Kobo Writing Life Podcast
The Kobo Writing Life Podcast features exciting interviews with bestselling authors, tips on the craft and business of writing, and advice for a successful self-publishing career. Millions of readers are waiting to discover your book - publish today at www.kobo.com/writinglife.
Kobo ReWriting Life - 47 - Lauren Lang & Professional Author Head Shots
Professional photographer Lauren Lang of Jacobin Photography joins us to talk all about author head shots. Lauren, who transitioned from a background in journalism, brings a unique perspective on how to move past the "unnatural" feeling of being in front of a lens to capture an authentic image that truly resonates with readers.
In this episode:
Your headshot is a storytelling tool! You should use it to evoke an emotional connection with readers before they even open your book. Shift your mindset from viewing a photoshoot as a chore to seeing it as an investment in...#407 - Writing a Multi-POV Family Saga with Erin Singer
In this episode we talk with Erin Singer, author of the debut novel Dangerland!, a funny, sprawling family saga set in a dying golf course community in Las Vegas. Erin shares how a single short story class took her from being a reader to becoming a novelist, what she learned about structuring a multi-POV novel, writing characters you love (even the antagonists) and why setting is so important as a character itself.
What we discussed:
How to write a novel with multiple points of view and timelines and why "time" turned out to be Erin's best pl...Kobo ReWriting Life – #46 – Using True Crime Podcasts for Inspiration with Courtney Summers
In this episode, we sit down with New York Times best-selling author Courtney Summers. We talk to Courtney about her novel Sadie and her inspiration for including a podcast in her narrative. Courtney also discusses the true crime podcasts that inspired her, as well as offers some great advice to new writers.
Ready to start your own publishing career? Publish your book today with Kobo Writing Life.
#406 – Crafting High Stakes Romantic Suspense with Rachel Grant
Whether she is excavating historic sites or drafting complex, page-turning novels, USA Today bestselling author Rachel Grant knows how to uncover a great story.
In this episode of the Kobo Writing Life podcast, we sit down with Rachel to discuss her unique transition from a career in archaeology to a thriving life as an independent author. We dive deep into her writing process, how she balances technical research with intense narrative, and why she remains a steadfast champion of the romantic suspense genre.
Ready to start your own publishing career? Publish your book today with Ko...
Kobo ReWriting Life – How to Write with Tarot with Lisa Kessler
Best-selling and award-winning paranormal romance author Lisa Kessler joins us to discuss her writing process and how she uses tarot cards as a tool to help with writer's block and character development. Lisa also talks to us about why she loves writing in the paranormal genre, her career as a hybrid author, and what changes she has seen in the publishing industry throughout her career.
Ready to start your own publishing career? Publish your book today with Kobo Writing Life.
#405 – Returning to the World of The Time Traveller's Wife with Audrey Niffenegger
In this episode, we were joined by best-selling author and visual artist, Audrey Niffenegger, whose novel, The Time Traveler's Wife, was a global hit and went on to be adapted into an HBO television series, a stage musical, and a feature film. Audrey has returned to the world of The Time Traveler's Wife with a sequel, Life Out of Order, which explores the story of Alba, Henry and Clare's time-travelling daughter. We were so excited to have Audrey join us on the show and we know you will be excited to listen, too!
We spoke to Audrey a...
Kobo ReWriting Life - Writing Best-selling Crime Fiction with Karin Slaughter
New York Times best-selling author Karin Slaughter joins us on the Kobo Writing Life podcast to discuss her career and what makes a great crime novel. Karin tells us how she plots both her novels and her long-running series, what her research process is like, and talks about the double standards imposed on female crime writers. Karin also tells us about her non-profit, Save the Libraries, and she gives some great advice for aspiring authors.
Ready to start your own publishing career? Publish your book today with Kobo Writing Life.
#404 – Writing Dark(er) Romance with Amelia Wilde
In this episode, we spoke with Amelia Wilde, a USA Today bestselling author who loves to write steamy contemporary romance and explore dark(er) romance in her writing. Her romance titles span over a dozen series, including the White Rose Billionaires series, the Bliss Brother series, and more. Amelia has plenty of experience in indie publishing, and we were very excited to have her on the show.
We hear all about Amelia's journey to becoming a published author, learn what makes an "Amelia Wilde" book, talk about how she markets her titles, hear more about what makes a...
Kobo ReWriting Life - #43 - Creating a Sustainable Writing Career with Patricia McLinn
Best-selling author Patricia McLinn joins us on the Kobo Writing Life podcast to discuss the craft of writing and how to create a sustainable career as a writer. Patricia chats to us about her writing process and why discovering the methods that work for you are so important as an author. She also gives us her best advice for creating and maintaining a long-standing successful career.
Ready to start your own publishing career? Publish your book today with Kobo Writing Life.
How to Move Beyond Creative Block with with Ramona Ausubel
In this episode, we are joined by Ramona Ausubel, national best-selling author of six books, including The Last Animal, Awayland, and more! Her latest work is the non-fiction title Unstuck: 101 Doorways Leading from the Blank Page to the Last Page, a book designed to help writers remain excited about their writing. Ramona is also a professor at Colorado State University and has experience teaching writer's workshops in the Bennington Writing Seminars, Tin House Writing Workshop, and more. If you are a writer looking for advice on how stay in love with your writing, look no further than this interview...
Kobo ReWriting Life - How to Succeed as a Hybrid Author with Rebecca Zanetti
New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Zanetti is on the podcast this week to discuss her writing process and what her experience has been like as a hybrid author. Rebecca talks to us about her decision to try indie publishing and why she chose to self-publish her most recent series, The Anna Albertini Files, she discusses the challenges of juggling multiple publishing contracts as well as her indie publishing schedule, and she gives us some great insight into why so many successful writers have a history of practicing law.
Ready to start your own publishing career? Publish...
#402 – Writing a Library Best-seller with Marta Molnar
In this episode, we are joined by Marta Molnar, artist and author of The Secret Life of Sunflowers, a historical women's fiction dual timeline novel that focuses on Vincent van Gogh's sister-in-law, Johanna Bonger. Marta is also the author of Girl Braiding Her Hair, Raising the Titanic, and more. As an art history enthusiast, she has a particular passion for including art history in her novels. She also dedicates her time writing about women that often get overlooked in history, bringing their stories to light. We had a wonderful conversation with Marta about her passions and more.
...
Kobo ReWriting Life - Plotting a Compelling Thriller with Ruth Ware
In this episode, we spoke to bestselling author Ruth Ware about one of her latest releases, Zero Days. Ruth's novels have been translated into over 40 languages as well as optioned for film and TV, and she has garnered numerous bestsellers internationally.
We discussed Ruth's journey to becoming a full-time writer, how she develops the plots for her thrillers, what her writing process looks like, the difference between a "twist" and a "reveal" in storytelling, and, of course, her latest, Zero Days. Ruth also offered some great advice for aspiring thriller authors, and provided us with an amazing r...
Designing Book Covers for the Digital Reader with Jake Clark
In this episode, we are joined by cover designer Jake Clark, founder of J Caleb Design. Jake has designed over 2000+ covers since 2014, and projects featuring his work have collectively sold over 4 million copies. His cover design ethos revolves around creating "badass covers for badass stories," and that couldn't be more accurate! Jake's covers are bold, exciting, and propulsive, and we were so excited to sit down with him and talk about all things cover design.
We ask Jake about his career as a cover designer, his cover design process, how he uses 3D modeling in his design...
Kobo ReWriting Life - Building your Brand Using Instagram with Lauren Layne
Welcome to the Kobo ReWriting Life Podcast! Alongside your regularly scheduled Kobo Writing Life podcast episode releases, we will also be featuring some highlights from our backlist. In this episode, we spoke with best-selling author of over 30 romantic comedies, Lauren Layne! Lauren is also a proficient marketer and expert at author branding. We are excited to share her great advice on author branding yet again.
Lauren Layne is a New York Times bestselling author and branding superstar. She shares her secrets on cultivating an author brand and mastering trickier social media platforms, specifically Instagram and Pinterest. Lauren...
#400 – Inside Indie Publishing with Kobo VP of Self-Publishing and Originals Ashleigh Gardner
In this episode, KWL Director Tara Cremin sat down and spoke with VP of Self-publishing and Originals, Ashleigh Gardner! Both Ashleigh and Tara have been with Kobo for many years and have incredible insights and understanding into the world of self-publishing. We are super excited to share this episode featuring such a prominent voice in the development of digital self-publishing!
Ashleigh tells us about her history with Kobo, her work at Wattpad, her experience returning to Kobo, her idea of what a successful indie author is in 2026, shares some great advice for indie authors entering the Kobo...
Kobo ReWriting Life - #39 - Crafting a Compelling Series with Susan Stoker
Welcome to the Kobo ReWriting Life Podcast! Alongside your regularly scheduled Kobo Writing Life podcast episode releases, we will also be featuring some highlights from our backlist. In this episode, we were joined by best-selling romantic suspense author, Susan Stoker, who talked to us all about writing series books and how she grows her series sales by marketing to readers. This is a great episode for anyone looking to boost their series-writing knowledge!
Best-selling author Susan Stoker joins us on the podcast this week to discuss how she creates her romance series from creating the initial layout...
#399 – Finding Your Creative Spark with Emma Davie
In this episode, we talked with Canadian romance author Emma Davie, whose first novel, Home to Christmas Island, was published with Kobo Originals in 2025. Emma's latest book, Good for the Summer, is available now with Kobo Originals as well!
We spoke with Emma about her journey to becoming a published author, her career in journalism, drawing inspiration from the Canadian Maritimes, how she uses tarot cards to bolster her creativity, and much more.
Learn more about Emma Davie via her website.
Kobo ReWriting Life - Writing For Your Narrator with J.R. Ward
In this episode, we are joined by Jessica Ward, also known as J. R. Ward. J. R. Ward is the author of the acclaimed series, The Black Dagger Brotherhood. Over 15 million copies of her novels are in print around the world and she has been published in over 25 countries globally! Her latest release as Jessica Ward is The St. Ambrose School for Girls, a coming-of-age novel described as Heathers meets The Secret History. We were so excited to read this book and to hear more from the phenomenal author behind this new title and dozens of others.
W...
#398 – Writing Psychological Thrillers and Procedural Crime with D.K. Hood
In this episode, we are excited to be joined by D.K. Hood, acclaimed author of the Detectives Kane and Alton series! Having sold over 2 million copies of her books, D.K. is an experienced author whose works have been largely published by the digital-first publisher Bookouture.
We spoke to D.K. about her long-running Kane and Alton series, how she plots her novels, how she makes sure mysteries stay satisfying, how she keeps her characters consistent, shares advice for writing a series, and much more.
We are honoured to help be a part of c...
Kobo ReWriting Life - From Audiobooks to Authorship with Karen Grey
In this episode, we spoke with Karen White, an award-winning audiobook narrator who recently began writing and publishing her own works under the pen name of Karen Grey. We chatted about Karen's career as an audiobook narrator, her transition into publishing as an indie author, and much more. There was such a wealth of advice and information that Karen brought to the table that we felt as if we could talk for another hour or more!
Be sure to take a look at Karen's latest novel, You Get What You Give, the first in her Carolina Classics...
#397 – See Success by Publishing Wide with Skye MacKinnon
In this episode of the KWL Podcast, we were joined by Skye MacKinnon, best-selling author of over seventy romance novels. She also publishes children's books under the pen name Isla Wynter. She loves to help other indie authors succeed and had much great advice to share about self-publishing during our conversation!
We spoke to Skye about her writing journey, how she started writing full-time, writing under multiple pen names, publishing wide, working with other authors, translating her books, and much more!
Plus, listen to Skye's previous appearance on the KWL Podcast here.
Learn...
Kobo ReWriting Life - #36 - Mythology, Fantasy, and LGBTQ+ Representation with Arizona Tape
In this episode, we spoke with Arizona Tape, author of dozens of books across multiple series, and collaborative writer on many more! Some of her many ongoing series include Queens of Olympus (inspired by Greek mythology!), Crescent Lake Shifters (dragon-shifter romance!), and Crescent Lake Bears (lumberjack bear-shifter romance!). We learned about Arizona's journey to becoming a full-time writer, heard more about her solo and her collaborative writing processes, asked after her favourite manga and anime series, and got some great advice for emerging writers.
We also chatted about LGBTQ+ representation, readers seeing themselves represented in Arizona's books...
#396 – Crafting Memorable Characters with Claire Taylor
In this episode, we spoke with Claire Taylor, author, author coach, and owner of FFS Media. She is the author of over forty mystery and humour novels. She also works as an author coach and is the developer of The Liberated Writer program, wherein she implements the Enneagram framework into her teachings! Her book, Write Iconic Characters, teaches authors how to write memorable characters using the Enneagram framework.
We had a great conversation about Claire's journey to becoming an author, her Enneagram expertise, her advice for authors looking to write memorable characters, her coaching services, and much...
Kobo ReWriting Life - My Approach to Writing with Michael Connelly
Welcome to the Kobo ReWriting Life Podcast! Alongside your regularly scheduled Kobo Writing Life podcast episode releases, we will also be featuring some highlights from our backlist. In this episode, Kobo held a special event in downtown Toronto, and part of the event involved this live interview with author Michael Connelly, hosted by Johanna Schneller!
Johanna Schneller interviewed Michael about his writing career, his journalism experience, his best-selling mystery series starring detective Harry Bosch, and much more.
For more information, visit Michael's website.
#395 – Writing An Epic Romantasy with Sable Sorensen
In this episode, we are joined by best-selling romantasy author duo Sable Sorensen—the pen name of authors Eliza and Annie. Together, they write The Wolves of Ruin, a slow burn romantasy series featuring dangerous trials, giant wolves, and strong heroines. We were super excited to discuss their writing career, their love of fantasy and romance, and the second book in The Wolves of Ruin series, Fury Bound, the sequel to the hit romantasy Dire Bound.
We talked about Eliza and Annie's co-writing skills, how they plot a series, how they world-build for an epic romantasy world, th...
Kobo ReWriting Life - Estate Planning for Authors with M.L. Buchman
Welcome to the Kobo ReWriting Life Podcast! Alongside your regularly scheduled Kobo Writing Life podcast episode releases, we will also be featuring some highlights from our backlist. In this episode, former KWL director Mark Lefebvre discussed estate planning for authors with best-selling author M.L. Buchman and addressed questions around author legacies!
In this episode of the KWL podcast, former Kobo Writing LIfe director Mark Lefebvre interviews best-selling author M.L. Buchman ("Matt") about his non-fiction title specifically targeted for writers and other creators, Estate Planning for Authors: Your Final Letter (and why you need to write...
Indie Author Productivity and Well-being with Carrie Ann Ryan
In this episode, we are joined by Carrie Ann Ryan! Carrie Ann is the USA Today best-selling author of over 150 romance novels. She specializes in writing interconnected series, characters that yearn, and much more. She is the author of The Cage Family series, The Wilder Brothers series, and The Montgomery Ink series, among many others!
We had a great time talking with Carrie Ann about her journey to becoming an author, her writing process, her long-running romance series, and even more.
Carrie Ann's latest book, One Quick Obsession, is available now on Kobo.
L...
Kobo ReWriting Life - The Realities of Indie Publishing and Writing Romance with J. Sterling
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, Fun for the Holidays, features holiday romances for every season. Check out her latest instalment, The Thanksgiving Hookup!
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...
#393 – Crafting a Bestselling Thriller Series with Angela Marsons
In this episode, we spoke to Angela Marsons, whose books have sold over six million copies, been translated into thirty languages, and have earned her the title of Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling author. She is the mastermind behind the D.I. Kim Stone thriller series, and with this episode of the KWL Podcast, we're very excited to be celebrating the publication of book 23 in this series, Wicked Women! We also are excited to hear more about Angela's journey to becoming an author, the secret to her success, her experience working with a digital-first publisher, and much...
Kobo ReWriting Life - Writing Collaborative Romance with Christina Lauren
In this week's episode, we spoke with New York Times, USA Today and #1 internationally bestselling author, Christina Lauren – which is the pen name of two authors, Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings! We are here to highlight their latest release – The True Love Experiment, available now – and to learn more about their amazing writing career.
Christina and Lauren tell us about how they got started writing together, how they collaborate for each book, how their collaborative style developed, the importance of fandom, and more. We also got a great list of recommended romance reads, and received some great advice...
How to Build Dread in Horror Novels with Karma Brown
In this episode, we are joined by author Karma Brown, international best-selling author author of eleven novels published in the last eleven years! Mother Is Watching is her first horror novel, available now from Simon & Schuster Canada, and we were very excited to sit down and talk to Karma about her experience writing her first horror novel.
We heard about Karma's journey from journalist to author, why the horror genre is one of her favourite genres, learn more about Mother Is Watching, get into the inspiration behind this novel, hear about the importance of research, chat about...
Kobo ReWriting Life - How to Be a Career Author with Nana Malone
Welcome to the Kobo ReWriting Life Podcast! Alongside your regularly scheduled Kobo Writing Life podcast episode releases, we will also be featuring some highlights from our backlist. In this episode, we were so excited to speak with USA Today best-selling romance author Nana Malone about her writing journey, her pivot to self-publishing, advice on building up your career as an author, and much more!
In this episode, Stephanie and Marina interview USA Today best-selling author Nana Malone. Nana talks to us about her writing journey and how adapting and changing her marketing and writing process has allowed...
From Folktales to First Drafts with A.B. Daniels-Annachi
In this episode, we are joined by A.B. Daniels-Annachi, author of the epic fantasy novel A Tide of Treason! Ari is also the author of the young adult fantasy series The Violents. His work is inspired by mythology and folktales, and he has plenty to share about his experience world-building, researching, crafting characters, and more.
We talked with Ari about his journey to becoming an author, why representation in fantasy fiction is important to him, the people, folktales, and mythology that inspire A Tide of Treason and his other work, learn more about his writing process...
Kobo ReWriting Life - #30 - Adapting your Novel for the Screen with Maggie Marr
Welcome to the Kobo ReWriting Life Podcast! Alongside your regularly scheduled Kobo Writing Life podcast episode releases, we will also be featuring some highlights from our backlist. In this episode, we were joined by Maggie Marr, an author who has also been an entertainment attorney, producer, and more, to talk about all things related to adapting novels to screens.
Maggie Marr has been an entertainment attorney, a producer, an entertainment agent, and is a USA Today bestselling author. She joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her journey from the courtroom to the bestseller list...
Dictate Your Next Bestselling Book with Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer
In this episode, we are joined by author, educator, and Choctaw storyteller Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer! Sarah is the author of 19 books, including several self-published historical fiction novels and a non-fiction title. Sarah also teaches courses aimed at writers looking to learn how to write Native American characters, improve their dictation skills, and more. More information can be found on her website.
We had a great conversation with Sarah about her journey to becoming an author, her indie publishing career, her experience dictating novels and what drew her to dictating in the first place, and much, much more!<...
Kobo ReWriting Life - What Authors Can Learn from Movies with John Gaspard
Welcome to the Kobo ReWriting Life Podcast! Alongside your regularly scheduled Kobo Writing Life podcast episode releases, we will also be featuring some highlights from our backlist. In this episode, we welcome John Gaspard to share his tips and tricks learned from film directors and the movies that apply to novels and novel writing. This is a great episode for anyone looking to improve their writing skills with the aid of different mediums!
In this episode, we spoke with John Gaspard, author of The Popcorn Principles: A Novelist's Guide to Learning from the Movies, an indispensable guide...
#389 – How to Sell More Books with Kobo's Expert Booksellers
Welcome to a special episode of the Kobo Writing Life podcast, where we hear from three of Kobo's own bookselling experts! Deandra, Tiana, and familiar face (and voice) of the podcast, Rachel, are all booksellers with years of experience in the field at Kobo and beyond. We were excited to hear from them and get some amazing insight on book sales and how to sell even more books on Kobo.
Deandra, Tiana and Rachel discuss trends in book sales and marketing, get into subscription reading trends, talk about hot and upcoming genres in 2026 and beyond, share details o...
Kobo ReWriting Life - #28 - Diversity in Romance with Jackie Lau
Welcome to the Kobo ReWriting Life Podcast! Alongside your regularly scheduled Kobo Writing Life podcast episode releases, we will also be featuring some highlights from our backlist. In this episode, we were joined for the first time by Jackie Lau, best-selling author of romance titles since 2018. We spoke with Jackie about her journey to becoming an author, the importance of representation and diversity in romance novels, being involved in the book cover creation process, and so much more!
In this episode, Jackie Lau reflects on her first year of self-publishing and the steps she took to ensure...
Sustaining a Long-Term Career in Self-Publishing with Rachel Amphlett
In this episode, we are joined by USA Today best-selling and internationally acclaimed author Rachel Amphlett, whose mystery and thriller titles include those in the Detective Kay Hunter series, the Detective Mark Turpin series, and more. Rachel is the full-time author of over 40 books and counting, and currently leads a nomadic life, writing wherever she goes!
The latest title in her beloved Kay Hunter series, What Evil Hides, is publishing February 9th 2026.
We had such a wonderful time talking to Rachel about getting her start as an indie author, how she runs her author business, a...
