Katie Mathews was 16 years old when her life was turned upside down in a car accident that left her with a traumatic brain injury and a quadriplegic body. In her memoir, Unparalyzed: Shattering Limits While Finding Freedom, Katie shares her journey from anger, resentment and hopelessness to freedom in discovering the purposes of God for her life. Her revelation about the power of renewing our minds through gratitude and gaining a higher perspective is truly inspiring. Of course, we also talk about how Katie moved her manuscript off her computer - where it sat for 12 years - into a published paperback as well as an audiobook. But this is just part of the ongoing impact of Katie's life. She has also established a non-profit organization and works as a life coach and public speaker. You can contact her at www.limitlessjourney.org. As always, I walk away from my conversation with Katie encouraged, challenged and inspired - I'm guessing you will too.

I know I promised Season 2 would be all about my fellow Christian authors and their books...and I do start out the episode with a quick review of some my take-aways from the amazing authors I've had the privilege of interviewing thus far. But the rest of Episode 11 is devoted to my latest novel, The Sabotage Scroll. You'll hear about the inspiration behind the book, the obstacles I had to overcome to finish the book as well as a few of the ways I've approached the marketing of this my fourth book. Since the book has spiritual warfare woven throughout the narrative, you'll also get to hear the stories of what I experienced in that realm as I worked through this assignment. My hope is you will find the inspiration and determination you may need to not allow the buffeting of life's pressures and the winds of spiritual resistance to dissuade you from completing the assignment you've been given to write your book.

Welcome to the the second half of Season 2! We start off the new year with our first Young Adult Fiction writer - Kim Vandel. Her Under Fire series will be wrapping up this year with book 4 coming out in the Fall sometime. So there's a long on ramp for you to grab books 1, 2 and 3 and be ready for that final climactic volume. In Episode 10, we get to really delve into the world of indie publishing. Kim has gone down this route and has many good tips about how to navigate it. She has also honed skills in the world of social media marketing and shares with us some very helpful insights. We cover a lot of other bases in this conversation from Scrivener writing software to Kindle Unlimited strategies to overcoming real life challenges along the way. Listen in and grab some inspiration for 2026!

If you've been looking for some inspiration and practical tips about branding your work, Episode 9 with Steve Brock is just the ticket! His new book - Brand Something Beautiful: A Branding Workbook for Writers, Authors and Other Creatives - is bursting with ideas to guide you through building your own brand. Our conversation ventures from Steve's personal 'why's' behind his latest book to the many and varied ways of hearing from God. We talk about the difference between slogging through what we think we should do in marketing to finding delight in discovering our unique contributions to the world of books through our personal brand. You'll also hear about Steve's passions for both travel and for lifting creatives to new levels of adventures in creativity - both of which resulted in books as well. You can connect with Steve on his website - www.brandsomething beautiful.com to get more information and a sneak peek into the book itself.

Heidi Gray McGill is my guest on Episode 8 of Season 2. Her newest Christmas novella - A Place to Belong - comes out on November 18th. It is the latest book in her Discerning God's Best series. Our conversation runs the gamut from how she first felt called to begin a writing career in 2020, to the why's behind publishing under her own imprint, to her ongoing process of learning the craft of writing novels, to the challenges of writing squeaky clean romances. She pulled out some of her favorite books that have helped her hone her skills (I have listed them below). We also discuss how and why to enter writing contests (https://book-publicist.com/top-book-awards-for-authors/)as well as why she published her audio books 'for free' on YouTube. Heidi is a wealth of knowledge and a generous soul who is willing, wanting and able to help her fellow Christian authors thrive in their writing lane. Again, I learned so much.

GMC: Goal, Motivation & Conflict: The Building Blocks of Good Fiction by Debra Dixon

The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi

Save the Cat! Writes A Novel: The Last Book on Novel Writing You'll Ever Need by Jessica Brody

Understanding Show, Don't Tell (And Really Getting It) by Janice Hardy

The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile by Noah Lukeman

How NOT to Write a Novel: 200 Classic Mistakes and How to Avoid Them--A Misstep-by-Misstep Guide by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman

In Episode 7 we have the privilege of hearing from Val Barschaw who has walked with her husband - a heart transplant recipient - through 35 years of medical care. It was this very personal journey that gave Val the information, the experience and the passion to equip others who are facing hospitalizations for themselves or their loved ones. Surviving the Hospital: Six Secrets Every Patient Should Know is an essential guide for anyone who is navigating the complex world of healthcare - to do so with confidence and empowerment. On the podcast, Val takes us into the moment she knew God called her to write the book and then all the steps that followed to get it published and into the hands of those who need it. You can follow Val and find more resources on her website - www.hospitaltohealth.com

Ann Harrison is my guest for Episode 6 of Season 2. She is the author of a new devotional entitled Praying Through the Seasons: Seven Aspects of Prayer and Communion with God. Ann is not only an author but a poet and freelance editor - she is also totally blind. She is tenacious about overcoming obstacles whether that be from technology, external forces or her own inner struggles. Throughout this conversation, you will find that Ann has connected herself to a bunch of writing resources and groups including Christian Book Academy and 540 Writers Community. I learned so much from Ann and I'm sure you will too.

Episode 5 takes us into the Historical Fiction genre with a saga about Tudor England in the 1500's - specifically into the life of Blessed Thomas Abel, the personal priest to Katherine of Aragon who was the first wife of Henry VIII. Theresa Abell Haynes' new book, The Queen's Priest, is also a personal tale for the author because Thomas Abell is one of her ancestors. Our conversation ranges from the layers of research she got to do - including going to the Tower of London to see where Thomas Abell spent the last 7 years of his life - to the layers of editing she went through as she self-published this her debut novel. We also dip into the process of how to get a book done as an audiobook through the ACX platform. To keep up with all the developments in Theresa's writing, you can visit her website at www.TheresaAHaynes.com or follow her Substack newsletter.