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Hear us Roar

Hear us Roar

De : Maggie Smith
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 If you're an aspiring author and want insights into what's involved in launching a book into the world, this is the podcast for you. Debut writers discuss not only the inspiration behind their book, but also their insights into the writing process, the best advice they ever got, and the joys and sometimes pitfalls they encountered on their path to publication.Maggie Smith Art Economie Marketing et ventes
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  • 316: Zelly Ruskin - Author of Not Yours to Keep

    316: Zelly Ruskin - Author of Not Yours to Keep
    Apr 30 2026
    This week we talk with Zelly Ruskin (Not Yours to Keep, She Writes Press, October 2024). We delve into the 3 unrelated parts of her past—her former career, an ex-boyfriend, and her own experiences with IVF—that coalesced into the spine of her debut novel, how she put off major surgery to finish her rough draft, and how she found her way into a male man character by reading Jane Austen. Hear her cautionary tale of sending out a manuscript too early and why she used both contests and an outside PR firm to market her book.

    In her first career, Zelly was a social worker in the adoption and foster care field. From there, she owned an online retail store specializing in hand-painted children's gifts and party favors. Along the way, Zelly volunteered and raised funds for several non-profit organizations. In an alternate universe, she is probably an event planner. But once she moved to New York City, Zelly gave in to the compulsion to write women's fiction spiced with suspense about motherhood, relationships, loss and love. Her debut novel, Not Yours to Keep, published in 2024 and her second book,, One of Us Must Die ( She Writes Press) will publish in October 2026.

    When she's not devising twisty plots, Zelly loves traveling, hiking, and is passionate about and volunteers for Brain Aneurysm Awareness. Her involvement in the cause is driven by personal experiences, including surviving an unruptured brain aneurysm, the tragic loss of a family member to a rupture, and supporting a friend in their recovery.

    To learn more about Zelly, go to https://zellyruskin.com/
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    37 min
  • 315: Kay Smith-Blum - Author of Tangles

    315: Kay Smith-Blum - Author of Tangles
    Apr 23 2026
    Our guest this week is Kay Smith-Blum (Tangles, Black Rose Writing, December 2024). We discuss how two unrelated occurrences in one week—one a vivid dream, the second cocktails with an old friend—led Kay into a nine-month rabbit hole of research about Hanford, WA, a former nuclear facility on the Columbia River which produced plutonium for the US nuclear weapons programs during the Cold War era. We also contrast the responses she got from agents (crickets) vs. small presses (10 out of 12 requests) when querying and how the best way to know how readers will react to your book is to let numerous critique groups read your book and give you feedback.

    Kay Smith-Blum, a former fashionista and Seattle School Board President, launched her third career as a writer of mid-20th-century history in 2016. The recent upheaval over leaking radioactive waste tanks at the Hanford Nuclear site and an odd dream compelled her to write her debut novel, TANGLES. A deeply human Cold War tale about the issues created by any type of nuclear production, TANGLES was recently honored as Best Historical Mystery/Suspense at the 2025 American Fiction Awards Book Fest, Best Debut Fiction by the American Writing Awards, 2025 Best Regional Fiction/West by the Nat'l Indie Excellence Awards and also named Book of the Year by the Literary Global Book Awards. Smith-Blum, a sunrise writer, has lived in Seattle for four decades. Smith-Blum also works out her writer's block in her sons' gardens and the nearest lap pool. A second novel is in the works.

    To learn more about Kay, go to https://www.kaysmith-blum.com
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    36 min
  • 314: Dena Polko - Author of Don't Drop Dad

    314: Dena Polko - Author of Don't Drop Dad
    Apr 16 2026
    This week's guest is Dena Polko (Don't Drop Dad, Maine Authors Publishing, October 2024). An event in Dena's family 25 years ago planted the kernel of a book idea that she finally brought to life during the pandemic in her debut novel about a close-knit Italian family, complete with feuds, secrets, and lots of scrumptious recipes. A marketing professional for non-profits in a previous career, Dena brought her expertise to book marketing and we explore some of the ways she's piggybacked on existing regional events to create connections with her readers.

    DENA POLKO retired from her work as a speech-language pathologist when the pandemic hit to help take care of her grandchildren. When not rocking, feeding, chasing, or playing under blanket tents with her three grands, she writes, reads, and loves exploring Maine with her husband, Tom. Dena and Tom live on the coast of Maine and also enjoy time at their camp in the western Maine mountains. Dena's book was recently selected by Maine Public for the "All Books Considered" book club. Dena's author chat with host Bill Nemitz will premiere on Tuesday, December 15, 2026.

    To learn more about Dena, go to https://www.denapolko.com/
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    33 min
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