LanguaTalk

Literary Aviatrix: The Power of Story - Women in Aviation

Join Liz Booker as she interviews authors whose books feature women in aviation from across genres, historical periods, and types of flying, and be inspired by the tenacity, adventure, and courage of our sisters in the air. * Liz not only promotes books featuring women in aviation, but also provides the tools and information for other women to tell their stories. Check out Writers' Room interviews for in-depth discussions on writing, publishing, and book promotion. * Liz is a retired Coast Guard helicopter pilot and writer, and host of the Aviatrix Book Club, Aviatrix Writers' Group, and Literary Aviatrix website where you'll find hu...

AN14: Author and writing professor, Lauren Kessler, talks about how, as a narrative non-fiction writer, she might approach research for memoir

6 mins; May 07, 2023

Three-Eight Charlie publisher Wendy Hollinger, children's author Nancy Roe Pimm, and round-the-world solo pilot Shaesta Waiz talk about Jerrie Mock's inspiring record-setting flight

53 mins; May 02, 2023

WP28: Author Ann McCallum Staats talks about the women pilots and astronauts she highlights in her biography collection High Flyers, including Army helicopter combat veteran, Purple Heart recipient, and U.S. Senator, Tammy Duckworth

7 mins; April 27, 2023

WP27: Airline pilot and SPCA volunteer Erin Mariah Murphy talks about animal air rescue and her picture book Halfway Home

11 mins; April 25, 2023

AN13: LGBTQ+ romance writer and retired Air Force and airline pilot Julie Tizard talks about conflict in storytelling and we both share how we seek and find inspiration to fuel our creativity

11 mins; April 22, 2023

WP26: Retired Air Force Colonel and U2 pilot, Merryl Tengesdal, talks about her path from the Bronx to an electrical engineering degree to U.S. Naval Aviation

7 mins; April 13, 2023

WP25: Bush pilot Myriam Huser talks about the joys and challenges of flying humanitarian missions in Chad with Air Serv.

6 mins; April 11, 2023

AN12: Book Publicist Jen Coburn talks timelines, costs, and the relationship between an author and her publicist.

11 mins; April 09, 2023

WP24: Author Kathy Mexted talks about how Deborah Lawrie fought a ground-breaking equal opportunity case in the Australian courts in 1980 to become the first female airline pilot in Australia.

4 mins; March 23, 2023

WP23: Pilot, journalist, and author Kathy Mexted talks about Australian pilot Patricia Toole and her adventures flying in Papua, New Guinea as the first female commercial pilot in the 1950s.

10 mins; March 21, 2023

AN11: Thriller novelist and co-author of Niloofar Rahmani's memoir, Open Skies, Adam Sikes talks about the challenges of putting emotions on the page.

9 mins; March 19, 2023

WP22: Historian Amy Shira Teitel talks about why she wanted to write the story of the women who tested for the early NASA space program with more context than was offered in previous tellings in her book Fighting for Space.

5 mins; March 16, 2023

WP21: Clare Mulley talks about the trail that led her to the hidden and untold story of Melitta von Stauffenberg (Schiller), and her role as a Nazi aeronautical engineer, test pilot, and resistor, which she juxtaposes with Hannah Reitsch in The Women who

6 mins; March 14, 2023

AN10: General aviation pilot and author Erin Seidemann talks about her writing journey and the daunting process of publishing her memoir, Postcards from the Sky: Adventures of an Aviatrix.

7 mins; March 12, 2023

WP20: Pulitzer Prize-winning author Beverly Weintraub talks about the first women Naval Aviators, featured in her book, Wings of Gold, as we prepare to celebrate fifty years of women in Naval Aviation with the Blue Angels' performance in El Centro

7 mins; March 09, 2023

Aviatrix Book Club - March 2023: Captain Manisha M. Puri talks about Indian women in aviation history starting with their first licensed pilot in 1936, to today, as the global leader with 12% women in commercial aviation

64 hours 52 mins; March 08, 2023

WP19: Amy Goodpaster Strebe talks about the similarities and differences between the WASP and the Night Witches' experiences as female pilots flying for their countries during WWII

10 mins; March 07, 2023

AN9: Award-winning Children and Young Adult author Sherri L. Smith talks bout her writing journey to publish the novel Flygirl about a fair-skinned black woman who passes as white to serve in the WASP

10 mins; March 05, 2023

WP18: Author Mary S. Lovell talks about the vintage aircraft she owned that led her to the aviation pioneer and author of the book West with the Night, Beryl Markham, in Kenya.

7 mins; March 02, 2023

WP17: Author Keith O'Brien introduces his narrative non-fiction Fly Girls about the Women's Air Races of the 1920s and 1930s

7 mins; February 28, 2023

AN8: Professional editor-for-hire Marylin Noble talks about the different types of editing and the importance of hiring an editor

6 mins; February 28, 2023

WP16: Merryl Tengesdal, former US Navy and Air Force pilot, talks about taking off and flying solo in the U2 Reconnaissance 'Dragon Lady' Aircraft

7 mins; February 23, 2023

WP15: Children’s author Kristen L. Gray teaches kids about the history of women in aviation in a modern day context that is relatable and relevant in her novel The Amelia Six: An Amelia Earhart Mystery.

8 mins; February 21, 2023

AN7: Patty Bear talks about finding her voice and the power of driving the narrative through writing

6 mins; February 19, 2023

Karlene Petitt, 40-year veteran of 8 airlines with a PhD in Aviation Safety, talks about how she weaves real-life aviation safety concerns and her own whistle-blower retaliation experience into her Flight for Control 6-book series

65 hours 22 mins; February 18, 2023

WP14: Spoiler alert: Erika Armstrong’s memoir A Chick in the Cockpit is not just about her aviation journey, it’s really about domestic abuse, and about how domestic abuse took her aviation career away from her

8 mins; February 16, 2023

WP13: Amy Shira Teitel talks about Jerrie Cobb’s affair with Jack Ford and the most romantic aviation scene I’ve ever read

5 mins; February 14, 2023

AN6: RAF Tornado GR4 combat pilot Mandy Hickson talks about her duty to write a book and how the publishing industry rejected her on the basis that ‘plane books are for a male readership who have no interest in reading about a woman’

6 mins; February 12, 2023

WP12: The inspiration and meaning of 'When the Sky' by Israeli artist Maya Johana: it’s all about empowerment and fits perfectly with the theme of finding the courage to pursue your aviation dreams

9 mins; February 09, 2023

WP11: The downs, ups, and downs of being Black in Aviation: Pioneering Black flight attendant and author Casey Grant talks about how cab drivers wouldn’t even pick her up to get to her flights, the glamour of meeting celebrities, and the drama of dealing

6 mins; February 07, 2023

AN5: Cecilia Aragon, author of the award winning memoir, Flying Free, talks about honing her writing craft and making choices in her writing and publishing journey to make her work the best it can be.

8 mins; February 05, 2023

R.D. Kardon Flying Home Book Launch: In the third book in The Flygirl trilogy, we experience 9-11 though the pilots’ perspectives and follow MC Tris Miles’ character arc to a satisfying end.

33 mins; February 04, 2023

WP10: Airline pilot and author Carole Hopson shares how she brought the pioneering aviatrix Bessie Coleman to life on the page in her historical fiction novel A Pair of Wings.

7 mins; February 02, 2023

WP9: Life in the adolescent boys’ locker room: former Navy helicopter pilot and retired Air Force U2 pilot, Merryl Tengesdal, on having a sense of humor in the male military culture

7 mins; January 31, 2023

AN4: NYT Best-selling author Kate Quinn offers advice for writers, wherever you are in your writing and publishing journey: learn to stifle the voice of doubt and fear in your head and “Embrace the Suck”

6 mins; January 29, 2023

WP8: Retired Air Force Colonel and Airline pilot, Julie Tizard, whose lesbian romance novel THE ROAD TO WINGS is set in Air Force Flight School, talks about being gay in the military pre-Don’t Ask Don’t Tell

7 mins; January 26, 2023

WP7: Erin Seidemann, author of the General Aviation memoir/travelogue POSTCARDS FROM THE SKY talks about her aircraft ownership journey from Cessna 172, to Piper Seneca II, to Cirrus

8 mins; January 24, 2023

AN3: Navigating Publishing Options with Literary Agent Amy Collins: Traditional Publishing? Self-Publish? Hybrid Publisher? It depends . . .

9 mins; January 22, 2023

WP6: Retired Airline and former Air Force pilot, Patty Bear, talks about how her Mennonite childhood compared to her experience in the first wave of women to attend the Air Force Academy and the trauma of her father’s excommunication from the church

7 mins; January 19, 2023

WP5: Army Warrant Officer and Cavalry Kiowa Warrior helicopter combat veteran Amber Smith talks about assimilating into the male-dominated military culture

7 mins; January 17, 2023

Writers' Room with Laura Savino on Chicken Soup for the Soul and writing and publishing her aviation career memoir, Jet Boss

33 mins; January 16, 2023

Captain Laura Savino, author of Jet Boss, on her warm welcome and teenage rebellion in general aviation, finding her way to the airlines via Purdue University and a lot of aviation grunt work, medical setbacks as a pilot, and motherhood in aviation

98 hours 12 mins; January 16, 2023

AN2: Is memoir fiction, non-fiction, or somewhere in between? Acclaimed author and professor of writing, Lauren Kessler, shares her thoughts.

6 mins; January 15, 2023

WP4: Tricia Aurand, Coauthor of Taking Flight: The Nadine Ramsey Story, the biography of a WWII Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP), does a reading from the book that vividly describes WASP life at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, TX.

6 mins; January 12, 2023

WP3: Author Amy Shira Teitel talks about whether pilot Jerrie Cobb’s expectations to go to space in the 1960’s were appropriate based on her success in Dr. Lovelace’s astronaut tests, and the conflict created by Jerrie & Jackie Cochran jockeying for power

10 mins; January 10, 2023

AN1: Welcome to Author’s Notes. We kick it off with determining your WHY as a writer with Robin D. Kardon, author of the Flygirl series.

7 mins; January 08, 2023

WP2: Author Lauren Kessler talks about how she was introduced to the larger-than-life pioneering Aviatrix, Pancho Barnes, and what Pancho was really serving up at her ranch, The Happy Bottom Riding Club, outside Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert

7 mins; January 05, 2023

WP1: Author Kathy Mexted introduces pioneering Australian female pilot Nancy Bird Walton, a Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame selectee for 2023

7 mins; January 03, 2023

Welcome to Season Three of the Aviatrix Book Review Podcast - Interviews with authors whose books feature women in aviation.

3 mins; January 01, 2023

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands native and first Black female Coast Guard Air Medal Recipient, HC144 pilot Ronaqua Russell talks about her career.

61 hours 31 mins; December 31, 2022

Mandy Hickson on flying fast jets as the British Royal Air Force's second woman Tornado GR4 combat pilot, how she parlayed that experience to become a successful motivational speaker, and her memoir An Officer Not a Gentleman.

64 hours 36 mins; December 16, 2022

Aviatrix Writers' Room - Beverly Weintraub

30 mins; November 01, 2022

Aviatrix Book Club October 2022 - Beverly Weintraub

47 mins; November 01, 2022

Aviatrix Book Club October 2022 - Becky Condon

69 hours 24 mins; October 29, 2022

Theme Songs - Israeli Singer/Song Writer Maya Johanna "When the Sky" and "Born to Become"

37 mins; October 06, 2022

Aviatrix Writers' Room - Hybrid Publisher Brooke Warner

52 mins; September 27, 2022

Origin Story - Aviatrix Book Club and ‘Literary Aviatrix’

37 mins; September 21, 2022

Aviatrix Book Club September 2022 - Mary S. Lovell

58 mins; September 15, 2022

Aviatrix Writers' Room - Mary S. Lovell

17 mins; September 15, 2022

Aviatrix Writers' Room - Keith O'Brien

24 mins; August 31, 2022

Aviatrix Book Club August 2022 - Keith O'Brien

53 mins; August 31, 2022

Aviatrix Writers' Room - Ann McCallum Staats

19 mins; August 25, 2022

Young Aviatrix Books - Ann McCallum Staats

41 mins; August 25, 2022

Aviatrix Book Club July 2022 - Myriam Huser

59 mins; July 31, 2022

Aviatrix Book Club Night Witches Discussion with Elizabeth Wein and Amy Goodpaster Strebe

78 hours 19 mins; June 27, 2022

Aviatrix Book Club June 2022 - Kate Quinn

46 mins; June 26, 2022

Young Aviatrix Books - Erin Mariah Murphy

84 hours 55 mins; June 11, 2022

Aviatrix Writers' Room - Erin Mariah Murphy

28 mins; June 11, 2022

Aviatrix Book Club May 2022 - Cecilia Aragon

55 mins; May 31, 2022

Aviatrix Writers' Room - Cecilia Aragon

29 mins; May 31, 2022

Aviatrix Writers' Room - Meghan P. Browne

38 mins; April 27, 2022

Young Aviatrix Books - Meghan P. Browne

69 hours 1 min; April 27, 2022

Aviatrix Writers' Room - Sandy Parks

43 mins; April 20, 2022

Aviatrix Writers' Room - Sandy Parks

47 mins; April 20, 2022

Aviatrix Book Club April 2022 - Sandy Parks

48 mins; April 20, 2022

Aviatrix Writers' Room - Literary Agent Amy Collins

68 hours 2 mins; April 13, 2022

Aviatrix Writers' Room - Amy Shira Teitel on research, book proposal, and promotion

40 mins; March 27, 2022

Aviatrix Book Club March 2022 - Amy Shira Teitel

79 hours 3 mins; March 16, 2022

Author Interview: Casey Grant on Black History in Aviation

40 mins; February 26, 2022

Aviatrix Writers' Room - Merryl Tengesdal on telling her story with a ghost writer

38 mins; January 29, 2022

Aviatrix Book Club - January 2022 - Merryl Tengesdal SHATTER THE SKY

123 hours 57 mins; January 23, 2022

Aviatrix Book Club 2021 Year in Review & 2022 Preview

95 hours 48 mins; December 30, 2021

Aviatrix Writers' Room - Julie Tizard on writing lesbian romance

23 mins; December 23, 2021

Aviatrix Book Club December 2021 - Interview with Julie Tizard on THE ROAD TO WINGS

30 mins; December 23, 2021

Aviatrix Writers' Room - Kristin L. Gray on writing for children

21 mins; December 17, 2021

Author Interview - Kristin L. Gray on her middle-grade mystery novel THE AMELIA SIX

31 mins; December 17, 2021

Aviatrix Writers' Room - Melody Foreman on the co-author relationship, her creative process, and advice for writers

52 mins; November 29, 2021

Aviatrix Book Club - November 2021 - A SPITFIRE GIRL with Melody Foreman

68 hours 36 mins; November 29, 2021

Aviatrix Writers' Room - OPEN SKIES - with co-author Adam Sikes

33 mins; November 19, 2021

Writers' Room Interview - Nancy Roe Pimm on publishing children's books without an agent

19 mins; November 04, 2021

Aviatrix Book Club - October 2021 - OPEN SKIES with Niloofar Rahmani and Co-Author Adam Sikes

50 mins; October 31, 2021

Young Aviatrix Books: Shaesta Waiz and Nancy Roe Pimm

59 mins; October 27, 2021

Aviatrix Book Club September 2021 - Sherri L. Smith FLYGIRL

47 mins; September 27, 2021

Writers Room Interview - Sherri L. Smith on writing novels and teaching the writing craft

28 mins; September 27, 2021

Aviatrix Book Club August 2021 - Erin Seidemann POSTCARDS FROM THE SKY: ADVENTURES OF AN AVIATRIX

51 mins; August 23, 2021

Writers' Room Interview - Erin Seidemann on the memoir editing and publishing process

36 mins; August 23, 2021

Aviatrix Book Club July 2021 - Amber Smith DANGER CLOSE

43 mins; July 30, 2021

Writer's Room Interview - Amber Smith on writing, editing, and promoting her memoir

16 mins; July 30, 2021

Author Interview: Carole Hopson A PAIR OF WINGS

72 hours 10 mins; July 19, 2021

Aviatrix Book Club June 2021 - Robin Kardon FLYGIRL and ANGEL FLIGHT

46 mins; June 24, 2021

Click here to see more

Literary Aviatrix: The Power of Story - Women in Aviation

Useful pages

Find a tutor

Languages