The Greatest Podcast in the Multiverse

Sarah Beth Durst is the New York Times Bestselling Author of 28 fantasy books. From Middle Grade to Adult, Sarah has written a lot of words in the fantasy genre.

Her latest smash hit, The Spellshop, is her entry into the Cozy Fantasy space, and as she discusses, came about because she wanted to write a story that was like a warm hug while drinking a cup of hot chocolate while curled under a blanket. 

We talk all about her book, the...

What does it take to write believable and relatable characters? Zamil Akhtar joins me for a second interview, where we take a deep dive on how he’s crafted his characters for Gunmetal Gods, crafting realistic motivations and ensuring readers stay invested in unlikable protagonists. We do a deep dive on character development. If you’ve ever wondered how you can make your characters deeper and more believable, stick around, Zamil’...

Summary Have you wondered if you should self-publish or seek the traditional route? Stephen Aryan offers a unique perspective after a decade in the traditional publishing arena having several works published with Orbit Books. For his latest book, New York Minute, Stephen decided to take a different approach and self-publish. Find out why in this conversation. Stephen also shares his extensive journey as a writer, detailing t...

What if it’s not too late to write that book? My guest today is Adam Bassett. He first published an anthology in 2015, which received little attention. He set writing aside, thinking his dreams were done. Since then he started working for the writing software company, Campfire. Which reignited that passion. Now Adam is publishing his newest short story anthology, called Digital Extremities. A different look at the cyberpunk land...

How do you build a decades-long writing career? For Liz Delton it’s meant working in a variety of fantasy subgenres over the 20 books she has under her belt. From cozy fantasy to her upcoming epic fantasy series, Liz often finds she’s got something for every fantasy lover. We cover the advice that she has for authors who want to write in a variety of genres, as well as why she has catered her marketing toward in person events. ...

Are you a plotter, a pantser, or something in between. Most writers think of themselves as an outliner of stories, or a discovery writer– figuring their stories out along the way. But what if there’s an easier way? Kimberly Grymes didn’t realize how much planning would help her writing, but then she discovered planning as a way forward. It has been so instrumental to her stories, that she’s crafted an entire workbook to help wri...

Does writing need to be a lonely journey?

Today my guest is Joshua Walker. He’s an epic fantasy writer, but he’s one of the founding members of the Break-ins writing group. You’ve listened to interviews with some of my past guests who were also members. But now we get to hear how the group came to be. 

Joshua has also been writing his entire life, and in his works he seeks to explore themes of balance within nature, as well as colo...

How much dedication does it take to write your first novel?

Steven Guglich fell in love with the world building process, and spent 15 years getting his first book to market. Worth it? Absolutely. Steven now has a fully developed world to play in and is enjoying having his book out in the world. 

Piercing the Veil is Steven’s first fantasy novel, and we chat all about it and the world he’s created. 

We also discuss how he finds the ...

Most writers wish they could spend more of their time writing.

With 7 kids, a full-time job, a farm, and a podcast, it’s safe to say that Dan Kenner is a busy guy. Yet, he has still found the time to write and publish nine novels over the course of the last 4 years.

So what’s his secret? In his own words - he takes a casual approach. 

We have a great conversation about how he manages his time, his podcast, and his upcoming book Dra...

What compels us to tell and listen to stories? As I discuss with USA Today Bestselling author R.R. Virdi - storytelling is likely as old as humanity itself. 

We have an in-depth conversation about what storytelling has looked like, from its origins to how mythology and tales were shared along trade routes, with evidence that the tales we know in our western mythos actually originate in stories and far older. 

We then chat about Vir...

What does overnight success look like? Many people have only recently discovered Rebecca Thorne and her USA Today Bestselling book — Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea. But that meteoric rise to bestseller status took her over a decade of learning and strategizing. 

Rebecca and I have an incredible conversation about her journey, about her transitions between traditional and indie publishing, and how she landed her dream publishing de...

From LitRPG to Cozy Fantasy, S.L. Rowland has been making an impact on the self-publishing landscape ever since he decided to release his debut novel, Pangea Online. Now with nearly a dozen books under his belt, he’s perhaps best known for a cozy fantasy book titled Cursed Cocktails, a fun story about a Blood Elf who decides to retire open a pub in a cozy town.

We chat about his writing journey as well as the role and growing popul...

Jonathan Weiss was all in when he decided to pursue his dream of being an author. Now two years later, five books published and more on the way, he’s building a fantasy dystopian empire through a multi-series world. Jonathan was a great guest, and his passion for his writing and world building comes across loud and clear. We had a wonderful time. Come for the accent, stay for the riveting fantasy discussion. Check out Jo...

What do you do when Amazon shuts down your author account weeks before your debut novel is set to launch? That’s the question Scott Palmer, author of his fantasy debut,  A Memory of Song, found himself facing earlier this year.

Instead of panicking, Scott pivoted, and took his book wide with an innovative strategy to ensure his readers weren’t left high and dry.

I had a great time with Scott, I hope you enjoy our conversation

Check...

Debut Fantasy author Sam Paisley has spent the last decade perfecting his writing craft. In this week’s episode, I chated with him about how writing and revising seven drafts of the same book led him to refine his writing craft. 

We also do a deep dive into his debut novel, Elements of Time, and we discuss the three different magic systems he’s created for his world. We also get some insights into what he’s working on now.

I really...

RM Olson has a passion for diverse characters in science fiction. Over the last 4 years, they’ve written an astonishing 18 books. 

In this interview, we talk about how RM left a full-time lawyer job to pursue their dream of writing full time, in addition to being a single parent. We discuss their writing journey and why diversity in sci-fi is so important.  

Olson’s sci-fi is fun, but also meaningful in its impact, and the characte...

Have you ever wondered what it was like to finish a trilogy? This week, I chat with Z.S. Diamanti as he wraps up hsi Stone and Sky series with Stone & Ruin. 

We chat about his journey to this point, how he’s handling finishing the trilogy,a nd his plans for what’s next. 

Zac’s always a lot of fun - we have a great interview. I hope you’ll join us.

Check out Z’s website - https://www.freefantasyfiction.com 

His Instagram - https...

This week, I continue my series chatting about Cozy Fantasy. Marshall Moore is the author of Son of a Sailor and its sequel, Prisoner of a Pirate Queen.

We chatted about his writing journey, and Marshall’s shift from writing high stakes fantasy to a cozier tale. We also chat about his decision to self-publish this book after traditionally publishing his previous works. 

We also discussed why cozy fantasy has become popular recently...

This week in my continuing series on Cozy Fantasy, I speak with Jenetta Penner, author of The Fellowship Of Bakers and Magic, about her shift from writing dystopian into writing cozy fantasy. The conversation explores the shift from writing high-stakes narratives to cozy fantasy, the popularity of cozy fantasy, and the world she’s created. We chat about recipes, mental health and so much more. We had such a great chat. So si...