About
Creativity, collaboration, and an urge to communicate has resulted in a unique alliance. Nineteen authors, most of whom have never met, have created a network where readers and authors come together to discuss books and so much more.The Author Talk Network is the brainchild of author, educator, and radio show host Grace Sammon. A long-time entrepreneur, Grace has always believed that the power of a good idea, fueled by creative collaboration, leads to success. Interest in the Network has grown quickly, garnering international interest among the press, Bookstagrammers, bloggers, authors and readers. The authors work individually but also collaboratively on writing projects, social media promotions and events, and as sets of panelists. Due to that growing interest, a “pop-up” launch of the network occurred on 1 November 2021. In the US, this is the National Day of the Author, and November is National Novel Writing Month.
With the Author Talk Network, you will meet authors who, happily, will talk to your book club, school group, or club; be a guest on your show; chat for an interview or book blog; and connect you to their bookish world. There’s a lot to talk about!
Our Member
Meet The Member Authors
We are full-time authors, educators, lawyers, psychotherapists, Silicon Valley executives, speech pathologists, marketers, health care experts, veterans, yoga instructors, and so much more. Each of us brings our varied experiences of being full and part-time authors, as well as our lives as educators, lawyers, psychotherapists, Silicon Valley executives, speech pathologists, marketers, health care experts, journalists, veterans, parents, partners, and yoga instructors to the Author Talk Network experience. There’s a lot to talk about!
The next cohort of authors is anticipated in Summer 2022.
Barbara Conrey
C. D’Angelo
Media
News
ATN Authors Join Erika Lance of Drinking With Authors in Episode 3
ATN Authors Join Erika Lance of Drinking With Authors in Episode 2
ATN Authors Join Erika Lance of Drinking With Authors in Episode 1
Emma Dhesi leads Day 3 Author Talk Network Webinar - Research
Emma Dhesi leads Day 2 Author Talk Network Webinar - Mystery!
Emma Dhesi leads Day 1 Author Talk Network Webinar - Characters
Grace and JJ Barnes sit down and talk to Author Talk Network
Book Marketing
Blogs
Meredith R. Stoddard
Lainey Cameron
Josie Brown
C. D' Angelo
Contact
For more information on The Author Talk Network, or to book an event, contact Grace Sammon at grace@gracesammon.net.The authors are available individually and as a team, based on topic and venue. They have collaborated on blogs, interviews, and podcasts on a range of topics and would welcome the opportunity to work together with you!
Download
Talk To Us
Are Open for Booking!
The authors of the Author Talk Network are available individually on a range of topics, and as a panel cohort in smaller groups. Below is a sampling of topics for conferences, meetings, pod and vodcasts, blogs, libraries, school groups, and more! Author Talk Network, because there is so much to talk about!
Please feel free to contact the authors directly; their email addresses are below. For general coordination, further information, or assistance in building your panel, please contact Grace Sammon directly at grace@gracesammon.net. For more information on the authors and Author Talk Network, please visit www.AuthorTalkNetwork.com
Author Talk Network Panels
“Where Did You Come From?” How Authors Find Their Characters Often, what makes books memorable are the characters. When readers fall in love with a character, they generally fall in love with the book. But where do authors get the inspiration for characters that readers can’t forget? Panelists from the Author Talk Network will discuss where they got their inspiration. After listening to them speak, you’ll be ready to create your own characters that leap off the page.
Diane Barnes, Lainey Cameron, Julie Cantrell, Michelle Cox, Leslie Lehr, Saralyn Richard, Linda Rosen, Grace Sammon, Mary Helen Sheriff, Julie Valerie
“Boo” The Art of Ghostwriting Some of the biggest book advances go to actors, singers, athletes, comedians, politicians, and other celebrities who couldn’t string a sentence together if their lives depended on it. Usually, the unsung heroes in telling their stories are ghostwriters. Nothing scary there—except that the process of prying the nitty-gritty and wheedling the truth from those whose lives are the stuff of fantasies is a remarkable feat the few can do well. What skills does it take to make another’s story—memoir or fiction—interesting enough to read about, let alone say it in a way that it sounds like the subject’s own voice? Authors Josie Brown, Julie Cantrell, and Grace Sammon discuss how to ensure that ghosting the books of fabulous folks is a satisfying experience for all involved.
Josie Brown, Julie Cantrell, Grace Sammon
“The Art of Marketing Your Book” Where To Spend Your Time And Money” Your book is written, polished, and ready to meet its readers. Now what? With millions of books published a year, you’ll need to invest time and money in marketing your book to help readers discover it. Panelists from Author Talk Network will share the pitfalls and successes of their own marketing experiences to help you evaluate the vast array of marketing opportunities available to you.
Lainey Cameron, Julie Cantrell, Barbara Conrey, Michele Cox, Linda Rosen, Grace Sammon, Mary Sheriff
“The Art of Social Media Management” Tips For Authors Social media offers authors an incredible venue for connecting with readers. However, between time constraints and the dozens of platforms available with different focuses and rules, juggling social media can leave authors overwhelmed. Panelists from Author Talk Network will offer tips for navigating social media in a way that successfully and efficiently encourages readers to buy your book(s).
Julie Cantrell, Lainey Cameron, C. D’Angelo, Mary Helen Sheriff, Julie Valerie
“Authors on the Airwaves” Podcasting Authors Tell Their Stories By its nature, writing is a solitary experience. But a podcast or social media “live?” It takes at least two to tango through an on-air gabfest—especially when one author asks another, “How did you come up with the premise for this book?” The great news: only a podcaster who has also struggled through the hard work and long hours of crafting a story knows all the right questions to ask about the writer’s process. Between them, Josie Brown, “Author Provocateur” Lainey Cameron, “The Best of Women’s Fiction” Grace Sammon, “The Storytellers,” and Meredith R. Stoddard, “Author Ride Along” have conducted nearly 200 podcast interviews—and counting. Listen to what they have to say about what they ask and why.
Josie Brown, Lainey Cameron, Grace Sammon, Meredith R. Stoddard
“How Mysterious” The Attraction of Mystery What makes the mystery genre one of the top two most popular? Expert panelists from the Author Talk Network reveal the secrets to reading and writing the best mystery novels. Some insights include understanding and using tension, conflict, setting, character motivation, irony, foreshadowing, and pacing in the mystery novel.
Josie Brown, Michelle Cox, Saralyn Richard
“A Thing of the Past” The importance of Historical fiction We all learned history in school. Now, in writing historical fiction, we can dig deeper. Make it come alive. Experts from the Author Talk Network will show you how events and people, even those barely known, can breathe on the page. Learn how to balance research and creativity without falling down the proverbial rabbit hole to tell a unique story.
Julie Cantrell, Barbara Conrey, Michele Cox, Libby McNamee, Linda Rosen
“Book 1 and so on” Writing Series vs. Stand-alone Works Binge-reading, otherwise known as series-reading, has become extremely popular in the past decade, especially during the pandemic years. Let Author Talk Network panelists show you why. Authors of both series and stand-alone works will weigh in on the advantages and disadvantages of both. By the end of this discussion, you’ll have a clearer idea of what to read or write next.
Josie Brown, Julie Cantrell, Barbara Conrey, Michele Cox, Saralyn Richard, Meredith R. Stoddard, Julie Valerie
�“I’m Late, I’m Late” Finding time to write Caring for the kids, a full-time job, pitching in to help elderly parents, marketing an existing novel leads to exhaustion. These are only some of the things that can interfere with writing time. In an essential panel for all writers struggling to find time to write, authors from the Author Talk Network will reveal how they fit writing time into their busy schedules. After listening to their discussion, you’ll have actionable ideas for squeezing time for writing into your life.
Diane Barnes, Julie Cantrell, Barbara Conrey, Michele Cox, C. D’Angelo, Grace Sammon, Mary Helen Sheriff
“Sharing the Road” The Importance of a Writing Community At first glance, writing seems like a solitary activity. It doesn’t have to be. Most successful authors find the writing community an essential partner to their writing careers. Panelists from Author Talk Network will discuss how a community of writers can develop your writing skills, magnify your marketing efforts, and bring joy to your writing journey.
Lainey Cameron, Julie Cantrell, Barbara Conrey, Saralyn Richard, Linda Rosen, Grace Sammon, Mary Helen Sheriff, Julie Valerie
“Come Follow Me” Connecting With Readers In the old days, authors rarely had the opportunity to get to know their audiences. Writing was a solitary and often lonely occupation. Today, however, with the explosion of in-person and virtual events and a vast array of social media platforms, authors and readers connect as never before. Authors from the Author Talk Network will share the joys and challenges of connecting with readers, and they will offer practical suggestions for achieving mutually beneficial relationships.
Julie Cantrell, C. D’Angelo, Mandy Haynes, Saralyn Richard, Linda Rosen, Grace Sammon
“Down the Rabbit Hole” Author Research Techniques The devil is in the details, and no more so than in a novel. Creating a character from scratch, a place that may not exist, or a moment in time—past, present, or future—takes meticulous research. This panel of women’s fiction authors discusses how they bring to life the mini-universes they create so that their stories stay in their readers’ minds long after “The End” is read.
Josie Brown, Julie Cantrell, Barbara Conrey, Mandy Haynes, Linda Rosen, Grace Sammon
“The Long and Winding Road of Writing” Authors’ Journeys To Writing And Publishing Ever wonder how many books your favorite author wrote before finding an agent? A publisher? Or what it took for that same author to become a New York Times or USA Today bestseller? Or simply what it takes not to give up? Authors from Author Talk Network will share their stories of how long it took to get them where they are today and tips on how to keep writing when you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Lainey Cameron, Barbara Conrey, Michele Cox, C. D’Angelo, Leslie Lehr, Saralyn Richard, Grace Sammon, Mary Helen Sheriff
�“Writer’s Critique Groups” Helpful or Harmful? Feedback from critique groups can help you write phenomenal scenes and chapters. It can assist you in creating characters that jump off the page. Or it can make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Author Talk Network panelists will share their experiences in critique groups, the upsides and downsides, the benefits and the drawbacks. Join them for an insightful discussion.
Mandy Haynes, Saralyn Richard, Linda Rosen, Julie Valerie
“Fact vs. Fiction” Writing Across Genres and Fiction vs. Non-fiction Although some authors are firmly embedded in a specific genre, many more authors cross from fact to fiction, from freelancing to commissioned and independent works, as they move from one writing love to another. Listen to the Author Talk Network panelist describe their chosen genres, their challenges and strengths, and where they find their writer’s heart most fulfilled.
Julie Cantrell, Melissa Face, Leslie Lehr, Grace Sammon
“The Entrepreneurial Author” The Business of Selling Our Wares The publishing world is rapidly changing with options to traditionally, hybrid, and independently publish. The unprecedented expectation and need for authors to be their own best resources for sales and writing recognition is consistent across all platforms. Listen in as the Author Talk Network Authors talk about their challenges and strengths, the importance of a plan, and learn some of their best-kept secrets.
Josie Brown, C. D’Angelo, Grace Sammon, Mary Helen Sheriff
“The End” When Do You Know Your Work Is Ready To Launch? Depending on the day and the author’s mood when you ask her, some authors will say they never know when their book is ready. It’s scary to send your book to an agent or publisher; suddenly, you are filled with doubt and convinced your book isn’t any good. Author Talk Network Authors have been where you might be standing at this very moment; there are steps you can take to ensure that both you and your book are as ready as possible.
Diane Barnes, Barbara Conrey, Melissa Face, Linda Rosen
Email addresses for the authors:
Josie Brown: jbrownauthor@gmail.com
Julie Cantrell: julie@juliecantrell.com
Lainey Cameron: lainey@laineycameron.com
Barbara Conrey: baconrey@yahoo.com
Michelle Cox: Newcoxchapter@gmail.com
C. D’Angelo: c.dangelo.author@gmail.com
Melissa Face: melissaface2008@gmail.com
Mandy Haynes: mandy@mandyhaynes.com
Libby McNamee: libby@sagebrushpublishing.com
Saralyn Richard: saralyn@saralynrichard.com
Linda Rosen: rosenlinda48@gmail.com
Mary Helen Sheriff: maryhelensheriff@gmail.com
Grace Sammon: grace@gracesammon.net
Meredith R. Stoddard: mrstoddard@gmail.com
Julie Valerie: julievalerie1@gmail.com
