{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"173: Kris Spisak - Author of The Baba Yaga Mask","description":" Our latest podcast episode features Kris Spisak (The Baba Yaga Mask, Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing, April 2022). Kris, the previous author of three non-fiction books on writing, always knew her first novel would center around Ukraine, the country of origin of her grandparents and extended family. Little did she know that the initial concept would take 8 years to come to fruition and then, through an odd set of circumstances, would be published only 5 weeks after everyone in the world was talking about Russia\u2019s invasion of that country. We discuss how, at first, she was reluctant to capitalize on the news cycle but then realized the release of her book provided her with a unique opportunity to share her knowledge of the Ukrainian people\u2014their customs, history, folk tales, and historical significance. She was even able to turn speaking events into opportunities to partner with charitable organizations, resulting not only in greater visibility for her novel but donation opportunities to help the country she loves. Kris Spisak\u2019s debut novel was inspired by her family\u2019s experience in the post-WWII Ukrainian diaspora and has been called \u201cA complex, poetic tale\u201d by Kirkus Reviews.&amp;nbsp;She wrote her first three non-fiction books\u2014 Get a Grip on Your Grammar: 250 Writing and Editing Reminders for the Curious or Confused (Career Press), The Novel Editing Workbook (Davro Press), and&amp;nbsp;The Family Story Workshop (Davro Press)\u2014to help writers of all kinds sharpen their storytelling and empower their communications. Kris has been spotlighted in&amp;nbsp;Writer\u2019s Digest&amp;nbsp;and&amp;nbsp;The Huffington Post&amp;nbsp;for her work as an editor and author dedicated to helping other writers. When not working on her own projects, she is an active speaker, workshop\/webinar leader and career strategist. To learn more about Kris, click here. ","author_name":"Hear us Roar","author_url":"https:\/\/maggiesmithwriter.com\/podcast\/","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/25626975\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/88AA3C\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/content\/144509310"}