Stories to Love

Tif Marcelo

A podcast produced and hosted by USA Today bestselling author Tif Marcelo featuring authors and creators, their books and products, and how they are inspired and motivated everyday. read less
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Episodes

87. NYT bestseller Tosca Lee and finding her way through a book
Nov 8 2023
87. NYT bestseller Tosca Lee and finding her way through a book
Episode 87 is Tosca Lee.Tosca Lee is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of twelve novels including THE LONG MARCH HOME (with New York Times bestselling author Marcus Brotherton) THE LINE BETWEEN, THE PROGENY, THE LEGEND OF SHEBA, and ISCARIOT. Her work has been translated into seventeen languages and been optioned for TV and film. She is the recipient of two International Book Awards, Killer Nashville's Silver Falchion, ECPA Book of the Year, and the Nebraska Book Award, and has finaled for numerous others including the Library of Virginia People's Choice Award, the High Plains Book Award, a second Silver Falchion, and the Christy. When she's not writing, Tosca loves binging television shows, looking for something good to eat, cooking when she can't find it, traveling with her husband, and sleeping in.You can find Tosca on social media or hanging around the snack table. To learn more, please visit toscalee.com.In this episode we discussed the The Long March Home which she cowrote with Marcus Brotherton. We talked about how she came upon this project and her partnership with Marcus, which was a novel collectively 12 years in the making. We discussed her research, and touched on a little bit about farm, pageant, and model life, and her eclectic and amazing backlist.Links:Felipa CulalaBIRD BY BIRD by  Anne LamontBEFORE THE DISAPPEARED by Lisa GardnerDROWNING TJ Newman***Order FOREVERMORE, a romance anthology, comprised of ten interconnecting romance short stories surrounding the Moore family and a wedding in Napa California. Written by ten Filipino-American authors. Pick it up at books2read.com/forevermoreNote: some links are affiliate linksContact Tif at tif@tifmarcelo.comPlease check out her website for podcast submissions
85 Co-authors Allie Frank and Asha Youmans and using joy and humor to approach difficult topics
Oct 24 2023
85 Co-authors Allie Frank and Asha Youmans and using joy and humor to approach difficult topics
Episode 85 is Alli Frank and Asha Youmans Alli Frank has worked in education for over twenty years, from an overcrowded, cacophonous public high school to a pristine private girl’s school. She has been a teacher, curriculum leader, college counselor, assistant head, school co-founder, sometimes pastor, often mayor, and de facto parent therapist. A graduate of Cornell and Stanford University, Alli lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two daughters. She is the co-author of Tiny Imperfections, Never Meant to Meet You and The Better Half and an essayist in Moms Don’t Have Time to: A Quarantine Anthology.Asha Youmans is the daughter of an educational pioneer and Children’s Hospital administrator, after graduating UC Berkeley Asha spent the next twenty years teaching elementary school. Asha continues to work in schools in the Pacific Northwest believing children keep her youthful, as do her husband and two sons. She is the co-author of Tiny Imperfections, Never Meant to Meet You and The Better Half.In this episode we discussed how their first three books are love letters to educators and how their most recent release THE BETTER HALF rose from the inspirations of body autonomy and the concept of arrival. We discussed how these two authors crafted their main character, taking from different inspirations and their overall mission in their writing. Finally we talked about their strengths in their teamwork, about their own meet cute, and how they make things work as co-authors.Links discussed:HOW TO NOT DROWN IN A GLASS OF WATER***Order FOREVERMORE, a romance anthology, comprised of ten interconnecting romance short stories surrounding the Moore family and a wedding in Napa California. Written by ten Filipino-American authors. Pick it up at books2read.com/forevermoreNote: some links are affiliate linksContact Tif at tif@tifmarcelo.comPlease check out her website for podcast submissions
84. Author Maida Malby and taking ownership of her career
Oct 10 2023
84. Author Maida Malby and taking ownership of her career
Here with me today is Maida Malby.Filipino-American author Maida Malby cooks up foodie, multicultural, and contemporary destination romance stories filled with heat, sizzle, spice, and a whole lotta love.She is a member of select writing groups and romance book clubs. Her To-Be-Read Mountain and book reviews are featured here on her blog Carpe Diem Chronicles. Readers can also find her on Lone Star Literary Life via her regular Texas Reads Roundup Romance column.When not writing, reading, or reviewing books, Maida discusses current affairs with her husband, records her son’s Travels and Eats videos, cooks the dishes she features in her stories, procrastibakes more often than she should, and watches golf and food shows on TV.In this episode, we talked about FOREVERMORE: a romance anthology, out today, which is the follow on to PASKO NA, MY LOVE, the anthology she edited and spearheaded last year. We also talked about Filipino-American joy, the Filipino grandmother as a unifying character in recent popular media and Filipino culture, her role as editor and publisher of the anthology, and her wise words about success in the business of publishing.***Order FOREVERMORE, a romance anthology, comprised of ten interconnecting romance short stories surrounding the Moore family and a wedding in Napa California. Written by ten Filipino-American authors. Pick it up at books2read.com/forevermoreNote: some links are affiliate linksContact Tif at tif@tifmarcelo.comPlease check out her website for podcast submissions
81. USA Today Bestseller Priscilla Oliveras on relationships and friendships on and off the page
Aug 16 2023
81. USA Today Bestseller Priscilla Oliveras on relationships and friendships on and off the page
Episode 81 is Priscilla Oliveras.Priscilla Oliveras is a USA Today bestselling author and 2018 RWA® RITA® double finalist who writes contemporary romance with a Latinx flavor. Proud of her Puerto Rican-Mexican heritage, she strives to bring authenticity to her novels by sharing her Latinx culture with readers. Her books have earned Starred Reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and Booklist along with praise from O, The Oprah Magazine, Washington Post, New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Frolic, and more. She earned her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University where she currently serves as adjunct faculty while also teaching the online class “Romance Writing” for ed2go. A long-time romance enthusiast, Priscilla’s also a sports fan, beach lover, and Zumba aficionado, who often practices the art of napping in her backyard hammock. In this episode we discussed  Her Perfect Affair which is the second book in her debut series, Matched to Perfection, and is a re release.  We discussed the struggle to give characters conflict, and how a character’s Internal struggles manifest in their outside world. We talked about her journey as an MFA Student, as a writing instructor, and an author. Finally we talked about how she managed the re release of Her Perfect Affair.Links discussed:Farrah Rochon's ALMOST THERESonali Dev's THE VIBRANT YEARS Alexis Daria's  TAKE THE LEADMia Sosa's THE WEDDING CRASHER GEORGIE ALL ALONG by Kate Clayborn***Order FOREVERMORE, a romance anthology, comprised of ten interconnecting romance short stories surrounding the Moore family and a wedding in Napa California. Written by ten Filipino-American authors. Pick it up at books2read.com/forevermoreNote: some links are affiliate linksContact Tif at tif@tifmarcelo.comPlease check out her website for podcast submissions
74. Being a vehicle for an author's words and saying what you want with actor Ferdelle Capistrano
Jun 13 2023
74. Being a vehicle for an author's words and saying what you want with actor Ferdelle Capistrano
Episode 74 of the Stories to Love podcast is up! Here with me today is Ferdelle Capistrano, who is the audiobook narrator of WHEN JASMINE BLOOMS.I know Ferdelle as an actor and audiobook performer, but the full story is that she is a multi-hyphenate creative — actor-director-writer-producer — and a first-generation Filipino-Canadian born and raised in Toronto. She instinctively understands the power of representation, since she grew up basically without it, so she set out to live her life to the fullest, to do and experience so much more than can be listed here (in this short bio), so that she could authentically tell the stories of others from a place of true understanding.In this episode we discussed her path to acting and performing, to include the catalyst that encouraged for her to pursue film seriously, and her brave move to Los Angeles from Toronto. We talked about factors in books that make it harder to narrate and how she brings her characters to life. Finally we chatted about the starving artist narrative, her singing, and working on a short film.LinksACX IannotateTHIS IS NOT A PERSONAL STATEMENT  by Tracy BaduaHOW TO BE THE BEST THIRD WHEEL by Loridee De Villa***Order FOREVERMORE, a romance anthology, comprised of ten interconnecting romance short stories surrounding the Moore family and a wedding in Napa California. Written by ten Filipino-American authors. Pick it up at books2read.com/forevermoreNote: some links are affiliate linksContact Tif at tif@tifmarcelo.comPlease check out her website for podcast submissions
71. Writing a forty-year love story with author Jennifer Gold
May 19 2023
71. Writing a forty-year love story with author Jennifer Gold
This is episode 71 of the Stories to Love Podcast. Here with me today is Nicole J. Persun, writing as Jennifer Gold.Nicole J. Persun is an award-winning author who has written and published in multiple genres, most notably book club fiction under the pen name Jennifer Gold. The Ingredients of Us was a 2020 Book Excellence Award Winner and a two-time finalist for the 2020 International Book Award. Keep Me Afloat received five award recognitions, including a Chanticleer International Book Award Somerset First Place honor. Her latest novel, Halfway to You, was an Amazon First Reads selection for March. Nicole loves open water swimming and fills her spare time with books, travel, and coffee. Learn more at nicolejpersun.com. Discover her recent novels at jennifergoldauthor.com.In this episode we talk about her most recent release, HALFWAY TO YOU, which is a forty-year love story, her dry spell and a trip to Tahiti that spurned this book, how she prepared the first draft of this book, her amazing first line in HALFWAY TO YOU, flaws in characters, and what makes them redeemable. Links Big Magic by Elizabeth GilbertThe View was Exhausting Michaela Clemens and Julie DadaThe Beautiful Ones from Silvia Garcia***Order FOREVERMORE, a romance anthology, comprised of ten interconnecting romance short stories surrounding the Moore family and a wedding in Napa California. Written by ten Filipino-American authors. Pick it up at books2read.com/forevermoreNote: some links are affiliate linksContact Tif at tif@tifmarcelo.comPlease check out her website for podcast submissions
69. Author Boo Walker and his own dark night of the soul
May 3 2023
69. Author Boo Walker and his own dark night of the soul
Episode 69 is Boo WalkerBestselling author Boo Walker initially tapped his creative muse as a songwriter and banjoist in Nashville before working his way west to Washington State, where he bought a gentleman’s farm on the Yakima River. It was there amongst the grapevines and wine barrels that he fell in love with telling high-impact stories that now resonate with book clubs around the world. Rich with colorful characters and boundless soul, his novels will leave you with an open heart and a lifted spirit.Always a wanderer, Boo currently lives in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, with his wife and son. He also writes thrillers under the pen name Benjamin Blackmore. You can find him at boowalker.com and benjaminblackmore.com.In this episode, we talked about his research and time in Spain during the quarantine, the experience of writing a location that he’s not native to, and the health benefits of good olive oil. We also discussed his nomadic life, his journey as a musician to writer and meeting his dark night of the soul. We also delved into how to describe his fiction, the intensity of deadlines, and challenging oneself as an author.Links discussedOliveoillovers.comIntuitive Editing by Tiffany Yates MartinThe Nightingale We Begin at the End by Chris WhitackerAsk Again, YesStation Eleven War of Art***Order FOREVERMORE, a romance anthology, comprised of ten interconnecting romance short stories surrounding the Moore family and a wedding in Napa California. Written by ten Filipino-American authors. Pick it up at books2read.com/forevermoreNote: some links are affiliate linksContact Tif at tif@tifmarcelo.comPlease check out her website for podcast submissions