Author: Ehsaneh

Interview with Heather Chaves, author of NO BAD DEED

Wednesday, November 25, 2020
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This week’s interview is with Heather Chavez, whose thriller NO BAD DEED tells the suspenseful story of a woman who’s husband has gone missing and who is trying desperately to protect her family from a deadly stalker. Below, Heather shares secrets about her main character, her proudest writing moments, her daughter’s sweet reaction to her book deal, and about that time she went on Oprah! Thanks for joining us Heather!…

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Interview with Jody A. Forrester, author of GUNS UNDER THE BED

Wednesday, November 18, 2020
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I’m so excited for this week’s interview with Jody A. Forrester, whose memoir GUNS UNDER THE BED tells of her transition in the late sixties from love child to peaceful Vietnam War protester to joining a communist organization whose ideology embraced violence against the ruling class! Read below for more about Jody’s incredible background, the story behind her book’s startling title, and her path toward writing. Thank you Jody!  …

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Ehsaneh’s Advice for New Writers

Thursday, November 12, 2020
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Today’s topic is Tips For New Writers. Here are four suggestions based on things I did (or wish I’d done!) along the way from inspiration to publication. 1. Have some very generous friends read as you write. If you’re writing a novel, that is a long journey with a lot of work and a lot of rejection. You’re going to need encouragement along the way. Now is not the time…

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Interview with Rachel Mans McKenny, author of THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT

Wednesday, November 4, 2020
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This week’s interview is with Rachel Mans McKenny, whose book THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT comes out on December 8th and tells the story of an entomology PhD during a year of family and romance-related drama. Read below about Rachel’s road to publication, her bucket list, the best money she’s spent as a writer, and more!   ABOUT RACHEL Rachel Mans McKenny is a writer, professor, and humorist from the Midwest. Her…

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Interview with Kelly Duran, author of CAN’T TAKE IT BACK

Wednesday, October 28, 2020
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This week’s interview is with Kelly Duran, whose book CAN’T TAKE IT BACK tells the interconnected stories of four women over the course of a kindergarten school year. Read below about Kelly’s transformative trip through Europe, her hope for connecting with readers through her books, and her recognition of writing as an integral and necessary part of her life that enhances all her other roles.    ABOUT KELLY Kelly Duran…

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So Distracted I Forgot to Write About Writing Through Distractions!!!

Friday, October 23, 2020
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So this is how Thursday went for me: 6am Yoga (yay! Got my exercise in) 7:30am Doing dishes leftover from last night when I was too. Tired. 8:00am Signed into work; how do we grow the bike movement today? (Note: still haven’t showered; Figure I’ll squeeze it in between meetings) 8:30am Text from Lyn: “Hi Ehsaneh – just wanted to remind you that today was your day to post about…

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Interview with Lois Ruskai Melina, author of THE GRAMMAR OF UNTOLD STORIES

Wednesday, October 21, 2020
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This week’s interview is with Lois Ruskai Melina, whose book THE GRAMMAR OF UNTOLD STORIES is a collection of sixteen stories that connect the personal to the political by considering question such as How do we heal? and How do we know when we are home? Read below about Lois’s regular first reader, her close connection to the outdoors, and her favorite time of day.   ABOUT LOIS Educated as…

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Interview with Catherine Wallace Hope, author of ONCE AGAIN

Monday, October 5, 2020
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This week’s interview is with Catherine Wallace Hope whose book ONCE AGAIN releases tomorrow! Congratulations Catherine! Read below about ugly crying over books, the story behind her title, the in-depth research she did for the book, and more!   ABOUT CATHERINE Catherine Wallace Hope grew up in Colorado, the setting for her thriller Once Again. She earned her degree in creative writing at the University of Colorado. She also delved…

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A DOOR BETWEEN US: A love letter to Tehran

Thursday, October 1, 2020
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Why did I move to Tehran in 1996? I’m still not sure. I hadn’t set foot in the country since we’d left in ‘81 leaving memories of Iraqi bombs and traumatic family imprisonments behind us. I suppose I was young and wanted adventure. I wanted to reconnect with my father’s family and homeland. And I had romantic notions of being of service in some way.  The first days, weeks, and…

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Interview with Laya Vivian Smith, author of THE LUMBERMILL

Wednesday, September 30, 2020
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This week’s interview is with Laya Vivian Smith whose book THE LUMBERMILL released just last week! Congratulations Laya! Read below about her proudest writing moment (in eighth grade!), advice for her younger writer self, the in-depth research she did for her book, and the heartbreaking loss of her long-time first reader.   ABOUT LAYA Laya V Smith is a member of International Thriller Writers, SCBWI, AWP, and LUW. Through no…

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