Writer's Chat

A weekly podcast series, following the journey of writing the fiction series The Path That Takes Us Home by Alanna Rusnak. In this episode: the way a book by Jim Carrey unlocked the answer to the biggest HOW of my manuscript. Excerpts, deep thoughts, rambles, and shares. Find all episodes at the mother ship ( https://www.chickenhousepress.ca/writers-chat-podcast ) or wherever you listen to your po...

A weekly podcast series, following the journey of writing the fiction series The Path That Takes Us Home by Alanna Rusnak. In this episode: trusting the reader to suspend their belief. Excerpts, deep thoughts, rambles, and shares. Find all episodes at the mother ship ( https://www.chickenhousepress.ca/writers-chat-podcast ) or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Interested in supporting the writ...

A weekly podcast series, following the journey of writing the fiction series The Path That Takes Us Home by Alanna Rusnak. In this episode: utilizing true experiences within fiction and spiritual deconstruction. Excerpts, deep thoughts, rambles, and shares. Find all episodes at the mother ship ( https://www.chickenhousepress.ca/writers-chat-podcast ) or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Intere...

A weekly podcast series, following the journey of writing the fiction series The Path That Takes Us Home by Alanna Rusnak. In this episode: meeting goals, politics in writing, and commune living. Excerpts, deep thoughts, rambles, and shares. Find all episodes at the mother ship ( https://www.chickenhousepress.ca/writers-chat-podcast ) or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Interested in supporti...

A weekly podcast series, following the journey of writing the fiction series The Path That Takes Us Home by Alanna Rusnak. In this episode: a blue Christmas, disappointments in business, how dreams can inform narrative, a personal health update, and which character Kristen Bell should play in the movie version. Excerpts, deep thoughts, rambles, and shares. Find all episodes at the mother ship ( ht...

Sitting down with Susan Cullen, author of United People, the second book in The World Collective series, a thrilling YA trilogy. We talk about the release of her second book, the highs and lows of publishing, the pressure involved in writing a series vs. a one-off, character development over the course of a series, the woes of social media marketing, measurable of success, the reality of book sale...

A weekly podcast series, following the journey of writing the fiction series The Path That Takes Us Home by Alanna Rusnak. In this episode: the challenge of writing a series and the importance of the 'writing retreat'. Excerpts, deep thoughts, rambles, and shares. Find all episodes at the mother ship ( https://www.chickenhousepress.ca/writers-chat-podcast ) or wherever you listen to your podcasts....

We gathered the eight finalists from the Will There Be a Sunset? contest for an evening of celebrating great Canadian writers. We heard readings from all eight and special grand prize judge, Ace Baker announced the winner of the cash prize of over $185. These eight stories are being compiled into an anthology through Chicken House Press and will be released in April 2024. Pre-order link Theme musi...

A weekly podcast series, following the journey of writing the fiction series The Path That Takes Us Home by Alanna Rusnak. In this episode: mortality, legacy, sparking emotion, and why characters have to die. Excerpts, deep thoughts, rambles, and shares. Find all episodes at the mother ship ( https://www.chickenhousepress.ca/writers-chat-podcast ) or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Intereste...

A weekly podcast series, following the journey of writing the fiction series The Path That Takes Us Home by Alanna Rusnak. In this episode: the open door vs. closed door debate when it comes to sex scenes in fiction. Excerpts, deep thoughts, rambles, and shares. Find all episodes at the mother ship ( https://www.chickenhousepress.ca/writers-chat-podcast ) or wherever you listen to your podcasts. I...

A weekly podcast series, following the journey of writing the fiction series The Path That Takes Us Home by Alanna Rusnak. In this episode: the dos and don'ts of POINT OF VIEW and the benefits of a good writing tool. Excerpts, deep thoughts, rambles, and shares. Find all episodes at the mother ship ( https://www.chickenhousepress.ca/writers-chat-podcast ) or wherever you listen to your podcasts. I...

Wendy Down is a Doctor of Integrative Medicine and a life coach. Her book, I Feel Better Now: How to Feel Okay on a Difficult Day, was released in February, 2023 and we had a great discussion about the publishing process, timelines, the woes and wins of marketing, and how her book is serving the needs of children (and adults!) and their big feelings. Wendy’s website: https://www.wendydown.com/ Wen...

A weekly podcast series, following the journey of writing the fiction series The Path That Takes Us Home by Alanna Rusnak. In this episode: being a burden, sad songs, and how politics can influence inspiration. Excerpts, deep thoughts, rambles, and shares. Find all episodes at the mother ship ( https://www.chickenhousepress.ca/writers-chat-podcast ) or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Interes...

A weekly podcast series, following the journey of writing the fiction series The Path That Takes Us Home by Alanna Rusnak. In this episode: an embarrassing confession, religion, childhood, and stand-up comedy. Excerpts, deep thoughts, rambles, and shares. Find all episodes at the mother ship ( https://www.chickenhousepress.ca/writers-chat-podcast ) or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Interest...

A weekly podcast series, following the journey of writing the fiction series The Path That Takes Us Home by Alanna Rusnak. In this episode: where I’m at, where I’m going, discipline, and themes. Excerpts, deep thoughts, rambles, and shares. Find all episodes at the mother ship ( https://www.chickenhousepress.ca/writers-chat-podcast ) or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Interested in supportin...

A new podcast series launching on Tuesday, November 7, following the journey of writing the fiction series The Path That Takes Us Home by Alanna Rusnak. Find all episodes at the mother ship ( https://www.chickenhousepress.ca/writers-chat-podcast ) or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Interested in supporting the writing journey? Make a donation to the cause by visiting https://bio.site/alannar...

First Friday is all about telling a personal story from my own life in an effort to allow you to get to know the person behind Chicken House Press a little better. These First Friday stories began as blogs and are now evolving to include audio versions. This is a quick little tale about a horrifying musician's-block moment wherein I wanted to disappear into the floor. You can expect a new mini sto...

Michael Schmidt is a student of the publishing program at Centennial College and he reached out for some insight into the publishing industry, specifically indie magazine publication. Michael was published in the June 2023 issue of Blank Spaces magazine and brought 10 great questions that will give you a little look into how the magazine got started and how it keeps its head above water. Michael’s...

A live Zoom with Ace Baker on Sunday, September 17 to celebrate the launch of his new book, How to Make a Killing Jar , which was released on August 30. Since its release it has maintained its spot in the top ten Hot New Releases in Canadian Short Stories on Amazon, as well as hanging out in the top 100 bestsellers overall in the same category. Ace shares some insight into voice, theme, and struct...

First Friday is all about telling a personal story from my own life in an effort to allow you to get to know the person behind Chicken House Press a little better. These First Friday stories began as blogs and are now evolving to include audio versions. This is a quick little tale about a celebrity dance club experience that was not awesome. You can expect a new mini story like this on the first F...

Sitting down with Ace Baker author of How to Make a Killing Jar , a powerful collection of short stories set to release on August 30, 2023. Recorded over Zoom so the sound is a bit choppy but the contest is rich! We talk about his teaching career, process, inspiration, writing scales, consistency vs. quality, poetry within prose, community, answering life's big questions through writing, religion,...

First Friday is all about telling a personal story from my own life in an effort to allow you to get to know the person behind Chicken House Press a little better. These First Friday stories began as blogs and are now evolving to include audio versions. This is a quick little story about a charming experience I had while visiting NYC. You can expect a new mini story like this on the first Friday o...

Sitting down with Sarah Barkoff, author of Emmy Gold is Totally Extraordinary , an exciting new middle-grade novel that reads like Hannah Montana meets Mean Girls . Recorded over Zoom during the live virtual launch event on June 21, 2023. The sound is a bit choppy but the contest is rich! We talk about process, inspiration, being a child actor, New York City, bad auditions, and why social media fi...

First Friday is all about telling a personal story from my own life in an effort to allow you to get to know the person behind Chicken House Press a little better. These First Friday stories began as blogs and are now evolving to include audio versions. This is a quick little listen and it will give you a too-close-for-comfort look at my big celebrity crush. You can expect a new mini story like th...

First Friday is all about telling a personal story from my own life in an effort to allow you to get to know the person behind Chicken House Press a little better. These First Friday stories began as blogs and are now evolving to include audio versions. My son - about whom the story was written - joined me for a quick fact check in which he shared the experience from his own perceptive and offered...