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This episode is for people who struggle creating something meaningful *especially* when life feels chaotic and uncertain...

In this delightful episode of A LITERAL JOURNEY, I sit down with award-winning author Joan Reardon to talk about her remarkable path to publication. Always a devoted reader, Joan resolved to write her own Middle Grade Novels *while simultaneously* navigating the COVID shutdowns, finishing school, moving, studying for the bar exam, getting married, and starting a career in law (holy crap!).

During the interview, Joan shares how The Grimsbane Family Witch Hunters grew out of her love of family, folklore, early American history, and cryptids (who doesn't love a good cryptid?!) and how Dad Rock Dragon Quest is a kind of "love letter" to her husband. Along the way, we talk about Percy Jackson, writing as a kind of therapy, family as the beating heart of story, and how she truly measures her success as an author.

Whether you’re a reader, writer, parent, teacher, or someone trying to finally make the thing you feel "called to create," I hope this episode encourages you to open a book (or pick up a pen) and embark on your *own* literal journey.

About JOAN REARDON:

Joan is an award-winning author and attorney from Youngstown, Ohio. When Covid cut Joan's senior year of college short, Joan thought she'd give writing children's books a chance. Six years later, and Joan has two novels published with Simon & Schuster's Aladdin imprint: Dad Rock Dragon Quest (2025) and The Grimsbane Family Witch Hunters (2024).

💻 VISIT Joan Reardon's official website: https://www.writingreardon.com

📖 READ The Grimsbane Family With Hunters: https://amzn.to/4bXGS11

📚 CHECK OUT Joan Reardon's other books: https://amzn.to/4mg32ic

🎧 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

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

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