Five Compelling Questions with Shawn

Shawn chats with bestselling author Lisa Barr about her latest book, The Goddess of Warsaw, inspiration, character development, revenge, redemption, historical fiction, and Lisa's personal connection to the Holocaust.

Shawn chats with debut author Lori Brand about her book Bodies to Die For, body image, societal pressures on women, Lori's personal fitness journey, writing motivation, getting published, empowerment, self-acceptance, the need for solidarity among women, and the importance of strength over appearance.

Shawn chats with Lorie Lewis Ham, a multifaceted writer involved in journalism, fiction, and podcasting, about Lorie's journey as a writer, the inception of her online magazine Kings River Life, balancing responsibilities, the importance of community in the mystery writing genre, and the novels in the Tower District series.

Shawn chats with stand-up comedian and author Suzanne Park, a Korean American writer, about her latest book, One Last Word, the unique premise of the book, which revolves around an app that allows users to send their final messages to loved ones upon their deaths, comedic influences, joy and empowerment, the importance of character development, the challenges of being a female writer in the ventur...

Shawn chats with debut author Evan S. Porter about his novel Dad Camp, his journey from blogging to writing fiction, the themes of fatherhood, masculinity, and the emotional challenges faced by parents, especially fathers, his daughters and how they inspired his writing, his hopes for readers to find humor and depth in his work, and the importance of storytelling in processing emotions.

Shawn chats with Liza Palmer, a two-time Emmy-nominated author, about her latest book, Family Reservations, family dynamics, the restaurant industry, the challenges of writing through personal adversity, cancer, the importance of food as a love language, and the complexities of female relationships in a male-dominated industry.

Shawn welcomes back author Ramona Ausubel to discuss the paperback release of The Last Animal, its themes, the reception it has received, the creative process of writing, the challenges of adapting literature for the screen, and the surprising feedback from readers.

Shawn chats with Hugh Lessig about his debut novel, Fadeaway Joe, the inspiration behind the book, dementia, hope, personal experiences, journalism to novel writing, and the importance of character development.

Shawn chats with Author Sheryl Ickes about her journey into writing cozy mysteries, particularly her Slice of Life Mystery Series, cake decorating, truck driving, the pros and cons of self-publishing versus traditional publishing, and the importance of marketing for authors.

Shawn chats with Author Josh Pachter about his debut novel, Dutch Threat, being a seasoned writer with a career spanning over five decades, writing short stories and publishing his first novel, the challenges he faced along the way, the writing process, the impact of editing on his work, and valuable advice for aspiring writers who are interested in a long-term writing career.

Shawn chats with debut author Erik S. Meyers about his debut mystery novel Death in the Ozarks, living abroad, Australia vs. Austria, staying in touch via zoom, families, writing mysteries, the appeal of the Ozarks, and authors supporting authors.

Shawn chats with Author Allison Winn Scotch about her journey as a New York Times bestselling author, her latest romantic comedy, 'Take Two, Bertie Maxwell,' her writing process, the importance of joy, how journalism influences her fiction, character development, adapting books for the screen, women in charge of things, and the power of sticking with things.

Shawn chats with Parker Adams about his new novel The Lock Box, pen names, aliases, career evolutions, science, and advice for our younger selves.

Shawn chats with Justin Kiska, Author of the Parker City Mysteries about the latest addition to the series, Black & White, the unique dual timeline structure of Kiska's novels, the significance of Parker City as a character in itself, the extensive research that informs his writing, the creative process, including his innovative murder board technique for plotting, and the development of his m...

Shawn chats with Ivanka Fear about her latest book 'Lost Like Me,' the creative process behind her writing, themes of identity, the significance of setting in storytelling, the challenges of self-doubt that many writers face, poetry, novels, having confidence, and Janet Evanovich.

Shawn chats with Elizabeth Crowens about being a bi-coastal writer, the entertainment industry, screwball comedies, mysteries, Basil Rathbone, old and new Hollywood, and the importance of understanding film history.

Shawn chats with Linda Norlander about writing multiple series, including her newest featuring a cat, character development, twins, best writing practices, storytelling, discipline, motivation, and being on time.

Shawn chats with Claire Booth about her journey from reporting on crime to writing fiction, the Hank Worth mystery series, the Ozarks, research, writing from a male perspective, and keeping a long-running series fresh.

Shawn welcomes fellow podcaster Dan White to the show to discuss his podcasts, QUEER MAGNOLIAS and OUT WITH DAN, the importance of listening to diverse voices and points of view, finding your people, mutual friends, travel, eating and drinking, and Agatha Christie.

Shawn chats with Lynn Painter about her new novel, writing for adults and younger readers, weddings, blowing up weddings, writing rom-com male characters, the need for joy, and classic rom-com movies.

Shawn and Cindy chat about her debut novel, OBEY ALL LAWS, life as a parole officer, dogs, second chances, making mistakes, organic writing, and writing drunk and editing sober.

Shawn and Jackie chat about cozy mysteries, writing multiple series, flowers and what they mean to us, garden clubs, secret Pinterest boards, Texas, and how we want no sadness in some mysteries.

Shawn chats with NYT Bestselling Author C.J. Box about his 24th Joe Picket novel, THREE-INCH TEETH, writing a long-running and much-loved series, predator attack teams, Mama Bears, animal emotions, Mark Twain, and finding your own unique lane as a writer.

Shawn and Lynn chat about writing multiple series, finding a new publishing home, being from the South, True Crime, small town newspapers, breaking up with our characters, and French Bulldog puppies.

Shawn and Bruce chat about Bruce's new series, coauthored with LynDee Walker, the Byron series, his new series out next year, taking chances as a writer, Stephen King, non-writing spouses, the need for therapy, British television, and support from other writers in the community.