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Check out my crime novel, SAFE HANDS

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In this episode of The Joined Up Writing Podcast, Wayne chats with Nikki Moore, author of commercial women’s fiction and romantic comedies, who also writes as Ella Allbright. Nikki shares her journey of juggling a busy career in HR with a decade-long writing career. She discusses her hit novel The Last Charm, an emotional, Dorset-set love story inspired by personal loss. Nikki opens up about processing grief through writing and how storytelling serves as an uplifting escape for her readers.

They dive into the evolution of the publishing world over the past 14 years, emphasizing transparency and the rise of indie publishing. Nikki reflects on her experiences with traditional publishing, the challenges of securing an agent, and why balancing creativity with business strategy is key. She highlights the importance of competitions and critique groups for emerging writers, offering practical advice for building confidence and refining your craft.

Nikki also addresses the industry's focus on debut authors and the rise of celebrity books, advocating for more equitable support across the board. With candid anecdotes and actionable insights, this episode is packed with encouragement for writers at all stages of their journey.

Nikki is A self-confessed reading addict, with an HR day job to keep her busy alongside writing. She’s the author of the popular #LoveLondon series, attracting four and five star reviews on Amazon. A number of the novellas featured in the Top 100 short story charts on Kobo and the Top 20 in the Amazon UK bestsellers Holiday chart. As Ella Albright she writes commercial women’s fiction set in her beautiful home county of Dorset, the most successful of which is The Last Charm which is out everywhere now.

Follow Nikki on Instagram @authorbythesea1207

Highlights:

• The Last Charm: A novel of love, loss, and hope inspired by Nikki’s grief journey.
• Writing Tips: Why competitions and critique groups are invaluable for aspiring authors.
• Industry Insights: The challenges of publishing today and the opportunities in indie and hybrid models.
• Personal Reflections: Balancing creative passion with strategic career decisions.

Tune in for an honest, inspiring conversation about the highs and lows of being a writer in today's ever-changing literary landscape.

SUBSCRIBE NOW WHEREVER YOU LISTEN TO YOUR PODCASTS

Check out my crime novel, SAFE HANDS

Grab a free Audible 30 Day Trial and listen to SAFE HANDS for FREE!

WANT A FREE eBOOK WITH 2 CRIME STORIES? SUBSCRIBE TO WAYNE’S NEWSLETTER HERE

It’s episode 231 with Neil J Hart, an excellent Fantasy-Horror author, writing gorgeous-looking books for young people. We talk about how Neil went from being a reluctant reader to a story-obsessed writer, how his visual imagination plays into his work and of course, we’ll hear which book saved his life.
Neil grew up in Surrey, England and spent most of his childhood dancing and acting, learning musical instruments, building vast Lego cities and domino rallies, creating board games and secret societies.

He eventually found writing and in 2021, his quirky young adult fantasy novel The Last Scarecrow won for Horror at the Wattpad Awards and his latest book, Sadie Madison and the Boy in the Crimson Scarf also won in 2022 for Fantasy. That book is released everywhere on December 3rd and you can pre-order it right now.

Find all Neil's links at his website here.

Don’t forget – this is YOUR SHOW so keep tweeting me, leave your comments below, check out our Facebook page and the brand new newsletter and mailing list. It’s totally free to sign up and you’ll get a FREE motivational PDF to download – ’10 Tips For Surviving NaNoWriMo, The First Draft and Beyond’ PLUS the 3 Act Story Structure Template to help you plot your story. More content coming soon, including videos, blog posts and loads of extra writing tips.

SUBSCRIBE NOW WHEREVER YOU LISTEN TO YOUR PODCASTS

Check out my crime novel, SAFE HANDS

Grab a free Audible 30 Day Trial and listen to SAFE HANDS for FREE!

WANT A FREE eBOOK WITH 2 CRIME STORIES? SUBSCRIBE TO WAYNE’S NEWSLETTER HERE

It’s episode 230 with Dan Howarth who writes dark and gritty books, often based in the North of England. Dan and I had a really fun and interesting chat focusing on Dan’s latest book, Last Night of Freedom and we take a deep dive into the problems with Traditional publishing and why Indie publishing seems to be going from strength to strength. We’ll also get to hear about the book that saved Dan’s life.

Dan is a writer from the North of England, a place that he says drenches his fiction. He’s the author of Dark Missives, a collection of short horror fiction as well as Territory, a novella set in the snowbound wilds of Finland.

His stories have featured in numerous publications both online and in print, including being featured on The Other Stories podcast where they have been downloaded over 100,000 times as well as appearing in Weird Horror #5 from Undertow Publications. His latest novel is Last Night of Freedom, a great book I’ve described as Dead Man’s Shoes meets Deliverance and that is out right now, so make sure you grab a copy on ebook, paperback or audio.

Check out Dan’s website here and follow him on Twitter here.

Don’t forget – this is YOUR SHOW so keep tweeting me, leave your comments below, check out our Facebook page and the brand new newsletter and mailing list. It’s totally free to sign up and you’ll get a FREE motivational PDF to download – ’10 Tips For Surviving NaNoWriMo, The First Draft and Beyond’ PLUS the 3 Act Story Structure Template to help you plot your story. More content coming soon, including videos, blog posts and loads of extra writing tips.