How much can change in a year or three or more? In this special anniversary episode, Hope and Donna reflect on their journeys as authors and podcasters through a fun and revealing “Then vs. Now” conversation. From evolving writing processes and shifting definitions of success to behind-the-scenes podcast moments, they share what’s changed, what’s stayed the same, and what they wish they’d known from the start. Honest, insightful, and full of personality, this episode is a celebration of the winding path of writing life.

SHOW NOTES:

How has your approach to writing changed from when you first started to today?

What did you believe about writing or publishing early on that you see differently now?

What used to intimidate you most about writing—and does it still?

What were your goals as a writer when you began, and how have they shifted?

When did you first feel like a “real writer,” and has that feeling changed?

How has your confidence—in your voice, your stories, and your place in the writing world—evolved?

What’s one aspect of podcasting that has changed from when you first started?

What did you think your favorite part of podcasting would be vs. what is it?

What is the biggest lesson you learned from podcasting?

How do you define “success” as an author today compared to when you started?

What’s one piece of advice you would give your earlier writing self?

Surprise: Rapid Fire Questions

Authors Talking Bookish https://www.authorstalkingbookish.com

Hope Gibbs, author of Where the Grass Grows Blue https://www.authorhopegibbs.com/

Donna Norman-Carbone, author of All That is Sacred & Of Lies and Honey https://www.donnanormancarbone.com

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What happens when a lifelong storyteller finally answers the call to write? In this episode, we sit down with Wendy, a former special education teacher turned multi-genre author, to explore her inspiring journey from the classroom to the page. From her emotionally rich novel The Flannigan Girls to her upcoming release Regret No More, Wendy shares how love, trauma, and personal experience shape her stories for both children and adults. We dive into the art of writing across genres, the influence of teaching and motherhood, and the lessons she’s learned along the way. Honest, heartfelt, and full of insight, this conversation is a must-listen for writers looking to follow their joy—and their voice.

SHOW NOTES:

Biography

Women’s Fiction

Impact of Teaching

Multi-Genre Writing

Personal Connections in Writing

Writing Process

Lessons Learned the Hard Way

Rapid Fire Questions

SOURCES & LINKS

https://www.wendyhallerauthor.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WendyHallerAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendyhaller_author/

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Full Show Notes are available on our website as well as free downloads mentioned in the episode.

Authors Talking Bookish https://www.authorstalkingbookish.com

Hope Gibbs, author of Where the Grass Grows Blue https://www.authorhopegibbs.com/

Donna Norman-Carbone, author of All That is Sacred & Of Lies and Honey https://www.donnanormancarbone.com

If you found value in this content, please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE and SHARE. Thank you

What does it take to reinvent yourself through storytelling and truly find your voice? In this episode, we sit down with Grace Sammon, award-winning author of The Reliable Narrator, The Eves and the LAUNCH PAD series, to explore the transformative power of writing at any stage of life. From her own career reinvention to crafting authentic narrative voice, Grace shares hard-earned insights on storytelling, publishing, and what it really means to connect with readers.

SHOW NOTES:

The Reliable Narrator

Storytelling and Voice

Writing and Publishing

Personal Insights

Reading Recommendations

The Reliable Narrator

As one of New York’s most sought-after ghostwriters, she tells other people’s stories so seamlessly they forget she was ever there. In an age of AI-generated prose, she is prized for what machines cannot do: capture a voice so authentic it feels lived-in. For Darby, disappearing into other lives is both her superpower and her refuge.

Then comes a late-night message from Phoebe Zaslove, Darby’s truest friend – fearless, magnetic, and now terminally ill. For reasons Darby cannot name, the women have not spoken in a year. But Phoebe is running out of time and makes one final request: Write my story.

Set between the wooded banks of New York’s Hudson River and Albuquerque’s lush North Valley, The Reliable Narrator is a layered, emotionally charged novel about the unbreakable bond between friends, the legacies carried from mothers to daughters, and the truths we bury to survive. As Darby walks Phoebe into the last chapter of her life, she is forced to confront her own traumas, her family’s silences, and the realization that fragments of her truth have been hiding in plain sight in every book she has ever ghostwritten.

SIGNED COPY GIVEAWAY: All you have to do is subscribe to our website @authorstalkingbookish.com AND Grace Sammon’s @ https://www.gracesammon.net/contact

by June 1st and you’ll be entered into a drawing for a free signed copy of The Reliable Narrator

SOURCES & LINKS

https://www.gracesammon.net/

Full Show Notes are available on our website as well as free downloads mentioned in the episode.

Authors Talking Bookish https://www.authorstalkingbookish.com

Hope Gibbs, author of Where the Grass Grows Blue https://www.authorhopegibbs.com/

Donna Norman-Carbone, author of All That is Sacred & Of Lies and Honey https://www.donnanormancarbone.com

If you found value in this content, please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE and SHARE. Thank you