Liz Booker - Pilot, Writer, Aviation Diversity Advocate

Literary Aviatrix: The Power of Story - Women in Aviation

Leisure EN ↓ 224 episodes

Join Liz Booker as she interviews authors whose books feature women in aviation from across genres, historical periods, and types of flying, and be inspired by the tenacity, adventure, and courage of our sisters in the air. * Liz not only promotes books featuring women in aviation, but also provides the tools and information for other women to tell their stories. Check out Writers' Room interviews for in-depth discussions on writing, publishing, and book promotion. * Liz is a retired Coast Guard helicopter pilot and writer, and host of the Aviatrix Book Club, Aviatrix Writers' Group, an...

Author

Liz Booker - Pilot, Writer, Aviation Diversity Advocate

Episodes

WP15: Children’s author Kristen L. Gray teaches kids about the history of women in aviation in a modern day context that is relatable and relevant in her novel The Amelia Six: An Amelia Earhart Mystery. 21.02.2023 8:35

Send us Fan Mail In this excerpt from my interview with acclaimed Children’s book author, Kristin L. Gray, she talks about how she incorporated fun details about Amelia Earhart to enhance her story about a girl who gets to spend the night at Amelia Earhart’s birthplace home. Did you know you can support your local independent bookshop and me by shopping through my Bookshop.org affiliate links on...

AN7: Patty Bear talks about finding her voice and the power of driving the narrative through writing 19.02.2023 6:58

Send us Fan Mail In this excerpt from my Writers’ Room interview with author Patty Bear about her book From Plain to Plane: My Mennonite Childhood, a National Scandal, and an Unconventional Soar to Freedom , she talks about how sharing her truth through writing helped her find her own power and control over the narrative. Did you know you can support your local independent bookshop and me by shop...

Karlene Petitt, 40-year veteran of 8 airlines with a PhD in Aviation Safety, talks about how she weaves real-life aviation safety concerns and her own whistle-blower retaliation experience into her Flight for Control 6-book series 18.02.2023 1:05:22

Send us Fan Mail In this interview with author and airline pilot, Karlene Petitt, she talks about her book Flight for Control, the first in a 6-book thriller novel series that incorporates real-life scenarios and her own experience of being retaliated against by Delta Airlines for raising safety concerns. Visit Karlene at her blog: https://karlenepetitt.blogspot.com/ Did you know you can support y...

WP14: Spoiler alert: Erika Armstrong’s memoir A Chick in the Cockpit is not just about her aviation journey, it’s really about domestic abuse, and about how domestic abuse took her aviation career away from her 16.02.2023 8:12

Send us Fan Mail In this excerpt from my interview with Erika Armstrong , author of A Chick in the Cockpit: My Life Up in the Air , she talks about how, since publishing the book, she’s been blown away by the number of women who have reached out to her with their own experiences of domestic abuse. If you need help, contact the National Domestic Abuse Hotline 800-799-7233, or to connect with Erika,...

WP13: Amy Shira Teitel talks about Jerrie Cobb’s affair with Jack Ford and the most romantic aviation scene I’ve ever read 14.02.2023 5:04

Send us Fan Mail In this excerpt from my interview with author Amy Shira Teitel about her book Fighting for Space: Two Women and Their Epic Battle for Female Spaceflight, we talk about Jerrie Cobb ferrying aircraft to Central and South America, and a forced landing after her prop seal failed leaving her windscreen covered in oil, in Jamaica that was the beginning of a love affair with Jack Ford. D...

AN6: RAF Tornado GR4 combat pilot Mandy Hickson talks about her duty to write a book and how the publishing industry rejected her on the basis that ‘plane books are for a male readership who have no interest in reading about a woman’ 12.02.2023 6:24

Send us Fan Mail In this excerpt from my interview with Mandy Hickson , author of An Officer, Not a Gentleman, talks about why and how she finally decided to write her memoir, and how the common theme of publishers not knowing how to market a book featuring women in aviation. Mandy is doing very well as a self-published author. Did you know you can support your local independent bookshop and me b...

WP12: The inspiration and meaning of 'When the Sky' by Israeli artist Maya Johana: it’s all about empowerment and fits perfectly with the theme of finding the courage to pursue your aviation dreams 09.02.2023 9:58

Send us Fan Mail In this clip from my interview with Israeli singer/song writer, Maya Johana , I talk about what her songs represent to me as a woman in aviation and a writer, why I am so thrilled to have them as my theme music, and she shares what they mean to her, and the process of writing them. You can enjoy the full songs on YouTube: When the Sky Born to Become Did you know you can support...

WP11: The downs, ups, and downs of being Black in Aviation: Pioneering Black flight attendant and author Casey Grant talks about how cab drivers wouldn’t even pick her up to get to her flights, the glamour of meeting celebrities, and the drama of dealing 07.02.2023 6:55

Send us Fan Mail In this excerpt from my interview with pioneering flight attendant, Casey Grant, we talk about the discrimination she and her cohorts dealt with in the pursuit of their careers, the fun and glamour of being cabin crew, and the not-so-glamourous aspects of the job. Did you know you can support your local independent bookshop and me by shopping through my Bookshop.org affiliate lin...

AN5: Cecilia Aragon, author of the award winning memoir, Flying Free, talks about honing her writing craft and making choices in her writing and publishing journey to make her work the best it can be. 05.02.2023 8:30

Send us Fan Mail In this excerpt from my Writers' Room interview with author Cecilia Aragon , she talks about the choices she made to pursue an MFA and draw on the resources available to make her writing the best it can be so it can reach the broadest audience possible. Did you know you can support your local independent bookshop and me by shopping through my Bookshop.org affiliate links on...

R.D. Kardon Flying Home Book Launch: In the third book in The Flygirl trilogy, we experience 9-11 though the pilots’ perspectives and follow MC Tris Miles’ character arc to a satisfying end. 04.02.2023 33:01

Send us Fan Mail In this interview with Robin Kardon, writing as R. D. Kardon, we celebrate the upcoming launch of the third book in The Flygirl Trilogy, Flying Home . The book is available for preorder now , and will be out on February 21st, 2023. If you’re headed to the Women in Aviation International 2023 Conference, or if you live in the Long Beach, CA area, you can see Robin at a special rece...

WP10: Airline pilot and author Carole Hopson shares how she brought the pioneering aviatrix Bessie Coleman to life on the page in her historical fiction novel A Pair of Wings. 02.02.2023 7:34

Send us Fan Mail In this clip from my interview with Carole Hopson about her book A Pair of Wings , we talk about the choices she made in her writing to bring Bessie to life for the reader. Did you know you can support your local independent bookshop and me by shopping through my Bookshop.org affiliate links on my website? If a book is available on Bookshop.org, you'll find a link to it on the...

WP9: Life in the adolescent boys’ locker room: former Navy helicopter pilot and retired Air Force U2 pilot, Merryl Tengesdal, on having a sense of humor in the male military culture 31.01.2023 7:59

Send us Fan Mail Retired Air Force Colonel and U2 pilot, Merryl Tengesdal, and I compare notes on our tolerance levels for our male peers’ antics during our military careers in this clip from my interview about her memoir, Shatter the Sky . Did you know you can support your local independent bookshop and me by shopping through my Bookshop.org affiliate links on my website? If a book is available...

AN4: NYT Best-selling author Kate Quinn offers advice for writers, wherever you are in your writing and publishing journey: learn to stifle the voice of doubt and fear in your head and “Embrace the Suck” 29.01.2023 6:52

Send us Fan Mail In this excerpt from my interview with Kate Quinn about her thriller novel The Huntress, she shares that even with fifteen books published, she still writes crappy first drafts, but a bad page is better than a blank page . . . Did you know you can support your local independent bookshop and me by shopping through my Bookshop.org affiliate links on my website? If a book is availab...

WP8: Retired Air Force Colonel and Airline pilot, Julie Tizard, whose lesbian romance novel THE ROAD TO WINGS is set in Air Force Flight School, talks about being gay in the military pre-Don’t Ask Don’t Tell 26.01.2023 7:26

Send us Fan Mail The pre-Don’t Ask Don’t Tell days in the military were a challenge for members who wanted to serve their country but had to stay closeted. Even during DADT, they couldn’t talk openly about their families, received no dependent benefits for their spouses, and risked their careers if they were found out. In this portion of my interview with author Julie Tizard about her book The Roa...

WP7: Erin Seidemann, author of the General Aviation memoir/travelogue POSTCARDS FROM THE SKY talks about her aircraft ownership journey from Cessna 172, to Piper Seneca II, to Cirrus 24.01.2023 8:40

Send us Fan Mail In this portion of my interview with Postcards from the Sky author, Erin Seidemann, we talk about her aircraft ownership and she shares her advice on whether and when someone should consider buying a plane. Did you know you can support your local independent bookshop and me by shopping through my Bookshop.org affiliate links on my website? If a book is available on Bookshop.org,...

AN3: Navigating Publishing Options with Literary Agent Amy Collins: Traditional Publishing? Self-Publish? Hybrid Publisher? It depends . . . 22.01.2023 9:58

Send us Fan Mail In this portion of my interview with Literary Agent Amy Collins , she gives us a primer on publishing options and offers her advice to writers on which direction to consider based on what you’re writing. Did you know you can support your local independent bookshop and me by shopping through my Bookshop.org affiliate links on my website? If a book is available on Bookshop.org, you...

WP6: Retired Airline and former Air Force pilot, Patty Bear, talks about how her Mennonite childhood compared to her experience in the first wave of women to attend the Air Force Academy and the trauma of her father’s excommunication from the church 19.01.2023 7:01

Send us Fan Mail In this excerpt of my interview with Patty Bear , author of From Plain to Plane,: My Mennonite Childhood, A National Scandal, and an Unconventional Soar to Freedom , she talks bout the similarities between her Mennonite childhood and her experience as an Air Force Academy Cadet. She shares why she wrote the book, and talks about how her father's excommunication and shunning f...

WP5: Army Warrant Officer and Cavalry Kiowa Warrior helicopter combat veteran Amber Smith talks about assimilating into the male-dominated military culture 17.01.2023 7:12

Send us Fan Mail In this excerpt from my interview with Amber Smith about her book Danger Close: My Epic Journey as a Helicopter Pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan, she talks about assimilating into the male-dominated military culture. Sign up for the Literary Aviatrix newsletter, join Aviatrix Book Club discussions, and become a Literary Aviatrix Patron. Did you know you can support your local indepe...

Writers' Room with Laura Savino on Chicken Soup for the Soul and writing and publishing her aviation career memoir, Jet Boss 16.01.2023 33:39

Send us Fan Mail In this Writers’ Room interview with author Laura Savino, she talks about the choices she made in both writing and publishing her memoir, Jet Boss, her writing journey, her other published works, and her advice for other writers. Did you know you can support your local independent bookshop and me by shopping through my Bookshop.org affiliate links on my website? If a book is avail...

Captain Laura Savino, author of Jet Boss, on her warm welcome and teenage rebellion in general aviation, finding her way to the airlines via Purdue University and a lot of aviation grunt work, medical setbacks as a pilot, and motherhood in aviation 16.01.2023 1:38:12

Send us Fan Mail In this interview with airline pilot and author of the book Jet Boss: A Female Pilot on Taking Risks and Flying High, Laura Savino talks about her journey from her traditionally gendered childhood to teenage rebellion in general aviation, through Purdue University, and to the airlines. Laura's story is so entertaining and funny, while also filled with important life and aviat...

AN2: Is memoir fiction, non-fiction, or somewhere in between? Acclaimed author and professor of writing, Lauren Kessler, shares her thoughts. 15.01.2023 6:54

Send us Fan Mail In this author’s note from Season 1 Episode 11 , Lauren Kessler talks about how memoir is almost a genre unto itself, asserting that, as humans, relying on our own memories and experiences, it would be impossible for us to tell a completely true story. Memoir, therefore, falls somewhere between fiction and non-fiction. Did you know you can support your local independent bookshop a...

WP4: Tricia Aurand, Coauthor of Taking Flight: The Nadine Ramsey Story, the biography of a WWII Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP), does a reading from the book that vividly describes WASP life at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, TX. 12.01.2023 6:29

Send us Fan Mail In this clip from my interview with author Raquel Ramsey and co-author Tricia Aurand , we hear what it was like for the women living together during training in the barracks at Avenger Field in Sweetwater Texas from the book they wrote about Nadine’s sister-in-law, WWII Women Air Force Service Pilot Nadine Ramsey. Did you know you can support your local independent bookshop and m...

WP3: Author Amy Shira Teitel talks about whether pilot Jerrie Cobb’s expectations to go to space in the 1960’s were appropriate based on her success in Dr. Lovelace’s astronaut tests, and the conflict created by Jerrie & Jackie Cochran jockeying for power 10.01.2023 10:16

Send us Fan Mail In this interview with Amy Shira Teitel about her book Fighting for Space: Two Pilots and Their Historic Battle for Female Spaceflight, Amy talks about whether Jerrie Cobb had a reasonable expectation that she and her cohorts who were tested for the space program by Dr. Lovelace in the 1960’s had a shot at being astronauts. She also highlights how the letters between the 13 partic...

AN1: Welcome to Author’s Notes. We kick it off with determining your WHY as a writer with Robin D. Kardon, author of the Flygirl series. 08.01.2023 7:31

Send us Fan Mail In this Author’s Note from my Writers' Room interview with Robin D. Kardon , she shares her writing journey, talks about determining your why as a writer, and offers advice about how to develop your craft through structured programs like San Diego Writers, Ink. In my intro I mention that Robin hosted a workshop with the Aviatrix Writers entitled What Are You Writing and Why?...

WP2: Author Lauren Kessler talks about how she was introduced to the larger-than-life pioneering Aviatrix, Pancho Barnes, and what Pancho was really serving up at her ranch, The Happy Bottom Riding Club, outside Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert 05.01.2023 7:00

Send us Fan Mail In this excerpt of my interview with Lauren Kessler about her book, The Happy Bottom Riding Club: The Life and Times of Pancho Barnes , she explains how she learned about Pancho and her entertainment ranch near Edwards Air Force Base, and what was really going on behind the scenes. Did you know you can support your local independent bookshop and me by shopping through my Bookshop....