Queries, Qualms, & Quirks

Mystery Author Kathleen Marple Kalb joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss querying in high school, getting rejections while sitting in a hospital waiting room, debuting in a pandemic, how Law & Order helps our writing, how working in news rooms has influenced her writing, writing headlines, and the importance of knowing your genre.

Kathleen Marple Kalb describes herself as an Author/Anchor/Mom…not in that order...

Thriller Author Ashley Winstead joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss dreams deferred, not getting into an MFA, feeling like a Pitch Wars Showcase failure, how much easier writing the second book was, the importance of writing friends, making up new things to worry about, and having the courage to be the writer you want to be...

Romance Author Ruby Barrett joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss having your best friend as your first reader, Pitch Wars, learning about story structure, the importance of feedback, being inspired by a tweet, jealousy vs envy, the benefit of your friends getting published before you, how unemployment lead to her new career, how music inspires her writing.

Ruby Barrett (she/her) writes steamy romances about big feelings...

Romance Author Charish Reid joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss writing with ADHD, getting an agent and publication offer at the same time, reading reviews, putting things in perspective, the benefit of series in romance, preparing for the next book contract, writing bad poetry, and the need for external validation. ✦ 

Charish Reid is the author of three contemporary romance novels: The Write Escape, Hearts on Hold, and (Trust) Falling for You...

Young Adult Author Kyrie McCauley joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss finding a supportive community early on, sobbing at her first edit letter, writing about tough topics, writing at the zoo, Pitch Wars, the mountains and valleys of publishing, and what she misses about querying. ✦ 

Kyrie McCauley is the author of If These Wings Could Fly and We Can Be Heroes...

Mystery Author Leslie Budewitz joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss the lawyer to writer pipeline, Sisters in Crime, when the struggle was finding publishing information instead of curating it, the pre-internet writing community, writing fiction feeling too daunting at first, publishing as a business, and not having a linear path...

Young Adult Author Dante Medema joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss having a massive earthquake the day your book goes to auction, being overwhelmed by writers conferences, knowing when a book is the one, the non-glamorous life of an author, ten years to overnight success, debuting during a pandemic, and separating the business from your ego. ✦ 

Dante Medema is the author of THE TRUTH PROJECT and MESSAGE NOT FOUND...

Romance Author Farah Heron joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss the benefits of being a joiner, the problem with being Canadian, DVPit, finding your genre, the important of publicists, deciding if writing is worth the stress, the danger of self-rejection, being a chapter President during the RWA implosion, and nothing being more important than the writing. ✦ 

Farah Heron is a critically acclaimed author of romance and romcoms....

Horror Author Jessica Lewis joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss going from self-insert fanfiction to original fiction, the support of NaNoWriMo buddies, entering all the publishing contests, Pitch Wars, the pressure of writing for money, mental health, and trouble coming up with titles. ✦ 

Jessica Lewis is a Black author and receptionist. She lives with her way-funnier-than-her grandmother in Alabama...

Young Adult Author Annie Sullivan joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss getting two requests out of a hundred queries, why “write something new” and “don’t give up on a book you love” are not contradictory, learning about publishing rights and contracts, the migration of goalposts, leaving Easter Eggs for her readers, and not putting time limits on your self...