On today’s episode we get to chat with Erin Quinn-Kong, a longtime magazine editor who started writing fiction after having her second child, while she was a freelance writer. She started writing Hate Follow in December 2020 after unsuccessfully querying a women’s fiction novel. She knew this idea was different as it had such a solid, newsworthy hook: an influencer who gets sued by her teen daughter for invasion of privacy (something Erin swears is going to happen one day—probably soon!)...

In this heartwarming episode of Author Express, join host Shawna Rodrigues as she sits down with Becky Ellis, a celebrated Northwest author from Portland. Discover Becky's journey growing up across various cities in California and how her complex family dynamics shaped her memoir, "Little Avalanches." Gain insights into the intriguing conversation she had with her father, a decorated WWII combat sergeant, that transformed her life's narrative. Learn about the specific challenges and emotional...

Tiffany Yates Martin started in the publishing industry in her twenties as a copy editor for many of the Big Six (back then), when the business still used red pencils and to fact-check she had to spend a day at the New York Public Library in the stacks. For the last fifteen-plus years as a developmental editor she’s worked directly with authors as well as through major publishing houses, on titles by New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal bestselling and...

Curious about the life experiences that fuel a writer's imagination? In today's episode of Author Express, host Kathleen Basi chats with prolific author Cherie Dawn Haas. Cherie wrote her first book in 2016, titled Girl on Fire. It was inspired by her days as a fire eater and tribal belly dancer, and came at a time when she wanted to spend more time at home. While still a fire dancer at heart, Cherie Dawn now expresses herself through the written word. By day, she is an online editor for the...

On today’s episode, we will be chatting with Catherine Matthews, a Women’s Fiction author whose recently launched her debut novel, Releasing the Reins. This dual timeline novel follows Bunny O’Kelly’s as she storms off to Alaska to prove her worth, not just as a ranch hand, but as a woman in a world that doesn’t want her. As the title implies, Bunny has something to learn about trust—not just in others but in herself. Catherine took that journey along with Bunny as she let go of a...

Get ready to be inspired on this episode of Author Express as we introduce you to the acclaimed historical fiction and romance author, Madeline Martin. Host Kristi Leonard pulls back the curtain on Madeline’s fascinating journey from being an Army brat in Germany to becoming a New York Times and USA Today bestseller. Discover how Madeline transitioned from writing over thirty romance novels to the world of historical fiction, with a special focus on her latest heartwarming book, The Book...

On today’s episode, we’re chatting with Amy Watson, a Women’s Fiction and romance author. One day, at the prompting of her therapist, she went home and told her husband she was going to write a novel. Mind you, she wasn’t a writer at the time. Hadn’t done more than dabble in poetry in college. She took a couple of creative writing courses online, and that November wrote the first 50,000 words to her novel Closer to Okay. Three years and approximately twenty versions later, her book was...

Join Shawna Rodrigues as she chats with Yvonne Battle-Felton on this episode of Author Express, where an exciting narrative journey awaits. Yvonne, a seasoned writer and creative force, reveals snippets of her rich life experiences and their impact on her writing. Discover the inspirations behind her debut, Remembered, and get a preview of her upcoming release, Curdle Creek, an American Gothic novel. They explore themes like identity, family, and the peculiar charm of small towns that...

Aimie K. Runyan writes to celebrate the spirit of strong women. She has been honored as a Historical Novel Society Editors’ Choice selection, as a five-time finalist for the Colorado Book Awards, and as a nominee for the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer of the Year. Aimie is active as an educator and speaker in the writing community and beyond. Her next books Mademoiselle Eiffel, which was released September 10th, 2024, and The Wandering Season, which in coming April 1st, 2025 and will be...

On today's episode we get to chat with Hadley Leggett, award-winning author of the debut novel, All They Ask Is Everything. A love letter to the messiness of motherhood, the book tells the story of three very different women who each want custody of the same two little girls — and discover they have more in common than the children they’re fighting for. Hadley fell in love with storytelling as a child, but as a people-pleaser born into a family of scientists, it never occurred to her she...

Dr. Bella Ellwood-Clayton is an award-winning author and editor. She has a BA from Concordia University in Montréal and a Ph.D. from the University of Melbourne in sexual anthropology—and, yes, that makes for interesting dinner party conversations. Bella’s novel, Weekend Friends, was published in 2023 by Post Hill Press. Her nonfiction book, Sex Drive: In Pursuit of Female Desire, was published by Allen & Unwin in 2012. Bella has published short stories, poetry, and written for...

In this riveting episode of Author Express, Kathleen Basi chats with Edgar award-winning novelist Mindy McGinnis. If you’re fascinated by the balance between a cheerful personality and dark, compelling writing, Mindy’s story will captivate you. Get a glimpse into her life in a small Ohio town, marked by historical tragedies and quirky facts. Mindy’s new book, Under This Red Rock, a dark-themed murder mystery involving LGBTQ and mental health topics, offers a raw and honest perspective borne...

On today’s episode we get to chat with Deirdre Swinden, a dark fiction author with a penchant for ghost stories. After twenty+ years as a leader in corporate communications, Dee took a leap of faith and set out to build her creative writing skills. She dove into the realms of sci-fi, horror and speculative fiction during her MFA. Her thesis novel, Somnium, offers readers a blend of psychological horror and high-tech science fiction via a fast-paced nightmare journey where dreams can kill....

On today’s episode, we get to chat with southern novelist Mindy Friddle, whose third book (and first domestic thriller) Her Best Self is out now from Regal House Publishing. Her Best Self includes the perspectives of a constellation of characters, including first-person point-of-view from the protagonist, a small-town matriarch, as well as third-person from a range of characters including her husband, adult children, a neurodiverse grandson with an affinity for animals, and the antagonist, a...

Once every few years, a great love story sweeps readers off their feet and becomes a runaway sensation. Amy Neff’s stunning debut The Days I Loved You Most is perfectly poised to become that next great love story for the ages. The book asks the question: Could you live without the love of your life? And centers on a couple in a coastal Connecticut town who decide to redefine the ending to their love story, on their own terms. It just received a glowing starred review from Booklist which...

In today's episode, we chat with Christine Gunderson about her ten year journey to a traditional publishing deal, tenacity, and how to deal with rejection. She wrote her debut novel, Friends with Secrets, in her mini van in the school pick up line, at piano lessons, during drama rehearsals, at swim team practice, basketball practice, crew practice, and in lots of other unglamourous and uncomfortable places where only a mother who writes would write. Like most writers, Christine started life...

On today's episode, we have Casey Dembowski, the author of three award-winning romance novels, When We're Thirty, The Corey Effect, and Get A Room. Her fourth novel The First Love Myth is coming soon from Red Adept Publishing. Kirkus called her debut "absorbing and satisfying" while Midwest Book Reviews labeled Get A Room "A study in humor, irony, romantic encounters, and the evolution of a friendship…" Casey's novels are connected standalones, all exisitng in the same extended universe....

On today's episode we will be chatting with Jenny Erlingsson, a Nigerian-American born author and speaker. After serving on the pastoral staff of a church in Huntsville, Alabama for twelve years, her family lives in a small village on the southern coast of Iceland, the land of Fire and Ice. She is married to a joyful viking and mother to four adorably, feisty kids. They keep her laughing, challenged and in prayer, all day every day! She never imagined that she'd have the opportunity to...

Amy Dressler writes contemporary fiction featuring heroines who wrestle their emotional baggage while maintaining a sense of humor. How to Align the Stars, Amy's debut novel, is a feminist, body-positive spin on Much Ado About Nothing. It is the first book in the Shakespeare Project, a series in which Amy will reimagine Shakespeare's classic comedies with a focus on the inner journeys of the heroines. Retellings allow us to explore classic stories more deeply by hanging modern stories on a...

Award-winning author Pamela Stockwell was born in Texas and raised in South Carolina. In between, she lived in the Philippines and, along with her big sister, became fluent in Tagalog name-calling. She abandoned her foreign language studies at age five and went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from the University of South Carolina. Pamela lives with her husband in Central New Jersey. She has three children in various stages of young adulthood, one dog, and too many cats. Her first...

An avid reader and writer since she was a child, Heather Osoy found her voice through literature. She wrote a number of plays, poems, short stories and even a screenplay during her formative years. The passing of a beloved family member right before the pandemic encouraged her to use that voice to publish her first novel, To Hold Oneself. She chose the indie route, so no one could interfere with what she wanted to say. Her stories are full of imperfect people trying to find their own voices....

On today’s episode we’re traveling south to Virginia to speak with Sharon Wishnow, a women’s fiction author who is more than a little obsessed with pelicans and writing about what is outside her back yard. Sharon’s writing career spans thirty years, starting as a freelance writer in the Netherlands where she established a beat in the supermarket and food industries. When she returned to the US, she garnered her experience along with a few professional degrees into a communications career...

On today’s episode we chat with Nancy Taber, an author whose stories are inspired by women’s forgotten histories, her military service, and her love of the fantastical. Nancy grew up in a military family, joined the military herself, graduated from military college, and served as a Sea King helicopter Tactical Coordinator. When she completed her service, she earned her Master’s and PhD degrees, and became a university professor researching the intersection of gender, militarism, and learning....

Join host Shawna Rodrigues on this exciting episode of Author Express as she welcomes bestselling and award-winning authors Kimberley Woodhouse and Tracie Peterson. You'll learn about this dynamic duo's long-standing friendship and collaboration that has produced nearly 200 books. Discover intriguing facts about their hometowns and learn how a fan letter sparked a 30-year bond and successful partnership. Listen in as they share their love for settings like Kalispell, Montana, and their...