We've hit 199 episodes of The HYBRID Author Podcast! And to celebrate, here's a mashup of all the guests who have appeared since June this year.

Bel Vidal is the pen name of an Australian-Bolivian writer based in Sydney. Her fiction, non-fiction and poetry have been published in English and Spanish under her pen name, her real name and other pseudonyms. Soon after arriving in Sydney, she received an Australia Council (now Creative Australia) grant to publish a bilingual collection of poems and stories, Arcoiris de Sueños / 'Rainbow of Dreams'.

An earlier draft of her novel ‘Exuberance’ was short-listed for the Varuna-Harper Collins Award for manuscript development and awarded the Varuna Residential Masterclass. It was independently published in 2023, followed by her story collection 'Tales of Suburban Castaways' in 2024.

Bel holds a BA in Communications, majoring in Creative Writing (UTS), and a Masters in Writing for the Media (Macquarie University). She works in the not-for-profit sector as a communications and media professional, and is also a mental health advocate, book lover, bush walking enthusiast, traveller, blogger and firm believer it is never too late to start something new.

In the 198th episode of The HYBRID Author Podcast host Joanne Zara Ellen Morrell, author of young adult fiction, women's fiction and short non-fiction for authors chats to Bel on:

• blending lived experience with fiction
• Mental Health month, promoting awareness and reducing stigma, particularly about bipolar type 2 in her novel 'Exuberance'
• ways to give a book several “lives” over time
• Bel’s advice for authors who want to translate their own mental health journeys into fiction in a way that resonates while still protecting their own wellbeing and much more.

Michael Wendroff is a marketing consultant, and now a debut author with his thriller, ‘What Goes Around.’ It was published by Bloomsbury in the Uk, USA, and Australia, and foreign translation rights were sold in Japanese, Hungarian, and Italian. It is available in hardcover, audiobook, and ebook, and the paperback edition launches this month.

In the 197th episode of The HYBRID Author Podcast host Joanne Zara Ellen Morrell, author of young adult fiction, women's fiction and short non-fiction for authors, chats to Michael on:

• the inspiration for his debut thriller 'What Goes Around'
• technical aspects to keep readers turning the page
• surprises, challenges and wins publishing his novel
• michael's advice to aspiring authors looking to stand out in a crowded market and much more.

Annie Kwan is a lawyer who runs a construction company with her husband.

She is passionate about teaching kids and volunteers at her daughter’s Primary Ethics Program. Annie believes that being kind to others can only start when one is kind to themself first.

The Finch Who Lost her Wing is her first children’s book. She is working on more children’s books and is also writing a novel.

Annie lives in Sydney with her girls, husband and two cats.

In the 196th episode of The HYBRID Author Podcast host Joanne Zara Ellen Morrell, author of young adult fiction, women's fiction and short non-fiction for authors chats to Annie about:

• ‘The Finch Who Lost Her Wing’ and her belief kindness starts with being kind to ourselves
• practicing kindness to onself managing parenting, volunteering, running a business and living life
• surprises and challenges of publishing as a debut children's author
• writing across different forms and much more.

Rose Lane’s writing is inspired by the untold stories of people and places. She has travelled to both London and Nepal as a nurse and has written for multiple publications on topics ranging from anti-war activism to music and disability awareness. 'The Last Tibetan Kingdom' is Rose’s first book and was selected for the 2017 Hardcopy Manuscript Development Program at the Australian Writers’ Centre in Canberra.

In the 195th episode of The HYBRID Author Podcast host Joanne Zara Ellen Morrell, author of young adult fiction, women's fiction and short non-fiction for authors chats to Rose about:

• her travel memoir ''The Last Tibetan Kingdom' grown out of her travels and nursing work in Nepal
• balancing diverse professional and writing experiences, research, voice and cultural sensitivity in the book
• being selected for the Australian Writers' Centre hardcopy program
• her overall writing advice to authors and much more.

Cameron Sutter is a YA sci-fi/fantasy author, software developer and the inventor of Plottr – the popular visual planning software for books and stories of all kinds. An avid reader who is endlessly learning how things work, his life’s mission is to help writers write more powerful stories (and to encourage everyone else to read the classics). He lives in Oklahoma City with his wife, six kids and several furry friends.

In the 194th episode of The HYBRID Author Podcast host Joanne Zara Ellen Morrell, author of young adult fiction, women's fiction and short non-fiction for authors, chats to Cameron on:

• practical use of Plottr from initial idea to completed outline
• Storysnap an exciting new AI-powered addition to Plottr, creating visual book bibles in minutes and instantly organising author information
• how AI tools like Storysnap complement, not replace, an author’s creativity and Cameron's advice to writers about integrating these tools into their process and much more.

Mila Maxwell is an author from Clare, Nova Scotia, Canada, with a deep-rooted passion for storytelling and a love of the outdoors. A proud French Acadian, Mila draws inspiration from both her cultural heritage and her adventurous lifestyle, which includes being a volunteer firefighter. She lives in Sussex, New Brunswick, Canada with her husband Jeremy, son Bennett, and two French Bulldogs. When not writing, you can find Mila out in nature, at the gym, or helping others through her work in the community.

In episode 193 of The HYBRID Author Podcast host Joanne Zara Ellen Morrell, author of young adult fiction, women's fiction and short non-fiction for authors, chats to Canadian author Mila on:

• how her love of the outdoors and French Acadian heritage shaped both the setting and the emotional tone of 'Finding Lady Baltimore'
• the inspiration and conversations hoped to spark from her novel exploring the complexities of growing up alongside a sibling with disabilities
• how Mila's background as a volunteer firefighter and active community member real-life experiences found their way into her characters and storytelling
• what Mila's publishing adventure looks like so far, and her advice to writers balancing deeply personal themes with universal resonance and miuch more.

Julia Lawrinson has published more than fifteen books for children and young people, from a picture book to books for older teenagers, and in 2024 published a memoir called How to Avoid a Happy Life. Her books have been recognised in the Children’s Book Council Awards, the WA Premier’s Book Awards and the Queensland Literary Awards, and she has presented to schools across Australia, in Singapore and in Bali. She is an enthusiastic adult learner of Indonesian, yoga and the cello. Her favourite place on earth is the dog park.

In episode 192 of The HYBRID Author Podcast host Joanne Zara Ellen Morrell, author of young adult fiction, women's fiction and short non-fiction for authors chats to Julia about:

• shortlisting for the 2025 WA Premier's Literary Awards
• blogging on Substack and how this process differs from more traditional publishing or social media
• how Julia's lengthy hybrid career writing for different audiences and in different forms have challenged and inspired her as a storyteller
• Julia's sought after advice for writers navigating their own hybrid careers, balancing traditional recognition, digital platforms, personal creative goals and much more.

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