Shows
SPA Girls PodcastSPA Girls Podcast – EP511 – Attending Reader EventsWendy, Cheryl and Trudi are off to RARE Melbourne in October 2025 and busy organising ALL the things! So this episode we share all our BEST TIPS (merchandise sourcing, what works, what doesn’t), table set up, what to wear, how to approach reader events, how many books to take (or offer on preorder) and how to calm the nerves / talk to strangers (ha!)
Links mentioned:
Author websites:
Wendy Vella / Lani Blake https://wendyvella.com/index.htmlhttps://laniblake.com/
CA Phipps https://caphipps.com/
Trudi Jaye https://www.tr...
2025-07-3054 min
SPA Girls PodcastReader Events - Tips For Authors AttendingWendy, Cheryl and Trudi are off to RARE Melbourne in October 2025 and busy organising ALL the things! So this episode we share all our BEST TIPS (merchandise sourcing, what works, what doesn't), table set up, what to wear, how to approach reader events, how many books to take (or offer on preorder) and how to calm the nerves / talk to strangers (ha!) Links mentioned: Author websites: Wendy Vella / Lani Blake https://wendyvella.com/index.html https://laniblake.com/ CA Phipps https://caphipps...
2025-07-3054 min
SPA Girls PodcastWhen To Pivot What happens when your books don't sell? When is it time to end a series? Or Pivot to a new penname? Wendy, Cheryl and Shar are here to give their advice and (strong!) opinions on when it's the right time to pivot and the steps writers should take to make that decision. We've collectively written and published almost 200 books over the past 15 years, so we've experienced and witnessed a LOT of author angst, success and industry changes. We hope that this discussion is beneficial to authors at all stages of their journey! We believe in...
2025-04-3036 minSPA Girls PodcastSPA Girls Podcast – EP492 – Writer Roundtable with the SPA GirlsThe SPA Girls get down and personal with a Q1 2025 catchup! From surprising successes, unexpected writing tips, hybrid publishing adventures to mindset resets, we Keep It Real in this wild author life.
Links mentioned:
Wendy Vella website , CA Phipps website, Trudi Jaye website
www.theauthorhelper.com
Vinci Books https://www.vinci-books.com/
Dragonblade Publishing https://www.dragonbladepublishing.com/
Maggie Marr (SPA Girls Podcast Episode #451 (https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep451-interview-with-maggie-marr/ )
Heather Hildenbrand (SPAGirls Podcast Episode #434 (https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep434-top-3-mindset-tips-for-authors-with-heather-hildenbrand/ )
Erin Wright...
2025-03-1954 min
SPA Girls PodcastWriter Roundtable with the SPA Girls The SPA Girls get down and personal with a Q1 2025 catchup! From surprising successes, unexpected writing tips, hybrid publishing adventures to mindset resets, we Keep It Real in this wild author life. Links mentioned: Wendy Vella website , CA Phipps website, Trudi Jaye website www.theauthorhelper.com Vinci Books https://www.vinci-books.com/ Dragonblade Publishing https://www.dragonbladepublishing.com/ Maggie Marr (SPA Girls Podcast Episode #451 (https://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com/spa-girls-podcast-ep451-interview-with-maggie-marr/ )
2025-03-1854 min
SPA Girls PodcastBook Signings & Promoting Your Books In PersonThis episode we discuss Book Signings and Book Fairs - in person events where authors get out of the writing cave and actually (gasp!) interact with readers and fellow authors. These can be great fun - and a little intimidating. Wendy's just returned from RARE Edinburgh so we grilled her on how she prepped, her table "set up", how preorders worked, what merchandise she took and how she handled the signing. Cheryl's done a number of book fairs in New Zealand and there is a definite benefit to starting locally and finding your feet at smaller events.
2024-10-1629 min
SoulsortsThe Starpoint Radio Wind Down Zone - 29th November 2023The Soulsorts Record Room Wind Down Zone on Starpoint RadioWednesday 29th November 2023Playlist:Bléz – Invitation (2017)Darren Rahn feat. Maxine Hardcastle – Speechless – Album: Speechless (2012)Tasita D'Mour – Gonna Be Mine – EP: Elements (2014)Dara Tucker – Can We Pretend – Album: Dara Starr Tucker (2023)Johnny Britt feat. Blair Bryant – Ocean Waves – Album: After We Play (2023)Mike Di Lorenzo feat. Anna Moore – In Your Arms – Album: Play It Cool (2023)Tahirah Memory – Never Wonder – Album: Asha (2019)Tahira Memory & Jarrod Lawson – All The Tim...
2023-11-303h 03
SPA Girls PodcastSPA Girls Podcast - EP420 - Why Forward Planning is Vital for Authors This week we talk about the forward planning we all do for our author careers. Because we're all so different here in the SPA, we all plan differently, and have different goals. But that means there will be nuggets of gold for everyone in this episode! We go through what it means to forward plan in your author business, why it's important, where we start from, what we think about when we do our planning, and how to actually get it down in a format that works for each of us.
2023-11-0151 minSPA Girls PodcastSPA Girls Podcast – EP 413- Back Engineering a Bestseller
Today’s topic was prompted by a commenter on youtube who asked us about reverse engineering bestsellers. What makes a book, be it your second one published or your tenth, sell more than others.
We believe there are many variables to that. Timing, tropes, the first 10% of how a book starts. The cover, blurb, and other popular tv or books that may have similar aspects.
There are many things to consider, and today we take a dive into why a book can launch a career!
SPA Girls’ bestsellers at time of recording:
Wend...
2023-09-1238 min
SPA Girls PodcastSPA Girls Podcast - EP375 - Celebrations And Things We're Grateful ForThe Spa Girls wish you a wonderful Christmas and today we're sharing our celebrations and things we're grateful for. From Shar's first taste of travel in three years and reaching 1000 subscribers on Youtube, all Wendy's historical books hitting the top in that category and doing German translations, Cheryl achieving her goal of four books for 2022 and opening a store, Trudi finally finished a series and found a course that resonated more than she could have hoped for, there is plenty celebrate. The grateful list was long and included our guests who keep things real, listeners...
2022-12-2034 min
SPA Girls PodcastSPA Girls Podcast - EP369 - Make Luck Through BeliefToday we talk about not relying on luck to build your career. We believe you can make your own luck, but don't wait for it to happen! Ron Weasley (or not, we're not really sure) says believing in yourself is 100% more powerful than luck! Overnight success may happen for some, but if you dig deeper often, what appears to be a lucky break is actually from years of hard work to get to that point. Wendy, Cheryl, and Trudi dig deeper into this subject in the podcast. ❤️ The SPA Girl...
2022-11-0835 min
Book Talk, etc.September Books on the RadarSend us a textIn Episode 67 of Book Talk, Etc. Tina and Renee share a few of their anticipated August Releases. They also share what they've been loving lately, their latest reads, shelf additions, and answer each other's "how do you feel about.." questions **If you enjoy our commercial free podcast please consider supporting us on Patreon ! We have great bonus episodes including: Books we DNFed, Books We Disagreed On, What's in the Mailbag, Second Year Spoiler Author Chat, + our ALL NEW CRIMINALLY BOOKED! Plus, we host fun Zoom events like Mood Reader...
2022-08-3053 min
SPA Girls PodcastSPA Girls Podcast - EP353 - Book Launch Strategy with Wendy VellaSPA Girl Wendy Vella has been self-publishing successfully since 2013 in Historical Romance and Contemporary Romance. Her romances are loved by a huge global audience who appreciate her trademark wit, strong family depiction, unique settings, and swoon-worthy heroes. Today, Wendy is a USA Today Bestseller and consistent Amazon bestseller, with 50 books published, and close to 3 million copies sold worldwide. Wendy has seen it all, and tried it all, self-publishing wise! We grill her on how she launched her most recent book, Defending Danger, and what strategies and tactics she uses to build buzz around her launch...
2022-07-2045 minSPA Girls PodcastSPA Girls Podcast – EP332 – TikTok Tips with AK Mulford
This week we talk to fantasy author AK Mulford about how she got started on TikTok!
We cover TikTok for authors in depth: how to start, who to follow, how to get your follower count up, best length of videos, what to post, how to create the videos, hashtags, sounds, dealing with comments, batching, duets, stitching, etiquette plus differences from other social media platforms. And most importantly: does it sell books?
If you’ve ever considered jumping on TikTok, this is the episode for you!
Some suggested authors to check out on TikTok: AK...
2022-02-231h 08
SPA Girls PodcastSPA Girls Podcast - EP331 - Reignite Your Writing Joy!Feeling a bit blah about your writing? Struggling with getting good words down and your word count UP? Today we're taking inspiration from Marie Kondo, and we're sparking back the joy in our writing lives! Our SPA Girls tried-and-true steps are: Re-commit to your Why Re-evaluate your ideal writing life / writing day Let gooooooooo Start with Simple Be Like Marie and ask Does It Spark Joy? As always, a brutally honest and real-time discussion how we're all struggling a bit for different reasons. Wendy's tired, but she can still invent words - see "unbogging" as an example! SPAGirlsPodcast.com
2022-02-1540 min
Flourish, Girl. Flourish.Bet Your Bottom Dollar, There’ll Be Sun.Bet on yourself. If no one else will, PLEASE ALWAYS BET ON YOU!!! Choose life. Choose new beginnings. Choose to NEVER quit. Choose LOVE. Choose YOU, EVERYTIME!!!! Please. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
2022-02-0238 minFlourish, Girl. Flourish.Once Upon A TimeDid things change or stay the same? You decide. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
2022-01-1732 min
SPA Girls PodcastHow To Find Your 'WHY"What's the real reason you're a writer? We've talked about finding your why before on the podcast, and today we're delving deeper. Inspired by Simon Sinek's book Start With Why, and Find Your Why, Trudi has us "on the couch" again, which Wendy, in particular, absolutely loves (not)! Sinek's book is based on the idea that we're a sum total of the experiences we've had growing up, the lessons we've learned and the teachers we've had and the things we've done. The process is all about looking for stories from your childhood that resonate with...
2022-01-1233 minFlourish, Girl. Flourish.Access Denied, Keep The Key.When you leave the door open for old relationships and bad habits to come back as they please, you’re too accessible. Close the door, deny access and change the locks. Let them keep that old set of keys, they no longer work. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
2022-01-1022 minFlourish, Girl. Flourish.Chin Up, Beautiful.You can’t see where you’re heading if your head is down. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
2021-12-2717 min
SPA Girls PodcastChristmas SpecialDespite 2021's best efforts we've managed to do some great work this year and had some good times. From launching as planned when health or life got in the way, to self-improvement on many levels, we've hit the markers. Maybe not on time or in an effortless ballet-like movement, but we're taking the wins and so should you! Show Notes: Cheryl's proudest moment: Launched 3 books after health issues put a spanner in the works several times. Favourite moments: Being able to see and hold grandchildren and children. Wendy's proudest...
2021-12-2134 minFlourish, Girl. Flourish.It’ll Change Ya LifeDo it scared. Point, blank and the period. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
2021-12-2128 min
SPA Girls PodcastThe Writing ProcessIn the SPA today, we talk about the evolution of our writing process. We delve into the changes that have taken place in our writing journeys over the last few years. Wendy discusses her collaboration with her son, and how merging two styles makes life interesting! Are you someone who has storyboards? Do you write linear, or do you start at chapter one and then skip to chapter five? Some authors need to see the cover of their book before they write it, others, pictures of the main characters. Everyone is different and...
2021-12-0751 minFlourish, Girl. Flourish.Just Shut Up & Do It (No Nike)Full of excuses? Let’s talk about it and give them a name. And once we’re done, HANDLE YOUR BUSINESS. Bag it up and DUMP THEM. We got this. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
2021-11-0836 minFlourish, Girl. Flourish.To The Boy That Changed My Life.Just when you thought the stretching was for NOTHING.. Change is scary, but staying the same is even scarier. This one is for all of the times you thought running would help you overcome the process of change. Embrace it, nurture it and DEAL WITH IT. You got this!--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
2021-10-3133 minFlourish, Girl. Flourish.Controlla, Controlla.Oh my goodness y’all. Have you ever been FULL of emotions or have you ever allowed your emotions to get the best of a situation? Me either. Lol. If so, this one is for you!!! I come in peace. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
2021-10-2535 minFlourish, Girl. Flourish.Beauty In The Bounce Back.That moment you realize that minor setback was only set up for a major comeback. Embrace it y’all. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
2021-10-1829 minFlourish, Girl. Flourish.#29.In this episode I name 29 things I want to work towards and keep close to me. This was one of the many gifts I gave myself for my 29th birthday. What a great way to start off!!! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
2021-10-0318 min2021-09-2900 min
SPA Girls PodcastInterview with Virginia Milner from Amazon about Kindle VellaIf you've been considering taking the plunge into Amazon's new serials platform, Kindle Vella (and yes, Wendy asked if they'd named it after her), then this is the episode for you! We talked to Virginia Milner, the principal product manager for Kindle Direct Publishing, and leader of the Kindle Vella project, all about the new platform. She explained how Kindle Vella - which launched in July 2021 to readers - works, how authors are already using it to their advantage, and the possible ways that Kindle Vella could be used by authors in the future to broaden their...
2021-09-081h 01
SPA Girls PodcastPride and PerseveranceJoin Shar, Wendy, Cher and Trudi for the 300th EPISODE of the SPA Girls Podcast! We talk about having pride in your work and being proud of everything you've achieved, and then how to persevere in the face of all the odds! This is a fun episode where we open up about some of the things we've been through over the last six years, and give our best advice for anyone looking to self publish!
2021-07-1449 min
#MORETHAN: A PodcastWendy Davidson on Leading Out LoudWendy Davidson, President of the Americas for Glanbia Performance Nutrition and vocal advocate for purposeful and passionate leadership, joins me for a heart-centered conversation about leading with curiosity, respect and authenticity. Wendy's leadership journey started at her childhood kitchen table and took her all the way to the C-Suite, where she continues to break business barriers and open doors for others.
2021-07-0833 min
SPA Girls PodcastPlotting for PantsersWhile Trudi is an outright plotter, Cheryl considers herself a hybrid and Wendy is a confirmed pantser. Shar isn't with us today but we know she's tried it all! But is this a hard and fast thing? You'll find out when and how we plot and the struggles involved with pantsing. The differences intrigue us and we think you'll agree there is a wide scope to fit in either camp or somewhere in between. If you're starting out plotting is a great way to begin your journey. In the time it takes you...
2021-04-1440 min
Jaye and Hatah PodcastIs V-Day Necessary?Happy Black History Month!!! We talking the passing of the GREAT Cicely Tyson, Uzi-Vision, The Wendy Williams Movie, and the question of Is Valentines Day necessary. Come on in and sit down so we can talk. Business of The Week!!! Aliyah’s Cosmetics.net by Erica Williams
2021-02-0532 min
Jaye and Hatah PodcastSurviving the HolidaysWe talking about Mario Lopez as Colonel Sanders, Wendy Williams being a Momo, and Seasonal Depression. So come on in and have a seat so we can talk.
2020-12-1029 min
SPA Girls PodcastReader GroupsToday's podcast is all about reader groups. Are they worthwhile? How they work and why you would want one? Wendy has recently started one, and we discuss how that is working for her, and also talk about some more established reader groups the SPA Girls belong to like, Lucy Score, C N Crawford, and Marie Force. Once again an episode chock full of information! You'll find all the show notes and SPA Girls podcast episodes at: www.spagirlspodcast.com Make sure you're signed up to our weekly self-publishing tips newsletter: http://eepurl.com...
2020-11-1051 min
SPA Girls PodcastInsider Writing Secrets...A good old fashioned craft episode from the SPA Girls this week. Shar, Wendy and Cheryl discuss insider writing secrets from James Scott Bell's book Fiction Attack! They pull out five important secrets that have most impacted them, and discuss what they mean and how they've used them in their writing. From using conflict and suspense, to description, fuzzy POV, cliches and info dumps, they go deep on some of those writing secrets that will take you from average to amazing!
2020-11-0437 min
SPA Girls PodcastWhat Advertising Is Working For UsThis week we discuss what advertising is actually working for our romance, urban fantasy and cozy mystery books. From facebook to series promotions, we've picked up some helpfully tips and strategies for getting the most bang of your advertising buck! Visit our full shownotes at: SelfPublishingAuthorsPodcast for each of the SPA Girls tips, examples of Wendy's series rebranding befores and afters and recommended reading and resources.
2020-07-0840 min
Solitary SelectionsSolitary Selections Ep. 10 - 70s / 80s AOR Obscurities All Vinyl Live DJ SetWe're putting the funk 45s down in favor of the smooth! Join DJ Raj Mahal as we celebrate our 10th episode of Solitary Selections with a vast array of obscure late 70s , early 80s AOR, West Coast, Yacht Rock, soft rock, whatevers. It's all vinyl and all live.OG Live Stream: https://youtu.be/U9vq3wu80k8Track List:00:00 Untouchable And Free - Adrian Gurvitz 04:31 Say Goodbye - Hiroshi Sato (ft. Wendy Matthews)07:34 Get Down To It - David Astri09:33 Spaceship Earth - David Batteau13:24 Living Without Your Love - The Imperials16:13 Lay Me Down - Renée19:48 (That's) H...
2020-06-201h 00
SPA Girls PodcastWrite It Down, Make It HappenAre you ready to make 2020 YOUR year? This week we talk about the importance of physically writing down your goals to make them happen. Wendy is a perfect example of the power of writing them down: In 2006, superstar author Debbie Macomber, attended our Romance Writers of NZ conference where she gave each attendee an index card to write their wildest writing dreams down. Wendy kept her goalcard over the years and as she achieved each goal, she marked it off. Now her entire card has been checked off!
2020-01-1533 min
SPA Girls PodcastBookBrush, where do I start?Today we interview Kathleen Sweeney, Customer Services Manager and Marketing Lead at BrookBrush, an online platform designed to help authors with all their image creation needs. Kathleen helps us delve into what we as writers can get out of BookBrush, and all the features that we can use to create amazing social media and advertising images. She explains the platform, how it works, what options are available and some of her favourite tips to create the right images for your needs. Kathleen also tells us they're always evolving and working on new and exciting things to help...
2019-12-1032 min
SPA Girls PodcastWriting RegencyThis episode we talk to our very own Wendy Vella about writing Regency romance. Since 2013, Wendy has forged a very successful indie career writing historical and contemporary romance. Her Regencies have been on the Amazon's top seller lists many times and collectively she's sold over one million books to date. Like many romance writers, Wendy cut her historical reading teeth on Georgette Heyer, and then discovered the wonderful worlds of Eloisa James, Stephanie Laurens, Julia Quinn and Lisa Kleypas (and many more!). Regency romance is a subgenre of varying heat levels and sensibilities - from sweet, comedy...
2019-02-1330 min
SPA Girls PodcastHow To Identify Your Writing WeaknessesINTRO: Today's episode was inspired by a comment on our podcast website www.SpaGirlsPodcast.com by listener Carron, who asked "...when you're starting out (writing) how do you know what weaknesses to focus on? You don't know what you don't know. Love to hear an episode on things to work on, or things you ladies have struggled with and how you've gone about correcting them." Carron makes a really good point and we're kinda kicking ourselves that we haven't discussed this before. We've all been in "the writing game" for many, many years, and it's good to...
2019-02-0630 min
SPA Girls PodcastThe Kindness FactorThis week Wendy, Cheryl and Shar talk about "the Kindness Factor" – how we can achieve more but put less pressure on ourselves. Impossible you say? As we push ourselves to write more, to learn more and to get up to grips with this self-publishing world, there's often an unwanted side effect: a lot of us are really hard on ourselves and we're not enjoying our writer's life. Research shows that the happier you are, the more productive you are, so with that in mind we have our SPA Girls Top Five Kindness Factor Tips: 1.Break it do...
2018-10-1033 min
SPA Girls PodcastInterview With Historical Author Grace BurrowesThinking about self publishing and don't know where to start? Join the SPA Girls each week for 30 minutes of honest advice, tips and resources. This week we have the delightful Grace Burrowes on the show, chatting to Cheryl and Wendy about her career, why she started writing, how she stays authentic, and why she uses blogging to connect to readers. A New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, Grace says she's a recovering child welfare attorney, who for years turned to the reliable HEA of romance novels to balance out the stress in her l...
2018-09-0534 min
SPA Girls PodcastInterview with Damon Suede and Geoff SymonThinking about self publishing and don't know where to start? Join the SPA Girls each week for advice, tips and resources. Wendy and Cher sat down in a fairly noisy cafe with Indie author Damon Suede and his partner, Geoff Symon. The f-bomb went off fairly early in the piece, so if you're offended by swear words... you should still listen, because all the rest of the words out of their mouths were pure gold... :) Damon published his first novel, Hot Head, in 2011, which has since been named one of 'Top 100 Romance Novels of All T...
2018-08-2244 min
SPA Girls PodcastInterview with Kevin Tumlinson, Director of Marketing for Draft2DigitalNB technical note: we apologize for the audio pause in the first minute of the podcast, the gremlins (hobbits?) hit momentarily! Today we're delighted to welcome Kevin Tumlinson, bestselling thriller author, and Director of Marketing for Draft2Digital into the SPA! Kevin talks us through using Draft2Digital to format and publish your books on line, the best practices for keywords and a host of other tips for indie authors. For many of us living outside the US, Draft2Digital is the way to access online retailers who don't allow us to upload directly, and a...
2018-05-0936 min
SPA Girls PodcastOrganisation For AuthorsHow do you wrangle your research as a writer? Is keeping track of all your characters, setting details and story events driving you to reach for the chocolate (or vino)? In this episode we share our processes and tips for getting organized, and tools for staying on top of those myriad of details you need to remember. Side note: this is your free pass to hit the stationery store people, so bring on the colored flags, groovy folders and sparkly stickers. As with all things writing, there's no one "right" way to approach this: Wendy, Ch...
2018-04-2428 min
SPA Girls PodcastInterview With Nate Vella: Using Sports Psychology To Help Your WritingThis week we talk with elite sportsman, Nathan Vella, about using tools from sports psychology to help writers. Nate has been a professional rugby player for the last 7 years. In that time he has played in both NZ and Europe, and has amassed over 100 first class games, winning several championships. His strength besides his physical ability is his mental toughness. Nate talks with Wendy, Cheryl and Shar about applying what he has learned in the competitive high-performance environment he thrives and works in, specifically: Importance of preparation The top two inches Visualization Why is Process the...
2018-02-2833 min
SPA Girls PodcastWriting Small Town RomanceThinking about self publishing and don't know where to start? Join the SPA Girls each week for 30 minutes of honest advice, tips and resources. Small town settings are a common backdrop in romance. Writers love them because they give us a landscape that we can go back to again and again, with familiar secondary characters that our readers will recognise and become attached to. Readers love them because once they've found a town with a cool cafe, a watering hole where all the locals hang out, and characters they can fall in love with - well, why w...
2018-01-2340 min
SPA Girls PodcastSex in Historical FictionThinking about self publishing and don't know where to start? Join the SPA Girls each week for 30 minutes of honest advice, tips and resources. This week Wendy and Cheryl talk dirty with Kiwi historical romance/erotica author Nicola Davidson, who gives them the real story of the sex lives of the aristocracy in Recency London. Nicola has delved deep into the research, and she tells a captivated Wendy and Cher exactly what it was like in the sex clubs and private parties of the regency. It's fascinating stuff, especially if you're planning to write historical ro...
2018-01-0343 min
SPA Girls PodcastTen Truths For New Self-Publishers, Episode 104This week we're dealing out the "truthslaps" – in a loving way, of course. Wendy, Cher and Shar discuss ten truths for self-publishers that will help you navigate the choppy waters of a new indie author career. We want to be positive, but also realistic, so we are holding nothing back here. This is a rewarding (but tough) business and it requires patience and persistence. When you're starting out you're more than just a writer - you're launching a small business with a pretty steep learning curve. Fortunately there's a ton of help out there and here in the SPA is t...
2017-10-1940 min
Neo2soul Playlist14th Sept 2017 Mixbag of Music with DJ Niceness in the mix on FloradioBridging the gap between mainstream and indie artists, Mixbag of Music show brings light to the underground and gives you the quality music you want to hear, not have to hear. Non-stop, less chat, more in the mix (NeoSoul, Hip Hop, R&B, Soul, Gospel, Jazz) musical grooves.Our goal is to help emerging, unsigned independent artists and bands to connect with opportunities to increase their exposure through Internet radio Nanii Acosta - Sittin' SidewaysMicki Miller - Call MeGavin Turek - Birdie BeesRodney Block ft Sara Devine - Me...
2017-09-153h 01
SPA Girls PodcastInside Scoop on RWA2017Thinking about self publishing and don't know where to start? Join the SPA Girls each week for 30 minutes of honest advice, tips and resources. This week Shar and Trudi interview Wendy and Cheryl about their trip to Orlando for the Romance Writers of America 2017 conference. They give tips on surviving a conference with 2,000 other people, plus talk about what they learned from meeting self publishing gurus like Mark Dawson, Roxanne St Claire, and Kristen Painter. They also give up the best writing tips, the most-secret self-publishing tricks, and how to network like a ninja just f...
2017-09-0636 min
SPA Girls PodcastInterview with Roxanne St. ClaireThinking about self publishing and don't know where to start? Join the SPA Girls each week for 30 minutes of honest advice, tips and resources. Cheryl and Wendy are still in Orlando at the RWA conference, and this time they're interviewing the wonderful Roxanne St. Claire, a multi-award-winning indie author who opens up about her career, what she does to get her books published, and what she's done to be so successful. It's a great interview from a very successful Indie author with loads to teach all of us!
2017-08-0331 min
SPA Girls PodcastInterview with Mark DawsonThinking about self publishing and don't know where to start? Join the SPA Girls each week for 30 minutes of honest advice, tips and resources. This week Wendy and Cheryl were lucky enough to interview Mark Dawson at the Romance Writers of America conference in Orlando, Florida. (Trudi and Shar jealous? Nah, of course not....) He was a lovely guest, and was very gracious about giving some great advice for beginner audiences on advertising for authors, what's the most important thing to do when you're starting out and how he got started as a writer. I...
2017-08-0125 min
SPA Girls PodcastSPA Girls EP82 - The Black Moment featuring author Rachel BaileyThinking about self-publishing and don't know where to start? Join the SPA Girls - Wendy Vella, Trudi Jaye, Cheryl Phipps and Shar Barratt - each week for honest tips, resources and (sometimes hilarious) tales from four indie romance authors. Australian author and writing tutor, Rachel Bailey, joins us this week to discuss the Black Moment: that point in your story when all hope is lost, when crisis peaks, when things seem bleakest and we start to think the characters won't be able to find their HEA. We discuss the different types of Black Moment, how to identify wh...
2017-05-2343 min
SPA Girls PodcastSPA Girls Podcast – EP73 – Zhushing Up Your Amazon Author PageUploading to Amazon is the first step - then the second step is setting up your Author Central Account and optimizing your Amazon Author Page. Too many new self publishers don't do the second step and it's costing them sales! It's easy and it's free so listen up and we'll share how to ZHUSH up your Amazon Author Page to make it sparkle! SPA Girls Wendy Vella, Cheryl Phipps and Shar Barratt share their tips and tricks (and laughs)
2017-03-1538 min
SPA Girls PodcastSPA Girls Podcast - Writing Mistakes and How to Avoid ThemWendy, Cheryl and Trudi talk through some common writing mistakes and give suggestions for how to avoid making them yourself. Based around Jack Bickham's book, The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes, we talk on topics from not making excuses, lecturing your readers, dropping alligators through the transom (don't worry, we figure that one out), stopping too soon, giving up and not just sitting there. Filled with some great advice this is another fabulous episode of the SPA Girls Podcast.
2017-02-0234 min
SPA Girls PodcastSPA Girls Podcast - EP59 - Answering Listener QuestionsThinking about self publishing and don't know where to start? Join the SPA Girls each week for 30 minutes of honest advice, tips and resources. This week Shar, Wendy and Cheryl answer a few reader questions, from how to choose your editor, to finding time to write when you have a family and what to do if you hate social media.
2016-12-0732 min
SPA Girls PodcastSPA Girls Podcast - EP57 - Writing Through the Distractions at ChristmasThinking about self publishing and don't know where to start? Join the SPA Girls each week for 30 minutes of honest advice, tips and resources. This week Wendy, Cher and Trudi talk about dealing with unavoidable distractions, and how to maintain a writing schedule even when things get busy. With Christmas coming up we thought we'd talk about how we personally keep going when it seems that everything in the world is out to stop you writing the next book. It's a great reminder that we're all different and we all deal with distractions and...
2016-11-2537 min
VP Live Talk Radio - Vaping PodcastsModern Feminism Is A Disaster For WomenFollow Milo Yiannopoulos on twitter (while you still can): https://twitter.com/nero
Follow Lauren Southern on twitter: https://twitter.com/Lauren_Southern
National hiring experiments reveal 2:1 faculty preference for women on STEM tenure track by Wendy M. Williams and Stephen J. Ceci
http://www.pnas.org/content/112/17/5360.full.pdf
I’m Not a Feminist—Even Though I Attend a Women’s College
http://quillette.com/2016/01/13/im-not-a-feminist-even-though-i-attend-a-womens-college/
Safe Spaces:
The safe space, Ms. Byron explained, was intended to give people who might find comments “troubling” or “triggering,” a place to recuperate. The room was equipped with cookies, coloring books, bubbles, Play-Doh, calm...
2016-01-211h 41
SPA Girls PodcastSPA Girls Podcast EP012Thinking about self publishing and don't know where to start? Join the SPA Girls each week for 30 minutes of tips, resources and honest advice.
This week we went back to the challenge from episode six, and talked about the genres that we were tasked with researching. Trudi talked about Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy, Cheryl looked into Chick Lit, Wendy looked at Historical Romance and Shar had Contemporary Romance.
If you're interested in a break down of the four genres, check out this episode!
2015-12-0854 min
SPA Girls PodcastSPA Girls Podcast Episode 3Thinking about self publishing and don't know where to start? Join the SPA Girls for a weekly show that takes the mystery out of self publishing. This week we have a fascinating interview with SPA Girls member Wendy Vella. Wendy Vella is an Amazon bestselling historical romance author with more than 14 titles published. She has also featured in three box sets, and has sold more than 100,000 copies of her books across her titles.
2015-10-0233 min