My 17-page 2025 Winter Reading Guide is live! The guide contains 45 recent and upcoming releases plus new titles in book series, fiction/nonfiction pairings, stellar mystery series and some anticipated spring and summer releases. All of these will make great reads for this winter and many are books you won’t see many other places; I strive to find those under-the-radar gems. If you are interested, fill out the Google form and submit a tip of your choosing.

Contemporary Fiction Episodes

Feb. 12, 2025

Marianne Cronin - EDDIE WINSTON IS LOOKING FOR LOVE

In this interview, I chat with Marianne Cronin about Eddie Winston Is Looking for Love , her interesting inspiration for the book, intergenerational friendships, writing her sophomore novel, what surprised her the most about ...

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Feb. 12, 2025

Callan Wink - BEARTOOTH

In this interview, I chat with Callan Wink about Beartooth , his inspiration for this story, Hazen's name and how he chose it, Hazen's character, his process for writing this book, creating a strong sense of place, his though...

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Jan. 17, 2025

Tracey Lange - WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MCCRAY'S?

In this interview, I chat with Tracey Lange about What Happened to the McCray's? , her personal inspiration for this story, reader response to her books, the book's release date, how guilt can overtake us, forgiveness, her ti...

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Nov. 26, 2024

Marybeth Mayhew Whalen - EVERY MOMENT SINCE

In this interview, I chat with Marybeth about Every Moment Since , the inspiration for this book, her book dedication, society's current obsession with true crime, changing agents due to writing this book, how she chose who w...

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Nov. 11, 2024

Marissa Stapley - THE LIGHTNING BOTTLES

In this interview, I chat with Marissa Stapley about The Lightning Bottles , her musical muses for Jane and Elijah, including a road trip component in her story, how she approached writing about the drug use of the era, deter...

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June 18, 2024

Laura Hankin - ONE-STAR ROMANCE

In this interview, I chat with Laura Hankin about One-Star Romance , setting the book over a longer period of time than most rom-coms, the publishing world as a backdrop, writing a rom-com versus women's fiction, and much mor...

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June 13, 2024

Clare Pooley - HOW TO AGE DISGRACEFULLY

In this interview, I chat with Clare Pooley about How to Age Disgracefully , including a memorable dog in this book, how readers do not like dogs to die in books, Iona Iverson's various covers and titles, the easiest and hard...

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June 7, 2024

Susie Orman Schnall - ANNA BRIGHT IS HIDING SOMETHING

In this interview, I chat with Susie Orman Schnall about Anna Bright Is Hiding Something , how her marketing background helps her as an author, the research she conducted for this one, the Elizabeth Holmes effect, how she dec...

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June 4, 2024

Annabel Monaghan - SUMMER ROMANCE

In this interview, I chat with Annabel Monaghan about Summer Romance , the term "hard pants", exploring grief as well as what it means to be a mother, multi-tasking, skateboarding, her book title, and much more. Annabel's rec...

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March 26, 2024

Jesse Q. Sutanto - THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE AUNTIES

In this interview, I chat with Jesse Q. Sutanto about The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties, creating and now ending this series, the screen adaptation and its status, the highlight of writing this book, her writing process and how she shares it on Instagram, incorporating the Chinese new Year, infusi…

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March 19, 2024

Rebecca Serle - EXPIRATION DATES

In this interview, I chat with Rebecca Serle about Expiration Dates, incorporating magic into her books, how magic opens up the world she is creating, how she chooses her characters' names, how her title and cover came about, what surprised her the most when writing this one, and much more.

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Feb. 6, 2024

Karen Outen - DIXON, DESCENDING

In this interview, I chat with Karen Outen about Dixon, Descending, how she came upon with the idea for this story, the mental component of climbing Mt. Everest, her research and the way she depicts the mountain, having to decide what to leave out, choosing the correct year to set the story, her ti…

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Jan. 23, 2024

Laurie Frankel - FAMILY FAMILY

In this interview, I chat with Laurie Frankel about Family Family, exploring adoption in a positive manner, her research, unpacking the idea of chosen family, infusing humor into her stories, cancel culture, how much the book transformed over time, and much more.

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Dec. 5, 2023

Katie Cotugno - MEET THE BENEDETTOS

In this interview, I chat with Katie Cotugno about Meet the Benedettos , her love of Pride and Prejudice, taking on the challenge of a reimagining of a classic, choosing character names, reality TV and its cultural impact tod...

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Sept. 29, 2023

Interview with Denene Millner - ONE BLOOD

In this interview, Denene Millner and I discuss One Blood, her own adoption story and why she wanted to write about adoption, her children's book imprint and why she created it, the character she identifies with the most, her stunning cover, and much more.

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