A Christmas Novel, a Football Story, and Mental Health and the Struggling Writer

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:39:54 — 91.5MB)

Episode 319 is full of holiday cheer! Paul Reali joins us as a guest co-host and we have an interview with internationally bestselling author Wade Rouse, aka Viola Shipman, about his new heartwarming Christmas rom-com A Wish for Winter. We also feature Carey Henry Keefe’s book A Tide of Dreams: The Untold Backstory of Coaches Paul “Bear” Bryant, Carney Laslie, and Frank Moseley, and we discuss Lucy McLaren’s blog post about mental health for writers.

Today’s Featured Authors:

Wade Rouse aka Viola Shipman Time Stamp: 9:20

A Wish for Winter, named a Country Living must-read holiday novel for 2022, follows a Christmas-obsessed bookseller on the verge of 40 whose friends and family set her up on a year’s worth of dates (all on major holidays) so that she may find her one true love.

Carey Henry Keefe Time Stamp: 44:38

A Tide of Dreams is the true story of three football coaches from the University of Alabama whose coaching style was put to work in a little-known program for the Navy during WWII.

Lucy McLaren Time Stamp: 1:05:50

Lucy McLaren shares her blog post “Mental Health and the Struggling Writer,” which explores how to push back against the negative energy that sometimes haunts writers.

Community Updates:

Listen to our episode for updates on the Charlotte writing community, including events from the Charlotte Writers Club, Charlotte Lit, and more.

Host Updates:

         Sarah: I just had a short story accepted into a journal (I’ll share the link when it comes out!) and have also been writing some articles for the Phoenix Screenwriters Association. On January 18th, I’ll be speaking to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s Writers Beyond Borders group. You can register here for free.

         Landis: I’m wrapping up the first phase of my Deadly Declarations book tour. I’ve also finished going back through all the existing Charlotte Readers Podcast episodes to pull quotes on writing from our authors–stay tuned for the upcoming compilations I’m putting together.

Book Recommendations: Time Stamp: 1:21:20

Libro.fm’s credit bundles are a great way to purchase audiobooks for yourself or to give as holiday gifts. This year, anyone who purchases a credit bundle gets a free seasonal audiobook for themselves. Choices include Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris, Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory, The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer, and more. For details: https://tidd.ly/3EaWlbL

         Sarah recommends:

         Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh

         Landis recommends:

         Blackwater Falls by Ausma Zehanat Khan 

          Paul Reali recommends:

         Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan

Mark West, Storied Charlotte Blog, recommends:

Carol by Darin Kennedy 

Alyssa Pressler, That’s Novel Books, recommends: 

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

2-Minute Tip: Time Stamp: 31:30

Don’t miss Charlotte Lit co-founder and executive director Paul Reali’s tip about Gifts for the Writer in Your Life, Which Might Be You.

One of the gifts he recommends is the gift of craft books for writers. He recommends:

On Writing, by Stephen King

Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott

The Emotional Craft of Fiction, by Donald Maass

Your Life as Story, by Tristine Rainer

Meander, Spiral, Explode, by Jane Alison

The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win the Inner Creative, by Steven Pressfield

Writing Tips:

         From Lucy McLaren’s blog post “Mental Health and the Struggling Writer,” we take these tips:

  • Many of us are wired to focus on negative experiences and feedback, so make a conscious effort to celebrate the positives.
  • Schedule social media posts in advance so you can control the time you spend on apps.
  • Self-doubt is natural, but remember that you are brave for sharing your work!

Community Voices:

Thanks to the following authors for sharing their elevator pitches:

Mary Salisbury

Marianne Sprangers

Ellyn Bache

Takeaways:

As we approach the holidays, we’re grateful for the time each of us has to write, and for the reading and writing community in Charlotte and beyond.

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