Authors Love Readers Podcast

This week's Authors Love Readers episode is a compilation of insights and conversations that didn't make it into previous episodes. Host Patricia McLinn talks with authors Brenda Hiatt, Paty Jager, Ann Charles, Julianne MacLean, Nancy Warren and Pamela Fagan-Hutchins. Conversations range from getting-to-know-you moments, to deep insights into the motivations of the writers, and the growth they've experienced over a career of writing.    Thank you so much for listening. We hope you enjoyed the podcast enough to want to support us for future episodes. You can do that with as little as $1 a month by pledging at Patreon. It’s vital to Authors Love Readers to have your support. Thank you! Please also consider rating/reviewing the podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks to DialogMusik for the instrumentals that accompany this podcast.

In this compilation episode, Authors Love Readers brings you more bonus interview conversation that didn't make it into previous episodes. (So little time, so much to talk about!) Host Patricia McLinn talks with podcast guest authors Jeff Carson, Rebecca Forster, R.J. Patterson, Jennifer Stevenson, Laura Durham, J.F. Penn, Melissa F. Miller and Nicole Jordan. Thank you so much for listening. We hope you enjoyed the podcast enough to want to support us for future episodes. You can do that with as little as $1 a month -- what a deal! -- by pledging at Patreon. It's vital to Authors Love Readers to have your support. Thank you! Please also consider rating/reviewing the podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Award-winning author Paty Jager and her husband raise alfalfa hay in rural eastern Oregon. On her road to publication she wrote freelance articles for local newspapers and enjoyed her County Extension job as a 4-H Program Assistant. Raising hay and cattle, riding horses and battling rattlesnakes, she not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it. All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. Her penchant for research takes her on side trips that eventually turn into yet another story. Paty talks with host Patricia McLinn about what it takes to move from a concept to a book and all the iterations in between. This "long time coming" reflects Paty's own road to becoming a novelist.   In Paty's words: "My ideas come from everywhere ... I'll be listening to a song and I'll come up with a story that goes with it because it won't go away. So then I put it aside and write it down." [17:20]   You can follow Paty at her:   website   Facebook  

Host Patricia McLinn takes on an episode solo to give listeners an update on Author World and an alleged case of plagiarism. Patricia forgot to say in the podcast that if you want to read the history or follow what's happening, the hashtag is #copypastecris. If you think you've spotted plagiarized work, we hope you'll contact the original author via his/her website. Remember to look for word-for-word chunks, not ideas, tropes, situations, set-ups, occupations, etc. Patricia's blog with tips for spotting scammers: https://www.patriciamclinn.com/uh-oh-scammer-messes-oh-my/ Courtney Milan's first blog post on the plagiarism topic: http://www.courtneymilan.com/ramblings/2019/02/18/cristiane-serruya-is-a-copyright-infringer-a-plagiarist-and-an-idiot/ Another issue with plagiarism on Amazon: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1099622364877328385.html?fbclid=IwAR10LsQGjdA9ryYSidnvnrKOiCaKGAXuhp6aO6v4QBDuwx2dAWIybcl8UKE A list of the plagiarized authors and the original, real, true books, with links to buy them: http

North Carolina-based Laura Durham has been writing for as long as she can remember and plotting murders since she began planning weddings. Better Off Wed, inspired by her wedding planner work, won the Agatha Award for Best First Novel. The Annabelle Archer wedding planner mystery series is now up to 12 with the Feb. 4 release of The Truffle With Weddings, which involves a Valentine's Day wedding and a poisoned box of chocolates. When Laura isn’t writing or wrangling brides, she loves traveling with her family, paddleboarding, perfecting the perfect brownie recipe, and reading. Laura talks with host Patricia McLinn about how stories have a mind of their own and, as much as the writer might desire the story to go one place, she or he must heed the story. In her words: "I feel like when you're writing and something is stuck, or you feel like you are ... sometimes we're fighting against what needs to happen in the story." [26:02] You can follow Laura at her: website Twitter or Instagram Thank you so much for lis

Jeff Carson is an Amazon bestselling author of the David Wolf thriller/mystery/suspense series set in the high country of Colorado and mountain west. The first David Wolf novel, Foreign Deceit, is an international mystery-thriller Jeff wrote while living in Italy for a year with his family. The David Wolf series is now 12 books and counting.  Jeff and his wife, Cristina, live with their two sons in Colorado. When not writing, Jeff enjoys golfing, hiking, camping and whatever his sons are into at that particular moment.    Jeff talks with host Patricia McLinn about how he began writing while missing things familiar but digging into the freedom of writing things that are unknown.   In his words: "One of the biggest mantras I was telling myself was 'what would I not do in this situation?'. I'm a super cautious person in real life -- probably like a lot of people -- but David Wolf goes into danger head on! So I ended up not writing what I knew." [8:10]   You can follow Jeff at:   His website   Facebook

Brenda Hiatt is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nearly 25 novels, including sweet and spicy historical romance, time travel romance, humorous mystery, and the young adult science fiction Starstruck series. Brenda began in traditional publishing with Harlequin, HarperCollins and Avon Books and later made a transition to indie publishing. She is an active member of Romance Writers of America and Novelists Inc, where she has served as president. In addition to writing, Brenda is passionate about embracing life to the fullest, to include scuba diving (more  than 60 dives to her credit), Taekwondo (she's attained her 3rd degree black belt), hiking and traveling. Brenda talks to host Patricia McLinn about her experiences of growing up creative but learning to plot and research their stories. In her words: “I did’t start out as much of a plotter. I kinda made it up as I went along [but] after selling that first book I became much more of a plotter, I would outline.” [24:05]  You can find Brenda

Former attorney Melissa F. Miller is a USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 bestselling legal thrillers, suspense thrillers, romantic comedy mysteries and forensic thrillers. Her books share two common threads: pulse-pounding, tightly plotted action and smart, unlikely heroines and heroes. Born in Pittsburgh, Melissa followed life and love to Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and ultimately south central Pennsylvania. But she secretly still considers Pittsburgh home. As a lawyer, she clerked for a federal judge, practiced in the offices of major international law firms and ran a two-person law firm with her lawyer husband. Now, powered by coffee, she writes legal thrillers and homeschools her three children. More than 1 million readers have downloaded Irreparable Harm, the first book in her 11-title Sasha McCandless series. Twisted Path, Book 4 of her Bodhi King series, is set to release Feb. 19. Her most recent release (December) is the fifth story in the We Three Sisters romantic mystery se

Illinois native Jennifer Stevenson is a Chicago-based fantasy and romance author who mixes romantic comedy with magical realist, regional (usually Chicago-set), working-class and sex-positive storytelling. She has published both short stories and several novel series, most of them blending urban fantasy with other popular storytelling genres. Humor is a hallmark in all of Jennifer's books. Her fantasy series range from urban romantic fantasy (Hinky Chicago) to paranormal romance (Slacker Demons) to fantasy paired with women's fiction (Coed Demon Sluts). She's also penned the contemporary romantic comedy series Backstage Boys and Liars in Love, her most recent releases. Jennifer co-founded and is a member of the publishing cooperative Book View Cafe. Jennifer talks with host Patricia McLinn about her self-described "snarky humor," how she fell in love with romance (despite her parents' protest), and how she came up with such unique series. In her own words: "I don't try to be loud. You have to understand; I wa

R.J. Patterson, an award-winning writer and mystery/thriller author, grew up in a military family and spent some of his formative years living on the estate of an English baron and baroness. Upon returning to the United States, R.J. entered the field of journalism where he won numerous writing awards and was published in prestigious U.S. newspapers, including The New York Times. He later left journalism full-time to pursue writing books, starting with the sports reporter Cal Murphy series of murder mysteries. The Man From Leningrad, Book 5 of his Ed Maddux spy thriller series, came out in November. Book 16 of his popular Brady Hawk series is due to be released in February. R.J. now resides in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and four children. R.J. talks with host Patricia McLinn about plotting ahead to create continuity while maintaining the flexibility to bring back beloved characters. In his own words: "I have a big arc that I scripted out a long time ago -- this is where the story is going and where it

British author J.F Penn has traveled the world in her study of religion and psychology. She brings these obsessions as well as a love for thrillers and an interest in the supernatural to her writing. Her fast-paced ARKANE thrillers weave together historical artifacts, global locations, and a hint of the supernatural. Described by readers as "Dan Brown meets Lara Croft." Joanna talks to host Patricia McLinn about using traveling at motivation for her books and how she spent many years as a reader before becoming an author. In Joanna's own words: “All readers are intelligent people, and they know books, they love books, and it intimidates them. And they think, 'I could never do that.' But the problem with being a reader is you're reading a finished product. SO the thing that kind of changed my life as a writer was realizing that there was a first draft.” [10:06]  You can find Joanna at her: Website Facebook or Twitter Thank you so much for listening. We hope you enjoyed the podcast enough to want to support u

California-based Rebecca Forster started writing novels on a crazy dare. Now she is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of more than 35 mysteries and thrillers that have been called “Perfect ... impossible to put down” by famed law professor Laurie Levenson. After earning her MBA, Rebecca spent 14 years as a marketing executive before taking the leap to a creative career. A full-time author, speaker and teacher, Rebecca focuses on legal and political thrillers, but is known for bringing an uncommon sense of character and compassion to her work. Her most recent title, Secret Relations (Book 3, Finn O'Brien Thriller Series), released last year. Rebecca teaches the craft of writing and the cultivation of creativity at programs that have included the acclaimed UCLA Writers Program and as a guest speaker at legal associations, writer’s conferences, women’s symposiums and philanthropic groups. Rebecca speaks with host Patricia McLinn about how she got into writing, not only the dare but the things in life tha

Host Patricia McLinn offers her readers seasons greetings and wraps up the first year of the Authors Love Readers podcast, talking about the unexpected benefit of providing good advice for aspiring writers and why lining up author interviews is sometimes like herding cats. She also urges readers to send to her questions they'd like her to ask future guest authors, and she looks forward to next year. And to those new to Patricia's author world, that's her rescue dog Kalli in the Santa hat. If you keep up with Patricia on her twice-monthly readers newsletter or Facebook page, you'll see more photos and news about the charismatic collie, along with book updates and special deals. In Patricia's words: "I would love to have more reader questions. I am your designated question-asker ... but I want to know what questions you all would like to have answered. Not to mention, you've come up with some fabulous questions. ... It points out the variations among the authors and it shows how individual each of us is." [6:40

Host Patricia McLinn gives tips from her 28 years in the publishing industry, using a "theoretical numbering system." Topics include dialogue, character arc, writing process, editing, business and marketing, and hard truths.  Thank you so much for listening. We hope you enjoyed the podcast enough to want to support us for future episodes. You can do that with as little as $1 a month — that’s only 25 cents per episode! What a deal! — by pledging at Patreon. It’s vital to Authors Love Readers to have your support. Thank you! Please also consider rating/reviewing the podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks to DialogMusik for the instrumentals that accompany this podcast.

New York Times bestselling author Nicole Jordan has penned more than 30 historical romances that simmer with passion and sensuality. Set in numerous eras and locales, Nicole enjoys chronicling the sparks that fly when Regency lovers play the matrimonial mating game. Her latest novel, My Fair Lover (2017), earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly, a Best Book nod from Amazon, a Fresh Pick from Fresh Fiction, and a Top Pick from RT Book Reviews. Other honors include RITA finalist, Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for Historical Romance, and the Dorothy Parker Award of Excellence, presented by a group of more than 100 romance reviewers. Nicole grew up an Army brat, earned a civil engineering degree from Georgia Tech and worked as a manufacturing manager making disposable diapers and toilet tissue. She now lives in Cincinnati with her beloved show horse, EZ. Host Patricia McLinn talks with Nicole about transitioning from an engineer to an author, how secondary characters make great sequels, and why c

In our second compilation episode, we bring you bonus interview material that didn't make it into previous episodes. (So little time, so much to talk about!) Host Patricia McLinn talks with podcast guest authors Tawdra Kandle, Lou Aronica, Debra Salonen, Kevin Tumlinson, Barbara O’Neal, Steven Womack, Kate Moore, Yvonne Lindsay and Mary Buckham. Topics include: Recognizing a story at a young age [2:23] The Power of Words [2:52] Music [4:13] Food [20:45] I Don't Have a Favorite Color [26:22] Life in The 1800s [28:33] Parents [36:57]  Thank you so much for listening. We hope you enjoyed the podcast enough to want to support us for future episodes. You can do that with as little as $1 a month -- that's only 25 cents per episode! What a deal! -- by pledging at Patreon. It's vital to Authors Love Readers to have your support. Thank you! Please also consider rating/reviewing the podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.  Thanks to DialogMusik for the instrumentals that accompany this podcast.

Author, screenwriter and film school professor Steven Womack began his first novel when he was 18 years old. A short 18 years later, he finally published one. Murphy’s Fault was the only first mystery named to the 1990 New York Times Notable Books List. Since then, he has published 10 more novels, winning Edgar and Shamus awards and multiple nominations with his Harry James Denton mystery series. In 2014, he co-authored with New York-based screenwriter Wayne McDaniel on Resurrection Bay, a mystery based on the real-life story of Alaska serial killer Robert Hansen. His most recent work is the nonfiction short read Why Politics Sucks: With Just A Few Modest Proposals That Might Make It All Suck A Little Less (2016). Host Patricia McLinn talks with Steven about his background as a journalist, why book design matters, and choosing which book ideas to pursue. In Steven's words: "It's usually the ones that haunt you... it's that one that you can't stop thinking about. Once it takes up enough of your headspace, it t

Mary Buckham is the author of the USA Today bestselling Invisible Recruits urban fantasy series, praised for its unique voice, intense action and rich emotion. Mary co-authors the young adult sci-fi/fantasy Red Moon series with New York Times bestselling author Dianna Love, using the combined pseudonym of Micah Caida. Mary also collaborated with Love on the nonfiction Break Into Fiction and has published several writers' guides, including A Writer's Guide to Active Setting and Writing Active Hooks. She has spoken at the Writer's Digest Novel Writing Conference and other author conferences. Mary, who lives in Washington State with her husband, says her years of international travel and curiosity about different cultures resulted in creating her high-concept urban fantasy and romantic suspense stories.   Host Patricia McLinn talks with Mary about technique, mechanics, character depth and the excitement of storytelling. In Mary's words, “Writers take that what-if question and play it out. ‘What can give this cha

A finalist for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Golden Heart Award, Chris Keniston is a USA Today bestselling author of several popular book series, from contemporary romance to women's fiction to sweet and clean romance -- all with happily endings. Her newest releases are Keeping Eileen, book 11 of the Farraday Country contemporary romance series set in cattle-ranching west Texas, and Flirting with Paradise, a novella in the "closed-door" Sweet Aloha Series in Hawaii. (The original Aloha Series offers steamier versions from this tropical setting.) Coming soon is Hart Land, a series centering on a lakeside small town, a retired Marine Corps general, his artistic wife and nine single granddaughters.  Chris also partners with friends and bestselling authors Addison Cole, RaeAnne Thayne and Nancy Naigle in the new sweet world, Main Street Romance. Set in the fictional town of Romance, Virginia, the Main Street romances offer readers and fans a place to find HEA sweet stories. A native New Yorkier, Chr

Julianne MacLean is a USA Today bestselling author of more than 30 novels, including historical romance and the contemporary women’s fiction Color of Heaven series. MacLean is a four-time Romance Writers of America RITA finalist and has won the Booksellers’ Best Award, the Book Buyers Best Award, and a Reviewers’ Choice Award from the Romantic Times for Best Regency Historical Romance of 2005 (Love According to Lily). She earned a degree in English literature from the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and a degree in business administration from Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. She has also lived in New Zealand, Canada, and England, and currently resides on the east coast of Canada. Host Patricia McLinn talks with Julianne about making characters suffer and moving on from them.  In Julianne's words: "So the ones that I've written about before... I’ve given them their story... and set them on their way. ... I will think about my books, and I will think about my characters fondly