NYT and USA Today bestselling author Cathy Maxwell has written more than 40 historical romances — and her most exciting chapter is just beginning. In her very first podcast interview, Cathy sits down with me to reflect on three decades of writing, the friendships that shaped her career, and the creative freedom she found when she made the leap into indie publishing.

This is a conversation full of hard-won wisdom, genuine warmth, and more than a few laugh-out-loud moments. Cathy talks about what romance has always gotten right, why she isn't afraid to fail, and how asking for help — even when it's uncomfortable — has been one of the defining moves of her career.

Whether you're writing your first book or your fortieth, there's something here for you.

Highlights include:

• Finding your people: why author community isn't optional
• The difference between the right and wrong people to vent to
• What indie publishing taught a 30-year traditional author about joy
• Reader relationships and why they change everything
• The niche advantage and building your platform at any career stage
• Coaching, critique partners, and building the right team
• Why every author — at every level — has to be willing to be a beginner

Loved this one? Follow the Books, Business, and Mindset podcast so you never miss an episode, and leave a review to help other authors find the show. Have a fabulous day!

Where to find Cathy Maxwell online

Website: www.cathymaxwell.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maxwellcathy/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maxwellcathy

If I Should Ever Love You by Cathy Maxwell: https://amzn.to/4o21Lw4

Curves for the Rakish Duke by Cathy Maxwell: https://amzn.to/3PEG9cJ

Other links

The Busty Bodice Series: https://amzn.to/4u4Jjo5

Author Stephanie Bond: https://stephaniebond.com/

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman: https://amzn.to/4a266d2

Andre Norton: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Andre-Norton

Robert McCammon: https://www.robertmccammon.com/

Follow the Sun by Liz Locke: https://amzn.to/4x3R0h6

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid: https://amzn.to/4dWykal

About Cathy Maxwell

Cathy Maxwell has written forty some historical romances, hit the New York Times and USA Today lists, been nominated for--and won--some very nice awards, made dynamite writing friends, and has had the time of her life. To get into the weeds, go to www.cathymaxwell.com

About Jen Graybeal, Creative Coach

Jen Graybeal (she/her) is dedicated to empowering authors through encouraging feedback, collaborative problem solving and gently-applied tough love. In eleven years of coaching, workshops, and editing projects, she has helped over a thousand authors create stories they are proud of and businesses that align with their individual vision of success. Jen is an award-winning mindfulness-trained Creativity Coach, and international speaker with a degree in English, an ever-expanding TBR pile, and a furball assistant that is usually on her lap. Visit her website for client testimonials at www.jentheeditor.com or follow her on social media: @JenTheEditor. Listen to the Books, Business & Mindset podcast, now available on all your favorite podcast apps.

Work It: A 6- Week Coaching Intensive for Authors

Information, Wait List Sign Up, testimonials: https://www.jentheeditor.com/work-it

Where to find Jen

Website: https://www.jentheeditor.com/
All the socials: @jentheeditor

Subscribe to Jen's newsletter for Author Marketing and Mental Health tips

https://www.jentheeditor.com/subscribe

Author Allison Temple (aka Alli Temple) joins me to talk about writing what lights you up—even when it breaks the “rules.” From male/male small‑town rom‑coms to a smash hit sapphic pirate series and a weirdly wonderful trilogy about the Afterlife, Allison shares how she builds worlds around characters and built her brand around stories she loves. We dig into shelving projects without shame, writing across genres, and how to protect your joy.

Highlights:

• Character‑first worldbuilding (and why vibes matter)
• Brand clarity without boxing yourself in
• Indie pros/cons: control, speed, and realistic cadence
• Visibility tactics: backlist marketing, niche positioning, in‑person connections
• Celebrating milestones that actually feel good (drafts > release day)

Looking for more in-depth conversations with authors? Subscribe to the Books, Business, and Mindset podcast for more practical, author‑friendly episodes—and tell me what you are doing to make your brain happy.

Where to find Allison (Alli) Temple online

Website: http://allitemple.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allisontemplebooks/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@allisontemplebooks

Links to Allison (Alli) Temple’s books we talked about

Vacation from Hell – Book 3 in the Afterlife, Incorporated series: https://amzn.to/4nQrPdD

Afterlife Incorporated series – all three books in the series: https://amzn.to/4dKSP9X

Uncharted: A Sapphic Pirate Romantasy – Book 1 in The Pirate & Her Princess series: https://amzn.to/4nZu8LG

The Pirate and her Princess: The Compete Series – includes all three books: https://amzn.to/4a9Y2qA

My Not-So-Super Blind Date: A Time Loop Rom-Com – part of the Subparheroes series: https://amzn.to/4vhPhDf

Ski-Crossed Lovers – part of the Love on the Podium series: https://amzn.to/4uxXi6N

The Pick Up – Single dad falls for his daughter’s teacher: https://amzn.to/4vgTTcS

Other stuff mentioned in the podcast

The Artisan Author: The Low Stress, High-Quality, Fan-Focused Approach to Escaping the Publishing Rat Race by Johnny B. Truant: https://amzn.to/4dLGSAy

A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland: https://amzn.to/42Xbw5e

About Allison Temple

Allison lives in Toronto with her very patient husband and the world’s cutest team of rescue pets. She tries to split her time between writing, exploring Toronto’s parks, and traveling anywhere that has good wine. Tragically, this leaves no time to clean the house.

About Jen Graybeal

Jen Graybeal (she/her) is dedicated to empowering authors through encouraging feedback, collaborative problem solving and gently-applied tough love. In eleven years of coaching, workshops, and editing projects, she has helped over a thousand authors create stories they are proud of and businesses that align with their individual vision of success. Jen is an award-winning mindfulness-trained Creativity Coach, and international speaker with a degree in English, an ever-expanding TBR pile, and a furball assistant that is usually on her lap. Visit her website for client testimonials at www.jentheeditor.com or follow her on social media: @JenTheEditor. Listen to the Books, Business & Mindset podcast, now available on all your favorite podcast apps.

Work It: A 6- Week Coaching Intensive for Authors

Information, Wait List Sign Up, testimonials: https://www.jentheeditor.com/work-it

Where to find Jen

Website: https://www.jentheeditor.com/
All the socials: @jentheeditor

Subscribe to Jen's newsletter for Author Marketing and Mental Health tips

https://www.jentheeditor.com/subscribe