Hey, everyone, welcome back to Writer Groupie. We are chatting with Janie Franz, author of the paranormal fantasy series starting with Ruins, this time, Ruins Legacy .
I hope you will listen to both of these great chats. They are linked (the two videos) in this one at YouTube. I am trying to create playlists there of dual/multiple interviews. If you like playlists, have a look on our Youtube channel and see what it looks like.
This time Janie and I have a good chat about the latest goings-on at Muse It Up Publishing, who is currently closed to subs, but you can bookmark the site anyway by going here: MuseItUpPublishing
And we also talk about her latest book, Ruins Legacy, which just came out in March.
Also, the audio in this chat is not as good as it needs to be…we were Skyping during a thunderstorm of epic proportions. Sorry about that!!!
You guys should try to glean all you can from our chat though, as Janie is very experienced at editing and writing, and she shares a lot of good info. Writers like me can learn a lot from her.
Who is now doing audio/video production for the show
When you can get on the show for YOUR episode!
A great new idea for you to get an audio clip of your book in front of OUR fans!
Things I still have to do:
Figure out how to get this stuff uploaded to YouTube once again
Ditto for iTunes
Get a format down so that you guys are familiar with how it goes
Not that having a format is all that important for the interview segments. You are totally fine to make it the “Mr or Mrs My Book and all about me” show. But if you have some other sites you frequent that you would like to see our show go up at, please do let me know. (I am going to check out Twitch soon)
But, enough of my jabber. The latest episode is below and I hope you enjoy it.
PODCAST LINK
The link below will take you to a podcast player. Or you can just click on the one at the bottom of this post. Alternatively, clicking on the iTunes icon below will magically take you to your iTunes player.
Thanks for Listening to WGP (Writer Groupie Podcast)! We appreciate your time!
Did you enjoy this episode?
If so, please do one (or all) of the following:
Leave a comment on this page or ask a question if you need us to elaborate on the topic. Use the social media buttons to share this episode with your friends, family, and contacts. Go over to iTunes or YouTube to leave a rating/review and to subscribe to the podcast. We appreciate you taking the time to check out WGP! And we look forward to providing you with more content in the next episode!
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Gerald Hausman chatted with me about his work and the writing life.
Gerald Hausman is the author of more than 70 books. His live storytelling has been praised by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, History Channel, and the Bank Street College of Education. He and his wife have received numerous awards in the field of children’s literature.
“As a writer I have often been called a scribe. This is because in the gathering of oral tales, I have always tried to get the story right. To capture the flavor, the region and the moral as the original storyteller gave it to me. The NYT Book Review called my collection of American Indian stories, Tunkashila ‘an eloquent tribute to the first great storytellers of America.'”
In addition to his 22 years of story gathering and telling in New Mexico, Gerald also spent 13 summers on the island of Jamaica where he ran an informal writing school with his wife, Lorry. Together they collected Anansi stories, stories from and about the Kebra Nagast, and traditional West Indian ghost stories.
“I remember when History Channel filmed tales from my book “Duppy Talk”. My best friend Roy was not an actor, but because of his handsome face he was cast as the man who was enchanted by a mermaid. When I saw him on film, I asked Roy how he was able to do the underwater scene and keep that look of astonishment when he saw the made-up mermaid smiling on the river bank. He told me, ‘That look on my face comes from the fact I can’t swim. I was very scared.'”
Gerald teaches writing workshops in various parts of the United States and is most recently the author of “The American Storybag” — 40 years of story gathering on and off the road. He lives on a barrier island in Florida.
Links to books (click on cover to be magically transported to purchase)
GUNS
Video Link
In this episode with Gerald Hausman, we discuss:
SHOW NOTES
We learn where Gerald started creating his stories and how his mother was instrumental in his idea development for stories
Why Gerald writes
What Gerald did when he quit writing for two years and how it brought him back to the writing of stories
We learn a bit about sun signs and moon signs and what that means for writers and creatives
Insider details about the Guns anthology that Gerald edited (mostly collected the stories from the interesting authors) and contributed to, and how some of the most famous characters in classic stories had ancestors and historians contribute to this book
Gerald reads to us from GUNS (Billy the Kid)
We get a great insider look at guns and how a spiritual life to a gun is a part of this anthology
How asking the right questions can get a book created
How listening to the answer to the questions can also bring about the story
We talk about audiobooks and how it impressed Gerald with its resonance
AND SO MUCH MORE!!!!!!!
AUDIO ONLY LINK
Listen to my writing news info, personal update, and the AUDIO ONLY version of the interview here:
Thanks for Listening to WGP (Writer Groupie Podcast)! We appreciate your time!
Did you enjoy this episode?
If so, please do one (or all) of the following:
Leave a comment on this page or ask a question if you need us to elaborate on the topic. Use the social media buttons to share this episode with your friends, family, and contacts. Go over to iTunes or YouTube to leave a rating/review and to subscribe to the podcast. We appreciate you taking the time to check out WGP! And we look forward to providingyou with more content in the next episode!
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This week we welcome Janie Franz, the new acquisitions editor for MuseItUp Publishing. Janie is an accomplished author in her own right.
JANIE’S BIO Janie Franz comes from a long line of liars and storytellers with roots deep in east Tennessee. Her work is honed by the frigid winters of the Northern Plains and the high desert and mountains of New Mexico and influenced by her degree in anthropology. She is an author, a professional speaker, and reviewer. Previously, she ran her own online music publication (Refrain Magazine) and was an agent/publicist for a groove/funk band, a radio announcer, and a yoga/relaxation instructor. She is the author of eleven novels (fantasy, thriller, and contemporary), a freelance writing manual, and co-author of two wedding how-to books. “Refrain,” the second book of The Lost Song trilogy, was a Top 10 Finisher, Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy, 2013 Preditors & Editors Reader Poll.
Links to books (click on cover to be magically transported to purchase)
Video Link
In this episode with Janie Franz, we discuss:
SHOW NOTES
Janie tells us about her new “hat” as an acquisitions editor
We learn about what MuseItUp Publishing is looking for and when someone can submit
Insider info about the New Adult or NA category
Details about what an acquisitions editor does
We talk about the Muse It Up Conference and other cons Janie attends and speaks at
What the main thrust of MuseItUp Publishing is and what they offer authors
Info about cover art and distribution at MIU, including foreign translations
Details about author participation in promotions and marketing their work in today’s industry
Janie’s thoughts about Imaginarium, the con we both attend in Louisville, KY
Discussion about pitch sessions and how they are handled at a con (there are differences!) and why you should develop a good elevator pitch
AND SO MUCH MORE!!!!!!!
AUDIO ONLY LINK
Listen to my writing news info, personal update, and the AUDIO ONLY version of the interview here:
Thanks for Listening to WGP (Writer Groupie Podcast)! We appreciate your time!
Did you enjoy this episode?
If so, please do one (or all) of the following:
Leave a comment on this page or ask a question if you need us to elaborate on the topic. Use the social media buttons to share this episode with your friends, family, and contacts. Go over to iTunes or YouTube to leave a rating/review and to subscribe to the podcast. We appreciate you taking the time to check out WGP! And we look forward to providingyou with more content in the next episode!
Subscribe to Writer Groupie Podcast on iTunes and YouTube by clicking on the images below:
This week, Kathryn comes back on WGP to discuss her experiences as an orphaned author and how it wasn’t necessarily the end of her writing world.
Kathryn Sullivan was born and raised in the Chicago suburb of Berkeley, Illinois, where she started writing her first stories. Kathryn now lives in Winona, MN, where the river bluffs along the Mississippi River double as cliffsides on alien planets or the deep mysterious forests in a magical world.
Her first published novel was The Crystal Throne, which won the 2002 EPPIE for Best Fantasy, and its sequel, Talking to Trees, was a finalist for a Dream Realm Award for Best Young Adult. Her short story collection, Agents & Adepts, won the 2003 Dream Realm Award for Best Anthology. Her children’s picture book, Michael & the Elf, has been reprinted by Guardian Angel Publishing.
A Chick who has dug Time Lords for many years, she has an essay, “The Fanzine Factor”, in the Hugo Award-winning Chicks Dig Time Lords and a review in Outside In: 160 New Perspectives on 160 Doctor Who stories by 160 writers.
Her recent works are short stories “Search and Rescue” and “The Oracle of Cilens” (Amazon) as well as “The Taste of Treasure” in Clockwork Spells and Magical Bells, and “The Theft of the Royal Jewels” in the pirate anthology A Tall Ship, A Star and Plunder (Dark Oak Press).
She also has a review in Outside In Boldly Goes: 117 New Perspectives on 117 Classic Star Trek Stories By 117 Writers. She is a proud member of Broad Universe and EPIC. Any birdlike beings in her books only slightly resemble her cockatoo owner.
Links to books (click on cover to be magically transported to purchase)
Video Link
In this episode with Kathryn Sullivan, we discuss:
SHOW NOTES
The changes that have taken place in Kathy’s writing life since last we met at Imaginarium. Link to previous interview HERE where she was my 40th interview on WGP
Her Eppie nomination on Search and Rescue and how she went with self publishing it
How many books and stories she had with Amber Quill Press (her former publisher)
Insider details about small publishing woes including when they go out of business etc. and Kathy’s advice on what to do
How networking with others can be of help to orphaned authors
Why spreading your work out among more than one small press is smart
Why waiting for a little while after losing one’s publisher before looking for a new one might be a good plan for some
How Kathy shopped around for other publishers
What to tell your prospective publisher about repub and genre
What authors are faced with so far as promo and cover art etc. when losing a publisher
AND SO MUCH MORE!!!!!!!
AUDIO ONLY LINK
Listen to my writing news info, personal update, and the AUDIO ONLY version of the interview here:
Thanks for Listening to WGP (Writer Groupie Podcast)!
We appreciate your time!
Did you enjoy this episode?
If so, please do one (or all) of the following:
Leave a comment on this page or ask a question if you need us to elaborate on the topic.
Use the social media buttons to share this episode with your friends, family, and contacts.
Go over to iTunes or YouTube to leave a rating/review and to subscribe to the podcast.
We appreciate you taking the time to check out WGP! And we look forward to providing you with more content in the next episode!
Subscribe to Writer Groupie Podcast on iTunes and YouTube by clicking on the images below:
Since the age of 11, S. C. Hall has been in the world of writing. Throughout the years his mediums of word form have steadily evolved. From poetry to articles, then to short stories and critic work. When asked why he writes He simply replies, “To stay sane,” due to his struggles with bipolar/depression. He uses writing as an outlet to help process his depression. This is evident in his first project titled “You Are Not Alone,” which will be a collection of short stories all focused on the reality of what it is to live with depression.
When not writing he is killing Zombies and other forms of gaming enemies. He also enjoys the cinema and building or refurbishing furniture.
To get any of the books we discuss in this interview simply click the cover!
LINKS To BOOKS
In this episode we learn:
Show Notes
Who S.C. Hall is and what he does as a book critic
The difference between a book critic and a reviewer
How the process of book critic works and how S.C. Hall manages his time with a book
What specific things he looks at when critiquing a book and how a book critic is something like an editor
Whether an avid reader could consider themself a book critic
Info on book reviews and how Mr. Hall handles those (see links below)
We learn about his work with Hydra Publications and other small presses and how he promotes them as clients.
He defines his work ethic and whether he works with indie authors or not.
How he keeps bias out of his opinions
Why bringing something new to a genre is always a great way to interest a reviewer/critic
Insider details about Hall’s collection of short stories and how he hopes it helps the community of people who suffer from mental health issues.
and his BEST advice for aspiring authors!
Listen to my writing news info, personal update, and the AUDIO ONLY version of the interview here:
Thanks for Listening to WGP (Writer Groupie Podcast)!
We appreciate your time!
Did you enjoy this episode?
If so, please do one (or all) of the following:
Leave a comment on this page or ask a question if you need us to elaborate on the topic.
Use the social media buttons to share this episode with your friends, family, and contacts.
Go over to iTunes or YouTube to leave a rating/review and to subscribe to the podcast.
We appreciate you taking the time to check out WGP! And we look forward to providing you with more content in the next episode!
Subscribe to Writer Groupie Podcast on iTunes and YouTube by clicking on the images below:
Jim Patrick is a former Senior Executive and is an author, life coach and a specialist in world affairs, trend analysis, business development and startups.
Jim was deeply involved in the political arena during the late sixties and during the time of the Watergate scandal. He managed political campaigns at all levels and was a well known strategist in regards to the emerging ‘baby boomer’ vote. He served on the advance team for the White House and attended numerous White House receptions and got to know all of the key players at that time in our country’s history.
He has 45+ years of experience at all levels and has worked with or for some of the top business and government leaders globally.
To get a copy of Jim’s book simply click the cover!
BLOOD PROFITS
Interview with Jim Patrick
Show Notes
In this episode we learn:
About Jim and his career in politics and writing
What led Jim to write Blood Profits and who KT Frog is
Why Jim wrote the book in serial fashion and how it has to do with corruption
Why Jim wrote all the landmarks in the book from real places
How Jim put together the characters and all their info and how he wove the cast together
What made Jim decide to write political thrillers
We discuss whether it is a character-driven or plot-driven sort of series
Brief reference to book two (which is upcoming!)
We learn if Jim thinks the series will make it into the movie industry
How this election year has become like the movie “Network”
and so, so much more, including his BEST advice for aspiring authors
Listen to my writing news info, personal update, and the AUDIO ONLY version of the interview here:
Thanks for Listening to WGP (Writer Groupie Podcast)!
We appreciate your time!
Did you enjoy this episode?
If so, please do one (or all) of the following:
Leave a comment on this page or ask a question if you need us to elaborate on the topic.
Use the social media buttons to share this episode with your friends, family, and contacts.
Go over to iTunes or YouTube to leave a rating/review and to subscribe to the podcast.
We appreciate you taking the time to check out WGP! And we look forward to providing you with more content in the next episode!
Subscribe to Writer Groupie Podcast on iTunes and YouTube by clicking on the images below:
Sharon Ahern, along with her late husband Jerry Ahern, is the co-writer of over ninety novels, some short stories, magazine and newspaper articles and even an unpublished song or two. Best known of their work is THE SURVIVALIST series which ran from 1981 to 1993 and then picked up and continued in 2013 by Sharon with fellow friend and writer Bob Anderson. The series has been considered men’s adventure, science fiction and soap opera with a twist of in your face social commentary thrown in. Two spinoffs have evolved from the SURVIVALIST series, EVERYMAN, also co-written with Bob Anderson, and CAMP ZERO, a young adult series, written by Sean Ellis.
An avid researcher, Sharon has traveled around the world during various times in history via national geographic and Britannica searching for information to broaden the scope of their stories and make them as fact based as possible. In some cases, looking for a particular piece of information has led to the inception of still another story idea. Some days, all it takes is listening to the news.
Sharon is also a professional photographer and a small-time antiques and collectibles dealer. She’s an avid reader and enjoys anything that requires getting dirty such as refinishing furniture and gardening and has lost a lot of her thumbprints using hot glue guns. She is the proud mother of two children and five grandchildren and lives in Northeast Georgia with her hound dog Shelby and two goldfish.
Her upcoming book LODESTAR will be the 34th book in the series. It will be available at Speaking Volumes http://www.speakingvolumes.us
To get her other books simply click the cover!
BOOKS
Interview with Sharon Ahern
Show Notes In this episode we learn:
How the Survivalist Series came to be (1980s) and how Sharon and her late husband, Jerry, used the series to kill off the population of Atlanta.
Who published the series in the early days, and why it was considered men’s adventure rather than science fiction.
Why Axel Kilgore and Jerry Ahern are closely affiliated.
Who made up the stories for the series
Sharon’s thoughts on series writing and how to know when the end of the series should happen
What co-authoring is like and if it is easy or hard to accomplish
How authors create characters when co-authoring
What Jerry wrote specifically and what Sharon wrote – and how they acted out scenes in real life
One huge mistake can make a reader stop reading your book and Sharon shares how this happened to Jerry and what the outcome was
Sharon shares what she thinks the formula for success is for a long-running series
and so, so much more, including BEST advice for aspiring authors
Listen to the AUDIO ONLY version of the interview here:
Thanks for Listening to WGP (Writer Groupie Podcast)! We appreciate your time!
Did you enjoy this episode?
If so, please do one (or all) of the following:
Leave a comment on this page or ask a question if you need us to elaborate on the topic. Use the social media buttons to share this episode with your friends, family, and contacts. Go over to iTunes or YouTube to leave a rating/review and to subscribe to the podcast. We appreciate you taking the time to check out WGP! And we look forward to providing you with more content in the next episode!
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Rich Meyrick is the fingertips behind everything associated with Jaspa’s Journey. Born in Wales, he developed a fascination in geography, history and the environment at an early age, interests which culminated in a PhD from the University of Cambridge (UK) and a post-doc at the University of Waterloo (Canada). In 2000, Rich accepted a position as an environmental scientist in Weimar, Germany, at a research station of the renowned Senckenberg Institute. Four years later he married Sue and returned to Waterloo, this time permanently. Since then, when he and Sue aren’t actually travelling with Jaspa, Rich spends his days writing books and blogs about Jaspa’s adventures. It’s a Journey he hopes will continue for many years to come.
To get Rich’s books simply click the cover!
BOOKS
Jaspa’s Journey: The Great Migration
Follow the thrilling adventures of Jaspa, a distant relative of the giraffe only three inches tall.He and his equally-small Ses friends must take on The Journey – a perilous, 800-kilometre ordeal across Africa’s Serengeti Plain in the company of the immense herds of the Great Migration.
Jaspa’s Journey 2: The Pride of London
Jaspa and his friends are at it again! This time they embark on a whirlwind tour of London,attempting to solve the riddles of The Path in order to help their new friend Ernest, a Ratses, become a member of the clandestine Ses society known simply as The Pride.
Interview with Rich Meyrick
Show Notes
In this episode we learn:
How Rich and his wife, Sue, met and how his writing journey got underway
What Rich thinks is the most enjoyable and straightforward part of the writing journey
How Rich helps with the administrative part of the family life and how his writing life fits into it
Where research comes into play with his books
Rich’s opinion about editing and how it works
We learn about Jaspa’s Journey and how he and his wife have created the world of it
How Jaspa got his name
Where the settings are from in the books and how they set the tone of each
Thanks for Listening to WGP (Writer Groupie Podcast)!
We appreciate your time!
Did you enjoy this episode?
If so, please do one (or all) of the following:
Leave a comment on this page or ask a question if you need us to elaborate on the topic.
Use the social media buttons to share this episode with your friends, family, and contacts.
Go over to iTunes or YouTube to leave a rating/review and to subscribe to the podcast.
We appreciate you taking the time to check out WGP! And we look forward to providing you with more content in the next episode!
Subscribe to Writer Groupie Podcast on iTunes and YouTube by clicking on the images below:
Dana Faletti is a Pittsburgh native who loves Broadway musicals and knows all the words to Les Miserables – the entire show. One of her favorite TV series is Sons of Anarchy, and her favorite movie is the Sound of Music. Don’t try to start a conversation with her in the morning until she’s had at least one cup of coffee – preferably Starbucks, but do come over for a glass of wine (red) and some good conversation at dinner time. Dana loves to cook and owned a successful catering business for a few years, before giving it up to focus on her family and write full-time. She shares her life with a Gemini husband who also knows every word to Les Mis, and three amazing daughters – an eleven-year-old theatre buff, a nine-year-old future mega-entrepreneur, and a curly-haired six-year-old who is the true CEO of the household.
Dana has been writing for what seems like forever. Her young adult trilogy, The Whisper Series, is a paranormal romance that’s rife with angels, demons and forbidden romance, as well as a message of love and acceptance that has touched readers nationwide. Her newest novel, Beautiful Secret, is a women’s fiction set in the scorched hills of Southern Italy, where Dana has spent much time traveling and visiting relatives. Beautiful Secret is set to be released this summer by Pandamoon Publishing. Dana has a love affair with all things Italian and is proud to be part of the loud, crazy, and wonderful Italian family that inspired her new book.
To get any of Dana’s books simply click the cover!
In this episode we learn:
Show Notes
The insider details of Dana Faletti’s journey as an author
Information about her YA trilogy, The Whisper Trilogy and her upcoming release, Beautiful Secret
We discuss her website and blog contents, be sure to see the links below this post!
Thanks for Listening to WGP (Writer Groupie Podcast)!
We appreciate your time!
Did you enjoy this episode with Dana Faletti?
If so, please do one (or all) of the following:
Leave a comment on this page or ask a question if you need us to elaborate on the topic.
Use the social media buttons to share this episode with your friends, family, and contacts.
Go over to iTunes or YouTube to leave a rating/review and to subscribe to the podcast.
We appreciate you taking the time to check out WGP! And we look forward to providing you with more content in the next episode!
Subscribe to Writer Groupie Podcast on iTunes and YouTube by clicking on the images below:
Sharon Ahern, Dragoncon
