In this inspiring episode of A LITERAL JOURNEY, I sit down with Greg Howard, author of The Whispers, The Visitors, and The Travelers (and so much more!), and talk about his journey of writing the stories he wish he had when he was younger.

During the interview, Greg traces his path of writing from a thoughtful school librarian who introduced him to Stephen King's writings (and awakened the storyteller inside of him), to songwriting in Nashville, before eventually writing fiction at nearly 50. We then discuss WHY he felt the need to wake up at four in the morning to write before going to work (I always enjoy learning the WHY behind an author's journey).

We talk about The Whispers—a deeply personal "book of [his] heart"—and his newest novel, The Travelers, a Southern time-travel mystery involving grief, family secrets, a foreboding Victorian house, and clocks that behave in impossible ways.

Along the way, Greg speaks candidly about books being challenged, representation, the difficulties facing middle grade authors, and the unforgettable moments when young readers tell him that his books were the first in which they had ever "seen" themselves.

But, no more spoilers! You'll have to listen to the FULL episode to learn more!

Whether you're a reader, writer, parent, teacher, or someone struggling to share a deeply personal story with the world, I hope this episode encourages you to open a book (or pick up a pen) and embark on your own literal journey.

ABOUT GREG HOWARD:

Greg Howard was born and raised in the South Carolina Lowcountry where his love of stories blossomed at a young age. Originally set on becoming a songwriter, Greg followed that dream to Nashville, Tennessee, where he spent years producing the music of others before eventually returning to his childhood passion for writing stories.

Greg’s critically acclaimed, debut middle-grade novel, The Whispers was nominated for an Edgar Award and was named a Best Book of 2019 by Advocate Magazine. His second middle-grade novel, Middle School’s a Drag, You Better Werk! is an Amazon Teacher’s Pick. The Visitors, his third middle-grade offering, was a 2022 New York Public Library Best Book. Also, the author of the young adult novel Social Intercourse, Greg’s newest middle-grade novel, The Travelers, a twisty time-travel adventure, is out now.

Greg writes for and about LGBTQ youth, creating the kind of books he wishes he’d had access to as a young reader growing up gay in the American South. When he’s not writing books, Greg enjoys traveling, reading, hiking, and spending time with friends. He lives in Nashville with his ridiculously adorable Mini Aussiedoodle, Sadie.

🕰️ ORDER “The Travelers” here: https://link.amazon/B0e2KZSJW

📚 CHECK OUT other books by Greg Howard here: https://link.amazon/B003PPbCW

🌐 Visit Greg Howard’s website: https://www.greghowardbooks.com

🎧 LISTEN on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1CvEfBcK1xALUswAkOwlNf?si=98cea0829ca145e6

🍎 LISTEN on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-literal-journey/id1839517342

🎥 WATCH more episodes of A LITERAL JOURNEY: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRTQ34vyf-9NkrTcSH0KEwXPOhdVqZRVZ

Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to A LITERAL JOURNEY for more exclusive author interviews, book recommendations, and thoughtful conversations about the stories that shape us. 📖✨

#GregHoward #TheTravelers #lgbtq #ALiteralJourney #authorinterview #booksforkids #middlegradebooks #writingadvice #booktube

In this wonderfully eerie episode of A LITERAL JOURNEY, I sit down with horror author D. W. Gillespie, to explore childhood fears, Halloween magic, and the persistence it has taken him to write these haunting stories for young readers.

D. W. Gillespie has published numerous books—and huge chunks of those books were written in his car… on his lunch breaks. D. W.’s journey is a wonderfully honest reminder that creative work rarely (if ever) happens under perfect conditions. Success doesn’t always arrive when (or how) we expect it, and sometimes the only thing we can control is whether or not we continue to put one foot (or one word) in front of another.

During the interview, D. W. and I talk about his books, the magic of Halloween, monsters and childhood imagination, cursed arcade games, Southern Gothic horror, the morality often hidden inside horror stories, and the frightening (and humorous) comparisons between Frankenstein’s monster and AI.

But, no spoilers! You'll have to listen to the FULL episode to learn more!

Whether you're a reader, writer, parent, teacher, or someone pursuing a dream in less-than-perfect circumstances, I hope this episode encourages you to open a book (or pick up a pen) and embark on your own literal journey.

ABOUT D. W. GILLESPIE:

Born and raised in Middle Tennessee, D.W. Gillespie has been daydreaming for as long as he can remember. His first short story was in second grade, and it involved (unsurprisingly) monsters wreaking havoc on some unsuspecting victim. Some things never change, and now D.W. writes a healthy mixture of horror, sci-fi, and supernatural fiction.

He began writing seriously in 2002, and after winning the MacDougal Award for his short story "The Home", he's since been published many times in print and online. His body of work includes the novels Still Dark, The Toy Thief, and One by One. In recent years, he’s moved into middle grade horror, and his novels include Give Me Something Good to Eat, Grin, and The Doll House.

💀 ORDER “The Doll House” here: https://amzn.to/4x91P12

📚 CHECK OUT other books by D. W. Gillespie here: https://amzn.to/3U3XfT9

🌐 Visit D. W. Gillespie’s website: https://www.dwgillespie.com/

🎧 LISTEN on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1CvEfBcK1xALUswAkOwlNf?si=98cea0829ca145e6

🍎 LISTEN on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-literal-journey/id1839517342

🎥 WATCH more episodes of A LITERAL JOURNEY: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRTQ34vyf-9NkrTcSH0KEwXPOhdVqZRVZ

Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to A LITERAL JOURNEY for more exclusive author interviews, book recommendations, and thoughtful conversations about the stories that shape us. 📖✨

#horror #author #aliteraljourney #halloween #chucky

How do you learn what is your heart is TRULY hungry for?

In this episode of A LITERAL JOURNEY, I sit down with Jacqueline West, the New York Times bestselling author of The Books of Elsewhere, The Collectors, Last Things, Long Lost, and her latest: Black Point.

Guys, I gotta admit: I REALLY enjoyed this conversation. (Jacqueline's"author origin story" resonated with me.) Long before she was a bestselling author, Jacquline West was *secretly* writing stories and hiding them in her sock drawer. She did that for years until one day she realized that being an opera singer wasn't what her heart was hungry for. She didn't want to sing the words that other people had written, she wanted to write them (talk about a plot twist)!

During our conversation, we talk about the novel she almost deleted (but eventually became the start of The Books of Elsewhere), a very real (very creepy) house that inspired the series, why she finds setting so important to her stories, and her new folk-horror novel Black Point—a story laced with the unsettling idea that maybe human beings are far scarier than any ghosts we may encounter...

But, no spoilers! You'll have to listen to the FULL episode to learn more!

Whether you're a reader, writer, parent, teacher, or someone trying to find out what their heart is hungry for, I hope this episode encourages you to open a book (or pick up a pen) and embark on your own literal journey.

About JACQUELINE WEST:

Jacqueline West is the author of the NYT-bestselling middle grade series The Books of Elsewhere, the Schneider Family Award Honor Book The Collectors, the YA horror novel Last Things, the Minnesota Book Award-winning middle grade mystery Long Lost, the recently published YA horror novel Black Point, and several other odd and twisty books for young readers. Her poetry and short fiction for adults appear in a variety of publications. She lives in Red Wing, Minnesota.

💀 ORDER "Black Point" here: https://amzn.to/4wyccdr

📚 CHECK OUT other books by Jacqueline West here: https://amzn.to/4hAF3u6

🌐 Visit Jacqueline West's website: https://www.jacquelinewest.com/

🎧 LISTEN on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1CvEfBcK1xALUswAkOwlNf?si=98cea0829ca145e6

🍎 LISTEN on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-literal-journey/id1839517342

🎥 WATCH more episodes of A LITERAL JOURNEY: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRTQ34vyf-9NkrTcSH0KEwXPOhdVqZRVZ

Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to A LITERAL JOURNEY for more exclusive author interviews, book recommendations, and thoughtful conversations about the stories that shape us. 📖✨

#horror #author #aliteraljourney #halloween #suspense #socks