Podcasts about her ya

The Author Events Series presents Paola Mendoza | Solis: A Companion to Sanctuary  REGISTER In conversation with AJ Hikes From the authors of Sanctuary comes a haunting near-future companion tale about undocumented immigrants subjected to deadly experiments in a government labor camp and the four courageous rebels who set into place a daring plan to liberate them. Paola Mendoza is a proud immigrant from Colombia. She is an award-winning filmmaker, best-selling author and has organized some of the largest and most impactful cultural and political movements in the past decade, including the Women's March, Families Belong Together & Trans Prom. She uses art to disrupt and disarm, to change our thinking, and to advance movements for immigrants, reproductive justice and the LGBTQ community. Her work has been supported by The Ford Foundation, Just Films, Pop Culture Collaborative, Opportunity Agenda, and Race Forward, among many others. She co-authored the New York Times bestseller Together We Rise: Behind the Scenes at the Protest Heard Around the World. Her YA novel, Sanctuary, was a critical darling and is currently being adapted into a motion picture. Her most recent YA title, SOLIS (the sequel to Sanctuary), will be released in the Fall. Paola's work has been published in The New York Times, USA Today, Huffington Post, Glamour, InStyle, Elle and Teen Vogue. Her films Igualada, Entre Nos, On the Outs & Free Like the Birds have garnered international and critical acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival, Berlin Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival just to name a few. Paola is a founder of The Resistance Revival Chorus, The Meteor and The Soze Agency.. Because you love Author Events, please make a donation when you register for this event to ensure that this series continues to inspire Philadelphians. Books will be available for purchase at the library on event night! (recorded 10/10/2024)

Get ready for an inspiring and entertaining conversation as the Writing Community Chat Show welcomes the incredible Abiola Bello to the stage! Born and raised in Stoke Newington, North London, Abiola is a Nigerian-British author who has been captivating readers since she started writing at just 12 years old. From her acclaimed middle-grade Emily Knight series to her chart-topping YA novels, Abiola's journey is a testament to perseverance, creativity, and passion for storytelling.

Phyllis Okon, a medium and CEO of a transportation company, shares her journey from founding a limousine service to becoming a medium. She demystifies mediumship and discusses the comfort and messages she brings to people from their loved ones on the other side. Phyllis also talks about her experiences as a medium, the difference between being a medium and a psychic, and the self-awareness that comes with practicing mediumship. She shares personal stories of connecting with spirits and delivering messages that deeply resonate with people. Additionally, Phyllis discusses her role as CEO of a transportation company and how she built it from a small operation to an international business with 700 employees. Phyllis Okon shares her journey of building a successful transportation business while balancing motherhood and family life. She emphasizes the importance of commitment, hard work, and perseverance in achieving long-term success. Phyllis also discusses the values she learned from her parents, such as customer service, responsibility, and the importance of family. She highlights the significance of listening to and spending quality time with loved ones, as well as the need to prioritize and find balance in life. Phyllis shares her experiences as a mother and the lessons she has learned about love, sacrifice, and the importance of being present for her children. She also talks about her passion for writing and the impact it has had on her life. Phyllis concludes by offering advice to parents and encouraging them to prioritize self-care and reduce pressure on themselves.About Guest, Phyllis Okon:Phyllis Okon co-founded BLS Limousine Service with her late husband almost fifty years ago. A former social studies teacher, she quit teaching to run the office from her tiny kitchen on Long Island. The company grew to three offices, and after her husband's death, she and her two sons expanded to eleven more. BLS stands today proudly woman-owned and world-renowned.She began a writing career at 55 that produced 83 books. Writing as Carole P. Roman and Brit Lunden, she has enchanted children, parents, and teachers with several fiction and nonfiction series.  Her joke book, The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids, shot to the top of Amazon, outselling every other book for two months.  Her YA novel Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex is currently being turned into a screenplay.After her husband passed, she ventured into mediumship classes, eventually being singled out of her mentorship and endorsed by Seatbelt Psychic Thomas John.As Lady Phyllis, her ability to connect and give evidential information has built this new venture to many monthly sessions and a steady clientele. Combining her love of teaching with her many talents, she has now opened several courses sharing her knowledge and demystifying mediumship to enable a new generation to embrace it.Phyllis's unique experiences have made her a compassionate and understanding medium, CEO, and author, proving you don't have to give anything up because of age!

Jennifer Brozek is a multi-talented, award-winning author, editor, and media tie-in writer. She is the author of Never Let Me Sleep and The Last Days of Salton Academy, both of which were nominated for the Bram Stoker Award. Her YA tie-in novels, BattleTech: The Nellus Academy Incident and Shadowrun: Auditions, have both won Scribe Awards. Her editing work has earned her nominations for the British Fantasy Award, the Bram Stoker Award, and the Hugo Award. She won the Australian Shadows Award for the Grants Pass anthology, co-edited with Amanda Pillar. Jennifer's short form work has appeared in Apex Publications, Uncanny Magazine, Daily Science Fiction, and in anthologies set in the worlds of Valdemar, Shadowrun, V-Wars, Masters of Orion, Well World, and Predator.

Maria Morera Johnson interviews Catholicmom.com contributors Amy J. Cattapan and Sherry Hayes-Peirce from the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. A.J. Cattapan, DM, Ed.D., is an award-winning author, speaker, and teacher. Her YA novel Angelhood and her middle grade book Seven Riddles to Nowhere have won multiple awards. She is also the author of Sweet Jesus, Is It June Yet?, a book on combatting teacher burnout (Ave Maria Press). Follow her at AJCattapan.com. Read all articles by Amy j. Cattapan A Saint Squad for Teachers: 45 Heavenly Friends to Carry You through the School Year Sherry Hayes-Peirce is a Catholic social media strategist, blogger, conference speaker, podcast guest and contributing author of the Ave Prayer Book for Catholic Mothers. She serves as Digital Engagement Coordinator for American Martyrs Catholic Community in Manhattan Beach, CA. Sherry has a devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and is grateful to be a digital disciple of Christ. Read all articles by Sherry Hayes-Peirce. The Ave Prayer Book for Catholic Mothers

When I read his work, I feel like he is a close friend that I lost. That's how much he resonates with me.Today we meet Kim Hines and we're talking about the book that saved her life: The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin.Kim Hines is a playwright, actor, director, and author. Her plays have been produced across the United States, including tours at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Kim has performed at many theaters including the Illusion Theater, Penumbra Theater, and the Guthrie Theatre. She was a founding member of Mixed Blood Theater. Kim has directed at theaters across the Twin Cities of Minnesota, and at Cornell University in New York, University of Northern Iowa, and Kansas University. Her YA novel Wingo Fly was published in 2020.The Fire Next Time was a 1963 national bestseller. It galvanized the United States, giving passionate voice to the civil rights movement. Both a evocation of James Baldwin's early life in Harlem and an examination of racial injustice, this book is intensely personal and provocative. It is written as two "letters" on the occasion of the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation.Connect with Kimfacebook: facebook.com/kim.hines920/website: simplykimhines.comOur BookshopVisit our Bookshop for  new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts: bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbookTo purchase The Fire Next Time visit: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9780679744726Become an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Nicole Olila, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonMusic and SFX credits: visit thiqueerbook.com/musicQuatrefoil LibraryQuatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: https://libbyapp.com/library/quatrefoil/curated-1404336/page-1Support the Show.

Today we chat with talented authors, Daniel José Older and Brittany N. Williams about Madame Web, Superman, and writing stories featuring and celebrating people of color. Daniel José Older is the author of numerous novels, short stories, and essays, and a comics writer for Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures and Marvel. The conclusion to his YA fantasy duology Ballad & Dagger, The Last Canto of the Dead. Brittany N. Williams is an actor who studied musical theater at Howard University and Shakespearean performance at the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama in London. Her YA novel is called, That Self-Same Metal, a historical fantasy series set in Shakespeare's London, about a Black craftswoman who can melt metal and is the key to mending humanity's pact with the violent fae.

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto https://amzn.to/3MIuQLD A lonely shopkeeper takes it upon herself to solve a murder in the most peculiar way in this captivating mystery by Jesse Q. Sutanto, bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties. Vera Wong is a lonely little old lady—ah, lady of a certain age—who lives above her forgotten tea shop in the middle of San Francisco's Chinatown. Despite living alone, Vera is not needy, oh no. She likes nothing more than sipping on a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy detective work on the Internet about what her Gen-Z son is up to. Then one morning, Vera trudges downstairs to find a curious thing—a dead man in the middle of her tea shop. In his outstretched hand, a flash drive. Vera doesn't know what comes over her, but after calling the cops like any good citizen would, she sort of . . . swipes the flash drive from the body and tucks it safely into the pocket of her apron. Why? Because Vera is sure she would do a better job than the police possibly could, because nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands. Vera knows the killer will be back for the flash drive; all she has to do is watch the increasing number of customers at her shop and figure out which one among them is the killer. What Vera does not expect is to form friendships with her customers and start to care for each and every one of them. As a protective mother hen, will she end up having to give one of her newfound chicks to the police? About the author Jesse Q. Sutanto is the author of adult, YA, and children's middle grade books. She has an MSt in Creative Writing from Oxford University and a BA in English Lit from Berkeley, though she hasn't found a way of saying that without sounding obnoxious. The film rights to her women's fiction, Dial A for Aunties, was bought by Netflix in a competitive bidding war. Her adult books include Dial A for Aunties, its sequel, Four Aunties and a Wedding, and Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers. Her YA books include The Obsession, The New Girl, and Well, That Was Unexpected. Her MG books include Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit and its sequel, Theo Tan and the Iron Fan.

Precogs can predict crime, but did they anticipate the seminal science fiction novella would become a Steven Spielberg blockbuster? You'd need a specialist to pick apart the causality, and thankfully Meg Elison, a Philip K. Dick Award winning novelist, joins Red Scott and Maggie Tokuda-Hall to discuss The Minority Report, a 1956 novella, and Minority Report, the 2002 film. You can find the full issue of Fantastic Universe, where The Minority Report first appeared, here. Meg Elison is a Brooklyn author and essayist. Her debut novel, "The Book of the Unnamed Midwife" won the 2014 Philip K. Dick Award. Her novelette, "The Pill" won the 2021 Locus Award. She is a Hugo, Nebula, and Sturgeon Awards finalist. She has been an Otherwise Award honoree twice. Her YA debut, “Find Layla” was published in fall 2020 by Skyscape. It was named one of Vanity Fair's Best 15 Books of 2020. Her parasocial thriller, "Number One Fan" was published in August 2022 by Mira Books.  Order Maggie's newest book, The Siren, the Song, and the Spy If you like us, you'll also enjoy: Following the pod on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/failuretoadaptpodcast/ Following the pod on X: https://x.com/FailureAdapt Supporting Failure to Adapt on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FailureToAdaptPodcast

Mark interviews Reenita Malhotra Hora, an award-winning screenwriter, novelist and audio producer. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a brief personal update and a word about this episode's sponsor. Learn more about SciFidea and the awesome Dyson Sphere Sci-Fi Writing Contest.   In the interview, Mark and Reenita talk about: How Reenita has been writing her entire life and her love of storytelling in varous forms The manner in which life can be more fun when we are creating and when we don't always take life so seriously Focusing for a long time on how she could help her clients get THEIR stories out there The decision, in mid-pandemic, to begin to take her writing career in her own hands and developing her own IP The release of her book OPERATION MOM, which was released by Harper Collins India initially in 2011 Buying the rights back for the book in the rest of the world (ie, outside India), as well as for the subsidiary rights for film, TV, etc The publisher's belief that the Western world isn't at all interested in reading a book set in Mumbai Reenita's own screenplay adaptation of the novel (written in the last year) which she decided to set in Hoboken, New Jersey How the story and the comedy in the screenplay remains the same but how the specific details and specific jokes have been modified and adjusted for the different market Just how much Reenita has been learning about publishing in the past few years The way that working with a smaller, boutique publisher can be a good experience, but how an author self-publishing it can potentially work a bit better because of the control they have Winning the Santa Barbara International Screenplay Award and being a finalist for the New York International Screenplay Award The unique approach Reenita took with her newer book Shadow Realms and the multiple formats she has created it in The importance of understanding the business of storytelling The two active podcasts Reenita has created, including the True Fiction Project, which explores the journey of story from non-fiction to fiction The different opportunities for various sponsorships in these two different podcasts Diversity being so important, but the fact that it has become such a recent "buzzword" The interesting compromise of the diversity of a community like Hoboken (which has shades of similarity to Mumbai and offers a window into the Indian-American community) How it can be fun to play with stereotypes and tropes and to turn them around Reenita's passion about bringing the experience of South-Asians to an American audience Describing her experiences as being akin to a street-food in Mumbai And more... After the interview Mark reflects on a few things from the conversation, including the narrow way many New York publishers look at setting in a novel, which hasn't changed all that much since the early 1990s, and the dynamic way Reenita has explored storytelling in creative ways, while patiently learning more about the industry. Links of Interest: Reenita's Website Operation Mom Reenita's Podcasts Screenplays The 2023 Aurora Awards (YouTube) 2023 Aurora Awards Opening Schtick (YouTube) Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Best Book Ever Podcast Lovers Moon Podcast The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard   Reenita Malhotra Hora is an award-winning screenwriter, novelist and audio producer. Based partly in San Francisco and partly in Los Angeles, her experiences are akin to 'Bhel Puri,' the street food of Mumbai, her native place — a delectable mix of tastes (and preferences), meshed together with a bug or two for good measure. Passionate about storytelling the Indian narrative, Reenita writes characters and themes that reflect the South Asian experience whether set in South Asia or in the Western world. As a writer she has contributed to Reuters, South China Morning Post, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, CNN, Times of India, Rolling Stone, National Geographic Kids, Cartoon Network Asia, Disney and more. As an on-air news reporter, writer, and producer, she has contributed to Bloomberg, RTHK Radio 3, Monocle Radio and the BBC. She has two active podcasts - 'Shadow Realm' (narrative fantasy fiction) and the 'True Fiction Project' (unscripted to scripted). Her female-driven comedy, 'Operation Mom' is a Santa Barbara Screenplay Awards winner, a Chanticleer International Book Awards GrandPrize winner and an Eric Hoffer Book Award Grand Prize winner. Her YA fantasy screenplay, ‘Shadow Realm' is a Script2Comic and Launchpad Prose finalist, a Screencraft quarterfinalist, and a selected nominee for the New Media Film Festival. She is a limited partner in the How Women Invest fund which specifically invests in women owned companies. She is working on her next novel and has recently launched Chapter by episode, a digital publishing platform for immersive chat fiction stories with diverse themes.     The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Today on What's My Frame I'm joined by Meg Swertlow. Meg a Los Angeles-born and raised screenwriter/director; today she shares her passion for creating female-driven stories. In the past three years, Meg has directed eight short films, seven of which she wrote. Her horror short, The Voiceless, is part of the feature-length anthology, Give Me an A, a response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. We also dive into the rewarding and very real challenges of indie filmmaking with Meg's recent proof of concept for No Overnight Parking, which stars and was produced by Alyssa Milano and French Stewart. In November 2022, she participated in the Ryan Murphy Half Initiative Director program, shadowing an episode of Lone Star: 911. Meg just wrapped post-production on the proof of concept for No Overnight Parking, which stars and was produced by Alyssa Milano and French Stewart. In March 2023, No Overnight Parking was selected for the K Period Media/Blumhouse Inaugural Screamwriting Fellowship. Meg's short films have played in over 40 international genre film festivals, including Fantastic Fest, Scream Fest, Fright Fest UK, FilmQuest, Final Girls Berlin and Overlook Film Festival. Meg studied advanced screenwriting at USC's School of Cinematic Arts and her work has won over 30 screenwriting accolades, including Emerging Screenwriters' Shoot Your Short Grand Prize and ISA's Top 25 Screenwriters to Watch. Her YA pilot, Witch, Please!, won Best Short Script at FilmQuest ‘22 and was ranked the “#1 hour-long family pilot of all time” on Coverfly. She's a Hedgebrook Screenwriting Fellow, Middlebury Screenwriting Fellow and Women in Film Mentee. Before transitioning to film, Meg had a 10-year career as an entertainment journalist, writing for Entertainment Tonight and E! News. She studied improv at Groundlings, UCB and iO West and performed hundreds of improv shows around Los Angeles. She also trained in acting through the Sharon Chatten Studio, the Ivana Chubbock Studio and the London Dramatic Academy through the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. The California girl is a proud graduate of Hamilton College in Upstate New York. Meg also shares the importance of consistently creating your own work. Advocating for yourself and saying yes when opportunity & hard work meet. Now let's get to the conversion! To learn more about Meg's work check out megswertlow.com or give her a follow on Instagram @meggbot3000 --- Hosted by Laura Linda Bradley Join the WMF creative community now! Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@whatsmyframe⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@whatsmyframe⁠⁠⁠⁠ What's My Frame? merch⁠⁠ Proceeds will be donated to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation to support actors affected by the strikes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠IMDb⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠What's My Frame? official site ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our monthly newsletter!⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/whats-my-frame/support

Meg Swertlow: Paving the Way for Female-Forward Genre Stories Screenwriter Meg Swertlow is captivating audiences with her ardent commitment to telling female-forward genre stories. In 2022, Meg's artistic accomplishments soared to new heights, earning her accolades and recognition in the industry. One of Meg's standout achievements was her horror short film, "The Voiceless," which gained widespread acclaim. This gripping piece was featured as part of the esteemed feature-length anthology, and "Give Me an A" served as a poignant response to the contentious overturning of Roe v Wade, shedding light on vital social issues through a chilling and thought-provoking lens. Beyond her exceptional work in screenwriting, Meg has demonstrated her diverse talent across various creative endeavors. With her fearless spirit and quick wit, she has taken the stage by storm through stand-up comedy performances that leave audiences laughing and inspired. In our latest podcast episode, we had the privilege of sitting down with Meg Swertlow as she reflects on her journey as a screenwriter within the horror genre. Listeners will gain exclusive insights into how Meg cultivated her passion for storytelling and what she has accomplished thus far. Join us as we dive deep into her experiences and uncover what lies ahead for this remarkable talent. Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzV07iwaybs ====== Meg Swertlow BIO: MEG SWERTLOW is Los Angeles-born and raised screenwriter/director on a mission to tell female-driven genre stories. In the past three years, Meg has directed eight short films, seven of which she wrote. Her horror short, The Voiceless, is part of the feature-length anthology, Give Me an A, a response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, starring Gina Torres, Alyssa Milano and Virginia Madsen. The project, completed in less than 10 weeks after the ruling, has been picked up for distribution (announcement forthcoming). In November 2022, she participated in the Ryan Murphy Half Initiative Director program, shadowing an episode of Lone Star: 911. Meg just wrapped post-production on the proof of concept for No Overnight Parking, which stars and was produced by Alyssa Milano and French Stewart. In March 2023, No Overnight Parking was selected for the K Period Media/Blumhouse Inaugural Screamwriting Fellowship. Meg's short films have played in over 40 international genre film festivals, including Fantastic Fest, Scream Fest, Fright Fest UK, FilmQuest, Final Girls Berlin and Overlook Film Festival. Meg studied advanced screenwriting at USC's School of Cinematic Arts and her work has won over 30 screenwriting accolades, including Emerging Screenwriters' Shoot Your Short Grand Prize and ISA's Top 25 Screenwriters to Watch. Her YA pilot, Witch, Please!, won Best Short Script at FilmQuest ‘22 and was ranked the “#1 hour-long family pilot of all time” on Coverfly. She's a Hedgebrook Screenwriting Fellow, Middlebury Screenwriting Fellow and Women in Film Mentee. Before transitioning to film, Meg had a 10-year career as an entertainment journalist, writing for Entertainment Tonight and E! News. She studied improv at Groundlings, UCB and iO West and performed hundreds of improv shows around Los Angeles. She also trained in acting through the Sharon Chatten Studio, the Ivana Chubbock Studio and the London Dramatic Academy through the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. The California girl is a proud graduate of Hamilton College in Upstate New York. =============================== Submit Your Film to Our Film Collective: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ifapfilmcollective.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect With Floyd Marshall Jr: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/floydmarshalljr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tiktok.com/@floydmarshalljr0⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FlodyMarshallJr⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/aconversationwithfm/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/aconversationwithfm/support

This episode is amazing, and Bela chats with the brilliant, prolific author Amy Ferris (author of "Mighty Gorgeous, A Little Book About Messy Love).   Amy's life has been the most incredible journey, from watching her father get arrested (and then acquitted),  leaving home at 15 years old to go live on a commune (Jewish girls did NOT do that back in the day), lots of bad men along the way, and the connection to the RIGHT one (during the filming of a movie she wrote, directed by Anthony Minghella, and starring half a dozen Hollywood icons).    Amy is a fierce advocate for women, and for helping us to love EVERY SINGLE PART of ourselves.   You'll hear her best, grooviest advice, her love lessons, why people-pleasing is so detrimental, how to "Own Your Life", why "Self Love is Good Love is Grand Love is Love", and why we shouldn't waste time. You can pre-order her book here (releases 10/23):  https://amzn.to/3qiOZQ6 About Amy Ferris: Amy Ferris is an author, editor, screenwriter and playwright. Her memoir, Marrying George Clooney: Confessions from a Midlife Crisis (Seal Press),was adapted into an Off-Broadway play in 2012. As a screenwriter, she co-wrote the film Mr. Wonderful and was nominated for a Best Screenplay Award (BET, Black Reel Award) for her adaptation of the film Funny Valentines. Her YA book a greater goode was published by Houghton Mifflin. As an editor, she curated Shades of Blue: Writers on Depression, Suicide, and Feeling Blue (Seal Press) and co-edited the anthology Dancing at The Shame Prom (Seal Press). She recently co-authored the book Old School Love (HarperCollins) with Rev Run of Run-DMC fame. In 2019, she was named one of Women's eNews's “21 Leaders for the 21st Century,” and in 2021 she was a recipient of NextTribe's, “Women of the Year.” Amy is a co-founder of the Milford Readers and Writers Festival.  She makes her home in Pennsylvania. Download this episode, share it on social, and sign up for our free newsletter by filling out any contact form on our site (www.smartdatingacademy.com).  Follow us on Instagram as well @smartdatingacademy! Follow us on Instagram at @smartdatingacademy Schedule your consultation with us here!   We are on a waiting list, and would love to help you!  https://www.smartdatingacademy.com/11-coaching/coaching-call-with-bela

EPISODE 1467: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Alice Oseman, the author of SOLITAIRE and the HEARTSTOPPER series, about asexuality, the importance of authentic story telling and the dangers of book banning Alice Oseman is an award-winning author, illustrator, and screenwriter, and was born in 1994 in Kent, England. She has written four YA contemporary novels about teenage disasters: Solitaire, Radio Silence, I Was Born for This, and Loveless. She is the creator of LGBTQ+ YA romance webcomic Heartstopper, which is now published in physical form by Hachette Children's Group, and she is the writer, creator, and executive producer for the television adaptation of Heartstopper, which is set to be released on Netflix. Alice's first novel Solitaire was published when she was nineteen. Her YA novels have been nominated for the YA Book Prize, the Inky Awards, the Carnegie Medal, and the Goodreads Choice Awards. Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The book of the moment for today's episode is Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail by Ashley Herring Blake. Just a forewarning for those of you listening, this is NOT a spoiler-free zone. We will be discussing this book in all of its glory, which of course includes revealing the ending.  Ashley Herring Blake is an award-winning author and teacher. She loves coffee, cats, melancholy songs, and happy books. She is the author of the young adult novels Suffer Love, How to Make a Wish, and Girl Made of Stars (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), and the middle grade novels Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World and The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James. Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World was a Stonewall Honor Book, as well as a Kirkus, School Library Journal, NYPL, and NPR Best Book of 2018. Her YA novel Girl Made of Stars was a Lambda Literary Award finalist. She's also the author of the adult romance novel Delilah Green Doesn't Care, and a co-editor on the young adult romance If you enjoyed this episode, I encourage you to leave a review on whichever platform you are listening on, if applicable. If you have any further questions regarding topics discussed throughout the episode feel free to join our Hardcover Hoes Discord Server via the link in the show notes, or send us an email at hardcoverhoespod@gmail.com. Feel free to recommend books to cover in future episodes as well!

Notes:Kate is an author of dark fantasy romance and contemporary fantasy stories. Her short story ‘Daughter of Darkness & Son of the Sun' was published last year in the Worldsmyth's Darkness & Moonlight anthology and her short story Deconstructed won first place in Tribus Polaris's 2020 flash fiction contest. Kate is currently working on revisions for her debut novel The Guardian (Book 1 of The Terramica War planned trilogy). Kate's website is KieranLamoureux.com and her Instagram account is @kjlamoureux.writes. We'd highly recommend checking out her bibliophile posts, atmospheric pictures, teasers of her current work, and the flash fiction pieces located in her Instagram stories. We also love her open and candid posts about her personal life and creating as a neurodiverse writer. Her website also lists the micro editing with heart services that she provides - line editing, copy editing, proofreading, and pitches, blurbs, and synopses – as well as her current rates.Cami is the author and self-publisher under her Mixed Plate Press inprint of eight contemporary YA novels under the name C. L. Walters and two adult romantic fantasy novels under the name Maci Aurora. Her YA novels include The Letters She Left Behind, the Cantos Chronicles (Swimming Sideway, The Ugly Truth, The Bones of Who We Are), The Stories Stars Tell, In the Echo of this Ghost Town, When the Echo Answers, and The Messy Truth About Love . Her adult romantic fantasy Fareview Fairytales series includes In the Shadow of a Wish (Book 1) and the newly released sequel In the Shadow of a Hoax. She also has written a step-by-step self-publishing guideThe Indie Author, Book Publishing Planner: Navigating Indie Publishing to Establish Your Brand as an Authorpreneur. Cami is currently working on book 3 of the Fareview Fairytales series.Cami's websites are www.clwalters.net and maciaurora.com, her Instagram accounts are @cl.walters and @maciaurora, and her TikTok account is @clwaltersofficial. We'd highly recommend checking out Cami's funny, thoughtful, and bookish TikToks, reels, and posts as well as her beautiful pictures of her home state of Hawaii and glimpses into her personal and writing life. We also love the way she posts about her upcoming releases and how they do such a masterful job of capturing the aethetics and flavor of her work. Her Mixed Plate Press website also lists the macro editing and teaching services that she provides - one-on-one writing consultations, creation of custom writing curriculum, developmental edits, and line editing services - as well as her current rates. Kate references a series that we did on Fable and the Verbivore about writing Physical Intimacy taken from a behavioral psychology perspective. Here are those two episodes: - Episode 71: Let's talk about writing physical intimacy - Episode 72: Let's talk about writing physical intimacy (part 2)Both Cami and Kate give their take on the term Sex Positive. Here's a definition from PsychCentral:- “My personal working definition of ‘sex positivity' is operating around the topics of human sexuality, health, and pleasure with respect and without shame or stigma. This includes gender identity, orientation, sex education, nudity, relationship styles, body positivity, safer sex, reproductive equity, and much more.” - Goody HowardBooks Mentioned:- Cause Celeb by Helen Fielding - Swimming Sideways by C. L. Walters - In the Shadow of a Wish: Fareview Fairy Tale, Book 1 by Maci Aurora - In the Echo of this Ghost Town by C. L. Walters - Two Wrongs Make a Right (The Wilmot Sisters Series) by Chloe Liese - Bergman Brothers (6 book series) by Chloe Liese - The Plated Prisoner Series (5 book series) by Raven Kennedy - Horde Kings of Dakkar (6 book series) by Zoey Draven - The Deal by Elle Kennedy - The Four Horsemen (4 book series) by Laura Thalassa Music from: https://filmmusic.io ‘Friendly day' by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) Licence: CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

İlker ve Sezgin bu bölümde çocukken derinliklerini anlayamadan dinleyip sevdikleri ve yetişkinliğe adım atarken yeni anlamlarını keşfettikleri şarkıları konuşuyorlar. Sezgin'in çocuk gelişimi ve müzik arasındaki ilişkiyi irdelediği girişten sonra ikili Sezen Aksu'nun Namus, Barış Manço'nun Arkadaşım Eşek, Yeni Türkü'nün Maskeli Balo, Cem Karaca'nın Raptiye Rap Rap ve Ajda Pekkan'ın Her Yaşın Bir Güzelliği Var şarkılarının derin anlamlarını keşfediş hikayelerini anlatıyor. Namus'un klibinde aslında neler oluyordu? Arkadaşım Eşek hüznünü hangi olaylardan alıyor? Sezgin Maskeli Balo'ya dair neyi itiraf edecek? İlker uzun süre Cem Karaca'yı neden anlayamadı? Bu soruların cevapları ve daha fazlası bu bölümde. Benzer keşif hikayelerinizi bizlerle paylaşmayı unutmayın!

We have been hitting the books and hitting road & rails! Emily had a week-long vacation on Martha's Vineyard and read a ton. She also visited Bunches of Grapes bookstore and FOUR libraries on the island – West Tisbury, Oak Bluffs, Vineyard Haven, and Edgartown. Chris attended a virtual event through the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library with Raymond Clemens who shared some of the earliest maps in their current exhibition, The World in Maps, 1400-1600. Check out the link in our show notes to watch Ray's presentation. We also had two delicious Biblio Adventures together. The first was a literal Couch Biblio Adventure where we sat on the couch at Book Cougars HQ and ate pizza while watching Malinda Lo's event at Simmons University. Her YA novel LAST NIGHT AT THE TELEGRAPH CLUB was this semester's joint read at Simmons. Days later we were riding the rails to meet Aunt Ellen at Grand Central in Manhattan. After hugs and a pit stop, we took the subway to Brooklyn where we spent the day walking around and experiencing bookish adventures and culinary delights. Stops included: The Center for Fiction, Smith Street Bagels, Books Are Magic, the Brooklyn Public Library at Carroll Gardens, and La Vara, where we were joined by Aunt Ellen's partner Chris. We topped off the day with an author event and saw Maggie O'Farrell talking about her new book, THE MARRIAGE PORTRAIT, at St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church. It was a perfect day. We even had time to grab some pastries from Magnolia Bakery before boarding the train home. Lots of books, good food, and great company. Phew, this is a long episode blurb and we haven't even mentioned any books yet! We'll list our “Just Read” titles: CANNERY ROW – John Steinbeck THE FALL GIRL – audiobook narrated by Marcia Clark and Cathy LePard SMALL GAME – Blair Braverman SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE – Claire Keegan MAD WOMEN'S BALL – Victoria Mas (translated by Frank Wynne) LIBRARY GIRL: How Nancy Pearl Became America's Most Celebrated Librarian – Karen Henry Clark (illustrated by Sheryl Murray) DARK RIVERS TO CROSS – Lynne Reeves release date 11/8/2022 MISS GRIEF AND OTHER STORIES – Constance Fenimore Woolson (edited by Anne Boyd Rioux) OPEN WATER – Caleb Azumah Nelson LOVECRAFT COUNTRY – Matt Ruff THE SALT PATH – Raynor Winn (audio) THE LUNAR HOUSEWIFE – Caroline Woods If the blurb is long, you know the episode is long, too, but stick around to the end (or fast forward if you're crunched for time) to listen to our conversation with writer, graphic artist, English professor, and athlete KELCEY ERVICK. Her new graphic memoir THE KEEPER: SOCCER, ME, AND THE LAW THAT CHANGED WOMEN'S LIVES is fantastic! We give it four paws up. Check out this wonderful blurb from another graphic memoirist you may have heard of: “The Keeper is a triumph! Kelcey Ervick's rollicking visual storytelling makes this information-packed lesson in women's sports history both hilarious and surprisingly moving. Do not be deceived by her loose, exuberant drawings—the level of writerly control at play in this beautiful book is prodigious.” - Alison Bechdel, author of the New York Times bestselling Fun Home and The Secret to Superhuman Strength One more thing and then we're putting our noses back into our books! Reminder that our current readalong book is MURDER ON THE RED RIVER by Marcie R. Rendon. Please email us (bookcougars@gmail.com) if you would like to participate in the Zoom conversation on Sunday, December 4th at 7 PM (ET). We also have a discussion thread over on Goodreads.

I love interviewing other authors because every time I get to speak to one on Unstoppable Mindset I learn new concepts I hope I can use. I hope you feel the same way.   Our guest on this episode is Natasha Deen. She is an author of over 40 books written for youth, adults and everyone else in between. She made an interesting observation I love and which led to this episode's title. She observed that there are no great writers. There are only great rewriters. Listen to this episode to hear why she thinks this is so. I won't give it away.   About the Guest:   Guyanese-Canadian author, Natasha Deen has published over forty works for kids, teens, and adults, in a variety of genres, and for a variety of readerships. Her works include the JLG Standard Selection Thicker than Water, Guardian which was a Sunburst Award nominee, _and the Alberta Readers Choice nominated _Gatekeeper. Her YA novel, In the Key of Nira Ghani, won the 2020 Amy Mathers Teen Book Award and her upcoming novel, The Signs and Wonders of Tuna Rashad, is a CBC Top 14 Canadian YA books to watch for in spring 2022 and a JLG Gold Standard Selection. When she's not writing, she teaches Introduction to Children's Writing with the University of Toronto SCS and spends an inordinate amount of time trying to convince her pets that she's the boss of the house.   Social media links:   Visit Natasha at www.natashadeen.com and on Twitter/Instagram, @natasha_deen.   About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is an Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.     Transcription Notes Michael Hingson  00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i  capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson  01:20 Well, hi, and I am glad that you're with us again on an unstoppable mindset podcast episode. Today, our guest is Natasha Deen, except that she said to introduce her as she who would follow you home for cupcakes I buy into that. So true. Hey, listen, there's nothing wrong with a good cupcake. Or good muffins. Well, Natasha is an author, she's written over 40 books of various genres, and so on, we're going to talk about that. And she has all sorts of adventures and stories to tell. And so I think we will have a lot of fun on this podcast. So thanks for joining us. And Natasha, thank you for joining us today.   Natasha Deen  02:05 Thank you. And yes, thank you for joining my clan, I'm very excited to be here.   Michael Hingson  02:10 Well, tell me a little bit about you, you sort of the the early Natasha years and so on, and what you did how you got to the point of writing and anything else that you want to say,   Natasha Deen  02:20 Oh, well, I have an interesting, you know, that's gonna say like, I have a kind of an interesting origin story because I was born in Canada. But when I was three weeks old, my family moved back home to Guyana, South America, lived there, and then came back to Canada. So I'm a born Canadian, but my experience with Canada is an immigrant experience. Because the first country I knew was, you know, a country of, of coconuts and vampire bats. And you know, peacocks. And it was it was amazing, we lived No, we were just talking about previous residences. And the house we lived at, there was a stream in front of the house. And then there was a bridge that would connect you like you know, into the town. And I have, I can remember that we would get these huge rainstorms. And it would wash out the bridge. And then you'd either be well basically, as a kid, you were you were stuck, because you have to wait for the men to go find the bridge and bring it back and reattach because it just like a wooden bridge, or they'd have to rebuild it. And it was the same thing at school, like when the rains would hit, the teachers would just show off all the lights, and then we'd make paper boats, and we'd sail them down these like little these little rivers. And when I moved to Canada, the first time it rained, you know, I'm in school, and it starts pouring. And I'm so excited because I think for sure the teachers are going to turn off the lights and we're all gonna go sail paper boats. But it was like a loop was not to be as close the window and told me to pay attention. I'm like, but but but but no, I you know? And to answer your question about any desires to be a writer I did when I was a kid, I thought it would have been very cool to have a book on a shelf. But when I went to the teacher's library and the elders, parents, nobody knew nobody knew how to how to do it. And so I figured it was sort of like, you know, winning a lottery, or perhaps I don't know, some sort of happy, happy meeting, you have to sit down next to some editor on a train. And you mentioned that you really liked writing and they handed the contract right there. So I moved on to other other things. And it was after I graduated with my BA in psychology that I thought I'm just gonna give this writing thing at shot. And luckily for me, and you know, sort of all the writers who are up and coming like, we have the internet so we can, we can talk to the Google and the Google will tell us how how we navigate getting published and Contact, it's an editor's. So first sort of a snapshot.   Michael Hingson  05:04 So did you do anything with psychology? Or did you go straight into writing?   Natasha Deen  05:09 I so like dark secret, I was doing a couple of classes over the summer and preparation I had applied for my masters. And I was sitting there, and it was this really odd textbook that was telling you about, you know, counseling. And one of the techniques they had, they would repeat back to you what, you you know what the patient would say you repeat it back them, because the thinking of the time was, you know, hearing it, hearing it echo back would open up places. And I just, you know, what I remember, we had to do like a whole thing where we were practicing, you know, and it was the most, I realized I did not have the personality for it. Because if I was on the other side of the chair, and I'm saying to someone, I've had a really bad day, and they say back to me. So it sounds like you've had a really bad day. Yeah, yeah, my boss, my boss yelled at me. The boss yelled at you, I would have been like, No, I'm out. I'm gonna go find someone else to talk to you. Cool, actually, you know, talk back to me, instead of giving me a repeat of what I've like, I know what I just said, man. I just said it, you know? So. So that was about that. And I was also you know, so I thought, oh, I'll just, I'll just do a little bit of writing. And then, you know, I'll come back maybe what it is, I'm just tired, because I did school for, you know, 100 billionaires. And there's a danger, there's a danger of taking a break from from school, because then for people like me, we realize now we don't ever want to go back. Thank you very much. Well, we go do something else that someone else can have our desk. Okay, bye.   Michael Hingson  06:47 I remember when I was at UC Irvine, and working in physics and doing a lot with the computers, and there was a mainframe computer on campus. They had a psychology program, and it called Elijah. And it sort of worked like that. It would, if you type something in it would sort of repeat it back. But it was smart enough to deviate. And it could actually get you off in all sorts of unusual twists and turns. It was all about also psychoanalyzing you or, or creating conversations with you to try to figure you out, it was kind of fun. You could you could get absorbed with it for hours.   Natasha Deen  07:29 Well, that's amazing. They have I know that they have a digital version of rat training, mice mouse training. So you would you would train a mouse to like do a maze, but it was a digital mouse, which I appreciate it. I feel like mice have other things to do with their time than to run a maze forming.   Michael Hingson  07:48 Hey, I've read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I know about mice. They're they're in. They're in control of the universe. Go read the book.   Natasha Deen  07:56 I wouldn't, you know, I wouldn't doubt that. That sounds that sounds feasible to me.   Michael Hingson  08:00 So something to work on. Well, so how did you end up getting to the point where your first book was published?   Natasha Deen  08:08 Oh, yeah, that's a great, like, I so I, you know, I was I was writing and I was sending out and I think for a lot of writers, you know, we know this feeling, right? You're sending out to editors, you're sending out to agents, and nobody wants you. Right? And sometimes, as soon as you get the really nice rejection letters, like, dear Natasha, thank you so much. I really enjoyed the work, but it just didn't reach me in the way it should. And I'm just not as passionate. You know, I wish you luck. And those ones I didn't mind the ones that that used to irritate me were the ones that would say, Dear author, yeah. Yeah, no, thank you. And it was, like, they didn't capitalize their sentences. And it would just irritate me so much. But I think it was a day and I just spent like, two hours researching you, making sure I spelled your name, making sure I was professional in my letter, the least you could do is capitalized, you know, I, I don't want this, you know, give it to them or whatever. But it was just so I happened upon a small e publisher. And I'd heard really, really good things about them. I'm not sure if they're around anymore. But I've heard really great things about them. And a few friends who had published them said, they're really great because they don't send generic rejection letters. If they don't want your work. They will tell you, and I thought okay, I this is this is perfect for me, because then I can send it out and really someone will tell me if I'm doing something wrong, like what what is it that I'm doing so wrong with with, you know, my books? So I sent it out. And about a month later, I got an email saying, Hey, we really liked this. We'd love to publish it. Can we send you a contract? Yes. Yeah. Yeah, well, you know, I think I think that's kind of the thing with the industry sometimes, like, you know, we get enough kicks in the hand at art, we start wondering if we're in the right industry, we start wondering, do we have any kind of talent? Do we have any kind of skill? Are we just kidding ourselves? And so, you know, when I sent it out, I really, I was still thinking, Okay, I just don't think I'm a great writer, I don't think I have what it takes. And so it was a really good lesson about how subjective the industry can be, you know, and that that frustrating, heartbreaking thing, which is persevering. And you just have to keep going, because what else are you gonna do? You know, if you're built to be a writer, you're built to be a writer.   Michael Hingson  10:42 So you got a contract? And you published your first book? Did they do any editing or work with you on making any improvements before it was actually published?   Natasha Deen  10:53 Oh, yeah, yeah, I had to do a quitter, I think three, three rounds of edits. And then they were really great. I mean, they were, they were teeny tiny, small, small budget. But I really love that they did the very best they could for like, publicity and marketing, for their authors. And they, they would bring, like different opportunities, if you wanted to do it yourself. You could also like, expand out. And I think it's something for authors to think about, you know, that quite often we dream of, you know, the big, I don't know how many publishers, I think it's a big five now maybe even just sort of a big for publishers. But sometimes there's something to be said for for the small and plucky publisher, you know, you may not have necessarily the bragging rights, where everyone knows that publisher, they know who you're talking about. But in terms of that sort of one on one interaction with your editor, the responsiveness of your editor, and just the care they'll take with your work. And I really enjoyed my time with them.   Michael Hingson  12:01 So when was the first book published? Or when did you start working with this first publisher?   Natasha Deen  12:06 Oh, so 2007 It was actually it. So the first thing I'd sent them was a short story. And that was 2007. And then my first novel would then came out in 2009. And then in 2012, and those were all adult romances. And then, in 2012, I went into writing for ya. And I was, that's that was in The Guardian series. And the first book in that series is conveniently titled with enough guardian, which is, which is all about Maggie who sees the dead, and is currently being haunted by the ghost of the kid who bullied her. So that was that was in 2012. Ah,   Michael Hingson  12:49 so the bullies haunting her, and what does she do about that?   Natasha Deen  12:53 Well, that's, that's kind of the whole thing, right? Because it's like, do you? Do you stay quiet? Because he's, you know, he doesn't know she could see him? So does she stay quiet? And just sort of leave him in this limbo? You know, sort of till the end of time as justice for what he's done to her? Or does she actually just say to him, Look, I can see you and here we go. And so the story, the story explores, you know, that side of it, but also it's sort of exploring the idea of, you know, the way that our painful memories can can haunt us. And what do we do? Do we do we face them? Do we acknowledge them? Or do we just sort of push them down and pretend like they don't exist?   Michael Hingson  13:39 So how many books have you written in that series? Which is I guess about Maggie?   Natasha Deen  13:43 Yes. So there's, it's a trilogy. So there's three books in that series?   Michael Hingson  13:47 Okay. Are they all with the same ghosts are different ghosts,   Natasha Deen  13:51 the ghosts, there are one to two supernatural creatures who are there throughout the whole trilogy. But each each book it was it's it's it's kind of an interesting, it's it's fantasy mixed with horror mixed with supernatural mixed with a mystery. So in each book, she's dealing with a ghost who is dead. A ghost story? I guess it goes, who doesn't know that they're dead? And is trying to sort you know, why? What has happened to them? And usually someone has murdered them. And so it's all about trying to figure out who who, who done them in like, well, who did it and then they can move on?   Michael Hingson  14:36 Sounds like a fun series. Have any of the books been converted to audio at all?   Natasha Deen  14:41 Oh, I don't know. Like I know, in the key of near Ghani, I know she's, she's audio. And I think one or two books in the large series is but I'm not sure about the Guardian series. I don't think so. I don't think I don't not yet. I don't think   Michael Hingson  14:58 well If we can find electronic copies, and then we can, can do them in Braille, which is also fine.   Natasha Deen  15:07 Oh, that's wild. That's interesting.   Michael Hingson  15:10 It's not magically overly hard to do. So, you started with this one publisher? I gather you didn't continue with them. Because you said you're not sure if they're around anymore, did you go elsewhere? Or what happened?   Natasha Deen  15:25 I get? Well, they were they were strictly for adults. And I realized with Guardian that it was, it wasn't aimed for adults, it was aimed for teens. And then once I started writing for kids and teens, it just, it's a very different kind of experience writing for for people who are under 18. Because when you think about it, like an adult reader, it's a very sort of, I feel like it's a very direct connection, right? I'm going to write the story. And here you go. And you as an adult reader, you the only thing you're going to think about is, is this the genre that I love to read. And with kids, there's no such like, with with Kid readers, what you're looking at is you're going to write the book, but then there's going to be an adult in that child's life, who buys that book or boards a book for the child. And it's more than just a question of, oh, this is these are the kinds of stories I like, it's questions of how old is this kid because how old that child is determines the kind of story you're going to tell? And how you tell that story? You know, are they? Are they someone who is an add grade reader? Or are they someone who is striving or what we call a reluctant reader? So they're in grade five, reading at a grade three level? And so you don't there's there's all of these things? So things like, how big is the sentence? Like how long is the sentence? What is the vocabulary? Are the words, am I using words that are easy to pronounce, and easy to sound out? And, and it's just a very like, from a writer's perspective, it's a very, very fun exercise. Because how I'm gonna write a story for someone who is seven, is going to be wildly different than how I write a story for someone who is 17. And, you know, I love it. Because, you know, we talked about the idea that simple doesn't always mean easy. And certainly when you're writing for kids, you're, you're really getting down and asking those questions about where are they, in terms of their literacy rates? Where are they in terms of how passionate they are about reading, you know, and I think about that now, in a really different light. And I'm really grateful to all of the kid authors who around when I was growing up, because their care and attention and love of like, kids everywhere, really ignited a passion for for reading that I now because of them. I am not just an adult reader. I'm an out writer. And so yeah, I'm very thankful to them for for all that they did when I was a little kid and making sure that those stories were accessible to me and made me feel lifted up because I could read it myself.   Michael Hingson  18:16 What do you come up with some of the ideas like for The Guardian series, and that's pretty, pretty creative, and a lot of twists and whatnot, twists and turns, but just a lot of parts to it? How do you come up with an idea like writing about a creature who is dead who may not know they're dead, and certainly don't know that someone can see them? Someone who can see them? And going through all the different gyrations of that,   Natasha Deen  18:41 you know, it was really, it actually started off as an adult story. And I was aiming for a mystery like it just a straight, cozy mystery with a librarian who finds who finds a body in the trunk of her car. And it turns out that it is, in fact, her ex husband her near her, you know, what do you call that it and near do well? Well, ex husband. And of course, obviously suspicion starts to her. And I was really struggling with it. And it was just a thought one day that I had about wouldn't it be interesting if it was a girl like a teenager? And instead of an ex husband? What if she found the body of her bully in the back of the car? And then where would we go? And I and then I started thinking though, then wonder where we go and how can I make this more interesting? And then I thought, well, what if she could actually see the dad and at first it's like, you know, are people gonna think I did it. And then of course now it gets super complicated because oh, he's he's there. I have not heard of this terrible person. So sometimes it's just a story where you're thinking about how can I make it more interesting for the reader? And then sometimes it's so Well, I, you know, I was talking to, to a relative, and we were sort of joking around because they had a younger relative in their life, who loved them a lot and worried about them. But the the love and the worry meant that this younger relative could be quite overbearing with this person I was speaking to, you know, and they were like, I'm not that old, I could take care of myself. And I thought, you know, like, it was such an interesting idea for a story about what do you what do you do? What do you do when someone loves you, but they're just, they, you know, they just they're so caught up and knowing in their mind what is right for you, that your your own wants and needs are getting tossed to the side. And that was the start of the signs and wonders of Tish odd because I have tuna, and then there's her brother, Robbie and Robbie is he's loving, and he's a great brother, and he's a great son. But he's just convinced he knows what's good for everyone. And, you know, and adding to that complicate, like, complicating it is the idea is that his his husband has just died. And so He's grieving. And now this is how, you know, one part of his grief is manifesting is that tuna can't breathe. And she just really needs Robbie to like, get a life or at least get out of her life and give her give her some room. And when I was writing it, I knew I wanted her to be an aspiring screenwriter, I thought there would be lots of room for for funny if I could do it like that. And I was struggling with it. And then I went back and I was thinking about the beats of a screen a screenplay. Right? And so how does it like when do you when does the a story break into the B story and, you know, what are the fun and games and, and, and then I got the idea that every chapter heading would mirror a story beat. And that's that's how to knows. That's how to news personality would would show itself. And so So yeah, sometimes it's, it's you're trying to solve a some writer's block, and then you realize that you're the wrong genre, the wrong age group. And other time too. You've got your genre, and you've got your age group. But now you're just trying to sort through, how do you make it? How do you make it funnier, and, and, and I love I really love the chapter headings because it meant that for any kid who relatable anyone who reads the story, who also has to write, not only do you have the story, but now you have a very with the chapter headings now you know exactly where your story needs to go, because they're all your story beats right there for you.   Michael Hingson  22:39 When you're writing a book, and this is something I've always been curious about, especially if in dealing with fiction, some but when you're writing a book, is each chapter somewhat like a story and then you you transition and do things to make them all combined together? Or how do you deal with deciding what's a chapter and what's not a chapter?   Natasha Deen  23:02 Oh, yeah, that's a great question. Um, I think for me, you know, what we think about or what I think about is, what's the story problem. So with tuna, the story problem is that Robbie is just overbearing, and and she needs to, you know, get some space from him. And so that's, you know, that's one plot of the story. And then, you know, from there I go, Okay, well, how do I, how do I make this problem? More complicated, right? Or how do I make this problem? Like, how do I start giving this problem texture? And I thought, well, it would be really funny if two has a crush on a guy trusted, and like, what, what sibling wouldn't interfere? So and I thought, yep, that's perfect. So once I had those, then it's just like, here's my big problem. How do I make them? Little tiny problems? Right? And so what is the what's the saying about? How do you how do you eat an elephant like one one bite at a time? And that's sort of it like, here's my big problem. Now, how do I make it smaller? So, you know, the opening chapter tonight is gonna go and estrus now it's summer, she's got, you know, 60 days to finally tell this guy students, she really cares for him. So she's going to tell him and she just, she gets shy, you know, and then she she trips up over herself over it. And so the problem in that chapter, which is I really want to tell this person I care for them does not get solved. And the her now having to resort, okay, that didn't work. How do I ask him about it now? Like, what's my next step? Now that jumps me to my next chapter that jumps and hopefully that jumps the reader because there's there's a chapter question, okay, what is she going to do now? And we we go on. And so one of the things to think about with bigger stories that are like the, you know, 5060 80,000 word count is, there's probably going to be more than one problem that your character is trying to solve. And you're gonna have like that big external prominent character needs a job, your character needs to rob a bank, and then you're gonna have another story that will probably tie into that bigger one, right? So my character needs to draw a bank, but really, the robbing the bank, because they have a sick child, and if they robbed the bank, they can get the money, and they're gonna be able to, you know, pay for some private operation and save the life of their child, then that's how that's how we twine it together.   Michael Hingson  25:50 So you, you do kind of have different things in in different chapters. But by the same token, things can get away from you, or things can go off in different directions, which is what makes writing fun. And part of the adventure for you.   Natasha Deen  26:08 Yeah, yeah. And you're right, because you know, you're asking about the containment of the chapters, and every chapter is going to have a beginning middle end to it, it's just that in those chapters, there is no like Final the end, there's just an end to that particular scene, or an end to that particular moment, that's going to bump you into the next moment. And the next seat. Well,   Michael Hingson  26:31 so you going back to your story, you decided to write full time I gather, and that's what you do now.   Natasha Deen  26:40 I do, I did I write full time, and I also teach with the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies, I teach their introduction to children's writing, and I visit schools, and I tell kids funny stories about growing up and being the weird kid in class. And, and I also, you know, teach at libraries and, you know, attend festivals and that kind of thing. And, and I still, you know, and I think as writers, we know this, right, that sometimes this job can be such a grind, because you're, you're alone in a room with just your thoughts, and the voices in your head, and you're trying to sort it. And sometimes it can feel like why, why did I choose this job, but he was just refreshing, there's got to be some better way to make money, but the roof over my head, but you know, like, I just, it's so much fun that more More times than not, I'm kind of waking up, as I'm thinking to myself like that, that eight year old nine year old 10 year old me would be so jazzed to know that we grew up to be an actual writer with books on the shelves, and, you know, award stickers on on the covers of our books. Like, how cool is that? You know? So?   Michael Hingson  27:58 Yeah, that's, that's pretty cool. By any standard? Well, tell me, do you, you must have support and help? Do you have someone who represents you? Do you have people that you work with in that regard? Or how does all that work that you now get to publishers? Or you get help doing the other things that you do? Yeah, that's   Natasha Deen  28:19 a great question. And I'm, I'm really lucky because in Canada, our publishers don't, you don't need to have an agent to be published in Canada. And America, it's a little bit different, right? Like you have some publishers where I can contact a publisher directly and saying, Hey, I've got this, this story. And I think, I really think it will fit your catalog. But a lot of the pressures are going to be, hey, my agent has my story. And they think it's, it's, you know, just jazzy. So go ahead and take a look. And then, you know, see your agent is going to work on on your behalf. So early on in my career, I it was just me, right, it was just me all by myself submitting to publishers, and I'm saying I really hope you like my story. And then in 2016, I signed with Amy Tompkins from the transatlantic literary agency. And so now she represents me. So instead of me sending out my work directly to the publishers, I send them to Amy and then Amy sends out on on my behalf. So for those upcoming writers who are listening to our podcast, there's there's many ways there's many ways to get your, your book on the shelf. You can you can absolutely talk to the publishers yourself. You can go through an agent or you know, you can you can self publish, right, you can be an independent author, as well. And there's pros and cons to both sides of that, oh, it's what fits you.   Michael Hingson  29:51 How important is then having someone to represent you're having representation in what you do.   Natasha Deen  29:59 Well and Mike Ace, I would like I love my agent. I think she's, she's the bee's knees. I just think she's amazing. So I really enjoy writing, like, like I enjoy, because like, I love being able to send her work and talk to her about the industry and all these kinds of things. And I do think and I, and again, I think it's going to come down to what is your goal as a writer, what is your you know, do you want to make a career out of it, like a full time career, in which case, an agent is going to be really helpful to that, because they can get you into it and get you into the bigger markets, so they can get you into the bigger publishers, right. If you want to be part time writer, then you know, it all depends. But I will say for for anyone who is looking for an agent, you know, do be aware that your agent is is going to be doing lots of work on your behalf, but they're not, they're not magic genie is you're not going to rub a lamp and all of a sudden, here's all the things that are going to happen. What your agent gives you the opportunity to do is knock on more doors, but there's still no guarantee about being contracted or any of those things. So it's really good to have a realistic idea of, of what you're what the job of an agent is. So it's good to go and make sure you do your research about what they do. They're very, you know, they're they're like, they're vital when it comes to things like reading over your contracts, making sure that your artistic well being is being protected. But having said that, you know, you can also hire an entertainment lawyer who will do the same thing for you. So, again, you know, the frustrating, and yet the very amazing thing about this industry is that it always comes down to you as the individual, what is it that you want? How do you see this journey. And once you know those things, then you can build your plan for creating, sort of creating the career of your dreams.   Michael Hingson  32:09 What are some of the mistakes up and coming or new writers tend to make in your experience,   Natasha Deen  32:17 in my experience, they set or their work far too soon. It's great if you've written your story, but it's not ready yet, as and that can be a hard thing to hear if you've been working on this story for like three or four years, but it's not ready yet, you finish your story. And you start working on something else. Like you've got to give yourself a month, six weeks, two months, where you're not looking at that story that you finished at all, Project eight, don't look at Project day. And then after that, four to eight weeks, go back and take a look at it. Because now what you've done is you've decoupled you're not as close to that story anymore. And you're going to be a lot more objective. So you know, it's important to like, edit, and revise your work. You know, I don't know, I was saying to a class at one of my school visits, there are no great writers, there are just really, really great rewriters and the professional writers, this is what we know that you're going to do it. And then you're going to do it again. And again. And again. And again, until it's finally in a place where it's readable for more than just yourself. So it's really important to edit, it's to have beta readers. And there are people who are going to read your work and offer you feedback on your work, what's working, what's not working. And they're, they're also really important because, you know, when we're working on our projects in in the quiet, we're telling the stories to ourselves. And that's great. But to be an author is to be able to tell a story to a wide variety of people who you will probably never meet in your whole entire life. So you need to get other brains and other you know, viewpoints on on your work. And so, you know, it's all those things. And then once you're ready, you know, do your research, look and buy do your research. I mean, go look up these publishers, and find out if they're reputable, and look at their submission guidelines. Agents are the same thing. Look at the submission guidelines. How do they want you to submit the work? What kind of work are they taking? If you can do that, you're probably about 95% ahead of a lot of the writers out there who will just gonna do you know, they're just gonna throw in that and they're just gonna submit to everybody. And, you know, it can be a really frustrating thing for editors and agents because they're only representing nonfiction. And here's this manuscript they've got to deal with or this email they've got to deal with with someone who's who wants to, you know them to represent their picture book or their, you know, suspense thriller for adults, and it's like, no, you need to, you need to have enough respect for your work and for your emerging career, to take the time and do the research. And it is going to take time, and it is going to be frustrating, because you're looking at their, you know, Twitter feeds, and their social media and the blogs and all these kinds of things. But in the long term, and in the long run, it will, it will only do good.   Michael Hingson  35:33 One of the things that seems to me when you're talking about great writers is either they have a real sense of what it is, that would make someone want to read their book or their story, or they know how to get that information and then will will put it to use, which may not mean that that makes them a great writer, but it certainly makes them a much better marketer. Yeah.   Natasha Deen  36:03 No, it's well, and you know, this is? Yeah, you know, like, the, the great thing is that there's lots of different readers out there. And there's lots of different writers out there. And I think it's really important for us as readers to understand that just because we don't like a book, doesn't mean the book is bad. It can just mean that we're not the reader for that book. And I like, you know, I'm the person, like, if you're gonna give me a book, and there's, there's animal characters in that book, those animal characters better survived through the book, because if not surviving through the book, I am not reading it, you know, and it is like, and I will give you full credit that it's an amazing book, it's probably beautifully written. But no, if there's dog on page one, that dog still needs to be there on page, the end and happy. I want I want my dogs if they've gone through what they've gone through, but it's all okay. So so things like that, you know, and I'm very careful about women in peril kind of books, right? I'm I, some of them, I can read some of them. I can't. And again, it doesn't mean that they're not great writers. And those aren't great stories. It just means that I'm not the reader for them.   Michael Hingson  37:19 Yeah, Old Yeller is is a fine book. Except,   Natasha Deen  37:23 right. Hey, I tell you what, Michael, I mean, I get teased a lot because I'm the person who reads the ending before I read the rest of the book. But I blame that on Where the Red Fern Grows, because that book took out my heart. And I'm still not over it. I was when I read it. I'm still not over that book. And yeah, you know, and, and for me, it's like, Listen, if you're gonna ask me to spend however many hours, I need to know, it's gonna be worth my time, I need to know that these characters are gonna like, there's gonna be some kind of like, hopeful sort of note. The only time they don't do that as if it's a murder mystery. Because I want to I want to play along and see if I can find who the bad guy is before the detective does.   Michael Hingson  38:08 So dealing with animal books, of course, I mean, maybe it's the exception to a degree but then you have a book like Cujo, you know, from Stephen King, and, you know, do you really want I'm gonna I would love to have the dog not to have gotten rabies in the first place. But you know, that's the whole story.   Natasha Deen  38:25 I never I never rented the idea of a bad dog was just like no, no, I can't   Michael Hingson  38:31 start out a bad dog. That was the thing of course.   Natasha Deen  38:34 Oh, I know. I know what it is. No cuz you know there's only one ending for this poor dog. Yeah, right. Yeah. So so there is a dog in in tuna story and I want to sure all three out there that don't worry Everything Everything will be fine with magic.   Michael Hingson  38:57 Well, I appreciate that. I like books where were the animals survive? Of course I wrote thunder dog and Roselle survived in Thunder dog but they all they all do pass and but that's another that's another story.   Natasha Deen  39:12 Yes. That's it. And that's that's different. That's different. That's a   Michael Hingson  39:17 whole different you know? Yeah. And Roselle is somewhere waiting and watching and and monitoring and and occasionally probably yelling at us but you know, that's her.   Natasha Deen  39:29 That is yelling just just can't the ducks the doughnuts, man. Nothing.   Michael Hingson  39:36 What do you mean? Yeah, no, no, no, no, no. Roselle was also out there saying don't give them the donut. I want the donut. What do you do to those dumb ducks?   Natasha Deen  39:49 I feel like she would know that her bread will come later. Right?   Michael Hingson  39:54 Oh, well, maybe now but not then. Oh, yeah. Oh, no, no, thank you. is a lab What can I say?   Natasha Deen  40:02 No, I listened. We've got a husky mix. And I was joking around about how you definitely don't have to share DNA to the family because the look on her face when there's food. And just just the way she'll just look at you like, you're gonna share that right. And the long conversations I have with her room, like, I cannot share this. This is not appropriate. This is gonna make you really sick. You know, but I was thinking my husband one day I was like, as like, you know, I am pretty sure I get that same look on my face whenever I see through to just like, Oh, dang, is that? Oh, is that? Is that bread? Oh, man. Is that cheesecake? Hey, how you doing? Are you? Do you need some help on that? I can I   Michael Hingson  40:41 can totally help me. Make sure that that's really safe for you to eat.   Natasha Deen  40:45 Let me let me just make sure I Is that is that good. Let me let me tell you that bullet. Right. Let me take this for you.   Michael Hingson  40:52 You have you have children?   Natasha Deen  40:54 Yes. Yes, they're full grown boat. So they have kids of their own now.   Michael Hingson  40:58 So okay, so you have grandchildren? And and do we? Do we have any of them in your beta reader groups?   Natasha Deen  41:06 No, no. Because they Well, because they're they're still little adults, adult's? Oh, you know, I actually they'll read it afterwards. Because their schedules are pretty, their schedules are pretty intense. So   Michael Hingson  41:24 part of the evaluation process? Well, I   Natasha Deen  41:27 just feel bad, you know, looking them being Hey, hey, I know you're juggling, like 10 Different things now. But can I throw one more ball at you. And then also, like, I appreciate, like I use I use writer BETA readers, as opposed to just the quote unquote, regular folk, just because I usually by the time I'm done, I've got very specific questions about story structure, how the acts are transitioning? Can you can you see the a story B story? Where can you see the external? And so there needs to be a certain level of, I guess, like literary mechanical engineering? Do you know what I mean? Where I think to that? I think I think I think my family would be like, I love you. But stop asking me about the grammar. There's only so many times you can be like, okay, within what about, you know, when I when we're doing this metaphor, and it's, you know, like, just let me read it. Okay, so read it. So   Michael Hingson  42:29 how about today? Reading, I don't know, I'm trying to figure out what's happening to reading we've, we've changed a lot. Reading is now not just getting something on paper, we have electronic books, and so on. And I hear a lot of people say, Yeah, I read the books, it's not quite the same as reading a book. That's a full paper book, but I enjoy reading them as well. And of course, then there are a lot of people who just don't get into reading at all. But reading is so valuable, because it seems to me that one of the great advantages of reading is it gets you to sit and relax and take time away from everything else that probably we really don't need to be doing anyway. But we do it. But the reading gives you the opportunity to just sit down and let your mind wander. And it develops a lot of imagination. How do we get more people to do that?   Natasha Deen  43:30 That's a great question. And I'm not sure that I have a feasible? I'm not sure I have the answer. You know, but I think one of the things you said in the beginning was I think very well said that there is more than one way to access stories now. And I think that's really important. Right? If you are if you are someone who loves paper books, that's wonderful. But you know, for some of us, we're going to come to story differently. We want the story told to us, you know, or we want the story in some kind of a different, you know, when you're thinking about sometimes, like, finger dexterity and coordinate, you know, a screen is much easier to navigate. Than, then sometimes a book can be, and depending on the device you're using, it's going to be lighter. So if you have issues holding books, paper books, I mean, you know, this, these are like, these are the kindnesses that I think technology affords us, and that, you know, and if you're if you're busy, you can pop in that audiobook when you're sitting in the middle of rush hour and you can get to story that way. But I think a lot of it is is getting to folks when they're young and understanding that, again, not everybody comes to story the same way. And the thing that I think is magical about being a writer is that I can write I can write this Signs of wonders of tuna or Shawn, and I can give 30 people a copy of that book. And everyone will have the same book, not everyone is going to read the same story. Because at the moment time we start reading, we're going to bring our hopes, our dreams, our past experiences, our, you know, future or future hopes for us. Like we bring all of these things in how you know, do we have great relationships with our parents? Do we not, you know, how do we view the world? All of these things, like infuse the stories that we read, and they changed right there, they become another creature. So someone reads the book, and they say, Oh, yes, I read this. And this book is a cat. And someone say, no, no, no, it's not a cat. It was a chameleon. And someone else will say, No, it's a phoenix. And each of those people are correct, because that is how they interpret the story. And that's how they interpreted the book. And so you know, when we're talking about getting people, folks to love reading, it's getting them I think, a lot of times getting them young, understanding what are their what are the things that they love to read? What are the things that they love about the world? Let's, let's start there, and give them those kinds of stories. Like, you know, the idea that oh, I love this book, therefore, you must love this book is a really unkind to do to people. Because it says because I think of this like this, you must also think of this, like this, and and people are individuals, right? My mom's favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird. I think I think it's a well written book. I can't stand the book. It sets my hair on fire every single time. You know, I have friends who really love the Great Gatsby, I'm not that person. Right? It doesn't mean that those people are wrong. I love the fact that my mom loves To Kill a Mockingbird, you know, and I love that my mom understands that's never going to be my favorite book. And she respects that. And so when, you know, when we were growing up, it was like, go to the library, even if she was like, Oh, that's okay. You know, she would give us space, if that's what you love. That's what you love. And I think we need to stop. Also, what's the word I'm thinking of? You know, I hear people a lot of times, especially with young readers, where they say things like, oh, but it's a graphic novel. There's not a lot of text in there. And, you know, how are they are they going to become readers? And it's like, be okay, granted, but when you look at a graphic novel, there's, there's images and who's looking at this book and reading through it has to be able to make intuitive leaps about you know, what's happening in this box versus what's happening in this box. And, you know, so it's still teaching, it's teaching life skills is teaching like human skills. And I think if we can leave, we can go from the point of taking the spotlight and putting like taking the spotlight and putting it on to the person who we want to get reading and having an open conversation where we respect where they're coming from. I think that can be really helpful.   Michael Hingson  48:11 Yeah, book like To Kill a Mockingbird is is an interesting book, I'm, I'd be curious to know what it is that the you've read, really find a problem with the book, but I can see that different people would certainly read that and deal with it in different ways. Oh, for me,   Natasha Deen  48:29 it was it was just this as you know, I'm a person of color in my everyday life, I've got to deal with micro aggressions and, and so in my, in my relaxed life, in in my fictional world, I don't want to have to I want space from that. I just want to be able to read something fun and something, you know, enjoyable. I don't want to have to read about the things that I'm trying to deal with in the real world, but at the same time, people really love it.   Michael Hingson  49:00 One of my favorite books is one that I'm sure today is not a favorite book for a lot of people. It's a Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's court by Mark Twain. And I love the plot. I love all the things that happened in it. It's just one of those books that has really stuck with me, and that I absolutely thoroughly enjoy. I guess also, I do have to say that I originally read it as a recording. It was a talking book produced by the Library of Congress. And the guy who read it was perfect. But it has always been one of my favorite books. I think it's just an incredibly creative book. And I admire that.   Natasha Deen  49:43 Yes, yeah. Well, I you know, it's easy because I really liked calm Sawyer and Hawk you know, I thought I mean different books. But yeah, they were fun characters, and I thought Twain had a very excellent storytelling style. I guess that's it. You're right. Yeah.   Michael Hingson  50:01 Well and, and different kinds of stories. I'm an okay Yankee Yankee in King Arthur's Court is hard. I like Tom Sawyer.   Natasha Deen  50:08 Well, did you did you know that he when he died, and like fact check me on this because I remember reading this years ago, but that his diary, he made sure as well that the diary could never be published for something like 100 years, because of the he was talking smack about so many people. He was like, they cannot be alive. But like,   Michael Hingson  50:33 yeah, I remember that. And it wasn't. So, of course, he knew we knew what he was going to die. He was born in 1835. And he said, I came in with Halley's comet, and I'll go out with it. And he did.   Natasha Deen  50:45 That's amazing. Hey,   Michael Hingson  50:48 it's just one of those things. Well, you know, before we wrap all this up, what's next for you? Where are you headed? What? What kind of projects do you have coming up?   Natasha Deen  50:58 Well, so yes, the tuna releases on June 7. I'm very, very excited about that. And then I'm just finalizing the book in the spooky SLIS series. And that's for early. That's for ages like 79 That's with Penguin Random House. And I'm very excited about that. That's, that's awesome. And Rockstar who live on in Lions Gate, and spooky creepy things happen. And awesome is convinced that there are supernatural creatures roaming the town. And rock star is convinced that because there is a science lab, it's probably just science running wild. And so the books, the book one opens up with a tree. That seems to be housing, a very evil spirit. But what will happen next?   Michael Hingson  51:48 Oh, you have to read the book to find out.   Natasha Deen  51:51 That's right.   Michael Hingson  51:54 Have you ever read books by David Baldacci?   Natasha Deen  51:56 Yes. Yeah, I just started reading him. Memory Man, I just I just started.   Michael Hingson  52:01 So and that's a that's a good one. But he also wrote, I think it's more for youth if I recall, but he wrote a series of four books. It's the Vega chain series. And if you ever get a chance to read those, it's a totally different Baldacci, then all of his mysteries, their fantasies, and it's a fantasy world, sort of, I don't want to give it away. But they're, they're well worth reading. I accidentally discovered them. I was looking to see if there was anything new by Baldacci out on Audible. And I found one of these and I read it on a on a plane flight and got hooked and so then could hardly wait for the next one to come out. So it's Vega, Jain V, GA and then chain.   Natasha Deen  52:48 Okay, yeah, thank you.   Michael Hingson  52:51 I think they fit into a lot of the things that you have been writing about. So they're, they're they're definitely worth reading. But there's nothing like reading conversations are great with people. But you get to meet so many more people in a book. And as I said, it seems to me that the most important thing about reading is sitting down and reading to let your imagination go. And you're right. The way you imagine is different than the way that I imagined. And we're all different. And that's the way it should be.   Natasha Deen  53:23 Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Thank you, Michael. This was a lot of fun.   Michael Hingson  53:28 This was fun. I very much enjoyed it. And we need to do it again in the future. Yes, sir. So no tuna books are out yet. No, not yet. Next. So tunas tuna is new. It's coming out next Tuesday.   Natasha Deen  53:45 The signs and wonders of tuna are shot.   53:47 Wow. So that'll be fun. Well, we'll have to kind of watch for   53:51 it. Okay, sounds good.   53:55 If people want to learn more about you, and maybe reach out to you and talk to you about writing or any of those things, how can they do that?   54:04 Oh, on my website, www dot Natashadeen.com. And Natasha Deen is spelt D E E N. And Natasha is N A T A S H A.   54:18 So N A T A S H A D E E N.com. And they can contact they can contact you there and so on. And I assume you have links so that they can go buy books.   Natasha Deen  54:32 Yes, yes. Yes. It wouldn't be a website without it.   Michael Hingson  54:35 No, not an author's website. It would not be Well, this has been great. I really appreciate you coming on we will have to stay in touch. And we'll have to catch up to see how all the book sales go and how the the awards go once the new series are out. Thank you.   Natasha Deen  54:54 Yeah, sounds well make it a date, sir. They'll be perfect.   54:58 Absolutely. Well, Natasha, thanks for being here. And I want to thank all of you for listening and being with us today. This has been absolutely enjoyable. I hope you found it. So reach out to Natasha at her website, Natasha deen.com. And of course, I want to hear from you. So if you would like to reach out, please email me at Michaelhi at accessibe.com M I C H A E L H I at A C C E S S I B E.com. Or go to our podcast page, Michael hingson.com. hingson is h i n g s o n.com/podcast. And of course, we sure would appreciate it if you'd give us a five star rating after listening and, and come back and subscribe and listen to more unstoppable mindsets. We have all sorts of adventures coming up. And we would love you to be part of it. So if you'd like to be a guest, let us know if you know of someone who you think would make a good guest. Let us know that too. So again, thanks for being here. And Natasha, thank you once more for coming on unstoppable mindset.   Natasha Deen  56:03 Thank you, Michael. And thank you to all the listeners. I loved it. Thank you for spending time with us.   Michael Hingson  56:12 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com. accessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.

The book of the moment for today's episode is Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman. Just a forewarning for those of you listening, this is NOT a spoiler-free zone. We will be discussing this book in all of its glory, which of course includes revealing the ending. Elissa Sussman is also the author of contemporary and fantastical stories for teens and adults. Her debut adult novel, FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK, was published in Spring 2022 from Delacorte and her YA contemporary, DRAWN THAT WAY, will be released on September 28th, 2021 by Simon and Schuster for Young Readers. Her YA fairy tales, STRAY and BURN are available from HarperCollins.In a previous life, Elissa managed animators and organized spreadsheets at some of the best animation studios in the world, including Nickelodeon, Disney, Dreamworks, and Sony Imageworks. You can see her name in the credits of THE CROODS, HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA, THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG and TANGLED.She received her BA from Sarah Lawrence College and her MFA from Pacific University. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their two dogs, Basil and Mozzarella. If you enjoyed this episode, I encourage you to leave a review on whichever platform you are listening on, if applicable. If you have any further questions regarding topics discussed throughout the episode feel free to join our Hardcover Hoes Discord Server via the link in the show notes, or send us an email at hardcoverhoespod@gmail.com. Feel free to recommend books to cover in future episodes as well! Discord Server: https://discord.gg/zpvW4FyuPF TikTok, IG, Twitter: @HardcoverHoes Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/993967071461813/

The book of the moment for today's episode is Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake. Just a forewarning for those of you listening, this is NOT a spoiler-free zone. We will be discussing this book in all of its glory, which of course includes revealing the ending. Ashley Herring Blake is an award-winning author and teacher. She holds a Master's degree in teaching and loves coffee, arranging her books by color, and cold weather. She is the author of the young adult novels Suffer Love, How to Make a Wish, and Girl Made of Stars (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), and the middle grade novels Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World and The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James. Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World was a Stonewall Honor Book, as well as a Kirkus, School Library Journal, NYPL, and NPR Best Book of 2018. Her YA novel Girl Made of Stars was a Lambda Literary Award finalist. She's also the author of the adult romance novel Delilah Green Doesn't Care, and a co-editor on the young adult romance anthology Fools in Love. She lives on a very tiny island off the coast of Georgia with her family. If you enjoyed this episode, I encourage you to leave a review on whichever platform you are listening on, if applicable. If you have any further questions regarding topics discussed throughout the episode feel free to join our Hardcover Hoes Discord Server via the link in the show notes, or send us an email at hardcoverhoespod@gmail.com. Feel free to recommend books to cover in future episodes as well! Discord Server: https://discord.gg/zpvW4FyuPF TikTok, IG, Twitter: @HardcoverHoes Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/993967071461813/

Join Chris in conversation with Khalisa Rae, author of Ghost in a Black Girl's Throat (Red Hen Press), about passions, process, pitfalls, and poetry! -- Khalisa Rae is an award-winning multi-hyphenate poet, educator, and journalist based in Durham, NC. She is best known for her community activism and nonprofit management as the co-founder of Poet.she (Greensboro), the Invisibility Project, and Athenian Press- QPOC writer's collective, resource center, and bookstore in Wilmington, NC. As a former English professor and public school teaching artist, Khalisa's passion lies in uplifting women and youth through community engagement. She has served as an outreach and program director for various nonprofits, as well as a teaching artist, and is always looking for a way to give back and serve as a mentor. Her first chapbook, Real Girls Have Real Problems, was published in 2012 by Jacar Press and later adapted into a sold-out play called, “The Seven Deadly Sins of Being a Woman” which was accompanied by a podcast. Her early work with stage performance and slam poetry landed her on stage at the National Poetry Slam, Women of the World Poetry Slam, Individual World Poetry Slam, and Southern Fried Regional Poetry Slam, among others. During her time as Outreach Director of the YWCA, Khalisa completed her MFA at Queens University of Charlotte where she studied under renowned authors, Claudia Rankine and Ada Limon. There she wrote Outside the Canon– a thesis dissertation on the history of spoken word and its isolation from the literary canon as a result of systematic racism. Currently, Khalisa is a 4-time Best of the Net nominee, multi-Pushcart Prize nominee, and the author of the 2021 debut collection, Ghost in a Black Girl's Throat, from Red Hen Press. Khalisa's performance poetry has led her to speak in front of thousands over the course of her career. She is a seasoned conference panelist and speaker, and the founder and creator of #PublishingPaidMe BIPOC Writers/Editors Panel at the AWP conference, as well as annual speaker at the SEWSA Women's Conference. Notably, she is the former Gen Z Culture Editor of Blavity News and former Managing Equity and Inclusion Editor of Carve Magazine. As a champion for Black queer narratives, Khalisa's articles appear in Fodor's, Autostraddle, Vogue, Catapult, LitHub, Bitch Media, Black Femme Collective, Body.com, NBC-BLK, and others. Her work also appears in Electric Lit, Southern Humanities Review, Pinch, Tishman Review, Frontier Poetry, Rust & Moth, PANK, HOBART, among countless others. Poetry has led Khalisa to be a Watering Hole Fellow, Frost Place Fellow, Winter Tangerine Fellow, among other residencies and fellowships. Currently, Khalisa serves as Senior Writer at Jezebel, Assistant Editor of Glass Poetry, and co-founder of Think in Ink and the WOC Speak reading series. You can also find her teaching Spring 2022 at Catapult Classes. Her YA novel in verse, Unlearning Eden, is forthcoming in 2023. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Mary Watson is from Cape Town and now lives on the west coast of Ireland. She's worked as an art museum guide, library assistant, theatre duty manager, and an actor in children's musicals. She has a PhD from the University of Cape Town where she taught for many years. She won the Caine Prize in 2006, and the Philida Award in 2022. She writes short stories, young adult fantasy and thrillers. Her YA debut, The Wren Hunt, was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards. Today we are discussing her new YA novel, Blood to Poison. Our interview begins at  00:12:00 Caitlin recommends: Book Lovers by Emily Henry A fun read that plays on (and twists) our favourite romance tropes. Michelle recommends: One Ordinary Day at a Time by Sarah J Harris A moving and beautiful contemporary novel about two unlikely friends who have the power to change each other's lives. In this interview, we chat about: How Mary's own family curse and grief inspired the novel Female anger, shame and intergenerational anger The joy Mary found in writing about her South African homeland after writing about Ireland in her previous YA books The magic Mary invented for the novel and the 'real strange' found in South Africa Mary's publishing journey and moving from adult literary books to YA after a career as an academic Books and other things mentioned: Beach Read and You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry Follow Mary Watson on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/marym_watson/ (@Marym_watson) Blood to Poison is available now. Thank you to Bloomsbury for sending us copies of the book to read in preparation for the interview. Connect with us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betterwordspod/ (@betterwordspod)

The book of the moment for today's episode is Heartstopper by Alice Oseman. Just a forewarning for those of you listening, this is NOT a spoiler-free zone. We will be discussing this book in all of its glory, which of course includes revealing the ending. Alice Oseman is an award-winning author, illustrator, and screenwriter, and was born in 1994 in Kent, England. She has written four YA contemporary novels about teenage disasters: Solitaire, Radio Silence, I Was Born for This, and Loveless. She is the creator of LGBTQ+ YA romance webcomic Heartstopper, which is now published in physical form by Hachette Children's Group, and she is the writer, creator, and executive producer for the television adaptation of Heartstopper, which has been released on Netflix. Alice's first novel Solitaire was published when she was nineteen. Her YA novels have been nominated for the YA Book Prize, the Inky Awards, the Carnegie Medal, and the Goodreads Choice Awards. If you enjoyed this episode, I encourage you to leave a review on whichever platform you are listening on, if applicable. If you have any further questions regarding topics discussed throughout the episode feel free to join our Hardcover Hoes Discord Server via the link in the show notes, or send us an email at hardcoverhoespod@gmail.com. Feel free to recommend books to cover in future episodes as well! Discord Server: https://discord.gg/zpvW4FyuPF TikTok, IG, Twitter: @HardcoverHoes Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/993967071461813/

Ölüm Ötesi Hayat-1 (11 Kasım 1977) Her Yaş ve Her Seviyedeki Huzurun Kaynağı: Ahiret İnancı Öldükten sonra dirilmeye inanma, imanın dört rüknünden birisidir... Hesap düşüncesiyle yaşanan bir hayatın düzgün ve huzurlu olacağı... Fertten aileye, aileden topluma kadar her seviyedeki huzurun kaynağının öldükten sonra dirilmeye inanma olduğu... Ahiret inancının çocuklar için önemi... Ahiret inancının ihtiyarlar için bir teselli kaynağı olması... Ahiretten korkan genç ve Allah Resulü (sallallâhu aleyhi ve sellem). Beşerin büyük bir kısmını oluşturan hastalar, mazlumlar ve musibetzedelerin ancak ahiret inancıyla teselli olabileceği... Dünya hayatının öldükten sonra dirilip Allah'a hesap verme anlayışı ve inancına göre tanzim edilmesi gerektiği... Peygamberimizin (sallallâhu aleyhi ve sellem) huzurunda hak için tartışan iki kişinin, kendilerine ahiret hayatı ve Allah'a hesap verileceği hatırlatılınca birbirlerinin haklarından vazgeçmeleri... Allah'a (celle celaluhu) inanarak ölen ile inkar ederek ölenin ötedeki durumları.

Original from California, Katherine Webber has lived and worked in Hong Kong, Maui and Atlanta but now lives in London. As well as being an established YA author, Katherine has also co-authored two series with her husband, Kevin Tsang: Sam Wu is Not Afraid series and the Dragon Realm series.Her YA books are Wing Jones (Walker, 2017), Only Love Can Break Your Heart (Walker, 2018) and most recent The Revelry (Walker, 2022)Katherine joined Nikki Gamble #InTheReadingCorner to talk about the inspiration behind the revelry as well as some of the themes.About The RevelryA story of best friends, bad luck and the consequences of breaking the rules in a town built on secrets and superstitions. Growing up in Ember Grove, Bitsy Clark knows better than to break the rules around the Revelry, the mysterious end-of-year party in the woods. So when her best friend, Amy, persuades her to sneak in, Bitsy is full of misgivings.Misgivings that she should have listened to because it's after the Revelry that Bitsy's luck turns and her life starts to unravel. For Amy, it's the opposite, as if she's been blessed with good fortune. Soon Bitsy is convinced that the Revelry has tied the two friends together in a curse that only she can break...

Romance Author Farah Heron joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss the benefits of being a joiner, the problem with being Canadian, DVPit, finding your genre, the important of publicists, deciding if writing is worth the stress, the danger of self-rejection, being a chapter President during the RWA implosion, and nothing being more important than the writing. ✦ Farah Heron is a critically acclaimed author of romance and romcoms.. Her recent release, Accidentally Engaged, was praised in Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, NPR, Glamour magazine, and has been named one of the year's best romances by Vulture. Her YA debut, Tahira in Bloom, will be out November 1, 2021. ✦ Farah: Query | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound | LibroFM ✦ QQQ Home Base | Support on Patreon ✦ If links aren't clickable, find them here: https://bit.ly/qqqfarah ✦ This page includes affiliate links. Please use them if you'd like to support the show. ✦

Meet our next hero: Britney S. Lewis Britney writes YA contemporary and speculative fiction, does competitive West Coast swing dancing, and is documenting her traditional publishing journey on YouTube. Her YA debut, The Undead Truth of Us, will be available Summer 2022. Join us as we discuss: Britney's querying tips, imposture syndrome, her long-term writing goals, the part of the publishing journey that's brought her the most joy so far, and more! You can find Britney S. Lewis on: Instagram @britney.s.lewis, Twitter @britneyslewis, & TikTok @britneyslewis Check out her website at https://www.britneyslewis.com/. Follow her on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/user/Britney3Kisses. For a link to our Discord Community, follow us on social media and send us an email at afronautspodcast@gmail.com! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/afronauts-podcast/message

In this seventh episode of Cabana Chats, we bring you a conversation full of awesome information about the ins and outs of the publishing world, and many years of the wonderful Minorities in Publishing podcast (and newsletter), with the fabulous Jennifer Baker. We also talk about just needing a break! Jennifer Baker was named the 2019 Publishers Weekly Star Watch “SuperStar” because her “varied work championing diversity in publishing has made her an indispensable fixture in the book business.” She is a publishing professional with almost 20 years' experience in a range of roles (editorial, production, media) and is an instructor for Bay Path University's Creative Nonfiction MFA, as well as the creator/host of the podcast Minorities in Publishing (a 2018, 2019, 2020 finalist for the Digital Book World Best Use of Podcasting in Book Marketing). Jennifer most recently served as a contributing editor to Electric Literature, and she has freelanced as a proofreader, copyeditor, and/or development editor and has written for various publications in print and online. From 2014-2017, Jennifer was panel organizer and social media manager for We Need Diverse Books, a non-profit organization that sprang to life from the #WeNeedDiverseBooks media campaign to increase minority representation in literature. She is the editor of Everyday People: The Color of Life—A Short Story Anthology with Atria Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster). Her YA novel Forgive Me Not will publish with Putnam Books for Young Readers (an imprint of Penguin Random House) in 2022. Find out more about Jennifer Baker here: https://www.jennifernbaker.com/ Join our free Resort community, full of resources and support for writers, here: https://community.theresortlic.com/ More information about The Resort can be found here: https://www.theresortlic.com/ Cabana Chats is hosted by Resort founder Catherine LaSota. Our podcast editor is Craig Eley, and our music is by Pat Irwin. FULL TRANSCRIPTS for Cabana Chats podcast episodes are available in the free Resort network: https://community.theresortlic.com/ Follow us on social media! @theresortlic

When she accepted the internship at The Alonso Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Ella thought she’d be studying the bird-flu, or something standard. A brain-eating-virus, her mysterious witchy boss, and her ex-girlfriend’s corpse have other plans for her. Samantha Rose Panepinto - Sam is a writing teacher in Brooklyn, NY, where she lives with her partner and two beautiful, inconsiderate cats. Her YA fiction is inspired by the ways young people take back their power and wreak havoc on attempts to keep them in line. Her work centers queer teens with big voices, navigating situations both familiar and far-off. Sam’s short fiction has been featured in Queers in Space, the Image OutWrite literary journal, and her nonfiction on Autostraddle. Sam is a participant in the 2021 Tin House YA Fiction Workshop, with mentor Mason Deaver.

Chatting With Sherri welcomes actor and writer; Arielle Strauss Brueland!  Arielle Strauss Brueland is an author, actress, and percussionist. Her YA paranormal romance series, The Wraith Trilogy, has been republished by AUSXIP Publishing in 2020. Arielle has performed on Off-Off Broadway and at the New York Fringe Festival. Her favorite job was traveling with Momentum Theatre Troupe around New England, performing Shakespeare on a truck that opened to a stage. Since that dream came true, Arielle has begun to take an interest in Audio Theatre. She currently works as a voice actress with San Diego-based company Sherri's Playhouse. She's also hard at work collaborating with AUSXIP Audio and the XVPodcasters to bring the character of Zoe Lambros to life in a series of audiobooks by Mary D. Brooks. Arielle loves being part of a creative team whose goal is to bring stories to life. When she's not acting or writing, Arielle can be seen touring on the bongos with Jersey-based rock/pop musicians Don Lee and The Wag.

“I think one of the things that I continue to work at… is being able to find joy in other people’s joy.” Laura Zimmermann is a writer, a storyteller, and a maker of cheesecakes. You might find her at a softball game, a jazz concert, or a nonprofit board meeting, but you'll never find her on a ladder or entering a triathlon. She is a multi-time winner of Moth and WordSprout story slams, and has frequently shared stories of her parenting escapades in Twin Cities Listen To Your Mother productions. Her YA novel My Eyes Are Up Here (Dutton, 2020) is available in five languages, even though she can only read one of them. She lives in Minneapolis with her three favorite people, who show up in her stories whether they like it or not.

Click here to take the Chasing Creative survey!Join us in this conversation with author and kindred spirit Ashlee Cowles as she shares about how travel and parenthood have changed her creative process. Ashlee believes that “creativity is not something we can lose, even if it has to lie dormant sometimes,” and we wholeheartedly agree. Listen in to learn how she’s spreading support and encouragement for creative parents through her latest project, The Most Creative Thing.Ashlee Cowles is the author of the award-winning novel, Beneath Wandering Stars, and its sequel, Below Northern Lights. Her YA gothic mystery, THE POPPY & THE ROSE, will be published in 2020.Ashlee’s booksBeneath Wandering StarsBelow Northern LightsWisdom for the Way: A Camino de Santiago Guidebook for the Pilgrim’s SoulResources we sharedThe Most Creative ThingThe Cultivating ProjectDiscover Your Creative Personality Type resource on The Most Creative ThingBooks we talked aboutAtomic Habits by James ClearBefore I Disappear by Danielle StinsonAll the Light We Cannot See by Anthony DoerrFour Seasons in Rome by Anthony DoerrThe Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan StradalGreat Kitchens of the Midwest by J. Ryan StradalWhere to find Ashleewww.ashleecowles.comwww.themostcreativething.comInstagram: @ashleecowlesInstagram: @themostcreativethingWhere to find AbbieGoodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20016618-abbigail-e-kriebsWebsite: http://www.inkwellsandimages.comInstagram: @abbigailekriebsTwitter: @abbigailekriebsPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/abbigailekriebs/Facebook: http://facebook.com/inkwellsandimagesWhere to find AshleyWebsite: www.brookseditorial.comBlog: www.ashleybrookswrites.comInstagram: @ashleybrookswritesTwitter: @brookseditorial

Lindsay Wong is the bestselling, award-winning author of The Woo-Woo: How I Survived Ice Hockey, Drug-Raids, Demons, And My Crazy Chinese Family. Her debut memoir won the 2019 Hubert Evans Nonfiction Prize, and it was a finalist for the Writers Trust’s 2018 Hilary Weston Prize, the 2019 edition of Canada Reads, and long listed for the 2019 Stephen Leacock Medal in Humour. It was also named a Best Book of 2018 by the Quill and Quire and a 2018 Globe 100 Book. She joined author Casey Plett for a discussion about the book at BookFest Windsor/Festivale du livre 2019. Please note: This is a live recording in an auditorium.Wong holds a BFA in Creative Writing from The University of British Columbia and a MFA in Literary Nonfiction from Columbia University in New York City. Her YA novel My Summer Of Love And Misfortune is forthcoming from Simon Pulse in 2020. Find out more about the author and the book at the following links:https://lindsaymwong.wordpress.com/https://quillandquire.com/review/the-woo-woo-how-i-survived-ice-hockey-drug-raids-demons-and-my-crazy-chinese-family/

B. L. McGrew is on the Written in Melanin podcast to share a snippet and talk about We Are Immeasurable. Her YA book about Mazie and Barnaby is absolutely wonderful and if you want to know more about person behind the pen, tune in to this episode of the podcast! Follow us: Written In Melanin @WrittenNMelanin (Twitter & IG) | C. E. Benson @CBensonWrite (Twitter & IG) | Ashley D. @WriteAshWrite (@ADFelder on IG) | B. L. McGrew @WriterBLMcGrew (@Writer_B.L on IG) Keeping Promises by C. E. Benson & We Are Immeasurable by B. L. McGrew can be purchased on Amazon. Check out the Written in Melanin Website, WrittenInMelanin.com & BLMcGrew.com. Support the podcast at https://ko-fi.com/WrittenInMelanin.

Lynette Noni is one of Australia's bestselling YA fiction authors. Her YA fantasy series, The Medoran Chronicles, skyrocketed her to success. Booktopia's Sarah and Bronwyn sat down with Lynette to talk about the inspiration behind Whisper and Weapon (her latest), her writing style and process, her success, why she loves being an author, the biggest challenges as a writer, writing advice and more. Books mentioned in this podcast: Weapon by Lynette Noni —> http://bit.ly/31ADotB Whisper by Lynette Noni —> http://bit.ly/2oVlZik Akarnae by Lynette Noni —> http://bit.ly/2P6xiyK Hosts: Sarah McDuling and Bronwyn Eley Guest: Lynette Noni

Authors on the Air host Pam Stack welcomes award-winning author Carol Goodman, who visits the studio to discuss her new book THE NIGHT VISITORS. Carol is the author of twenty novels, including The Lake of Dead Languages and The Seduction of Water, which won the 2003 Hammett Prize, and, under the pseudonym Juliet Dark, The Demon Lover, which Booklist named a top ten science fiction/fantasy book for 2012. Her YA novel, Blythewood, was named a best young adult novel by the American Library Association. Her 2017 suspense thriller The Widow's House won the Mary Higgins Clark Award. Her books have been translated into sixteen languages. ALICE gets off a bus in the middle of a snowstorm in Delphi, NY. She is fleeing an abusive relationship and desperate to protect... OREN, ten years old, a major Star Wars fan and wise beyond his years. Though Alice is wary, Oren bonds nearly instantly with... MATTIE, a social worker in her fifties who lives in an enormous run-down house in the middle of the woods. Mattie lives alone and is always available, and so she is the person the hotline always calls when they need a late-night pickup. And although according to protocol Mattie should take Alice and Oren to a local shelter, instead she brings them home for the night. She has plenty of room, she says. What she doesn't say is that Oren reminds her of her little brother, who died thirty years ago at the age of ten. But Mattie isn't the only one withholding elements of the truth. Alice is keeping her own secrets. And as the snowstorm worsens around them, each woman's past will prove itself unburied, stirring up threats both within and without. Listen to this podcast on your favorite podcast app. 

We discuss Holly Bourne, a British author whose books Ben has constantly been lending to Becky for the past few years. Bourne writes about feminism, mental illness, and relationships—both healthy and unhealthy. Her YA series Spinster Club follows three young women as they struggle with these things. Her adult novel, How Do You Like Me Now?, is about a woman on the brink of 30 still struggling with similar things. We break down our thoughts on these books, why we love them so much, and which parts we could most relate to. You can read Ben’s reviews of Am I Normal Yet? (with links to the subsequent books) and How Do You Like Me Now? on Goodreads. You can also read the episode transcript.

AN INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR CHRISTINE TAYLOR-BUTLER Christine Taylor-Butler is the author of over 75 books for kids. Before writing for kids, Christine earned two degrees from MIT and worked for the likes of Harvard University and Hallmark Cards. She has contributed to numerous nonfiction series for Scholastic writing about planets, states, our founding fathers, how our government works, and more. Her YA series Lost Tribes is now available. WE DISCUSS… • Best practices for research • How to research • Traveling for research • Organizational issues • Confirming veracity when doing nonfiction research • Researching for fiction…and more! START WRITING YOUR BOOK. Learn how to write publishable manuscripts with your own one-on-one mentor, an experienced professional author. To see if you qualify, go to writingforchildren.com/iamready

Ruth Lehrer is a poet, writer and sign language interpreter living in western Massachusetts. Author of the poetry chapbook, TIGER LAUGHS WHEN YOU PUSH, her writing has been published in print and online journals such as Jubilat, Lilith, DecomP, Trivia: Voices of Feminism, and The Blue Hour Magazine. Her YA novel, BEING FISHKILL, is published by Candlewick Press, 2017. BEING FISHKILL appeared in the 12/1 issue of Entertainment Weekly and was included in EW’s “Best New Books” column. It was listed in the first Fiction spot and graded A. http://ruthlehrer.com/   Radio host and author Laura Moe spent most of her working life as a librarian and English teacher in central and Southeastern Ohio, but has recently moved to Seattle where she writes full-time. Moe is the author of YA novels PARALLEL LINES (Fat Cats, 2015) and BREAKFAST WITH NERUDA (Merit Press, 2016, ) named by the New York Public Library as one the Best Books for Teens in 2016 and a Top Pick for VOYA. She is owned by a spoiled white cat and is working on a sequel to BREAKFAST WITH NERUDA. https://www.lauramoebooks.com/   This is a copyrighted podcast solely owned by the Authors on The Air Global Radio Network LLC

Written by Dr. Lydia Kang, a practicing internal medicine physician, and Nate Pedersen, a librarian and historian, Quackery offers 67 tales of outlandish treatments complete with vintage illustrations, photographs, and advertisements of everything from the equipment needed for Tobacco Smoke Enemas (used to save drowning victims in the Thames River) to an ad for the morphine-laced Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup for children.Looking back with fascination, horror, and dark humor, Quackery recounts the lively, at times unbelievable, history of medical misfires and malpractices. Ranging from the merely weird to the outright dangerous, here are dozens of outlandish, morbidly hilarious “treatments” -- conceived by doctors and scientists, by spiritualists and snake oil salesmen (yes, they literally tried to sell snake oil) -- that were predicated on a range of cluelessness, trial and error, and straight-up scams. Quackery seamlessly combines macabre humor with science and storytelling to reveal an important and disturbing side of the ever-evolving field of medicine.Lydia Kang, MD, is a practicing internal medicine physician and author of young adult fiction and adult fiction. Her YA novels include Control, Catalyst, and the upcoming The November Girl. Her adult fiction debut is entitled A Beautiful Poison. Her nonfiction has been published in JAMA, the Annals of Internal Medicine, and the Journal of General Internal Medicine.Nate Pedersen is a librarian, historian, and freelance journalist with over 400 publications in print and online, including in the Guardian, the Believer, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Art of Manliness. Nate is a contributing writer for the magazine Fine Books & Collections, where he investigates the strange and unusual side of the rare-book market. Writers LIVE programs are supported in part by a bequest from The Miss Howard Hubbard Adult Programming Fund. Recorded On: Thursday, November 16, 2017

Written by Dr. Lydia Kang, a practicing internal medicine physician, and Nate Pedersen, a librarian and historian, Quackery offers 67 tales of outlandish treatments complete with vintage illustrations, photographs, and advertisements of everything from the equipment needed for Tobacco Smoke Enemas (used to save drowning victims in the Thames River) to an ad for the morphine-laced Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup for children.Looking back with fascination, horror, and dark humor, Quackery recounts the lively, at times unbelievable, history of medical misfires and malpractices. Ranging from the merely weird to the outright dangerous, here are dozens of outlandish, morbidly hilarious “treatments” -- conceived by doctors and scientists, by spiritualists and snake oil salesmen (yes, they literally tried to sell snake oil) -- that were predicated on a range of cluelessness, trial and error, and straight-up scams. Quackery seamlessly combines macabre humor with science and storytelling to reveal an important and disturbing side of the ever-evolving field of medicine.Lydia Kang, MD, is a practicing internal medicine physician and author of young adult fiction and adult fiction. Her YA novels include Control, Catalyst, and the upcoming The November Girl. Her adult fiction debut is entitled A Beautiful Poison. Her nonfiction has been published in JAMA, the Annals of Internal Medicine, and the Journal of General Internal Medicine.Nate Pedersen is a librarian, historian, and freelance journalist with over 400 publications in print and online, including in the Guardian, the Believer, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Art of Manliness. Nate is a contributing writer for the magazine Fine Books & Collections, where he investigates the strange and unusual side of the rare-book market. Writers LIVE programs are supported in part by a bequest from The Miss Howard Hubbard Adult Programming Fund. 

Today’s guest is Jody Casella, author and a former high school English teacher. Her YA novel Thin Space received a starred review from Kirkus. She blogs, reviews books, speaks at libraries and schools, and teaches workshops at the Thurber House in Columbus, Ohio. She is the Regional Director of the Ohio Central/South region of SCBWI. Jody joined host Mindy McGinnis to talk about MFA’s, querying as an already published writer, the benefits of joining SCBWI - the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators - and how attending book festivals geared for readers can also be beneficial to writers.  Support Writer, Writer, Pants on Fire Links for this Episode: SCBWI Jody's Website Jody's Twitter Jody's Facebook