Margs & Manuscripts

Featured Guest: Lauren Evans Lauren Evans is a romance author who works in higher education in Atlanta. Her debut, Casket Case, came out in 2024, and her second novel, Just Like a Dream, is out now.What if your weirdest dreams were made on purpose, by someone sitting in a conference room? Lauren joins us to talk about Just Like a Dream, a speculative romance set at the World Dream Center. Dream designer Olivia gets paired with her high school nemesis, Connor, to build a dream for her best friend. We talk about going from writing about death to writing about fate, why Lauren’s heroines will never be “likable,” and what she’s learned heading into her second book.This EpisodeLanding a two-book deal with no second book, and how Just Like a Dream came togetherWhat changed with book two: realizing no one cares about your book more than you doHow a decade of making flyers and stickers at her day job turned into a marketing superpowerWhy traditionally published authors should take notes from indie authorsGoing from death to fate and free will, plus the “Sims in a conference room” idea that started it allThe Severance energy of the World Dream CenterWriting Connor, the golden retriever you can’t help but like (Travis Kelce comparisons included)Messy, loving family dynamics and writing a try-hard heroineWhy she’ll never write a likable female character, and using the Enneagram to build characters who suck and are greatWhat Lauren’s reading and what she’s writing nextAbout the Book Olivia is a dream designer at the World Dream Center, and her latest assignment is a tough one: design a dream for her friend. Even worse, she’s paired with Connor, her high school nemesis. She’s not thrilled about it. He’s thrilled. Building a dream that will actually change someone’s life turns out to be a lot more complicated than it looks.Books MentionedJust Like a Dream by Lauren EvansCasket Case by Lauren EvansJust a Highland Fling by Naina KumarDiamond of the Rebellion by Naina Kumar (summer 2027)You’re the One That I Haunt by Katie Jung (catch Katie on Episode 15)The Supper Club Saints by Claire SwinarskiThis Episode’s Book Breaks Kalliope Draft: Planning, drafting, and collaboration software built for human writers, with no AI features. Available now on macOS, with a waitlist for Windows and Linux.Architecture of Story: A one-stop indie publishing partnership covering editorial, marketing coaching, cover design, ARC management, and more, for one flat upfront fee and no royalties. Follow them at @architectureofstory.Connect with LaurenWebsite: laurenbevans.comInstagram: @laurenevanswritesNewsletter: laurenbevans.substack.comBooks featured on this podcast are sometimes provided free by publishers or authors.Support the show

What if your writing software actually got out of your way?This week’s Lime Light is our first ever non-book episode. We’re joined by Ria Caldwell and Chris Pridemore, the writers behind Kalliope, a brand new writing app built by writers, for writers. Chris is a software engineer who got tired of jumping between Word, Scrivener, and a pile of other apps just to draft and build his world, so he built his own tool. Ria is a former lawyer and freelance editor who saw everything it could fix for writing groups, editors, and authors worried about AI accusations.In this episode of Margs & Manuscripts, we talk about:📚 How a writing group (and a slightly creepy Google Drive deep dive) brought Ria and Chris together📚 Why Word, Google Docs, and Scrivener leave so many writers fighting their software instead of writing📚 The Chirograph: a tamper-proof, timestamped record of your writing process. Think of it as the time-lapse video that proves you wrote your book📚 Where AI belongs (work) and where it doesn’t (art)📚 Collaboration tools made for writing groups, including comments that stay with your draft even after you’ve revised it📚 Analytics that don’t use AI: character voice tracking, a “reader memory” heat map, catching characters who go quiet for chapters at a time, filter words, echoes, and more📚 A codex that won’t spoil a character’s death for your critique partners before they reach that chapter📚 Moments of delight: typewriter sounds, achievements, and confettiTry KalliopeKalliope Draft and Kalliope Circle are free for the rest of November during the open beta. In December, Kalliope Draft becomes a one-time $50 purchase that you own forever, and the cloud features (collaboration, sharing, and the Chirograph) are $5 a month. Kalliope Draft is available now on Mac, with Windows and Linux on the way.🔗 Download KalliopeJoin Us Live on November 12Margs, Manuscripts, and Misbehaving Women is a live virtual author panel and Q&A about complicated female main characters: why we write them, why we love them, and why they’re the future of fiction. Think girls’ night in, with books.🎟️ Get your ticketsConnect With KalliopeInstagramTikTokBlueskyFacebookLinkedInConnect With UsFollow Margs & Manuscripts on InstagramVisit margsandmanuscripts.comThis episode is sponsored by Kalliope. As always, all opinions are our own. We don't know the word "filter".Support the show

“Henry just wanted to bang the next girl.” That’s A. L. Sinclair’s summary of the Boleyn downfall, and honestly, she’s not wrong.This week, we finally sit down with A. L. Sinclair, author of The Witch Queen’s Gambit, a dark historical fantasy that asks what would happen if Anne Boleyn were a witch whose rise to power changed the world. A. L. isn’t here to promote a book that’s already out. She’s on submission, waiting with the rest of us, and she gives an honest look at what that stage is really like. (Spoiler: if you thought querying was slow, wait until you hear about the other side.)She tells us how a short story she wrote to distract herself from the query trenches grew into an epic, how giving away the first three chapters brought in 700 ARC sign-ups in three weeks, and how that hype led to signing with her agent. We also dig into building your author brand before you have anything to sell, why mislabeling a book as romantasy loses you the readers who’d love it most, and what it means to channel your characters. Plus, a peek at her next project, which includes a murder mystery, a matchmaker witch, and a man in slutty glasses.In This EpisodeLife on submission and why editors are just as buried as agents right nowWhy George Boleyn deserves way more credit than history gives himGiving away your first three chapters through BookFunnel to build hype and protect your IPEmail funnels and the business side of being an author, even if you’re going tradFinding your reader personas, and why your book isn’t for everyoneWhy not every fantasy with romance is a romantasyChanneling characters, trusting the story, and what writer’s block might really beDaisy Darling, her dark comedy WIP about a matchmaker witch in Edinburgh whose exes keep turning up murderedBluey, bin chickens, and why our kids speak better Australian than we doJoin Us Live: Margs, Manuscripts, and Misbehaving WomenBold books, complicated women, and conversations that refuse to behave. On Thursday, November 12, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. CST, we’re hosting a live virtual panel with authors Amy W. Vogel, Katie Jung, and Audrey Goldberg, plus our own Cait Waynelovich. We’ll talk honestly about power, rage, reputation, identity, and feminine expression, with short readings, book recs, digital reader bonuses, and a giveaway of signed books, ebooks, and M&M merch. You don’t need to read anything beforehand.TicketsVIP Live Experience ($35): Live Zoom admission, the audience Q&A, one month of replay access, all digital bonuses, an exclusive “Last Call” M&M episode, and a VIP giveaway entryGeneral Replay Pass ($15): Replay within 24 hours with 7 days of access, digital bonuses, and a general giveaway entryGet your tickets: https://www.margsandmanuscripts.com/live-event-2026Listen If You LoveLeigh Bardugo’s The FamiliarKate ForsythJuliet MarillierWitchy historical fantasy with a dark and twisty edgeFollow A. L. SinclairRead the first three chapters of The Witch Queen’s Gambit: https://www.alsinclairauthor.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a.l.sinclairauthorMentioned in This EpisodeWriting Away RefugeFollow Margs & ManuscriptsInstagram: @margsandmanuscriptsBooks featured on this podcast are sometimes provided free by publishers or authors.Support the show

Orin Steele joins us to talk about By Blood, Shadow, and Fire, the first book in her dark romantasy trilogy, and the choices that got it (and her) here. We’re fresh off the book and we cannot stop thinking about that ending.Orin spent nearly a decade running her own branding agency, and it shows. We dig into how she brought a fully formed cover vision to Emrae Publishing, how a Friday night spot at her local Portland brewery led her to illustrator Santiago, and why she wanted a cover that looked like art instead of a book cover.We also get real about the other side of building an author platform: posting about bad days instead of curated wins, 80+ agent rejections, and why she queried an indie publisher directly. Orin opens up about scrapping 75,000 words of book two, stepping back from social media, and protecting the two things she won’t put down: the quality of her books and time with her daughter.Then we get into the book itself. Orin shares how a D&D character sparked the series, how her own personal journey shaped Islyn’s story of becoming what she was taught to fear, and what’s coming in book two (spoiler: it picks up minutes after book one ends).In this episode:Designing a cover that looks like art, from the illustration to the foil and overlaysWhy the most relatable content is the honest kindQuerying an indie publisher directly and becoming their first “non-friend” signingWhy traditional publishing keeps waiting for indie authors to prove themselves firstR.F. Kuang’s advice: spend less time convincing people to read your book and more time making it betterUnderworld meets Shadow and Bone, morally gray characters, and inconvenient love storiesThe Lee Pace and Heath Ledger inspiration behind her charactersWhat to expect in book twoOrin’s favorite reminder: “You can fix bad writing. You can’t fix a blank page.”Connect with Orin:Website: orinsteele.comInstagram: @actuallyorinTikTok: @actuallyorinOrder By Blood, Shadow, and Fire: Emrae PublishingConnect with Margs & Manuscripts:Instagram: @margsandmanuscriptsWebsite: margsandmanuscripts.comBooks featured on this podcast are sometimes provided free by publishers or authors.Support the show

When something hungry wakes in the pines, Aunna must protect the woman she loves before it devours them both.Beth Carlberg joins us to talk Firewatcher, her dark fantasy folk horror where magic doesn’t sparkle. It costs you. Aunna is the first woman Firewatcher in generations. She can hear the dead speak through flame, and every bit of that power leaves a mark. When the Temnylf crawl out of the woods hungry for the magic buried in human bones, she has to decide how much she’s willing to burn.We get into why fairy tales were always folk horror, how a short story grew into a full novel (with about 50,000 words left on the cutting room floor), and why Beth never tells herself no in a first draft. Then it gets delightfully woo: tarot, writing as a vessel, and the real toll of spending your workday in dark places. Fair warning, she rated Firewatcher an eleven on our dark and twisty scale.In this episode:The Dolly Parton school of author branding: you are the brandBuilding a magic system where every spell has a priceGrowing up on Robin McKinley and Tolkien, and why the original fairy tales are horrifyingWhy Beth stays out of reader review spacesOne hand, two color schemes: the story behind the hardcover and paperback coversFrom short story to novella to novel, with help from a developmental editor and The Heroine’s JourneyThe difference between what you write and what you sellTarot as the thing you already know but don’t want to hearWriting dark without becoming dark, and the Snow White retelling she shelved for goodHow a second pen name and a lovers-to-enemies romantasy let her write outside horror authenticallyLeaving readers with complex feelings in a hot-take worldClimbing out of the bog: noise-cancelling headphones, lo-fi jazz, and touching grassWhat’s next: Chokecherry, an 80s lesbian horror coming September 2027Connect with Beth:Website: https://www.bethcarlberg.netBuy Firewatcher direct: https://www.bethcarlberg.net/firewatcherFirewatcher at all retailers: https://books2read.com/links/ubl/3JaxGgNewsletter: https://www.bethcarlberg.net/newsletterInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/beth.carlbergTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bethcarlbergConnect with M&M:Website: https://margsandmanuscripts.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/margsandmanuscriptsLime Light is our author spotlight series, created to give indie authors an affordable way to get their books in front of new readers. Beth is a featured Lime Light author, and this episode is a paid feature. Want your book in the Lime Light? Reach out at https://margsandmanuscripts.com.Support the show

What if Death Becomes Her ditched the man and let the two women kiss? That’s the pitch for Vengefully Matched, Audrey Goldberg’s sapphic, witchy rom-com about a runaway bride, a prim council president, a prank war gone too far, and a fake relationship that gets very real.Audrey, a high school English teacher by day, joins Jenna and Cait to talk about the cover inspo board (Taste, Wicked, Agatha All Along, and more), why she writes with a soundtrack in her head, and why Vermont is the perfect place for secret witches. She also shares honest, encouraging advice on writing intimacy, why messy drafts beat writer’s block, and the story behind a very spicy water bottle scene that didn’t make the final cut. Plus: a pitch for a Hanukkah-Christmas-Halloween holiday novella, a glitter bomb, and the greatest mayonnaise prank of all time.Vengefully Matched is the second interconnected standalone in the Hallowcross series, following Hopelessly Teavoted. Audrey’s YA debut, Personal Space Issues, arrives March 23, 2027.In this episodeSapphic, witchy rom-coms and late-in-life bisexual representationFake dating, prank wars, and age-gap dynamicsCover design and pulling inspiration from pop cultureWriting visually with soundtracks and internal narrationBuilding an interconnected standalone seriesVermont lore and spooky small-town settingsWriting intimacy, confronting shame, and practicing on the pageCut scenes and trusting your editorFinding the right amount of spice for the storyUsing tropes to play with reader expectationsHoliday romance ideas beyond ChristmasPranks as character growthBalancing teaching and writingGet the bookVengefully MatchedOrder from Park BooksFind AudreyWebsite: audreygoldbergauthor.comInstagram: @audreygoldbergruoffTikTok: @audreygoldbergruoffNewsletter: Just Your Cup of TeaWriting playlist: SpotifyBooks featured on this podcast are sometimes provided free by publishers or authors.Support the show

This week on the Lime Light, debut author Lizzete S. Tupas joins Jenna and Cait to talk about her novel, Always on a Tuesday. Loren Thomas has built a life on competence. At work she is the one everyone trusts, and at home she is the one everyone depends on. Then Tuesdays start cracking it all open. First comes an unexplained mistake, then a phone call she can't forget, then quiet fractures that refuse to stay hidden. It is a psychologically rich literary novel about identity, resilience, and the hidden cost of competence. We get into:the therapy homework assignment that started it allwhy Lizzete turned her story into fiction instead of a memoirfounding her own imprint to publish voices that deserve to be heardthe beta reader intervention that changed her titlethe post-it cover she designed herselfIn This Episode(00:19) The homework assignment from her therapist, and why she chose fiction over memoir(03:25) Jenna on becoming a new mom and not having it all together for the first time(04:24) Going from writing the story to publishing it, and founding Studio LT Press to publish stories that deserve to be heard(07:30) How learning every step of publishing made her a stronger writer (except marketing)(08:39) The ultimate homework assignment, and what her therapist will say when Lizzete hands her the book(09:38) The beta reader intervention, and finding a new title over sushi with her nephew(11:42) Rewriting the first three chapters, and the DIY cover made from a post-it and a Notes app scribble(14:31) Stumbling into your best ideas and trusting your instincts as an indie author(16:26) Why she is celebrating with a private dinner instead of a big launch party(18:25) Wrapping upGet the bookAlways on a Tuesday is out now from Studio LT Press in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and a special Lotus Edition. Book clubs, Lizzete has a free discussion guide ready for you.Buy: https://www.amazon.com/Always-Tuesday-Lizzete-S-Tupas-ebook/dp/B0HC53SD9PGoodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/256109987-always-on-a-tuesdayBook Club Guide: https://www.lizzetetupas.com/_files/ugd/5b61a0_700531798ed948a18d3b9c4b271b58a4.pdfConnect with LizzeteWebsite: https://www.lizzetetupas.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizzetetupasTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lizzetetupasStudio LT Press: https://www.studioltpress.comSupport the show

Ten finished manuscripts. One titanium ankle. One perfectly timed book deal.This week, Amanda Gayle joins us to talk about her debut romance, Once, Again, Always (Avon/HarperCollins), and the long, honest road that got her there. She shares what it was like to quit her job to write, query, land an agent, and go on submission twice. She also explains why a shelved manuscript isn't dead, just waiting for the market to catch up. Plus, we hear about the backyard fire pit conversation that sparked the story, the ending she never outlined, and her trip to Germany for her international launch.In this episode, we talk about:Why getting published comes down to timing as much as talentBuilding a back catalog so you're ready when your moment comesWhat submission looks like when it works, and when it doesn'tPromoting one book while editing the nextChoosing traditional publishing and knowing your strengthsKeeping the faith when it feels like your turn will never comeAbout Once, Again, Always Molly Graham wakes up in the hospital with no memory of the last six years. Then she finds out she's married to Aster Bishop, her infuriating boarding school rival. Amanda calls it a heartbreaking but hopeful second-chance romance about who we are when we're missing our own context. It's out October 6 from Avon.Join the Margs & Manuscripts Book Drop Want more indie books in your life? For $10 a month, Book Drop members get at least three indie ebooks every month, plus discount codes for physical copies. Every time an indie author's Limelight episode comes out, we pay that author $2 for every active member. The podcast and the Substack stay free. Book Drop is how we put real money behind indie authors.Join here: https://margsandmanuscritspod.substack.com/p/its-here-the-margs-and-manuscriptsLinksMargs & Manuscripts on Substack: https://margsandmanuscritspod.substack.com/Amanda Gayle on instagramPick up Once, Again, Always Books featured on this podcast are sometimes provided free by publishers or authors.Support the show

Spicy romance meets CSI. Allison Bettes joins Jenna and Cait to celebrate the release of Rogue Wave, book three in her Cupid Meets Crime Scene series. A sunshiny marine biologist, a grumpy sheriff next door who writes her tickets for everything, and a beach that washes up a lot more than sand dollars.We talk about writing women in STEM whose expertise actually cracks the case, the very random research behind axolotls and escape-artist octopuses, and why Allison's animals are never just pets (one is basically a matchmaker). Plus her first special editions, a bedazzling habit measured in thousands of beads, the shift from shirtless-guy covers to bright symbolic ones, and how a side character named after a street team member ended up launching a whole new series.In this episode:Rogue Wave and the Cupid Meets Crime Scene series (and why you can start with any book)Women in STEM solving the crime, inspired by Allison's day job as a scientistResearch rabbit holes: axolotls, octopuses, and a probable FBI watch listSpecial editions with sprayed edges, a town map, and science jokes at the top of every chapterThe 27-hour bedazzled event copy that is not for salePartnering with indie bookstore Shelf Love for pre-orders and book boxesThe cover glow-up with designer Kay JaspersonWhat's next: Gail's book in January and a Vivi and Dougie spin-off seriesGet Rogue Wave (out October 1) Special editions: Allison's Website (free shipping)Special editions and book boxes: Shelf Love Pre-orders placed by Saturday, October 3 get personalized.Connect with Allison: @authorallisonbettes Connect with M&M: @margsandmanuscriptsSupport the show

We hit almost 500 downloads in a single week, and we're marking the milestone with an episode that turned into a full-circle moment for our own indie publishing journeys. Dakoda Mazzii, author of the dark fantasy trilogy The Fate of Astoran, joins us to talk about querying, signing with a literary agent, and ultimately walking away to self-publish on her own terms. Since then she's released Chasm of Dreams and Summoner of Chaos seven months apart, sold thousands of copies, and built a devoted readership from scratch.We get into how she grew her fanbase as an indie author (hint: human-made artwork, newsletters, and a lot of giving books away), why she refuses to write to market, and why she's giving herself zero deadline for book three. Plus some honest talk about day jobs, health insurance, and the reality of chasing a creative dream without betting your whole life on it.In this episode:Why Dakoda left the trad pipeline after a year of waiting and uncertaintyReleasing two epic fantasy books in seven months (and why book three gets all the time it needs)Investing in human artists over AI art to draw readers inNewsletters, giveaways, and the self-sacrificial side of indie marketingWhy "writing to market" isn't the answerEvery author has their own journey, and your craft grows with every bookA reminder for the online author community: we're all on the same teamAbout Chasm of Dreams: A character-driven, fast-paced, Lord of the Rings-coded fantasy about a dream walker and her found family taking on the fallen angel who has conquered their world. Expect prophecy, revolution, a medium-burn romance with zero brooding animosity, and a story about honor, compassion, and humanity reclaiming its footing.Chapters: 00:00 Almost 500 downloads in one week 02:14 Meet Dakoda and Chasm of Dreams 05:16 The Fate of Astoran series 07:49 Querying, landing an agent, and walking away 13:28 Choosing indie and letting book three breathe 17:11 How she built her readership 23:07 Every author has their own journey 28:13 Leaving the query trenches and ignoring the market 31:44 Day jobs, health insurance, and real talk about risk 33:18 Be nice, we're on the same teamFind Dakoda: Instagram: @dakodamazziiauthorFind us: Instagram: @margsandmanuscriptsSupport the show