Shows
Write the Damn Book AlreadyEp 143: From Starbucks Barista to Thriller Novelist with Julie DoarClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!A single question on a cold Hudson Valley walk: What if there’s a body in that hunter’s tent? sparked the debut thriller The Gallagher Place by Julie Doar. In this episode, we chat about how she wrote the first draft by instinct, then shifted gears into precision: charting dates, timelines, and cause-and-effect until every twist landed in a way that made sense. When the manuscript worked its way to 100K+ words, cutting became an act of getting clarity on what stays, what g...
2025-10-0836 minWrite the Damn Book AlreadyEp 143: From Starbucks Barista to Thriller Novelist with Julie DoarClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!A single question on a cold Hudson Valley walk: What if there’s a body in that hunter’s tent? sparked the debut thriller The Gallagher Place by Julie Doar. In this episode, we chat about how she wrote the first draft by instinct, then shifted gears into precision: charting dates, timelines, and cause-and-effect until every twist landed in a way that made sense. When the manuscript worked its way to 100K+ words, cutting became an act of getting clarity on what stays, what g...
2025-10-0836 min
Write the Damn Book AlreadyEp 142: Writing, Endings & Publishing Myths with Novelist Turner Gable KahnClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!What happens when a traditionally published debut novel suddenly appears on Kindle Unlimited while still showing wide? That unexpected twist opens into a bigger conversation about publishing decisions (and what’s actually within an author’s control).In this episode, Turner Gable Kahn, author of The Dirty Version (Harper Perennial), shares how she honored her grandmothers with a pen name, threaded #MeToo-era questions into a contemporary romance, and wrestled with multiple endings before landing on the one that aligned with her feminist lens.We a...
2025-10-0139 minWrite the Damn Book AlreadyEp 142: Writing, Endings & Publishing Myths with Novelist Turner Gable KahnClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!What happens when a traditionally published debut novel suddenly appears on Kindle Unlimited while still showing wide? That unexpected twist opens into a bigger conversation about publishing decisions (and what’s actually within an author’s control).In this episode, Turner Gable Kahn, author of The Dirty Version (Harper Perennial), shares how she honored her grandmothers with a pen name, threaded #MeToo-era questions into a contemporary romance, and wrestled with multiple endings before landing on the one that aligned with her feminist lens.We a...
2025-10-0139 min
Write the Damn Book AlreadyEp 141: From Fantasy to Memoir with Betsy CornwellClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Maid meets Under the Tuscan Sun!Betsy Cornwell built her career writing young adult fantasy, but her newest book tells an entirely different story. In this episode, Betsy opens up about her memoir, Ring of Salt, which chronicles her escape from an abusive marriage and her creation of a sanctuary for single-parent artists.At the center is the Old Knitting Factory in western Ireland, a historic building she transformed into a childcare-inclusive residency. What began...
2025-09-2440 minWrite the Damn Book AlreadyEp 141: From Fantasy to Memoir with Betsy CornwellClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Maid meets Under the Tuscan Sun!Betsy Cornwell built her career writing young adult fantasy, but her newest book tells an entirely different story. In this episode, Betsy opens up about her memoir, Ring of Salt, which chronicles her escape from an abusive marriage and her creation of a sanctuary for single-parent artists.At the center is the Old Knitting Factory in western Ireland, a historic building she transformed into a childcare-inclusive residency. What began...
2025-09-2440 min
Write the Damn Book AlreadyEp 140: Writing Tips from Bestselling Author Jane HamiltonClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Most authors have as big a stack (if not bigger) of abandoned drafts as they do books that actually make it into the world. Jane Hamilton—bestselling author of The Book of Ruth and A Map of the World and two-time Oprah Book Club pick—is refreshingly open about that reality.Her newest novel, The Phoebe Variations, took nearly a decade to finish. Not because she was “blocked,” but because finding the center of a story often means writing and tossing out entire versions until one fina...
2025-09-1743 minWrite the Damn Book AlreadyEp 140: Writing Tips from Bestselling Author Jane HamiltonClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Most authors have as big a stack (if not bigger) of abandoned drafts as they do books that actually make it into the world. Jane Hamilton—bestselling author of The Book of Ruth and A Map of the World and two-time Oprah Book Club pick—is refreshingly open about that reality.Her newest novel, The Phoebe Variations, took nearly a decade to finish. Not because she was “blocked,” but because finding the center of a story often means writing and tossing out entire versions until one fina...
2025-09-1743 min
Write the Damn Book AlreadyEp 136: Writing a Novel While Raising Kids with Jill BeisselClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Writers dream of the day they’ll hold their finished book, but few warn you about how intense the editing phase can be. In this episode, debut novelist Jill Beissel gets real about the messy, magical process of turning a rough draft into a polished novel readers will love.Jill’s upcoming book, Glitter and Gold (out October 7!), went through what she calls “color-coded chaos”—a DIY system using highlighters, sticky notes, and sheer persistence to untangle plot issues and deepen character arcs.She also s...
2025-08-0630 minWrite the Damn Book AlreadyEp 136: Writing a Novel While Raising Kids with Jill BeisselClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Writers dream of the day they’ll hold their finished book, but few warn you about how intense the editing phase can be. In this episode, debut novelist Jill Beissel gets real about the messy, magical process of turning a rough draft into a polished novel readers will love.Jill’s upcoming book, Glitter and Gold (out October 7!), went through what she calls “color-coded chaos”—a DIY system using highlighters, sticky notes, and sheer persistence to untangle plot issues and deepen character arcs.She also s...
2025-08-0630 min
Write the Damn Book AlreadyEp 134: Crafting Complex Narratives with Lauren OliverClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!If you’re the kind of person who devours psychological thrillers but also wants to be emotionally sucker-punched (in the best way), Lauren Oliver’s What Happened to Lucy Vale needs to be on your radar. In this episode, Lauren takes us behind the scenes of what might be her most structurally daring novel to date. Set in a small Indiana town with a possibly-haunted house at its core, Lucy Vale unspools two eerie mysteries—one set in the past, one unraveling in real time—using bot...
2025-07-2330 minWrite the Damn Book AlreadyEp 134: Crafting Complex Narratives with Lauren OliverClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!If you’re the kind of person who devours psychological thrillers but also wants to be emotionally sucker-punched (in the best way), Lauren Oliver’s What Happened to Lucy Vale needs to be on your radar. In this episode, Lauren takes us behind the scenes of what might be her most structurally daring novel to date. Set in a small Indiana town with a possibly-haunted house at its core, Lucy Vale unspools two eerie mysteries—one set in the past, one unraveling in real time—using bot...
2025-07-2330 min
Write the Damn Book AlreadyEp 133: Living Proof with Tiffany Graham CharkoskyClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!In this episode, I sit down with Tiffany Graham Charkosky to talk about her forthcoming memoir, Living Proof (October 21, Little A), a book written and shaped over years of writing and rewriting.At just 11 years old, Tiffany lost her mother. For decades, she believed it was an unexplainable tragedy, until a DNA test unearthed information that changed everything. That discovery didn’t just reshape her understanding of her mother’s death; it also made her question what she might unknowingly pass on to her own chil...
2025-07-1636 minWrite the Damn Book AlreadyEp 133: Living Proof with Tiffany Graham CharkoskyClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!In this episode, I sit down with Tiffany Graham Charkosky to talk about her forthcoming memoir, Living Proof (October 21, Little A), a book written and shaped over years of writing and rewriting.At just 11 years old, Tiffany lost her mother. For decades, she believed it was an unexplainable tragedy, until a DNA test unearthed information that changed everything. That discovery didn’t just reshape her understanding of her mother’s death; it also made her question what she might unknowingly pass on to her own chil...
2025-07-1636 min
Write the Damn Book AlreadyEp 131: The Paper Palace and Beyond with Miranda Cowley HellerClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Miranda Cowley Heller's father was a book editor; her grandfather edited Jack Kerouac and was friends with Hemingway. That legacy, while inspiring, left her frozen when it came to pursuing her own writing. Instead, she built a thriving career in publishing and TV, eventually heading up drama series at HBO. Then, in her 50s, she wrote the novel she’d been carrying around for years, The Paper Palace, which became a New York Times #1 bestseller and a Reese’s Book Club pick. Now, she's...
2025-07-0255 minWrite the Damn Book AlreadyEp 131: The Paper Palace and Beyond with Miranda Cowley HellerClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Miranda Cowley Heller's father was a book editor; her grandfather edited Jack Kerouac and was friends with Hemingway. That legacy, while inspiring, left her frozen when it came to pursuing her own writing. Instead, she built a thriving career in publishing and TV, eventually heading up drama series at HBO. Then, in her 50s, she wrote the novel she’d been carrying around for years, The Paper Palace, which became a New York Times #1 bestseller and a Reese’s Book Club pick. Now, she's...
2025-07-0255 min
Write the Damn Book AlreadyEp 130: When Fiction Meets AI with Lori GoldClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Author Lori Gold is pulling back the curtain on publishing, in both this interview and her newest novel, Romantic Friction. INSIDE THE EPISODE• Yet another reason bestseller lists aren’t what you think (I didn't know this until I read her book!)• A great tip for handing reviews without spiraling (or swearing off Goodreads forever)• What AI is doing to authors' voices, and why it should concern all of us• How writing happens even when you're not writing • How Lori studies...
2025-06-2546 minWrite the Damn Book AlreadyEp 130: When Fiction Meets AI with Lori GoldClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Author Lori Gold is pulling back the curtain on publishing, in both this interview and her newest novel, Romantic Friction. INSIDE THE EPISODE• Yet another reason bestseller lists aren’t what you think (I didn't know this until I read her book!)• A great tip for handing reviews without spiraling (or swearing off Goodreads forever)• What AI is doing to authors' voices, and why it should concern all of us• How writing happens even when you're not writing • How Lori studies...
2025-06-2546 min
Write the Damn Book AlreadyEp 129: From LinkedIn to Penguin Random House with Gigi RobinsonClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!What started as sharing her story online about living with chronic illness turned into a book deal with Penguin Random House. In this episode, Gigi Robinson shares how she leveraged consistency, relationships, and a clear vision to go from content creator to published author.Here’s what we get into:Why she chose to write A Kid’s Book About Chronic Illness (and how it ended up getting picked up by Penguin/DK).The ridiculously simple promo strategy Gigi swears by: bring the book ever...
2025-06-1836 minWrite the Damn Book AlreadyEp 129: From LinkedIn to Penguin Random House with Gigi RobinsonClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!What started as sharing her story online about living with chronic illness turned into a book deal with Penguin Random House. In this episode, Gigi Robinson shares how she leveraged consistency, relationships, and a clear vision to go from content creator to published author.Here’s what we get into:Why she chose to write A Kid’s Book About Chronic Illness (and how it ended up getting picked up by Penguin/DK).The ridiculously simple promo strategy Gigi swears by: bring the book ever...
2025-06-1836 min
Write the Damn Book AlreadyEp 127: On Writing...Everything, with Melissa de la CruzClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz has published nearly 80 books (yes, 80), and in this episode, she shares what it really takes to build and sustain a long-term writing career. From surviving the shifting tides of publishing to protecting what gets you "in the mood" to write, she shares the kind of wisdom every author loves hearing. INSIDE THE EPISODE:• Melissa's advice: Don’t quit your day job until the math says you can• Success is wonderful; it also resets with every n...
2025-06-0442 minWrite the Damn Book AlreadyEp 127: On Writing...Everything, with Melissa de la CruzClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz has published nearly 80 books (yes, 80), and in this episode, she shares what it really takes to build and sustain a long-term writing career. From surviving the shifting tides of publishing to protecting what gets you "in the mood" to write, she shares the kind of wisdom every author loves hearing. INSIDE THE EPISODE:• Melissa's advice: Don’t quit your day job until the math says you can• Success is wonderful; it also resets with every n...
2025-06-0442 min
Write the Damn Book AlreadyEp 126: Murder on the Page with N.L. BlandfordClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Thriller author N.L. Blandford isn't afraid to go dark—like, murder scene dark—and she absolutely loves it.In this episode, she talks about writing gritty thrillers with complex villains you’ll root for and recoil from. Natasha never planned to become an author. She just wanted to cross “write a book” off her bucket list. Now she’s five books in, spanning multiple series, and shows no signs of slowing down.We talk abou...
2025-05-2843 minWrite the Damn Book AlreadyEp 126: Murder on the Page with N.L. BlandfordClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Thriller author N.L. Blandford isn't afraid to go dark—like, murder scene dark—and she absolutely loves it.In this episode, she talks about writing gritty thrillers with complex villains you’ll root for and recoil from. Natasha never planned to become an author. She just wanted to cross “write a book” off her bucket list. Now she’s five books in, spanning multiple series, and shows no signs of slowing down.We talk abou...
2025-05-2843 min
Write the Damn Book AlreadyEp 125: The Business of Being a Writer with Jane FriedmanClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!In this no-fluff episode, publishing powerhouse Jane Friedman speaks to the aspects of writing and publishing that every aspiring author needs to hear about. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT: The myth of the full-time writer dream—and why your day job might be your secret weaponHow to build an author platform without selling your soul The hard truth about bookstore distribution and hybrid publishing How sponsorships can turn your author newsletter into a profitable platform—and why subscriptions might not be the moveWhat nobody tells yo...
2025-05-2156 min