Kate Watson: Promoting A “Quiet” Book

Today’s guest is Kate Watson. Her debut novel, SEEKING MANSFIELD, came out May 16th, 2017, with the companion novel, SHOOT THE MOON to come in 2018.

Kate joins host Mindy McGinnis to talk about her unusual route to finding an agent, why Mansfield Park resonated with her more so than other Jane Austen novels  and how to use your existing connections online to help promote a quiet book, as well as NaNoWriMo – how to use this program to begin and finish projects, or just produce words on the page in the month of November.

Liz Coley: Being A Hybrid Author

Today’s guest is Liz Coley author of the psychological thriller Pretty Girl-13 from HarperCollins. Liz’s short fiction has also appeared in Cosmos Magazine and several speculative fiction anthologies. Liz joins host Mindy McGinnis to talk about using short stories as a stepping stone to publishing a novel, how Liz’s degree in molecular biology helps boost the “science” in her science fiction, and to speak as a hybrid author about the pros and cons of both, as well as the different skills required for each.

Melanie Crowder: Upper Middle Grade Vs. Young Adult

Today’s guest is Melanie Crowder, author of multiple YA and Middle Grade books, and a fellow 2013 debut. Melanie joins host Mindy McGinnis to talk about the pain of rejection, and how to view it as a learning experience that can help you become stronger, the fuzzy area of writing for upper middle grade versus writing YA, and tackling tougher subjects for that audience. Also covered: the power of writing for youth who are ready to change the world, the ability of SciFi and Fantasy to be more subversive than their counterparts, how difficult life can be for today’s youth, and why it’s important to tell their stories.