I’m kind of predictable in the sense that I’m usually going to be talking about crime or mysteries on this show. It’s just my nature—and the place I’m usually living.

But every now and then I like to branch out and bring someone on the show who writes in a totally different genre. So today I’ve got a fantasy author for you who has a really cool story about how she got started.

Danielle Orsino is an award-winning fantasy novelist whose lifelong vision is to create whimsical realms that her readers can escape to. The creative spark of storytelling has been with Danielle ever since she was a child, but martial arts and her nursing career took center stage into adulthood—until an unlikely event that reignited her creative fire.

But I’ll let her tell you about that.

We had a really fun conversation about writing, the world of fantasy, and so much more. We cover:

• How an encounter with a patient during her nursing years got her back to the writing desk

• Why she’s on the cover of her own novels

• Her obsession with creating strong women characters and how she approaches creating them

• The role her Yorkie plays in her books

This was a really fun conversation—I learned so much about a genre I don’t typically spend a lot of time in. If you’re a fantasy fan—or curious like me what draws people to the genre—you don’t want to miss this episode. Tune in wherever you get your podcasts.

You can find Danielle on Instagram @birthofthefae_novel/

I’m on @lizmugavero - follow for info on the latest episodes

You may not know this about me, but I have a dark little heart. I love thrillers and psychological suspense and anything that keeps me on the edge of my seat wondering what’s going to happen next.

So of course I love Edwin Hill’s books. Edwin is the author of the critically-acclaimed Hester Thursby mystery series, which have been nominated for multiple awards, as well as the standalones The Secrets We Share and Who to Believe. His books are wild rides of twists, turns and surprises and if that’s your jam, you will definitely love them.

And of course, because we’re writers, we can’t help but talk about our processes—and of course, plotting or pantsing.

We cover:

• Writing character-driven mysteries

• When writing turns dark and it’s kind of a surprise

• How we as writers tend to overcomplicate stories - and what happens when we chill out

• The role animals play in his books

This was such a great conversation. If you’re a thriller fan or if you just love hearing writers talk about writing—because we all do it so differently—you don’t want to miss this episode. Tune in wherever you get your podcasts.

You can find Edwin at https://www.edwin-hill.com/

And on Instagram @edwinhillauthor.

I’m on @lizmugavero - follow for info on the latest episodes!

What’s better than a writing career? Doing it with a group of besties, for sure. On the podcast this week, I have my OG writing friend - one of the first people I got connected with when my career started to take off - Edith Maxwell, also known as Maddie Day.

She is part of the Wicked Authors blog with me, there are six of us total, and we all got started roughly around the same time. We became blog mates, and most of all friends and 11 years later, here we are.

Edith and I started out with the same agent, same publisher, same dreams. I’ve lost count of how many books we have between the two of us all these years later. Maddie Day’s series have really taken off. She also writes historicals, and won an Agatha for one of her Edith

Maxwell books. And she’s a prolific short story writer.

We cover:

• Writing multiple series at the same time

• Pantsing vs. plotting (because when DON’T we talk about that?

• Our favorite research trip and how we almost got (mock) killed

• Traditional vs. self-publishing

It was so much fun to have a conversation with Edith/Maddie in this setting. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to have a tight-knit group of writers navigating life and publishing together, this episode is for you. Tune in wherever you get your podcasts.

You can find her at https://edithmaxwell.com/maddie-day/

And make sure you’re following me on IG @lizmugavero for the latest episodes!