True Fiction Project

Middle-grade historical fiction meets women in science in this inspiring episode! In this episode we welcome Michele Hollow, author of the novel Jurassic Girl, a biographical fiction about Mary Anning, the remarkable 12-year-old fossil hunter who discovered an ichthyosaur in 1811. Despite being poor, female, and self-educated, Mary triumphed over the dismissive men of the Geological Society. Michele shares her journey from animal writing and wildlife conservation journalism to crafting this middle-grade biography, discussing her research at the Lyme Regis museum and the challenges of writing historical research with authentic dialogue. Tune in to hear an excerpt from Jurassic Girl where young Mary visits Elizabeth Philpot's library for the first time.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode: 
How Michele Hollow discovered the story of Mary Anning, the pioneering fossil hunter who made groundbreaking discoveries in paleontology despite facing gender and class barriers in 1811
The process of transforming journalism skills into middle-grade historical fiction writing, including researching Lyme Regis and the Geological Society archives to create authentic biographical fiction
Why Mary Anning was dismissed by male scientists of her time and how she persisted in her fossil hunting work along the dangerous cliffs of England's Jurassic Coast
Michele's background in animal writing and wildlife conservation, from childhood classes at the Bronx Zoo to writing a middle-grade biography about the Grateful Dead
Subscribe to Reenita’s Storytelling Den on Substack for free at https://substack.com/@reenitahora and to her YouTube channel to watch the video version of this episode! https://www.youtube.com/@reenymal
Check out her website to stay up-to-date on events, book releases and more! https://reenita.com/

TIMESTAMPS:  
00:00 - Michele Hollow shares her work: animal writing, wildlife conservation, and middle-grade historical fiction
02:19 - Michele's childhood passion for animals, from the Bronx Zoo zoology classes to volunteering at Central Park Zoo and learning about wildlife
05:03 Michele discusses her experiences writing about the Grateful Dead
07:42 - Discovering Mary Anning, the 12-year-old fossil hunter who found an ichthyosaur in Lyme Regis in 1811, despite being dismissed by the Geological Society
10:12 - Research process for Jurassic Girl, including connecting with the Lyme Regis museum and studying Mary Anning's life through biographical fiction sources
14:32 - Excerpt from Jurassic Girl where Mary Anning visits Elizabeth Philpot's library and discusses fossil hunting and paleontology discoveries

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 
Mary Anning overcame extraordinary obstacles as a poor, self-educated 12-year-old girl in 1811 to make groundbreaking fossil hunting discoveries that changed our understanding of prehistoric life, yet faced dismissal from the male-dominated Geological Society
Michele Hollow demonstrates how journalism skills translate powerfully to middle-grade historical fiction, using research abilities to uncover details about Lyme Regis, museum archives, and Mary Anning's life while creating authentic dialogue for biographical fiction
Jurassic Girl brings women in science history to young readers, showing how Mary Anning's persistence and passion for paleontology paved the way for future scientists despite the gender barriers of her time

ABOUT THE GUEST: 
Michele C. Hollow writes about health, pets and wildlife, climate, and lifestyle. Her byline has appeared in The New York Times, Next Avenue, The Guardian, Parents, AARP, and The Costco Connection. She's the author of The Everything Guide to Working with Animals (Adams Media) and a middle-grade biography of the Grateful Dead (Enslow Publishing).

RESOURCES MENTIONED: 
Michele C. Hollow - LinkedIn
Michele C. Hollow - Facebook
Michele C. Hollow - Website
Jurassic Girl: The Adventures of Mary Anning, Paleontologist and the First Female Fossil Hunter (Dinosaur books for kids 8–12): Hollow, Michele C.

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What is a cozy mystery? Author Lori Pollard-Johnson joins host Reenita Hora to discuss her mystery book, Corpse in the Craftsman Cottage. This episode explores the cozy mystery genre and Lori discusses fiction writing, creative writing processes, and how contemporary mystery fiction blends genres. Her protagonists are divorced best friends running a house flipping business, discovering mystery and mayhem in unexpected places. Learn about cozy mystery authors, mystery novel writing, and the importance of sisterhood in mystery genre storytelling. Then, listen to the fiction read to hear how the protagonist discovers a waterlogged corpse hidden inside a closet aquarium while renovating a 1920s craftsman cottage.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode: 
Discover what defines a cozy mystery and how violence stays off the page while maintaining compelling mystery elements and engaging dead body scenarios in cozy crime fiction.
Learn the importance of crafting strong female friendships in women's fiction, including how divorced protagonists support each other through house flipping adventures and mystery solving.
Gain insights into the mystery novel writing process, from finding inspiration in real-world food critics and chefs to developing small-town mystery settings that keep readers engaged without graphic cozy mystery violence.
Subscribe to Reenita’s Storytelling Den on Substack for free at https://substack.com/@reenitahora and to her YouTube channel to watch the video version of this episode! https://www.youtube.com/@reenymal
Check out her website to stay up-to-date on events, book releases and more! https://reenita.com/

TIMESTAMPS:  
00:00 The cozy mystery genre, violence occurs off the page in cozy crime fiction
02:15 Lori's fiction writing journey from periodicals to mystery books, including culinary mystery and women's fiction projects
03:28 Defining a cozy mystery and a culinary mystery inspired by working with chefs 
06:32 The importance of female friendship and sisterhood themes in contemporary mystery fiction and cozy mystery storytelling
10:52 Reading from Corpse in the Craftsman Cottage featuring a shocking dead body discovery in a house flipping project

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 
Cozy mystery novels keep violence off the page, allowing readers to enjoy mystery solving without graphic content—the dead body exists. Still, readers don't witness the killing, making cozy crime fiction accessible and entertaining.
Culinary mystery books blend food industry knowledge with mystery writing, creating authentic chef characters and restaurant settings that add flavor to contemporary mystery fiction while exploring themes beyond traditional small town mysteries.
Strong female friendships elevate women's fiction within the cozy mystery genre—protagonists who support each other through divorce, house flipping businesses, and mystery adventures create compelling, relatable narratives for cozy mystery authors to explore.

ABOUT THE GUEST: 
Lori Pollard-Johnson writes from Washington and Arizona with two 2024 releases: Corpse in the Craftsman Cottage, featuring BFF amateur sleuths, and Toxic Torte, a culinary cozy about a critic's demise. She has 100+ publishing credits and holds an MA in writing from Seton Hill University. A former teacher and college professor, she's been a PNWA Literary Contest finalist and won awards for short fiction and poetry. When not writing, she enjoys her grandbabies, yoga, swimming, hiking, renovating fixer-uppers, and watching javelinas in her backyard.

RESOURCES MENTIONED: 
Lori Pollard-Johnson - Facebook
Lori Pollard-Johnson - Business Facebook
Lori Pollard-Johnson - Twitter
Lori Pollard-Johnson -Instagram 
Corpse in the Craftsman Cottage (A Flippin' Good Mystery Book 1) - Amazon

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Hi everyone! In this episode, we’re diving into the world of songwriting, screenwriting, and fiction writing with author Eva Moon. We explore her journey from musician to playwright to novelist, discovering how storytelling evolves across musical theater, one-woman shows, and her debut novel, Pinocchio's Guide to the End of the World. Eva shares how her genetic mutation diagnosis transformed her creative writing process, leading to the comedy show Mutant Diaries and ultimately inspiring her fantasy fiction novel about Pinocchio at midlife, grappling with body image and self-discovery. Tune in to hear an excerpt from the book as Pinocchio reflects on his transformation and feeling like an imposter in his human body.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode: 
How storytelling naturally evolves across different creative mediums—from songwriting to screenwriting to fiction writing—and how to let your story dictate its own format
The power of using fantasy fiction and character development to process personal trauma, as Eva transformed her genetic mutation experience into compelling creative writing
How Pinocchio becomes a metaphor for body image, imposter syndrome, and self-discovery when dealing with physical transformation and identity
Why authentic storytelling that explores internal versus external identity resonates with audiences dealing with their own transformative experiences

Subscribe to Reenita’s Storytelling Den on Substack for free at https://substack.com/@reenitahora and to her YouTube channel to watch the video version of this episode! https://www.youtube.com/@reenymal
Check out her website to stay up-to-date on events, book releases and more! https://reenita.com/

TIMESTAMPS:  
00:00 Eva Moon's multi-format creative writing career as songwriter, playwright, screenwriter, and novelist
03:20 How songwriting evolved into musical theater through patter and storytelling between songs at performance venues
05:00 Eva's genetic mutation diagnosis and creating Mutant Diaries, a woman's show, as creative writing therapy
08:00 Origin story of Pinocchio's Guide to the End of the World, exploring body image, transformation, and self-discovery
11:25 Eva reads an excerpt from Pinocchio's Guide to the End of the World, featuring Pinocchio at midlife reflecting on his transformation

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 
Let your creative writing take multiple forms throughout your career: Eva's evolution from musician to songwriter to playwright to novelist shows that storytelling mastery isn't about choosing one lane—it's about following where each story needs to go
Transform lived experience into universal themes through character development: Rather than writing another autobiographical piece after Mutant Diaries, Eva used Pinocchio to explore body image and identity crisis in ways that resonated beyond her personal genetic mutation story
The entertainment industry offers multiple entry points for independent creators: Eva's path included performing at clubs, attending screenwriting school, touring her musical theater show internationally, and self-distributing content—proving there's no single formula for author success

ABOUT THE GUEST: 
Eva Moon is an author, songwriter, playwright, screenwriter, performer, and former Huffington Post blogger. Her plays and musicals have been staged across the US and UK, and her solo musical, “The Mutant Diaries: Unzipping My Genes,” is streaming on Amazon. “Pinocchio’s Guide to the End of the World” is her first novel.

RESOURCES MENTIONED: 
Eva Moon - Website
Eva Moon - Author | LinkedIn
Eva Moon (@evamooon) • Facebook, Connect with friends
Eva Moon, Writer (@evamoonwriter) • Facebook
Eva Moon, storyteller, author (@evamoon) / Posts / X
Eva Moon - Instagram
Amazon.com: Pinocchio's Guide to the End of the World eBook

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/true-fiction-project/donations

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Historical true crime, genealogical mysteries, and unsolved deaths await in this gripping episode of the True Fiction Project! I'm Reenita Hora, your host, diving into the mysterious world of true crime with author Michelle Graff and her book Hidden: The Unsolved Mystery of Sarah Mumford. We'll explore genealogical research, unsolved mysteries from 1899, and the dark reality of human trafficking and unwed mothers. Michelle uncovers parallels between her great-grandmother and 15-year-old Sarah Mumford through newspaper archives and primary source research. This blend of narrative nonfiction and historical fiction reveals the secrets of a Victorian-era death investigation. Then, hear an excerpt from the book as we witness Amelia giving birth to her daughter and, despite the shame of being unwed, courageously insisting that the baby's father be recorded in the doctor's records. 

What You’ll Learn in This Episode: 
How genealogical research and newspaper archives can uncover historical true crime cases from the 1800s
How orphanage records reveal the dark history of human trafficking and exploitation of children in the Victorian era
The investigative techniques used in death investigations and forensic investigations during the 19th-century crime era
How narrative nonfiction and historical fiction blend to tell the stories of unwed mothers and hidden truths in family history

Subscribe to Reenita’s Storytelling Den on Substack for free at https://substack.com/@reenitahora and to her YouTube channel to watch the video version of this episode! https://www.youtube.com/@reenymal
Check out her website to stay up-to-date on events, book releases and more! https://reenita.com/

TIMESTAMPS:  
00:00 Michelle Graff explains how genealogical research on her great-grandmother led to discovering the 1899 historical true crime case of Sarah Mumford’s unsolved mystery 
04:54 The death investigation reveals Sarah was dead before the train hit her, and the coroner uncovers that she was treated as an indentured servant
07:56 Michelle discusses using newspaper archives, primary source research, and orphanage records to piece together the narrative nonfiction story in Hidden
13:33 The themes of human trafficking, unwed mothers, hidden truths, and how children were exploited in the Victorian era
17:33 Michelle Graff reads an excerpt from Hidden: The Unsolved Mystery of Sarah Mumford

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 
Sarah Mumford's death investigation in 1899 revealed she was dead before being placed on train tracks, transforming the case from suicide to a covered-up murder involving child welfare exploitation
Michelle Graff combined genealogical research techniques with historical true crime investigation, using newspaper archives and orphanage records to uncover the parallel stories of Sarah and her great-grandmother Amelia
The book exposes how children from orphanages were exploited as indentured servants for profit, drawing connections to modern-day human trafficking issues

ABOUT THE GUESTS: 
Michelle is drawn to mystery and true crime novels. Like so many true crime lovers, she longed to solve a real-life mystery. Fellow fans of history, genealogy, research, puzzles, true crime, mystery, social justice, and child advocacy can contact her at resiliencyonline.com.
Cultivating Human Resiliency - Website
Michelle Graff - LinkedIn
Hidden: The Unsolved Mystery of Sarah Mumford - Amazon

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Welcome to the True Fiction Project, your go-to podcast for exploring the journey of stories from their non-fiction roots to their fictional outcomes! I'm Reenita Hora, your host, and today we're doing something different and special. We have marketing strategy expert Saurabh Bajaj, Executive Vice President at Vodafone Idea and author of the fascinating book The Practical Marketer. We explore practical marketing strategies, brand positioning, consumer insights, and social media marketing. Saurabh reveals how category growth, market share, personal branding, and domain authority shape successful marketing campaigns and how those concepts can be applied to fiction writers and artists. He shares his digital marketing journey and the power of brand strategy. Tune in to hear his Cadbury Celebrations story—how a profound consumer insight about the Diwali holiday, "Iss Diwali Aap Kise Khush Karengay" (This Diwali, Who Will You Make Happy), inspired the iconic, successful campaign.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode: 
✅ The fundamental brand strategy decision: pursue category growth or steal market share—this choice determines your entire marketing campaign approach.
✅ Build personal branding and domain authority through social media marketing with vulnerable, authentic content that resonates with audiences.
✅ How consumer insights and digital marketing evolved—why establishing context and authority matters more than keywords in modern practical marketing strategies.
✅ The story behind Cadbury's iconic Diwali campaign and how understanding genuine human connection created a timeless brand positioning success.
Subscribe to Reenita’s Storytelling Den on Substack for free at https://substack.com/@reenitahora and to her YouTube channel to watch the video version of this episode! https://www.youtube.com/@reenymal
Check out her website to stay up-to-date on events, book releases and more! https://reenita.com/

TIMESTAMPS:  
00:00 Saurabh Bajaj, author of The Practical Marketer and how the pandemic sparked his writing journey 
03:56 The fundamental brand strategy question: grow the category growth or steal market share
08:03 Understanding your brand positioning task before executing any marketing campaigns
13:33 Storytelling techniques for authors and how practical marketing strategies apply to creative professionals
17:48 The evolution of social media marketing and building domain authority through authentic content
26:11 Creating vulnerable, authentic content that builds personal branding and consumer insights
32:00 Saurabh tells us an anecdote about the Cadbury Celebrations Diwali campaign story he spearheaded: discovering the power of genuine consumer connection

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 
💎 Understanding whether your goal is category growth or stealing market share is the most fundamental brand strategy decision that shapes all marketing campaigns and determines success.
💎 Building domain authority through social media marketing requires authentic content creation and vulnerability—the posts that make you uncomfortable often perform best and create a genuine consumer connection.
💎 Great consumer insights come from profound observation—Saurabh's Cadbury Celebrations campaign succeeded by discovering that Diwali represents a genuine human connection rather than transactions, a timeless insight still relevant today.

ABOUT THE GUEST: 
Saurabh Bajaj has served as the Executive Vice President and Prepaid Marketing Head at Vodafone Idea since August 2022. An alumnus of Delhi College of Engineering and IIM Indore (2004), he brings over 21 years of sales and marketing expertise.
His career spans a decade at Mondelez, Innovation Head for Premium & Luxury Spirits at Diageo, and over 5 years as Head of Marketing for Dairy & International Business at Britannia before joining Vodafone Idea. He was recognized among the 50 Best Marketing & Communication Professionals by White Page International (2020) and as a DMA Trailblazer Rising Star CMO (2021).
The Practical Marketer
Saurabh Bajaj - LinkedIn
The Practical Marketer - Instagram

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/true-fiction-project/donations

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