Living The Writing Life Podcast with Nancy Christie

In Conversation With…Peter Berk, novelist and screenwriter

Peter Berk is the son of noted writer Howard Berk, whose credits included Columbo, Mission: Impossible and several novels and features.

Peter has co-written several screenplays with his father, and on his own has written a recently-optioned sci-fi/time travel TV pilot, seven scripts and five novels in the TimeLock series, the first of which was published in late 2022 and is available here.

He also co-authored a non-fiction book with actor Dick Van Patten that was published some 15 years ago. Peter lives in Southern California and is the proud father of two sons and one grandson, with another grandson and a granddaughter on the way the first half of 2023.

You can learn more about Peter and his novel here, or follow him on Facebook and Instagram. 

In today’s conversation, we’ll be talking about the experience of collaborating with his father on creative projects, and the challenges and advantages of turning a screenplay into a book.

Thoughts on writing and life for February 2023

Just a few thoughts on why we need to show our writing self some love on a consistent basis.

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In Conversation With … Tyler James Russell

Tyler James Russell is the author of When Fire Splits the Sky (2022), a novel, and To Drown a Man (2020), a poetry collection, both from Unsolicited Press.

His writing has been nominated for the Rhysling and Best of the Net, and has appeared or is forthcoming in Asimov’s Science Fiction, F(r)iction, Janus Literary, and the NonBinary Review, among others.

Tyler works as an educator and lives in Pennsylvania with his wife Cat and their children. You can find him at Tylerjamesrussell.com, on Twitter at @TJamesRussell, or on Instagram @_TJamesRussell.

In today’s conversation, we’ll be talking about how art shapes his life, and how his life experiences shape his art.

Thoughts on writing and life for January 2023

Just a few thoughts on why we need to match our goals and plans to our definition of writing success.

 

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In Conversation With … Ramona Reeves, author

Ramona Reeves’ interlinked story collection, It Falls Gently All Around and Other Stories (University of Pittsburgh Press), won the 2022 Drue Heinz Literature Prize and is set in Mobile, Alabama, where she grew up.

She has been awarded an AROHO fellowship, a residency at Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, a scholarship from Community of Writers, and the Nancy D. Hargrove Editors’ Prize. Ramona also has served as an associate fiction editor for Kallisto Gaia Press.

Her stories and essays have appeared in The Southampton Review, Bayou Magazine, Pembroke, Superstition Review, Texas Highways and others.

For more about Ramona, visit her website and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

In today’s conversation, we’ll discuss the challenges and joys that are part of writing short stories.

Thoughts on writing and life for December 2022

Just a few thoughts on what three gifts we should give ourselves to foster our creative life.

 

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Thoughts on Writing and Life for November 2022

Just a few thoughts on why our most important goal as writers should be to connect with our readers.

 

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In Conversation With … Erica Bauermeister, author

 

Erica Bauermeister is the best-selling author of four novels, including The School of Essential Ingredients and the 2020 Reese’s Book Club pick The Scent Keeper.

She has also written a memoir entitled House Lessons: Renovating a Life and is the co-author of two readers’ guides to books: 500 Great Books by Women and Let’s Hear It For the Girls.

Erica’s fifth novel, No Two Persons, will be published in May 2023. Her books are available on Bookshop and other bookstores.

She lives with her husband in Port Townsend, WA.

For more about Erica, visit her website and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

In today’s conversation, we’ll be talking about how a place can affect a writer’s sense of identity as well as the choices of what actions or non-actions the writer takes within that space.

Thoughts on Writing and Life for October 2022

Just a few thoughts on how an insignificant object from our past can become a guidepost for our writing life

 

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In Conversation With… Chante Thomas, author

Chante Thomas is a twenty-eight-year veteran fifth-grade teacher in Shaker Heights, Ohio and has been writing children’s stories over the span of her career.

In 2017, she decided it was time to bring her stories to life and published her first book, Where I’m From, sharing the geographic story of five diverse children with roots in the United States, Africa, and Asia.

Her second book, Go To School Tommy is about the power of a smile, and her third book, Sean and the Book Cures, told from a kid’s perspective, takes readers through the unforgettable year Covid-19 disrupted lives. Chante is currently finishing her fourth book, Sean and the Great Sacrifice, Can You Spare a Kidney?— a story about love and organ donation.

Chante is the mother of two sons and is a caregiver to her 88-year-old mother. Her desire is to inspire youth to not only read but to also encourage them to create, build and write their own stories yielding from their own personal adventures.

For more about Chante, visit her website and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

In today’s conversation, we’ll be talking about the role of books in helping children and adults better understand themselves, other people, and life events.