Our chat with Dr Ed Rosick continues. In this episode, we discuss the market for short stories, challenges with writing short form fiction, and publishing routes for writers.

Let’s introduce this episode’s guest: Dr Ed Rosick is a writer and physician living in the urban wilds of central Michigan. His diverse works of speculative fiction, from the sublime to surreal, have appeared in numerous award-winning magazines and anthologies, including Pulphouse, Sick Cruising, The Half That You See and Monstrous Tales volume 2. Ed is also an accomplished non-fiction writer, having authored hundreds of articles on nutrition, health, and wellness and the book Optimal Prevention, which details common-sense ways to fight against the 5 most common killers today. Ed has had numerous short stories published since the early 90s and his first novel, DEEP ROOTS, was published in 2022. His anthology of twelve short stories was recently published by Baynam Books Press. In this first of two episodes, we chat about how he uses writing as a means of escapism from his career as a medical practitioner, his journey into creative writing and avenues for short story writers.

Karl Hörnell, author of the Sci-Fi thriller, Singularity Minus Twelve, offers a thoughtful perspective on using Artificial Intelligence as a support tool—without surrendering the soul of the work. In this interview, Karl discusses how AI can boost productivity and streamline parts of the writing process, while still preserving the one thing AI can’t replicate: a human’s life experience, intuition, and emotional depth. With the rise of AI-generated content flooding publishing platforms, this conversation is timely, relevant, and essential for anyone navigating the future of writing.

In this second and final episode with New York based author Michael Colon we take a deep dive into the underlying themes in his novel ‘The Gift From Aelius’ and how he uses futuristic fiction to address issues that are occurring in today’s world. He explains how writing allowed him to find his voice and discover his real self and how it provided him with a tool to express his observations about the world and humanity.  He explains how he finds joy in the writing process and how, when the magic happens, he becomes lost in his own story as a form of escapism and enjoyment. The key theme of writing for yourself first and foremost and finding enjoyment in writing is discussed to inspire emerging writers. Finally, Mike tells us about his blog where he writes articles to give his readers a greater sense of who he is a person and he explains how writing a blog can be an effective marketing strategy for authors.

In this first of two episodes with New York based author Michael Colon we discuss his brand new debut novel ‘The Gift From Aelius’ which is a futuristic sci-fi about the interaction between A.I. robots and humans. Mike delves into the inspirations behind his novel and how he uses the main character, a robot named A191, to convey important themes about humanity and where he sees us heading as a species. He breaks down the motivations behind his writing and how his ideas spawn from concept to completed storyline. Mike explains his journey to publication which leads to a discussion about the broader publishing landscape and the potential impacts of artificial intelligence.

In this second episode with USA Today bestselling author Carter Wilson, he chats with Jack Roney and Harry Colfer about his podcast MAKING IT UP where he interviews authors and delves into their journeys. We also discuss the publishing landscape and options available for authors to publish their work.

Carter Wilson is the USA Today bestselling author of ten critically acclaimed, standalone psychological thrillers, as well as numerous short stories. He is an ITW Thriller Award finalist, a five-time winner of the Colorado Book Award, and his works have been optioned for television and film. Additionally, he is the host of the Making It Up podcast and founder of the Unbound Writer company, which provides coaching services, writing retreats, and online classes. Carter lives in Erie, Colorado in a Victorian house that is spooky but isn’t haunted…yet. In this episode, Jack and Harry chat with Carter about his publishing journey and inspirations for his writing. Stay tuned for episode 2.

In part 2 our of chat with author Heidi Catherine, we take a deep dive into her experiences and specific advice to help increase your chances of success when submitting to agents or publishers.    

In this episode we chat with author Heidi Catherine about her learnings, successes and setbacks when submitting manuscripts to agents and publishers. Introducing our guest for this episode, Heidi Catherine. Heidi is a Melbourne author who’s debut novel, The Soulweaver won the Romance Writers of Australia’s Emerald Pro award. This was followed up by her epic fantasy series The Kingdoms of Evernow which was a finalist in both the Australian Romance Readers Association and RONE awards. Heidi also co-authored over twenty young adult dystopian novels with USA Today best-selling author, Tamar Sloan. After being named as a highly commended author in The Hope Prize, Heidi's story, The Extra Piece, was published by Simon & Schuster. Heidi also won second place in The Scarlet Stiletto Awards for crime fiction and was a finalist four times in RWA’s Little Gems short story competition.

In this second and final episode with Jessica Mudditt, we chat about the evolution of Hembury Books and how it has grown from a publisher of non-fiction and memoir to now publishing fiction. We take a deep dive into what topics authors should know about, including royalties, book distribution, and vanity publishing. A great episode for authors who are considering publishing options.

Jessica Mudditt is the author of two memoirs, podcaster and the founder of Hembury Books, a Sydney based hybrid publisher. Her first book was self-published in 2021 and is called Our Home in Myanmar – Four Years in Yangon. Her second book is Once Around the Sun – From Cambodia to Tibet. It’s a two-part series, with Kathmandu to the Khyber Pass coming in 2025. In this episode, Jessica chats with Rack Roney and Harry Colfer about her publication journey to the creation of her own publishing company, Hembury Books.

In episode 2 of 2, author Mary-Clare Terrill discusses the following writing tips: 1. writing is rewriting2. getting the right kind of feedback and who to seek feedback from3. resilience & getting comfortable with 'rejection'4. time away from your project will give you perspective5. when is your manuscript ready?6. appreciating the process – trust in and have faith in your own process7. calling yourself a ‘writer’ and seeing your writing as your ‘work’8. remember why you write9. let joy be at the centre of everything you do / stay the course despite the prospects of getting published – self doubt vs joy.

Mary-Clare Terrill is an Australian-Canadian author of historical fiction. Her debut historical romance novel, Maplecroft, is based on the true story of her great-grandparents and their lovingly preserved love letters: the first book in the Maplecroft family saga series. In episode 1 of 2, we chat about the writing process behind her new novel.

In this second of two episodes with Philadelphia based author C.J.  Spataro, we discuss what it’s like to be a debut author later in life and how life experience can be the catalyst for inspiring story telling. C.J goes on to explain the role of research in fiction writing and how the idea of research can still be applied in genres such as fantasy and science fiction. So sit back, relax and enjoy!

In this first of two episodes, we chat with Philadelphia based author C.J. Spataro about her recently released debut novel More Strange Than True. C.J. explains the inspirations for her story and how being a creative writing teacher has made her a better writer. She also provides advice for writers who are thinking of embarking on creative writing higher education. As an accomplished musician, C.J. goes on to explain the relationship between music and writing and how music can influence and inspire fiction. So sit back, relax and enjoy!

In this second episode with Brisbane author Diane Clarke, we delve into Diane's background as a speech pathologist and how skills learned in this profession heightened her ability to listen to and observe human interaction and verbal and non-verbal communication, and how she uses these skills to develop lifelike dialogue in her stories. We delve further into the key elements to writing realistic and engaging dialogue and how stories should be driven by these authentic character interactions.   Some excellent writing tips for emerging writers.   So sit back, relax and enjoy!

In this episode, we welcome Brisbane author Diane Clarke who explains how her debut novel 'The Photograph' was inspired by the evacuations of children in London during world war 2 with the plot centred around a missing boy and the discovery of an old photograph which uncovers a dark family secret. Her second novel, 'The Bracelet' is a family drama and murder mystery due for release in March 2025. During the discussion, Diane breaks down her strategies for blending historical facts with fictional storylines and the importance of research to ensure authenticity. Finally, Diane describes her journey to publication, her disappointments, successes and learnings.   So sit back, relax and enjoy!

In the second episode with author Alicia Thompson, the topic of author marketing is explored. Alicia breaks down marketing strategies that have worked for her including speaking events and workshops, registering with corporate book buyers, planning regional library road trips, networking within the writing community, social media, getting reviews, and thinking outside the box in terms of book distribution. A great episode for authors ready to scale up their marketing.   So sit back, relax and enjoy!

This week's special guest is author Alica Thompson whose debut novel 'Something Else' was published in 2021 and her follow up crime novel 'Ex' was released in 2024. Alicia has a masters in creative writing and delivers workshops for emerging authors. In this episode, we explore the topics Alicia teaches including how to kick start your novel, exercising your writing muscles, and finding the plot. She also provides advice for authors who are considering delivering their own workshops or speaking events and how to approach libraries and other venues to host and market these events.   So sit back, relax and enjoy!

In this week's episode, Dr Jo Skinner returns to talk about how she uses long-distance running to clear her mind and problem solve story plot issues. She also shares some interesting insights into the similarities between running a marathon and writing a novel. In this second and final episode, Jo delves deeper into the social issues that inspire her writing including domestic violence, positive masculinity and role modelling appropriate behaviours, and gender equity. Finally, Jo breaks down the book category of 'Women's Fiction' and where she sits on the debate about defining genres. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy!