Fully Booked: The Hidden Gems Author Podcast

Fully Booked EP227: Building Atmosphere Through Setting

This week on Fully Booked, Craig and Roland sit down with debut novelist Marc S. Perlman to explore how setting can become far more than a backdrop. Inspired by a real journey through an ancient forest on the border of Poland and Belarus, Marc discusses how the eerie landscape at the center of his thriller evolved into a living presence within the story itself. From hidden dangers in the woods to the tension of crossing political borders, the conversation dives into the power of atmosphere and the role setting plays in shaping suspense, emotion, and character.
Marc explains how he used weather, isolation, borders, and the smallest sensory details to transform the emotional tone of his scenes, and how those elements can make a setting come alive on the page. The discussion explores why forests have traditionally carried an ominous presence throughout storytelling history, and more broadly how real world locations can inspire richer fiction. While a gripping plot and compelling characters may hook a reader, it is often atmosphere that keeps them turning pages long into the night. 
 
Marc Perlman
https://marcsperlman.com/
 
 
Hidden Gems
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Fully Booked EP226: From Page To Stage

This week on Fully Booked, returning guest Jennifer Lieberman joins us for a fascinating conversation about playwriting, theater production, and what authors can learn from writing for the stage. From the differences between novels, screenplays, and plays to the realities of development readings, audience feedback, and workshop productions, Jennifer breaks down why theater remains one of the most collaborative and demanding storytelling mediums there is.
Whether you're writing something from scratch or adapting an existing story for the stage, building a playwriting career is often a long game rather than a path to overnight success. Jennifer shares hard-earned insight into what it really takes to bring an idea from concept to performance, drawing on her experiences in stand-up comedy, television development, and Broadway workshops. Whether you're a novelist, playwright, or screenwriter, this discussion is packed with lessons about persistence, audience connection, creative evolution, and the courage to keep creating before anyone else believes in the vision.
 
Jennifer Lieberman
https://www.makeyourownbreak.com/
 
Hidden Gems
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Fully Booked EP225: Telling Hard Stories the Right Way

In this week’s episode of Fully Booked, Craig and Roland are joined by author, speaker, and radio host Grace Sammon to discuss the emotional responsibility that comes with writing stories rooted in difficult truths. Drawing from her experience writing both fiction and non-fiction, Grace shares how she approaches themes like trauma, abuse, and identity in a way that keeps readers engaged and supported, while still maintaining the authenticity needed to deliver a meaningful message.
As she explains, authors can balance honesty with care in a variety of ways, from using beta readers to navigate sensitive material to understanding how genre expectations shape reader reactions. The discussion also explores writing flawed characters, the role of truth in storytelling, and how authors can guide readers through heavy emotional moments without overwhelming them. For writers tackling complex subject matter, this episode offers both practical insight and a thoughtful perspective on how to write difficult material without losing your reader. 
 
Grace Sammon
https://www.gracesammon.net/
 
Hidden Gems
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Fully Booked EP224: The Art of Grammar

In this episode of Fully Booked, we sit down with Patty McGee to rethink a fundamental yet often intimidating aspect of writing. While many authors see grammar as a strict set of rules to follow, Patty invites us to view it as an art form, something fluid, expressive, and deeply connected to a writer’s voice. By shifting this perspective, grammar becomes less of a constraint and more of a creative tool for clarity and connection, easing the anxiety so many writers feel around it.
Patty builds on this idea by exploring how grammar shifts depending on audience and context, and why intentional choices should matter more than rigid correctness. She emphasizes that mastery of language is not about memorizing rules, but about developing a sense of rhythm, meaning, and impact on the reader. For authors seeking to balance technical precision with an authentic voice, today's conversation is a helpful reminder that grammar can be more than just structure, but expression as well. 
 
Patty McGee
https://pattymcgee.org/
 
Hidden Gems
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Fully Booked EP223: The Long Game of a Working Writer

In this episode of Fully Booked, we sit down with veteran author Matt Hughes to explore what it really means to build a sustainable writing career beyond the glare of bestseller lists. Drawing on decades of experience across genres, markets, and industries, Matt shares how his unconventional path from crime fiction to science fiction and fantasy led to a deeply rewarding creative life. His experience demonstrates how craft, persistence, and adaptability can shape a lasting career in publishing.
Today’s discussion challenges common assumptions about success, which doesn't always require an author to become a household name. Modern publishing allows for multiple income opportunities for writers looking to make a living on their own terms, from magazine publishing and newsletters to Patreon support and building direct relationships with readers. It is not about chasing trends or mass appeal, but about understanding your voice, your audience, and committing to the long game of storytelling.
 
Matt Hughes
https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B000APWEIQ
 
Hidden Gems
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Fully Booked EP222: One Book Two Markets

Marketing a cross-genre book can be challenging, but usually there’s at least some overlap between audiences. Romantic fantasy readers, for example, know exactly what they’re getting. But what happens when your book sits between two completely different markets? That’s the challenge facing this week’s guest, Charles E. Wallace Jr., whose story-driven book has the potential to appeal both to true crime readers and to those looking for practical guidance on protecting elderly parents from financial exploitation. Attempting to target two very different groups at once can dilute your core message, forcing tough decisions about positioning, audience focus, and how to present your book to the world.
In today’s episode, Charles walks us through what he’s learned from navigating that challenge, as we discuss how to identify your primary audience, when to split your marketing versus unify it, and how to avoid getting lost between categories. At the same time, the conversation is driven by the gripping real-life story that led to the book in the first place. As compelling as that story is, it reinforces an important lesson: Even the strongest narrative won’t sell itself without a clear strategy behind it. So for authors working on unconventional or hard-to-categorize books, success comes down to clarity, focus, and making intentional marketing decisions from the start.
 
Charles E. Wallace Jr.
https://thecaregiversgame.com/
 
 
Hidden Gems
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Fully Booked EP221: True Crime Through the Lens of Time

This week on Fully Booked, we’re joined by true crime author and radio host Alan R. Warren for a fascinating discussion on the genre of true crime, and why he believes the most compelling stories are those told through the lens of their time. With nearly 40 books to his name, Alan shares how his work goes far beyond recounting events, focusing instead on the historical, cultural, and social forces that shape both the crime and the people involved. By placing context at the center of every story, his approach reframes true crime as something deeper than a simple sequence of events.
Alan takes us through his process for building these narratives, showing how immersive research and firsthand interviews allow him to recreate the mindset of an era so readers can understand how people thought and behaved at the time. That perspective not only adds depth and authenticity, but often reveals how certain crimes were even possible in the first place. The result is a body of work that continues to resonate with readers, and a compelling reminder that the most powerful true crime stories are not just about what happened, but why they could only have happened when they did.
 
Alan R. Warren
https://www.alanrwarren.com/
 
Hidden Gems
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Fully Booked EP220: Building a Career in Children's Books

In this episode of Fully Booked, Craig and Roland speak with prolific children’s author Molly Arbuthnott about what it really takes to move from an initial idea to a growing catalog of published work. From making the decision to pursue writing full time to developing stories and themes that connect with young readers, today's conversation explores both the creative and practical sides of writing for children.
The discussion also goes beyond the page, as Molly shares insights into working with illustrators, navigating self-publishing and traditional routes, and balancing creative passion with the business realities of marketing in a competitive space. For practical advice and an honest look at what it takes to build a sustainable career in children’s books, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.
 
Molly Arbuthnott
https://www.mollyarbuthnott.co.uk/about/
 
Hidden Gems
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Fully Booked EP219: Finding the Story Inside the Draft

In this episode of Fully Booked, we’re joined by author and book coach Jen Braaksma, who shares her journey from teacher to full-time writing coach, and how that path shaped the way she helps writers bring their stories to life. With experience working with over a hundred authors while also publishing her own novels, Jen offers insight into what a book coach actually does and the role guidance can play when a manuscript isn’t quite coming together.
Jen shares a fascinating case where she was asked to help shape and finish a manuscript written by an author who had passed away, forcing her to find the story’s voice and connective thread without being able to speak to its creator. Using that experience as a lens, the conversation expands into the broader challenges writers face, from identifying what a story is really about maintaining consistency, structure, and momentum through revisions. It’s a thoughtful look at how raw ideas become cohesive books, and what it takes to turn a draft into something that truly works.
 
Jen Braaksmahttps://www.jenbraaksma.com/
 
Hidden Gems
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Fully Booked EP218: Why Power-based Social Hierarchies Hook YA Readers

In this week’s episode of Fully Booked, Craig and Roland are joined by science fiction author Evan Kidwell for a conversation about why power-driven social hierarchies remain such a compelling force in YA fiction. Using the caste system and bloodline structure from his own debut novel as a starting point, Evan explains how stories built around rank, exclusion, and emerging power speak directly to the adolescent experience.
The episode also explores the emotional pull of underdog stories, the role of flawed, hierarchical societies in fiction, and the challenges around building complex fantasy worlds shaped by power, status, loyalty, and survival. Together, these storytelling elements help explain some of YA’s most enduring hooks, and why readers keep returning to them not only in their teens, but as adults as well.
 
Evan Kidwellhttps://www.timeaousspark.com/
 
Hidden Gems
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All episode details and links: 
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