Author Paul Roach and the Fundamentals of Research for Novelists We spent the past couple of episodes with an exploration of the science fiction genre. Fantasy and magic are popular subgenres. Often over-looked is the spiritual sub-sub-genre. Paul Roach served twenty-seven years in the US Navy Medical Corps, with multiple combat and noncombat deployments. His memoir, Citizen-Surgeon, recounts his experiences as a combat surgeon in Afghanistan. His latest novel is the first part of the Jack’s Rogues Trilogy- Operation Agos, a supra-natural, that is, transcending the natural, a supranatural thriller. His Substack describes his genre as Fantasy - Magical Realism - Metaphysical Fiction. The website is: paulbryanroach.com I looked up some research techniques for Fiction writers: From Owl Mountian.com: Research is the secret ingredient that transforms a good story into a great one. Whether you’re diving into historical events, exploring cultural nuances, or nailing down technical details, solid research lends authenticity and depth to your fiction. But how do you ensure your research enhances rather than overwhelms your narrative? Here are some tried-and-true techniques to help you weave facts seamlessly into your storytelling owl-mountain.com/2025/02/04/effective-research-techniques-for-fiction-writers/

Jotham Austin, is a Research Associate Professor at the University of Chicago. He is also a Chicago Writers Association Board Member and Director of the Book of the Year Contest. Professor Austin is the author of the sci-fi psychological thriller, ‘Will You Still Love Me, If I Become Someone Else?” He is also the co-host of the Rabbit Hole of Research Podcast, which explores the science in fiction and tries to separate the “Handwavium” from the actual facts in the things we read and see in Sci-Fi, fantasy and pop culture. When he is not in the laboratory or writing, he can be found gardening, woodworking, or enjoying a craft beer. The Website is:https://www.jothamaustin.com   Autumn is the perfect time to work on that project you were putting off all summer. At the www.chicagowrites.org/speakers_bureau we have something for everyone! And don’t forget to visit our blog for useful tips and resources on writing at chicagowrites.substack.com Become a member today! Visit Chicago Writes.org Visit my Substack at WCTurck.substack.com

Talkin’ Science Fiction with Joe Austin Jotham Austin, is a Research Associate Professor UChicago. He is also a Chicago Writers Association Board Member, Director of the Book of the Year Contest. Professor Austin is the author of the sci-fi psychological thriller, ”Will You Still Love Me, If I Become Someone Else?” He is also the co-host of the Rabbit Hole of Research Podcast, which explores the science in fiction and tries to separate the “Handwavium” from the actual facts in the things we read and see in SciFi, fantasy and pop culture. When he is not in the laboratory or writing, he can be found gardening, woodworking, or enjoying a craft beer. The Website is: https://www.jothamaustin.com

A great city writes its own blood and spit and sweat and Chicago is a writer’s city. That muscle and toil can never be told from the outside but can only be rightfully told by those who have lived and walked the avenues and alleyways. Sinclair’s The Jungle was written here. We are at once bellicose and pious, corrupt and righteous. Chicago built its metropolis from the heartland and the heart demands incorruptible voices bearing witness...  Celtic Knot by Robert Patrick Conlon is an interesting case. The first thing that comes across and may be more poignant through the prism of today’s headlines is the struggle unique to each immigrant and their families. It is a true life story of a grandfather told lovingly and in fictious form, a faithful retelling of a family story passed down word of mouth across many generations, perhaps rounded and deepened a bit, but reinforced through the prism of historical background. Robert Patrick Conlon is a retired trial attorney, and a Founding Partner of the Chicago based law firm, Walker Wilcox LLP. The website is eckhartzpress.com/shop/celtic-knot/ Brad Meinecke is the son of two Chicago personalities, Chicago’s first children’s show host Angel Casey and a prolific Chicago artist Tristan Meinecke. He writes his memories of growing up in Chicago. Visit https://www.angelcasey.com/ and https://www.tmeinecke.com/ Check out our conversation about Tristan and Angel: https://playtimeplaycast.podbean.com/e/tristan-meinecke-and-angel-casey-against-the-world/

Writing, Workshops and Poetry with Ashley Honeysett, David W. Berner and Sharon Woodhouse First up, Sharon Woodhouse is a former Chicago-based indie publisher, and the current owner of a book business agency, Conspire Creative. Sharon is also the author of the new book, The Profitable Author: 1,001 Ways to Build a Business You Love Around Your Books. Sharon is offering a free six-part writer’s workshop at indie-bookstores around Chicago, running every other Tuesday beginning July 15th through Sept 23rd, titled,  Summertime and the Business Is Easy Mini-Workshop Series The website is www.conspirecreative.com Ashley Honeysett’s critically acclaimed, award-winning debut novel is titled, Fictions. The book is an innovative story of a new mother and a struggling writer, but also a metaphor on the nature of creativity and storytelling. Ashley studied creative writing at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, and published poetry and prose in journals at Columbia as well as at Michigan State University. Fictions is one of our Book of the Year winners. The website is: www.ashleyhoneysett.com David W. Berner’s latest book of poems, titled Garden Tools, is filled with wonderful imagery and intimate recollections around the theme of gardening as metaphor for our lives. David is a critically acclaimed, award-winning author and long-time broadcast journalist. And a former Writer-in-Residence at the Jack Kerouac Project in Orlando and at the Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Home in Oak Park, Illinois.   The website is www.davidwberner.com, which is worth a visit just to see a sublime example of marketing and author branding done right. Don’t forget, this year the Chicago Writers Association has added recently published books of Poetry and Prose to the Book of the Year contest. Become a member and visit Chicagowrites.org for details. The Chicago Writers Association is a resource for writers and authors here in Chicago, around the country and worldwide. Join today! Visit Chicago Writers Association

BOTY Hospital Heal Thy Self’s Mark Taylor and Empire of the Sun’s Stephen Zimmer Mark Taylor is a former newspaper and trade magazine reporter who covers the business, financing and delivery of healthcare. Taylor is a former Kaiser Fellow and a co-founder of the Association of Health Care Journalists. He is the author of Hospital, Heal Thyself: A Mathematician’s Plan for Saving American Lives and Billions of Dollars, available at Amazon… Mark Taylor is also one of our book of the year winners. Stephen Zimmer is an award-winning author, filmmaker, and broadcaster based out of Lexington, Kentucky. He specializes in the Sorcery and fantasy genres. His visual work includes the feature film Shadows Light, shorts films such as The Sirens and Swordbearer, and the Rayden Valkyrie: Saga of a Lionheart TV Pilot. Mr. Zimmer also co-hosts the Star Chamber Show, a weekly live audio podcast featuring creative talents from around the world. If that doesn’t keep him busy enough, Stephen Zimmer is the editor-in-chief of Seventh Star Press, a small press with multiple imprints, Stephen founded and co-directs The Imaginarium Convention, a 12th year annual convention held in Louisville, Kentucky for writers and storytellers of all genres. His latest novel is Embrace of the Sun. The website is www.stephenzimmer.com Visit the Chicago Writers Association at chicagowrites.org

Amy Yee, Award Winning Author and Journalist, plus Adam Kaz, Jason Page and a Book Ban Update Adam Kaz on getting published with Zines, and a writing and organizing technique. Adam talks about beat words. Connect with Adam at thegroundisuneven.com and check out his portfolio at kazadam97.journoportfolio.com. And on Facebook and Instagram you can find him at kazadam97. Zine World’s website, www.undergroundpress.org, has event listings, a list of zine libraries and infoshops, how-to articles, and links to many other resources. Zinebook, www.zinebook.com, has articles on zine history, legal issues, how-to advice, and more. Templates for organizing pages for printing. Our featured guest is Journalist and author Amy Yee. Amy currently writes for the Chicago Sun-Times Her book, Far from the Rooftop of the World: Travels among Tibetan Refugees on Four Continents, is one of our Book of the Year winners for 2024. A travelogue, a human saga, a memoir. For more on Amy Yee visit, amyyeewrites.com, and The University of North Carolina Press at uncpress.org/book/9781469675510/far-from-the-rooftop-of-the-world/ Jason Page is the author of the Mental Hospital Survival Guide, now in it’s 4th edition. Available on Amazon. To hear my unedited conversation with Jason, visit my Substack page at wcturck.substack.com. For more on Lindsay Schultz and her battle against book bans, visit The Spine Bookshop. Visit PEN America and authorsagainstbookbans.com The Chicago Writers Association is open to writers and authors all over the year. Unlock a wealth of writing resources by becoming a member today. Visit chicagowrites.org.

The Art of Writing Horror with Downpour Author Christopher Hawkins On this episode of Chicago Writes, Christopher Hawkins is an award-winning author and a current book of the year winner from the CWA. His works of short fiction have been published in numerous magazines and anthologies, including Cosmic Horror Monthly, Fusion Fragment, Underland Arcana and The Big Book of New Short Horror. He is a member the Chicagoland chapter of the Horror Writers Association. His latest novel is Downpour. The websites are: downpourbook.com (Downpour by Christopher Hawkins, is that through your publisher? And www.christopher-hawkins.com. Don’t forget to check out: A Plot Structure for Writing Terrifying Horror Fiction, by Pamela Koehne-Drube at Novlr.org Unlock a wealth of writer’s resources at chicagowrites.org

Forces of Nature: Author Sharon Ann LaCour and Anti-Book ban Activist Lindsay Schultz Lindsay Schultz owns/manages The Spine Bookshop in Smyrna, Tennessee. Lindsay is battling efforts to ban or restrict books at schools and libraries. She is also the host of The Spine Bookcast on Youtube. The website is The Spine Bookshop. com Sharon Ann LaCour’s debut literary novel, The Meeting of Air and Water, tells the story of three generations of Cajun women. The Meeting Of Air And Water was a novel-in-progress finalist in the William Wisdom-William Faulkner novel competition in 2019. Visit sharonannlacour.com Ana Castillo’s latest novel is, Dona Cleanwell Leaves Home: Stories. Consider joining or giving the gift of a Chicago Writers Association membership and unlock a wealth of author and writing resources by visiting chicagowrites.org

Historian, Author, Survivor. A conversation with Pat Camalliere From maximizing your local market to building in history to deepen a novel and cautionaries on dialogue in memoir writing, Pat Camalliere is a survivor in more ways than one. Pat Camalliere is the author of The Cora Tozzi Historical Mystery Series, including The Mystery at Black Partridge Woods. Her new memoir is a remarkable story of survival, Staying Alive is a Lot of Work: Me and My Cancer now available from Eckhartz Press. The website is www.patcamallierebooks.com

David Ladensohn’s off-beat memoir, Fly Fishing with Leonardo da Vinci David Ladensohn is the author of an extraordinary and truly unique perspective on the brilliance of Leonardo da Vinci, titled Fly Fishing with Leonardo da Vinci. Fly-fishing is his passion. That passion has taken him around the world. Ladensohn is a graduate of the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, he was the CEO of a manufacturing company in San Antonio. Ladensohn completed business and mediation programs at Harvard Business and Law Schools and recently spent six months completing a course of study at Oxford. The website is flyfishleonardo.com. A shout out to Tracy Occomy Crowder, Tracy is the author of Montgomery and the Case of the Golden Key, a new Visions award winner, and a fun, mystery in which our protagonist uncovers a rich history complete with uplifting and empowering African American role models and history. Join us as we celebrate the winners of the 14th annual Book of the Year Awards  at the Warwick Allerton Hotel, 701 N Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL. January 18, 2025 from 7-11pm Tickets to this event are just $9.99 for CWA members, Non-members, $19.99. Your ticket includes the BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDS CEREMONY / FOOD / DRINKS Join CWA for only $25/year and then register for this event at the member rate, by visiting chicagowrites.org! You must register to attend. cwa12.wildapricot.org/event-5977283

DePaul’s Blue Book and Hope for Next-gen Writing with Chris Solis Green In the age of AI and social media it is easy to be cynical about the future of writing. In highlighting the best high school writing, across multiple genres, Depaul’s Blue Book is testimony to the timelessness and vibrancy of written self-expression.  Critically acclaimed, Chris Solís Green is the author of four books of poetry. He currently is a Distinguished Writer in Residence in the English Department at DePaul University. More information can be found at www.depaulsbluebook.com Submissions for the 2025 edition are still open through January 31, 2025... Submit high school literary magazines, newspapers, or individual work, in English or Spanish, to be considered for the next edition of the Blue Book, depaulsbluebook.submittable.com/submit. For more on Chris Solis-Green, visit: https://www.chrissolisgreen.com/​

House of Honor: Margaret Philbrick, A Stolen Caravaggio and a Prodigal Child Margaret Ann Philbrick is an award-winning author and poet. she is the contributing editor of the essay and poetry collection for women, Everbloom—Stories of Deeply Rooted and Transformed Lives. Her poems and articles have been featured in numerous anthologies and publications, including her award-winning poem, A Mother’s Art. Margaret is a founding member of the Red-bud Writers Guild NFP and a member of the Door County Published Author Collective. Margaret Ann is also the author of Margaret’s Child – A Young Entrepreneur of America’s Competition Winner, 2020. Her latest novel is House of Honor.   The website is margaretphilbrick.com and whostolethepainting.com

Writing for Educators: The Advocate Educator’s Handbook’s Rebecca Kling and Vanessa Ford On this episode of Chicago Writes, the Podcast of the Chicago Writers Association, Educator and Award-winning Children’s Author of Calvin, Vanessa Ford M.A.T. and Author of the Critically-acclaimed No Gender Left Behind and Educator Rebecca Kling, Authors of The Advocate Educator’s Handbook: Creating Schools Where Transgender and Non-Binary Students Thrive available on Amazon.  The websites are theadvocateeducator.com, also jrandvanessaford.com and rebeccakling.com. Never worry about missing anything important to your writing by subscribing to the Write City Blog, and get Every new edition of the newsletter direct to your inbox at chicagowrites.substack.com Registratration is open  for Let’s Just Write: The Chicago Writers Association Conference, March 21–23, 2025. To book your room at the iconic Warwick Allerton Hotel at the conference rate of only $129.00. Visit Chicago writes .com

Writing to Make a Change with Tom Tresser From CWA BOTY winner Linda Gartz’ Redlined: A Memoir of Race, Change, and Fractured Community in 1960s Chicago, to Civic Lab founder Tom Tresser’s NO GAMES CHICAGO How A Small Group of Citizens Derailed the City’s 2016 Olympic Bid, there are lessons writers can learn about storytelling, structure, media messaging, and marketing. The websites is nogameschicagobook.com. CWA’s 9th Annual First Chapter Contest Opens August 10th. Visit chicagowrites.org The Chicago Writers Association returns to Printers Row Lit Fest on September 7 and 8, 2024. Note: We have sold out all open slots for the weekend. If you’d like to add your name to the wait list in the event of any cancellations, please send an email to info@chicagowrites.org with the subject heading: ”Add me to the Printers Row wait list.”

Registry of Forgotten Objects; DePaul’s Miles Harvey Miles Harvey is the author of three nonfiction books, The King of Confidence (a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice selection), Painter in a Savage Land, and The Island of Lost Maps, a national and international bestseller. He teaches creative writing at DePaul University in Chicago, where he chairs the Department of English and is a founding editor of Big Shoulders Books, a nonprofit, social-justice publisher. The Registry of Forgotten Objects is his first work of fiction. https://www.milesharvey.com

The Art of the Memoir with Kevin Hall and Risa August Kevin M. Hall is a New York author. He is the author of 3 books, Ilion My Childhood My Memories, My Rosemount MN. Memories, and SIGNS - The Veil is Thinner Than We Imagine. The website is Kevin-Hall.com. Risa August is a champion. She is the author of the award-winning memoir, or the biography of Bubba the tumor, if you like… The book is The Road Unpaved: Border to Border with a Brain Tumor and a Bike   Learn more about Risa at: https://www.risaaugust.com Chicago Writes is the podcast of the Chicago Writers Association For just $25 per year become a member of CWA and join a great community of fellow writers and authors from anywhere on the planet and unlock a wealth of writer’s resources. Visit chicagowrites.org

Pulitzer Prize Winning Author Jonathan Eig, King: A Life and the Art of the Biography Jonathan Eig is an American journalist and biographer and the author of six books. His most recent King: A Life (2023), a biography of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was just awarded the Pulitzer Prize. Mr. Eig is also the author of… Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig (2005). Ali: A Life. Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson’s First Season. For Get Capone, Eig discovered thousands of pages of never-before-reported government documents from its case against the infamous gangster. He is also the author of The Birth of the Pill. The website is www.jonathaneig.com The Chicago Writer’s Association is a 501c3 charitable organization, visit Chicago Writes.org With host WC Turck.

Anatomy of an Amazon Book Promotion Host WC Turck takes you along for a need-to-know marketing hack on Amazon for his new novel, The Assassination of Baby Hitler: A Love Story with Dan Davies from Renegade Press LLC, renegadepresspublisher.com. Unlock a wealth of writer resources by joining the Chicago Writers Association today. Visit chicagowrites.org.

After recovering from a brain aneurysm in 2004 that left her blind and paralyzed, Janet Sutherland Madden wrote an astounding book of trauma and the courage to overcome is titled “Nose Over Toes.” Her latest project is a children’s book titled, ”Rhett, the kind little Corgi,” a No.# 1 Amazon bestseller. Janet spent a life in media, journalism and marketing and shares some lessons learned. Janet Sutherland Madden has also turned her energies towards lobbying and fundraising for the Brain Aneurysm Foundation, visit: www.bafound.org.   Plus, a sample of great literary events in and around Chicago. Read ”How to Write a Children’s Book,” at: thejohnfox.com/2019/02/how-to-write-a-childrens-book/