Women Writing

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with author J. M. Shaw.J. M. Shaw is a Canadian author of fantasy fiction who lives in Alberta with her husband and two young children. She’s been writing since childhood, building worlds from raw imagination and quiet observation, but it took years before she found the courage to share them. For Shaw, storytelling has always been more than a passion. It’s a compass. A sanctuary. A way to make sense of the chaos.In 2019, Shaw was diagnosed with autism and ADHD, a turning point that brought clarity to a lifetime of feeling “too much” or “too different.” Her intense focus, emotional depth, and ability to live inside fictional worlds became not flaws but the superpowers of a neurodivergent mind. These qualities shape her stories, infusing them with realism, heart, and meaning, and giving her the courage to finally share her creative works. Her worlds may be fantastical, but her characters—flawed, searching, and deeply human—resonate on a personal level.In 2021, Shaw released The Ascension, the first book in her fantasy-adventure series The Callum Walker Series. She has since published three sequels, with more in the works. When she’s not writing, Shaw enjoys connecting with nature, curling up with a good book, and dreaming up new worlds. She also finds joy in encouraging young writers to pursue their own passions.REGISTRATION IS OPEN!Join Book Coaches Canada, a group of Canadian Author Accelerator certified fiction, memoir, and non-fiction book coaches, for a weekend of webinars on writing, publishing, mindset, and strategies. Sign up for as many (or all the sessions) and check out the freebies and special offers. Write On 2026 takes place on May 30-31, 2026.Register for free at write-on-2026.heysummit.com. And don’t forget to join “Prompt or Perish: Book Coaches Debate AI and the Future of Writing” and my session “The Sisu Method: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Writers.” And did I mention? It’s free!📚 Women Writing CircleThe Women Writing Circle meets every Monday from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. This offering is for paid subscribers. You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. Join us to get focussed writing done in the company of a supportive group of women writers. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with my fellow book coaches, Natalie Poulson and Nicole Bross, from Book Coaches Canada. We’re chatting about our upcoming online (free) event, Write On 2026 on May 30-31, 2026. Check out the schedule and register here.“With lessons from over a dozen experts in all things writing and publishing, you’ll get craft advice that will make your story shine and mindset tips that will keep you going when the words won’t. It’s like a virtual coffee date with the world’s nicest book coaches, who’ve all come together to support your literary aspirations.Come as you are and bring your questions, your half-finished drafts and your dreams of authorship (and your favourite mug!). By the end, you’ll have practical tools to improve your craft and fresh momentum to make real progress on your book.Are you ready to take your story to the next level? Write On!”📚 Women Writing CircleThe Women Writing Circle meets every Monday from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. This offering is for paid subscribers. You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. Join us to get focussed writing done in the company of a supportive group of women writers. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with author Kristine Jensen.Kristine Jensen is a lifelong writer whose work has spanned scripts, screenplays, and storytelling for brands and organizations. She has spent her career shaping narratives, crafting voices, and distilling complex ideas into language that connects. Born and raised in South Dakota, Kristine drew inspiration for her first novel from the minutes of her grandmother’s real-life women’s club, which met for more than sixty years. She now lives in Oregon, where she writes fiction that celebrates women’s inner lives, unlikely friendships, and the quiet power of small towns.You can learn more about the real Wednesday Club that inspired the novel at www.wednesday-club.com. Facebook: Wednesday Club Novel Instagram: Wednesday_club_novelREGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!Join Book Coaches Canada, a group of Canadian Author Accelerator certified fiction, memoir, and non-fiction book coaches, for a weekend of webinars on writing, publishing, mindset, and strategies. Sign up for as many (or all the sessions) and check out the freebies and special offers. Write On 2026 takes place on May 30-31, 2026.Register for free at write-on-2026.heysummit.com. And don’t forget to join “Prompt or Perish: Book Coaches Debate AI and the Future of Writing” and my session “The Sisu Method: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Writers.”And did I mention? It’s free!📚 Women Writing CircleThe Women Writing Circle meets every Monday from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. This offering is for paid subscribers. You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. Join us to get focussed writing done in the company of a supportive group of women writers. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with author Randi-Lee Bowslaugh.Randi is a mental health advocate, author, and YouTube host of the Write or Die Show. She started writing at 14 years old as a coping strategy for her depression. Twenty years later she is now a mom, grandma, and thriving creative individual.Visit @randileebowslaughWRITE ON 2026 (MAY 30-31,2026)Presented by Book Coaches Canada With lessons from over a dozen experts in all things writing and publishing, you’ll get craft advice that will make your story shine and mindset tips that will keep you going when the words won’t. It’s like a virtual coffee date with the world’s nicest book coaches, who’ve all come together to support your literary aspirations.Come as you are and bring your questions, your half-finished drafts and your dreams of authorship (and your favourite mug!). By the end, you’ll have practical tools to improve your craft and fresh momentum to make real progress on your book.Are you ready to take your story to the next level? Write On!”📚Women Writing CircleThe Women Writing Circle meets every Monday from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. This offering is for paid subscribers. You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. Join us to get focussed writing done in the company of a supportive group of women writers. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with author Nora Gold.Dr. Nora Gold is the prize-winning author of six books, as well as the founder and editor-in-chief of the prestigious online literary journal Jewish Fiction, which has published 650 stories never before published in English, that were originally written in 23 languages. Gold’s first book, Marrow and Other Stories, won a Vine Canadian Jewish Book Award and was praised by Alice Munro. Her second book, the novel Fields of Exile, won the inaugural Canadian Jewish Literary Award for best novel, and was acclaimed by Ruth Wisse and Irwin Cotler. Her novel The Dead Man received glowing reviews, including in the Los Angeles Review of Books, and won a Canada Council for the Arts translation grant. Her fourth book, 18: Jewish Stories Translated from 18 Languages, an anthology of translated works, was praised by Publishers Weekly, Cynthia Ozick, and Dara Horn; was a finalist for a Foreword Indies Award; and was featured in the New York Times Wirecutter in both 2023 and 2024 as a recommended Chanukah gift. Gold’s fifth book, In Sickness and In Health/Yom Kippur in a Gym (two novellas) received international acclaim, and was one of the five books that Hadassah Magazine chose to feature in Fall 2025. Her latest book, the novella Doubles, will be published on May 1st, and has already received rave advance reviews.Gold, who lives in Toronto, has received considerable media attention, and has appeared as a featured guest on podcasts and videocasts based in India, Australia, the United States, and Canada. She is active on social media, including Facebook and Instagram, and on LinkedIn she has over 100,000 followers. Her website is www.noragold.com and she can be found on social media at:FacebookInstagram X LinkedIn 📚 Women Writing CircleThe Women Writing Circle meets every Monday from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. This offering is for paid subscribers. You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. Join us to get focussed writing done in the company of a supportive group of women writers. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with Katie Welch.Ladder to Heaven is Katie Welch’s second novel; her debut, Mad Honey, was nominated for the 2023 OLA Evergreen Prize. She is a two-time alumnus of the Banff Centre and was a finalist for the 2023 CBC Short Story Prize. A music teacher and an advocate for nature, Katie enjoys being outside and active with her family. She lives in Kamloops and on Cortes Island, BC.Visit Katie online:* Website* Instagram* Facebook📚 Women Writing CircleThe Women Writing Circle meets every Monday from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. This offering is for paid subscribers. You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. Join us to get focussed writing done in the company of a supportive group of women writers. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with author Su Chang. Listen to the episode here or watch on YouTube.Su Chang is a Chinese-Canadian writer. She is the author of a novel The Immortal Woman (House of Anansi, March 2025), which was a CBC’s “must-read historical fiction” pick, a finalist for the Toronto Book Award, a Rakuten Kobo Best Fiction of the Month, and won the 2025 Independent Publisher Book Award. CBC named her one of the 2025 “Writers to Watch.” Her short fiction were recognized in Prairie Fire’s Fiction Contest, Montreal Fiction Prize, Canadian Authors’ Association National Contest, ILS/Fence Fiction Contest, among others. You can connect with her through her website suchangauthor.com and on Instagram @suchangwrites.📚 Women Writing CircleThe Women Writing Circle meets every Monday from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. This offering is for paid subscribers. You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. Join us to get focussed writing done in the company of a supportive group of women writers. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with Edwina Perkins.Edwina Perkins serves as co-director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, where she also coordinates Mentoring Moments and manages Sensitivity Between the Lines. As managing editor for Harambee Press, an imprint of End Game Press, she brings editorial expertise to diverse publishing projects. A long-term member of Word Weavers International, Edwina now serves on its advisory board. She has also served as Emerging Leader Coordinator with the Evangelical Christian Publishing Association (ECPA). An award-winning writer and experienced educator, Edwina works as a speaker, freelance editor, mentor, coach, and authenticity/sensitivity consultant. She teaches at conferences throughout the year and advocates for diverse voices in Christian fiction. She has been published in numerous magazines and anthologies.Connect with Edwina:* Website* Blue Ridge Conference * Harambee Press email* Instagram* Facebook* X📚 Women Writing CircleThe Women Writing Circle meets every Monday from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. This offering is for paid subscribers. You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. Join us to get focussed writing done in the company of a supportive group of women writers. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with Sophia Laettner Joubert.Sophia Laettner Joubert is a thought leader, speaker, and writer dedicated to helping people step into love—one sacred choice at a time. As the founder of the Step Into Love movement, she teaches embodiment practices that help individuals create ripples of positive change, starting with self-love. Through her Substack publications Step Into Love with Sophia (weekly reflections and embodiment practices), Dearest Young Lady (letters of encouragement for young women), and her speaking engagements, Sophia shares timely wisdom for calling in clarity, embodying transformation, and living in alignment.Connect with Sophia:* Instagram: @bySophiaLaettnerJoubert* Substack: 📚 Women Writing CircleThe Women Writing Circle meets every Monday from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. This offering is for paid subscribers. You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. Join us to get focussed writing done in the company of a supportive group of women writers. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with book coach Sara Gentry. Listen to the episode here or watch it on YouTube.Sara Gentry is a Math Ph.D. turned Author Accelerator triple-certified book coach who helps writers shape their compelling ideas into commercially viable books. Also a musician, she loves integrating the creative with the analytical and she brings both perspectives in her work with writers. Sara is a married, homeschooling mom, so she empathizes with the time-strapped women writers who wear lots of hats! Visit Sara Gentry’s website Solutions for Writers.📚 Women Writing CircleThe Women Writing Circle meets every Monday from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. This offering is for paid subscribers. You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. Join us to get focussed writing done in the company of a supportive group of women writers. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with author Tar Atore. Listen to the episode here or watch it on YouTube.Tar Atore writes fantasy and sci-fi with queer characters, subtle romances, and epic scales. She loves playing with common tropes and twisting her plots around. When not writing, Tar Atore is still with a book at hand and cat in her lap as a designer. She helps indie authors bring their visions to life through maps for their books, beautiful typesets that draw the eye, and covers that speak to the reader.Visit Tar Atore’s https://konstancek.wixstudio.com/creates📚 Women Writing CircleThe Women Writing Circle meets every Monday from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. This offering is for paid subscribers. You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. Join us to get focussed writing done in the company of a supportive group of women writers. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with author and podcaster Holly B. Gutwillinger. Holly B. Gutwillinger writes and podcasts from her home in northern Ontario, where she lives alongside her husband and two rescue dogs who are central to her life. Her debut novel, North of Broken & Furever Home, was published on February 14, 2026, and delves into the layered bond between a woman and her rescue animals.Family runs deep in Holly's work—both the family we're born into and the one we build with the animals who depend on us. A graduate of the University of Toronto's School of Continuing Studies certificate program in creative writing, she's currently pursuing her MFA in fiction at the University of King's College. Holly contributes her time to the local writing community through her writers' guild and the Women's Fiction Writers Association.Holly’s Substack Ramblings from the Little Shed📚 Women Writing CircleThe Women Writing Circle meets every Monday from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. This offering is for paid subscribers. You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. Join us to get focussed writing done in the company of a supportive group of women writers. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with multi-talented Margaret McNellis. Margaret is a fiction author, poet, artist, and archetypal astrologer, working at the intersection of story, art, and cosmic symbolism. Her work explores identity, belonging, and the ways our past shapes who we become.Visit Margaret’s website margaretmcnellis.com📚 Women Writing CircleThe Women Writing Circle meets every Monday from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. This offering is for paid subscribers. You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. Join us to get focussed writing done in the company of a supportive group of women writers. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with author Emma Tourtelot. Listen here or watch on YouTube.Emma Tourtelot is the author of the novel No One You Know (January 2026, She Writes Press). She is also the co-author of eight books about sex and relationships, as one half of the celebrated sex advice duo Em & Lo, and co-creator of Nerve Personals. Time magazine called her first book, “This generation’s smarter, funnier, and raunchier version of The Joy of Sex.” After being a sex advice writer for almost two decades, Emma is now a middle school librarian in the Hudson Valley, which turns out to be a lot more controversial than her first career.📚 Women Writing CircleThe Women Writing Circle meets every Monday from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. This offering is for paid subscribers. You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. Join us to get focussed writing done in the company of a supportive group of women writers. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with author and teacher Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer. Listen to the episode here or watch on YouTube.Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer is an author and writing instructor. She has been featured on The Creative Penn podcast, Jane Friedman’s blog, Writer’s Digest magazine, and more. She’s published 19 books, and is also host of The Confident Fiction Author podcast.Follow Sarah on social media:* Facebook* Instagram* LinkedIn* Substack: Fiction CoursesThe Women Writing Circle meets biweekly on Monday from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. Starting February 9, we’re meeting every Monday! Come and write with us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with author Tara Hodgson. You can listen to the episode here or watch on YouTube. Tara Hodgson has called herself a teacher of teenagers for 17 years and is now thrilled to call herself a published author as well; she has written and published the YA Contemporary novels, Chasing Through Time and At Least I’m Trying. When she isn’t teaching or writing, she is reading. She loves all genres of books, but especially YA Contemporary, Fantasy, and Dystopian. She spends her downtime walking, camping, boating, and at home with her family and animals in rural Alberta, Canada.Looking for more podcasts? I was recently a guest on Author Talk with Aimee Ravichandran.Big news! Starting Monday, February 9, the Women Writing Circle meets every Monday from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. Come and write with us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with author and self-publisher CC Robinson.CC Robinson is a dynamic force in the world of racial reconciliation. As the author of the Divided series and an Associate Pastor at a multi-ethnic congregation, CC pioneers the way for people from diverse backgrounds to move from yelling at each other in rows to discussing issues around a table as colleagues. When CC speaks, audiences see a way forward from the current climate of division and hatred to greater collaboration and, ultimately, a unified approach to issues that affect their communities. With over twenty year’s experience as a missionary to post-civil war nations and a pastor in a multi-ethnic congregation, CC has grown from a white woman steeped in the colonialistic views of American culture to an author and advocate for collaborative, respectful, multi-ethnic, and compassionate community-building.Download Upheaval for free.https://ccrobinsonauthor.com/womenwritingNeed time to write? The Women Writing Circle meets on the second and fourth Monday of the month from 6:30-8:00 PM EST with occasional bonus sessions. Come and write with us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with author, self-publisher, and bookseller Ann Charles. Ann Charles is a USA Today Bestselling author who writes hilarious, sometimes hair-raising, award-winning books overflowing with humor, mystery, adventure, romance, supernatural elements, and whatever else sounds like a great time on the page. Ann has a B.A. in English with an emphasis on creative writing from the University of Washington. When she isn’t escaping into story worlds, she is arm wrestling her kids, planning road trips alongside her husband, and arguing with her sassy cats. Check out her website for more information on her books and connect information: www.anncharles.com.What are you working on? The Women Writing Circle meets on the second and fourth Monday of the month from 6:30-8:00 PM EST with occasional bonus sessions. Come and write with us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with author and email marketing consultant Holly Darling. Listen to the episode here or watch on YouTube.Holly Darling is the owner of Holly Darling HQ, a business that helps authors create and implement their email marketing strategies to sell more books and build their brand loyalty. She has worked with creative business owners for the past 13 years, helping them grow a business that is data-driven and automated, allowing them to spend more time on writing their books. She has appeared on multiple author-focused podcasts, delivered multiple workshops on email marketing and automation at over fifty conferences and appeared on Canadian news channels as a creative entrepreneurship expert. She is also a self-published contemporary romance author under the pen name Holly Mortimer.How’s your writing going? The Women Writing Circle meets on the second and fourth Monday of the month from 6:30-8:00 PM EST with occasional bonus sessions. Come and write with us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with author, editor, and ghostwriter Alison McBain. Listen to the episode here or watch on YouTube.Alison McBain’s human-created novels are the recipients of over 13 awards, including the Foreword INDIES. Her work has been nominated for both Best of the Net and the Pushcart Prize, and she was recently shortlisted for the Alpine Fellowship in 2025. When not writing for herself, she’s a ghostwriter who has penned over two dozen books for clients, as well as an award-winning editor who has worked with both celebrity and NY Times-bestselling authors. In 2024, she pursued a project called “Author Versus AI,” where she wrote a book a week, using NO AI at all (34 books total). When not writing, Ms. McBain is the associate editor for the magazine ScribesMICRO and draws all over the walls of her house with the enthusiastic help of her kids. She lives in Alberta, Canada. Website: https://www.alisonmcbain.com/Looking for more podcasts?🗣️I had a delightful conversation with Sophia Laettner Joubert on her Substack Step Into Love. The podcast episode is called “Calling in Clarity: Liisa Kovala on Creative Resilience and the Finnish Art of Sisu.”Ready to write that novel you’ve been dreaming of? The Women Writing Circle meets on the second and fourth Monday of the month from 6:30-8:00 PM EST with occasional bonus sessions. Come and write with us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with literary agent Jes Trudel. Listen to the episode here or watch on YouTube.Jes Trudel is a literary agent with The Rights Factory who was a freelance editor for 15+ years. She is a storytelling instructor who has taught workshops to thousands of people around the world, including as a guest presenter with The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, the 12x12 Picture Book Challenge, the Toronto Writing Workshop, and Write For Kids, to name a few. She has contributed to BoldFace, Children’s Book Insider, and the SCBWI blog. She founded WritingCommunity.ca.Looking for more podcasts?🗣️ Eliza Knight and I had a delightful conversation on her History, Books, and Wine Podcast.🗣️ Kino Isaac and I had a fun—and sometimes deep—conversation about writing and joy on the Kino Isaac Podcast.🗣️ I was pleased to be a guest alongside author CC Robinson, on Alex Lewczuk’s Midweek Drive radio show from the UK discussing book coaching and writing.🗣️ And it was so much fun to chat with Margaret McNellis on her podcast, The Editor’s Inkpot about the writing process (and favourite Tudor queens!).How’s your writing going? The Women Writing Circle meets on the second and fourth Monday of the month from 6:30-8:00 PM EST with occasional bonus sessions. Write with us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with author Shelly Sanders. Listen to the episode here, or watch on YouTube.Shelly Sanders is a Canadian author, essayist and former journalist, based in Toronto. She has written five novels including, most recently, The Night Sparrow, (HarperCollins, 2025), a Canadian bestseller about a female Jewish sniper and interpreter in WWII, inspired by actual women and events. Daughters of the Occupation (HarperCollins, 2022), also a Canadian bestseller, received a Starred Review from Kirkus, and is currently being translated into a Czech edition by the publisher, Nakladatelství JOTA. This novel is inspired by the discovery of Shelly’s Jewish-Latvian roots as an adult, and by her grandmother’s family, many of whom were murdered during the Latvian Holocaust. Shelly’s next novel will be published by HarperCollins in 2027.She is also the author of three acclaimed Young Adult historical fiction novels (Rachel’s Secret, Rachel’s Promise, Rachel’s Hope, Second Story Press); Rachel’s Secret received a Starred Review in Booklist, and two of the three were named Notable Books for Teens from the Association of Jewish Libraries. Shelly has penned several essays about her journey of self-discovery and the writing process for LitHub, Writer’s Digest, PB Daily: Jewish Book Council, and Lilith.Shelly began her writing career as a freelance journalist for Canadian national publications such as the Toronto Star, National Post, Maclean’s magazine, Canadian Living, Reader’s Digest, Canadian Jewish News, and Today’s Parent. In November, Shelly will be in a Writer’s Residency in Ventspils, Latvia; she will be working on a non-fiction manuscript, Rooted in Silence, about the intersection of intergenerational trauma and estrangement.Looking for more podcasts?I was recently a guest on Miss Liz’s Teatimes podcast chatting about all things writerly.And I discussed book coaching with Chris Tuch and Roland Hulme on the Hidden Gems Podcast.My lovely friend Holly B. Gutwillinger and her son Rogan started a new podcast, Ramblings from the Little Shed. We chatted about pets and creativity.Need time to write? The Women Writing Circle meets on the second and fourth Monday of the month from 6:30-8:00 PM EST with occasional bonus sessions. Come and write with us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with author Sadiqa de Meijer. You can listen to the episode here or watch on YouTube.Do you have a writer who deserves writing inspiration and a community of writers this Christmas? Give them a gift subscription to Women Writing! Help them achieve their writing goals this year.Sadiqa de Meijer is the author of the essay collection In The Field (Palimpsest Press, 2025). Her previous books include Leaving Howe Island, The Outer Wards, and alfabet/alphabet. Her work, which often explores landscape, language, inner lives, motherhood, spirituality, and the long wakes of colonialism and migration, has received the CBC Poetry Prize, Arc's Poem of the Year Award, a Jean Royce Fellowship, the Governor General’s Award for English Non-Fiction, and other honours. It has been published in Poetry Magazine, the Walrus, Brick Magazine, Poetry London, and anthologized in the Best Canadian Poetry, the Best Canadian Essays, and the Dutch Turing Prize series. She is the current Poet Laureate of Katarokwi/Kingston.Do you need time to write? So do we! The Women Writing Circle meets on the second and fourth Monday of the month from 6:30-8:00 PM EST with occasional bonus sessions. Come and write with us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with author Merilyn Simonds. Merilyn Simonds is the internationally published author of 22 books, including the novel The Holding, a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice, and the Canadian classic nonfiction novel, The Convict Lover, a finalist for the Governor General’s Award. Among her best-selling nonfiction is A New Leaf, the story of her gardens north of Kingston, and Gutenberg’s Fingerprint, a meditation on reading, writing, and the future of the printed book. Her recent book, Woman, Watching, which won the Foreword Indies Editor’s Choice Nonfiction Award for 2022, is an innovative memoir/biography of Louise de Kiriline Lawrence, an extraordinary recluse who changed the way we see birds. Simonds’ memoir, Walking with Beth: Conversations with my 100-Year-Old Friend is forthcoming from Random House Canada in September, 2025.Do you need some accountability and support? The Women Writing Circle meets on the second and fourth Monday of the month from 6:30-8:00 PM EST with occasional bonus sessions. Come and write with us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with author and book coach Natalie Poulson.Natalie Poulson is a writer and a newly certified book coach. She helps women writing historical and speculative fiction who feel stuck in their creative process get their story from their heart, out of their head, and onto the page. She’s a bibliophile, an epistemophile, and a passionate guide to the writing process and creative living. Natalie’s past lives include: homeschooling mom, a policy advocacy specialist for the right to education in the world’s poorest countries, an ESL teacher, and a student of anthropology. She now lives in Ottawa in a family steeped in story—filmmakers, musicians, gamers, and jokesters alike. Most days you’ll find her researching her latest novel with a cup of double bergamot Earl Grey and her golden retriever at her feet.Working on a manuscript? The Women Writing Circle meets on the second and fourth Monday of the month from 6:30-8:00 PM EST with occasional bonus sessions. Come and write with us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

On Sunday, November 9, I launched Like Water for Weary Souls in Voima Hall at Finlandia Village in Sudbury, Ontario. Thank you to everyone who attended! If you were unable to attend, here’s the recording of my conversation with Emily De Angelis and a reading from the novel.There are so many people to thank!First, thank you to the Ontario Arts Council for their generous support of this novel through a Literary Creation Projects Grant. Thank you to the Canada Council for the Arts and The Writers Union of Canada for supporting this launch.Great big thank you and hugs to my interviewer, my longtime friend and fellow author, Emily De Angelis. I always enjoy chatting with you in front of an audience, or over a latte.To my dream team, thank you for your help during the launch and for your continued friendship: Holly B. Gutwillinger, Emily Andrews, Shanon Stewart. And to Frank for always giving a helping hand. Thanks also to Greg Lilko for the amazing book trailer (posted at the end of the video) and Mike Jensen for the music (with kanteles!).Thanks to Finlandia Village for allowing me to host the event in Voima Hall, the perfect location for a novel about Finnish immigrants. And to Leinala’s Bakery for the delicious Finnish pulla and cake.Gratitude to my publicist Mickey Mikkelson of Creative Edge Publicity. Here are some of my recent events and reviews and stay tuned for upcoming news and events:* Tea Time with Elizabeth Gagnon, YouTube recording (podcast)* The Editor’s Inkpot 021: Writing Process (and Favorite Tudor Queens) with Liisa Kovala, host Margaret McNellis (podcast)* Liisa Kovala on the 5 Things You Need to be a Successful Author or Writer, Kristin Marquet, Authority Magazine (interview)​* Book Review: Like Water for Weary Souls, Author Anthony Avina (blog)* Book Review, Sassy Reviews (blog)* Empowering Women Writers: A Conversation with Liisa Kovala, Behind the Publisher’s Desk with Colin Mustful (podcast)Love and thanks to my family and friends for your continued support, and to all the readers who came out, thank you so much. I hope you enjoy the novel (and if you do, please write a review). For those of you who took the time to watch the launch, sending you thanks.Kiitos! Thank you! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with teacher, mentor, and editor Susan Scott.SUSAN SCOTT leads award-winning ventures that veer off the beaten path. Sarah Selecky calls Body & Soul, championing women writers and poets, “a revelation.” A limited edition chapbook led to a 1,000-mile women writers' tour of the American West. Other cross-border collaborations include Native Immigrant (2013-23), The Spiritual Life Writing Workbook (2025), and an anthology-in-development with women writers and scholars in Canada and abroad. Susan teaches in communities and classrooms in Canada and the U.S. and is a longtime New Quarterly editor and mentor.We’re writing. Are you? The Women Writing Circle meets on the second and fourth Monday of the month from 6:30-8:00 PM EST with occasional bonus sessions. Come and write with us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with award-winning poet Callista Markotich. And check out Callista’s Women Writing feature article here.Callista Markotich is a former teacher, principal and Superintendent of Education in Eastern Ontario, living gratefully with Don, her husband of sixty years, on the shore of Lake Ontario in Kingston Ontario, traditional territory of the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee Nations. Her poems have been published in Canadian literary magazines across our beautiful provinces, including Room, Pulp Literature, Freefall, Grain, Prairie Fire, Arc Poetry, The New Quarterly, Syncopation Literary Journal, Vallum, The Nashwaak Review, The Antigonish Review and Riddle Fence, and in several American and British journals. Her poems have received first, second and third place awards in Canadian contests, and she is particularly proud of the poems selected in the 2025 The New Quarterly’s Nick Blatchford Occasional Verse Contest. Her first collection, Wrap in a Big White Towel, published by Frontenac House in 2024, was a finalist for the 2025 Gerald Lampert Memorial First Book Award. Callista’s recent work has received Pushcart and National Magazine nominations. She is contributing editor for Arc Poetry.What are you writing? How’s it going? The Women Writing Circle meets on the second and fourth Monday of the month from 6:30-8:00 PM EST with occasional bonus sessions. Come and write with us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with author and book coach Nicole Bross.Nicole Bross is a certified fiction book coach and editor, and the author of both adult and YA genre-blending speculative fiction. Her debut novel, Past Presence (Literary Wanderlust, 2019), an adult supernatural mystery, was a top-three finalist for the Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Crime Novel, awarded by the Crime Writers of Canada. She’s currently working on two dark supernatural YA books and co-writing a nonfiction book for neurodiverse writers called A Novel Approach: Strategies for ADHD Writers. Nicole has been the editor-in-chief of Birthing Magazine since 2015, and her writing has been featured in many print and online publications, as well as nationally-broadcast nonfiction TV shows. You can learn more about Nicole’s writing here.Goodreads: A Novel Approach: Strategies for ADHD Writers.Are you writing? Do you need to put yourself on the calendar? Join Women Writing Circle. We meet on the second and fourth Monday of the month from 6:30-8:00 PM EST with occasional bonus sessions. Write with us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with author Kelly Watt. Check out Kelly’s Women Writing feature here.Kelly Watt’s gritty collection of poetry and prose, The Weeping Degree: How Astrology Saved Me From Suicide, published by Wild Rising Press, was an International Amazon Bestseller and a five-star finalist in The Wishing Shelf Indie Book Awards, U.K., 2024. A frequent flyer on literary longlists, Watt has published two previous books—the gothic novel Mad Dog, Doubleday Canada (2001) which was a Globe and Mail notable book 2001 and the mini book, Camino Meditations, by Hamilton Stone Editions, U.S. (2014). Watt has lived in five countries, but she now lives in Ontario with her partner and some diverse goldfish. You can find out more about her at: Website: www.kellywatt.caFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/kellywattauthor Instagram: @kellywattauthorDo you need time to write? So do we! The Women Writing Circle meets on the second and fourth Monday of the month from 6:30-8:00 PM EST with occasional bonus sessions. Come and write with us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, we’re flipping the script. Today, guest host Caroline Topperman is interviewing me about my new release, Like Water for Weary Souls.Caroline Topperman is a European-Canadian writer, entrepreneur, and world traveler. Born in Sweden, raised in Canada with a recent stint of living in Poland, she holds a BFA in Screenwriting. She is a co-founder of Mountain Ash Press and KW Writers Alliance. Her book, Tell Me What You See, serves as a toolkit for her writing workshops. She has written articles for Huffington Post Canada, Jane Friedman’s blog was the Beauty Editor for British MODE Magazine, and served as managing editor for NonBinary Review. Her hybrid memoir, Your Roots Cast a Shadow: one family’s search across history for belonging with HCI Books, explores explosive intergenerational histories that link war zones and foreign shores with questions of identity and belonging. Her next book, The Road to Tang-e Gharu: family stories, folk tales, and the limits of memory, integrates Afghan folktales and family memories with the story of one of the greatest roads ever built.Liisa Kovala is a Finnish Canadian writer and book coach. Her debut novel, Sisu’s Winter War, was released by Latitude 46 Publishing in 2022. Surviving Stutthof: My Father’s Memories Behind the Death Gate (Latitude 46, 2017) was translated and published by Docendo in Finland, and short-listed for a Northern Lit award. Liisa’s short stories and creative non-fiction have been published in a variety of anthologies and literary magazines, and she received first prize in Geist’s 18th Annual Literal Literary Postcard Short Story Contest. Like Water for Weary Souls is her second historical novel and available October 12, 2025. Learn more about Liisa at liisakovalabookcoach.com and visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com.Join us to write! The Women Writing Circle meets on the second and fourth Monday of the month from 6:30-8:00 PM EST with occasional bonus sessions. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with writer, editor, and teacher Natalie Morrill. Natalie Morrill is a writer based in Ottawa, Ontario. Her debut novel The Ghost Keeper (HarperCollins Canada 2018) was recognized with the HarperCollins Canada/UBC Prize for Best New Fiction and the Canadian Jewish Literary Award for Fiction, as well as being shortlisted for the Vine Award for Canadian Jewish Literature. Her short fiction has been included in The Journey Prize Stories anthology, and her fiction and poetry have appeared in Canadian literary journals. She teaches writing, editing and literature.*Update: If you’re curious about our discussion of Natalie’s latest manuscript, she’s let me know her agent is submitting her novel to the editor in November. Fingers crossed, Natalie!Ready to tackle your writing project this fall? The Women Writing Circle meets on the second and fourth Monday of the month from 6:30-8:00 PM EST with occasional bonus sessions. Come and write with us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with award-winning author Danila Botha. Grab a cup of coffee or tea, sit back, and enjoy!Danila Botha is the author of the critically acclaimed short story collections, Got No Secrets, For All the Men (and Some of the Women) I’ve Known, which was a finalist for the Trillium Book Award, The Vine Awards and the ReLit Award and most recently, Things that Cause Inappropriate Happiness. The collection won an Indie Reader Discovery Award for Women's Issues, Fiction, and was a finalist for the Canadian Book Club Awards, the Next Generation Indie Book Awards and the National Indie Excellence Book Awards. She is also the author of the award-winning novel Too Much On the Inside which was optioned for film. Her new novel, A Place for People Like Us will be published in October 2025. Her first graphic novel will be published in 2026 by At Bay Press. She lives in Toronto.Do you need time to write? So do we! The Women Writing Circle meets on the second and fourth Monday of the month from 6:30-8:00 PM EST with occasional bonus sessions. Come and write with us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with author and book coach Josee Smith.Josee Smith is an indie author and book coach for working moms who want to finish the novel of their dreams. She achieved her childhood dream of finishing a novel and publishing it in 2021, and now she supports other writers with the same dream. As a new mom with a busy job, she understands the challenges of managing it all, and she also believes strongly that writing and creativity can help women feel like themselves again after the chaos of motherhood. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, young son, anxious dog, and semi-feral cat.IG: @joseesmithbookcoachWebsite: www.joseesmithbookcoach.comDo you need time to write? So do we! The Women Writing Circle meets on the second and fourth Monday of the month from 6:30-8:00 PM EST with occasional bonus sessions. Come and write with us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this re-release of Episode 19, I’m taking a coffee break with author, editor, and podcaster Kerry Clare.KERRY CLARE is the author of Asking for a Friend, Waiting for a Star to Fall, and Mitzi Bytes. Her fourth novel will be published in March 2026. A National Magazine Award-nominated essayist and editor of The M Word: Conversations About Motherhood, Kerry also edits the Canadian books website 49thShelf.com, is host of the BOOKSPO podcast, and writes about books and reading at her longtime blog, Pickle Me This. She lives in Toronto with her family.Upgrade to paid to join a community of like-minded writers to get pages done. We meet biweekly for 90-minutes to set goals, write pages, and support each other in the Women Writing Circle.Stay tuned for Season 2 of the Women Writing Podcast coming in September. Thanks for taking your coffee break with Women Writing! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with children’s author Laurie Elmquist. We chat all things board books, picture books, and chapter books and how you might get started writing for children.Laurie Elmquist is the author of several books for children including her most recent board book, Country Baby (Orca Book Publishers, 2024) and upcoming picture book, Dr. Lila Frankenstein (Orca Book Publishers, Oct. 2026). Her book for young readers, Where’s Burgess (Orca Book Publishers 2018) was nominated for a Silver Birch Express Award. The second book in the series, Ruckus, made the Best Books for Kids and Teens List, 2020. Laurie earned her MA from the University of Windsor in English Literature and Creative Writing. She is an active SCBWI and CWILL member who writes picture books, chapter books and middle grade. She is grateful to work and live in Victoria, BC on the traditional, unceded (never surrendered) territories of the Lkwungen (Songhees) peoples. She can be found at her website and on Substack.Upgrade to paid if you want to schedule writing time. The Women Writing Circle meets biweekly for 90-minutes to set goals and write!Stay tuned for Season 2 of the Women Writing Podcast coming in September. Thanks for taking your coffee break with Women Writing! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I take a coffee break with romance writer and book coach Trisha Jenn Loehr. Enjoy this delightful conversation about all things romance.Trisha Jenn Loehr is a romance writer and Author Accelerator certified book coach. She helps busy women who want to write romance novels without guilt or shame prioritize their writing, develop their craft, and find joy in the journey toward their publishing dreams.With a decade of experience as a communications and events professional, she understands writing, marketing, the importance of identifying your audience, and the necessity of continually learning. Her writing has been published on JaneFriedman.com, Business Insider, the Calgary Herald, Wicked Authors, and Birthing Magazine. She is currently writing two inter-connected novels, a small-town enemies-to-lovers romance and a reality tv show grumpy/sunshine romance.Along with her book coach certification and a whole host of other writing workshops and courses, Trisha holds a Bachelor of Arts in communications and professional writing with a minor in political science, a certificate in leadership and applied public affairs, and a certificate in dance performance preparation. (Yeah, it’s a weird mix.) She is also mom to an angel boy in heaven and a sweet rainbow of a little girl who got to stay earthside, and is an advocate for infertility and pregnancy loss awareness.Connect with Trisha on Instagram @trishajennreads and at trishajennreads.com.-----------------------Women Writing CircleAre you looking for support, accountability, and community to reach your writing goals this year? The Women Writing Circle meets on the second and fourth Mondays of the month from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. This offering is for paid subscribers. You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. I’m looking forward to creating a magical writing community with you, and getting pages written in 2025.Thanks for taking your coffee break with Women Writing! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with others. Let’s inspire each other and share our knowledge. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m having a chat with author, speaker, and writing coach, Patricia Westerhof. You can read Patricia’s previous Women Writing feature here and check out her book The Canadian Guide to Creative Writing and Publishing.Patricia Westerhof is the award-winning author of The Canadian Guide to Creative Writing and Publishing, Catch Me When I Fall, and The Dove in Bathurst Station. She also co-authored The Writer's Craft, a textbook on creative writing that’s been used widely across Canada. Her stories and articles have appeared in Room, The Feathertale Review, Write, West End Phoenix, and The Dalhousie Review. Her current project, a comic novel, was inspired by her recent experience of having been forced to write an index. Patricia, who holds an MA in Education and teaches creative writing classes at the University of Toronto's School of Continuing Studies, is also a sought-after writing coach.Visit Patricia’s website www.patriciawesterhof.com and follow her on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/pawesterhofThanks for taking your coffee break with Women Writing! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with others. Let’s inspire each other and share our knowledge.Also check out Patricia Westerhoff’s feature in Women Writing.Upgrade to paid to be part of an inspiring community of women writers who meet biweekly to write together and set goals. We believe in ourselves and each other.Stay tuned for Season 2 of the Women Writing Podcast coming in September! Thank you for having your coffee break with us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, Kim Fahner and I take a coffee break together to chat about her debut novel, her career as a poet, and her work at The Writers’ Union of Canada. Sit back and enjoy our conversation. You can read Kim’s previous feature in Women Writing here.“Every time you work with a book coach, editor, or a publisher, every time you read someone else’s work and you learn from them, I think it’s just this wonderful palimpsest of learning.”Kim Fahner lives and writes in Sudbury, Ontario. Her first novel, The Donoghue Girl, was just published by Latitude 46 this fall. Her next book of poems, The Pollination Field, will be published by Turnstone Press in Spring 2025. Kim recently won first place in The Ampersand Review's essay contest with her piece, "What You Carry." As well, she was shortlisted for the 2023 Ralph Gustafson Poetry Contest in The Fiddlehead. Kim is the First Vice-Chair of The Writers' Union of Canada, a member of the League of Canadian Poets, and a supporting member of the Playwrights Guild of Canada. Currently, she is working on completing a collection of creative non-fiction essays, and is nearly done her the first draft of her next novel. Kim may be reached via her website at Kim Fahner - Poet, Playwright, Novelist, Teacher.Also read Kim Fahner’s feature in Women Writing.📚Women Writing CircleThe Women Writing Circle meets on the second and last Monday of the month from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. This offering is for paid subscribers. You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. I’m looking forward to creating a magical writing community with you, and getting some pages written in 2025. Stay tuned for Season 2 of the Women Writing Podcast coming in September. Thanks for taking your coffee break with Women Writing! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy this rerelease of Season 1, Episode 11 with author and book coach Amy L. Bernstein as we discuss her new book Wrangling the Doubt Monster: Fighting Fears, Finding Inspiration, recently short-listed for the Eric Hoffer Book Award. Amy L. Bernstein is the author, most recently, of Wrangling the Doubt Monster: Fighting Fears, Finding Inspiration, a source of encouragement for self-doubting creatives. She is an award-winning multi-genre novelist, a former journalist, and a certified nonfiction book coach helping authors find their best path to publishing. Amy also publishes on Substack, teaches a variety of writing workshops, and may often be found at conferences and on podcasts discussing writing, publishing, and creativity. Learn more at her website.Also read Amy L. Bernstein’s feature in Women Writing.Stay tuned for Season 2 of the Women Writing Podcast coming in September.📚Women Writing CircleThe Women Writing Circle meets on the second and last Monday of the month from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. This offering is for paid subscribers ($8 USD/month). If you can’t join us for the live meeting, I’ll share the replay for you so you can have some focussed writing time, too. You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. I’m looking forward to creating a magical writing community with you, and getting some pages written in 2025. Stay tuned for Season 2 of the Women Writing Podcast coming in September! Thank you for having your coffee break with us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with author and book coach Nicole Meier.Nicole Meier is a certified book coach and author of four upmarket novels, including The House of Bradbury, The Girl Made of Clay, The Second Chance Supper Club, and City of Books. Her books have been recognized by Booklist, Refinery29, BookBub, and Popsugar. She hosts The Whole Writer podcast and is the co-founder of Book Works. She can be found at nicolemeier.com📚Women Writing CircleThe Women Writing Circle meets on the second and fourth Monday of the month from 6:30-8:00 PM EST with occasional bonus sessions. These offerings are for paid subscribers ($8 USD/month). You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. Looking forward to writing pages with you!Stay tuned for Season 2 of the Women Writing Podcast coming in September. In the meantime, enjoy listener’s favourites rereleased biweekly. Thanks for taking your coffee break with Women Writing! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with my colleague, author and book coach, Alex Van Tol.Alex Van Tol is the bestselling author of 15 books and an Author Accelerator-certified book coach. She works with writers across genres and at all levels of craft, with particular skill in dialogue and character development. She is also a somatic coach, helping people release stuck patterns and regulate their nervous systems. Learn more about Alex’s work at www.alexvantol.com.📚Women Writing CircleTransform your writing journey in 2025! Join our dynamic community of writers twice monthly as we gather to spark creativity, share breakthroughs, and accomplish real progress together. The Women Writing Circle meets on the second and fourth Mondays, 6:30-8:00 PM EST—a dedicated time to prioritize your craft alongside supportive peers who understand the writing life.Exclusive to paid subscribers who are serious about their writing practice. Break through blocks, celebrate milestones, and watch your pages multiply in our encouraging community. Ready to make 2025 your most productive writing year yet? Subscribe now and step into the circle where magic happens and words flow! Enjoy rereleases starting in June and get caught up with all our past episodes. Stay tuned for Season 2 of the Women Writing Podcast coming in September. Thanks for taking your coffee break with Women Writing! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with Andi Cumbo, also known as ACF Bookens, the author of the A St. Marins Cozy Mystery Series, Stitches in Crime Series, and several other series, and we chat about pen names, writing series, creativity, and how she gets all the things done.Andi Cumbo lives at the edge of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains with her young son and three rescue cats, who are - of course - nocturnal. When she’s not writing, she watches a lot of boys play baseball, cross-stitches intermittently, and obsesses over her container garden.* Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/BookensCozyMysteries* Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/andicumbo/* ACF Bookens - ACFBookens.com* AndiLit - andilit.com* Andrea Cumbo - Andreacumbo.com📚Rekindle Creativity Women’s Writing Retreat: Spring Weekend GetawayOnly 2 spaces left! Join us for a weekend getaway at The Lodge at Pine Cove in beautiful French River, Ontario to reconnect with yourself and your writing, and make connections with a small group of fellow writers. What a wonderful way to celebrate the spring by rekindling your personal creativity and sparking your ideas. Dinah and I can’t wait to welcome you. Learn more and register here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m chatting with multi-disciplinary artist and book coach Katie Curtin. A multi-disciplinary artist, Author Accelerator Certified Book Coach, and lifelong activist with a passion for holistic health and healing, Katie Curtin helps creative change makers bring their visions to life. Her writing journey began at 24 with Women In China (Pathfinder Press)—which saw three printings, translations into French and Swedish, and adoption into high school curriculum—and continues with her Amazon bestseller The Happy Well-Fed Artist: How to Get Your Creative Projects Off the Ground and Into the World.Drawing from her diverse background as a mask maker, theatre artist, life coach, and advocate for social change and wellness, she brings a unique perspective to her work with writers and creatives. She's dedicated to fostering creative expression that nourishes both the individual and community, helping others develop books and creative projects that reflect their deepest values and visions for a better world.Visit Katie at her websites: changemakerbooks.com and katiecurtin.comRekindle Creativity Women’s Writing Retreat: Spring GetawayOnly 2 spaces left! Join us for a weekend getaway at The Lodge at Pine Cove in beautiful French River, Ontario to reconnect with yourself and your writing, and make connections with a small group of fellow writers. What a wonderful way to celebrate the spring by rekindling your personal creativity and sparking your ideas. Dinah and I can’t wait to welcome you. Learn more and register here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m chatting with author, screenwriter, and teacher Kathryn Mockler.Kathryn Mockler is a writer, screenwriter, experimental filmmaker, editor, and publisher and the author of the story collection Anecdotes (Book*hug Press, 2023), which won the 2024 Victoria Butler Book Prize and was a finalist for the 2024 Trillium Book Award, 2023 Danuta Gleed Literary Award, 2024 Fred Kerner Award, and 2024 VMI Besty Warland Between Genres Award. She co-edited the print anthology Watch Your Head: Writers and Artists Respond to the Climate Crisis (Coach House Books, 2020). Her films have screened at TIFF, EMFA, the Palm Springs Film Festival and most recently at the Arizona Underground Film Festival and REELPoetry/HoustonTX. She runs the literary newsletter Send My Love to Anyone and teaches screenwriting and fiction in the Writing Department at the University of Victoria.Visit Kathryn’s website kathrynmockler.com and follow her on Substack at Send My Love to Anyone.Rekindle Creativity Women’s Writing Retreat: Spring GetawayOnly 2 spots left! Join us for a weekend getaway at The Lodge at Pine Cove in beautiful French River, Ontario to reconnect with yourself and your writing, and make connections with a small group of fellow writers. What a wonderful way to celebrate the spring by rekindling your personal creativity and sparking your ideas. Dinah and I can’t wait to welcome you. Learn more and register here.Women Writing CircleThe Women Writing Circle meets on the second and last Monday of the month from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. This offering is for paid subscribers ($8 USD/month). You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. I’m looking forward to creating a magical writing community with you, and getting some pages written in 2025. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with author, editor, and podcaster Kerry Clare.KERRY CLARE is the author of Asking for a Friend, Waiting for a Star to Fall, and Mitzi Bytes. Her fourth novel will be published in March 2026. A National Magazine Award-nominated essayist and editor of The M Word: Conversations About Motherhood, Kerry also edits the Canadian books website 49thShelf.com, is host of the BOOKSPO podcast, and writes about books and reading at her longtime blog, Pickle Me This. She lives in Toronto with her family.Rekindle Creativity Women’s Writing Retreat: Spring GetawayJoin us for a weekend getaway at The Lodge at Pine Cove in beautiful French River, Ontario to reconnect with yourself and your writing, and make connections with a small group of fellow writers. What a wonderful way to celebrate the spring by rekindling your personal creativity and sparking your ideas. Dinah and I can’t wait to welcome you. Learn more and register here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with children’s author Laurie Elmquist. We chat all things board books, picture books, and chapter books and how you might get started writing for children.Laurie Elmquist is the author of several books for children including her most recent board book, Country Baby (Orca Book Publishers, 2024) and upcoming picture book, Dr. Lila Frankenstein (Orca Book Publishers, Oct. 2026). Her book for young readers, Where’s Burgess (Orca Book Publishers 2018) was nominated for a Silver Birch Express Award. The second book in the series, Ruckus, made the Best Books for Kids and Teens List, 2020. Laurie earned her MA from the University of Windsor in English Literature and Creative Writing. She is an active SCBWI and CWILL member who writes picture books, chapter books and middle grade. She is grateful to work and live in Victoria, BC on the traditional, unceded (never surrendered) territories of the Lkwungen (Songhees) peoples. She can be found at her website and on Substack.Rekindle Creativity Women’s Writing Retreat: Spring GetawayJoin us for a weekend getaway at The Lodge at Pine Cove in beautiful French River, Ontario to reconnect with yourself and your writing, and make connections with a small group of fellow writers. What a wonderful way to celebrate the spring by rekindling your personal creativity and sparking your ideas. Dinah and I can’t wait to welcome you. Learn more and register here.Women Writing CircleAre you looking for support, accountability, and community to reach your writing goals this year? The Women Writing Circle meets on the second and fourth Mondays of the month from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. This offering is for paid subscribers ($8USD/month). You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. I’m looking forward to creating a magical writing community with you, and getting pages written in 2025.Interested in joining the Women Writing Mentorship Program? Learn more here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Women Writing podcast. In this episode, I’m taking a coffee break with my book coaching client, Holly Gutwillinger. Holly shares her experiences finding joy in her writing life.Holly B. Gutwillinger is a heartfelt writer from a small town in Northern Ontario. In the evenings, after her day job, she devotes her time to writing and attending the Creative Writing program at the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies. She is working on her debut novel, which explores a woman’s complex relationship with her rescue dogs. Living in remote parts of Canada with her family has enriched her experience as a Canadian. When she's not writing in her favorite coffee shop, she enjoys reading, running, and spending quality time with her husband, two adult sons, and beloved dogs.Find Holly on Substack at Ramblings from the Little Shed.Rekindle Creativity Women’s Writing Retreat: Spring GetawayJoin us for a weekend getaway at The Lodge at Pine Cove in beautiful French River, Ontario to reconnect with yourself and your writing, and make connections with a small group of fellow writers. What a wonderful way to celebrate the spring by rekindling your personal creativity and sparking your ideas. Dinah and I can’t wait to welcome you. Learn more and register here.Women Writing CircleAre you looking for support, accountability, and community to reach your writing goals this year? The Women Writing Circle meets on the second and fourth Mondays of the month from 6:30-8:00 PM EST. This offering is for paid subscribers ($8USD/month). You can learn more about the benefits of subscribing here. I’m looking forward to creating a magical writing community with you, and getting pages written in 2025. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com/subscribe