Getting to The Heart of Why We Write

I’d like to introduce you to author Jessica Stremer for today’s episode! I’ve known Jessica since the very beginning of my kidlit journey. She was part of one of my first critique groups back in 2020. She quite literally helped shape my manuscript for my published picture book and many others.  I had the joy of seeing many of the manuscripts she brought for critiques become published books out in...

Please welcome author Erin Chesnut to the show! I found Erin through Writer Moms Inc. on Facebook (link is below) and had so much fun talking with her about conversing with characters, choreographing movement, and just sitting down and doing the hardest part of all–writing the words. Please enjoy! Some Highlights: Experimenting with different styles of writing. The joy of human interest stories. C...

Today you're in for a mini treat with author Lynn Becker of the musical Monsters in the Briny and magical June Moon ! I've known Lynn for years and she was one of my first guests back when I did these interviews in blog format. So, for a quick update and bonus treat to you listeners, Lynn and I caught up about her journey with her recent release. Her Books📚: Monsters in the Briny –A rolli...

Let’s welcome Laura Bower to the show! I met Laura through 12x12 and other’s I knew in her debut group, PBSOAR24. It was so much fun talking with her about growing the seeds of stories and all the joy there is to find in the kidlit world! Some Highlights: The power within words. Finding her way into children’s writing from the back of a Cheerio box. The peace of writing outside of our homes (and t...

In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Leah Moser whose book, I AM A THUNDERCLOUD illustrated by Marie Hermansson, came out with Running Press Kids on April 2, 2024 (also her birthday!!!).🎈🎂 I had so much fun connecting with Leah and talking about the welcoming world of kidlit, the reality of writing as a human person, and more.  Here are some highlights: The college class that spa...

Please welcome the prolific, award-winning, 12x12 webinar presenting author Marzieh Abbas! I met Marzieh through 12x12 and had so much fun talking with her about the transcendence of words and writing across genres. 🖋️ Here are some highlights🌟: Her writing started as journaling and writing letters to her children in 2019. Her friend told her about how she kept a journal of letters written to her...

Please welcome author Lauren Ranalli to the show today! I found Lauren through the kidlit community online and had so much fun talking with her about inspiration, book nerdiness, and all things books and writing. I hope you enjoy the episode! Some Highlights:  She first started writing stories after her son was born. As an interfaith family, her son was given many Christmas books, but she had a ha...

I had so much fun chatting with Cedar about her writing journey and the launch of her recent picture book, Fire Flight illustrated by Chiara Fedele.  Some of the highlights covered: The benefits of not doing your laundry. When giving up writing is impossible. How many rejections is too many? (Spoiler, we can always keep going.) The beauty of real life and its messiness. Why you may want to write o...

Thank you for listening to this bonus mini episode about who I am and what I do as a ghostwriter, author, and core story consultant. If you're interested in hearing more or grabbing some of the free marketing resources I mentioned, here are all the relevant links. Links: My Calendar to book a free 20 Minute Strategy call and grab your free copy of my Streamlined Media Strategy Branding Bluepri...

Today I am so pleased to introduce you to author Steena Hernandez. Steena’s debut picture book, Lupita’s Brown Ballet Slippers, illustrated by Melissa Castillo is coming out with Beaming Books on October 22, 2024.  It was a joy to talk with Steena and I can’t thank her enough for being on the show. Here are some highlights: The joy of being a library family and sharing that time together, picking...

Today, I have a fun interview for you with author Megan Woodward. Her upcoming debut picture book, This Book is Definitely Not Cursed , illustrated by Risa Rodil is available for pre-order now and hitting shelves near you on June 25, 2024. We talked about all sorts of fun things like hugging trees, making fools of ourselves reading books, the compulsion to write, and what it’s like to juggle writi...

Today I have the pleasure of talking with author LD Green. I met LD through Kids Comics Unite (a super fun community for comic and word nerds/creators, linked below). Immediately I felt like we could have talked for hours about all the things! We talk about all sorts of things in today’s episode from tree-hugging to word clouds, so please enjoy! Some highlights: The slam poetry world  Collaboratin...

Today we’re in for a treat with abstract artist and children’s book author Meghana Narayan, of the newly released A Little Bit of Everything illustrated by Michelle Carlos. Meghana and I cover a lot of ground from what apps we use to catch random ideas to the magic of sharing parts of yourself through your writing.  Grab a cup of tea, settle in and enjoy the episode! 🙂 Highlights: She’s spent a l...

Today I’d like to welcome C.S. Boyll to the show! This week on “Getting to the Heart of Why We Write,” Cindy and I talk about everything from kidnapped midwives to Cincinnati Ohio chili.  It was so much fun talking with Cindy who has been writing across genres for many years. I love meeting other multi-genre writers and hearing about their journeys and passion for different projects!  I was lucky...

Please welcome Jessica Santiesteban to “Getting to The Heart of Why We Write!” Today we are hosting an illustrator takeover edition .  Jessica and I talk about her background in art and story. After having her first art show at 21, she later had her daughters and from there grew the seed of inspiration that sparked her first story. She published her first book, My Favorite Fairy , originally in Sp...

Please join me in welcoming Paulina S. Cossette Ph. D. of Acadia Editing Services to the show! Paulina has 15+ years of experience and so much to share, I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did! Here are some highlights of things we talked about: The joy in exploring new subjects through copy editing, learning something new each time a manuscript comes across your desk. Mohawk artist Sh...

Please join me in welcoming Jo Renfro to “Getting to the Heart of Why We Write” in today’s episode! You may notice today’s show is out on a Friday instead of a Thursday–we’ve got the cold season blowing through my house so we’re moving a bit slower in general.  It’s giving me a chance to practice being patient through this season of life, just like Jo advises in the episode! Jo is the author and i...

I couldn’t be more excited to introduce Stacy Juba to you today. She has written books about ice hockey, teen psychics, U.S. flag etiquette for kids, and determined women sleuths. Stacy is an author, editor, and teacher with 30 years of experience.  Here are some highlights from our chat: How she learned over many years to refill her creative well with meditation, yoga, reading, and jigsaw puzzles...

Hello, story nerds! Today’s guest on Getting to The Heart of Why We Write is Wendy C. Goldstein . Wendy’s recent book, Oscar’s Blue Bandana , is the true story of her dog, Oscar, earning his blue bandana as a therapy dog. I met Wendy through the kidlit world in 12x12 and along with a handful of other writers we’ve created the PictureBookPeeps debut group. Website and podcast for our group are fort...

Today’s guest is Laura Roettiger, author of two picture books including the recently published An Accidental Hero: A Mostly True Wombat Story illustrated by Debbi Palen. Laura is a reading specialist with a background in teaching and curriculum creation. Her superpower as a teacher is encouraging curiosity in children, which she has brought into the stories she now writes.  We covered a lot of top...

Today we have an interview with Jilanne Hoffmann , author of A River of Dust illustrated by Eugenia Mello. Favorite Quotes: “We went out with our first manuscript, A River of Dust, to auction. I don’t recommend that to anybody! Afterward there was a long dry spell.” “I daydream and that can fill the [creative] well. I just look out the window and can disappear .’” “I love the challenge [of writing...

Today’s guest is Michelle Lee, author of Between The Lighthouse and You ( Amazon , Bookshop , Barnes and Noble ) . We talk about how ideal writing times vary for different people, querying as an elementary school student, writing across different genres to enrich your writing, and more. With her lifelong involvement in the writing world and Ph. D. in English Literature, she is a real life doctor o...

Sorry for my lateness with today’s podcast! It is Friday but I am here and with another sparkling author interview on “Getting to The Heart of Why We Write.” Today, we have Lisa Rogers whose recent book Beautiful Noise: The Music of John Cage illustrated by Il Sung Na has received starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and more! I cannot thank Lisa enough for sharing her time wi...

Thank you, Sharon, for sharing your time with me! Today's episode was filled with so many great topics, the benefits of libraries, critique groups, and celebrating each other's success within the writing community. Here's a list of further resources to check out and links mentioned: Sharon's Website Bonus: Sharon's Post in Storystorm 2024 12x12 Challenge Samara Rubin and The Ut...

Natasha was so much fun to have on the show and I couldn't have asked for better parting words, "Have fun on the journey" creating stories for children. Stay curious! I encourage you to follow that curiosity straight to Natasha's website and many books. Night Before Series Biographies, Fiction, and More Learn about Author Visits (she is an expert!) Facebook Page Instagram Her lat...