Fully Booked: The Hidden Gems Author Podcast

Fully Booked EP117: A Psychological Approach to Character Development

In today's episode of Fully Booked, we dive deep into the human mind for a unique psychological spin on character development. Caroline Dunford, novelist, lecturer and forensic psychologist, takes us through the profound impact of using psychological principles to shape memorable and multi-dimensional characters. As the author of over 20 mystery novels and an expert in the psychological underpinnings of criminal behavior, Caroline provides a fascinating exploration of how an understanding of forensic psychology enriches the depth and authenticity of fictional characters.
Her expertise offers a roadmap for authors seeking to elevate their characters through balancing both their strengths and vulnerabilities, building rich backstories that explain current behavior, and using empathy to bring readers closer to not only our heroes, but our darkest villains as well. Applying an understanding of the human psyche to your characters will help humanize them, burning them into the minds of your readers and keeping them alive long after they've read your final page.
 
Caroline Dunfordhttps://caroline-dunford.squarespace.com/
 
Hidden Gems
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Fully Booked EP116: Old Stories, New Angles: Giving Classic Tales a Modern Twist

In this week's episode of Fully Booked, we sit down with Jeanne Blasberg for an enthralling discussion on the transformative art of re-envisioning classic narratives for the contemporary reader. Blasberg is known for transforming age-old tales into contemporary narratives, such as in her novel "Daughter of Promise"—a modern retelling of a biblical tale. Through adapting and reimagining the classics, authors can refresh such stories to better reflect current societal norms and values.
As Blasberg explains, it is possible to reshape familiar plots with sensitivity and creativity, ensuring they resonate powerfully with today's audiences while still preserving the essence of the original. Many classic stories maintain their relevance through the ages but often get forgotten, lost, or discounted due to cultural shifts. Modern retellings can add layered dimensions that build upon these timeless tales, creating new narratives that maintain the original themes while broadening their appeal to a contemporary audience.
 
Jeanne Blasberghttps://jeanneblasberg.com/
 
Hidden Gems
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Fully Booked EP115: Steering Clear of Predatory Publishing Traps

In this week’s episode of Fully Booked, we delve into the murky waters of the publishing industry with a special focus on predatory publishing practices. Our conversation with Walter Broach, a spiritual and metaphysical author with a wealth of experience and insights, sheds light on a variety of traps that both emerging and established authors should be wary of. In attempt to help others avoid his mistakes, Walter shares his personal journey of navigating his way through a variety of questionable paid services that promised much more than they delivered.
Walter's candid recounting serves as a cautionary tale, but also moves on to discuss the more viable self-publishing alternatives available to authors. It is an important reminder about how much misleading information is out there, and how not all authors are aware that they can do almost everything needed to publish their book completely for free. It's simply a matter of doing your due diligence and spending time in the writing community where many of the answers are freely available, with your peers often happy to help point you in the right direction.
 
Walter Broachhttps://aboutspiritualenergy.com/
 
Hidden Gems
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Fully Booked EP114: Sister Act: Unveiling the Co-Authoring Experience

Collaborative writing can take many forms, and in this week's episode, we delve into the story of two authors who have defied the physical distance between them to co-author and self-publish an impressive array of novels. With a blend of romantic suspense, comedy, and second-chance romance, Charlene Tess and Judi Thompson have leveraged their distinct strengths and modern communication tools to become a cross-state writing powerhouse.
Unique challenges are inherent in any writing partnership, but when these obstacles are seen as opportunities, they can enhance the creative process. Blending the spontaneous instincts of Judi's 'pantser' mentality with Charlene's more structured 'plotter' foresight, the sisters have developed a collaborative strategy that has flourished over a decade of publishing success. 
To them, the essence of a fruitful writing partnership is in finding a balance in temperaments, honoring mutual creative freedom, and allowing your work process to evolve over time. Judi and Charlene are an inspiring model for collaboration that's both relatable and attainable, whether you're seasoned in co-writing or just starting out, and regardless of whether your writing partner is a family member or just a friend.
 
Charlene Tess & Judi Thompsonhttps://sisterswritingcrime.blogspot.com/
 
Hidden Gems
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Fully Booked EP113: Where Do Writing and AI Intersect?

On this week's episode of Fully Booked, Craig and Roland welcome Jennifer Lewy to the podcast. Jennifer, a seasoned author with considerable AI experience, shares her insights and experiences on the many innovative ways authors can take advantage of Artificial Intelligence tools in their self-publishing career, while at the same time staying aware of the potential pitfalls and problems this new technology might pose in the future.
Drawing on her extensive background in the tech industry, Jennifer provides a distinctive perspective on the role of AI in the writing and publishing process, with first-hand knowledge on a variety of tools such as Sudowrite and Novelcrafter. She advocates for the use of AI not as a replacement, but as a means of amplifying creativity, overcoming obstacles, and expanding reach. Whether you are already incorporating AI into your writing regimen or are simply intrigued by its prospective impact, today's discussion sheds light on the many ways authors can take advantage of everything AI has to offer.
 
Jennifer Lewyhttps://jenniferlewy.com/
 
Hidden Gems
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Fully Booked EP112: Podcast Launchpad: Propelling Your Book into the Spotlight

While many people complain that podcasting has become an oversaturated industry, there are millions of daily listeners who’d say something different. Podcasting still offers a powerful platform for those with specific and niche interests to build an audience, and getting featured on those podcasts is a wonderful opportunity for authors to reach new readers.
But how does one get started making guest appearances on podcasts? That’s a question that Craig and Roland posed to this week’s guest, “THE Podcast Matchmaker” Michelle Glogovac.
Michelle specializes in connecting authors with podcasts, and in this week’s episode of Fully Booked, she explains how that process works, offers advice on how to market yourself as an attractive podcast guest, and talks about the value of leveraging this popular form of entertainment. If you’re looking to expand your readership organically, you’re going to find this episode really valuable. 
 
Michelle Glogovac
https://michelleglogovac.com/
https://themlgcollective.com/
 
 
Hidden Gems
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Fully Booked EP111: Building Believable Science Fiction Universes

The term “Space Lawyer” might sound like something out of science fiction, but that’s the real life career of attorney Laura Montgomery, whose practice “Ground Based Space Matters” specializes in regulatory space law and Outer Space Treaties.
All of which provides ample inspiration for Laura’s other specialization - writing and self-publishing science fiction! Her knowledge of space, and the laws that govern it (or lack of them,) have enabled her to create incredible fictional universes rooted in believable science, set both in the near future and eons ahead of us.
In this week’s episode of Fully Booked, Laura talks to Craig and Roland about how to approach building a believable science fiction universe - and how to introduce it as the backdrop for your stories without giving readers a daunting exposition dump to plough through. 
If you’re a science fiction or speculative fiction author, there’s a lot to learn from this discussion - mostly about writing, but also about the practice of “space law” itself! 
 
Laura Montgomeryhttps://groundbasedspacematters.com
 
Hidden Gems
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Fully Booked EP110: How Can Authors Best Represent Disability in Fiction?

On today's episode of Fully Booked, Craig and Roland explore the portrayal of disabilities in literature, with a focus on the often misunderstood realm of invisible disabilities. Invisible disabilities refer to conditions that aren't obvious when simply looking at a person, yet still deeply affect the lives of individuals that have them. To help them navigate these tricky waters, they’re joined by author Michael Coolwood, who shares his personal journey of writing with and about his own disabilities.
Michael explains the intricate balance authors must strike between authenticity and the expectations of a market that may not fully grasp the realities of mental and neurological diversity. Invisible disabilities in particular are often uniquely experienced by the individuals they touch, challenging the cookie-cutter perceptions that often pervade popular fiction. Michael takes us through various approaches to handling these challenges, along with the potential pitfalls of each. While self-publishing offers the chance for a more authentic portrayal of the disabled experience, it must be handled with care to achieve a balance between genuine representation and commercial success.
 
Michael Coolwoodhttps://coolwoodbooks.com/
 
Hidden Gems
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Fully Booked EP109: Kickstarting the Creative Process

In today's episode of Fully Booked, Craig and Roland are joined by indie filmmaker and writer Andrew Schrader to explore the nuances of igniting and sustaining the creative spark. The source of creative inspiration is as individual to every writer as a fingerprint, and leveraging that inspiration often takes a variety of diverse techniques, habits, and intuitive actions that are unique to every author. Andrew explains how he employs an array of motivational tactics and personal rituals to fan the flames of his own creativity, and helps outline how to get started using many of these techniques. From accessing his subconscious to solve creative blocks, maintaining lists of inspiring ideas for freewriting sessions, and the importance of relying on your own intuition, there are so many approaches that authors can pick and choose from to find the ones that work best for them.
Andrew credits literary icon Ray Bradbury for the inspiration behind his disciplined yet fluid daily creative routine, which involves a healthy dose of both reading and writing. This practice not only sharpened his prose, but established a habit that transformed him into a prolific writer, having now published four short story collections of his own. Regardless of one's unique lifestyle or passion, daily routines can be tailored to fit even the busiest of schedules, fostering increased inspiration and creativity—a boon for any author.
 
Andrew Schraderhttps://www.andrewjschrader.com/
 
Hidden Gems
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Fully Booked EP108: The Writer's Roadmap: Using the 3-Act Structure to Drive Your Stories Forward

In this week’s episode of Fully Booked, hosts Craig and Roland delve into the world of story structure with Mel Mattison, author of gripping financial thrillers that he builds using one of the most resilient story frameworks of modern literature - the three-act structure.
Mel leads the discussion through the intricate art of crafting compelling narratives using this structure, dissecting the nuances of plot development, character arcs, and pacing within the context of self-publishing. From laying the groundwork in the setup phase to delivering satisfying resolutions in the final act, this episode offers a comprehensive roadmap for writers seeking to harness the power of the three-act structure in their creative endeavors. 
 
Mel Mattison
https://www.melmattison.com/
 
Hidden Gems
Need our help publishing or marketing your book? 
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All episode details and links: 
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https://www.hiddengemsbooks.com/podcast