{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Episode 160 - Jonathan Whitelaw - Cozy Crime & Escaping into Writing","description":"Jonathan Whitelaw is a Scottish author and journalist now living in Canada who wrote his first novel at the age of 17. He\u2019s since published several books in the cozy crime genre, including Morbid Relations and the popular Bingo Hall Detectives series. In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast, host Lynne Golodner interviews Jonathan  about the cozy crime genre, why he\u2019s drawn to it and the genre\u2019s emphasis on humor, character, and setting. Plus, they discuss his publishing journey, from his first horrible book to being published by a small independent publisher to getting an agent and taking the plunge to become a full-time author. They also explore the differences and similarities between the publishing industry in the UK and Canada and how Jonathan has adapted his marketing to reach a North American audience while still appealing to his loyal UK readers.    In this episode, Lynne and Jonathan discuss:  Why you can write at any age Audience differences between Canada and the UK Genre talk The expansiveness of writing and publishing The popularity of cozy crime during times of crisis The challenge of writing humor Inspiration from in-law relationships The need for luck and endurance in the author journey Writing practice & daily routine Juggling writing, parenting and income-earning Importance of a supportive family and the "village" of the publishing industry Book cover differences between countries Lynne\u2019s writing sabbatical in Nova Scotia Finding your audience in different geographical locations   Links and Resources:  The Hobbit Die Hard Lynne\u2019s Writing Classes & Programs Nova Scotia Retreat When Words Collide Cozy Mystery Agatha Christie Terry Pratchett The Bingo Hall Detectives Ringwood Publishing Harper North Harper Collins The Village Hall Vendetta LJ Ross Indigo Colleen Hoover   Find  Jonathan Whitelaw: Website Facebook Twitter Instagram If you enjoyed this episode, you\u2019ll like these other Make Meaning Podcast episodes: Episode 158 \u2013 Suzanne Nugent \u2013 On Character Development Episode 149 \u2013 Anne-Marie Oomen \u2013 Writing Through Family Episode 134 \u2013 Andrew McDiarmid \u2013 Simply Scottish Episode 132 \u2013 Merryn Glover \u2013 Literary Fiction about Place Episode 70 \u2013 Elena Reads \u2013 How to Stoke a Love of Reading in Kids   ","author_name":"The Make Meaning Podcast","author_url":"https:\/\/makemeaning.org","html":"