Author, speaker and voice actor, Aaron Ryan joins me in Episode 4 of Season 3. Having written and published over 50 books thus far, this guy is a wellspring of information and inspiration for Indie authors. We go into his writing practices, his stance on the usage of AI, marketing strategies, cover design software and much more. Aaron gets real about the struggles of maintaining the belief and fortitude required to keep on authoring despite the lack and/or abundance of endorsements by outside sources. He reveals his core values that keep him moving forward. And, of course, we talk about his latest release - As The World Burns - which launched on September 26, 2026.

www.authoraaronryan.com

manuscriptreport.com

affinity.studio

Fantasy author D.E. Carlson (aka Dorothy) is with me in Episode 3 of Season 3. She is the author of the Empire of Ash & Song trilogy as well as several novellas. Also, the second book of the Empire of Blood & Storm series is due out in early 2027. Her own story of moving through loss and grief to storyteller is a true beauty for ashes transformation. Dorothy is an indie author who has built a strong fan base through intentional community platforms and marketing investments like Kickstarter campaigns. Much to learn from this North Dakota rancher, mother, homesteader, wife and author!

decarlsonauthor.com

@decarlsonauthor

Episode 2 of Season 3 is with debut novelist, Tirzah Rae. Her YA fantasy book, Land of Guiding Lies, was released in September of 2026. Packed with three young protagonists weaving their way through a tumultuous time in the land of Panthera, the story has everything fantasy fans will love - world building complete with historical archives and language, brave but flawed heroes, villains expected as well as surprising and, of course, a bit of magic. In this interview, we explore the decade long journey that Tirzah took to move this story from the imagination of her fifteen-year-old self all the way to her stunning indie published book. She offers her tips and insights about what that looked like from cover design and formatting partnerships to doing a Kickstarter campaign. Some of the resources she referred to and conferences she attended are listed below along with her website.

Tirzahrae.com

Kairosbookdesign.com

Realm Makers Conference and Novel Marketing Conference