Writers Drinking Coffee

Episode 228 – Stories from HR

Writers Drinking Coffee — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 14:45:00 +0000

We always say that all storytelling is important, because every story written has someone else needs to hear it. Jeannie’s old high school friend Dari DeSousa runs an HR consulting business, and she got together with other HR leads to tell stories from their own lived experiences. They turned these anecdotes into a book with warnings and advice for leaders in industry. The book, HR After Dark, looks to be the first of a series of stories and the lessons that can be learned from them. Come listen to Dari recounting how she learned about finding a cover artist, editing, and publishing as a group project! … Continue...

Episode 227 – LA Gangsters with Lynn Harrod

Writers Drinking Coffee — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:45:00 +0000

From an idea pitched to the film industry for a TV series, Lynn Harrod has created a thrilling novel based on a genius Filipino gangster making his way into the power structures of the greater Los Angeles sprawl. The Duke of Temple Street is a great thriller, outlining a neurodivergent man navigating the web of family and heritage against making money and surviving in a very real scenario of multiple gangs and undercover OCC agents. Enjoy! … Continue...

Episode 226 – Interview with Helen Hynson Vettori

Writers Drinking Coffee — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 14:49:19 +0000

Come meet the author of the Black Swan Trilogy as we talk about book 2, Black Swan Shock. Helen was a Senior Medical Intelligence Analyst before the covid pandemic, specializing in planning and preparing for biological incidents. She brings that vivid, very real knowledge of how Black Swan events start and spread and “should” be contained — so the reactions of her fictional personas are true to life. In Black Swan Shock, our heroine represents as an athlete with Down’s Syndrome, who rescues people after a catastrophic earthquake. … Continue...

Episode 225 – Interview with Leokadia George

Writers Drinking Coffee — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 15:35:00 +0000

Leokadia joins us to talk about the series of children’s books she wrote featuring Trumpet, the grey wolf. Her writing grew out of volunteering at a Wolf Conservation Center aiming to introduce kids to wolves in a new way. These children’s books explore Trumpet’s life from being the baby miracle pup through to having pups of her own, and the whole journey is beautifully illustrated by Maddy Moore. Come meet Trumpet, Wolf F1505! … Continue...

Episode 224 – Interview with Jendia Gammon

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 15:10:00 +0000

Jendia Gammon is involved in multiple facets within the industry, from writing that gets nominated for all the best awards to running as a writer to editing anthologies and running her own publishing house. Jendia is CEO of Roaring Spring Productions, LLC, as well as Editor-in-Chief of its publishing imprint, Stars and Sabers. Today we chat about her collection of fairy tales that scatter across the imagination from fantasy to science fiction and tentacles, “To Wonder and Starshine.” … Continue...

Episode 223 – Chaz and the Emperor’s Kindness

Writers Drinking Coffee — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 15:27:00 +0000

Our own Chaz Brenchley has a prolific year with 4 (5?) new books published. We gathered to talk about his first in a new series, “Of The Emperor’s Kindness”. It is written within a new genre I had to go delve into learning more about, a Fantasy of Manners with only a touch of violence here and there. It is a delightful sapphic romp into a world of his own devising, of warring nations, diplomacy, and noble scheming. The romance of Ambassador Malance and her staff and Vivi (the Emperor’s… niece?) whirl their way through palace intrigues, murder plots, and politics at the highest level of the land. … Continue...

Episode 222 – Interview with Steve Schlam

Writers Drinking Coffee — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 14:39:00 +0000

Never say it’s too late in your life to start writing! Steve Shlam joins us to talk about his first published novel, “The Harvesting of Haystacks Kane”. It was nominated for two prizes, and is a fascinating dive into the world of 1950’s-60’s wrestling. Haystacks, a nice Jewish boy, goes on the road with his manager into the world of scripted wrestling and discovers it’s far more dangerous than he was first informed. Told from the perspective of a man in and out of consciousness in a hospital, the hero’s journey breaks the mold from many of the strictures of the genre. … Continue...

Episode 221 – A Discussion of Progress

Writers Drinking Coffee — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 14:23:00 +0000

Everyone who wants to write has a work in progress. At least one. Jeannie sits down with Andrew Walsh, a prized hockey network friend-writing crossover, to talk about making progress on writing his first novel. We hope the discussion triggers something in any listener to say, “I could try that” or “yeah, thanks for kicking my ass to get me in motion again.” Because everyone has a story - whether their own or something else in their imagination. Write it! Start right now! … Continue...

Episode 220 – Interview with M.N. Lee

Writers Drinking Coffee — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 14:10:00 +0000

M.N. Lee shares her first novel, Proof of Origin, which we think belongs on bookshelves right next to Atwood’s The Handmaid's Tale for near future speculative literature. It follows three main perspectives from a Vietnamese politician, the caucasian wife of a conservative politician, and a mixed-race couple that faces deportation and a new life back in Vietnam together. The prose is compelling, her character building flawless, and the emotional content poignant as they each thread their way through a world of citizenship evaluation and unintended consequences. … Continue...

Episode 219 – Interview with Dr. Robin Bernstein

Writers Drinking Coffee — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 14:57:00 +0000

Dr. Bernstein is a cultural historian at Harvard, teaching US Racial Formation since the early 19th century. Her latest book, Freeman's Challenge: The Murder That Shook America’s Original Prison for Profit, delves into the history of America’s first prisons in New York built along capitalist ideals, and how one young man violently rebelled against the unfair and abusive treatment therein. One man’s violent resistance response to injustice continues today to shape American perspectives on race, violence, and incarceration. … Continue...

Episode 218 – Interview with Dheepa Maturi

Writers Drinking Coffee — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 14:42:00 +0000

Dheepa started out as a poet, but found herself drawn into novel writing to express bigger ideas, such as the social interconnection necessary for human prosperity and the corresponding good treatment of the earth as part of our social ecosystem. Come listen as she talks about 108: An Ecothriller, which is full of vedic writing and eastern beliefs and how her characters need to overcome their family tragedies, emotions, and a zeitgeist of futility to work together for a common good. … Continue...

Episode 217 – Writing Autistic Characters

Writers Drinking Coffee — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 14:48:00 +0000

There is a lot of stuff floating around the internet about Autism, from ridiculous assertions about causality to silly things about what someone with Autism can do in their life. This is the first in an ongoing series where your WDC team grabs professional therapists and psychiatrists to talk about what different diagnoses mean, what they look like in terms of symptom clusters, and then armchair analyze our favorite literary and fictional characters through these lenses. Our first volunteer is Elizabeth Mueller, a marriage and family therapist and awesome goalie. … Continue...

Episode 216 – Somewhere in Lisa Czarina Michaud’s Hollywood

Writers Drinking Coffee — Wed, 21 May 2025 14:06:00 +0000

Lisa returns with her sequel to the first novel (Slanted and Disenchanted) with a character-driven story called Welcome to Hollywood. It’s a novel of two 20-somethings in 2004 Hollywood, battling with high rents, unsatisfying jobs, and a deep attraction to one another - problem is, they haven’t figured out how to communicate who they are, what they want, and who they are each individually becoming. They’re still a band though, even if they stopped practicing, and music has a way of making connections. … Continue...

Episode 215 – 120 Murders with Nick Mamatas

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 13 May 2025 14:18:00 +0000

Nick Mamatas has newly released an anthology called 120 Murders. A nod to an old MTV show in title, the stories collectively bleed thematically deep into the alternative rock scene of the 1990s, with touches of noir here, fantasy there, and universal transgressive fiction with characters that tell the truth about life as they perceive it. … Continue...

Episode 214 – Interview with Jim C. Hines

Writers Drinking Coffee — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 14:21:00 +0000

Jim C. Hines is a Hugo-award winning author of a series of princess fairy tales reimagined. Jim has taken the whole fairy tale Princess trope to a new and darkly glorious confection, combining multiple versions into a new saga where the women band together to solve their problems. Come listen as we delve into folklore retelling and cunning new ideas. Damn the Narrativium, full speed ahead! … Continue...

Episode 213 – Interview with K.M. Herkes

Writers Drinking Coffee — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 14:01:00 +0000

K.M. Herkes writes across multiple genres, from Science Fiction and Fantasy to straight up good contemporary literature. She started as a novelist first, oddly enough, then moved to short stories. We read and squeed over her new book "Relics from a Traveling Show", and dug gleefully through the wide variety of stories in this, her first collection. … Continue...

Episode 212 – The Operative Returns – welcome back L. Douglas Garrett

Writers Drinking Coffee — Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:20:00 +0000

L. Douglas Garrett takes us back to his “Remember the Trade” series of professional operatives, and we sit down with him and his editor Nicky Robinson to chat about their compilation of Remember the Dead. Join us to learn along with “Dave” as he becomes the operative we know and love through a new novella and two prequel short stories. … Continue...

Episode 211 – Rocking Out with Richard Sparks

Writers Drinking Coffee — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 15:48:00 +0000

I hope you all remember Richard Sparks, author of New Rock, New Role. We’re here to squee with enthusiasm at the next in the series that just dropped in November, called New Rock, New Realm. We pick up right where the first book ended, so join us! … Continue...

Episode 210 – Interview with Karen Nelson

Writers Drinking Coffee — Sun, 05 Jan 2025 15:31:00 +0000

Come meet Karen Nelson, one of the masterminds behind Writing by Writers workshops and author of The Sunken Town. It’s a story about a girl who suddenly inherits property from her birth mother, the narrative dancing gracefully between concepts of adoption, identity, and the consequences of the choices we make. Enjoy! … Continue...

Episode 209 – Martin Treanor’s Cat

Writers Drinking Coffee — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 15:50:00 +0000

We welcome back Martin Treanor to ask that most interesting of questions: what do fairies want? In his new book, Curiosity and the Cat, a girl who finds herself without much adult influence commits a crime that makes her feel guilty, but happy. But what has she unleashed? What is that cat, really? … Continue...

Episode 208 – Interview with Garrett Hutson

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 15:52:00 +0000

Garrett Hutson writes upmarket mysteries and historical spy fiction, with a cast of characters that reflect the diversity and variety of their respective eras. We caught up with him to get his definition and ideas about what upmarket means, talk about his approach to historical fiction like in his Gray Paree, and hear more exciting things about the pre-launch of his piratical LGBT buccaneer adventure novel. … Continue...

Episode 207 – The Literary Memoirs of Alma Alexander

Writers Drinking Coffee — Fri, 29 Nov 2024 15:18:00 +0000

We have chatted with many memoirists, but this vision of the past is new and startlingly original. Alma Alexander’s newest book takes us through her life in stages via the description of the written word that impacted her so profoundly over the years. From childhood to adult, she describes the books she was reading with a glorious review, taking the reader either back to their own experience reading the author or poet, or sending them right out to the library to find a new delight. … Continue...

Episode 206 – Indie Publisher focus – The Queen of Swords Press

Writers Drinking Coffee — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 15:37:00 +0000

The Queen of Swords Press is “an independent small press specializing in swashbuckling tales of derring-do, bold new adventures in time and space, mysterious stories of the occult and arcane and fantastical tales of people and lands far and near.” Which really sums up why we love all the books they’ve put out, without even mentioning their wide variety of protagonists that increase representation for all of us. But how does an indie press work? Constantly, as this interview with Catherine Lundoff demonstrates! … Continue...

Episode 205 – Interview with Anne Montgomery

Writers Drinking Coffee — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 14:04:00 +0000

We are delighted to introduce you all to Anne Montgomery: Sportscaster, referee, journalist, teacher, and author of six published novels. Your Forgotten Sons, inspired by a true story, touched us deeply as Anne taught us about a vital but unsung group of heroes in every war. In this book, set in WWII, we follow Bud Richardville through his younger years into the Army where he becomes a Sergeant in the Graves Registration Service. We sigh with Bud over his wife at home as well as his wistful sweetheart in Europe. Join us to hear more about this well-told tale of WWII historical fiction based on the letters a Sergeant in this service sent home to his family, which they collected and shared. … Continue...

Episode 204 – Interview with Dawn Akemi

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 14:25:00 +0000

Dawn’s first novel, “Pono & Aloha vs the Zero-Sum Game”, was just released and available on Amazon — and we’re delighted to meet her to chat about it! It’s a fascinating coming of age story of a young girl in Hawaii who discovers the spirit world and her place in it while trying to solve the historically challenging conundrum of saving the past vs helping the present and future. It is a novel of examining the unintended consequences of all our actions, whether we mean them for the best or no. There are trigger warnings, but it’s a very worthy book that many women of all ages can relate to. … Continue...

Episode 203 – Cat Rambo’s Rumors

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 14:51:00 +0000

Cat Rambo is the early-rising, indefatigable writer of multiple stories, games, MUD administration, and novels - and we’re delighted to chat about the upcoming crown of their Disco space opera series called “Rumor Has It”, coming out next month! Join us as we chat about the intrepid crew and chef running the ship You Sexy Thing as they lay a course for Coralind station and fight off pirate kings. … Continue...

Episode 202 – Interview with Karl Dunn

Writers Drinking Coffee — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 14:16:00 +0000

Welcome Karl Dunn, who has his first book published in May 2024 called “How to Burn a Rainbow”. Karl has won multiple awards writing on themes for others — but his first full-length diary novel is a frighteningly beautiful memoir about his process of being one of the first gay men he knew to go through a divorce. Join us as Karl talks about his voyage of discovery, finding spirit guides, and becoming his own guide. Then enjoy his thoughts on the writing process and other fun discussions from his screenwriter days on how to punch up dialogue and doing script doctoring. … Continue...

Episode 201 – Becoming Terran with Mark Roth-Whitworth

Writers Drinking Coffee — Wed, 08 May 2024 14:26:00 +0000

We welcome back Mark to talk about Becoming Terran, a near-future 2077 on this planet, describing how the people of Earth came together in one (okay, uneasy) Terran Confederation and reached for the stars. In his latest book, there is a conspiracy of plutocrats, a dynasty of brave women who understand when to fight for what they believe in, and some tasty genetic and surgical mod technology. … Continue...

Episode 200 – Katharine Kerr does Sci Fi!

Writers Drinking Coffee — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 14:08:00 +0000

While many adore Katharine Kerr for the Deverry novels, lately she’s been leaving fantasy behind for a new setting - outer space. Kit joins us to talk about forging ahead into a new world she’s created in space, and how she thinks about world building, translating science and physics into fiction, and other tricks of a veteran wordsmith. Come join us and hear about the two new novels that will be coming out this fall - starting with Haze, set in the universe of her previous work, Polar City Blues, Snare, and Palace. … Continue...

Episode 199 – Interview with Richard Sparks

Writers Drinking Coffee — Sun, 07 Apr 2024 14:12:00 +0000

Richard Sparks may have started his career as a comedy writer, lyricist, librettist, and director, but since moving to California and picking up gaming he’s started writing fantasy novels - and we love them! He combines his comedic wit, honed over a long career, with high fantasy and a soupçon of science fiction. For lovers of gaming, fantasy, or laughter, this book is for you! Plus he already has 4 more books in the series written… … Continue...

Episode 198 – Interview with Dr. Stacey Marie Kerr

Writers Drinking Coffee — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 14:34:00 +0000

Come with us on a joyful ride with healer, hippie, and Harley rider Dr. Stacey Marie Kerr as we discuss her book Wild Heart, her biography about growing, learning, embracing, and being wild at heart. We go a little long because we had fun and learned so much, including about The Farm and Helmet Haiku! … Continue...

Episode 197 – Welcome Back Lynn Harrod

Writers Drinking Coffee — Sun, 11 Feb 2024 16:21:00 +0000

We're delighted to welcome back Lynn Harrod upon the release of his latest book, Child of Imago. Lynn weaves a new version of Dorothy in Oz located an interesting twist on the post-apocalyptic world. DOT slowly discovers that her memory has been wiped, heading off on a heroine's journey to find out who she is, how to rescue the girls in her dreams, and what family might really mean. Hint: It's not in Kansas. Enjoy! … Continue...

Episode 196 – Interview with Angie Elita Newell

Writers Drinking Coffee — Sat, 27 Jan 2024 15:55:00 +0000

Canadian author Angie Elita Newell of the Lidly-Q First Nation from the Dehcho, is a trained historian, blending oral stories with academic and First Nations history. Her first published novel: All I See is Violence is told through the lens of 1970s reservation violence and the events 100 years before leading up to the Battle of Little Bighorn where the Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes took on Custer’s 7th Cavalry Regiment. … Continue...

Episode 195 – But Did You Learn Anything?

Writers Drinking Coffee — Fri, 05 Jan 2024 15:32:00 +0000

It’s the end of 2023, the beginning of 2024, and our intrepid hosts sit down to chat about what they learned in the first 5 seasons of WDC — what they enjoyed, the challenges, and the warnings for other podcasters. (The scam marketing! So much!) Drink with Jeannie, John, and Deirdre as they look at the last few years in retrospective, and randomly quote poetry. … Continue...

Episode 194 – Interview with Peter Sartucci

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 15:52:00 +0000

Peter Sartucci is a Boulder, CO game writer turned author. He of the Shadow fantasy series set in Silbar - a land of wonder and magic. He has five books in the series focusing on Sir Kirin DiUmbra, the Left Hand of the king (who secretly is his twin brother). Peter talks to us about storytelling constructs he learned from gaming, world building, why to keep your first novel around, and how he approaches writing descriptive prose. Use all your senses! … Continue...

Episode 193 – Interview with Shauna McGuiness

Writers Drinking Coffee — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 14:41:00 +0000

Join us for a lovely discussion with local California author Shauna McGuiness. Shauna explains her writing style and experience, which is key to her prolific publishing. Her take on YA fiction and fantasy is refreshing, and her latest novel in the Axe's Daughter (Lizzy Borden) series brings attention to well loved settings, and she's really fun to talk with! … Continue...

Episode 192 – Interview with Karen Marie Shelton

Writers Drinking Coffee — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 15:11:00 +0000

Karen Marie Shelton has a long and storied career started in technical writing that has spanned Medium, Quora, ghostwriting, and most recently a VERY useful self-help book explaining how to avoid murder while using dating apps. Karen and Chaz caught up with her to ask about her path to writing, her favorite tools, and other paths to avoiding being murdered. All very useful input, if you ask us! … Continue...

Episode 191 – Interview with Morgan Hazelwood

Writers Drinking Coffee — Sun, 12 Nov 2023 15:25:00 +0000

We have a lovely discussion with Morgan Hazelwood, a writer and podcaster who has taken time out from her soon-to-be tenth NaNoWriMo success to discuss so many good things about writing, and open our mind to new tools, connections, and even terms! We discuss resources, and the perfect alpha reader as well as the best snacks to fuel writing. Enjoy, with dark chocolate! … Continue...

Episode 190 – Welcome Back Raven Belasco

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 15:00:00 +0000

We are delighted that the talented Raven Belasco is back with us, talking about the latest anthology that was just released: Adventures in Bodily Autonomy. Raven edited fourteen amazing stories from some of our favorite authors that flow through multiple universes, space, and time, offering new perspectives on the issue of reproductive justice. And besides paying the writers, all profits will go to non-profit Reproductive Freedom for All. She also got the rights to her Blood and Ancient Scrolls series back from her publisher, and talks about how and when a writer may need to do that. … Continue...

Episode 189 – Interview with PL Hayes

Writers Drinking Coffee — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 13:48:00 +0000

PL Hayes has self-published a gumshoe trilogy in the style of Stout, Hammitt, and Cross - the Odd Jobs set. We enjoyed the familiarity of chatting with an old friend about his path from writing games and LARP adventures into modern crime dramas. You’ll like Cameron, and if you’re like us you’ll wonder about where he met up with his companions before the writing started. Paul draws pictures of Colorado mountain towns with a heart full of love, and it shows in his words. … Continue...

Episode 188 – Interview with William Klem

Writers Drinking Coffee — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 14:44:00 +0000

William is a new novelist, with his first novel ever self-published on Amazon. It’s about a man’s immortal journey through history from the Black Death to the present (give or take). Magglio Cervantes is an interesting sort of protagonist, who goes from being a leaf on time’s river that drifts from eddy to whirlpool into coming to terms with his endless existence and learns how to reconnect with humanity. … Continue...

Episode 187 – Interview with Sean Kernan

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 14:37:00 +0000

There are so many ways to earn a living as a good writer, and if what you love is writing there are more “expertise” or “value-add” monetization models out there. Ever wonder about the fiscal model for Quora and Medium? Sean Kernan went from years of working in a giant finance company to working from home, earning his living by being paid to be an essayist. He's a top writer on Medium, telling interesting stories about interesting people. … Continue...

Episode 186 – Interview with Mark Roth-Whitworth

Writers Drinking Coffee — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 13:21:00 +0000

Come meet Mark Roth-Whitworth, who wrote a brilliant novel about a scientific ship from Earth in the year 2169 that is investigating a black hole, only to be caught up and flung 11,000 Years into the future. What begins then as a story of loss, the grief cycle, and readjustment, shifts into a study in what humans have become as they found their way to the stars. In 11,000 Years, Mark delves into ideas of human expansion and evolution, of rejoining a society you want to belong to while simultaneously exploring the ramifications of what that world is doing flung across multiple planets. … Continue...

Episode 185 – Welcome Back Brenda Clough

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 14:33:00 +0000

Brenda Clough is a prolific Asian-American Sci-Fi writer, returning to visit with us after another book and novella have hit the stands - Cleo’s Scroll (Dante Sci-Fi!) and then A Door in His Head - which won an award! We chat about historical Sci-Fi, lament over the lack of shark-based deities in the world, and she reports about the latest Marian Halcombe book. … Continue...

Episode 184 – Interview with Kari Sperring

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 13:16:00 +0000

Kari Sperring, amazing author and medieval historian, has written a splendid new Arthurian novel called The Book of Gaheris. Join us as she talks about developing a new version of an Arthurian legend through historic research, reading the classics, and re-imagining the status quo as it very well may have been touched by magic. … Continue...

Episode 183 – Journey Back to Liadon

Writers Drinking Coffee — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 14:40:00 +0000

We welcome back Sharon Lee and Steve Miller to talk about their 25th Liadon book - Salvage Right, from Baen Books. They tell us about the space station that straddles two realities, as we debate where the cats might come in and own the place. There’s also an in-depth discussion of the dinkus and the telling detail, so you can learn something new! … Continue...

Episode 182 — Interview with Howard Andrew Jones

Writers Drinking Coffee — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 14:49:00 +0000

Jeannie and Howard have a very convivial talk about Howard's new Chronicles of Hanuvar books being published by Baen press, the need for smart characters, how to write them (and how to overcome mistakes). Plus, how to Barcon (and where not to be at Dragoncon), and other interesting subjects. … Continue...

Episode 181-Interview with David Gerrold

Writers Drinking Coffee — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 14:15:00 +0000

In which the WDC crew geeks out with joy at the presence of David Gerrold, writer of the silver screen and television, novels, short stories, and limericks - and teacher of writing to others. David talks to us about science fiction in the early days, the trend toward social justice awareness and addressing current problems in new ways. From Sleestacks and Tribbles to the strike lines of WGA and SAG-Aftra, David walks us through how Hollywood has changed, and where it needs to go so that everyone involved in the industry can live long and prosper. … Continue...

Episode 180 – Alma Alexander re-releases WorldWeavers

Writers Drinking Coffee — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 14:52:00 +0000

Your WDC crew welcomes back Alma Alexander, who has won a great struggle with publishing rights to re-release her trilogy "WorldWeavers" with a bonus new fourth book coming out this November! WorldWeavers has all the magical youth and schooling of Certain Bestselling Books and Movies - but we like them even better! WorldWeavers posits a world where everyone knows about magic - it's even regulated. Alma seamlessly blends American Spiritualism and gods, with fae-like creatures, magic, computers, and a scrappy bunch of young students you'll adore. Thea is a splendid young heroine, and we think you'll like her as much as we do. … Continue...

Episode 179 – Interview with Dr. Marsha Gordon

Writers Drinking Coffee — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 14:18:00 +0000

Dr. Marsha Gordon wrote a biography of Ursula Parrot, the best-selling female author of the 1920-1930s. Her book, "Ex-Wife", sold more than Faulkner and Fitzgerald put together when it came out. She wrote screenplays for Hollywood that catapulted women into stardom. But no one has heard of her. Come with us as Marsha delves into the world of being a professional woman of the age, of working in a man's world, and what it meant to be successful and wealthy in her own time but still die penniless and alone. It's a fascinating book of a fascinating woman, and we give her to you. … Continue...

Episode 178 – Dr. Alan Wu Reads Us A Story

Writers Drinking Coffee — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 13:38:00 +0000

In this episode, Dr. Alan Wu reads to us a story about a real-live toxicology case study. It's fascinating to delve into the world of doping and toxicology reports - and for all your writers out there, understanding HOW doping and discovery works can make the difference between a really good story and something that makes doctors, nurses, or scientists roll their eyes. From doping to posthumous blood screens and "toxicology" reports, enjoy gaining some insight on how laboratories really work, and gain a cautionary tale on the topic of sports doping. … Continue...

Episode 177 – Interview with Dr. Alan Wu

Writers Drinking Coffee — Thu, 11 May 2023 14:16:00 +0000

Dr. Alan Wu is a professor of lab medicine at UCSF and the Lab Director at San Francisco General Hospital. He’s written over 500 peer-reviewed papers in scientific and medical journals - and now is taking that factual background experience and creating forensic procedural fiction with an emphasis on scientific accuracy. With an eye toward the world learning more about proper lab work and methodology, and not unconscious of the effect House and Bones have had on TV, he has published his own book of speculative science fiction short stories - Mind Portal. If you love science, time travel, and “What If” speculation, you’ll love it! … Continue...

Episode 176 – Welcome back Kate Elliott!

Writers Drinking Coffee — Mon, 01 May 2023 14:42:00 +0000

We caught up with Kate Elliott again now that her second book in The Sun Chronicles is out: Furious Heaven. Your hosts are LOVING this gender-swapped Alexander the Great in space, and Kate talks in depth about her world building around how multiple countries find their way to the stars in the far future, and what kinds of societies they set up, and then how they all come into conflict. We discuss themes and plots and dive into questions that Kate won’t answer yet on Why Cloning is Forbidden. We can’t wait for the next book! Listen in and you’ll find out why! … Continue...

Episode 175 – Interview with Dr. Evelyn Alsultany

Writers Drinking Coffee — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 13:57:00 +0000

Dr. Evelyn Alsultany teaches in the department of American Studies and Ethnicity at USC L.A., and chats about her latest book Broken, covering topics of Islamophobia and Muslim representation, inclusion, and stereotyping. It’s a fascinating reference book from an incredibly articulate educator, and Evelyn also consults with Hollywood studios as a sensitive reader and expert for writers and filmmakers. She co-created The Obeidi-Alsultany Test to help writers improve general and specific representations in all the arts, pointing out the challenges of Muslims being from many different geographic heritages, non religious but still cultural, and more. … Continue...

Episode 174 – Interview with Martin Treanor

Writers Drinking Coffee — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 15:55:43 +0000

Martin wrote The Logos Prophecy, a delightful world-trotting thriller wherein a conspiracy theorist and a science guy have to figure out how to save the world. We talk about satire in fiction, metaphysics, quantum mechanics, conspiracy theorists and psychology, laws, symbols, and more! … Continue...

Episode 173 – Interview with Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

Writers Drinking Coffee — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 14:13:00 +0000

Sharon Lee and Steve Miller are the authors of 25 Liaden Universe novels as of this coming July, and many short stories. These two prolific writers met in college and took classes together - and they just celebrated their 100th collaboration together, and talk about how they work together with different specialties in the creative process. If you love Space Opera, the Liaden Universe and its timelines may be for you! … Continue...

Episode 172 – Make the Adventure you want to play in: GM talk with Norman Lutes

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 15:56:00 +0000

In which we discuss how to write – and run – good role-playing games with Norman Lutes (He/him). GMing and game writing have a lot in common with good story writing. For example: Reading is to writing as playing is to GMing. And: "What do you start with? A story? A setting?" ...smacks of Plotting vs Pantsing or Game-mastering is a combination of critical path project management and storytelling in the fireside tradition or Writing a game is like writing software - spend the majority of your time planning for exceptions and errors. And: Spoon-feeding vs. player involvement: it's a balance or You can lead players back to the path if they go astray. But you need to have done some world-building, or at least world-stealing. Don't forget to file off the serial numbers or If you ask your players for their characters' backstories, don't be surprised if they're not interested when you fold it into the story. Bonus: Role-playing via email: The story, backstory, player's interests, and world-building all come together. AND it's self-documenting! … Continue...

Episode 171 – Interview with Tami Veldura

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 21 Feb 2023 15:27:00 +0000

Tami is an enby/aro/ace author of queer fiction, and we all admire their stunning productivity during the pandemic! Tami also writes as S.T. Lynn, London Kemaker, and Anna Morgan - and offers clarity for new writers on how to establish a brand with a particular name to make it easy for readers to find more of what they love. Their storylines feature queer characters, found families, and the happily ever afters we all could use more of in today’s zeitgeist. … Continue...

Episode 170 – A Christmas Ghost story written by Denise Tanaka

Writers Drinking Coffee — Mon, 13 Feb 2023 15:14:00 +0000

In which some of the members of the Flying Kerrs writing group read aloud a Christmas Ghost story written by Denise Tanaka. Sit back and enjoy - Don't Go Upstairs. … Continue...

Episode 169 – Interview with Nancy Kress

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 15:51:00 +0000

Welcome to one of the queens of science fiction, Nancy Kress, as we talk about her newest book "Observer" — written in partnership with Robert Lanza, MD. Observer is a brilliant story that combines tasty science with real human problems. The science mingles theories of consciousness and the nature of reality with quantum universal cosmology and brain neural pathway mapping. From how to write a novel with a scientist to a critique of science fiction in movies, Nancy takes us from Mars to the oceans and we just can't get enough of her. … Continue...

Episode 168 – Interview with Mark Shaiken

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 15:53:00 +0000

Mark Shaiken rides again! We talk again with the author of the 3J legal procedural novels about his most recent release Unfair Discrimination, writing a lot during lockdown, and changes in procedure. The book and discussion are wide ranging and of interest to readers and authors alike. … Continue...

Episode 167 – Interview with Colm O’Shea

Writers Drinking Coffee — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 14:38:00 +0000

Colm O’Shea is a Clinical Associate Professor with the Expository Writing Program at NYU. Today he joins us to talk about his first science fiction book, Claiming De Wayke. It’s a marvelous dystopian novel set in the near future in a post-plague apocalyptic Ireland. Colm weighs many interesting topics in his book: What is the nature of consciousness? What does it mean to be human, and where does dignity lie? What is important, and what is fulfillment? Tayto is a charming tour guide for the reader into and out of his favorite place - the world he experiences through his VR halo - and a highly reluctant participant from time to time in reality, called by him de Wayke. … Continue...

Episode 166 – An Interview with Guthrie P. Ramsey Jr.

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 20 Dec 2022 15:02:00 +0000

Dr. Guthrie P. Ramsey Jr. has written a book on the fascinating topic of jazz, and the perspective of musicologists as their approach to studying black music history has changed through the years. His new book Who Hears Here? is a collection of essays that celebrates the history of jazz and performers through the ages, using the thoughtful lens of modern perspective on race, sexism, regionalism, and more. The contemporary era of black music inquiry is a thoughtful one that must examine implications of race, sex, politics, world history and movement, and sociology, and his essays on the topic as well as his approach are a delight. … Continue...

Episode 165 – Interview with Delilah Dawson

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 15:41:00 +0000

Delilah is the dark fairy godmother of hilarious and occasionally grisly fiction. From collaboration with Kevin Hearne to writing in the Star Wars canon universe, Delilah moves through genres and pseudonyms with grace and ease. Her newest book is something different - The Violence is a story exploring the dark sides of abuse in families and societies, while posing the "What if?" question of the results of a strange condition where people go suddenly wild with violence - then back again. Is The Violence fantasy about a spell or enchantment? Is it a carefully crafted social disease? You'll have to read it to find out! The violence is graphic and can be triggering - but the discussion is deeply thoughtful and the ending is oddly satisfying. … Continue...

Episode 164 – An Interview with Jo Fletcher

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 13:52:00 +0000

Jo Fletcher built a publishing house, and has recently returned to her love of finding really good authors and making them better with freelance editing. Jo talks about how to find your repetitions, your bad habits, and talks about some of her observations in trends and genres - what goes around comes around again. A good read is a good read! Jo gives new writers plenty to think about. … Continue...

Episode 163 – Interview with Laura Anne Gilman

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 15:27:00 +0000

Laura Anne Gilman is a delightfully prolific author with a bent for the detective story, the noir in any setting from fantasy, sci fi, historic fiction - you name it. Urban supernatural sleuths chase elusive (and sometimes equally supernatural) victims and perps alike through history and fantasy, and Laura Anne’s world building immerses the reader deep within her vision. Her latest book, Uncanny Times, is coming out shortly and we can’t wait to read it! … Continue...

Episode 162 – Interview with Jonathan R. Rose

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 11 Oct 2022 15:07:00 +0000

Jonathan R. Rose describes himself as “painfully cynical”, and takes you on a journey to What If, from dark urban fantasy to just a little dystopian future sci fi that explores how humans relate to one another. His characters strive to discover who they are and what they value by looking outward at the world around them, and discover their truth by how they relate to the people in their spheres. From north to south, he has ranged across the continent and brought back flavors from each culture to present his own spin. Jonathan says, “You can live off writing! Just not book writing.” (At least at first!) Enjoy his newest book, Wedlock. … Continue...

Episode 161 – Eulogy and a First Novel with Annie O’Neill Stein

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 13:50:00 +0000

1950 – 2022 Annie O’Neill Stein was a retired actress turned journalist turned novelist (who also made a living doing costumes for commercials and photoshoots for a while, then did

Continue...Episode 161 – Eulogy and a First Novel with Annie O’Neill Stein

Episode 160 – So how do you pitch that in Hollywood? – with Nate McCoy and Lynn Harrod

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 13:19:00 +0000

They say everyone living in California has written a screenplay. Now, that's technically an utter lie, but the truth is many screenplays get written and sit in the back of people's computers or desks because no one knows how to pitch them. What you need to do to find someone who wants to invest in your script and turn it into a movie. It's not easy - but Nate McCoy and Lynn Harrod from Only Human Productions are here to share some tips with you. … Continue...

Episode 159 – Interview with Lynn Harrod

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 26 Jul 2022 15:38:20 +0000

Lynn Harrod is an award-winning screenwriter, author, and all-around raconteur. Come listen to him chat about how to move a story between four mediums: short screenplay, short story, feature screenplay, and novel — as he did for his novel The Queen's Angel. … Continue...

Episode 158 – Interview with Keegan Patterson

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 13:50:00 +0000

Come with us to hear the beginnings of a media empire. Keegan Patterson discusses turning his experience of dating a prisoner into a blog, a podcast, and a series of novels. If you want to know about prison relationships, he has a lot to tell you. If you want ideas about how to write, he has a lot of good notes about how to tell it in multiple formats. Have a listen, it's not illegal to talk! … Continue...

Episode 157 – Scenes from a Latinx Restaurant

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 13:42:00 +0000

Dr. Natalia Molina joins us to talk about her latest book, A Place at the Narayit, a non-fiction historical account about her grandmother’s restaurant opened in Los Angeles in the 1960s. It’s a fascinating history of the region, both from the perspective of laws and statues designed to limit where immigrants could live, and a celebration of life and diversity that grew and flowered into a cultural space in the Echo Park neighborhood. … Continue...

Episode 156 – Interview with Stina Leicht

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 21 Jun 2022 15:30:00 +0000

Stina is a Crawford & Astounding Award finalist, a fierce feminist, and a fantasy and science fiction author. From gender altered reinterpretation of the Seven Samurai tropes to some of the most entertaining short stories, she talks about the importance of representation, snappy dialogue, and a bit of humor to move the plot along. … Continue...

Episode 155 – Interview with Don Fike

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 14 Jun 2022 14:42:00 +0000

You've heard of people diving into all kinds of projects during Covid. Meet Don Fike, who actually wrote a novel over the last two years. We ask Don how he did it. Also, the most brilliant book club in North San Diego County, if not the world. … Continue...

Episode 154 – Interview with Timothy Kimo Brien

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 14:28:00 +0000

Timothy Kimo Brien is a poet, podcaster, and all-around artist. He joins us to talk about the importance of creativity, of writing poetry and stories and how doing art feeds the soul and enhances life in every direction. Enjoy a poem from one of his chap books and check out his work! … Continue...

Episode 153 – The Language of Roses

Writers Drinking Coffee — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 14:47:00 +0000

In celebration of Dr. Heather Rose Jones' new story release, "The Language of Roses", and of her wonderful sapphic study and blog, we discuss fairy tales as story starts, the Heroine's Journey, some wonderful authors, and the difficulty of writing when one's routines are changed. … Continue...

Episode 152 – Wise Screenwriting with Stephen Wise

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 24 May 2022 14:00:00 +0000

Stephen Wise is a screenwriter and creative services producer for a TV station. He co-wrote a Batman screenplay that got turned into an audio drama, and describes the adventures of dealing with big studios as well as offering screenwriting and characterization tips. His screenplays have won numerous awards or been finalists, semifinalists, quarterfinalists, etc. at film festivals. … Continue...

Episode 151 – The Art & Business of Writing with Chris Jones

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 17 May 2022 14:35:00 +0000

Chris Jones started his career as a sports writer, who branched out into other journalism, then editing, and wrote one of the best books we love on the business end of your writing career. Chris writes the truth: There is no 3-minute montage that works to make you a bestselling author. And his biggest lesson from 20 years of professional writing is that you have to go all business once you submit it. … Continue...

Episode 150 – Space Tourism with Sam

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 10 May 2022 13:36:00 +0000

SpaceMan Sam, a proud advocate and expert on Space Tourism, talks with Dave and John about Adventure Tourism and book writing. He provides a lot of good information both historical and looking forward about upcoming travel opportunities, and explains the need for a Good Zero Gravity Cocktail glass. His book writing advice is surprisingly simple. … Continue...

Episode 149 – Interview with Madeleine Holly-Rosing

Writers Drinking Coffee — Wed, 04 May 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Episode 149 - Interview with Madeleine Holly-Rosing Madeleine is an author, screenwriter, and the driving creative force behind Boston Metaphysical Society comes to talk about how to write a graphic novel, run a kickstarter, create a podcast, and finish projects you start! Her Steampunk imagination has extended into novellas, novels, podcasts, and of course a graphic novel collective that spans over a decade. … Continue...

Episode 148 – Interview with RB Lemberg

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 26 Apr 2022 15:30:00 +0000

We sat down with Ukrainian author RB Lemberg to talk about their book The Four Profound Weaves, which was a Nebula, Ignyte, and Locus award finalist. It is a story of two mature (for a wonderful change) transgendered people going off on an heroic journey to discover who they are and what they can do in the Birdverse world. … Continue...

Episode 147 – Interview with Jennifer Nestojko

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 14:24:00 +0000

Jennifer Nestojko, writer, poet, teacher, and bard discusses some of her new works with us and recommends some excellent reading. She schools John with facts on writing, and highlights symbolism, women, and disability, though not all together. We had a very good time talking with her, and you will have a good time listening to her! … Continue...

Episode 146 – Black Women Writing Horror with Sumiko Saulson

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 13:27:00 +0000

Sumiko Paulson is a polymath of creative endeavors, from short stories and graphic novel drawing through editing, writing, and journalism. They have received awards and scholarships for writing horror novels and stories, and are a clear voice for the narrative and perspective of black writing with a particular twist of adding the erotic to the fearful. … Continue...

Episode 145 – Interview with Sheryl R. Hayes

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 14:41:00 +0000

Sheryl, a regular in the SF Bay Area science fiction/fantasy scene, both for writing and fiber arts (costuming and knitting) talks with us about her new books. She refers the question of "Why don't werewolves and vampires get along?" to her books, and discusses not only where she gets her ideas from, but how she refines them. We discuss aspects of writing and promotion. … Continue...

Episode 144 – Interview with E.C. Ambrose

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 13:30:00 +0000

E.C. Ambrose joins us to talk about her upcoming book Drakemaster, a historical fantasy set in China that combines astronomy, magical devices, and a solid dose of historic research - using a fantastic variation of Su Song’s astronomical clock of 1090 CE. For those that love eastern lore, historic study, and a hearty dose of fantasy that tinges on thrillers set in the past, this book is for you! Whether thrillers, fantasies, or mysteries, E.C. can do it all! … Continue...

Episode 143 – Interview with Chris Lowry of Beyond Cataclysm

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 15:05:00 +0000

Today we talk with Chris Lowry of Beyond Cataclysm, discussing Press both in the book and coffee form, upcoming projects, and half a squirrel. Many good questions are answered, including: Why beyond cataclysm? What is ISBN Coffee? Why a T-Rex? Which meaning of Die, and what DOES it mean? And again, how did we randomly get to Half a Squirrel? Join us as we discuss writing and coffee! … Continue...

Episode 142 – Interview with Kate Gale

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 14:44:00 +0000

Dr. Kate Gale is a poet, publisher, and lyricist among many other roles, and has released a new book of poetry. We talk to her about poetry, opera, class, the press, and Medusa, and she reads the poem "Those Who Love Medusa". … Continue...

Episode 141 – Interview with Adrianne Grady

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 08 Mar 2022 15:35:00 +0000

In this episode, we interview Adrian Grady, who we know as a singer, and learned about as a songwriter, author, publicist, consultant, and other roles and titles in the Creative field. She gives excellent advice to artists and creators of all types and describes some of the philosophy behind her new book, and the genre of sexpunk. Check out her music and writing, and her stories here! … Continue...

Episode 140 – Interview with Denise Tanaka

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 15:34:00 +0000

enise Tanaka has just finished a fascinating view of the turn-of-the-century marriage and life of writer Louise Cann and artist Yasushi Tanaka - at a time when it was frowned on for an American woman to marry a foreigner. She tells us all about research and writing this story, which is a fascinating insight into both the history of women’s rights and the treatment of mixed marriages at the time. Enjoy! … Continue...

Episode 139 – Interview with Emmy Nordstrom Higdon

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 15:41:00 +0000

Emmy Nordstrom Higdon joins us to talk about the publishing biz, especially challenges of the current global supply chain. If you ever wondered what Dostoevsky and Charmin have in common, Emmy happily explains the connection between wood pulp, garbage, shipping, and trans-oceanic trade. No country is an island of self-sufficiency, so come learn interconnectedness of all things required to get a new book into your hands or eReader. … Continue...

Episode 138 – Mars Attacks! A Trilogy

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 15:58:00 +0000

In which we cheer our own Chaz for finishing the first two books of his trilogy, find out what’s next, and acquire a taste for hearty British-Martian recipes. We discuss the idea of arcing a trilogy where there's one plot arc vs an episodic series. Karen can finally talk about her recent publications as well. Hooray! … Continue...

Episode 137 – Laura Frankos the Broadway Queen

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 15:21:00 +0000

Laura Frankos has just finished a time-travel novel in which a man goes back in time and saves the lives of all his favorite Broadway lyricists, composers, and producers. It is a beautiful love letter to all things in musicals of the early golden ages; from cows to “what if Gershwin had lived?” questions. Run out and buy it today! … Continue...

Episode 136 – Pond Hockey in Hell

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 01 Feb 2022 15:59:00 +0000

Welp, Jeannie's house had Covid19, and she didn't do much for a couple weeks. She did write a story, though, after a long night watching hockey and then having a fever dream. "Pond Hockey in Hell" is a love song. … Continue...

Episode 135 – Outdated Tech References

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 15:54:00 +0000

What technologies have changed in the modern era that make older stories seem quaint, or even to the young, incomprehensible? Jeannie, Dave, and author Berry Kercheval sit down to talk about how descriptions and tech can become outdated with time - sometimes in a way that’s funny, and sometimes in a way that renders the description unrelatable in the modern world. Or maybe they were impossible to start with. “Zoom and enhance so we can read that handwritten address on the sticky note!” Yeah, no. … Continue...

Episode 134 – Interview with Cat English

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 15:54:00 +0000

Cat English has written four novels, with the first about to release for general sales in February. This first book, “Briefly Yours”, is a very graphic biography of the life story of a call girl in Manchester who uses a lot of her profits to run a cat rescue organization. This interview is NSFW and very frank in discussions around descriptions of sex, brothels, and how people mistreat animals – with a hopeful note on what anyone can do to help TNR feral cats. … Continue...

Episode 133 – The Noir Snap Brim

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 11 Jan 2022 14:39:00 +0000

In the shadows of both the beeriest and brightest cities in America lurk crime and corruption. One well dress civilized man wearing a snap brim fedora fights against the forces of evil. Who is this man? David S. Pedersen has written some wonderful noir detective stories, and been short listed for the Lambda awards. He is an amateur architect, and doesn't know why they are called snap brim fedoras either. These, and other questions are discussed in episode 133 of Writers Drinking Coffee. … Continue...

Episode 132 – Interview with Mark Shaiken

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 15:59:00 +0000

Mark Shaiken was an attorney for four decades before retiring to write books. He writes character-driven stories about bankruptcy, intrigue, and all the bad things that can happen once you start lying to your lawyer. Mark talks about his research and organization, and how he plans his plots out thoroughly so that (for a delightful change in the industry) even lawyers could love his books for their accuracy. … Continue...

Episode 131 – Interview with Josh Rountree

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 21 Dec 2021 15:43:00 +0000

Josh Rountree writes sci fi, fantasy, and horror short stories that excite us for the way he uses America as “a character that fights and claws and screams its way through most of my stories. Sometimes a hero and sometimes a villain. Broken but hopeful. Trying to figure things out.” Josh is a frequent choice for fantasy and horror award noms, and has a great slant on the craft of short story writing, especially in terms of evoking the feelings from music. … Continue...

Episode 130 – Interview with Gail Carriger

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 14 Dec 2021 15:28:00 +0000

Gail Carriger has been one of the driving forces in bringing back Steampunk, mixing it with comedy and a hearty dose of supernatural romance, and there you are! Hooked! She talks with us about the heroine’s journey, writing science fiction, how to keep yourself inspired, and more. … Continue...

Episode 129 – Alternative Steampunk with Lyndsie Clark

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 15:46:00 +0000

Lyndsie is an artist and a writer, and a frequent guest at Steampunk conventions for her subject matter and experience on the topic. Dave and Jeannie sit down with Lyndsie today to discuss Steampunk and British Colonialism, science, mad science, fantasy, and more. If you love brass goggles, brown leather boots, and thinking about alternative power sources for machinery, this is for you! … Continue...

Episode 128 – Interview with Jerry L. Wheeler

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 30 Nov 2021 16:02:00 +0000

Critic, writer, and editor Jerry Wheeler discusses small press collections, the joy of good titles, the business of editing, among other things, and answers our questions. He brings a joyous voice and intelligent eye, and has advice worth listening to. … Continue...

Episode 127 – Interview with Aliette de Bodard

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 23 Nov 2021 15:12:00 +0000

Aliette joins us from Paris, France to talk about her writing, perceptions of science and world building, and the myth and power of storytelling. As a child of French and Vietnamese descent, she grew up with influences from both worlds and uses her strong multicultural awareness in her writing. She talks to us of liminal spaces, the unspoken area between multiple cultures, as well as diasporas and other themes in her writing. … Continue...

Episode 126 – Interview with Karen Hicks

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 16 Nov 2021 15:53:00 +0000

Today we talk to Karen Hicks, something of a polymath in areas of interest and writing. Karen is a screenwriter and journalist, a newsletter chronicler, a biographer, a romance novelist, a short story and ghost writer, a non-fiction writer, and a columnist. She shares with us her methods on research as well as the passion and discovery that writing can inspire. … Continue...

Episode 125 – HopePunk with Becky Chambers

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 15:27:00 +0000

Becky Chambers, if not the mother of Hopepunk, is certainly its standard bearer. She has new takes on robots beyond the uncanny valley, exploring ideas and concepts like what is kindness, compassion, and even “humanity” through the eyes of the construct rather than those made of meat. Becky started as a self-published author with a Kickstarter idea, and was later picked up by traditional publishing. … Continue...

Episode 124 – Zombies Need Brains

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 02 Nov 2021 16:48:18 +0000

Dr. Joshua Palmatier has tasty brains, and we pick them both on his writing while earning a PhD and on his successful press, and what it has taught him. You should listen and learn too about ZombiesEatBrains! … Continue...

Episode 123 – Interview with Catherine Lundoff

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 14:34:00 +0000

Catherine Lundoff is a writer, editor and publisher of Queen of Swords press, and joins us today to talk about all three! How she researches and writes, what she writes about, how she works as an editor, teacher, and publisher, and how to do all three in the middle of a plague. … Continue...

Episode 122 – Remembering 9-11 in Verse

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 14:09:00 +0000

20 years ago, two towers fell in America and it shocked the world. Whether people lived in New York or California, or in between, they were wrapped in trauma and grief, and needed the words to articulate their feelings and experience. Andrea Carter Brown captured her own eyewitness views and feelings to help process the negative memories into a new healing through poetry and reflection. From shock and pain to healing and kindness, Brown's verses speak for many who witnessed the events that day. … Continue...

Episode 121 – Poetry with Ashanti

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 14:48:00 +0000

Ashanti has written plays, poetry, and screenplays, and has recently released Black Under - which won the Spring 2020 Black River Chapbook Competition at Black Lawrence Press. She reads two of the poems from this collection for you all to enjoy; come revel with us in her vivid imagery and stunning clarity of phrase. … Continue...

Episode 120 – Interview with Brenda Clough

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 14:06:00 +0000

Meet the talented Brenda Clough, who has been putting a new book out nearly every month in 2021! Brenda is an inspiration of constant writing, publishing, and working with Book View Cafe. Her latest work is historical thriller, with a hint of fantasy as the series progresses. … Continue...

Episode 119 – The Hat Trick of Romance

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 14:30:00 +0000

KL Gallagher joins us for her very first book interview! WDC is honoured to introduce you to her first novel: Hat Trick; a tale of romance, hockey, and lesbians taking over the world! (that last part may be exaggerated). KL talks about her inspiration, her guiding force, and finding her way from reader to author all in one wild year. … Continue...

Episode 118 – Beans with Chaz

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 15:01:00 +0000

Chaz has new books out and coming soon, and we are all terribly excited about it! Chaz talks about his new collection the "Best of", along with a new story on Tor.Com. And then there's the Boarding School books and Outremer and a cookbook for next Christmas. And Karen got in print, too! There's tons to celebrate at the Brenchley house, and you're invited to share it. … Continue...

Episode 117 – Interview with Lisa Czarina Michaud

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 14 Sep 2021 14:25:00 +0000

An interview with International Youth and Author Lisa Czarina Michaud, who brings the music of words to youth romance (is it romance? Is it love? It is a time of difficulties, both in age and in the United States.) It is a memoir of her youth in New York, and we're glad she didn't wait any longer to write it, because it's wonderful. … Continue...

Episode 116 – Interview with Christine Cianci

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 14:57:00 +0000

Welcome to episode CXVI, where we talk to author Christine Cianci about her new book Walking the Mosaic. Christine is an amazing artist in multiple mediums, and adds science fiction to her portfolio with this new release. We caught up with her to talk about Rome, art, and the other influences in her creation. Jeannie, John, Christine Cianci … Continue...

Episode 115 – Interview with Cassandra Alexander

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 14:39:00 +0000

We sat down with Cassandra Alexander to talk about her writing career, and in particular her newest foray into non-fiction with a memoir called The Year of the Nurse. Her recounting of being an ICU nurse during the Covid crisis is by turns moving, chilling, and filled with the dark humor that is so often found in hospitals. … Continue...

Episode 114 – The Block Party

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 24 Aug 2021 13:02:00 +0000

Anyone can get blocked in writing. It can be agonizing over an opening and how much exposition to put in, plotting how to take over the world, or even just herding cats to give you time to write. Jeannie invited Madeleine Robins and Cliff Winnig back to talk about their individual blocks in an attempt to crowdsource ideas about building plot events as a demonstration of how you might be able to get past blocks of your own with friends. … Continue...

Episode 113 – Interview with Todd Downing

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 17 Aug 2021 14:29:00 +0000

Todd Downing is a proper renaissance writer of Gen X. He’s been deeply involved in playing, running, and creating RPGs for decades. He’s written for stage, screen, comics, interactive and narrative games. He even records his own novels into audiobooks! … Continue...

Episode 112 – Tales from the Dungeon

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 10 Aug 2021 15:14:00 +0000

John and Dave interview Joel Righetti about his storytelling podcast. Tales from the Dungeon is a fantasy fiction podcast that will immerse you in a mystical world filled with swords and magic, heroes, and villains. … Continue...

Episode 111 – Interview with Stephen Murray

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 03 Aug 2021 14:57:00 +0000

Herein referred to as Episode Nelson for reasons discussed within the episode, we introduce you to Stephen Murray. Stephen Murray is from S. Africa and Europe, settled in Vegas, and has retired to write short love stories, cozy mysteries, and more recently has forayed into the superstition of 111 … Continue...

Episode 110 – Interview with Isabelle Hardesty

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 27 Jul 2021 14:52:00 +0000

Isabelle started as a fashion designer, and her eye for rich detail turned into a love of writing. She started with a short story for an Anthology, discovered world building, and from that writing the Delacourt Shapeshifter Trilogy sprang up. Her latest new book is out - The Witch of Belle Fleur, with a sequel on the way. Isabelle created an Afro-Latina protagonist based on her own Miami upbringing, and you might like her heroine's journey to become lead witch of her small town. … Continue...

Episode 109 – Interview with Cassandra Lane

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 20 Jul 2021 15:06:00 +0000

Cassandra started as a reporter, then went back to get her MFA in creative writing. Cassandra’s first full-length book is a non-fiction memoir called We Are Bridges, and Jeannie devoured it entirely in a day. We Are Bridges a story that ranges across three generations from Louisiana with the lynching of a great-grandfather to modern life in Los Angeles, exploring romance and race and motherhood and what they all mean together. She shares with us her practiced art of listening, how working with editors and deadlines helped, and her drive to become a writer and a storyteller. … Continue...

Episode 108 – Interview with Liz Williams

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 13 Jul 2021 14:28:00 +0000

Liz Williams is a British science fantasy writer, historian, and occultist. With a PhD in Epistemology and a fascination for occultism, her work ranges from science, pure fantasy, supernatural, and even into non-fiction historical survey of British paganism. We loved her “pantsing a bucket list” approach! Grab a latte and learn more! … Continue...

Episode 107 – Adventures in Oz!

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 14:07:00 +0000

The Kickstarter is going strong for the Adventures in Oz 5e RPG, and Jeannie and Dave (both contributing writers) sit down with David Speakman and Aaron Cheung from Double Critical to talk about the mechanics of cranking out a major game module set in L. Frank Baum’s Land of Oz. … Continue...

Episode 106 – Cliff Winnig Reads a Story

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 29 Jun 2021 14:17:00 +0000

Cliff Winnig joins Jeannie in the coffee lounge to read a story he wrote for the last Mad Scientist Journal called The Obelisk. … Continue...

Episode 105 – True Crime with Monique Patterson

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 14:34:00 +0000

Monique started as a journalist, and after covering the news for years developed an interest in writing True Crime novels, especially from the view of the victims and the impact on the affected communities. The disparity of how victims can be treated by the law and wheels of justice as well as in the press inspires her to tell their stories and hope that they can help inspire change. She has written three true crime novels thus far, along with a children's picture book and a published collection of poetry. … Continue...

Episode 104 – Tropes and Perspectives

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 14:15:00 +0000

In which we explore TV and other Tropes in writing. A Trope can be defined as a cliche, but it can also be a leitmotif (in the musical sense) or standard devices used in serial dramas. We think it works for any writing, playing to the audience’s expectations of the narrative. … Continue...

Episode 103 – Diasporica with Professor J.L. Torres

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 14:40:00 +0000

In this interview we celebrate J.L. Torres’ new book, Migrations. We discuss the impact of migration on storytelling, and the Diasporica (Puerto Rican Diaspora) on American literary culture. … Continue...

Episode 102 – Crime and Euphemisms

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 14:54:00 +0000

We explore some of our favorite crime novels, the genre at large as part of mystery, and pick apart the differences between detective novels (tending to support law & order) vs caper novels (tending to be anti-establishment or radical) and the exceptions. Crime and caper novels can be historic or modern, and cross every genre. What do you need to think about when writing crime stories? We have some ideas. … Continue...

Episode 101 – Short movies with Jordan Heron

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 18 May 2021 15:00:00 +0000

Jordan makes movies. He started acting in commercials and showing up for casting calls, then discovered that he really liked directing. The next step involved him needing scripts, so he started adapting short stories into scripts – then just writing his own. All perfectly logical, right? Making movies is fun! … Continue...

Episode 100 – Interview with Paul Attaway

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 11 May 2021 14:53:00 +0000

Paul Attaway is a new author who published his first book this last fall. He talks about his writing process, how to decide what the book is actually about – namely, a family drama with a murder. He approached writing his first book with a hybrid approach of plotting and organic growth based on the inter-relationship of characters. … Continue...

Episode 99 – Notes and Notebooks

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 04 May 2021 15:14:00 +0000

What’s in your notebook? The WDC crew all keep a little notebook of some fashion – although there’s discussion over moleskine, spiral notebooks, electronic Notes. Having a notebook in hand or in easy reach can help keep those nifty ideas from flitting back out of your brain by trapping them in ink or electrons. And then there’s refining the idea… … Continue...

Episode 98 – Interview with David Drake

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 27 Apr 2021 15:05:00 +0000

David Drake picked up writing, so he says, as a therapy for his time spent riding tanks around Vietnam and Cambodia. But what started as short stories ended up as a brilliant and far-reaching career that explored historic fantasy, horror, sci fi, and everything in between. Whether you love Roman legions, Byzantine politics, or Space Opera that combines the spirits of each, Drake has something for you – all his characters are exquisitely human and complex. … Continue...

Episode 97 – Chaz Brenchley’s Crater School Girls on Mars

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 13:39:00 +0000

In which we celebrate our own Chaz’ new book coming out in May 2021. Formerly only found if you were a Patreon member, now you can buy Three Twins at the Crater School in book format. Based on the concept of boarding school storylines from England, these posit a habitable Mars and a race to colonize the moons and planets in a steampunk Ethership universe. … Continue...

Episode 96 – Video Biographies with Carol Wolf

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 13 Apr 2021 14:14:00 +0000

Carol Wolf says “If you point a camera at someone and ask them what they know about how to live your life, they tell you amazing, inspiring, and moving stories.” What is the lived experience? We continue our discussion from last week talking about the importance of telling your own (and other people’s) life stories with Carol’s film making experience, with some digressions for shark mating habits and propaganda. … Continue...

Episode 95 – Memoir Writing with Jill Phillips

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 12:16:00 +0000

There are so many people who talk about writing down family memoirs. We interviewed Jill Phillips, who has completed her first novel of non-fiction memoirs to talk about her process, her journey, and her recommendations for anyone thinking it’s time to start writing their own family stories. She describes how to start and set yourself up for success, deliberations on whose truth to go with, and other important decisions a memoir will need to make. … Continue...

Episode 94 – Interview with Aleksandr Voinov

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 30 Mar 2021 13:51:00 +0000

Exploring topics in gay romance, and emotive expression open for men – and how reading novels outside your own experience act like empathy boxes of learning and understanding. Aleksandr’s character-driven approach to storytelling combines with research to create vivid stories and hot gay romance. They also have some excellent advice for writers on maintaining separation from a day job while avoiding misrepresentation of your identity. … Continue...

Episode 93 – Interview with Nancy Jane Moore

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 23 Mar 2021 14:30:00 +0000

Nancy has found a unique way of conquering the general zeitgeist of creativity challenge with meditation and poetry to unlock new creativity. We discuss colonialism, and the challenge of looking at discovered civilizations (on earth, in space, wherever) through a lens of diversity instead of the old models, and what might happen when we start to do that even more. … Continue...

Episode 92 – Interview with Bruce Holland Rogers

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 14:59:00 +0000

Bruce helps advance the question what the term “literary” means. Is it a commercial label? Is it a publishing market category for how to put similar books together in a bookstore? Class distinction or participation is one way to look, but so is technical accomplishment. In any case, learning to write seems a noble (and spiritual) way to squander your time as well as a social network, and Bruce has been amazing over a long and fruitful career as both a writer and educator. … Continue...

Episode 91 – A Psychological Model for Character Building

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 15:03:00 +0000

In this episode, Dave, Chaz, and John briefly discuss character development using the "Big Five" model of personality before haring off on a number of predictable tangents. Also in this episode: everything Dave knows about factor analysis and psychological modeling (tl;dr: psychology is squishy); what Chaz doesn't know about "Aspects of the Novel:" by E.M. Forster (quite a bit, and seemingly proud of it); and John reminds Chaz to panic about being replaced by a computer. Also: MFAs are a dodgy proposition; the academic wing of the Tolkien industry; Freud sucks (Dave again); and how pantsing yourself into a corner is like failing to solve a Sudoku. Finally, a plea: "plotting" is fine, but can we please find an alternative to "pantsing"?! … Continue...

Episode 90 – Race, Romance, and Regency

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 15:41:00 +0000

It’s Black History month, and we all watched Bridgerton (and a certain Duke) over Christmas, right? We invite Madeleine Robins back and start pondering how to make our writing accurately reflect the cultural mélange that existed in London and beyond. From racism to classism, our writers look at our inherent biases, how “common knowledge” of history isn’t, and how it takes something evocative with a new spin to challenge our ideas of history. … Continue...

Episode 89 – Interview with Jennifer Brozek

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 16:13:00 +0000

Jennifer has been nominated twice for the Bram Stoker award for horror, and won both the Bram Stoker and the Hugo Award for editing work. She’s written stories and novels for Battletech, Shadowrun, Valdemar, as well as many original stories and novels in YA Horror, Fantasy, and Sci Fi. She has the Best Quote Ever: You can be blunt or you can be vulgar but you can’t be both. … Continue...

Episode 88 – Interview with Megan Lloyd: Storyboarding

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 15:26:00 +0000

Who is the first wizard on call when you need to make movie magic? Meg is a that wizard! A storyboard artist introduces us all to the world where the print meets the screen. Come learn about this exciting position working in TV and Movies, where you can tell stories with pictures and words in tandem. … Continue...

Episode 87 – Carol Wolf, Shotgun Artist

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 09 Feb 2021 15:50:00 +0000

WDC once again talks with master of many forms Carol Wolf, who discusses plays, movies, screenplays, horror, and some of her recent work, and inspires WDC to write more! … Continue...

Episode 86 – Charlie Stross, Harbinger of Our Times

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 15:55:00 +0000

There are writers who can take one genre and then turn it into multiple genres before they're done - and you can't put the books down. We sat down one of our favorites who gets away with it all the time. Charles Stross, unrepentant Pantser, as he labels himself, tells us all about his books, his inspirations, his process, and his latest projects. … Continue...

Episode 85 – Juliette Wade Returns!

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 15:55:00 +0000

Juliette’s second book, Transgressions of Power (sequel to Mazes of Power), is coming out in February! Get your tiara and boa together and think about what you’re going to wear to her book release party! Juliette talks about dialect work, plotting, and how world building and pre-construction helps her write faster. … Continue...

Episode 84 – Interview with Richard Kadrey

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 15:27:00 +0000

Richard Kadrey has been a successful novelist, written for comic books, scripts, and journalistic articles about art, culture, and technology. He creates music under the name Seven Blood-Stained Orchids. We caught up with him to find out the latest gossip on his Sandman Slim series, as there’s rumors of a movie in the offing. … Continue...

Episode 83 – From a Certain Point of View

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 16:49:44 +0000

In which our merry hosts contemplate finding the right point of view from which to tell a story. The perspective of looking at a story is fungible, but each point of view will have a different voice. The coffee committee ponders the right point of view for a story about an incident, and how the voice of the view affects the story's tone and outcome. … Continue...

Episode 82 – Writing Political Satire

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 15:32:00 +0000

This is our first foray into discussing satire, and how to make fun of politics. Whether cartooning, focusing a microscope on an individual trait or issue, or simply drawing attention to an injustice, satire has a place in writing and the arts. … Continue...

Episode 81 – Podcasting from Cobbler’s Gulch

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 29 Dec 2020 15:47:00 +0000

We welcome another podcaster - Norman Leonard, the creative mind behind the kids’ podcast, Cobbler’s Gulch. Is it for kids? Or is it a podcast narrative for adults? Who loves goblins and gooslers and trolls and two-headed soil serpents? We do, and we say they’re for everyone, especially orphans. … Continue...

Episode 80 – Midwinter Ghosts and Scary Stories

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 15:07:00 +0000

The midwinter holidays have an old tradition of ghost stories and scary tales to whisper around the fire as people huddle close and wait for the light to return. We've recreated this for you with new spooky stories written by Chaz and Jeannie, and with a little help from John they're going to read them to you. … Continue...

Episode 79 – A Sit Down with Sage & Savant

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 15:00:00 +0000

Today we sat down with the wife and husband team of Eddie Louise and Chip Clark from Sage & Savant, a serial podcast of steampunk adventures in Mad Science! Eddie wrote the serial adventure story and keep it going for years, while Chip composed music, created sound effects and other foley work. Come learn how they did it, and what they’re up to next! … Continue...

Episode 78 – What’s in a Quirk?

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 15:44:00 +0000

People with quirks are called eccentric, unusual, strange, or even bizarre, but the truth is bigger. Quirky people play weird games, wear different clothes, have unusual hobbies, or say what they mean in company. Quirky people have less fear. Jeannie submits the theory that all good protagonists need to be a little quirky. The committee pokes at her theory with examples from books, television, and movies. … Continue...

Episode 77 – Alternative History with Harry Turtledove

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 01 Dec 2020 15:51:00 +0000

It’s not every day we get to talk to someone who single-handedly launched a genre. Harry Turtledove is the father of alternative history fiction, alongside his many fantasy and science fiction novels and stories. We caught up with him to talk about how to play the “what if” game in historic storytelling. … Continue...

Episode 76 – Community Theatre with Damian Trasler

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 24 Nov 2020 16:20:00 +0000

There's the novel, and then there is short fiction. There's multi-act plays, and then there's one-act plays and community theatre. We sat down with stunningly successful community theatre playwright and author Damian Trasler to talk about how to write (and run) custom shorter plays and productions for local productions. … Continue...

Episode 75 – Interview with Jacey Bedford

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 16:59:00 +0000

In which Karen and Chaz enjoy an old home week of sorts with the incomparable Jacey Bedford from Milford. Jacey chats with us about the MIlford process, her favorite tools for writing, and describes her process for both historic fantasy and science fiction. … Continue...

Episode 74 – I am Death’s Brother

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 15:22:00 +0000

Grab a coffee, faithful listeners. Chaz is going to read us a story from his upcoming collection titled “Everything in All the Wrong Order: The best of Chaz Brenchley.” This story is called I am Death's Brother - originally published in 2004, now lost to the vaguarities of publishing. We will link to the upcoming collection right here the moment it's available for pre-order! … Continue...

Episode 73 – NANONANO

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 03 Nov 2020 16:03:00 +0000

NaNoWriMo is the National Novel Writing Month and coffee give us life. John sits down with Violette Woods and Liz Hamill to discuss writing, motivation, and coffee. … Continue...

Episode 72 – A Creature by Any Other Stripe

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 27 Oct 2020 14:53:00 +0000

The coffee couch welcomes back Alma Alexander, who wrote a lovely series on shapeshifting with an entirely new view on biology and shifter change mechanisms. She takes us through her Were creature books before we delve down into genetics, mass, blood types, and possible triggers. … Continue...

Episode 71 – Putting a Toe in the Water

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 13:33:00 +0000

This is about openings, and new beginnings. This is a discussion on how writers pull us in and make us unable not to read the next sentence. Sometimes a first line is like the opening guitar riff to your favorite song, unforgettable and unmistakable. Some authors have said they can't write a story until they have landed the first line. Today we talked about our favorites, and what we loved about them. … Continue...

Episode 70 – Dude! – The Hero & Sidekick’s Excellent Journey

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 15:19:00 +0000

Does every hero need a sidekick? When they have one, what roles do they fill in a story? How can a sidekick help you tell your story more effectively? We explore our favorite sidekicks through time and how they effectively advance each story. … Continue...

Episode 68 – Sympathy for the Devil

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 06 Oct 2020 14:22:46 +0000

In which our committee sits down and talks about who our favorite story villains are and why. There’s some advice in writing villains, more admonitions on what to avoid, and how to romance your audience while horrifying them at once. … Continue...

Episode ̶6̶7̶ 69 – Interview with Raven Belasco

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 14:42:00 +0000

Raven’s love of vampires came from a love of Bram Stoker combined with history, science, and even religion over the ages. She brings new ideas into the paranormal romance horror/adventure novels, with ideas about super effective bio systems rather than sparkles or magic. Raven’s historic exploration is something we need more of in our would-be ageless paramours. … Continue...

Episode 66 – Traveling with Pain and Liz Hamill

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 14:40:00 +0000

Haven’t you always wanted to travel the world and get paid for it? That’s the dream of being a food and travel writer. Liz is here to talk about the business and give you a reality check, as she describes how she found her way into the niche that got her noticed and published: How to successfully travel with a disability. When your disability isn't that visible, there are special steps to take for traveling success. Liz takes us through some of those challenges as well as talking about how she made the leap from tech writing to travel writing. … Continue...

Episode 65 – Karen Sources a Story

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 14:49:00 +0000

John and Karen sit down and talk through Karen's process and ideas about a Vampire Abbess story. From research to editing, she talks her way through a new story. There is no "right way" to write! Hope it proves inspirational to someone else. … Continue...

Episode 64 – Interview with Katharine Kit Kerr

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 08 Sep 2020 15:56:00 +0000

We finally have a chance to catch up with Kit Kerr, writer of the magnificent Deverry series which runs for 16 books and spans over 40 years of her writing career. Kit talks with us about her inspiration, how her process worked in writing the saga, and some of the research to create her world. … Continue...

Episode 63 – Interview with Jaime Lee Moyer

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 14:37:00 +0000

Jaime specializes in historical fiction for her published novels and talks about how she does her research and finds the right images to paint pictures in her mind that she brings to life. Come listen to her describe on the page what she sees in the movie of her imagination. … Continue...

Episode 62 – Tentacles with Nick Mamatas

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 25 Aug 2020 15:21:00 +0000

In which your hosts wallow in the Deeps with Tentacles and Nick Mamatas, discussing everything from Sherlock Holmes to Kerouac and Lovecraft. Nick talks about writing, editing, teaching, and the latest stuff he’s working on. Write short fiction, Nick says! … Continue...

Episode 61 – Interview with Carol Berg

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 15:46:00 +0000

Carol Berg, an extremely popular writer with the female hockey player set, joined us to talk about how she builds stories based on characters and questions. … Continue...

Episode 60 – Weird Wars with Sean Patrick Hazlett

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 15:31:00 +0000

Sean writes horror, science fiction, and fantasy, with a unique and focused approach for the writing and publishing market. He got started writing short stories because, “Fail fast!” learn from your mistakes! He blends his experience as part of the military with a deft storytelling twist, and tells us how he learned and grew as a writer. … Continue...

Episode 59 – Silver Screenwriting with Christy Marx

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 15:15:00 +0000

We welcome our first writer of scripts for TV and Film – Christy Marx. While Christy is a veritable “Jill of all Trades” in writing talent, we sat down to quiz her about how one comes into a career writing for movies, tv, and cartoons. … Continue...

Episode 58 – Interview with Carrie Vaughn

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 28 Jul 2020 16:14:42 +0000

We welcome a NY Times Bestselling author to the coffee house, as she takes a break from WorldCon. Come hear how Carrie found her way into writing, her thoughts on genres and trends, and how she measured her own success and KPIs as a writer of commercial fiction. … Continue...

Episode 57 – Scene it, Done that!

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 15:32:00 +0000

Jeannie, John, and Raymond Miller wish they were at the Bean Scene, and run through a creative writing site for paranormal Authors. Being delighted by the find, our intrepid writers click on the random generator and talk out how to use this to create a story treatment. … Continue...

Episode 56 – How to Sum Things Up

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 15:38:00 +0000

There you are, your first great country novel written and ready to go. You start sending it out to agents and websites and they ask you for things. Shorter things. Summaries. Synopses. Hook lines. Elevator Pitches. Start thinking about how to market yourself and your work so you can re-use your work over and over. … Continue...

Episode 55 – Interview with the Duchess of Fantasy

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 15:41:00 +0000

Alma Alexander was born on the banks of the Danube in a country that no longer exists, grew up in Africa, and is married to an American she met online. We caught up with her via Zoom, and had a long chat about her writing. (60 minutes) … Continue...

Episode 54 – An Interview with Raymond Miller

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 16:35:00 +0000

We’re happy to welcome author Raymond Miller back to the coffee house. Raymond reads part of a story for us, and takes the listener on an emotional roller coaster through Kentucky and From the Train Station, along with his experience writing in the time of Covid19. He talks about understanding life through the stories you’ve been told, and the styles and choices of authors. … Continue...

Episode 53 – Interview with Ellen Klages

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 23 Jun 2020 16:29:04 +0000

We’re thrilled to have a long sit down with the amazing Ellen Klages. Did she really win an award for everything she’s ever written? Sure seems like it. Let’s hear about her work with children’s fiction along with the Nebula win, and every major award nomination. Wow. How does she do it? … Continue...

Episode 52 – Interview with Cat Rambo

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 16:24:00 +0000

We’ve been at this a year now! Happy anniversary to us! In celebration of being alive for a year, we welcome new Nebula Award winner Cat Rambo! She’s also the past president of SFWA. … Continue...

Episode 51 – A Wild Card

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 16:10:00 +0000

We interviewed Kevin Andrew Murphy, a frequent contributor to the Wild Cards series edited by George R. R. Martin. Kevin talks about his various Wild Card projects from short stories to graphic novels, and what he's up to lately. … Continue...

Episode 50 – Tech Writing for Fun and Profit

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 15:48:00 +0000

As we keep maintaining that there are many career paths open to the aspiring writer, we’re focusing today on technical writing for fun and profit. We interviewed Paul Gustafson of Expert Support to hear about his views on what makes a good technical writer. … Continue...

Episode 49 – Kate Elliott Totally Rules

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 26 May 2020 15:15:00 +0000

From space opera to fantasy and YA, Kate writes great character-driven stories for everyone. We contacted Kate from the ground-to-space zoom medium on Planet Hawaii, and with minor robotic interference here and there managed to get her to tell us how she does it. … Continue...

Episode 48 – The Rising Sun

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 19 May 2020 14:45:00 +0000

Alone. All alone. Jeannie considers how much she misses drinking coffee with her cohosts, and reads you a short science fiction story about a space maneuver called The Rising Sun … Continue...

Episode 47 – With a Song in my Heart

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 12 May 2020 15:00:00 +0000

Today we zoom into focusing on writing song lyrics and music. Our guest Jeff Brown is a singer and songwriter who talks about his writing process, how he got started writing his own music, and inspiration as well as methods. … Continue...

Episode 46 – David Levine

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 05 May 2020 15:50:00 +0000

Today we sat down with Hugo-award winning author David D. Levine to talk about how he got started in writing from short stories up to his latest novels. Grab a coffee and come learn his path to being a novelist, from engineering to fiction. … Continue...

Episode 45 – Oh, the Horror!

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 15:29:00 +0000

We welcome John Baltisberger - horror writer, poet, publisher, and all-around amazing guy. John made the leap of faith into being full-time involved in the writing biz, and has enjoyed success through thrilling, chilling stories, hard work, and a lot of diversification. … Continue...

Episode 44 – An Interview with Jeff Berry

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 21 Apr 2020 14:10:00 +0000

The Jeff Berry? Well, -A- Jeff Berry. Redeeming the name, we bring you the story of a man who studied Computers so he wouldn't have to wait tables, then ran away to New York to be an actor and playwright. Now he lives in England, and writes Medieval cooking articles as well as plays and stories. … Continue...

Episode 43 – An Interview with Madeleine Robins

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 16:34:00 +0000

Jeannie and John sit down with the splendid Madeleine Robins, author of multiple books and series. She talks about how she got started writing, her inspirations, and the constant love of research that helps her write great historic fiction. … Continue...

Episode 42 – Life, the Universe, and Everything

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 13:23:00 +0000

We have the answers – what were the questions? With so many universities and classes starting to have their various curricula online, we shopped around to look at various definitions and opinions on what elements make up stories of varying lengths. Then we throw out some of our favorite stories and compare against the formula, to test for accuracy. … Continue...

Episode 41 – The Writer’s Identity

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 16:37:00 +0000

Online writing sessions with friends has produced some interesting questions, and we chat about them today. How does the identity of the writer make a difference? How does identity inform the writing, and how does it portray the characters? We invite Alice Cornwell and Tiana Hanson back to the coffee couch to discuss the topic. … Continue...

Episode 40 – A Charming Fetish

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 24 Mar 2020 15:31:00 +0000

Welcoming back Sandra Brenchley to chat about amulets, charms, talismans, and other fetishes. To this day, everyone has a lucky charm of some sort. What do they mean in antiquity? What should they mean for the characters in your story? #WhatsInYourGrisGrisBag? … Continue...

Episode 39 – Podcasting in the Time of Cholera

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 17 Mar 2020 16:24:00 +0000

Here we are, all safely quarantined. How do we stay focused on our creativity? How do we keep creating art? Can we use these current events as inspiration for characters, for scenarios, for plot points? I think we can. Have a cup of coffee with John and Jeannie as they chat on the topic of creativity in a stifling, stressful environment. … Continue...

Episode 38 – Interview with a Sword Master

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 10 Mar 2020 15:53:00 +0000

John sits down with Steaphen Fick, a master of sword fighting, to talk about their favorite books on fighting and weapons as well as how to think about choreographing fight scenes. … Continue...

Episode 37 – A Rose by any other Poetry

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 03 Mar 2020 15:50:00 +0000

In which the coffee club writers sit down and talk about Poetry. From romance to horror to comedy, and even mixed up therein, we look at all the forms and nature of poems we collectively love and memorize for no reason. … Continue...

Episode 36 – Systemic Magic

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 25 Feb 2020 16:49:00 +0000

When you're world building for a story or novel, you need to figure out how magic works. The coffee shop writers chat about how to build something coherent, something that makes sense, and the pondering of magic that doesn't get in the way of a story. Or how magic can become a story. And how red coffee is the best coffee. … Continue...

Episode 35 – Divination and Prophecy

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 18 Feb 2020 17:22:00 +0000

Are you writing a historic fantasy which contains divination or prognostication? Want to make it more historically accurate? Sandra Brenchley joins the coffee club to talk about her studies into mediaeval divination, soothsaying, and other prognostication devices. … Continue...

Episode 34 – Knife Fight to the Death, baby!

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 11 Feb 2020 16:20:00 +0000

With special guest L. Douglas Garrett. Doug writes novels about the life of an operative in various parts of the world. From dirt, tribal loyalties, and the importance of family, he describes bringing real life experience as an operative to create realism in his thrillers. … Continue...

Episode 33 – Crime and Mystery

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 04 Feb 2020 19:24:00 +0000

Chaz, Karen, and Jeannie sit around talking about their favorite crime and mystery novels. What makes a crime or mystery work? How has the genre changed over time? What is believable vs. credible for the writer? … Continue...

Episode .5 – Captain’s Log, Supplemental

Writers Drinking Coffee — Sun, 02 Feb 2020 08:02:49 +0000

Over the Christmas holidays we collected ghost stories. Here's one told with pictures, narrated by Heather Rose Jones herself. … Continue...

Episode 32 – Deadlines Go Woosh!

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 28 Jan 2020 15:39:00 +0000

In which we talk about the motivational power of the deadline, and missing them, and what to do instead of making a deadline. How do they affect the creative process? … Continue...

Episode 31 – Romancing the Romance

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 15:49:00 +0000

We are joined in the coffee house by Violette Woods, a writer of romance novels. Violette has five guidelines for successful writers of romance (or, we think, anyone) to share with you! … Continue...

Episode 30 – Not Safe For Work

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 14 Jan 2020 15:58:00 +0000

Yes, indeed friends, welcome to Season 2. This is episode Triple-X, and it would be wrong not to honor that numeral designation with a talk about sex. There’s an ocean of possible targets here, so we’ve narrowed our focus how we and some of our favorite authors use sex to advance plot. … Continue...

Episode 29 – A Year in Retrospect

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 31 Dec 2019 15:50:00 +0000

A year in retrospect; we published things, we wrote things, we inflicted poetry on innocent bystanders. We also invited people to asking us questions on Twitter and FB, and today we read the questions and answer them for you. … Continue...

Episode 28 – Interview with Heather Rose Jones

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 24 Dec 2019 14:09:00 +0000

Jeannie sits down with novelist Heather Rose Jones to talk about her creative processes, mainstream lesbian publishing, historic romance for LGBT, and other topics. … Continue...

Episode 27 – Storytelling by Episodes

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 16:11:00 +0000

Television, Movies, episodic podcasts; in storytelling there’s a definite trend for watching or following a series of stories with an over-arching theme or plot presented in episodes. … Continue...

Episode 26 – Death by Cliche part Deux

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 16:06:00 +0000

Adjectives and verbs and adverbs and more! Cliches are made of words. Most cliches derived from accuracy, but lose their meaning over time. Our eggnog-sodden team looks into old ones. We pick at many of our favorites. … Continue...

Episode 25 – Death to Cliches!

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 03 Dec 2019 15:59:00 +0000

The Silver Anniversary episode! Jeannie goes on a rant (Many F Bombs) on the topic of cliches found in writing. The words used to only describe women, or only men, and it may be time to move past them in writing. Also Chaz asks are odd numbers sexier? … Continue...

Episode 24 – Interview with a Publisher

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 26 Nov 2019 16:50:00 +0000

In which Chaz and Jeannie interview Geralyn Lance from Subterranean Press. How does a publisher’s Production Manager…. Manage words? How do they find artists? How do they wrangle bookbinders? … Continue...

Episode 23 – Meet Marie Brennan

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 19 Nov 2019 16:07:44 +0000

Chaz and Jeannie managed to capture the elusive and mysterious Marie Brennan at World Fantasy Con. If you love alternative history and dragons, you’ve got to give her a read! … Continue...

Episode 22 – Going Out into the World

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 15:54:13 +0000

In which Chaz and Jeannie go to World Fantasy Con and sit down with Caitlin Blasdell - Chaz’ American agent. What does an Agent do? How do you become one? Why do you need one? Caitlin tells all! … Continue...

Episode 21 – The Inspiration to Get Things Done

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 29 Oct 2019 17:06:15 +0000

Jeannie and John chatting about how they get inspired to get things done, as well as keep track of what they're writing and what resources are available. … Continue...

Episode Twenty – Ashes to Ashes

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 22 Oct 2019 17:10:29 +0000

In which Chaz reads Jeannie a story he wrote recognizing the immortal genius of David Bowie, our Starman who fell to earth forever. … Continue...

Episode Nineteen – How to Build a World

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 15 Oct 2019 16:44:58 +0000

Today our guest star Juliette Wade talks in the coffee shop about World Building. She runs a regular online workshop on on the topic for all kinds of fiction - it used to be on Google Hangouts, but now has a YouTube channel. … Continue...

Episode Eighteen – Voice Work and Audible

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 08 Oct 2019 15:38:44 +0000

Today we invited Tiana Hanson in to talk about how to pursue a career in reading things out loud. If you write a book and want to read it on Audible, or really just enjoy reading aloud, there is a path to success. … Continue...

Episode Seventeen – From Gaming Beginnings

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 01 Oct 2019 16:02:07 +0000

Jeannie and Dave invite Doug Garrett and Ray Greer into the coffeehouse to talk about how they started writing for games, writing a first novel, process, and the general crossovers of game writing to mysteries and more … Continue...

Episode Sixteen – Live at Maly’s

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 17:16:31 +0000

Chaz Brenchley reading his "Live at Maly's" which is found in the pages of Tales from the House Band v. 2 … Continue...

Episode Fifteen – The Play’s the Thing

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 17 Sep 2019 15:00:58 +0000

We have guest lecturer and playwright Carol Wolf with us, teaching the most important elements in creating a play: Creating tension, 3D characters, and writing for a confined visual space. … Continue...

Episode Fourteen – Those Tricksy Muses

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 19:17:24 +0000

Liz (Squishy) Houchin wrote in via the Writers Drinking Coffee FB page asking about muses. John and Jeannie sound off on the topic of muses they've seduced and left sated in their wake. … Continue...

Episode Thirteen – World Con Dublin Recap

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 14:52:17 +0000

In which one of our co-hosts and his wife go off to Ireland and all they brought me is this… oh hey! Jamesons! Here’s your reading list, according to who drank with Chaz and Karen. … Continue...

Episode Twelve – Online Zines and Game Writing

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 27 Aug 2019 17:35:29 +0000

How do you end up the editor in chief for a major online Zine? You volunteer, of course. David Speakman joins Jeannie and Dave (Web Spider) to talk about his writing career progression, Tightbeam Magazine, and more. … Continue...

Episode Eleven – Living Dead in Miami

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 17:24:09 +0000

With Chaz away at World Con in Dublin and John away at Burning Man, a lonely Jeannie invites Alice Cornwell back to read one of Jeannie’s first stories published in

Continue...Episode Eleven – Living Dead in Miami

Episode Ten – Instagram, Tumblr and SnapChat – Oh My!

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 13 Aug 2019 13:44:16 +0000

We invited a Millennial to come chat on the show to talk about where her peers tend to find content to read, what they like, and how they find more. Alice came and schooled us all on how she and her friends find things to read … Continue...

Episode Nine – Anthologies, Collections, and KPIs

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 06 Aug 2019 16:03:56 +0000

Do you write short stories? Our writers (and guest lawyer) discuss the difference between an Anthology and a Collection. Also for new writers - how do you know you’re being successful? How do you measure progress? Special guests return - Karen Brenchley and Judith Szepesi … Continue...

Episode Eight – Writer Groups & Editing

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 15:51:50 +0000

Special guest Karen Brenchley joins the coffee club to talk about writing groups. What is a writing group, and how do you organize it? What goals can you accomplish? What are official ones versus what can you do locally for free? … Continue...

Episode Seven – Our Favorite Characters

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 15:22:26 +0000

Heroes, sidekicks, villains, henchmen - our coffee committee review our favorites and describe why. Can an ensemble point of view work? Who did good ensemble/different character episodes and stories? … Continue...

Episode Six – Is your story, strictly speaking, legal?

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 23 Jul 2019 16:33:44 +0000

Today we invited in an intellectual privacy lawyer to talk to everyone about copyright, privacy, trademarks, and how to avoid treading on the rules and laws about them. What is fair use argument? How does parody fit in? Is Fan Fic legal? … Continue...

Episode Five – More Writing Careers

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 17:19:13 +0000

In which the hosts debate whether technical writing helps advance your writing career. Or what is a writing career? … Continue...

Episode Four – Ideas & Encouragement

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 02 Jul 2019 20:36:26 +0000

John, Jeannie, and guest host Raymond Miller sit down to talk about how to organize ideas … Continue...

Episode Three – Reading Aloud

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 25 Jun 2019 16:51:42 +0000

In which our merry podcasters talk about how to prepare to do a reading aloud, or (for some) don’t prepare at all. … Continue...

Episode Two – What is in a Tool?

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 18 Jun 2019 15:48:31 +0000

Self-help for writers. What tools are useful? Is it books? Real life events and historical accounts? … Continue...

Episode One – The Beginning

Writers Drinking Coffee — Tue, 11 Jun 2019 19:02:28 +0000

Hello everyone, and welcome to Writers Drinking Coffee. This is a podcast based on writers sitting around, drinking coffee and/or occasionally wine, and talking about anything and everything. … Continue...