Pencils&Lipstick podcast

Esther thought of herself as a reluctant reader until she read John Irving’s,  The World According to Garp in her teens. From that day on, she discovered that she loves books! These days, she mostly listens to audiobooks. Esther’s writing career grew from the stories she told her children. Book after book poured out of her as she began to put the words down on paper. She also shares her deep...

This week I'm so excited to bring an interview with Spoken to you! They are truly changing the audiobook industry and I want you to be part of it! I've always wanted to have audiobooks, but it's been so far out of reach due to price for me, but not any more! Spoken Studio is the first purpose-built workflow empowering authors breaking the sound barrier.  Spoken deeply analyzes each work and c...

Today I'm talking with Melissa Burnham from Embers Igniting. Melissa is a writer herself and sees editing as a partnership, walking beside writers through the editing process, encouraging growth while respecting their unique style and explaining the “why” behind her suggestions. Melissa is offering a 2000 word sample edit for Pencils&Lipstick listeners. Just mention the podcast in the contact form...

This week I am talking with author Nancy Christie. She got her start in journalism and has written nonfiction, short stories and novels. Nancy's fiction and nonfiction books explore the subject of change — the challenges in transitioning (physically or emotionally) from one place to another, the sense of loss that develops when the landscape of life undergoes a metaphorical shift and the importanc...

Today I'm talking with Greg Keogh from Curios. Curios is a self publishing platform for digital content that puts the creator and their audience first. On Curios the creator of the content keeps 100% of any revenue they earn. Additionally, with the audience's permission, creators can access their fans' contact information, and any IP stays with the creator. As a reader, you can also use Curios to...

Launch My Book, Inc. was founded in 2013 by Joel Pitney. A writer by training with a background in digital marketing, he helped launch his first book onto the  New York Times  Bestseller list, and soon began working with a wide range of authors to help bring their books to the world. Since then, Launch My Book has grown in scope to help support authors through every stage of the book lau...

Today we are talking all about blurbs! After this episode I'm betting you'll feel more confident in your abilities to understand them, as well as write them. Let's go!! Jessie Cunniffe is a professional blurb writer and book blurb coach from Sydney, Australia. A passionate advocate of the indie author community, Jessie has dedicated herself to taking the pain out of blurb-writing with her custom b...

Want to be an ARC reader for my historical romance? Click and share the link: https://katcaldwell.com/ARC-historical-romance Check out curios.com , Check out Manuscript Report https://katcaldwell.com/manuscript-report and use code KAT5 for $5 off. Like Substack? Find me at Lessons In Story. https://lessonsinstory.substack.com Sign up for my writers' newsletter to learn more about the craft of writ...

Rebecca Pickens is a certified book coach, editor, and host of Self-Editing Essentials, a group coaching program for writers with finished or almost finished manuscripts, who want to learn more about the editing process. She works with writers at all stages of the creative journey to help them start, finish, and get their stories into the hands of their ideal readers. Find out more about Rebecca a...

Lynn Bohart is a mystery writer that probably has the BEST author newsletter for crime and mystery writers that exists, but she has switched to YA. Why? Let's find out in this episode! Get her latest book, Case of the Missing Will: A Teen Mystery Adventure, here: https://www.lynnbohart-author.com/books Find out more about Lynn and sign up for her amazing newsletter here: https://www.lynnbohart-aut...

We are talking about email, newsletters and email marketing today. And we're starting with the basics. My course with more details is here:https://writeyourstory.thrivecart.com/start-your-author-newsletter All of the companies I name in the episode are linked below. A few are affiliate links. Mailerlite (affiliate) https://katcaldwell.com/mailerlite Send Fox: https://sendfox.com Mailchimp: https:/...

Let's review the key scenes that each novel needs and how to get started on writing a novel. Like Substack? Find me at Lessons In Story. https://lessonsinstory.substack.com Sign up for my writers' newsletter to learn more about the craft of writing, know when my workshops are and be the first to get exclusive information on my writing retreats. https://katcaldwell.com/writers-newsletter Want more...

Today I'm chatting with C.C. Tyler about the misconceptions of an "almost perfect" draft, another way to look at getting feedback and her unique approach to editing that was inspired by her collegiate swimming years. You aren't going to want to miss this! You can find out more about C.C. Tyler, her books and her coaching, at https://www.authorcctyler.com . Sign up for my writers' newsletter to lea...

Roland Denzel is bringing his health and habits coaching expertise to his writing and his teaching us how we can too! we chat about the Pomodoro effect, the REVERSE Pomodoro effect, Brain Fog and more. Is Writing Block read? Come find out! You can find out more about Roland, get on his newsletter and be part of his ARC team for The Author Brain here: https://indestructibleauthor.com/ Get the prequ...

Editing is an essential process to writing a book. Contrary to what a lot of authors think, there might be several rounds of edits before a book hits the shelves. Today I'm talking with Stacy Juba to get more information about that as well as editing tips for authors, both indie and traditionally published. You can find Stacy Juba's Book Editing Blueprint here: https://katcaldwell.com/blueprint Fi...

Sometimes we buck so much against the system (in publishing and writing) that we can end up throwing everything out, the bad and the good. Today Janice and I talk about why a premise will help you write your story, how to find the premise and how Janice has use it to not only finish her books but land agents for her traditionally published books. Find out more about Janice Hardy at http://blog.jan...

Today I want to encourage you to embrace the interruptions in your life. And to make an interruption if you don't have one coming! I explain a little more in the intro. I also want to introduce you to J. Gabriel Gates who is an author of fantasy, horror, and sci-fi books, including the Luck Gods Series, The Lamplighters, The Sleepwalkers, and Blood Zero Sky. He is also co-author of The T...

My guest today, MT Solomon, talks about her latest book, Liar Queen, and what it's like to be both traditionally and indie published at the same time. You can find out more about MT and order Liar Queen at https://themtsolomon.com/works/liar-queen/ Bended Love is out!! https://books.katcaldwell.com/bended-love Get the prequel, Bended Dream, here: https://books.katcaldwell.com/bended-prequel Like S...

Is your goal for 2025 to finish your book? Are you having a hard time finding "the story", the climax or the ending? Today's episode is going to help you get past these blocks (which are pretty typical so you aren't alone!) so that you can finish your book this YEAR! Get the prequel, Bended Dream, here: https://books.katcaldwell.com/bended-prequel  Like Substack? Find me at Lessons In Story....

Happy New Year! Time to get those resolutions going, but perhaps we should do them differently this year? After years of feeling like I should do what the productivity gurus told me (and failing), I have tweaked my goals and resolutions. If you want to join me, come listen! Bended Love is out!! https://books.katcaldwell.com/bended-love Get the prequel, Bended Dream, here: https://books.katcaldwell...

It's the end of 2024! We're talking a few things on the show today. First, if you can't write these next few weeks and why that's okay. And then we're talking about Show, don't Tell to understand the concept in a way that is helpful to writing our stories. Looking for the Looks and Gazes guide from Stacy Juba? It's here: https://kat_caldwell--shortcutsforwriters.thrivecart.com/energize-your-writin...

Let's talk about how to get those words written down. To get that manuscript DONE! Because in the end, an editor can only edit what is written, right? A reader can only read what is put on the page. Your dream can come true if you get that book finished! Want to support me and my work? Find me at Lessons In Story. https://lessonsinstory.substack.com Read the Bended Duet: Bended Loyalty: https://bo...

Need a Christmas book? Check out Jaime P Bradley’s book: WAIT. Get it here: https://jaimepbradley.com Author Newsletter workshop discount code: PENCILS2024. Get the workshop here https://writeyourstory.thrivecart.com/start-your-author-newsletter/?coupon=PENCILS2024 My favorite newsletter software is SendFox.com and Mailerlite.com .  Check out the articles from Indie Author Magazine: https://i...

We are talking a new way to plan and organize your novel and all that goes into writing a novel today with Seralynn Lewis. Seralynn is a Christian contemporary romance writer who writes full-time and has managed to get out 14 books in 4 years because of her organizational skills (and writing talent!) You can find more about Seralynn and join her newsletter here: https://seralynn.allauthor.com/ Fin...

Escalation in tension is important for your novel. The lack of tension by the middle is why many people put a book down and never pick it up again. It might also be why you're stuck in the muddy middle trying to figure out what to write next. But on this episode I'm not just going to tell you why you need escalating tension, I'm going to tell you a reason no one else is speaking about that could b...