Five Compelling Questions with Shawn

Shawn and Peter chat about his debut novel BLUE RIDGE, being inspired by your surroundings, twin brothers, pancakes, how acting can help writers, Sam Shepherd, and fun dinner guests.

Shawn and Edwin chat about his new novel, RASHOMON, writing from multiple POVs, birthday cakes, story structure, teaching, and walking the dog.

Shawn and Tom chat about the first book in The Divine Trilogy, living in New York, police in New York, SERPICO, why NYC is a great place for stories, and writing fiction inspired by true events.

Shawn and Lane chat about the second book in Lane's Big Picture Trilogy, art and antiquity theft, the importance of art in the world, art and religion, sudden cold air, likeable and unlikeable characters, and the strategy behind writing a trilogy.

Shawn and Linda chat about the newest book in her HOA Mystery series, deep fakes, the state of the world, how AI is everywhere, writers and actors dealing with AI, book store events, and writing multiple series.

Shawn and Virginia chat about her new book, which is a reimagining of THE WIZARD OF OZ, the male gaze, love and the darker side of love, if there really is no place like home, why Virginia writes the kinds of books she does, and life during lockdown.

Shawn and Gregory chat about the newest novel in the Jackson Gamble PI series set in Nashville, how Nashville is a great place to visit and set a series in, winning the Shamus Award then judging the Shamus Award, having enough time to read, hate mail, and never giving up.

Shawn and Clementine chat about her debut novel, the feeling of excited dread, coming-of-age love stories, writing stories we want to read, why everyone is so raw, and their fascination with both poetry and apples.

Shawn and Marlie chat about fires, old New York, the richer and poorer classes living together in the city, how people react in emergencies, and how there can be several truths true at the same time.

Shawn and Mary chat about East and West Coast living, keeping a series fresh, building characters, cozy vs. detective fiction and related body counts, being busy women, and collaborating on a short story together.

Shawn and Joe chat about perseverance in writing, getting through the hard times, living with no regrets, Ted Baxter, making up stories about strangers on the street, putting words in the bank, meeting Julia Child and having a child in Hollywood, dealing with the writers' strike and oddball projects.

Shawn and Alan chat about his new novel SANCTUARY MOTEL, life in Florida, police ride-alongs, Fish Kitchen, off-brand motels, upcoming anthology projects, and their mutual love of Stephen King.

Shawn and Rachel chat about uncovering our origins, library borrowing limits, spending time with writers, MFA programs, and being a teacher of creative writing.

Shawn and Matt discuss Siskel and Ebert and Matt's new book about the legendary film critics and their impact on movie watching through the years.

Shawn and Edward chat about books and art, finding inspiration during the pandemic, Edward creating a drawing a day, theater and politics. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Edward Carey is a novelist, visual artist, and playwright. His previous novels include The Swallowed Man, Little, Alva & Irva, and Observatory Mansions, and an acclaimed series for young adults, the Iremonger Trilogy. His writing for the s...

Shawn and Dale talk about traditional vs. indie publishing, writing inspirations, Stephen King, their mutual appreciation for the Writing Life, and finding your community in the world of writing. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dale T Phillips is a New England writer and actor who spent his formative years in Maine, and has lived and worked in a number of different places. He graduated from the University of Ma...

Shawn and Lauren discuss her new novel MEDUSA'S SISTERS, how no one is born evil, shaping young minds, the allure of myths and mythical stories, the roles of siblings, sisters, and birth order, the unfortunate timelessness of blaming the victim, feminism, and the importance of compassion in all things.

Shawn and Tim discuss growing up in the 80s, how comments made during our school years stay with us into adulthood, small-t trauma, speech writing and fiction writing, speech team vs. drama club, and the emotional well-being of Gen-Xers.

Shawn and Sandra chat about writing for younger readers, hard endings, plotting vs. organic writing, Stephen King, having rogues in the family, Chloris Leachman, and their love of music.

Shawn and Kerri chat about The Jane Collective, how you have to keep fighting for your rights, great girlfriends and having a ride-or-die set of friends, accidentally topical books, listening to the universe, and hanging in there through rejection in a writing career.

Shawn and her co-host Kate KB Jackson chat with Lisa chat about her business The Writing Retreat Directory and Writing Retreat Sampler, her deep dive into Ancestry.com, and finding inspiration when starting or maintaining a writing journey.

Shawn chats with returning guest Don Bentley about the newest book in the Tom Clancy world of novels, what SWAT stands for, what it's like on the bestseller lists, writing multiple books and series a year, Tom Cruise, writing sprints, and having either a Stephen King or Mark Greaney kind of day.

Shawn and Amy chat about comedy writing vs. novel writing, great dialogue, being Midwestern, debut novels, shifting careers, and the importance of supportive partners for creative people.

Shawn and Jane talk about surviving and thriving after a cancer diagnosis, healthcare for women over the years, the bandwagon effect, what history was actually like, and the magic of teamwork.

Shawn and Ali chat about Ali's Fan Fiction origins and her path to traditional publishing, the role that luck plays in our lives, the best writing advice you can give or get, how stories help us deal with difficult times, finding your community, and a billion-dollar idea.