Five Compelling Questions with Shawn

Shawn and returning guest Katherine Ramsland discuss crime-solving teams, horse dentists, teamwork and brainstorming, Mother Nature and the weather, the DC Snipers, saying yes to opportunities, Dostoevsky, and philosophy.

Shawn and Libi chat about Ben Franklin quotes; professional storytelling; living and traveling in Italy IRL and in your mind; elegant murder; and beautiful book covers.

Shawn and Shelley chat about Shelley being a Ph. D. and Edgar-nominated writer, finding power in words and how they impact others as well as ourselves, how to write mysteries, Mark Twain, and food, of course.

Shawn and Sidney chat about gay characters who aren’t just sidekicks, the lasting appeal of rom-coms, their mutual distrust of outlining stories, a roller-coaster of words, writers on strike, and being culture vultures.

Shawn and Genevive chat about The Viking Age, pantsers/discovery writing vs. plotting, faking it till you're making it, content warnings on novels, Viking women, and how women fight.

Shawn and Ore discuss her debut novel, THE THREE OF US, what it's like being a debut author, writing short and long fiction, pandemic novel writing, friendships and love, juggling on Zoom, and eavesdropping on someone's worst nightmare.

Shawn and Lauryn chat about Millenials vs Gen-X experiences, The Interestings, the financial crisis of 2008 and how it impacted a generation, growing up with social media, pantsers, restructuring a book post editorial review, multiple POVs, and hard writing math.

In a very Florida episode, Shawn and Sarah discuss her new book BURNING EDEN, the state they’ve both called home, the ability to listen well, falling oak trees, how we’re all a bunch of weirdos post-pandemic, and murdery comedy.

Shawn and Brian chat about continuing the Jason Bourne series, Lennon vs. Lenin, Richard Chamberlain cred, maintaining your own voice while writing another author's series, sharing ownership of a character, writing action effectively, and finishing what you start.

Shawn and Buzzy chat about her new book, TO DIE BEAUTIFUL, on being 52, writing fiction based on real people and events, writing non-fiction vs. fiction, Murderino Nation, the importance of hope, cool first names, and the impact of history on our current day lives.

Shawn and Andrew chat about HOPE and hope, Picasso quotes, having a way forward, invisible guardrails, what to do when hope doesn't pan out, the best cover image story ever, learning comedy, the brilliance of Steve Martin, and once again, having hope.

Shawn and Juan chat about how lives are shaped by revolution and ideology, writing novels as opposed to non-fiction when dealing with true life events, working with a map vs. a compass while writing, the novelist Javier Marías, idolizing writers and aspiring to greatness.

Shawn and Laura chat about "Jolly" Jane Toppan, female serial killers, inadvertat feminism, Patricia Highsmith and Shirley Jackson as influences, Japanese fiction, and poetry vs. prose for a writer who is expert in both disciplines.

Shawn and Laura chat about falling off of treadmills, 1990s nostalgia, how scandal impacts men and women differently, writing strong dialogue, and the art of the twist.

Shawn and Kerry chat about having an iron will, always looking for the good side of a bad situation, online dating, being a child of a military family, survival, giving up sugar, and writing standalone vs. series books.

Shawn and Paige chat about Paige's American debut, Indiana, Paige being the daughter of an INDY 500 driver, immersing yourself in your work, method acting to develop characters, a love of dialogue, finding the sweet spot, and how everyone loves pie.

Shawn and Mary chat about wedding planning, being a debut author, personal drama, being tenatious in life, real life drama, changing the murderer, taking shady revenge, the weirdest wedding experiences, being nosy and also calm.

Shawn chats with one of her idols, Lisa Scottoline, about her new book LOYALTY, the concept of justice, being Italian American, the mafia, historical fiction and thrillers, what kinds of people pantsers are, how food is everything, and important advice for writers, especially women.

Shawn and Elizabeth chat about the Supreme Court, motherhood and career, the "inferior lives" of powerful women, legal studies as they relate to fiction, RBG and her legacy, hydrating your fiction, and surviving cancer.

Shawn and Marcy chat at about attention spans, fiction vs. memoirs, hurricanes, water as a metaphor, movies about writers, not being psychiatrists, and staying positive.

Shawn and Julia chat about mathing things out, reality TV, how we find ideas, mining our normal lives for entertainment content, statistics as it relates to fiction writing, social media and the role it has in our lives, and more math tips.

Shawn and Chanel chat about choosing fiction writing as a career, Chanel’s Cuban-American experience and intergenerational family stories and how that influences her writing, choosing favorite characters, and not persevering through rejection in your writing career.

Shawn and Kate chat about her new novel, writing multiple books a year in different genres, how long it takes to write, family dynamics, sisters, being on a cleanse, and going viral on TikTok.

Shawn and Ramona chat about the concept of de-extinction, writing realistic youthful voices, grief and loss as it relates to hope, taking a while to write a novel, writing short vs. long fiction, and inspiring words from an expert crafter of words.

Shawn and Rocky chat about books for younger readers, writing YA vs writing for adults, the importance of reading, how being derivative isn't always a bad thing, not wanting to practice violin, and writing into the future.