In this episode, Nicole discusses the concept of author resilience, emphasizing that it is an ongoing journey rather than a one-time achievement. She shares her personal experiences in building a coaching business for authors and highlights the importance of self-kindness and acceptance during challenging times. Nicole encourages authors to recognize their feelings of self-doubt and imposter syndrome as natural, and to develop coping mechanisms to navigate these emotions. The conversation concludes with a reminder that resilience is a continuous practice that all authors must cultivate throughout their careers.

Today on Writer Unblocked, I’m chatting with audiobook narrator Samantha Norbury.

Samantha shares her journey from theater to audiobook narration, the importance of quality production for indie authors, and the impact of AI voices on the industry. We also talk about the emotional connection of this craft, the use of pseudonyms, and the growing accessibility of stories through audiobooks.

Today on Writer Unblocked, I’m chatting with Meredith Kasian! Meredith shares her journey as an author, discussing her debut novel, The Wielder's Discovery. We delve into the inspiration behind her story, the character development, and the intricate world-building that combines elements of science and magic. She is a chemical engineer, afterall!  Meredith also provides insights into her writing and editing process, the challenges of self-publishing, her strategic plan for the audiobook, and the importance of balancing creativity with the business of being an author. 

Today on Writer Unblocked, I’m chatting with author and publisher Tanya Anne Crosby! Tanya Anne is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of thirty novels. She’s been featured in People, Romantic Times, and Publishers Weekly, and her books have been translated into eight languages. Tanya Anne shares her journey from traditional publishing to becoming a successful indie author and publisher. She discusses the importance of testing cover art, the significance of managing a backlist and delves into the growth of her publishing company, Oliver Heber Books.

In this conversation, Ashton M. Smith shares her journey into the world of book design, emphasizing the importance of cover art in attracting readers, especially in the self-publishing landscape. She discusses her educational background, her passion for helping indie authors, and the detailed process she follows to create compelling book covers. We delve into the intricacies of book cover design, the evolution of cover art trends, and the psychological impact of cover designs on readers. Ashton shares insights on how familiarity in design can attract readers, the challenges posed by movie tie-ins, and offers valuable advice for authors navigating the cover design process.

Today on Writer Unblocked, I’m chatting with author Kara M. Zone about her amazing book Cinders Burn at Midnight - which I am devouring. I loved this conversation, we covered so much. First off, Kara is an advocate and educator on the indie publishing industry. I think she is so smart in her approach and strategy for writing and releasing this book. I loved how open and vulnerable she is about the underlying trauma themes in the book and her own experience with C-PTSD and the impact it has on her writing. We chat about audiobooks, formatting, resources and of course, Kara’s plan for the next 12 months.

Today on Writer Unblocked, I’m chatting with author Robin Brooks. Her journey is a testament to perseverance and rediscovering joy in writing. She’s a full-time working mom who decided to pursue her dream of writing and publishing a book, proving it’s never too late to show up for yourself. From enduring soul-crushing query rejections to revisions and ultimately landing her agent, she’s faced it all with determination. Her story is not just about chasing a dream but about learning, evolving, and embracing the messy, beautiful process of being an author. Join me as we dive into her inspiring journey of writing, querying, rejection and finding a home for her story.

Today is a solo episode and I’m talking about goal setting. Using the Objective: Key Result framework I show you how I guide authors to come up with big goals, aligned actions and measurable outcomes!

Today on Writer Unblocked, I’m chatting with Florence A. Bliss, she is the author of Taken by His Sword, her debut romance novel! This has everything an enemies to lovers fan would want including force proximity, slow burn, redemption and one horse! We talk about how she went from biochemistry to education to romance author, and how to write a fierce, multi-dimensional and likeable female protagonist! We also dive into her long querying process and how she ended up landing a publisher with no agent. 

Today on Writer Unblocked, I’m chatting with Anthony Casella, he is working on his first novel after completing his MFA in creative writing from The New School - and I had to dig in to whether or not an MFA is worth it, what he got out of it, how is preparing to pinpoint the right agents and his secret advantage when it comes to query letters. Of course we also touch on writing for audio, what kicked his butt into gear, and what to say to that nosy family member at Thanksgiving who is prying about your book progress. 

Today on Writer Unblocked, I’m chatting with author Brooke Dean. She is a mother, story teller, content creator, producer, editorial operations director - and now author -  with over 20 years of television and digital media experience. Brooke currently oversees the Audible Originals Third Party Scripted Content and Podcasts team at Audible where she produced the best-selling audiobook Force of Beauty: A Newark Family Memoir by Mikki Taylor.  She has written for online magazines focusing on love, sex, relationships and lifestyle content.

Today on Writer Unblocked, I’m chatting with Christina Diane, a wife and mother who enjoys weaving stories of love and passion from her home in Northern Maine. Her favorite genre to read and write are historical romances set in the Regency era. She took a long break from writing when her kids were younger, but found that she couldn’t stop thinking about stories and characters she had to get on paper! And with only a few weeks to go for her self-publishing launch, she got a SIX book deal from a publisher!

Today on Writer Unblocked, I’m chatting with Liza Darnton. She’s been in publishing for over 20 years. Her background includes in-house acquisitions editor for Penguin and Amazon Publishing as well as an independent editor working directly with both professional and new authors. Liza is also an agent at large for Mary Evans Inc.

You can find Liza on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liza-darnton/

Today on Writer Unblocked, I’m chatting with David Glover, an actor, poet, playwright and director from Philadelphia. His book Beneath My Body Armor, is one of the most incredible and intimate poetry collections I’ve ever read. 

You can find David on instagram @sirdavidlawrenceglover.