Chapter 79 - Finding Light and Hope Through Writing with Mickey Black

Chapter 83 - Writing Personal Teen Experiences into Young Adult with Avery Timmons

Are you looking for ways to bring deeper authenticity to your young adult manuscripts? If so, chapter eighty-three of Literary Blend is for you. Avery Timmons joined me on the show to chat about writing personal teen experiences into young adult. From looking inward and drawing on heightened emotions to centering plots around specific activities and interests, Avery and I explored how we craft stories inspired by our own experiences from when we were teenagers. Whether you write young adult or not, I hope you find our conversation fascinating and gain a greater understanding of the YA age category. Are you enjoying Literary Blend? Do you have a topic suggestion for a chapter? Would you like to be a guest on the show? I would love to hear from you. Show Email: literaryblendpodcast@gmail.com Website: http://demimschwartz.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/demimschwartz Instagram: http://instagram.com/demimschwartz Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/demimschwartz.bsky.social Thank you so much for listening. Until we flip to the next chapter, happy reading and writing!

Chapter 82 - Emotional Shifts and the Creative Process with Lexi Heathermoor

Have you ever noticed how your writing can be affected by your emotions? If so, this is totally normal. For chapter eighty-two of Literary Blend, Lexi Heathermoor sat down with me to chat about emotional shifts and the creative process. Whether we’re feeling a certain way due to our publishing journeys or personal reasons, our emotions influence our inspiration and motivation because writing is a deeply human experience. I absolutely loved having Lexi on the show to cover such a vulnerable topic, so I hope you feel less alone as you chase your author dreams while riding your emotional roller coaster. Are you enjoying Literary Blend? Do you have a topic suggestion for a chapter? Would you like to be a guest on the show? I would love to hear from you. Show Email: literaryblendpodcast@gmail.com Website: http://demimschwartz.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/demimschwartz Instagram: http://instagram.com/demimschwartz Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/demimschwartz.bsky.social Thank you so much for listening. Until we flip to the next chapter, happy reading and writing!

Chapter 81 - Surviving Publishing’s Long Wait Times with Z. T. Fairfax

If you’re pursuing traditional publishing, waiting is an unavoidable part of every step in the process. For chapter eighty-one of Literary Blend, one of my author friends, Z. T. Fairfax, joined me to chat about surviving publishing’s long wait times. We talked about the reasons for these waiting periods, what we can do as authors to stay productive, and everything in between. Also, after our insightful conversation, Zack’s plot twist is one of the funniest yet. He actually googled the alphabet. I hope you enjoy listening and walk away from this chapter with refreshed knowledge for how you can make the most of the waiting periods on your own publishing journey. Are you enjoying Literary Blend? Do you have a topic suggestion for a chapter? Would you like to be a guest on the show? I would love to hear from you. Show Email: literaryblendpodcast@gmail.com Website: http://demimschwartz.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/demimschwartz Instagram: http://instagram.com/demimschwartz Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/demimschwartz.bsky.social Thank you so much for listening. Until we flip to the next chapter, happy reading and writing!

Chapter 80 - Horror from a Mortician’s Perspective with Victoria L. Bilstein

For authors who write horror and other dark genres, it’s important to handle difficult topics, like death and grief, in an accurate and respectful way. I couldn’t be more excited to share chapter eighty of Literary Blend with Victoria L. Bilstein, who is both an author and mortician. During our conversation, we talked about the importance of research for realistic representation, avoiding desensitization, answering the question why, tips for strengthening the reader’s connection to the characters, and more. Whether you write horror or not, all of Victoria’s wisdom is incredibly fascinating and insightful, so I hope you’ll give this chapter a listen and learn something new about portraying death in fiction. Are you enjoying Literary Blend? Do you have a topic suggestion for a chapter? Would you like to be a guest on the show? I would love to hear from you. Show Email: literaryblendpodcast@gmail.com Website: http://demimschwartz.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/demimschwartz Instagram: http://instagram.com/demimschwartz Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/demimschwartz.bsky.social Thank you so much for listening. Until we flip to the next chapter, happy reading and writing!

Chapter 79 - Finding Light and Hope Through Writing with Mickey Black

As authors, we find light and hope through writing, and Mickey Black joined me for chapter seventy-nine of Literary Blend to cover this relatable topic. From putting words on the page to process experiences and emotions to working on new stories to reignite our love for writing when publishing gets tough, Mickey and I had an open and honest conversation about the beauty of writing in all its forms, and specifically for us, fiction, poetry, and songs. I absolutely loved having Mickey on the show, so I hope you enjoy listening and feel inspired to search for the light in the darkness when life is hard and the publishing industry casts shadows over your dreams. Are you enjoying Literary Blend? Do you have a topic suggestion for a chapter? Would you like to be a guest on the show? I would love to hear from you. Show Email: literaryblendpodcast@gmail.com Website: http://demimschwartz.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/demimschwartz Instagram: http://instagram.com/demimschwartz Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/demimschwartz.bsky.social Thank you so much for listening. Until we flip to the next chapter, happy reading and writing!