Get ready to be inspired on this episode of Author Express as we introduce you to the acclaimed historical fiction and romance author, Madeline Martin. Host Kristi Leonard pulls back the curtain on Madeline’s fascinating journey from being an Army brat in Germany to becoming a New York Times and USA Today bestseller. Discover how Madeline transitioned from writing over thirty romance novels to the world of historical fiction, with a special focus on her latest heartwarming book, The Book Lovers Library. Listen in as Madeline shares the challenges and joys of researching historical events, including WWII evacuations and the hidden gems of Nottingham. This episode is a treasure trove for book lovers and aspiring authors alike, full of insights and behind-the-scenes stories that will leave you eager for more.

Madeline Martin is a New York Times, USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly, and internationally bestselling author of historical fiction and historical romance with books that have been translated into over twenty-five different languages. She lives in sunny Florida with her two daughters (known collectively as the minions), two incredibly spoiled cats and a man so wonderful he’s been dubbed Mr. Awesome. She is a die-hard history lover who will happily lose herself in research any day. When she’s not writing, researching or ‘moming’, you can find her spending time with her family at Disney or sneaking a couple spoonfuls of Nutella while laughing over cat videos. She also loves to travel, attributing her fascination with history to having spent most of her childhood as an Army brat in Germany.

You can learn more about Madeline Martin and request for her to join you via zoom for your next book club at her website: MadelineMartin.com

Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of The Book Lovers Library at Bookshop.org.

Kristi Leonard is a modern Renaissance woman deeply rooted in the book world. When she's not immersed in crafting novels, she's orchestrating writing retreats through her business, Writers in the Wild, or lending her voice to non-fiction audiobooks. She leads the Women’s Fiction Writers Association as the president of the board, and interviews her writer pals as one of the hosts of the Author Express Podcast. She will start querying her first book in 2024.

Beyond the realm of words, Kristi embraces the Florida sunshine by hiking with her writer-hiker group and leisurely walks on the beach. She and her husband juggle a couple side businesses and take turns sharing the couch with their goofy Golden-doodle, Maddie. Kristi enjoys travel adventures with her twin sister and living vicariously through her grown children. You can learn more about her and connect at: https://linktr.ee/kristileonard.

Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast

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On today’s episode, we’re chatting with Amy Watson, a Women’s Fiction and romance author. One day, at the prompting of her therapist, she went home and told her husband she was going to write a novel. Mind you, she wasn’t a writer at the time. Hadn’t done more than dabble in poetry in college. She took a couple of creative writing courses online, and that November wrote the first 50,000 words to her novel Closer to Okay. Three years and approximately twenty versions later, her book was published.

Closer to Okay focuses on the life of the main character, Kyle, and her life on the other side of a suicide attempt. Kyle finds herself in a mental health facility with three other patients, all with different illnesses. Across the street, there’s a coffee shop called The Coffee Shop that she watches from her window at the halfway house. When she finally gets permission to leave, she heads straight across the street in need of a decent caffeine fix. There she finds Jackson. Her connection with Jackson is immediate as well as unwelcome – the last thing she needs right then is a relationship. The book follows Kyle during her time in Hope House, her release, and her attempts at dating Jackson.

You can learn more about her on her website www.amywatsonwrites.com and follow her on Instagram @amywatsonwrites -which will be the best place to be kept up to date on her next release!

Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of Closer to Okay at Bookshop.org.

Author and musical composer Kathleen Basi is mother to three boys and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD, follows a musician on an unconventional road trip. Bestselling author Kerry Anne King writes, “In a novel filled with music, heartbreak, and surprising laughter, Basi takes us on a journey that encompasses both unimaginable loss and the powerful resilience of the human heart.”

Meaty, earnest, occasionally humorous, and ultimately uplifting, Kathleen’s fiction highlights the best within ourselves and each other. She writes monthly reflections on life, writing and beauty on her newsletter. Subscribe at https://kathleenbasi.substack.com/.

Be sure to follow or subscribe to Author Express wherever you listen to podcasts and to follow us on Instagram @AuthorExpressPodcast

Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books -

https://linktr.ee/AuthorExpressPodcast

Join Shawna Rodrigues as she chats with Yvonne Battle-Felton on this episode of Author Express, where an exciting narrative journey awaits. Yvonne, a seasoned writer and creative force, reveals snippets of her rich life experiences and their impact on her writing. Discover the inspirations behind her debut, Remembered, and get a preview of her upcoming release, Curdle Creek, an American Gothic novel. They explore themes like identity, family, and the peculiar charm of small towns that perfectly set the stage for thrilling tales. Perfect for book lovers and aspiring writers, this episode is brimming with insights and heart.

Yvonne Battle-Felton is an author, academic, host, creative producer, and writer. Her debut, Remembered, was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction (2019) and shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize (2020). Winner of a Northern Writers Award in fiction (2017), Yvonne has six titles in Penguin Random House’s The Ladybird Tales of Superheroes and The Ladybird Tales of Crowns and Thrones. She has received a British Library Eccles Centre Fellowship (2019) and a Kimbilio Fiction Fellowship (2023). Yvonne is Senior Commissioning Editor at John Murray Press (UK) and the academic director of creative writing at Cambridge University Institute of Continuing Education. Host of Write Your Novel with Yvonne Battle-Felton and Bookable Space, her second book, Curdle Creek, an American Gothic about a sinister town with a strict population policy, will be published in October 2024 with Dialogue Books (UK) and Henry Holt (US).

Learn more about Yvonne on her website https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/.

You can catch up with Yvonne on socials on X, Instagram, and tiktok @whyiwritebattlefelton

Support your local bookstore & this podcast by pre-ordering your copy of Curdle Creek or getting your copy of Remembered at Bookshop.org, or pre-order it on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQHJG76H

Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 to consult and publish her first novel Beyond the Pear Blossoms. Her desire to connect and help others led to the launch of her podcast The Grit Show shortly thereafter. When she learned women host only 27% of podcasts, her skills and passion led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Network. She now helps mission-driven entrepreneurs better connect with their audiences by providing full-service podcast production and through a community for Entrepreneurs & Podcasters – EPAC. Podcasting is her primary focus, so she continues to support the writing community through this podcast, and her writing time is mostly focused on anthologies.

She offers a free 7 Steps to Perfect Your Podcast Title to anyone interested in launching a podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram-