Shows
Write the Damn Book AlreadyEp 166: Writing the Book That Scares You a Little (with Rachel Beanland)Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Rachel Beanland has written three novels (her newest, The Half Life, releases on July 14, 2026 from Simon & Schuster), and she's still surprised by how much each book teaches her. In this episode, we talk about what it actually looks like to challenge yourself as a writer—specifically, her decision to write her latest novel, The Half-Life, in first person for the first time. (As I've recently learned while working on my own novel, it's harder than it sounds, and Rachel has the perfect explanation as t...
2026-04-2939 minWrite the Damn Book AlreadyEp 166: Writing the Book That Scares You a Little (with Rachel Beanland)Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Rachel Beanland has written three novels (her newest, The Half Life, releases on July 14, 2026 from Simon & Schuster), and she's still surprised by how much each book teaches her. In this episode, we talk about what it actually looks like to challenge yourself as a writer—specifically, her decision to write her latest novel, The Half-Life, in first person for the first time. (As I've recently learned while working on my own novel, it's harder than it sounds, and Rachel has the perfect explanation as t...
2026-04-2939 min
Write the Damn Book AlreadyEp 165: How to Write a Memoir That Actually Lands With Rachel WeaverClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Rachel Weaver wrote her memoir Dizzy at a seven-day writing residency in Wyoming where she was, by her own description, "the depressed one in the corner the whole time." The (ultimate) result? A beautifully structured, deeply honest book about chronic illness, power dynamics, and what it takes to keep living the life you want even when your body has other plans.In this conversation, we dig into the craft and business of writing memoir. Rachel talks about why she swore she'd never write one, what...
2026-04-2245 minWrite the Damn Book AlreadyEp 165: How to Write a Memoir That Actually Lands With Rachel WeaverClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Rachel Weaver wrote her memoir Dizzy at a seven-day writing residency in Wyoming where she was, by her own description, "the depressed one in the corner the whole time." The (ultimate) result? A beautifully structured, deeply honest book about chronic illness, power dynamics, and what it takes to keep living the life you want even when your body has other plans.In this conversation, we dig into the craft and business of writing memoir. Rachel talks about why she swore she'd never write one, what...
2026-04-2245 min
Write the Damn Book AlreadyEp 163: The Truth About Traditional Publishing Nobody Tells First-Time AuthorsClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Lori is a traditionally published author of seven books whose latest novel, Kiss, Marry, Kill, releases April 7th with HarperCollins. Last time she was on the show, we talked about her novel, Romantic Friction. This time? We get into the business of publishing — the stuff most authors don't hear about until they're already in the thick of it.Plus, what Lori does (and questions) when it comes to her own marketing hustle, and why she goes all in every launch season even when she's not su...
2026-04-0848 minWrite the Damn Book AlreadyEp 163: The Truth About Traditional Publishing Nobody Tells First-Time AuthorsClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Lori is a traditionally published author of seven books whose latest novel, Kiss, Marry, Kill, releases April 7th with HarperCollins. Last time she was on the show, we talked about her novel, Romantic Friction. This time? We get into the business of publishing — the stuff most authors don't hear about until they're already in the thick of it.Plus, what Lori does (and questions) when it comes to her own marketing hustle, and why she goes all in every launch season even when she's not su...
2026-04-0848 min
Write the Damn Book AlreadyEp 162: From Academic to Fiction Author with Jennifer BrownClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Ever wonder what happens when an academic specializing in medieval women’s visions suddenly writes her first novel? In this episode, Jennifer Brown shares her unexpected leap from dusty manuscripts to publishing with St. Martin’s Press and how a canceled conference sparked her fiction journey—without a soul telling her she should.In this episode:How Jennifer’s fascination with medieval women and their visions inspired her novel, The Lost Book of Elizabeth BartonThe serendipitous week in London that kickstart...
2026-03-2537 minWrite the Damn Book AlreadyEp 162: From Academic to Fiction Author with Jennifer BrownClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Ever wonder what happens when an academic specializing in medieval women’s visions suddenly writes her first novel? In this episode, Jennifer Brown shares her unexpected leap from dusty manuscripts to publishing with St. Martin’s Press and how a canceled conference sparked her fiction journey—without a soul telling her she should.In this episode:How Jennifer’s fascination with medieval women and their visions inspired her novel, The Lost Book of Elizabeth BartonThe serendipitous week in London that kickstart...
2026-03-2537 min
Write the Damn Book AlreadyEp 160: The Hidden Struggles of TV and Book Success with Liz AstrofClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Creative careers look glamorous from the outside. The inside is usually…a little messier.In episode 160, I sit down with Liz Astrof, TV writer ("Stumble," "King of Queens," "Pivoting," etc.) and author of Stay-At-Work Mom, to talk about the real mechanics of building a career in entertainment and publishing. Not the highlight reel. The actual process.Liz shares what it’s like to write for television while also stepping into the world of books. Different mediums. Different pressures. Same core truth: Good...
2026-03-111h 20Write the Damn Book AlreadyEp 160: The Hidden Struggles of TV and Book Success with Liz AstrofClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Creative careers look glamorous from the outside. The inside is usually…a little messier.In episode 160, I sit down with Liz Astrof, TV writer ("Stumble," "King of Queens," "Pivoting," etc.) and author of Stay-At-Work Mom, to talk about the real mechanics of building a career in entertainment and publishing. Not the highlight reel. The actual process.Liz shares what it’s like to write for television while also stepping into the world of books. Different mediums. Different pressures. Same core truth: Good...
2026-03-111h 20
Write the Damn Book AlreadyEp 159: Start at the End with Emma GreyClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!In this episode, I’m joined by Emma Grey, whose newest novel, Start at the End, publishes on April 7, 2026. We talk about writing brave stories and building a creative life that can withstand rejection.Emma shares how vulnerability fuels her fiction. Not for shock value, but how honest emotions earn their place on the page. We talk about how she approaches structure, how she stays grounded in character, and why the process of storytelling keeps evolving right alongside the writer.We al...
2026-03-0448 minWrite the Damn Book AlreadyEp 159: Start at the End with Emma GreyClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!In this episode, I’m joined by Emma Grey, whose newest novel, Start at the End, publishes on April 7, 2026. We talk about writing brave stories and building a creative life that can withstand rejection.Emma shares how vulnerability fuels her fiction. Not for shock value, but how honest emotions earn their place on the page. We talk about how she approaches structure, how she stays grounded in character, and why the process of storytelling keeps evolving right alongside the writer.We al...
2026-03-0448 min
Write the Damn Book AlreadyEp 158: Inside Alexandra Potter's Writing ProcessClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!In this episode, I’m joined by U.K.-based bestselling author Alexandra Potter, known for Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k-Up and her newest release, So, I Met This Guy... We talk about her writing journey, the freedom (and risk) of genre versatility, and why she refuses to be boxed in (as should you!).Alexandra shares how she develops characters with depth and momentum. A friend calls her the “cork board queen,” and once you hear her plotting process, you’ll understand why.
2026-02-2544 minWrite the Damn Book AlreadyEp 158: Inside Alexandra Potter's Writing ProcessClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!In this episode, I’m joined by U.K.-based bestselling author Alexandra Potter, known for Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k-Up and her newest release, So, I Met This Guy... We talk about her writing journey, the freedom (and risk) of genre versatility, and why she refuses to be boxed in (as should you!).Alexandra shares how she develops characters with depth and momentum. A friend calls her the “cork board queen,” and once you hear her plotting process, you’ll understand why.
2026-02-2544 min
Write the Damn Book AlreadyEp 155: A Lawyer's Flawed Characters Challenge the Idea of "Happily Ever After" (with Sarah Vacchiano)Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Sarah Vacchiano’s journey from querying 100 agents to publishing with one of the industry’s top houses is a story of patience, "luck," and the power of building genuine relationships.In this episode, Sarah shares the behind-the-scenes details of her publishing journey, including how a chance reconnection with an editor led to her debut novel’s acquisition and publication. You'll discover how her strategic persistence, timing, and a bit of serendipity turned a decade-long work into a real-life success story that defies typical timelines.We b...
2026-02-0432 minWrite the Damn Book AlreadyEp 155: A Lawyer's Flawed Characters Challenge the Idea of "Happily Ever After" (with Sarah Vacchiano)Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Sarah Vacchiano’s journey from querying 100 agents to publishing with one of the industry’s top houses is a story of patience, "luck," and the power of building genuine relationships.In this episode, Sarah shares the behind-the-scenes details of her publishing journey, including how a chance reconnection with an editor led to her debut novel’s acquisition and publication. You'll discover how her strategic persistence, timing, and a bit of serendipity turned a decade-long work into a real-life success story that defies typical timelines.We b...
2026-02-0432 min
Write the Damn Book AlreadyEp 154: Cassie Miller's Path to "Meet Me Under the Lights" (YA Contemporary Romance)Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!An elementary school librarian by day. A writer by night (and other spare moments). Somewhere in between, a whole book got written.In episode 154, I’m joined by Cassie Miller, author of the upcoming young adult contemporary sports romance Meet Me Under the Lights (Viking, March 2026). We talk about how she balanced teaching, writing, and real life long enough to finish a novel—and then had the courage to send it into the traditional publishing world.Cassie walks through her querying expe...
2026-01-2141 minWrite the Damn Book AlreadyEp 154: Cassie Miller's Path to "Meet Me Under the Lights" (YA Contemporary Romance)Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!An elementary school librarian by day. A writer by night (and other spare moments). Somewhere in between, a whole book got written.In episode 154, I’m joined by Cassie Miller, author of the upcoming young adult contemporary sports romance Meet Me Under the Lights (Viking, March 2026). We talk about how she balanced teaching, writing, and real life long enough to finish a novel—and then had the courage to send it into the traditional publishing world.Cassie walks through her querying expe...
2026-01-2141 min
Write the Damn Book AlreadyEp 150: Author & Book Marketing in 2026 with Jenn Hanson-dePaulaClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Episode 150 provides the reset many authors quietly crave as Jenn Hanson-dePaula returns to help us modify (if not outright rebuild) our expectations, systems, and perspectives when it comes to book sales.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:• How to implement a "2 sales a day" strategy.• Becoming "profitable, not popular." (Hint: Clicks matter. Likes and views don’t.)• The simple link path that outperform complicated funnels every time.• The easiest daily selling you're probably NOT doing. We also walk through how to measure...
2025-12-101h 08Write the Damn Book AlreadyEp 150: Author & Book Marketing in 2026 with Jenn Hanson-dePaulaClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Episode 150 provides the reset many authors quietly crave as Jenn Hanson-dePaula returns to help us modify (if not outright rebuild) our expectations, systems, and perspectives when it comes to book sales.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:• How to implement a "2 sales a day" strategy.• Becoming "profitable, not popular." (Hint: Clicks matter. Likes and views don’t.)• The simple link path that outperform complicated funnels every time.• The easiest daily selling you're probably NOT doing. We also walk through how to measure...
2025-12-101h 08
Write the Damn Book AlreadyEp 146: I Wanted To Be Wonderful with Lihi LapidClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Wanting life to be wonderful and wanting to be wonderful aren’t the same thing, and that gap is where today’s conversation lives.Israeli journalist and author Lihi Lapid joins me to talk about motherhood’s messy truths, the pressure to be “more” than "good enough," and the writing choices that make a story feel honest. From bestselling novels to a children’s book that calms homes during chaotic times, Lihi's path as an author reframes what success and impact really mean.We unpa...
2025-11-0531 minWrite the Damn Book AlreadyEp 146: I Wanted To Be Wonderful with Lihi LapidClick Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!Wanting life to be wonderful and wanting to be wonderful aren’t the same thing, and that gap is where today’s conversation lives.Israeli journalist and author Lihi Lapid joins me to talk about motherhood’s messy truths, the pressure to be “more” than "good enough," and the writing choices that make a story feel honest. From bestselling novels to a children’s book that calms homes during chaotic times, Lihi's path as an author reframes what success and impact really mean.We unpa...
2025-11-0531 min
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...
2025-10-0140 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...
2025-10-0140 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...
2025-09-2441 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...
2025-09-2441 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 min