Hello, Protagonists!
Welcome to another episode of the Creative. Inspired. Happy. podcast—where we go behind the scenes with the storytellers shaping our culture.
My guest today is New York Times bestselling author Clare Leslie Hall. Her novel, Broken Country, was also a Reese's Book Club pick earlier this year.
Today, we talk about:
what stories draw Clare's attention,
the importance of backlist and how those books can come back to surprise you
pen names and their purpose in publishing,
how she harnesses ideas once they appear,
blending genres: romantic suspense, courtroom drama, and domestic noir
writing class tension without slipping into cliche,
the storytelling advice that completely changed the way she thinks about research and writing,
and so much more.
🎥 Watch the Conversation
You can watch the full video on:
→ Our Website | Youtube | Substack app
Captions and full transcripts are always available (just click the “CC” button or the transcript tab below the video).
🎧 Prefer to Listen?
Stream the episode wherever you get your podcasts:
→ Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Audible | or your favorite platform
🎙️ Browse all past episodes HERE
📝 Want to Ask a Future Guest a Question?
I invite the community to submit questions via our community chat—available in your browser or in the Substack app. I love including your curiosities in the conversation!
Connect with Clare:
You can find Clare on Instagram and her website. Her novel, Broken Country, is available in bookstores everywhere or from your favorite online retailer!
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