Q&A with Stephen Puleston

Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook.

I decided to commission the first two Inspector Drake novels into audiobooks at the end of 2018 as I wanted to offer the books to a wider audience. Audiobooks is one of the fastest growing sectors in publishing at the moment and I was interested to see if my books would prove popular. I had been approached by an American company with an offer to buy my audio rights but I decided that I wanted more control over the process. I knew that I needed a Welsh voice and Cardiff, the capital of Wales, is a thriving artistic centre where a lot of actors are based. I contacted a theatrical agency and I had a shortlist of three names that I knew were experienced voice-over artists. Luckily my first choice was available and he agreed to read the books. I knew from preliminary research that there are specialist sound studios in Cardiff and I was able to agree terms for them to record the Inspector Drake books. The whole process took several weeks.

Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?

I wasn’t conscious of a possible audio recording when I was writing the first books in the Inspector Drake series but I am now. The second book Worse Than Dead has a number of tables which makes it very difficult for the listener to visualise the details contained in them. I know now that I will never include tables in a written book again!

How did you select your narrator?

I selected the narrator from a shortlist of three experienced voice-over actors who work in Wales and the United Kingdom. All three were bilingual actors and it was important for me that they were able to pronounce the Welsh place names correctly and understand the background of the novels.

How closely did you work with your narrator before and during the recording process? Did you give them any pronunciation tips or special insight into the characters?

Before the beginning of each recording I provided the actor with a detailed spreadsheet of each character with my outline of the accent that they should use. I was lucky enough to have sat in on some of the preliminary recording sessions where we were able to polish the various accents so they sounded exactly as I hoped.

If this title were being made into a TV series or movie, who would you cast to play the primary roles?

This would be every author’s dream of course. My reply is very easy – it would have to be Matthew Rhys. He is from Cardiff and is a Welsh speaker but he is also an extremely accomplished international actor having starred in The Americans for which he received two Golden Globe award nominations and a prime-time Emmy award. He’s also played Kevin Walker in the series brothers and sisters. He is about the right age to feature as Inspector Drake and I’m sure he would love to do a detective series.

What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Keep writing. Even if you finish the first novel and it’s been rejected then start the second. Get your work critiqued regularly it will help you improve.

What’s next for you?

I’m writing the eighth Inspector Drake novel at the moment which should be out in January 2020. And there should be more Inspector Drake audiobooks out towards the end of 2019. After that they will be ninth some time the same year. After that I shall be turning to detective Inspector Marco which is the second series I write.

Q&A with M. Billiter,A Divided Mind

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.

Hello! I’m M. Billiter. “A Divided Mind,” is my 15th book, but my first work of domestic fiction. After writing more than a dozen romance stories, the universe brought a different type of story into my life that I knew had to be told and one I was uniquely qualified to write.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?

“A Divided Mind,” started with a phone call. It was the day before a major college kickoff event I had helped plan for more than a year. I was crazily finalizing last-minute details when my son, Kyle, called saying he needed to talk. I still remember my exasperation from being bothered at work. What? What could it be now? With four children to support, I was finally getting my boots on the ground as an adjunct professor. My placement on the planning committee was a huge step forward in my career. An interruption at work meant a disruption in what I was trying to build.

When I pressed Kyle for an answer, he started to back away from the conversation. That's when I knew. I knew it was more than a phone call. And suddenly, I couldn't breathe or stop my mind from racing - pregnant girlfriend, drugs, failing a class? What I heard in reply wasn't at all what I expected.

“I’m hearing voices.”

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I didn't understand what was happening to my son. I only knew I wanted it to go away. The campus event no longer mattered. In trying to build "something," I let what truly matters - family, children, home life - break down. As I sat in the waiting room at the counseling center while Kyle saw an emergency intake specialist, my only focus was on my little boy.

At, 6'1 my 18-year-old was far from little. He was my gentle giant, my brave heart. Together we navigated the world of mental health without any clue what was ahead. During this time, the journalist in me surfaced. I asked a lot of questions, which I wasn't always sure I wanted to know the answer.

By delving into the darkness, Kyle shared with me demons I never knew he battled. It was heartbreaking and heroic. The story we lived became the story we told - with a twist. What started as a quest for answers turned into, “A Divided Mind,” a fictionalized, chilling story of what could happen if a divided mind was left untreated.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?

Lately, I’ve traveled a lot for work. When random pockets of time present themselves, I’ll pull out my phone and start writing. The “Notes” section on my iPhone is my go-to for writing. Whether I’m in line for coffee or the Metro, a note is open and I’m text/typing or voice messaging into the folder. It’s amazing how much I can accomplish in a short period of time - like answering a Q&A for a book tour! I cut and paste the questions into the note section, answer them and then email myself the file. That’s key! I backup my work by emailing or texting myself the file.

What authors, or books have influenced you?

When Oprah began her book club, I discovered a lot of great authors – Tawni O’Dell (Backroads), Elizabeth Berg (Open House), or Wally Lamb (I Know This Much Is True). Her monthly book selections that focused on domestic fiction, women’s issues, and literary works were gems that expanded my library.

I’m also a admirer of short stories. Benjamin Percy’s short story work is phenomenal. Authors like Percy, O’Dell, Berg and Lamb, who are at the top of their game with superior craftmanship – character development, engaging plots, and emotion that is palpable – challenge me to put my best work on the page.

What are you working on now?

“The Divided Twin,” is a stand-alone work of domestic fiction. For readers of, “A Divided Mind,” the story picks up four years later in the lives of the Kovak family.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?

Hmmm. My sister likes to remind me of all the authors who didn’t hit it big until much later in their career, which always makes me laugh. However, what I’ve always remembered was something Alexandra “Bo” Fuller said during a writing conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, “Write to keep drunks awake around a campfire.” If I can do that, then I’ve done my job!

What are you reading now?

“What We Keep,” by Elizabeth Berg

What’s next for you as a writer?

The New York Times Bestseller’s List and a featured spot, in Oprah’s magazine. You know, nothing too big – just everything I dream and hope will happen!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?

“Time Traveler’s Wife,” by Audrey Niffenegger

“Open House,” by Elizabeth Berg

“Back Roads,” by Tawni O’Dell

Do you have any advice for new authors?

Chose to stop listening to that doubtful voice in your head. That voice is a bully that stops you from thinking and worse, creating.

Stand up to that voice. If your little brother or sister were being bullied, you’d stand up for them. Do the same with that voice. Talk to that doubt – address that doubt – with all you’ve already accomplished. Let all those certainties become your guiding belief.

Doubts are traitors that steal from us. Choose to stand up to those doubts. It’s our choices that show who we really are.

“On Writing,” by Stephen King

What inspires you to write?

I’m not going to lie – when I meet a reader, who shares with me something about my work they connected with – it makes the long nights, lost weekends, and all that time I devote to writing worth it. I’m so immensely grateful when readers take the time to approach me, email or leave a review – those connections feed my writer’s soul and inspires me to bring my “A” game.

Tell us about your writing process

I steal pockets of time – while I’m in line at Starbucks, in between work meetings, and always during my lunch hour – I write. Whether it’s on my phone, scribbled on meeting minutes, or on my laptop – I write. I don’t have a set number of words I write in a day, but I do focus on completing chapters within a day or two of starting one. Once I begin a new chapter, the storyline and characters consume my thoughts until I finish what they’ve started. And honestly, THAT’S the best part of writing – when the characters take over the story. I’ve often described myself as a stenographer because it often feels as though I’m simply transcribing what they show me.

What do you think about the future of book publishing?

Good question. Since my first book was agented and published in 2011, I’ve seen great changes. Authors have more accessibility to agents, editors, and publishers. As with any growth in an industry there are advantages and disadvantages. Vetting the source that will market your work and you as an author is paramount.

Q&A with Okeoma Moronu Schreiner, The Missing Money

What inspired you to write a book series for children to help them understand the concept of money? 

I developed an interest in personal finance while paying off multiple six-figures of student loans and during that time I also had the pleasure of becoming a mother twice over. Like most mothers, I suppose I wanted to find a way to share my interests with my little ones and quickly learned there aren’t a ton of age-appropriate picture books that tackle modern money concepts. It’s, of course, important to just learn the basics of earning or saving money, but I wanted books that were set in a more modern context with banking apps, credit cards and online banks. Basically, I wanted to create a book that would help children understand the concept of money in a way that reflected the world in which they would be growing up. 

The books are beautifully illustrated. Why was it important for this to be a picture book? 

As a mother of two little ones, ages 3 and 5, there is nothing more precious and impactful than those moments spent together lost in the pages of beautifully illustrated picture book. I firmly believe that it is never too early to start introducing these basic money concepts but I wanted to do it in a way that would engage and capture little imaginations. 

How did financial literacy for young people become a passion of yours? 

Before I was a personal finance junkie, I was an elementary school teacher. I guess you could say that I’ve always had a passion for translating seemingly complex concepts into fun, educational content. 

What advice do you have for parents interested in starting these financial discussions with their children? 

Do it early and often. 

Why is it important to start these money talks with your children at a young age? 

The earlier you start these conversations the more comfortable you’ll be having them throughout the many seasons of parenthood. Truth is that the conversations will only get tougher and tougher as your children get older so you want to develop the language and comfort before it’s too late. Your children are internalizing “stories” and beliefs about money that may not be true and have the potential of impacting their financial lives forever. If we, as parents, don’t help shape those stories and beliefs, our children will create their own. 

What are some concrete steps parents can take while their children are young to start their children out on the right financial path? 

Take the time to involve them in your everyday money decisions. Whether it’s choosing between two products at the grocery store or choosing not to spend on something in order to save for a bigger goal, children will benefit from understanding how money decisions are made in everyday situations. 

Speak to them about in values, not figures. In our house, our kids know that the environment is very important to us so we’ll pay more for a product that is more sustainable and/or eco-friendly. Help your little ones understand your family’s values and how your money supports and reflects those values. 

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Teach them contentment. This is a hard lesson that can take a lifetime to learn. In order to get your little one off on the right foot you can lead by example, help your children practice gratitude and teach them the value of giving. 

What are some of the financial terms that you encourage parents to teach their children? 

The first five basic terms that little ones should understand are: 

• Earn – Discuss that money is earned through an exchange of goods and services. Sometimes when we’re out and about we’ll play a game called “who is at work?”, where my children try to point out people who are “at work” and try to guess how they earn their money. 

• Save – Explain why it is important to save towards larger goals instead of spending money as quickly as it comes in. I would recommend using a clear money jar so little ones can see a visual representation of their money growing. 

• Spend – Spending wisely means not just spending within your means but spending in alignment with your values. Teaching your kids about spending is a lesson in understanding what matters and making intentional decisions. 

• Give – Help your little one develop a charitable heart and discourage a scarcity mindset. It’s also crucial to teach your little one how to let go and get rid of things they no longer need or value. 

• Invest –This is the one most people struggle with the most but little ones should be introduced to the idea that there are things you can do with your money that can put more money back in your pocket! 

How do you think being confident with money at a young age helps children as they grow into adulthood? 

For me confidence doesn’t mean knowing all the answers. Confidence means believing that you can tackle any challenges that come along the way. By instilling in your child a sense of confidence around money topics, your little one will grow up to be someone who will explore money topics with a confidence that they are able to learn what they need to know to build a financial abundant future. 

The book also highlights a diverse group of characters. Why was that an important focus for you as well? 

We all know there is still a lack of diversity in children’s literature. As a woman of color raising biracial children, I wanted to create characters that reflected their reality. All children and families deserve to have access to books in which they are represented. It is also an opportunity for all children regardless of race to see examples of people of color managing money and doing it well. There was no way that I could write a book without this being a priority! 

Ultimately, what do you hope parents and children take away from the Money Monsters series? 

That money conversations don’t have to be scary! 

About the Author

Okeoma Moronu Schreiner is an attorney, wife, mother, and host of the nationally recognized, Happy Lawyer Project podcast. Now as an author, her goal is to guide parents in helping their children navigate the seemingly stressful wide world of money. The inspiration for her new children’s series, Money Monsters, stems from her own experience as a struggling young lawyer who had seen first-hand the difficult situations created by financial problems. Schreiner is an advocate for early education of finances and wants parents to instill comfort and confidence in their children regarding money issues.

Connect on Instagram: @finkidlit

Q&A with Nan Reinhardt, author of Meant to Be

Tell us about one of those defining, aha moments when, as a writer, you were in the place you needed to be.

If you mean those “oh, that’s how I’m going to write this scene!” moments, then for some weird reason they always seem to come to me when I’m driving of all things. It’s awkward because then I either have to stop in a parking lot or on the side of the road to make notes. Fortunately, I’m never without paper and pen. But if you mean, literally a place that I know is a story in itself, I’d say on my first trip to Frankfort, Michigan.

What heroine in what favorite book would you like to talk to, maybe have lunch or a glass of wine with?  What would you talk about?

Unquestionably, Anne Shirley and Marilla Cuthbert from Anne of Green Gables. Wouldn’t it be lovely to have tea with them on the porch at Green Gables and talk about Prince Edward Island and writing and Avonlea? Maybe Matthew and Gilbert might join us later. Sheer heaven!

If trends and marketing weren’t things you had to consider, what book would you like to write?

A NY Times bestseller? Seriously, I think I’m writing the books I want to write at the moment. I have a women’s fiction novel and a time-travel story in me, I’m sure, but right now they’re still brewing, so until one of them comes to the top of the cycle, I’ll continue with contemporary romance.

You’re not only a bestselling author but an editor as well. Do the two jobs ever get in each other’s way?

The editor slows down the writer, I’m afraid, and that’s often discouraging because I’m driven to reread what I write and to edit as I go along. That means sometimes I lose steam in storytelling. I’m working on that. 

Share a paragraph you’ve written that you particularly love—whatever the reason.

This is silly and it’s more than one paragraph, but I love the scene in Meant to Be when Sean and Megan are driving home from their disastrous double-date and he tries to explain Vinnie using an analogy from the movie Up. I loved his rationalization and her complete rejection of it. 

He glanced over at Meg, who appeared focused on navigating the curvy driveway into the winery property. “Here’s the thing”—he side-eyed her as she pulled into Char’s driveway—“Vin is like... like that dog in Up.”

She switched off the car and turned to face him, her expression incredulous. “What?”

“You know the dog in that movie Up? We watched it with Ali at Christmas?” His point was valid if she would just open her mind, so he explained further. “The dog had a great ball that he was playing with—having fun, enjoying himself. Loved that ball. Then a squirrel ran by and he was completely distracted, dropped the ball, and chased the squirrel.” He grinned, hoping to get some kind of positive reaction.

She rested her elbow on the steering wheel and cupped her chin in her palm. “So, I’m the ball in this scenario?”

“Yeah.”

“And Vin is the dog?”

He nodded. She was getting it.

“And Gia is what? The squirrel?”

He threw his hands up in exultation. “Yes, exactly.”

She gazed at him for a long moment, “I’ve heard you say some really dumb stuff over the years, Sean Flaherty, but that has to be the dumbest. Stop defending him.”

I know you researched heavily for both of your series. Do you remember anything particularly surprising you learned?

I was surprised when I learned that Indiana was one of the very first places that grew wine grapes and sold wine commercially. I had no idea our state was so steeped in wine history. 

Do you ever feel pressured to write something you don’t want to—by publishers, readers, or the little voice in the back of your mind?

I did when I first started writing and trying to sell romance. My agent sent me a book from another client of hers and told me to “write like this.” I tried, but it wasn’t me. That’s a big part of the reason I went indie with my Women of Willow Bay series. But Tule, my current publisher is amazing and gives me lots of freedom. I love working with them.

What’s something we don’t know about you?

I love Big Band music and the songs from the Great American Songbook. Sinatra, Crosby, Tony Bennett—they all make me swoony. I would love to learn how to dance the way they did back in the thirties and forties when that music was popular. I’m ashamed to admit that I don’t know much about today’s music or artists…I’m hopelessly stuck in the musical past. 

Tell us about your favorite day in all the world, whether it’s already happened or you’re still hoping.

This is so trite I know, but my best day ever was the day my son was born. We’d waited so long and tried so hard to have him. He’s been a blessing from the first moment he took a breath. 

You love traveling, right? So what’s on your bucket list for trips not yet taken?

Prince Edward Island with my bestie, Liz. We’re definitely going to do it in the next year or two. I’d love to go back to Ireland and France, but if it doesn’t happen, I’m okay with that. Liz and I do writing trips together once or twice a year and those satisfy the wanderlust.

A few short ones here just to get people acquainted:

Favorite color: Yellow

Favorite song: Anything from the Great American Songbook

Favorite movie: Little Women, the Denise DiNovi version with Susan Sarandon and Winona Ryder (Yes, I’m a true sap!)

Favorite wine: Armida Winery’s El Campo Estate Field-Blend zinfandel (I know that’s scary specific, but it is amazing wine!)

Coffee or tea? Coffee mostly, but I love Harney and Sons’s Paris tea

Any tattoos? Nope and nope it remains for all eternity.

Q&A with A.F. Brady, Once a Liar

What inspired you to write ONCE A LIAR?

In some ways, the current state of the world inspired me to write about the way power corrupts people, and the personal tolls that can take, on both the corrupted, and those around him/her. I love writing difficult characters, because I find it so fun to climb into skin that’s so unlike my own. 

Has your real-life profession influenced your writing or your characters in any way?

Yes, in both ONCE A LIAR and my first book THE BLIND. I have almost two decades of experience working in the mental health field, and I’ve known some extremely interesting people, diagnosed with some very interesting illnesses. I wanted to use my writing career to shed light on some of these misunderstood illnesses, and my psychotherapy career helps to lend some authenticity to my writing. Many of the characters, settings and stories in both these books were drawn from real life, real people, real places. Details changes, of course. 

Peter is an incredibly complex character. What was it like to step into the mind of sociopath while writing this book?

At times it was scary, and other times it was a lot of fun. Peter is not at all like me, but he is like so many people I have known in my life. I have received countless emails from readers saying they have had a Peter in their life. I cringed (and even cried) quite a bit while I was entrenched in Peter’s mind. It’s a dark place in there. And the lobster scene, that wrecked me. 

At what point in your life did to become an author?

In a way, I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but I didn’t decide to go for it until I felt stable in my life; married, kids, house, etc. In this age of technology, you’re so exposed, and I wanted to make sure I had a good system to support me should it all go wrong, and I wanted to make sure I was mature enough and had a thick enough skin to manage the critics. 

What attracts you to the thriller genre?

The excitement. I am by no means an adrenaline junkie in life, but I love excitement, and I love figuring things out. I am an accidental detective all the time, and I really dig trying to work out secrets and lies and what’s behind the mask. Thrillers check all those boxes for me. 

Who or what shaped your love of writing?

Reading shaped my love of writing. I don’t have a favorite genre to read, I like to get my hands on everything as often as I can. I used to write poems a lot and I would often sit at my computer ranting about some issue I was having, and it was cathartic. I never wrote with the idea that I would have readers, so when I sold my first book, and I got a team behind me at Park Row, I learned how to be a professional writer, and how to take your audience into account.

If you could write your own death, how would you do it?

Something heroic, or self-sacrificing for sure. I used to have these daydreams all the time about being in some emergency situation where a guy with a gun busts into the bar I’m in, or the subway train car, and I take it upon myself to use my knowledge of psychology to diffuse the situation and save everyone. I would talk him down, convince him to let everyone go, or kill me instead of killing someone else. If I wrote my own death, I would definitely die saving other people. Noble, build me a statue, name a park after me kind of death. 

What’s the easiest career decision you’ve ever made?

To become a therapist. It’s absolutely the most rewarding and challenging thing imaginable. It makes me who I am, and I adore it. The next easiest was saying yes to a two-book deal when it was offered to me. 

Which fictional characters would you invite to a dinner party? 

Atticus Finch, Eloise, Sinan Khan (from ONCE A LIAR) and Aslan because they all remind me of my grandfather and I miss him. As I write this, I’m shocked that I picked two lawyers. Well… and a Lion. I guess I’ll make steaks. 

Success means something different for everyone. What does literary success look like to you?

Having something I wrote help someone to feel like they’re heard or understood. I would love to be a financially successful writer, or to have my books smash sales records, top bestseller lists, become movies, all of these kinds of things. But what has always felt the best for me are the personal stories of people reading my work and being emotionally and personally affected by it. That’s the dream for me. 

What struggles did you face while writing this book?

I was pregnant for the entire editing process, so I couldn’t have a drink and get away from Peter, and that was rough. I killed someone that I liked a lot in ONCE A LIAR, and that was really hard for me. (Which seems strange to say because why did I kill her if I liked her, but she had to die for the story to work.) Since I wrote Peter in the first person, I sometimes got entrenched in the thoughtlessness and carelessness, and it hurt me. I am such an empath, it got really tough sometimes to write the despicable things he did and thought.

We all hate criticism, but sometimes the harshest advice is also the most useful. What is the hardest piece of advice someone has given you?

I spent most of my life being a fixer. I compulsively want to help and save and fix and make better. The hardest piece of advice was when I was told to stop. Stop fixing everything, stop saving everyone. It’s not your job. And that hit me so hard. But, years later when I finally stopped, it became the most freeing thing imaginable. (And then I learned that I never saved anyone anyway, and I couldn’t fix things. Breath of fresh air to take that self-imposed pressure off, but it sure did suck to hear.)

What is your favorite, most underappreciated novel?

Karoo by Steve Tesich. I absolutely adore this book. 

What’s on your nightstand right now?

Me Talk Pretty One Day (David Sedaris) and old favorite that I go back to when I need a good chuckle.

Becoming (Michelle Obama)

Girl Wash Your Face (Rachel Hollis)

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine (Gail Honeyman)

What’s next for you?

I’m finishing the third book, plotting and starting the fourth, and working on some other writing projects. I’m still in private practice, so I’m loving that as well. Raising kids and living life! Trying to get to as many Yankee games as I can this season. 

How the Writing Life Chose Me…No, Really by Rachel Schade

Every time I try to answer questions such as: When did you decide to become a writer? or When did you fall in love with reading? I struggle. The truth is, it’s hard to trace my love of all things bookish back to a beginning. My parents read to me as a child, which must have left the huge impression on me that everyone says reading to children can leave. 

To be honest, I barely remember learning how to read. I barely remember not knowing how. I remember pulling off any and every book from my first and second grade classroom shelves and devouring them at my desk in every spare moment I had. In fact, I stuffed my nose so literally in books that when the school coach stopped by my class once, he expressed a concern that I might have sight problems. 

I didn’t. I just liked to live with my nose literally stuck in a book, like Belle. I guess I was so caught up in whatever I was reading, I couldn’t help but hold it as closely as possible.

And as for writing? I know at the age of ten I was typing out short children’s mystery books on the family computer. I know at the age of eleven Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, which my mom read out loud to my brother and me, inspired me to begin writing my own fantasy novel, scribbled in endless notebook pages and then eventually typed on our computer. 

But when did it start? I don’t know. I’ve actually come across mini “books” I’d illustrated as a child and then, because I couldn’t write yet, dictated to my mom. So there you have it: proof I was even writing before I could actually write.

I guess the short and cliché answer is that writing and reading is an integral part of who I am. It’s been a lifelong passion, instilled in me by the parents who read to me. I simply can’t imagine my life without books!