Marsha Casper Cook
500 episodes listed below
Warm craft talk with working writers.
Writers Talk on Michigan Avenue Media gathers authors for relaxed conversations about current projects, old drafts, genre habits, and the practical headaches of publishing. The tone is friendly and unpolished, with live-show hiccups, long guest stories, and craft advice folded into everyday talk.
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Writers Talk on Michigan Avenue Media is an informal author interview show centered on books, writing habits, publishing problems, and the lives behind the work. Marsha Casper Cook leads the conversations, but the show often feels less like a formal interview than a friendly call among writers. It starts where the day starts. A guest arrives, the technology misbehaves, a platform changes, a marketing experiment disappoints, and then the talk drifts toward the book at hand. That looseness is the format. Lorraine Carey talks about stepping outside her usual paranormal lane and imagining stories as series or movies. Kristen Lindsay Hager talks through young adult themes, reputation, disappointment, and the idea that a changed life can still be full. Clay joins a discussion where fiction becomes a way to talk about vulnerability, trusted adults, and difficult situations young people may need language for. Michelle Pennington turns tropes from a dirty word into a practical tool for romance writers thinking about reader expectations and the market. Kathryn Lane talks about characters, memory, audiobooks, fans, competition, and the crush of new books being published. Chris Carlson brings in character arcs, names that fit, writing after retirement, and the value of lived experience on the page. The show is warm, but it is not overly tidy. Guests often take long runways. Cook nudges, agrees, remembers her own examples, and lets the conversation circle back rather than forcing a hard reset. That patience can produce useful moments for writers who want to hear how other authors actually think through names, series, screenplays, marketing, and reader response. It can also mean detours, repeated setup, and occasional ad or live-stream disruption. The appeal is the sense of a writing community talking in real time, without much polish between the listener and the room.
Made for: Best for writers, authors, genre readers, and book-club regulars who enjoy patient conversations about story craft, publishing, character work, and author life. It especially fits listeners who prefer informal interviews over tightly edited advice shows.
What sets it apart: Its strength is the unvarnished live-show feel: platform problems, side stories, generous guest space, and practical writing talk all stay in the room. The result is less polished than a studio interview and often more revealing about how authors actually talk through their work.
For over 17 years, Michigan Avenue Media Podcasts have brought you shows on writing books and screenplays, self-help advice, movies, discussing relationships, publishing, health issues, marketing, fashion, and style. It's a fun, off-the-cuff live show, and then you can listen to it anywhere you listen to your podcasts. Visit our websites:https://michiganavenuemedia.com/https://marshacaspercook.com
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Candid author conversations make character choices, publishing pressures, and everyday writing habits easier to understand.
Marcia Kasper-Cook turns author interviews into loose, candid conversations about the decisions behind a book. Guests discuss where characters come from, how personal experience enters fiction, and why a character's actions must remain convincing as a story develops.
A live microphone and Marcia Kasper-Cook put your stubborn characters through a very friendly interrogation.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A loose, candid author chat about genre shifts, screen hopes, and the hard business of getting stories made.
The episode follows Lorraine Carey as she talks through a new book and the turn that moved her out of paranormal territory and into mafia romance, with Youngstown, Ohio, giving the choice some personal weight.
A warm discussion of writing, reputation, and resilience, carried by an easy writer-to-writer tone.
The episode follows a loose, neighborly exchange about writing, with Kristen Lindsay Hager talking about coming up through journalism, loving books from an early age, and always wanting to write for young adults.
A loose, earnest craft talk that treats story as both warning and support.
The episode is uneven in places, but it still gets to something worth hearing. It opens with the loose energy of a live-show scramble, then settles into a serious look at adults abusing authority around children, especially when the harm is hidden in plain sight and parents are…
A practical writer-to-writer conversation about memory, process, and the mess of marketing.
Marcia Kasper-Cook and Katharine Lane settle into a writer-to-writer exchange that treats craft and daily life as part of the same practice. They move through quick notes, waking with a thought in the night, losing old drafts after moves, dictating into an iPhone, and hearing…
A loose, candid conversation about character-building, publishing pressure, and the work of staying visible as a writer.
This episode keeps its focus on how a character gets built from memory, work, and lived experience. Catherine Lane's read on Nikki Garcia, a private investigator who moves around the world and carries a job history that mirrors that mobility, gives the conversation its cleanest…
A loose, encouraging writer chat that lands real advice about character, voice, and persistence.
The episode opens with a brief scramble around the show setup, then settles into an easy, off-the-cuff exchange with Chris Carlson about how she moved into writing after retiring from the police department.
A loose live conversation about mistakes, redemption, and an angel dog named Gracie.
The episode reads like a loose live conversation about how the show works: the old BlogTalkRadio uncertainty, the choice to leave mistakes in, and the habit of not stopping to clean up what is being said. That roughness is part of the appeal.
Henry Eliot walks Paris, Lisbon, and Cambridge to unlock classic novels with expert guests.
Kevin Young and a guest poet close-read one archival New Yorker poem per episode.
Lorraine Carey is back with Marsha Casper Cook.
Kristen Lindsay Hager returns to talk with Marcia.
Forty minutes late, they finally start.
This episode features an interview with indie author Michelle Pennington discussing how writers can effectively use tropes to improve their storytelling, particularly in romance genres.
Shopify cuts in before the conversation really gets going.
Marketing is a mess.
A rough phone setup becomes part of the appeal.
Host Marsha Casper Cook interviews author Chris Carlson about her writing journey, including her transition from police work to writing a time-travel book series.
Authors Marsha Casper Cook and Delta James discuss practical writing advice, including how to find time to write amidst busy schedules, based on their experiences as successful writers.
Host Marsha Casper Cook introduces her editor Jeff Fleischer, who discusses his background as an author of eight books and journalist, setting up a conversation about writing.
Host Marsha Kasper-Cook interviews romance authors Irene Lawless and Delta James about their books and writing experiences.
A discussion about menopause and hormonal changes in women, offering advice on how to talk to doctors.
The episode begins with a Mother's Day ad for organic snacks, then transitions into a live interview show discussing various lifestyle topics.
Marcia Kasper-Cook hosts a live show discussing writing, books, and screenplays with guest Lorraine Carey.
Host Marcia Casper-Cook interviews author Amy Patricia Mead about her book in an unrehearsed, live format.
Host Marcia Kasper-Cook interviews author Delta James about her health crisis and transparency with readers.
Host Marsha Casper Cook interviews author Brenda Perlin about her book 'Accidental Gifts' and her personal journey.
Marcia Kasper-Cook interviews Dick Belsky about Robert Redford's career as an actor, director, and producer.
Live radio is cheerfully messy here.
A live interview with spicy romance authors discussing their work and experiences in the genre.
A parenting show discussing motherhood, children's books, and family life, with a sponsor segment on organic snacks.
A live talk show discussing writing, publishing, and various lifestyle topics with guests.
Marsha Casper Cook hosts a live interview show discussing writing, publishing, and related topics with author Delta James.
Marsha Casper Cook introduces a show about kids' well-being and personal growth, sharing her own school experiences.
A live talk show covering writing, self-help, relationships, and lifestyle topics with guest interviews.
Host Marsha Kasper-Cook interviews author Delta James about her writing career and the craft of writing books with happy endings.
Host Marsha Casper Cook and two author guests discuss the TV show Bridgerton and its spin-off Queen Charlotte.
Host Marsha Casper Cook and co-host Kristen discuss obstacles writers face and the pressure to do more, blending personal conversation with writing advice.
Host Marsha Casper Cook interviews writer Caroline Cleveland about the essentials of writing a great story, focusing on elements like character and setting, while discussing her audiobook and Midwest-inspired themes.
A podcast about writing books and screenplays, featuring interviews with authors and industry professionals.
Host Marsha Casper Cook interviews author Vicki Stiefel about Regency Romance, with a humorous opening about coughing into a towel.