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Today on Hope Prose, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Gena Showalter joins Tara and Rebekah for a light-hearted discussion about perseverance in writing, how she handles bad reviews as a creative, what inspires her novels, her tips for fast drafting, all things The EVERLIFE trilogy (her clean YA series), and her latest YA release THE GLASS QUEEN. Gena lives in Oklahoma with her husband, two adult children who grew up way too fast, and a menagerie of dogs and cats who enjoy walking across her keyboard during pivotal scenes and demanding pets at all hours of the day and night. Her novels have appeared in various magazines including Seventeen and she has interviewed on Nightline, mentioned on Orange is the New Black—the very moment her family decided she might be a real writer after all.Grab your tea or coffee, cozy up, and enjoy! P.S. There is also a giveaway being run right now on the podcast’s Instagram page (@the_hope_prose_podcast) where you can win a SIGNED copy of one of her books so hop on over when you are done and check it out. 

Today on Hope Prose, Tara and Rebekah have the pleasure of hosting their first poetry author, Amie Woleslage! Amie is a suburban cowgirl with a penchant for words. What started as a coping mechanism quickly became a burning passion and a desire to help others with the same challenges she faces. Listen as they chat candidly about all things mental health, her debut poetry book FIFTEEN, healing from grief, the amazing job Amie did organizing her marketing campaign, and how writing can help aid in the recovery of a wounded spirit. This is a podcast episode near and dear to Tara and Bekah’s heart and they hope you enjoy and find a friend in Amie’s honesty and vulnerability. 

In today’s episode of The Hope Prose Podcast, Tara and Rebekah sit down with kid-lit novelist Laura Segal Stegman, an arts publicist from Los Angeles to talk about her debut novel: SUMMER OF L.U.C.K.. Listen in as they discuss Laura’s foray into the writing scene after being an actress for many years, what prompted her change in careers, why SUMMER OF L.U.C.K. is the embodiment of her own journey of self-discovery, why family issues can help craft relatable characters, and her best advice for aspiring authors. 

In this week's episode of The Hope Prose Podcast, Tara and Rebekah chat with author, speaker, and contributing writer to the blog GO TEEN WRITES, Shannon Dittemore. Bundle up in a warm blanket or grab a cup of tea and listen as they talk about her return to the publishing world with her newest book, WINTER WHITE AND WICKED. Learn what sparked the idea for WINTER, why it took five years to get from draft to the shelves, the hidden but not so hidden message found within its pages, and what catapulted her journey into the world of writing, teaching, and authordom. Enjoy! 

In this week's episode of The Hope Prose Podcast, Tara and Rebekah pick the brain of award-winning author Marian L. Thomas, who pushes the boundaries of their usual YA genre format, but who they think you’ll enjoy listening to all the same. Settle in and listen as they chat about her book, “CAGED BUTTERFLY” which has been featured on national TV stations around the country such as the Oprah Winfrey Network, A&E, and Ovation to just name a few. Marian takes your hosts deep into her world and discuss all things ranging from how she wrote a book in 30 days, her love for butterflies, and the importance of loving the skin you're in. You can find Marian at her website: https://www.marianlthomas.com/ and buy THE CAGED BUTTERFLY wherever books are sold. 

In this week's episode of The Hope Prose Podcast, Tara has a heartfelt and lively conversation with children's fantasy author R.J. Anderson. Listen in as they chat about the benefits of tackling difficult subjects and themes through a fantastical lens, and how great stories, including her newest releases, The Flight and Flames Trilogy through Enclave Publishing, encourage us to be brave in exploring how our differences can sometimes be our greatest strengths. Make sure to check out our Instagram page for details on how you can win your own advanced reader copy of Nomad.  

In the first episode of season two, Rebekah and Tara talk about their decision to spread their wings this year and begin to include more diverse voices within their show--which just so happens to include highlighting more middle-grade gems. Together, they sit down with James Bird, a California native of Ojibwe descent, screenwriter/director, and now middle-grade author, to talk candidly about his foray into the writing scene and his debut book, THE BRAVE.Listen as they discuss all things neurodiversity, the secret code within THE BRAVE that readers should be on the lookout for, and what he thinks makes a good story. Enjoy! 

Get ready for a completed unscripted laugh-fest about all the highs and lows of the first season of the Hope Prose Podcast. Listen as Tara and Rebekah discuss the results of their listener survey, including plans to continue in September with more diverse guests, clean reads from across genres, and the inclusion of some MG authors and expert opinions on writing, publishing, and becoming an author. Enjoy and until next season!!

In part two of Tara and Rebekah's interview with Robin Jones Gunn (best-selling and Christy Award-winning author of more than 100 books including the 3.5 million-selling Christy Miller Series), the three continue their chat about her newest book, Being Known, her lack of socks, why she chose to focus her novel on healing from grief, her God-story about Africa, and the importance of community. Stay tuned till the end because the winner of the giveaway run last week is revealed! Enjoy!

In today’s episode (part one of TWO!) of The Hope Prose Podcast, your hosts have the honor of sitting down with one of their most highly anticipated guest yet, Robin Jones Gunn! Robin is a best-selling and Christy Award-winning author of more than 100 books including the 3.5 million-selling Christy Miller Series. Listen as they chat about her newest book, Being Known, her lack of socks, why she chose to focus her novel on healing from grief, her God-story about Africa, and the importance of community. Stay tuned because at the end, there is a super cool giveaway YOU could win. Enjoy!

In this week's episode of Hope Prose, Tara and Rebekah converse with epic indie fantasy author, AnnMarie Pavese. AnnMarie is the author of So Sang the Dawn and abides in the mountains of Arizona. She writes far more than she reads and spends her free time mentoring other girls, not only in the art of writing but also in the art of navigating the hardest parts of life.Listen as we pick her brain about the trials and tribulations of writing a book that is (no joke!) 750 pages long, what inspired her unique world of Frostholm, how her writing journey came to be, and why we need more platonic relationships in YA fiction. Enjoy!

Today on Hope Prose, Rebekah and Tara sit down with extremely successful YA author, Nadine Brandes. Nadine is the Carol-Award winning author of FAWKES, ROMANOV, and the Out of Time Series. When she's not busy writing novels about bold living, you can usually find her drinking her weight in tea, hanging out on Instagram, or adventuring through Middle Earth with her husband and their Halfling children.Listen as they have a candid conversation about plotting, her perspective on respecting history while incorporating elements of fantasy within her novels, and her love for allegorical stories. Enjoy!

Rebekah and Tara switch roles in today’s episode for the launch of Tara’s debut novel, FADE TO WHITE. Listen as they have fun chatting about what started Tara on her journey towards authordom, how important mental health is, and how reading and writing can help others in their own road to healing, and of course, all the details on how FADE TO WHITE came to be. Tara lives with her husband, two daughters and rescued fur-baby in a field of cookie-cutter homes near Toronto, Canada. When she is not writing, she works as a school speech-language pathologist and mentors with local youth programs. FADE TO WHITE is her debut novel Enjoy!

In today’s episode of Hope Prose, Tara and Rebekah are whisked away to the land of childhood novelty by none other than YA author, Kara Swanson. Kara spent her childhood running barefoot through the lush jungles of Papua New Guinea and is the award-winning author of The Girl Who Could See and Peter Panretelling/sequel Dust (Enclave Publishing, July 2020). She helps young writers explore their passions as a faculty member of the Young Writer’s Workshop and also offers her own author coaching services.Listen as she talks about all things Peter Pan, her journey towards publication, how to craft relatable and honest characters, co-authoring, and what it was like to tackle a retelling by a beloved and classic author (spoiler alert: not easy!) This is not an episode you’ll want to miss! Enjoy!

In this week's episode, Tara and Rebekah sit down and chat with the extremely talented middle-grade author, Claire Swinarski. Claire is the author of multiple books including What Happens Next (coming May 19th, 2020 from Harper Collins) and Girl, Arise: A Catholic Feminist’s Invitation to Live Boldly, Love Your Faith, and Change the World.Listen as they chat about what makes middle grade books so special, why it’s important for books directed towards younger readers to tackle tough subjects, and what her favourite middle grade books are and why. Enjoy!

In this week's episode, Tara and Rebekah get to celebrate the book launch of Seeing Voices with fellow debut Canadian YA author Olivia Smit. We learn about the benefits of completing an undergraduate program in creative writing, how to write from a hard of hearing character's POV, and how Olivia's passions for small towns, baking and hope-filled stories work into her own novels.Enjoy!

Happy Easter! This bonus episode is a collaborative effort created in light of the global pandemic we are currently faced with. As a member of the Christian Podcast Association, we wanted to come together to create a message of hope for listeners this Easter. And so began the Hope Collaboration.In this episode, we share some of the amazing hope-filled podcasts available for free through your favorite podcast player.We have also included some suggestions for hope-filled reads across ages in our own segment at the end. Thank you so much for your support on this journey. Let us know how we can support you and your creative journeys in the future.

In today's episode, Tara and Rebekah have the pleasure of sitting down with June Hur. Born in South Korea, raised in Canada, and she studied History and Literature at the University of Toronto. Her debut novel THE SILENCE OF BONES (Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan, April 2020) is a murder mystery set in Joseon Dynasty Korea (early 1800s), and also a coming-of-age tale about a girl searching for home. It was recently selected by the American Booksellers Association as one of the top debuts of Winter/Spring 2020.Listen as June takes them behind the scenes in a candid conversation about what prompted her debut novel THE SILENCE OF BONES, what "home" means to her, and how reconnecting to our roots helps us both as authors and as people. Enjoy!

In today’s episode of Hope Prose, Tara and Rebekah sit down with widely successful YA author, Taylor Bennet. Taylor Bennett is a dandelion-wishing, world-traveling lover of books, words, and stories. Based in the Pacific North West, she dreams of seeing the world and writing stories set in unique locations. Listen as she chats with your hosts about all things hedgehogs, traveling, and how it feels to have ended her well-loved Tradewinds Trilogy after debuting with the first book of that series at the tender age of seventeen! Enjoy!

In today’s podcast, Tara and Rebekah sit down with an extremely talented YA author and talented film producer. Phillip Telfer began his journey as a creative communicator through singing and songwriting. He also started teaching and mentoring teens as a youth pastor and camp speaker. He now directs the non-profit ministry Media Talk 101 and is author of the book Media Choices: Convictions or Compromise & Why Save Alexander. Listen in as they chat about his passion for youth trapped in unhealthy technology habits, what inspired his newest endeavour of writing YA fiction, and film making. Enjoy!