The conference presented by Novelists, Inc. (NINC) is a unique experience that brings together multi-published authors who publish traditionally, independently, or both. Speakers are selected from the top echelons of the industry, and the conventions and networking opportunities rise far above what authors experience anywhere else. Host Patricia McLinn talks about her experience at the 2022 Novelists, Inc. conference in St. Petersburg, Fla., and gives an update on the latest self-publishing...

Michelle Monkou is a multi-platform author, spanning 20 years in the business and with over 25 titles. She began her career writing romance for Black Entertainment Television (BET) Arabesque and then with Harlequin Kimani. Michelle is currently writing short fiction, from sweet to steamy, under her pen name Thea Monk, and shortly will launch her other pen name, Aria Bancroft, for epic fantasy and urban fantasy stories. She heads That Joyful Spark, LLC, an author coaching service, along with...

Former newspaper journalist, magazine editor, and company director, author Jenny Wheeler writes historical suspense and mystery. Jenny is currently working on her fifth book of the “Of Gold & Blood” series (Book 1, “Poisoned Legacy,” released 2018) set in Gilded Age California. Born in New Zealand, Jenny Wheeler grew up in a farming community and fell in love with books and radio dramas. After teaching and being a physics data collector, she joined the New Zealand Herald as a general new...

Matty Dalrymple, member of Sisters in Crime and International Thriller Writers, writes suspense, thriller, and mystery. Matty is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers (Book 1 published in 2017), “Rock, Paper, Scissors,” “Snake and Ladders,” and “The Iron Ring.” She also writes the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels (Book 1 published in 2013), “The Sense of Death, “The Sense of Reckoning,” “The Flacon and the Owl,” “A Furnace for Your Foe,” and “A Serpent’s Tooth;” as well as the Ann Kinnear...

Jean Oram is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of feel-good, tingle-inducing, heartwarming romances. They’ll make you want to stay up all night laughing, crying and falling in love with her realistic characters. She loves to sweep readers away while making opposites attract in tear-jerking, laugh-out-loud romances set in small towns. Her most popular series include The Cowboys of Sweetheart Creek, Texas (Book 5, "The Cowboy's Surprise Return," released in 2021), Veils and...

Becca Syme is the creator and founder of the Better-Faster Academy. She taught the popular Write Better-Faster course on author success alignment for six years, and has individually coached thousands of authors. She also writes mystery as R.L. Syme and has written several genres of romance, including historical, contemporary, paranormal, and romantic suspense. Host Patricia McLinn talks with Becca about the Clifton Strengths test and how it can be applied both in the writing and reading world.

Becca Syme writes mystery as R.L. Syme, including the cozy culinary series The Matchbaker Mysteries, and has written several genres of romance from paranormal to romantic suspense. She was nominated for a Genesis Award in Contemporary Romance and has won several writing contests in historical romance, young adult romance, and contemporary fiction. Host Patricia McLinn talks to Becca about learning throughout a writing career both by listening to others and, sometimes, ignoring them.

Nicole Burnham is the RITA award-winning author of more than 20 novels, including the popular Royal Scandals series. Her stories center on family and romance, whether they’re set in small-town America or centuries-old palaces, and are populated by characters who work to make the world a better place. Nicole graduated from an American high school in Mannheim, Germany, then completed her BA in Political Science at Colorado State and her JD/MA at the University of Michigan.

In late May, host Patricia McLinn was a guest on fellow independent author Joanna Penn’s The Creative Penn podcast. In this Authors Love Readers “Continuation” episode, Patricia reflects on her interview with Joanna about the current trends and the future of the publishing industry, shares more tips for writers, and talks about why she wrote Survival Kit for Writers Who Don’t Write Right.

A native Texan, USA Today bestselling author Sara Rosett grew up reading and dreaming of writing books. Her stories and essays have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Military Wife’s Soul, Georgia Magazine, The Writer, and Romantic Times Book Review. She is the author of the High Society Lady Detective series, the Murder on Location series, the On the Run series, and the Ellie Avery series. Sara also teaches an online course, How to Outline a Cozy Mystery.

Jami Albright talks with host Patricia McLinn about the difference between her high concept ideas and building a story from those ideas. Born and raised in Texas, Jami is a multiple award-winning author of the Brides on the Run series – fun, sexy, snarky, laugh-out-loud love stories. Her newest novel, the small-town sports romantic comedy Homecoming King, was just released, and she switches from football to tennis for Duke-ing It Out, another enemies-to-lovers rom-com due out in spring 2021.

Host Patricia McLinn talks with Kevin Tumlinson, director of marketing for the ebook creation and distribution service Draft2Digital, supporting both indie and traditionally published authors. Books2Read, D2D's author services resource, is a fast-growing tool for the industry, with services such as Universal Book Links offering authors increased discoverability with readers, and offering readers a simple, one-click method of finding new authors and new books online. 

Audrey Derobert works on the Partners Team at BookBub, a free service that helps millions of readers discover limited-time ebook deals. She is an Account Manager, supporting independent authors and small publishers who are using BookBub's tools as part of their marketing strategy. BookBub now has an audiobook retail website, Chirp, and offers deals on titles there, too.  A graduate of Northeastern University, Audrey previously has worked with the Foundation for Responsible Robotics.

In this special episode of Authors Love Readers, host Patricia McLinn shares parts of her conversation with New York Times bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe not included in the original episode. The conversation moves from McLinn's "getting to know you" questions to deeper issues about plagiarism and being in the moment during writing and research. Monroe found her true calling in environmental fiction when she moved to coastal South Carolina, captivated by the beauty and fragility of her...

Host Patricia McLinn, recently returned from her favorite Novelists Inc. gathering, talks about what writers do when they go to conferences. A NINC past president, she has attended all but two of its annual conferences. Patricia discusses the business side of writing, what happens when a bunch of socially deprived writers get together in one place and how she found a future podcast topic.

New York Times bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe found her true calling in environmental fiction when she moved to coastal South Carolina. Already a successful author, she was captivated by the beauty and fragility of her new home. Mary Alice talks with Host Patricia McLinn about using her fears of natural disasters and her desire to educate people on the impact of climate change as the catalysts for her writing.

Betsy Moore is a stage and film actress who also does vocal work for video games. Her expansion into audiobooks began spontaneously when Patricia McLinn's previous narrator for her mystery series Caught Dead in Wyoming retired, and Betsy was tapped to continue the series. Betsy has a regular role on The Baxters, a TV series based on Karen Kingsbury's faith-based novels. Betsy and host Patricia McLinn talk about becoming a voice actor and what Betsy has learned along the way.

Host Patricia McLinn shares never before heard clips, from conversations with authors Paty Jager and Julianne MacLean. These conversations focus a singular subject: How stories often surprise their writers.

USA Today bestselling author Ann Charles writes award-winning mysteries that are splashed with humor, romance and whatever else sounds fun. Ann lives in the Northern Arizona mountains with her husband, children and a sassy cat. Ann Charles and host Patricia McLinn compare and contrast setting stories in real versus imaginary places, talk about deadlines, goal and more in this extras episode.

Brenda Hiatt is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nearly 25 novels, including sweet and spicy historical romance, time travel romance, humorous mystery, and the young adult science fiction Starstruck series. Brenda began in traditional publishing and later made a transition to indie publishing. In this short "extras" episode, host Patricia McLinn talks with Brenda about the business of being self-published and the editing and promotional aspects that entails.

This week's Authors Love Readers episode is a compilation of insights and conversations that didn't make it into previous episodes. Host Patricia McLinn talks with authors Brenda Hiatt, Paty Jager, Ann Charles, Julianne MacLean, Nancy Warren and Pamela Fagan-Hutchins. Conversations range from getting-to-know-you moments, to deep insights into the motivations of the writers, and the growth they've experienced over a career of writing. 

In our third compilation episode, we bring you more bonus interview material that didn't make it into previous episodes. (So little time, so much to talk about!) Host Patricia McLinn talks with podcast guest authors Jeff Carson, Rebecca Forster, R.J. Patterson, Jennifer Stevenson, Laura Durham, J.F. Penn, Melissa F. Miller and Nicole Jordan.

Award-winning author Paty Jager and her husband raise hay in eastern Oregon. On her road to publication she wrote freelance articles for local newspapers and enjoyed working as a 4-H Program Assistant. Raising cattle, riding horses and battling rattlesnakes, she writes the western lifestyle that she lives. Her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. Her research takes her on side trips that eventually turn into yet another story.

Host Patricia McLinn takes on an episode solo to give listeners an update on Author World and an alleged case of plagiarism. Patricia forgot to say in the podcast that if you want to read the history or follow what's happening, the hashtag is #copypastecris. If you think you've spotted plagiarized work, we hope you'll contact the original author via his/her website. Remember to look for word-for-word chunks, not ideas, tropes, situations, set-ups or occupations.