When Women Talk Volume 3, Notes From The Future: Blog Tour & Giveaway

Monday, October 05, 2026
 
When Women Talk Volume 3, Notes From The Future

We're excited to announce the blog tour for When Women Talk Volume 3, Notes From The Future. Elle Mott, one of the co-authors and a friend of WOW, is joining us again to celebrate the book's launch and share more details about her contribution. We interview her about her journey to share her story. You'll also have a chance to win a print copy of the book, a full-sized writing journal, and three pens, each engraved with an inspirational quote.

But first, here is more about the book:

Ever wish you could call your younger self and say, “It’s going to be okay”? 

In When Women Talk: Notes From the Future, ten incredibly diverse women look back and do just that. 

This isn’t an “I told you so” lecture; this book gathers honest, heartfelt stories from women across generations, reaching back to tell their younger selves what truly matters. From messy breakups to career wins, these stories offer a roadmap for your own journey. It’s not about quick fixes; it’s about the timeless wisdom of resilience, self-worth, and trust. You need to read this because it feels like a long coffee date with your future, much wiser best friend.

"While a single voice can make an impact, many voices can make change. We all have a purpose and a story to tell; there is someone who needs to hear it, and by showing up we can make a difference in someone’s life, career, or business." — Cathy Kuzel, curator.

"We don’t have to bring ill-emotions from an unsettling childhood event into our adulthood. And yet if we do, there is hope for renewal. After all, it takes what it takes to get us to where we are today in life. Sometimes the journey from nightfall to sunrise is not an overnight matter." — Elle Mott, co-author.

Purchase a copy of When Women Talk Volume 3, Notes From The Future from the When Women Talk Bookstore.

About the Co-Author, Elle Mott


Elle Mott writes creative nonfiction focused on resiliency, empowerment, and advocacy. She is a featured co-author in the new book, When Women Talk Volume 3 (The Connected Woman, 2026). Elle toured with WOW! earlier this year for the historical biography, "Marie Conner, A Leading Lady" (Luminare Press, 2026). She is also the author of "Out of Chaos, A Memoir" (Boyle & Dalton, 2018), and "People Helping People" (2020). Her shorter pieces are widely featured in ezines, literary journals, national news magazines, and regional collections. Elle works at the public library in downtown Cincinnati and dedicates her free time to her passion for writing. She lives in nearby northern Kentucky with two cats and several pet birds. 


--- Interview by Nicole Pyles

WOW: Congrats on being included in this incredible collection. What inspired you to submit your writing to this collection?

Elle: Thank you! It is a "wow" feeling to have my contribution, “My Journey From Nightfall to Sunrise,” included in this volume for When Women Talk. I had already read Volumes 1 and 2, and knowing that proceeds from book sales invest in the livelihoods of women worldwide is incredibly important to me. All of my published works focus on resiliency, empowerment, and giving back to improve my life and the lives of others.

When a friend nudged me to apply, it felt like the next natural move. My application included a writing sample, followed by a virtual meeting with the curator. The next exciting part was meeting my co-authors, also virtually. Together, we are so excited to launch this book!

WOW: That sounds incredible! I can only imagine how much I'd have to say to my younger self. How did you know what you wanted to say?

Elle: There are so many things I would like to say to my younger self. If only I could have, I would have avoided some of the hardships I encountered. Yet, it takes what it takes to get where we are in life today, which is the underlying message of my piece.

To narrow down exactly what to say, I relied on reader feedback from an earlier published essay of mine. In that story, I shared a childhood experience. A reader told me it gave her insight to ponder, but left her with a lingering question of what happened next. To answer her, I revisited that fateful night in my girlhood to bring the story full circle.

WOW: Love that you sought feedback to figure out exactly what you wanted to say. What was your writing process like?

Elle: From the first messy, unpolished draft I shared with our curator to the final edits, I kept my writing journal and pen with me everywhere I went. On breaks at work, I’d write and rewrite. During my commute, my brain muscles worked overtime as I planned what to change and why. On weekends, I pieced together those scrambled notes to share with our editor.

Throughout it all, I experienced an incredible sense of community. At times, I felt like I was exposing a deeply hidden part of myself, but I wasn't alone. Hearing that a couple of my co-authors shared that same vulnerability made all the difference. Our curator often reminded us: you have a story to tell, and someone out there needs to hear it.

WOW: That sense of community makes such a difference. How did your contribution change from the first draft to the final draft?

Elle: Once I was selected, our editor helped me polish the draft. As I answered her questions, I fleshed out the details. I was open to suggestions regarding flow, but I was a stickler for pacing based on what I’ve learned from my prior publications.

What was a brand-new experience for me was working with a Canadian editor and publisher. Who knew there were so many spelling variations depending on which side of the border you sit on to read?

WOW: Interesting! Why do you think it's so inspiring or powerful to think of what we'd want to say to our younger selves?

Elle: Life has a sometimes funny, sometimes tragic way of turning out. I used to place blame on myself for my life’s trajectory. However, as I opened up to write this story, I realized that self-blame is hurtful, not helpful. The key is to accept accountability while simultaneously embracing where life puts us.

By thinking of what we’d say to our younger selves, we open ourselves up to laugh, cry, or both. More importantly, it helps us understand what happened so we can focus on today.

WOW: Great point. How was this type of writing different from any other writing you've done?

Elle: In the early days of my writing journey, which was more than ten years ago, I primarily contributed to local publications. I suppose that was a safety net and a way to test the waters. In contrast, my contribution to When Women Talk takes my writing to an international level. It took real bravery to share my words literally with the whole world.

WOW: It does! What advice would you share to writers just starting out?

Elle: Write. If you don’t write, nothing will get written! Beyond that, get to know other authors. Share what you learn along the way, and listen to what they have to say. One great place to befriend other writers is right here, hanging out with WOW! Women on Writing. As you write, be brave. There is someone who needs to hear your story, but they won’t get the chance if you don’t write it first.

WOW: Great advice. What are you working on now that you can tell us about?

Elle: I don’t know yet what my next book will be, but I invite you to follow my writing journey to discover alongside me as to just what that will be.

WOW: Yes! I hope people do. Can you share more about your writing routine?

Elle: Each day is an opportunity to write. During the week, my writing hours are stretched thin. Like many people, I’m committed to a day job all week long. Come the weekend, though, I put that daily drafting to work with a dedicated morning session. Waking up early on my days off to do that feels incredibly exciting and empowering.

WOW: Love that you prioritize that way. Where do you like to write? 

Elle: My favorite place to write is at my desk at home. I always have my cats nearby. My older cat usually sits on the perch right next to my desk by the window. My other cat likes to hang out in front of us, looking up at our pet birds in their aviary, who cheer me on with their tweets! 

WOW: Thank you so much for joining us, Elle! Best of luck on what comes next!

When Women Talk Volume 3, Notes From the Future Blog Tour

--- Blog Tour Calendar

October 5 @ The Muffin
Join us at our blog, The Muffin, as we celebrate the launch of When Women Talk Volume 3, Notes From The Future. We interview co-author Elle Mott and give away a copy of the book.

October 5 @ Just Katherine
Stop by Katherine's blog for an excerpt from When Women Talk Volume 3, Notes From The Future. She also shares her response to our tour-themed prompt.

October 7 @ A Storybook World
Stop by Deirdre's blog for a spotlight from When Women Talk Volume 3, Notes From The Future.

October 10 @ Chapter Break
Stop by Julie's blog for an interview with Elle Mott about her writing in When Women Talk Volume 3, Notes From The Future.

October 12 @ Lisa's Reading
Stop by Lisa's blog for an excerpt from When Women Talk Volume 3, Notes From The Future.

October 14 @ Hook of a Book
Visit Erin's blog for an excerpt from When Women Talk Volume 3, Notes From The Future.

October 15 @ Words by Webb
Visit Jodi's blog for a review of When Women Talk Volume 3, Notes From The Future.

October 18 @ World of My Imagination
Stop Nicole's blog for her review of When Women Talk Volume 3, Notes From The Future.

October 20 @ Author Anthony Avina's Blog
Visit Anthony's blog for his review of When Women Talk Volume 3, Notes From The Future.

October 23 @ A Wonderful World of Books
Stop by Joy's blog for a spotlight of When Women Talk Volume 3, Notes From The Future.

October 25 @ Bring on Lemons
Stop by Crystal's blog for a spotlight and review of When Women Talk Volume 3, Notes From The Future.

October 27 @ What Is That Book About
Michelle spotlights When Women Talk Volume 3, Notes From The Future.

October 30 @ All Things Writing
Stop by Caitrin's blog for an excerpt from When Women Talk Volume 3, Notes From The Future.

November 2 @ Jessica's Reading Room.
Stop by Jessica's blog for an excerpt from When Women Talk Volume 3, Notes From The Future.

November 4 @ Author Anthony Avina's Blog
Stop by Anthony's blog for an excerpt from When Women Talk Volume 3, Notes From The Future.

When Women Talk Giveaway

***** BOOK GIVEAWAY *****

One winner will receive a print copy of When Women Talk Volume 3, Notes From the Future, a full-sized writing journal, and three pens, each engraved with an inspirational quote. Fill out the form below for a chance to win! The giveaway ends on October 18 at 11:59 pm CT. We will randomly draw a winner the next day and follow up via email. Good luck!

When Women Talk Volume 3, Notes From the Future, Journal and Pens Giveaway
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Interview with Kendra Ryan, Runner Up in the WOW! Q3 2026 Creative Nonfiction Contest

Sunday, October 04, 2026


Kendra Ryan writes fiction, nonfiction, and screenplays, striving to blend humor with emotional honesty. She earned a Certificate in Screenwriting from UCLA Extension in 2025, where she completed two feature-length screenplays. She is currently at work on her first novel, and one of her poems has been published. Her writing explores memory, family, attachment, and the sometimes absurd ways we try to make sense of our emotional lives. She lives outside Philadelphia with her husband, daughter, and cavapoo, Nico. 







 ----------Interview by Renee Roberson 

WOW: Congratulations, Kendra, and welcome! I know "Feelings Feeler Job Description" and its structure within a hermit crab essay will resonate with so many people, particularly women! How did you first get the idea to structure this as a job opening/description? 

Kendra: I started writing hermit crab essays in a workshop with Chelsey Clammer that I found through WOW. It was my first time playing with the form, and I had so much fun seeing what could happen when you put something very personal inside a structure that was never meant to hold it. For this one, the idea was pretty simple: I didn’t want to feel my feelings. There was (and still is) so much going on in my life, so much "doing" that needed to be done, that I wished I could just outsource the "being" or feeling part of life. I thought it would be funny to create a job posting looking for someone willing to do that for me. 

WOW: I love it. It's such a unique idea that nails the everyday internal conflicts within us all. How did the piece evolve from start to finish? What was the revision process like for you? 

Kendra: I love Anne Lamott's idea of the "shitty first draft," and I often start with a pretty shitty rough draft. I brain-dump everything I’ve been thinking about the idea, see what I’ve got, and then keep taking notes as more things occur to me over the next few days. With this essay, having the form helped enormously. Once I started looking at the actual elements of a job posting—qualifications, responsibilities, compensation—I could explore the comedic possibilities within each one. Then revision was mostly cutting, tightening, and trusting the form to do more of the work. 

WOW: You've studied writing screenplays and completed two of your own. How is writing for the screen different from other creative writing you’ve worked on? What is the process like for you? 

Kendra: Screenwriting may be the ultimate box to work within, which I love. It has very specific rules for clear communication because you’re essentially trying to make a visual art form make sense on paper. You can’t simply tell us what someone is thinking; you have to give us something we can see or hear. I love dialogue, and I studied improv at the Groundlings when I lived in Los Angeles, so that part comes naturally to me. Plot is usually where the characters start making unreasonable demands. 

WOW: How fun! Studying improv must have been very helpful to your overall writing process. What advice would you give other aspiring writers who are hesitant about submitting their work to writing contests? 

Kendra: Done is better than perfect. Especially at first, I’m a big believer in paying for feedback from reputable places like WOW when it’s available. Submit, get the feedback, make the edits that ring true, and do it again. Lately I’ve tried to redefine failure for myself: failure isn’t submitting and not winning. Failure is letting something sit on my computer because I was too afraid to submit it at all. 

WOW: That is such truth. Sometimes the toughest hurdle to get over is simply putting a piece out in the world. We can tell by your essay that your life is jam packed. How do you prioritize the time to work on your own writing projects, including your current novel? 

Kendra: It comes and goes in waves. I got very little writing done during the second half of this summer, and eventually I had to accept that that was simply what that season of my life looked like. Now that my daughter is back in school, I can carve out more time again. I’m a mom and a real estate agent, so I’ve mostly given up waiting for the perfect writing routine. I try to protect the time when it’s available, stay connected to whatever I’m working on when it isn’t, and trust that I’ll find my way back to it.

WOW: That's all we can do! Thank you again for joining us today, Kendra. We look forward to reading more from you!

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Friday Speak Out!: Using POV Variance to Build Suspense

Friday, October 02, 2026

By Wendy M. Barnhart

Oh, mystery and suspense, how I love thee, both to read and to write.

As a reader, I’m working hard to discover whodunnit. As a writer, I’m working hard to prevent the reader from figuring out whodunnit (at least not too early).

In my experience, one tool that works well from both sides of that equation is point of view. Using different POVs, if done well, can be an efficient and fun way to build suspense. After all, suspense isn’t always what’s happening on the page. The gaps between what a character – or characters – knows, and what the reader knows can create tension, uncertainty, alarm, and other juicy emotions.

When the reader knows more than a character, the reader may see the killer hiding in the next room, but the unsuspecting character does not. And when the character walks toward that room, we beg them to stop! But in they go…are they the next victim?

If a character knows more than a reader, the reader knows that one character is a killer, they are hiding in the next room, and when another character walks into that room the reader expects the killer to strike them down, but they don’t. Why not?

What we thought we knew doesn’t match what we read. Hmm…we have some intriguing gaps.

For this discussion, and using POV, we can take those two scenarios and further build on the suspense, the story, the what-just-happened that makes the reader keep reading. Maybe we even sprinkle in some clues.

Perhaps our character is unexpectedly able to defend themselves against the killer. How? We have new information to explore.

Or maybe the killer sees the potential victim and chooses to spare them. Why? Also new information.

The new information is something to chew on, but it isn’t all-revealing. We’ve created uncertainty, curiosity, maybe a little shock, maybe an unreliable perspective. And clues which will make sense later in the story.

Can you put multiple POVs in the same story? Sure. I’m not talking about head-hopping, which is a solid rule breaker. You’ll want separate scenes or chapters for each POV. Will it hurt your brain to write a novel with multiple POVs? Maybe. You do have to be diligent about who said and did what, when, where, and how. But the same is true for your story overall.

In my thriller, “Scaled Vengeance,” I intersperse my protagonist’s POV with chapters from the serial killer(s) and their victims. My objective was to give the reader some insight, clues, and ideas that my protagonist doesn’t have. It’s intense, and sometimes gruesome, but also feeds the moral dilemma running through the novel: if the justice system fails and abusive people are left free to continue hurting others in brutal ways, is it okay if someone else stops them? Every murder, in contrast to all that is happening in my protagonist’s life, further builds suspense in a way that focusing on the protagonists POV alone could not do, so it worked for my process.

Your mileage may vary, but don’t be afraid to work with different POVs in your craft. Experiment. Have fun with it. Just no head-hopping.

* * *

International bestselling author Wendy M. Barnhart (formerly Terrien) makes her thriller debut with Scaled Vengeance. Her YA fantasy debut, The Rampart Guards, earned a Kirkus starred review and was named a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2016. The series' fourth installment, The Forge of Bonds, received the Colorado Authors League Award of Excellence. Wendy serves on the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers board and is a member of Sisters in Crime. Find out more about her at her website WendyMBarnhart.com.

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Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!

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Webb Writing Challenge - Part 2

Thursday, October 01, 2026

 



This weekend I volunteered at my church bingo - five hours of running around handing out bingo cards, prizes and remembering to never wish them good luck (apparently this is taboo in the bingo world). I got started as a volunteer because I would rather work than actually play bingo. So, when I sat down to write this month's post I had all things bingo on my mind. Naturally, with the wild way my brain works bingo cards reminded me of reading challenges on bingo-like cards which reminded me of a writing challenge I gave everyone about a year ago.


Are you done yet?


I hope so since I have a new challenge. Since that challenge focused on fiction writing, I thought I'd give you a nonfiction writing challenge this time around. Use the card above to write your way to a bingo (four corners counts), a picture frame or pull out all the stops and write your way to a cover all. It's a great excuse to stretch those writing muscles and try new things. Don't forget to tell me how you're doing with the challenge!


1. Flash pieces - Can you express yourself in 1000 words or less? WOW's Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest is accepting entries right now but there are quite a few markets accepting flash writing.


2. Hit the Road - Write something based on travel -- anything from a description of your favorite place to travel tips to an essay on your dream journey.


3. Pleased to Meet You - Chat with someone you find interesting (your favorite author, your partner, the woman who owns your local coffee shop) and create a piece based on that interview. You never know what you'll learn or what other ideas will spring from that interaction.


4. Let's Laugh - Can you make your readers laugh? It's harder than you think! Craft an essay, article or even a how-to that will give everyone the giggles.


5. Outside Your Window - Focus on nature for your next piece. Maybe a description of the beauty you see in the autumn colors, an article about gardening, or even something about surviving a hurricane.


6. Hometown Happenings - What about your hometown could be interesting to the big wide world? Maybe a quirky local event, a famous resident, a vacation destination, a local food. I've written articles for national publications about local artists, local charities, the origin of nearby town names, a high school history class that build a Viking ship.


7. Be the Expert - I've written advice based articles about saving money at Disney World, shopping at consignment shops, encouraging a reluctant reader and book marketing. Where are you an expert? 


8. Listicles - They're everywhere: the ten best chocolate chip cookies in the grocery store, five towns every Civil War enthusiast has to visit, four holiday traditions to skip and four holiday traditions you can't miss. These are quick, fun pieces to write and can often find a home with online magazines.


9. Your Mission Should You Choose to Accept It - It's a challenge to write something that will stand out when everyone else is writing about the same topic. Check out Readers Write for The Sun Magazine and call outs from places like Business Insider and All Recipes. When creating a piece based on an assigned topic, strive to find a unique twist.


10. Review - Yes, you could review a book but that's not the only review gig in town. Review music, toys, power tools, events.


11. Pick a Side - Find a controversial topic (no, you don't have to go straight to politics) and pick a side. Right now the big online discussion is "Should You Take an Iced Coffee to a Job Interview?" Maybe your writing will start the next big discussion.


12. History - Turn back the clock and find something interesting in the past to write about. It could be your personal history or something about a company, town, celebrity, sports team, even your favorite food.


13. Hermit Crab - Write a personal essay disguised as something else: a recipe, a police report, a letter to your congressman.


14. Delicious - Why are cooking reality shows so popular? We all love food! So write about it. You can teach readers how to cook, share memories of a significant food in your family, discuss the latest trend (please, can something take the place of pumpkin spice), even a humorous piece about your epic fail in the kitchen.


15. For the Kids - Turn to a younger audience and craft an article, quiz, activity, or interview just for them on your favorite topic. There are plenty of kids magazines focuses on everything from history to science to cooking to world cultures.


16. That's New - Can't think of any ideas? Learn something new! Take a class in pottery. Read a book about fly fishing. Volunteer at your poll place. Maybe you won't write about that specific topic but it may give your brain a boost to another idea.

 


Jodi M. Webb writes from her home in the Pennsylvania mountains about everything from apple pie to consignment shops to travel. She's also a blog tour manager for WOW-Women on Writing. Follow her writing (and reading) life at Words by Webb. 

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Interview with Lydia Blundell-Patel: Spring 2026 Flash Fiction Contest 3rd Place Winner

Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Lydia’s Bio: Lydia Blundell-Patel recently decided to take her love for reading and writing full time, retraining as a secondary school English teacher after a career in marketing. She writes a blog on Substack about these twin passions, as well as how to live a more creative life more broadly and making sense of life in her late twenties. Lydia has had a personal piece published in The Independent and a short story in Confluence magazine. She is in the trenches of drafting her first novel. She lives in Cheltenham in the UK with her husband and beloved black cats. You can find her on Instagram at @Lit_with_Lyds and on Substack here: Lydia Rose Substack. 

If you haven't done so already, check out Lydia's award-winning story "Salon Madonna" and then return here for a chat with the author. 


WOW: Congratulations on placing third in the Spring 2026 Flash Fiction Contest! What excited you most about writing this story? 

Lydia: Visual art is not something I usually write about or even think much about, so it was stimulating to explore something different while sticking to my greatly preferred medium of words! I didn't know that was the direction the piece was going to take; I was trying to pinpoint what felt so special about this seemingly ordinary mother and found myself thinking about paintings and frescoes. It was a good lesson in writing outside my comfort zone and not sticking to what I know. 

WOW: Such amazing things can happen outside of our comfort zones. What did you learn about yourself or your writing while crafting this piece? 

Lydia: Realising that inspiration really is in the everyday. You don't need to be having crazy life experiences to write interesting stories! Salon Madonna came from my daydreaming in the nail salon, surrounded by perfectly ordinary (at first glance...) fellow customers. It taught me to look again and dig deeper with my observations, which is a valuable skill for getting started on a piece, but it was also a great feeling to see something special come to life over many rounds of revisions – a lot like chipping away at a piece of rock to create a fresco! 

WOW: What a great analogy! Please tell us more about your novel. What is it about? What has the writing process been like? 

Lydia: The novel is very embryonic at the moment. I'm training to be a teacher and regularly take breaks to work on shorter fiction and my Substack so it's a deliberately slow process and I'm trying not to put too much pressure on it. Originally, I set out to write a short story but realised it was something bigger, so started mapping out how that might look. I'm moving between plotting and sporadic drafting and taking it as it comes. I'm really interested in how different generations perceive the world and interact with each other, so my main characters are a teenage girl and a woman in her sixties. I'm not either of those ages, so it's another example of not writing what I know! In a twist of circumstance, they need to come together to find a missing person, but more secrets are unveiled along the way. 

WOW: It sounds like a fun process to explore all of those elements. What are you reading right now, and why did you choose to read it? 

Lydia: I've been reading a lot of Graham Greene this summer, who is a new author to me (crazy, I know). I can't believe I waited this long... Brighton Rock has been my favourite so far. His examination of morality and Catholic guilt is about as heavy as subject matter gets, but he somehow manages to achieve the pace of a thriller with the scorching prose of a genius literary fiction writer. I've copied out lots of passages from his novels as I find this really useful for picking up skills for my own writing. 

WOW: What a great method for learning and studying prose that you love. If you could give your younger self one piece of writing advice, what would it be and why? 

Lydia: I'm young as it is but I still wish I'd started sooner. Something happens in the teenage years where so many of us reject the hobbies we loved as children only to pick them up in adulthood again and wonder why we ever left them; this happened to me with reading and making up stories. Building a writing habit is key and controversially I think quantity over quality has a greater pay off in the long term; if you show up, the rest will sort itself out. 

WOW: Thank you for your thoughtful responses. Happy writing! 


Interviewed by Anne Greenawalt, founder and editor-in-chief of Sport Stories Press, which publishes sports books by, for, and about sportswomen and amateur athletes. Connect @greenmachine459.
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Interview with Deborah Svec-Carstens: Q3 2026 Essay Contest Runner Up

Sunday, September 27, 2026
Deborah’s Bio: Deborah Svec-Carstens, J.D., MTS, is a writer, book coach, spiritual director, and former lawyer whose work explores healing after trauma, embodiment, and spirituality. Her essays have appeared in bioStories, the Brevity blog, and the Des Moines Register, and her writing has received recognition from Writer's Digest, WOW! Women on Writing, and Memoir Magazine. Her memoir, Toward the Light: A Year in Paris, forthcoming in September 2026, traces her search for meaning and connection in the weeks and months after a traumatic assault in Paris in her early twenties. She writes The Spiral Staircase on Substack and offers workshops and presentations. Deborah lives in Central Iowa with her spouse, where she writes and accompanies others in their journeys of healing and story. Learn more at www.deborahsveccarstens.com. 

If you haven't done so already, check out Deborah's award-winning essay "Disappearing: A Recipe for Anorexia Nervosa" and then return here for a chat with the author. 

WOW: Congratulations on placing in the Q3 2026 Essay Contest! How did you begin writing your essay and how did it and your writing processes evolve as you wrote? 

Deborah: I’ve written a few pieces about my experience with an eating disorder in my mid-twenties. With this particular essay, I wanted to experiment with structure and try my hand at a hermit crab essay. Adopting the structure of a recipe to convey in the simplest terms how my anorexia had manifested offered room to express emotion without explanation. I also was aware of the irony of using a recipe for something that is so intimately—but not completely—related to food. Once I landed on the recipe structure, the first draft came easily. The ingredients list changed very little as I revised. The instructions evolved and became more detailed as I remembered pieces of my life that related to each of the ingredients. 

WOW: What did you learn about yourself or your writing by creating this essay? 

Deborah: I learned that I could write outside the box and experiment with structure and form. Doing so frees up a part of my creative mind that allows me to go deeper into a topic without needing to overexplain for the reader. 

WOW: Thank you for sharing your experience crafting your essay and experimenting with form and structure. I’ve always found it amazing that using a formal structure – like a hermit crab essay – can be so freeing! Could you please tell us more about the connection between story and healing – for yourself and/or others you’ve worked with? 

Deborah: I write to better understand myself and the world around me. My debut memoir, Toward the Light: A Year in Paris, published on September 15, 2026. The process of writing the book, which recounts the first steps toward healing after a traumatic assault in Paris, has been a healing one. Putting the story on the page and examining it from a distance allowed me to make meaning of my experience. When I write about my past, as I did in the essay for this contest, I connect to my younger self with compassion, make sense of my life experiences, and come to know myself on a deeper level. Sharing my story offers an opportunity to connect and heal, for me and hopefully for readers. Working with a coach during the process of writing my book inspired me to seek certification as a book coach in memoir. As a book coach, I offer steady support, honest feedback, and clear direction to women who are holding a story they’re not sure they can tell, so they can turn what their body carries into the memoir only they could write. 

WOW: Congratulations on your book publication! And thank you for sharing how writing helps to heal what the body carries. Which creative nonfiction essays or writers have inspired you most, and in what ways did they inspire you? 

Deborah: Cheryl Strayed’s Wild, Maggie Smith’s You Could Make this Place Beautiful, Carolyn Knapp’s Appetites, and Roxane Gay’s Hunger are memoirs I have returned to for their structure and their vulnerable writing that draws the reader into the story. Chelsey Clammer’s essay collections and her classes through WOW! have inspired me to play and experiment with my own essay writing. In a recent writing class, the instructor assigned Jo Ann Beard’s excellent essay, “The Fourth State of Matter,” which was published in The New Yorker in 1996. It is a master class on using a braided narrative structure. 

WOW: That is a fabulous list of inspiring memoirists. If you could tell your younger self anything about writing, what would it be? 

Deborah: Years ago, when I was in law school, I handed a paper to my advising professor after revising it and added a note to thank him for helping me shape it into a “publishable” piece. He returned the paper with red question marks beside my statement—clearly indicating his doubt in my work. Those question marks haunted me for a long time. I hesitated to call myself a writer. I would tell my younger self these things: It’s never too late to start writing. At times it will be hard and you will want to quit. Keep going. Writing is a solitary endeavor, but we are not meant to do it alone. Find a community of writers to support you. 

WOW: Thank you for sharing that excellent advice. Anything else you’d like to add? 

Deborah: Thanks to the team at WOW! for all the work they put into their contests and the ways they support women writers. I especially appreciate the useful feedback I’ve received on the essays I’ve submitted over the last few years. 

WOW: You are very welcome! And thank you for sharing your experience with WOW. Happy writing! 


Interviewed by Anne Greenawalt, founder and editor-in-chief of Sport Stories Press, which publishes stories by, for, and about sportswomen and amateur athletes. Engage on social media @GreenMachine459.
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Finding Humor Within Myself

Thursday, September 24, 2026

I could write many humorous pieces about these two.

 

Last Friday I had the joy of helping WOW! instructor Ashley Harris with her webinar on writing situational humor. I knew it would be best if I had a notebook handy while she was teaching, and I was right. Though I don’t normally consider myself skilled at writing humor, after penning some essays that delved into painful family dynamics and true crime recently, I was ready to switch things up. 

You won’t be surprised to learn I came away with three solid ideas thanks to Ashley’s prompts. In one prompt, she shared an image of a national women’s magazine cover and students were tasked to write ten sentences inspired by one of the article titles. I zeroed in on “Quick and Easy Dinners.” I began scribbling immediately. When both kids were living at home, making dinner every night was anything quick and easy for a variety of reasons. The other three members of my family have an allium intolerance, meaning onions, scallions and garlic cause them abdominal discomfort and bloating, among other symptoms. My daughter always had sensory issues with certain foods. And I feel like I’ve been off and on Weight Watchers for the past 10 years. The beginning of this humor piece practically wrote itself. Quick and easy, my foot! 

Another prompt had me scribbling down instructions on how to pet sit my two dogs. By exaggerating a few of the details, the list that currently resides on my computer could easily turn into a humor piece. One of my rescue dogs has heart valve damage because her previous owner didn’t give her preventative heartworm medication. As a result, she takes Viagra every eight hours. Yes, you read that right. How is that not going to make a pet sitter chuckle? 

Another prompt involved taking a serious event that happened to us recently and making it funny. I’ve recently been diagnosed with high blood pressure, and the first day I was taking the prescribed dose of medication I became loopy and out of sorts. I probably shouldn’t have been driving. Then I had to move my husband’s SUV in the driveway while two A/C repairman stood in the yard (because of course our air conditioning had broken down). 

Here’s what I was able to draft about that experience: 

The two young A/C repairman stood in front of our house trying to ignore the sight of a flustered, middle-aged woman trying desperately to repark a Jeep Grand Cherokee in her short, slightly uphill, concrete driveway. Through the open windows (it was, after all, a scorching hot afternoon in the south), they heard the vehicle beeping at me because I had decided not to buckle myself in. I also refused to move the seat, and my husband is eight inches taller than me. I put the car in reverse, or so I thought, because it was really in neutral. It vrooomed loudly in response. Bless their hearts. They probably thought I had already started drinking for the day. 

You get the picture. I have so many other life events that I could turn into humor pieces. Like the time I was walking around the grocery store with my blouse inside out before a kind woman clued me in. Or the day the back windshield broke on our SUV when we were driving home from the beach. We rigged the open space with beach chairs, bungee cords, and beach towels, and of course it rained the entire five hours back. This is why I can’t recommend the instructors here at WOW! enough. Not only that, but we cracked one another up while sharing these story ideas. Sometimes it’s good to be able to laugh at ourselves in this crazy journey of life. It’s good for the soul. 

Have you written any humor pieces lately? I’d love to hear about them! 

Renee Roberson is an award-winning writer who also produces the true crime podcast, Missing in the Carolinas. She’s teaching a class on how to write Short, Twisty Suspense on Oct. 2 if you’d like to check it out.
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L.S. Delorme Giveaway - Fanning Fireflies

Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Fanning Fireflies by LS Delorme

I'm excited to announce another chance to dive into the Limerence universe with a visit from Lexy Delorme a.k.a. L.S. Delorme. Lexy shares a bit about the evolution of her series, promoting her writing at Comic-Con and why writers should think like business people. Don't miss a giveaway of Fanning Fireflies, her paranormal novel with a historical fiction twist.

More about the Book, Fanning Fireflies:

There is something rotting in Harrisville.

It's 1944 and Veronica works so she can afford to eat. Maybe one day she will save enough to own the home her family is living in, but for now, she doesn't have time for fanciful thoughts, or much else. She doesn't have time for the fire whispering to her, the ghosts trying to talk to her and the son of her boss, who can't stop staring at her. She definitely doesn't have time to think about Lazlo, the handsome black soldier that she processed at the draft office, but she can't seem to stop herself. As her ability to ignore Lazlo evaporates, so does her self-imposed ignorance about her hometown. There is, and always has been, something rotten in Harrisville. It shouldn't have been a surprise. After all, Veronica works in the cigarette factory, where corpses hide in the tobacco with the roaches.

Limerent Publishing
Print length: 238 pages
ISBN-13: 979-8987488041

Purchase your copy on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop. You'll also want to add it to your GoodReads reading list.

About the Author, L.S. Delorme:

Author Lexy Shaw Delorme (writing as L.S. Delorme) is the award-winning author of The Limerent Series, a genre-defying collection of emotionally resonant novels that blend supernatural mystery, psychological thriller, historical fiction, and romantic suspense. With a background as a lawyer, pop musician, and science writer, Lexy brings intellectual depth and lyrical prose to every story she tells. Now based in Paris, she lives with her French husband and two very cool sons. Her work explores themes of limerence, memory, identity, and the echoes of past lives—and she’s not afraid to push boundaries along the way.

Connect with the author:

Instagram: @ls_delorme
TikTok: @LexyShawDelorme

Learn more about Lexy on Upcoming Podcasts:







--Interview by Jodi M. Webb

WOW: You lived in France when the first Limerent book was released, recently moved to England, have heavily promoted (and won some awards) for your series in several countries and are also promoting in the US. Most authors are intimidated by the idea of promoting their book in one country. How have you balanced multiple countries? 

Lexy: It has probably helped that my life has been nomadic since I was a girl because my father was in the U.S. Navy. In my life, the longest I have lived in one place was 8 years, and that just happened with my move to Paris. However, the city I have lived in longest collectively is London. Until I was in high school, I never lived anywhere for more than 2 years. Later, I did new-country entry for a financial services company. I oversaw coordinating team members across three continents. What I learned from that, and what has stayed with me, is the importance of culture in doing anything.

I think one of the mistakes people outside of the U.S. make when marketing to the U.S. is the assumption that there is one U.S. culture. There isn’t. People wouldn’t make that mistake when thinking about the EU countries. Everyone knows that Germany and France are very different cultures. But the U.S. has something like 11 different cultures. Oregon is as different from Alabama as France is from Germany. So when you market, you need to market more regionally. In Europe, there is a huge challenge with language. I have yet to find someone to do a good translation of my books into French, and my husband is French ☺.

WOW: I think many authors in the US may fail to appreciate the different cultures within the US. How do you prepare for dealing with different likes and expectations in different regions?

Lexy: I think it’s all about knowing where you are on a cultural bell curve. And it’s about setting
expectations. When I was doing international work, one of the tools that we used to assess whether people would succeed or not was measuring them against a list of identical questions that were asked of people living in that culture. There were two factors that played in favour of sending someone on an international assignment.

One of them was that they fit very squarely in the centre of the bell curve for beliefs and attitudes of the country in question. And that seems very intuitive. The other one was less intuitive. People who did not fit in the centre of the bell curve in their own culture also tended to do well in other countries. I described it as the “I’m weird in my own country, so I’ll be equally weird in another country” strategy. There are certain adaptation skills that people learn in those circumstances.

So, when you apply that to where you want to sell your books or how you want to do your marketing, it makes sense to market to groups where your story and its themes resonate. However, you may find more passionate readers in areas where your story and themes are rarer, and you then aim for the smaller groups of readers who might exist in less likely areas or groups. I try to have an 80/20 approach to this.

WOW: Is it difficult balancing both writing and promoting at the same time? 

Lexy: Yes, it is incredibly difficult. How I have started approaching it is keeping a lot of my marketing and PR in certain seasons. I am usually asked to have a table at the big Comic Cons in London and New York. These occur in May and October, so I try to have new book releases in either May or October, and I arrange other in-person appearances to match that.

But I have to be honest, I’m still not great at the online, social media stuff. I do it, but I always feel vaguely like I’m failing at it because I just can’t force myself to post regularly. I also don’t really separate my work and personal social media presence. People always say to do that, but it feels like so much additional work to me that it doesn’t really seem needed or worth it. Maybe I will change my mind about this going forward, but for now, I’m trying to keep social media simpler. I do have chat groups with some of my more active readers and reviewers ☺.

WOW: Can you tell us a little more about appearing at Comic Con events? Having never been, I always thought of it as more comics and graphic novels. But it seems it’s so much more. What are the advantages of being an author at a Comic-Con event?

Lexy: Comic Cons are now a significant part of my marketing strategies. A lot of people who attend
Comic Cons are the sort of people who would like books. Most of the Comic Cons have a section for books and writers. At the MCM Comic Cons, these are called “Writers Block.” 

These events are incredibly popular. And it’s important to note that they are not just about comics anymore. It’s more of a popular culture celebration. There are people presenting who are from all manner of the arts: movies, TV, gaming, books, publishing, fashion, painting, drawing and a whole host of other creative endeavours. This attracts not just a lot of people but a lot of diverse types of people.

And I do mean lots. The London Comic Con usually has around 135,000 people over three days. The New York Comic Con can be up to 250,000 people over four days. So, they are very serious events from the perspective of visibility and marketing, but also sales. It is also a culture that celebrates diversity and independence. I feel very at home at them.

WOW: Those are amazing numbers! So many authors have problems with the marketing portion of being a writer, but you’ve taken to it like a duck to water. Do you have any advice for introverted writers about promoting their writing?

Lexy: Maybe I’ve taken to it because I don’t really think of it as “marketing.” In my head, I just
think of it as meeting people. Like a lot of introverts, I struggle with doing posts on social media or pushing my books to an anonymous audience. But with reviewers and with readers who show up at events, it becomes more of a personal interaction…and I find people fascinating.

It also takes making the effort to bring out the part of your personality that is more extroverted. I grew up as a Navy brat, which means we travelled a lot. I had to learn how to present in an extroverted way, even though I get my energy by being alone. So, I look at marketing as talking to people, telling them about my stories, hearing about their stories, and connecting.

WOW: That is such a helpful mindset, it makes promotion feel more personal and something to look forward to as an author. In the past, you’ve said that writers should treat their books as if they are a small business owner. How does that help authors?

Lexy: I’ve seen a lot of writers beat themselves up over sales, or lack thereof. They will put a book
out there and then be gutted when no one reads it after a year on Amazon. The problem is that nobody knows about it. That’s where marketing and visibility come in. Business people know this.

If you do a startup, which is what you are essentially doing when you publish a book, there is a life cycle to that. It is actually a pretty well-known life cycle, and it has predictable steps. At the end of the day, it takes roughly 5 years to start making profits. In the beginning, you come up with an idea, create a minimum viable product, and invest your own money to get it out there. You may get “love money” from family and friends to help. You create a marketing strategy, you find where your people are, you look for different channels for visibility, etc., etc.

You do that whether you are making a widget or selling a book. That’s why I think it’s valuable for people to read a book about creating a startup as opposed to just reading about how to publish your book. In business, I did quite a few startups. And not all of them worked. But 100% of the ones that worked were ones that managed their expectations of success and timing.

WOW: Today you're giving away a copy of Fanning Fireflies. I enjoyed the melding of historical fiction and paranormal in Fanning Fireflies. You’ve delved into your characters visiting other time periods and worlds in other books. As a writer, do you find the ability to travel between worlds/times stretches your writing abilities? Do your characters act/speak differently in different worlds, or are they similar no matter where/when they end up?

Lexy: In my series, that’s actually a remarkably interesting question because some of my books deal with the concept of whether a soul has a recognisable personality that stays the same across lifetimes. I have spreadsheets dedicated not just to a character’s behaviours and speaking patterns, but also to the patterns that appear and change over lifetimes. As the series continues, the reader sees more of the ways in which the past has impacted the present reality of existence. It also touches on the future.

WOW: I can't imagine the challenge of keeping a character authentic, not just for one book but through multiple books and future lifetimes. Speaking of the future, congratulations on the upcoming release of Mirrored Lands, book six in the Limerent series, on October 8.

Fanning Fireflies Giveaway

***** BOOK GIVEAWAY *****

Enter to win Fanning Fireflies, a stand alone title from The Limerent Series. Fill out the form below for a chance to win. The giveaway ends October 8th at 11:59 pm CT. We will randomly draw a winner the next day and follow up via email. Good luck! 


Fanning Fireflies Giveaway
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The Me I Used to Be: Blog Tour & Giveaway

Monday, September 21, 2026

The Me I Used to Be by Kristan Higgins

I'm excited to announce the launch of a blog tour for the latest novel by prolific author Kristan Higgins. If you're looking for a book about the complexity of female friendships, growing older, and secrets, you won't be able to stop reading The Me I Used to Be. Join us in celebrating with a review and book giveaway.

But before we get to that, here's more about her book:

At their twenty-fifth high school reunion, four former best friends discover that growing up is way messier than anticipated—and the past isn’t nearly as finished as they thought.
​
Back in senior year, Audrey, Micah, Jasmine, and Beck were the Core Four: the lucky one, the beautiful one, the smart one, the sporty one. They had color-coded dreams, inside jokes, and a lifelong friendship they thought would last forever. But graduation night ended in a tragic accident, followed by the kind of silence that stretches for decades.
​
Now, they’ve returned for their reunion, each carrying a life that looks nothing like the glossy future they imagined. There are stalled careers, complicated marriages, outspoken adult children, and secrets that never fit into holiday cards. For one of them, a diagnosis of early-onset dementia turns the weekend into a ticking clock.
​
Across one unforgettable weekend, the Core Four must decide if their past can still change their future together.

Lake Union Publishing (September 15, 2026)
AISN: B0G59SKB4J
ASIN: B0FXBCYPVK   
ISBN-10: 1662537999
ISBN-13: 978-1662537998    
Print length:  347 pages

Purchase your copy on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million and Bookshop. You'll also want to add it to your GoodReads reading list.

About the Author, Kristan Higgins

Kristan Higgins is the author of more than twenty novels, all of which were New York Times and/or USA Today bestsellers, much to her surprise and delight. Her books have been translated into two dozen languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide, receiving dozens of awards and accolades, including starred reviews from Entertainment Weekly, People, The New York Journal of Books, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and Booklist.
​
A smitten grandmother and the mother of two delightful adult children, Kristan enjoys gardening, mixology, the national parks and being overly helpful to strangers. She lives in Connecticut but is often on Cape Cod with her heroic firefighter husband, a rambunctious dog and their indifferent cat.

-- Review by Jodi M. Webb

In The Me I Used to Be, the friend group are four women who have know each other for decades (although they are estranged at the time of their reunion). These are well developed characters. Their personalities could have revolved around their nicknames - the pretty one, the athlete, the lucky one, the smart one - but author Kristan Higgins made them much more than that. In fact each woman seems to have two personalities, the person people expect her to be and who she really is. I felt this made the women incredibly realistic and I find myself playing the "Which one am I?" game.

Although the book takes place during the group's 25th high school reunion weekend, there are really three timelines. The events of the weekend, the events from 25 years ago that splintered the group and the hidden crisis each woman is secretly living through. Because of this, the book jumps between time periods as well as changing point of view so each woman can tell her own story. This format seemed complex in the beginning but, as I got caught up in the story, I was surprised at how easy it was to make the shift to different characters and their stories. The shifting point of view (conveniently announced at the beginning of each chapter) pushed me to keep reading, to learn how different characters experienced the same event.

Although there are many sad moments in The Me I Used to Be, it is not a tearjerker. Like life, it combines sad moments with silliness, love, redemption, new beginnings. I feel readers will identify with this book because the characters are grappling with issues that we are all familiar with: mortality, the elusiveness of friendship, the road not taken, balancing parenthood with your own happiness. I'm guessing every reader will find herself within the pages of this novel - I know I did.

The Me I Used to Be Blog Tour

-- Blog Tour Calendar

September 21st @ The Muffin
Join us as we celebrate the launch of the The Me I Used to Be by Kristan Higgins. Read a review and enter the giveaway.

September 22nd @ A Wonderful World Of Words
Read an excerpt of Kristan Higgins' latest novel The Me I Used to Be. 

September 24th @ All Things Writing
Learn what Caitrin thinks about the latest Kristan Higgins novel, The Me I Used to Be.

September 25th @ Chapter Break 
Enter a giveaway for The Me I Used to Be by Kristan Higgins.

September 29th @ Cozy Home Delights 
Ashley reviews Kristan Higgin's story of the power of friendship in The Me I Used to Be.

September 30th @ What Is That Book About
Get a sneak peek at Kristan Higgins' latest with an excerpt of The Me I Used to Be.

October 2nd @ Words by Webb
Jodi shares her thoughts on The Me I Used to Be by Kristan Higgins.

October 6th @ A Storybook World
Need a new read for a new month? Today's spotlight is on The Me I Used to Be.

October 12 @ Musings of a Literary Wanderer
Stop by for a review of The Me I Used to Be by Kristan Higgins.

October 14th @ Boys' Mom Reads!
Enjoy an excerpt of the latest Kristan Higgins novel: The Me I Used to Be.

October 17th @ Boots, Shoes and Fashion
Find out what Linda enjoyed about The Me I Used to Be.

***** BOOK GIVEAWAY *****

Enter to win The Me I Used to Be by Kristan Higgins. Fill out the form below for a chance to win. The giveaway ends October 4th at 11:59 pm CT. We will randomly draw a winner the next day and follow up via email. Good luck!


The Me I Used to Be Giveaway
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