Indie Book Talk

Emma got her hands on an advance reader copy of Scribes' Descent, a richly imagined sci-fi adventure from Dylan West. Listen to this review then go grab a copy of the book from your favorite indie bookseller.

Get the …

Elyse Russell is curating an anthology for Band of Bards Comics. Funded by Kickstarter, The Dark Side of Purity, will feature comics, artwork, prose, …

This is an unusual episode of Indie Book Talk. A former guest turns the tables on one of our co-hosts. Author Emma Jean interviews Indie Book Talk co-host Emma G Rose on why suicide prevention is part of her author …

After finishing his first movie, Fronteras, indie filmmaker Andrew Dean decided the pace of movie making was too slow. He started transforming his screenplays into novels.  His first novel, Surfacing, came out April …

Author and Poet Joseph Fasano is writing a poem for his son publicly on Twitter. He also runs the @_PoemForYou_ community where poets and others recite poetry by request. We talk to him about poetry, the creative …

Shelley interviews co-host Emma G Rose on her experience as a visiting author at high schools and colleges. Hear how she got started and why schools …

Mike Hilbig, author of Judgement Day and Other White Lies, is a punk rock academic fascinated by mythology and philosophy. He talks to us about …

Emma and Shelley discuss their favorite books on writing, editing, and craft. These 8 books will help writers at any stage of their writing journey turn their ideas into compelling stories. Call it the Indie Book Class …

Ricardo Victoria, author of the Tempest Blades series, was born and raised in Mexico, but he writes in English. He talks to us about the state of publishing in Mexico, hope-punk, and why he and his friends decided to …

Gerald Dean Rice shares strategies for writing anywhere and staying on track toward your writing goals. He also talks about how compiling his …

Emma and Shelley run the worlds tiniest book club to talk about their reading of Unravel by Amelia Loken. This spoiler-free review covers genre, character building, and how Amelia handled writing a deaf main character.

14-year-old Shanti Hershenson is a normal kid. She goes to school, hangs out with friends... but she's also published 10 books. From poetry to …

Cat gods in space, wind-based burial ceremonies, and sticky situations are just some of what Emma and Shelley find in their experiment using Mythulu …

New York Times Bestselling indie author Michele Scott shares the big news that her book has been optioned for a movie. We talk about how that …

Horror and mystery author Bryan Nowak talks about navigating genre, where genres overlap, why you should write what you love to read. We talk steam …

Kindergarten teacher by day and paranormal investigator by night, Eleanor Wagner is the author of Sussex County Hauntings and Other Strange Phenomena. She tells us how she went from being a children's birthday clown to …

Amelia Loken, author of Unravel, talks to us about her debut novel featuring a main character who is a deaf, self-rescuing princess with embroidery magic. Amelia talks about her efforts to make sure her book represents …

In this session of Indie Book Class, Emma and Shelley consider the 3.5 different kinds of publishing. Learn the pros and cons of each and the choices you have as an author considering publication. 

Emma's blog goes …

Spaceship pilot Bryn Michaels has just killed her captain. That's the conflict at the start of After Io by Elliot Wink. This sci-fi adventure story keeps readers guessing. It features a character driven storyline and a …

Kelsey Kuptiz was certain that motherhood would mean she'd lose all her writing time, so she scrambled to finish her first book and publish her …

Lee Hall, author of Consistent Creative Content shares his secrets to building a massive Twitter presence without selling your soul in the process. …

Author and real-life dragon wrangler Savannah Goins talks about her dragon adventure series of fantasy novels. From how to use trigger warnings to what details to include, Savannah helps us understand how to weave real …

Renaii West won the Indie Reader Discovery Awards in fiction: women's issues for her novel Death by Chaos. She shares her incredibly simple strategy for getting book awards and her insights on why indie publishing was …

Gary Lee Vincent, founder of Burning Bulb Publishing, explains how an small author's cooperative in West Virginia grew into a movie studio. It's a …

Nicholas Woode-Smith author of the 16-book Kat Drummond urban fantasy series tells us how he planned and marketed it such a long series. He also …

This book may be middle grade, but it's worth a read at any age. In this STEM fantasy chapter book Sleeping Beauty and her princess friends are …

Michelle Bowser introduces us to the weird world of bizarro fiction - fun and funny fantasy that is NOT appropriate for children. Plus, hear how she …

In session five of Indie Book Class, Emma and Shelley discuss tools and strategies for getting to know your characters whether you're a plotter, a …

Meriah Crawford is an author and English Professor, but she's also a private investigator. Hear how that experience influences her mystery writing, plus thoughts on the apocalypse, in this episode of the Indie Book Talk …

Author and music producer Morgan Quaid gives us a peek at how to use music to promote books - from book trailers to custom soundtracks, he uses music to support and market his stories. Hear his music and his perspective …

Fans of urban fantasy adventure stories will love this urban fantasy series by Nicholas Woode-Smith. Part-Time Monster Hunter is a little bit Buffy …

In this hilarious interview, E.G. Creel tells us how she wrote The Immortal despite the distractions of being a full-time caregiver and the …

Are there rules for writing the first draft of your novel or short story? Yes and no. Emma and Shelley share the one unbreakable rule for writing the …

Mark Harbinger author of The Be(k)nighted: The Untold Origin of the Precept, tells us about writing a superhero who has been diagnosed with …

Dominic Martell won the author lottery. Twenty years after his traditional publisher dropped his Pascual Rose series, an indie press approached him with an offer too good to refuse. They wanted to resurrect his series …

Young adult fantasy author, Missy Sheldrake, doesn't just write novels, she also designs all of her own covers. Her degree in illustration and …

Libby Klein, author of The Poppy McAllister Mysteries, is an oddity on the Indie Book Talk podcast. She's traditionally published by Kensington Cozies. She talked with us about the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of …

After writing two books of her own, former English teacher and current web developer, Tonya Gough, noticed a need for a writing platform that lets writers play with narrative formats without immediately publicizing …

Elizabeth Spann Craig has written more than 40 books. We talk about how she writes two books at the same time (!) and why she gave up traditional publishing to become an indie author. Listen in to this episode of the …

You have a great idea for a story, or maybe you just have a character or a setting. How do you keep writing when that first flush of excitement fades? In session three of Indie Book Class, we offer some strategies that …

Before psychotherapist Verlin Darrow wrote the novel Prodigy Quest he was a professional volleyball player, a country-western singer/songwriter, and …

Are you a Plotter or a Panster? That's writer-speak for do you plan ahead or just see where the story takes you. In our second Indie Book Class …

Author Domenic Marinelli followed the beat of his own drum to write 16 books since 2016. From beat poetry to transgressive fiction his work spans …

How do you know an idea is worth writing? In our first Indie Book Class episode of the Indie Book Talk podcast, we start at the very beginning - the idea. Where to find it and what do to when you think you have "the …

If you've ever wondered what kind of editor you need, our chat with R. T. Cole might get you started in the right direction. Hear how this author of …

@emma.jean.author has more than 11,000 followers on Instagram. On this episode of Indie Book Talk, she shares how she used IG Live and other …

What started as a personal memoir transformed into Christy Alexander Hallberg's first novel. Hear how she did it and the real-life events that set the story in motion on this episode of Indie Book Talk.

As well as being …

Historical characters should be more than friends in other clothes. We talk with Jessica Dall, author of The Stars of Heaven, about how to write …

In honor of Emma's upcoming book launch (July 24!) Emma and Shelley talk about how they use mythology in their fantasy stories, including Emma's …

On this episode of Indie Book Talk, we review A Touch of Darkness, the first in the spellbinding Hades X Persephone series by Scarlett St. Clair Emma …

We keep putting off this episode, but the time has come. Emma and Shelley talk about ways to overcome procrastination and dispel distractions so you can actually get some writing (or whatever creative work you do) done.

On this episode of Indie Book Talk, we talk with Stormi Lewis a.k.a The Story Sharing Guru, host of the Bookish Chatter podcast, and author of the Sophie Lee Trilogy of thrillers about writing with ADHD, taking care of …

He's a married gay man who loves the smell of markers on a whiteboard, she's his bi-sexual cowriter and massager of words. Together they're Squidgiewitty Authors of the Harts Square series of gay romance novels …

Bookshop.org might sound like a dangerous idea--An ecommerce platform to sell books. Sounds familiar right? The twist is that every book sold …

Dave Baker drew Nicole Goux into the world of indie comics more than six years ago. Together they've written and drawn dozens of books, and attended …

Two more brave writers have shared their work with us, and we're going to critique it on air for you.  Think of it as a virtual writer's group. Like this critique? Want to share your stories? Visit our podcast page at …

We talk to Elissa Dickey about being published by an Amazon imprint (no we're not talking about KDP). Her mission to help people understand life with MS.
Her website: https://elissaadickey.wordpress.com/

Emma and Shelley compare their reactions to The Sense of Death: An Anne Kinnear Mystery Thriller from Matty Dalrymple. The first book in her Ann Kinnear series. 

Spoiler alert! They loved it. 

Learn more about Matty: …

Two brave souls sent in their writing...and we critiqued it. Think of this as a virtual writer's group.

Featuring: 

The Gracelynn Doe by V. George …

What is a beta reader? Why do you need one? How can they help make your books better? All those questions answered, plus best practices for managing beta readers in this episode of Indie Book Talk.

Want more? Check out …

In our most meta episode ever, Matty Dalrymple shares what she's learned about podcasting as an indie author. Plus, we chat about her current and upcoming projects in the Ann Kinnear Suspense series and the Lizzie …

In honor of Indie Bookstore Day on April 24, we talk to indie bookseller Gibran Graham about how authors can get their books into indie bookstores like The Briar Patch in Bangor, Maine. 

Learn more about the Briar …

We chat with comic book publisher Dirk Manning about using Kickstarter to fund his projects and the Butts in Seats campaign closing on April 16. Check it out at buttsinseatscomic.com or visit Dirk's website at …

On this episode of Indie Book Talk, we talk about covers. Yes, you should judge a book by its cover, and you'd better believe readers are going to. …

Rebecca Ellette Fincher writes fantasy novels and D&D modules. We talk about how the two kinds of writing influence each other and what's next …

Lisa Regan is the author of 10 Detective Josie Quinn Mystery Novels. Hush Little Girl (Book 11) Comes out next month!

We talk to Lisa about Murder Conventions, how she chooses between small press and self-publishing, …

Lost in a Dream by R.E. Fury is a Fantasy novel with surprising depth and a unique use of language. Check it out

Fury also shares short stories and artwork on his Instagram account at: …

Emma shares her top tips on how to host a virtual book launch event, and why it's worth doing even after the world goes back to normal. 

How to find a book marketing strategy that works for you, without making you feel icky or overwhelmed. We talk about blogging, emails, and unconventional marketing methods. #ducks

Overcome self doubt and get your book into the world with advice from Life and Business Strategist, TEDx speaker, and author Lanette Pottle.

"It's really about deciding that you will dance with the fear." - Lanette

Read …

We talk with 8-year-old kid-author, Holly Marshall, about her children's chapter book Princess Clara's Royal Adventures: At the Lily Pond in Rivers …

What do authors need from their friends and family in order to succeed and feel supported? Emma and Shelley talk about what works for them. Share this episode with your friends and family so they know how to support …

Stephanie Mirro is the author of the Immortal Relics Series and the Last Phoenix Series. She talks to us about why she switched her book covers, the challenges of defining your genre, and the marketing tactics that work …

Emma and Shelley talk about how writing groups have helped them become better writers, and what the ideal writing group looks like. 

Barb Goffman talks about her journey as a mystery writer and why she writes exclusively short stories. Find her latest stories in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. Or visit …

More about doing your own page-a-day challenge: https://www.emmagauthor.com/2018/12/taking-the-page-a-day-challenge/

This week we find out that Shelley has been reading The Panda of Death by Betty Webb. This cozy mystery is #6 in the Gunn Zoo Mystery Series and is published by Poisoned Pen Press, an independent publisher of mystery …

Emma shares her tips for getting noticed by news media, bloggers, and podcasters in this episode of Indie Book Talk.  Emma and Shelley talk about: 

Listen in on our surprisingly heartwarming conversation with Gibran Graham, owner of The Briar Patch in Bangor, Maine, as he talks about the trials and triumphs of running a bookshop during the pandemic. 

Find The Briar …

Indie author Martin Wilsey shares what he's learned from publishing nine sci-fi audiobooks. 

• Finding the right voice
• royalty sharing vs. …

We review this contemporary fantasy novel with engaging characters and a trope-bending storyline. Will it be your next favorite indie book?

Negative …

What are indie books anyway? 

Emma and Shelley talk about: 

• what indie books actually are
• what sets them apart from traditionally published books
…

Meet your hosts Emma G Rose and Shelley Shearer and find out what Indie Book Talk is all about.