Author Nancy Tandon joins Seth Adam Smith on A LITERAL JOURNEY to talk about the inspiration behind her books, The Way I Say It, The Ghost of Spruce Point, and The Haunting of Walker Pond.

Along the way, Nancy shares how she moved from speech-language pathology to writing, how a publishing deal that feel through nearly sent her back to her old career, and how every "failure" can actually help move you toward your goal.

We also talk about writing characters with compassion, the childhood book that first showed Nancy the power of a good story, and the real rumor of a ghost at an inn that inspired her fictional setting.

Whether you’re a reader, writer, parent, teacher, or someone who enjoys a GOOD ghost story, I hope this episode encourages you to open a book (or pick up a pen) and embark on your own literal journey.

About Nancy Tandon:

Nancy Tandon is the author of The Way I Say It, a Junior Library Guild Selection and Indies Introduce Kids Pick. Her novel The Ghost of Spruce Point, a companion to The Haunting of Walker Pond, was nominated for the Texas Bluebonnet and Hawaii Nēnē state book awards. She is a former teacher, speech-language pathologist, and adjunct professor of phonetics and child language development, all of which helped plant seeds for stories about awesome kids doing brave things. A transplant from the Midwest, Nancy now lives in Connecticut with her family and enjoys spooky summers on the coast of Maine.

📖 ORDER The Haunting of Walker Pond

💻 VISIT Nancy Tandon's Official website

📚 CHECK OUT Nancy Tandon's Other Books

🎧 LISTEN to more episodes of A LITERAL JOURNEY

🎥 WATCH more episodes of A LITERAL JOURNEY on YouTube

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. 📖✨

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“You could trace the route that Ichabod Crane flees from the Headless Horseman step by step in Sleepy Hollow right now.” -J. W. Ocker

In this LEGENDARY episode of A Literal Journey, I sit down (once again!) with the bestselling, award-winning, perambulatory author J. W. Ocker and chat about his latest book: Chasing The Headless Horseman. (Guys, this interview could have gone on for hours! So fascinating!!)

J. W. Ocker has made an *enviable* career out of visiting strange, unusual, and macabre places in order to uncover and share the stories behind them. For Chasing The Headless Horseman, Ocker traveled to the real Sleepy Hollow (yes, it's a REAL place!) and followed in the footsteps (or hoof prints) the Headless Horseman. Ocker shares what he learned, the real history of Sleepy Hollow and some revelatory insights that surprised him the most.

We also explore Washington Iriving's role in American literature, the real life geography of the Legend, and how Sleepy Hollow has a greater claim to being a Christmas town. J. W. closes the episode by sharing advice on how to discover WONDERS close to home.

Whether you’re a reader, writer, parent, teacher, or someone who—like myself—feels drawn to the almost mystical land of Sleepy Hollow, I hope this episode encourages you to open a book (or pick up a pen) and embark on your own literal journey.

About J.W. OCKER:

J. W. Ocker is the Edgar Award-winning author of Poe-Land: The Hallowed Haunts of Edgar Allan Poe, A Season with the Witch, and Death and Douglas. His work has appeared in The Guardian, the Boston Globe, CNN, the Atlantic, and other places people stick writing. He's from Maryland but has lived in New Hampshire for more than a decade.

He is also the creator of OTIS: Odd Things I've Seen (Oddthingsiveseen.com), where he writes about his visits to oddities of nature, history, art, and culture.

📖 ORDER Chasing The Headless Horseman

💻 VISIT J. W. Ocker’s official website

📚 CHECK OUT J. W. Ocker's Other Books

🎧 LISTEN to more episodes of A LITERAL JOURNEY

🎥 WATCH more episodes of A LITERAL JOURNEY on YouTube

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. 📖✨

#JWOcker #sleepyhollow #headlesshorseman #timburton #EdgarAllanPoe #HorrorWriters #AuthorInterview #ALiteralJourney #WeirdHistory #Paranormal #HorrorBooks #WritingLife #SpookyStories #Folklore #MysteryWriters #StrangePlaces

In this incredible episode of A LITERAL JOURNEY, I sit down with New York Times bestselling author, Megan E. Freeman to talk about her books Alone, Away, Afar, and The Secret to Belonging.

During the interview, we talk about Megan's long road to publication. After over fifty rejections (yes, you read that right!), Megan attended a workshop and realized a truth she had somehow forgotten while writing her book: she had been a poet her whole life. Why not rewrite her book from PROSE into VERSE?

That rewrite (very literally) changed EVERYTHING.

Along the way, Megan shares some of the insights and inspiration from her books, the difference between being exhausted by a project and being satisfied with it, and the value of a supportive creative community. Toward the end of the interview, Megan shares an inspiring story that challenges the idea that it's "too late" to start a new creative chapter (such a great story!).

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 through a creative chapter in your life, I hope this episode encourages you to open a book (or pick up a pen) and embark on your own literal journey.

ABOUT MEGAN E. FREEMAN:

Megan E. Freeman attended an elementary school where poets visited her classroom every week to teach poetry, and she has been a writer ever since. Her New York Times bestselling novel in verse, ALONE, won the Colorado Book Award, the Massachusetts, Maine, and Vermont Children’s Book Awards, the High Plains Book Award, is an NCTE Notable Verse Novel, and is included on over two dozen "best of" and state reading lists. Megan is also a Pushcart Prize-nominated poet and the author of the poetry chapbook Lessons on Sleeping Alone. An award-winning teacher with decades of classroom experience, Megan is nationally recognized for her work leading workshops and speaking to audiences across the country. Megan used to live in northeast Los Angeles, central Ohio, northern Norway, and on Caribbean cruise ships. Now she divides her time between northern Colorado and the Texas Gulf Coast.

🌌 ORDER “The Secret to Belonging” here: https://link.amazon/B03TFXVd7

📚 CHECK OUT other books by Megan E. Freeman here: https://link.amazon/B0j0QoQFm

🌐 Visit Megan E. Freeman’s website: https://www.meganefreeman.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. 📖✨

#MeganEFreeman #ALiteralJourney #Alone #TheSecrettoBelonging #AuthorInterview #WritingAdvice #MiddleGradeBooks #Poetry #BookTube #Writing