Welcome to Authors Love Readers
This podcast, hosted by USAToday bestselling author Patricia McLinn, is a conversation between authors about how and why they create stories. With questions contributed by readers. Quite a few podcasts are out there for aspiring and established writers, both on the craft and the business.
This podcast, though, is for readers.
The goal is to have authors on the show who write in all sorts of fiction genres. As a reader, it doesn’t matter which path to publication an author takes – independent, traditional, hybrid and other combinations. That’s not going to matter on Authors Love Readers, either.
Listen to the latest podcasts
Episode 65: The Extras: Continued Conversation with Brenda Hiatt
Brenda Hiatt is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nearly 25 novels, including sweet and spicy historical romance, time travel romance, humorous mystery, and the young adult science fiction Starstruck series. Brenda began in traditional publishing with Harlequin, HarperCollins and Avon Books and later made a transition to indie publishing.
She is an active member of Romance Writers of America and Novelists Inc, where she has served as president. In addition to writing, Brenda is passionate about embracing life to the fullest, to include scuba diving (more than 60 dives to her credit), Taekwondo (she’s attained her 3rd degree black belt), hiking and traveling.
In this short “extras” episode, host Patricia McLinn talks with Brenda about the business of writing, being self-published and the editing and promotional aspects that entails.
In her own words: “Nobody can do as much justice to your idea as you can. So you should write the idea yourself.” [12:40]
You can find Brenda at:
or
Thank you so much for listening. We hope you enjoyed the podcast enough to want to support us for future episodes. You can do that with as little as $1 a month — What a deal! — by pledging at Patreon. It’s vital to Authors Love Readers to have your support. Thank you!
Please also consider rating/reviewing the podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.
Thanks to DialogMusik for the instrumentals that accompany this podcast.
Episode 64: Bonus Content #4, Various Authors
This week’s Authors Love Readers episode is a compilation of insights and conversations that didn’t make it into previous episodes.
Host Patricia McLinn talks with authors Brenda Hiatt, Paty Jager, Ann Charles, Julianne MacLean, Nancy Warren and Pamela Fagan-Hutchins.
Conversations range from getting-to-know-you moments, to deep insights into the motivations of the writers, and the growth they’ve experienced over a career of writing.
Thank you so much for listening. We hope you enjoyed the podcast enough to want to support us for future episodes. You can do that with as little as $1 a month by pledging at Patreon. It’s vital to Authors Love Readers to have your support. Thank you!
Please also consider rating/reviewing the podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.
Thanks to DialogMusik for the instrumentals that accompany this podcast.
Episode 63: Bonus Content #3, Various Authors
In this compilation episode, Authors Love Readers brings you more bonus interview conversation that didn’t make it into previous episodes. (So little time, so much to talk about!)
Host Patricia McLinn talks with podcast guest authors Jeff Carson, Rebecca Forster, R.J. Patterson, Jennifer Stevenson, Laura Durham, J.F. Penn, Melissa F. Miller and Nicole Jordan.
Thank you so much for listening. We hope you enjoyed the podcast enough to want to support us for future episodes. You can do that with as little as $1 a month — what a deal! — by pledging at Patreon. It’s vital to Authors Love Readers to have your support. Thank you!
Please also consider rating/reviewing the podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.
Episode 62: A Long Time Coming, with Paty Jager
Award-winning author Paty Jager and her husband raise alfalfa hay in rural eastern Oregon. On her road to publication she wrote freelance articles for local newspapers and enjoyed her County Extension job as a 4-H Program Assistant. Raising hay and cattle, riding horses and battling rattlesnakes, she not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it.
All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. Her penchant for research takes her on side trips that eventually turn into yet another story.
Thank you so much for listening. We hope you enjoyed the podcast enough to want to support us for future episodes. You can do that with as little as $1 a month — that’s only 25 cents per episode! What a deal! — by pledging at Patreon. It’s vital to Authors Love Readers to have your support. Thank you!
Please also consider rating/reviewing the podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.
Thanks to DialogMusik for the instrumentals that accompany this podcast.
Episode 61: News-a-Popping! with Patricia McLinn
Host Patricia McLinn takes on an episode solo to give listeners an update on Author World and an alleged case of plagiarism.
Patricia forgot to say in the podcast that if you want to read the history or follow what’s happening, the hashtag is #copypastecris. If you think you’ve spotted plagiarized work, we hope you’ll contact the original author via his/her website. Remember to look for word-for-word chunks, not ideas, tropes, situations, set-ups, occupations, etc.
Patricia’s blog with tips for spotting scammers:
https://www.patriciamclinn.com/uh-oh-scammer-messes-oh-my/
Courtney Milan’s first blog post on the plagiarism topic:
Another issue with plagiarism on Amazon:
A list of the plagiarized authors and the original, real, true books, with links to buy them:
Nora Roberts, who has fought plagiarism in traditional publishing but also is a supporter of indie authors, has been covering the issue in her Falling Into the Story official blog. Start here: http://fallintothestory.com/plagiarism-then-and-now
Catch Patricia’s new book for writers! SURVIVAL KIT FOR WRITERS WHO DON’T WRITE RIGHT will be available soon at Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play and Amazon for $2.99 or at Patricia’s eBookstore for just 99¢.
Thank you so much for listening. We hope you enjoyed the podcast enough to want to support us for future episodes. You can do that with as little as $1 a month — that’s only 25 cents per episode! What a deal! — by pledging at Patreon. It’s vital to Authors Love Readers to have your support. Thank you!
Please also consider rating/reviewing the podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.
Thanks to DialogMusik for the instrumentals that accompany this podcast.
Episode 60: Don’t Fight the Story, with Laura Durham
North Carolina-based Laura Durham has been writing for as long as she can remember and plotting murders since she began planning weddings. Better Off Wed, inspired by her wedding planner work, won the Agatha Award for Best First Novel. The Annabelle Archer wedding planner mystery series is now up to 12 with the Feb. 4 release of The Truffle With Weddings, which involves a Valentine’s Day wedding and a poisoned box of chocolates.
When Laura isn’t writing or wrangling brides, she loves traveling with her family, paddleboarding, perfecting the perfect brownie recipe, and reading.
Laura talks with host Patricia McLinn about how stories have a mind of their own and, as much as the writer might desire the story to go one place, she or he must heed the story.
In her words: “I feel like when you’re writing and something is stuck, or you feel like you are … sometimes we’re fighting against what needs to happen in the story.” [26:02]
You can follow Laura at her:
or
Thank you so much for listening. We hope you enjoyed the podcast enough to want to support us for future episodes. You can do that with as little as $1 a month — that’s only 25 cents per episode! What a deal! — by pledging at Patreon. It’s vital to Authors Love Readers to have your support. Thank you!
Please also consider rating/reviewing the podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.
Thanks to DialogMusik for the instrumentals that accompany this podcast.
Episode 59: Writing the Familiar and Unknown, with Jeff Carson
Thank you so much for listening. We hope you enjoyed the podcast enough to want to support us for future episodes. You can do that with as little as $1 a month — that’s only 25 cents per episode! What a deal! — by pledging at Patreon. It’s vital to Authors Love Readers to have your support. Thank you!
Please also consider rating/reviewing the podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.
Thanks to DialogMusik for the instrumentals that accompany this podcast.
Episode 58: From Creative to Researcher, with Brenda Hiatt
Brenda Hiatt is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nearly 25 novels, including sweet and spicy historical romance, time travel romance, humorous mystery, and the young adult science fiction Starstruck series. Brenda began in traditional publishing with Harlequin, HarperCollins and Avon Books and later made a transition to indie publishing.
She is an active member of Romance Writers of America and Novelists Inc, where she has served as president. In addition to writing, Brenda is passionate about embracing life to the fullest, to include scuba diving (more than 60 dives to her credit), Taekwondo (she’s attained her 3rd degree black belt), hiking and traveling.
Brenda talks to host Patricia McLinn about her experiences of growing up creative but learning to plot and research their stories.
In her words: “I did’t start out as much of a plotter. I kinda made it up as I went along [but] after selling that first book I became much more of a plotter, I would outline.” [24:05]
You can find Brenda at:
or
Thank you so much for listening. We hope you enjoyed the podcast enough to want to support us for future episodes. You can do that with as little as $1 a month — that’s only 25 cents per episode! What a deal! — by pledging at Patreon. It’s vital to Authors Love Readers to have your support. Thank you!
Please also consider rating/reviewing the podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.
Thanks to DialogMusik for the instrumentals that accompany this podcast.
Episode 57: Writing to the Finish, with Melissa F. Miller
Former attorney Melissa F. Miller is a USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 bestselling legal thrillers, suspense thrillers, romantic comedy mysteries and forensic thrillers. Her books share two common threads: pulse-pounding, tightly plotted action and smart, unlikely heroines and heroes.
Born in Pittsburgh, Melissa followed life and love to Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and ultimately south central Pennsylvania. But she secretly still considers Pittsburgh home.
As a lawyer, she clerked for a federal judge, practiced in the offices of major international law firms and ran a two-person law firm with her lawyer husband. Now, powered by coffee, she writes legal thrillers and homeschools her three children.
More than 1 million readers have downloaded Irreparable Harm, the first book in her 11-title Sasha McCandless series. Twisted Path, Book 4 of her Bodhi King series, is set to release Feb. 19. Her most recent release (December) is the fifth story in the We Three Sisters romantic mystery series, Wedding Bells and Hoodoo Spells: Sage’s Wedding.
Melissa talks with host Patricia McLinn about source envy, how deadlines affect your writing, and what to do when you’re ready to throw out your half-written book.
In her own words: “I never go hunting for ideas. And I’m sure you’ve had this experience: people will tell you they have a great idea for a book and maybe you want it. And you think, I have more ideas than I could possibly write.” [11:09]
You can find Melissa at:
and
Thank you so much for listening. We hope you enjoyed the podcast enough to want to support us for future episodes. You can do that with as little as $1 a month — that’s only 25 cents per episode! What a deal! — by pledging at Patreon. It’s vital to Authors Love Readers to have your support. Thank you!
Please also consider rating/reviewing the podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.
Thanks to DialogMusik for the instrumentals that accompany this podcast.
Episode 56: Born Loud, with Jennifer Stevenson
Illinois native Jennifer Stevenson is a Chicago-based fantasy and romance author who mixes romantic comedy with magical realist, regional (usually Chicago-set), working-class and sex-positive storytelling. She has published both short stories and several novel series, most of them blending urban fantasy with other popular storytelling genres.
Humor is a hallmark in all of Jennifer’s books. Her fantasy series range from urban romantic fantasy (Hinky Chicago) to paranormal romance (Slacker Demons) to fantasy paired with women’s fiction (Coed Demon Sluts). She’s also penned the contemporary romantic comedy series Backstage Boys and Liars in Love, her most recent releases.
Jennifer co-founded and is a member of the publishing cooperative Book View Cafe.
Jennifer talks with host Patricia McLinn about her self-described “snarky humor,” how she fell in love with romance (despite her parents’ protest), and how she came up with such unique series.
In her own words: “I don’t try to be loud. You have to understand; I was born loud, but I don’t try to be loud.” [30:01]
You can find Jennifer at:
and
Thank you so much for listening. We hope you enjoyed the podcast enough to want to support us for future episodes. You can do that with as little as $1 a month — that’s only 25 cents per episode! What a deal! — by pledging at Patreon. It’s vital to Authors Love Readers to have your support. Thank you!
Please also consider rating/reviewing the podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.
Thanks to DialogMusik for the instrumentals that accompany this podcast.
