Author Talk: Lynne Golodner and Catherine Matthews, Sisters Stories, June 8, 2026

Award-winning novelists Lynne Golodner and Catherine Matthews engaged in an Author Talk about sisters in fiction on June 8, 2026! This scintillating conversation explored how authors create sister relationships in fiction, the importance of this relationship to further stories, and specifically how Catherine's second novel, ROADSIDE SISTERS and Lynne's third novel, I LOVE YOU, CHARLIE TANNER, came to be. CATHERINE MATTHEWS is an award-winning Pacific Northwest author who believes we are all more powerful than our fears. She writes emotional and engaging stories about the inherent strength of women, both individually and as a sisterhood. Her novels, including the award-winning Releasing the Reins and Roadside Sisters, are a testament to the idea that there are a million ways to be a woman and every single one of them is right. For over three decades, Catherine walked a very different path. With a B.S. in Biology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Washington State University, she had a fulfilling career as a high school teacher, principal, and district administrator. But after a lifetime of focusing on data and deadlines, she shifted her focus to storytelling. The journey began with her blog, Life Through My Lens, where she started writing about her youth, family, and the emotional world she had long kept quiet. This passion for personal storytelling blossomed into writing novels about characters navigating their inner demons, generational trauma, and family secrets as they tackle life's toughest challenges. When she's not crafting her next story, you can find her on the road with her husband and two dogs, Wally (a Staffordshire Terrier rescue) and Delta (a Boxer). A true early bird, she is up at 4 a.m. to join an online writing group of her favorite authors from around the world. She's known for her love of humor, dogs (she once named a Boxer Buttercup just so she could say, "What's up, Buttercup?"), and the occasional road trip. Catherine's life is a mix of laughter and tears, and she hopes her books reflect the joy, humor, and pain of living an authentic life. LYNNE GOLODNER has been writing since she was 6 years old and never wants to stop. But it took decades for her to really call herself an author, despite writing and publishing 8 books between 1996 and 2013—two poetry collections and six nonfiction books published by small traditional presses. Throughout her career, Lynne has written as a journalist for magazines and newspapers in New York, Washington DC and Detroit, she has taught writing at universities and in communities after earning an MFA in creative writing, and since 2007 she has put her writing skills to work in marketing and public relations channels through her company Your People LLC. And while she always wanted to be a full-time book author, Lynne did not make this her reality until midlife, when she realized it was time to take the leap and make author her main identity. Lynne spends her days writing award-winning novels about strong women finding love, and her stories include suspense, a taste of magical realism and Jewish identity. She’s writing a book a year, publishing through her own imprint, Scotia Road Books, and speaking to book clubs and reader audiences around the world about the power of story to heal us all. When she’s not writing, Lynne is likely on the phone with one of her four young adult kids, walking in the forest with her husband, playing tennis, swimming, leading a writers retreat in a cool locale, or talking to the plants in her garden. Lynne has been published under three surnames (a decision she regrets, but what can you do?), so look for her writing under Lynne Cohn, Lynne Schreiber, and Lynne Golodner. Find all of Lynne's books and essays - and more AUTHOR TALKS - at https://lynnegolodner.com. Subscribe to Lynne’s Substack at https://lynnegolodnerauthor.substack.com. Writers are invited to join Lynne live online at free monthly Writealongs or in any of the programs she offers through https://thewriterscommunity.com.