Author Express

On today’s episode we get to chat with Shawna Rodrigues, a Women’s Fiction author with a laugh you will not easily forget. You may also recognize her as one of our hosts! After twenty+ years as a leader in the public and non-profit sector, Shawna transitioned to work as a consultant, all so she could finally finish the novel she always dreamed of writing. It was a joyous and arduous journey, but less than a year after leaving her career, she penned the final words of her debut novel, Beyond the Pear Blossoms. The jubilation was quickly eclipsed, as days later her hometown succumbed to unimaginable tragedy. The Almeda Wildfire hit the Rogue Valley in September 2020 and in less than 24 hours, they had lost over 2600 homes, including the home of her niece, fiancé, and her future mother-in-law. After seeing the way the community mobilized to address this tragedy, she dedicated her novel to the resilience of the residents in this community and half of the author’s proceeds are being donated to the Rogue Valley Habitat for Humanity as they continue to build affordable homes alongside individuals displaced by the fire.

By interweaving life lessons with endearing characters and transformative experiences, Shawna creates Women’s Fiction that helps us see how universal our experiences are and what a gift of escape reading can be. Boldly chasing her writing dream also unlocked other creative adventures and Shawna credits it for making her podcast, The Grit Show possible. This path also led to her creating the Authentic Connections Network, a podcasting network with a primary goal of amplifying women’s voices in podcasting and increasing the abysmal 27% of podcasts hosted by women by 10% in 5 years; 37 by 27. This audacious goal and focus make it harder to find time for writing, but she will release the short story, "Every Mother's Peanut Butter" as part of a Women's Fiction anthology A Million Ways: Stories of Motherhood in the Spring of 2023 - the pre-order is now available at https://bookshop.org/a/. She also continues to make slow and steady progress on her narrative non-fiction Daughter of the Accused. This is a story that will take time to bring out into the world.

You can learn more about her on her website www.ShawnaRodrigues.com and follow her on Instagram www.instagram.com/shawnabospdx -which will be the best place to be kept up to date on her next release!

or

Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Beyond the Pear Blossoms at https://bookshop.org/a/

A little about today's host-

Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD, follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.”

Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/.

Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast

Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books -

https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast

On today’s episode we get to chat with Janet Roberts, a Women’s Fiction author and poet in Pittsburgh, PA, who has a background in cybersecurity. After fifteen+ years as a global leader in cybersecurity awareness and education, Janet transitioned to full time writer and part-time consultant in 2023, to be able to chase her dream of focusing nearly all of her time on her writing. While employed full time, she self-published two novels - The Narrow Gate (2015) and The Leaf Queen (2016) - both of which won First Place in Fiction from Pittsburgh’s The Author Zone, and a small memoir - Seven Thin Dimes. Her third novel, What Lies We Keep, to be released in May 2024 by TEN 16 Press, was written over a five year period while leading a cybersecurity awareness program for a multinational corporation. Her poetry has been published in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and San Fedele Press’ Art in A Time of Covid.

All of her novels are set wholly or partially in Western PA, but What Lies We Keep is her first novel to include cybersecurity in the plot. In her work, Janet’s female characters are women struggling with low self-esteem or lack of confidence who find their super power as they grow through adversity in her novels. But, having grown up with brothers and male cousins - and working in a primarily male dominated environment most of her adult life - her books often have both a female and male point of view.

She was raised in Erie, PA, by a father from Cleveland, Ohio, and a mother from a small town outside of Pittsburgh, PA, spending a good amount of her childhood in the Pittsburgh area visiting relatives. As an adult, she moved a lot during her career, but in 2019 her deep Western PA roots called her to head back home. She’s a graduate of Temple University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, and of Edinboro University of Pennsylvania (Now PennWest Edinboro) where she earned a Master of Arts in Communications.

You can learn more about Janet and her work on her website www.booksbyjanetroberts.com. Follow her on social media at @janetroberts77 (Instagram or Threads) or LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetroberts/ to keep up to date on her next release!

A little about today's host-

Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD, follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.”

Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/.

Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast

Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books -

https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast

Join host Kristi Leonard as we revisit her interview from earlier this year with the talented Sheila Athens. Sheila, the author of Neena Lee Is Seeing Things captivates us with the unique premise of her latest novel where John F. Kennedy Jr. asks for help—25 years after his death. Sheila unravels the fascinating inspirations behind her characters and settings, takes us to Jacksonville, Florida, and gives insight into her writing journey. Whether you're an aspiring writer or an avid reader, this episode promises a thought-provoking conversation about the process of creating multi-layered, soulful stories. Tune in to discover what makes this novelist tick and what’s coming next from her pen!

Sheila Athens is a native of Jacksonville, Florida, a city often overlooked in favor of the more touristy parts of the state. Growing up near the Georgia border, Sheila has always felt more connected to the southern roots of her state rather than the urban, modern image that Florida often portrays. This unique perspective has influenced her writing and passion for showcasing the true, often overlooked, beauty of the South. With her book, she hopes to shed light on the real Florida, away from the stereotypes and tourist attractions.

Her debut novel, The Truth About Love, was a finalist for the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Golden Heart Award. With that background, she can’t help but weave a strong love story thread throughout each of her books, even though she now writes Southern women’s fiction. She turned from romance to women’s fiction because all the stories swirling around in her head needed a bigger canvas on which to be told.

Sheila didn’t realize she wanted to write fiction until she was in her early forties. Her first book was published two days after her fifty-third birthday, so she’s a good example for those who fear they’ve waited too long to pursue their passion. Learn more about Shiela from her website www.SheilaAthens.com.

Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Neena Lee Is Seeing Things at Bookshop.org

A little about today's host-

Kristi Leonard is a modern Renaissance woman deeply rooted in the book world. When she's not immersed in crafting novels, she's orchestrating writing retreats through her business, Writers in the Wild, or lending her voice to non-fiction audiobooks. She leads the Women’s Fiction Writers Association as the president of the board, and interviews her writer pals as one of the hosts of the Author Express Podcast. She will start querying her first book in 2024.

Beyond the realm of words, Kristi embraces the Florida sunshine by hiking with her writer-hiker group and leisurely walks on the beach. She and her husband juggle a couple side businesses and take turns sharing the couch with their goofy Golden-doodle, Maddie. Kristi enjoys travel adventures with her twin sister and living vicariously through her grown children. You can learn more about her and connect at: https://linktr.ee/kristileonard.

Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast

Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books -

https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast

On today's episode we got to chat with Erin Bartels, an award-winning author who is endlessly fascinated with why people do and say the things they do and say. Her preoccupation with human nature has led her to write character-driven novels that book clubs adore for their layered storytelling and loads of discussion starters. Whether she's delving into history or tackling contemporary issues, whether set in her beloved state of Michigan or venturing abroad, her novels reflect the questions and issues all of us struggle with in life.

Her latest, The Lady with the Dark Hair, can be found here: https://erinbartels.com/home/books/the-lady-with-the-dark-hair/

Because the creative life is so important to her, Erin has looked for opportunities to teach and encourage other writers from the beginning, organizing conferences and retreats, teaching workshops, visiting high schools, coaching writers, and doing in-depth developmental edits that help other writers level up. She also loves using her skills as a longtime professional copywriter in the publishing industry to help writers market their self-published books. She recently started a Substack called Experimental Wolves to teach and encourage writers and offer weekly writing prompts to spur their creativity.

Check out Experimental Wolves at https://experimentalwolves.substack.com/

You can also find her on Instagram @erinbartelswrites and Facebook @ErinBartelsAuthor.

Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of The Lady with the Dark Hair at https://bookshop.org/a/90599/9780800741662

A little about today's host-

Kristi Leonard is a modern Renaissance woman deeply rooted in the book world. When she's not immersed in crafting novels, she's orchestrating writing retreats through her business, Writers in the Wild, or lending her voice to non-fiction audiobooks. She leads the Women’s Fiction Writers Association as the president of the board, and interviews her writer pals as one of the hosts of the Author Express Podcast. She will start querying her first book in 2024.

Beyond the realm of words, Kristi embraces the Florida sunshine by hiking with her writer-hiker group and leisurely walks on the beach. She and her husband juggle a couple side businesses and take turns sharing the couch with their goofy Golden-doodle, Maddie. Kristi enjoys travel adventures with her twin sister and living vicariously through her grown children. You can learn more about her and connect at: https://linktr.ee/kristileonard.

Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast

Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books -

https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast

On today’s episode, we’ll talk with Kimberly Nixon who made quite a discovery a few years back. She found her grandmother’s felony conviction papers. She had always heard that her grandmother robbed a train in 1920s in Appalachia and her research persistence paid off. The 125-page record gave Kimberly the details about her grandmother that she had only met twice.

Kimberly considers herself the family storyteller and has made a career of exploring family stories for herself and others. She had closed her small business which archived generations of family memories for extended families. For a short period of time, Kimberly considered going back to a “real job” but her grandmother’s story pulled her to a writing desk. First, she wrote the true story of the family tale, detailing everything she knew to be fact about her mother and grandmother for her family. Before she wrote the fictionalized version, she wanted her children and siblings to know what was true. Then, she enrolled in writing courses and started a writer’s critique group. Five years later, Kimberly finished her first draft of Rock Bottom, Tennessee.

Not wanting to do the arduous task of querying, Kimberly started her own publishing company. She knew how to market products and run a business from previous experience. Rock Bottom, Tennessee launched April of 2022. Her readers asked for a sequel and Kimberly delivered. Rock Bottom Rising will release February 2024 and will take the readers from Ruby’s conviction on a journey to find redemption and reconnection with her children, abandoned after her arrest.

Kimberly’s next project will be a memoir based on retracing her father’s WWII steps throughout Europe. Her father never talked about the war and his records were destroyed by a fire at the National Archive. She has recreated his daily journey from Africa to Berlin and has visited the site of many of her father’s historic battles and has stood where her father was wounded for the first and second time of his service.

You can read about Kimberly’s passion for the family story and news of her upcoming release at her website https://www.kimberlynixon.com. Follow Kimberly’s writing journey on her Instagram page @kimberlynixon.author.

Get a signed copy of Rock Bottom, Tennessee at Kimberly’s website or see where to find it at this universal link https://books2read.com/u/3nGVMo

or

support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Rock Bottom Rising at https://bookshop.org/a/90599/9781957513119

A little about today's host-

Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD, follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.”

Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/.

Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast

Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books -

https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast