This episode of Dear Writer featured another of our author spotlight interviews, and we were happy to welcome AJ Skelly. AJ Skelly is a YA author based in Ohio, with a passion for all things for all things fantasy, medieval, fairy-tale romance, and (most especially) werewolves. As an avid reader and former English teacher, AJ has always been interested in the written word. She lives with her husband and children, who share her love for books. AJ’s goals are to provide positivity in the YA genre, and inspire young readers through unforgettable characters, leaving them with hope and the feeling of satisfaction in a book well-read. We very much enjoyed our chat with AJ, and as always took something new and fresh away from speaking with another writer.

Episode 130 - Author Spotlight: AJ Skelly

On our author spotlight section this month we welcomed Jade du Preez. Jade is a lawyer and author based in Auckland, New Zealand. She won the New Zealand Writers College Short Story Competition in 2013 and the Same Same But Different Short Fiction Contest in 2016. She recently launched her debut novel, 'Outsider' - a story of art, identity, secret diaries and legal anomalies set in Japan and New Zealand.

Episode 154: Author Spotlight - Jade Du Preez

This week we talk all things romance. We chat about how to decide whether to include romance in your novels, how romance can enhance your characters and plot, and what we think makes a good romance.

Episode 155: Reveling in the Romance - Part 1

Sue Carpenter is a writer based in Auckland, New Zealand. Sue writes within a number of different genres, including YA, junior fiction, children’s fiction and she also dabbles in poetry. Sue has received a number of awards. These include: first place in the IWW Short Story competition in Sci-fi/fantasy with her story ‘Blood Protectors’; highly commended in kidslit with her story  'Lavendar Hill'; and 2nd in long fiction under her thriller penname Lee Simpson's 'Switches'. In 2023 she was a runner up in XYZ children's poetry, and in 2022 she was runner up in the National Poetry Day, Poetry at the beach and New Leaf Christmas competition. Outside of her writing life, Sue enjoys spending time at the beach, with her toes in the sand and her thoughts in the clouds.

Episode 156: Author Spotlight - Sue Carpenter

This week we continue our discussion about writing romance. We chat about how to make romantic scenes believable and how to tackle romance in YA novels. We also share some of our experiences writing romance clichés and some of the challenges we have when writing romance/romantic scenes.

Episode 157: Reveling in the Romance - Part 2

Shan Iyer is an author based in Auckland, New Zealand. He writes in several different genres. In non fiction, Shan explores the subject of sociology, while his fiction works include Arabian Science Fantasy and Dystopian Science Fiction. Shan is interested in the ‘what-if’s’— whether that be opening people’s minds to their current world, or examining future possibilities. Outside of his writing life, Shan channels his creativity through music, playing for a Synth Metal band as a guitarist, lyricist, and a keyboardist-in-training.
To find more about Shan or purchase his books, go to https://shaniyer.com

Episode 158: Author Spotlight - Shan Iyer

This week, we discuss our experiences using social media to market our books. We talk about the platforms we use, why we chose those specific platforms, and give you our overall takeaways from the strategies we have used so far.

Episode 159 - Marketing: Social Media

Cathryn DeVries is an author based in the Gold Coast, Australia. Collaboratively with her daughter, Cathryn writes epic romantic fantasy. While she and her daughter have yet to embark on their publishing journey, Cathryn is looking forward to this challenge in the near future, and has recently had success with winning the Stuart and Shadow Short Story Prize. Outside of her writing life, Cathryn studied aeronautical engineering and worked in the air force for several years. Now, she is a homeschooling mum to her four children and works a side business of alpha reading, to provide other writers with concrete and actionable feedback on their manuscripts. Her many hobbies also include sewing, cooking, and playing the cello and piano. If you would like to get in touch with Cathryn about her books or alpha reading service, she is available on her website, https://eclectaperennial.com, or @_eclecta_perennial on Instagram, and Eclecta Perennial on Facebook.

Episode 160: Author Spotlight - Cathryn deVries

This week, we chat about different promotional strategies authors can use and our experiences using them - what worked for us and what didn't. We discuss the use of author websites, blog posts, newsletters, mailing lists, and a variety of different paid promotions.

Episode 161: Marketing - Promotional Strategies

This week, in our penultimate episode, we look back at some of the best tips, interviews, and exercises we've had on Dear Writer. We share some of our biggest takeaway and offer advice to those just starting on their writing journey and those who are interested in co-writing.

Episode 162: The Road Travelled

This week is the final episode of Dear Writer. We talk about the journey we've had as podcasters and writers, and give you our plans for the future. Thanks for being an amazing podcast audience and happy writing!

Episode 163 - The End.

Dear Writer is a weekly podcast about the experiences of two aspiring authors, from setbacks to successes, and all that goes on in-between.

In her other life, show host Ashley Lindsay is a chemist, working in the fields of sustainability and innovation in the city of Auckland, New Zealand. And her co-host Sarah Anderson is an operating room nurse, residing in Calgary, Canada. But on evenings and weekends, we're bloggers at Linderson Creations. Podcasters on Dear Writer. And first and foremost, aspiring authors.

Episode 130 - Author Spotlight: AJ Skelly

Dear Writer

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