Episodes

What we are talking about: how to write authentically about neurodivergent characters and foster understanding among readers; how to tackle difficult subjects in your writing how a setting inspired The Fire, The Water and Maudi McGinn, (out 7/11!!) About Sally J. Pla Sally’s books have been translated into many languages, garnered starred reviews, appeared on many ‘best book’ and state lists, and picked up a few awards along the way. But the best thing they’ve done is connect her to young r...

Books on Botox is BACK!! This week we look at ways to find writing inspiration and killer plots right in your own backyard. And how flipping the script on a conventional plot can give you a new perspective, and possibly a best selling novel. Books reviewed: Killers of a Certain Age, by Deanna Raybourn The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street, by Lindsey Currie. Support the showTwitter: @BethandLisaPod Insta: @WritersWithWrinkles Threads: @WritersWithWrinkles Bluesky: @bethandlisapod.bsky.social...

What we are talking about: what to do and how to practice if you are switching genres as an author foolproof ways to make your pace lightning fast and, do you still need to do your homework if your idea is super original?? (hint: yes) About Misa Sugiura Misa's ancestors include a poet, a priestess, a samurai, and a stowaway. Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind is her first middle-grade novel and is inspired by the gods and monsters of her parents' home country, Japan. Misa is also th...

A head’s up that we are changing the show format by splitting Books on Botox and the Hot Writing Tips into separate episodes. This lets us spend more time on both without ending up with a show that is just too freaking long. We hope it works for you and please share your feedback with us because that helps a lot. Today we are talking about unreliable narrators. Definition: A narrator is “unreliable” when we have reasons to doubt the versions of events he or she is presenting to us as factual i...

Join us for a conversation with nonfiction author Rebecca Barone (Race to the Bottom of the Earth: Surviving Antarctica; Unbreakable: The Spies Who Cracked the Nazis' Secret Code; Mountain of Fire (coming Spring 2024). Approximately 3.5 million non fiction books are published each year, a full 88percent of all books published. So how do you write non fiction that is as thrilling as a page turning novel? What ingredients are essential to nonfiction success? Listen in to find out. About Rebecca ...

What does it take to be a "good" mother? Join us as we dive into the dystopian world of Jessamine Chan's The School for Good Mothers, and talk about her take on the destructive nature of the idea of perfect motherhood. This novel illustrates how an everyday, normal thing like motherhood can be pushed to the limits of imagination and become something terrifying. We venture into a different realm with Henry Herz's nonfiction picture book, I Am Smoke, and examine how this mesmerizing book enterta...

Join us as we talk to Hannah McKinnon, author of the recently released The Darlings. Hannah discusses the importance of reinvention and why you need to do your homework before querying agents and publishers. There is such great advice in this episode. Don't miss it! About Hannah Hannah Roberts McKinnon is the award winning author of 8 women's fiction and beach read novels with Simon and Schuster. Her titles include Message in the Sand, The View From Here, Sailing Lessons, The Summer House, Myst...

Join us as we talk to middle grade writers Lisa and Matt McMann! Matt talks about the driving idea behind his new middle grade mystery series Monsterious, how he plotted multiple stories creating a unique pitch for publishers and how is debut year has gone. Lisa offers some practical marketing advice that you won't want to miss. About Matt As a professional musician, Matt McMann played an NFL stadium, a cruise ship, and the International Twins Convention. Now he writes the kind of spooky myste...

In episode 27, we feature: Empire of Pain, by Patrick Radden Keefe Paris On Repeat, by Amy Bearce Visit our Bookshop.org site for all our featured books! For today's Hot Writing Tip, we talk about FORESHADOWING! Oh, we go deep into why @taylorswift13 is the BEST. You want to listen. Trust us. Support the showTwitter: @BethandLisaPod Insta: @WritersWithWrinkles Threads: @WritersWithWrinkles Bluesky: @bethandlisapod.bsky.social Support Writers With Wrinkles - become a subscriber Email: Beth@Be...

Erinn Pascal joins us to talk about how authors can make a submission stand out, the acquisition process, the importance (or not) of an author platform and what's currently on her manuscript wishlist. Oh, and we get into dogs and cats, too. Don't miss it! About Erinn Pascal Erinn is the senior editor for kids’ books and licensing at Andrews McMeel Universal. Prior to AMU, she held editorial positions at Scholastic, Disney, and Simon & Schuster. Erinn grew up in Pembroke Pines, FL and graduate...

In episode 25, we feature: My Sister, the Serial Killer, by Oyinkan Braithwaite The Doll's Eye, by Marina Cohen Visit our Bookshop.org site for all our featured books! For today's Hot Writing Tip, we talk about repurposing chapters or characters edited out of a manuscript in new and exciting ways! Support the showTwitter: @BethandLisaPod Insta: @WritersWithWrinkles Threads: @WritersWithWrinkles Bluesky: @bethandlisapod.bsky.social Support Writers With Wrinkles - become a subscriber Email: Be...

Mychal Threets joins us to discuss the challenges of public libraries, the importance of access for all and to spread some joy for stories in all their forms. About Mychal Mychal Threets is a Supervising Librarian for Solano County Library and a library influencer. He got his first library card and first library job at the library branch he currently supervises. He grew up in Solano County, and was raised by books and libraries Find Mychal and his super fun videos on Twitter. Giveaway! Win ...

In episode 23, we feature: The Thursday Murder Club, by Richard Osman The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse: A Chet Gecko Mystery, by Bruce Hale Visit our Bookshop.org site for all our featured books! For today's Hot Writing Tip, we talk about how to avoid mistakes when querying agents. Support the showTwitter: @BethandLisaPod Insta: @WritersWithWrinkles Threads: @WritersWithWrinkles Bluesky: @bethandlisapod.bsky.social Support Writers With Wrinkles - become a subscriber Email: Beth@BethMcMullenBook...

Author Lisa Fipps talks about how critical empathy is to writing for kids, prose v. writing in verse and how to connect with characters. About Lisa With her debut middle-grade novel, Starfish, Lisa Fipps won 13 awards, including the 2022 Michael L. Printz Honor Book Award, and the novel in verse was selected for 36 state award/book lists. She’s done virtual and in-person author visits with thousands of children in America, Canada, and China, in addition to being a guest speaker and panelist at...

In episode 21, we feature : Night Shift, by Stephen King The Vanishing of Aveline Jones, by Phil Hickes Visit our Bookshop.org site for all our featured books! For today's Hot Writing Tip, we talk about the dreaded synopsis and what is critical to include and what to leave out. Support the showTwitter: @BethandLisaPod Insta: @WritersWithWrinkles Threads: @WritersWithWrinkles Bluesky: @bethandlisapod.bsky.social Support Writers With Wrinkles - become a subscriber Email: Beth@BethMcMullenBooks...

Richard Knight, author, features writer and content provider, joins us to discuss the ins and outs of writing for online magazines and content services. He also shares a sneak peak of his latest middle grade fiction project and it's so good! Find Rich on Twitter or CinemaBlend. About Richard Knight Rich Knight is a teacher by day, and a writer by night. He has written for several publications, including The Source, Complex Magazine, Weight Watchers, and XXL. He currently writes feature articl...

In episode 19, we feature How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water, by Angie Cruz and; Fluffy McWhiskers Cuteness Explosion, by Stephen W. Martin. Visit our Bookshop.org site for all our featured books! For today's Hot Writing Tip, we talk about how to get your arms around descriptions without overwriting. Support the showTwitter: @BethandLisaPod Insta: @WritersWithWrinkles Threads: @WritersWithWrinkles Bluesky: @bethandlisapod.bsky.social Support Writers With Wrinkles - become a subscriber Email...

Award winning author illustrator Jarrett Lerner talks about how to write through hard topics, how to get to know yourself better in order to maximize output and ways to make school visits shine! About Jarrett Author-illustrator Jarrett Lerner is the award-winning creator of the EngiNerds series of Middle Grade novels, the Geeger the Robot series of early chapter books, the activity books Give This Book a Title and Give This Book a Cover, The Hunger Heroes series of graphic novel chapter books,...

Episode 16 Literary agent Leslie Zampetti shares the inside scope on what agents are looking for and how to put your best foot forward! About Leslie Leslie joined Odom Media Management in 2022. Previously, she was an agent with Dunham Literary and an intern with The Bent Agency. A former librarian with over 20 years’ experience in special, public, and school libraries, Leslie has cataloged rocket launch videos and Lego rocket ship models, presented SEC documents and story times, and negotiat...

In episode 15, we feature The Violin Conspiracy, by Brendan Slocumb, and; The Haunting of Aveline Jones, by Phil Hickes Visit our Bookshop.org site for all our featured books! For today's Hot Writing Tip, we talk about how to be on the look out for word tics and filler words in your manuscript. Support the showTwitter: @BethandLisaPod Insta: @WritersWithWrinkles Threads: @WritersWithWrinkles Bluesky: @bethandlisapod.bsky.social Support Writers With Wrinkles - become a subscriber Email: Beth@B...

In episode 13, we feature The Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah, and; The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow, by Jessica Haight and Stephanie Robinson. Visit our Bookshop.org site for all our featured books! For today's Hot Writing Tip, we talk about how to use a regular old stack of index cards to help you get your arms around a manuscript. Support the showTwitter: @BethandLisaPod Insta: @WritersWithWrinkles Threads: @WritersWithWrinkles Bluesky: @bethandlisapod.bsky.social Support Writers With Wri...

Episode 12 We chat with debut author Catherine Arguelles. Find out what it is like to be a newly minted author and learn from her experience about what to do and what not to do. About Catherine Catherine has worked as a counselor with middle school students, a fundraiser for non-profits, and is the proud parent of two feminist readers and three regal cats. She has a BA in English, with a Minor Women’s Studies, from the University of Oregon, and a MA in Psychology, Counseling, from CSU Sacrame...

In episode 11, we feature two classics on Books on Botox! Wuthering Heights (wow DARK!) and The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (talk about staying power!) Visit our Bookshop.org site for all our featured books! For today's Hot Writing Tip, Lisa talks about the importance of secondary characters and how to make them shine. This is a helpful worksheet for thinking about these characters that we like to use. Support the showTwitter: @BethandLisaPod Insta: @WritersWithWrinkles Threads: @Writer...

We've changed our format! For Season 2, the interview will have its own episode and Books on Botox/Hot Writing Tip will have their own episode. We want to mindful of your precious time and keep episodes short enough to enough at one go. Our Season 2 opening chat is with New York Times Bestselling author James Ponti. James Ponti grew up in a small Florida beach town, where he dreamed of one day becoming a writer. He loves pasta, laughing at funny stories, and going to the movies on weekday aft...