Mystery, Suspense, and Justice with Liz Bullard | Chasing Nightmares

What happens when mystery meets purpose?

This week on the Nutmeg Lit Fest Podcast, we sit down with mystery and suspense author Liz Bullard, author of Chasing Nightmares, to talk storytelling, suspense, justice, and the inspiration behind her gripping work.

Join us as we discuss:

• The story behind Chasing Nightmares
• Writing mystery and suspense that keeps readers engaged
• Themes of justice, storytelling, and purpose
• Liz Bullard’s author journey and creative process
• Behind the scenes insight into building unforgettable stories

Whether you are a mystery lover, suspense reader, or aspiring author, this episode is packed with inspiration, storytelling insight, and bookish conversation.

 Tune in and discover the story behind the suspense.

Transcript

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Welcome to the NetMek Litfest Podcast where Story Speak. This is a space that celebrates authors, storytellers, poets, and creatives from Connecticut and Beyond. Here we are lifting voices, sharing stories, and spotlighting the creativity that brings our literary community back to life. Whether you're a writer, a reader, or simply someone who loves a powerful story, this podcast is for you. Get ready for conversations that inspire, connect, and celebrate the magic of storytelling. This is Nutmeg Lipfest Podcast. Hello everyone. The excitement level. You won't even be able to put it on a scale that we are going to do for today's episode. But let me not get ahead of myself, right? We're back. You know the drill. Every book has a story behind it, and every author has a moment when they decide to tell it. And this, my friends, is the NetMeg Lip Fest Podcast or Story Speak. I'm your host, Janae Hernandez, and this podcast is a celebration of authors, their voices, their journeys, and their stories they bring into the world. Each week we sit down with writers to talk about the path to the page, the moments that shape their work, and the stories they are excited to share with readers. Today, guys, I'm a fan. I cannot wait. You will also become a fan. We are joined with Liz, author of Chasing Nightmares, the second book in the mystery series. We are gonna get into this. Like we are going to get into this. Liz works blend suspense, psychological tension, and powerful storytelling that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. I've actually read a couple of these books. I'm very excited to introduce Liz. I hope I did you justice, but if I didn't, you are also going to introduce yourself. Floor is yours. That was a wonderful intro. I'm so excited to talk with you. I love when we are at book signings and we get to chat. So yeah, you you got it all down. I'm a therapist, author, and creative wellness coach. Uh, I do a lot of writing and I love to read. That's that's it. You know what's funny? All of the authors that I've had so far, you know, it's one thing to be a writer, it's a different thing to love to read. It's it's it's they don't go hand in hand. They should go hand in hand, but they don't. Truly. And like I like to say, I'm a reader first author, right? So like I I write what I would like to read, and I think about it, I think, from a reader first rather than an author, which I think sometimes is great, sometimes maybe isn't technically great, but I so agree. I love that. I would love that a reader first, then author. I have to practice that because I actually write books that until I started writing those books, I actually didn't read, I didn't read that world at all. Like I'm I'm dipping into it now because I actually like writing about it. Ooh, I love that. I can't wait. I can't wait. I can't wait. I need you to tell us about the book. I need you to tell us how you got into the genre that you are currently writing for. Go. Absolutely. And I apologize for Mr. Preston the Corgi. You will hear him. Welcome, welcome to the podcast. We love guests. But you know, I, you know, I I love to read and I gravitate towards like mystery thriller, like uh James Patterson, uh, the Stephanie Plum series. And so I had started out writing fantasy first, but I thought I would have, you know, again, landed in um the mystery genre, but this just kind of story came um actually from a dream. Um, this is how the story, yeah. Okay, let's get into it. Tell us about the dream, walk us into the seed of the book. Absolutely. So for those of you who don't know, uh Sleeping Beauty, book one in the Lyra Somers mystery is about a woman who has dreams. She has dreams about people in need, and it it pushes her to the brink of her mental capacity because she sometimes is like, in I seeing things, is this real? And like that's what I saw my dream. I remember I um I the parts that I remember distinctly is that I see this woman. She's in this therapy office, she's talking to her therapist about I saw this man again. He came in my dreams, he's the only one who like shows up like this. And her therapist is being dismissive. And I remember her being so upset. And um I woke up, I'm like, oh, I have to write the story. I will write it when I'm a better writer. And um what? Yes, and I distinctly remember that because maybe like a year after that, like I wrote down that little part there, and like a year after that, I wanted to do the Amazon storyteller competition. And this is the only story that came. And I'm like, guessing I'm like, okay, the story wants to be told. I thought this would happen years down the line, but here we are. And so, like, it was a lesson, and like go before you think you're ready, you know. Sometimes, like, don't doubt yourself or like put limits on yourself. Like, go. What did you do to actually practice to be a better writer? I you just gotta keep writing, in my opinion. I think writing is is very similar to exercise. You could watch all the videos, you could do all the studying, but you don't get better until you're actually doing it, until you're getting that feedback, until you're seeing, oh, like this is what I do, this is what I love that I do, this is what I don't like. And I think also reading, like when you read and you're like, oh, now I'm picking out when you know the editor's saying there's not enough sensory. Oh, I see how this author did it here, and oh, I see how this author didn't do it here, and it worked. I'm gonna mix this and play around with this. So I think the more you do it, and then the more you expose yourself, the better you get. Yes, I agree. It it I like how you paired it. Is it like an exercise? Exercise is difficult for some of us. I'm calling myself out, not adding us to the group here. I'm calling myself out. So, what motivated you to keep going? Because it's not always yeses, right? Sometimes we get no's. I mean, you seem to be very successful, very passionate about it. Where are you drawing from to keep going and keep writing? How many books are we even up to right now? Oh my gosh, I think we're at if you include the short stories, I think we're at 10 now. 10 books. Yes. So we are really exercising. We are we have come the Pilates of authorhood, right? So it seems like we're doing. Where are we getting the stamina and where are we drawing from to get us to 10 books? Yeah, and I think that's a really great question because sometimes I, you know, I'm around people that they start, they stop. I see writers online and you know, they get discouraged and they stop. And I have those moments. And my mom will ask me, like, how do you keep going? And I think the difference is I don't like the anxiety I feel when I'm not doing what makes me feel like I'm in alignment and doing what I'm doing. I don't like the depression that comes from ignoring my stories. Like, I don't like that. So I think I'm just actively chasing the freedom that I have when I write. And like for anyone listening up to like chase that freedom, right? Like, chase that because it's gonna help you create stronger stories more often. And so, like, yeah, there they're both lanes are hard, right? Writing and not writing, which is the hard that you want to do. And I don't like the hard that comes with the anxiety and the depression and all of those things. So I do the hard thing, I just keep exposing myself to the criticism and all of those things. So I'm like, well, listen, I've already did the story, I feel better. It's like I can't do anything else about the rest. I mean, it's like taking the good with the bad, but I I feel, and I'm sure the listeners will agree, we have a lot of good, like these stories. Yeah. What comes first for you? It's kind of like the chicken or the egg question: the characters or the plot. Characters all the way. I am a character-driven um writer. Like, I see the characters, I and I'm just writing and getting to know them, and then the plot comes. Like, there's sometimes I know, like, oh, I want this thing to happen, how we're getting there and the other components, I don't know, but I know the character and what might happen as they interact with this person, or if this happens, and so I just keep focusing on that. I love that. I also adore that you have a very big social media presence, and the more writers that you know, and authors that I speak to, it's difficult. Like they just want to write the book. We we've done what we needed to do, we signed up for just writing the book. How influential do you think social media is for writers? And how are you tapping into it and using it? Yeah, I think it it's very, I think for any entrepreneur, any author, anyone trying to network. And I think it's very intimidating. And, you know, again, I think about where I started to where I am now, and it's still clunky and wonky, but I feel like, okay, I'm finding the groove, kind of like with the writing. And like that comes, like I, you know, assess a lot of like what I do. Like, what do I like? What do I don't like? I recently had brand photos because, you know, again, I'm an author, I'm a full-time entrepreneur, I do this full-time. Um, and so I had brand photos and through that process of asking, like, who am I? What is the business? What are the products? Like, all of these things, it helped me to find my voice and to see the value in it. And there were a lot of questions, like, who would you compare yourself to? And like that helped me kind of look at, okay, what are these different brands and things doing that I like? Oh, what does that look like if I did that? Let me try that. And so I think it's very important to be curious about that side. And to be honest, if that's just something you don't love, like if you don't love it, think about okay, how are you still gonna network? Yes, because I found so many opportunities through online, um, connecting with you even more online and so being inspired. And so uh whether it's being connecting with people and doing workshops or being able to connect with other bookstores and them, you know, you know, picking up my book. So it's a great networking tool. Readers sometimes find my work on there and then they go and they make the purchase. So it is a tool. And if that's not your tool, just think about how are you replacing that networking? How are you replacing the awareness of your books and your brand if it is not social media? I love that. I'm passionate about networking. You know, I built a whole company just on teaching and doing networking and the value that it adds to even your everyday regular life. You know, right for writers, this is our regular life, but just your regular, just smiling and you know, making eye contact in the grocery store. It like I am adamant that everyone should at some way and some form in some shape be doing networking. So I very much appreciate that. Um your daytime life, because you also have a daytime job, correct? Um how is that pouring into your writing? Do you think it is helping? Do you feel like you should be doing less of your daytime job and more of your entrepreneurship? Like, walk us through that. We want to know about Liz. Yeah. So um I am a full-time therapist in private practice. So my days uh, some and some of my evenings are filled with meeting with clients. And I think that has been invaluable to the writing life. Um, being able to talk with someone about their anxiety and say, like, oh, wait a minute, I'm also feeling this when I want to publish or do this, and having that accountability, right? Like when you're sitting across from someone and they're struggling with really hard things, and like you reduce it to like, I can get some words on the page. Like, why am I really scared of these couple words? I can do this. If someone is going through this, and so for me, I just kind of like reduce it down to it's less scary to get the words on the page or to do the social posts. Like, I get really nervous with that. So I'm just like, well, like I can do this, right? Like, that's just so like it really helps me and it helps me to be curious about okay, why are you anxious? You know, what is the block and all of those things? And it's helped to open up door, it's really helped me not to quit. Like, there was a time I wanted to quit, and I think the mental health piece that I did really helped because I was like, oh, let me just be curious and let me cook a coping skill rather than give up. And so it's been invaluable doing that, sometimes exhausting. Yes, but I think it's really helped to elevate your creativity. Words have power, they do. And the more positivity you speak into yourself, absolutely. I love I love how you talked yourself out of quitting because we appreciate your stories. So we are very glad that you are still um doing what you need to do. I want you to walk us through your characters for a little bit and tell us about each of them or your top picks, if you will. Oh man. Yes, I know. Don't get mad characters. We have to ask the question. Yes, okay. So I'll walk you through. Do I get top five? Does that work for you? Top five is perfect. Perfect. So I'll walk you through the fantasy, then I'll drop over to the mystery. So with the fantasy, I think the three characters that we follow, Eli, Talia, and Tabitha are great. Um, Eli and Talia are married couples and uh they have kids and they're trying to be warriors and getting to play with married couples in fantasy. I didn't think readers would gravitate that as much as they do, but they really love that dynamic of seeing the strong mom, you know, doing what she has to do on the battlefield, and then also having the softness with her kids. Eli, who I thought would be much more gruff and standoffish, has a sweetness when it comes to being a father and is really attentive, and it was fun just discovering who he is. And then Tabitha, who I knew she struggles with imposter syndrome, and she is not your typical hero. And I wanted to stay true to that. She's often not the most fun to write, but I I really wanted it to be seen that strength doesn't have to be loud because I always see these women, especially when they're black women, they're strong. Everything about them is great. You know, they could do their hair, they conquer everything. And I often don't feel like that. There are some times I feel very meek, and I still know I have this big destiny, but I'm really scared. And I wanted to honor that with Tabitha. So she was really fun. Um, so they're over there on the fantasy. And then with the mystery, we have Lyra Somers. She, you know, has dreams about people in need, and she's great. She's prickly, she's impulsive, she's borderline mean. Sometimes she is mean and unlikable, but it makes her have these great moments, especially as she learns to deal with her trauma and to deal with her stuff to build these relationships. And then we have detective Tomas Hines who wants to love her, wants to be close to her, and getting to see, again, this softness with this male energy, this patience, this demonstration of how do you deal with someone who is afraid of kindness and seeing that patience and seeing those boundaries is really fun to write. None of those characters are similar. Not one, not one of them. They're all on the spectrum of just bursting a personality. And I I adore, adore that. I want to tap into the imposter system only because being a therapist, do you give little like clues and like subliminal messaging on how to overcome it in your stories? I I feel like that's kind of just happening without happening. 1000%. I think it's mental health without it being mental health, right? I think even with Eli, he he's dealing with you know post-traumatic stress disorder, right? I don't really name it, but like you can see it, the reactivity, the you know, aggression, all of these different things. And while it's not this like one, two, three, this is how you cope, I think it helps people see what are some different things that maybe they can do. Like Tabitha, you know, there's a scene like she pretty much is having a panic attack. Again, she doesn't name it, but like she I talk about breathing and just like grounding and trying to stay in the present. Um, there's also like these messages of just sometimes like just letting it go, being in the present. And so I think through watching them, you can get a little bit of things. And I think as I write, maybe I want to name it a little bit more, but I also think it's kind of fun for people to just feel related to that and to not have it be so like clinical and therapy speak. So I I hope people take away how to have confidence and all of those things, like when they see Tabitha and that imposter syndrome. I love it. I love it, I love it, I love it. And because we've shared so much now, we are going to segue nicely into something that we call it's like one of our favorite moments on Net Meg Lip Fest Podcast, it's a segment called From the Page, where we actually get to hear your voice and hear it directly from a short reading or a passage that captures the heart of your work. So when you're ready, take us from the page. I will take you from the page, and this is from Chasing Nightmares. This is from chapter one towards the end. And hopefully in June, this will be able to be a Kickstarter. And you won't have to, you know, pretend to hear my voice. You can hear it through a narrator. Oh, I can't wait to get into that too. Go ahead, we'll do the first. Okay, so I'll read just a couple paragraphs. I'm gonna, Lyra is right in the middle of an argument, so I'm gonna go here. You don't get to decide how I feel. I do. And what I did was not my mistake, it was yours. And I will forever be mad until you admit it. So go be a labberdoodle to someone else. Turning on my heels, I ignore Toya's head shaking as she waits in the van with Miss Lenora. Toma says nothing until my hand is on the car door. Clearly, he is smart enough to know I need distance. Golden retriever, he calls as I land my behind in the seat. What? I click my seatbelt, hoping Toya will take this as a hint and drive off. She does not. She leans closer to get a full view of Detective Tomas in his confident glide to the car. Showing his perfectly white canines, he clarifies the term is golden retriever, boyfriend, not labradoodle. At least that's what my niece told me the other day. Something about talk book, book talk, or something on social media she saw. So I'm a golden retriever and not a labradoodle. He pats the top of the van. Why did we pick this passage? What do you hope readers get out of this? Please share. I think it's so Lyra and who she is, right? She's argumentative. And then we have Detective Tomas who is again like patient and like, I'll just be as snarky as you are. And it has the comedy that you will find in this story in the Lyra Sommers. It is you're going to laugh out loud and you're gonna have a good time moment. I love it. Thoughts on audiobooks? Do you think it's cheating? Do you think it's cheating? Yeah, like I love an audiobook. Um, my thing this year, I have been loving like a physical book with the audiobook. Oh my goodness, I'm like, that is the ultimate self-care. So I love an audiobook. And I think for authors, it helps you reach different, you know, people. There are some people that are like, I only want to read audiobooks, or you know, we're all busy. So it's just a way to be have my work more accessible to folks. And with this, speaking of audiobooks, when can we expect some of these gems to be turned into audiobooks? Yes. So Chasing Nightmares in June 2026, I have 30 days to reach my funding goal so that I can turn it into an audiobook. Book one is narrated by Star Williams. She's an amazing narrator. She has done my other audiobooks under the name um Tiana Holly. And I would love for her to be able to bring book two, which I think has a lot more um depth and moments that we see as Lyra struggles with a dream and her relationships. June is will all be lined up. I love it. I love this. I love this for you. How can we help you kickstart this goal? Yeah. So if you're listening and you see the episode show notes, hit that link that says Kickstarter and hit notify. Notify one lets me know how many people are interested. Um, and so I my goal is to get 100 people interested by the launch because then hopefully we have a percentage of those people who are purchasing something by uh June 1st. And if you're just like, hey, fund, you know, money is tight, hey, there's a whole lot of different things, all from the $15 audiobook all the way to the $85 immersive package where you can get the physical book, the audiobook, and the ebook. So there's something for everyone if you love psychological mysteries and character-driven stories. Liz, thank you for sharing your voice, your story, and your work with us today. For our listeners, I will be definitely pressing the button for the Kickstarter. I'm very excited about that. And if you enjoy suspenseful storytelling, compelling mysteries, we encourage you to explore Chasing Nightmares and some of Liz's other actually titles. Thank you for listening to the Nutmeg Bulletfest Podcast or Story Speak. Liz, is there any last words you want to give to our listeners? Just thank you for doing this and like giving authors like a way to practice their voice and to connect with readers. Like this was super fun, and y'all just happy reading and have like a good time reading. I love it. I love it. New episodes drop every Tuesday. Until next time, keep reading, keep discovering new stories, and keep letting stories speak. Bye.