FEATURED AUTHORS
Unless updated after the fact, the celebrity author excerpts in this book come directly from our interviews on my Beautiful Writers Podcast—a place for up-close conversations with your favorite authors. In the event you’d like to listen (please do, wherever you download your podcasts), you’ll find the names of their episodes below, alongside their brief bios.
Tomi Adeyemi, Nigerian-American novelist, and author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers Children of Blood and Bone and Children of Virtue and Vengeance, and a TIME magazine 100 most influential person of 2020.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Tomi Adeyemi & Sabaa Tahir: YA Superstars on Living & Writing Heroically.”
Carol Allen, my bossy little sis—who happens to be one of the world’s best relationship coaches and Vedic Astrologers, and the author of Love Is in the Stars: The Wise Woman’s Astrological Guide to Men. Her entertaining newsletter has been read by millions.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “The Late Debbie Ford’s New Book (w/ her sister Arielle Ford & my sister Carol Allen).”
Martha Beck, New York Times bestselling author, life coach, and O magazine columnist. Her books include Expecting Adam; Leaving the Saints; Finding Your Way in a Wild New World; Diana, Herself; and her 2022 Oprah’s Book Club selection, The Way of Integrity.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episodes: “Jenny Lawson & Martha Beck: Seriously Funny + Broken (in the best possible way),” “Abby Wambach & Martha Beck: Wisdom from the Wolfpack,” “Geneen Roth & Martha Beck: Messy & Magnificent,” “Elizabeth Lesser & Martha Beck: Creative Courage,” “Glennon Doyle & Martha Beck: Beautiful Love Warriors,” and “Martha Beck: Shortcuts to More Magic.”
Rob Bell, New York Times bestselling author of many books—including What We Talk About When We Talk About God, Love Wins, What Is the Bible?, and Everything Is Spiritual—and award-winning podcaster of The RobCast.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Rob Bell & Charles Sailor: On Creativity & the Bible.”
Samantha Bennett, popular speaker, creativity/productivity expert, founder of the Organized Artist Company, and author of Get It Done and Start Right Where You Are.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episodes: “Best-Of Birthday Mix: Expert Top Tips” and “Seth Godin & Samantha Bennett: This Is Marketing!”
Tom Bergeron, funny man, and Emmy Award–winning host of three of the most popular TV shows of all time: Dancing with the Stars, America’s Funniest Home Videos, and Hollywood Squares. His memoir, I’m Hosting as Fast as I Can!, is about being Zen and staying sane in Hollywood.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Lee Child & Tom Bergeron: Writing & Righting Wrongs.”
Gabrielle Bernstein, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Universe Has Your Back, and many other bestsellers, including Super Attractor, May Cause Miracles, Judgement Detox, and Happy Days.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episodes: “Gabby Bernstein: On Judgment & Bestsellers” and “Dani Shapiro & Gabby Bernstein: Divine Duo.”
Rhonda Britten, Emmy Award–winning life coach on NBC’s Starting Over. She is the founder of the Fearless Living Institute and author of four bestselling books: Fearless Living, Change Your Life in 30 Days, Fearless Loving, and Do I Look Fat in This?
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Best-Of Birthday Mix: Expert Top Tips.”
Lee Child, creator of the Jack Reacher series, with over 100 million copies sold, is the “strongest brand in publishing,” according to Forbes magazine. As of this writing, Reacher, Child’s binge-worthy TV series, has just been greenlit for its second season.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Lee Child & Tom Bergeron: Writing & Righting Wrongs.”
Deepak Chopra, author of ninety-two books, including Quantum Healing, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, and Metahuman, and Fellow of the American College of Physicians.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Deepak Chopra & Arielle Ford: Metahuman & Infinite Creativity.”
Patricia Cornwell, one of the world’s most prolific authors, selling over one hundred million copies in her Scarpetta thriller series alone. She’s been described as a real-life female James Bond, and penned the first forensic thriller (Postmortem), paving the way for an explosion of entertainment featuring all things forensic across film, TV, and literature.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Patricia Cornwell & Tosca Lee: Thrilled to Death & Destiny.”
Taylor Dayne, singer, songwriter, memoirist (Tell It to My Heart), and one of Billboard’s Top 60 Female Artists of All Time (#35 in 2018), with eighteen top-ten hits and over seventy-five million albums sold.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Taylor Dayne & Bronwyn Saglimbeni: Tellin’ It From Her Heart.”
Arielle Ford, bestselling author of many books, including The Soulmate Secret and Wabi Sabi Love. Former book publicist to Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson, Wayne Dyer, and Neale Donald Walsch.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episodes: “Best-Of Birthday Mix: Expert Top Tips” and “The Late Debbie Ford’s New Book (w/ her sister Arielle Ford & my sister Carol Allen).”
Marie Forleo, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Everything Is Figureoutable, based on her concept from Oprah’s Super-Soul Sessions. Founder of the online business program B-School, MarieTV, and The Marie Forleo Podcast.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Elizabeth Gilbert & Marie Forleo: Behind the Bestsellers.”
Leeza Gibbons, Emmy Award–winning talk show host, celebrated radio host, Hollywood correspondent on Entertainment Tonight and Extra, and author of two New York Times bestsellers, Take 2 and Fierce Optimism.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episodes: “Maria Shriver & Leeza Gibbons: They’ve Been Thinking” and “Leeza Gibbons: Embracing Fierce Optimism.”
Elizabeth Gilbert, New York Times bestselling author whose works include the genre-exploding Eat Pray Love (becoming a movie starring Julia Roberts), Committed, Big Magic, The Signature of All Things, and City of Girls.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episodes: “Elizabeth Gilbert: The Big Magic of Creative Living” and “Elizabeth Gilbert & Marie Forleo: Behind the Bestsellers.”
Seth Godin, author of twenty bestsellers, including This Is Marketing, Tribes, Purple Cow, and Linchpin, as well as teacher and marketing whiz.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episodes: “Seth Godin: Tribes, Blogs and Book Biz” and “Seth Godin & Samantha Bennett: This Is Marketing!”
Jane Goodall, PhD, DBE, is the founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace. Jane Goodall is best known for the groundbreaking research into the lives of wild chimpanzees in Gombe, Tanzania, now spanning more than sixty years, and has written many books for adults and children, including The Book of Hope.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Dr. Jane Goodall & Keely Shaye Brosnan: Power of the Pen to Heal Mother Earth.”
Kelly Noonan Gores, writer, producer, director, and star of the award-winning Heal documentary, host of The HEAL Podcast, and author of the book Heal: Discover Your Unlimited Potential and Awaken the Powerful Healer Within.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Anita Moorjani & Kelly Noonan Gores: Miraculous Healing.”
Tim Grahl, managing partner and publisher at Story Grid Universe and author of Your First 1000 Copies, Book Launch Blueprint, Running Down a Dream, and the young adult novel, The Threshing. As a marketing whiz, Grahl shot to acclaim supporting five clients onto the New York Times Best Seller list at the same time.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Steven Pressfield & Tim Grahl: Slaying Creative Dragons.”
Tom Hanks, typewriter-obsessed Renaissance man (Oscar-winning actor, screenwriter, director, producer, and musician). He’s published essays in the New York Times, Vanity Fair, the New Yorker, and his first book of fiction, Uncommon Type: Some Stories.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Tom Hanks: Uncommon Type.”
Joy Harjo, three-term Poet Laureate of the United States, musician, playwright, author, and member of the Muscogee Nation. Her writing includes nine books of poetry, two award-winning children’s books, and memoirs Crazy Brave and Poet Warrior.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Joy Harjo: Poet Laureate of the United States.”
Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO of Thrive, founder of the Huffington Post, and author of fifteen books, including instant international bestsellers Thrive and The Sleep Revolution.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Arianna Huffington: Revolutionizing Sleep for Creativity (. . . and everything else).”
Van Jones, CNN commentator, lawyer, activist, founder of The Dreams Corps, and New York Times bestselling author of The Green Collar Economy, Rebuild the Dream, and Beyond the Messy Truth.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Van Jones & Glennon Doyle: Beyond the Messy Truth.”
Mary Karr, award-winning poet and author of the critically-acclaimed and New York Times bestselling memoirs The Liar’s Club, Cherry, and Lit, as well as The Art of Memoir, and five poetry collections, most recently Tropic of Squalor. She’s a sought-after speaker, songwriter, and the Peck Professor of Literature at Syracuse University.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Mary Karr: Write the Next True Thing.”
Valarie Kaur, civil rights leader, bestselling author (See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love), and founder of the Revolutionary Love Project. She has won national acclaim for her work in social justice on issues ranging from hate crimes to digital freedom. Her speeches have reached millions worldwide and inspired a movement to reclaim love as a force for justice.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Valarie Kaur & Chris Jackson: A World-Changer and Her Superhero Publisher.”
Aditi Khorana, former news journalist, and film marketing executive for Hollywood studios. Mirror in the Sky was Aditi’s first novel, followed by The Library of Fates—a feminist historical fantasy, set in ancient India.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Rosie Walsh & Aditi Khorana: Ghosted. A Publishing Phenomenon.”
Sue Monk Kidd, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Longings, The Invention of Wings, The Mermaid Chair, Dance of the Dissident Daughter, and The Secret Life of Bees.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Sue Monk Kidd & Ann Patchett: Longings—In Writing & Life.”
Dean Koontz, one of the world’s most highly paid writers, having sold over half a billion books, has authored numerous suspense thrillers that incorporate horror, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and humor. Most of his titles have appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list, with fourteen hardcover and sixteen paperbacks reaching #1.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Dean Koontz & Robert McKee: Masters of Suspense.”
Anne Lamott, author of one of the most successful writing books ever, Bird by Bird. Her other bestsellers include Operating Instructions, Almost Everything, Help Thanks Wow, Grace (Eventually), Dusk Night Dawn, and Traveling Mercies, as well as several novels.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Anne Lamott & Glennon Doyle: Hallelujah Anyway.”
Danielle LaPorte, Oprah Super Soul 100 Leader, cofounder of the Beautiful Writers Podcast and my co-author on Your Big Beautiful Book Plan is also the author of How To Be Loving, The Desire Map, White Hot Truth, and The Fire Starter Sessions.
As my co-host from October 2015 through June 2016, Danielle can be heard on each of the first sixteen episodes. In addition, she comes back to record these Beautiful Writers Podcast episodes: “Danielle LaPorte & Book Mama Pod Reunion, Post Deadline Truth Tellin’,” “Tom Hanks: Uncommon Type,” and “Danielle LaPorte & Dani Shapiro: White Hot Truth-Tellers.”
Jillian Lauren, novelist and author of the New York Times bestselling memoirs Everything You Ever Wanted and Some Girls: My Life in a Harem. The STARZ TV series Confronting a Serial Killer depicts the story told in her latest book, Behold the Monster.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episodes: “Jillian Lauren: Writing the Hard Stuff” and “Paul Williams and Jillian Lauren: Hitmaker for Generations.”
Jenny Lawson, author of the New York Times bestsellers Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, Furiously Happy, You Are Here, and Broken. Proprietress of the Nowhere Bookshop. Jenny’s popular blog, The Bloggess, “is mainly dark humor mixed with brutally honest periods of mental illness.”
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Jenny Lawson & Martha Beck: Seriously Funny + Broken (in the best possible way).”
Tosca Lee, New York Times bestselling author of eleven historical novels and thrillers, including The Queen of Sheba, The Progeny, The Line Between, and A Single Light.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episodes: “Tosca Lee & Hayli Baez: Writing the Perfect Thriller” and “Patricia Cornwell & Tosca Lee: Thrilled to Death & Destiny.” (Tosca’s snippet about loglines and sections she includes in her fiction book proposals comes from our interview in Book Proposal Magic.)
Elizabeth Lesser, New York Times bestselling author of Broken Open (and several other bestsellers: Cassandra Speaks and Marrow), and cofounder of Omega Institute. She’s given two popular TEDWomen talks and is one of Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul 100—a collection of leaders using their voices and talent to elevate humanity.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Elizabeth Lesser & Martha Beck: Creative Courage.”
Sarah Manguso, Guggenheim Fellow, writing professor, and author of eight books, including the novel Very Cold People and nonfiction titles The Two Kinds of Decay, The Guardians, Ongoingness, and 300 Arguments.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Sarah Manguso: When Writing Heals the Writer.”
Robert McKee, legendary lecturer of STORY. Award-winning author of STORY, DIALOGUE, and CHARACTER. USC professor, whose students have earned over seventy Academy Awards and three hundred nominations.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Robert McKee: Story Is Everything” and “Dean Koontz & Robert McKee: Masters of Suspense.”
Terry McMillan, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Waiting to Exhale and How Stella Got Her Groove Back (both made into hit films starring Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett, respectively), and eight other bestsellers. Former tenured English professor.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episodes: “Terry McMillan & Dani Shapiro: Novels, Memoirs, & Films—Oh My!” and “Terry McMillan & Laura Munson: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Novelists.”
Anita Moorjani, international speaker, and author of the New York Times bestseller, Dying to Be Me, which chronicles her spontaneous total cancer healing following a near-death experience, plus Sensitive Is the New Strong, and What If This Is Heaven?
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Anita Moorjani & Kelly Noonan Gores: Miraculous Healing.”
Laura Munson, New York Times bestselling memoirist (This Is Not The Story You Think It Is), author of the bestselling novel Willa’s Grove, and writing coach. The flurry of comments on her 2009 essay, “Those Aren’t Fighting Words, Dear,” published in the New York Times’s “Modern Love” column (leading to her memoir deal), crashed the Times’s website.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Terry McMillan & Laura Munson: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Novelists.”
Catherine Oxenberg, actress, screenwriter, royal, and first-time author of Captive: A Mother’s Crusade to Save Her Daughter from a Terrifying Cult.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Catherine Oxenberg: Rambo Princess Diaries.”
Ann Patchett, bookstore co-owner (Parnassus Books) and Pulitzer Prize finalist (The Dutch House), is also the winner of a PEN/Faulkner Award and author of seven other novels as well as assorted nonfiction and children’s books.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episodes: “Ann Patchett: Unplugged” and “Sue Monk Kidd & Ann Patchett: Longings—In Writing & Life.”
Steven Pressfield, author of The Legend of Bagger Vance, which Robert Redford turned into a film. He’s also the author of Gates of Fire (taught at the US Military Academy) and many books on creativity, including The War of Art.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episodes: “Steven Pressfield: Resistance and Invoking the Muse” and “Steven Pressfield & Tim Grahl: Slaying Creative Dragons.”
Geneen Roth, the first to link compulsive eating and dieting with deeply personal and spiritual issues, has authored ten books, including the New York Times bestsellers When Food Is Love, Lost and Found, and Women Food and God.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Geneen Roth & Martha Beck: Messy & Magnificent.”
Gretchen Rubin, author of several books, including the blockbuster New York Times bestsellers Outer Order, Inner Calm; Better Than Before; The Happiness Project; Happier at Home, and The Four Tendencies.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Gretchen Rubin: Creativity-Saving Habits.”
Bronwyn Saglimbeni, communications coach, blogger, podcaster, and speaker, who has written, directed, and produced more than 175 TEDx, TEDGlobal, and TED talks. Host of the 20 Minutes with Bronwyn podcast.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Taylor Dayne & Bronwyn Saglimbeni: Tellin’ It from Her Heart.”
Charles Sailor, New York Times bestselling novelist of The Second Son and The Man Who Rode the Tiger. Former actor and Hollywood screenwriter for TV shows like Kojak, The Rockford Files, CHiPs, and the debut of Charlie’s Angels.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episodes: “Charles Sailor: Hollywood Rebel” and “Rob Bell & Charles Sailor: On Creativity & the Bible.”
Nell Scovell, TV comedy writer, producer, director, and collaborator on the #1 New York Times bestseller Lean In. Her memoir, Just the Funny Parts, documents her decades writing for, among others: The Simpsons, Late Night with David Letterman, and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, which she created and executive produced.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Nell Scovell: Just the Funny Parts & Then Some . . .”
Dani Shapiro, bestselling novelist, author of Still Writing, and the memoirs Devotion, Slow Motion, and the New York Times bestseller Inheritance. Dani’s also a writing teacher and the creator/host of the wildly popular Family Secrets podcast.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episodes: “Dani Shapiro & Gabby Bernstein: Divine Duo,” “Jennifer Rudolph Walsh & Dani Shapiro: Agent & Writer on Togetherness,” “Danielle LaPorte & Dani Shapiro: White Hot Truth-Tellers,” “Terry McMillan & Dani Shapiro: Novels, Memoirs, & Films—Oh My!” and “Dani Shapiro: Behind-the-Scenes Writing.”
Maria Shriver, mother and grandmother, award-winning journalist, writer, former First Lady of California, Alzheimer’s advocate and activist, and author of numerous New York Times bestselling books, including I’ve Been Thinking, Ten Things, and And One More Thing Before You Go.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Maria Shriver & Leeza Gibbons: They’ve Been Thinking.”
Guru Singh, revered teacher and third-generation yogi, spiritual leader, and author of many books, including his memoir, Buried Treasures: The Journey from Where You Are to Who You Are.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Guru Singh: Buried Treasures Revealed.”
Joel Stein, humorist with former columns in TIME magazine, the LA Times, and Entertainment Weekly. Stein’s latest book, In Defense of Elitism, is his decidedly not-so-snobby attempt to wrestle back honor to the intellectual elites from the populists.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Joel Stein: A Funnyman’s Defense of Elitism.”
Cheryl Strayed, #1 New York Times bestselling memoirist (Wild, made into a movie starring Reese Witherspoon) and author of Tiny Beautiful Things (now a hugely successful stage production), plus Brave Enough and Torch.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Cheryl Strayed & Nia Vardalos: Answering the Biggest Questions That Stump Writers.”
Sabaa Tahir, #1 New York Times bestselling author with two titles on TIME magazine’s 100 Best Fantasy Novels of All Time list: An Ember in the Ashes and A Torch Against the Night. Also, the first Pakistani-American to hit the YA NY Times bestseller list for both fantasy and contemporary.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Tomi Adeyemi & Sabaa Tahir: YA Superstars on Living & Writing Heroically.”
Nia Vardalos, actress, Academy Award–nominated screenwriter (My Big Fat Greek Wedding), and author of the New York Times bestseller Instant Mom—with all proceeds going to adoption groups.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Cheryl Strayed & Nia Vardalos: Answering the Biggest Questions that Stump Writers.”
Jennifer Rudolph Walsh, editor of Hungry Hearts: Essays on Courage, Desire, and Belonging; founder of Together Live, former board member and global head of Literary, Lectures, and Conferences at William Morris Endeavor (WME), representing luminaries like Oprah, Brené Brown, and Dani Shapiro.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Jennifer Rudolph Walsh & Dani Shapiro: A Top Lit Agent & Writer on Togetherness.”
Rosie Walsh, British documentary producer and author of six novels, including the New York Times and international bestsellers The Love of My Life, The Man Who Didn’t Call (in the UK), and Ghosted (in the US).
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Rosie Walsh & Aditi Khorana: Ghosted. A Publishing Phenomenon.”
Abby Wambach, soccer legend (GOAT), two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, and #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wolfpack, Wolfpack (Young Readers Edition), and the memoir Forward.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Abby Wambach & Martha Beck: Wisdom from the Wolfpack.”
Paul Williams, Songwriting Hall-of-Famer, actor, Oscar-winning composer, president of ASCAP, New York Times bestseller of Gratitude and Trust, co-authored with Tracey Jackson, and recovery advocate—sober now for thirty-two years.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Paul Williams & Jillian Lauren: Hitmaker for Generations.”
Marianne Williamson, political activist, spiritual thought leader, and author of fourteen books, four of which have been #1 New York Times bestsellers, including A Return to Love and Healing the Soul of America.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Marianne Williamson: From Tears to Triumph.”
Meg Wolitzer, New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including The Female Persuasion, The Ten-Year Nap, and The Wife, which was made into a critically acclaimed movie starring Glenn Close and Jonathan Pryce. Wolitzer also writes for young readers, and her picture book, Millions of Maxes, was published in 2022.
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Meg Wolitzer: Blockbuster Novelist.”
Laura Yorke, avid horsewoman and literary agent (and ex–veteran book editor and publisher at three Simon & Schuster imprints before moving to Putnam, co-founding the Golden Books Adult Trade division, and acting as editor at large of ReganBooks/Harper Collins).
Beautiful Writers Podcast episode: “Laura Yorke: What Agents Really Want.”