, and a humor/satire book, Days of Amber, under her pen name, Alex Chu. In my intro, I talk about Disk of Death and what the latest is on that book coming out in February. I also ‘splain what a copy editor is among other fun things, so be sure to check out the audio version of the podcast for my tidbits, or the video version for the interview only.

So, here we go…on with the show!

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H W Vivian is full of great information and inspiration for authors, so I am excited to have her on Writer Groupie Podcast.

In this episode, we discuss H W Vivian’s journey as an author of YA contemporary fiction and how writing and marketing her work has led her to find a lot of new friends. This episode is full of information and inspiration, so please enjoy!

SHOW NOTES:

In this episode, we learn about Vivian’s writing journey and:

* What she’s been doing since we met at Imaginarium in Louisville.

* How she got started writing and why she added more to her first novel.

* What she thinks the best part of self-publishing is.

* Where H W Vivian gets her ideas.

* Who she goes to for reviews.

* Insider info on book bloggers and how they can mold an author’s career.

* Tomoson.com and how it can benefit YOU!

* Since we all only have 24 hours in a day, what she gives up for her writing.

* What her goals for 2016 will be.

* H W Vivian’s best advice for aspiring authors.

Find H W Vivian on these sites:

Author Website: www.H-W-Vivian.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/hwvivian7

Twitter: @vhwang7

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8115866.H_W_Vivian?from_search=true&search_version=service

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/H.-W.-Vivian/e/B00JRFBDZU/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1445895528&sr=8-1

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You can also subscribe to this podcast in iTunes HERE

*************************************

Thank you for visiting Writer Groupie Podcast! For more writing information and education, try the Articles page (from the home page click on Articles for Writers).

Like this site? Subscribe to my blog via a subscribe button on any page, or here at my RSS feed and never miss another episode or informative blog post.

Follow me on Twitter.

Join the Facebook group “Writing Motivators”

Hello, Groupies! Today I talk with Kathryn Sullivan. And, this episode is our 40th interview on WG! I am rather proud of that fact and just wanted to hoot about it. If you are a new author wondering how to stand out in the crowded book market, consider starting a podcast. It’s great fun and it can help build your platform. Don’t forget to listen to the AUDIO ONLY version for the latest and greatest. See the audio link below.

Now off we go, and on with the show!

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Kathryn Sullivan was born and raised in the Chicago suburb of Berkeley, Illinois, where she started writing her first stories. Kathryn now lives in Winona, MN, where the river bluffs along the Mississippi River double as cliffsides on alien planets or the deep mysterious forests in a magical world. Her first published novel was The Crystal Throne, which won the 2002 EPPIE for Best Fantasy, and its sequel, Talking to Trees, was a finalist for a Dream Realm Award for Best Young Adult. Her short story collection, Agents & Adepts, won the 2003 Dream Realm Award for Best Anthology. Her children’s picture book, Michael & the Elf, has been reprinted by Guardian Angel Publishing. A Chick who has dug Time Lords for many years, she has an essay, “The Fanzine Factor”, in the Hugo Award-winning Chicks Dig Time Lords and a review in Outside In: 160 New Perspectives on 160 Doctor Who stories by 160 writers. Her recent works are short stories “Search and Rescue” and “The Oracle of Cilens” (amberquill.com and Amazon) as well as “The Taste of Treasure” in Clockwork Spells and Magical Bells, and “The Theft of the Royal Jewels” in the pirate anthology A Tall Ship, A Star and Plunder (Dark Oak Press). She is a proud member of Broad Universe and EPIC. Any birdlike beings in her books only slightly resemble her cockatoo owner. You can find Kathryn at http://kathrynsullivan.com

She is full of great information and inspiration for authors, so I am excited to have her on Writer Groupie Podcast.

In this episode, we discuss her journey as an author of YA science fiction and fantasy as well as a lot more!

SHOW NOTES:

In this episode, we learn about her writing journey and:

* How Kathryn Sullivan and I met at a local con.

* Insider details on how she’s found publishers through her long career and how having a publisher helped to create her work.

* Information about the Epic E Book Awards and how you can enter and win

* How her story Search and Rescue came to be

* Inspiration for those who want to write long stories but are still writing short ones.

* Information about writing YA and how to traverse the path and make it resonate… or not?

* Insider details on other award programs

* Details on her life as a con-goer and how it can benefit authors to be there and be a part of the panelist group

* Fun stuff about Dr. Who and some cons that have great Dr Who panels

* Who Kathryn would sit down with and have a chat with if she could do that with any author living or dead

* how many projects she works on at a time

* BONUS: Her best advice for aspiring authors

Find Kathryn on these sites:

Her Facebook Author page https://www.facebook.com/KathrynSullivan.author

Her regular Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/kathryn.sullivan

Info about the Epic Ebook awards can be found at: https://www.epicorg.

Welcome Groupies! This is the interview I have been promising you for a while. Due to lack of internet for a solid week, I got behind in posting, so you are getting it now. Two podcasts in one week! This is a very good thing, so I hope you enjoy it!

**Remember to listen to the audio only version of the podcast for the latest info on Writer Groupie, my work, and info from the writing industry. Tips and tools you will use for producing your own work. I don’t include the audio intro on the video. **

Don’t forget–you can see the upcoming guest list on the WG page here and I hope you enjoy each episode!

Now off we go, and on with the show!

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Janie Franz

Janie Franz comes from a long line of liars and storytellers with roots deep in east Tennessee. Honed by the frigid Northern Plains and the high desert of New Mexico, as well as a degree in anthropology, her writing skill and curiosity have generated thousands of feature and cover articles over a vast range of topics for more than a hundred regional, national, and international publications.

Janie, the author of eleven titles, is full of great information and inspiration for authors, so I am excited to have her on Writer Groupie Podcast.

SHOW NOTES:

In this episode, we learn about:

* Janie’s Bowdancer Saga and if there will be more books coming out soon

* She tells us about her writing journey and how her series came to be (including presentation of her covers which are lovely!)

* We learn how the Lost Song Trilogy got its title

* Insider info about Lea Schizas and her publishing company Muse It Up Publishing and how Janie came to be a client.

* Details about her archaeology/romance/thrillers series with Ruins: Discovery

and the second in the series Ruins: Artifacts

* Insider details : How Janie writes as a pantser and her view about pantzing versus outlining

* Information about her book, Sugar Magnolia, which is all about the music industry and how she had to get permissions for a lot of names she used.

* How Janie is planning on using book trailers to market her work

* Janie had to research a lot of things for her books and tells about researching horses and riders and how writing has been cathartic for her

* Motivation : How she finds time to write and still has a normal life

* Janie assures us that BLOG TOURS are still a viable means of promotion for a wri...

Good day, Groupies! After watching this episode back, I realize there are a lot of glitches in this episode. I apologize. Skype definitely was not our friend this time.

If you want to hear my introduction for this show, please be sure to listen to the AUDIO ONLY version for the latest and greatest of what’s going on with me, the show, and what’s new in the writing world. See the audio link below.

Don’t forget–you can see the upcoming guest list on the WG page here and I hope you enjoy each episode!

Now off we go, and on with the show!

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Jen is full of great information and inspiration for authors, so I am excited to have her on Writer Groupie Podcast.

In this episode, we discuss her journey from writer to published author and then to her present situation with orphaned books..

SHOW NOTES:

In this episode, we learn about:

* Jen’s writing journey with her Honey Creek Series, and what she will have to do about the series title now that her publisher has gone out of business.

* What she is going to do now that she no longer has a home for her work. Insider details about re-editing for new publishers.

* What she thinks her biggest challenge will be in self-publishing her work.

* Information : Focus, release schedules, and other things to help in publishing.

* How being a former acquisitions editor and marketing coordinator will aid her with future endeavors.

* Inspiration : Advice to an author facing life with orphaned books.

* Insider details about author interviews that she hosts on her website (she tells us which one is her fav) and she TELLS HOW TO BE INTERVIEWED ON HER BLOG (FREE PROMO! PAUL WEST!!!)

* She tells us whether having a blog is still a viable way to market our work.

* Tips for aspiring author from Jennifer Anderson

* Does being blocked mean your outline isn’t working? FIND OUT IN THIS EPISODE!

Jennifer Anderson’s sites :

Blog: Musings at the Peanut Gallery

Website: Jenandersonauthor.com

Facebook: Jennifer Anderson, author

Twitter :

AUDIO ONLY

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You can also subscribe to this podcast in iTunes HERE

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Thank you for visiting Writer Groupie Podcast! For more writing information and education, try the Articles page (from the home page click on Articles for Writers).

Like this site? Subscribe to my blog via a subscribe button on any page, or here at my RSS feed and never miss another episode or informative blog post.

Follow me on Twitter.

Join the Facebook group “Writing Motivators”

Since my internet debacle last week, I don’t have an interview for you this week. Janie Franz will be coming soon, and Jennifer Anderson also. You might actually get two in one week *manaical laughter*. So, here is a flyby episode for you. This one is about productivity and writing down our ideas. We all know how terrible it is when we let an idea slip through our fingers. I had this happen many times when I was a new writer. But in this podcast, I examine ways to prevent the loss of ideas. When you capture an idea, you automatically become more productive.

So here’s to more productivity and ideas!

Have a great week, Groupies!

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Writer Groupie Podcast brings you discussions, insights, and insider details on planning, producing, promoting, and profiting as a writer.

Welcome to Writer Groupie!

[powerpress]http://www.kimsmithauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/New-Recording-466336908382.m4a[/powerpress]

Thanks for listening! You can find show notes, contact form, and more at http://www.kimsmithauthor.com/writergroupie

Welcome to October and the start of a whole new month of Writer Groupie! On the audio portion of the show, I catch you up to date on industry news, what’s the latest from me, and who’s coming on the show today. I will always have good stuff in the intro to the audio (podcast) so be sure to tune in either here on the blog or at iTunes.

Now off we go, and on with the show!

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My guests this week are Margaret and Kat King, also known as, The King Twins. You may remember they came on the show back in the early spring. This visit was a lot of fun, they had a great new rap for me, and we discussed their three new children’s books, including BOO!

Margaret and Kat King are Oxford, Mississippi natives and are alums of Ole Miss. These fantastic authors are always bringing humor and fun into everything they do. Today, they share how important entertainment value is in the writing world today.

In this episode, we discuss what the twins have been up to and how it is going to change the life of one of their dearest friends, Josephine. This episode will make you laugh, make you smile, and make you believe you can be an entertainer in all facets of life.

SHOW NOTES:

In this episode, we learn about:

* Their first book about Maggie and Kathy, twin 9-year old girls-called the Backyard Campout, and it’s followup book, Boo! a Halloween story that has made it onto the Accelerated Reader program.

* Info on their first preschool book, Kicking and Screaming, a book about that big trip to get shots.

* The CD that they have released of the King Twin Rappers and info about the next one which will be just for kids.

* Insider details on what they are doing called Laughter in the Workplace

* They perform a rap for me called Acts 2:38 — and you will LOVE it!

* How people (kids) perceive them before they visit, and how they see them when they leave.

* We discuss the Author Rodeo Roundup and Maggie Moran, the organizer, Arthur Avant, and the other great authors in Mississippi, including Patricia N. Dorsey

* How they handle the traveling and live events that they have been doing, including how they got on the site People.com

* Bonus: How they get the bookings for live events

* the important points in collaborative efforts like writing, rapping, or life

* the latest info on Josephine, and how the twins are trying to get their book about her (Our Josephine) done as a movie in hopes that they can buy her a home.

The King Twins

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AUDIO ONLY

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You can also subscribe to this podcast in iTunes HERE

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Thank you for visiting Writer Groupie Podcast! For more writing information and education, try the Articles page (from the home page click on Articles for Writers).

Like this site? Subscribe to my blog via a subscribe button on any page, or here at my RSS feed and never miss another episode or informative blog post.

Follow me on Twitter.