S5 EP229 | Creativity, Courage & the Lira Somers Mysteries with Liz Bullard

Hello My Happy People,

What happens when a therapist, author, coach, and podcast host all come together in one creative career?

This week, Dianne Burckhardt welcomes multi-genre author Liz Bullard to Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt—Book Talk Podcast for a conversation about creativity, storytelling, protecting your creative energy, and finding the courage to keep writing even when life gets in the way.

The discussion also explores Liz's captivating Lira Somers Mysteries, including Sleeping Beauty, a paranormal mystery featuring an amateur sleuth whose vivid dreams may hold the key to solving real crimes. Along the way, Liz shares insights into balancing multiple creative pursuits, developing memorable characters, and building a sustainable creative life.

At the end of the interview, Liz invited Dianne to join her on the eReads Podcast for a special Instagram Live discussion. Be sure to check the links below and join them live on Saturday, July 4, at 9:00 AM U.S. Central Time/4:00 PM Central European Time.

For more behind the interview information from this episode, read today's blog at BurckhardtBooks.com/blog

Liz's Website

Liz's eReads Podcast

Buy Her Books

Liz on Facebook

Liz on Instagram 

Liz on TikTok

Liz on YouTube

Transcript

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Dianne Burckhardt 0:01

You're listening to BookBanter with Diane Burkhart, your Book Talk podcast. Join me every Wednesday for real conversations with authors and publishing insiders, where you get to connect with the humans behind the books you love. Let's get on with our show today. Well, hello, my happy people. Today is July 1st, 2026, and have I got another fantastic author for you? Today's guest wears a lot of creative hats. She's a therapist, author, coach, and podcast host, who has built a career helping creatives move past self-doubt and finally get started on those projects they've been dreaming about. Her writing spans multiple genres, and today we're talking about her Lyra Summers mysteries, beginning with Sleeping Beauty, a paranormal mystery that blends suspense, intuition, and a fascinating amateur sleuth whose dreams may hold the key to solving real crimes. We also ended up having a wonderful conversation about creativity and what it takes to keep writing when life gets in the way. It was one of those conversations that just flowed naturally from beginning to end, and I think you're really going to enjoy it. So now let's not waste any more time. Please welcome to BookBanter with Diane Burkhardt, therapist, coach, podcast host, and just an all-around wonderful person, Liz Bollard. Please tell everyone who you are and what you do.

SPEAKER_02 1:34

Hello, everyone. My name is Liz. I'm a therapist, author, and creative wellness coach, uh, which just basically means I enjoy talking about creativity and wellness in the many forms that it shows up in our life, whether it be through books, uh workshops, or speaking engagements. Um, I'm an avid reader who, oh God, I just love to consume everything, as well as, you know, I like to let people know I'm a corgi mom. I have a uh a corgi named Preston who is always there, whether I'm writing, cooking, or like in the garden. And so that that's pretty much me in a nutshell.

Dianne Burckhardt 2:10

That's one thing that I knew that I was going to have to ask you. Since you are like a therapist, an author, a coach, and a podcast host, this is sort of a chicken and egg thing. What came first?

SPEAKER_02 2:21

Oh, that's a good question. You know what? In looking back, I think it was reading in literature. Like my mom read to me since I was a child, as small as I can remember. You know, I was the kid who was up late at night reading. I'd go to Barnes and Nobles, get five books, finish it by the weekend. Like I always loved books, but I never thought I could be an author. Like I always thought that was something you had to go to school for and all of these things. I didn't realize until the pandemic that it was something that was accessible. But, you know, reading has always been there. And I think that in a lot of ways helps the therapy and the wellness stuff with being empathetic, thinking about the other person, understanding and wanting to get to know people in their stories. So I think it definitely had to be like reading and literature.

Dianne Burckhardt 3:11

And I want to kind of go sort of through all of them a little bit. Like as a therapist, how do you think psychology influences your character development?

SPEAKER_02 3:21

Oh, that's such a great question. I think, I think a lot because I try and make real people or have real situations. Like sometimes I would read and I would get tired of like, I never went through those situations or not seeing the people in my life, not seeing, you know, I'll take my my protagonist Tabitha from the prophecy series. You know, whenever we had women in fantasy or women warriors, they were strong from the get-go. Nothing slowed them down. And I know for me, I often sometimes feel small and anxious and all of these things. Yes, I know I can do big things, and that there's big dreams inside of me, but I still feel this way. And I wanted to see that echoed. And um, I really am fascinated with the internal struggles that people have, and I wanted to highlight that in my storytelling. So I think it informs a lot.

Dianne Burckhardt 4:16

Now, conversely on that, it's like, how do you think your understanding of the motivations of people either help or hinder you whenever you're writing your characters? Because I would think in some ways it would make it easier, but in another way, it would make it more difficult because how deep do you want to go in your character in a book?

SPEAKER_02 4:36

Yeah, absolutely. I think that's probably why like series, right? Like getting to see that story arc. And like I really enjoy character-driven stories or like movies and all of those things. So I think I think my framework of assuming that type of content helps me to balance that. But I also think it hinders me sometimes when it comes to the plot because I'm really interested in the character growth. So sometimes there's not a lot of epic battles or this, the focus sometimes is not the mystery. Sometimes it's the mystery that's happening internally. And so I'm trying to be better at balancing that so it's entertaining for the reader, yet there's still this reflection of what's going on inside of these characters.

Dianne Burckhardt 5:24

Now, as a coach, what do you think is a common thing that gets creatives stuck?

SPEAKER_02 5:30

Mm-hmm. To shorten it, kind of like being in their head, right? Whether that is overthinking, whether that is fear, whether that is the battle between what am I quote unquote supposed to do versus what I'm being pulled to do. I think if you can figure out how you work and what are the things that trip you up, you can get unstuck and be successful. But I think often the common theme is ourself versus something external.

Dianne Burckhardt 6:03

Now, whenever you find people who are having that battle between like discipline and inspiration, which one do you think actually helps people move forward more often? Is the fact that they just create a disciplined schedule to write or they have the inspiration to write.

SPEAKER_02 6:20

So as someone who likes to be very like airy and just kind of like do what you feel, this is feeling such a betrayal, but discipline actually really is critical. So discipline helps you on the days where you're not feeling it, when you don't have 110%, that routine of like, this is what I do at six o'clock or this is what I do after work, that can go a long way when there's these moments of I just don't feel it. And on the days when you feel it and you feel inspired, that's that extra. That's that extra 120% that helps you to write longer, to have these vibrant scenes. And so I would tell people, yes, the inspiration feels so good that that discipline is going to help you to be consistent and not have that anxiety and fear when there's that writer's block of, uh-oh, I haven't felt like writing for three weeks. When is it gonna come back? No, you're you need the discipline for those moments.

Dianne Burckhardt 7:17

Now, people have seen the last couple of years, podcasts have just exploded on the internet. What made you decide to do one?

SPEAKER_02 7:26

Yeah, oddly enough, it was therapy. So I started out um with a podcast years ago called Coffee and Combos, and I would talk about like wellness and politics and activism. And I wanted to do that because I was a budding therapist and I'm an introvert, you know. And so I thought podcasts would be a great way to build my confidence of asking people questions on the fly to listen, to build some of those muscles without the pressure of being in session. And I think it's really helped me with speaking, with asking questions, with going a little bit deeper, with making ties and connections. And so it was really me trying to get comfortable speaking and asking questions that led to like me really enjoying um the podcast host side of things.

Dianne Burckhardt 8:16

Do you think the podcast has actually helped you become a better therapist? I do.

SPEAKER_02 8:21

I do. I think it kind of gives me the opportunity to think about questions, to and vice versa. I think both the questioning part of being a therapist helps me to have questions when it comes to being a podcast host, and vice versa, you know, like it's a muscle, and the more you you stretch that muscle, the more, the stronger it gets. And so I think it definitely um has helped.

Dianne Burckhardt 8:46

Now, since you'd already mentioned that you didn't really ever think that you could be an author, what was that moment that made you think, okay, yes, I can do this and I'm going to do it?

SPEAKER_02 8:56

Oh, yeah. I think it was definitely, you know, I started writing during the pandemic with friends out of self-care and we would do these writing prompts. And I was, we were writing and we said we would do nano rhymo, right? And just do this challenge. And when nano-rhimo came, I had been working on the prophecy series for a little bit. It was the only story I had kept going back. So I said, well, let me do this. And then after, you know, 50,000 words later, you're like, well, if I'm already this far, why not go to the next stage? You know, why don't you edit it and why don't you do this? And I think after I published the first book and getting over those nerves and all of those things and feeling really good about conquering that, seeing people resonate, I was like, oh, I really like this and I want to do this more. And then more stories kept coming and more joy kept coming. And so I think after the first story, it was like the floodgates were open. And then I was like, oh, there's a world of possibility here. So what was the first thing you published? You actually, you know what? The first thing was Snowfall, my holiday short story about the series. And I did that as a reader magnet. And um, I was working on New Moon first, but that one actually kind of came out first. And so Snowfall was the very first thing I published. And I didn't think I think maybe it's like 10,000 words. I remember feeling like, oh my God, I don't think I'm gonna get 10,000 words. What if people don't like it? Like all of these things. And now to see how the stories have grown, you know, it it's amazing. I think it's a testament of like just keep going. Yeah, it's hard that first time, but the more you keep doing it, the easier it becomes. And so just keep growing that muscle.

Dianne Burckhardt 10:50

Now, considering how many different things that you're involved in, because even in your printed work, you have fiction, you have your nonfiction journals and creative guides, then you also have the podcasting and the coaching and the therapy. How do you protect yourself from creative burnout?

SPEAKER_02 11:05

Oh, that's such a great question. I like to say what I have is like a mindful schedule, right? So, like I work when I need to work and I rest when I need to rest, right? I think my my current schedule allows me to be flexible and working in private practice and owning my own business. It gets to be flexible. Um I also think being efficient in how I do things. So like I stopped podcasting for a little bit because it was too much to edit and do the footage. So then I re-I made my process a little bit more efficient. So uh recording on Instagram, then putting it on Substack. Same thing with writing, right? I try and create a routine where I'm writing in the morning. And if I have more to give in the afternoon, great. So I think being efficient and listening to your flow, resting when you need to rest, working when you need to work, um, and setting things down that are no longer feeding you, or um just possible in that time of your life. So I think just honoring all of that really helps.

Dianne Burckhardt 12:08

I know that is something that I definitely struggle with. And if it wasn't for my husband, just coming in every once in a while, I go, no, get up, get away from the computer, go go read a book, go watch TV. It's like because I am very bad at regulating myself. If it wasn't for my husband, I would probably never get away from the computer.

SPEAKER_02 12:26

I feel that like I appreciate Preston so much. So, like, you know, I work all day on the computer doing virtual therapy, and uh he's my alarm clock. He knows, like, okay, five o'clock, I need to eat, or hey, are we gonna go for our walk? The weather is nice. And so having those moments to say, like, oh, let me break this routine is really helpful. And especially now with there being so much I'm trying to juggle, having those mindful moments where I'm just being present, just it really helps to balance that. And like, again, shout out to support systems because they're so important in reminding you to take breaks.

Dianne Burckhardt 13:02

Yes, definitely. This would be a perfect time for you to go ahead and tell us all about your series and your first book in it, Sleeping Beauty.

SPEAKER_02 13:12

Yeah, so Sleeping Beauty is about my amateur sleuth Lyra, who has dreams about people in need. And in book one, she's dreaming about a woman who's abducted. And it is a mystery with a romantic subplot, as she's trying to beat away the advances of Detective Tomas Hines, aka Detective Sexy. It really explores um the internal battles, right? There's a lot of demons that Lyra herself, a lot of nightmares she's trying to process and figure out. And she's trying to explore are these dreams real? Are they just, you know, my imagination or are these real people? Because sometimes her supports don't believe in her. And so there's a lot of internal battles as well with this uh, you know, accompanied with the mystery. Um, and there's a lot of humor as well in this story. So I I really had a fun time writing this series.

Dianne Burckhardt 14:07

Yeah, that's one thing I was kind of laughing about to myself. It's like, how did she say no? The guy offered to take her out for tacos.

SPEAKER_02 14:14

Like, how do you say no to me? That's my favorite scene. That is my favorite scene. And it's so Lyra, right? It's so very much. You know, I think about the people I deal with who kindness seems scary to them because of so much that they've they've been through. And I wanted to really honor that. And for some people, it makes, you know, they they really dislike her, they think that she's too mean, but I think she's very real and she just encompasses um a story that I don't see told a lot.

Dianne Burckhardt 14:44

Well, I don't think she came off as mean. I think she came off as guarded. Yeah. Yeah. Were Lyra's dreams intended to feel supernatural or more psychological?

SPEAKER_02 14:57

Oh, that's a great question that I think I still play with, and I like for the reader to kind of interpret that. And I go a little bit into that more in book three, where there's a lot of possibilities, right? Whether you, you know, you feel like it's a gift from God, whether you feel like it's the paranormal, while you feel like it's in intuitive. I think there's a little bit of me letting the reader decide. Yeah. So probably not the best answer, but I toy a little bit with, you know, kind of like, where do you think this comes from, and and letting that be in the hands of the reader.

Dianne Burckhardt 15:34

Well, that was one thing that I did like about this is you do kind of have that question. Is she somebody who's picking up on, you know, things in her environment and she's dreaming it and putting the information together and it seems like it's supernatural, or is it actually supernatural and she's connecting with these people in her dream states? It's never like a yes, it's one or the other. So it just kind of leaves it to you to decide.

SPEAKER_02 16:00

Yeah, which I'm sure drives some people crazy. But I I I like that sometimes in books, right? Let me kind of play with the storytelling as the reader a little bit. Like, yes, as the author, you're guiding, and there's things that you need to give us. But I also like for the reader to also be able to participate and have discussion. And so while there is some people in this series where it's really definitive where their powers and things come from, I don't know if I'll ever fully answer that for Lyra with, you know, I like that being open.

Dianne Burckhardt 16:32

Well, and it seems like it'd be a fun thing to play with in the storyline. Yeah. There are places in here that Lyra actually seems like she is definitely emotionally overloaded as she's going through her story. And I was just wondering how important is that psychological pressure to her character?

SPEAKER_02 16:50

Oh, I think it's so important for her. Again, I I think in especially for female characters, they don't, it's like they have to understand all their emotions and what to do with them. But again, I see people who are adult people who may be really competent in their jobs but struggle with their emotions, whether it's how to name them, what do they do with them, how to overcome them. And so it's very important for that to be like her Achilles heel, where it gets her both in and out of trouble. So and it's fun to write because it's like as I'm writing, I'm just letting every intrusive thought lead the way. So it's fun for me as well.

Dianne Burckhardt 17:29

And I think that's so realistic and it's something that people can identify with. I mean, here I'm 58 years old and I'm very competent at my job. Yesterday I had a panic attack for no apparent reason. I could not associate it to anything, but just freaked out for like two minutes, and I had to sit here and go through my little processes of grounding, and I still have no idea what brought that on. So that's so real. Yeah, that's so real. So whenever you see characters in book, you're like, oh yeah, I know how she feels. I know what that feels like. And it's nice since we have really been focusing a lot on how people need to speak more about mental health and mental health issues, and to see that in characters like this is fabulous.

SPEAKER_02 18:12

Oh, I love that. Thank you so much.

Dianne Burckhardt 18:15

It's one of those things where you, whenever you're reading it, you think, I am not the only one.

SPEAKER_02 18:20

Yeah, and that's so important for me as I craft these stories. Like, I want it to feel relatable. I want it to feel like, oh, I've been there, or like, oh wow, I recognize I get myself into these relationship cycles, or you know, oh my goodness, yeah, my anxiety does make me feel vulnerable and strong at the same time. So, like, for me, that's always the biggest compliment when people tell me that my stories are relatable because that it was with the person in mind.

Dianne Burckhardt 18:48

You already have book two out, Chasing Nightmares. How many books do you see for the future of the series, or are you just going to take it as far as you can?

SPEAKER_02 18:57

I want this to be an ongoing series, very much like I love the Alex Cross series or the Stephanie Plum novels. And I love how we just follow these characters in their life, in the people in their life. And for Lyra, I really see that. Like we just keep seeing her and her relationships grow. We keep seeing, like, she is the storyline essentially, and the mystery is accompanying that. But I am really excited to play with all the different branches of her and exploring what that looks like and having the reader have a fun time getting to know these characters long term.

Dianne Burckhardt 19:35

And I love hearing that because I am one of those people that I will find an author that I love their character and I will read everything that they put out with that character. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:44

Like as long as they want to keep writing them, I'll keep reading them. So I love people who write long series.

Dianne Burckhardt 19:51

Yay. Oh, that makes me smile. So now it seems like the perfect time to do our five quick questions that never turn out to be quick, but I just refuse to give up. Are you ready?

SPEAKER_00 20:04

I'm ready.

Dianne Burckhardt 20:05

Now, for your questions, I was actually snooping on your TikTok channel today. And so these all come from your TikTok videos. So, question one Did you ever get your Bridgerton tea? And which one did you get?

SPEAKER_02 20:21

That's such a great question. You know what? No, I don't think I ever did. I think I just browsed that. I know.

Dianne Burckhardt 20:28

So now I can Oh my gosh. I'm so disappointed. I was waiting waiting for you to tell you that you bought the whole set.

SPEAKER_02 20:36

I know. I actually I need to. I think was that one like really floral? And I don't like floral teas, but they were really pretty, you know. But yeah, oh, that's a great question.

Dianne Burckhardt 20:46

Yeah, but you can get floral teas and mix it with black tea and it kind of mutes them a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 20:52

Oh, thank you for that tip. I drink a lot of tea around here. My husband and I have tons of tea in this house.

Dianne Burckhardt 21:00

So, question two why do you hate eggs? Oh, goodness.

SPEAKER_02 21:05

My young my younger brother asks me this all the time. And I wish I loved eggs. Like I would love to just boil an egg and just go on about my day, but I hate the texture. I just can't do it. I've tried, scrambled, all the stuff. I just can't do it, y'all.

Dianne Burckhardt 21:20

Wow. So it's the texture of any way that it's made.

SPEAKER_02 21:23

Yeah, and I have tried. Like I can get through like an egg and a fried rice. Like that's probably the only way I can do it. But I've I I love to see the runny egg. I love, I love all of that. I just can't get past the texture.

Dianne Burckhardt 21:39

So now, question three. Just exactly how helpful is Preston to your writing process?

SPEAKER_02 21:47

Oh, I love this. I think he's very helpful to my writing process. Like he's there early morning, late at night. He's always there. He's a good motivation, right? Like, I gotta keep writing. And some of these books so he gets to eat. So he is a great partner to have.

Dianne Burckhardt 22:07

Well, I just I love that video where he's sitting in the passenger seat of the car and it's like, let's go writing.

SPEAKER_02 22:13

Very Preston. He's always ready to go.

Dianne Burckhardt 22:17

So question four. Why are you creating?

SPEAKER_02 22:22

Oh, you're such a good interviewer. Okay. I am creating because I love how free it might like makes me feel. Like I love that I can take something in my head and put it on the page. And now we become a community of folks who are just vibing and enjoying that. I love how it brings people together, how it highlights struggle, how it highlights accomplishment, how it triggers emotion. Like I'm creating for the freedom and the empowerment of it all.

Dianne Burckhardt 22:56

You know, and that's one thing that I have found that I absolutely love about the writing community. For the most part, about 95% of the people involved are right there to network and help each other and pull each other along as they go forward. There's only a small community that actually look at it like competition. For the most part, it is such a big community. It's like being part of a village of creative people who all want to work for the betterment of everybody.

SPEAKER_02 23:26

I and I love that because truly, like there's so many readers, like there's no competition. Like a reader is going to buy all the books and not have any time in this lifetime to finish them. Like there's there's no competition.

Dianne Burckhardt 23:39

Oh, yeah. It's like I don't just, you know, read one author. I have got so many different authors that I read and I'm always looking for new ones. Yes. So I mean it's never going to be, you know, it's you or you. It's usually like a you and you and you and you.

SPEAKER_02 23:56

Yes. And when I say I'm gonna read your book, I'm getting to it. It might be five years later later, but I am getting to your book.

Dianne Burckhardt 24:02

Exactly. It's like I have so many books that I have listed that are getting ready to go up on my review page on my website that I've been reading them, but I haven't been keeping up with the reviews. But whenever somebody gives me a book, it's like it will get there. It may not get there this week or next month, but it will get there. 1000%. So now your final question. We are asking everyone the same question this year because we are building a database to put in our year-in book buying guide that we published in November. And your question is what do you think is the best book to movie adaptation that you have seen so far? Oh wow.

SPEAKER_02 24:44

Best book to movie adaptation. That's a hard one.

Dianne Burckhardt 24:54

I've had some really varied answers on this that I was not expecting. I've had some great books that I forgot that they were even books before they were movies.

SPEAKER_02 25:03

Yeah, and you know what? This might be a cop-out, but I'm thinking comics. Like I I think the Marvel series, like I think of like Iron Man or you know, anything like that. I think those have been really good at take. Actually, you know what? I'm going to backtrack. I'm throwing out the Alex Cross series, the new one that's just out. Because I really, yeah, like I think, okay, so comics, I'm going Marvel, but if you want like a book book, I really think that, especially season one of the Alex Cross, I think they got it right. Like you've taken the things that readers love and you made it your own so that people that didn't love the books can fall in love with it. So I think that was a really good blend. Um, especially because you're never gonna get everything in the book right. So I think honoring the things that make the story the story and the things that elevate it, like I think they I think they're playing with a nice balance.

Dianne Burckhardt 26:04

Well, it's like and for me, I've always wanted to be a writer, but Alex Cross made me want to write thrillers.

SPEAKER_00 26:11

Yeah, yes.

Dianne Burckhardt 26:14

You're talking to a serious Marvel girl, so not gonna quibble about that.

SPEAKER_03 26:20

Right.

Dianne Burckhardt 26:23

So now what is next for you?

SPEAKER_02 26:26

Next for me, so June, I'm kicking off the Kickstarter, my second Kickstarter. It's focusing on the Lyra Sommer series again. I want to have enough funding for the audiobook for Chasing Nightmares. Yeah, and but you know, readers were like, oh, I thought the pre-orders for book three would be available. So I am adding that um as well to that. So if you know you're listening and you've read the first two books, you will be able to pre-order the ebook and the paperback for that through the Kickstarter. And then I'm just continuing to do a lot of book signings this season. Um, I think I have something every month up until November. So a lot of book signings and Kickstarter. That's what I got.

Dianne Burckhardt 27:06

Now, have you ever considered coming to the Frankfurter Book Mesa?

SPEAKER_02 27:10

No, I have not thought about going international yet.

Dianne Burckhardt 27:13

You definitely need to check into that. It is the world's largest publishing convention. It's not just publishers, it's agents, it's people who are buying rights for movies and translations and anybody and everybody who has anything to do with publishing is in Frankfurt, Germany, usually the second week of October every year.

SPEAKER_02 27:34

Okay, I gotta add that to my list. Thank you.

Dianne Burckhardt 27:36

Let's remind everybody who you are and where they can find your work.

SPEAKER_02 27:41

Yeah, so everyone, my name is Liz. I'm a therapist, author, and creative wellness coach. I write mystery and fantasy as well as other nonfiction works to again highlight the intersection of creativity and wellness. You can find me on the socials at LizBullardWrights. Go to my website, LizBullardRights.com for things like workshops, coaching, all the book events and a list of all the books. And um, this has just been wonderful. Like, I appreciate you.

Dianne Burckhardt 28:14

I am so glad we got to bring you on here because I have to tell you, I was absolutely right whenever I said that I knew anybody who has that smile in their pictures would be a fun person to talk to. Oh, appreciate you. Say now you just have to promise to come back whenever you get your next book ready to go.

SPEAKER_02 28:30

Oh my God, anytime, please. And like again, if you would like to come on my podcast, I would love to have you.

Dianne Burckhardt 28:35

Ah, that'd be fabulous. So there you have it, folks. That was my interview with the incredible Liz Bullard. If you enjoyed today's conversation, be sure to check out Liz's books, including Sleeping Beauty and Chasing Nightmares. Visit her website and follow her on social media to see what she's working on next. She also hosts the EReads podcast, where she celebrates creativity and storytelling with fellow authors and creatives. And speaking of her podcast, if you enjoyed our conversation today, join us again this Saturday, July 4th, when I'll be joining Liz for a live conversation on her Instagram account. You can find a link in the description of today's episode. And we will be live at 4 p.m. Berlin Time or 9 a.m. U.S. Central Time, and we would love for you to stop by and join us. Now, coming up next week, my guest will be Laura Buchwald, author of The Book of Reservations, the second novel of her Ghost Table trilogy. Laura and I had an absolutely fascinating discussion about haunted locations, ghost stories, and the possibility of an afterlife, and the real places that inspired both of our current writing projects. If you enjoy stories with supernatural elements, a little mystery that are based on real places, I think you're really going to enjoy next week's episode. Now, before I let you go, as usual, I have some Burkhart books and bookbander productions updates. If you haven't already signed up for a newsletter, now is a great time. In the coming weeks, I'll be sharing an exclusive newsletter only short story that has never been published anywhere before. As a matter of fact, I forgot I had even written this. I found it as I was looking through some of my old college information and I found a psychological thriller I wrote for a creative writing assignment while I was in college. And I am going to share this with all of our newsletter followers. To read this short thriller, you just need to visit Burkhartbooks.com slash subscribe and sign up so you don't miss out. And I got 97% on the first draft, so it can't be that bad. You can find a direct link to our subscribe page in the description of today's podcast. Well, I think that's enough for today, folks. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and I hope you'll join Liz and me this Saturday for our Instagram live discussion. But for now, you know what time it is, folks. It's time for you all to go forth and be really happy. And for my fellow Americans, have a fun and safe 4th of July and maybe light a sparkler for your friend here in Germany. Thank you for joining us today. Be sure to subscribe to BookBanter with Diane Burkhart on your favorite podcast streaming service. Because if you love books like we do, you do not want to miss a single episode of this podcast.