Award-Winning Author and Editor Shawn Reilly Simmons gets to know her guests by asking Five Compelling Questions (plus a few bonus ones) about the writing life. Topics include finding inspiration, staying motivated, writing as a career, staying sane during the creative process, and balancing fictional and real life.
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Shawn welcomes fellow podcaster Dan White to the show to discuss his podcasts, QUEER MAGNOLIAS and OUT WITH DAN, the importance of listening to diverse voices and points of view, finding your people, mutual friends, travel, eating and drinking, and Agatha Christie.
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Shawn chats with Lynn Painter about her new novel, writing for adults and younger readers, weddings, blowing up weddings, writing rom-com male characters, the need for joy, and classic rom-com movies.
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Shawn and Cindy chat about her debut novel, OBEY ALL LAWS, life as a parole officer, dogs, second chances, making mistakes, organic writing, and writing drunk and editing sober.
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Shawn and Jackie chat about cozy mysteries, writing multiple series, flowers and what they mean to us, garden clubs, secret Pinterest boards, Texas, and how we want no sadness in some mysteries.
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Shawn chats with NYT Bestselling Author C.J. Box about his 24th Joe Picket novel, THREE-INCH TEETH, writing a long-running and much-loved series, predator attack teams, Mama Bears, animal emotions, Mark Twain, and finding your own unique lane as a writer.
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Shawn and Lynn chat about writing multiple series, finding a new publishing home, being from the South, True Crime, small town newspapers, breaking up with our characters, and French Bulldog puppies.
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Shawn and Bruce chat about Bruce's new series, coauthored with LynDee Walker, the Byron series, his new series out next year, taking chances as a writer, Stephen King, non-writing spouses, the need for therapy, British television, and support from other writers in the community.
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Shawn and Darlene chat about dogs, Bouchercon, meeting your people, support from librarians, indie vs. traditional publishing, Sisters in Crime, and connecting with readers.
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Shawn and Leah chat about Leah's new novel, Alfred Hitchcock, STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, making friends as adults, women shouldering family responsibilities, and how new friends might not always be what they appear to be.
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Shawn and Wendy chat about writing culinary mysteries, research through cooking, moms who read, finding your reading groove again, Wendy's brush with the law at a young age, connecting with readers, and how art is important to the human condition.
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Shawn and Nick chat about his long-running Peter Ash series, how Nick's career began, grocery store conversations, PTSD, writing by hand, cool techniques for writers who get stuck, many drinks with friends at conferences, author rock stars, and finding your people.
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Shawn and Erica chat about playing the violin, creepy opera houses, being keynote speakers, concert masters, sexism in both music and writing, and Agatha Christie.
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Shawn and Dr. Frank chat about his fiction and nonfiction writing career, a medical career and how it influences his writing, walking around as your character for a week, leaving good reviews, Stephen King, and Frank's great advice for writers and for life in general.
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Shawn and Marty chat about her new historical mystery series, The London Ladies' Murder Club, the Society of Useful Women, useful women, gardening, writing multiple series, the value of a critique group, and releasing two full-length books at one time.
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Shawn and Paul chat about his cookbook for expectant mothers, writing cookbooks, testing recipes, nutrition and where we all go wrong, the beauty of women and childbirth, and helping others.
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Shawn and Sharon chat about her new novel set in Bath in the UK, Sharon's love of England, teaching and writing, following your own lessons, brains of nineteen year olds, a chastity belt for your developing brain that keeps you from making big decisions, how warm is your oven, and the art of not giving up.…
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Shawn and Peter chat about his debut novel BLUE RIDGE, being inspired by your surroundings, twin brothers, pancakes, how acting can help writers, Sam Shepherd, and fun dinner guests.
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Shawn and Edwin chat about his new novel, RASHOMON, writing from multiple POVs, birthday cakes, story structure, teaching, and walking the dog.
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Shawn and Tom chat about the first book in The Divine Trilogy, living in New York, police in New York, SERPICO, why NYC is a great place for stories, and writing fiction inspired by true events.
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Shawn and Lane chat about the second book in Lane's Big Picture Trilogy, art and antiquity theft, the importance of art in the world, art and religion, sudden cold air, likeable and unlikeable characters, and the strategy behind writing a trilogy.
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Shawn and Linda chat about the newest book in her HOA Mystery series, deep fakes, the state of the world, how AI is everywhere, writers and actors dealing with AI, book store events, and writing multiple series.
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Shawn and Virginia chat about her new book, which is a reimagining of THE WIZARD OF OZ, the male gaze, love and the darker side of love, if there really is no place like home, why Virginia writes the kinds of books she does, and life during lockdown.
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Shawn and Gregory chat about the newest novel in the Jackson Gamble PI series set in Nashville, how Nashville is a great place to visit and set a series in, winning the Shamus Award then judging the Shamus Award, having enough time to read, hate mail, and never giving up.
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Shawn and Clementine chat about her debut novel, the feeling of excited dread, coming-of-age love stories, writing stories we want to read, why everyone is so raw, and their fascination with both poetry and apples.
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Shawn and Marlie chat about fires, old New York, the richer and poorer classes living together in the city, how people react in emergencies, and how there can be several truths true at the same time.
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Shawn and Mary chat about East and West Coast living, keeping a series fresh, building characters, cozy vs. detective fiction and related body counts, being busy women, and collaborating on a short story together.
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Shawn and Joe chat about perseverance in writing, getting through the hard times, living with no regrets, Ted Baxter, making up stories about strangers on the street, putting words in the bank, meeting Julia Child and having a child in Hollywood, dealing with the writers' strike and oddball projects.…
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Shawn and Alan chat about his new novel SANCTUARY MOTEL, life in Florida, police ride-alongs, Fish Kitchen, off-brand motels, upcoming anthology projects, and their mutual love of Stephen King.
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Shawn and Rachel chat about uncovering our origins, library borrowing limits, spending time with writers, MFA programs, and being a teacher of creative writing.
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Shawn and Matt discuss Siskel and Ebert and Matt's new book about the legendary film critics and their impact on movie watching through the years.
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Shawn and Edward chat about books and art, finding inspiration during the pandemic, Edward creating a drawing a day, theater and politics. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Edward Carey is a novelist, visual artist, and playwright. His previous novels include The Swallowed Man, Little, Alva & Irva, and Observatory Mansions, and an acclaimed series for young adults…
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Shawn and Dale talk about traditional vs. indie publishing, writing inspirations, Stephen King, their mutual appreciation for the Writing Life, and finding your community in the world of writing. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dale T Phillips is a New England writer and actor who spent his formative years in Maine, and has lived and worked in a number of differ…
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Shawn and Lauren discuss her new novel MEDUSA'S SISTERS, how no one is born evil, shaping young minds, the allure of myths and mythical stories, the roles of siblings, sisters, and birth order, the unfortunate timelessness of blaming the victim, feminism, and the importance of compassion in all things.…
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Shawn and Tim discuss growing up in the 80s, how comments made during our school years stay with us into adulthood, small-t trauma, speech writing and fiction writing, speech team vs. drama club, and the emotional well-being of Gen-Xers.
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Shawn and Sandra chat about writing for younger readers, hard endings, plotting vs. organic writing, Stephen King, having rogues in the family, Chloris Leachman, and their love of music.
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Shawn and Kerri chat about The Jane Collective, how you have to keep fighting for your rights, great girlfriends and having a ride-or-die set of friends, accidentally topical books, listening to the universe, and hanging in there through rejection in a writing career.
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EP120: 5CQ for Lisa Shaughnassey, Founder of The Writing Retreat Directory, co-hosted by Author K.B. White, Author of SECRETS DON'T SINK
19:15
Shawn and her co-host Kate KB Jackson chat with Lisa chat about her business The Writing Retreat Directory and Writing Retreat Sampler, her deep dive into Ancestry.com, and finding inspiration when starting or maintaining a writing journey.
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EP119: 5CQ for Don Bentley, NYT Bestselling Author of WEAPONS GRADE, the latest TOM CLANCY novel
25:36
Shawn chats with returning guest Don Bentley about the newest book in the Tom Clancy world of novels, what SWAT stands for, what it's like on the bestseller lists, writing multiple books and series a year, Tom Cruise, writing sprints, and having either a Stephen King or Mark Greaney kind of day.
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Shawn and Amy chat about comedy writing vs. novel writing, great dialogue, being Midwestern, debut novels, shifting careers, and the importance of supportive partners for creative people.
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Shawn and Jane talk about surviving and thriving after a cancer diagnosis, healthcare for women over the years, the bandwagon effect, what history was actually like, and the magic of teamwork.
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Shawn and Ali chat about Ali's Fan Fiction origins and her path to traditional publishing, the role that luck plays in our lives, the best writing advice you can give or get, how stories help us deal with difficult times, finding your community, and a billion-dollar idea.
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Shawn and returning guest Katherine Ramsland discuss crime-solving teams, horse dentists, teamwork and brainstorming, Mother Nature and the weather, the DC Snipers, saying yes to opportunities, Dostoevsky, and philosophy.
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Shawn and Libi chat about Ben Franklin quotes; professional storytelling; living and traveling in Italy IRL and in your mind; elegant murder; and beautiful book covers.
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Shawn and Shelley chat about Shelley being a Ph.D. and Edgar-nominated writer, finding power in words and how they impact others as well as ourselves, how to write mysteries, Mark Twain, and food, of course.
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Shawn and Sidney chat about gay characters who aren’t just sidekicks, the lasting appeal of rom-coms, their mutual distrust of outlining stories, a roller-coaster of words, writers on strike, and being culture vultures.
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Shawn and Genevive chat about The Viking Age, pantsers/discovery writing vs. plotting, faking it till you're making it, content warnings on novels, Viking women, and how women fight.
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Shawn and Ore discuss her debut novel, THE THREE OF US, what it's like being a debut author, writing short and long fiction, pandemic novel writing, friendships and love, juggling on Zoom, and eavesdropping on someone's worst nightmare.
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Shawn and Lauryn chat about Millenials vs Gen-X experiences, The Interestings, the financial crisis of 2008 and how it impacted a generation, growing up with social media, pantsers, restructuring a book post editorial review, multiple POVs, and hard writing math.
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In a very Florida episode, Shawn and Sarah discuss her new book BURNING EDEN, the state they’ve both called home, the ability to listen well, falling oak trees, how we’re all a bunch of weirdos post-pandemic, and murdery comedy.
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Shawn and Brian chat about continuing the Jason Bourne series, Lennon vs. Lenin, Richard Chamberlain cred, maintaining your own voice while writing another author's series, sharing ownership of a character, writing action effectively, and finishing what you start.
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