Advertise on podcast: Behind the Book

Jodi Allen Brice writes small town clean and sweet romance.  Her previous novels, written under a different name, were paranormal romance novels, but when the virus hit,  she felt compelled to write a book that would change hearts and minds. Mentioned during the interview: Margie Lawson's Writing Classes Write Better-Faster with Becca Syme Author Jodi Allen Brice - Author of Sweet Romance and Woman's Fiction

When Karen McQuestion's publisher rejected her book, THE MOONLIGHT CHILD, she decided to self-publish it, then poured on the marketing to give it every advantage. Eventually the novel reached the #1 spot on the Amazon Kindle charts and was the #3 bestseller in Kindle for 2021. Listen in as she shares her strategies and chats with Tess about book marketing in general.  Mentioned during the podcast: Novelist and Editor Barbara Taylor Sissel: https://barbarataylorsissel.com/ Kindlepreneur Dave Chessen: https://kindlepreneur.com/ BKlink--to check book categories: https://bit.ly/3xCf64B Marketing guru David Gaughran: https://davidgaughran.com/ Bryan Cohen's Amazon Ads course: https://bryancohen.com/ Method for Writing a Book Description: https://www.karenmcquestion.com/for-writers

USA Today bestselling author Sara Rosett writes lighthearted mysteries for readers who enjoy atmospheric settings and puzzling whodunits. She is the author of over 30 novels in the genres of cozy and historical mystery.  Sara writes nonfiction for authors, including “How to Write a Series” and “How to Outline a Cozy Mystery.” She also co-hosts a podcast for writers, the Wish I’d Known Then Podcast. Books mentioned: The Heroine's Journey by Gail Carriger Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell Dear Writer series by Becca Syme https://www.sararosett.com 

Amazon Charts bestselling author Karen McQuestion describes the three things every great novel has in common. Books mentioned: The Writer's Journey by Christopher Vogler Save the Cat by Blake Snyder Check out Karen's writing book:  Write that Novel by Karen McQuestion

Jacque Ben-Zekry of Modify Editorial Services, is a Developmental Story Editor primarily working with Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Crime, Sci-fi, Fantasy, and Historical novels. She also works in Screen and Stage play story development. Projects she has worked on have gone on to be New York Time’s bestsellers, Wall Street Journal Bestsellers, and Amazon Bestsellers as well as nominations for the Pen Falkner, The Edgar, The Silver Dagger, The ITW Thriller Award, The Hugo, and The Harper Lee. Jacque has been a developmental story editor for more than 10 years and has worked on over 100 novels. Her clients range from Bestsellers to first time novelists. Enjoy the show! Modify Editorial Services

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Simone St. James writes books spanning genres and time periods. Listen to the interview to hear why she writes ghost stories, the difficulty of turning off the creative brain, and how her love of true crime led to her newest novel, The Book of Cold Cases.  Writers will also be interested in hearing her best marketing tip (the one thing every author should have!) and the way Simone uses social media to connect with readers. This episode comes highly recommended! Writing books mentioned: On Writing by Stephen King www.simonestjames.com

This episode is all about one of Tess and Karen's favorite topics--book covers! Designer Elizabeth Mackey (who lives in Alaska, not Canada as Karen said--what was she thinking?) dropped by the show to discuss  trends in book covers, the importance of consistency in branding a series, and her preferred word length when it comes to titles. You'll love hearing about the times she's had family members model for cover images and how she got her start designing book covers. Enjoy! https://www.elizabethmackeygraphics.com/ Follow & Review in Apple Podcasts If you're already a follower and you enjoy Behind the Book, we’d be so grateful if you left a review over on Apple Podcasts. Leaving a review helps other listeners find the podcast and Tess & Karen love reading them as well!  Directions for leaving Ratings and Reviews: 1.    Make sure you are on the landing page for the podcast & not an individual episode. 2.    Scroll down to the bottom until you reach Ratings & Reviews. 3.    Click all five stars under Tap to Rate to leave a rating. 4.    Under the most recent review, tap the Write a Review button.  We’d love to hear what you enjoy most about the show. Thanks in advance!

Welcome to what Tess calls her favorite interview of all time! Author Chris Van Dusen shares how he was chosen to illustrate Kate DiCamillo's Mercy Watson series, why he prefers to write in rhyme, and what he hopes kids get from his books. Tess and Karen were happy to learn the meaning of the word "gouache" and  interested to find out how Chris's name is connected to the Bridgerton Series. This episode is for anyone who loves picture books or has considered writing one some day. Enjoy! https://www.chrisvandusen.com/ Follow & Review in Apple Podcasts If you're already a follower and you enjoy Behind the Book, we’d be so grateful if you left a review over on Apple Podcasts. Leaving a review helps other listeners find the podcast and Tess & Karen love reading them as well!  Directions for leaving Ratings and Reviews: 1.    Make sure you are on the landing page for the podcast & not an individual episode. 2.    Scroll down to the bottom until you reach Ratings & Reviews. 3.    Click all five stars under Tap to Rate to leave a rating. 4.    Under the most recent review, tap the Write a Review button.  We’d love to hear what you enjoy most about the show. Thanks in advance!

#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery writes novels about the relationships that define women's lives—family, friendship, romance. After writing more than 100 books, she has a writing process that includes prewriting,  plotting using the 3 Act Structure, and figuring out the GMC (goal, motivation, conflict).  Tess and Karen loved hearing how she struggles with naming characters and how cognizant she is of not repeating herself out of respect for her readers. A master storyteller, Susan's interview was full of personal stories, both humorous and touching. Enjoy! Books mentioned: The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery The Boardwalk Bookshop by Susan Mallery Save the Cat by Blake Snyder https://www.susanmallery.com/ Follow & Review in Apple Podcasts If you're already a follower and you enjoy Behind the Book, we’d be so grateful if you left a review over on Apple Podcasts. Leaving a review helps other listeners find the podcast and Tess & Karen love reading them as well!  Directions for leaving Ratings and Reviews: 1.    Make sure you are on the landing page for the podcast & not an individual episode. 2.    Scroll down to the bottom until you reach Ratings & Reviews. 3.    Click all five stars under Tap to Rate to leave a rating. 4.    Under the most recent review, tap the Write a Review button.  We’d love to hear what you enjoy most about the show. Thanks in advance!

Tess's good friend and former drama school pal Kristin Carey took time from her busy schedule to talk about the life of a working actor. She also discussed the art of storytelling and revealed the process used in creating a great character. All of this combined with a fascinating personal family story makes for a compelling interview. Kristin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/kristinncarey On IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0136985/ Kristin's non-profit, benefitting the homeless and kids: https://www.thegivingstationla.org/ Follow & Review in Apple Podcasts If you're already a follower and enjoy Behind the Book, we’d be so grateful if you left a review over on Apple Podcasts. Leaving a review helps other listeners find the podcast and Tess & Karen love reading them as well!  Directions for leaving Ratings and Reviews: 1.    Make sure you are on the landing page for the podcast & not an individual episode. 2.    Scroll down to the bottom until you reach Ratings & Reviews. 3.    Click all five stars under Tap to Rate to leave a rating. 4.    Under the most recent review, tap the Write a Review button.  We’d love to hear what you enjoy most about the show. Thanks in advance!

USA Today bestselling author Tess Thompson (and co-host of this podcast) shares all she knows about writing and marketing a series. With six series under her belt, she's well versed on what readers respond to, and how to get visibility and sales for books in a series. Per usual, her co-host partner Karen, asks thought-provoking questions. Enjoy! https://tesswrites.com/ Follow & Review in Apple Podcasts If you're already a follower and you enjoy Behind the Book, we’d be so grateful if you left a review over on Apple Podcasts. Leaving a review helps other listeners find the podcast and Tess & Karen love reading them as well!  Directions for leaving Ratings and Reviews: 1.    Make sure you are on the landing page for the podcast & not an individual episode. 2.    Scroll down to the bottom until you reach Ratings & Reviews. 3.    Click all five stars under Tap to Rate to leave a rating. 4.    Under the most recent review, tap the Write a Review button.  We’d love to hear what you enjoy most about the show. Thanks in advance!

Mike Chen is a critically acclaimed science fiction author based out of the San Francisco Bay Area.  During the interview, Tess & Karen loved hearing about his creative process and how he manages to write while working a day job and home schooling his daughter.  Listen in to find out which of his novels is the book of his heart, how he uses the three-act structure to outline his novels, and what it was like to write a Star Wars novel. Enjoy!   Books mentioned: A Very Typical Family by Sierra Godfrey Save the Cat by Blake Snyder https://www.mikechenbooks.com/ Follow & Review in Apple Podcasts If you're already a follower and you enjoy Behind the Book, we’d be so grateful if you left a review over on Apple Podcasts. Leaving a review helps other listeners find the podcast and Tess & Karen love reading them as well!  Directions for leaving Ratings and Reviews: 1.    Make sure you are on the landing page for the podcast & not an individual episode. 2.    Scroll down to the bottom until you reach Ratings & Reviews. 3.    Click all five stars under Tap to Rate to leave a rating. 4.    Under the most recent review, tap the Write a Review button.  We’d love to hear what you enjoy most about the show. Thanks in advance!