Charlotte Readers Podcast Charlotte Readers Podcast

In this episode 367, we feature Ben Crane, and his novel, A Man of Lies. Publisher’s Weekly says “Crane’s ambitious, fast-moving debut follows a gay mobster desperate to leave the underworld behind. There’s a lot of bloodshed and a lot of plot twists here. Bold and exciting.” The book received a Library Journal starred review.



Show discussion highlights:



● Ben’s background in the film industry and living in LA

● How Ben’s experiences in the film industry influence his writing now

● Exploring major themes in A Man of Lies, not everything is what it seems

● Crafting a fast paced novel, advice for anyone trying to write a thriller

● Accurately representing queerness in crime fiction

● At the core of this story is the idea that “radical empathy changes everything”

● Writing a book from multiple viewpoints



Brief author bio: Ben Crane wanted to be an architect until he was seven years old and the carefully plotted fort in his parents' basement collapsed after ten minutes. He is a former film executive whose credits include the Jack Ryan and Equalizer franchises. He lives with his partner and their two dogs in Los Angeles, where he plays board games. In his spare time, he writes novels and comics.



Learn more about the author and their books HERE. https://bencranewrites.com



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:



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In this episode 366, we’re happy to welcome acclaimed Charlotte-area author Amber Smith back to the show to discuss The Way I Am Now, the sequel to her New York Times bestselling debut The Way I Used to Be. These books follow teenage Eden through high school and into college as she lives with the aftermath of sexual assault and learns to move forward in life and in love. We’ll discuss how The Way I Used to Be became a bestseller not once but twice, and how that led to what author Laurie Elizabeth Flynn calls “an absolute stunner of a sequel.”



Show discussion highlights:



● How The Way I Used to Be found a new audience through social media

● The impact of cultural movements like Me Too on the development of this series

● What it’s like to have your book banned, and how readers can take a stand against censorship

● Writing about challenging and sensitive topics for a young audience

● AI writing programs as a new form of piracy and what they can’t replace

● The deep connections Amber has built with a community of readers and writers



Brief author bio:



Amber Smith’s YA and MG books have garnered honors including Amazon Best Book of the Month, a Goodreads Choice Award nomination, numerous starred reviews, Buzzfeed Best Book of the Year, and many more. An advocate for increased awareness of mental health, gendered violence, and LGBTQIA+ equality, she writes in the hope that her books can help to foster change and spark dialogue.



Learn more about the author and her books HERE.

https://ambersmithauthor.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 365, we feature New York Times bestselling author Jerome Preisler, and his non-fiction book, Civil War Commando, a fine piece of writing about a little known naval war hero in the Civil War named William Barker Cushing, a man who defied all odds to pull off a stunning defeat for the Confederacy. The book is fast paced history about what led up to and how the Union sunk the Confederate ironclad Albemarle in a spectacular mission in 1864, helping re-elect Abraham Lincoln.



Show discussion highlights:



• What inspired him to write this Civil War naval history story

• What draws him to write thrillers and military non-fiction

• The story of the CSS Albemarle ironclad

• The Civil War sea battlefields

• Annapolis during the war

• The hero himself: William Cushing

• A reading from the book that explores Cushing as a boy

• Writing advice for non-fiction

• Writing practice changes over time

• Advice to his younger self



Brief author bio:



Jerome Preisler is the New York Times bestselling author of over forty books of fiction and nonfiction, including all eight novels in the chart-topping Tom Clancy’s Power Plays series, and the relaunch of the New York Times bestselling NET FORCE series co-created by Tom Clancy and Steve Pieczenik. His latest novel in the series is its fourth, NET FORCE: MOVING TARGET. His most recent work of nonfiction is CIVIL WAR COMMANDO: William Cushing's Daring Raid to Sink the Invincible Ironclad C.S.S. Albemarle. He is a frequent speaker on military topics at schools, museums, and bases around the country.



Learn more about the author and their books HERE.

https://linktr.ee/jeromepreisler



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 364, we feature a new comedic murder mystery… ours! Hannah interviews Landis and Sarah about Death by Podcasting. We also discuss Cara Kagan’s blog post on her experiences with the writer’s roller coaster ride of rejection. And we share a new batch of elevator pitches.



Today’s Featured Topics



Act 1:

We celebrate the release of Death by Podcasting, a novella that USA Today bestselling author Jenifer Ruff calls “a clever, comedic mystery [that] will keep you guessing until the final revelation.” Hannah talks to Landis and Sarah about the story and characters, the tongue-in-cheek references to publishing and podcasting, what it was like to co-write, and how we published this independently on a tight timeline.



Act 2:

We discuss Cara Kagan’s blog post “Rejection Perfection.”



Cara Kagan is a writer and musician who has contributed to many national magazines, including Self, Shape, Fitness, Glamour, Real Simple, InStyle, and Harper’s Bazaar. In the vein of The Devil Wears Prada, Almost Famous, and Sex and the City, The Rise, Fall, and Return of Sarah Mandelbaum gives a rich and hilarious birdseye view of the music and fashion publishing industries in NYC in the 90s.



Takeaways from blog post discussion:



● Every writer faces rejection in various forms, and it can come as a shock if you haven’t experienced as much of it in other areas of life.

● Two healthy and productive responses to rejection are to not let it stop you from writing and publishing, and to take whatever lessons or feedback of value you can glean from it and use those to improve your work.

● Be flexible in your approach to writing and publishing. If the end goal is to reach readers with your work, there are many ways to get there.



Act 3:



Elevator Pitches:



Thanks to the following authors for sharing their elevator pitches:



Cheri Krueger, The Abduction of Adrienne Berg

C.J. Weiss, Secrets Gnaw at the Flesh

Lee Clark, Iced

Carey Green, The Art of Privilege

Gilda Syverson, A Healing Journey: From 9/11 Beyond the Pandemic

Diane Hitzke, Authorized Personnel Only



Book Recommendations:



Hannah recommends:



Stay True by Hua Hsu



Sarah recommends:



Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia



Landis recommends:



Gallows Hill by Lois Ruby

The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman



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 today’s Halloween episode 363, we feature author and clinical psychologist, Carissa Orlando, and her new horror novel, The September House. Library Journal says, “With grim humor, emotional resonance, and brilliant subversion of a familiar trope, this compelling debut is perfect for fans of Clay MacLeod Chapman, Simone St. James, and Grady Hendrix…The metaphor is layered and at times heartbreaking, as secrets held by both a house and a family come to light with terrifying poignancy in this wonderfully eerie debut.”



Show discussion highlights:

● Carissa’s background in psychology and how it influences the stories she writes

● Favorite Stephen King novels and horror inspiration

● Survival - how much can we really survive?

● Writing a haunted house novel where the protagonist wants to live there, and isn’t trying to escape

● Importance of setting in a horror story

● How Carissa created the haunted house

● Carissa’s writing and publishing journey



Brief author bio:



Carissa Orlando has a doctorate in clinical-community psychology and specializes in work with children and adolescents. In her “day job,” Carissa works to improve the quality of and access to mental health care for children and their families. Prior to her career in psychology, Carissa studied creative writing in college and has written creatively in some form since she was a child. It was only a matter of time before Carissa, an avid horror fan for much of her life, merged her understanding of the human psyche and deep love for storytelling into a piece of fiction.



Learn more about the author and their books HERE.

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/2272251/carissa-orlando/



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/



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



Newsletter:



Subscribe to our newsletter for free HERE:

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

In this episode 362, we feature Michael Thomas Ford, author of Every Star That Falls, the long-awaited sequel to Michael’s acclaimed YA novel Suicide Notes. Every Star That Falls tackles its teen protagonist’s journey to come to terms with his sexual identity and become his true self with both poignancy and humor. Two-time National Book Award finalist Eliot Schrefer calls the book “Generous, wry, and big-hearted. A touching and riotous journey through the legacies of pain and the wonders of connection.”



Show discussion highlights:



● The unique challenges of writing a sequel

● How readers and publishing have changed between the releases of Suicide Notes and Every Star That Falls

● The pros and cons of working in multiple genres

● How humor can add depth to serious stories

● The experience of writing for teenagers in a fast-evolving world

● What sensitivity readers can bring to the process



Brief author bio:

Michael Thomas Ford is the author of numerous works for both adults and young readers, including some of the earliest books about the HIV/AIDS crisis and several books about the LGBTQ community. A five-time winner of the Lambda Literary Award, he has also been a finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award, the Bram Stoker Award, the Firecracker Alternative Book Award, and the Ignyte Award.



Learn more about the author and his books HERE: http://www.michaelthomasford.com



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/