The Indy Author Podcast

Former FBI special agent Jerri Williams discusses her podcast FBI RETIRED CASE FILES REVIEW and how she has used it as content marketing for her fiction and non-fiction books. She discusses how her goals for the podcast changed over time, the importance of aligning one's creative work behind a unifying theme, how to engage listeners in your community, and what she did when she found that her second love, podcasting, was stealing time from her first love, writing. Jerri Williams served for 26 years as a special agent in the FBI, working major economic fraud investigations. She uses her prior professional experiences with scams and schemers to write crime fiction about greed. Her novels PAY TO PLAY and GREEDY GIVERS – both inspired by actual FBI cases – feature a female FBI agent assigned to a Public Corruption and Fraud Squad in Philadelphia. She is also the author of the non-fiction book FBI MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS, and the producer and host of the true crime podcast FBI RETIRED CASE FILES REVIEW, where she interviews retired FBI agents about their high-profile cases and careers.

Ken Fritz talks about the difference between EMTs and paramedics; the problematic portrayal of CPR and defibrillation in books, movies, and TV; and how much of emergency medical service's work is really emergencies. Ken Fritz has been in emergency services for over 20 years. Starting as a volunteer firefighter, he has worked his way up through the ranks of EMT, Fire Department Captain, and Paramedic. Ken currently serves as a volunteer firefighter / paramedic in his local community and has worked as a career firefighter / paramedic for numerous departments over his career. He's married with two kids and two dogs, and lives in rural southeastern Pennsylvania.

James McCrone and I talk about our respective October book launches—Jamie's for his third Imogen Trager thriller, EMERGENCY POWERS, and me for my third Ann Kinnear Suspense Novel, THE FALCON AND THE OWL. We talk about the pros and cons of in-person versus virtual events, the need for indy authors to be willing to blow their own horn to get out word of their books (and ways to make this a more comfortable experience for introverted authors), the role industry reviews from sources such as Kirkus Reviews plays, and the differences between an emphasis on print versus on ebook editions. James McCrone is the author of the Imogen Trager novels FAITHLESS ELECTOR, DARK NETWORK, and the recently released EMERGENCY POWERS. His work also recently appeared in the short-story anthology LOW DOWN DIRTY VOTE. He's a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, International Association of Crime Writers, International Thriller Writers, and Philadelphia Dramatists Center and has an MFA from the University of Washington. He lives in South Philadelphia with his wife and three children. He's the former Business Manager for the South 9th Street / Italian Market in Philadelphia, and is now writing full time.

Jeff Elkins, The Dialogue Doctor, talks about building great protagonist and antagonist voices. He discusses how to build a villain voice that complements and contrasts to the hero's voice, how to use quirks to help define a character's voice, and how secondary characters can empower the change you want to make in the protagonist. Jeff Elkins is a novelist, ghostwriter, and editor with more than 10 novels on the market. During the day, he leads the writing team for a company that simulates difficult conversations for professionals to practice. He also helps authors improve their dialogue in order to engage readers more fully through his podcast The Dialogue Doctor, and through one-on-one consulting.

Bestselling author Robert Dugoni discusses when and how to use backstory and flashbacks to keep readers engaged--by ensuring that they portray a character in action--in both standalone novels and series. He discusses the dangers of equating ambiguity with tension, and the importance of listening to what your story has to tell you. Robert Dugoni is the critically acclaimed New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and #1 Amazon bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite police series. He is also the author of the Charles Jenkins espionage series, the David Sloane legal thrillers, as well as several standalone novels, including THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF SAM HELL, Suspense Magazine's 2018 Book of the Year, for which Dugoni's narration won an AudioFile Earphones Award. He is also the author of the nonfiction exposé THE CYANIDE CANARY, a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. Dugoni is the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Award for Fiction and a two-time winner of the Friends of Mystery Spotted Owl Award for best novel set in the Pacific Northwest. He is also a two- time finalist for the International Thriller Award, the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, the Silver Falchion Award for mystery, and the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award.

Jennifer Graeser Dornbush talks about how growing up around death as the daughter of a small-town medical examiner influenced her professional pursuits. She discusses the difference between coroners and medical examiners (and why a coroner might be a better character choice for mystery writers) and what is and isn't realistic in fictional depictions of these roles. She also speaks about the attitude toward death that these professionals bring to their work. Jennifer Graeser Dornbush is a screenwriter, author, and forensic specialist. She grew up around death as the daughter of a small-town medical examiner whose office was in their home. Jennifer attended the Forensic Science Academy in Los Angeles and in the process established a unique kinship with LA's top CSIs, fingerprint specialists, DNA scientists and detectives. She is the author of the non-fiction book Forensic Speak and has consulted on shows such as BULL, CONVICTION, HAWAII FIVE-O, LEVERAGE, SUITS, and RECTIFY. She is also the author the mystery novel series, The Coroner's Daughter, and of the book and screenplay GOD BLESS THE BROKEN ROAD. Jennifer is a member of the Writers' Guild of America, Sisters in Crime, and Mystery Writers of America. She is also an alum of the FBI Citizen's Academy.

J. Thorn discusses his new book 9 Things Career Authors Don't Do: Exercise, which addresses the importance of exercise, especially considering the potentially sedentary lifestyle of an indy author. We also talk about the strategic and tactical plans behind the 9 Things Career Authors Don't Do series, and the idea of testing the interest of one's audience in a particular topic through an MVP, or minimum viable product. J. Thorn ranks in the Top 100 Most Popular Authors on Amazon in Horror, Science Fiction, Action & Adventure, and Fantasy. He has published two million words and has sold more than 185,000 books worldwide. In March of 2014, Thorn held the #5 position in Horror alongside his childhood idols Dean Koontz and Stephen King. He is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, the Horror Writers Association, and the Great Lakes Association of Horror Writers. J. also hosts the podcasts The Career Author Podcast; Writers, Ink; and The Author Life Podcast.

Dale L. Roberts of Self Publishing with Dale discusses the pros and cons of using an aggregator such as Draft2Digital or Findaway Voices versus going direct to platforms such as Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. He gives tips on how to assess which approach best meets your business goals, and, if those goals change, describes the considerations if you switch from one approach to the other. Perhaps most importantly, he emphasizes the importance of factoring in not only the financial cost but also the time cost when assessing your options. Dale L. Roberts is a fitness author, video content creator, and self-publishing advocate. Voted by Feedspot among the Top 100 websites and Top 50 YouTube channels devoted to self-publishing, Dale has cemented his position as the go-to authority in the indie author community. Anyone who meets Dale for the first time will discover his enthusiasm and passion for business and life. When Dale isn't publishing books, creating videos, and networking with business professionals, he loves to travel with his wife Kelli and spend time playing with his cat Izzie. He currently lives in Columbus, Ohio.

Bestselling novelist Steven James discusses the difference between action and tension, how twists do (and don't) work, the reader's desire to be both surprised and satisfied, and the importance of being alert to the messages your story is trying to send you. Steven James is a national bestselling novelist whose award-winning thrillers continue to gain wide critical acclaim and a growing fan base. His latest novel is SYNAPSE, a near-future thriller. Suspense Magazine named his book EVERY WICKED MAN one of their "Best Books of 2018." Publishers Weekly calls him a "master storyteller at the peak of his game" and, in fact, Steven has a Master's Degree in Storytelling. He has taught writing and storytelling on four continents over the past two decades, and spoken more than two thousand times at events spanning the globe. Steven's groundbreaking books on the art of fiction writing, STORY TRUMPS STRUCTURE and TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR NOVEL, have both won Storytelling World Awards. In his podcast "The Story Blender," he interviews leading storytellers in film, print, and web When Steven isn't writing or speaking, you'll find him trail running, rock climbing, or drinking dark roast coffee near his home in East Tennessee.

Joshua Tallent, acclaimed expert on the role of data in publishing, discusses changes Amazon has made to how it uses keywords, and how authors can capitalize on those changes; the value of the long tail search; and when authors need to focus on producing more content rather than on tweaking metadata. Joshua Tallent is a vocal advocate for high quality book metadata. He serves as the Director of Sales and Education at Firebrand Technologies, where his focus is on helping publishers of all sizes learn about, and find solutions to, their workflow and metadata problems. In his spare time, Joshua enjoys playing complex board games, playing Minecraft, and fiddling with his 3D printer.