DIY MFA Radio

Today, Lori is interviewing Amanda Jayatissa. They'll be talking about secrets and hidden motivation in her new thriller You're Invited . Amanda Jayatissa grew up in Sri Lanka, completed her undergrad at Mills College, CA, and lived in the UK before moving back to her sunny little island. She works as a corporate trainer, owns a chain of cookie stores, and is a proud dog-mum to her two spoiled hus...

Today, Lori is interviewing Suzanne Parry. They'll be talking about the power of art and her book Lost Souls of Leningrad . A former European security specialist, Suzanne writes historical fiction about the Soviet Union. She studied Russian in Moscow and earned a Master's from Princeton University before joining the US Department of Defense. While at the Pentagon, she helped negotiate the first se...

Today, Lori is interviewing Lenore Borja. They'll be talking about how she created a natural flow for her characters and her world in her book The Last Huntress . Lenore Borja grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. She attended Arizona State University before moving to New York City to study acting at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. After a brief career as an actress, she spent several years working...

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Jessica Vitalis. We'll be talking about voice, perspective, pacing and her books The Wolf's Curse and The Rabbit's Gift . Jessica Vitalis is a Columbia MBA-wielding writer on  a mission to write entertaining and thought-provoking literature. As an active volunteer in the kidlit community, she's also passionate about using her privilege to lift up other vo...

Today, Lori is interviewing S.K. Ali. They'll be talking about feeling and emotion in YA fiction and her new book Love From Mecca to Medina. S.K. Ali is the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of several books, including Saints and Misfits , a finalist for the William C. Morris award, winner of the APALA Award and Middle East Book Award, and Love from A to Z , a Today Show's "Read...

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Susan Austin. We'll be talking about how she imagines the childhood of a historical figure in her book Drawing Outside the Lines. As an educator, Susan J. Austin knows the minds of young readers. Her first novel, The Bamboo Garden, is set in Berkeley, California, 1923, and describes an unlikely friendship between two girls that is tested by a fierce fire...

Today, Lori is interviewing Carol Van Den Hende. They'll be talking about finding purpose and her new book Orchid Blooming . Carol Van Den Hende is the award-winning author of the Goodbye, Orchid series. She's also a speaker, global marketer, digital strategist, Climate Reality Leader and Board Trustee. One secret to her good fortune? Her humorous husband and twins, who prove that love really does...

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Jeffrey James Higgins. We'll be talking about his closed setting thriller novel Furious: Sailing Into Terror. Jeffrey James Higgins is a retired supervisory special agent who writes thrillers, short stories, scripts, creative nonfiction, and essays. He has wrestled a suicide bomber, fought the Taliban in combat, and chased terrorists across five continent...

Today, Lori is interviewing Helen Scheuerer. They'll be talking about some of the lessons in her new book How to Write a Successful Series. Helen Scheuerer is the fantasy author of the bestselling trilogy, The Oremere Chronicles and the Curse of the Cyren Queen quartet. Her work has been highly praised for its strong, flawed female characters and its action-packed plots. More recently, she has als...

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Nova McBee. We'll be talking about the rapid release model and her book series Calculated . Nova McBee is an avid traveler and culture nerd who has lived and worked in Europe, the Middle East and Asia for half her life. She speaks multiple languages, including Mandarin, and lived in China for more than a decade. She thrives on complex plots, adventure, ma...

Today, Lori is interviewing Khristin Wierman. We'll be talking about how she explores the theme of overcoming differences in her debut novel Buck's Pantry. Khristin Wierman spent twenty years rising through the marketing ranks of Fortune 500 companies, building a career that was lucrative, ego-boosting, and a little bit soul-crushing. So she quit. And had no idea what to do with her life. Writing...

Today, Lori is interviewing May-lee Chai. They'll be talking about understanding lives unlike our own and her book Tomorrow in Shanghai and Other Stories . May-lee Chai is the author of eleven books of fiction, nonfiction, and translation, including her latest short story collection, Tomorrow in Shanghai & Other Stories . Her last story collection, Useful Phrases for Immigrants , won the 2019 Amer...

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Mike Trigg. We'll be talking about the intricacies of Silicon Valley and his book Bit Flip . Prior to becoming an author, Mike Trigg was an executive, founder, and investor in various technology start-up companies for over 25 years. Born in Kentucky and raised in Wisconsin, he earned a BA from Northwestern University and an MBA from the University of Cali...

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Kathryn Holmes. We'll be talking about making the transition from YA to a chapter books series and her book Madison Morris is NOT a Mouse! Kathryn Holmes is the author of the Class Critters chapter book series, which includes Tally Tuttle Turns Into a Turtle , David Dixon's Day as a Dachshund , and Madison Morris is NOT a Mouse! (publishing August 16th, 2...

Today, Lori is interviewing Sarah Adlakha. They'll be talking about time travel, alternate timelines and her book Midnight on the Marne . Sarah Adlakha is a native of Chicago who now lives along the gulf coast of Mississippi with her husband, three daughters, two horses, and one dog. She started writing fiction shortly after retiring from her psychiatry practice. Her debut novel, She Wouldn't Chan...

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Patrice Gopo. We'll be talking about Broad Topic and her book All the Places We Call Home. Patrice Gopo is the child of Jamaican immigrants and was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. She is an award-winning essayist and the author of All the Colors We Will See: Reflections on Barriers, Brokenness, and Finding Our Way (a Fall 2018 Barnes & Noble Discove...

Today, Lori is interviewing Erin La Rosa. They'll be talking about tropes in romance and her book For Butter or Worse . Erin La Rosa is the author of the upcoming romance novel, For Butter or Worse . She's previously written for BuzzFeed and Funny or Die. She worked as a social media manager for Netflix and Amazon Prime Video before quitting her day job to focus on writing books. You can find her...

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Stacy Willingham, Carolyne Topdjian, Allison Buccola, and Wanda M. Morris. We'll be talking about the debut writer experience and their books. Stacy Willingham is the New York Times bestselling author of A Flicker in the Dark. Before turning to fiction, she was a copywriter and brand strategist for various marketing agencies. She earned her BA in magazine...

Today, Lori is interviewing Natalka Burian. They'll be talking about time travel, multiple mysteries, and Natalka's book The Night Shift . Natalka Burian is the co-owner of two bars, Elsa and Ramona, as well as the co-founder of The Freya Project, a non-profit reading series that supports community-based activism and annually awards five unrestricted grants to further the work of women and non-bin...

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Alexis Schaitkin. We'll be talking about tone, voice, mood and her book Elsewhere .  Alexis Schaitkin is the author of Saint X and her short stories and essays have appeared in Ecotone, Southwest Review, The Southern Review, The New York Times, and elsewhere. Her fiction has been anthologized in The Best American Short Stories and The Best American Nonreq...

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Alexis Schaitkin. We'll be talking about tone, voice, mood and her book Elsewhere .  Alexis Schaitkin is the author of Saint X and her short stories and essays have appeared in Ecotone, Southwest Review, The Southern Review, The New York Times, and elsewhere. Her fiction has been anthologized in The Best American Short Stories and The Best American Nonreq...

Today, Lori is interviewing Shelley Blanton-Stroud. They'll be talking about historical mysteries and Shelley's book Tomboy: A Jane Benjamin Novel .  Shelley grew up in California's Central Valley, the daughter of Dust Bowl immigrants who made good on their ambition to get out of the field. She recently retired from teaching writing at Sacramento State University and still consults with writers in...

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Michele Scott. We'll be talking about cozy mysteries and her book Murder Uncorked .  Michele Scott is an American author and the CEO/owner of equestrian sports medicine company Professional's Choice, Inc. She has written over forty novels in various genres including thrillers, mysteries, young adult mysteries, fantasy, and women's fiction. Her thriller Da...

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Scott Gates. We'll be talking about his novel, Gone, the Redeemer .  Scott Gates is the author of Hard Road South , published by Blue Ink Press. He is a magazine editor and a second-generation communicator for rural electric cooperatives. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Auburn University and a Master of Arts degree in Journalism...

Today, Lori is interviewing Taylor Hahn. They'll be talking about her debut romance novel, The Lifestyle .  Taylor is a second-grade teacher turned lawyer turned author. After graduating from Loyola Marymount University, she joined Teach for America and taught in Brooklyn for two years before attending Fordham University School of Law. She then worked as a litigation associate at a firm in Manhatt...