Books & Beyond:
A Podcast
Books & Beyond is a podcast for writers who are seeking inspiration for their stories, authors preparing to enter the query trenches, readers looking for their next comp title or read, and indie publishing hopefuls. At noon Eastern Daylight Time on every Saturday of each month, Mylee J. Miller and her co-hosts - Abigail Wadlington, Tali Shammas, Alexandra Roma, or John W. Trevino - will dive into one of the four segments above and give listeners their tips about writing, querying, reading, self-publishing, and beyond.
Podcast Creator & Host
Mylee J. Miller
Mylee is a Neurodivergent author of fantasy, retelling, mystery, and contemporary fiction novels. In all genres, she hopes to bring more representation from the marginalized communities she's part of into the fiction literary sphere. She's currently querying her debut epic fantasy novel featuring sea-heists and sea serpents, and has self-published the first book in a political fantasy series, entitled The Raincycle Trilogy. She's also the creator of the online writing pitch event called #PosterPit, and is the creative mastermind behind the idea of the Books & Beyond Podcast. When not writing, she can be found amid paint splatters, hiking trails, or anywhere there's a book to be read.
Agents & Angst Co-Host
Abigail Wadlington
Abigail is a part-time dog daycare worker and a full-time daydreamer. Before earning her Bachelor’s in Creative Writing, she mentored under bestselling author Ridley Pearson and wrote a myriad of books that make her cringe now. She's represented at The Fogelman Agency by agent Rebecca Williamson for her upcoming novel, The Forgotten Realm. When not writing, she can be found painting book edges, filming dog TikToks, or playing cozy Switch games.
Writing & Rambling Co-Host
Tali Shammas
Tali Shammas is a lawyer and PhD candidate who teaches employment law. She completed a JD/MBA program in 2015 and was called to the Bar in 2016. Tali is passionate about educating writers on legal issues that may impact them and has delivered numerous talks on the topic. She is currently querying her debut novel, a romantasy, with the support of an incredible mentor.
Indie Intrigue Co-Host
Alexandra Roma
Alexandra Roma grew up with a love of stories and all things fantasy. Thus it only made sense that after the dramatic fall of her theater kid era, she decided to become an author and dove headfirst into a number of stories that never made it past three chapters. Sixteen years later, she finished her first novel, The Wounds of Wisdom.
She lives in Minneapolis with her best friend, an anxious German Shepherd, and two clingy cats. When not freelance blogging or writing fantasy stories of adventure and mystery, she plays far too many tabletop RPGs.
Catching Comps Co-Host
John W. Trevino
John W. Treviño still doesn't know how he got here: nothing in his life prepared him to be a writer. He works in insurance regulation, praying that no one figures out his middle name; he once accidentally lit a workplace on fire by misusing a toaster; and he studied English murderers and their executions in school. John W. is not often invited to parties.
Season 1
Want to see what we have planned for Season 1 of the Books And Beyond Podcast?
Check out our guest and topic list, below!
AGENTS & ANGST
Shaina A. Cordas"Crafting A Query Letter"
"Shaina A. Cordas is a middle grade and young adult fantasy author dedicated to whimsy and adventure. Shaina was a mentee in the 2021/2022 class of Pitch Wars, made the RevPit 2025 shortlist, and won the 2020 Story Pony Flash Fiction Contest. She has a Bachelor of Science in Biology and English, which she’s used in roles grant writing and fundraising for nonprofits. She is passionate about animal welfare and warm cups of coffee."
AGENTS & ANGST
Amarie Wheeler"Surviving The Query Trenches"
"Amarie is a Black, contemporary romance author based out of Cincinnati, Ohio. She loves writing about Black, fat, neurodivergent characters following their dreams and receiving the love they deserve. When she isn't writing, she spends her time reading other love stories, making candles, and spending time with loved ones. She's currently represented by Hillary Fazzari at the Bradford Agency."
WRITING & RAMBLING
Leona Lach"Writing Magic Systems: The How, The Why & The Consequences"
"Leona is a speculative fiction writer repped by Arianna Siddiqui at Fineprint Lit. She is based in the southern US, and enjoys incorporating lush adventures into harsh worlds while exploring family dynamics and one's self. When she isn't writing, she's acting like a movie critic, baking, and spending her time in the sun."
WRITING & RAMBLING
Tali Shammas"Legal Issues Writers Should Be Aware Of"
"Tali Shammas is a lawyer and PhD candidate who teaches employment law. She completed a JD/MBA program in 2015 and was called to the Bar in 2016. Tali is passionate about educating writers on legal issues that may impact them and has delivered numerous talks on the topic. She is currently querying her debut novel, a romantasy, with the support of an incredible mentor."
INDIE INTRIGUE
Taylor Hubbard"Queer Existence in Fantasy from an Indie Perspective"
"Based in the United States, Taylor is an autistic trans man who focuses on writing queer fantasy romance while dipping his toes into the world of queer dark fantasy and queer horror. When he’s not writing, he’s wrangling his cats, drinking a concerning amount of energy drinks, obsessing over mythology, and frantically trying to read everything he gets his hands on."
INDIE INTRIGUE
Aimee Donnellan"How To Find Your Audience As An Indie Author"
"Aimee Donnellan is an author of whimsical queer fantasy for new adults. She is proudly bisexual and on the aromantic spectrum, and loves to write bisexuals even more chaotic and disastrous than herself. She lives in Wellington, New Zealand with her fiancè — who helps her write and worldbuild — and dreams of dog ownership when not playing video games or Dungeons and Dragons."
INDIE INTRIGUE
M. A. Vice"Pacing & Pressure: An Indie Author's Career"
"M. A. Vice is a novelist and artist from the pacific northwest USA. A deep love for fantasy and history, which began early in her life, inspired a passion for writing and has continued to ever since. She enjoys creating epic tales about overcoming adversity and finding family, with a decent helping of political intrigue and mystery."
BONUS EPISODE
CAROLINE J. TRUSSELL"What to Do with Conflicting Industry Feedback and When to Consider It"
"Caroline J. Trussell has served as a literary intern and junior literary agent at Metamorphosis Literary for 3 years, a literary assistant for the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency, and was a feeelqnxe reader for The Bent Agency. She has been in the industry for five years now. Caroline has her own editorial services, Tru Story Editing, where she helps authors create the best and truest version of their work."
