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 35: Doing What Is Necessary, with Barbara O’Neal
Barbara O’Neal is a seven-time Romance Writers of America RITA award winner and a recent inductee into the RWA Hall of Fame. She has written 11 novels of women’s fiction, about dogs and food, families and second chances. Her most recent novel, The Art of Inheriting Secrets, was released in July. Host Patricia McLinn talks with Barbara about her transition from romance to women’s fiction, killing off a former teacher in one book and doing whatever is necessary to support her work.
In Barbara’s Words: “This is not an easy path … everything that I managed to pull off, including college. I put myself through college, [by] doing things like UPS, and I waited tables for 15 years. … I’ve always been willing to do whatever was necessary to support the work.” (21:31)
You can find Barbara on:
Thanks to DialogMusik for the instrumentals that accompany this podcast.
Episode 34: The Story Is Essential, with Kate Moore
Kate Moore studied English Lit near Boston and returned to her native California to teach generations of high school students (now her Facebook friends), while she not-so-secretly penned romances. In Kate’s stories, an undeniable attraction brings honorable, edgy loners and warm, practical women into a circle of love, from Regency England to contemporary California. Kate is a Golden Heart, Golden Crown and Book Buyers Best award winner and three-time RITA finalist. Host Patricia McLinn talks with Kate about how essential story is to being a person and how she has become more flexible with her writing process.
In Kate’s words: “We read stories all the time. It’s interesting how essential the experience of story is, whether you’re the consumer or the creator, it is so essential to being a person… I can’t imagine not having some connection to story if you’re a human being” (23:42).
You can find Kate on:
Thanks to DialogMusik for the instrumentals that accompany this podcast.
Episode 33: Small-Town Romance, with Jean Brashear
Texas writer Jean Brashear started her first book at age 45. Now she is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 50 novels in romance and women’s fiction, and her 30th Texas Heroes story, Texas Rescue (a Lone Star Lovers book), releases this week. She is a five-time RITA finalist and a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award winner. Host Patricia McLinn talks with Jean about growing up in a small town and why conflict is necessary for any story.
In Jean’s words: “If a simple conversation can solve the conflict, then it’s not conflict.” (15:33)
You can find Jean on:
Thanks to DialogMusik for the instrumentals that accompany this podcast.
Episode 32: The Hardship of Leaving, with Pamela Fagan Hutchins
Pamela Fagan Hutchins writes overly long e-mails, best-selling romantic mysteries and hilarious nonfiction from deep in the heart of Nowheresville, Texas, in winter and the frozen north of Snowheresville, Wyoming, in summer. Pamela’s mysteries have won several awards, from the 2017 Silver Falchion for Best Adult Mystery (Fighting for Anna) to the USA Best Books Fiction: Cross Genre in 2015 and 2016 (Hell to Pay, Heaven to Betsy). With nearly 2 million downloads for her What Doesn’t Kill You series, readers seem to enjoy her smart, sassy female sleuths. Host Patricia McLinn talks with Pamela about how an author’s characters become friends, living in Wyoming and what to do with ideas that don’t fit right away.
In Pamela’s words, on leaving your family and home for opportunities far away: “Leaving just isn’t the same anymore. We’ll probably never get to experience something like that, except through our imagination.” (10:39)
You can find Pamela on:
*Facebook and
Thanks to DialogMusik for the instrumentals that accompany this podcast.
Episode 31: I’m a Beginner, with Debra Salonen
Former award-winning journalist Debra Salonen is a national bestselling author with more than 40 published novels. She was received Romantic Times Reviewer’s Series Storyteller of the Year career achievement award in 2006 and followed that with Romantic Times’ Best Superromance of 2010. Debra’s six-book Big Sky Mavericks series is set in Montana and her 10-book Black Hills Rendezvous collection, which marked her debut as an independent publisher, takes place in her native South Dakota. This year, she published her seventh West Coast Happily Ever After romance and upped the ante in her newest, Prince Charming Undercover, with a Betting on Love sequel scheduled for August. Host Patricia McLinn talks with Debra about her various series across genres and the process of starting a new idea.
In Debra’s words: “I’m a beginner … I love the new sense of possibility and I’m always sure that this one is going to write itself. … I don’t really know the characters completely yet, so that finding-out process is part of the fun … it’s still that open beginning. (27:55)
You can find Debra on:
*Facebook and
Thanks to DialogMusik for the instrumentals that accompany this podcast.
Episode 30: Wearing Many Hats, with Lou Aronica
Before becoming an author, Lou Aronica was a publishing executive for Bantam Books, Berkley Publishing and Avon Books, specializing in science fiction and fantasy but working in several genres. He co-edited the Full Spectrum anthologies with Shawna McCarthy and has worked with publishing pioneer Ian Ballantine, authors such as Ray Bradbury and the writers at Lucasfilm. His first novel, The Forever Year, came out in 2004 (originally under the pen name Ronald Anthony), and was followed by a nonfiction book, A Million Thanks, co-authored with Shauna Fleming. He’s added nearly 30 books since then, including the New York Times bestsellers The Element and Finding Your Element (both with Ken Robinson) and national bestsellers Blue (fantasy), When You Went Away, The Journey Home and Anything (romance) and Leaves (women’s fiction). HostPatricia McLinn talks with Lou about working on both sides of the desk and how he overcomes the hurdles of being a male romance novelist.
In Lou’s words (on becoming an author): “It was really easy for me to say ‘yeah, some other time’… [But] if I don’t do it now… if I just go and get another job, then it’s never going to happen. So that’s really why I just decided to do it then.” (8:58)
You can find Lou on:
*Facebook and
Thanks to DialogMusik for the instrumentals that accompany this podcast.
Episode 29: What to Do When You’re Stuck, with Eve Gaddy
Eve Gaddy is an award-winning, national bestselling author of more than 25 novels and novellas. Some of her latest releases include A Texas Christmas Reunion, The Redfish Chronicles, The Cowboy and the Doctor, Love Me, Cowgirl and Last Shot. Host Patricia McLinn talks with Eve about staying focused on the task at hand and what she does when she has trouble writing a scene.
In Eve’s words: “You know, anything can spark an idea.” (44:38)
You can find Eve on:
*Facebook and
Thanks to DialogMusik for the instrumentals that accompany this podcast.
Episode 28: Author World News, with Patricia McLinn
Host Patricia McLinn reports from Author World with a discussion on trademark issues, why her books aren’t on Kindle Unlimited and book scammers. Next week, Authors Love Readers will resume its regular format with a guest interview.
–Trademark issues (a k a Cockygate)
First post: https://www.facebook.com/PatriciaMcLinn/posts/1949856518357767
An update: https://www.facebook.com/PatriciaMcLinn/posts/1967888346554584
A court hearing (probably not the last): https://www.facebook.com/PatriciaMcLinn/posts/1974884215854997
–Why Patricia McLinn books aren’t in Kindle Unlimited
https://www.patriciamclinn.com/10-reasons-my-books-are-not-in-kindle-unlimited
–Scammers on Kindle Unlimited
https://www.patriciamclinn.com/uh-oh-scammer-messes-oh-my
— Want to fork over $2,500? Scammers selling instructions on how to scam in Kindle Unlimited
https://www.patriciamclinn.com/fork-over-2-5k-learn-to-scam-via-kindle-unlimited
— Tips to help you spot scam books before you spend your time or money on them. (Scroll down to “Warning signs that should put you on alert”.)
https://www.patriciamclinn.com/amazon-ku-scammers
Episode 27: You Never Know Until You Start, with Mary Burton
Mary Burton is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nearly 40 mystery, romantic suspense and historical romance novels, including the recent Her Last Word, Senseless, Dying Scream and Dead Ringer. Host Patricia McLinn talks with Mary about making the transition from small suspense to big suspense and how she plans out her drafts.
In Mary’s words: “You almost feel like you have to give yourself permission to do things. … Trying something new seems so scary … just try it, life is short.” (19:06)
You can find Mary on:
*Facebook and
Thanks to DialogMusik for the instrumentals that accompany this podcast.
Episode 26: Stranger Than Fiction, with Elaine Raco Chase
Elaine Raco Chase is the award-winning author of seventeen paperback novels with over 3 million books in print. She is published in 25 countries and 15 languages. As a romance writer, Chase has won two sales awards for top romance novels of the year, Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award for romantic suspense, and the Affaire de Coeur Silver Pen Award for writing excellence. Host Patricia McLinn talks with Elaine about her start as a writer, overcoming prejudices, and what to do when your plot comes true in real life.
You can find Toni on:
Thanks to DialogMusik for the instrumentals that accompany this podcast.
