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Episodes
Writers talk craft, agent hunt, query trenches, publishing industry, and more. Hosted by Mindy McGinnis.
Episodes
Monday Jul 01, 2019
Monday Jul 01, 2019
Today’s guest is Lauren Kate. the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Fallen novels, the Teardrop novels, and The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove. Her books have been translated into more than 30 languages. Kate joined me today to talk about the inspiration for her newest adult historical, The Orphan’s Song. Also covered: what differences – if any – there are in writing for the adult vs. the YA market.
Links for Lauren:
Website: http://laurenkatebooks.net/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurenkatebooks
IG: https://www.instagram.com/laurenkatebooks/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaurenKateAuthor/
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Monday Jun 24, 2019
Monday Jun 24, 2019
Today’s guest is Aileen Erin, who is half-Irish, half-Mexican, and 100% nerd—from Star Wars to Star Trek, she geeks out on Tolkien’s linguistics, and has a severe fascination with the supernatural. Aileen has a BS in Radio-TV-Film from the University of Texas at Austin, and an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. She lives with her husband and daughter in Los Angeles.
Aileen joined me today to talk about maintain readers interest – and her own – while writing an eight book series. Also covered, how urban fantasy is dead… in traditional publishing. But a smart indie writer can make a decent living at it, the indie experience at BookCon, and how to market without big publisher push behind you.
Links for Aileen:
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Saturday Jun 15, 2019
Saturday Jun 15, 2019
Today's guest is Gillian McAllister, a British author best known for her bestselling debut novel Everything But The Truth. Her new US release, The Good Sister, is an electrifying novel about the unyielding bond between two sisters, which is severely tested when one of them is accused of the worst imaginable crime.
Gillian joined me to talk about how her background in law helps illuminate her fiction, writing for the American audience, and how she explores themes of motherhood and sisterhood in her thrillers.
Monday Jun 10, 2019
Monday Jun 10, 2019
Today’s guest is Lori Goldstein, former journalist and current author and editor who has a bachelor's in journalism and previously worked for technology publications in the “East Coast Silicon Valley” city of Boston.
Lori joined me today to talk about about how the query process actually works – even though we all know how painful it is. Also, writing loss leaders like prequel novellas and pre-order campaigns – are they worth it?
Links for Lori:
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Monday May 27, 2019
Monday May 27, 2019
Today’s guest is Melanie Thorne, who earned her MA in Creative Writing from the University of California, Davis, where she worked with Pam Houston and Lynn Freed. Her thesis there was the first draft of what later became her debut novel, Hand Me Down, which has been widely praised. Melanie joined me today to talk about presenting a memoir through the veil of fiction, and how the reading audience sometimes gets a thrill out of the consumption of another’s pain.
Support the Podcast https://writerwriterpantsonfire.com/support-the-blog/
Links for Melanie:
Website: https://melaniethorne.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mthorneauthor
IG: https://www.instagram.com/mthorneauthor/
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All the Walls of Belfast by Sarah Carlson: https://amzn.to/2H9p5FA
Tuesday May 14, 2019
Tuesday May 14, 2019
Today brings a special guest to the show. Number one internationally bestselling author Jeffery Deaver dropped by to talk about his newest release - The Never Game - which introduces a new series character, Colter Shaw. Also covered: character as setting, blending the world of survivalism with gaming, and writing a message without hitting your audience over the head with it.
Monday May 13, 2019
Monday May 13, 2019
Today’s guest is Katya de Becarra, who was born in Russia, studied in California, lived in Peru, and then stayed in Australia long enough to become a local. She was going to be an Egyptologist when she grew up, but instead she earned a PhD in Anthropology and now works as a university lecturer and a researcher. Her debut What The Woods Keep was released in three countries in 2018. Katya joined me today to talk about blending genres in her debut title, and how she managed to find a publisher that believed it was a strength, rather than a marketing weakness, writing in your non-native language, and how Katya made the decision to write her novels in English.
Support the Podcast https://writerwriterpantsonfire.com/support-the-blog/
Links for Katya:
Website: http://katyabecerra.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KatyaDeBecerra
IG: https://www.instagram.com/katyadebecerra/
Ad Links:
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Monday Apr 29, 2019
Monday Apr 29, 2019
Today’s guest is Beth Kander, an award-winning playwright and author, the second book in her dystopian epic Original Syn comes out this fall from Owl House Books. Beth joined me today to talk selling a novel to a smaller publishing house on her own, and the risks of writing to the trend, if the trend might stick you in a niche. Also covered: the marriage of business and creativity necessary to make it in publishing, also, how to know which creative medium your story is best suited for.
Support the Podcast https://writerwriterpantsonfire.com/support-the-blog/
Links for Beth:
Website:https://www.bethkander.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ByBethKander
IG: https://instagram.com/bethkander
FB: https://facebook.com/bybethkander
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We Rule The Night by Claire Eliza Bartlett: amzn.to/2pjEWYh
All The Walls of Belfast by Sarah J. Carlson: https://amzn.to/2ZAQTtK
Friday Apr 19, 2019
Friday Apr 19, 2019
A bonus episode for my listeners! I was recently interviewed by my local radio station, and thought I would re-broadcast for you.
Monday Apr 15, 2019
Monday Apr 15, 2019
Today’s guest is Blair Hurley, who received her A.B. from Princeton University and her M.F.A. from NYU. Her stories are published or forthcoming in Ninth Letter, The Georgia Review, West Branch, Mid-American Review, Washington Square, Hayden’s Ferry Review, Descant, Fugue, and elsewhere. She has received a 2018 Pushcart Prize and scholarships from Bread Loaf and the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts. Her debut novel, THE DEVOTED, was published in August 2018 from WW Norton & Company.
Blair joined me today to talk about writing your own interests, even if that places your story in a quieter place, and the misconception of dismissing clarity in writing for simplistic novels. Also covered: the difficulty of breaking into the short story market and the motivations for doing so.
Links for Blair:
Website: http://blairhurley.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bhurley
IG: https://www.instagram.com/blairlhurley/
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