When the path of life feels discouraging, a good story can remind us that we're not powerless and that our most difficult chapters don’t have to be the final ones…

In this delightful episode of A LITERAL JOURNEY, I sit down with Julie Wright, the prolific author of more than 30 novels (across numerous genres). Julie opens up about her own literal journey as a writer—beginning with encouragement from a seventh-grade teacher, DIScouragement from “a cranky, angry little man” (and CHOOSING to prove him wrong), enduring 187 rejection letters, and learning that success isn’t about accolades, but about persistence, purpose, and defeating the dragons by finishing the work.

Along the way, Julie shares a number of personal stories: how her husband encouraged her to submit her first manuscript, why she paid a publisher to take a book out of print, and how one of her books literally helped save a young reader’s life. We talk about redefining success, celebrating small victories, building a writing community, and why fairy tales still matter—because they remind us that dragons can be defeated.

We also talk about a number of Julie’s books, including Swimming In A Sea of Stars, Wendy’s Ever After (a bold and empowering sequel to Peter Pan, written from Wendy’s perspective), and her upcoming fairy-tale mashup Threads of Red.

Whether you’re a reader, writer, parent, teacher, or someone who just loves a story of triumph, I hope this episode encourages you to open a book (or pick up a pen) and embark on your own literal journey.

ABOUT JULIE WRIGHT:

Julie Wright (1972-still breathing) was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. She's lived in LA, Boston, and the literal middle of nowhere (don't ask). She wrote her first book when she was fifteen. Since then, she's written twenty-three novels and coauthored three. Julie is a two-time winner of the Whitney award for best romance with her books "Cross My Heart" and "Lies Jane Austen Told Me." The America Library Association listed “Glass Slippers, Ever After, and Me” in their 2020 top ten best romances and "A Captain for Caroline Gray" in their 2021 top ten best romances. Her book "Death Thieves" was a Whitney finalist.

💻 VISIT Julie Wright’s official website: https://juliewright.com

📖 READ Wendy’s Ever After: https://amzn.to/4jWyGQN

📚 CHECK OUT Julie Wright’s Books: https://amzn.to/3O1HeKc

🎧 LISTEN to more episodes of A LITERAL JOURNEY: https://aliteraljourney.buzzsprout.com/

🎥 WATCH more episodes of A LITERAL JOURNEY: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRTQ34vyf-9NkrTcSH0KEwXPOhdVqZRVZ

Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to A LITERAL JOURNEY for more exclusive author interviews, book recommendations, and thoughtful conversations about the stories that shape us. 📖✨

#JulieWright #ALiteralJourney #AuthorInterview #WritingLife #Storytelling #FairyTales

My name is Seth Adam Smith. I’m a husband, father, and author who believes in the power of stories to inspire people forward.

Subscribe for:
📚 A LITERAL JOURNEY – exclusive interviews with bestselling authors
🎙️ THE NORTHERN LIGHTS Podcast – uplifting messages to inspire you forward
🕯️ AN AWE-FUL STORY – true tales that turn the “awful” into the “awe-full”

✨ My Books: http://amzn.to/2p7FXA8
🌐 Website: http://www.SethAdamSmith.com

Thank you for watching—and for being part of this journey!

In this episode of A LITERAL JOURNEY, I sit down with Paul Tremblay (and do my absolute BEST to keep my inner fan in check). Paul Tremblay is the award-winning (and jaw-dropping) bestselling author of A Head Full of Ghosts, The Cabin at the End of the World, Another, and so much more!

During the interview, Paul shares his unlikely path to becoming an author (he has a degree in mathematics, after all), how the gift of a book by Stephen King was a turning point for him, and the the power of ambiguity in horror, and his outspoken stance against generative AI, especially when it comes to creativity (seriously… his response was a total knockout).

Along the way, we talk about Pauls books: A Head Full of Ghosts, The Cabin at the End of the World, No Sleep Till Wonderland, Another, Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep, and many more!

Whether you’re a reader, writer, parent, teacher, or someone who just loves a good scary story, I hope this episode encourages you to open a book (or pick up a pen) and embark on your own literal journey.

ABOUT PAUL TREMBLAY:

Paul Tremblay has won the Bram Stoker, British Fantasy, Sheridan Le Fanu, and Massachusetts Book awards and is the national bestselling author of The Beast You Are, The Pallbearers Club, Survivor Song, Growing Things and Other Stories, Disappearance at Devil's Rock, A Head Full of Ghosts, and the crime novels The Little Sleep and No Sleep Till Wonderland. His novel The Cabin at the End of the World was adapted into the Universal Pictures film Knock at the Cabin. Two short stories "The Last Conversation" and "In Bloom" were Amazon Original shorts.

His essays and short fiction have appeared in the New York Times, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, and numerous "year's best" anthologies. He lives outside of Boston, Massachusetts and has a master's degree in Mathematics.

💻 VISIT Paul Tremblay’s official website: https://www.paultremblay.net

📚 CHECK OUT Paul Tremblay’s Books: https://amzn.to/4sSETBi

🎧 LISTEN to more episodes of A LITERAL JOURNEY: https://aliteraljourney.buzzsprout.com/

🎥 WATCH more episodes of A LITERAL JOURNEY

Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to A LITERAL JOURNEY for more exclusive author interviews, book recommendations, and thoughtful conversations about the stories that shape us. 📖✨

#PaulTremblay #ALiteralJourney #AuthorInterview #HorrorAuthor #HorrorBooks #PsychologicalHorror #BookPodcast #WritingLife #Storytelling #AmReading #AmWriting #CreativeProcess

My name is Seth Adam Smith. I’m a husband, father, and author who believes in the power of stories to inspire people forward.

Subscribe for:
📚 A LITERAL JOURNEY – exclusive interviews with bestselling authors
🎙️ THE NORTHERN LIGHTS Podcast – uplifting messages to inspire you forward
🕯️ AN AWE-FUL STORY – true tales that turn the “awful” into the “awe-full”

✨ My Books: http://amzn.to/2p7FXA8
🌐 Website: http://www.SethAdamSmith.com

Thank you for watching—and for being part of this journey!

When the world gets dark, a good story can remind us that light will ALWAYS overcome darkness...

In this episode of A LITERAL JOURNEY, I chat with Ryan James Black, a man who goes by all three names (respect!) and the author of the “unputdownable” book: The Dark Times of Nimble Nottingham. (For real: I could NOT put this book down!) Set during the London Blitz, Nimble Nottingham blends real history with a uniquely terrifying monster… while simultaneously, and brilliantly, delivering a message of hope.

Along the way, Ryan shares some of his own story: what attracted him to storytelling, the long road to publication, and how years of revision and perseverance eventually led to his debut, award-winning novel.

We also talk about creativity in a world filled with shortcuts, why human (not hollow) stories still matter, why Middle Grade books are full of heart and hope, and what Ryan hopes readers take away from Nimble Nottingham.

Whether you’re a writer, a parent, a teacher, or someone who just loves a good story, this conversation will encourage you to keep going—and that “even the darkest of times can’t last forever.”

ABOUT RYAN JAMES BLACK:

Ryan James Black is a writer from Manitoba, Canada, where he lives with his wife, two children, and a Jumanji’s worth of pets. When not writing or reading, Ryan enjoys travelling, watching scary movies with all the lights on, and exploring the Great Outdoors with his family.

His debut middle grade historical fantasy novel, The Dark Times of Nimble Nottingham, is available now from Nancy Paulsen Books.

VISIT Ryan James Black’s official website: https://ryanjamesblack.com

📚 READ The Dark Times of Nimble Nottingham: https://amzn.to/4bCwZ8V

🎧 LISTEN to more episodes of A LITERAL JOURNEY: https://aliteraljourney.buzzsprout.com/

🎥 WATCH more episodes of A LITERAL JOURNEY: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRTQ34vyf-9NkrTcSH0KEwXPOhdVqZRVZ

Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to A LITERAL JOURNEY for more exclusive author interviews, book recommendations, and thoughtful conversations about the stories that shape us. 📖✨

#RyanJamesBlack #ghoststories #london #ww2 #worldwar2 #londonblitz #history #londonhistory #supernatural #ghosts #ALiteralJourney #AuthorInterview #WritingLife #Storytelling #BookPodcast #ReadersOfYouTube #SethAdamSmith

My name is Seth Adam Smith. I’m a husband, father, and author who believes in the power of stories to inspire people forward.

Subscribe for:
📚 A LITERAL JOURNEY – exclusive interviews with bestselling authors
🎙️ THE NORTHERN LIGHTS Podcast – uplifting messages to inspire you forward
🕯️ AN AWE-FUL STORY – true tales that turn the “awful” into the “awe-full”

✨ My Books: http://amzn.to/2p7FXA8
🌐 Website: http://www.SethAdamSmith.com

Thank you for watching—and for being part of this journey!