Hey, WG fans! This episode sort of kicks off new and great things for the podcast. In this episode (AUDIO ONLY!) I actually have an introduction to the show, information for writers, what's coming next from me, and so on. I think you will be greatly informed, and entertained, so be sure to listen to the AUDIO ONLY version for the latest and greatest. (it was too much editing to do another video with me chatting about upcoming stuff so it will always be on the AUDIO ONLY version of the show. See the audio link below.

This show also kicks off the rest of the year for Writer Groupie Podcast. I will have a guest EVERY WEEK! You can see the upcoming list on the WG page here and I hope you enjoy each episode!

Now off we go, and on with the show!

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Award-winning author JEANNE LYET GASSMAN lives in Arizona where the desert landscape inspires much of her fiction. She holds an MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and has received fellowships from Ragdale and the Arizona Commission on the Arts. Her debut historical novel, BLOOD OF A STONE (Tuscany Press) received a Bronze 2015 Independent Publishers Book Award in the national category of religious fiction. Her work has appeared in Hippocampus Magazine, Hermeneutic Chaos Literary Journal, Red Savina Review, The Museum of Americana, Assisi: An Online Journal of Arts & Letters, Switchback, Literary Mama, and Barrelhouse, among many others. In addition to writing, Jeanne also teaches creative writing workshops for libraries and community groups.

She is full of great information and inspiration for authors, so I am excited to have her on Writer Groupie Podcast.

In this episode, we discuss her journey as an author of historical (biblical) fiction for this recent release.

https://youtu.be/GBzVZ6-3yeY
SHOW NOTES:

In this episode, we learn about:
* Jeanne's writing journey with Blood of a Stone, her first novel, and how she obtained her MFA in creative writing and how that influenced her journey.

* How entering a contest ultimately led to a publishing contract

* The genre placement of her novel, Blood of a Stone, into the historical thriller category

* How her publisher, Tuscany Press, provided her with a historical researcher (Sean Burrows)r for the details in her book, and how working with him helped to shape Blood of a Stone.

* We discuss haruspication and what it is pertaining to biblical times. Believe me, this became my new word of the day. I totally intend on using it in a book at some point.

* Jeanne talks about her work with a publisher/editor and how it helped her create a better book. Erik Rikstad, her editor, has some literary work out there of his own.

* Insight on who Jeanne would cast in the movie of Blood of a Stone - Go here to see the actor she would cast as Demetrios

* Inspiration from Jeanne for an aspiring author, including tips from her MFA program.

* Insider info on Jeanne's life as a violinist.
* Details about what's coming next for Jeanne, the writer, a novel titled Double Sun, and how the title came to be (hint: it's based on real history!)


BONUS! At the end of the video, Jeanne gives us information about the cover art, the artist, and the dagger on the front of Blood of a Stone and its history.




Find Jeanne Lyet Gassman at her site at