First Cup of Coffee – March 31, 2025

It’s release day for STRANGE FAMILIAR! Also, I’m back after an unplanned podcast hiatus after being struck with the flu like a nail through the forehead. Also, being a notable alum of my high school and people messaging to ask if my books are “clean.”



First Cup of Coffee – March 17, 2025

I was going to say something pithy about the time-consuming tricks we do for social media, but you’ll have to extract that lesson yourself from my tale. Owl Crate tip-ins are done! Also: why something being your livelihood isn’t reason enough.



First Cup of Coffee – February 21, 2025

On the exciting Murderbot adaptation news, less happy ACOTAR adaptation news, and why authors have to expect to give up creative control on these things. Also, why I switched projects and the importance of being honest with ourselves as creators so we can hear our intuition through the emotional jingle-jangle.



First Cup of Coffee – February 17, 2025

On professional jealousy (yes, it’s real), that one guy who *has* to say something, and print runs in traditional publishing. What we do and don’t know, the effect of print on demand, and other forms of black magic, smoke & mirrors.



First Cup of Coffee – January 31 2025

All about my Marketing & Publicity meeting with Tor/Bramble, my upcoming editorial meeting and how creative angst is just a fact of life and never goes away. Also, two more books/series out on submission and can I finish STRANGE FAMILIAR in time???



First Cup of Coffee – January 24, 2025

I’ve been seeing the cyclical debates on “we need ratings for books like we have for movies!” so I’m doing a Brief History of Art and Censorship in the last 100 years, why movie ratings were developed, Communism, McCarthyism, and how housework was deliberately created to keep women at home.



First Cup of Coffee – December 30, 2024

This will be my last podcast…of 2024! I’m talking about a cool goal-setting trick, what I noticed about taking time off and aggressive well-refilling in general, feeling that creative impulse and looking to the year ahead.



First Cup of Coffee – December 2, 2024

A cover reveal today of STRANGE FAMILIAR! Also a discussion of Avenger’s Endgame and my epiphany on the strategic element that elevates a fight/battle scene from mutual bashing to epic storytelling.