Daniel Coniff lives in Denver and writes short stories and novels. He is passionate about blending theories of psychology, sociology, and anthropology with brutal themes to create sobering yet transformative pieces. On Instagram, he describes himself as “Guy who writes goofy stories.” In addition to all that, Daniel writes fan fiction for the Netflix adaption of “Lord of the Flies.” (You can find it on Substack at the link below.)
Daniel’s episode of the Write Like a Badass podcast is: “You have to earn readers.”
Matt Posner has been writing fiction and nonfiction since the 1980s. He writes in many genres of fiction, including urban fantasy, YA, literary fiction, horror, and romance (writing as MJ Post).
Matt’s latest novel, an adult urban fantasy series with Mrs. Moore #1: Queen of Doubts. It’s available at: https://a.co/d/0fS9eiLI
About Queen of Doubts:
Mrs. Moore is a wife, mother, diviner. Never perfect, always badass.
Mrs. Goldberry Moore’s secret magic school has closed, her husband is gravely ill, and she’s suddenly raising three children with a talent for trouble and adventure. A practical magician with the wit and resolve of a Jane Austen heroine, she’s not the type to hide and wait.
Instead, she takes on two highly inconvenient apprentices. Gia’s voice compels the truth from anyone who hears her. Preity is a fire‑loving, stone‑lifting magical being whom some people simply cannot see. With a streetwise nanny, a house full of volatile hearts, and trouble gathering at the edges, Mrs. Moore must rely on strategy, nerve, and her talent for staying several steps ahead.
Ruthless treasure hunters are closing in on the apprentices and the fallen school — each powerful enough to upend the magical world in the wrong hands.
The only safe place to end the chase may be the one place no one would dare follow: beneath Mount Denali.
Matt’s episode of the Write Like a Badass podcast is: “I just love the character.” And yes – he’s talking about Mrs. Moore!
Dan Bonser writes adult fantasies about a 100+ year-old female elf who is a traveling bard. His stories has action adventure, music, poetry and at least one scene Dan concedes is “shocking.”
The Ballad of the Emerald Bard, Opus 1 is available at: https://a.co/d/034BoRur Follow Dan on TikTok: Dan Bonser Author
Dan Bonser’s main character is a 100+ year old elfwhose origin story did NOT start on the pages of his books. Where did she come from? You’ll hear all about it in this episode. In the first book of his series, Dan wrote an opening scene with the specific intention to make himself uncomfortable, pushing the spice and discomfort further and further until it culminated in a scene, which he swore was too far. To this day, he silently judges readers who love THAT scene.
A note: Dan and I had so much to talk about that he’ll be the guest on the next episode of the Write Like a Badass podcast, as well!
The Ballad of the Emerald Bard, Opus 1 is available at: https://a.co/d/034BoRur Follow Dan on TikTok: Dan Bonser Author
Unless you belong to a writers group or are taking a class, you might be working on your craft all by yourself. Well, you’re not alone! Meet some members of your community who are at various places in their creative journey. Some are published authors with many books to their name, others playwrights who’ve seen their work produced onstage, and there are some who are still working toward completing that first project.
The voices you’ll hear in this episode belong to people who’ve been guests on the Write Like a Badass podcast. They share the wisdom they’ve gained from experience – no matter how much or how little writing experience they’ve had so far. I think we can learn from every fellow writer we encounter.
In Open Mic Night at the Badass Writers Cafe, I read from a novel I just completed. Sort of. You’ll hear.
Want to learn more about the people featured in this episode?
Ron Shaw writes dark fantasy / psychological fiction novels. He also puts a considerable amount of time and effort into the Booktok Indie Author Awards, which he founded. In this episode, Ron talks about why it’s importance to bring recognition to indie authors. He also discusses his own writing – and why readers are sometimes confused about the genre of his books (but they still read them and like them!).
After turning 30, h.h. rune realized that she had allowed fear to shape much of her life. She resolved to lead an extraordinary life within the space of an ordinary one, and to urge others to do the same.
Hear hh discuss her writing, her life and her unique distribution strategy for her books on the Write Like a Badass podcast episode: “There’s some pretty intimate stuff in here.” (Hint: like the characters in the books themselves, readers are encouraged to enter their names, locations, and date of reading in the backs, then pass the books on to others.
Grief over her father’s death had Alexandra Chan writing down stories about him. She ultimately realized that she was writing a book, which turned into the hot-selling In the Garden Behind the Moon: A Memoir of Loss, Myth and Magic.
Writing that book had a transformational effect on Alexandra, and reading it is – based on reviews – causing people to connect with it on a deeply emotional level.
Listen to Alexandra’s episode on the Write Like a Badass podcast to hear how this left-brained scientist discovered a whole other side of herself – one that embraces the magic and mythos that are ingrained in her family history and Chinese culture.
In the Garden Behind the Moon: A Memoir of Loss, Myth, and Magic is available from Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/34dsjccd
Slavery in the Age of Reason: Archaeology at a New England Farm offers a rare look into the lives of enslaved peoples and slaveholders in early New England.
Sign up for The Glimmering, a once-a-season community and newsletter for curious minds, eye-twinklers, travelers, and seekers and seers of magic. Get inspired and stay informed about Alexandra’s books.
Connect with Alexandra on Tiktok (Alexandra Chan|Author and Facebook (Alexandra Chan).
After retiring from a career that included being an editor at the Wall Street Journal, Neal Lipschutz embarked upon a new career: writing suspense fiction. Fans of his debut novel, No Write Way to Die, are eagerly awaiting his second (in a series), Long Arm of the Past, which will be published in August.
Listen to Neal’s episode on the Write Like a Badass podcast to hear how he develops stories and characters, what is was like to find a publisher and what he’s got coming up. You will also get a sneak preview of Long Arm of the Past, when Neal reads an excerpt from it for Open Mic Night at the Badass Writers Cafe.
Lylanne Musselman is a poet, an artist, a playwright and a play director who lives in Eaton, Indiana. She spreads her love of writing to other by teaching – at the University of Indianapolis and Ivy Tech Community College. She’s also a mother, a grandmother and a furbaby mother. (How many cats do you have?) Her work has been featured in many literary journals and anthologies. She’s had six chapbooks published – so far – And she’s co-authored two books.
But Lylanne wasn’t always this productive. Listen to the Write Like a Badass podcast episode entitled, How Self Doubt Derailed a Multi-Creative for 20 Years to hear how Lylanne stopped writing at 18 – because she thought she wasn’t good at it!
Lylanne’s return to what she loves doing: writing and art, will inspire you. You’ll also hear how writing poetry and creating art helped her deal with caregiving for her unsupportive mother when her mother had dementia.
Her published chapbooks are:
Prickly Beer and Purple Panties (Bacon Tree Press, 2007), A Charm Bracelet For Cruising (Winged City Press, 2009), Winged Graffiti (Finishing Line Press, 2011), Weathering Under the Cat, (Finishing Line Press, 2016) and Red Mare 16 (Pink House Literary Arts, 2018); and Staring Dementia in the Face (Finishing Line Press, 2023), Consider the Doves (Local Gems Poetry Press, 2020). She has a full-length poetry collection, In My Life: A Pop Culture Poetry Memoir, which will be published by Chatter House Press in Autumn, 2026.
She’s written It’s Not Love, Unfortunately (Chatter House Press, 2018), and co-authored Company of Women: New and Selected Poems (Chatter House Press, 2013), and Marriage Maps and Driven Destinies (Chatter House Press, 2023).
