An Interview with author Grace Sammon
- Donna Carbone
- 13 hours ago
- 4 min read
Episode 70
What does it take to reinvent yourself through storytelling and truly find your voice? In this episode, we sit down with Grace Sammon, award-winning author of The Reliable Narrator, The Eves and the LAUNCH PAD series, to explore the transformative power of writing at any stage of life. From her own career reinvention to crafting authentic narrative voice, Grace shares hard-earned insights on storytelling, publishing, and what it really means to connect with readers.
SHOW NOTES:
The Reliable Narrator
Storytelling and Voice
Writing and Publishing
Personal Insights
Reading Recommendations
Grace Sammon Bio:
Grace Sammon is an award-winning author, educator, and radio host whose work centers on
storytelling, reinvention, and the power of voice. Recognized in Who’s Who in Education and
Who’s Who in Literature, she is the recipient of the 2025 Indies United Award for Inspirational
Women in Literature, Media, and Journalism. Her debut novel, The Eves, marked a major
career reinvention and earned critical acclaim. Grace has now authored eight books, including
the LAUNCH PAD series on writing, publishing, and marketing your book, as well as the novel
The Reliable Narrator. She lives on Florida’s west coast with her husband and a small herd of
imaginary llamas, because every life needs a little magic.
The Reliable Narrator
As one of New York’s most sought-after ghostwriters, she tells other people’s stories so seamlessly they forget she was ever there. In an age of AI-generated prose, she is prized for what machines cannot do: capture a voice so authentic it feels lived-in. For Darby, disappearing into other lives is both her superpower and her refuge.
Then comes a late-night message from Phoebe Zaslove, Darby’s truest friend – fearless, magnetic, and now terminally ill. For reasons Darby cannot name, the women have not spoken in a year. But Phoebe is running out of time and makes one final request: Write my story.
Set between the wooded banks of New York’s Hudson River and Albuquerque’s lush North Valley, The Reliable Narrator is a layered, emotionally charged novel about the unbreakable bond between friends, the legacies carried from mothers to daughters, and the truths we bury to survive. As Darby walks Phoebe into the last chapter of her life, she is forced to confront her own traumas, her family’s silences, and the realization that fragments of her truth have been hiding in plain sight in every book she has ever ghostwritten.
Could you give us a synopsis of The Reliable Narrator?
What themes do you find yourself drawn to in your writing, particularly in The Reliable Narrator?
In what ways do you think Darby’s profession as a ghostwriter allows her to navigate her own personal struggles? How does this duality influence her character development throughout the novel?
How does Phoebe’s terminal illness act as a catalyst for the rekindling of Darby's and Phoebe’s friendship? What does this reveal about the nature of true friendship and the
urgency of sharing one's story?
As Darby writes about Phoebe’s life, she uncovers her own hidden truths. How does the novel illustrate the connection between storytelling and self-awareness?
The book touches on the legacies carried from mothers to daughters. What insights do you hope readers will gain about these generational stories and their impact on personal
identity and choices?
The theme of silence plays a crucial role in the narrative. How does the book explore the
implications of silence in relationships and the burdens it creates for those who bear untold stories?
In the novel, you make allusions to Virginia and Leonard Woolf. How did that evolve?
Connections to The Eves
Storytelling and Voice
In your experience, how does voice shape a story, and what advice can you offer aspiring writers in developing their own unique voice?
Writing and Publishing
Can you share your journey as an author and what inspired you to write your debut novel, The Eves?
You have authored multiple books, including the LAUNCH PAD series. What motivated you to create a series focused on writing, publishing, and marketing?
Personal Insights
You mention a "small herd of imaginary llamas." How does imagination play a role in your writing process?
RAPID FIRE
What’s your favorite writing playlist or genre?
Who is your favorite fictional character?
Pen and paper or laptop?
What’s your guilty pleasure when it comes to books?
If you could have dinner with any author, dead or alive, who would it be?
What’s your favorite time of day to write?
What's a quirky habit you have while writing?
Do you prefer writing in a cozy corner or a bustling café?
What’s the last book you read that you couldn’t put down?
Coffee or tea while writing?
Grace’s Reading Recommendations:
A Room of One’s Own, Virginia Woolf
“anything by Barbara Conrey”
SIGNED COPY GIVEAWAY: All you have to do is subscribe to our website @authorstalkingbookish.com AND Grace Sammon’s @ https://www.gracesammon.net/contact
by June 1st and you’ll be entered into a drawing for a free signed copy of The Reliable Narrator
SOURCES & LINKS
Full Show Notes are available on our website as well as free downloads mentioned in the episode.
Authors Talking Bookish https://www.authorstalkingbookish.com
Hope Gibbs, author of Where the Grass Grows Blue https://www.authorhopegibbs.com/
Donna Norman-Carbone, author of All That is Sacred & Of Lies and Honey https://www.donnanormancarbone.com
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