In this 400th episode, we share why this is the last episode of Charlotte Readers Podcast, we reflect on our experiences as podcasters over 399 episodes, we talk about memorable podcast episodes, books, and writer quotes, and we share audio clips of previous interviews and readings on the show.

We also express our gratitude to you, our listeners, and to our supporters, authors, and partners, and we talk about what’s next for the podcast and the hosts. We couldn’t have done this podcast without you and we’re grateful you took the time to listen.

Please enjoy what remains on charlottereaderspodcast.com: 400 episodes with 450 authors, 88 community blog posts by different writers, and 47 vlog posts (video conversations with different writers).

Today’s Featured Topics

Because we reflect on six years of podcasting, we have a lot of content packed into this episode–our longest episode ever– but we provide time stamps for each Act in case you choose to listen in bite size chunks or in case you want to skip around.

Here are the topics for the main part of the show today, with audio clips from the past thrown in for fun.

Act 1: Gratitude for 400 Episodes
Time Stamp: 18:45

Act 2: Podcast Stuff We Learned How to Do
Time Stamp: 30:00

Act 3: Challenges, Bloopers, and Missed Opportunities
Time Stamp: 37:58

Act 4: The Joys of Podcasting on Charlotte Readers Podcast
Time Stamp: 50:52

Act 5: Memorable Episodes with Audio Clips
Time Stamp: 1:14:40

Act 6: Memorable Books Read with Audio Clips
Time Stamp: 2:06:28

Act 7: Memorable Quotes from The Write Quotes Series
Time Stamp: 2:35:58

Act 8: Hosts’ 400th Episode Blog Posts
Time Stamp: 2:45:54

Act 9: Recently read book recommendations
Time Stamp: 2:52:34

Act 10: Farewell
Time Stamp: 2:57:05

As our parting gift to the writers who are listening, we have added at the end of this show, two bonus segments.

Bonus 1: Audio Collage of 20 writers offering writing advice
Time Stamp: 3:09:42

Bonus 2: Audio Collage of 44 writers reflecting on the advice they would give to their younger writer selves
Time Stamp: 3:37:35

What’s Next for the Hosts:

We intend to continue to collaborate together and stay in touch through a rebranded newsletter.

We will continue writing, supporting authors, and maybe even do some more podcasting.

Farewell But Not Goodbye

Landis, Hannah, and Sarah wave farewell but not goodbye.

We hope you continue to enjoy what Charlotte Readers Podcast has to offer: 400 episodes, 450 authors, 88 blog posts, and 47 vlog posts.

You can reach us using the Contact page at charlottereaderspodcast.com.

Our Podcast Books

If you’d like to support the maintenance of our website, buy one or more of podcast books. Cheers!

Death by Podcasting

Death by Podcasting is a mystery novella written by Sarah Archer and Landis Wade, with input from Hannah Larrew, because podcasting can be a dangerous business.

Learn More and order your copy Here: https://books2read.com/u/mKVrvy

The Write Quotes Book Series:

Put the wisdom of the podcast in your pocket by purchasing one of more of the eight books in The Write Quote series, a collection of writing quote books compiled from 500+ Charlotte Readers Podcast interviews (episodes, blogs, and vlogs) with bestselling, award-winning, and hard-working authors.

Download Book 1 of the Write Quotes Series for free Here: https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/writequotes/

In this episode 399, we feature award-winning author and philanthropist, Kathy Izard, and her new nonfiction book, Trust the Whisper. New York Times bestselling author Bob Goff says that "If you are looking for a life inspired by grace and fueled by big dreams, Trust the Whisper is full of people who are doing just that.”

Show discussion highlights:

● Growing up in El Paso, TX
● Transitioning from owning a graphic design company to being involved in the homelessness initiative
● What’s a whisper?
● What Kathy calls a “God dot”
● Highlighting change-makers in communities
● How to listen to our whispers
● The concept of doing good and loving big
● Finding your soul purpose
● Kathy’s pairing children’s book Grace Heard a Whisper
● Our live plan vs. our life path
● Combating the emotions that come with doing difficult work
● Writing process for a collection of stories
● How to connect stories thematically in a collection
● Rejection and how it’s part of being a writer

Brief author bio:

Kathy Izard is an award-winning author and speaker who helped bring transformation to Charlotte in homelessness, housing and mental health. Her first memoir written in 2016, The Hundred Story Home, received a Christopher Award for outstanding inspirational nonfiction. In 2019, she created an illustrated children’s book called A Good Night for Mr. Coleman, that can be read together to help children understand homelessness and how one person can make a difference.

Kathy has been recognized as a William J. Clinton Distinguished Guest Lecturer, and her work has been featured on NPR as well as the Today Show, inspiring people to be changemakers in their communities. A seasoned speaker for conferences, retreats, workshops and fundraisers, Kathy has encouraged audiences from California to Maine.

Learn more about the author and their books HERE.
https://www.kathyizard.com/

Death by Podcasting

Support the show by ordering Death by Podcasting, a mystery novella by Sarah Archer and Landis Wade, because podcasting can be a dangerous business.

Learn More and order your copy: https://books2read.com/u/mKVrvy

The Write Quotes Series:

Support the show by purchasing one of more of the eight books in The Write Quote series, a collection of writing quote books compiled from 500+ interviews with bestselling, award-winning, and hard-working authors.

Learn more about our series of quote books and download Book 1 for free at https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/writequotes/

Newsletter:
Subscribe to our newsletter for free HERE:
https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/79263/78112905026864634/share

In this episode 398, we focus on the craft of novel writing. Our featured guest is award-winning author Joel Burcat. Steve Berry, the New York Times #1 internationally bestselling author of the Cotton Malone series, had this to say: “Joel Burcat’s writing is tight and clean…Gritty, tough, poignant.” His books have won many awards including his novel Strange Fire, the GOLD MEDAL WINNER, Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards for Environmental Fiction (2022).

A version of this recording was released on our exclusive Patreon channel. We thank our Patrons for making it possible for us to release this updated version on the regular podcast.

Also listen to the Author’s Earlier Podcast Episode:

You can listen here:
https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/environmental-lawyer-oversees-a-mining-dispute-turned-deadly-in-joel-burcats-amid-rage/

In this earlier episode that released on July 9, 2021, we visited with Joel about his novel “Amid Rage,” an environmental legal thriller and the second in the Mike Jacobs series. Mike Jacobs is an environmental prosecutor with Pennsylvania’s environmental agency, DEP, and finds himself caught in the middle of a mine permit battle between a psychotic coal mine operator and cynical neighbors with an anti-mining agenda. With offers from both sides and political bosses, Mike must find the courage to do what is right.

Author bio:

Joel Burcat writes environmental thrillers that are both electrifying and accurate. John Lescroart (author of The 13th Juror) calls his writing “complex and intelligent, deftly plotted and character rich.” William Landay (author of Defending Jacob) says, “Burcat writes with an insider’s edge…A treat for thriller fans.”

Burcat’s writings explore many facets of life, although he has a true fascination with unexpected twists. His characters’ reasons for doing things are as important as their actions. From the person lying in bed next to you to psychopathic strip mine operators, each has an underlying motive to be explored and revealed.

Three of Burcat’s novels have been published. DRINK TO EVERY BEAST, AMID RAGE, and STRANGE FIRE (published by Headline Books). They are available at bookstores, Amazon, Barnes & Noble in paperback and electronic formats. REAP THE WIND (published by Sunbury Books, Inc.) is coming out on February 6th, 2024.

Burcat grew up in Philadelphia. He lives with his wife in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the place that provides the setting for many of his stories.

Author Website: https://joelburcat.com

Show discussion highlights:

• What to think about first when writing a novel
• Think about the characters
• How to get started—just write
• Find the time to write—there has to be a commitment
• Regarding outlining—yes and no
• Avoid passive language
• Avoid head-hopping in point of view
• Hire a good editor
• Take writing courses
• Put some good stuff up front
• Avoid vanity presses
• Don’t share the first draft for feedback until you self-edit
• Sometimes write the ending first
• Writing when legally blind
• If you are going to write, you need to read

Death by Podcasting

Support the show by ordering Death by Podcasting, a mystery novella by Sarah Archer and Landis Wade, because podcasting can be a dangerous business.

Learn More and order your copy: https://books2read.com/u/mKVrvy

The Write Quotes Series:

Support the show by purchasing one of more of the eight books in The Write Quote series, a collection of writing quote books compiled from 500+ interviews with bestselling, award-winning, and hard-working authors.

Learn more about our series of quote books and download Book 1 for free at ...

In this episode 397, we welcome author and journalist Katherine Snow Smith to the show! We discuss Katherine’s latest memoir, Stepping on the Blender & Other Times Life Gets Messy, which takes a closer look at the process of beginning again after a divorce. Katherine laces her transparent account of more difficult experiences with positivity and humor. Southern Literary Review says, “Smith knows her craft well. She is a sharp observer, skilled writer, and an engaging and entertaining storyteller.”

Show discussion highlights:

● Katherine’s relationship with her father, News & Observer reporter AC Snow
● The importance of bathroom reading material…!
● The difference between undergrad at UNC for journalism, and getting a Masters decades later
● The story behind the title, Stepping on the Blender
● Katherine’s hope for women who read her memoir
● Humor in memoir writing
● The idea that we all change, and so do the places we grew up in
● How to prepare for releasing a more personal book and answering the question, do you tell your friends/family first?
● Katherine’s career in journalism across the Southeast
● What Katherine would tell anyone who wants to write their story but is nervous to do so

Brief author bio: Raleigh native Katherine Snow Smith has lived throughout the south as a newspaper reporter, editor, daughter, sister, mother, wife, divorcee and friend. She’s worked at small town papers and business journals, but spent most of her career at the esteemed Tampa Bay Times. A few decades (no need to count them) after graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill with a degree in journalism, she’s getting her master’s at her alma mater so she can teach on a college level. Katherine, who has three 20-something children, divides her time between Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and St. Petersburg, Florida.

Learn more about the author and their books HERE.
https://katherinesnowsmith.com/

Death by Podcasting

Support the show by ordering Death by Podcasting, a mystery novella by Sarah Archer and Landis Wade, because podcasting can be a dangerous business.

Learn More and order your copy: https://books2read.com/u/mKVrvy

The Write Quotes Series:

Support the show by purchasing one of more of the eight books in The Write Quote series, a collection of writing quote books compiled from 500+ interviews with bestselling, award-winning, and hard-working authors.

Learn more about our series of quote books and download Book 1 for free at https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/writequotes/

Newsletter:
Subscribe to our newsletter for free HERE:
https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/79263/78112905026864634/share

In this episode 396, we feature acclaimed writer Melissa Broder discussing Death Valley, a comedic odyssey through the desert of grief. The novel was named a best book of 2023 by Oprah Daily, Vanity Fair, and The New York Times, who called it “a triumph, a ribald prayer for sensuality and grace in the face of profound loss, a hilarious revolt against the aggressive godlessness, dehumanization and fear plaguing our time. All ten of Melissa Broder’s finger lamps are blazing. Why not be totally changed into fire.”

Show discussion highlights:

● The alchemy that transforms life into writing (and sometimes the reverse)
● The role of real-life struggles with mental health and grief in the creative process, and the role of joy
● Why pee is a valid plot point! and other thoughts on capturing both the divine and the visceral in her work
● Coping with the pressure of critical expectations
● Broder’s experiences in adapting her work for the screen
● A hint at the topic of her next novel

Brief author bio:

Melissa Broder is the author of the novels Death Valley, Milk Fed, and The Pisces, the essay collection So Sad Today, and five poetry collections, including Superdoom: Selected Poems and Last Sext. Her books are translated in over ten languages. Broder has written for The New York Times, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue Italia, Bon Appetit, VICE, and New York Magazine. Poems appear in POETRY, The Iowa Review, Guernica, Fence, et al. She is the winner of a Pushcart Prize for poetry.
Learn more about the author and their books HERE.
https://www.melissabroder.com/

Death by Podcasting

Support the show by ordering Death by Podcasting, a mystery novella by Sarah Archer and Landis Wade, because podcasting can be a dangerous business.

Learn More and order your copy: https://books2read.com/u/mKVrvy

The Write Quotes Series:

Support the show by purchasing one of more of the eight books in The Write Quote series, a collection of writing quote books compiled from 500+ interviews with bestselling, award-winning, and hard-working authors.

Learn more about our series of quote books and download Book 1 for free at https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/writequotes/

Newsletter:
Subscribe to our newsletter for free HERE:
https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/79263/78112905026864634/share

In this episode 395, we feature critically acclaimed mystery writer, Sara Johnson, and the fifth book in her Alexa Glock Forensics Mystery series, The Hungry Bones. Publisher’s Weekly says that "Johnson expertly balances her lead’s personal and professional lives and maintains nerve-shredding suspense throughout. This gives every indication that Alexa can sustain a long-running series."

Show discussion highlights:

● How travel inspires Sara’s writing
● The life-changing nature of a trip to New Zealand
● How Sara decides on the title for each book
● Developing character arcs for a series
● Alexa Glock’s journey from the first book to the latest
● The New Zealand Gold Rush and its role in The Hungry Bones
● The meaning of a “hungry ghost”
● Creating a spooky setting in New Zealand, the erie nature of the country
● Sara’s research process for the forensics aspect of the books
● Writing advice for authors interested in writing a series of books
● The value of writing community

Brief author bio:

Sara E. Johnson is a mystery writer who spent nine months exploring wondrous New Zealand. Everywhere she snooped, there was a mystery that needed writing. The Bone Riddle, Sara’s fourth novel in the Alexa Glock Forensic Mysteries, was published in June, 2023. The first three mysteries in the series are, in order of publication, Molten Mud Murder, The Bones Remember, and The Bone Track. Sara’s publisher is Poisoned Pen Press/Sourcebooks.

Sara also writes articles for magazines. Most recently, she introduced readers of The Strand magazine to five New Zealand-based mystery writers. Shark cage diving, featured in her second book The Bones Remember, is the topic of her article in the CrimeReads website. Take a look at Adventures in Shark Cage Diving!

She has a BA in Journalism and an MA in Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Sara lives in Durham, North Carolina with her husband. Sara is a graduate of the Durham Citizen Police Academy. She is the past President of Triangle Sisters in Crime and a member of the North Carolina Writers’ Network.
Learn more about the author and their books HERE.

Death by Podcasting

Support the show by ordering Death by Podcasting, a mystery novella by Sarah Archer and Landis Wade, because podcasting can be a dangerous business.

Learn More and order your copy: https://books2read.com/u/mKVrvy

The Write Quotes Series:

Support the show by purchasing one of more of the eight books in The Write Quote series, a collection of writing quote books compiled from 500+ interviews with bestselling, award-winning, and hard-working authors.

Learn more about our series of quote books and download Book 1 for free at https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/writequotes/

Newsletter:
Subscribe to our newsletter for free HERE:
https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/79263/78112905026864634/share

In this episode 394, we focus on the pros and cons of traditional and indie publishing. Our featured guest is internationally bestselling author Ellen Butler who has extensive experience publishing traditionally and as an indie author. We learn that no path is the wrong path and there are many things to consider when deciding on the best publishing route. Ellen shares tips and advice for how to consider what’s best for you.

A version of this recording was released on our exclusive Patreon channel. We thank our Patrons for making it possible for us to release this updated version on the regular podcast.

Also listen to the Author’s Earlier Podcast Episode:

You can listen here: https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/ellen-butlers-swindlers-revenge-is-a-hard-hitting-mystery/

In this earlier episode that released on January 4, 2022, we visit with Ellen Butler about “Swindler’s Revenge,” a Karina Cardinal Mystery Book. Publisher’s Weekly Magazine says: “Butler keeps the plot barreling ahead. Fans of intelligent escapism will look forward to more.” And InD’Tale Magazine says: “Ellen Butler’s “Swindler’s Revenge” is an unputdownable adventure that will take readers on an electrifying yet light-hearted and humorous journey.”

Author bio:

Ellen Butler is the internationally bestselling author of the Karina Cardinal mystery series. Multiple books in the series have hit #1 on Amazon bestseller lists in the US and abroad. Book critics call the Karina Cardinal mysteries, “intelligent escapism” and “unputdownable adventures that will take readers on an electrifying yet light-hearted and humorous journey.” Butler is also the author of the award-winning historical suspense novel, The Brass Compass. The Brass Compass has won multiple awards for historical fiction including: 2022 Speak Up Talk Radio Firebird Book Award, 2018 IndieReader Discovery Award, 2019 Readers’ Favorite Silver Medal Winner. Butler started writing in the romance genre and won the The Romance Reviews Readers’ Choice Award 2015 with her novel Planning for Love. Her 12th book, Operation Blackbird, a Cold War Spy novel, was published in October 2022.

Butler is a hybrid author—both traditionally and indie published and regularly attends events to share her writing and publishing experiences through workshops, presentations, and panel sessions. Ellen holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and Policy, and her history includes a long list of writing for dry, but illuminating, professional newsletters and windy papers on public policy. Butler is also a member of International Thriller Writers, Office of Strategic Services Society, Virginia Writers Club, and Sisters in Crime.

When she’s not writing Butler enjoys reading, spending time with her family, working on home improvement projects, and attending car shows. Butler has a passion for classic cars, especially the bright colors of the 1950s vehicles replete with fins and bulbous lights.

Author Website: http://www.ellenbutler.net

Show discussion highlights:

• The reality of publishing; it’s a long haul
• The pros and cons of traditional and indie publishing; neither publishing path is wrong
• Comparing the economics of traditional versus indie
• Online book sales can be where the money is
• Distributing ebooks and paperbacks through Draft2Digital
• How important is being in control—is it a pro or con?
• Horror story possibilities when you don’t own your book
• Be careful about traditional publisher rights grab
• Finding readers/listeners with audiobooks
• Going wide with your ebooks online or going exclusive with Amazon KDP; for a BookBub deal it is best to go wide
• Landis admits he hasn’t gotten a BookBub deal—postcript: Afer listening to Ellen’s tip to complete submitting,

In this episode 393, we feature award-winning Charlotte writer Tommy Tomlinson and his latest release, Dogland, which explores not only the passion, glory, and slobber of the Westminster Dog Show, but focuses on existential questions about the relationships between dogs and humans and whether the dogs who compete in dog shows are happy. Tomlinson spent years on the dog show road getting to know the dog handlers, the dogs, and the settings where owners and their dogs compete, and as Tommy does well, he tells interesting dog stories, including about the dog in his own life.

Show discussion highlights:

• Tommy’s dog show travels
• The experience of a dog show – what it’s like up close
• The life of a dog show handler
• Do the dogs enjoy the experience?
• Striker, the champion dog he followed
• Inside the Westminster dog show: glitz meets Joe six-pack
• What are dog shows measuring in a dog and what about all the inbreeding: good or bad?
• Fred, Tommy’s dog
• The Georgia bulldog, Uga, and Uga jokes and stories
• The pee breaks in the book: cartoon dogs, dog haters, legendary dogs
• New insights about dogs
• A reading from the book
• Publishing advice: how Tommy pitched the book
• How to research and write a book like this

Author bio:

Tommy Tomlinson has written for publications including Esquire, ESPN the Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Forbes, Garden & Gun, and many others. He spent 23 years as a reporter and local columnist for the Charlotte Observer.

In addition to his recent release, Dogland, Tommy Tomlinson is the author of the memoir The Elephant In the Room (Simon & Schuster, 2019), about life as an overweight man in a growing America. He is the host of the podcast “SouthBound” at WFAE, Charlotte’s NPR station, and he also does weekly commentaries for the station. He has a Substack newsletter called The Writing Shed.

He’s a graduate of the University of Georgia and was a 2008-09 Nieman Fellow at Harvard University.

Learn more about the author and their books HERE.
https://tommytomlinson.com

Death by Podcasting

Support the show by ordering Death by Podcasting, a mystery novella by Sarah Archer and Landis Wade, because podcasting can be a dangerous business.

Learn More and order your copy: https://books2read.com/u/mKVrvy

The Write Quotes Series:

Support the show by purchasing one of more of the eight books in The Write Quote series, a collection of writing quote books compiled from 500+ interviews with bestselling, award-winning, and hard-working authors.

Learn more about our series of quote books and download Book 1 for free at https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/writequotes/

Newsletter:
Subscribe to our newsletter for free HERE:
https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/79263/78112905026864634/share

In this episode 392, we focus on writing non-fiction and memoir. Our featured guest with extensive experience in this field is Frye Gaillard, an award-winning author who has written more than thirty books, ranging across the genres of history, memoir, journalism, and historical stories for young readers. In addition to discussing the mechanics of this kind of writing, Frye shares his work, “Live As If… A Teacher’s Love Story,” a remembrance of his late wife, Dr. Nancy Gaillard, who died of leukemia in 2018.

A version of this recording was released on our exclusive Patreon channel. We thank our Patrons for making it possible for us to release this updated version on the regular podcast.

Also listen to the Author’s Earlier Podcast Episode:

You can listen here: https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/frye-gaillard-explores-social-and-political-movements-of-the-1960s-in-a-hard-rain/

In this August 3, 2021 episode with Frye Gaillard, we discussed a “A Hard Rain: America in the 1960’s, Our Decade of Hope, Possibility, and Innocence Lost,” a reconstruction and remembrance of the transcendent era of the 1960’s.

Author bio:

Frye Gaillard, a native of Mobile, Alabama, began his career as a writer and journalist after coming of age during the turbulent events of the 1960s, when he witnessed the Birmingham arrest of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and acted as student host for Sen. Robert Kennedy at Vanderbilt University. In the years since then, he has written more than thirty books, ranging across the genres of history, memoir, journalism, and historical stories for young readers.

His award winning titles include A Hard Rain: America in the 1960s; Cradle of Freedom: Alabama and the Movement That Changed America; Watermelon Wine: The Spirit of Country Music; The Dream Long Deferred: The Landmark Struggle for Desegregation in Charlotte, North Carolina; and Go South to Freedom, a novel for middle grade readers.

Hard Rain: America in the 1960s was an NPR Great Read of 2018 & winner of F. Scott Fitzgerald Museum Literary Prize and the Alabama Authors Award.

His most recent titles include The Southernization of America: A Story of Democracy in the Balance, coauthored with Pulitzer Prize winner Cynthia Tucker; and Live As If… A Teacher’s Love Story, a remembrance of his late wife, Dr. Nancy Gaillard, who died of leukemia in 2018.

Author Website: https://fryegaillardauthor.com

Show discussion highlights:

• How to do non-fiction well
• Plumbing the possibilities of the literal truth
• Frye’s mechanics of writing non-fiction
• Using point of view in non-fiction
• Combining memoir with biography
• Writing about his late wife in “Live As If: A Teacher’s Love Story”
• A reading from “Live As If: A Teacher’s Love Story”
• How to outline a long work of non-fiction

Death by Podcasting

Support the show by ordering Death by Podcasting, a mystery novella by Sarah Archer and Landis Wade, because podcasting can be a dangerous business.

Learn More and order your copy: https://books2read.com/u/mKVrvy

The Write Quotes Series:

Support the show by purchasing one of more of the eight books in The Write Quote series, a collection of writing quote books compiled from 500+ interviews with bestselling, award-winning, and hard-working authors.

Learn more about our series of quote books and download Book 1 for free at https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/writequotes/

Newsletter:
Subscribe to our newsletter for free HERE:
https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/79263/78112905026864634/share

In this episode 391, we feature writer, filmmaker, and activist, Curtis Chin, to talk about his new memoir, “Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant.” It garnered a great deal of positive attention from popular media outlets nationwide, including being named as a 2023 top memoir by Time Magazine, the Washington Post, W. Magazine, Goodreads, and the San Francisco Chronicle.

Show discussion highlights:

● Growing up in Detroit
● The importance of mealtime and what it symbolizes
● How growing up in a Chinese restaurant continues to impact Curtis’ life today
● Starting the Asian American Writers’ Workshop
● Feedback Curtis has received from the LGBTQ community and people of color
● What it means to “code-switch”
● Showing our imperfections in memoir – none of us are perfect
● Being in survival mode as a child
● Bravery - do brave people know that they are brave?
● What’s next for Curtis, being on a global book tour
● Food writing

Brief author bio:

A co-founder of the Asian American Writers’ Workshop in New York City, Curtis Chin served as the non-profits’ first Executive Director. He went on to write for network and cable television before transitioning to social justice documentaries. Chin has screened his films at over 600 venues in sixteen countries. He has written for CNN, Bon Appetit, the Detroit Free Press, and the Emancipator/Boston Globe. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Chin has received awards from ABC/Disney Television, New York Foundation for the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, and more. His memoir, "Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant" was published by Little, Brown in Fall 2023. His essay in Bon Appetit was just selected for Best Food Writing in America 2023 and he just produced an episode of America's Test Kitchen's podcast, Proof.

Learn more about the author and their books HERE.
https://www.curtisfromdetroit.com/

Death by Podcasting

Support the show by ordering Death by Podcasting, a mystery novella by Sarah Archer and Landis Wade, because podcasting can be a dangerous business.

Learn More and order your copy: https://books2read.com/u/mKVrvy

The Write Quotes Series:

Support the show by purchasing one of more of the eight books in The Write Quote series, a collection of writing quote books compiled from 500+ interviews with bestselling, award-winning, and hard-working authors.

Learn more about our series of quote books and download Book 1 for free at https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/writequotes/

Newsletter:
Subscribe to our newsletter for free HERE:
https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/79263/78112905026864634/share

In this episode 390, we focus on how to develop a writing practice and tips for making it stick. Our featured guest with extensive experience on this topic is award-winning author Kim Wright, who has worked as a novelist, journalist, teacher, and speaker. She also is known as The Story Doctor, who deeply believes that everyone has an artist within and that living a creative life is its own reward.

A version of this recording was released on our exclusive Patreon channel. We thank our Patrons for making it possible for us to release this updated version on the regular podcast.

Also listen to the Author’s Earlier Podcast Episode:
You can listen here:
https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/kim-wright-takes-readers-to-the-carolina-coast-in-the-longest-day-of-the-year-where-four-women-discover-the-truth-about-their-lives/

In this earlier episode that released on January 1, 2021, we feature “The Longest Day of the Year,” set in a single day on the Carolina coast, with a wonderful cast of characters.

“The Longest Day of the Year” explores the longing and regrets of four very different women whose lives converge around their love for this one particular beach. Sounds sweet? Don’t be fooled. The twist ending will drive you back to the book for a second reading. Love, after all, is full of surprises.

Author bio:

Over the past thirty years, Kim Wright has worked as a novelist, journalist, teacher, and speaker. She offers both individual coaching for blocked creatives and interactive workshops for groups. Kim deeply believes that everyone has an artist within and that living a creative life is its own reward - helping us be more focused and productive at work, giving meaning to the rituals of our daily lives and, most importantly, creating joy.

Kim's own creative work has been granted a range of honors, the most recent being the Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction, which she won for her novel Last Ride to Graceland. Carolina born and raised, her interests include competitive ballroom dancing, rescue dogs, travel, and playing with her two granddaughters.

Author website: http://www.kimwright.org

Show discussion highlights:

• Why developing a writing practice is so important
• A daily writing practice is like brushing your teeth everyday
• How two books a year is not a blistering pace
• Writing stories out of sequence
• Getting inspired as you write
• Finding pockets of time as a binge writer
• Stop writing in the middle of a scene
• Experimenting with where and when you write
• Once you learn what works for you, plan for it
• Find your writing tribe and engage in the writing community
• Getting feedback from other writers
• Surround yourself with hard-working writers
• Don’t put the idea of creativity on a pedestal

Death by Podcasting

Support the show by ordering Death by Podcasting, a mystery novella by Sarah Archer and Landis Wade, because podcasting can be a dangerous business.

Learn More and order your copy: https://books2read.com/u/mKVrvy

The Write Quotes Series:

Support the show by purchasing one of more of the eight books in The Write Quote series, a collection of writing quote books compiled from 500+ interviews with bestselling, award-winning, and hard-working authors.

Learn more about our series of quote books and download Book 1 for free at https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/writequotes/

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In this episode 389, we welcome critically acclaimed Southern fiction writer, Gerry Wilson, and talk with her about her new historical fiction novel, That Pinson Girl. While it’s a story that takes place in Mississippi during World War I, there are plenty of aspects of the plot that are relevant to today’s world. Clifford Garstang, author of Oliver’s Travels and The Shaman of Turtle Valley says, “devastating and beautifully written, Gerry Wilson’s That Pinson Girl is at once a heart-rending tragedy and a testament to the indomitable human spirit.”

Show discussion highlights:

● Being a 7th generation Mississippian – what has changed over the years and what has stayed the same
● How storytelling makes difficult issues more digestible and creates conversation around meaningful topics
● Developing the novel’s strong female protagonist, Leona Pinson
● Parallels between the life experiences of this cast of characters and our current generation
● How love can break boundaries
● The concept of survival and human resilience
● What message Gerry wanted to convey about the human spirit through this story
● Writing a debut novel at 80 years of age
● Writing advice for those who are interested in craft

Brief author bio:

A seventh-generation Mississippian and a child of the hill country she writes about in That Pinson Girl, Gerry Wilson came of age during the turbulent civil rights era. Her story collection, Cross-currents and Other Stories, was nominated for the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Fiction Award. Gerry is a recipient of a Mississippi Arts Commission Literary Arts Fellowship. Her stories have appeared in numerous journals. That Pinson Girl is her first novel.

Learn more about the author and their books HERE.
https://gerrygwilson.com/

Death by Podcasting

Support the show by ordering Death by Podcasting, a mystery novella by Sarah Archer and Landis Wade, because podcasting can be a dangerous business.

Learn More and order your copy: https://books2read.com/u/mKVrvy

The Write Quotes Series:

Support the show by purchasing one of more of the eight books in The Write Quote series, a collection of writing quote books compiled from 500+ interviews with bestselling, award-winning, and hard-working authors.

Learn more about our series of quote books and download Book 1 for free at https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/writequotes/

Newsletter:
Subscribe to our newsletter for free HERE:
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In this episode 388, we feature Brooke Shaffner and her debut novel Country of Under, which won the 1729 Book Prize, was a runner-up for the PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction, and was shortlisted for Dzanc Books’ Prize for Fiction
and Black Lawrence Press’s Big Moose Prize. Author Helen Benedict says this is "a novel about the pain and wonder of being between identities. Between male and female. Citizen and immigrant. Fulfilled and empty. Outsider and insider. A novel of our time, told with deep compassion and striking beauty."

Show discussion highlights:

● How Brooke combined personal experience and research to write about topics including drag culture, immigration activism, urban exploring, and monastic life
● The cultural and countercultural context of the book’s setting in the 1990s and 2000s, and how fashion and music were inspirations
● The literal and metaphorical borders that infuse the book thematically
● Writing characters with grace and compassion to allow them to live in gray areas
● Her in-progress memoir and the relationship between fiction and creative nonfiction
● Approaching the marathon that is a writing career with equanimity

Brief author bio:

Country of Under is Brooke Shaffner’s debut novel. Her work has appeared in The Hudson Review, Marie Claire, BOMB, Litmosphere, Lost and Found: Stories from New York, and The Lit Pub. She’s received grants from the Arts & Science Council, United States Artists, and the Saltonstall Foundation and residencies from the MacDowell Colony, the Ucross Foundation, the Saltonstall Foundation, the Edward Albee Foundation, the Jentel Foundation, the I-Park Foundation, and VCCA. Brooke is at work on a memoir, an excerpt of which won the 2023 Lit/South Award. She grew up part Garza, part Shaffner in Texas’s Rio Grande Valley and co-founded Freedom Tunnel Press with her partner Niteesh Elias to publish artivist books that straddle borders. She teaches and edits through her company Between the Lines and is on the faculty of the North Carolina Writers' Network and Charlotte Lit.

Learn more about the author and her book HERE.
https://sites.google.com/view/brookeshaffner/

Death by Podcasting

Support the show by ordering Death by Podcasting, a mystery novella by Sarah Archer and Landis Wade, because podcasting can be a dangerous business.

Learn More and order your copy: https://books2read.com/u/mKVrvy

The Write Quotes Series:

Support the show by purchasing one of more of the eight books in The Write Quote series, a collection of writing quote books compiled from 500+ interviews with bestselling, award-winning, and hard-working authors.

Learn more about our series of quote books and download Book 1 for free at https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/writequotes/

Newsletter:
Subscribe to our newsletter for free HERE:
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In this episode 387, we feature Dana Trent and her memoir, Between Two Trailers, a powerful story about a girl who escapes her childhood as a preschool drug dealer in rural Indiana, to become a graduate of Duke Divinity School. Publishers Weekly calls the memoir a “blend of grit and hope.” Other reviews invoke the phrases: “luscious prose,” “ludicrously good plot,” “unflinching truth,” “full of resilience and redemption,” and “a memoir in the vein of great literary coming-of-age narratives.” The book is a fast, surprising, shocking, and inspiring read.

Show discussion highlights:

• Dana Trent: Now and Then
The setting: Dana, Indiana
• The reason for and timing of the memoir
• The preschool drug dealer
• How she survived her childhood
• Finding one’s way home
• How her experience guides her work today
• A reading from the book
• The meaning of the title
• Memoir writing advice

Author bio:

J. Dana Trent is a speaker, professor, award-winning spirituality author, and minister. A graduate of Duke Divinity School, she teaches world religions and critical thinking at Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh, North Carolina. She has a podcast about this story at https://www.jdanatrent.com/podcast

Learn more about the author and their books HERE.
https://www.jdanatrent.com

Death by Podcasting

Support the show by ordering Death by Podcasting, a mystery novella by Sarah Archer and Landis Wade, because podcasting can be a dangerous business.

Learn More and order your copy: https://books2read.com/u/mKVrvy

The Write Quotes Series:

Support the show by purchasing one of more of the eight books in The Write Quote series, a collection of writing quote books compiled from 500+ interviews with bestselling, award-winning, and hard-working authors.

Learn more about our series of quote books and download Book 1 for free at https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/writequotes/

Newsletter:
Subscribe to our newsletter for free HERE:
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In this episode 386, we feature Katherine Faulkner, an award-winning journalist, studied history at Cambridge. She has worked as an investigative reporter and an editor and was formerly the joint Head of News at The Times (London). She lives in London, where she grew up, with her husband and two daughters. She is the author of The Other Mothers and Greenwich Park.

Show discussion highlights:

● Growing up in London
● Katherine’s career as an investigative journalist
● Inspiration for The Other Mothers
● Major themes including motherhood and class
● Characters in the novel, which people Katherine enjoyed writing most
● Choosing where to set the novel
● The role of trust in the plot
● How Katherine’s journalism career influences her writing
● Writing process
● Words of advice to younger writing self

Brief author bio: Katherine Faulkner is an award-winning journalist, studied history at Cambridge. She has worked as an investigative reporter and an editor and was formerly the joint Head of News at The Times (London). She lives in London, where she grew up, with her husband and two daughters. She is the author of The Other Mothers and Greenwich Park.

Learn more about the author and their books HERE.
https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Katherine-Faulkner/170993166

Death by Podcasting

Support the show by ordering Death by Podcasting, a mystery novella by Sarah Archer and Landis Wade, because podcasting can be a dangerous business.

Learn More and order your copy: https://books2read.com/u/mKVrvy

The Write Quotes Series:

Support the show by purchasing one of more of the eight books in The Write Quote series, a collection of writing quote books compiled from 500+ interviews with bestselling, award-winning, and hard-working authors.

Learn more about our series of quote books and download Book 1 for free at https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/writequotes/

Newsletter:
Subscribe to our newsletter for free HERE:
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In this episode 385, we feature M. Scott Douglass, acclaimed writer and publisher/managing editor at Main Street Rag Publishing Company, and his memoir, “8000 Mile Roll,” a story about a motorcycle adventure across America. Joseph Bathanti, former North Carolina Poet Laureate, says it is impossible to read the memoir “and not conjure Steppenwolf’s ‘Born to Be Wild,” the revving, reverberating anthem to the iconic film, Easy Rider.” This is a story about the places where Scott went and the people and stories he met along the way.

Show discussion highlights:

• The 8000 mile motorcycle ride
• Why take on a trip like this?
• No music; no radio; being in one’s head
• Favorite settings
• Conversations and meeting with Craig Johnson
• Visiting Dennis Hopper’s grave
• A reading from the book that explores riding alone
• Leaving a job to start a publishing company
• Working with and managing authors
• Making mistakes

Author bio:

M. Scott Douglass grew up in Pittsburgh and lives near Charlotte, NC. He’s Publisher/Managing Editor at Main Street Rag Publishing Company, a Pushcart Prize nominee, and North Carolina ASC Grant recipient. His poetry has most recently appeared in North American Review, Kakalak 23, Twelve Mile Review, Salvation South, among others. His graphic design work has earned two PICA Awards and an Eric Hoffer Award nomination. Previous books (poetry) include Living in a Red State Blues, Just Passing Through, Hard to Love, Steel Womb Revisited, Balancing on Two Wheels, and Auditioning for Heaven.

Learn more about the author and their books HERE.
https://mainstreetragbookstore.com/product/8000-mile-roll-m-scott-douglass/

Death by Podcasting

Support the show by ordering Death by Podcasting, a mystery novella by Sarah Archer and Landis Wade, because podcasting can be a dangerous business.

Learn More and order your copy: https://books2read.com/u/mKVrvy

The Write Quotes Series:

Support the show by purchasing one of more of the eight books in The Write Quote series, a collection of writing quote books compiled from 500+ interviews with bestselling, award-winning, and hard-working authors.

Learn more about our series of quote books and download Book 1 for free at https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/writequotes/

Newsletter:
Subscribe to our newsletter for free HERE:
https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/79263/78112905026864634/share

In this episode 384, Hannah, Sarah, and Landis share a wealth of writing advice from writers interviewed in the first four years of the podcast, with favorite quotes and takeaways from all eight books in The Write Quotes series. We cover a variety of topics from finding inspiration and writing techniques to publishing and marketing your finished book.

Today’s Featured Topics

Topics covered in today’s episode include:

Book 1: The Writing Life
Book 2: Learning to Write
Book 3: Writing Process and Tools
Book 4: Storytelling, Inspiration, and Research
Book 5: Writing Techniques and Characters
Book 6: Writing Community, Revision, and Editors
Book 7: The Emotional Writing Journey
Book 8: Publishing and Book Marketing

Check out the books in the Write Quotes series here (you can download the first ebook for free!).

Death by Podcasting

Support the show by ordering Death by Podcasting, a mystery novella by Sarah Archer and Landis Wade, because podcasting can be a dangerous business.

Learn more and order your copy: https://books2read.com/u/mKVrvy

The Write Quotes Series:

Support the show by purchasing one of more of the eight books in The Write Quote series, a collection of writing quote books compiled from 500+ interviews with bestselling, award-winning, and hard-working authors.

Learn more about our series of quote books and download Book 1 for free at https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/writequotes/

Newsletter:

Subscribe to our newsletter for free HERE:
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In this episode 383, on the cusp of Major League Baseball’s opening day, we feature award-winning author Mark Stevens and his novel, The Fireballer, a poignant story about hopes, dreams, and how far one man’s talents takes him before he realizes it’s about what you do — and how you do it. Named one of the Best Baseball Books of the Year in 2023 by Spitball, the Baseball Literary Magazine, the Denver Post calls The Fireballer a “first-rate novel…an ode to baseball,” and New York Times novelist Stephen Singular says “Mark Stevens has invented a startling ‘what if?’ that stretches the limits of the game.”

Show discussion highlights:

• The inspiration for the baseball novel
• Why the hero played for the Baltimore Orioles
• The designated hitter rule
• The beanball culture in baseball
• Changing rules in sports because athletes excel
• One-liners from the book
• A reading from the book
• The publishing path
• Writing lessons learned

Author bio:

The son of two librarians, Mark Stevens was raised in Lincoln, Massachusetts, and has worked as a reporter, as a national television news producer and in public relations.

His novel, The Fireballer, has received wide praise. His mystery novel Antler Dust was a Denver Post bestseller in 2007 and 2009. Buried by the Roan, Trapline, and Lake of Fire were all finalists for the Colorado Book Award (2012, 2015, and 2016, respectively). Trapline won the Colorado Book Award in 2016 and also received the best genre fiction award from Colorado Authors League.

Stevens has had short stories published by Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Mystery Tribune, and in Denver Noir (Akashic Books, 2022). In September 2016, Stevens was named Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ Writer of the Year. Stevens hosts a regular podcast for Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and has served as president of the Rocky Mountain chapter for Mystery Writers of America. Stevens is also an avid reader and regularly shares his reviews. Today, Stevens lives in Mancos, Colorado.

Learn more about the author and their books HERE.
https://www.writermarkstevens.com

Death by Podcasting

Support the show by ordering Death by Podcasting, a mystery novella by Sarah Archer and Landis Wade, because podcasting can be a dangerous business.

Learn More and order your copy: https://books2read.com/u/mKVrvy

The Write Quotes Series:

Support the show by purchasing one of more of the eight books in The Write Quote series, a collection of writing quote books compiled from 500+ interviews with bestselling, award-winning, and hard-working authors.

Learn more about our series of quote books and download Book 1 for free at https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/writequotes/

Newsletter:
Subscribe to our newsletter for free HERE:
https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/79263/78112905026864634/share

In this episode 382, we welcome award-winning author Joe Clifford, and discuss his new psychological thriller, All Who Wander. Clifford’s work has been praised as “taut, pacey and with a powerful sense of pace...” by celebrated mystery writer, Paula Hawkins, and Anthony- nominated author E.A. Ayman calls his latest “gritty, compelling, and fearless… a powerful read.” Today, we hear more about Joe’s backstory and explore the themes in All Who Wander.

Show discussion highlights:

● Moving back to San Francisco after being in Florida for grad school
● Joe’s history with addiction and how this impacts his writing
● Debriefing Joe’s memoir, Junkie Love, and how it feeds the rest of his writing
● Writing mystery series’
● The dark side of being a mystery writer
● Writing plot-driven stories
● How authors like Gillian Flynn influence Joe
● Development of multi-faceted characters
● Generational trauma in All Who Wander
● The therapeutic act of writing

Brief author bio:
After spending the 1990s as a homeless heroin addict in San Francisco, Joe Clifford got off the streets and turned his life around. He earned his MFA from Florida International University in 2008, before returning to the Bay Area, where he currently lives with his wife and two sons. His memoir, Junkie Love, chronicles his battle with drugs and was first published in 2010 and re-released in 2018. He is the author of the award-winning Jay Porter Thriller Series, as well as several standalones including The One That Got Away, The Lakehouse, The Shadow People, Say My Name and All Who Wander.
His bestselling Jay Porter Thriller Series (Oceanview Publishing) has received rave reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and the San Francisco Chronicle, among many others. Joe is also editor of Trouble in the Heartland: Crime Stories Based on the Songs of Bruce Springsteen and Just to Watch Him Die: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Johnny Cash. Currently Joe teaches online writing courses for FIU, as well as around the country at various conferences and retreats (or frankly anywhere someone will pay him).

Learn more about the author and their books HERE. https://joeclifford.com

Death by Podcasting

Support the show by ordering Death by Podcasting, a mystery novella by Sarah Archer and Landis Wade, because podcasting can be a dangerous business.

Learn More and order your copy: https://books2read.com/u/mKVrvy

The Write Quotes Series:

Support the show by purchasing one of more of the eight books in The Write Quote series, a collection of writing quote books compiled from 500+ interviews with bestselling, award-winning, and hard-working authors.

Learn more about our series of quote books and download Book 1 for free at https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/writequotes/

Newsletter:
Subscribe to our newsletter for free HERE:
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In this episode 381, we have a special feature for writers (or curious readers): a double interview with two literary agents about the business and process of being an agent for authors. Jamie Chambliss of Folio Literary Management and Kristina Sutton Lennon of Focused Artists share a behind-the-scenes glimpse at what it is like to work with a literary agent and how they do their work, such as what they look for in clients, how they sign and pitch books, their thoughts on the current state of publishing, and more.

Show discussion highlights:

● How and why someone becomes a literary agent
● The nuts and bolts of what agents do for authors
● The fine print in publishing contracts
● How they find clients
● Their processes for working with authors
● Their tastes–who they like to represent and why
● What does publishing want?
● Predictions for the future of the publishing industry

Book Recommendations:

Landis recommends:
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

Sarah recommends:
Louisa May Alcott: An Intimate Anthology

Kristina recommends:
In a League of Her Own by Bonnie-Jill Laflin
Shark Heart: A Love Story by Emily Habeck
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Jamie recommends:
The Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger
The Divorcées by Rowan Beaird

Guest Bios:

Jamie Chambliss
Jamie Chambliss is an agent with Folio Literary Management. Her clients include Lara Prescott, Lauren Hough, Tom Vitale, and Rachel Rodgers. Prior to joining Folio, she was with Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, working on both fiction and nonfiction and in editorial and marketing, and also previously worked as a magazine journalist. She’s a graduate of Wake Forest University and has a master’s degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Learn more at https://www.foliolit.com/agent/jamie-chambliss-pLZG4.

Kristina Sutton Lennon
Kristina Sutton Lennon is a bilingual, Latiné media executive and the CEO/Co-Founder of Focused Artists, where she serves as a literary agent and manager for clients in the book and film worlds. She previously served as a film/tv agent and the Director of the Louisiana Division for a talent agency headquartered in Atlanta, and was recently Director of Media Rights at Context Literary Agency. She currently serves as a Talent Manager for Citizen Skull. In 2022, Publishers Weekly named her a Star Watch Honoree.  
Learn more at https://www.focusedartists.com/.

Death by Podcasting

Support the show by ordering Death by Podcasting, a mystery novella by Sarah Archer and Landis Wade, because podcasting can be a dangerous business.

Learn More and order your copy: https://books2read.com/u/mKVrvy

The Write Quotes Series:

Support the show by purchasing one of more of the eight books in The Write Quote series, a collection of writing quote books compiled from 500+ interviews with bestselling, award-winning, and hard-working authors.

Learn more about our series of quote books and download Book 1 for free at https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/writequotes/

Newsletter:
Subscribe to our newsletter for free HERE:
https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/79263/78112905026864634/share