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Fate vs. Destiny, and Creating Sympathetic Villains | A Conversation with Author H. R. Cole

Welcome back to the new season of The Bookshelf Odyssey Podcast! Today I interview H. R. Cole, author of the epic fantasy Daughter of the Void. We discuss her novel and how it explores fate vs. destiny; we dive into what makes for a fascinating and sympathetic villain (with some side tracks discussing MCU supervillain Thanos!), and she shares some tips on how writers can avoid burnout by showing kindness to themselves and their writing process. We also share some books we've been reading lately!

www.hrcole.com

www.hrcole.substack.com

Books mentioned:

Daughter of the Void by H. R. Cole, Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Emily Wilde, The Dreaming Tree by C J Cherryh, Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, Dresden Files by Jim Butcher

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In today's episode, I interview romance author Kay Parquet about her delightful series, Blossom Street. Each story explores a different life and love of the people who populate her cozy town. We discuss some of our favorite stories, talk about her writing journey, and how ADHD affects writing and reading. If you're looking for clean romance stories that feature realistic people, this is the series for you!

Find Kay Online: https://kayparquet.com/

Her AuthorTube channel: @KayParquet

Here's a couple of blog posts she written about ADHD and burnout, I found these to be really helpful in my own journey!

https://kayparquet.com/youre-not-lazy-you-just-have-adhd/

https://kayparquet.com/burnout-in-creatives/

Books Mentioned:

The Expanse Series by James S. A. Corey

The Silo Series by Hugh Howey

Deryni Series, Katherine Kurtz

Dragon Riders of Pern series by Anne McCaffery

Dresden Files by Jim Butcher

Recommended Writing Books

Save the Cat Writes Horror (and other Save the Cat books)

Outlining Your Novel by K. M. Weiland

Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes

How to Write a Romance Novel by Judy Angelo

Show, Don't Tell by Sandra Gerth

Dear Writer, Are You In Burnout? by Becca Syme

Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury

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Today's interview is with the cozy mystery author Shannon Symonds! She returns to the podcast to talk about her new book, Murder by the Book, we catch up on all the exciting changes that have to her life this past year, and we then reflect on the year and express gratitude for all that has happened.

Just a note: This episode was intended to come out on Thanksgiving weekend, but due to some illnesses it was delayed in getting out, which is why I refer to Thanksgiving so much. Also I was just getting a cold and Shannon was suffering from some allergies. Tis the season for sneezing I guess!

Find Shannon Symonds online at: https://www.shannonsymonds.com/

The Balefire Bay Cozy Mystery Series:

Booked for Murder

Murder by the Book

#podcast #booktube #cozymysteryauthor #cozymystery #authorinterview #authortube

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Today on The Bookshelf Odyssey Podcast, we’re talking about dragons! My guest is YA author Mari Mancusi, a versatile writer who has created stories for readers of all ages. Recently, she’s turned her talents toward crafting a thrilling trilogy about the dragon apocalypse. As we explore her writing journey, you’ll hear how a Disney superfan ended up writing books for Disney, why it’s so important to write what you love, and—of course—plenty about dragons.

Mari has a whole collection of books that would make fantastic gifts for the readers in your life, whether they’re young or simply young at heart!

Author Website: www.marimancusi.com

MG/YA BOOK LIST

Dawn of the Dragons - LBYR - out September 2nd

The Official Wednesday Cookbook - PRH - Out July 22nd

Sally’s Lament: A Nightmare Before Christmas Twisted Tale - Disney

All is Found: A Frozen Anthology - Disney

New Dragon City - LBYR

Frozen: Polar Nights, Cast into Darkness - Disney

Frozen: Dangerous Secrets - Disney

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I’m excited to share today’s episode—our 100th episode of The Bookshelf Odyssey! To celebrate this milestone, I’m joined by author Leokadia George for a conversation about a topic that’s close to my heart: animal conservation. Leokadia has partnered with the New York Wolf Conservation Center to create a delightful series of children’s books about Trumpet, a real Mexican Gray Wolf whose story reflects the ongoing efforts to protect this endangered species.

In our interview, we dive into the inspiration behind her stories, the vital work being done at the NYWCC, and what we can all learn from wolf behavior and conservation efforts.

I walked away from this conversation inspired—and I think you will too. Don’t miss this special episode!

Trumpet's story is available everywhere, but here is the Wolf Conservation Center's shop where you can get Leokadia's books, along with teaching guides and more: https://shop.nywolf.org/collections/education-guides-books

Find out more about New York Wolf Conservation Website: https://nywolf.org/

Find out more about Leokadia George here: https://brileybaxterbooks.com/author-leokadia-george/

Find our more about LightHawk Conservation Flying: https://www.lighthawk.org/

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Can someone accidentally become a writer?

Today, my interview takes us over to beautiful Edinburgh, Scotland as I interview mystery author Val Penny! She writes crime mysteries set in Edinburgh - The DI Hunter Wilson Crime Series and the new spinoff series The Jane Renwick Thrillers. In today’s episode we talk about what we’re currently reading and the joy of rereading books throughout our life, her writing journey that began with a hard battle with cancer, and we find out how, as she puts it, “ignorance of how publishing works and illness” helped her to “accidentally” get published! Once you read her books, you’ll realize that her success is in no way an accident.

Val Penny: www.valpenny.com

Books Mentioned:

Hunter's Chase by Val Penny

The First Cut by Val Penny

A Fighting Chance by Val Penny dffasfsafasfasfasfsadfsadf

None of this is True by Lisa Jewell

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

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Today on the podcast, I’m joined by the talented Michele Pariza Wacek — author of an incredible range of mysteries, thrillers, and cozies, all set within a shared universe. We kick things off chatting about our pets (naturally!), share some great reading recommendations, and gush over one of my favorite series — The Dresden Files. Then we dive into Michele’s writing journey, explore how all her stories connect, and talk about the craft of writing and the lessons she’s learned along the way.

Find Michele online: https://michelepw.com/

She has several new books out right now, and her latest Christmas themed one will be out in just a couple of weeks!

Books Mentioned:

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Ghost

A Mysterious Christmas Collection

Arson, Old Lace, and Murder

The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher

Louise Penny

Elizabeth George

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This week on The Bookshelf Odyssey Podcast, I interview author Kimberley Webb, who has just written a wonderful book called Jillian’s Island. I’m excited to introduce you to this talented new author! How does she find time to write and publish her own book while also being a full-time mom and wife? It’s all about balance and making time for the things that matter. We talk about that, dive into the craft of writing while busy, explore the art of creating believable characters, our love of genre mashups, and learn how her passion for the book Ella Enchanted inspired her to begin her own writing journey!

Find Kimberly Webb online: https://authorkimberlywebb.com/

Books Mentioned:

The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury

So Far Gone by Jess Walter

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There are 4 ways you can help support the channel!

-Like and subscribe!
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