Discovered Wordsmiths

Josh and Rose are unique in that they have collaborated on a fantasy book , but are also mother and son. We talk about what it's like to work with someone that's related to you. Since Josh is focused on a very connected universe, we talk about his worldbuilding. Below is a link to the wiki he is building for this. https://www.worldanvil.com/w/talifar-joshforeman And here is Rose's book on writing speculative fiction https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1640084479/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1640084479&linkCode=as2&tag=saschneider-20&linkId=363adc93b415b0a3f070...

Rose and Josh are a mother/son co-writing team. They are working on a universe, not just a book. There are plans for multiple books within this universe. Josh works on video games and uses that knowledge to help build his world AND design other items - like the sculpture used in the picture below. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QTQ3TDW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B07QTQ3TDW&linkCode=as2&tag=saschneider-20&linkId=87c861249138f13dfc206b016b23b6bd If you'd like a sample of their first chapter, you can read...

Annabelle is a 10 year old girl that lives in London. She goes to school and enjoys the same games and movies and other activities that her friends do. Annabelle is different in one very important way. She is a published author. I didn't get the chance to talk with Annabelle directly, but I spoke with her mother and learned about Annabelle's process and what she did to get the book written and published. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08NYV8LLV/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B08NYV8LLV&linkCode=as2&tag=saschneider-20&linkId=f8...

On the second half of the podcast with Caramel Lucas, we discuss being an entrepreneur in today's world. Caramel has multiple streams of income because there are many things she enjoys doing. She's an entertainer and likes to entertain - whether it's on a YouTube clip, in a book, or onstage as a comedian. We do talk about her publisher and the benefits that she has received because of it.

Caramel is a very busy woman. She writes books, but is also a stand up comic and a motivational speaker in Orlando, Florida. And it doesn't stop there. She has a YouTube channel where she shows a movie she made based on her book and she's even created a perfume. All that, and she's a mom also. Her book is a steamy romance, because she's a romantic gal, that is the first of many books she is working on.

Doug talks about finding the time to write and using the time you have to write. Authors need to get the words out, but we don't always follow our own advice.

Doug Lawrence went from being a Canadian Mounted Police to a mentor which led him to writing a book on mentoring. He has spent his time with various groups being a mentor and teaching others about mentoring. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0147WVG6I/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0147WVG6I&linkCode=as2&tag=saschneider-20&linkId=9e939c565f6f7f5bc9dbec56d6741ace Ken Blanchard is Doug's favorite author: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/074323538X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=074323538X&linkCode=as2&tag=saschneider-20&linkId=5...

This is a very different podcast than normal. This episode was actually recorded for my other podcast, Relentless Geekery, so you'll hear my co-host - Alan Baltis - on here. We chatted with Ted for quite awhile about many things, most of which weren't book or publishing related. I edited the episode so that it focused on the book and publishing. What also makes this weird is that Ted's books are comic books, graphic novels. It is a look at writing and publishing that isn't seen as much. I encourage everyone to check out Ted's stuff. I love it. Even...

Brooke and Stephen continue their discussion but this time they are talking about getting your book done. Brooke is a wellness coach, so it would be easy to neglect her writing while working her day job. We discuss what authors can do to ensure they get their writing done. Brooke has supplied everyone a copy of her 6 tips to getting done below: BrookeDavis-GettingtoDoneDownload And you can find her at: https://www.brookedaviswrites.com/ https://www.instagram.com/brooke.davis.writes/

Besides being an author, Brooke is a Life and Career Strategist . She enjoys hiking and photography and lives in Colorado. She started writing because it gave her a chance to get feelings out, like journaling. This grew into the thought that she wanted to write a book. You can find Brooke at:www.rootsofabundance.comwww.facebook.com/rootsofabundance https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1662900783/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1662900783&linkCode=as2&tag=saschneider-20&linkId=f87e5218ff7381cf239655cadabb7be8 One of Brooke's favorite books: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1439152799/ref=as_li_tl?ie...

Judy talks about what she has learned with setting a daily goal as a top priority. She's also learned that she can't take 17 years to write her second book, and had it being published the day we recorded the podcast. Being a new author, Judy struggles with getting her book in front of readers without having money to market. Together we explore ideas to jump start her marketing and get her book in front of people. We look at Story Origin as a great way to start since it is currently free while being developed. Several other ideas are talked...

Judy Moffitt lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia and has lived there most of her life. At Longwood college, she majored in Political Science and minored in mathematics. She is now retired from a career in Data Analyst (which she did for the Navy), but has also been a sewer planner amongst other jobs. Currently she lives with her two rescue dogs and when not writing likes to work with a local photography group and enjoys fractal art. In fact, some of her art is on permanent display at Longwood college match department. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08J8...

Kevin and Stephen talk about how to market fantasy stories in today's world. Kevin doesn't like writing typical fantasy, and this makes marketing even more difficult. Publishing poetry also adds interesting elements to trying to market. Kevin talks about not following marketing advice and why the general advice doesn't work for his books.

Kevin has lived all over the U.S. but currently lives in the southwest. He has daughters and loves to read. When he had a heart attack, he realized he needed to work on his writing if her ever wanted to get his books out. He is published with Modern Folklore Press, where his current book is coming out. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LD3S9B5/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B08LD3S9B5&linkCode=as2&tag=saschneider-20&linkId=97ce685f979d8b31ea3c07ddcd790545 https://kevinjfellows.com One of his...

Kim and I continue talking, but we switch from her book to talking about communities. Specifically, author communities and how they benefit writers. We have both been in different groups and met in a great mastermind group. Everyone has different experiences and all groups are different, but there are good and bad to look for.

https://ksbarton.com/ KS Barton Website Kim has the best job as a writer - she works in a library! Besides writing, she enjoys drums, dancing and aikido - which she has practiced for 17 years. She writes and shelves books at her local library in Tucson, Arizona. Her first book was about Aikido, but she has written her first fiction book that involves Norse mythology and history. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08RCB37VT/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B08RCB37VT&linkCode=as2&tag=saschneider-20&linkId=7278e9b0dc21a9e191f7580a61...

Besides writing, Ran works in the mental health field, so discussing mental health and how it affects writers was a natural. We also discuss how writers can take care of their mental health to continue writing.

Ran lives in Ontario Canada, and as we talked, the temp was WAY below zero. She works in the mental health field, which is what we talk about in the second half, but she views her writing as a major part of her life, starting at the tender age of 6. She's also an avid board/card gamer, which I can relate to. Playing games can be very creative and is also a good way to relax. She is working on publishing her first books but she has been a part of publishing a memoir written by her grandfather. The book...

Jeff has had several changes in his life - lawyer to politician to writer to CEO of a non-profit. We talk about how to handle those changes and why he chose to make writer one of those life changes.

Jeff has several boys, and like other authors, used what he learned raising his kids to write a book. He has been a lawyer and politician, and adds writer to his resume. Besides this book, he runs a non-profit calls Can Do Canines where they raise and train service dogs. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1735913502/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1735913502&linkCode=as2&tag=saschneider-20&linkId=0c874f8f7f831d0d8f957086d6d9747b Jeff recommends this book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0679746498/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0679746498&linkCode...

Doug and I discuss how life can influence your book. This is what he did when writing his book. He is a businessman and writing is not his main focus.

Doug came to writing his first book in an interesting way. He felt there was a need to instruct boys in lessons for men and spent years running a group that helped accomplish that. Many of the lessons are bundled in his book, Man Stuff. This helpful book is targeted to young men and designed to give them many things to learn as they grow. By day, Doug owns and runs a car dealership, but loves spending his free time with his group - which is called The Explorers. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B089XX7LF2/ref=as...

Chad has some insight, and regrets, on choosing the title he did. We discuss what makes a good title and how to tell.

Chad has been in the Air Force and is currently a computer developer in the medical field. He lives in California with his family. He has written a sci-fi book called Raising Aces. It's a war story with giant robots - who doesn't like that? http://chadboyer.me https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08NZX536X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B08NZX536X&linkCode=as2&tag=saschneider-20&linkId=3cb40d530aa797cec91ba8b793d3426a Some of Chad's favorite books: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0380788624/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789...

The discussion with Nosa continues as we discuss the growing rise in black culture in fantasy. Part of this discussion is why it is happening now and what has changed to allow it to happen. It's interesting to see how we feel that independent publishing has helped bring about this growing diversity and how indie authors can meet these specific niches and still sell books.

Nosa lives in the UK, though he is from Nigeria. Besides writing, he is a mechanical engineer by day and has used his knowledge to make the buildings in his books stand out. He is writing a fantasy series based on the culture and beliefs of Nigeria. Currently, there are two books available and he is working on his third. You can find his books at: https://www.ghagerianpublishing.com/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07X353Q78/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B07X353Q78&linkCode=as2&tag=saschneider-20&linkId=82b5fa6757de49e5...

I'm back with author David Rae and this time we discuss motivation. What it means and how to stay motivated. Both of us have had issues with motivation, and we want others to understand what we've done to overcome a lack of motivation.

David's first book is a dark fantasy called Crow Man. He currently lives in Scotland and works in the medical field. We discuss his book and some classic literature. David has great thoughts and advice for new writers. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZG5N2R9/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B07ZG5N2R9&linkCode=as2&tag=saschneider-20&linkId=04e5b2baa9d52668342ec200a0c68c34 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312890176/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0312890176&linkCode=as2&tag=saschneider-20&linkId=9a9968e12afeca0ed376acfa5a4...

On today's episode, I talk once again with Byron Gifford. We discuss how to overcome self doubt and dealing with self doubt. This is a common feeling among new writers, and we have thoughts and ideas to help those that doubt they should be writing.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1735766305/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1735766305&linkCode=as2&tag=saschneider-20&linkId=b3b8a6f09044af21aedc73015260ec5f Personal Website https://www.byrongifford.com Instagram https://www.instagram.com/byron_gifford/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/byron.gifford.52/ Byron lives in Michigan and is a father. He has moved for his career several times and the stress of moving with young children led him to write his book - Life with Graffy, discovering bravery. The book is about a boy that struggles with moving, which is something Byron's own son...

Tory joins me again to discuss what he has gone through in setting up his business entity for publishing. There are many choices and reasons to use one type or another. He also discusses using Sigil for formatting his book. Sigil is an open source epub editor. It is not for the faint of heart, but is powerful. https://github.com/Sigil-Ebook/Sigil/releases/tag/1.4.3

Today's guest is Tory Element who has co-authored a book with Jim Kukral called Rock Rain. This is Tory's first book and we discuss writing with a co-author. Tory is retired Air Force and has been working as a fitness trainer along with writing. One of his favorite book series: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AP9XIK0/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00AP9XIK0&linkCode=as2&tag=saschneider-20&linkId=5f87620a8d4f3edfcd557928fa47ba0d https://toryelement.com/ Tory Element Home Page He also is a fan of Auntie's Books

The podcast has been going strong for 6 months. If you look at the list of authors interviewed and their books, they are quite a diverse group of wonderful people. If you have not, find the type of book you like to read and click that category on the podcast. I encourage you to check out the authors and read their books. I also wanted to update everyone on my own writing. I have plans for books and stories to come out throughout the next several months. It is a very exciting time and there will be lots of new adventures...

Joanna's Mindfulness book - https://www.thecreativepenn.com/mindset/ https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/book/structuring-your-novel/ KM Weiland book and workbook https://thecareerauthor.com/threestorymethod/ J and Zach story method https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0999296345/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0999296345&linkCode=as2&tag=saschneider-20&linkId=8072ad1746fb6eddf1f071323c377062 Some links may be affiliate links

Jacqui Penn writes under the pseudonym of Penny Appleton. She lives in England, but has worked and lived around the world. Her daughter, Joanna Penn (The Creative Penn podcast), helped her with the first books. They say write what you know and Jacqui has chosen to write sweet romance. Her latest book is a senior romance, which I loved as it's not the typical romance you think about for this genre. https://www.pennyappleton.com/ Penny Appleton home page https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07253KFZ3/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B07253KFZ3&linkCode=as2...

Shay Siegel wrote her first novel, Fractured, based on trials she's dealt with during her life. As a young girl, she experienced selective mutism, which would not allow her to talk in certain circumstances. Her book is a YA that has a football player discovering that other people in the world has problems that he wasn't even aware of. She hopes to continue writing more books dealing with mental health issues in teens and young adults. https://www.shaysiegel.com/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B087DXJ3W2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B087DXJ3...

Stephen lives in New Zealand, but has traveled the world when he was younger. His experience allows him a unique perspective in his art and books. His earlier experience in screenwriting - including Jules Verne Mysterious Island - allowed him to realize he wanted to write. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0473539306/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0473539306&linkCode=as2&tag=saschneider-20&linkId=0df5e543a32f01f4ea4e2bec9012e43c https://stephenbatt.com/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112089/fullcredits/ Here is a couple short films that Stephen has made: Warm Gun - A...

Today I talk with David Kouri from Texas. He is a thrill seeker and loves sports. In his past life he acted in theater and for TV before switched to behind the camera and writing. His first book, Elyria, is a YA fantasy. When the main character discovers he is a 99 year old vampire and he's meant to save the galaxy, his life changes. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086B71MTG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B086B71MTG&linkCode=as2&tag=saschneider-20&linkId=97e7c36c1e6a32914397ff9c6f81f9ae ...

Thomas A. Brigger is a businessman, entrepreneur, traveler and author of Beyond the Higher Ground, a novel about intrigue and suspense amid the opioid crisis in Appalachia. With a background including construction worker, small business owner, instructional writer, real estate developer, builder, consultant and corporate executive, the author draws from his experience to recognize the nuances of human behavior. Proclaimed by a former instructor to be “potentially one of the great writers of the century”, Brigger set aside his business interests to concentrate on writing fiction, a craft that he mastered by writing short stories for most of his adult life...

David is a stay at home dad living in Munich, Germany with his wife and twin boys. He has lived throughout the world and uses his experience with various cultures to write a series of adventure books for kids. He began writing while staying at home and has turned it into a career. The stories are action, adventure stories that kids (and adults) can easily love. https://davidkonradauthor.com/ David Konrad author website https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/8409206285/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=8409206285&linkCode=as2&tag=saschneider-20&linkId=18d0fd10966414ac726ce68b8f2a82...