Elly is the author of the Ruth Galloway and Brighton mystery series and the stand-alone novels The Stranger Diaries and The Postscript Murders. She is a recipient of the Edgar Award for Best Novel, the Mary Higgins Clark Award and the CWA Dagger in the Library Award. She lives in Brighton, England.

Today we’ll be discussing The Postscript Murders, which was released earlier this year. The Night Hawks from her Ruth Galloway series is also out now, and The Midnight Hour (from her Brighton mystery series) is on sale November 2nd.

In this episode Elly and I discuss:

• Why so many people have been turning to mysteries during the pandemic.
• How to get readers to take a leap of faith and what you must do in return.
• Making sure that the right clue appears at the right time in a mystery novel.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Elly Griffiths

Elly Griffiths is the author of the Ruth Galloway and Brighton mystery series and the stand-alone novels The Stranger Diaries and The Postscript Murders. She is a recipient of the Edgar Award for Best Novel, the Mary Higgins Clark Award and the CWA Dagger in the Library Award. She lives in Brighton, England.

You can find her on her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The Postscript Murders

Murder leaps off the page when crime novelists begin to turn up dead in this intricate new novel by internationally best-selling author Elly Griffiths, a literary mystery perfect for fans of Anthony Horowitz and Agatha Christie.

The Night Hawks

There’s nothing Ruth Galloway hates more than amateur archaeologists, but when a group of them stumble upon Bronze Age artifacts alongside a dead body, she finds herself thrust into their midst—and into the crosshairs of a string of murders circling ever closer.

The Midnight Hour

The Brighton police force is on the hunt for another killer, but this time they have some competition—a newly formed all-women’s private eye firm, led by none other than the police chief’s wife.

If you decide to check out these books, we hope you’ll do so via these Amazon affiliate links: The Postscript Murders, The Night Hawks, The Midnight Hour, 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!

Link to Episode 369

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 369: Writing Mystery as Series and Stand-Alone Books – Interview with Elly Griffiths appeared first on DIY MFA.

Veronica was born in Brooklyn, New York, and has been a bit of a rolling stone ever since. Her work has appeared in various online publications. She is a graduate of the Viable Paradise Workshop and a member of SFWA (Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America).

She now writes from North Carolina, where she eschews rollerballs for fountain pens and fine paper. Other untreated addictions include chocolate and cupcakes.

Today we’ll be talking about her debut novel (which I am reading and LOVING) Bacchanal.

In this episode Veronica and I discuss:

• Her literary influences and how they each blur the line between real and fantasy.
• Why she included the downsides to her protagonist having an amazing ability.
• What scenes were difficult for her to write and how she powered through.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Veronica G. Henry

Veronica G. Henry was born in Brooklyn, New York, and has been a bit of a rolling stone ever since. Her work has appeared in various online publications. She is a graduate of the Viable Paradise Workshop and a member of SFWA.

She now writes from North Carolina, where she eschews rollerballs for fountain pens and fine paper. Other untreated addictions include chocolate and cupcakes. 

You can find Veronica on her website or follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

Bacchanal

Evil lives in a traveling carnival roaming the Depression-era South. But the carnival’s newest act, a peculiar young woman with latent magical powers, may hold the key to defeating it. Her time has come.

Abandoned by her family, alone on the wrong side of the color line with little to call her own, Eliza Meeks is coming to terms with what she does have. It’s a gift for communicating with animals. To some, she’s a magical tender. To others, a she-devil. To a talent prospector, she’s a crowd-drawing oddity. And the Bacchanal Carnival is Eliza’s ticket out of the swamp trap of Baton Rouge.

Among fortune-tellers, carnies, barkers, and folks even stranger than herself, Eliza finds a new home. But the Bacchanal is no ordinary carnival. An ancient demon has a home there too. She hides behind an iridescent disguise. She feeds on innocent souls. And she’s met her match in Eliza, who’s only beginning to understand the purpose of her own burgeoning powers.

Only then can Eliza save her friends, find her family, and fight the sway of a primordial demon preying upon the human world. Rolling across a consuming dust bowl landscape, Eliza may have found her destiny.

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!

Link to Episode 368

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 368: Intention, Agency, and Choice: How to Write Three-Dimensional Characters – Interview with Veronica G. Henry appeared first on DIY MFA.

Tasha is an award-winning author, occasional librarian and cat owner. Her books include the Books of Ambha duology and The Jasmine Throne, (which is out now).

When she isn’t writing, Tasha likes to cry over TV shows, buy too many notebooks, and indulge her geeky passion for reading about South Asian history. She lives with her family in a mildly haunted house in London.

In this episode Tasha and I discuss:

• Why she wanted to depict different kinds of strength and how she pulled it off.
• Her advice for tying together multiple points of view. (Her novel has ten POVs!)
• How to write a book proposal for a novel and other advice for getting published.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Tasha Suri

Tasha Suri is an award-winning author, occasional librarian and cat owner. Her books include the Books of Ambha duology and The Jasmine Throne, out in June. When she isn’t writing, Tasha likes to cry over TV shows, buy too many notebooks, and indulge her geeky passion for reading about South Asian history. She lives with her family in a mildly haunted house in London.

You can find Tasha on her website or follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

The Jasmine Throne

Tasha Suri’s The Jasmine Throne begins the powerful Burning Kingdoms trilogy, in which two women—a long-imprisoned princess and a maidservant in possession of forbidden magic—come together to rewrite the fate of an empire.

Exiled by her despotic brother when he claimed their father’s kingdom, Malini spends her days trapped in the Hirana: an ancient, cliffside temple that was once the source of the magical deathless waters, but is now little more than a decaying ruin.

A servant in the regent’s household, Priya makes the treacherous climb to the top of the Hirana every night to clean Malini’s chambers. She is happy to play the role of a drudge so long as it keeps anyone from discovering her ties to the temple and the dark secret of her past.

One is a vengeful princess seeking to steal a throne. The other is a powerful priestess seeking to save her family. Their destinies will become irrevocably tangled.

And together, they will set an empire ablaze.

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!

Link to Episode 361

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 361: Villains and Villainy, Antagonists and Obstacles: Crafting Conflict in Epic Fantasy – Interview with Tasha Suri appeared first on DIY MFA.

Jas is a best-selling author, book coach, and resilience speaker who specialises in stories that change lives. Growing up in a small country town, Jas first fell in love with the power of literature as a young girl, and would often disappear into the world of writing to escape from the family violence in her home. It was here that she made a promise to one day find a way to support other survivors and victims of domestic violence; and in 2016, she fulfilled that promise by co-founding Brisbane’s first permanent domestic violence memorial.

Endorsed by names like Kevin Hines and Lifeline, Jas has been featured across major media outlets including ABC and Authority Magazine, and in 2021, was named as one of Yahoo Finance’s top 10 book coaches to watch. She believes that everyone has a story with the power to inspire, impact, and change lives.

In this episode Jas and I discuss:

• Why good storytelling is so important to successfully conveying your message.
• Common misconceptions about memoir and create a shared vocabulary.
• Her advice for writing about difficult memories and the importance of self-care.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Jas Rawlinson

Jas Rawlinson is a best-selling author, book coach and resilience speaker who specialises in stories that change lives. Growing up in a small country town, Jas first fell in love with the power of literature as a young girl, and would often disappear into the world of writing to escape from the family violence in her home. It was here that she made a promise to one day find a way to support other survivors and victims of domestic violence; and in 2016, she fulfilled that promise by co-founding Brisbane’s first permanent domestic violence memorial.

Endorsed by names like Kevin Hines and Lifeline, Jas has been featured across major media outlets including ABC and Authority Magazine, and in 2021, was named as one of Yahoo Finance’s top 10 book coaches to watch. She believes that everyone has a story with the power to inspire, impact, and change lives.

You can find Jas on her website or follow her on Instagram and Goodreads.

Reasons to Live: One More Day, Every Day, Volume 3

A young girl, groomed into the sex industry…

A champion water skier, placed into a coma and left with permanent disability after a freak accident…

An educated, established woman living ‘The American Dream,’ yet struggling with a secret addiction…

And one theme that connects them all: resilience, and a determination to not just survive but to also thrive.

Described as life changing, “unputdownable,” and refreshingly relatable, Reasons to Live: One More Day, Every Day is more than a collection of stories; it’s a movement that has inspired and changed the lives of thousands worldwide. 

A must-read book for anyone searching for hope, purpose, and reasons to live one more day, every day.

You can pre-order your copy of this book book on her website.

Link to Episode 360

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 360: Unpacking Memories for a Memoir – Interview with Jas Rawlinson appeared first on DIY MFA.