I am ecstatic to report that Chained Birds has been short-listed for CIBA’s 2024 Nellie Bly Book Awards! So naturally, I’ve done a deep dive into all things Nellie Bly β¦ get ready for a primer. π Sponsored by the Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (CIBAs), this award recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the...
Carla Conti
Carla Conti is a true crime journalist, storyteller, and prison reform advocate. Her debut book, Chained Birds: A True Crime Memoir of Justice, Survival and Redemption Behind Bars, is out now with WildBlue Press.
Winnie Schrader, host of YouTube’s Mysteries, Mayhem and Merlot, was destined to become a true crime podcaster, even if she didn’t know it. Her show, which dives into all things true crime, is the product of a radio background, a love of journalism, a family podcasting mentorship, and a personal experience within the genre. She credits her early interest...
I’m not sure which is more exciting β getting a trio of book prizes for Chained Birds or my new gorgeous cover with a shiny fresh award sticker … do I have to choose? I’ll tackle my prizes first and say I have a lot of love for BestThrillers.com, Independent Book Review, and Literary Titan. I’ve been honored with...
Like with so many worthwhile things, it really did take a village to publish and promote Chained Birds. It feels more than appropriate, in this last blog post of the year, to reflect upon my 2024 publishing whirlwind and all the folks who helped bring Chained Birds into the world and shout it from the bleachers. It was exactly...
I had the pleasure of appearing on Larry Davison’s final 2024 episode of his podcast, The Artful Periscope, which was a bittersweet finale as Larry said goodbye to his longtime sound engineer Chris DeChristofaro. For five years, Larry, whose career spans decades in radio, TV, and other podcasts, has recorded The Artful Periscope in a library sound booth on...
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I’m especially thankful and pleased to share a lovely, hometown interview I had with WriteNowPhilly.com, which posted on its website today. Drexel computer science major Tahsin Ahmed had the assignment of reading my debut, Chained Birds: A True Crime Memoir, and his deep, introspective interview questions are still serving as a roadmap for my...
This was a big week for me in podcasting with three shows recorded, including a really fun, birdseye view talk with Joe Dimino on his YouTube podcast FAMOUS INTERVIEWS WITH JOE DIMINO. We covered a lot of ground outside my book Chained Birds and in particular, what inspired me to become a journalist in the first place. (The interview...
This is my second shout-out this week to Ed Opperman and my appearance on his talk radio show the OPPERMAN REPORT, which appeared on a handful of radio stations (KCAA AM/FM- WWPR AM- WWNN AM/FM- WHSP AM- KYAH AM) and now has episode links on Spotify and Patreon. Ed was kind enough to invite me on his show to...
It was my pleasure to call into an old-timey radio station and chat it up with the grandfather of true crime radio and podcasting Burl Barer on his show TRUE CRIME UNCENSORED WITH BURL BARER. And when I say old-timey, my instructions were to call in on a landline if I could manage it β sorry, Burl, I haven’t...
This week a friend shared a link to a Philadelphia Magazine story about the “Little Scandinavia” prison program in Chester … and boy, was that alert timely because I then got to mention the article and the program while appearing on THE OPPERMAN REPORT radio show with Ed Opperman. (I’ll link to that episode when it drops.) I’ve recorded...
Last week I talked with journalist and author Dan Zupansky for his TRUE MURDER podcast, and it was the longest, most in-depth interview to date on all things Chained Birds. Dan covered the entire book from start to finish and just released the almost 90-minute interview on all his platforms, includingΒ Apple PodcastsΒ andΒ Spotify. There was much I didn’t know about...
Today’s log in the promotional tour for Chained Birds: A True Crime Memoir brings two firsts β a sit-down with an international journalist and a live YouTube recording. I enjoyed a 30-minute chat this morning with journalist Khudania Ajay for his daily live show KAJ Masterclass LIVE! Ajay, who’s had media roles with CNBC (India), Reuters, and PTI, brings...
I’m enjoying watching the marketing rollout this week for Chained Birds, including this 19-second Instagram reel created by Kapp Co Digital. My publisher, WildBlue Press, has just onboarded with the marketing firm, and my book is its first beneficiary. Candice Kapp, the firm’s founder and marketing specialist, has been delightful to work with and has embraced all the book’s...
Literary Titan has posted an author Q-A on their home page, which sheds light on the Lewisburg, PA, experimental prison program at the heart of Chained Birds and the safety issues I faced while writing it. Here’s a sample of the interview: What is one thing you found in your research that surprised you? I mentioned NPR and The...
Episode 214 of Jim Harold’s CRIME SCENE podcast dropped today, and I’m delighted to share it with true crime fans and potential readers of Chained Birds. Jim is an experienced, top-notch interviewer, and his probing questions centered on the prison abuses and corruption I reveal in the book, as well as the failings in our criminal justice system. CRIME...
It was a busy launch day at Chained Birds HQ in Philadelphia yesterday, and I’m grateful to all my well-wishersβvirtual and in-personβfor making my book launch so special π₯Ή Yesterday morning, my wonderful write-up from Independent Book Review went live on their site, and I’m happy to post theΒ review’s permanent link. IBR also named Chained Birds as one of...