In this episode of Miles Beyond the Page, host Michelle Miles welcomes Jen Graybeal, an award-winning certified Creativity Coach, editor, and international speaker dedicated to helping authors build both stories and careers that truly fit them.

With over eleven years of coaching, workshops, and editing projects, Jen has supported more than a thousand authors through encouraging feedback, collaborative problem-solving, and gently applied tough love. Her work focuses on aligning creativity, mindset, and business so writers can define success on their own terms.

Michelle and Jen talk about creativity coaching, overcoming blocks, developing sustainable writing practices, and the mindset shifts that help authors move forward with clarity and confidence. They also touch on Jen’s Books, Business & Mindset podcast and her passion for helping writers feel empowered in both craft and career.

🎧 Join Michelle and Jen for an insightful, affirming conversation about creativity, confidence, and building an author life that actually works for you.

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe for more author interviews and creative conversations on Miles Beyond the Page!

ABOUT JEN GRAYBEAL:

Jen Graybeal (she/her) is dedicated to empowering authors through encouraging feedback, collaborative problem solving and gently-applied tough love. In eleven years of coaching, workshops, and editing projects, she has helped over a thousand authors create stories they are proud of and businesses that align with their individual vision of success. Jen is an award-winning certified Creativity Coach and international speaker with a degree in English, an ever-expanding TBR pile, and a furball assistant that is usually on her lap. Visit her website for client testimonials at www.jentheeditor.com or follow her on social media: @JenTheEditor. Listen to season one of Jen’s Books, Business & Mindset podcast, now available on all your favorite podcast apps.

WHERE TO FIND HER:

https://www.jentheeditor.com/

#JenGraybeal #MilesBeyondThePage #AuthorInterview #WritingPodcast #CreativityCoach #AuthorMindset #WritingCommunity #CreativeCoaching #BooksBusinessMindset #WritingLife #Creativity #MichelleMiles

In this episode of Miles Beyond the Page, host Michelle Miles chats with Lori Thorn, a contemporary romance author known for creating immersive stories filled with characters readers want to befriend—and maybe gossip about just a little.

The conversation centers on Lori’s book Enchanted Elixirs, exploring the heart of her storytelling, the relationships that drive her novels, and how she builds worlds that feel both cozy and emotionally real. Lori shares insights into her creative process, character dynamics, and what draws her to contemporary romance.

Living in Western North Carolina, Lori balances her writing life with time spent with her family, working out, practicing her instruments, and experimenting with vegetarian cooking—all of which find their way into the warmth and authenticity of her stories.

🎧 Join Michelle and Lori for a fun, thoughtful conversation about romance, connection, and crafting stories that feel like coming home.

ABOUT LORI THORN:

Lori Thorn writes contemporary romance that will immerse you in the world. You'll want to be best friends with some characters and tempted to gossip about others. She lives in Western North Carolina. When she’s not engaging in bookish activities, she can be found hanging with her amazing family, working out, practicing my instruments, or making vegetarian meals.

WHERE TO FIND HER:

Website | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Newsletter

WHERE TO FIND HER BOOKS:

Amazon & KU | Website | B&N | Audible

Everyone assumes there’s a master plan.

A spreadsheet. A calendar. A perfectly mapped-out publishing roadmap where every book releases on schedule.

And yes—I do plan.

But some of my best books were written because something in me said,

“No. This one. Now.”

In this episode of Miles Beyond the Page, I’m sharing how I actually decide what book to write next—and when I choose to ignore the plan and trust the story instead.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How I balance long-term strategy with creative intuition
• Why having a plan matters (and why it shouldn’t be a prison)
• Recognizing the stories that won’t wait
• How reader demand quietly shapes creative decisions
• When breaking your own rules is the right move
• Choosing the right book at the right time—not just the next one on the list

If you’re a writer, this is a behind-the-scenes look at the invisible decisions that shape a career.

If you’re a reader, it’s a glimpse into how the stories you love are chosen—and why some arrive sooner than expected.

Behind every “next book” is a hundred unseen choices. Strategy matters. Planning matters. But so does listening—to the story, to yourself, and to the people walking these worlds with you.

Sometimes the bravest creative decision isn’t sticking to the plan. It’s trusting yourself enough to know when it’s time to change it.

If this episode resonated, I’d love for you to subscribe, leave a review, or share it with someone who loves stories as much as we do.

Until next time—keep telling the stories that won’t let you go.