Episode 11 - Mr. Craig Randall

Award-winning author James Carpenter joins us in this episode to share his journey and experiences with writing. Jim details his early love for poetry and writing, as well as how he overcame certain obstacles to return to writing and become a published author. His two novels, No Place to Pray and 19 To Go detail some interesting and important stories to tell, and if you enjoy gothic literature, then Jim's books are for you. You can learn more about him and his books at https://jamescarpenterllc.com/

Gerri Mahn is a writer who has worked in various fields of the literary world. She is also the Vice President and Director of Programming for the South Jersey Writers Group. In this episode, Gerri shares her experience with writing groups and communities, and we discuss the importance of writers surrounding themselves with the right groups in order to grow and succeed. Be sure to check out the SJWG on Facebook and at https://www.southjerseywriters.com/

In this episode with book reviewer Michael Crow, we break down and analyze everything fantasy. We analyze everything from Game of Thrones and The Wheel of Time to our thoughts on House of the Dragon and The Rings of Power. Michael Crow is a treasure trove of information on the fantasy genre, and if you're looking for some great authors to read or just want to hear some great feedback on fantasy series and shoes, definitely listen in!

Not to be confused with "Mr. Worldwide", in this episode I walk you through the importance of world building and what to incorporate and consider when putting your world together. I may also throw some shade at the Divergent series, but I only because I enjoyed the first book and really wanted the rest of the series to be as good. 

In this episode, author AJ Charles discusses his upcoming novel, The Ghost of Time Forgotten, inspired by the character Ebenezer Scrooge. AJ also shares his dreams of being a writer since 5th grade, including having his story shared by his English teacher with the entire class, as well as a never seen before pelican superhero that has some serious potential. His novel is due out on February 10th, 2023. Visit his website, www.ajcharleswriter.com, for news and updates, and follow him at @ajcharleswriter on Instagram and Twitter.

Ada DeJesus is the author of El Baile De Otavo Y Otros Recuerdos (The Eighth-Grade Dance And Other Memories). In this episode, Ada shares the experience of writing her coming of age, vignette-style story. Her book is told completely from her point of view, and details the experiences of moving to the U.S. from Puerto Rico, as well as all of the challenges that went along with that. Finding inspiration from Sandra Cisneros, Ada also talks about meeting Cisneros recently. Follow her at www.writeradadejesus.com and at @authoradadejesus on Instagram!

Jon Wells & Dennis Bruzzi are two New Jersey authors whose first fantasy novel, "The Blood of a King", is due out in early 2023. They talk about the experience of cowriting, world-building, successfully running a Kickstarter campaign, and even manage to seamlessly throw in a few references to Key & Peele, Amadeus, Beerfest, and most impressively, Mickey Mouse. Check them out at www.wellsandbruzzi.com or on Instagram at @wellsandbruzzi. Great pair of guys to follow and talk shop with!

We get to talk to Craig Randall, author of "The Doom that Came to Astoria" and "The Dreams in the Pearl House", as well as poetry book "To Chase the Sun". Craig and I talk about how anxiety has shaped him as a writer and its role in his books. We also talk about growing as writers, how we've navigated author events, among other things. You can find Craig on Instagram at @craigrandallwriting and can keep up to date with his work on his website, www.craigrandallwriting.com

Kicking off the second season, I talk about some of the mental health issues that go along with writing. I also talk about the status of my fantasy series, The Drowned Realm Series, as well as a fun new side project that I'm working on and the cultural inspirations behind it.

In the final episode of Season 1, I talk about how to advocate for yourself and take the initiative to be your biggest fan. Especially if you're not published by the Big 5, it's important to know that most of the outreach is up to you. If there's any further information you'd like, or if you have any questions, feel free to reach out!