EPISODE 188IToday’s guest is romantic suspense author Natalie Walters, author of the brand new Silent Shadows coming out on March 31, 2020. Listen to the end to find out more about pre-order goodies you can receive directly from Natalie if you order the book before March 31. :) [Sorry about the audio and video hiccups in this episode! With sooo many people using the Internet and streaming at the same time, this was the best quality we could get at the time.]Chatting just a couple weeks into the Covid-19 pandemic, Natalie and I decided to talk about what's happening, how it's affecting our lives and the lives of those around us, and how it affects us as writers. So many people are having to give up things they’ve been working toward for years - graduation ceremonies and parties, celebrations like my 30th anniversary party and trip, and innumerable other events, large and small. But Natalie has been telling their son that they will celebrate, but differently now, and maybe do a bigger celebration later when people can get together again. Trying to put things in perspective, we need to remember that this will pass - and we may find ourselves being refined to become better people. There are also lots of things to inspire us - people going to visit grandparents and playing tic-tac-toe on each side of a window, people finding a way to give some of the extra they have to others in need, people creating flash mobs in social media to open your windows at a certain time to sing or exercise together. Because it's all about people. Our world is created by our actions and reactions, and while we may feel so many things are outside our control right now, our actions and reactions are within our control. Natalie and I share a lot of ideas for how we can all do things to help our little corners of the world survive and thrive. Remember that exercising grace and care and encouragement towards those around you as well as yourself will help this crisis feel more manageable. Helping others in big and small ways will help you feel better about the world. And no matter what genre we write in, there are ideas in the headlines and stories now that can help us add depth to our own stories as we write and edit. Or maybe you'll get new ideas, for even the smallest part of your story, when you ask “what if” based on how things are happening in the world around you right now. It can add the sense that this story feels like real life.You can learn more about Natalie and her books at her website, where you can also find her social media links. And remember, pre-order goodies are available to anyone who orders Silent Shadows between now and Tuesday, March 31, when the book comes out!

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