The Secret Library Podcast
by Caroline Donahue
Most people believe that books are created in cabins all alone, where authors pound away on some manner of keyboard. Then they hand this masterpiece off to a publisher and it feels very much like it goes down a tube and comes out the other side as a book. By speaking to authors and other book lovers, I'm diving into the mystery that is the book world today. www.thetattooedgoverness.com
Episodes
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Farewell, Secret Library Podcast
*This podcast was made possible through the generous support of Book Alchemy’s paid membership. To support the show and future projects, please consider becoming at member at secretlibrarypodcast.com Saying goodbye is bittersweet Nine years ago, I launched a podcast with very little certainty…
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Enchantment in Fog with Laura Pashby
*This podcast is made possible through the generous support of Book Alchemy’s paid membership. To support the show, please consider becoming at member at secretlibrarypodcast.com Creating a cloud in book form This week, I spoke with the queen of fog, Laura Pashby, a photographer and author with a...
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Find Your Reading (& Writing) Kink with Petya Grady
*This podcast is made possible through the generous support of Book Alchemy’s paid membership. To support the show, please consider becoming at member at secretlibrarypodcast.com Burnt out to embracing joyous reading + writing In this episode of The Secret Library Podcast, I am joined by Petya...
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Scrumptious Murder with Orlando Murrin
*This podcast is made possible through the generous support of Book Alchemy’s paid membership. To support the show, please consider becoming at member at secretlibrarypodcast.com From Chef to Sleuth In this delicious episode, my guest is Orlando Murrin, a former high-profile food writer who...
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From Cooking to Cold Water with Anna Brones
*This podcast is made possible through the generous support of Book Alchemy’s paid membership. To support the show, please consider becoming at member at secretlibrarypodcast.com Diving into the Cold In this episode of the Secret Library Podcast, I speak with Anna Brones from the middle of her...
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The Novel Journey with Emma Gannon
*This podcast is made possible through the generous support of Book Alchemy’s paid membership. To support the show, please consider upgrading your subscription at secretlibrarypodcast.com Self-Discovery Through Fiction In this episode, Emma Gannon and I explore the nuances of writing fiction…
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Tiny Experiments in Writing with Anne-Laure Le Cunff
*This podcast is made possible through the generous support of Book Alchemy’s paid membership. To support the show, please consider upgrading your subscription at secretlibrarypodcast.com The Scientific Method Meets Writing In this conversation, Anne-Laure Le Cunff and I discuss the principles...
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Is a Good Story Worth Paying for? with JP Watson
*This podcast is made possible by the generous support of Book Alchemy’s paid membership. To support the show, please consider upgrading your subscription. The Pound Project In this episode, I speak with JP Watson, a writer from Birmingham, UK, and the founder of The Pound Project. This…
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Read Yourself Happy with Daisy Buchanan
*This podcast is made possible by the generous support of Book Alchemy’s paid membership. To support the show, please consider upgrading your subscription. Ready to Read Yourself Happy? In this engaging conversation, Daisy and I explore the profound impact of reading on personal well-being, the…
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Intro Ep: Novel Possible
It’s almost my favorite time of year: Novel Possible time! For the past two years, I’ve run a challenge every November with a few simple guidelines: * Mission Prompts arrive every day * You can choose to accept the mission and write it, or not * The Mission Prompt self-destructs after we reach...
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No Perfect Time to Write with Sonal Champsee
*To support the show, please visit membership.secretlibrarypodcast.com. So many of us take soul-sucking jobs for a living, while we promise ourselves that we’ll write at night or on the weekends… but years go by and we haven’t made progress, and instead feel defeated and depressed. If you’re in...
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The End of an Era with Jacqueline Winspear
*To support the show, please visit membership.secretlibrarypodcast.com. I can’t think of anyone more fitting for our penultimate episode of the season than Jacqueline Winspear, a Secret Library veteran and author of 20+ books. Her series, Maisie Dobbs, ends this spring after two decades with the...
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Soothing Your Nervous System with Sonya Brewer
*To support the show, please visit membership.secretlibrarypodcast.com. Approaching the topic of money can be hard because it not only brings up feelings of stress, overwhelm, scarcity, and more — but it also can have a massive effect on our nervous system. The good news, though? We can use...
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Moving from a Big 5 Publisher to a Smaller Press with Judith Lindbergh
*To support the show, please visit membership.secretlibrarypodcast.com. There’s historical fiction, then there’s pre-historical fiction. Judith Lindbergh’s newest book is based in the 5th century BC and she’s masterful at not only researching but connecting the past to her readers today. I’m...
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Profit Equals Permission with Carl Richards
*To support the show, please visit membership.secretlibrarypodcast.com. My guest this week is Carl Richards, who is the author of the One Page Financial Plan: A simple way to be smart about your money, and the Behavior Gap: Simple ways to stop doing dumb things with money. He was also the creator...
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Attracting Your Best Readers with Billy Broas
My guest this week is Billy Broas. He is the author, along with Tiago Forte, of the forthcoming Simple Marketing for Smart People. Before you panicabout the word marketing, hear me out. Billy's created systems to help creative and nerdy people understand marketing, like those of us who write and...
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The Cauldron of Emotional Soup with Erika Rasure
*To support the show, please visit membership.secretlibrarypodcast.com. Summary: Today’s episode of the Secret Library is such a treat – we are joined by Erika Rasure, an internationally recognized leader, educator, and researcher in holistic financial wellness. Throughout the episode, we chat...
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Working Together in a New Way with Heidi Fiedler
*To support the show, please visit membership.secretlibrarypodcast.com. Summary: What if book franchises were as extensive as movie franchises? Would you buy a perfume or a sweater that was curated specifically for your favorite book? Finding new ways to make money as a writer is a theme…
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The Thriving Writer with Kern Carter
Summary This week on the Secret Library podcast, my guest is Kern Carter. Kern Carter, based in Toronto, Canada, is an author, educator, and mentor celebrated for his captivating storytelling. With three books published and two more on the horizon for 2024, Kern has garnered critical acclaim and…
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The Art of Money with Bari Tessler
Summary My first guest this season is Bari Tessler, author of The Art of Money, The Art of Money Workbook, and the creator of the year long Art of Money School. She has been my money mentor since I met her over 20 years ago. I knew she had to be our first guest for this season because she was the...
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What Do You Want from Writing?
Welcome back to the Secret Library podcast! In season 10, we are switching up the show in more ways than one, the first of which is starting with a solo episode. This time around, we are looking at money. The world has been shaky for the past several years and economic shifts really hurt those on...
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Wrap Up: Publishing in 2023 | Solo Episode
This is the final episode of season ninth season of the Secret Library. In this episode, there's no guest, it's just you and me to take a final look at this very important topic, which is publishing now, which is constantly changing. Over the past eight years of hosting the show, it's always been...
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Writing Dreams for the Screen | AL Berggren
We’ve got a repeat guest this week on the podcast to give us such a fun update! AL Berggren was on the show in season six to share about her self-publishing journey, and this week she’s back to let us know where her book, Secret Crying Minds, stands! She’s been working with BooksOffice to get her...
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Children’s Book Publishing Now | Jo Loring-Fisher
We’ve had a lot of amazing authors on the show to date, but something we haven’t highlighted as much are the authors of children’s books. So with that, I’m so excited to have Jo Loring-Fisher on the show today to give us a bit of insight on the publishing process of a children’s book and how it...
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The Emotions of Publication | Huma Qureshi
It’s always such a treat to read a novel that has a main character who is a writer, but writing a main character who is a writer is a whole different thing. Huma Qureshi, author of Playing Games, is on the Secret Library today and she’s sharing her journey of finally writing the book that she…
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For the Publishing Reluctant Out There | Craig Mod
I’m delighted to have Craig Mod, book producer and author, on the show today. In our conversation, he shares how he created his own press after receiving rejection after rejection. We also get to hear about his creative process which is a real treat because Craig’s books are really like no other,...
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Writing a Sure Thing | Jennifer Herrera
What a rare moment to have the perspective of literary agent and author on the podcast. Jennifer Herrera is on the Secret Library today and she’s sharing the current state of the publishing industry — most notably, how you can write to make sure you’re a sure thing in this risk-adverse…
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The Shadow Side of Writing and Publishing | Joanna Penn
This might be one of the most vulnerable episodes of the Secret Library I’ve shared so far. Joanna Penn joins and shares why she’s chosen to publish on Kickstarter rather than going the traditional route. We also do a bit of a live coaching session as we talk through the shadow over all, but also...
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Writing for Right Now | Kerri Maher
Sometimes it feels like authors are psychic, right? The books they write are published in the exactly right historical moment which makes their work immediately timeless. This is certainly the case for Kerri Maher and her most recent book, All You Have to Do Is Call, which focuses on the true…
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When Librarians Get Murderous! | Laura Sims
Halloween will be here before we know it, and to get into the spirit I’m excited to share this episode with Laura Sims, author of Looker and her newest book, How Can I Help You, which explores the darker side of humanity — all happening within a library which is a delight. Laura masters the art…
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Humor and Bittersweetness in Fiction | Steven Rowley
Welcome to the newest season of The Secret Library! We have an amazing line up in store for you these next few weeks that I can’t wait for you to hear. To start us off, Steven Rowley joins us to talk about his experience writing his latest book, The Celebrants. The biggest theme we touch upon is...
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The Gifts of Writing | Caroline Donahue
And here we are — the final episode of season eight. I'm surprised that we're here already. We've had so many exciting conversations during the season, and here we are with my final episode, where it's just me and you talking about the gifts of writing and how they've played out. For me. I was...
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[Replay] Why We Need Writers Over 40 | Kusi Okamura
Continuing the conversation about wonder, we‘re dipping back into the SLP archives for a couple of favorite episodes you might have missed, or that deserve a relisten with wonder in mind. Enjoy -- At about 40, there is a new level of clarity about the urgency of being creative. I was delighted to...
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[Replay] We're All Real Writers | Greta Solomon
Continuing the conversation about wonder, we‘re dipping back into the SLP archives for a couple of favorite episodes you might have missed, or that deserve a relisten with wonder in mind. Enjoy -- I'm so grateful to welcome Greta Solomon back to the show. With her bright approach to life and...
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The Delight of Genre Fiction | Tamsin Woodward
My guest today is Tamsin Woodward who discovered the Secret Library podcast during lockdown in 2020 and has loved it ever since. Along with the podcast, Tamsin is also an alumna of Dream to Draft. This is such a fun conversation, that as is true with every episode, I am excited to share with you....
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Finding Wonder in Self Publishing | Kali Patrick
My guest this week is Kali Patrick, a sleep and well being coach who wrote a #1 best-selling book as an independent publisher. I’m so excited to have Kali on because we haven’t yet explored the wonder and enchantment that can come from writing non-fiction and the experiences that are available to...
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Everything as a Possibility | Tara Calihman
My guest this week is Tara Calihman, a comedian, screenwriter, producer, essayist, teacher and facilitator. In our episode, we chat about how writing has impacted us and opened new opportunities and inspiration. I’m always impressed by Tara’s endless exploration of new things, especially stand-up...
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Making Space for Stories to Be Told | Lena McCullough
My guest this week is Lena McCullough, whose passion for writing started in early childhood, but she didn’t allow herself the time to write until recently as her children have grown older. Lena is an alumna of the first cohort of Dream to Draft and her enthusiasm and passion for writing is...
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Letting Writing Transport You | Anna Schroeder
My guest this week on the SLP is Anna Schroeder, who has been writing stories as long as she can remember and is now an author of multiple novels. On top of writing, Anna is an ICU nurse specializing in trauma and stroke which can find its way into her writing. I’m particularly excited to have…
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Wonder not Control | Aleksandra Merk
My guest this week is Aleksandra Merk, a proud graduate of the first cohort of Dream to Draft! I’m very excited to have her on the show because she bridges the gap between the academic and writing world. She has explored fiction in many forms herself, and being right in the middle of working on…
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Finding Enchantment in Exhaustion | Katherine May
Welcome to episode one of season eight of the Secret Library Podcast. I can think of no better guest than Katherine May who will start us in this journey of seeking wonder. Katherine is an internationally bestselling author and podcaster, most known for her book Wintering. Her newest book,...
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Stone Soup: Murk Middle Advice | Sonal Champsee
I am really excited to have Sonal Champsee on the podcast today where we are taking her concept of writer therapy and accepting questions from The Secret Library cafe about the murky middle and discussing them. We hone in on three different questions that I think will be really relevant to you...
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NaNoWriMo and the Murky Middle | Hannah Dennison
Show veteran Hannah Dennison is joining me this week. As the author of 17 books, I know she’s no stranger to the murky middle and finding her way through it. I love having Hannah on because we really get into what it means to get stuck in the middle, the various solutions we’ve tried, and our...
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Draft to Draft | Danny Ramadan
There will be many stories similar to yours, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put yours on the page! Today on the podcast, Danny Ramadan, author of The Foghorn Echoes, shares his 5-year experience writing his book. He’ll inspire you to persevere through the murky middle - even when that…
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Letting Your Characters Guide You | Richard Osman
I’ve completely fallen in love with Cooper’s Chase, the setting in Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club Mystery book series, so much so that my husband and I joke that is where we want to end up when we get older. With that being said, I’m so honored to have Richard on this week’s episode of the...
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Going There | Emerson Whitney
My guest this week is Emerson Whitney and I had so much fun recording this interview, it felt like one of those episodes where you get to play. His upcoming book, Heaven, is a powerhouse of a book that I can’t recommend enough, it was as much of a joy to read as it was to talk about the process…
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Writing Your Way Through | Jasmine Guillory
The romance genre is going through a revolution — more and more books include deeper storylines that people are clamoring for (and publishers and bookshops are taking note). Today’s conversation with Jasmine Guillory is a real treat. She’s written eight fantastic romance novels, all with engaging...
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Hitchhiking through the Murky Middle | Thomas Kearney
Thomas Kearney, the author of Thumbs Up: A Hitchhiking Irishman and 25,000 Kilometres from Patagonia to the Arctic, is joining me on the podcast today to share a bit about his journey of hiking from the most southern point to the most northern point of the globe as well as writing the story of…
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Writing from Personal Experience | Courtney Zoffness
The murky middle during memoir writing is one that deserves it’s own episode because you’re quite literally writing about your own life, so it can feel a bit more personal. I’m excited to have Courtney Zoffness, Sunday Times Short Story Award winner and author of Spilt Milk on the Secret Library...
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Peeling Back the Layers | LaToya Watkins
Sometimes you start your novel without fully knowing the depth of the story that you’re telling. LaToya Watkins, author of Perish, is joining me today on The Secret Library Podcast to share her writing process. I learned so much about method writing, creating multi-dimensional characters, and the...
About this show
Most people believe that books are created in cabins all alone, where authors pound away on some manner of keyboard. Then they hand this masterpiece off to a publisher and it feels very much like it goes down a tube and comes out the other side as a book. By speaking to authors and other book lovers, I'm diving into the mystery that is the book world today.
www.thetattooedgoverness.com
Hosted by
Caroline Donahue