Kobo Writing Life Podcast

In this episode, we are joined by New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Jenn Sterling, writing as J. Sterling, whose latest series, Fun for the Holidays, features holiday romances for every season. Check out her latest instalment, The Thanksgiving Hookup! Jenn is also the author of dozens of books across several series, and is the author of sports romances, celebrity romances, new adult romances, and many more. We had a great conversation with Jenn about all things romance writing, marketing, advice from friend and fellow author Colleen Hoover, and how the independent publishing world has changed since she first published in 2011. We spoke to Jenn about her writing career, how she has written and published books for almost twelve years, how much indie publishing has changed, how marketing for indie publishers has evolved, TikTok and its many uses (as well as how fun of an app it is), and, of course, lots of talk about sports! We had a fun, frank, and inspiring conversation with Jenn, and can't wait for you to listen to this episode! Learn more about Jenn on her website, and follow her on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X.

In this episode, we spoke to Brett Riley, author of fiction, screenplays, and creative non-fiction. Based in Las Vegas, he also teaches creative writing at the College of Southern Nevada. We had a great chat about his works, writing in the horror genre, his love of comic books, and his sci-fi and fantasy YA series with elements of the otherworldly and monstrous, Freaks. We also learned so much from Brett on the craft of writing, and had a great conversation about writing processes. We know you'll learn a lot from Brett, so don't miss out on listening to his great advice and insights! We discussed the beginnings of Brett's writing career, why he loves horror, fantasy, and writing YA, some insight into how his writing process plays out, how he writes action scenes in his books, and, of course, got some great writing advice! As always, there's much, much more, so be sure to listen to this wonderful episode in full. Learn more about Brett on his website, and follow him on X and Instagram.

In today's episode, we are joined by Elizabeth Barone, author of over a dozen novels, with one of her latest releases published by Kobo Originals! Stagwood Falls: Love in Ink is a contemporary romance taking place in the fictional town of Stagwood Falls and the tattoo parlour – and the women who work there – at the heart of it. A Touch of Gold and the Love in Ink series are described as "Virgin River meets LA Ink" – and if you're a fan of former-crushes-to-lovers, small town vibes, and tattoos, this is the series for you! Plus, look forward to the release of book two in the series, coming soon exclusively from Kobo. Elizabeth spoke to us about what it was like working with Kobo Originals, living and writing with UCTD and PTSD, how her well-being and mental health are an important part of her writing process, getting inspired to write a contemporary romance series, how A Touch of Gold differs from her grittier romances, wellness and self-care, advice on avoiding burnout, and much more! We really enjoyed this insightful conversation with Elizabeth and we know you will, too. Learn more about Elizabeth on her website, and follow her on Instagram.

In this episode, we are joined by fantasy author, LGBTQ+ sensitivity reader, and international speaker and presenter October K. Santerelli! October's latest book, City of Day, was published this past February and is the first in a planned trilogy. We were so excited to have October on the podcast after first hearing him present on neurodivergency and the creative process at Superstars Writing Seminar in Denver, CO earlier this year! KWL's director Tara was in attendance, and she had many great take-aways from that amazing presentation. We chatted with October about his writing career, his presentations and speaking appearances at comic conventions, writing seminars, and more across the USA, neurodivergency and the creative process, his work as a sensitivity reader, and much more! We had a fun (and very informative) time chatting with October, and are excited to present this episode. Learn more about October via his website, and follow him on Tiktok, Tumblr and Instagram.

In this episode, we are joined by author and book coach Mary Adkins, founder of The Book Incubator, a program for authors looking to write their best possible book. Mary spent six years writing and re-writing her first book before landing a book deal with HarperCollins, and as such, perfected her writing program! Now, she works to share this helpful information with other authors looking to reach their full potential. We had a great conversation with Mary and loved the many writing tips she had to offer. Be sure to check out what she can do for you over at The Book Incubator! We learn how Mary operates her book coaching business, how she can be a "wedding planner," cheerleader, and helpful industry guide to authors, and what her own writing career looks like. She also offers some great advice on how to give yourself permission to write that novel, as well as (gasp) writing by hand, and much more! Learn more about Mary via her website.

In this episode, we spoke with John Gaspard, author of The Popcorn Principles: A Novelist's Guide to Learning from the Movies, an indispensable guide to implementing tips and tricks learned from film directors and film in general into your fiction writing. John is also the author of several mystery novels across two series, as well as multiple standalone novels and non-fiction titles. He also hosts two podcasts and has directed six low-budget feature films! We chatted with John about his new non-fiction title, his filmmaking experience, the times he spent interviewing well-known film directors, crafting a compelling mystery, what writers can learn from filmmakers, and so much more. Be sure to check out the "sequel" to The Popcorn Principles; John's latest, More Popcorn Principles: Further Cinematic Storytelling Strategies for Novelists is out now! Learn more about John by visiting his website.

In this episode, we spoke with Halima Khatun, PR consultant, former broadcast journalist, and author of the new non-fiction title Priceless Publicity, a book full of useful information for independent writers looking to improve their publicity and media coverage output! Halima is also the author of several highly praised rom-coms, including her award-winning debut novel, The Secret Diary of an Arranged Marriage. Her work has been featured in Huffington Post, Metro, Business Advice and StartupNation, and we can't wait to see what she writes next. Halima shared some amazing advice regarding editing, book blurbs, writing (and lengthening) a series, writing a rom-com (and its sequels), and, of course, garnering publicity for your work! If you've ever wanted to learn more about publicity and PR for indie authors, this is the episode for you. Learn more about Halima via her website, and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

In today's episode, we are joined by renowned indie publishing business expert, educator and author, Mark Dawson – who also happens to be a fellow podcast producer and host! Mark Dawson is the author of over twenty books across multiple series, has sold millions of copies of his titles, and is also the founder of the Self Publishing Formula and host of the Self Publishing Show podcast. Mark hardly needs an introduction – his presence in the world of self-publishing goes above and beyond, and it was great to have him join us for this episode. We spoke to Mark about his Facebook ad process, his advertising course, his newsletter and how he optimizes its reach, and what he has coming up next – including the a live conference! We had a really wonderful time and an interesting conversation with Mark – don't forget to check out Self Publishing Formula for more resources and the associated Facebook group for a great community. Be sure to also check out Self Publishing Show Live - digital tickets are available now! You can learn more about Mark by visiting his website, listening to the SPF Podcast, or following him on Twitter and Facebook.

In this episode, we spoke to the writing team of Jasinda and Jack Wilder (who we had the chance to meet at NINC 2022), wife and husband and parents to six kids, who write their own books as well work collaboratively. Between the two of them, they have written dozens of books, many of them best-sellers, across a multitude of genres and sub-genres. Be sure to check out their latest releases, Dirty Beasts: Chance, the latest instalment in the Dirty Beasts series, Music & Lyric, a new adult contemporary romance, and Blood Heir, a vampire romance (hinted at in this very episode!). We heard about how they balance parenthood with working as indie authors, how they utilize their newsletter to reach readers, how they use their pen name for multiple genres, and get into how the indie publishing industry has changed over the course of their ongoing career and more! Follow Jasinda Wilder on Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook, and learn more about Jasinda and Jack on their website.

In this episode, we are joined by Jessica Ward, also known as J. R. Ward. J. R. Ward is the author of the acclaimed series, The Black Dagger Brotherhood. Over 15 million copies of her novels are in print around the world and she has been published in over 25 countries globally! Her latest release as Jessica Ward is The St. Ambrose School for Girls, a coming-of-age novel described as Heathers meets The Secret History. We were so excited to read this book and to hear more from the phenomenal author behind this new title and dozens of others. We have a great conversation about Jessica's writing process, the evolution of her career, her new release, writing an unreliable narrator, having multiple pen names, the inspiration for The St. Ambrose School for Girls, and much, much more! For more info, check out J. R. Ward's website and follow her on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

In this episode, we spoke with Catherine McKenzie, USA Today best-selling author of "riveting domestic suspense," I'll Never Tell, "one of 2022's best and most-anticipated thrillers," Please Join Us, and more! After publishing more than a dozen titles since 2010, Catherine's latest, Have You Seen Her, is out today! We asked Catherine about her journey to becoming a writer, her previous career in law, why she believes so many lawyers are also published authors, how she plots out her psychological thrillers, what drew her to the genre in the first place, and more! Catherine also gave some great advice for those interested in wrapping their heads around the twists and turns of thrillers. Content note: this episode features brief discussions about real-world missing persons cases, murder, and suicide, and may be upsetting to some listeners. Please listen with awareness of this subject matter. Visit Catherine's website or follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

In this episode, we heard from Arizona Tape, author of dozens of books across multiple series, and collaborative writer on many more! We learned about Arizona's journey to becoming a full-time writer, heard more about her solo and her collaborative writing processes, asked after her favourite manga and anime series, and got some great advice for emerging writers. We also chatted about LGBTQ+ representation, readers seeing themselves represented in Arizona's books, and why Arizona wanted to write books that her younger self was never able to find. We had a wonderful conversation with Arizona and can't wait to see what she writes next! Be sure to visit Arizona's website, sign up for her author newsletter, and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

In this episode, we spoke to bestselling author Ruth Ware about her upcoming release, Zero Days, available on June 20th, 2023. Ruth's novels have been translated into over 40 languages as well as optioned for film and TV, and she has garnered numerous bestsellers internationally. Zero Days is a tech-based, fast-paced thriller wherein the protagonist finds that there is nowhere to hide, and enemies are everywhere. We are very excited for everyone to read Ruth's latest! We discussed Ruth's journey to becoming a full-time writer, how she develops the plots for her thrillers, what her writing process looks like, the difference between a "twist" and a "reveal" in storytelling, and much more. Learn more about Ruth and her work on her website, and find her on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

In this week's episode, we spoke with New York Times, USA Today and #1 internationally bestselling author, Christina Lauren – which is the pen name of two authors, Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings! We are here to highlight their latest release – The True Love Experiment, available now – and to learn more about their amazing writing career. Christina and Lauren tell us about how they got started writing together, how they collaborate for reach book, how their collaborative style developed, the importance of fandom, and more. We also got a great list of recommended romance reads, and received some great advice for those writers looking to collaborate with others! You can learn more on Christina Lauren's website, and be sure to follow Christina Lauren on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

In this episode, we are joined by award-winning true crime writer Kerrie Droban to discuss her latest release, Aurora, and to hear more about her amazing writing career! Kerrie's experience as a criminal and family attorney has heavily influenced her career in writing true crime narratives, and she is an expert in criminal pathology and motorcycle gangs who has written many books on both subjects. We heard about Kerrie's journey from poetry to law to true crime writing, how reading (and even writing) true crime can aid in your fiction writing, how she ended up entering law school, how her creative interests aided her law career (and how her law career aided her writing), advice for aspiring true crime writers, and more. To learn more, visit Kerrie's website and be sure to follow her on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Content note: Our discussion touches on real crimes and some of the disturbing content involved in said crimes. Please listen with awareness of this subject matter.

In this episode, we talk to author Maren Cooper, writer of literary and contemporary women's fiction. We spoke to Maren about how she went from working in healthcare to having a writing career, her sources of inspiration, her story as a "second chapter" author, and her latest (and second) novel, Finding Grace, a coming-of-age story about a family struggling to come together again. Maren was very detailed and frank in her discussion of becoming an author, the importance of a writing community, and more; she had a lot of great advice to offer our listeners! Her next novel will be out this November, so be sure to check out her website to stay updated on her releases. You can also find Maren on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

In this episode, we sat down with Grace Callaway, USA Today and international best-selling author of historical romances (that are often on the steamier side, with lots of mystery and adventure)! Grace's latest, Glory and the Master of Shadows, is the fourth in her series, Lady Charlotte's Society of Angels, which is, in Grace's own words, "a Victorian-era Charlie's Angels"! We were so excited to speak to Grace about Glory and the Master of Shadows (and its gorgeous cover), her other books, her journey to writing, advice on research for historical romances, and more! Be sure to visit Grace's website to learn more about her and her books. You can also find her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

In this episode, we are joined by Citra Tenore, an author who wrote her first book at 11 and published it at 12! We chat about how and why she wrote her second, the start of a sci-fi epic, at 19. We heard about how Citra got into writing, her initial dislike of reading and love of film, how she wrote her first book, why she found that sci-fi was her genre of choice for her second book, and where she finds her inspiration. She also offered some great advice for young writers, as well as advice for any parents of young writers out there looking to nurture that interest. We had a great conversation with Citra overall and look forward to seeing what she writes next! You can find out more about Citra on her website, and be sure to grab a copy of The Dead Planets' Requiem vol. 1, the first in her sprawling sci-fi series.

In this episode, we spoke to Amy Stuart, author of A Death at the Party, out today – get your copy now! A Death at the Party is a thriller that takes place over the course of one day as one woman's plans for a party go terribly wrong, and has been aptly described as "Mrs. Dalloway with a suspense engine of Lisa Jewell!" We were very excited with this title, and are sure you will be, too. Amy discusses her new release, her path to writing, her experience being a teacher, getting an MFA, and working as a writing instructor, details the interesting framework of her murder mystery-thriller novel, gets into the cast of characters, and regales us with some amazing writing advice! Learn more about Amy via her website, and be sure to follow her on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

In this episode, we spoke to Maria Riegger, attorney, self-help writer, and author of fiction and non-fiction titles such as the best-selling Legal Issues Authors Must Consider, a book that provides information on starting your self-publishing business, legal liability considerations, advice on how to protect your copyrights, how to safely use copyrighted material, and more. We learned a lot from Maria and found this discussion of the legal aspects of being an indie author very interesting and informative! Content note: Nothing discussed in this episode of the podcast should be use as legal advice. This episode is meant to be informative, educational, and entertaining – if you have questions related to copyright law and other legal issues surrounding your books, independent publishing, and publishing in general, please contact a legal representative in your area for more information. Learn more about Maria on her website, and be sure to follow her on Facebook and Twitter!

In this episode, we spoke to Jackie Lau, author of The Unmatchmakers, The Stand-Up Groomsman, and many more titles, and we're celebrating the release of her second novel with Kobo Originals, Not Your Valentine! We spoke to Jackie about her new release, her writing process, her favourite romance tropes, her experience working with Kobo Originals, using Toronto as a setting, what it's like to be a hybrid author and the differences between traditional and indie publishing, and so much more! Our discussion was informative and interesting, and as Rachel can attest, you don't want to miss out on Jackie's gourmet donut recommendations. Take notes, Torontonians! Visit Jackie's website here, or follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

In this episode, we chatted with Alexandra Shapiro, criminal defense lawyer and debut author as of 2021. We asked Alexandra about working with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, how her career as a lawyer helped her creative writing, why so many lawyers are also amazing authors, legal thriller and sci-fi crossovers, and much more. We had a great conversation with Alexandra – if you are interested in writing a legal thriller, learning more about how to write legal dramas effectively and accurately, or in need of some great writing advice and encouragement in general, don't miss this episode. Alexanda's legal thriller, Presumed Guilty, is available now! For more information on Alexandra's debut novel, visit her website or follow Alexandra on Instagram and Twitter.

Happy New Year, writers! In this episode, the Kobo Writing Life team gets together to discuss our indie publishing predictions, forecasts, hopes and dreams for 2023! Hear from Tara (director of KWL), Laura (author engagement manager), Rachel (promotions specialist), and Terrence (content coordinator for KWL) as they discuss everything from AI-narrated audiobooks and the Kobo Plus expansion to the influence of TikTok and trends in cover design! Whether you agree with our predications or think we are wildly off-base, we hope you enjoy listening to what we thought of the trends we saw in 2022 and what we expect (and hope) to see in 2023. And be sure follow Kobo Writing Life on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram for indie publishing tips, advice, and inspiration.

In this episode, we're showcasing a live event that we held earlier this year on the KWL Facebook page and on our YouTube channel. Kobo Writing Life director Tara and author relations manager Joni got together to talk about everything you need to know to boost your backlist sales. For more advice on boosting your backlist, check out these previous posts and podcast episode: Looking to give your backlist books a refresh? Follow this guide KWL Podcast #171 - Making Your Backlist Work for You with Zoe York Making the most out of offering free content to your readers And be sure to follow Kobo Writing Life on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram for more!

In this episode, we spoke with Meg Smitherman, debut indie author of Destroyer, the first book in a new adult, dark fantasy romance duology. Meg chatted with us about her new novel, fanfiction, finding a writing community on TikTok, her experience getting an MFA in London, England, finally writing in the ideal genre for her, and much more. Meg also offers amazing writing advice and writing updates via her TikTok – follow her here! Destroyer is available now on Kobo and wherever eBooks are sold. You can find out more about Meg on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, or her website.

In this week's episode, we spoke to Daniel Paisner, ghostwriter of seventeen NYT bestselling books among many, many others. Daniel is also a podcaster and author of his own novels, the latest of which came out this year. His long-spanning career includes writing with and for Gilbert Gottfried, Whoopi Goldberg, Steve Aoki, Anthony Quinn, Serena Williams, and more. We dove into Daniel's experience ghostwriting, what makes a good collaboration and collaborator, ghostwriting advice, why and when he decided to write his own works, and more. Our conversation was extremely interesting and informative, and we got to hear about his own podcast, As Told To, a show where each episode features a conversation between Daniel and another ghostwriter. Daniel's latest book, Balloon Dog, is available now on Kobo. You can find out more about Daniel and his work on his website, or by visiting him on TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook.

In this episode, we talk to best-selling romance and erotica author, Jade West, about writing very spicy and often hardcore books, the elusive and surprising inner workings of the TikTok algorithm, and having your books go viral. We hope you enjoy this enlightening conversation on marketing erotica, authenticity in writing, self-publishing as a writer of spicy books, and how to write a good sex scene, and more! Jade's latest audiobook, Hello Stranger, is available on Kobo. The rest of her audiobooks can be found here! And be sure to follow Jade on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Find more information about our podcast here. If you're ready to start your publishing journey, visit kobo.com/writinglife.

In this episode, we spoke to Lisa M. Lilly, author, lawyer, and fellow podcaster! Lisa M. Lilly hosts Buffy and the Art of Story, a podcast wherein Buffy the Vampire Slayer is discussed and analyzed for its storytelling techniques and how those techniques can help writers improve their craft. We talked to Lisa about her podcast, how she prepares for the show, her writing process, and her work regarding Writing As A Second Career, a site focused on advice for those pursuing writing careers and more. Being huge fans of Buffy AND well-crafted stories here at KWL, we hope you enjoy this enthusiastic episode. We had so much fun talking to Lisa and hope this has inspired at least a few of you to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Follow Lisa on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and visit her online here. Find more information about our podcast here. If you're ready to start your publishing journey, visit kobo.com/writinglife.

In this episode, we spoke with Karen White, an award-winning audiobook narrator who recently began writing and publishing her own works under the pen name of Karen Grey. We chatted about Karen's career as an audiobook narrator, her transition into publishing as an indie author, and much more. We hope you enjoy this great conversation on the dos and don'ts of narrating audiobooks, tips on marketing, a look behind the scenes of audiobook recording, and much love for and enthusiasm about audiobooks overall! And be sure to follow Karen on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Find more information about our podcast here. If you're ready to start your publishing journey, visit kobo.com/writinglife.

In this episode, we heard from award-winning author and professional speaker Carol Van Den Hende, whose second book, Orchid Blooming, was published this year. Orchid Blooming is the prequel to her acclaimed debut, Goodbye, Orchid, and a continuation of a trilogy. We spoke to Carol about her path to writing, releasing a debut novel during the pandemic, crafting compelling characters, the importance of research, writing emotional narratives that affect her readers, tips on public speaking, and more. Follow Carol on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook! Find more information about our podcast here. If you're ready to start your publishing journey, visit kobo.com/writinglife.

In this episode, the KWL team celebrates 300 episodes of the Kobo Writing Life podcast! With 300 episodes and 9 years of podcasting under our belts, we wanted to release this special episode featuring members of the KWL teams and Kobo teams that make publishing your eBooks and audiobooks possible. We learn more about their roles, what they read, and how they help in the journey of your publications! Find more information about our podcast here. If you're ready to start your publishing journey, visit kobo.com/writinglife.

In this episode, we are joined by Alex de Campi, author of prose novels, graphic novels, screenplays, and more, as well as director of music videos. We chatted about Alex's debut prose novel, The Scottish Boy, her writing style, got some great advice for writing fight scenes and sex scenes, and learned more about her researching and world-building process regarding her historical fiction writing – and heard, overall, a fantastic and frank recounting of her experiences in the traditional publishing industry. Find more information about our podcast, including links to our guests' books here. If you're ready to start your publishing journey, visit kobo.com/writinglife.

In this episode, we are joined by Alison G. Bailey, award-winning author of contemporary romance and new adult novels that are full of emotional narratives with a focus on love, laughter, and romance. Alison's latest novel, Forever Perfect, is the latest instalment in her Perfect Series, released earlier this year. We chatted with Alison about her writing career, her life in Charleston, how she got started right at the beginning of the indie publishing boom over a decade ago, her success via word-of-mouth marketing, her background and experience writing for the stage, and much more. Find more information about our podcast, including links to our guests' books here. If you're ready to start your publishing journey, visit kobo.com/writinglife.

In this episode, we are joined by Nana Malone, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of sexy, feel-good romance novels and creator of the #BrownNippleChallenge. We learned more about Nana's experience writing not one, but two novels for Kobo Originals, her writing process regarding dictation, modelling for her own covers, the importance of Black women and women of colour on the covers of romance novels, the #Brown Nipple Challenge, judging a literary contest, and more! Find more information about our podcast, including links to our guests' books here. If you're ready to start your publishing journey, visit kobo.com/writinglife.

In this episode we're showcasing a live event that we held earlier this year on the KWL Facebook and YouTube pages. KWL Director Tara Cremin chatted with the wonderful indie author titan, Penny Reid. The universe that Penny has created, the "Pennyverse," is hugely popular with readers but also with writers. After several authors expressed interest in writing in her worlds, Penny opened it up and created the collaborative universe Smartypants Romance. Find more information about our podcast, including links to our guests' books here. If you're ready to start your publishing journey, visit kobo.com/writinglife.

In this episode, we are joined by Samantha M. Bailey, USA Today and #1 nationally bestselling author of Woman on the Edge. We discussed Samantha's next thriller, Watch Out for Her, her experiences finding a traditional publishing platform, following up a successful debut during a global pandemic, how curiosity can drive the creative process of writing a thriller, the importance of editing, of community, of her readers, and much more! Find more information about our podcast, including links to our guests' books here. If you're ready to start your publishing journey, visit kobo.com/writinglife.

In this episode we're showcasing a live event that we held earlier this year on the KWL Facebook and YouTube pages. KWL Director Tara and Author Relations Manager Joni, got together to talk about everything you need to know to become a Kobo bestseller. Find more information about our podcast, including links to our guests' books here. If you're ready to start your publishing journey, visit kobo.com/writinglife.

In this episode, we are joined by Swedish author and entrepreneur, Marcus Tallberg. Tune in for a discussion on authentic representation of marginalized characters in fiction, why Marcus felt compelled to write from such a young age, and why it's so vital for everyone to have the opportunity to see their experiences represented. Find more information about our podcast, including links to our guests' books here. If you're ready to start your publishing journey, visit kobo.com/writinglife.

In this episode, we are joined by USA Today bestselling romance author and trauma therapist Adriana Herrera (author of Finding Joy, A Caribbean Heiress in Paris, and more) who spoke to us about her writing journey, representation in genre fiction, and more. Find more information about our podcast, including links to our guests' books here. If you're ready to start your publishing journey, visit kobo.com/writinglife.

In this episode, we are joined by psychological fiction author and Ph.D. candidate Sara Foster (author of You Don't Know Me, The Hidden Hours, and more) who spoke to us about her recently released speculative fiction novel, The Hush. Find more information about our podcast, including links to our guests' books here. If you're ready to start your publishing journey, visit kobo.com/writinglife.

In this episode, we are joined by Canadian journalist, author, and filmmaker Zarqa Nawaz (creator of Little Mosque on the Prairie) who spoke to us about her recently released novel, Jameela Green Ruins Everything. Find more information about our podcast, including links to our guests' books here. If you're ready to start your publishing journey, visit kobo.com/writinglife.

Tune in to our conversation with Clayton Noblit and Grant Shepherd of Written Word Media. They gave us lots of insight into successful marketing as an indie author, and the various services they offer to help authors sell books, including the newer Reader Reach program. We also talked about the results of the 2021 indie author survey. Find more information about our podcast, including links to our guests' books here. If you're ready to start your publishing journey, visit kobo.com/writinglife.

Our guest this week is Renee Harleston, founder of Writing Diversely, which offers sensitivity reading services that provide authors, writers, and content creators the tools and support they need to tell diverse and inclusive stories. Find more information about our podcast, including links to our guests' books here. If you're ready to start your publishing journey, visit kobo.com/writinglife.

This week on the podcast, we're speaking with Lila Dubois and Jayne Rylon all about TikTok, and how they are using the platform to sell more books than ever before. https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/p/kwlpodcast

Happy International Woman's Day to our KWL community! We wanted to celebrate by releasing a bonus episode this week - we hope you enjoy it! We spoke with author Anat Deracine about her novel, Driving by Starlight, her experience growing up in Saudi Arabia and why writing about female friendship is so important to her. https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/p/kwlpodcast

This week on the podcast, we're sitting down with Catherine Spader to chat about her career trajectory from ER nurse to journalist to fantasy writer. Catherine explains how her medical background brings realism to her writing, and talks about the tips and tricks she learned as a journalist that shape her fiction writing.

We are joined on the podcast by Rachel Krantz who spoke to us about her recent memoir, Open: An Uncensored Memoir of Love, Liberation, and Non-Monogamy. Rachel discussed the process of writing her memoir, why she felt she needed to tell this story, and she also shares tips on how to write about polyamorous relationships in fiction.

This week we're featuring author and podcaster, Matty Dalrymple, host of the The Indy Author Podcast. Matty shares insights she has learned from her podcasting career, how she has found success in publishing short fiction, and why she loves writing about the supernatural.

Journalism professor and romance author Sara Whitney joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her journey to publishing and why she recently took her catalogue wide. We discussed her experiences with NaNoWriMo, why she's so passionate about great romance, and her hottest TV takes as a former television critic.

This week we spoke to author Bruce McCandless III about his latest book, a a biography of his father, legendary astronaut Bruce McCandless II. Bruce spoke to us about growing up in Houston, the experience of having a parent in the space program, and the process of piecing together his own memories and the fragments of his dad's life in order to tell his story. Learn more about this episode!