Beautiful Writers Podcast

TIME magazine named author Rob Bell one of its “100 Most Influential People in the World” for many reasons. Listen in as Linda and her guest co-host—NYT bestselling novelist of THE SECOND SON, Charles Sailor (our April guest)—chat with this beloved author of many binge-worthy NYT bestsellers including LOVE WINS, HOW TO BE HERE, and WHAT WE TALK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT GOD. From his top-rated podc...

Author, Visionary, & Oprah SuperSoul100 leader, Danielle LaPorte, isn’t risk averse. No. She’s “risk erotic.” But that doesn’t mean she didn’t get a not-so-little unwelcome surprise after choosing to walk from a Big 5 publisher and go rogue to self-publish her latest book, WHITE HOT TRUTH: Clarity for Keeping It Real on Your Spiritual Path from One Seeker to Another. Linda and bestselling auth...

Charles Sailor, a Hollywood screenwriter and the New York Times bestselling novelist of "THE SECOND SON” (a book that sold six million copies in the late 70s and has been optioned by the biggest stars) is the single biggest influence on Linda Sivertsen's writing career. "Uncle Chuck,” as Linda calls him, was her late father’s best friend and her model for what a writer’s life looked...

Glennon Doyle Melton is back on the Beautiful Writers Podcast; this time in the co-host chair with Linda Sivertsen. Fresh from her whirlwind tour for the #1 New York Times bestseller, LOVE WARRIOR, Glennon shares heart-centered updates on those dizzying details, as well as love notes on her recent divorce (yes, they're darling like that), and romantic musings on her engagement to soccer legen...

Linda Sivertsen interviews her longtime friend Guru Singh—a third-generation yogi, spiritual leader, and author—for one of her most powerful conversations yet. Named “Best Guru in L.A.” by Los Angeles magazine in the early 90s (that claimed Guru's yoga classes were so popular, attendees had to levitate for space), Linda made an appointment to see what all the hype was about. What she found wa...

Linda Sivertsen and bestselling author and Oprah magazine columnist Martha Beck team up yet again... this time to interview their buddy… the New York Times bestselling author and Omega Institute co-founder, Elizabeth Lesser. Elizabeth's new memoir, Marrow: A Love Story (HarperWave), tells of being her sister’s “perfect match” for a bone marrow transplant when in their real lives, the two were...

Music icon Paul Williams shares a hilarious, heartfelt hour with longtime bestie, Linda Sivertsen (who moved into his mansion 26 years ago to care for his pups so he could go get sober) and this month’s guest host, bestselling memoirist and novelist Jillian Lauren. Paul, whose standards have been recorded by Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, David Bowie, Tony Bennett, The...

Legendary novelist Terry McMillan chats with Linda Sivertsen and guest host Dani Shapiro while on tour for her 8th novel, I ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT YOU, currently getting rave reviews from the New York Times Book Review, The Los Angeles Times, and O magazine, to name a few. Terry's #1 New York Times bestsellers Waiting to Exhale and How Stella Got Her Groove Back were hit films (starring Whitney...

Linda Sivertsen and her guest co-host, bestselling author, and Oprah magazine columnist Martha Beck are self-described giddy fangirls in this playful, wise interview with Glennon Doyle--author of the New York Times bestseller, CARRY ON, WARRIOR. Her new memoir, LOVE WARRIOR (Flatiron Books), is now available for preorder and the reviews--“astounding” (Rob Bell), “epic” (Liz Gilbert), and “blew me...

Marianne is a spiritual teacher and author of 11 books—(4 #1 NYT bestsellers), who shares with us unforgettable insider publishing stories, including the dangers of ignoring the “still, small voice within” when it comes to media and pressure from industry experts. We discuss being pregnant with a book; how to invite more miracles, and the difference between learning through suffering vs. joy. As t...

You know her as the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post—a position that’s garnered Arianna the title of “the 52nd most powerful woman in the world” (Forbes, 2014). But for the girl who once shared a one-bedroom apartment with her sister and single mother in Athens, Greece, it’s the simplest things—like the regenerative powers of a good night's sleep—that have come to matter...

If for some reason you can’t place the beautiful face of Leeza Gibbons, you’re going to remember the voice. Leeza is one of the iconic voices of our time. She was a longtime correspondent for Entertainment Tonight and Extra, and had her own syndicated talk show. But it's her voice that has launched more radio hours than Casey Kasem or Dick Clark. Leeza is also an Emmy winner, a New York Times...

In Hollywood, Mr. Robert McKee is a living legend, a kind of “God" among storytellers. This creative writing instructor teaches a program to sold out audiences worldwide that he developed as a professor at the University of Southern California. He's the author of Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting. This bible, currently in its 19th printing has become...

One of today’s most beloved authors, Dr. Brené Brown shares behind-the-scenes details of her incredible life and career including: What it’s like to have 3 books on the New York Times bestseller’s list at the same time, why she won't read her reviews, funny/moving details of her meeting with Oprah and Maya Angelou, and what trips her up when writing and real life collide. If you’re one of the...

Seth Godin is one of the world’s most successful authors and bloggers, and has changed the way people think about marketing and work. He's written 18 international bestsellers that have been translated into over 35 languages. For a long time, Unleashing the Ideavirus was the most popular ebook ever published, and Purple Cow is the bestselling marketing book of the last decade. Other bestselle...

In this lively chat with a legend of contemporary literature (The War of Art, Gates of Fire, The Legend of Bagger Vance … ), Steven Pressfield shares details of his own hero's journey, and his best pro writing tips: the “Foolscap Method” for starting (and ending) a book, working with the “equal and opposite” energies of assistance and resistance, and how to invoke the muse without pissing her...

Known for her dry humor and unrelenting honesty, bestselling memoirist Mary Karr shares how she threw away the equivalent of four finished books, how she gets through the “scary blankness” of bad writing days (and invokes favorite prayers!), why she ALWAYS writes a proposal for every book, and one of her biggest motivations (hint: a lot of writers will disagree with this one). While Mary’s first l...

In this conversation with Elizabeth Gilbert, our generation's "Mark Twain," we unpack the inherent magic of language, embracing the sacred "No," what it takes to have the things you say you want, and to sex or not to sex on book tour. Ha. Liz has an extraordinary way with words (but you knew that) and a rich perspective on what it means to share your magic with the world....

This interview is so full of magic it’s not even funny. Except that it is! Martha Beck's passion for writing (and life!)is infectious, and you'll quickly see why she's so prolific (recently completing her 10th book, in the midst of a very full artist life that includes world-class painting). Listen as Martha shares some of her best “shortcuts" to attaining more magic, including...

This tapped-in, tattooed 27-year-old Angel communicator hails from Scotland, and brings a laid back approach to spirit. He's authored 4 Hay House books and a deck series including Angel Prayers and Wings of Forgiveness. In this interview, he shares examples of the importance of keeping track of your agent/royalties, how impromptu proposal art helped land him a book deal, and how another advan...

Gretchen Rubin is the author of 3 blockbuster New York Times bestsellers—The Happiness Project, Happier at Home, and now Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives. Her books have sold more than 2 million copies worldwide, AND, she has a podcast of her own! Check out Happier with Gretchen Rubin on Soundcloud http://bit.ly/1Vr7v2f. For access to more insider publishing knowledge...

Laura is a veteran book editor, publisher, literary agent and writer who has published many bestselling authors, including: Maria Shriver, Mary Tyler Moore, and Jodi Picoult. She began her 25-year career at Simon & Schuster, where she worked as an editor at three different imprints before moving to Putnam and then becoming the Editor-at-Large at Regan Books. She’s now a top agent at The Carol...

You may know NYT best-selling memoirist Jillian Lauren from her Jersey-girl-ends-up-as-harem-girl story (really)in Brunai (the subject of her first book, SOME GIRLS). Now we celebrate motherhood in her stunning memoir, EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED. Laugh with us as Jillian admits being jealous of other writers (isn't the truth REFRESHING?), and marvel as she shares her practical tips on being s...

Like most of our favorite authors to interview, Sarah Manguso is a writer’s writer. Linda and Danielle were texting each other during the interview as true blue fans: “She's the REAL DEAL!” May her insights on this practice we all love inspire you too! A few bio deets: Sarah is the author, most recently, of Ongoingness: The End of a Diary. Her five other books include The Guardians, named one...

Bestselling author Dani Shapiro (of the memoirs DEVOTION and SLOW MOTION, five novels, and her latest: STILL WRITING: The Perils and Pleasures of a Creative Life)talks with Linda Sivertsen & Danielle LaPorte for the Beautiful Writers Podcast. Hear Dani share her love of the craft, her doubts each time a book appears, and how she avoided her agent's call, not knowing Oprah was calling:). G...