Charlotte Readers Podcast Charlotte Readers Podcast

In this episode 396, we feature acclaimed writer Melissa Broder discussing Death Valley, a comedic odyssey through the desert of grief. The novel was named a best book of 2023 by Oprah Daily, Vanity Fair, and The New York Times, who called it “a triumph, a ribald prayer for sensuality and grace in the face of profound loss, a hilarious revolt against the aggressive godlessness, dehumanization and fear plaguing our time. All ten of Melissa Broder’s finger lamps are blazing. Why not be totally changed into fire.”



Show discussion highlights:



● The alchemy that transforms life into writing (and sometimes the reverse)

● The role of real-life struggles with mental health and grief in the creative process, and the role of joy

● Why pee is a valid plot point! and other thoughts on capturing both the divine and the visceral in her work

● Coping with the pressure of critical expectations

● Broder’s experiences in adapting her work for the screen

● A hint at the topic of her next novel



Brief author bio:



Melissa Broder is the author of the novels Death Valley, Milk Fed, and The Pisces, the essay collection So Sad Today, and five poetry collections, including Superdoom: Selected Poems and Last Sext. Her books are translated in over ten languages. Broder has written for The New York Times, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue Italia, Bon Appetit, VICE, and New York Magazine. Poems appear in POETRY, The Iowa Review, Guernica, Fence, et al. She is the winner of a Pushcart Prize for poetry.

Learn more about the author and their books HERE.

https://www.melissabroder.com/



Death by Podcasting



Support the show by ordering Death by Podcasting, a mystery novella by Sarah Archer and Landis Wade, because podcasting can be a dangerous business.



Learn More and order your copy: https://books2read.com/u/mKVrvy



The Write Quotes Series:



Support the show by purchasing one of more of the eight books in The Write Quote series, a collection of writing quote books compiled from 500+ interviews with bestselling, award-winning, and hard-working authors.



Learn more about our series of quote books and download Book 1 for free at https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/writequotes/



Newsletter:

Subscribe to our newsletter for free HERE:

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In this episode 395, we feature critically acclaimed mystery writer, Sara Johnson, and the fifth book in her Alexa Glock Forensics Mystery series, The Hungry Bones. Publisher’s Weekly says that "Johnson expertly balances her lead’s personal and professional lives and maintains nerve-shredding suspense throughout. This gives every indication that Alexa can sustain a long-running series."



Show discussion highlights:



● How travel inspires Sara’s writing

● The life-changing nature of a trip to New Zealand

● How Sara decides on the title for each book

● Developing character arcs for a series

● Alexa Glock’s journey from the first book to the latest

● The New Zealand Gold Rush and its role in The Hungry Bones

● The meaning of a “hungry ghost”

● Creating a spooky setting in New Zealand, the erie nature of the country

● Sara’s research process for the forensics aspect of the books

● Writing advice for authors interested in writing a series of books

● The value of writing community



Brief author bio:



Sara E. Johnson is a mystery writer who spent nine months exploring wondrous New Zealand. Everywhere she snooped, there was a mystery that needed writing. The Bone Riddle, Sara’s fourth novel in the Alexa Glock Forensic Mysteries, was published in June, 2023. The first three mysteries in the series are, in order of publication, Molten Mud Murder, The Bones Remember, and The Bone Track. Sara’s publisher is Poisoned Pen Press/Sourcebooks.



Sara also writes articles for magazines. Most recently, she introduced readers of The Strand magazine to five New Zealand-based mystery writers. Shark cage diving, featured in her second book The Bones Remember, is the topic of her article in the CrimeReads website. Take a look at Adventures in Shark Cage Diving!



She has a BA in Journalism and an MA in Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Sara lives in Durham, North Carolina with her husband. Sara is a graduate of the Durham Citizen Police Academy. She is the past President of Triangle Sisters in Crime and a member of the North Carolina Writers’ Network.

Learn more about the author and their books HERE.



Death by Podcasting



Support the show by ordering Death by Podcasting, a mystery novella by Sarah Archer and Landis Wade, because podcasting can be a dangerous business.



Learn More and order your copy: https://books2read.com/u/mKVrvy



The Write Quotes Series:



Support the show by purchasing one of more of the eight books in The Write Quote series, a collection of writing quote books compiled from 500+ interviews with bestselling, award-winning, and hard-working authors.



Learn more about our series of quote books and download Book 1 for free at https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/writequotes/



Newsletter:

Subscribe to our newsletter for free HERE:

https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/79263/78112905026864634/share

In this episode 394, we focus on the pros and cons of traditional and indie publishing. Our featured guest is internationally bestselling author Ellen Butler who has extensive experience publishing traditionally and as an indie author. We learn that no path is the wrong path and there are many things to consider when deciding on the best publishing route. Ellen shares tips and advice for how to consider what’s best for you.



A version of this recording was released on our exclusive Patreon channel. We thank our Patrons for making it possible for us to release this updated version on the regular podcast.



Also listen to the Author’s Earlier Podcast Episode:



You can listen here: https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/ellen-butlers-swindlers-revenge-is-a-hard-hitting-mystery/



In this earlier episode that released on January 4, 2022, we visit with Ellen Butler about “Swindler’s Revenge,” a Karina Cardinal Mystery Book. Publisher’s Weekly Magazine says: “Butler keeps the plot barreling ahead. Fans of intelligent escapism will look forward to more.” And InD’Tale Magazine says: “Ellen Butler’s “Swindler’s Revenge” is an unputdownable adventure that will take readers on an electrifying yet light-hearted and humorous journey.”



Author bio:



Ellen Butler is the internationally bestselling author of the Karina Cardinal mystery series. Multiple books in the series have hit #1 on Amazon bestseller lists in the US and abroad. Book critics call the Karina Cardinal mysteries, “intelligent escapism” and “unputdownable adventures that will take readers on an electrifying yet light-hearted and humorous journey.” Butler is also the author of the award-winning historical suspense novel, The Brass Compass. The Brass Compass has won multiple awards for historical fiction including: 2022 Speak Up Talk Radio Firebird Book Award, 2018 IndieReader Discovery Award, 2019 Readers’ Favorite Silver Medal Winner. Butler started writing in the romance genre and won the The Romance Reviews Readers’ Choice Award 2015 with her novel Planning for Love. Her 12th book, Operation Blackbird, a Cold War Spy novel, was published in October 2022.



Butler is a hybrid author—both traditionally and indie published and regularly attends events to share her writing and publishing experiences through workshops, presentations, and panel sessions. Ellen holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and Policy, and her history includes a long list of writing for dry, but illuminating, professional newsletters and windy papers on public policy. Butler is also a member of International Thriller Writers, Office of Strategic Services Society, Virginia Writers Club, and Sisters in Crime.



When she’s not writing Butler enjoys reading, spending time with her family, working on home improvement projects, and attending car shows. Butler has a passion for classic cars, especially the bright colors of the 1950s vehicles replete with fins and bulbous lights.



Author Website: http://www.ellenbutler.net



Show discussion highlights:



• The reality of publishing; it’s a long haul

• The pros and cons of traditional and indie publishing; neither publishing path is wrong

• Comparing the economics of traditional versus indie

• Online book sales can be where the money is

• Distributing ebooks and paperbacks through Draft2Digital

• How important is being in control—is it a pro or con?

• Horror story possibilities when you don’t own your book

• Be careful about traditional publisher rights grab

• Finding readers/listeners with audiobooks

• Going wide with your ebooks online or going exclusive with Amazon KDP; for a BookBub deal it is best to go wide

• Landis admits he hasn’t gotten a BookBub deal—postcript: Afer listening to Ellen’s tip to complete submitting,

In this episode 393, we feature award-winning Charlotte writer Tommy Tomlinson and his latest release, Dogland, which explores not only the passion, glory, and slobber of the Westminster Dog Show, but focuses on existential questions about the relationships between dogs and humans and whether the dogs who compete in dog shows are happy. Tomlinson spent years on the dog show road getting to know the dog handlers, the dogs, and the settings where owners and their dogs compete, and as Tommy does well, he tells interesting dog stories, including about the dog in his own life.



Show discussion highlights:



• Tommy’s dog show travels

• The experience of a dog show – what it’s like up close

• The life of a dog show handler

• Do the dogs enjoy the experience?

• Striker, the champion dog he followed

• Inside the Westminster dog show: glitz meets Joe six-pack

• What are dog shows measuring in a dog and what about all the inbreeding: good or bad?

• Fred, Tommy’s dog

• The Georgia bulldog, Uga, and Uga jokes and stories

• The pee breaks in the book: cartoon dogs, dog haters, legendary dogs

• New insights about dogs

• A reading from the book

• Publishing advice: how Tommy pitched the book

• How to research and write a book like this



Author bio:



Tommy Tomlinson has written for publications including Esquire, ESPN the Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Forbes, Garden & Gun, and many others. He spent 23 years as a reporter and local columnist for the Charlotte Observer.



In addition to his recent release, Dogland, Tommy Tomlinson is the author of the memoir The Elephant In the Room (Simon & Schuster, 2019), about life as an overweight man in a growing America. He is the host of the podcast “SouthBound” at WFAE, Charlotte’s NPR station, and he also does weekly commentaries for the station. He has a Substack newsletter called The Writing Shed.



He’s a graduate of the University of Georgia and was a 2008-09 Nieman Fellow at Harvard University.



Learn more about the author and their books HERE.

https://tommytomlinson.com



Death by Podcasting



Support the show by ordering Death by Podcasting, a mystery novella by Sarah Archer and Landis Wade, because podcasting can be a dangerous business.



Learn More and order your copy: https://books2read.com/u/mKVrvy



The Write Quotes Series:



Support the show by purchasing one of more of the eight books in The Write Quote series, a collection of writing quote books compiled from 500+ interviews with bestselling, award-winning, and hard-working authors.



Learn more about our series of quote books and download Book 1 for free at https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/writequotes/



Newsletter:

Subscribe to our newsletter for free HERE:

https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/79263/78112905026864634/share

In this episode 392, we focus on writing non-fiction and memoir. Our featured guest with extensive experience in this field is Frye Gaillard, an award-winning author who has written more than thirty books, ranging across the genres of history, memoir, journalism, and historical stories for young readers. In addition to discussing the mechanics of this kind of writing, Frye shares his work, “Live As If… A Teacher’s Love Story,” a remembrance of his late wife, Dr. Nancy Gaillard, who died of leukemia in 2018.



A version of this recording was released on our exclusive Patreon channel. We thank our Patrons for making it possible for us to release this updated version on the regular podcast.



Also listen to the Author’s Earlier Podcast Episode:



You can listen here: https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/frye-gaillard-explores-social-and-political-movements-of-the-1960s-in-a-hard-rain/



In this August 3, 2021 episode with Frye Gaillard, we discussed a “A Hard Rain: America in the 1960’s, Our Decade of Hope, Possibility, and Innocence Lost,” a reconstruction and remembrance of the transcendent era of the 1960’s.



Author bio:



Frye Gaillard, a native of Mobile, Alabama, began his career as a writer and journalist after coming of age during the turbulent events of the 1960s, when he witnessed the Birmingham arrest of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and acted as student host for Sen. Robert Kennedy at Vanderbilt University. In the years since then, he has written more than thirty books, ranging across the genres of history, memoir, journalism, and historical stories for young readers.



His award winning titles include A Hard Rain: America in the 1960s; Cradle of Freedom: Alabama and the Movement That Changed America; Watermelon Wine: The Spirit of Country Music; The Dream Long Deferred: The Landmark Struggle for Desegregation in Charlotte, North Carolina; and Go South to Freedom, a novel for middle grade readers.



Hard Rain: America in the 1960s was an NPR Great Read of 2018 & winner of F. Scott Fitzgerald Museum Literary Prize and the Alabama Authors Award.



His most recent titles include The Southernization of America: A Story of Democracy in the Balance, coauthored with Pulitzer Prize winner Cynthia Tucker; and Live As If… A Teacher’s Love Story, a remembrance of his late wife, Dr. Nancy Gaillard, who died of leukemia in 2018.



Author Website: https://fryegaillardauthor.com



Show discussion highlights:



• How to do non-fiction well

• Plumbing the possibilities of the literal truth

• Frye’s mechanics of writing non-fiction

• Using point of view in non-fiction

• Combining memoir with biography

• Writing about his late wife in “Live As If: A Teacher’s Love Story”

• A reading from “Live As If: A Teacher’s Love Story”

• How to outline a long work of non-fiction



Death by Podcasting



Support the show by ordering Death by Podcasting, a mystery novella by Sarah Archer and Landis Wade, because podcasting can be a dangerous business.



Learn More and order your copy: https://books2read.com/u/mKVrvy



The Write Quotes Series:



Support the show by purchasing one of more of the eight books in The Write Quote series, a collection of writing quote books compiled from 500+ interviews with bestselling, award-winning, and hard-working authors.



Learn more about our series of quote books and download Book 1 for free at https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/writequotes/



Newsletter:

Subscribe to our newsletter for free HERE:

https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/79263/78112905026864634/share

In this episode 391, we feature writer, filmmaker, and activist, Curtis Chin, to talk about his new memoir, “Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant.” It garnered a great deal of positive attention from popular media outlets nationwide, including being named as a 2023 top memoir by Time Magazine, the Washington Post, W. Magazine, Goodreads, and the San Francisco Chronicle.



Show discussion highlights:



● Growing up in Detroit

● The importance of mealtime and what it symbolizes

● How growing up in a Chinese restaurant continues to impact Curtis’ life today

● Starting the Asian American Writers’ Workshop

● Feedback Curtis has received from the LGBTQ community and people of color

● What it means to “code-switch”

● Showing our imperfections in memoir – none of us are perfect

● Being in survival mode as a child

● Bravery - do brave people know that they are brave?

● What’s next for Curtis, being on a global book tour

● Food writing



Brief author bio:



A co-founder of the Asian American Writers’ Workshop in New York City, Curtis Chin served as the non-profits’ first Executive Director. He went on to write for network and cable television before transitioning to social justice documentaries. Chin has screened his films at over 600 venues in sixteen countries. He has written for CNN, Bon Appetit, the Detroit Free Press, and the Emancipator/Boston Globe. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Chin has received awards from ABC/Disney Television, New York Foundation for the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, and more. His memoir, "Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant" was published by Little, Brown in Fall 2023. His essay in Bon Appetit was just selected for Best Food Writing in America 2023 and he just produced an episode of America's Test Kitchen's podcast, Proof.



Learn more about the author and their books HERE.

https://www.curtisfromdetroit.com/



Death by Podcasting



Support the show by ordering Death by Podcasting, a mystery novella by Sarah Archer and Landis Wade, because podcasting can be a dangerous business.



Learn More and order your copy: https://books2read.com/u/mKVrvy



The Write Quotes Series:



Support the show by purchasing one of more of the eight books in The Write Quote series, a collection of writing quote books compiled from 500+ interviews with bestselling, award-winning, and hard-working authors.



Learn more about our series of quote books and download Book 1 for free at https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/writequotes/



Newsletter:

Subscribe to our newsletter for free HERE:

https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/79263/78112905026864634/share