Author Express

lways the curious and independent (“I can do it myself”) child, Historical Fiction/Women’s Fiction author Elaine Stock was stumped when she asked family members questions about her heritage and discovered no one wanted to talk about the past. She also was bemused when especially her beloved grandmother would reply “Why? Are you going to write a book about it?” Years later, after penning a few inspirational titles, Elaine, determined to write what she loved to read—historical fiction—researched her paternal heritage from Brzeziny, Poland. Learning that the likely reason behind why her family did not share about the ‘Old Country’ was because of sheer tragedy due to the horrific loss of lives in Brzeziny during the Holocaust, which would include family members that didn’t immigrate to the US, she passionately wanted to create a story of two women friends (one who is deaf and inspired by her great aunt) who dared to overcome the horrific times of a world war and the occupation of Poland by encouraging each other to continue forward despite the tough times by believing that better days are ahead for themselves, that they are the ones who have the power to make these days brighter. This first and huge leap in a new fiction direction has launched Elaine as an author of Historical Fiction, blended with Women’s Fiction. She has not one regret! Her love letter to Brzeziny became the award-winning, and Amazon Best Seller novel, We Shall Not Shatter. It also just earned the rank of 2023 Category Finalist in the Erich Hoffer Award.Like her female characters, Elaine is learning how to shove aside several fears and worries and embrace the power of hope in living on this fast-spinning planet. A member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association and The Historical Novel Society, she was born in Brooklyn, New York, and lives in upstate, New York with her husband and enjoys long walks down country roads, visiting New England towns, and of course, a good book.You can learn more about Elaine and her novels on her website https://elainestock.com/index.html and follow her on Facebook where she hangs out with a growing readership community: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorElaineStockGet your copies of the Resilient Women of WWII Trilogy books here https://amzn.to/416o2wk or support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of We Shall Not Shatter at https://bookshop.org/a/

In this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Anna Quinn, an author, and founder of the Writers’ Workshoppe in Port Townsend, Washington. Her debut novel, THE NIGHT CHILD, published in 2018, was a Washington State Book Award finalist, listed as #1 Best Real Psychological Fiction on Goodreads, and has been praised for its powerful portrayal of trauma and its impact on identity and relationships, as well as its lyrical writing and gripping storyline. Anna's latest book, ANGELINE, nominated for the National Book Award, is a powerful exploration of feminism, grief, and the imagination. Drawing on her own life experiences, as well as insights from leading feminist thinkers and writers, Anna gives voice to the silenced and the visionaries through her characters and shows how love and collaboration can free us from limiting social constructs and create a more equitable world.Anna Quinn's twenty-five-year experience as a public school teacher has had an invaluable influence on her writing. Throughout her career as a teacher, she witnessed firsthand the struggles and challenges her students faced. Many of her students came from difficult backgrounds and had experienced abuse, bullying, poverty, or other forms of hardship. As a result of her time as a teacher, Quinn became deeply invested in exploring the themes of identity formation, equality, imagination, and resilience in her writing. In this podcast, Anna will also share insights into her writing process and the techniques she uses to create compelling stories. For her, writing is all about tapping into the power of the imagination and approaching her work with a sense of openness and curiosity. She rarely knows where a story is going to take her, and that's part of the magic she loves. She believes that nurturing and protecting one’s voice is an essential part of writing stories that resonate deeply with readers.To learn more about Anna and her work, you can visit her website at https://annamquinn.com. Her latest book, ANGELINE, is available for purchase at https://bookshop.org/p/ and https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5PDRTML

Today we catch up with Rachel Stone, author of The Blue Iris who writes stories of hope and redemption, often set against vibrant Canadian backdrops. A former labour relations specialist, Rachel left the corporate world behind when a health issue from years earlier came back to haunt her. Desperate for distraction, she enrolled in creative writing courses in the hopes of finally giving her writing dream a dedicated shot. When a short writing assignment formed the seedling of The Blue Iris, Rachel found herself transfixed by the process of developing the novel's vibrant cast of characters, who offered a timely escape from her real-world health worries. The Blue Iris quickly took up residence in her heart, fulfilling Rachel in a way she'd never experienced as she re-examined her whole approach to life and made writing it a priority. Subsequent medical tests proved shocking: not only had pursuing her passion filled her soul with sparkles -- it also appeared to be healing her body. Rachel vowed to see the book through no matter how many rewrites, edits and queries it took (spoiler: it took a LOT!), then go on writing like her health depended on it.Rachel holds degrees in psychology and industrial relations, and once worked seven summers at a flower market. She’s an active member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association and proud co-founder of a local volunteer initiative supporting new and newly-immigrated families in need. Born and raised in Toronto, Rachel lives near the city with her family and on weekends you’ll find her along the south shore of Georgian Bay, belting nineties pop rock from her paddleboard. You can learn more about Rachel at her website: www.rachelstoneauthor.com. The Blue Iris is available to preorder now.

Janis Robinson Daly grew up in Massachusetts and remained there, graduating with a B.A. in Psychology from Wheaton College, at the time, an all-women’s college. At Wheaton, she developed an appreciation of the supportive relationships established between women and a heightened awareness of female-centric issues. Both directed her writing of THE UNLOCKED PATH.With a love of history and plot and themes sketched, Janis enrolled in a creative writing course to hone hery skills. Combining years of extensive research, feedback from writers’ conferences, beta readers, and editors, and with a contract in hand from indie press Black Rose Writing, she published THE UNLOCKED PATH ten weeks after her 60th birthday. My next chapter had begun. THE UNLOCKED PATH presents a “New Woman” of the 20th century: educated, career-minded, independent Eliza Pearson Edwards. In 1897 Philadelphia, after witnessing her aunt's suicide, Eliza rejects her mother’s wishes for a society debut, and at a time when five percent of doctors are female, she enters a woman’s medical college. With the support of a circle of women and driven by a determination to conquer curriculum demands, battle sexism, and overcome doubts, Eliza charts her new life path. Combining science and sympathy, she triumphs to heal others and herself.Organic Chemistry may slay her, if the strain of endless study, odoriferous labs, and gruesome surgeries don’t claim her first. As a young intern, she summons a forthright confidence asserting her abilities to those mistrustful of a woman doctor. Through her work with poverty-stricken patients, she defines her version of suffrage work to champion women’s rights for and beyond the right to vote. Love is found, love is lost. During a visit to the fairy-tale-like city of Newport, a new relationship may fulfill her desires. By 1912 Eliza moves to Boston, using her medical skills to assist at settlement houses in the South and West Ends. When global events devolve into chaos with the 1918 influenza pandemic and a world war, Eliza renews her vow to help and heal.Janis, her husband, and rescue pup now split their time between Cape Cod, NH, FL, and hotels along Route 95. She has spoken at over twenty-five libraries and joined many local book clubs for an author presentation. You can learn more about Janis, her novel, local appearances, and how to book her for an event at www.janisrdaly.com. THE UNLOCKED PATH has recently been showcased as a Top Ten book by the Women's Fiction Writers' Association which celebrates women’s fiction titles that showcase Twentieth Century Historical Fiction (1900 – 1989) and shines a light on the societal barriers women scrambled over on their journey to live and love as fully as possible.THE UNLOCKED PATH is available through Amazon in paperback, Kindle and Audible and can be ordered through any local indie bookstore or Bookshop.org.

On today’s episode we speak with author Zachary Downing, a coming-of-age novelist who enjoys writing funny and relatable characters trudging through the everyday, frantic and transformative trials of life.His first novel, Flounder, was published in 2022, and concerns a college Freshman who stops going to class, but keeps going to parties. Downing wrote it to be the crazy college version of “The Little Engine That Could.”In 2023, Downing has published his second novel, Manhattan to Montauk, which involves a whirlwind summer romance between a 22-year-old man and a 17-year-old woman. Set in 1995, in New York City and the Long Island vacation community of Montauk, this book examines early-adulthood love through changing seasons, setting and circumstance.You can purchase Manhattan to Montauk and Flounder, through his website: zdowning.com. You can also follow Zach on Instagram at: Zachary_Downing_writes.

In today’s episode, writer and social worker Carla Damron explores how her two careers are intertwined. Damron worked as a clinical social worker and mental health agency administrator for thirty+ years. She worked with numerous clients experiencing serious mental illness and found she learned more from them than she’d ever learned in a textbook. After retiring from the mental health organization, Damron directed an advocacy organization where she learned more than she ever wanted to know about the prevalence and impact of human trafficking. Both legs of her career (mental health and advocacy) have informed her writing. In her mysteries, suspense, and women’s fiction, Damron tackles social issues like mental illness, homelessness, and human trafficking—with the goal of entertaining her readers while expanding their awareness of these important issues. Damron’s most recent novel, The Orchid Tattoo, has garnered several awards, but what has been more satisfying is the impact it’s had on readers, who reach out to her asking what they can do to combat human trafficking. Damron donates a large portion of her royalties to an organization that supports the recovery of trafficking survivors. You can learn more about her work at www.carladamron.com and purchase her latest book here: https://bookshop.org/a/

Delise Torres grew up in Puerto Rico, watching telenovelas and re-enacting scenes with her Barbies. Once she outgrew her dolls, she turned to daydreaming, and it wasn’t until her late thirties when she finally put her own stories to paper, and her passion for writing was born.She has a PhD in Food Science and former work experience as a quality assurance manager in the food industry. When not writing, you can find her trying to time-manage her life, singing, reading, and streaming shows and movies. She lives in Germany with her daughter and German husband. Her debut foodie women’s fiction, One Tough Cookie, comes out on July 18. Find bonus content and join Delise’s mailing list on her website at https://delisetorres.com/ and follow her on Instagram @torresdeliseorSupport your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of One Tough Cookie at https://bookshop.org/a/

After declaring herself a pretty pink princess during her first ballet class, Rachel dreamt of sugarplums and began pirouetting her way through life. While studying to become a ballerina, she compulsively read books under her covers by flashlight and scribbled in spiral-bound notebooks. The urge to tell stories culminated in her graduation from Columbia College Chicago with a B.F.A. in fiction writing. Never one to keep her feet on the ground, she traveled the world from Prague to Cape Town. Once settled back in Queens, she dabbled in journalism before working as an Editorial Assistant for a medical publisher. Seeking a more fulfilling career, she earned her MAT from Queens College and currently works as an English teacher in an alternative program in NYC. Rachel spends her time sipping coffee, trying to cook, and practicing her pirouettes. She currently resides in Freeport, Long Island. You can learn more about Rachel at her website www.rachelcorsini.com and follow her on instagram, twitter and tiktok @madameraerae. Get your copy of Sushi and Sea Lions here https://books2read.com/u/bONod9orSupport your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Sushi and Sea Lions at https://bookshop.org/a/

Anna E. Collins is a Seattle area author of contemporary romantic comedies and women’s fiction who was a dual debut in 2022 with romcom LOVE AT FIRST SPITE, and women’s fiction novel THESE NUMBERED DAYS. Anna grew up in Sweden where she was always a voracious reader with a vivid imagination, but other than occasional poems and songs, she didn’t start putting her own stories into writing until after she had kids. By that point, she had worked as a high school teacher for several years, married an American, undertaken two international moves, and needed a new outlet. Her first venture into fiction was a gargantuan 260,000-word historical family saga that will never see the light of day but that sparked a passion for creating people and worlds that illustrate and illuminate aspects of the human experience that connect us. A couple more books and a master’s degree in educational psychology later, Anna caught the break that would allow her to consider writing more than a hobby when she got into PitchWars in 2017. Since that crash course in editing and the world of publishing, she has never looked back. She placed 2nd in the PNWA literary contest 2018 and was a RWA Golden Heart finalist in 2019 with two of her women’s fiction novels. Then in 2020, with the pandemic upon us, she decided to branch into something more lighthearted and wrote the romcom that ended up being her debut. Regardless of genre, Anna aspires to write characters that jump off the page, and relationships that are as complex and imperfect as the ones we find in our everyday life. The sweet spot is where recognized experiences can be infused with fictional sprinkles to create something that’s familiar but just enough “other” to transport the reader and widen perspectives.When not writing, Anna stays busy driving her teenage kids around, training her eternal shadow and companion Archie the mini goldendoodle, and engaging in other creative pursuits such as drawing, woodworking, and baking. She is currently in the middle of the launch of her second women’s fiction novel, A Life in Bloom (Red Adept), and revising the second of two romcoms scheduled to be released in 2024 and 2025 (Forever).You can keep up with Anna on Instagram @aeccreates, and on her website www.aecollinsbooks.com where you’ll also find links to order her booksor Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of A Life in Bloom at https://bookshop.org/a/

Today's guest Gabi Coatsworth was born in Britain but has spent most of her life trying to figure out how America works by living here. She arrived forty years ago to work for six months, but couldn't resist a particular American, so she stayed. Her award-winning memoir about that relationship, Love’s Journey Home, was published last year by Atmosphere Press, who also recently published her debut novel, A Beginner's Guide to Starting Over. It's not her first novel - she has two more languishing in a desk drawer. Writing historical fiction turned out to be harder than she expected. She began the first one on a bus in Vietnam, as a NaNoWriMo effort. Nowadays she lives in Connecticut in a cottage that's American on the outside, and English inside. If she’s not writing, reading, or traveling, she’s usually to be found in her flower garden, wondering whether to weed, and holding a cup of her preferred beverage, strong English tea – she believes Earl Grey is too weak. Unlike many writers, she only drinks coffee as a last resort. Gabi runs writers groups in Connecticut, and you can connect with her here. https://linktr.ee/gabicoatsworth