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My new book on Writing - REAL WRITERS NEVER QUIT: What hundreds of authors reveal about not giving up is currently available to pre-order at a special pre-release only price of £2.99/$3.99 and, for UK listeners, you can buy a special signed paperback version with limited edition postcard and bookmark - RIGHT NOW!

Buy limited edition signed paperback here

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In this episode, I’m joined by bestselling husband-and-wife writing duo Ilona Andrews, who have been writing together professionally since 2007.

We dive into what it really looks like to build a long-term writing career as a partnership, how they’ve navigated both traditional and self-publishing, and why removing ego from the creative process is essential if you want to produce your best work.

We also talk about their latest novel This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me, a departure into epic fantasy, and how it came from an idea that simply wouldn’t leave them alone.

Along the way, there’s plenty of honest insight into the realities of publishing, the importance of finishing what you start, and why writing is less about inspiration and more about showing up and doing the work.

✍️ In This Episode, We Cover:

• How Ilona Andrews make co-writing actually work in practice
• The origin and concept behind This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me
• The shift from urban fantasy into epic fantasy
• The realities of traditional publishing vs self-publishing
• Why self-publishing offers freedom but comes with trade-offs
• The importance of finishing a book, not just starting one

🧠 Best Advice from the Episode

• “If it works, do it.”
• “Give yourself permission to write badly so you can finish.”
• “You have to put your butt in the chair and make words.”
• “50 unfinished books equal zero finished books.”

🌐 Find Out More About Ilona Andrews

Website: https://ilona-andrews.com

They’re particularly active on their blog, sharing writing insights, industry thoughts and the occasional slice of everyday life.

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me is available now from all major retailers, including special editions through UK outlets such as Waterstones.

In this episode of The Write Place Podcast, Wayne Kelly welcomes back award-winning author Margot Douaihy.

Margot first appeared on the show when her debut crime novel Scorched Grace introduced readers to Sister Holiday – a chain-smoking, tattooed nun with a punk past and a talent for solving crimes.

Now Margot returns to talk about the latest instalment in the series, Divine Ruin, and how the character – and the world around her – has evolved.

We talk about writing crime fiction that blends faith, punk rock, and noir sensibilities, the discipline required to build a successful series, and the emotional realities of sustaining a creative career.

Margot also reflects on the challenges writers face when success arrives suddenly, the pressure of expectations, and why returning to the page is always the only real answer.

In This Episode

• The origins and evolution of Sister Holiday
• Writing the latest novel, Divine Ruin
• Blending crime fiction with themes of faith, addiction, and redemption
• Building momentum after a breakout debut
• The realities of sustaining a writing career
• Margot’s darkest hour as a writer
• The book that saved her life

About Margot Douaihy

Margot Douaihy is the author of the Sister Holiday mystery series, including Scorched Grace, Blessed Water, and Divine Ruin.

Scorched Grace was widely acclaimed on release and was shortlisted for the LA Times Book Prize in the Mystery/Thriller category. Margot’s work has also been nominated for a number of other crime writing awards and praised for its distinctive blend of literary style, noir atmosphere, and dark humour.

Originally from Scranton, Pennsylvania, Margot now lives in Massachusetts where she is an Associate Professor of Creative Writing at Emerson College. Alongside her crime fiction, she has also published poetry and literary fiction.

Find Out More

Margot Douaihy Website: https://www.margotdouaihy.com

Support the Podcast

If you enjoy the show, please consider:

• Leaving a review wherever you listen
• Sharing the episode with a fellow writer
• Checking out Wayne’s self-publishing support packages at:
  https://wkwproductions.co.uk/selfpublishing
  
  

This week on The Write Place Podcast, I’m joined by bestselling psychological thriller author Lesley Kara, whose debut novel The Rumour became a Sunday Times bestseller and was later adapted for television.

We talk about her latest novel, Troublemaker, a tense psychological thriller set in Tunbridge Wells, and explore how grief, vulnerability and doubt shape both her characters and her storytelling.

Lesley shares:

• The real-life influences behind Troublemaker
• Why short chapters matter in suspense fiction
• What it was really like seeing The Rumour adapted for TV
• The business realities of commercial publishing
• Writing her debut at 55 and why it’s never too late
• How social media became a creative outlet rather than a chore

It’s a practical, honest conversation about craft, resilience and staying visible in a competitive market.

About Lesley Kara

Lesley Kara is the Sunday Times bestselling author of multiple psychological thrillers including The Rumour, Who Did You Tell?, The Other Tenant and her latest novel Troublemaker.

Her debut, The Rumour, was a breakout success and has since been adapted for television. Lesley lives in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, and began her publishing career in her mid-fifties after years of writing and perseverance.

Topics Covered

• Writing lean prose in psychological suspense
• Structuring novels using three-act structure
• Managing pressure after a commercial breakthrough
• Adapting novels for screen
• Balancing creativity with the business of publishing
• Building community and reach through Instagram
• Late-start writing careers

Links

🌐 Lesley Kara Website: https://www.lesleykara.com

📸 Instagram: @lesleykarawriter
📖 Troublemaker – Available now in bookshops and online

If You Enjoyed This Episode

• Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts
• Leave a rating and review
• Share the episode with a fellow writer

Work With Me

If you’re writing your own novel and want professional support with structure, editing or publishing, take a look at my self-publishing packages and mentoring options:

👉 https://wkwproductions.co.uk/selfpublishing

In this episode of The Write Place Podcast, I’m joined by Dan Howarth, returning for his third appearance on the show.

We talk about Lionhearts, a brutal, timely novel that sits somewhere between social realism and psychological horror. Dan discusses the real-world event that sparked the story, why he chose to write from inside the head of an angry, dispossessed protagonist, and the risks of tackling themes like online radicalisation, nationalism and moral compromise in fiction.

We also dig into Dan’s writing discipline, why he writes every weekday without fail, the value of routine over motivation, and how indie publishing has given him the freedom to follow darker, stranger ideas without compromise.

This is a frank, thoughtful conversation about responsibility in storytelling, creative discomfort, and what it really means to keep going as a writer.

Topics Covered

• The real incident that inspired Lionhearts
• Writing every day vs waiting for inspiration
• Why Dan values freedom over validation in publishing
• Indie publishing, creative control and long-term thinking
• Knowing when a book is finished and when it is not

Dan Howarth is a fiction writer from the North of England, known for dark, unsettling stories that sit at the edges of horror, crime and social realism.

He is the author of several novels and novellas, including Lionhearts, Last Night of Freedom, and Territory, as well as numerous short stories published in magazines and anthologies. His work often explores anger, masculinity, isolation and the quieter horrors of everyday life.

Dan has been shortlisted for multiple writing awards, including the Northern Writers’ Awards, and his fiction has been published by both independent presses and as self-published work. He is also the editor of the Dark Missives anthology series.

Alongside fiction, Dan writes candidly about the realities of the writing life on his Substack, Hard-Earned Writing Lessons, where he shares practical, no-nonsense reflections on discipline, doubt and persistence.

Books Mentioned

• Lionhearts
• Last Night of Freedom
• Territory

Find Dan Online

• Substack: Hard-Earned Lessons in Writing
• Instagram / X / Bluesky: @danhowarth20

About the Podcast

The Write Place Podcast features honest, long-form conversations with writers about craft, persistence and the realities of building a writing life.

If you’re working on a book and want practical help getting it finished, published or back on track, you can find details of my writing courses, mentoring and self-publishing services at:
👉 wkwproductions.co.uk

Subscribe and Support

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and, if you enjoy the show, a short rating or review really helps other writers find it.

In this episode of The Write Place Podcast I chat with bestselling author Lulu Taylor about her new novel A Legacy of Secrets, her long career in commercial fiction and why she loves writing sweeping, gothic-tinged family sagas. We dig into the craft behind dual timelines, the challenges of discovery writing and how her background as a fiction editor shaped the way she approaches story structure and character.

Lulu also talks candidly about creative setbacks, including a difficult fallout with a friend early in her career and a period during COVID when she was unable to write at all. She explains how she rebuilt her confidence, found new emotional truth in her work and learned to trust her process again.

We cover early writing memories, the influence of classic gothic novels, the pitfalls of overthinking your first draft and why finishing the story is still the most important thing a writer can do.

Lulu Taylor is a bestselling author known for her sweeping, gothic-tinged family sagas filled with secrets, relationships and atmospheric big houses. Over a writing career spanning twenty years, she has published multiple novels and developed a strong following for her dual-timeline stories set across past and present. Lulu previously worked as a fiction editor and book doctor, experience that continues to influence her approach to character, structure and storytelling. She lives in Dorset, where she has recently completed her latest novel and is preparing for the release of A Legacy of Secrets on 4 December 2025.

Find out more about Lulu on Instagram at @misslulutaylor.

For self-publishing support, visit wkwproductions.co.uk/selfpublishing.

This week I’m joined by bestselling fantasy author and BookTok favourite, Rebecca Thorne, to talk about her newly republished novel This Gilded Abyss. We get into the origins of the book, how she built its eerie underwater world, and why she wanted to step away from cosy fantasy and write something darker and more intense. Rebecca also speaks honestly about her path from eight years of traditional rejection to rapid indie success, and what it has been like navigating both sides of the industry.

We dig into her fast drafting process, her love of editing, and how she manages the pressure of a growing readership while staying focused on the work. As always, you will hear The Book That Saved Your Life and Their Darkest Hour, with Rebecca sharing the very real turning points that shaped her writing career.

In the Episode

• How This Gilded Abyss began life as an indie release
• BioShock, art deco cities and world building with history as a guide
• The appeal of writing darker stories after cosy fantasy
• Her eight year struggle in trad publishing
• The sudden rise of Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea and documenting the indie process
• Why she still feels the pull of indie freedom
• Writing routines, drafting speed and learning to switch between projects
• The Book That Saved Your Life: Legends and Lattes
• Their Darkest Hour: reassessing her publishing path
• What’s next, including her cosy sci-fi, Moss'd in Space

About Rebecca Thorne

Rebecca Thorne is an American fantasy author known for her character-driven novels and strong online presence. Her books include Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea, A Pirate’s Life for Tea and her latest release, This Gilded Abyss, now out from Tor. She lives in Colorado and shares regular updates on Instagram and TikTok.

Find Rebecca Online

rebeccathorne.net
Instagram: @rebeccathornewrites

Join The Momentum Circle writing community - applications close on Sept 30th!

CLINK THE LINK FOR MORE INFO

Hi, I’m Wayne Kelly, a writer, podcast host and coach. I love to help writers develop their skills and get their books and stories out into the world.

In this episode I’m joined by Alan Green, debut author of Sound Advice, a fascinating book that digs into the hidden life lessons of 1980s pop music. Alan shares how redundancy after nearly three decades at a law firm sparked a complete life reset and gave him the time to explore his idea. We talk about the joys of music as a catalyst for change, the conservatism of traditional publishing, and the creative routines that transformed his Mondays from something to dread into his favourite day of the week.

Alan also opens up about keeping himself out of the book so readers could focus on their own lives, the tricky business of copyright and song lyrics, and how rejection letters ultimately helped him find the perfect publishing home at Salt.

As always, we cover our regular segments including The Book That Saved Your Life, where Alan highlights Carl Sagan’s Cosmos, Merlin Sheldrake’s Entangled Life, and his admiration for Bill Bryson’s writing.

Whether you’re a music lover, a writer, or someone in need of a little sound advice of your own, this is a really inspiring conversation. You can find Alan's book here.

Episode Highlights

• Using 80s pop as a prism for universal themes like love, work, ageing and worry
• Why Alan deliberately left himself out of the book
• How originality can be a tough pitch in publishing
• The power of small daily habits in building a creative life
• Alan’s book choices in The Book That Saved Your Life

Wayne Kelly offers self-publishing packages and mentoring for writers at wkwproductions.co.uk/selfpublishing.

Want to find out more about my critique group and writing community - Momentum Circle? Check it out here - wkwproductions.co.uk/mentoring

This week I’m joined by Tom Cox, author of fifteen books spanning fiction, memoir, and journalism. Tom’s work blends the folkloric and the surreal with an eye for human nature and the landscapes that inspire him. His latest novel, Everything Will Swallow You, is out now and continues his exploration of storytelling that defies easy categorisation.

In our conversation, Tom reflects on his unconventional path from fanzine writer and music journalist to acclaimed novelist. We talk about:

• - The joy and pain of creating Everything Will Swallow You, a novel born from a strange idea on a walk in Dorset.
• - How quitting journalism freed him to find his authentic voice in fiction.
• - The struggles of mid-list authors and his perspective on the shifting publishing landscape.
• - The importance of momentum, self-belief, and being brutally honest in the editing process.
• - Why he believes reading widely is non-negotiable for any writer.

It’s a wide-ranging and inspiring chat that’s sure to give you plenty of motivation to keep going in your own writing journey.

About Tom Cox

Tom Cox is the author of fifteen books including Help the Witch, Villager, 1983 and now Everything Will Swallow You. His work often combines folklore, surrealism, and humour, and he has built a loyal readership through his essays, novels, and online writing. He lives in Devon and continues to draw inspiration from the natural landscapes around him. Find out more at tom-cox.com.

I’m Wayne Kelly, a writer, podcast host and coach. I love to help writers develop their skills and get their books and stories out into the world.

Wayne Kelly offers self-publishing packages and mentoring for writers at wkwproductions.co.uk/selfpublishing.