Read And Write With Natasha

In this episode I sit down with author and speaker Douglas Schmidt to discuss his upcoming book, The Power of Self-Leadership: The Path to Unleash Your Talents, Strengths, and Superpowers. We talk about the connection between learning and leadership, why habits matter more than motivation, and how small daily decisions can shape your future. Douglas shares insights from books like Atomic Habits and Learning How to Learn, explains the neuroscience behind procrastination, and reveals why h...

A head-on crash took author Laura Van Wormer out of the writing life she knew and forced her to rebuild from scratch, including her voice. What she did, though, was that she didn’t just return to storytelling; she invented a new lane for herself through a serialized fiction podcast. Laura, a best-selling novelist and former Doubleday editor, joined me to explain how The Class of 74 became a narrative “soap opera” told week by week, complete with cliffhangers, research, and a liste...

Thirty-one children's books. Written in a creative sprint. Published within months. When Kelly Anne Manuel tells that story, the most surprising part isn't the speed; it's the clarity of purpose behind it. Her mission is to give kids a steady stream of comfort, confidence, and language that feels fun to live in. In this episode, I sit down with Kelly Anne Manuel, a children's book author whose modern nursery rhymes often arrive uninvited. She "hears" them while walking the dog, dr...

He started writing at 16 during lockdown, finishing a massive first draft he’ll never publish, but instead of stopping there, he kept going. That persistence turned into real momentum for Harrison Stockland, a rising crime-thriller author known for his “twisted originality” and willingness to embrace the gritty choices that traditional gatekeepers often want softened. His debut novel, Watch It Burn, sets the tone for the kind of dark, character-driven stories he’s building his career on...

You've probably been told to "just let it go." Dr. Angela Longo says that's the wrong instruction and offers an alternative: replace it. I'm joined by Dr. Longo, a UC Berkeley–trained biochemist with decades of experience spanning stress biochemistry, acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, and holistic healing — and the author of Relationshifting: Tools for Living Quantum Resplendence. We dig into what she means by quantum waves and why she treats them as information you can update ...