#320 – Writing Twists and Turns in Thrillers with Catherine McKenzie
Release Date: 06/27/2023
#331 – Believing in Your Readers with Bethany Lopez
Kobo Writing Life Podcast
In this episode, we are joined by , a USA Today best-selling, multi-genre author who has written over thirty books! Bethany is a prolific author with multiple ongoing contemporary romance series to her name, as well as several paranormal romance series under the pen name ! Her latest release on Kobo is a box set of her popular series, , available now. Bethany tells us about her career as an author, getting started in YA fiction before transitioning to new adult romance, the changes she has seen in the indie publishing landscape, how she uses her newsletter, how she markets her books, all...
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#330 – The Realities of Indie Publishing and Writing Romance with J. Sterling
Kobo Writing Life Podcast
In this episode, we are joined by New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Jenn Sterling, writing as J. Sterling, whose latest series, , features holiday romances for every season. Check out her latest instalment, ! Jenn is also the author of dozens of books across several series, and is the author of sports romances, celebrity romances, new adult romances, and many more. We had a great conversation with Jenn about all things romance writing, marketing, advice from friend and fellow author Colleen Hoover, and how the independent publishing world has changed since she first published...
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#329 – Writing a Thrilling YA Series with Brett Riley
Kobo Writing Life Podcast
In this episode, we spoke to Brett Riley, author of fiction, screenplays, and creative non-fiction. Based in Las Vegas, he also teaches creative writing at the College of Southern Nevada. We had a great chat about his works, writing in the horror genre, his love of comic books, and his sci-fi and fantasy YA series with elements of the otherworldly and monstrous, . We also learned so much from Brett on the craft of writing, and had a great conversation about writing processes. We know you’ll learn a lot from Brett, so don’t miss out on listening to his great advice and insights! We...
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#328 – Wellness, Writing, and Working with Kobo Originals with Elizabeth Barone
Kobo Writing Life Podcast
In today’s episode, we are joined by Elizabeth Barone, author of over a dozen novels, with one of her latest releases published by Kobo Originals! is a contemporary romance taking place in the fictional town of Stagwood Falls and the tattoo parlour – and the women who work there – at the heart of it. and the are described as “Virgin River meets LA Ink” – and if you’re a fan of former-crushes-to-lovers, small town vibes, and tattoos, this is the series for you! Plus, look forward to the release of book two in the series, coming soon exclusively from Kobo. Elizabeth...
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#327 – Creative Advice for Neurodivergent Authors with October K. Santerelli
Kobo Writing Life Podcast
In this episode, we are joined by fantasy author, LGBTQ+ sensitivity reader, and international speaker and presenter October K. Santerelli! October’s latest book, City of Day, was published this past February and is the first in a planned trilogy. We were so excited to have October on the podcast after first hearing him present on neurodivergency and the creative process at in Denver, CO earlier this year! KWL's director Tara was in attendance, and she had many great take-aways from that amazing presentation. We chatted with October about his writing career, his presentations and...
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#326 – Facing Your First Draft with Mary Adkins
Kobo Writing Life Podcast
In this episode, we are joined by author and book coach Mary Adkins, founder of , a program for authors looking to write their best possible book. Mary spent six years writing and re-writing her first book before landing a book deal with HarperCollins, and as such, perfected her writing program! Now, she works to share this helpful information with other authors looking to reach their full potential. We had a great conversation with Mary and loved the many writing tips she had to offer. Be sure to check out what she can do for you over at ! We learn how Mary operates her book coaching...
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#325 – What Authors Can Learn from Movies with John Gaspard
Kobo Writing Life Podcast
In this episode, we spoke with John Gaspard, author of , an indispensable guide to implementing tips and tricks learned from film directors and film in general into your fiction writing. John is also the author of several mystery novels across two series, as well as multiple standalone novels and non-fiction titles. He also hosts two podcasts and has directed six low-budget feature films! We chatted with John about his new non-fiction title, his filmmaking experience, the times he spent interviewing well-known film directors, crafting a compelling mystery, what writers can learn from...
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#324 – Publicity for Indie Authors with Halima Khatun
Kobo Writing Life Podcast
In this episode, we spoke with Halima Khatun, PR consultant, former broadcast journalist, and author of the new non-fiction title , a book full of useful information for independent writers looking to improve their publicity and media coverage output! Halima is also the author of several highly praised rom-coms, including her award-winning debut novel, . Her work has been featured in Huffington Post, Metro, Business Advice and StartupNation, and we can't wait to see what she writes next. Halima shared some amazing advice regarding editing, book blurbs, writing (and lengthening) a series,...
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#323 – Important Tools for Indie Authors with Mark Dawson
Kobo Writing Life Podcast
In today’s episode, we are joined by renowned indie publishing business expert, educator and author, Mark Dawson – who also happens to be a fellow podcast producer and host! Mark Dawson is the author of over twenty books across multiple series, has sold millions of copies of his titles, and is also the founder of the and host of the . Mark hardly needs an introduction – his presence in the world of self-publishing goes above and beyond, and it was great to have him join us for this episode. We spoke to Mark about his Facebook ad process, his advertising course, his newsletter and how...
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#322 – Successes and Strengths in Self-publishing with Jasinda and Jack Wilder
Kobo Writing Life Podcast
In this episode, we spoke to the writing team of Jasinda and Jack Wilder (who we had the chance to meet at 2022), wife and husband and parents to six kids, who write their own books as well work collaboratively. Between the two of them, they have written dozens of books, many of them best-sellers, across a multitude of genres and sub-genres. Be sure to check out their latest releases, , the latest instalment in the Dirty Beasts series, , a new adult contemporary romance, and , a vampire romance (hinted at in this very episode!). We heard about how they balance parenthood with working as...
info_outlineIn this episode, we spoke with Catherine McKenzie, USA Today best-selling author of “riveting domestic suspense,” I’ll Never Tell, “one of 2022’s best and most-anticipated thrillers,” Please Join Us, and more! After publishing more than a dozen titles since 2010, Catherine’s latest, Have You Seen Her, is out today!
We asked Catherine about her journey to becoming a writer, her previous career in law, why she believes so many lawyers are also published authors, how she plots out her psychological thrillers, what drew her to the genre in the first place, and more! Catherine also gave some great advice for those interested in wrapping their heads around the twists and turns of thrillers.
Content note: this episode features brief discussions about real-world missing persons cases, murder, and suicide, and may be upsetting to some listeners. Please listen with awareness of this subject matter.
Visit Catherine’s website or follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.