Writers Rotation

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Buffy Lawson was born in Lexington, Kentucky, and began entertaining from an early age. After graduating from high school, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee. She began by singing demos for aspiring songwriters and soon started writing her own songs, which led her to a staff writing position at several publishers in Nashville. Her voice caught the ear of producer Bob Gaudio, who teamed her with Neil Diamond to duet on "Marry Me," which they performed on Jay Leno.

Buffy was signed to Curb records as the lead singer of the country duo Bombshel. The group opened for Miranda Lambert, Trace Adkins, and Montgomery Gentry, just to name a few. 

Her songs have been recorded by Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Randy Travis, Lorrie Morgan, Bo Bice, Linda Davis, and more.

In 2022, Buffy teamed with author Silas House for a production called “How to be Beautiful,” with Buffy performing some of her original songs.

Buffy is the owner of The Next Stage, a home staging business, and the creator of My Vibe (myviberocks.org), a nonprofit organization that decorates homes for youth who have aged out of the foster care system. 

And yes, you can find Buffy Lawson videos all over YouTube, including the Bombshel song “Fight Like a Girl.” 

Kathie’s note: I mean, her name alone is so cool! I met Buffy in early 2024 at a hybrid writing class, every other week on Zoom and every other at the Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning in downtown Lexington (build in 1902!), led by Donna Ison, Writers Rotation guest on episode 10. Buffy’s song lyrics are poetry.

Writers Rotation intro/outro recorded at Dynamix Productions in Lexington, Kentucky.

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Jenny Leigh Hodgins is the founder and CEO of YourCreativeChord, where creativity and inspiration meet transformation. With over 30 years as a performing pianist, vocalist, composer, and educator, she guides individuals in nurturing creativity and transforming challenges into opportunities for a fulfilling life. Her 37-year Buddhist practice blends practical strategies with spiritual wisdom to empower creators, caregivers, and anyone seeking to enhance creativity, productivity, and personal development. As a caregiver for her senior mother, she infuses empathy and insight into her work, enriching the support she provides.

Published Books:
Kaleidoscope of the Heart: A Collection of Poetry and Lyrics
Offering authentic expression to soothe the heart, tap into resilience, and find hope through adversity.
 
Start Piano: What You Need for Successful Learning
Providing key guidance and answers to common questions for new and returning piano learners.
 
Podcast:
Jenny Leigh’s podcast, YourCreativeChord, explores creativity, personal growth, inspired living, piano learning, and poetry. She collaborates with experts on creativity, productivity, positivity, wellness, and caregiving, sharing diverse insights and actionable strategies.

Upcoming Courses:
In January 2025, Jenny Leigh is launching her creative empowerment coaching program, as well as a piano course that offers essential piano fundamentals for a solid foundation and continued progress.

Facebook Group:
YourCreativeChord is a private FB community for new and returning piano learners. 
 
Follow Jenny Leigh online:
www.Instagram.com/yourcreativechord
www.facebook.com/YourCreativeChord
 
 
Kathie's note: Jenny Leigh and I actually met in the late '90s and then reconnected in 2017 or '18 or '19, pick a year. Musicians who write and writers who are musicians are so much fun. Endless topics; never at a loss for words.

After we said goodbye during this podcast, but before we hung up our Zoom headphones, we stuck around for tech talk. She is using Descript to streamline her podcast process, while I use Castmagic and a Microsoft version of Audacity called Better Audio Editor. I casually mentioned something about separate audio tracks in Zoom, which was news to her. Yes, two tracks in Zoom settings, y'all.
 
We both use Buzzsprout!

Writers Rotation intro/outro recorded at Dynamix Productions in Lexington, Kentucky.

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George Jreije is the Lebanese-American author of the Shad Hadid fantasy series, the upcoming Bashir Boutros series, and the upcoming graphic novels Tarik’s Bazaar Adventure and Lilo and the League of Librarians, all with HarperCollins. He has written horror and science fiction short stories published in collaboration with UNICEF and others. He is a featured lecturer for Gotham Writers Workshop, WorldCon, the Highlights Foundation, SCBWI, and more.

www.georgejreije.com

https://bookshop.org/lists/the-shad-hadid-series

georgejreije.substack.com

www.instagram.com/ByGeorgeJreije

Kathie's note:  I took a Creative Writing 101 class from George in the summer of 2023 from Gotham Writers Workshop (based where? Where's Gotham??? NEW YORK CITY!). A dozen or so of us met on Zoom every Saturday morning from 10 to noon, Eastern time. Those poor California kids three hours earlier!

I learned things, wrote some things, met some really cool people, and totally appreciated how chill George was. And is. Highly recommend Gotham Writers and George Jreije.

 
Writers Rotation intro/outro recorded at Dynamix Productions in Lexington, Kentucky.

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Jess Janz is a writer, community facilitator, and creator of Dinner With Strangers, which brings 20 people from different walks of life to share their stories over a meal. Her work examines identity, connection, and what binds us all together. Jess has hosted events for Wealthsimple, lululemon, Altea Active Club, The W Hotel, and Writers Collective of Canada.

She runs monthly writing workshops and Poetry Club for her writing community of over 65k people. She is currently pitching her first collection of essays, Meet Me At The Table, under representation by Jonathan Merritt.

jessjanz.com

instagram.com/jessjanz

linkedin.com/in/jess-janz

substack.com/@jessjanz

Kathie's note: Jess is my first referral interview! Thank you, Hanna Wheeler (episode #11), for recommending your friend Jess. Both of y'all are too cool for school.

Had so much fun learning about Jess's Dinner With Strangers event. What a fabulous concept. From the cutting room floor (because I stumbled and bumbled through it and didn't include it in the episode), one of the coolest things I've seen with a roomful of friends and strangers was one year on my friend Ed Commons's birthday:

A passel of us gathered at his condo, spilling over from the living room to kitchen to patio and parking lot, and someone gave him a steering wheel as a gift. A 19-something pick-a-model. Ed was touched. He shared a story about driving that model (or similar) (I didn't take notes and I don't remember any details, just the vibe). Someone sitting near him asked to see it, and before you knew it, the steering wheel was passed around the circle like a peace pipe. Everyone had a memory, a memorable automotive story to share.

Storytelling in community is for real. I'm so glad people like Jess Janz are facilitating things like this!

Writers Rotation intro/outro recorded at Dynamix Productions in Lexington, Kentucky.

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Juliana Piesco is a versatile multiartist whose work spans visual arts, performing arts, and literature. Born in São Paulo, Brazil, Juliana studied both Law and Arts at the Universidade de São Paulo. Over the past year, she has embraced a nomadic lifestyle, journeying across all Brazilian states and aspiring to explore every Latin American country. Juliana has published works as a playwright and poet and is currently working on her book, "Drowned Future," set to be released by the end of 2024.

Connect with her on Instagram, Medium, and YouTube.

www.instagram.com/jupiesco

jupiesco.medium.com (bilingual)

www.youtube.com/@jupiesco (in Portuguese)

www.youtube.com/@ThatgirlfromBrazil (in English, about Brazilian culture and places)

Kathie's note: Juliana and I met in a breakout session through a CreativeMornings FieldTrip. The prompt was to tell how you got your name, and I thought, pffhhhht, I need 10 seconds: I was almost named Geraldine after my dad, but my mom got her way and I was named after her (and nicknamed from the start). Juliana told the most beautiful story I've ever heard of how she was named by her mother and grandmother and, oh, my eyes welled up and my jaw dropped and I clasped my hands over my heart. I must have her on the podcast, I thought, and said it out loud. And she said sure, and here we are.

Writers Rotation intro/outro recorded at Dynamix Productions in Lexington, Kentucky.

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Megan Tusing is an actor, award-winning audiobook narrator, producer and coach raised in the Blue Ridge Mountains of West Virginia, now based in Brooklyn.

She developed a love of storytelling and a passion for language at a young age when first introduced to William Shakespeare (theatre camp nerd here!), which eventually led her to pursue a career in acting. Megan has recorded over 350 audiobooks, most from her home studio, with such publishers as Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, Harper Collins, and Macmillan, as well as indie authors. She also runs her own audio production company, Little But Fierce Productions.

Megan has numerous credits in stage, film, and television and is a proud theatre alumni of James Madison University.  When not on stage or in the booth, she can be found knitting in the company of good friends.  Find her on Facebook, IG, or Twitter @megantusing.

www.facebook.com/megantusing
www.instagram.com/megantusing
x.com/megantusing


Kathie's note: A fellow Caveday.org fan, Megan and I are fond of the 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. sessions for online coworking. She has the sweetest smile. We wound up in a breakout room two days in a row and I had to know everything about audiobook narration. (I've recorded short-short voiceover work for years, but never could do longform.) I'm a huge fan of audiobooks and so glad pros like Megan are narrating us through these stories.

Writers Rotation intro/outro recorded at Dynamix Productions in Lexington, Kentucky.

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Renee Puvvada is a nonfiction book marketing consultant, author, and adventurer from Atlanta, Georgia. She has always loved writing, and she started her entrepreneurship journey selling self-published books online.

Her most successful book to date about rainwater harvesting (Harvesting Rainwater for Your Homestead, available on Amazon) sold 10,283 copies in its first 12 months, and she is now helping other founders, experts, and entrepreneurs master their book funnel marketing on Amazon with her new brand, Smokin' Hot Book Funnels.

To get your own self-published nonfiction book marketing timeline from Renee, head to SmokinHotBookFunnels on substack.com and subscribe.

Kathie's note: I met Renee through Caveday.org, my favorite online coworking space. She has a kind voice, sweet smile, and the "never met a stranger" vibe I love so much. Also, she's an entrepreneur with a ton of talents and interests, so we could have talked for days but I tried to keep the conversation as writing-centric as possible.

Writers Rotation intro/outro recorded at Dynamix Productions in Lexington, Kentucky.

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Christina Noll is a marketing manager with over 25 years of experience in content creation, strategy, and management. Currently, she is a project manager with WG Content, a healthcare marketing agency based in Cincinnati. Previously, she was the global strategic messaging manager for Lexmark International. During her time at Lexmark she also served as the global subscription program manager and a content strategist.
 
Christina enjoys reading, traveling, and good Kentucky bourbon. She lives in Lexington with her husband and looks forward to visits from her three young adult children.

www.linkedin.com/in/cnoll

Kathie's note: I had forgotten how young Christina was when I met her! She's an old soul, though? She used to write commercial copy and I voiced some of it. We kept in touch, on and off through the years, and then met regularly for coffee and writing (and talking), even though she drinks tea instead of coffee but whatevs. She had her first child on my birthday, so I always remember when he was born!

Writers Rotation intro/outro recorded at Dynamix Productions in Lexington, Kentucky.

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Liza Holland is owner of Holland Management Services and host of the “Education Perspectives” podcast. She specializes in communications and systems thinking, with a focus on bringing change to education by connecting business and education to create a school experience that better prepares students for the information age we live in today. She does this through storytelling and engagement.

www.HollandManagementServices.com

www.Education-Perspectives.com

www.linkedin.com/in/liza-holland

Kathie’s note: Liza and I meet every week for coffee & keyboards. It's mostly talking, who are we kidding, but occasionally we get some actual writing in. She is a bubble of fresh air, I tell you. Positivity personified.

 
Writers Rotation intro/outro recorded at Dynamix Productions in Lexington, Kentucky.

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Neil Kesterson has been a sound designer for film, video, television, radio, audiobooks, theatre, games, web, and multimedia since 1985. His very first sound design job was to recreate the Bell X-1 rocket plane breaking the sound barrier, of which pilot and aviation legend Chuck Yeager said was the most realistic depiction of the historic event he had ever heard.
 
 His work has been heard on most major television and radio networks, in theaters, on video, and in arenas. Some projects of note include the television shows Treme and White Lotus on HBO; Mad Dogs on Amazon; Valley of the Boom on NatGeo; Chicago Fire and Law & Order: SVU on NBC; Girl from Plainville on Hulu; and Mind Games and The Crossing on ABC.

Documentaries include A&E Biography: The Monkees; The Lincolns in Kentucky; Nick Nolte: No Exit; and The Johnny Cash Anthology. Neil produced his own documentary, The Beat of a Different Drummer: The Story of America's Last All-Female Military Band, available on Amazon.

His work on motion pictures includes War for the Planet of the Apes; Uncle Frank; 8-Bit Christmas; Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days; Strange Wilderness; and Hide and Seek.

Other projects of note include "The Dick Vitale Alarm Clock"; comedy albums for Greg Warren and Mike Macrae; and live radio broadcast work for the NCAA, The Triple Crown Radio Network, and NPR. Awards include those from the International Broadcasting Awards, Telly Awards, Silver Microphone Awards, the American Advertising Federation, and an Emmy nomination.

He is the author of Push the Right Buttons: A Practical Guide to Becoming and Succeeding As an Audio Engineer and Producer.

Neil lives in Lexington, Kentucky, and is the owner of Dynamix Productions, Inc. Sign up for his sound-centric newsletter at www.dxaudio.com. 

Kathie's note: I've worked with Neil as a producer and a voiceover artist, and he's the best in the biz. He makes everything and everyone sound better than they have a right to. Consummate professional, with a musician's ear and the temperament of a Zen master. And great sense of humor.

Writers Rotation intro/outro recorded at Dynamix Productions in Lexington, Kentucky.

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