Hey there word nerds!
Today I have the pleasure of hosting Jodi Thomas on the show!
Jodi is both a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over 50 novels and countless short story collections.
With five RITA’s to her credit, along with National Readers’ Choice Awards and Booksellers’ Best Awards, Jodi has proven her skill as a master storyteller, and in July 2006, was the 11th writer to be inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame.
Her latest novel The Little Tea Shop on Main, while still focusing on love, diverts slightly from the romance genre into women’s fiction.
So listen in as Jodi and I chat about this amazing book and how to get so deep into your characters that both you and your readers feel that they are real people.
In this episode Jodi and I discuss:
- Giving each viewpoint character a distinct voice.
- How to craft three equally weighted protagonists in one story.
- Creating characters that extend beyond the page for your readers.
- How to use supporting characters for more than just a plot twist.
- Painting a realistic picture on the page by “walking the land” of your story.
Plus, Jodi’s #1 tip for writers.
About Jodi Thomas
With millions of books in print, Jodi Thomas is both a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over 50 novels and countless short story collections. Her stories travel through the past and present days of Texas and draw readers from around the world.
In July 2006, Jodi was the 11th writer to be inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. With five RITA’s to her credit, along with National Readers’ Choice Awards and Booksellers’ Best Awards, Jodi has proven her skill as a master storyteller.
Honored in 2002 as a Distinguished Alumni by Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, Jodi also served as Writer in Residence at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas.
When not working on a novel or inspiring students to pursue a writing career, Jodi enjoys traveling with her husband, renovating a historic home, and “checking up” on their grown sons and four grandchildren.
Her latest novel the women’s fiction title, The Little Tea Shop on Main, is now available.
To connect with Jodi check out her website at www.jodithomas.com.
The Little Tea Shop on Main
A rainy-day ritual—a tea party between three little girls—becomes the framework of not only their friendship, but their lives.
Redheaded, curly-haired Zoe is openhearted, kind and free-spirited, and dreams of becoming a famous actor in New York City. Shy Emily struggles with mental health but has the heart and soul of a writer. And Shannon—tall, athletic, strong—has a deep sense of loyalty that will serve her well when she heads off to military college.
As Zoe, Emily and Shannon grow into women—forging careers, following dreams and finding love—they’ll learn that life doesn’t always unfold the way they want it to, but through it all, the one constant is each other, and their regular tea parties. And when the unthinkable happens, the girls must come together to face the greatest test of all.
A deeply moving novel about the family that raises us, the hearts that nurture us and the great friendships that define our lives.
If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!
(Right-click to download.)
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Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!
