On today’s episode we get to chat with Shawna Rodrigues, a Women’s Fiction author with a laugh you will not easily forget. You may also recognize her as one of our hosts! After twenty+ years as a leader in the public and non-profit sector, Shawna transitioned to work as a consultant, all so she could finally finish the novel she always dreamed of writing. It was a joyous and arduous journey, but less than a year after leaving her career, she penned the final words of her debut novel, Beyond the Pear Blossoms. The jubilation was quickly eclipsed, as days later her hometown succumbed to unimaginable tragedy. The Almeda Wildfire hit the Rogue Valley in September 2020 and in less than 24 hours, they had lost over 2600 homes, including the home of her niece, fiancé, and her future mother-in-law. After seeing the way the community mobilized to address this tragedy, she dedicated her novel to the resilience of the residents in this community and half of the author’s proceeds are being donated to the Rogue Valley Habitat for Humanity as they continue to build affordable homes alongside individuals displaced by the fire.

By interweaving life lessons with endearing characters and transformative experiences, Shawna creates Women’s Fiction that helps us see how universal our experiences are and what a gift of escape reading can be. Boldly chasing her writing dream also unlocked other creative adventures and Shawna credits it for making her podcast, The Grit Show possible. This path also led to her creating the Authentic Connections Network, a podcasting network with a primary goal of amplifying women’s voices in podcasting and increasing the abysmal 27% of podcasts hosted by women by 10% in 5 years; 37 by 27. This audacious goal and focus make it harder to find time for writing, but she will release the short story, "Every Mother's Peanut Butter" as part of a Women's Fiction anthology A Million Ways: Stories of Motherhood in the Spring of 2023 - the pre-order is now available at https://bookshop.org/a/. She also continues to make slow and steady progress on her narrative non-fiction Daughter of the Accused. This is a story that will take time to bring out into the world.

You can learn more about her on her website www.ShawnaRodrigues.com and follow her on Instagram www.instagram.com/shawnabospdx -which will be the best place to be kept up to date on her next release!

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Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Beyond the Pear Blossoms at https://bookshop.org/a/

A little about today's host-

Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD, follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.”

Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/. 

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