Posts by Writer Unboxed

Take 5: Vaughn Roycroft and DESTINY’S DOOM

By Writer Unboxed / March 9, 2025 /
Destiny's Doom by Vaughn Roycroft: the third novel in an epic trilogy

Vaughn Roycroft, longtime WU contributor, dear friend, and assistant editor, releases his third novel—DESTINY’S DOOM, the final book in his epic Sundered Nation Trilogy–a week from this Tuesday, on March 18th.

When thinking about how to introduce this interview, we kept coming back to the same truth: Who doesn’t love Vaughn? He’s the nicest among us, the one most likely to leave a thoughtful comment on any given day, always ready with a kind word. Of course, we want to support him—because who wouldn’t?

But pointing out Vaughn’s generous heart and dedication to this community felt too easy—too obvious. We wanted something more.

So, we went digging in the WU archives to find his very first comment here. And, friends, we hit the jackpot.

September 17, 2010, at 9:01 AM
“…I’m a first-time novelist, and in the past year I put my first manuscript out there for others to read. I’ve been on the receiving end of that awkward moment you describe more often than I care to remember, including my own mother’s initial response. In the first round, the highly mixed reviews nearly caused me to quit. I reminded myself that many of these readers have never even read my chosen genre. I rededicated myself, revised, and I know I came up with a better result. I have the rewritten version out there again, and the results are much improved. It’s still my story, but seeing it through the eyes of others helped me to bring clarity to it. The process has been a roller coaster ride of joy and pain, but in the end, so very worthwhile.”

That date—2010—reminds us that storytelling is a journey, and not just for our characters.

Over the years, Vaughn has faced doubt and struggle, but also moments of triumph—seeing his books reach fantasy readers, growing a loyal fan base, and even hearing his work brought to life as an audiobook (which, by the way, is excellent).

One of the biggest keys to finishing a novel is perseverance, and few embody that spirit like Vaughn. He has always had a vision, and no matter what life threw at him, he never stopped pushing forward.

And now, with his first trilogy complete, we get to celebrate this enormous milestone with him.

Let’s dive in.

Q1: What’s the premise of your new book?

VR: Destiny’s Doom is the final edition of The Sundered Nation Trilogy. Although I doubt there will be many who will be overly concerned, I suppose I ought to start by warning that it will be nearly impossible to answer many questions about book 3 without revealing mild spoilers for books 1 and 2.

To quickly bring you up to speed, here is how I began my answer to this question for book 2, Bold Ascension:

“The Sundered Nation Trilogy is rooted in the culture clash between the Germanic Tribes and the Roman Empire during its decline. Book 1, The Severing Son, is about the rise of a young, banished chieftain—Vahldan of the Amalus—to prominence. With the help of his warrior woman guardian, Elan, Vahldan seeks to lift his people from poverty. Finding he is up against those who would repress their own people for profit, he seeks to bypass the system by pursuing glory to the fringes of a nearby […]

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Take Five Interview: Rachel Toalson and THE COLORS OF A LIFE

By Writer Unboxed / March 2, 2025 /

We are so delighted to put the focus on WU contributor and award-winning author Rachel Toalson’s most recent book. THE COLORS OF A LIFE is a collection of poetry and is out now! What’s the pitch?

“The Colors of a Life reminds us that all the pretty and not-so-pretty colors we experience over a lifetime shape us into who we are. And they all (even the not-so-pretty ones) add up to a brilliant life.

Perfect for fans of Mary Oliver, Sharon Olds, Billy Collins, and Maggie Smith, The Colors of a Life is Rachel’s tenth book of poetry.”

Did you catch that, WU? Her tenth! Wow. Congratulations, Rachel–you are an inspiration! Are you all as ready as we are to learn more? Here’s Rachel:

Q1: What’s the premise of your new book?

RT: The Colors of a Life is a poetry collection that observes and honors all the colors of a life. Through poetry, I explore the colors of love, loss, childhood, joy, hope, mental illness and much more, braiding the past with the present and the future. Some of the poems are humorous, some somber, some celebratory, some incredibly introspective. I span such subjects as the wonder (and comfort) of gray sweat pants, the bliss of crispy tater tots, the yellow and purple beginnings of eating disorders and body dysmorphia, the orange and red hues of connection, the brown reminders of the infinite, and all the worlds in between.

I suppose, at its heart, The Colors of a Life is a collection that celebrates life itself.

Q2: What would you like people to know about the story itself?

RT: The collection began with my hypothesis that while we don’t consider every color beautiful, they can still be beautiful. Even the colors we tend to wrinkle our noses at (brown? Who says their favorite color is brown except for my husband, because it’s the color of my eyes?) can still be beautiful when we examine them through love and understanding. So maybe there is a not-so-great memory associated with brown (hello, collecting pecans to get out of the house where a dad yelled), but how can we reframe that and look at it through a lens of understanding? How did it shape who we became, even if it was terribly uncomfortable? How can we redeem brown? Well, some of my kids’ eyes are brown. Of course that’s beautiful.

All these colors–whether we consider them beautiful or not–shape us into who we are. So maybe they’re worth paying a little closer attention to in our memories and in our present lives.

Q3: What do your characters have to overcome in this story? What challenge do you set before them?

RT: I don’t have characters, since this is a poetry book, but I think what I had to overcome and what I hope readers will overcome is a general sense of ennui and/or malaise in my life. The world can take so much out of us. But reconnecting to the beauty of moments can sometimes lift our spirits and help us feel less weary and bored and dissatisfied with where we are and where we’re going.

Q4: What unique challenges did this book pose for you, if any?

RT: Any time I’m collecting my poetry into a book, I usually have two challenges: (1) sorting through the thousands of […]

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Take Five Interview: L.J. Cohen and LITANY FOR A BROKEN WORLD

By Writer Unboxed / February 2, 2025 /
LJ Cohen Q&A: Litany for a Broken World

We are so happy to bring you an advance look at the upcoming novel from longtime WU contributor L.J. Cohen. The book, LITANY FOR A BROKEN WORLD, releases on February 10, 2025. We were curious about the book’s genre, and were intrigued by this bit of advance buzz:

“I think Litany qualifies as both Science Fiction and Fantasy. A central theme of the story is the multiverse, from the many worlds hypothesis of quantum physics. Science. The characters move between the worlds thanks to a personal trait. Fantasy. They are both essential to the story and she blends them well.”–Author Jim Bowering

Want to hear more? Here’s L.J.!

Q1: What’s the premise of your new book?

LJC: The short version? A modern adult reworking of The Wizard of Oz in the very real world of a Boston homeless encampment. A slightly longer version: 3 people from different worlds in the multiverse are drawn together on the night of the Boston homeless census and must heal the broken places inside themselves before they can help what is broken in the universe.

Q2: What would you like people to know about the story itself?

LJC: While the story takes place in a makeshift shelter in an abandoned building, and many of the characters struggle to survive in an uncaring world, I don’t see it as dystopic. This is ultimately a story of hope against despair and strength from trust and friendship. And I promise the readers: Poplar the dog does not die in the end.

Q3: What do your characters have to overcome in this story? What challenge do you set before them?

LJC: Reina is a young teen who makes an unauthorized trip through the multiverse which lands her in a strange world and in a body not her own.

Melissa is a middle aged psychiatrist dealing with complex grief and career burnout when she discovers the truth about multiverse travel, which triggers traumatic memories of a childhood ‘imaginary friend’ who may not have been so imaginary.

Thorne is a seer who is reviled by those he tries to help and weary of the burden his gift has had him carry for so many decades.

Each of these three main protagonists have to find a way to cope with their traumas and learn to trust themselves and their new strange companions.

Each of the secondary characters also have their individual hardships to overcome:

Martin is a young unhoused man struggling to provide shelter for his sister and the myriad of other unhoused people who live in the abandoned building he has taken over.

Stirling is an EMT who struggles to fulfill his lay ministry in caring for the unhoused which at times conflicts with his job at EMS.

Jace and Corrine (Reina’s parents) are former agents of the Multiverse Travelers Network who are on the run and trying to safeguard their daughter before she attracts the notice of the agency.

Q4: What unique challenges did this book pose for you, if any?

LJC: Writing a book with more than one point of view is always a challenge. This book had three interlocking storylines and nine distinct points of view. The more I fought to simplify the story’s structure, the more the book fought back. Which is why it took me six years to write. It was also different in […]

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Take Five Interview: Ray Rhamey and THE KITTY-CAT VAMPIRE CHRONICLES, BOOKS 1 & 2

By Writer Unboxed / January 26, 2025 /
Ray Rhamey: Take Five Interview and the Vampire Kitty Cat novels

We are delighted to bring you a sneak-peek at the new duology from longtime contributor and creator of hugely popular Flog a Pro segment, Ray Rhamey. Ray is launching not one but two novels this month, a duology from his popular Kitty-Cat Vampire series. What’s the pitch?

“In small-town Bloomsburg Illinois, newbie vampires Patch, a calico tomcat, and Meg, a pinkish human being, are targets for vigilante vampire hunters. Patch and Meg come out of the coffin to run for sheriff so they can stop the vampire killers.”

Ready to hear more? Here’s Ray!

Q1: What are the premises of your books?

RR: I have always struggled with understanding what a premise is, so I guess my answer is, “I dunno.” These novels are about a cat and a young woman who struggle with a curse that is destroying their lives. Or maybe it’s that vampires do not monsters make. Or that people need people?

But the stories are satire, too, a tongue-in-cheek poke at the whole idea of vampires and what they truly are—which is human beings with existence issues. They crave community and belonging—as Meg, half of the vampire duo says, “We don’t stop being people.” (Well, except for Patch the cat.) But their condition makes them deadly for us “breathers.” They want escape from the “otherness” caused by becoming vampires—but there is none.

Q2: What would you like people to know about the stories themselves?

RR: That they are both fun and a worthy read no matter what their customary reading fare is. As one beta reader said,

“Not a vampire fan, not a cat lover, but I was thoroughly entertained.”–Richard Weber

Regarding worthiness, a professor of English literature, editor, and publisher, said this about The Hollywood Unmurders:

“This is a serious story.”

Let me add that they are serious fun in the way only satire can be.

By the way, while The Hollywood Unmurders follows Support Your Local Vampire Kitty-Cat temporally, it is a stand-alone story.

Q3: What do your characters have to overcome in this story? What challenge do you set before them?

RR: In the first story, Support Your Local Vampire Kitty-Cat, their challenge is to survive what is, in essence, a fatal disease, and to escape destruction by vigilantes out to kill vampires. They run for election as county sheriff to go after the vigilantes.

In the second, The Hollywood Unmurders, they have to overcome being charged with murder and then, ultimately, catching the murderer. To do that, they have to help a LAPD detective who happens to be a werecoyote. There’s a bit of a romantic element, too, an attraction between Meg (a writer) and the cop. It’s a relationship doomed to be doomed.

Q4: What unique challenges did this book pose for you, if any?

RR: I’m a pantser, so there was the challenge of discovering what was going on in the story and making sure that it was both entertaining and added up to something. It was a joy to just let my imagination go where it wanted to and to discover the true nature of vampirism.

Pantsing does have its trials and tribulations, though—at one point in The Hollywood Unmurders I realized that I was going to be thousands of words short of a novel. The solution was to add a trial scene that […]

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Writer Unboxed Turns 19!

By Writer Unboxed / January 20, 2025 /

Therese here. Nineteen years ago, shortly after co-founder Kathleen Bolton emailed me and said, “We should start a blog,” Writer Unboxed was born. What began as a simple idea to support and inspire writers has grown into a thriving community. Along the way, we’ve published an incredible 6,175 posts and received nearly 138,000 thoughtful comments.

This community thrives because of the heart, soul, wisdom, and time contributed by so many.

Special thanks go to our assistant editors, Kim Bullock and Vaughn Roycroft, who help to shoulder the administrative load with dedication, grace, and good humor. Your behind-the-scenes efforts are invaluable to keeping WU running smoothly.

To all our contributors—whether you’ve shared your voice with us monthly, seasonally, or even just once—thank you for helping to shape Writer Unboxed. Your insights, advice, and creativity are the foundation of this space, and each of you adds something unique to the rich mosaic of perspectives we offer.

We’d like to offer special recognition to our monthly contributors—David Corbett, Kathryn Craft, Dave King, Donald Maass, Greer Macallister, Ray Rhamey, Kristin Hacken South, and Densie Webb—whose consistent presence helps anchor our narrative and keep the conversation dynamic. And to our full roster of 50+ voices—including Kelsey Allagood, Yasmin Angoe, Tessa Barbosa, Tom Bentley, Kim Bullock, Sarah Callender, LJ Cohen, Keith Cronin, Julie Carrick Dalton, Susan DeFreitas, Jim Dempsey, Julie Duffy, Jillian Forsberg, Therese Ann Fowler, Diana Giovinazzo, Desmond Hall, Terah Shelton Harris, Natalie Hart, Gwen Hernandez, Kristan Hoffman, Elizabeth Huergo, Julie Christine Johnson, Jeanne Kisacky, Barry Knister, Kasey LeBlanc, Juliet Marillier, Tiffany Yates Martin, Sophie Masson, Kathleen McCleary, Randy Susan Meyers, Liz Michalski, Ann-Marie Nieves, Matthew Norman, Barbara O’Neal, Barbara Linn Probst, Emilie-Noelle Provost, Virginia Pye, Harper Ross, Vaughn Roycroft, Victoria Strauss, Liza Nash Taylor, Rachel Toalson, Milo Todd, Heather Webb, Gwendolyn Womack, Grace Wynter, Cathy Yardley, and Yuvi Zalkow—we’re endlessly thankful for the perspectives, insights, and inspiration you bring to this community.

We’ve also welcomed over 533 guests to our virtual stage—many of them debut authors—who have enriched the conversation further.

Our vast archives, custom theme, and external tech support require resources. We are deeply grateful to our financial supporters, whose generosity helps sustain this space. You can view a full list of supporters on our Honor Roll page HERE.

If you, too, would like to contribute a gift to WU, THIS LINK will take you to our PayPal account.

Enormous thanks also go to our advertisers, especially those who return year after year: Jeanne Cavelos (Odyssey Writing Workshops), Kathryn Craft (Your Novel Year), Julie Duffy (StoryADayMay), Jennie Nash (Author Accelerator), and Lorin Oberweger (Free Expressions). We’re proud to help spread the word about your various opportunities for writers.

Learn more about advertising with WU HERE.

Many thanks to our social media team–including VR Barkowski, CG Blake, Valerie Chandler, LJ Cohen, DD Falvo, Deb Peterson, and Vaughn Roycroft: Your efforts help us to grow and empower an ever-widening community, and amplify our posts so that our words connect with the writers who need them most.

Finally, to you, our readers—you are the heart of Writer Unboxed. Thank you for your engagement: for reading, sharing, and joining the conversation when inspired. Your presence keeps this community thriving and is the reason we “write on” in this space.

Here’s to […]

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Happy Holidays, Writer Unboxed Community! See You in 2025

By Writer Unboxed / December 24, 2024 /

Writer Unboxed will be on its annual holiday break for the next week. We hope that you and yours enjoy the season, and that you’ll join us again in the new year. We’ll return on January 1st, 2025, with a post from Donald Maass.

Until then, write on!

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Take Five: Barry Knister and SOMEONE BETTER THAN YOU

By Writer Unboxed / December 8, 2024 /
Barry Knister Take 5 interview Someone Better Than You graphic

We are delighted to bring you a sneak-peek at the new release from longtime WU community member Barry Knister. The book, SOMEONE BETTER THAN YOU, is available now. What’s the pitch?

For years, Brady Ritz writes satire about his family and friends under a fake name, but when vanity leads him to publish a collection of his essays under his own name, his wife Natalie leaves him alone in their Naples, Florida golf community. It doesn’t matter that what he wrote is often right, or that he concealed people’s identities. Once they learn Brady wrote a book, people start reading, and finding themselves.

If you’ve been around WU for any length of time, you already know that Barry is insightful and often dryly hilarious. In fact, at the most recent WU UnConference, Barry’s reading from his own work had us all in stitches. Ready to learn more?

Q1: What’s the premise of your new book?

BK: Someone Better Than You follows retired newspaper editor Brady Ritz in the months after he makes a huge mistake. As a hobby, for years Brady wrote a satirical column for Grumble, an obscure little magazine. He used neighbors in his retirement golf community and family members as material. He took pains to conceal their identities, and wisely used a pseudonym. But when Grumble goes out of business, vanity leads Ritz to publish a collection of his columns. The fallout is what fuels the novel.     

Q2: What would you like people to know about the story itself?

BK: Even though he sees American society as “buried under a compost mound of feelings,” I hope readers will come to appreciate Brady. Yes, he is abrasive and critical, but  he is also essentially a good man. Can readers–most of whom will be women–become invested in such a character? It’s less easy to bring off likeability for such a person, but I hope readers will “get” Brady.  I also hope they will appreciate the story in terms of its subtitle: A Comedy of Manners.

Q3: What do your characters have to overcome in this story? What challenge do you set before them?

BK: Brady Ritz is something like the protagonist in Fredrik Backman’s A Man Called Ove. He’s at odds with himself and his times. Brady doesn’t believe people really change. They just adapt, or as he puts it, they “knuckle under.” But qualities in his makeup that have been suggested early on are released by story’s end. Chief among them are compassion and kindness. But because Ritz sees society as preoccupied with feelings, when they emerge in himself, they do so in very exaggerated terms. At odds with Ritz’s difficult self are other characters, first and foremost his estranged wife Natalie. A reveal related to her long-suffering character is what concludes the novel. It’s meant as an ironic comment on the book’s title.

Q4: What unique challenges did this book pose for you, if any?

BK: The first was maintaining Brady Ritz’s difficult self without alienating readers. This was complicated for me by not giving Brady the kind of change or transformation that most think should be true of main characters. By story’s end, Ritz is still himself, but in more complete terms. The second challenge for […]

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Happy Thanksgiving!

By Writer Unboxed / November 27, 2024 /

We’ll be taking a short break for the holiday, but we’ll be back on December 2nd.

Thank YOU, WU Community, for supporting this site, for leaving comments, for writing on. We’re grateful for you.

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Take Five: Heather Webb and Hazel Gaynor’s CHRISTMAS WITH THE QUEEN

By Writer Unboxed / November 17, 2024 /

We’re delighted to bring you a sneak peek at the upcoming release from longtime WU contributor Heather Webb and her collaborator Hazel Gaynor. The book, CHRISTMAS WITH THE QUEEN, releases this coming Tuesday, November 19th. A bit about their collaboration:

Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb’s co-written historical novels have all been published to critical acclaim. The USA Today and international bestseller, Last Christmas in Paris, won the 2018 Women’s Fiction Writers Association Star Award, Meet Me in Monaco was shortlisted for the 2020 Romantic Novelists’ Association Historical Novel award, and Three Words for Goodbye was selected by Prima Magazine as a Best Novel of 2021. Christmas With The Queen is their fourth collaboration.

The book is getting plenty of pre-release buzz, including this:

“A page-turning festive read, full of will they/won’t they romance, intriguing glimpses of royal life behind palace doors, and inspiring culinary treats. As delicious as a Christmas pudding topped with flaming brandy and lashings of cream.”- Gill Paul, USA Today bestselling author

In the spirit to hear more? Here are Heather and Hazel!

Q1: What’s the premise of your new book?

HW&HG: Pitched as The Crown meets When Harry Met Sally, Christmas with the Queen is a heartwarming historical novel, set during the early reign of Queen Elizabeth. A royal chef and a royal correspondent to the BBC who share a past, meet again unexpectedly in the halls of Sandringham and Buckingham Palace. Despite personal and professional heartache, Jack and Olive’s paths continue to cross over the following five Christmas seasons and they find themselves growing ever closer. Yet Olive carries the burden of a heavy secret… You also see the queen and Prince Philip moving through the background of the story. It’s very Christmasy, very cozy, and more than a little nostalgic in the best way.

Q2: What would you like people to know about the story itself?

HW&HG: What early readers have most loved about the book are the combined elements of the 1950s setting, the scenes written from the point of view of Queen Elizabeth, the ‘behind-the-scenes- look at life at Sandringham at Christmas, and the will they/won’t they romance between Olive and Jack. The story takes us from London’s Piccadilly to as far away as New Zealand and Antarctica! Lots of readers have also picked up on the culinary elements – how could we not lavish the story with lots of mouth-watering dishes when Jack, a chef from New Orleans, has joined the staff.

Q3: What do your characters have to overcome in this story? What challenge do you set before them?

HW&HG: As with all the best love stories, Jack and Olive’s relationship is complicated and messy. They experience a whole range of emotions during the five years when the main story of the book is set as well as a limited secondary timeline where you see our two main characters meet, the day the end of WWII is announced in the UK (Victory in Europe Day).

For Olive, an ambitious young woman at the BBC, she faces challenges of being taken seriously as a reporter and to be given the same opportunities as her male counterparts. Also a single mother, she faces […]

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Take Five: Randy Susan Meyers and THE MANY MOTHERS OF IVY PUDDINGSTONE

By Writer Unboxed / October 27, 2024 /

We are thrilled to bring you a sneak-peek at the new book from bestselling author and WU contributor Randy Susan Meyers. The book, THE MANY MOTHERS OF IVY PUDDINGSTONE, releases this coming Tuesday (October 29th). What’s the pitch?

“The Many Mothers of Ivy Puddingstone delves into the intricate and nuanced dance of familial love and communal ties through the lens of sociopolitical upheaval from the 1960s to the present day, examining which sacrifices are worth the price.”

Want to hear more? Here’s Randy!

Q1: What’s the premise of your new book?

RSM: Annabel’s journey begins in 1964 when she heads to Mississippi for Freedom Summer. There, the disappearance of her first love sparks a relentless fight for justice that will define her life. Years later, she, her husband, and four other couples—and their growing families— create a political collective, sharing a sprawling Boston house they name Puddingstone.

As social upheaval reaches a boiling point, the group relocates their children to the safety of rural Vermont, far from the chaos. The parents continue their activism, rotating visits to Vermont to care for the kids.
But not all threats come from the outside. Annabel’s daughter, Ivy, longs for something more than the patchouli-scented, organic world of Vermont. She craves normalcy, but most of all, she craves Annabel’s attention. When a cataclysmic event shatters their world, Ivy is forced to reckon with the limits of her many mothers and fathers.

The Many Mothers of Ivy Puddingstone explores the fragile, tangled threads of familial love and communal bonds. Set against a backdrop of cultural upheaval from 1964 to 2020, the novel follows the five couples of Puddingstone and their seven children for decades, questioning which sacrifices are worth the price.

 Q2: What would you like people to know about the story itself?

The Many Mothers of Ivy Puddingstone is an intensely personal story told from two points of view: a mother and a daughter. As I wrote, I wrestled with a series of questions, the ‘what ifs’ I wanted to explore:

  • How does an idealistic 18-year-old from a small town become a Freedom Summer volunteer— and later, part of a political collective in Boston? What were the most unexpected moments living in that collective? (Voting on monogamy? Fighting over housework just like regular folk? Arguing over whose ‘cause’ is most important? The reaction of supposed socially conscious men to the rise of feminism?)
  • Being terrified for your young children’s safety after the government’s ROTC shoots students? Would a mother believe it was better to send her children away—taking turns with childcare—as the price for building a better world?

  • What could go wrong if you have seven children, five mothers, five fathers, and one idyllic commune?

  • Would a daughter, who craved nothing but a normal life, forgive her parents after the idyll explodes with a cataclysmic catastrophe?

  • *What happened to all the members of these five families from 1964 to 2020?

  • Is any family ever the same after a tragedy?
  • Q3: What do your characters have to overcome in this story? What challenge do you set before them?

    Annabel must juggle two opposing forces: her unshakable commitment to social justice and her love for her children. She embarks on an experiment, believing she can have it all—by sending her children to a communal childcare arrangement in rural Vermont while she continues the […]

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    Take Five: Jillian Forsberg and THE RHINO KEEPER

    By Writer Unboxed / October 20, 2024 /
    Jillian Forsberg Take Five image

    We are so excited to bring you an advance look at the upcoming release of WU contributor and debut author Jillian Forsberg. The book, THE RHINO KEEPER–out this coming Tuesday, October 22nd–is receiving fantastic early praise, such as:

    “A heart-wrenching tale of a man and his beloved rhinoceros, The Rhino Keeper is both a historical mystery and a tale of old-world adventure, reminding us that even the wishes we take to our grave may someday come true after all.”–Sarah Penner, NYT Bestselling Author of The Lost Apothecary and The London Séance Society

    Are you as intrigued as we are? Ready to hear more? Here’s Jillian!

    Q1: What’s the premise of your new book?

    JF: The Rhino Keeper is a dual timeline historical fiction novel set in modern day Holland and 18th century India and Europe. While studying abroad in Holland, college student Andrea Clarkson discovers the strangest piece of history – a rhino drawing on a crumbling broadside, an advertisement claiming the Behemoth of Job was visiting Vienna in the 1740s…

    The obscure, true story of Clara the Indian rhino, often called the first animal celebrity, is unwoven in the past timeline, where ship captain Douwemout van der Meer makes his way from Calcutta to Rotterdam, Versailles to Venice, and all over the continent of Europe, while caring for the rarest mammal on the continent. But when he discovers his life is held captive by Clara the same way he holds her, he has decisions to make, and some of those decisions might be made for him as love of many kinds presents to the rhino keeper.

    Q2: What would you like people to know about the story itself?

    JF: The 18th century part of this story is true. But people from the past leave us fragments, snippets, whispers. Often we historical fiction authors are left wondering if we’re gifted truths or glamorous lies? What we know: a rhino named Clara traipsed Europe for 18 years. What we don’t: hardly anything else. Her owner, a real person who died in 1775, left behind no surviving journal or log of their adventures. What remains of Clara’s legacy are pieces of art, preserved for their absolute mastery. It is with this that historians and myself were able to piece together her star-studded journey.

    The modern part of this story is what I want to happen, in some ways. A college student discovering a historical mystery, a lichen-covered grave, treasure, antiques, museums, high-stakes moments, and a satisfying, full-circle end. My mentor asked me: What happened to Clara’s remains? Where is she now? And that inspired this entirely new story, one that many people would love to experience in their own lives. The modern part of this book helps people with little knowledge of the 18th century feel comfortable there – you’re learning alongside a college student with a museum internship!

    Q3: What do your characters have to overcome in this story? What challenge do you set before them?

    JF: The biggest challenge for the main character Douwe was learning how to care for an Indian rhino! There was no rhino on the continent of Europe that lived more than six months prior to Clara. The challenge for Douwe was more than how to keep her alive, though. […]

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    Take Five: Tiffany Yates Martin and THE INTUITIVE AUTHOR: HOW TO GROW & SUSTAIN A HAPPIER WRITING CAREER

    By Writer Unboxed / October 13, 2024 /
    The Intuitive Author by Tiffany Yates Martin

    We are thrilled to bring you a sneak peek at the upcoming release from author, editor, teacher, and WU contributor Tiffany Yates Martin. The book, THE INTUITIVE AUTHOR: HOW TO GROW & SUSTAIN A HAPPIER WRITING CAREER, is out this Tuesday (Oct.15) in trade, e-book, and hardcover, with an audiobook releasing in November. It seems tailor made for us, the WU community, and is already receiving great buzz, such as:

    Intuitive Author is a much-needed resource, filled to the brim with wisdom and tips that every author needs to know. It should be required reading and belongs on every author’s bookshelf.”—Amy Collins, literary agent, Talcott Notch

    Interested in hearing more? Here’s Tiffany!

    Q1: What’s your new book about?

    TYM: That of all the skills writers strive to master in our field, the ones that most directly affect the success and longevity of an author’s career aren’t about writing.

    Yes, a writing career rests on a solid foundation of “hard skills” in story and writing craft knowledge, but what sustains it–and the author–are what I call the “squishy skills”—things like:

  • how to handle rejection and criticism
  • how to adapt to an ever-changing publishing market
  • how to find your authentic voice as an author
  • how to handle the common “writer demons”: impostor syndrome, competition, comparison, procrastination, fear of failure, “writer’s block,” and a host of other demons that live in all of our psyches, but perhaps most acutely in creatives.
  • Essentially the book is about how to take control and feel a sense of agency in an industry where often it feels as if the author has the least amount of influence over the trajectory of their career.

    Q2: What would you most like people to understand about your book?

    TYM: This is survival guide for authors, a book that brings the same practical, actionable approach I used in my previous book for authors about editing and revising their own work, Intuitive Editing, to these “squishy skills” areas.

    Having the tools and skills to handle these oh-so-common challenges and potential pitfalls that can derail you as a writer is what allows authors to create and sustain a more satisfying, fulfilling career despite the business’s many ups and downs. It allows authors to take the helm of the career they want, rather than feeling buffeted about by the many factors we can’t control in our industry.

    Q3: We’d ask “What do your characters have to overcome in this story?” but since this is nonfiction–

    TYM: Ha… Writing is filled with constant challenges writers must overcome: competing for eyeballs against the two million other books published every year; dwindling advances and an ever more challenging publishing and sales environment; escalating marketing and publicity demands; artificial intelligence—the list is vast and always expanding.

    And that doesn’t even include our inner obstacles: the “writer demons” like impostor syndrome, comparison, procrastination, “writer’s block”; maintaining motivation and focus; balancing our art with our lives and our own well-being—it’s another list that can often feel endless.

    Amid all that, the challenge is to concretely define why you write, what you value, and what is your enough so that you can take charge of your writing career in an industry where creativity and artists are often treated as expendable, interchangeable commodities.

    When I talk about building a successful writing career, I’m not […]

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    Take Five: Cathy Yardley and DO ME A FAVOR

    By Writer Unboxed / August 11, 2024 /
    Do Me a Favor by Cathy Yardley; Take 5 Interview header

    We are so excited to bring you an interview and sneak peek at the latest release from longtime WU contributor, writing coach, and author Cathy Yardley. The book, DO ME A FAVOR, is out now, and looks like a perfect book for cozying up to those late-summer campfires. Listen to this:

    “A beautifully crafted tale about love, laughter, and starting over, Yardley’s Do Me a Favor is the romcom we all need. Perfect for fans of feel-good stories and second chances, this book proves it’s never too late to find love in the most unexpected places—and if you’re really lucky, it comes with a dog named Noodle.” —Jenn McKinlay, New York Times bestselling author of Love at First Book

    Ready for a closer look? Here’s Cathy!

    Q1: What’s the premise of your new book?

    CY: My new book, DO ME A FAVOR, is a romantic comedy about a 46 year old widow who is starting her life over after inheriting a house on a small island in the Puget Sound. She’s trying to revive her career as a cookbook ghostwriter after taking years off to care for her husband, but her latest project — writing “sexy” recipes for a viral video chef known more for his abs than his cuisine, has her blocked. She finds a muse in her 42 year old handyman, who lives on the hobby farm next door with his parents and his grown teenaged twins. Still, letting go of old patterns and accepting help is hard for her… and learning to actually pursue long-abandoned dreams is hard for him. It’s a story about growing as a person, no matter what your age or life circumstance is.

    Q2: What would you like people to know about the story itself?

    CY: Despite being interwoven with serious elements (especially processing grief) it’s fun, funny, and warm. Also, it has a lot of food references… be prepared to want to grab nibbles to eat while you’re reading!

    Q3: What do your characters have to overcome in this story? What challenge do you set before them?

    CY: Willa, the main female character, has been in survival mode for a long time, longer than even she realizes, and it’s ground her down. Culturally, being from both Vietnamese, and Eastern European immigrant families, she’s learned not to ask for outside help, and the fact that she hasn’t made “practical” choices (and feels, in her 40s, that she’s “paid” for that) is a big part of what she needs to overcome. She’s also finally processing her husband’s death. Hudson, the male main character, became a parent at 19 and a single parent a few years later due to divorce. He’s had dreams from his youth that he simply abandoned, with what he feels are no regrets since he loves his family so much. Seeing Willa start rebuilding her life starts to awaken dormant desires, wondering if it really isn’t too late to chase down your goals. They’re going to learn to grow stronger individually as a part of growing together.

    Q4: What unique challenges did this book pose for you, if any?

    CY: The year before I started this book, I’d lost my father to cancer, and my mother had gotten diagnosed with advanced, fast-moving Parkinson’s. My own husband is a Type 1 diabetic, […]

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    Take Five: Greer Macallister and THE THIRTEENTH HUSBAND

    By Writer Unboxed / August 4, 2024 /
    Greer Take Five

    We’re delighted to bring you an interview with longtime WU contributor and author Greer Macallister to highlight her upcoming release THE THIRTEENTH HUSBAND, out Tuesday, August 6th. The book is getting plenty of terrific pre-release buzz, including this:

    “Greer Macallister’s Aimee Crocker is exactly the kind of sassy, strong heroine you want to stay up late into the night gabbing with – and soaking up every detail of her epic life. I loved adventuring with Aimee from San Francisco to India and Japan, walking in the shoes of a woman who lived and loved life to the fullest. This is compulsively readable historical fiction!” ― Kerri Maher, USA Today bestselling author of All You Have to Do is Call

    Sounds like the perfect summer read, doesn’t it? Ready to hear more? Here’s Greer:

    Q1: What’s the premise of your new book?

    GM: The Thirteenth Husband was inspired by Aimée Crocker, the most scandalous tattoo-sporting railroad heiress of the Gilded Age. She spent the better part of five decades traveling the world, spending millions, and marrying and divorcing a succession of men in their twenties. I actually had to tone down her story to make it believable fiction. She was something else.

    Q2: What would you like people to know about the story itself?

    GM: There’s more to Aimée than meets the eye — people think of her as confident and devil-may-care, but her public shenanigans are masking private pain. She’s also reckoning with a prophecy that told her that her thirteenth husband would bury her, and haunted by the ghostly presence of a woman in white that appears to her before times of great tragedy in her life. (Both of which are based on incidents from the real Aimée’s life!)

    Q3: What do your characters have to overcome in this story? What challenge do you set before them?

    GM: Aimée says early in the novel that she gets no sympathy in the press because people feel like the rich don’t have problems. Her money gave her the kind of freedom few women of her era enjoyed, but she was judged harshly in public and private for the choices she made. Her story has heartbreak, loss, scandal, death, secrets, poisoning, shame, custody battles, and more — a lot to overcome.

    Q4: What unique challenges did this book pose for you, if any?

    GM: My previous biographical historical novel was based on the life of Kate Warne, a pioneering private detective who left no letters or diaries and barely graces the historical record. Aimée, on the other hand, was quoted widely in the newspapers of her day and even wrote a (highly selective) memoir. Figuring out when to take Aimée’s word for something and when to leave it out if it couldn’t be substantiated was a constant challenge throughout the writing process.

    Q5: What has been the most rewarding aspect of having written this book?

    GM: After writing historical fiction for the better part of a decade, I shifted to writing epic fantasy, and it was such a relief to really fully make things up! But when I got the idea to write about Aimée and shift back to historical fiction, I was worried I’d have trouble operating within the constraints of history again. Instead, it felt natural, and because I was […]

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