Book Craft

What separates the writers who finish from the ones who don't? In this episode of BookCraft, I sit down with Steven Puri — former film executive at DreamWorks and 20th Century Fox, entrepreneur, and producer of the Academy Award-winning visual effects for Independence Day — for a conversation I did not want to end. Steven has spent decades in rooms with Hollywood's top writers and directors, and w...

In this episode of Bookcraft, I'm sharing my experience attending the Writers' Guild of Alberta conference and the lessons I brought home from a weekend of learning, networking, and talking books with fellow authors. I have attended conferences in my old career in countries around the world, so I had certain expectations going in—and I'm happy to say this event was wonderful. From the inspiring ke...

In this episode of BookCraft , I'm joined by debut author Zack Slingsby for a conversation about writing, publishing, and building a creative career in today's ever-changing media landscape. Zack shares his journey from creating digital content to writing and publishing his upcoming crime drama novel, The Ballad of the Gangster's Daughter (Post Hill Press / Simon & Schuster, July 28, 2026). We...

In this episode of Bookcraft , I’m taking you behind the scenes of hosting a reading retreat and sharing everything I learned from creating a cozy, restorative experience for book lovers. We talk about choosing the right location, planning the logistics, creating a relaxing atmosphere, and all the little details that make guests feel cared for — from meals and comfort touches to encouraging people...

Welcome back to Bookcraft and to another episode of Author Notes, where I share what I’m learning in real time as an indie author balancing writing, publishing, events, and all the moving pieces in between. In this episode, I’m giving you a behind-the-scenes look at what’s been happening lately — from organizing literary retreats and planning future events, to exploring Kickstarter as a way to hel...

In this episode of Bookcraft, I’m sharing a little behind-the-scenes look at what’s been happening lately — from a cozy writing retreat to some very real lessons learned while editing a long manuscript. I recently spent time at a writing retreat that I hosted, and it reminded me just how powerful it is to step away from everyday life and give yourself space to focus. No laundry, no distractions —...

Hello Book Crafters! Today I wanted to chat about reader events, how to think about them and create them. I have been offering events for years as I've always worked in Hospitality. But, I had to put myself into the mind of a reader that wanted to invest in an event like a retreat and find a way to better communicate all the exciting things that will happen at the event. Plus, we're going internat...

Welcome back to Book Craft podcast and another episode of Author Notes , where I share what I’m learning in real time as an indie author building a book career from the ground up. This week I’m talking about something that every indie author eventually has to figure out: book distribution and discoverability . After publishing my debut novel Undercurrents of Love , I’ve been learning a lot about h...

Welcome to the first episode of Author Notes, a new solo series where I’m pulling back the curtain on my writing life and sharing what I’m learning in real time as an indie author. As I work on my second novel, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it really means to navigate the publishing world. It’s not just about writing the book. It’s also about distribution, strategy, visibility, and building...

In this episode of Book Craft , I’m joined by author and event organizer Cathrine Swift , and this conversation was such a joy. Cathrine started her journey at an early age; her love of storytelling and event planning turned into a career as a multi-genre indie author, event organizer, and passionate community builder. She shares how discovering the indie publishing world changed her path, what it...

This week on Bookcraft, I’m showing up a little under the weather—but still showing up. Croaky voice and all, I wanted to share a short, honest reflection on what it really looks like to learn a new craft in the bookish world. Whether it’s writing, podcasting, or building something new, the learning curve can feel steep and uncomfortable. In this episode, I’m talking about embracing that messy mid...

This week on Bookcraft, I’m doing something a little different. Instead of an interview, I’m sharing a solo episode about literary events, reader retreats, writing retreats, and why community has become such an important part of my creative life. I talk about my journey as a debut author and what it was like writing my first book largely on my own. I realized I needed a writing community, and this...

In this episode of Book Craft , host Colleen Heidecker sits down with Canadian paranormal romance author Scarlett Moro , and honestly? This conversation is a treat . Scarlett opens up about her ambitious publishing plans, her writing rituals (timers, cozy vibes, and dogs included ), and what it really looks like to balance creativity with the realities of marketing and self-publishing. We talk can...

In this episode of Book Craft , I’m joined by Canadian poet Kim Germsheid, author of A Collection of Ashes , for a heartfelt conversation about poetry, loss, and finding the courage to finally share your work. Kim has been writing poetry since childhood but always kept it private. Everything changed after a devastating house fire in 2022 destroyed her home—and all of her writing. That loss became...

What does it really take to run a successful Kickstarter as an indie author—and live to tell the tale? 😅 In this episode of Book Craft, I’m joined by author Amanda Rautio, who just wrapped up her first-ever Kickstarter campaign (and exceeded her goal ). We dig into the realities of crowdfunding, from managing expectations and print runs to why Kickstarter has become such a powerful tool for indie...

It's that time of year for many readers out there where they've got all the holiday books and no where to put them! Today I am talking about a book unhaul I just did but in a bit of a different way. What books I am unhauling are ones I never really wanted on my shelves. Take a listen to find out more and how some of the book unhauling I'm seeing online is problematic IMO. And, haven't bought a cop...

Episode Overview In today’s episode of Book Craft , I’m chatting all about reading goals, publishing dreams, and why your reading life should actually feel good — not like another thing on your to-do list. I’m sharing how I’m approaching reading this year (spoiler: flexibility is the name of the game), how audiobooks have quietly become my secret weapon, and how I’m balancing all of that with writ...

Why I created Book Craft and some of the 2025 bookish trends I'd love to leave behind. Let's start 2026 with excitement for all the books waiting to be enjoyed, written, and published.

Book Craft podcast coming January 2026 - conversations from every side of the story.