Inside The Writer's Head

Award winning author Sonali Dev writes Bollywood-style love stories that let her explore issues faced by women around the world while still indulging her faith in a happily ever after. Her books—including "A Bollywood Affair", "The Bollywood Bride", "A Distant Heart", and "A Change of Heart"—have been on NPR, Washington Post, Library Journal, and Kirkus Best Books of the year lists, but Sonali is most smug about Shelf Awareness calling her “Not only one of the best but also one of the bravest romance novelists working today.” Her latest novel, Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors—a multicultural, gender-swapped reimagining of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice—released from William Morrow on May 7, 2019. Sonali lives in Chicagoland with her very patient and often amused husband, two teens who demand both patience and humor, and the world’s most perfect dog. Find more at sonalidev.com.

Meg Leder is a Cincinnati native who now lives in Brooklyn, New York, working as an Executive Editor at Penguin Books, where she oversees many of their lead nonfiction titles. She is also a talented author of both nonfiction and young adult fiction. Her debut YA novel, "The Museum of Heartbreak", takes a heartfelt look at the artifacts our relationships leave behind. Her most recent novel, "Letting Go of Gravity", is a moving coming-of-age story set here in Cincinnati—now available in hardcover and forthcoming in a new paperback edition this July. She is also the coauthor of several nonfiction books for teens and adults. In this candid conversation, she offers insight into how editors think, what gives writing its spark, and what it meant to her to bring her hometown to life for a new generation of readers.

In this episode of Inside the Writer's Head, Jessica speaks with non-fiction author Laurie Halse Anderson about her new book "Shout," the impact of sexual assault, and the power of telling stories about it. Content Warning: This article podcast deals with topics pertaining to sexual violence that may be sensitive for some.

Our new Writer-in-Residence is local author Jessica Strawser and her first guest on the Inside the Writer's Head podcast is Jess Montgomery Montgomery is the author of THE WIDOWS (Minotaur Books), a new historical mystery set in the 1920s, in which two women work together to solve a tragic murder and save their community. On the podcast, they discuss writing, storytelling, and writing history specifically. Loosely inspired by the true story of Ohio's first female sheriff in 1925, Montgomery's novel is set in Southeast Ohio's Appalachian foothills and depicts coal mining, Prohibition, workers' rights, women's rights, and other issues that still resonate today. Early chapters of the novel earned Jess an Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Award and the John E. Nance Writer in Residence at Thurber House in Columbus. She is already at work on the second book in the series, The Hollows, forthcoming in 2020. Listen in for some great insight!

In the final episode of Season 3 of Inside the Writer's Head with Writer-in-Residence Emma Carlson Berne, we hear from our 2019 Writer-in-Residence Jessica Strawser. Strawser is editor-at-large for Writer's Digest and an author of several novels set in nearby towns, including "Almost Missed You" and "Not That I Could Tell." In this episode, Emma and Jessica discuss how to stay committed as a writer even when you have a full-time job and a family. They also answer questions from participants in Emma's last writer's workshop and talk about Jessica's plans as the new Writer-In-Residence. Tune in!

On this episode of Inside the Writer's Head, our Writer-in-Residence Emma Carlson Berne speaks with Michael Bourret. Bourret is a partner of Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret - a well-known literary agency that represents authors from a myriad of genres. In this podcast, they discuss how to get a literary agent, and what it's like working with an agent to get a book published. Bourret also gives some tips on writing a query letter, namely not to stress too much about it. This is the last episode of Season 3 of Inside the Writer's Head with Emma Carlson Berne! And it's a good one. Tune in!

On this episode of Inside the Writer's Head, Writer-in-Residence Emma Carlson Berne talks with the former editor for Writer's Digest Books, Chuck Sambachino. Sambachino is a full-time freelancer, instructor, and humor writer and if you need any advice about getting a literary agent then he's your guy. In this episode, you'll get tips on how to get a literary agent and why it is so important you have one. Sambachino also discusses social media's role in publishing today, what agents actually do for you, and what they can't do for you. If you've ever thought about publishing a book, this is the writer whose head you definitely want to get inside.

On this episode of Inside the Writer's Head, Writer-in-Residence Emma Carlson Berne talks with children's book author Aubre Andrus. Andrus has authored more than 25 nonfiction books for kids, including "101 Small Ways to Change the World." She is the former Lifestyle Editor for American Girl magazine, and they discuss how she transitioned to writing full time. Andrus talks about what it's like working alone as a freelance writer, and the stress that comes along with finding your own work - but also the freedom and reward. Listen in for some great career writing insight!

This month, Writer-in-Residence Emma Carlson Berne speaks with Brandon Miller. Brandon is an author of books on history for young people. Her books cover subjects like Women of Colonial America, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. Miller's stories have been honored by the International Reading Association, National Council for Social Studies, and more. During the interview, Millers gives insight on the importance (and fun) of research for historical nonfiction writing, and writing from different historical perspectives. She shares what it is like working with an editor to get a book published and what her daily life as a writer is like. Anyone looking for insight in to writing as a professional career, give this interview a listen!

In this very special episode of Inside the Writer's Head, the Library's Writer-in-Residence speaks with Cincinnati's poet laureate Mauel Iris. Iris promotes poetry appreciation in our community, and encourages the reading and writing of poetry for all ages. The award-winning poet talks about his origins as a poet, and how music has influenced his lyrical poetry. He tells the story of how his grandfather introduced him to the dictionary, kindling lifetime love affair with words. "Every poem is a love poem, we write because we love something," Iris says. Iris reads an original poem from his latest book, "Translating Silence," in both Spanish and English. They also discuss the publishing process, and how different writing poetry is from publishing it. This episode with a local leader and artist is full of insight on writing and the power of words - don't miss out!

In the latest episode of Inside the Writer's Head, Writer-in-Residence Emma Carlson Berne talks with Michelle Bisson. Bisson is the Senior Acquisitions Manager at Capstone, a large publisher of educational books for kids. They discuss her long, unexpected journey to publishing and Bisson shares some uplifting advice for anyone who might feel like their career is headed in a wayward direction: "Everything that I've ever done sort of happened by mistake..." but it lead her to exactly where she wanted to be. You'll learn about what it's like to be an editor, and see evolution of a story from manuscript to print. Get a glimpse in to the relationship between author and editor and why humility is so important in the publishing world. Anyone interested in writing or working in publishing will learn a lot from this podcast!

In this month's podcast, the Library Foundation's Writer-in-Residence speaks with Gwenda Bond the author of "Girl on a Wire," a trilogy about the comic books character Louis Lane, and more. Bond has recently been contracted to write the first Stranger Things book, a prequel about Terry Ives, Eleven's mom, and her time with MK-Ultra in 1970. They discuss how Bond knew she wanted to be a writer, and how her career took off. Bond tells us why she loves writing strong, complicated female leads and what it's like co-authoring with her husband. This episode is a must-listen!

The Library Foundation's Writer-in-Residence Emma Carlson Berne talks with Gene Luen Yang, author of the "Secret Coders" series.

In this episode of Inside the Writer's Head, Writer-in-Residence Emma Carlson-Berne talks with Teri Robida, an editor at American Girl Publishing. They discuss the ins and outs of editing and publishing for the American Girl doll book series. Teri talks about the history of American girl dolls books and how they are unique from different publishers and presses. They also talk about what the job of an editor is like; from reading and developing stories to giving feedback with care. If you're looking for great insight on publishing, and writing advice straight from an editor, this episode is for you!

On this episode of Inside the Writer's Head, Writer-in-Residence Emma Carlson-Berne speaks with award-winning science and history author Mary Kay Carson - who has authored more than 50 titles for kids. They talk about how Carson transitioned from magazine editing and science background to writing kids books for a living. Carson gives her tips for writing kids non-fiction, and the joys of doing research on complex topics to find the interesting stories they can tell. The authors discuss Carson's award-winning series "Scientists in the Field" and how Carson gets those stories by following scientists in to their field work. She tells a very interesting story that involves a very hot, crowded bat cave in Texas. This is an episode any writer won't want to miss!

In the first episode of Season 3 of Inside the Writer's Head, the new Writer-in-Residence Emma Carlson Berne sits down to talk with Linda Leopold Strauss. Strauss authors children's picture books, and talks about the unique writing and approval process for creating engaging illustrated stories for kids. They also discuss their highest and lowest moments as writers, and how they moved forward through setbacks and challenges in their writing careers. Listen in for some great writing insight!

In this episode, Kurt sits down with our 2018 Writer-in-Residence Emma Carlson-Berne! She has written and published more than 150 books, including Young Adult thrillers, sports fiction, and children’s books. Berne has written several of the American Girl Doll books and some Star Wars books, too. She talks about being a “writer-for-hire” and what it’s like writing stories that publishing companies ask for. Berne gives insight on how to be an adaptable writer and being able to write with different voices. She also dives in to what she wants to accomplish as the 2018 Writer-in-Residence, including her plans for working one-on-one with writers and holding small writing workshops. Kurt talks about his year as 2017 Writer-in-Residence: the most fun moments, and the most challenging.

In this episode of Inside the Writer's Head, Kurt talks with Jim Spaeth. Spaeth is the author of the memoir "Up, Up and Astray" which tells the story of his adventures in the airline industry during 4 decades of travelling the world. Spaeth worked for an airline during the "Golden Age of Air Travel" in the 1960s and 1970s. He didn't publish this book, his first one, until he was 77 years old! Spaeth talks about writing a memoir, how he remembered all the stories he told, and gives some self-publishing tips. He also reminisces on what Cincinnati was like in the 1940s and 1950s as he was growing up. This episode isn't one you'll want to skip.

In this episode, Kurt speaks with Young Adult author Natalie Richards. She's the author of "Six Months Later" and "One Was Lost." They talk about what it means to be a "good" writer and how many books Natalie actually wrote before one was good enough to be published (a lot). Natalie also talks about thinking like a writer and how what you're reading can impact what you write. There's even a little discussion about why writing Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Harry Potter fan fiction helped jump start her writing career - and if that doesn't make you want to listen, we don't know what will!

In this episode of Inside the Writer's Head, Writer-in-Residence Kurt Dinan speaks with Paul Tremblay. Tremblay is an author and editor of contemporary horror, dark fantasy, and science fiction. He has written "A Head Full of Ghosts" and "Disappearance at Devil's Rock." Kurt and Paul discuss writing for the horror fiction genre: it's challenges, stigmas, and what's interesting about it. This is the perfect listen for Halloween!