Hear us Roar

Maggie Smith
  • 5.0 (5)
  • BOOKS
  • UPDATED DAILY

If you're an aspiring author and want insights into what's involved in launching a book into the world, this is the podcast for you. Maggie Smith, author and blogger, interviews debut novelists from the Women's Fiction Writers Association discussing not only the inspiration behind their book, but also their insights into the writing process, the best advice they ever got, and the joys and sometimes pitfalls they encountered on their path to publication.

  1. 3D AGO

    300: Sharon Wishnow - Author of The Pelican Tide

    This week's guest is Sharon Wishnow (The Pelican Tide, Lake Union, June 2024). Sharon describes how she used both her networking contacts and her background as a non-fiction editor to research the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and its devastating effect on the Gulf Coast, in particular the Grand Isle area of Louisiana. We discuss the iterations her novel underwent during the acquisition phase and the seven editors Lake Union gave her to hone her story, including a Cajun proofreader and a sensitivity reader as well as her deep dive into how to write about animals, in this case a brown pelican named Gumbo. Listen to the end for Sharon's advice to newer writers about what it takes to succeed in traditional publishing. Sharon J. Wishnow is a transplanted New Englander who makes her home in Northern Virginia. In addition to writing upmarket fiction with environmental themes, Sharon writes non-fiction in the science, technology, and business categories with a passion for research, seashells, birds, and the ocean. Sharon is the former Vice President of Communications for the Women's Fiction Writers Association (WFWA), the founder of Women's Fiction Day, and is the Editorial Advisor of the WFWA magazine, WriteOn!  She has an MFA from George Mason University. She regularly speaks about research and writing and publishes a regular newsletter, Research for Writers and Other Curious People. When she's not writing or researching, you can find her in the garden, watching the birds in her backyard, or feedinghttp peanuts to her local squirrels. To learn more about Sharon, go to https://sharonwishow.com.  To learn more about how to help Grand Isle rebuild, go to https://restoregrandisle.com/#jointheeffort

    30 min

  2. 2025-12-11

    299: Hadley Leggett - Author of All They Ask is Everything

    Our podcast guest this week is Hadley Leggett (All They Ask is Everything, Lake Union, August 2024). We discuss the intensive research Hadley did to learn about the foster system, how she changed from first to third POV and the difference in made in the novel's narrative voice, and how winning the Rising Star contest help her find an agent. Then we delve into the collaborative process after signing her publishing contract, including deleting a chapter, softening a secondary character and finding the perfect cover. Hadley Leggett writes twisty family dramas that explore truth in shades of gray. Her first novel, All They Ask Is Everything, won the 2025 Nancy Pearl Book Award and the Rising Star Award from the Women's Fiction Writers Association. Her writing has appeared in the Bellevue Literary Review, Literary Mama, Wired.com, and Greater Good Magazine, among others. Before becoming an author, she earned her medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco and worked as a medical writer. She currently lives in Seattle with her family, including her three children, three cats, and a very sassy rescue pup. To learn more about Hadley, go to https://hadley.ink or at Substack at https://writingchat.substack.com.

    34 min

  3. 2025-11-20

    298: Melissa Collings- Author of The False Flat

    This week's guest is Melissa Collings (The False Flat, Montlake/Amazon publishing, June 2024). Melissa talks about learning to filter conflicting feedback from an early writing group that stifled her flow, how she edited her debut as though it was someone else's, and how she's a fickle fan of social media. Don't miss the end where Melissa describes finding your "why" as a writer, and how writing a newsletter is her single biggest recommendation for authors building a lasting career. And if you've ever wondered about the pluses and (a few) minuses of publishing through Amazon, this is an interview you won't want to miss. Melissa R. Collings is an award-winning author and former spine surgery physician associate. She writes diverse romance, women's fiction and psychological thrillers that balance laughter, heartbreak, and emotional depth. When she's not writing or plotting, you can find her chasing her two kids in Nashville, studying preventative health, or losing herself in a painting. Her imagination never fails to get her into trouble, and she lives by the philosophy: nothing is impossible, and everything is better with glitter—except surgical wounds. To learn more about Melissa, click here.

    41 min

  4. 2025-11-13

    297: Kim McCollum- Author of What Happens in Montana

    Our guest this week is Kim McCollum (What Happens in Montana, Black Rose Writing, January 2024). Kim discusses how writing was her first love but she was told it wasn't a "practical career", how imposter syndrome interfered with her writing process and how she dealt with it, and how the best writing advice she received was to write the ending early on so you know where you're going. And don't miss the tale of the cross-country book tour she and a fellow novelist organized that took them to 27 bookstores from Montana to Maine.   Kim McCollum graduated from Barnard College with a major in Japanese and was soon navigating the hustle and bustle of Wall Street. When her first child was born a few years later, she stayed home to raise her children. Once they headed off to school, Kim finally found time to pursue her passion for writing. Her awardwinning debut novel, What Happens in Montana, was published in January 2024, and her short stories have appeared in several publications. She lives in Bozeman, Montana, with her supportive husband, Brian, and their blended menagerie of five kids and three spoiled pets.      To learn more about Kim, click here.

    32 min

  5. 2025-10-30

    296: Wendy Haller: Author of The Flannigan Girls

    This week's guest is Wendy Haller (The Flannigan Girls, Stillwater River Publications, June 2024). Because Wendy's debut centers around sisterhood, we discuss sibling bonds, birth order research, and the experts she turned to both professionally and in her personal life when writing An author who writes out of order and skips around in various genres (she's written both a children's book series, a poetry chapbook, and now women's fiction), Wendy shares the positives and negatives to not "picking a lane" but writing whatever excites you at your particular stage in life.   Wendy Haller has always believed in the power of stories—the ones we tell, the ones we live, and the ones that change us along the way. After nearly two decades as a special education preschool teacher, she traded lesson plans for plotlines and now writes the kinds of stories that tug at the heart. Her children's books are playful and full of purpose, crafted for parents and kids to share teachable moments with laughter and love. Her novels, meanwhile, offer a tender escape—emotionally rich, coming-of-age tales that feel raw, real, and deeply human. When not writing, Wendy can be found wandering nature trails, unrolling her yoga mat, or curled up with a cup of tea, a book, and two very spoiled cats.   To learn more about Wendy, click here.

    39 min

  6. 2025-10-23

    295: Catherine Matthews- Author of Releasing the Reins

    My guest this week is Catherine Matthews (Releasing the Reins, indie published, June 2024). Catherine describes writing a first draft of your debut as "building the airplane while flying it" but got lots of help and support from various writing groups she joined and classes she took. Her mash-up novel blends western, women's fiction, and mystery genres as well as a complicated structure with dual timelines and multi-POV's. After nine requests for fulls from agents, but no offer, she decided to do the indie route, saying she's "the best champion for this book" and augmented her marketing efforts through contests, book tours, and an author collaborative network in the PW region. Catherine Matthews is an award-winning author who starts her day at 4 a.m. with a cup of coffee and an online writing session with her favorite authors from around the world. A proud Pacific Northwest native, she brings her roots to the page by telling the stories about strong women who face the storm and live their dreams—and the faithful hounds who love them. Her books, Releasing the Reins and Roadside Sisters, are filled with laughter, tears, and the reminder that we are all more powerful than our fears. When she's not writing, she can be found baking bread, road-tripping with her husband, and enjoying an evening by the fire pit with friends and her two beloved dogs, Wally and Delta. To learn more about Catherine, go to her website here.

    36 min

  7. 2025-10-16

    294: Jaclyn Westlake- Author of Dear Dotty

    This week's guest is Jaclyn Westlake (Dear Dotty, Avon Books/Harper Collins, June 2024). Jaclyn signed up for Stanford's 2-year Novel Writing Course and emerged with the first draft of her debut, a humorous women's fiction centered on a young woman finding her true path following the example of an unconventional aunt. After querying over a hundred agents, Jaclyn received offers from several, and later had her book go to auction and sell in a two-book deal. We discuss how she made decisions on which agent and which editor to pick, hiring an outside publicist to market outside the book world based on her novel's themes, and how her unconventional choice of housing led to a CNBC segment that featured her book.   Jaclyn Westlake writes about funny, flawed women doing their best to find their way in the world. A recruiter turned career advice columnist, her work has appeared in Forbes, Business Insider, and Inc. Westlake is the author of two novels: LUCKY BREAK and DEAR DOTTY, both published by Avon Books/HarperCollins. DEAR DOTTY was a finalist for the debut STAR Award from the Women's Fiction Writers Association, where Jaclyn is an active member. An alumna of Stanford Continuing Studies Novel Writing program, her stories blend humor and heart, exploring the wonderfully messy realities of modern life. She's currently at work on her third novel and lives in California with her husband and their dog. To learn more about Jaclyn, click here.

    35 min

  8. 2025-10-09

    293: Amy Dressler - Author of How to Align the Stars

    Our guest this week is Amy Dressler (How to Align the Stars, Egret Lake Books, June 2024). Amy's biggest challenge in writing her debut was finding the self-confidence to believe she was qualified to tackle a beloved Shakespeare story and update it for our current time. She was helped in that effort by a supportive critique group and a brand-new publisher who took a chance on her after a fluke meeting in a bathroom at a conference. And if you've ever wondered what to write in a newsletter when you haven't completed your novel yet, she's got some great tips. Amy writes witty, engaging contemporary fiction featuring heroines who wrestle with their emotional baggage while maintaining a sense of humor. As a literature major, theater nerd, and believer in the cathartic power of humor, Amy has always gravitated toward Shakespeare's comedies. In the Shakespeare Project, she transposes those stories into contemporary settings that highlight the heroines' emotional arcs. She's an active member of the Author's Guild, Women's Fiction Writers Association, and the Pacific Northwest Author's Association, where her books have twice been recognized as contest finalists. She holds a certificate in Popular Fiction from the University of Washington, as well as a BA in English from Whitman College and a Master's in Library and Information Science, also from the University of Washington. She spends her days shepherding government documents but has also worked as an academic librarian and freelance pop culture writer. Amy's hobbies include barely running (she's completed ten half marathons, slowly), cooking and baking, hiking, tending her neighborhood Little Free Library, relaxed traveling, and attending live theater. When she's not writing, Amy can often be found cozied up reading, eating fancy cheese, shopping for fancy cheese, or cooking with fancy cheese. She lives in the Seattle suburbs with her husband, two senior rescue cats, and next door to her sister. Her love language is jokes. To learn more about Amy, click here.

    32 min
See All (306)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

If you're an aspiring author and want insights into what's involved in launching a book into the world, this is the podcast for you. Maggie Smith, author and blogger, interviews debut novelists from the Women's Fiction Writers Association discussing not only the inspiration behind their book, but also their insights into the writing process, the best advice they ever got, and the joys and sometimes pitfalls they encountered on their path to publication.

Information

  • Creator
    Maggie Smith
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    306
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Hear us Roar

You Might Also Like