Author2Author

Bill welcomes writing team John and Leanne Yarrow to the show. John, a lifelong Texan, dreams as big as he writes. Leanne is her husband's collaborative partner. Their fascination with what could be imbues the couple's storytelling with fast-paced, futuristic worlds in which witty compelling characters struggle for an enduring humanity. John's background includes degrees in English, Education, and an MS in Cognitive Systems. He honed his skills in The Creation Factory Writer's Workshop, adapted a novella for National Public Radio, and published articles in educational and technology journals. Leanne draws from her careers in education and program development to help bring fresh insights, incredible imagery, and clarifying details to their work. Future’s Dark Past is their debut novel!

Bill welcomes author, artist, director and producer Leopoldo Gout to the show! Leopoldo is a Mexican immigrant, award-winning producer and filmmaker, visual artist and author, who has written, packaged, published and developed books for more than a decade, both under his own name with several major publishers, and with other writers under his own imprint at Simon & Schuster: Leopoldo & Co. He was co-president of the James Patterson Entertainment company for many years; and he is currently producing award-winning author Marlon James’ original debut for television: GET MILLIE BLACK (Channel 4 & HBO). He and his brother, award-winning writer-director Everado Gout (Netflix's Kaleidoscope) are show-runners of AMERICAN JESUS, a Netflix / Mark Millar series. Leopoldo along with Radical Media won the Critics Choice Award for FILTHY RICH (Netflix), a documentary series on Netflix. He is the creator and writer of NO MAN’S LAND (Starz), and SPYMASTERS (Madison Welles Media). Gout is also developing a Pulitzer Prize finalist book IN THE DISTANCE into a film with the Larrain Brothers and he was the originating producer on the Oscar-nominated, MOLLY’S GAME, a project that he worked from book to screen. Other producer credits include INSTINCT (CBS), ZOO (CBS), MIDDLE SCHOOL: The Worst Years of My (Participant Media and LIONSGATE) and Everardo Gout’s directorial debut DAYS OF GRACE which debuted at the Cannes Film Festival and won over 20 awards internationally. He has a thriving art studio in NYC and lives there with his wife and two kids: a cat called Lola and a dog called Lupe.

Bill welcomes bestselling novelist Bethany C. Morrow to the show. Bethany is a national bestselling author writing for adult and young adult audiences. She is the author of the novels Mem, A Song Below Water, A Chorus Rises, and So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix, and most recently, Cherish Farah. She is the editor/contributor to the young adult anthology TAKE THE MIC, which won the 2020 ILA Social Justice in Literature award. Her work has been featured in The LA Times, Forbes, Bustle, Buzzfeed, and more. She is included on USA TODAY's list of 100 Black novelists and fiction writers you should read.

Bill welcomes debut novelist and legal analyst Brian Buckmire to the show. Brian is a senior staff NYC public defender in the Criminal Defense Practice and Homicide Defense Task Force at the Legal Aid Society, representing indigent clients in Brooklyn, NY. He is the anchor for Law and Crime Daily, a nationally syndicated show covering the hottest cases and controversies from courtrooms nationwide. He is also a legal contributor for ABC and has covered events like the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd, the trials against Harvey Weinstein and R. Kelly, and many more. In addition, he serves on the board of trustees for Coney Island Prep, a charter school in South Brooklyn. Born in Toronto, of Caribbean heritage, Brian, his wife Victoria, and their son Reid live in New York. Come Home Safe is his debut novel.

Bill welcomes bestselling historical author Julia Kelly to the show. Julia is the award-winning author of books about ordinary women and their extraordinary stories. In addition to The Lost English Girl, her novels include The Last Dance of the Debutante, The Last Garden in England, The Whispers of War, and The Light Over London. In addition to writing, she’s been an Emmy-nominated producer, journalist, marketing professional, and (for one summer) a tea waitress. Julia called Los Angeles, Iowa, and New York City home before settling in London.

Bill welcomes debut novelist Brittany Butler to the show. Brittany is a former CIA targeting officer with first-hand knowledge in the recruitment and handling of spies, and the dismantling of terrorist networks abroad. A staunch advocate for Middle Eastern women’s rights, Brittany has worked to promote the rights of disenfranchised Afghan women and girls, and now works within her local community to resettle Afghan refugees. The first in a series, THE SYNDICATE SPY combines fascinating facts with heart-stopping fiction, telling the story, as only Brittany can tell it, of how female intelligence officers utilize both their intellect and skills to see beyond religious and cultural barriers in order to bring peace to this war-torn region.

Bill welcomes science fiction and fantasy author Kay Kenyon back to the show. Kay Kenyon is a science fiction and fantasy novelist and writing teacher. Her work has been shortlisted for the Philip K. Dick award and twice for the American Library Reading List award. She teaches fiction at conferences around the Pacific Northwest, and has just published her sixteenth novel.Kay is a founding member of Write on the River, an organization that for the last fifteen years has been encouraging aspiring writers in Eastern Washington.Her most recent novel is The Girl Who Fell Into Myth, the first book in a four-book fantasy series. A previous series, The Dark Talents, has been optioned for film and received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly.Currently, she is teaching an online bi-monthly class called “Boost Your Writing Chops,” through Write on the River.After fifteen books from traditional publishers, she is trying her hand at self-publishing, a decision she’s happy with, but which she claim is like “learning to fly a 747 one-handed while writing a novel with the other.” She has made it to a soft landing with her first book, but there are still three more to go!

Bill welcomes debut memoirist Charlotte Maya to the show. Charlotte was born and raised in California. She received her B.A. from Rice University in Houston, Texas, and her law degree from UCLA. She practiced Trust and Estate Planning law until deciding to raise a family. Widowed at 39 when her children were six and eight as a result of her husband’s suicide, Maya writes about suicide loss, resilience and hope on her blog, charlotte-maya.com. Charlotte’s writing explores the intersections of grief, parenting and self-care, particularly within the context of suicide. Her work has been highlighted in Hippocampus Magazine and on The Mighty, and she has been featured on the A2A Alliance and the Your Next Chapter podcast with Angela Raspass. Charlotte Maya’s debut novel “Sushi Tuesdays: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Family Resilience” will be published on February 28, and is available for pre-order now.

Bill welcomes bestselling author Claire Heywood to the show. Claire Heywood is a scholar of the ancient world, with a bachelor's degree in Classical Civilization and a master's degree in Ancient Visual and Material Culture from the University of Warwick. Her first novel, Daughters of Sparta, was a national bestseller. Her latest novel is, The Shadow of Perseus.

Bill welcomes poet, essayist and fiction writer Gunhild Øyehaug to the show. Gunnhild is an award-winning Norwegian poet, essayist, and fiction writer. Her story collection Knots was published by FSG in 2017, followed in 2018 by Wait, Blink, which was adapted into the acclaimed film Women in Oversized Men’s Shirts, and in 2022 by Present Tense Machine. Øyehaug lives in Bergen, where she teaches creative writing.