Bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz has published nearly 80 books (yes, 80), and in this episode, she shares what it really takes to build and sustain a long-term writing career. From surviving the shifting tides of publishing to protecting what gets you "in the mood" to write, she shares the kind of wisdom every author loves hearing. 

INSIDE THE EPISODE:

🎉 Melissa's advice: Don’t quit your day job until the math says you can

🎉 Success is wonderful; it also resets with every new book

🎉 How to protect your creative hours (8am–1pm, in her case)

🎉 Books are logic puzzles, not lightning strikes (I love this analogy!)

🎉 If social media isn’t fun, don’t do it. Period. (Who's cheering?)

🎉 The final sprint before deadline is where the magic (and panic) often happen

Whether you're writing book 1 or book 71, this episode's packed with truths you'll be grateful for.

CONNECT WITH MELISSA

Website: melissa-delacruz.com

Instagram: @authormelissadelacruz

X: @MelissadelaCruz

Faceboo...

Thriller author N.L. Blandford isn't afraid to go dark—like, murder scene dark—and she absolutely loves it.

In this episode, she talks about writing gritty thrillers with complex villains you’ll root for and recoil from. Natasha never planned to become an author. She just wanted to cross “write a book” off her bucket list. Now she’s five books in, spanning multiple series, and shows no signs of slowing down.

We talk about:

• Why she never plots in advance (hint: her characters have strong opinions)
• Her secret weapon for book sales (spoiler: it’s not bookstores)
• Why she chose to publish “wide” to support Canadian platforms like Kobo
• What she’s loving and learning while writing a new series about a fictional mob family in Nova Scotia
• Why “show vs. tell” trips up so many new writers (and how she works through it)

CONNECT WITH N.L. BLANDFORD

Website: www.nlblandford.com

Instagram: @nlblandford

Facebook: www.facebook.com/nlblandford

Books: Bookshop.org, Amazon.com

STILL ...

In this no-fluff episode, publishing powerhouse Jane Friedman speaks to the aspects of writing and publishing that every aspiring author need to hear about. With decades in the industry and zero interest in sugarcoating, Jane breaks down what’s actually working in publishing today. 

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT: 

• Why the so-called "good old days" of publishing weren’t actually that great (unless you love gatekeepers and waiting around)
• The myth of the full-time writer dream—and why your day job might be your creative secret weapon
• What MFA programs don’t teach you about storytelling that readers actually care about
• How to build an author platform without selling your soul 
• The cold, hard truth about bookstore distribution and hybrid publishing 
• How sponsorships can turn your author newsletter into a profitable platform—and why subscriptions might not be the move
• What nobody tells you about post-publication anxiety (spoiler: publishing a book doesn’t magically fix your inner critic)
...

CHAPTER ONE: DONE (SUPPLEMENTAL VIDEOS)

*These videos complement the Chapter One: Done training. You can join the (free) training here: Chapter One: Done 

💡 How to quickly determine whether you're writing nonfiction or memoir

WRITING NONFICTION

STEP 1. THE OVERALL ROADMAP

STEP 2: IDENTIFYING YOUR MAIN TOPIC

STEP 3: HOW TO IDENTIFY YOUR NORTH STAR

STEP 4: HOW TO IDENTIFY YOUR IDEAL READER

STEP 5: WRITING CHAPTER ONE (NONFICTION)

WRITING MEMOIR

STEP 1: THE OVERALL ROADMAP

STEP 2: IDENTIFYING YOUR MAIN TOPIC

STEP 3: HOW TO IDENTIFY YOUR NORTH STAR

STEP 4: HOW TO IDENTIFY YOUR IDEAL READER

STEP 5: WRITING CHAPTER ONE (MEMOIR)

In this episode, author Audrey Ingram shares what inspired her newest novel, The Summer We Ran (coming June 3, 2025, Zibby Publishing). Think: teenage love, political ambition, and a dual-timeline structure that spans 25 years and manages to hit you right in the gut and makes you think.

We also dig into how Audrey traded in her life as a practicing attorney for full-time writing and mom-life. The decision to pivot careers during a pandemic? Bold. Brave. And totally intentional. Plus, it’s given her a fresh lens on fulfillment, feminism, and what it really means to choose your own adventure.

INSIDE THE EPISODE:

🎙️ Why the publishing world is actually a surprisingly supportive crew—and how connecting with fellow writers can keep you sane

🎙️ How redefining feminism helped her embrace passion over pressure

🎙️ Her 12-week first draft practice, and why editing is where the magic happens

🎙️ The role of trusted early readers (and how she uniquely approaches this step)

🎙️ How she ups ...

She’s back! One of my all-time favorite guests, Neely Tubati-Alexander, returns to talk about her third novel, Courtroom Drama. As always, she brings a refreshing, no-nonsense take on staying creative and productive in the unpredictable world of publishing.

INSIDE THE EPISODE

📚 Why Neely sprints through her first drafts instead of obsessing over every word

📚 How she embraces her "pantser" style (yep, she often writes the beginning and end first, with no outline in sight)

📚 What it’s really like to write books in the cracks of everyday life, and how reality TV, genre-hopping, and real-life fascinations all sneak into her stories

📚 Using the writing of the next book to stay grounded when the release of the current one is causing stress

📚 Why research is her secret creative fuel, from courtroom procedures to video game design

📚 How the evolution of publishing is finally making room for authors to explore their full range of creativith

Neely’s approach is honest, energizing, and...

What happens when your first novel becomes a global sensation, and your next one takes nearly a decade?

In this episode, bestselling author Nicola Kraus (of The Nanny Diaries fame) gets delightfully honest about what it really takes to write, edit, and publish a book in today’s ever-shifting landscape. From the high highs to the humbling in-betweens, she shares what she’s learned about trusting your process (even when it’s slooooow), navigating a traditional publishing world that’s barely recognizable, and why writing in the present tense might just save your story.

Inside the episode:

• Why her latest novel took nearly a decade to write and release
• How editing is actually where the magic happens (even if it feels like a root canal)
• The sneaky power of tense, and why it matters more than you think
• What authors really need to know about publishing today (spoiler: it’s not just “write the book”)
• The simple truth about how readers find books they love 

ABOUT NICOLA KRAUS

Nic...

This week, I sat down with debut author Noël Stark, who went from wrangling chaos behind the scenes in the TV and film world to wrangling words on the page, often in 15-minute bursts. Her novel, Love Camera Action, flips the script on Hollywood romance by spotlighting the crew, not the stars (and the 3 peppers on the spice scale are sure to attract an audience quickly.

Inside the Episode:

• Why Noël intentionally wrote a love story about the people behind the camera.
• How it took her three years to finish her manuscript (and why that timeline is totally okay if not to be expected).
• The rollercoaster of Pitch Wars, querying 40+ agents, and the 18-month wait from “yes” to launch day.
• Choosing not to read reviews during launch (because sanity matters, and confidence is a fragile beast).
• Why she tailors content differently for Instagram vs. TikTok, and how showing up as her real self resonates most.
• What’s next: a sequel that turns the spotlight on the actors from book one, and an
...

What do a flooded house, a nine-month (and still going) renovation, and a debut novel have in common? Angelika Morini.

In this episode, Angelika shares what it actually looked like to finish her first novel, Do You See Me Now?—while living in chaos (read: house stripped to the studs). We talk about why character development can feel a lot like falling in love with someone mysterious and how launching a book is less of a finish line and more like Mile One of a marathon you didn’t know you signed up for.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

• The (not so) glamorous reality of writing and editing during a home renovation from hell
• Why marketing Book One while dreaming up Book Two can feel like a  bit of a tightrope act
• The decision to write in English (even though she’s German) 
• Weaving the complexities of post-reunification Germany into her novel
• The way she allowed her characters to show up and surprise her (no outline, no problem!)

ABOUT ANGELIKA

A. Morini is an author from Germany, who w...

You’ve probably heard the phrase “your book is your business card.” While it sounds cute for a Canva graphic, it totally downplays the blood, sweat, and editing tears that go into creating a book that actually matters. We’re not here for books that gather dust—we’re here for books that make an impact (and, at the very least, pay for lunch).

If you’re dreaming of launching a book that does more than take up space in your trunk, this episode with Naren Aryal, CEO and publisher of Amplify Publishing Group, is for you! 

Inside this episode:

📚 Why the “book as a business card” mindset can actually cost you more than it helps

 💸 What most authors really need in order to turn a profit (hint: it’s more than just book sales)

 🤖 How AI can be a brilliant assistant for your research and marketing; but no, it can’t tell your story for you

 🛒 What you need to know about Amazon ads (yes, they work, but only when you know your niche)

 💃 The truth nobody wants to hear: If you want your book ...