Author Diary Entries

This episode shares the top 7 things I’m doing as part of the “Small Town Stilettos: a modern marriage of convenience” book launch! We discuss… The specific marketing strategies and platforms I’m using, and why I’m doing these particular types of experiments. How this is different from my previous book launches. What’s working well and what I’ve already decided to do differently in future book lau...

Get a sneak peek of Small Town Stilettos: a modern marriage of convenience! This episode features a reading from Chapter 1. Resources & links mentioned in this episode:  Pre-order Small Town Stilettos: https://www.amazon.com/Small-Town-Stilettos-marriage-convenience-ebook/dp/B0C776DB4M Add Small Town Stilettos to your Want to Read list on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55302931...

Today is a special day, because it is COVER REVEAL DAY for my upcoming romance novel, Small Town Stilettos: a modern marriage of convenience! In this episode I want to share more about that novel! Here’s the working blurb… Aunt Eleanor fully intends to arrange a marriage for me from beyond the grave—to my childhood sweetheart, no less—and she doesn’t seem to have considered that I might be falling...

I was originally going to publish Small Town Stilettos: a modern marriage of convenience a couple years ago… so, why has it taken so long to actually publish it?? In this episode, I’m sharing a few of the obstacles that have gotten in my way — plus the story behind the delays I experienced with the cover design, and how that has contributed to my procrastination.  We discuss…  Why the book cover d...

In this episode, I want to follow up on recent episodes where I shared about my writing experiment of doing 4,000 words/day for a full week. You can learn about the background of this experiment in Episode 145, and the results from my first attempt in Episode 147. I’d also recommend tuning into Episode 148, in which I also share all about how I mapped out the entire story and chapter outline in gr...

Curious about how an author organizes themes, plots, scene ideas, chapter outlines, etc? We’re covering all of that in this behind-the-scenes look at my current work-in-progress, Book 8 of the Polyamorous Passions series!  This episode includes: Follow up to Episode 147 — re: going back to the drawing board with my current romcom work-in-progress novel (Book 8 in the Polyamorous Passions series) T...

This episode gives you an update on the book writing experiment I recently tested! We discuss: UPDATE on my book writing experiment that I told you about in Episode 145 of my Indie Author Weekly podcast (writing 4,000 words/day for a full week, and not doing any other business tasks) How I prepped for writing the actual book itself Daily breakdown of how that first week of the experiment went 3 re...

Let’s talk about the importance of being earnest as a writer and getting comfortable with potentially embarrassing yourself! In this episode, we cover… The self-consciousness → self-compassion spectrum that many of us experience as writers, and the importance of embracing earnest along the way. How I reviewed my high school creative writing assignment where the professor didn’t understand that my...

All about a new writing experiment I’m testing out to make a lot better progress with my novels! We discuss… Why I’m doing this new experiment, what my schedule will look like, how I plan to make it happen, and my expected results with writing for a larger, dedicated period of time 2 reasons why I’ve been struggling with writing, and the problem that can come up with trying to find time to write n...

“How do you write your books? By hand, by typewriter?” In this episode, we’re answering THAT question! Get ready for a full recap of the logistics and practical side for how I write my books… 0:00 Intro 0:20 Answering a question from a friend: “How do you write your books? By hand, by typewriter?” — and a few other logistics when it comes to the practical side of how I write books 0:50 When it com...

A year ago, I experienced an EXTREME case of imposter syndrome in my author career… which led to a TON of procrastination! In this episode, I’m sharing all about that experience and how I navigated it.  In this episode, we discuss… How my imposter syndrome came about What I did to work through imposter syndrome (including some of the specific ways I did self-coaching for this, and the type of ques...

I was recently hanging out with a friend, and she said this: “I want to read your books, but I feel like it’s weird because I don’t want to know about your sex life…” Totally get that! Let’s talk about that today, because I think this is a very common frame of mind for friends and family of romance authors... IN THIS EPISODE, I share several important things to keep in mind if you're wonderin...

Today we are answering a listener-submitted question: How did you get "brave enough" to talk publicly about being a romance author?  This question was posted by Morgan Starling Writes on an Instagram post back in Feb 2022, in which she said, “I'm hesitant to post pictures of my face on here because of my "day job", so to speak. But at the same time, it feels like there&apo...

WELCOME BACK to the Indie Author Weekly podcast! We went on hiatus back in December 2021, and we are finally ready to RELAUNCH this podcast! Woohoo! In this episode, we discuss… More details about WHY we went on hiatus for such a long time (15 months rather than our originally-planned 2 months). Update on what Sagan’s been up to in her author life over the past year — book writing (several books),...

Today I am doing an uncomfortable thing... This is not the episode I had planned! When you're feeling the internal struggle, when your energy levels are low, when your capacity and bandwidth aren't quite there... What happens next? We're addressing exactly that in this episode of Indie Author Weekly! This is the podcast for indie authors, aspiring authors, and curious bookworms who...

Are you in the process of writing a novel this month, for National Novel Writing Month (or, as it’s more commonly known, NaNoWriMo), and are you getting caught in the struggle of it? That’s exactly what we’re addressing on today’s episode of Indie Author Weekly!  This is the podcast for indie authors, aspiring authors, and curious bookworms who want the inside scoop, tips and motivation, and behin...

Is it time to quit your novel? Have you ever wondered how authors keep going with a tough book project… or, maybe you’re a writer, and you’re not sure if it’s time to quit a project? When you arrive at that pivotal moment where you wonder if it's time to give up your novel... What happens next?   That’s exactly what we’re addressing on today’s episode of Indie Author Weekly! This is the podca...

Are you gearing up to write a novel this month, for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), and wondering how to go about doing it successfully? Well, that’s exactly what we’re addressing on today’s episode of Indie Author Weekly!   This is the podcast for indie authors, aspiring authors, and curious bookworms who want the inside scoop, tips and motivation, and behind-the-scenes journey of writi...

Have you ever wondered about how we can use our stories to change the world, or the power of the books we read and write? That’s exactly what we’re addressing on today’s episode of Indie Author Weekly! INTRODUCING... Our Choice: Romance for Roe anthology in aid of Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice.  This is the podcast for indie authors, aspiring authors, and curious bookworms who want the i...

Do you enjoy getting teasers and sneak peeks of fun romantic comedies? Well, that’s exactly what you’re getting on today’s episode of Indie Author Weekly!    Gaming the System  romcom back-of-book blurb:   What comes after you get to “have it all”?   Since Emma discovered polyamory several months earlier, she knows she’s getting a unique opportunity to eat her cake and have it, too. And yet, it ha...

Have you ever wondered about how to write a book when you have a BUSY schedule? Well, that’s exactly what we’re addressing on today’s episode of Indie Author Weekly!   This is the podcast for indie authors, aspiring authors, and curious bookworms who want the inside scoop, tips and motivation, and behind-the-scenes journey of writing and self-publishing books.    TUNE IN NOW to get 5 powerful tips...

Have you ever wondered about the complications of writing a book when navigating big life changes? Well, that’s exactly what we’re addressing on today’s episode of Indie Author Weekly!  This is the podcast for indie authors, aspiring authors, and curious bookworms who want the inside scoop, tips and motivation, and behind-the-scenes journey of writing and self-publishing books.    TUNE IN NOW to f...

Do you ever wish you had a different type of writing voice or style? Well, that’s exactly what we’re addressing on today’s episode of Indie Author Weekly! "You'll never be a Pulitzer Prize winner—but your books keep people coming back for more." Find out why this comment about my own stories inspired this podcast episode topic... This is the podcast for indie authors, aspiring autho...

Do you wish you could attend author book readings again, while the world continues to be in flux? Well, that’s exactly what you’re getting on today’s episode of Indie Author Weekly!  A Choice Between Two  romcom back-of-book blurb: What if you fall for someone, but you’re already in a wonderful relationship with someone else? Emma has been dating John, an alpha lawyer type, casually for the past s...

You might be familiar with the phrase “show, don’t tell” as a writer… Is it something you struggle with, or are you curious about what a fresh new take on that might look like? Well, that’s exactly what we’re addressing on today’s episode of Indie Author Weekly!   This is the podcast for indie authors, aspiring authors, and curious bookworms who want the inside scoop, tips and motivation, and behi...