I’m delighted to welcome my friend and fellow mystery author Carolyn Wilkins to the show today.

Carolyn is a writer, musician, and a psychic medium. I got to meet her many years ago in the Boston mystery writing world, and she’s a lovely person and a talented writer. I’ve used her services as a medium and can tell you she’s the real deal. And she’s now got a brand new series coming out soon about - you guessed it - a psychic medium.

In the episode we talk about the span of her creative life, from music to memoir writing to murder mysteries, her exploration of mediumship, and the challenges of portraying psychic experiences in fiction.

We talked about:

• Her experience writing about her personal history

• Transitioning to fiction for greater creative freedom and exploration.

• How she kept her creativity alive through exploring different genres

• The importance of persistence

• Why you just have to keep moving forward

And so much more.

I love talking with Carolyn - and I think you’ll love meeting her.

You can find out more about her here: https://www.carolynwilkins.com/

Want more writing inspo? I have answers to all your burning questions about writing and publishing. Download my Ultimate Guide to Writing and Publishing Your Mystery.

I’m on IG @lizmugavero - follow for info on the latest episodes!

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Chapters

03:28 Introduction to Carolyn Marie Wilkins

10:02 Exploring the Transition to Fiction

14:26 Writing About Mediumship and Musicians

32:41 The Writing Journey

38:21 Finding an Agent and Building Relationships

46:08 Navigating Deadlines and Perfectionism

51:12 Advice for Aspiring Writers

Today on Get Writing, I’m welcoming a new friend to the podcast - author Adele Royce.

She’s a romance author turned thriller writer and she has a fun story to tell—she took her years working as an advertising and PR exec on the Las Vegas strip and turned the experiences into her latest novel, Summer’s Blood.

It’s a thriller that tackles not only murder, but family dysfunction and workplace conflict - two themes that I also love to not only read about, but add into my own books!

Adele holds a BA in English from Arizona State University, where she graduated magna cum laude. Her published novels include Camera Ready, Princess Smile, and For Position Only, which was a BookLife by Publishers Weekly Editor’s Pick. She is currently working on the sequel to Summer's Blood featuring the next generation of the Keller/Van Ness family, as well as Deadly Sins, a collection of short stories.

We covered the entire writer’s journey - from finding her way to writing, the pivot from romance books to thrillers, her process and her publishing journey.

We talked about:

• Why she pivoted from romance to thriller - and her newfound delight in killing people (in

books only of course!)

• Her experiences doing PR in Las Vegas and how they shaped her work

• Her publishing journey, from small press to self-published

• How she gets past writer’s block

And so much more.

Adele was a delight - I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I do!

You can find more about Adele here: https://adeleroyce.com/

Want more writing inspo? I have answers to all your burning questions about writing and

publishing. Download my Ultimate Guide to Writing and Publishing Your Mystery.

I’m on IG @lizmugavero - follow for info on the latest episodes!

We all know the publishing industry can be complicated.

It’s also pretty mysterious, even for those of us steeped in it. And sometimes it feels like there aren’t enough conversations about the realities of it—not to discourage us, but to encourage transparency and also to share experiences so we can all be educated and feel, well, less alone.

So today, I invited my friend Daryl Wood Gerber back to the podcast to take about ALL the things.

Daryl’s been here before, but in case you need a refresher, she is is the Agatha Award-winning, nationally bestselling author of of The Fairy Garden Mysteries, featuring a fairy garden shop owner in charming Carmel, California, The French Bistro Mysteries, featuring a former chef who is now an up-and-coming bistro owner in Napa Valley, and The Cookbook Nook Mysteries, featuring an admitted foodie and owner of a cookbook store in picturesque coastal California.

Under the pen name Avery Aames, Daryl writes the Agatha Award-winning, nationally bestselling The Cheese Shop Mysteries set in fictional Providence, Ohio. Daryl also writes suspense novels, including the Aspen Adams books and several standalones.

We cover:

• The importance of persistence

• How to write a killer proposal

• Why resilience and persistence is a critical skill in this line of work

• Creating and sustaining an author brand

And so much more.

I hope this conversation provides some insight, and more importantly, some inspiration to stay

the course.

You can find more about Daryl here: https://darylwoodgerber.com/

Want more writing inspo? I have answers to all your burning questions about writing and

publishing. Download my Ultimate Guide to Writing and Publishing Your Mystery.

I’m on IG @lizmugavero - follow for info on the latest episodes!

Episode 100? How in the world?

Thanks for sticking around to celebrate this milestone with me - I am so excited to be going into year three of podcasting. I’ve gotten to talk to so many amazing writers, and my 100th episode is no different.

I am delighted to welcome an author I truly admire - Faye Snowden - to the podcast this week.

Faye is the award-winning author of noir mysteries, poems and short stories. Her novels include The Savior, Fatal Justice, and A Killing Fire, a dark, southern gothic tale featuring homicide detective Raven Burns. A Killing Fire is first in a four-part series. The sequel, A Killing Rain (June, 2022), was long listed for the CWA Gold Dagger award, and won gold in the 2022 Foreword INDIES awards. CrimeReads named it one of the best southern gothic crime fiction novels of 2022.

Faye started out writing romantic suspense before transitioning to Southern Gothic mysteries, and we talk about her whole journey to get here, as well as her publishing story.

We cover:

• How she started writing by reimagining TV shows and books

• The personal inspiration behind Detective Raven Burns

• The “roller coaster ride” of publishing

• How she structures her writing life

• The influence the South has had on her work

• Imposter syndrome, and why all writers—even the most successful ones—have it

And so much more.

Faye is lovely - and she’s also an inspiration to all writers. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

You can find more about Faye here: https://www.fayesnowden.com/

Want more writing inspo? I have answers to all your burning questions about writing and

publishing. Download my Ultimate Guide to Writing and Publishing Your Mystery.

I’m on IG @lizmugavero - follow for info on the latest episodes!

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Chapters

03:40 Introduction to Faye Snowden and Her Journey

07:54 Transition from Romantic Suspense to Southern Gothic Mysteries

11:24 The Publishing Journey: Challenges and Triumphs

19:39 Balancing Writing with Day Job and Family Life

24:47 Creating Detective Raven Burns: Inspiration and Setting

26:54 Exploring the Gothic Elements of Louisiana

28:46 Themes Evil and Human Nature

33:45 The Art of Plotting vs. Pantsing in Writing

36:57 Diversity in Publishing: Progress or Setback?

40:11 The Role of Organizations in Supporting Diverse Voices

43:36 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome as a Writer

If you’re a writer looking for some inspiration and advice from someone who has had a LONG and prolific writing career, this week’s episode is for you.

I’ve got my friend Catriona McPherson on the show, and we’re talking about all things writing— process, publishing, the writing journey, and all the pieces in between like creating characters, researching, and most importantly, how to keep the joy alive.

I love this conversation. Catriona is a delight to know as well as to read, and we could have talked for hours. She shares her own journey as the author of 35 mystery novels in multiple genres, how she keeps her productivity high, and also shares her insights into how to stay the course in publishing.

We cover:

• The catalyst for her to finally take her writing seriously

• How to enjoy the writing process and have fun with your stories

• How the COVID lockdown helped her connect with her family’s past to jumpstart her storytelling

• Why the right literary agent is so important

• Her own daily schedule that keeps her writing prolifically

And so much more.

Our talk was so inspiring it made me want to just go start a new story for the pure joy of it. And she has the best Scottish accent - you’ll want to listen all day!

You can find more about Catriona here: http://catrionamcpherson.com/

I’m on IG @lizmugavero - follow for info on the latest episodes!

03:20 Introduction to Catriona McPherson's Literary Journey

08:46 The Path to Becoming a Writer: Overcoming Doubts

18:01 The Role of Research in Fiction Writing

19:30 Finding Joy in Storytelling: The Playful Approach

31:56 Connecting with Characters: Personal Reflections

35:44 On Process

43:58 On Publishing

52:48 Finding the Right Agent

01:01:02 Upcoming Works and Future Plans

Have you ever heard of a tattooed, chain-smoking, foul-mouthed nun? Well, you’re about to.

I’m SO excited to have Margot Douaihy, author of the Sister Holiday Mysteries, a new series that has already gotten much critical acclaim—and it’s no mystery why. From her poetic writing style to the noir atmosphere and the gripping plots, not to mention the exploration of faith that is inherent throughout the books, it’s no surprise that this series is getting a ton of attention. As a recovering Catholic, I was fascinated with her protagonist for so many reasons, which I got to discuss with her in this episode.

Margot is a beautiful writer and a fascinating person - she grew up in Scranton, PA and earned a BA in Writing from the University of Pittsburgh and a PhD in Creative Writing from Lancaster University. Her series, of which there are two books so far, is published by Gillian Flynn Books - yes, that Gillian Flynn. The first book, Scorched Grace, was named a Best Crime Novel of 2023 by The New York Times, The Guardian, Apple Books, and Barnes & Noble, among others. The second book, Blessed Water, was named a Summer Crime & Suspense Pick by NPR’s Fresh Air.

We cover:

• Margot’s journey from poetry to fiction writing

• The creation of Sister Holiday

• The evolution of genre fiction

• The impact of virtual reality on her writing process, and the transformative power of art in the face of political challenges

And so much more.

I can’t wait for you to meet Sister Holiday and her creator.

You can find more about Margot here: https://www.margotdouaihy.com/

Want more writing inspo? I have answers to all your burning questions about writing and

publishing. Download my Ultimate Guide to Writing and Publishing Your Mystery.

I’m on IG @lizmugavero - follow for info on the latest episodes!

04:18 The Journey to Fiction Writing

10:40 The Origins of Sister Holiday

24:20 The Evolution of Genre Fiction

29:25 Virtual/Augmented Reality

37:30 Art as a Tool of Transformation and Political Futures

I love hearing a writer’s origin story.

And today, in addition to talking about his own, my guest is talking about his own podcast— and now book—detailing the origin story of a number of writers, many of them best-selling, across multiple genres.

Jonathan Small s an award-winning journalist, editor, podcast host, and producer based in Los Angeles. He hosts three podcasts, including Write About Now, which features interviews with successful writers. Jonathan is also Editor in Chief of Green Entrepreneur, a cannabis industry website and print magazine published by the editors of Entrepreneur magazine, and the host of their weekly podcast of the same name. He has written for The New York Times, TV Guide,

Cosmo, Details, Maxim, and Good Housekeeping.

In our conversation, we talk about:

• His beginnings in journalism

• What he learned working at major magazines

• His transition to podcasting with his show 'Write About Now,'

• How that work became his first book, which is out now

And so much more.

This is such an insightful, inspiring conversation. If you’re a writer in any genre, you don’t want to miss it.

You can find more about Jon here: https://writeaboutnowmedia.com/

Want more writing inspo? I have answers to all your burning questions about writing and

publishing. Download my Ultimate Guide to Writing and Publishing Your Mystery.

I’m on IG @lizmugavero - follow for info on the latest episodes!

I have a special episode for you today. If you've been following me for a while, you know I blog with a group of mystery writers called the Wicked Authors. We’ve been blogging together for the past 12 or so years, ever since my first book, Kneading to Die, came out in May 2013. We started out as the Wicked Cozy Authors. We eventually became the Wicked Authors to leave room to move around in our genre. And we have just become a family. These ladies are my dearest friends. I couldn't imagine going on this writing journey without any of them. And recently, two of our members made the difficult decision that they were going to step back from the blog just to pursue some other life adventures.

The remaining four of us decided we need to keep the Wickeds going because we're dedicated to our community of readers and writers—and to each other. And obviously we're still writing.

So we are going to be launching Wickeds 2.0 in January 2025.

It's going to be a little bit of a different format than just a blog. We're going to be doing video, podcasts, even a YouTube show. We are really looking forward to engaging with our community in a different way. And we hope that the people who love our books will join us on this new journey.

And today, I wanted to share with you all a conversation that the six of us recorded to mark the end of this chapter. We reflect on the blog, on our writing journeys, on what we've learned from each other. It was just such a fun conversation that I really wanted to share it with this community.

So this is a conversation with me, Barbara Ross, Sherry Harris, Edith Maxwell/Maddie Day,

Julie Hennrikus and Jessica Ellicott. Enjoy!

If you want to watch the conversation, you can check it out here.

You can follow us at https://wickedauthors.com/

Want more writing inspo? I have answers to all your burning questions about writing and

publishing. Download my Ultimate Guide to Writing and Publishing Your Mystery.

I’m on IG @lizmugavero - follow for info on the latest episodes!