Double Feature: “Sedona” Unearths the Secrets of a Tourist Town and “The Wisdom of Morrie” is About Living and Aging Creatively and Joyfully

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In this episode 368, we feature Kerry Fryar Freeman and her debut novel Sedona, which follows a spunky editor’s journey behind the veil of a quirky and beautiful town that’s hiding some deep secrets. Author Tom McCaffrey says “Ms. Freeman proves that Sedona really is a state of mind that can be experienced in the pages of her excellent book.” We also hear about Kerry’s blog Books and Bevies and her tips for book marketing.

We also feature Rob Schwartz, editor of the book, “The Wisdom of Morrie” and the son of Morrie Schwartz, the man who wrote the book and who was the subject of the multi-million copy bestseller “Tuesdays with Morrie” by Mitch Albom. Morrie Schwartz passed away from ALS at age 78 after a career as a social psychologist and teacher. The book draws on Morrie’s experience to address how to live and age creatively and gracefully. 

Show discussion highlights from Kerry Fryar Freeman interview:

  • What makes Sedona such a compelling place to visit in person, or in the pages of a book
  • Tips for making your characters feel embodied in their setting
  • How to write about a place you’ve never visited
  • The universal appeal of fish-out-of-water stories
  • How being creative and tapping into a writer community can help with book marketing
  • Kerry’s plans for a Sedona trilogy

Show discussion highlights from Rob Schwartz’s interview:

  • What it means to age creatively and gracefully
  • The memory of Morrie Schwartz
  • The path to publishing the book and why publish
  • The story behind the book title
  • A favorite story from the book
  • A favorite piece of advice
  • Fear versus hope
  • The challenge of editing
  • A reading from the book about living joyously

Brief author bios:

Kerry Fryar Freeman’s debut novel, Sedona, was long-listed for the Santa Fe Writers Project Literary Award. Kerry also writes a blog called “Books and Bevies” where she features an array of authors from New York Times and Amazon bestsellers to debut indie gems. Kerry currently resides in North Carolina and is a member of the NC Writers’ Network and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association.

ROB SCHWARTZ (Waltham, Mass, near Boston) has many years of experience as a journalist, music/film producer, and entrepreneur. Rob has founded a number of companies, both in Japan and the US, and held executive positions in others. He’s produced numerous film and music projects with international teams. His areas of expertise include the entertainment industries in Asia, the US, and Europe. His projects often have a special emphasis on music, film, online business development, developing musical artists careers. In addition, he has been reporting for Billboard magazine on Asia since 2007. Rob is one of the producers of Onetopia, a benefit music festival slated for 2024. Rob has recently appeared on Good Morning America, Nightline, PBS NewsHour, NBC10 Boston and in WebMD, Psychology Today, Reader’s Digest, People, and many podcasts about this new book by his late father, Morrie.

Learn more about Kerry and her book HERE.

Learn more about Rob and the book HERE.

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