Gretchen’s got Swiftie energy, purple hair, and a passion for storytelling—and in this episode, we get into all of it. We chat about how her dual heritage influences her writing and why authentic representation in fantasy matters to her.

After publishing her debut in 2012, life happened: marriage, kids, an ADHD diagnosis (not necessarily in that order); and this led to an unexpected hiatus from both reading and writing. But with the break, she eventually found her way back to reading, and with that, her passion to write again. Her journey is a reminder that taking a break isn’t the end… it’s just a plot twist. We also talk about the behind-the-scenes grind that doesn’t always make it to social media, especially around her latest release, Smoke & Scar. Gretchen keeps it real—and we love her for it.

If you want to connect with Gretchen, you can follow her here.

If there’s one thing I took away from my conversation with Jordan, it’s just how much attention to detail goes into the worldbuilding of epic fantasy—often long before a single word is written. What began as inspiration from Dungeons & Dragons Campaign has grown into the immersive world of her Nightmare Novellas.

Like many of us, Jordan started writing because she had a story to tell. But she quickly discovered that the publishing world can sometimes feel like a numbers game. Still, she’s determined not to let that take the joy out of her process. Instead, she taps into her passions—like her love for the band Sleep Token—and we talk about how that connection weaves into her stories and helps attract the right readers.

Jordan is currently earning her master’s degree in English, and chats to us about how she made the leap into academia, how it’s impacted her writing, and even gives me a crash course in second-person POV.

If you want to connect with Jordan, follow her here and reach out to her. She would love to chat!

If there’s one thing I learned from this conversation with Kate, it’s that allowing yourself to dream is something we should all do more often—because when we do, we’re able to achieve incredible things.

When I first started working with Kate, it was under stressful circumstances, but now, a year later, she’s one of the best things to happen to me in my author journey. And I know I’m not the only one—several of her clients feel the same way.

Editor-author relationships are a lot like a marriage: behind every successful author, there’s often an amazingly supportive editor. With authenticity at the core of her values, Kate’s priority is always supporting an author’s vision while providing the editing guidance they need. Her approach is flexible, adaptable, and deeply rooted in partnership.

We also dive into the importance of setting boundaries in business, the realities behind editing rates, and the reminder that while editing is an investment, editors are simply trying to earn a livable wage. While there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, it’s a conversation we need to keep having and creating awareness for.

If you want to connect with Kate, you can find her Instagram page here.