Embracing the Fiction Author Journey

56. Write Women Book Fest 2023: Inspiring journeys and genre magic (part 1)

• Erin P.T. Canning

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Ever wonder what fuels the creative fire of women authors?

In today’s episode, you’re going to hear from seven incredible women authors who attended The Write Women Book Fest 2023 in Bowie, Maryland. 

We'll dive into their inspiring journeys and explore what ignited their writing passions, the lengths of their literary careers, and whether they always envisioned themselves as authors. We'll also uncover what makes their chosen genres special to them.

Whether you're a fellow parent-writer looking for inspiration and camaraderie or simply someone who appreciates the art of storytelling, these interviews are bound to offer insight and wisdom. 

So, let's dive into the worlds of these talented women and discover how they've harnessed the power of imagination to pen incredible tales.

Authors included in this episode: 


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Erin P.T. Canning:

Ever wondered what fuels the creative fire of women authors? In today's episode, we unveil the secrets of seven remarkable writers at the Write Women Book Fest 2023, where we explore their writing journeys, career lengths, and genre of passions. Get ready to be inspired by their wisdom and insights, whether you're a parent writer seeking solidarity or simply an enthusiast of extraordinary storytelling. Welcome to Parents Who Write, the podcast that helps parents pursue their writing dreams. I'm your host, Erin P.T. Canning. I'm a mom of two young boys, a writer, editor, and writing coach. My mission is to help you regularly make time for your writing, find your voice again, and confidently share your stories so that you can own your identity as a writer and be a happier, more patient parent. In October, I had the pleasure of attending the Write Women Book Fest 2023 in Bowie, Maryland. Being surrounded by 100 women writers awed me, and I had the chance to speak with dozens of them. Today, you're going to hear from seven incredible women authors. We'll explore what ignited their writing, the lengths of their literary careers, and whether they always envisioned themselves as authors. We'll also uncover what makes their chosen genre special to them. So let's dive in and hear the nuggets of wisdom they've so kindly passed forward. When I stopped by Cheryl Woodruff Brooks table, I learned that she writes children's literature, primarily nonfiction. However, she recently released a fiction book, When I Look Into the Sea, which is for early readers up to age 7. Here's what she said when I asked her what inspired her to write this book.

Cheryl Woodruff Brooks:

It rhymes, because I love rhyming books. I'm a songwriter, so it just kind of goes hand in hand. When I look into the sea is basically affirmations to children to believe in themselves, to believe in their dreams. So when they look into the sea, they see a reflection of themselves and they don't really have to look outside of themselves to believe in themselves. So that's the overall point.

Erin P.T. Canning:

I love that. Um, and also, by the way, I gotta say, your illustrations are adorable on the cover of the book. Thank

Cheryl Woodruff Brooks:

you! So,

Erin P.T. Canning:

Uh, who did you, where did you find your illustrator?

Cheryl Woodruff Brooks:

So, my illustrator, believe it or not, and I encourage all of you aspiring authors to make use of Fiverr. I actually found an illustrator and she lives in Pakistan.

Erin P.T. Canning:

Okay, and that's where you found your illustrator. Yeah. Do you have any advice about what makes a good working relationship between you and your illustrator?

Cheryl Woodruff Brooks:

well, of course you're not going to sit down and talk to them face to face, so I think written communication is the most effective tool you have. Be sure to clearly explain to an artist, illustrator or anyone you contract what it is your expectations are for their work. So be sure you know what you want and communicate it effectively.

Erin P.T. Canning:

Okay, so you mean like, here's an example of the types of illustrations I'm looking for and what I'm hoping this particular page will have on it or show?

Cheryl Woodruff Brooks:

Right, I, I've told her what the book was about, why I wrote it so they could understand my love of mermaids, my love of children, and Yeah, in my case, I said I want diversity in characters, all complexions, all hair types, like any kid.

Erin P.T. Canning:

Yeah, I love that. What is your favorite thing about writing in your genre?

Cheryl Woodruff Brooks:

I tell untold stories, and that's why I like nonfiction. Um, I, I have focused in on beaches, and in particular segregated beaches. And so I love, it's like I'm on a treasure hunt. It's like I'm an archaeologist. So I feel like I wear a lot of hats that give me joy by being someone who digs up research on things of the past.

Erin P.T. Canning:

That's very cool. What book are you specifically referring to for that one?

Cheryl Woodruff Brooks:

Well, pretty much the rest. This was what got me a book deal right here. The Chicken Bone Beach. Um, Chicken Bone Beach is the first book I wrote about a segregated beach. Wow. And then I turned it into a children's rhyming book.

Erin P.T. Canning:

Oh, wow.

Cheryl Woodruff Brooks:

I wanted to expand the reach of the audience. Yeah. Uh, I, uh, did the same thing here. I did Golden Beauty Boss, which is a biography of possibly the third black woman in America to establish millionaire status. Wow. And I converted it to a young adult age. Okay. Junior high school, middle, middle school.

Erin P.T. Canning:

Wow. Yeah. So you work with a variety of ages for your children's books.

Cheryl Woodruff Brooks:

I do. Yeah. Yes.

Erin P.T. Canning:

Wow. And you wear a mermaid dress when you're reading your book to the kids.

Cheryl Woodruff Brooks:

A mermaid tail.

Erin P.T. Canning:

A mermaid tail. You are correct. I loved your mermaid tail. And I have a picture of that. That'll be going up. Um, so that's wonderful. And I heard you, uh, when you were reading a little bit from chicken bone beach, was that the one with the rhyming in it?

Cheryl Woodruff Brooks:

Well, no, every, well, they all rhyme in a different kind of ways. So chicken bone beach, I wrote in a way to encourage the children to join in. Nice. So redundantly, you hear chicken bone beach, chicken bone, chicken bone, chicken bone beach. Well, I have to page 5, I've got them in there, right? Yup, exactly. The talkers, the sweet little ones have been holding it all in. Uh huh. I give them their cue, they're ready.

Erin P.T. Canning:

I love it. I love getting children involved in books early on. I've been reading to my kids since the moment they were in my arms. Um, honestly, I read my first book to my first child in the NICU.

Cheryl Woodruff Brooks:

Yeah.

Erin P.T. Canning:

So I cry over that one. Um, but yeah, and so he's eight years old and he's going to be publishing his book soon.

Cheryl Woodruff Brooks:

What's it going to be about?

Erin P.T. Canning:

It is about a baby snake who goes looking for cereal in the forest.

Cheryl Woodruff Brooks:

Good luck with that. Uh huh. Right. Cereal, huh?

Erin P.T. Canning:

Cereal. You wanted cereal, I mean, why not?

Cheryl Woodruff Brooks:

Yeah, adorable.

Erin P.T. Canning:

I love the imaginations of an eight year old. I love it. Yeah, I love it too. Thank you. Well, thank you so much for sharing that with us. Do you have any last advice for aspiring writers?

Cheryl Woodruff Brooks:

Write. Write every day. Yeah. Write freely. Write what sets your soul on fire. And, uh, as long as you love it, the world will love it.

Erin P.T. Canning:

I love that. Thank you so much. E. R. Griffin writes not just fantasy, but also paranormal mystery and horror. With so many genres under her belt, I wanted to learn more about her books and the inspiration behind them.

E.R. Griffin:

Today I am showing off my debut novel, uh, The Queen of Ruin, which is the first in a fantasy series of five books. Very cool. I'm working on the sequel now. Uh huh. And I'm also here with Bad at Magic, which is my paranormal murder mystery. Ooh! And then, um, I just have the promo cards for my third novel, The Witch of the Wilderness, which is my horror debut.

Erin P.T. Canning:

Ooh, that is really cool. I love it. Um, so, which authors inspire you in your genre?

E.R. Griffin:

Um, I'd say my biggest inspirations were V. E. Schwab, who wrote the Shades of Magic trilogy, Neil Gaiman definitely when I started reading, like, Graveyard Book, um, and Stephen King.

Erin P.T. Canning:

Stephen King, very cool! Wow, so congratulations. How long did it take you to, which one took you the longest, actually? I'm curious.

E.R. Griffin:

The Queen of Ruin took me the longest. It ultimately took me seven years. Wow. And like 10 drafts, and I just wouldn't stop editing it. Uh huh. Until I just made myself stop.

Erin P.T. Canning:

Yes. I completely understand that. you made yourself stop. Yeah. And just make it happen. Yep. That's great advice for any aspiring author out there.

E.R. Griffin:

Yes. Yeah, at some point you just have to let it be what it is, and let it exist in the world. I learned my lesson. Bad at magic took me three months to write. And I was like, this is nice.

Erin P.T. Canning:

Okay. I would say that the first book I find to be the hardest to write because you're also learning who you are as an author and what works for you. Definitely. Yeah. Do you have any final advice for any aspiring authors out there?

E.R. Griffin:

I'd say just, keep going for it. Even if you are getting, like, down and you're getting rejected by publishers, just do it. Indie publish if you need to. Um, you'll always find your way. You're a legitimate author no matter how you're published, so just get out there and do it.

Erin P.T. Canning:

I love that. Thank you so much.

E.R. Griffin:

You're welcome.

Erin P.T. Canning:

Next up is Eden Appiah-Kubi, who writes diverse contemporary fiction. She is the author of Her Own Happiness, as well as The Bennett Women. And when we first started chatting, I was curious to know how long she had been writing.

Eden Appiah-Kubi:

I've been writing in earnest since, I want to say 2011. I came back from the Peace Corps and the last thing I did to make friends was get in a writing critique group and so I hopped back and went again. And that's how my first book got written. Wow. Um, and then miraculously that got a book deal in 2020. So that's how long it takes folks. Keep plugging away. I love that. And then I, that was a two book deal. So that's how Her Own Happiness came to be.

Erin P.T. Canning:

So what did you find to be one of the most challenging things about the writing process and how did you overcome that?

Eden Appiah-Kubi:

Well, I think that for people who are pursuing traditional publishing, it's great in terms of you don't have to figure out your production. I have a ton of support from my publisher, Mott Lake. I have the best editor in the world, um, Alison Daschle. I'm going to shout her out every time I can. But, I was writing to see how far I could get. I wasn't prepared for a deal, necessarily. I did not have a second book written. And so, writing a full book in, like, supposedly in a year, um, actually in two, because I took three, uh, extensions, was probably the hardest thing I ever did, I ever did with writing besides childbirth. Yeah. Was writing a book in a year. And I had to try things. I outlined for the first time. I try not to be over consumed with the idea of writing. I only listen to audiobooks because I didn't want to get, uh, literature slipping into, um, plagiarism. I love audiobooks, but somehow they don't seep in as deep. So that was my struggle. Would not recommended, but you don't get to choose when you get your moment. So, I had to just go for it.

Erin P.T. Canning:

Yeah. So, do you have any final advice for aspiring authors?

Eden Appiah-Kubi:

I'd say find your people even if they're virtual. The best thing I did was get online and make friends. Find your community. That's the number one thing. Number two, you don't know when success is gonna come, for better or for worse. And so you have to find a reason to keep writing in the meantime.

Erin P.T. Canning:

Yes. I was talking to another friend of mine who is also a book coach, Megan Clancy. She just recently released her episode, and she was saying how important it is to know, or to set your intention behind your book. Not just your intention of why you're writing, but why you're writing this specific story, so that you can always come back and be like, this is the reason why I have to tell this story.

Eden Appiah-Kubi:

Exactly. My first book I wrote because I didn't see any diverse black heroines at the time. This was, uh, 2007 when I started. I didn't see any dark skinned black women as romantic heroines. This was when Issa Rae was still on YouTube with, uh, Awkward Black Girl. I just didn't see, like, black girls in their 20s at all on TV. They just didn't seem to exist. It was like, either 16 or 40. And so I was like, you know, Toni Morrison says, uh, the novel you want doesn't exist, you have to write it. Yes. And so, um, I took the opportunity to write it. I knew that, like, there are people looking for that, and so that's what kept me going.

Erin P.T. Canning:

That's fantastic. I love that so much. Thank you so much for sharing that with us.

Eden Appiah-Kubi:

Thank you for taking the time.

Erin P.T. Canning:

One of the first authors I spoke with was Heather M, who writes erotica. She published her first book, Madam X Book 1.1, and we had such a fascinating conversation about what she loves most about her genre.

Heather M.:

I'm very interested in telling real stories, authentic stories about women and sex, and sort of their experience with intimacy and sort of their sexuality. So I think there are a lot of boundaries that you can push in erotica, and that makes it really fun and exciting sort of genre to write in.

Erin P.T. Canning:

That is awesome. I love that so much. You know, back in the day with the Victoria era and don't show an ankle. Exactly. Right? And so I love the idea of women being able to enjoy who they are.

Heather M.:

Absolutely. Absolutely. That's so important.

Erin P.T. Canning:

So, and the name of your book that you have?

Heather M.:

It is Madam X Book 1. 1. And so the title was inspired by a painting actually that was done in sort of the 1800s by, uh, William Seeger Sargent, and it was entitled Madam X. She was a socialite in France. She was an American expatriate. Um, and so, she was living there, and she created a scandal by posing for this painting because the strap of her dress sort of fell down over her shoulder, and it was considered very inappropriate. So, I, I kind of love talking about those sort of, you know, little anecdotes and, and things that women have sort of gone through, through the ages. Uh huh. And sort of how can we sort of break through those barriers and.

Erin P.T. Canning:

I love that! That is fantastic! Yeah. Well, any last minute advice for any aspiring writers out there?

Heather M.:

Just keep writing, even if, you know, this is my first book and I'm still figuring out what I want to do next with it. But, you know, as long as you keep writing, if that's what you love, it will just, it'll pay off for you either in sort of personally or professionally. So either way, just, you just, you just keep writing and you keep writing stories and say things that you love.

Erin P.T. Canning:

That's fantastic. Um, I can't tell you the number of times I say the word fantastic on my podcast, but I can't help it. It is fantastic. And I love talking to writers. I love being able to talk to women writers, especially somebody who represents us this way. Yeah. So thank you so much. Um, real quick, how long did it take you to write this book? It's a thick book.

Heather M.:

Oh, no wait. I realize this is the book. This is the book. I'm looking at your stash. I have my stash of cards because I have just five books left. My other order did not come in in time, which is, you know, author problems, right?

Erin P.T. Canning:

Uh-huh. Yes. How long does it take to get an author copy?

Heather M.:

So, um, but it took me about a little less than a year, you know, between editing and all that kind of thing.

Erin P.T. Canning:

Yeah. Did you find an editor you jive with?

Heather M.:

Um, yeah, my partner, actually.

Erin P.T. Canning:

Awesome! I'm glad that that could work out.

Heather M.:

So, we work pretty well together, but yeah. I think the biggest challenge was the cover. Oh, yeah. The cover was something that took the longest, honestly. Like it just struggling what I wanted it to look like, so.

Erin P.T. Canning:

That, yeah, that is a very overwhelming process.

Heather M.:

Because judging a book by its cover is, is that thing?

Erin P.T. Canning:

It really is. It really is. All right. Well, thank you so much.

Heather M.:

Thank you.

Erin P.T. Canning:

During the festival, I had the honor of speaking with New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jeaniene Frost, who writes paranormal romance and also romantasy. As she said, it's basically vampire and romance. She published both traditionally and self published, so I was super excited to ask her about her experiences. But first, I asked her how long she's been writing books.

Jeaniene Frost:

I have been published since 2007.

Erin P.T. Canning:

Wow, how many books have you published?

Jeaniene Frost:

Oh, um, I think I might be, including novellas, I think up to 30.

Erin P.T. Canning:

Oh, that is mind blowing. And I bow down to you. Did you know you always wanted to be an author?

Jeaniene Frost:

Uh, yes, since I first read my first romance novel way too young at age 12, I fell in love with the genre and I wanted to be a writer ever since.

Erin P.T. Canning:

What, do you remember what that book was?

Jeaniene Frost:

Oh yes, I remember. Sky O'Malley by Patrice Small, and I am dating myself with a reference because it's an oldie.

Erin P.T. Canning:

So, you just spoke to my heart because I also stumbled upon my aunt's romance collection, read them way too young, and my very first romance book that I ever read was Promise of the Rose by Brenda Joyce. I'm also dating myself with that one as well. Um, but yes, the, the genre just stuck with me, and I also always wanted to be an author. So you have made your dream come true 30 times over. Congrats. Can you talk to me about indie publishing versus trad publishing?

Jeaniene Frost:

Well, I mean when I started out again when dinosaurs roamed the earth in 2007, there really wasn't indie publishing. I mean if so, it was very very niche, kind of a very small side market. Uh, obviously with the invention of Kindle Unlimited and with Amazon, it exploded. But I decided to indie publish my, uh, most recent novella, Brave Girls Get Away, because I didn't want to make, didn't want to write a full book. The story was really only a novella. And bookstores generally want full length novels instead of novellas, so I knew that I would have to self publish that one to be able to get it out. So I chose to go indie with that one, and it was really a fun experience. It originally was in an anthology with two other trad authors, and we all did our anthology indie. And then we each split our stories out of it and self published them, you know, as individual stories. So that was my first dip into the indie publishing, really. And then for my novel, The Other Half of the Grave, it was a retelling of my very first debut novel. But this time, from the hero's point of view, because the book was originally written entirely from the heroine's point of view. And it started out as a free blog serial on my website, and I thought only a few readers will be interested, because it was such an older book that I was retelling, and the response was overwhelming. And I had so much fun writing it, I decided to write the entire story, which I did, and then I actually tried shopping at trad, but um, the publishers were not interested in it because it was a retelling of an older book. And I understood that. I knew that was a risk going into it. But I really felt like there was been such reader response to it that I thought there would be enough readers interested in it. I went indie with it and it actually ended up hitting the USA Today and the Wall Street Journal bestseller list. Look at that. So I was really, really, thrilled and shocked by the reader response.

Erin P.T. Canning:

Wow, congratulations! What a milestone to reach.

Jeaniene Frost:

Yes, that was, that was a big happy surprise.

Erin P.T. Canning:

Yes, you know what I'm also just thoroughly impressed with and admire you for is that trad publishers were telling you no, and you didn't take no for an answer. And you made it happen all on your own.

Jeaniene Frost:

And again, I don't. This is not to knock Trad, because, yeah, because I mean, I think that, I think what Trad does a lot is they will check with bookstores and the big vendors and say, you know, would you buy in for this book? And if they say no, then Trad says no, and that makes total sense. Right. Um, and you know, and again, it was a retelling of a book from 2007 that I published last year. So that's a long time. And in publishing years, that's a thousand years. Um, so it was a gamble. Yeah. And I understood why they passed, but I looked at my website stats when I was publishing it as a free serial. Yeah. And my stats were higher than they had ever been. Mm hmm. And it, and I thought that, you know, that meant that there were enough readers who wanted it. And I loved writing it. Yeah. And so I was, you know, I wanted to give it to them. The only avenue I had was Indie, and obviously, I think it worked out really well.

Erin P.T. Canning:

It most definitely did. That's amazing that you saw through. So congratulations. Do you have any last advice for aspiring authors out there?

Jeaniene Frost:

Write what you love. I mean, I think that's really important because at the end of the day, we don't know who is going to want our books, as, as illustrated. Right. Um, so, you know, you have to make sure to write the story that you want to tell and that you love. And then however you decide to go, Indy is an avenue now and it's a very viable avenue and that's exciting because again, that wasn't the way when publishing was even back, yeah, in 2007 or 10 or whatever. Um, but, you know, I still love, I, I still love Trad as well. I mean, I love seeing my books in bookstores. I'll be really honest, because bookstores are like, They're like mini vacations to me. I love going into them. I love browsing through them. So, you know, you write what you love and you figure out which avenue for publication works best for you and then keep at it.

Erin P.T. Canning:

And make it happen. One way or another. I love it. Thank you so much for taking the time to share that with us.

Jeaniene Frost:

Thank you.

Erin P.T. Canning:

One of the best parts of attending this festival was getting to finally meet in person friends I'd met and worked with online. And one of those friends is K. L. Richardson, author of The Sons of Skyland, which is historical fiction. I met Kim about a year ago, and I had the honor of being her in line editor, so her book, needless to say, is near and dear to my heart. When I interviewed Kim, my first question was if she always wanted to be an author.

K.L. Richardson:

Uh, yes. I've been writing since I was probably in middle school. In fact, I was here at the conference thinking I wanted to thank all of my English teachers for letting me sit in the back of the class, pay no attention to what they were teaching and write stories, which is what I did. And I've been doing that now for, oh, 40 years almost.

Erin P.T. Canning:

Wow. That is amazing.

K.L. Richardson:

So it's definitely been there all along.

Erin P.T. Canning:

It has been there all along. And you have published your debut novel. Yes. Super exciting. Which is amazing, I have to say that, not from any biased perspective whatsoever. Why don't you tell us a little bit about what it's about?

K.L. Richardson:

It's called the Sons of Skyland, and it's basically the story of the Civilian Conservation Corps and how they were employed by the government to create the National Park System and the State Park System across the nation. Its focus is particularly on Shenandoah National Park and Camp, uh, NP 1, which is Camp Skyland. The main character's name is Seamus O'Brien. And he kind of represents all the boys. Goes out on several different adventures that all deal with the ways that the park were created.

Erin P.T. Canning:

Yes. Both the controversial ways and the, yeah, it's, it's a very interesting book. It is historical fiction, and it has a bit of a love story in there, too.

K.L. Richardson:

Yeah, a tiny one. I have to work that in.

Erin P.T. Canning:

Here's that. I love that. I love that. Wonderful. So, now that you're a debut author, looking back on it, what was one of the most challenging aspects of writing and publishing your book, and how did you overcome that?

K.L. Richardson:

Uh, the hardest part, I've had this story in my mind probably since I was in maybe high school. And I originally thought that I wanted to write it as a straight up romance, but that just didn't do justice to the work that the boys had done. So I kind of switched over to historical in my mind anyway. And I would tell people, Oh, I'm going to write this book. Or they would say, you should write it. You should write it. And I kept putting it off, kept putting it off thinking, yeah, one day, maybe one day, but then I met up with a great team of people. I actually taught with Maria Secoy, who is in charge of the company All Write Well. And she kind of said, Hey, do you want to come on board? I said, yes. And from there, it was just an amazing relationship. She absolutely worked with me because I'm not the most focused writer. So she, we talked about how that was a stumbling block for me. I can't do my day job and write at the same time because creativity takes a lot of energy and she helped me focus, gave me suggestions to overcome that, and a deadline, which was super important. Yes. And then put me in touch with great people like, not unlike yourself, who were able to make it a dream come true. So after all this time of just wanting and hoping and saying maybe someday, here I am at the Write Women's Book Festival, and my book is for sale, so I'm, I'm excited and I'm glad that I had the opportunity to do it.

Erin P.T. Canning:

I am so proud of you, watching you evolve in your author career, so congratulations, ten times over. And, thank you so much for sharing that with me, I appreciate it.

K.L. Richardson:

Oh, you're welcome, thanks for asking me to interview and being here with you.

Erin P.T. Canning:

Ha, right? And we finally get to meet in person.

K.L. Richardson:

No, super exciting.

Erin P.T. Canning:

It is! It is! Alright, take care.

K.L. Richardson:

Thanks, bye.

Erin P.T. Canning:

Before we conclude part one of this compilation, I also interviewed sci fi fantasy author Laurisa Brandt. During the book festival, she showcased her dark sci fi fantasy dystopian romance novel, Birthright of Scars. Woo! This duology is about a renegade who falls in love with his bounty hunter while he's trying to save his people from genocide. There's so much fun packed into that description. When we first started chatting, I asked her how long she had been writing books, and this is what she said.

Laurisa Brandt:

I've been writing since middle school.

Erin P.T. Canning:

Oh, after my own heart here. I'm loving that. And what has made the biggest difference in your author career?

Laurisa Brandt:

Connecting with other indie authors and helping them with their books.

Erin P.T. Canning:

That is amazing. So, hi, I'm an indie author. You know, that is, I love that. How long did it take you to write your duology?

Laurisa Brandt:

I started in the fall of 2020 and it took me two and a half years, so I really let it percolate and develop. Nice. Sat on it a while, kept working it over.

Erin P.T. Canning:

Nice. So I just published my first romanticy book, Ruins and Redemption, and I daydreamed it into fruition. I spent about three or four months just daydreaming the plot. And then finally sat down and wrote it and realized that it was not one book, but more like four or five books. So that was fun. So you daydreamed a whole series. I daydreamed a whole series. That is exactly what happened. But book one is out now, so yay! So, yeah, so you let yours percolate. That is fantastic, and are you local?

Laurisa Brandt:

I am from Lebanon, Pennsylvania.

Erin P.T. Canning:

Oh, hello! I'm from Silver Spring, Maryland. So you came all the way down here. Yes. Is this your first author event?

Laurisa Brandt:

It is my third author event, but my first time tabling in Maryland.

Erin P.T. Canning:

Oh, very cool. Well, welcome to Maryland. Thank you. Well.

Laurisa Brandt:

They have. Everyone has. That's wonderful.

Erin P.T. Canning:

Well, thank you so much. And best of luck in your author career.

Laurisa Brandt:

Thank you so much. It's been a pleasure.

Erin P.T. Canning:

That brings us to the end of part one of these interviews with Write Women Book Fest authors. Tune in next time for more Nuggets of Wisdom from women authors who made their writing dreams come true. You just finished listening to Parents Who Write, a show that's changing the game for writer parents everywhere. If you want to help other parents like you discover this inspirational resource, act now and leave a review. That will also help bring even more incredible guests to the show to help you grow as a writer.

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