The question threw me for a loop. "Do you have a friend who is your opposite but you just love them?" I didn't (and still don't) know how to answer her. My friend Teresa is crazy outgoing and gregarious. I'm naturally shy. So... sure. We're opposites. But we have most things in common. The same is Continue Reading
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Action, Danger, Personal History, and Romance—What’s Not to Love?
Nothing makes my heart sing like a good romantic suspense. Okay, it's really all about the suspense for me, but I'll take that romantic part, too if it gets me the suspensefulness. EEEP! Karen Randau is a new-to-me author with a book that opens like no other. Joggers. Fog. And poof! One of the Continue Reading
Tales of Bravery and Resilience in Difficult Times Always Inspire Readers
I've loved Dutch resistance stories since the night I watched The Hiding Place at a junior high lock-in and discovered it was first a book. I've read a few since then, so when I learned that Lauralee Bliss wrote a book about the smuggling of children out of Amsterdam (one of my favorite stories!), I Continue Reading
You Never Know What Will Inspire an Author’s Next Great Book
I had a lovely chat with Kim Vogel Sawyer a couple of weeks ago, all about her newest novel, Still My Forever. I'll never see tubas or Music Man the same again. Listen in for her inspiration for this book and her next! Quick note: the audio on my end of the episode is horrible, and I can't figure Continue Reading
Do You Think the Future Be Cool, Scary, Crazy, or What?
I seem to be on a dystopian kick. It began with Jess Corban's Nede Rising duology but then a couple more were suggested to me just a couple of days after I chatted with Christian Cross about his book Extraction: A Song for Emma. Perhaps there's a reason, eh? Listen in and discover where Christian Continue Reading
Why These Delightful Bookish Books Are Perfect For Your Autumn TBR
I've read a lot of bookish books in the past couple of years, but I think the fall of 2022 is going to go down as an epic season of bookish delight. With authors like Mollie Rushmeyer, Pepper Basham, and Amy Lynn Green, how could it not? Listen in to find out what bookish books I'm most looking Continue Reading
Who Knew Family History Could Inspire Wonderful, Heart-Wrenching Stories?
Sometimes you see a name everywhere and wonder why you haven't read a book by that author. Then you schedule an interview with said author and go, "WAIT! Why haven't I read this author???" Yeah, that's what happened with Amanda Wen, author of the recent release, The Songs that Could Have Been and Continue Reading
It Helps to Explore the Hard Stuff to Reveal the Good Stuff
The Dust Bowl. The Trinity Project. No one would accuse Jennifer L. Wright of sticking to fluffy topics! But man, the stories she has to tell! When I started reading If It Rains, it felt like I'd found a kindred spirit in Kathryn. But then Jennifer started talking about Come Down Somewhere. Oh, wow. Continue Reading
What if Faith and Fiction Combined to Make History Come Alive?
So much historical fiction takes place in wartime, but over the last decade or so, WWII has dominated the Christian Historical Fiction genre. I chatted with Lynne Basham Tagawa about her historical series that takes place during the years of the War for Independence. From New England down as far Continue Reading
A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Wonderful Memories Wouldn’t You Say?
I can count on one hand the number of times I recall my mother "submitting" to the torture of having her picture taken. There's maybe another half dozen photos that people got when I wasn't around as well. When I went through my photography phase (I was abysmal with a film camera), my dad (who also Continue Reading
A Look Back at Four 5-Star Reads from This Year’s Interviews
When I started this podcast, it was a way for me to just get to chat about books, especially 5-star reads) with anyone who would listen. I pictured occasional interviews with authors or reader chats (still don't have any of those... sigh), but I wanted a place to just gush about all the Continue Reading
What Better Way to Start a New School Year Than an Exciting Adventure Novel?
When I first checked out Bert Ballou on Amazon, I wasn't sure what to expect. Anthony the Donkey? What? And then I saw it. Andy Pershing and the Seven Wonders Warriors: The Lincoln Legacy. That's when the "oooh..." moment happened. Adventure, friendship, history, patriotism, and of course, Continue Reading
