{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Where the Night Winds Wail: Sandy Day on Obsession, Grief, and Indie Authorship","description":"On today\u2019s episode of the podcast, I\u2019m thrilled to welcome back one of my favorite returning guests, author Sandy Day. The last time Sandy was on the show, we talked about her novel Odd Mom Out and the re\u2011release of Head on Backwards, Chest Full of Sand. This time, she\u2019s here to dive deep into her brand\u2011new book, Where the Night Winds Wail\u2014a haunting Ontario noir inspired by the classic song \u201cThe Long Black Veil.\u201d In our conversation, Sandy pulls back the curtain on the long and winding road this novel took to completion: from an early 30,000\u2011word NaNoWriMo draft to a fully realized 93,000\u2011word book rich with interiority, atmosphere, and character development. We talk about the dangers of writing a book in endless layers over many years, the painful process of killing your darlings, and how adding a single major character reshaped the entire story. We also explore how music, obsession, and old wounds fuel Sandy\u2019s fiction. Sandy shares how the moody storytelling of \u201cThe Long Black Veil,\u201d her lifelong love of The Band, and films like Silver Linings Playbook influence her approach to love stories that are anything but neat \u201chappily ever afters.\u201d From Jake, her musician protagonist struggling with buried talent and unresolved grief, to the storm at the heart of the book\u2019s setting, this is a conversation about art, pain, and learning how to live with the things that never fully heal. Finally, Sandy and I dig into the business side of being an indie literary author\u2014branding, cover design, Amazon categories, and the power of consistent, heartfelt communication through her weekly Substack newsletter. If you care about writing emotionally honest fiction, building a sustainable indie career, or simply love hearing a thoughtful author talk about her craft, you\u2019re going to get a lot out of this episode. Check it out now: ","author_name":"The Writing Coach","author_url":"http:\/\/thewritingcoach.libsyn.com\/webpage","html":"