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Episode 39: Author Speak, with Patricia McLinn

September 28, 2020September 20, 2018

Host Patricia McLinn reports from Author World with an update on “Cockygate” lawsuits, patent and trademark issues and Amazon scammers. She also dials up the Authors Love Readers Translation Service, taking readers behind the author curtain with explanations of terms in the craft and business of writing. Next week, Authors Love Readers will resume its regular format with a guest interview.

We hope you’ll consider supporting these discussions of the stories behind the stories and how writers write. Thank you!

Patreon

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Thanks to DialogMusik for the instrumentals that accompany this podcast.

Episode 38: We Are All Different, with Barbara Ankrum

September 28, 2020September 12, 2018

Bestselling author Barbara Ankrum was a successful commercial actress until her love of romance novels led to a publishing contract. Many books later, she still believes in happy endings and feels very lucky to do what she loves, with her husband, two children, two cats and one scruffy, unrepentant dog at her side. Her contemporary and historical romances have won numerous awards, including Romantic Times’ K.I.S.S Awards. She was a 2016 finalist in the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence Contest and has been nominated twice for Romance Writers of America’s RITA Award. Host Patricia McLinn talks with Barbara about her experience as an actress and screenwriter, why she has to write a book straight through, and why deadlines are necessary.

In Barbara’s words: “I would say that we are all different … we all approach it differently. Thank goodness, because that makes for a lot of great, interesting stories.” (28:10).

You can find Barbara on:

Thanks to DialogMusik for the instrumentals that accompany this podcast.

Episode 37: Is This Right for Me, with Nancy Warren

September 28, 2020September 5, 2018

A USA Today bestselling author of more than 50 novels, Nancy Warren is known for her funny, sexy and suspenseful tales. Nancy is a three-time RITA Awards finalist, a winner of the Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award, and was featured in an A1 New York Times story on her Harlequin Nascar romance series. Her latest releases include The Daisy Games, Book 7 of her Take a Chance series, and If the Dress Fits, Book 5 of The Almost Wives Club. Host Patricia McLinn talks with Nancy about taking others’ advice, starting a book in the middle, and collaborating with other writers.

In Nancy’s words: “I take people’s advice too easily, without sometimes thinking, maybe this was right for you but is this right for me?” (12:46).

You can find Nancy on:

Thanks to DialogMusik for the instrumentals that accompany this podcast.

authors love readers nancy warren

Episode 36: Always a Love Story, with Tawdra Kandle

September 28, 2020August 30, 2018

USA Today bestselling author Tawdra Kandle writes contemporary romance and romantic comedy in many forms. She loves unlikely pairings, strong women, sexy guys, hot love scenes and just enough conflict to make it interesting. Her books include young adult and new adult paranormal romance, new adult and adult contemporary romance and paramystery romance. She lives in central Florida with a husband, kids, sweet pup and too many cats. And yeah, she rocks purple hair. Host Patricia McLinn talks with Tawdra about what connects all her books, considering perspective and how she got her name.

In Tawdra’s words: “I write a lot of different types of books, but they all have in common romance. I am, at heart, a romance novelist… At the heart, it’s always a love story.” (1:10).

You can find Tawdra on:

Thanks to DialogMusik for the instrumentals that accompany this podcast.

Episode 35: Doing What Is Necessary, with Barbara O’Neal

September 28, 2020August 22, 2018

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.

authors love readers barbara o'neal

Episode 34: The Story Is Essential, with Kate Moore

September 28, 2020August 16, 2018

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.

authors love readers podcast kate moore

Episode 33: Small-Town Romance, with Jean Brashear

September 28, 2020August 9, 2018

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 31: I’m a Beginner, with Debra Salonen

September 28, 2020July 26, 2018

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

September 28, 2020July 19, 2018

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:

*His website

*Facebook and