Holly Lynn Payne, MFA, MIM, is an award-winning, internationally published author of four novels, private writing coach, and podcaster. As the host and producer of the Page One Podcast, she interviews master storytellers on the critical first page of their books. Notable guests include bestselling authors Dean Koontz, Alka Joshi, Tess Gerritsen, Robert Dugoni, JT Ellison, Tom Barbash, Daniel Handler (Lemony Snicket), Kate Manning, Kristen Harnisch, Susanna Hoffs and many more. Her debut, The Virgin's Knot (Dutton), was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book. Her third novel, Kingdom of Simplicity, based on a true story of forgiveness, won a first place Benjamin Franklin Award. She earned a master’s degree from USC, BA in journalism from University of Richmond, and has served on the faculty of the California College of the Arts, Academy of Art University, San Francisco State University and Stanford.

Payne is the former CEO and founder of Booxby, a startup that built patented AI powered book discovery software, backed by a grant from the National Science Foundation. After closing Booxby in 2021, she returned to her first love: writing books and coaching writers. As an author, endurance athlete and trained intuitive healer, she offers a unique approach to the creative process. Blending her natural healing gifts with creative energy, she helps others optimize the flow state when they write. You can stay connected with her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter at @hollylynnpayne and sign up at www.hollylynnpayne.com for a brief monthly newsletter with updates, free offers, and the latest podcast episode from Page One.