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JOANI ELLIOTT believes in the magic of stories, a good cup of tea, and the power of living a creative life. So maybe it’s no surprise that her debut novel is about a writer who’s just landed the toughest assignment of her life.
Joani shares great insight into her creative journey, and some of the challenges she faced, while writing her debut novel. Like her willingness as a writer to step into the unknown. Why this former academic had to learn to tap into her own emotions, to gain the truth of her emotional scenes. How she came to terms with the messy process of writing…and more.
Joani Elliott taught writing at the University of Maryland and Brigham Young University. The Audacity of Sara Grayson is her first novel. Find book club resources, virtual author chats, and more at joanielliott.com.
Continue readingToday’s guest says, “After 25 years of studying World War II and the Holocaust, when I find a story that makes me gasp, I know I am onto something that will make my readers feel the same way.”
Pam Jenoff returns to Conversations Live to share how Jewish tunnel dwellers, hiding from Nazis, inspired The Woman with the Blue Star. We discuss why Pam had to rewrite her entire first manuscript–and how she did it during the height of a pandemic. How she used the themes of isolation, connection, and unlikely friendships to shape her story. And why she teaches fiction storytelling techniques to her law students.
Pam Jenoff is the author of 11 novels of historical fiction, including the international bestseller The Kommandant’s Girl. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international affairs, a master’s in history, and a JD. Jenoff’s novels are inspired by her experiences working at the Pentagon and as a diplomat for the State Department handling Holocaust issues in Poland.
Continue readingMany people work out daily to improve their core strength. But how many of us work on developing our core mindset? And what does that even mean? Winners know, for sure, and Julia Pimsleur‘s new book is based on the eight mindset practices that highly successful people have in common.
Today we discuss a little about Neuro-Linguistic Programming and how your brain filters information via its RAS. Why we should pay attention to areas where we feel resistance. What changes when we practice BE-DO-HAVE. How to bust our limiting beliefs. And how women can use the 8 Essential Mindset Practices to help them thrive in the pandemic “She-cession”.
Julia Pimsleur is the author of Go Big Now: 8 Essential Mindset Practices to Overcome Any Obstacle and Reach Your Goals and the bestselling Million Dollar Women. She is a master practitioner and coach of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and the founder of the Million Dollar Women social venture. Pimsleur also developed the #1 language teaching company for kids, Little Pim, into a multimillion-dollar business.
Continue readingIn the 1500s, William Barents became the first Dutch polar explorer to set sail in an attempt to discover a northern route to China. Andrea Pitzer became fascinated by his story. So much so, that she did what all curious journalists would do—she set sail to retrace his journey.
We discuss what Andrea learned about Barents’ three Arctic expeditions, and some of the little known history around his challenges and successes. Andrea also shares how her own expedition to the Russian Arctic was life changing; what surprised her the most. And the highlight of her experience sailing on a tall ship, where she spent time high up the mast.
Icebound: Shipwrecked At The Edge Of The World is the latest book by critically acclaimed author and journalist Andrea Pitzer. Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Review of Books, The Daily Beast, Vox, and Slate. Andrea’s two previous books are One Long Night and The Secret History of Vladimir Nabokov.
With high-tech intrigue, Cate Holahan‘s new domestic thriller explores what happens when a social media influencer’s seemingly perfect world is turned upside down, following a savage home invasion. Heads Up: It might make you think differently about the technology in your home.
Cate shares how she went from award-winning journalist to bestselling novelist. Why culture and heritage is important, and where it fits into her writing. What to consider when developing multicultural characters. The dangers of stereotyping. And why women shouldn’t quit work.
Her Three Lives is Cate’s fifth novel. Her others include the USA Today bestselling The Widower’s Wife, One Little Secret, Lies She Told, and Dark Turns. As an award-winning journalist, Cate Holahan wrote for publications such as The Record, Business Week, and the Boston Globe.
Continue readingIn her own words Liza Rodman was a lonely little girl. During Cape Cod summers, her mother worked days in a motel and danced most nights in the Provincetown bars, leaving her with a local handyman–Tony Costa. He was one of the few understanding adults in Liza’s life. But years later, she was haunted by nightmares, and that’s when she learned her charismatic babysitter was also a vicious serial killer.
Part memoir, part true crime Liza Rodman and Jennifer Jordan joined forces to tell this chilling real life story in The Babysitter: My Summers with a Serial Killer. Today we look at how Liza came to know the truth about her babysitter, and how that unwittingly helped her deal with her own childhood demons. We discuss what’s known of Tony Costa; what made him a monster. And how the authors resolved three cold cases during the course of their research. We also explore how these two friends of 40+ years wrote this book together, and what they took away from the experience.
With a BA focused in creative writing, this is Liza Rodman’s first book. Jennifer Jordan is an award-winning author, filmmaker, and screenwriter with decades of experience as a news anchor and investigative journalist. The Babysitter is her fifth book.
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The Agitators tells fascinating stories surrounding America’s abolition, the Underground Railroad, and early women’s rights movements from the intimate perspective of three friends—Martha Coffin Wright, Frances A. Seward, and Harriet Tubman.
It took Dorothy Wickenden seven years to research and write The Agitators. Today she shares some of the challenges in the lives of these “agitators”, and how they were united in spirit, despite having very different backgrounds. We also discuss how Quakers led the first large movement to abolish slavery. Some of the research that surprised and delighted the author. And what she would ask these women, if she could.
Dorothy Wickenden is the author of Nothing Daunted and The Agitators, and has been the executive editor of The New Yorker since 1996. She also writes for the magazine and is the moderator of its weekly podcast Politics & More. A former Nieman Fellow at Harvard, Wickenden was national affairs editor at Newsweek from 1993-1995.
Continue readingWho better to capture the essence of New York in today’s times, than New Yorkers themselves. Journalist Craig Taylor immersed himself into the crowded streets of New York, speaking to over 200 everyday people, to let their words paint the picture of contemporary New York.
We discuss some of the 75 characters in the book, and learn why most say NYC is just a “playground for the rich.” Why part of “living in NY is just mourning the hell out of it.” Why some stay when they say they want nothing more than to leave. How the city became “very dark” in March 2020. And what Craig misses the most now he’s back in Canada.
Craig Taylor is the author of the bestselling Londoners, Return to Akenfield, and One Million Tiny Plays About Britain. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Guardian, The Globe & Mail, and McSweeney’s. Craig Taylor’s latest book New Yorkers: A City and Its People in Our Time.
Continue readingWe’ve all run into jerks at work. But you either learn to deal with them or they’ll make your life miserable.
Peter Economy shares how to identify 16 personality-types, real-life case studies, and eight strategies for resolving conflict. We also discuss when it’s time to move on — and if you decide to do that, what you must include on your resume to get noticed.
Returning guest Peter Economy is known as the leadership guy at Inc.com, where he’s published more than 1500 articles. He works with C-level executives, executive coaches, and business consultants around the world. Peter Economy is the bestselling author of Managing for Dummies and Wait, I’m the Boss? His latest book is Wait, I’m Working with Who? The Essential Guide to Dealing with Difficult Coworkers, Annoying Managers, and Other Toxic Personalities.
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