Tart Words: Writers read. Readers bake. Bakers write.

Linda Gordon Hengerer

Welcome! I'm Linda Gordon Hengerer, author of the Beach Tea Shop cozy mystery series, co-editor of the Happy Homicides cozy mystery anthology series, and baker of treats.If you get joy from reading, writing, or baking, join me to learn new skills to take your writing and/or baking to a different level. My happy place is filled with baking supplies, loaded bookshelves, and endless imagination - does this sound like yours, too? Maybe you've thought about writing a book someday, and decided someday was now - if you only knew where to start. You enjoy baking, but not making time-consuming treats that are gobbled up in less time than it took to measure the flour. You're the dictionary picture for "voracious reader," and you enjoy listening to your favorite authors and finding out the inspiration behind their stories. Tart Words is a podcast for all of those interests. I'm inviting some of my author friends to talk about writing, their books, and add a baker's dozen of getting-to-know-you questions in the Show Notes. I talk about writing and baking, and you'll find out more about your favorite author or find a new author to follow. Tart adj 1: agreeably sharp or acid to the taste; noun 1: an open pastry case containing a filling. Our words may occasionally be sharp or salty but are most often sweet. An open pastry case containing a filling suggests endless possibilities, and I hope the Tart Words podcast fills you full of joy and possibility.

  1. Hank Phillippi Ryan

    10/26/2024

    Hank Phillippi Ryan

    How can television reporter Lily Atwood keep a secret private when she's in the public's eye? Find out in Her Perfect Life. Hank Phillippi Ryan speaks from personal experience as an investigative reporter about always being on when out in public, exploring standalone books versus series books, and her pandemic-inspired platform for authors, The Back Room. HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN is the USA Today bestselling author of 13 psychological thrillers, winning the genre's most prestigious awards: five Agathas, four Anthonys, and the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award. She is also an investigative reporter for Boston's WHDH-TV, winning 37 EMMYs. Book reviewers call her “a master of suspense” and a “superb and gifted storyteller.” THE FIRST TO LIE garnered a Publishers Weekly starred review and is nominated for the Anthony Award for Best Novel and Mary Higgins Clark Award. Watch for HER PERFECT LIFE on September 14, 2021, which received starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly, which called it "A superlative thriller." Visit Hank at her website www.hankphillippiryan.com and at The Back Room for virtual author events. Get to know Hank - The Tart Words Baker's Dozen: 1.   Plotter or Pantser? Combo? Pantser yearning to be Plotter. 2.  Tea or Coffee? Coffee! Until 5pm. Then tea. 3.  Beer, Wine, or Cocktails? Red wine. 4.  Snacks: Sweet or Savory? Savory, any day. Pizza, chips, pretzels, almonds. 5.  Indie Published, Traditionally Published, or Hybrid? Traditionally 6.  Strict Writing Schedule: Yes or No: Has schedule, yes. Keeps schedule, no. 7.  Strictly Computer or Mix It Up? Computer. 8.  Daily Goal: Yes or No: Yes. 9.  Formal Track Progress: Yes or No: Yes. On a pencil-lined legal pad. 10. Special Writing Spot? This desk. In my study. Where I used to look out at a stand of sugar maples, but now my windows are blacked out for Zoom. 11. Writer’s Block? No such thing. For me, writer's block is a fancy name for fear. 12. File of Ideas: Yes or No: Yes. However--it is empty. 13. Favorite Author(s)? Edith Wharton. Shakespeare. Hunter S. Thompson. Tom Wolfe. Contemporary authors? WAY too hard to list. But debuts to watch? I've recently loved the first novels of Wanda Morris, Yasmin Angoe, Ashley Winstead, Vera Kurian, Amanda Jayatissa, Scott Shepherd.

    25 min
  2. Barbara Barrett

    10/26/2024

    Barbara Barrett

    Linda Hengerer talks with author Barbara Barrett. To avoid a midlife crisis, Barbara Barrett wrote fiction at night while still employed in human resources for Iowa State Government. After releasing eleven full-length romance novels and two novellas, she turned to the cozy mystery genre, having discovered it years before when pregnant with her first child. She used one of her retirement pastimes, the game of mah jongg, as her inspiration. Her next book, Courtesy Call, to be released August 31, 2021, is the ninth in the Mah Jongg Mysteries series and is available now. Barbara spends her winters in Florida and summers in her home state of Iowa. Subscribe to her newsletter subscription at www.subscribepage.com/BBCozies or check out her website at www.barbarabarrettbooks.com to find out more about her books and upcoming releases. Courtesy Call - available now! Get to know Barbara - The Tart Words Baker's Dozen: 1.   Plotter or Pantser? Combo?  Combo 2.   Tea or Coffee?  Coffee  (More like Diet Coke or Water) 3.   Beer, Wine, or Cocktails?  Wine 4.   Snacks: Sweet or Savory?   Sweet 5.   Indie Published, Traditionally Published, or Hybrid?  Hybrid 6.   Strict Writing Schedule: Yes or No  No 7.    Strictly Computer or Mix It Up? Strictly computer 8.    Daily Goal: Yes or No   No 9.    Formal Track Progress: Yes or no  No 10.  Special Writing Spot?  Yes 11.   Writer’s Block?  Not often 12.   File of Ideas: Yes or No  Just in my head 13.   Favorite Author(s)?   Lucy Lakestone, Mary Lee Ashford, Sparkle Abbey, Ellery Adams

    17 min
  3. Hannah Dennison

    10/26/2024

    Hannah Dennison

    What jobs has Hannah Dennison had that inspired cozy mystery series? British-born, Hannah Dennison originally moved to Los Angeles to pursue screenwriting. She has been an obituary reporter, antique dealer, private jet flight attendant, and Hollywood story analyst. Hannah has served on numerous judging committees for Mystery Writers of America and teaches mystery writing workshops for the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program now on Zoom. After twenty-five years living on the West Coast, Hannah returned to the UK where she shares her life with two high-spirited Hungarian Vizslas.  Hannah writes the Island Sisters Mysteries (Minotaur), the Honeychurch Hall Mysteries (Constable), and the Vicky Hill Mysteries (Constable). Visit Hannah’s website www.hannahdennison.com to find out more about Hannah’s books and where to buy them. You can also sign up for her very rare newsletter on her website’s home page. Her latest book, Danger at the Cove: An Island Sisters Mystery (The Island Sisters Book 2) is available now and releases August 17, 2021. Listeners can buy it here for US and here for UK. Get to know Hannah - The Tart Words Baker's Dozen:  1. Plotter or Pantser? Combo? Combo - plot until the midpoint and then fly by my pants to the ending (which I know) 2.   Tea or Coffee? Coffee - from my Keurig machine 3.   Beer, Wine, or Cocktails? Pinot Noir (I'm very specific!)  4.   Snacks: Sweet or Savory? I'm a chocoholic  5.   Indie Published, Traditionally Published, or Hybrid? Traditionally published by Minotaur and Constable  6.   Strict Writing Schedule: Yes or No Yes - every morning 7.    Strictly Computer or Mix It Up? Computer now - my handwriting is illegible these days 8.    Daily Goal: Yes or No Yes - between and 2 and 3 hours a day when not on deadline.  9.    Formal Track Progress: Yes or no Yes - I keep charts! 10.  Special Writing Spot? I can write anywhere - even in the departure lounge 11.   Writer’s Block? No - if I am stuck it means I don't know my characters well enough 12.   File of Ideas: Yes or No Yes. It's huge. 13.   Favorite Author(s)? M.M. Kaye (rediscovered), Mary Stewart, Anthony Horowitz, Barbara Pym, Rhys Bowen, Kate Carlisle - I could keep going.

    22 min
5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Welcome! I'm Linda Gordon Hengerer, author of the Beach Tea Shop cozy mystery series, co-editor of the Happy Homicides cozy mystery anthology series, and baker of treats.If you get joy from reading, writing, or baking, join me to learn new skills to take your writing and/or baking to a different level. My happy place is filled with baking supplies, loaded bookshelves, and endless imagination - does this sound like yours, too? Maybe you've thought about writing a book someday, and decided someday was now - if you only knew where to start. You enjoy baking, but not making time-consuming treats that are gobbled up in less time than it took to measure the flour. You're the dictionary picture for "voracious reader," and you enjoy listening to your favorite authors and finding out the inspiration behind their stories. Tart Words is a podcast for all of those interests. I'm inviting some of my author friends to talk about writing, their books, and add a baker's dozen of getting-to-know-you questions in the Show Notes. I talk about writing and baking, and you'll find out more about your favorite author or find a new author to follow. Tart adj 1: agreeably sharp or acid to the taste; noun 1: an open pastry case containing a filling. Our words may occasionally be sharp or salty but are most often sweet. An open pastry case containing a filling suggests endless possibilities, and I hope the Tart Words podcast fills you full of joy and possibility.