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Most writers are told to “write what you know.” Stuart Gibbs encourages authors to write what fascinates them...

In this fascinating episode of A LITERAL JOURNEY, I sit down with bestselling author Stuart Gibbs—the author behind Spy School, FunJungle, Charlie Thorne, Once Upon A Tim, and The Last Musketeer series. Stuart shares his incredible journey from writing stories as a child (showcasing his first, "homemade" book), to working in Hollywood (Anastasia, anyone??), to becoming an author of more than 40 books.

Along the way, we talk about his real-life adventures: cage diving with great white sharks, facing down a charging elephant, and rescuing children from drowning, and how his experiences and real-life adventures have influenced his stories.

Stuart chats about persistence, and why success in publishing is often a slow, steady climb—not a single breakthrough moment. He also shares one of the most powerful pieces of writing advice I’ve ever heard: don’t write what you know… write what fascinates you.

Whether you’re a reader, writer, parent, teacher, or an adventurer, I hope this episode encourages you to open a book (or pick up a pen) and embark on your own literal journey.

About STUART GIBBS:

A few interesting things that Stuart Gibbs has done: Worked at a zoo. Researched capybaras (the world's largest rodents). Climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. Cage dived with great white sharks. Faced down a charging elephant. Swum with penguins in the Galapagos. Ice-climbed a glacier in Patagonia. Visited the cockpit of the Space Shuttle Atlantis. Helped rescue sixteen children from drowning off the coast of Israel. Written a few movies that actually got made (See Spot Run; Repli-Kate; Showdown). Worked on a few animated movies (Anastasia; Open Season 3; Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers).

He is currently at work on several more books -- and the screenplay for Spy School the movie/series.

💻 VISIT Stuart Gibbs's official website: https://stuartgibbs.com/

📖 READ Ape Escape: https://amzn.to/3PmV0I7

📖 READ Spy School: https://amzn.to/4cUPQNi

📚 CHECK OUT Stuart Gibbs's other books: https://amzn.to/4rHIbp6

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#StuartGibbs #SpySchool #AuthorInterview #WritingAdvice #AmWriting #WritersOfYouTube #MiddleGradeBooks #ChildrensBooks #Storytelling #CreativeWriting #AuthorLife #BooksAndAuthors #WritingTips #PublishingJourney #WritersCommunity #B

My name is Seth Adam Smith. I’m a husband, father, and author who believes in the power of stories to inspire people forward.

Subscribe for:
📚 A LITERAL JOURNEY – exclusive interviews with bestselling authors
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🕯️ AN AWE-FUL STORY – true tales that turn the “awful” into the “awe-full”

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🌐 Website: http://www.SethAdamSmith.com

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The best stories begin with a little bit of mystery...

In this episode of A LITERAL JOURNEY (easily one of my favorites 🤫), I sit down with Ben Guterson, author of the bestselling Winterhouse trilogy, The World-Famous Nine, and The Einstein's of Vista Point. We talk about Ben's journey into writing, his interest in puzzles and wordplay, and his love of creating mystery-filled adventures for young readers.

Ben reflects on the books that shaped him growing up (from Roald Dahl to The House With A Clock In It's Walls), his departure from the corporate world and into the world of writing fiction, and the creative process behind building his mysterious and magical worlds. In regards to Middle Grade Fiction, Ben also talks about why the ages between 8-12 seem to be such an important time for readers: because kids at that age are beginning to discover their own place (their own story) in whatever setting they find themselves.

Whether you’re a reader, writer, parent, teacher, or someone who just loves a good mystery (with plenty of wordplay and puzzles), I hope this episode encourages you to open a book (or pick up a pen) and embark on your own literal journey.

About BEN GUTERSON:

Ben Guterson is the New York Times bestselling author of The World-Famous Nine, which was a Barnes & Noble Young Reader Pick of the Month, as well as The Einsteins of Vista Point and the popular Winterhouse trilogy. Winterhouse was an Edgar Award and an Agatha Award finalist and an Indie Next List Pick. His books have been translated into eleven languages worldwide.

💻 VISIT Ben Guterson's official website: https://benguterson.com/

📖 READ Winterhouse: https://amzn.to/40pqmQN

📚 CHECK OUT Ben Guterson's other books: https://amzn.to/4rwSRam

🎧 LISTEN to more episodes of A LITERAL JOURNEY: https://aliteraljourney.buzzsprout.com/

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Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to A LITERAL JOURNEY for more exclusive author interviews, book recommendations, and thoughtful conversations about the stories that shape us. 📖✨

#BenGuterson #Winterhouse #MiddleGradeBooks #ChildrensBooks #KidsBooks #WritingAdvice #AuthorInterview #WritersOfYouTube #Storytelling #MysteryBooks #FantasyBooks #WritingCommunity #BooksForKids #AmReading #AmWriting #YoungReaders #CreativeWriting #BookTube #Literature

My name is Seth Adam Smith. I’m a husband, father, and author who believes in the power of stories to inspire people forward.

Subscribe for:
📚 A LITERAL JOURNEY – exclusive interviews with bestselling authors
🎙️ THE NORTHERN LIGHTS Podcast – uplifting messages to inspire you forward
🕯️ AN AWE-FUL STORY – true tales that turn the “awful” into the “awe-full”

✨ My Books: http://amzn.to/2p7FXA8
🌐 Website: http://www.SethAdamSmith.com

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How does a bestselling author turn history into unforgettable novels?

In this fascinating episode of A LITERAL JOURNEY, I sit down with USA Today bestselling author Heather B. Moore—a PROLIFIC, inspirational writer whose work spans several genres.

Heather shares the story behind her writing career: from her lifelong love of reading, to her discovery that yes, even people from UTAH can become authors (!!!), and her subsequent journey of building a catalog of more than 90 publications. We also talk about "the war of art," the discipline required to write consistently, the ups and downs of researching historical fiction, and the challenge of bringing real (sometimes emotionally heavy) stories to print.

Along the way we talk about several of Heather’s books, including: "The Paper Daughters of Chinatown," a powerful story about a mission home that rescued trafficked Chinese girls in 19th-century San Francisco, as well as her recent novel "Julia," a novel about famed Julia Child and her surprising wartime service with the OSS.

Whether you’re a reader, writer, parent, teacher, or someone who just loves a good historical story, I hope this episode encourages you to open a book (or pick up a pen) and embark on your own literal journey.

About HEATHER B. MOORE:

Heather B. Moore is a USA Today bestselling author of more than ninety publications. Heather writes primarily historical and #herstory fiction about the humanity and heroism of the everyday person. Publishing in a breadth of genres, Heather dives into the hearts and souls of her characters, meshing her love of research with her love of storytelling.

Her ancient era historicals and thrillers are written under pen name H.B. Moore. She writes historical women's fiction, romance and inspirational non-fiction under Heather B. Moore, and . . . speculative fiction under Jane Redd. This can all be confusing, so her kids just call her Mom. Heather attended Cairo American College in Egypt and the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel. Despite failing her high school AP English exam, Heather persevered and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University in something other than English.

💻 VISIT Heather B. Moore's official website: https://hbmoore.com/

📖 READ The Paper Daughters of Chinatown: https://amzn.to/4rs4sHF

📚 CHECK OUT Heather B. Moore's other books: https://amzn.to/4ssehpG

🎧 LISTEN to more episodes of A LITERAL JOURNEY: https://aliteraljourney.buzzsprout.com/

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Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to A LITERAL JOURNEY for more exclusive author interviews, book recommendations, and thoughtful conversations about the stories that shape us. 📖✨

#HeatherBMoore #Historical

My name is Seth Adam Smith. I’m a husband, father, and author who believes in the power of stories to inspire people forward.

Subscribe for:
📚 A LITERAL JOURNEY – exclusive interviews with bestselling authors
🎙️ THE NORTHERN LIGHTS Podcast – uplifting messages to inspire you forward
🕯️ AN AWE-FUL STORY – true tales that turn the “awful” into the “awe-full”

✨ My Books: http://amzn.to/2p7FXA8
🌐 Website: http://www.SethAdamSmith.com

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“Once you see how big the world is and all the options that are there, you stop feeling kind of doomed, right?”

In this fascinating episode, J. W. Ocker pulls back the curtain on his unconventional (and very literal) writing journey, from blogging about odd roadside attractions on "Odd Things I’ve Seen" (OTIS) to winning the Edgar Award (I was trying so hard not to fan-girl)!

Ocker has built a prolific career researching the strange and unusual: cryptids, cursed objects, haunted places, and the darker corners of history. Along the way, he makes a compelling case for seeking a “bigger context”—commenting that when you expand your view of the world (even by a millimeter), you deepen your sense of wonder and become far less likely to feel stuck (I really loved that segment—such great advice).

Throughout the episode, J. W. and I discuss many of his books, including: The New England Grimpendium, Poe-land, The United States of Cryptids, Don’t Go There, Death and Douglas, and more.

Whether you’re a reader, writer, parent, teacher, or someone who just loves learning about dark and odd things, I hope this episode encourages you to open a book (or pick up a pen) and embark on your own literal journey.

About J.W. OCKER:

J. W. Ocker is the Edgar Award-winning author of Poe-Land: The Hallowed Haunts of Edgar Allan Poe, A Season with the Witch, and Death and Douglas. His work has appeared in The Guardian, the Boston Globe, CNN, the Atlantic, and other places people stick writing. He's from Maryland but has lived in New Hampshire for more than a decade.

He is also the creator of OTIS: Odd Things I've Seen (Oddthingsiveseen.com), where he writes about his visits to oddities of nature, history, art, and culture.

💻 VISIT J. W. Ocker’s official website: https://www.oddthingsiveseen.com

📖 READ The United States of Cryptids: https://amzn.to/4u0m3J5

📚 CHECK OUT J. W. Ocker Books: https://amzn.to/3P8LwzZ

🎧 LISTEN to more episodes of A LITERAL JOURNEY: https://aliteraljourney.buzzsprout.com/

🎥 WATCH more episodes of A LITERAL JOURNEY: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRTQ34vyf-9NkrTcSH0KEwXPOhdVqZRVZ

Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to A LITERAL JOURNEY for more exclusive author interviews, book recommendations, and thoughtful conversations about the stories that shape us. 📖✨

#JWOcker #EdgarAllanPoe #Cryptids #Bigfoot #SkinwalkerRanch #HorrorWriters #MiddleGradeBooks #WritingAdvice #AuthorInterview #ALiteralJourney #WeirdHistory #TrueCrime #Paranormal #HorrorBooks #RayBradbury #WritingLife #SpookyStories #Folklore #MysteryWriters #StrangePlaces

My name is Seth Adam Smith. I’m a husband, father, and author who believes in the power of stories to inspire people forward.

Subscribe for:
📚 A LITERAL JOURNEY – exclusive interviews with bestselling authors
🎙️ THE NORTHERN LIGHTS Podcast – uplifting messages to inspire you forward
🕯️ AN AWE-FUL STORY – true tales that turn the “awful” into the “awe-full”

✨ My Books: http://amzn.to/2p7FXA8
🌐 Website: http://www.SethAdamSmith.com

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“Scary stories give kids a chance to be brave without any risk to themselves.” -Wendy Parris

In this episode of A LITERAL JOURNEY, I sit down with Wendy Parris, the author of middle-grade novels Field of Screams and Stage Fright (side note: I just finished finished Field of Screams, it's fantastic!). During the interview, Wendy explains how scary stories are a great way for young readers to explore big emotions like fear and grief, and come away feeling braver and stronger.

Along the way, Wendy opens up about her 12-year path to publication—a path marked with delays, rejection, self-doubt, perfectionism, and how a little bit of encouragement from her son came at just the right moment. We go behind-the-scenes on her books Field of Screams and Stage Fright, and then Wendy even gives some insider info on her latest book! Wendy's journey to publication is a powerful reminder that "no" isn't the end of your story... it's leading you to your "yes"!

Whether you’re a reader, writer, parent, teacher, or someone looking for encouragement on your creative path, I hope this episode encourages you to open a book (or pick up a pen) and embark on your own literal journey.

About WENDY PARRIS:

WENDY PARRIS grew up loving books and hoping—but failing—to see a ghost. After graduating from Northwestern University, she acted in small Chicago storefront theaters, performed improv comedy, and worked in public relations. When not thinking up spooky tales, she likes to kayak, travel, and go to movies. She lives with her family near Chicago in an old house that is probably not haunted.

💻 VISIT Wendy Parris’s official website: https://www.wendyparris.com/

📖 READ Field of Screams: https://amzn.to/3MlW1PC

📚 CHECK OUT Wendy Parris’s Books: https://amzn.to/3ZthbhJ

🎧 LISTEN to more episodes of A LITERAL JOURNEY: https://aliteraljourney.buzzsprout.com/

🎥 WATCH more episodes of A LITERAL JOURNEY: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRTQ34vyf-9NkrTcSH0KEwXPOhdVqZRVZ

Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to A LITERAL JOURNEY for more exclusive author interviews, book recommendations, and thoughtful conversations about the stories that shape us. 📖✨

#WendyParris #FieldofScreams #AuthorInterview #ChildrensBookAuthor #MiddleGradeBooks #WritingProcess #HowWritersWrite #WritingLife #AuthorLife #ReadingMatters #KidsBooks #ALiteralJourney #BookPodcast #sethadamsmith #horror #scarystories

My name is Seth Adam Smith. I’m a husband, father, and author who believes in the power of stories to inspire people forward.

Subscribe for:
📚 A LITERAL JOURNEY – exclusive interviews with bestselling authors
🎙️ THE NORTHERN LIGHTS Podcast – uplifting messages to inspire you forward
🕯️ AN AWE-FUL STORY – true tales that turn the “awful” into the “awe-full”

✨ My Books: http://amzn.to/2p7FXA8
🌐 Website: http://www.SethAdamSmith.com

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When you feel like you stick out more than you fit in, a good story can remind you that belonging isn’t about blending in... it’s about embracing your voice and cranking up the volume so you can find your people! 🙌

In this heartfelt episode of A LITERAL JOURNEY, I sit down with Erin Soderberg Downing, an author of more than 75 books for young readers (you read that right)! During the interview, Erin shares how she grew up feeling loud and being told she was "so weird" (and she didn't know whether or not people meant that as a compliment). But now, years into her successful writing career, Erin tells viewers and listeners that those EXACT qualities have become the heartbeat of some of her most meaningful stories.

Throughout the episode, Erin and I talk about the research that goes into her writing, and the personal stories that went into several of her books, including: Just Keep Walking, and What Happened Then.

Whether you’re a reader, writer, parent, teacher, or someone learning to trust your own voice, I hope this episode encourages you to open a book (or pick up a pen) and embark on your own literal journey.

About ERIN SODERBERG DOWNING:

Erin Soderberg Downing has written more than seventy-five books for kids, tweens, and young adults, including the bestselling novels Controlled Burn and Just Keep Walking, as well as several popular series for young readers: The Great Peach Experiment, Puppy Pirates, and The Quirks. Her next middle grade novel - What Happened Then - will be in stores July 2025 and she also has a new series, Just Like Home, debuting in Fall 2025!

💻 VISIT Erin Soderberg Downing’s official website: https://www.erinsoderberg.com/

📖 READ What Happened Then: https://amzn.to/4aos3lU

📚 CHECK OUT Erin Soderberg Downing’s Books: https://amzn.to/4aipjGI

🎧 LISTEN to more episodes of A LITERAL JOURNEY: https://aliteraljourney.buzzsprout.com/

🎥 WATCH more episodes of A LITERAL JOURNEY: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRTQ34vyf-9NkrTcSH0KEwXPOhdVqZRVZ

Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to A LITERAL JOURNEY for more exclusive author interviews, book recommendations, and thoughtful conversations about the stories that shape us. 📖✨

#ErinSoderbergDowning #WhatHappenedThen #AuthorInterview #ChildrensBookAuthor #MiddleGradeBooks #WritingProcess #HowWritersWrite #WritingLife #AuthorLife #ReadingMatters #KidsBooks #ALiteralJourney #BookPodcast #sethadamsmith

My name is Seth Adam Smith. I’m a husband, father, and author who believes in the power of stories to inspire people forward.

Subscribe for:
📚 A LITERAL JOURNEY – exclusive interviews with bestselling authors
🎙️ THE NORTHERN LIGHTS Podcast – uplifting messages to inspire you forward
🕯️ AN AWE-FUL STORY – true tales that turn the “awful” into the “awe-full”

✨ My Books: http://amzn.to/2p7FXA8
🌐 Website: http://www.SethAdamSmith.com

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When we're tempted to feel discouraged, a good story can remind us that we're not powerless and that our most difficult chapters don’t have to be the final ones…

In this delightful episode of A LITERAL JOURNEY, I sit down with Julie Wright, the prolific author of more than 30 novels (across numerous genres). Julie opens up about her own literal journey as a writer—beginning with encouragement from a seventh-grade teacher, DIScouragement from “a cranky, angry little man” (and CHOOSING to prove him wrong), enduring 187 rejection letters, and learning that success isn’t about accolades, but about persistence, purpose, and defeating the dragons by finishing the work.

Along the way, Julie shares a number of personal stories: how her husband encouraged her to submit her first manuscript, why she paid a publisher to take a book out of print, and how one of her books literally helped save a young reader’s life. We talk about redefining success, celebrating small victories, building a writing community, and why fairy tales still matter—because they remind us that dragons can be defeated.

We also talk about a number of Julie’s books, including Swimming In A Sea of Stars, Wendy’s Ever After (a bold and empowering sequel to Peter Pan, written from Wendy’s perspective), and her upcoming fairy-tale mashup Threads of Red.

Whether you’re a reader, writer, parent, teacher, or someone who just loves a story of triumph, I hope this episode encourages you to open a book (or pick up a pen) and embark on your own literal journey.

ABOUT JULIE WRIGHT:

Julie Wright (1972-still breathing) was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. She's lived in LA, Boston, and the literal middle of nowhere (don't ask). She wrote her first book when she was fifteen. Since then, she's written twenty-three novels and coauthored three. Julie is a two-time winner of the Whitney award for best romance with her books "Cross My Heart" and "Lies Jane Austen Told Me." The America Library Association listed “Glass Slippers, Ever After, and Me” in their 2020 top ten best romances and "A Captain for Caroline Gray" in their 2021 top ten best romances. Her book "Death Thieves" was a Whitney finalist.

💻 VISIT Julie Wright’s official website: https://juliewright.com

📖 READ Wendy’s Ever After: https://amzn.to/4jWyGQN

📚 CHECK OUT Julie Wright’s Books: https://amzn.to/3O1HeKc

🎧 LISTEN to more episodes of A LITERAL JOURNEY: https://aliteraljourney.buzzsprout.com/

🎥 WATCH more episodes of A LITERAL JOURNEY: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRTQ34vyf-9NkrTcSH0KEwXPOhdVqZRVZ

Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to A LITERAL JOURNEY for more exclusive author interviews, book recommendations, and thoughtful conversations about the stories that shape us. 📖✨

#JulieWright #ALiteralJourney #AuthorInterview #WritingLife #Storytellin

My name is Seth Adam Smith. I’m a husband, father, and author who believes in the power of stories to inspire people forward.

Subscribe for:
📚 A LITERAL JOURNEY – exclusive interviews with bestselling authors
🎙️ THE NORTHERN LIGHTS Podcast – uplifting messages to inspire you forward
🕯️ AN AWE-FUL STORY – true tales that turn the “awful” into the “awe-full”

✨ My Books: http://amzn.to/2p7FXA8
🌐 Website: http://www.SethAdamSmith.com

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In this episode of A LITERAL JOURNEY, I sit down with Paul Tremblay (and do my absolute BEST to keep my inner fan in check). Paul Tremblay is the award-winning (and jaw-dropping) bestselling author of A Head Full of Ghosts, The Cabin at the End of the World, Another, and so much more!

During the interview, Paul shares his unlikely path to becoming an author (he has a degree in mathematics, after all), how the gift of a book by Stephen King was a turning point for him, and the the power of ambiguity in horror, and his outspoken stance against generative AI, especially when it comes to creativity (seriously… his response was a total knockout).

Along the way, we talk about Pauls books: A Head Full of Ghosts, The Cabin at the End of the World, No Sleep Till Wonderland, Another, Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep, and many more!

Whether you’re a reader, writer, parent, teacher, or someone who just loves a good scary story, I hope this episode encourages you to open a book (or pick up a pen) and embark on your own literal journey.

ABOUT PAUL TREMBLAY:

Paul Tremblay has won the Bram Stoker, British Fantasy, Sheridan Le Fanu, and Massachusetts Book awards and is the national bestselling author of The Beast You Are, The Pallbearers Club, Survivor Song, Growing Things and Other Stories, Disappearance at Devil's Rock, A Head Full of Ghosts, and the crime novels The Little Sleep and No Sleep Till Wonderland. His novel The Cabin at the End of the World was adapted into the Universal Pictures film Knock at the Cabin. Two short stories "The Last Conversation" and "In Bloom" were Amazon Original shorts.

His essays and short fiction have appeared in the New York Times, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, and numerous "year's best" anthologies. He lives outside of Boston, Massachusetts and has a master's degree in Mathematics.

💻 VISIT Paul Tremblay’s official website: https://www.paultremblay.net

📚 CHECK OUT Paul Tremblay’s Books: https://amzn.to/4sSETBi

🎧 LISTEN to more episodes of A LITERAL JOURNEY: https://aliteraljourney.buzzsprout.com/

🎥 WATCH more episodes of A LITERAL JOURNEY

Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to A LITERAL JOURNEY for more exclusive author interviews, book recommendations, and thoughtful conversations about the stories that shape us. 📖✨

#PaulTremblay #ALiteralJourney #AuthorInterview #HorrorAuthor #HorrorBooks #PsychologicalHorror #BookPodcast #WritingLife #Storytelling #AmReading #AmWriting #CreativeProcess

My name is Seth Adam Smith. I’m a husband, father, and author who believes in the power of stories to inspire people forward.

Subscribe for:
📚 A LITERAL JOURNEY – exclusive interviews with bestselling authors
🎙️ THE NORTHERN LIGHTS Podcast – uplifting messages to inspire you forward
🕯️ AN AWE-FUL STORY – true tales that turn the “awful” into the “awe-full”

✨ My Books: http://amzn.to/2p7FXA8
🌐 Website: http://www.SethAdamSmith.com

Thank you for watching—and for being part of this journey!