DIY MFA Radio

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Michele Scott. We’ll be talking about cozy mysteries and her book Murder Uncorked.  Michele Scott is an American author and the CEO/owner of equestrian sports medicine company Professional’s Choice, Inc. She has written over forty novels in various genres including thrillers, mysteries, young adult mysteries, fantasy, and women’s fiction. Her thriller Daddy’s Home from her Holly Jennings’ series written under her pen name of AK Alexander has sold over one million copies and was the #1 bestselling book in the UK Amazon. Her thriller Mommy, May I? and was number 2 on the Amazon list. Michele’s bestselling mystery series (The Wine Lover’s Mysteries) has gone into multiple printings and has been optioned by a Los Angeles based producer and production company. Michele is a lifelong equestrian, having horses since she was five-years-old. If you don’t find her at her desk writing, you’re sure to find her at the barn! You can find her on her website or follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads.   In this episode Michele Scott and I discuss: Why you need to be prepared to figure out a way to make it happen with your writing. Common characteristics of cozy mysteries and what keep readers coming back. How she uses outlines and character sketches without getting bogged down.   Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/415

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Scott Gates. We’ll be talking about his novel, Gone, the Redeemer.  Scott Gates is the author of Hard Road South, published by Blue Ink Press. He is a magazine editor and a second-generation communicator for rural electric cooperatives. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Auburn University and a Master of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Colorado in Boulder. Scott grew up in Montgomery, Alabama, and currently lives in North Carolina with his wife and three kids, where he enjoys a slower pace of life and reliable barbecue options. He and his brother share perspectives on Southern culture at incidentalist.com. You can find him on his website or follow him on Facebook and Instagram.   In this episode Scott Gates and I discuss: Truth in a first-person narrative, especially when the protagonist is unreliable. The traditions of travel literature and including Classical structures in modern literature. How to balance writing and the research rabbit hole so you can maintain your momentum. Plus, his #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/414

Today, Lori is interviewing Taylor Hahn. They’ll be talking about her debut romance novel, The Lifestyle.  Taylor is a second-grade teacher turned lawyer turned author. After graduating from Loyola Marymount University, she joined Teach for America and taught in Brooklyn for two years before attending Fordham University School of Law. She then worked as a litigation associate at a firm in Manhattan and then LA while working on her novel in her spare time and taking fiction writing classes. The Lifestyle is her first novel. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and THE best dog in the universe.   In this episode Taylor Hahn and Lori discuss: What makes a sex scene fun to read and her advice on how to write one. How to make a flawed, meddlesome character likable to your readers. The rise of emotional intelligence and communication in Millenial romance. Plus, her #1 tip for writers.  For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/413

Today, Lori is interviewing Rebecca Scherm. They’ll be talking about her science fiction-thriller novel, A House Between Earth and the Moon.  Rebecca Scherm is the author of Unbecoming. She lives in California with her family.   In this episode Rebecca Scherm and Lori discuss: The psychic toll writing near future speculative fiction can take on a parent. Why it is so important to safeguard your passion and her advice for doing so. What she means when she says she has a conversation with a genre. Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/412

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Jennifer McMahon. We’ll be talking about her genre-defying novel, The Children on the Hill. Jennifer McMahon has been lauded by Chris Bohjalian (The Flight Attendant) as “a worthy literary descendent of Shirley Jackson.” She is the author of eleven novels, including the New York Times bestsellers Promise Not to Tell and The Winter People. McMahon is in the LibraryReads Hall of Fame. She lives in Vermont with her partner, Drea, and their daughter, Zella.   In this episode Jennifer McMahon and I discuss: Why she had multiple false starts on her latest novel and what finally inspired her to finish. How she developed the idea of secrets and her process for layering them throughout the plot. What is a monster, what makes something monstrous, and why that distinction is important. Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/411

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Brett Riley. We’ll be talking about his YA fantasy/thriller novel, Freaks.  Brett Riley is the author of The Subtle Dance of Impulse and Light (Ink Brush Press), Comanche (Imbrifex Books), Lord of Order (Imbrifex), Freaks (Imbrifex), and Travelers (2022). His short fiction has appeared in journals such as The Baltimore Review, F(r)iction, Solstice, Folio, The Evansville Review, and many others. His nonfiction has appeared in CrimeReads, Role Reboot, Broad River Review, Rougarou, Green Hills Literary Lantern, Literary Orphans, Under the Gum Tree, Wild Violet, and Foliate Oak Magazine. He lives in Henderson, NV.   In this episode Brett Riley and I discuss: How he portrayed and deepened the bond between his main characters. The double-sided nature of superhero powers and why he showed his characters’ weaknesses. Why it’s fascinating to let superheroes be bad and what that exploration reveals. Plus, his #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/410

Today, Lori is interviewing Amy Lea. They’ll be talking about her debut romance novel, Set on You.  Amy Lea is a Canadian bureaucrat by day and contemporary romance author by night (and weekends). She writes laugh-out-loud romantic comedies featuring strong heroines, witty banter, mid-2000s pop culture references, and happily ever afters.   In this episode Amy Lea and Lori discuss: Why representation matters and how the romance genre is helping lead the charge.  How to use family dynamics to develop layered characters. Millennial identity and what they have changed about the dating scene. Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/409

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Jessi Honard and Marie Parks. We’ll be talking about their contemporary fantasy debut, Unrelenting.  Jessi and Marie have been co-writing speculative fiction since 2009, and their 2022 contemporary fantasy debut, Unrelenting, was a finalist in the 2020 Book Pipeline Unpublished Manuscript contest.  Marie is a fantasy, sci-fi, and horror author who landed in New Mexico after traveling full-time in an RV for years. Her writing uses speculative fiction to dive into topics like social justice, the environment, and the power of friendship. Jessi Honard is a speculative fiction author, business owner, and professional coffee inhaler. Her work leans into the power of imaginary worlds as a conduit to exploring common struggles of identity, belonging, and trust.  Together, they've run a successful copywriting agency since 2010. Jessi lives in the Bay Area of California with her partner, Taormina, and Marie lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with all the dogs.   In this episode Jessi, Marie, and I discuss: What qualities make for a successful co-writing partnership and how to decide whom to work with. How to bounce back from early mistakes and why you aren’t always one mistake away from ruin. The importance of interrogating the “why” behind your vision for your book and your career. Plus, their #1 tip for writers.  For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/408

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Leslie Johansen Nack.  Leslie’s newest book, The Blue Butterfly, A Novel of Marion Davies, comes out next week and it’s what we are going to be discussing today. Her debut is a memoir titled Fourteen, A Daughter’s Memoir of Adventure, Sailing, and Survival. It received five indie awards, including the 2016 Finalist in Memoir at the Next Generation Indie Book Award. Leslie says she did everything late in life, including getting her degree in English Literature from UCLA at age thirty-one. Before she started writing, she raised two children, ran a mechanical engineering business with her husband, took care of her aging mother, and dreamed of retirement when she could write full-time. She currently lives in San Diego and—in addition to writing—she enjoys sailing, hiking, and reading.   In this episode Leslie Johansen Nack and I discuss: Why she leaned into fiction for this project as opposed to writing a biography. Her research process and how she chose which scenes to fictionalize. How she balanced writing about the public and private personas of her characters.   Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/407

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing G.G. Kellner Gayle is a poet, essayist, artist, educator, and Author of Hope: A History of the Future, a novel in which she imagines a peaceful, just, sustainable future based on facts, legal precedence, and historical documents. Gayle lives in a home that has been in her family for five generations. She spends most of her time creating with words, paints, and sculpture, as well as walking the beaches and forests of her island home with her dog.   In this episode GG Kellner and I discuss: How she created the web of complex character relationships and the framework for her novel. Why you need to face your fears in order to open yourself up to the possibilities of life. The relationship between cause and effect in history and its impact on the future.   Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/406