These Mums Write

Ever feel like your writing doesn't matter? Or your dreams, for that matter? Zibby Owens is here to remind all the mom writers that it does. Zibby is an author, publisher, award-winning podcaster, CEO, bookstore owner, and mom of four. The creator and host of the award-winning, daily podcast Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books , and  founder and CEO of Zibby Media , dubbed “the Zibby-verse” by...

Do you feel burned out? Overwhelmed by the duties of momming and your day job? Alisha Fernandez Miranda is a mom of twins, a former CEO and the author of a coming-of-middle age memoir, My What If Year, which was released in February 2023.  The books shares her journey trying to find her joy again by walking away from a successful career to fill water bottles on Broadway, clear tables in Scotland a...

Need some indie author marketing inspiration? Bree Moore is a homeschooling mom of SIX from Iowa and urban fantasy author who has self-published multiple series, including Shadows of Camelot and Lost Souls.  After publishing her first book with a hybrid or vanity publisher, she turned to indie publishing and hasn't looked back. In today’s episode, she shares everything she has learned about s...

Are you called to write about a past trauma?  Odelia Elgarat first learned she was adopted at age 12 and spent the next several decades struggling to come to terms with this fact. In today's episode she shares how, even after tracking down her biological mother in her 30s, it was writing a memoir about this experience, You are Allowed, which finally allowed her to heal from it, as well as how...

Being a mom means not just learning how to take care of your small human, but also yourself. Erin Canning is a writing coach and podcaster who knows what it's like to lose yourself to parenting.  In this episode, Erin shares her own journey overcoming childhood trauma to become a better mom and happier person, and how she is now helping other moms reclaim themselves through writing, including...

Do you want to build up different revenue streams to help you transition into full time writing? Sara Reilly is a mom who recently left her career as school teacher and is now building up a writing business through ghostwriting and editing. In this episode, Sarah shares how she is building up her clients and how this new writing life is bringing new joy and purpose to her day-to-day. Connect with...

Do you ever hear yourself thinking, "I could if only ..." Darcie Naslund is here to remind you to let go of your "if only's." Darcie is a mom of three, teacher and picture book author living with multiple sclerosis. In this episode she shares how she is not only building a thriving writing life around her chronic illness, but also how she is using her condition to fuel her creativity. Connect with...

Are you struggling to come to terms with something from your life? Anya Wyers is a Canadian mom whose first book, a memoir called Letters to the Mountain, was about the loss of her best friend Rachel who disappeared on a hiking trip. In this episode, Anya shares how her memoir writing journey helped her take some control over what had happened how she is now applying that same insight to pivot int...

Why do you write? For Kimberly Ann, bringing her home landscape of western Canada into the romance genre has been a driving force. In this week's episode of the podcast, this homeschooling mom of two shares why she gave up her day job to write full time, and the strides she is making to not only build up her indie romance brand but also showcase the land she loves. Connect with Kimberly Ann via he...

Do you need to kick your creativity in the ass? News years resolutions and extended family time can take its toll on writing motivation. So, maybe it's time to learn how to put that annoying mom in playgroup in a choke hold. Libby Webber is a mother of two, action writer and self-defence teacher.  In this episode she shares how learning the art of jiu jitsu changed her approach to writing fig...

Are you a mom who wants to pivot into a new career in creative writing so your stories can touch other humans? Then you may have a lot more in common than your local indie book store owner than you realized.  Julie Wilkins is a mom and the owner of The Little Book Shop in Squamish, BC. Julie is a relative newcomer to the book world, having recently given up a lucrative career in branding and...

What do you learn about writing from talking to over 100 moms and women about writing? You could binge listen this show (please binge listen the show) or you could listen me and Bookshelf Banter Heather Balog sum up what we've learned about how to be a successful mom writer despite all the challenges that come with children and husbands and day-jobs. In addition to her podcast, Heather Balog is th...

Never underestimate what moms can get done in the in-between moments. If you have ever told yourself that you don't have time to write Sarah Dayan Mueller is here to set you set. The mother and historical fiction author wrote her bestselling historical fiction novel, Home in a Hundred Places, in just six months writing almost exclusively during her toddler's afternoons naps. In this episode, she s...

How do you launch a book? Heck, how do you even find the time to write it in the first place? As a mother of two sets of twins, Wendy Kok is no stranger to getting things done--even if that means getting them done a little messy at first. In today's show, the indie paranormal romance author and podcast host shares what she has learned about book launching from the publication of two books in her A...

Are you interested in creating a writing business to serve other moms like you? We have talked to a number of incredible women on this show who are stepping up to create communities and businesses for writing moms (see episode lists below) and today we continue the conversation!  Christina Walsh co-founded the Mom Babes with her sister, Carolyn Turkington, to help moms connect and share their...

How do you move from doing what you've always done to doing what lights you up? Clarissa Castillo-Ramsey is a coach, author, podcast host and professional pivoter. Clarissa has had multiple successful careers in her life and has never stopped questioning: is this making me happy?  In this episode, Clarissa shares her five step framework especially designed to help women in their forties and over p...

Does being a mom mean you can't be a writer? How does motherhood enhance the creative process? Or challenge it? Jen Sookfong Lee and Stacey May Fowles are moms, award winning writers and the editors of a recently released anthology which explores these questions. Good Mom on Paper: Writers on Creativity and Motherhood was published in May, 2022, by Book Hug Press. In this episode Jen and Stacey sh...

Do you want to land a literary agent, but not sure how?  Brandi Laroux is mom and full time nurse whose debut romantic suspense novel is currently on submission to publishing houses. Brandi is a relative newcomer to publishing, having only recently started writing novels. In fact, the manuscript that landed her an agent was the first one she actually completed.  How did she do it? In thi...

Are you trying to build a reader platform for your author business on Instagram?  Posting, engaging, commenting, DMs and more. It can be easy to get burned out by the demands of showing up on regularly on social media platforms like this one. But you don't have to.  In today's episode, social media coach and podcast host Jen Kolbuc shares tips and strategies for approaching your social m...

Have you ever felt like being a mom has meant putting your passion for writing to the side? Maybe in part due to pressure from you partner? Kathleen Foxx is a mother of five who knows what it's like to let go of yourself--and how to reclaim it. In this episode, she shares her struggle with mom guilt, the role her marriage played in keeping her away from her writing passion and how she is now chann...

How do you get started as a writer while juggling the responsibilities of motherhood and mortgages? According to Jill Robinson, it's all about small steps and letting yourself get scared. A couple years ago, Jill pivoted from her 20 plus years in speech pathology into a career in professional writing and hasn't looked back. Since making that decision, she has begun earning an income through publis...

When it comes to writing, you might think that the biggest challenge we moms face is finding time. According to Megan Clancy, that's a lie. Megan is a mom and women's fiction author who recently left behind a career as a high school English teacher to focus on her true passion: supporting moms as a writing coach. In today's episode she explains that the biggest barrier her clients face isn't not h...

Have you experienced a profound life-changing event? Writing can not only be a powerful way to help process your own feelings, but also help others going through the same thing feel seen. E.D. Hackett is a speech-language pathologist by day and a women's fiction writer. In 2020 she published her second novel, The Havoc in My Head, based on her own profound experience with a pituitary tumour (locat...

Do you love to write but sometime feel pulled into other creative pursuits?  According to Alicia Peterson Baskel, leaning into those pulls can help take your writing to new levels. Alicia is a creative entrepreneur whose background includes being a professional dancer, choreographer, fibre artist and podcaster.  In this episode, she shares how practicing these different forms of creative...

Do you want to pivot into being a full time author, but worried that you won't be able to juggle kids, writing and the job that currently pays your bills? Don't. Marie Still is a mother of four, an executive VP at a major consumer electronics company and two years ago, decided she really wanted to give that writing thing a serious try. She now has three book contracts and her debut thriller, We Ar...