SAM Magazine

E58 - Susan Jane Wright, Box of Secrets

Susan Jane Wright studied anthropology and architecture before settling on law. She worked as a litigator before moving in–house. Her career has taken her from the boardrooms of Calgary to the streets of Beijing. Susan writes legal thrillers. Box of Secrets is her debut novel and the first in the Evie Valentine mystery series. It was a finalist in the 2021 Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence for Best Unpublished Manuscript.
When she’s not writing Susan’s travelling with her husband and two daughters. Her favourite vacation was a trip from Prague to London on the Orient Express. 
Susan is celebrating the virtual launch of Box of Secrets. Listeners can register for the launch through Owls Nest Books through this link  
https://susanjanewright.ca
⁠Susan Jane Wright (@susanjjwright) • Instagram photos and videos

E57 - Writing Humour, Roundtable

Alice Bienia has a passion for nature, photography, motorcycles, and coffee. She went to university and emerged with a Bachelor of Science in geology. Her work in remote regions of Canada honed her insatiable curiosity, fuelled her imagination and deepened her desire to learn. She writes full time. She approaches her creativity, imagination with the all important, ‘head down, butt in chair,’ skill she’s acquired along the way to creating challenging crimes. The author of Knight Blind, Knight Trials and her recently released Three Dog Knight, Alice Bienia joins the panel in the dressing room to talk about humour. ⁠Alice Bienia – Crime Writer⁠
C.J. Papoutsis lives in a crooked old building on a crooked old street near the sea in Victoria, B.C. where she stares out the window waiting for brilliant stories and poems to smack her on the head. Writing is Carolanne’s lifelong passion. From the time she was five, she made little books from cut-up paper and scribbled on the pages. Despite being captive in Civil Service for 35 years and a cancer skirmish, she has kept on writing “because it’s more fun than therapy.” She also designs and makes jewellery. Her essays, short stories, mysteries and poetry have been published in Monday Magazine, Senior Living Magazine and two anthologies; Dropped Threads 2, Blood on the Holly, and on Stories Less Spoken, and Commuterlit.com.
Erik D'Souza is the author of Death in Halfmoon Bay, a Suzanne Rickson mystery. Erik's first book, Straight Men in Gay Bars sold internationally. His novella and short stories have been published in various literary magazines, both in print and online. Like all authors, Erik has many stories to tell. We talk about how important pacing is when it comes to writing humour. Learn about Erik's publishing company Timbercrest Publishing and how it has helped authors reach their publishing dreams. https://timbercrestpublishing.com/ and
http://erikdsouza.com/
Photo taken by Photo by S⁠rinivas Bandari⁠ on ⁠Unsplash

E56 - Jule Selbo, 10 Days

Do you know what a mud angel is? You'll find out with this episode's multi-talented author, Jule Selbo.
Jule spent 20+ years working as a screenwriter at major film studios in Los Angeles, including working for industry giant George Lucas on The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. Other shows Jule worked on were HBO’s Women Behind Bars, George Romero’s Tales from the Darkside and Monsters, and Aaron Spelling’s Melrose Place. Portland, Maine, Jule calls home, and this multi-published author, playwright, screenwriter, producer and professor, joined me on the podcast and we talked about using screenwriting techniques to plot a novel. 
Jule’s short stories have been published in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. Jule shares what she learned about her heroine Dee Rommel in her debut novel, 10 Days. And I also learned that Jule has a clever shot on the pickle ball court.
⁠Jule Selbo

E55 - Trevor Atkins, The Day the Pirates Went Mad

Children’s author Trevor Atkins and I had a blast in this episode. There's a lot of laughter and a GIVEAWAY, so listen closely. Trevor educated me on pirates and the extensive research he did crafting this exciting and intriguing children's novel. The Youtube portion of this podcast will be uploaded in a few days and listeners can see the many drawings and illustrations that Trevor makes reference to.
Trevor lives with his family on the west coast of Canada and has been working with words for much of his life, but he has only recently pursued historical fiction. A storyteller and role player of detailed characters, Trevor finds it natural to weave together many intertwining plot threads when writing.
The Day the Pirates Went Mad is a middle-grade historical fiction, set at the turn of the 18th century. Follow the adventures of orphanage runaway Emma Sharpe as she voyages to the West  Indies aboard the New Adventure. This book is not only a children’s book, but also a great resource for teachers. Trevor has created a comprehensive website which includes a teacher’s guide, an author’s log and games.
There is one section near the end of the podcast when Trevor and I are talking about pirate games, and my internet was interrupted, but Trevor does explain if his pirate game is connected to his novel, The Day the Pirates Went Mad.
⁠Now Available – The Day the Pirates Went Mad (emmasharpesadventures.com)

E54 - Joanna Vander Vlugt, Dealer’s Child

The dressing room is taken over by Rudy, the rescue dog and Rudy's human. This time the interviewer, Joanna Vander Vlugt, is the interviewee. Susan Jane Wright, author of the soon-to-be-released novel, Box of Secrets, questions Joanna about the second novel in the Jade & Sage thriller series, Dealer's Child. What were the tough scenes? Why does Joanna insist on doing her own book covers? Is Jade, Joanna's alter ego? We also learn about the new characters that came to life on the pages of Dealer's Child. Joanna mentions Bill Morrison, the author of Lions in the Grass, Gordon Mott, the author of Lithuanian Lullaby and author Debra Purdy Kong.
www.joannavandervlugt.com 

E53 - Debra Purdy Kong, The Deep End

Debra Purdy Kong has 40 years of writing experience. A former criminology student, Debra draws upon life experiences, including her security work, to plot her novels. She has two series, the Alex Bellamy series and the Casey Holland series. A prolific author, we talk about writing (of course), language, characters aging and does that impact their dialogue. As well as over-cooked brussels sprouts!
⁠Mystery Author, DEBRA PURDY KONG - Home

E52 - Gordon Mott, Lithuanian Lullaby

Gordon Mott is the author of the historical fiction novels, Lithuanian Lullaby and The Angels of Klaipeda. He has lived and worked in the UK, Australia, Canada and Lithuania. With a degree in politics from Trent University in Peterborough, Canada, he holds an interest in East European development and has taught and travelled extensively in the region. We had a good discussion about the writing of his first novel, Lithuanian Lullaby, an epic historical fiction novel which is also a love story. The novel highlights western and eastern cultures between 1987 and 1997 following Lithuania's Independence and has been number one on Amazon in Canada and the U.S.
Gordon has been interviewed extensively overseas, and his novel has been featured in numerous publications worldwide. I was honoured to be his first Canadian interview.

E51 - Josh Kully, Author, Poet,

Have you heard the JAWS-approach of storytelling? Josh talks about using the JAWS-approach when it came to writing his short story The Stork, which is not only story, but also poem, which Josh also illustrated. Author, illustrator, creative, Josh and I discuss what success means to us, writing fiction that has weight, and sharing experiences through writing and art. Which came first? Art or writing? 
⁠Illustrator | Josh Kully | British Columbia⁠
⁠Josh (@joshkully) • Instagram photos and videos