In today’s episode, New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Eva Lesko Natiello discusses the writing class that changed her life.

Before becoming a novelist, Eva enjoyed a successful career as Vice President of Global Communications for Estee Lauder Inc. When she pivoted to raise her children, she sought a creative outlet. After reading a chilling news article, she was inspired to try her hand at writing. Eager to learn more about the craft of storytelling, Eva enrolled in a writing course at The New School where she encountered a professor whose unexpected advice inspired her to keep going.

After years of hard work, the early drafts her professor found "riveting" turned into her debut, The Memory Box, a psychological thriller about a woman who Googles herself and discovers the shocking details of a past she doesn’t remember. After querying dozens of literary agents without receiving an offer of representation, Eva harnessed her communication and marketing expertise to self-publish and, ultimately, sell 200,000 copies of her novel.

She followed it up with Following You, a thriller about a stalked celebrity who goes missing.

In addition to penning bestselling novels, Eva also teaches book marketing classes—both in-person and online. She offers one-on-one consultations designed to help authors decide which publishing path best suits their work.

To learn more about Eva, visit her website, follow her on social media, and don’t miss her essay, How a Professor’s One Piece of Advice Influenced My Entire Writing Career.