Conversations with Authors – Details, episodes & analysis

Welcome to Conversations with Authors, where I – Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy – meet amazing authors and find out what inspires them to write and what advice they would offer other aspiring authors.
 
In this episode I meet Eileen Forrestal, a retired anaesthetist who worked as a doctor for 32 years, took over a publishing company, began publishing a series of award-winning diaries and journals and has now written her memoir, “The Courage to Shine”. As you’ll hear during our interview, as a child Eileen had a stammer that made her afraid to speak for years, but she now works as a speaker, mentor and coach, as well as writing and publishing. 
During our conversation, we discuss the power of saying yes, overcoming fear, being open to opportunities and using coaches and mentors to help you write your memoir. Eileen’s positivity is infectious and it was a joy to chat with her. I hope you enjoy listening too!
More About Eileen Forrestal
Eileen Forrestal (MB BCh BaO FFARCSI), a retired doctor after 32 years, now engages full time in the business she co-founded in 2006, Get Up and Go Publications Ltd, creating and distributing her award-winning inspirational Get Up and Go diaries and journals, with almost 500,000 copies sold worldwide to date. 
Having spent 20 years as an anaesthetist ‘putting people to sleep’, Eileen is now in the business of ‘waking people up’, committed to making a greater impact on personal health and wellbeing with inspiring and encouraging words, rather than with drugs and one pair of hands!!! 
In her memoir “The Courage to Shine: Find Your Voice and Discover the Healing Power of Your Words”, Eileen shares her personal story of ‘waking up’ to the discovery of the source of her own wellbeing and vitality – her own authentic self-expression – her voice! Plagued by a childhood stammer, and afraid to speak for too many years, Eileen is now fully enjoying life as an author, speaker, mentor, coach, publishing entrepreneur and accredited thought leader  and encourages others to overcome their fears, find their true expression and shine their light in the world. 
An avid traveller, she has explored much of this beautiful earth. She describes summiting Kilimanjaro, trekking to Everest Base Camp, flying a microlite over Victoria Falls, riding an ostrich and hypnotising a chicken as special highlights in a very colourful life. 
A native of Dublin, she has lived the best years of her life in Sligo, in the beautiful northwest of Ireland.
Links: 

The Courage to Shine on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3IijwRB 

www.eileenforrestal.com
www.getupandgodiary.com

Welcome to Conversations with Authors, where I – Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy – meet amazing authors and find out what inspires them to write and what advice they would offer other aspiring authors.
  
 In this episode I meet Mose J Gingerich, a murder mystery author and former reality TV star who spent the first 23 years of his life in the Amish community. I had an absolutely fascinating conversation with Mose, who not only shed light on being an author but also on his time in the Amish, his reasons for leaving and the harsh truth about the world of reality TV. 
We also talk about agents and publishers, Mose explains why recording his own audio books was more challenging than he expected, and we discuss the ‘golden hour’ for writing. 
More About Mose J Gingerich 
Mose J Gingerich was born and raised in the Old Order Amish community of Greenwood, Wisconsin. During his 22 years among the Amish, Mose lived in over a dozen Amish communities, teaching school in several of them. Mose is best known for his roles on television shows like UPN’s Amish in the City (2004) and Amish: Out of Order, National Geographic Channel (2012).
In 2021, Mose started an Amish fiction murder/mystery/suspense series. Shadows We Remain was the debut novel and was written in the sleeper of Mose’s big rig while trucking coast to coast. Caroline Creek Chaos is the second book in the Caroline Creek Series and is out July 2022.
Links: 
Mose’s website: https://www.amishinthecitymose.com/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mose-J-Gingerich/e/B09DTNDZQ3
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Mose-J-Gingerich/e/B09DTNDZQ3 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mosejgingerich
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSc7G-fq0Y5-_y12HT9suvw
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjgingerich/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmishNCity

Welcome to Conversations with Authors, where I – Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy – meet amazing authors and find out what inspires them to write and what advice they would offer other aspiring authors.
 
I am so thrilled that this podcast seems to have gone international! Two weeks ago my guest was in Scotland, last week they were in the US of A and today we are heading to Vancouver, Canada! Because my guest today is John Leister, who has more than fifty books to his name, including the “Lee Hacklyn, Private Investigator” series, the “Urban Tiger” series and two standalone novels. 
Our conversation covers more topics than I have space to mention here, but to give you a flavour, we discuss, being fearless, originality - or a lack of it, genre mashups, KDP Print vs Draft2Digital, self-acceptance, superheroes, following your bliss and taking a leap of faith. 
As you can tell, the conversation takes some interesting turns – it includes mentions of death, suicidal thoughts and religion, so if any of those themes trigger you, you have been warned. 

More About John Leister 
John Leister is fifty-six and lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He is the author of over fifty books including the “Lee Hacklyn, Private Investigator” series, the “Urban Tiger” series and two standalone novels, “Hitting Bottom, Looking Up, Finding God”  and “The Treehouse Avengers”. 
John is very active on social media and has been a guest on several podcasts, talking about his work. He currently works as a security guard, but his dream is to become a professional writer of creative fiction.   
His books are available from Amazon, and also from Indigo Books: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/contributor/author/john-leister/

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Conversations with Authors is a Proof Fairy Production and hosted by Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy. To find out more about Alison and the services she offers authors, including proofreading, book formatting and cover design, visit http://www.theprooffairy.com 

Welcome to Conversations with Authors, where I – Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy – meet amazing authors and find out what inspires them to write and what advice they would offer other aspiring authors.
 
My guest today is Anntricia Bray Smith, a professional mentor, speaker, entrepreneur and author. Anntricia has several books to her name including “Recreating A Better Me”, “Struggling to Forgive” and “Financial Education Simplified”. 
During our conversation we discuss legacies and how writing a book is a continuation of the age-old tradition of stories being passed on from generation to generation. We also explore what writing teaches us about ourselves, why everyone should write a book, and why we think every writer should have an Alison or an Anntricia in their life! 
More About Anntricia Bray Smith 
Anntricia Bray Smith is a professional mentor, speaker, and author. She has self-published numerous books including “Recreating A Better Me”, “Struggling to Forgive” and “Financial Education Simplified”. She is the founder of Christian Women Fellowship (Education Institution) and Initiative for Marketing Success Alliance (Professional Development Alliance) based in the State of Oklahoma. She is the mother of two daughters, Snowyte and Millaya. 
Links:  https://linktr.ee/anntriciabraysmith 
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Conversations with Authors is a Proof Fairy Production and hosted by Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy. To find out more about Alison and the services she offers authors, including proofreading, book formatting and cover design, visit http://www.theprooffairy.com 

Welcome to Conversations with Authors, where I – Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy – meet amazing authors and find out what inspires them to write and what advice they would offer other aspiring authors.

My guest today is James Jenkins, a Suffolk-based writer of gritty noir fiction. James has had over a dozen short stories published in magazines, collections and anthologies and has now secured a publishing contract for his first novel, Parochial Pigs, which came out in January 2022. 
During our conversation James explains how he went about finding a publisher and we discuss why short stories are a great place for any author to start. We also talk about the importance of beta readers and how throwaway comments can change the whole course of your life… 
More About James Jenkins 
James Jenkins is a Suffolk-based writer of gritty noir fiction. He has work published or forthcoming in Bristol Noir, Punch-Riot Mag, Bullshit Lit, A Thin Slice of Anxiety and Punk Noir Magazine. One of his short stories appears in Grinning Skull Press Anthology – Deathlehem. He recently signed with Alien Buddha to release his debut novel, Parochial Pigs which is available now. 
Links: 

https://jamesjenkinswriter.wordpress.com/  https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B09NRK1J2Z/ref=cm_cr_arp_mb_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8 
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Conversations with Authors is a Proof Fairy Production and hosted by Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy. To find out more about Alison and the services she offers authors, including proofreading, book formatting and cover design, visit http://www.theprooffairy.com 

Welcome to Conversations with Authors, where I – Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy – meet amazing authors and find out what inspires them to write and what advice they would offer other aspiring authors.
 
My guest today is Kath Parrington, who combined a corporate career in finance with a lifelong love of words to write her first book. “The REAL Business Plan” is a simple, no nonsense guide to writing a business plan that takes out all the angst and complication and makes it a straightforward process. 
During our conversation we talk about the process of turning a process into a book, owning your expert status and using networking as a marketing tool. Kath also tells me about some of the problems she encountered using Amazon’s publishing service. 
More About Kath Parrington
Kath Parrington is a natural-born planner. Planning is in her DNA. Entering the corporate world at the age of 22 she planned to have made her exit before turning 50. She achieved it aged 47. Through big business, she learned a lot about planning. And goal setting. And measuring. How to overcomplicate it, how the wrong goals drive the wrong behaviours, how planning is seen as boring, a chore, something most people avoid. And yet her own experience was that a clear plan can deliver your dreams. So, she’s now trying to make planning simple and fun!
If you’re interested in the academic stuff, Kath has a law degree, a post-graduate certificate in Business Excellence and a Masters degree in Business Administration. That’s probably as close as you will get if you’re looking for a formal qualification in business plans. And as most entrepreneurs will tell you, education doesn’t teach you how to run a business. What’s probably more important is that Kath makes an independent living from sound investment decisions she made 30 years ago. She has a property business and a coaching consultancy. All of this runs successfully through her planning habits.
You can find out more about Kath on LinkedIn and Facebook. But all you really need to know is that her passion is making planning simple. Oh, and dogs. Kath loves dogs.
Links: 
Book on amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Real-Business-Plan-breathing-actually/dp/1739850106/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3LXQVIWES0HVN&keywords=kath+parrington&qid=1641568186&sprefix=kath+p%2Caps%2C214&sr=8-1
Website: http://mymasterplan.co.uk 
Blog site: https://kathparrington.org 
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Conversations with Authors is a Proof Fairy Production and hosted by Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy. To find out more about Alison and the services she offers authors, including proofreading, book formatting and cover design, visit http://www.theprooffairy.com

Welcome to Conversations with Authors, where I – Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy – meet amazing authors and find out what inspires them to write and what advice they would offer other aspiring authors.
 
My guest today is Teri M Brown, a business content writer and author who was born in Greece but now  lives in North Carolina. Teri has been writing since childhood and turned her hobby into a career, but the stories inside her have always wanted to be told, and she is now just about to publish her first novel, “Sunflowers Beneath the Snow”. 
During our conversation we talk about why authors need thick skins, dreaming big and book marketing, and Teri explains how her writing process is ‘story first, detail later’. 
More About Teri M Brown
Born in Athens, Greece as an Air Force brat, Teri M Brown came into this world with an imagination full of stories to tell. She now calls the North Carolina coast home, and the peaceful nature of the sea has been a great source of inspiration for her creativity.
Not letting 2020 get the best of her, Teri chose to go on an adventure that changed her outlook on life. She and her husband, Bruce, rode a tandem bicycle across the United States from Astoria, Oregon to Washington DC, successfully raising money for Toys for Tots. She learned she is stronger than she realized and capable of anything she sets her mind to.
Teri is a wife, mother, grandmother, and author who loves word games, reading, bumming on the beach, taking photos, singing in the shower, hunting for bargains, ballroom dancing, playing bridge, and mentoring others.
Links:

www.terimbrown.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sunflowers-Beneath-Snow-Teri-Brown/dp/1639881425/ref=sr_1_1
Atmosphere Press: https://atmospherepress.com/books/sunflowers-beneath-the-snow-by-teri-m-brown/  
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Conversations with Authors is a Proof Fairy Production and hosted by Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy. To find out more about Alison and the services she offers authors, including proofreading, book formatting and cover design, visit http://www.theprooffairy.com

Welcome to Conversations with Authors, where I – Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy – meet amazing authors and find out what inspires them to write and what advice they would offer other aspiring authors.
 
 My guest today is Andrew Culture, an author, podcaster and musician. As well as having several collections of short stories to his name, Andrew is also the author of a romantic novel, “Getting It”, and is currently writing his second full novel, which he is pre-publishing in a very unusual way. 
During our conversation we talk about how romantic fiction works despite being formulaic, namecheck several authors including Chaucer, Kerouac, Wodehouse and Katie Fforde, and find out what Andrew was doing at Barack Obama’s first presidential inauguration. We also discuss publishers, Kindle marketing tools, the DNA of writing and much more. 
More About Andrew Culture
Writer, musician and podcaster with a taste for fun, a passion for life and a soft spot for anarchy.
Links:  andrewculture.com
"Getting It" on Amazon  
"The Right Shorts for Lunch" short story collection on Amazon --

Conversations with Authors is a Proof Fairy Production and hosted by Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy. To find out more about Alison and the services she offers authors, including proofreading, book formatting and cover design, visit http://www.theprooffairy.com

Welcome to Conversations with Authors, where I – Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy – meet amazing authors and find out what inspires them to write and what advice they would offer other aspiring authors.
 
 My guest today is Karen Williams, a coach, speaker and the book mentor at Librotas, who has worked with hundreds of people to help them share their stories. Karen is also the author of eight books to date, including “Book Marketing Made Simple”, “Your Book is the Hook”, and her autobiography “The Mouse That Roars”. 
During our conversation we talk about why setting goals and planning content is the most important part of writing a book. We also discuss self-publishing options and using books as business tools, and Karen gives an insight into how audiobooks work. 

More About Karen Williams
Karen Williams is The Book Mentor at Librotas. Having started out in business in 2006, and writing her first book in 2009, she knows the difference that writing a book can make to your business when done well. She has worked with hundreds of coaches, experts and leaders who have a story to tell or a message to share, taking them from idea to final manuscript, ensuring that they write and publish a book that helps them to attract more clients, raise their credibility and show up in a bigger way. Karen is the bestselling author of eight writing and entrepreneurial books, a TEDx speaker and motivational coach.
Links:  https://librotas.com/   https://librotas.com/21questions https://www.amazon.co.uk/Karen-Williams/e/B004X5JA5O
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Conversations with Authors is a Proof Fairy Production and hosted by Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy. To find out more about Alison and the services she offers authors, including proofreading, book formatting and cover design, visit http://www.theprooffairy.com

The podcast is taking a short break over the Christmas period because I'm sure you've got better things to do! But we'll be back on Thurs 6th Jan 2022 with a new episode. Have a fabulous time!