The Story Craft Cafe Podcast

#KissTember Kickoff | How To Make A Living As A Romance Author | Story Craft Cafe Episode 45

We're kicking off a month that we're calling #KissTember. Since we are roughly six months away from Valentine's Day, if you are a romance author, or just thinking about dipping your toe in the romance waters, now is a great time to start focusing on that February release. To kick off this special month we have a conversation with Romance superstar Sierra Simone. From finding her voice to staking out her own corner of this wildly popular genre, Sierra has something for all us writers to add to our writer's toolkits. 
Sierra is a voracious reader of all things including the smuttiest smut, young adult, piles of non-fiction for research, and everything Bill Bryson (especially on audio).
She loves writing the dirtiest things that she can think of, King Arthur, sparkling water, Tarot, coffee, leggings, and learning new words daily. 
Her previous jobs have included firing ceramics, teaching living history lessons in one-room school house in full, 1904-approved school marm attire, and working as a librarian for several years—not in that order
She lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, two children, and two giant dogs. (And two cats, but they're so naughty we don't talk about them.) 
Her novels have been published in Czech, French, German, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, and Romanian. She's been featured in Buzzfeed, Cosmopolitan, Entertainment Weekly, Marie Claire, and Library Journal with a starred review.
Sierra is an internet introvert, but you can follow her on Spotify and Instagram, and chat with other readers in her Facebook group!
You can also reach her at thesierrasimone@gmail.com. (Please note that due to a high volume of emails, responses may be significantly delayed.)

Finding Your Niche In Publishing With Karen McManus | Story Craft Cafe Episode 44

Karen M. McManus is a #1 New York Times and international bestselling author of young adult thrillers. Her books include the One of Us Is Lying series, which has been turned into a television show on Peacock, as well as the standalone novels Two Can Keep a Secret, The Cousins, You’ll Be the Death of Me, and Nothing More to Tell. Karen's critically acclaimed, award-winning work has been translated into more than 40 languages. To learn more about Karen and her books, visit karenmcmanus.com, or follow @writerkmc on Twitter and Instagram.
 
From #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying comes a new page-turning mystery. Be sure to keep your friends close . . . and your secrets closer.Four years ago, Brynn left Saint Ambrose School following the shocking murder of her favorite teacher—a story that made headlines after the teacher’s body was found by three Saint Ambrose students in the woods behind their school. The case was never solved. Now that Brynn is moving home and starting her dream internship at a true-crime show, she’s determined to find out what really happened. The kids who found Mr. Larkin are her way in, and her ex–best friend, Tripp Talbot, was one of them. Without his account of events, the other two kids might have gone down for Mr. Larkin’s murder—but instead, thanks to Tripp, they're now at the top of the Saint Ambrose social pyramid. Tripp’s friends have never forgotten what Tripp did for them that day, and neither has he. Just like he hasn’t forgotten that everything he told the police was a lie.Digging into the past is bound to shake up the present, and when Brynn begins to investigate what happened in the woods that day, she uncovers secrets that might change everything—about Saint Ambrose, about Mr. Larkin, and about her ex-best friend, Tripp Talbot.Four years ago someone got away with murder. More terrifying is that they might be closer than anyone thinks.
 

Author Sampler With Meg Gardiner, David Pepper, Faye Kellerman, William Kent Krueger, John Galligan, and Karin Slaughter | Story Craft Cafe Episode 43

Welcome to the story craft cafe podcast. Today we have a special show for you. We have been collecting conversations with authors all across the genre space, as well as authors that are traditionally published, as well as superstars in the indie publishing space. We don't always get the opportunity to record a full hour-long interview with everyone, even if we really enjoy the types of shows where we get to really dig into an author's journey as well as dig deeply into a certain aspect of craft. That's where this show comes in. Over the last couple of months I have had the opportunity to chat with some fantastic authors and today I am bringing you selected clips from each of them. If this is the Story Craft Cafe, then think of this as a sampler platter. Today we'll hear from Meg Gardiner, David Pepper, Faye Kellerman, William Kent Krueger, John Galligan, and the always entertaining Karin Slaughter. Be sure to join us next week as we resume our normal format. As always, thanks for listening.  

Using Data To Find Your Indie Success with Alex Newton Of K-lytics | Story Craft Cafe Episode 42

As we continue our #indiesummmer coverage, we shift gears a little bit to talk to Alex Newton from K-lytics. While writing is most definitely an art, publishing is a business. Did you know that there are ways for you to find out exactly who your competition is, and how saturated a particular genre or sub genre is? Alex Newton has done just that and today he shares some of his wisdom with us. Whether you are an indie author, or have your sights set on a traditional publishing career, Alex has information that can help us all. 
K-lytics

Finding Your Readers And Marketing That Works With Kevin Tumlinson | Story Craft Cafe Episode 41

Welcome to the Story Craft Cafe podcast. As we continue our #indiesummmer coverage, we talk with an author today that has seen indie publishing go through ups and downs, from the wild wild west to a mature industry with opportunities and challenges for anyone wanting to get their stories out to the masses. Kevin Tumlinson writes science fiction as well as his current passion of Archaeological thrillers, (think Indiana Jones meets Dan Brown) and in this episode we talk about his thoughts abut what it takes to write in a particular genre and gather an audience, why he pivoted in his chosen genre, what he thinks is the number one thing authors can do to take their publishing to the next level, his work with indie publishing platform Draft2Digital, and so much more.
Kevin Tumlinson is the Novelist—an award-winning and bestselling author of hundreds of books crafted to thrill and inspire. He also serves as the Director of Marketing and PR for Draft2Digital, the leading distributor of books by independent authors and publishers, worldwide. Kevin is known as the Voice of Indie Publishing for his work in podcasts, conferences, public speaking, and consulting for authors. Every day he helps and encourages hundreds of thousands of will-be and established authors around the globe.

A Fantasy Master Talks World Building with R. A. Salvatore | Story Craft Cafe Episode 40

In Part 2  of this conversation with master of Epic Fantasy R. A. Salvatore we dig deep into his favorite topic, world building. From the terrain to the politics and religion of a place to how characters evolve based on their environment and how they have been nurtured, you don't want to miss this episode!
As one of the fantasy genre's most successful authors, R.A. Salvatore enjoys an ever-expanding and tremendously loyal following.
His books regularly appear on The New York Times best-seller lists and have sold more than 30,000,000 copies. Salvatore’s most recent original hardcover, The Two Swords, Book III of The Hunter’s Blade Trilogy (October 2004) debuted at # 1 on The Wall Street Journal best-seller list and at # 4 on The New York Times best-seller list. His books have been translated into numerous foreign languages including German, Italian, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Turkish, Croatian, Bulgarian, Yiddish, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Czech, and French.
Salvatore's first published novel, The Crystal Shard from TSR in 1988, became the first volume of the acclaimed Icewind Dale Trilogy and introduced an enormously popular character, the dark elf Drizzt Do'Urden. Since that time, Salvatore has published numerous novels for each of his signature multi-volume series including The Dark Elf Trilogy, Paths of Darkness, The Hunter's Blades Trilogy, and The Cleric Quintet.
His love affair with fantasy, and with literature in general, began during his sophomore year of college when he was given a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings as a Christmas gift. He promptly changed his major from computer science to journalism. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications from Fitchburg State College in 1981, then returned for the degree he always cherished, the Bachelor of Arts in English. He began writing seriously in 1982, penning the manuscript that would become Echoes of the Fourth Magic. Salvatore held many jobs during those first years as a writer, finally settling in (much to our delight) to write full time in 1990.
The R.A. Salvatore Collection has been established at his alma mater, Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, containing the writer's letters, manuscripts, and other professional papers. He is in good company, as The Salvatore Collection is situated alongside The Robert Cormier Library, which celebrates the writing career of the co-alum and esteemed author of young adult books.
Salvatore is an active member of his community and is on the board of trustees at the local library in Leominster, Massachusetts. He has participated in several American Library Association regional conferences, giving talks on themes including "Adventure fantasy" and "Why young adults read fantasy." Salvatore himself enjoys a broad range of literary writers including James Joyce, Mark Twain, Geoffrey Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dante, and Sartre. He counts among his favorite genre literary influences Ian Fleming, Arthur Conan Doyle, Fritz Leiber, and of course, J.R.R. Tolkien.
Born in 1959, Salvatore is a native of Massachusetts and resides there with his wife Diane, and their three children, Bryan, Geno, and Caitlin. The family pets include three Japanese Chins, Oliver, Artemis and Ivan, and four cats including Guenhwyvar.
When he isn't writing, Salvatore chases after his three Japanese Chins, takes long walks, hits the gym, and coaches/plays on a fun-league softball team that includes most of his family. His gaming group still meets on Sundays to play.

Reflecting On Nearly 35 Years As A Master Of Fantasy Fiction with R. A. Salvatore | Story Craft Cafe Episode 39

In the first of this 2 part episode we talk with Master of Fantasy Fiction R. A. Salvatore. From the creation of his iconic character Drizzt Do'Urden, taking readers on a journey of character development, what it means to work in an existing shared fantasy universe, and so much more. Join us tomorrow as we do a deep dive on world building.
As one of the fantasy genre's most successful authors, R.A. Salvatore enjoys an ever-expanding and tremendously loyal following.
His books regularly appear on The New York Times best-seller lists and have sold more than 30,000,000 copies. Salvatore’s most recent original hardcover, The Two Swords, Book III of The Hunter’s Blade Trilogy (October 2004) debuted at # 1 on The Wall Street Journal best-seller list and at # 4 on The New York Times best-seller list. His books have been translated into numerous foreign languages including German, Italian, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Turkish, Croatian, Bulgarian, Yiddish, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Czech, and French.
Salvatore's first published novel, The Crystal Shard from TSR in 1988, became the first volume of the acclaimed Icewind Dale Trilogy and introduced an enormously popular character, the dark elf Drizzt Do'Urden. Since that time, Salvatore has published numerous novels for each of his signature multi-volume series including The Dark Elf Trilogy, Paths of Darkness, The Hunter's Blades Trilogy, and The Cleric Quintet.
His love affair with fantasy, and with literature in general, began during his sophomore year of college when he was given a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings as a Christmas gift. He promptly changed his major from computer science to journalism. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications from Fitchburg State College in 1981, then returned for the degree he always cherished, the Bachelor of Arts in English. He began writing seriously in 1982, penning the manuscript that would become Echoes of the Fourth Magic. Salvatore held many jobs during those first years as a writer, finally settling in (much to our delight) to write full time in 1990.
The R.A. Salvatore Collection has been established at his alma mater, Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, containing the writer's letters, manuscripts, and other professional papers. He is in good company, as The Salvatore Collection is situated alongside The Robert Cormier Library, which celebrates the writing career of the co-alum and esteemed author of young adult books.
Salvatore is an active member of his community and is on the board of trustees at the local library in Leominster, Massachusetts. He has participated in several American Library Association regional conferences, giving talks on themes including "Adventure fantasy" and "Why young adults read fantasy." Salvatore himself enjoys a broad range of literary writers including James Joyce, Mark Twain, Geoffrey Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dante, and Sartre. He counts among his favorite genre literary influences Ian Fleming, Arthur Conan Doyle, Fritz Leiber, and of course, J.R.R. Tolkien.
Born in 1959, Salvatore is a native of Massachusetts and resides there with his wife Diane, and their three children, Bryan, Geno, and Caitlin. The family pets include three Japanese Chins, Oliver, Artemis and Ivan, and four cats including Guenhwyvar.
When he isn't writing, Salvatore chases after his three Japanese Chins, takes long walks, hits the gym, and coaches/plays on a fun-league softball team that includes most of his family. His gaming group still meets on Sundays to play.

Revising Your Book And Working With An Editor With Lauren Moore | Story Craft Cafe Episode 38

Nothing can be more daunting than taking the manuscript that you've worked on and poured your heart and soul into and handing that to someone to mark up all the errors. It can be reminiscent of 11th grade English. Or is it? Join me today as I welcome Lauren Moore to talk about how you can take your manuscript as far as possible and how to form a relationship with an editor that will make your manuscript the best it can be.
Lauren Moore is a freelance editor and has helped make hundreds of books the best they could be. Join us as we talk about self editing and how to get the best out of your experience with an editor.
Link mentioned in this episode: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1QVTxWWYMaxPrTIZslm1QygkOsU_WzFA-Pgf2QF56Odo/edit?fbclid=IwAR01T0OVwIMFtl7loeFCnz7xYZP1OK8b7Uo8uK6E7taEur85X8z_3cWGpwQ#gid=1937885360

Developing Characters That Keep Readers Coming Back For More With Michael La Ronn | Story Craft Café Episode 37

Welcome to the Story Craft Café Podcast.  If you joined us yesterday then you know that we're talking with Michael La Ronn, author of more than 80 books. Today we go deep on character development. Michael talks about his focus on sci fi and fantasy, and his new focus on urban fantasy specifically. We talk about starting with characters and tropes that readers are familiar with, then adding a twist that will make people continue thinking about your book long after they close the back cover. What is the central conflict in all of Michael's stories? Find out in today's episode!
Episode 36 With Michael La Ronn Part One
https://www.michaellaronn.com/
https://authorlevelup.com/
 Michael's YouTube Channel

Publishing Over 80 Books While Juggling The Busyness Of Life With Michael La Ronn | Story Craft Café Episode 36

Michael La Ronn is one of the most prolific authors I know. He is also one of the most giving authors I know. He not only works a full time job, enjoys family life with his wife and daughter, maintains a popular YouTube Channel, he also has written and published over 80 books of fiction and non-fiction alike. 
In this first of two episodes with Michael, we talk about how a near death experience acted as a catalyst for him to pursue his dream of writing. We talked about the differences in the publishing landscape over the last decade and how he now views the idea of indie publishing as an empowering force for authors. 
Join us tomorrow as we do a deep dive with Michael into character development, especially for sci fi and fantasy.
https://www.michaellaronn.com/
https://authorlevelup.com/