The Florida Writer Podcast

If you had 10x the book marketing budget you have now, what would you spend it on? On this Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen chats with Karina Kantas, author of 15 books and 16 International Film Festival Awards for documentary and book trailers, and discusses her company, Author Assist. Frustrated with the steep learning curve of becoming a first-time author, Karina started Author Assist...

What is your credibility quotient with your audience? In this Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen chats with Michell Levy , a 2x TEDx speaker and international bestseller of over 60 books, about how authors can create a platform that connects with their target audience while promoting credibility, trust, and reliability. Mitchell Levy is Global Credibility Expert. After interviewing 500 tho...

Curious about the mind of a Royal Palm Literary Award judge? In this Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen and Chet Meisner chat about things that make a winning entry. Chet explains that the audience needs to know how characters feel. What experience did that have and what keeps them going? If your protagonist is sad, what type of sad are they? Show us what's in their head!   Chet Meisner ca...

Enjoy this inspirational Florida Writers Podcast as host Alison Nissen chats with J.L. Buck Martinez, President of ACE Leadership Group , a company dedicated to inspiring and developing men and women to achieve their highest potential. Buck may have started his career as an inspirational speaker, connecting with well over 50,000 student athletes, but when he set his sights on writing about Purpose...

In this Florida Writer Podcast, we welcome founder of Everyday by the Lake Laura Gariepy who shares with host Alison Nissen her strategies to be a successful freelance writer. 1.     Have a clear understanding of your Why. Know the reason you wish to be a full-time freelancer. 2.     Begin networking as early as possible. Continually build relationships in your genre—they aren't competitors, they...

The life of a firefighter is not for the faint of heart.    In this Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen talks with retired Fire Captain Cindie Schooner-Ball about her book Sister in a Brotherhood, Stories from My Life as a Female Firefighter. Cindie shares her journey from first responder to award-winning author and the challenges she experienced as both a firefighter and a new author. Cind...

Did you know that only 1% of LinkedIn users create content, and they get 9 billion impressions a week? In this Florida Writer Podcast, Host  Alison Nissen chats with LinkedIn Content Creator Kathryn Montbriand about how writers can make LinkedIn work for them. Kathryn Montbriand is a former Fortune 500 leader who took a career sabbatical after 10 years at a large financial institution. During this...

Co-Host of the Wild Women Who Write Take Flight Podcast, Gaby Anderson has released her debut novel. South of Happily goes beyond the usual themes of marriage, divorce, and family history. She gets down to the heart of who is Katy Kiss, an astute young woman caught in the maelstrom of betrayal, grief and self-doubt. In this Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen chats with Gaby about her journ...

Story collector Dr. Paul Thornton joins host Alison Nissen on the Florida Writer Podcast to chat about his writing journey and favorite pastime, cruising. He collects other people's stories and shares them in his The Joy of Cruising Trilogy . He explains that at age 58, during an impromptu speech, he noticed the burden of his "harrowing brush with death, journey of recovery from trauma, resilience...

Professional Behavioral Analyst and business consultant Steve Gavatorta shares tips on how to finish plan and finish your manuscript. In this Florida Writer Podcast host Alison Nissen chats with Steve about writing and marketing and the importance of embracing your work's title. Steve Gavatorta, owner of the Steve Gavatorta Group, specializes in empowering individuals and organizations in identify...

Lana McAra has discovered how to market her books with impact by embedding her life's purpose into her stories in subtle ways—and sell books at the same time. In this Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen chats with Lana on how you, too, can use her technique to create a bond with audiences to sell more books and make an impact by asking "what do I love" and "how can I help?"     Lana McAra i...

Jamie Blaine and Vicky Lanzone became friends after Vicky signed up for an online marriage support site. The story unfolds when, late one night, Vicky writes that the weight is too heavy and each day is a battle to survive. She admits there are pills and the note is written. Jamie replies: Instead of ending your life, why not try changing it first? What do you really have to lose? Florida Writer P...

Writers labor diligently on their works-in-progress. But when it comes to marketing, they often throw their hands up in the air and want to quit before their message is ever shared. Naresh Vissa , founder and CEO of Krish Media & Marketing . and host  Alison Nissen chat about ways two ideas authors need to know when marketing their books: Direct Marketing: Delivering a message to your email list w...

Are you up-to-date on the latest genre termonology? In this week's Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen chats with Jeffray Harrison about Magical Realism, Fabulism, Low Fantasy, and High Fantasy. What's the difference? What do you need to know? Jeffray Harrison is a high school English teacher at a private school in South Florida, trying to squeeze writing time between work and spending time...

In this Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen asks Bryan Carrier about shifting genres from children's author to writing about a female boxer in the novel Rise Up! Against Domestic Violence , where the protagonist, a survivor of childhood domestic abuse, uses her boxing prowess to propel her to challenge the reigning world champion. Alison and Bryan discuss how the main character took over hi...

Asking "What If?" can drive your plot and characters into mysterious circumstances. In this Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen asks Dan Petrosini how he can create twists no one sees coming. From picking up the phone to call the local sheriff's office and keeping notes on his computer to the old Moleskin notepads, Dan likes to keep his audience on the edge of their seats by asking "What If...

Writers are known for their struggle. We think of Poe and his addictions. Fitzgerald and his lust for romance. Or Hemmingway and his insistence of waking every day to write at least one sentence, fighting the demons that chased him. But we don't talk much about neurodiverse writers. This week, host Alison Nissen chats with Loretta Lynne Finan about the gift of neurodiversity. Loretta Lynne Finan i...

Sex sells. So does erotica. In this Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen chats with Dr. J. Donna Jennings, Ph. D ., a retired sex therapist and author who not only writes in this lucrative field but coaches others on how to write quality, steamy romance. Need I say more? Dr. J. Donna Jennings, Ph. D. (she, her) is a retired sex therapist and college human sexuality professor (FSU & TCC) now...

Poetry is a powerful medium for emotional exploration, self-discovery, and healing. Through writing or reading, the artistic expression of pain, growth, and resilience can be transformative and nurturing to the soul. In this Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen and poet Nylda Dieppa chat about how poetry helps her make sense of life's complicated lessons. Nylda Dieppa is a poet, writer, faci...

Memoirs are tricky; you must first expose your life's struggles on paper, then permit the audience to see your most vulnerable moments. Now, imagine doing that and sharing your story with your ten sisters' stories of foster care, child abuse, separation, and reunion after 43 years. In this Florida Writer Podcast, Host Alison Nissen chats with Rev. Barbara Lane about the challenge of sharing all 11...

The search for spirituality and proof of reincarnations intertwine in this Florida Writer Podcast between host  Alison Nissen and Lynn Demarest chat about Lynn's book The Soul Gene . While the novel was written 10 years ago, with the advent of Artificial Intelligence, it's more important than ever to ask yourself, is there a soul gene? Lynn Demarest was a newspaper reporter in South Florida in the...

Experts say you should write in only one genre. But who are these experts and should we listen to them? In this Florida Writer Podcast, Mary Flynn and Host Alison Nissen chat about why tapping into and writing about all of our interests–regardless of the genre–makes us better (and happier!) writers. Mary Flynn is an award-winning author of fiction and poetry, as well as a celebrated speaker. A hig...

Want an inside look at the world of finance? Interested in earning massive amounts of money? As a mentor to those who wish to have 100M careers, Emmy Sobieski tells host Alison Nissen she entered the world of writing with the encouragement of her boss. She chose to turn her career experience as a top finance fund manager into something that could inspire others. Emmy Sobieski , CFA, the author of...

After a head injury, Drew Robinson decided to turn his stress and anxiety into a play. While he never published that one, it opened the door to discovering his creative side. Host Alison Nissen chats with light and quirky author Andrew John Robinson, a transplanted New Englander, whose first novel, Lexa and the Gordian Maze of Terra, a children's science-fiction work, and its sequel, Lexa and the...

Florida Writer host Alison Nissen sits down with Nancy J. Cohen , author of 30 published works, including the cozy mystery series Bad Hair Day Mysteries. Nancy loves feedback from readers and her favorite question is when will the next book be published. Fortunately for her fans, Star Tangled Murder has just been released. Nancy advises anyone interested in jumping into the cozy mystery market sho...