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.

Liz Alterman's latest guest is novelist and publicist Andrea J. Stein. Andrea is the author of Typecast, which came out in 2022 and was named A Buzzfeed Pick of The Best Main Characters We've Gotten To Know in 2022 and A Scary Mommy Pick of New Books We Can’t Wait to Cozy Up with This Fall. She is also the author of the soon-to-be-released novel Dear Eliza.

In this episode, Andrea shares the inspiration behind her books' unique hooks as well as how she creates multi-dimensional characters. A professional publicist with three decades of experience, the Summit-based author offers solid advice for writers to consider when pitching their projects to the media. Andrea recommended some highlights from her own recent reading list.

Today’s guest is Jennifer Shirk, the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of sweet and funny romance novels. Jennifer’s latest, Resorting to Romance, was released on July 2. Though she's now penned a dozen novels, the South Jersey author actually got her bachelor's degree in pharmacy and was considering continuing on to get her doctorate before turning to fiction.

In this episode, Jennifer talks about the authors who inspired her to make this sharp turn along her career track. She also shares how her seaside town provided plenty of fodder for the fictional setting in her latest book.

Resorting to Romance follows L.A. attorney Loni Wingate whose perfect day at the office gets ruined by chaos and heartbreak. Her fiancé stole her promotion and ended their engagement, leaving her career and her future dangling by a thread. Then when Loni tries to go to her safe place, her family’s quaint North Carolina resort, she finds it’s up for sale.

Jennifer also shared good news for readers who fall in love with these characters--she's working on a sequel that will focus on Loni's sister.

Hi, I’m Liz Alterman, journalist, author and your host of The Book House podcast. This season, we'll be chatting all about the writing life with authors from across the Garden State.

In this episode, author Lisa Kusel shares a behind-the-scenes look at penning her spicy suspense novel, The Widow on Dwyer Court which was released July 16. A Jersey girl at heart, Lisa grew up in Edison and currently lives in Burlington, Vermont where she writes at a desk overlooking Lake Champlain. Before crafting this twisty psychological thriller, Lisa published a memoir, Rash, about her family's bold move to Bali. Prior to that, she wrote a novel, Hat Trick, and a collection of interconnected short stories, Other Fish In the Sea.

Lisa talks about her uncommon writing path spanning multiple genres and how her newest novel, which bestselling author Samantha Bailey calls, "incredibly clever, unique, and compelling," had several iterations before arriving in its current form. The story, which is told from two points of view, includes an erotic novel within the novel.

The Widow on Dwyer Court tells the story of thirty-six-year-old stay-at-home soccer mom Kate Burke, who, to the casual observer, appears happily married to Matt Parsons. But behind closed doors, their marriage looks very different. So, While they still love each other madly, Kate is no longer interested in having sex with her husband. To satisfy their needs, they make an arrangement: Matt can have one-night stands with other women on work trips, but when he returns home, he has to tell Kate about them—every juicy detail. Why? Beecause Matt’s adulterous affairs inspire and fuel Kate's secret career as a beloved erotic romance novelist.

When Annie Meyers, an eccentric young widow, moves to town with her daughter, things become even more complicated. At first Kate is smitten with this wild, witty woman, who gives her a much-needed break from the other picture-perfect suburban moms, although she’s not sure how much of her hidden life she’s willing to share with her new friend. But it turns out Annie has secrets too—big ones that could destroy all their lives.

Stop by The Book House Long Branch on Saturday, Aug. 10 from 5 to 7 pm to meet Lisa in person and pick up a signed copy of her latest. Visit her website LisaKusel.com for updates or follow her on Instagram @Lisa_Kusel.

Poet Melissa Elder joins host Liz Alterman as we launch an audio celebration of our company's flagship bookstore, and of New Jersey writers.

This week we launch a brand-new podcast to celebrate The Book House, the flagship bookstore of Sea of Reeds Media, the company that created Book and Film Globe. We're excited to introduce you to Liz Alterman, journalist, author and your host of The Book House podcast. She'll be chatting all about the writing life with authors from across the Garden State. Her first episode is a a conversation with Morris County resident Melissa Elder, poet and author of the gorgeous collections, The Mundane and Nostalgia. If you enjoy the work of poets Maggie Smith, Kate Baer, and Joy Sullivan, do yourself a favor and pick up one of Melissa's books, preferably at The Book House or through our affiliate link at Bookshop.org.

Welcome!

In our latest episode, YA thriller author MK Pagano shares with Liz Alterman how she blends romance, friendship, suspense, and grief in her compelling debut, Girls Who Burn.

Eighteen-year-old protagonist Addie Blackwood regrets nothing more than one horrible, mistake-filled night last summer. Hours after she hurled the worst words she could think of at her sister, Fiona was found dead at the bottom of a ravine. The police ruled her death an accident, but Addie’s never bought it. Her ballet-prodigy sister didn’t slip and fall; someone pushed her. And Addie’s number one suspect: Thatcher Montgomery, the rich kid down the street who always had a thing for Fiona. But when Thatcher is found dead in the same ravine, Addie must admit she was wrong.

Pagano, a mom of two, also talks about her writing process and how she tracks characters and themes to ensure she pulls on each of the threads that make up her intricately woven tale to leave readers with a satisfying conclusion.

A longtime fan of Tana French, MK recommends novels that have kept her turning pages this year.

Pick up Girls Who Burn and MK's reading selections at The Book House in Millburn or Long Branch.