Shows
Books and Brews PodcastLife After a Terrorist Attack: Episode #81 with Christiane ScarpinoBooks and Brews: the place where beer and literature meet! In 1977 at the age of 21, Christiane Scarpino miraculously survived a terrorist bombing when she left her desk, just 10 feet from the bomb, to go get her morning donut and coffee from a co-worker. Missing Pieces tells the story of the bombing, the aftermath of dealing with the FBI's interrogations, and the long-term PTSD impacts. We talked about Christiane's name-change that resulted from the trauma of the bombing, what PTSD is as compared to how it's casually used today, her duck tolling retrievers, EMDR therapy, long=term...
2026-01-291h 02Books and Brews PodcastRomance and Military Thriller with Kristie Wolf, Episode #80Books and Brews: the place where beer and literature meet! Kristie Wolf weaves tales about fearless heroes and badass heroines who fight for justice and love while burning up the pages. Kristie's passion for writing romance ignited during her teenage years when she told her mom she was going to write a novel someday. She did, and now she can't stop. As the daughter of a Vietnam Veteran, wife of a Marine, and Navy mom, she enjoys writing happily ever afters for not just military heroes, but for all the brave, loyal, and selfless men and women who...
2025-12-191h 01Books and Brews PodcastEpisode #79: Jake Needham on Crime & CharacterBooks and Brews: the place where beer and literature meet! Jake Needham is an American lawyer who became a screen and television writer through a series of coincidences too ridiculous for anyone to believe. When he realized how little he actually liked movies and television, he started writing crime novels. Jake has lived in Asia and Australia since 1980, first in Sydney, then in Hong Kong, and from 1992, in Bangkok. He and his wife, an Oxford graduate and prematurely retired concert pianist, have been married for thirty-two years and have two adult sons. Jake...
2025-11-1800 minBooks and Brews PodcastEpisode #78: Technology & Truth & a Paranormal Thriller with Ashley Fontainne & Andrea EmmesBooks and Brews: the place where beer and literature meet! Ashley Fontainne is an author and co-author of more than 30 novels, known for her intricate plots and writing in genres from dark comedy to mystery/thrillers to suspenseful paranormal. Andrea Emmes, a singer, performer and one-time magician's assistant who has narrated many of Ashley's books, steps into writing for the first time with their co-authored paranormal and psychological thriller, ETERNAL BEAUTY. We talked about masks (psychological, not covid), childhood trauma, plastic surgery…and Aquanet wiggling into tight pants in the 80! (And more!) 00:00 STA...
2025-10-271h 02
The Catholic BookwormEpisode 210: Laura Vosika on her book Blue Bells of Scotland (October 7, 2025)In this episode of The Catholic Bookworm, Kiki Latimer interviews Laura Vosika on her book Blue Bells of Scotland (October 7, 2025)Shawn Kleiner has it all: money, fame, a skyrocketing career as an international musical phenomenon, his beautiful girlfriend Amy, and all the women he wants-- until the night Amy has enough and leaves him stranded in a Scottish castle tower.He wakes up to find himself mistaken for Niall Campbell, medieval Highland warrior. Soon after, he is sent shimmying down a wind-torn castle wall into a dangerous cross country trek with Niall's tempting, but knife-wielding fiancee...
2025-10-1154 minBooks and Brews PodcastEpisode #77: One Family's Story of Jack the Ripper, with Robert GerebBooks and Brews: the place where beer and literature meet! Róbert Geréb is a boundary-pushing author and accomplished AI developer. As co-author of Jack the Ripper's Assassins—the cornerstone of The Dighton Chronicles, built on multigenerational oral history from a Romani-Viking lineage—he melds immersive storytelling with rigorous historical research. He also penned two nonfiction guides through Aspect Books: EASY MILLIONAIRE MATH, a practical blueprint for building scalable, passive-income businesses; and Declutter Your Life, Enrich Your Soul, an emotionally holistic program for simplifying your surroundings, finances, and relationships for deeper personal growth. 00:00 START
2025-09-301h 02
Elisha's Space: Counseling and Authentic Conversations on HealingFinding Faith and Calm: Laura Vosika on Stress, Anxiety, and Spiritual ResilienceDiscover how faith, scripture, and practical wisdom can help you overcome stress and anxiety in today’s fast-paced world. Join Laura Vosika and Elisha Space for an inspiring conversation on spiritual resilience, mental health, and finding peace amidst life’s challenges. Learn lessons from David, Esther, and Paul, and explore the importance of rest, purpose, and community support on your healing journey. This video is part 2 of our original conversation. #MentalHealth #FaithAndWellness #SpiritualResilience #StressRelief #ChristianLivingLaura Vosika's Information www.lauravosika.comHOME | BlueBellsChronicles
2025-09-1048 min
Elisha's Space: Counseling and Authentic Conversations on HealingFaith & Mental Health: Inspiring Conversations on Healing, Hope, and Spiritual Wellness |Elisha's Space PodcastJoin us for an inspiring conversation on the intersection of faith and mental health. In this heartfelt episode, author Laura Vosika shares her personal journey, the challenges she’s faced, and how faith has been a guiding force through life’s ups and downs. Discover practical insights, uplifting stories, and the power of hope and community on the path to healing and spiritual wellness.#FaithAndHealing #MentalHealthMatters #Inspiration #Hope #SpiritualWellnessLaura Vosika's Information:HOME | BlueBellsChroniclesYoutube Channel
2025-09-0630 minBooks and Brews PodcastEpisode #76: Family Secrets Come to Light with Hiram JohnsonBooks and Brews: the place where beer and literature meet! Hiram Johnson is retired law enforcement officer, currently teaching criminal justice as an adjunct, a father, author and creator. His book Reason to Fight: a search or truth is a surprising tale of a family mystery. We talked about the event that landed his grandmother in prison for murder, prison conditions for women in the 1920s, his search for his shrouded family history and the connection he developed with a previously unknown relative in the search for his grandfather's identity. Find Hiram's...
2025-08-081h 03Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews #75: UFOs with Dona MasiDona Masi is a writer and editor whose short fiction and articles are used in reading and writing assessments throughout the United States. Her articles on several subjects have appeared in several newspapers. She is also a playwright, and two of her plays were performed at the Provincetown Theater Company. In her writing she loves bringing relatable characters to life and depicting them in all their heroic and flawed humanity. Her debut novel, The Taking, was inspired by her interest in UFO folklore and reports of alien encounters. She lives with her husband in Dover...
2025-07-241h 02
The Molten TruthHarmonies Across Time - Laura VosikaSeason 1, Episode 6: Join Laura and me, Zoey Michaels, as we discuss music and it's effect on us as well as her journey to writing the series Blue Bells of Scotland. Laura grew up in the military, visiting castles in England, pig fests in Germany, and the historic sites of America's east coast. She earned a bachelor's degree in music, and worked for many years as a freelance musician, playing trombone for pit orchestras, ballets, and symphonies, and flute and harp for other venues. She spent three years as a member of the Buz Whiteley Big Band and Farragut Brass...
2025-07-2150 min
Tragically BeautifulS4, E45 - Writing My Own Story as I Travel Through TimeWelcome to episode 045 of the Tragically Beautiful podcast. In this conversation, Kathy Wisniewski speaks with musician and author, Laura Vosika who shares her journey of overcoming financial abuse and other adversity while raising nine children. Laura discusses the complexities of financial control, the emotional turmoil it caused, and her path to empowerment through creativity, gratitude, and resilience. She emphasizes the importance of finding beauty in life's challenges and how her experiences shaped her parenting and personal growth. The discussion also touches on Laura's podcast, 'Books and Brews,' which combines literature and beverages, showcasing her creative endeavors.R...
2025-07-0154 minBooks and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews #74: Sci-fi and More with Bill McSciFi McCormickBooks and Brews: the place where beer and literature meet! Bill McCormick is an award-winning and critically acclaimed author of several novels, graphic novels, and comic book series, and has appeared in numerous anthologies. He began writing professionally in 1986 for the Chicago Rocker Magazine in conjunction with his radio show on Z-95 (ABC-FM) and went on to write for several other magazines and blogs. He wrote a twisted news & science blog at WorldNewsCenter.org. It provided source material for his weekly radio show on WBIG 1280 AM, FOX!, which aired for 12 years. We talked about...
2025-06-201h 02
Unlocking the Parenting Code: All About BoysMusic, Motherhood & Male EnergyIn this episode of Unlocking the Parenting Code: All About Boys, Kathy sits down with Laura Vosika—author, musician, publisher, and mother of nine (seven boys and two girls)—to explore what it’s really like to raise a large family and to reflect on the innate differences between boys and girls.Laura shares vivid stories from her early parenting years: juggling music teaching, raising a full household, and keeping her creative spirit alive—all while intentionally creating a home that felt loving and accepting, a contrast to the more perfection-driven environment she grew up in.From g...
2025-06-111h 12Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews #73: Monsters & Appalachian Lore Come to Life with Clay GilbertBooks and Brews: the place where beer and literature meet! Clay Gilbert has always believed in the power of the imagination to dissolve differences and forge connections between people. Since 2013, he has published thirteen novels, from science-fiction and horror to YA dystopia and urban fantasy. His works include the science-fiction series Children of Evohe, which began in 2013 with Annah and the Children of Evohe, as well as the horror novel Dark Road to Paradise and the dark fantasy novel Pearl: A Monster Story. Clay lives and works in Knoxville, Tennessee...
2025-05-271h 01Books and Brews PodcastEpisode # 72: Wild Alaska with Mr. NovemberBooks and Brews: the place where beer and literature meet! Michael Modzelewski (Mojo-less-key) grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of a famous NFL football player with the Cleveland Browns, Ed "Big Mo" Modzelewski. Michael graduated from Indiana University with a degree in English Literature. He is the author of five books, including INSIDE PASSAGE, about a two year stay on a wilderness island in the Inside Passage to Alaska. After living "date-less" on the wild island, Michael was chosen a "Bachelor of the Month" by Cosmopolitan Magazine. Mr. November received 5,000 letters from women around the...
2025-04-301h 01
Minds on a MissionWriting, Motherhood & Medieval Time Travel | Laura Vosika on Living Creatively | Minds on a Mission Podcast | Episode 22In this heartwarming and inspiring episode of Minds on a Mission, host Samantha Bailey welcomes Laura Vosika—a mother of ten, time-travel novelist, and small publisher living a rich, creative life on a Tennessee farm.Laura opens up about how she balances storytelling, homesteading, music, and family with grace and grit. From writing The Blue Bells Chronicles, a historical time-travel series set in medieval Scotland, to running a podcast with her husband, her journey is a testament to following your passion—even in the chaos of real life.💬 “Find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your lif...
2025-04-111h 09Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews #71: Time Travel, Sci-fi and Woodstock with Beth DukeBestselling author Beth Duke's Anywhen is the ultimate outsider story—a young woman yearning to belong across time itself. With universal themes of love, jealousy, sacrifice, friendship, joy, loss, and forgiveness, this genre-defying novel is a story like no other...one that will stay with you long after the final page. Beth read from her latest book, Anywhen, that combines sci-fi, time travel, and historical fiction. We talked about Woodstock, the central event of Anywhen, about southern fiction, stereotypes, the good and bad of AI, and Utopias. Is Baezy's world a Utopia? Did living in peace res...
2025-03-311h 02Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews #70: Sherlock Holmes Alive Again! with Richard T. RyanA lifelong Sherlockian, Richard T. Ryan is the author of nine Sherlock Holmes novels and currently working on his tenth. He's also written a well-received murder mystery "Deadly Relations which has been produced twice off-Broadway. He pursued graduate studies at Notre Dame where he majored in medieval literature. Our talk ranged from Knights Templar finding Minnesota in the 1300s to the reasons Arthur Conan Doyle killed Sherlock Holmes to the inefficient bombers of the 1880s and the Scarlet Pimpernel and Mark Wahlberg. 00:00 START 06:20 Drink 1: Watson's Delight 07:20 Reading 1: The Traitorous Templar 11:20 From m...
2025-02-2758 minBooks and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews #69: AI and Aliens with Michael ColonBooks and Brews: the place where beer and literature meet! Michael Colon is a novelist and freelance writer, born and raised in New York City. His author's story is about hard work, perseverance, and believing in the power of imagination. His inspiration comes from various societal abnormalities, the beauty in cultural differences, and his own life experiences. His debut novel, The Gift from Aelius, is about an artificial intelligence's growing awareness of purpose and life. There is not a science fiction tale as poetic and thought-provoking. In the not-too distant future, A191, a Codex with artificial in...
2025-01-261h 03Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews #68: High Adventure with John GrahamJohn Graham shipped out on a freighter when he was 16, hitchhiked through the Algerian Revolution at 19 and was on the team that made the first ascent of Denali's North Wall at 20, a climb so dangerous it's never been repeated. He hitchhiked around the world at 22, working as a correspondent in every war he came across. A US Foreign Service Officer for 15 years, he was in the middle of the 1969 revolution in Libya and the war in Vietnam. As a global peace builder, post Foreign Service, he contributed to peace efforts in Israel and Palestine. For the...
2024-12-2957 minBooks and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews #67: Back to Merry Olde England with JP ReedmanJ.P. Reedman lives in Wiltshire near to Stonehenge. Born in Canada, she has had a lifelong interest in ancient and medieval history, and is often found lurking around prehistoric sites, ruined castles and abbeys, and interesting churches with camera in hand. She became a full-time writer in 2018. Series include: I, Richard Plantagenet, 5 books chronicling Richard's life from childhood to Bosworth, and Medieval Babes, a set of standalone novels about lesser-known medieval queens and noblewomen. Her most recent release is Princess in the Police Station, the tale of little Anne Mowbray, wife of the younger 'Prince in t...
2024-11-261h 00Books and Brews PodcastEpisode #66 From Nomad to Ph.D. with Michael C. KeithMichael C. Keith is the author of an acclaimed memoir––The Next Better Place–a young adult novel––Life is Falling Sideways––and 20 story collections, including, Of Night and Light, Everything is Epic, Sad Boy, And Through the Trembling Air, Hoag's Object, The Collector of Tears, If Things Were Made To Last Forever, Caricatures, The Near Enough, Bits, Specks, Crumbs, Flecks, Slow Transit, Perspective Drifts Like a Log on a River, Let Us Now Speak of Extinction, Stories in the Key of Me, Insomnia 11, Pieces of Bones and Rags, Quiet Geography, The Late Epiphany of a Low-Key Oracle, and Bodies in Recl...
2024-10-221h 03Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Episode #66: Michael C. KeithMichael C. Keith is the author of an acclaimed memoir––The Next Better Place–a young adult novel––Life is Falling Sideways––and 20 story collections, including, Of Night and Light, Everything is Epic, Sad Boy, And Through the Trembling Air, Hoag’s Object, The Collector of Tears, If Things Were Made To Last Forever, Caricatures, The Near Enough, Bits, Specks, Crumbs, Flecks, Slow Transit, Perspective Drifts Like a Log on a River, Let Us Now Speak of Extinction, Stories in the Key of Me, Insomnia 11, Pieces of Bones and Rags, Quiet Geography, The Late Epiphany of a Low-Key Oracle, and Bodies in Recline, E...
2024-10-221h 03Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Episode #65: Stephen DownesSteve Downes is a contemporary Irish poet and novelist, currently living and working in Ireland. Educated in N.U.I. Maynooth, he holds a Degree in Classical History and a Masters in Cultural Anthropology. Steve has published poetry; science fiction, including Cosmogonic Marbles, Temporal Tome, Gadzooks Armageddon and Botolf Tales (the Botolf Chronicles), Warworld: Shadows & Dominions (part 1), Murder on the Alpha Centauri Express and The Deaths of Guner Zoon; and four children's Books: The Upstairs Cat Series (3 books) & An Apprenticeship to Doctor Vantastic. Steve continues to write and publish work in many genres. ...
2024-09-181h 02Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Episode #64: Kathy MurrayKathy Murray is a certified personal trainer with over thirty years' experience in the fitness industry. She is a graduate of The Ohio State University where she was a member of the 1983 National Cheerleading Championship Team. After college she competed in and won the United States Aerobic Championship in 1986 and spent the year traveling the world as a Fitness Ambassador and worked as a free-lance educator to teach fitness to European Instructors. While in Munich, she coached the Munich Cowboys (American Football) Cheerleaders to six national titles in cheerleading and was head trainer/translator for the German...
2024-08-201h 03Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Episode #63: Frank Warner Like any good soldier's son, Frank Warner moved with his family from fort to fort, accepted each change, and was ready to move again. Then, in 1960, Frank's father was ordered to Fort Huachuca (WahCHOOka), Arizona. This was the fifth Army post of Frank's childhood, the first place he never wanted to leave. So when his father was ordered to Vietnam in 1963, sending Frank and the rest of the family to Pennsylvania, the uprooting wasn't easy. Frank's book, "Tumbleeweed Forts: Adventures of an Army Brat," describes the joys of living in Fort Huachuca, and the heartache of leaving...
2024-07-011h 03Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Episode #62: Sharon Bennett ConnollySharon Bennett Connolly is the best-selling British author of several non-fiction history books. A Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, Sharon has studied history academically and just for fun – and has even worked as a tour guide at a castle. She also writes the popular history blog, www.historytheinteresngbits.com and co-hosts the podcast A Slice of Medieval, alongside historical novelist Derek Birks. Sharon regularly gives talks on women's history, for historical groups, fesvals and in schools; her book Silk and the Sword: The Women of the Norman Conquest, is a recommended text for teaching the Norma...
2024-06-131h 01Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Episode #61: Robert R. HeathRobert Heath grew up in different places around the world, beginning in Japan in the late '40s. Robert and his eight siblings followed the assignments of their father, a sergeant in the U.S. Army. He ultimately became an educator for 37 years, serving all grade levels from Pre-K through doctoral programs in South and North Carolina. He now lives in the mountains of NC, where he loves writing and hiking. You can find him at face book at BratBob3of9 We talk about Bob's adventures growing up in Taiwan, Japan, Germany and the United States, with...
2024-05-041h 00Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Episode #60: JS AbsherJ.S. Absher is a poet, memoirist, and independent scholar. As a teetotaler—he is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—he can't add much insight into brews, but he can hold his own when it comes to books. Stan's first full-length book of poetry, Mouth Work (St. Andrews University Press) won the 2015 Lena Shull Award from the North Carolina Poetry Society. Stan's second full-length book of poetry, Skating Rough Ground, was published in 2022 by Kelsay Press. Poems have recently been published or accepted by The McNeese Review, Mormon Lit Blitz, Triggerfish Critical Review, Irre...
2024-04-091h 02Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Episode #59: Theresa HalvorsenTheresa Halvorsen has a "don't tell me I can't do that," attitude about life and is an author, publisher, editor, and YouTuber. She's overly-caffeinated and at times, wine-soaked. The author of multiple cross-genre works, including Warehouse Dreams, Lost Aboard and River City Widows, Theresa wonders what sleep is. She's the owner of No Bad Books Press and one of the hosts of the popular YouTube channel, the Semi-Sages of the Pages. In whatever free time is left, (ha!) Theresa enjoys board games, concerts, geeky conventions, and reading. Her life goal is to give "Oh-My-Gosh-This-Book-Is-So-Good!" happiness to her re...
2024-03-101h 02
Meet the Author - The CartersTALES OF THINGS BEYOND OUR WORLD - Episode 145 - LAURA VOSIKAMEET THE AUTHOR Podcast: LIVE- Episode 145Originally aired Wednesday February 28,2024 Featuring Author Laura Vosika. ABOUT LAURA: Laura Vosika is a writer, poet, musician, podcast host, and mother of 10. Her time travel series, The Blue Bells Chronicles, which ranges across modern and medieval Scotland, has garnered praise for its historical accuracy and the very real personalities inhabiting its pages, along with comparisons to writers as diverse as Diana Gabaldon and Dostoevsky. Her poetry has been published in The Moccasin and The Martin Lake Journal 2017. Laura has been featured in newspapers, on radio, and TV, has spoken for regional...
2024-02-291h 26Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Episode # 58: Peter Andrew SaccoPeter is the Author of 30 books, fiction and non-fiction and published on 4 continents. He is a resident expert and regular of Top 50 USA radio and TV markets including Fox, CBS, ABC, ESPN, Coast to Coast, iHeart and over 100 major radio and TV networks. Peter is a multi-award-winning, director, cinematographer, actor and producer on 7 continents Peter has written more than 800 articles (self-help and fiction) appearing in major news media world- wide He has been a university professor for 28 years, as well as being a psychologist, specializing in criminal psychology, sports psychology and addiction studies.
2024-02-061h 02
Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #57: Stephanie Sanders-JacobStephanie Sanders-Jacob is an author and artist from Sandusky, Ohio. Her alien abduction novel, Singing All the Way Up, debuted with No Bad Books Press in July 2023. Her short fiction has been featured by Books of Horror, Hearth & Coffin, Mixer, Mosaic, and Ether Arts. You can find her online at www.sandersjacob.com and her artwork at www.rabbitandrain.com Stephanie's Readings: Things were better before I killed my dad – 8:28 Airship, 1897 – 28:51 Running from the fighting – 44:50 Chris's Cocktail Pairings: Freak Show (paired to Things were better before I killed my dad)– 6:18 Aviation (paired to Airship, 1897) – 25:35 International Incident (paired to Running from the fig...
2024-01-061h 01Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #56: M.B. ZuckerStephanie Sanders-Jacob is an author and artist from Sandusky, Ohio. Her alien abduction novel, Singing All the Way Up, debuted with No Bad Books Press in July 2023. Her short fiction has been featured by Books of Horror, Hearth & Coffin, Mixer, Mosaic, and Ether Arts. You can find her online at www.sandersjacob.com and her artwork at www.rabbitandrain.com Stephanie's Readings: Things were better before I killed my dad – 8:28 Airship, 1897 – 28:51 Running from the fighting – 44:50 Chris's Cocktail Pairings: Freak Show (paired to Things were better before I killed my dad)– 6:18 Aviation (paired to Airship, 1...
2024-01-061h 01Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #56: M.B. ZuckerM. B. (Michael) Zucker has been interested in storytelling for as long as he can remember. He devoted himself to historical fiction at fifteen and earned his B.A. at Occidental College and his J.D. at Case Western Reserve University School of Law. He lives in Virginia with his family. He is the author of four novels: The Eisenhower Chronicles, A Great Soldier in the Last Great War, Theodore Roosevelt and the Hunt for the Liopleurodon, and The Middle Generation: A Novel of John Quincy Adams and the Monroe Doctrine. Among his honors is the Best Fictional Biography...
2023-12-041h 00Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brew Episode #55: MJ WilliamsMJ Williams is the pen-name for the writing duo, Peggy Joque Williams and Mary Joy Johnson. Peggy is a freelance writer and book editor. A retired elementary school teacher, Peggy has taught creative writing classes and workshops for Madison College and the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Department of Continuing Studies. She is a member of the Women's Fiction Writers Association, Sisters in Crime, and the Wisconsin Writers Association. She will be debuting her first solo historical novel, Courting the Sun: A Novel of Versailles, next May (2024), to be published by Black Rose Writing. Mary Jo...
2023-11-071h 00Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Episode # 54: Ralph E. JarrellsRALPH JARRELLS became an author after retirement from more than four decades in marketing, advertising, and publishing, much of it in senior executive positions. He writes mostly historical fiction with religious themes. His first book was published August 4, 2017 when he was 75—a great example that you're never too old to start a new chapter in your life. His firth book, The Essential Last Supper debuted this month. Ralph's Readings: · Three Kings – 11:55 · A Lady and a Pirate – 41:05 · Fighting Like a Little Girl – 46:55 Chris's Pairings: · Goliath (paired to Three Kings) – 9:06 ...
2023-10-151h 02Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Episode # 53: Dan CoonanDAN COONAN has worn many hats through the years – Conference Commissioner, Athletic Director, CEO, Attorney, Novelist, Senior Congressional Campaign Advisor, Fundraiser, Nonprofit Chairman of the Board, College Adjunct Professor, Political Essayist, Youth Sports Coach, Bartender, Batting Practice Pitcher, Wedding Officiant, Dock Talk Facilitator, devoted husband and father. His books are Presidential Spirits: Part history lesson, part magical realism these well-researched books imagine conversations of all 45 presidents in a saloon stocked with any drink you want, located above the private quarters of the White House and accessible only to presidents - and a few colorful wait staff- through a s...
2023-09-081h 01Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Episode # 52: Karen Essex KAREN ESSEX is an award winning, bestselling author of six books including Leonardo's Swans & Stealing Athena. She has recently co-written a pilot based on her two-volume novel, Kleopatra, for Netflix, which Lauren Hissrich, creator of The Witcher franchise, will executive produce. She adapted Anne Rice's The Mummy for James Cameron and Fox Studios and collaborated on adapting her novel Dracula in Love as a series for A&E Studios & Lifetime. She just completed a historical novel about the fabulous Gabor sisters, the first global fashion and glamour influencers, and she's determined to enjoy...
2023-08-191h 01Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Episode # 51: PTL PerrinMilitary brat, voracious reader, and now writing books in her favorite genre, Patty Perrin who writes as PTL Perrin grew up in Europe and speaks several languages. A misfit by any account, Patty shares her love for people, Native cultures, our amazing world, alien encounters, astounding mysteries, and the Creator of it all in her writing. Author of Reflections of a Misfit, an inspirational collection of faith journey snippets, and the four-book TetraPhere series, Patty is working on another YA Scifi/Fantasy series. She enjoys living in Florida and loves her husband and her large and diverse...
2023-07-071h 00
Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode # 50: Bjorn Erickson, Brewer This month at Books & Brews, with Michael on sabbatical, Laura and Dr. Chris Powell visit Hoops Brewery in Duluth, MN. We talked with Bjorn Erickson, one of the brewers about brewing...and books. Bjorn had a great story about how he got from earning a degree in German to brewing beer. We talked about the blending of science and artistry, the hard parts of being a brewer, and the reasons Bjorn loves his job, and the numerous books and genres Bjorn reads. If you're in Duluth, we highly recommend...
2023-06-071h 03Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #49: Margaret J. AndersonI grew up in Scotland, graduating from Edinburgh University with a degree in genetics. Back then, genetics was all about statistics and probability. So, I became a statistician until I took up the more chancy career of writing children's books. Exploring the Insect World was published nearly 50 years ago. I then switched to time-slip fantasies and historical fiction. I've written nature-activity books, biographies, and more books about insects, which I now look on as my true calling. I married an entomologist. When you share your home, and sometimes your refrigerator, with insects you realize they need an advocate in...
2023-05-081h 00Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #48: Sharlene MacLaren Born and raised in west Michigan, Sharlene MacLaren attended Spring Arbor University. Upon graduating with an education degree, she taught second grade for two years then accepted an invitation to travel internationally for a year with a singing ensemble. In1975, she returned to teaching and married her childhood sweetheart. They've raised two lovely daughters, both of whom are now happily married and enjoying their own families. Retired since 2003 after 31 years of teaching, "Shar" loves to read, sing, travel, and spend time with her family, in particular her wonderful, adorable grandchildren.sharlenecaclaren.com Sharlene's Readings: · Dear M...
2023-04-101h 01Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #47: Elizabeth TuckerElizabeth Tucker is a Distinguished Service Professor of English at Binghamton University who specializes in children's and adolescents' folklore, folklore of the supernatural, and legends. Her books include Campus Legends: A Handbook, Haunted Halls: Ghostlore of American College Campuses, Children's Folklore: A Handbook; Haunted Southern Tier; and New York State Folklife Reader: Diverse Voices, co-edited with Ellen McHale (2013). She is co-author of Legend Trips: A Contemporary Legend Handbook (2018). She has edited Children's Folklore Review and served as president of the International Society for Contemporary Legend Research and the Children's Folklore Section of the American Folklore Society; she is also...
2023-03-131h 02Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #46: Jane CableEva Glyn writes emotional women's fiction inspired by beautiful places and the stories they hide. She loves to travel and her last trip before the covid lockdowns was to Croatia, where she met a man with an incredible story of growing up during the country's Homeland War in in 1990s. It inspired The Olive Grove, set on the island of Korcula. Two more Croatian novels have followed, both taking their inspiration from the Second World War. An Island of Secrets was published in 2022 and The Collaborator's Daughter will follow in 2023. Her books are published by Harper Collins imprint One...
2023-02-011h 01Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #45: Jen GilroyJen Gilroy writes women's fiction for Orion Dash and sweet western romance for Harlequin Heartwarming—uplifting stories about women finding home, family and new beginnings–and finding themselves too. She's a Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® finalist and was shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists' Association Joan Hessayon award. A dual British-Canadian citizen, Jen lived in England for many years and earned a doctorate in geography, focusing on British cultural studies and social history, from University College London. She worked in higher education and marketing before becoming a full-time writer. She now lives in small-town Ontario, Canada with her husban...
2023-01-0359 minBooks and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #44: Christina CourtenayChristina Courtenay writes historical romance, time slip and time travel stories, and lives in Herefordshire (near the Welsh border) in the UK. Although born in England, she has a Swedish mother and was brought up in Sweden – hence her abiding interest in the Vikings. Christina is a former chairman of the UK's Romantic Novelists' Association and has won several awards, including the RoNA for Best Historical Romantic Novel twice with Highland Storms (2012) and The Gilded Fan (2014) and the RNA Fantasy Romantic Novel of the year 2021 with Echoes of the Runes. Hidden in the Mists (timeslip/dual time romance published by...
2022-12-071h 00Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #43: Connie KinseyConnie Kinsey is a former military brat who has put down deep roots in a converted barn on a dirt road at the top of a hill in West Virginia. She lives with two dogs and a cat, and is pursuing happiness, one cup of coffee at a time. Primarily a memoirist, the events of her life permeate her work. Her fiction is sometimes described as autofiction because it incorporates autobiography in a fictionalized form with endings far from the truth of what really happened. In January of 2021, Connie was thrilled to be selected as one of two Writers-in-Residence...
2022-11-011h 00Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcasts Episode #42: Robert BindinottoRobert Bidinotto is author of the bestselling Dylan Hunter vigilante thriller series. Robert's debut novel, HUNTER, soared to the top of the Kindle bestseller list and was a Wall Street Journal "Top 10 Fiction Ebook." Its sequel, BAD DEEDS, became a #1 Audible thriller. The third installment in the series is the gripping political suspense novel WINNER TAKES ALL. Before turning to fiction, Robert produced decades of award-winning nonfiction journalism. He earned a national reputation as an authority on crime while writing investigative articles for Reader's Digest. One of those was named a finalist for a National Magazine Award, by the...
2022-10-051h 02Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcasts Episode #41: Nancie Laird YoungNancie Laird Young grew up as an Army BRAT and traveled with her family across the United States, Europe and the Far East. Eventually she grew up, married (twice), had three great daughters, and various careers in human services, academic administration, advocacy for people with disabilities. These led to contributions to books and magazine articles about the Internet, which eventually led to positions in Community/Social Media Management, Content Development, and Strategy at WashingtonPost.com, Edmunds.com, LifetimeTV.com, and AOL/Time Warner among others. After leaving the corporate world she moved to the Eastern Shore of Maryland, presumably...
2022-09-161h 02Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcasts Episode #41: Nancie Laird YoungNancie Laird Young grew up as an Army BRAT and traveled with her family across the United States, Europe and the Far East. Eventually she grew up, married (twice), had three great daughters, and various careers in human services, academic administration, advocacy for people with disabilities. These led to contributions to books and magazine articles about the Internet, which eventually led to positions in Community/Social Media Management, Content Development, and Strategy at WashingtonPost.com, Edmunds.com, LifetimeTV.com, and AOL/Time Warner among others. After leaving the corporate world she moved to the Eastern Shore of Maryland, presumably to...
2022-09-161h 02Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #40: Janet Raye StevensMeet award-winning author Janet Raye Stevens – mom, reader, tea-drinker (okay, tea guzzler), and weaver of smart, stealthily romantic tales. A Derringer Award finalist, Janet's work has been recognized multiple times, including winning the Daphne du Maurier award for the WWII-set paranormal A Moment After Dark and RWA's Golden Heart® award for the fun and flirty holiday romance Cole for Christmas. Janet writes mystery, time travel, paranormal, and the occasional Christmas romance with humor, heart, and a dash of suspense. She lives in New England with her husband, who's practically perfect in every way, and their various family members, all gen...
2022-08-011h 00Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #40: Janet Raye StevensMeet award-winning author Janet Raye Stevens – mom, reader, tea-drinker (okay, tea guzzler), and weaver of smart, stealthily romantic tales. A Derringer Award finalist, Janet’s work has been recognized multiple times, including winning the Daphne du Maurier award for the WWII-set paranormal A Moment After Dark and RWA’s Golden Heart® award for the fun and flirty holiday romance Cole for Christmas. Janet writes mystery, time travel, paranormal, and the occasional Christmas romance with humor, heart, and a dash of suspense. She lives in New England with her husband, who’s practically perfect in every way, and their various family members...
2022-08-011h 00Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcasts Episode #: Episode #39: Janelle Molony and Jodi Nasch DeckerJanelle Molony, M.S.L. is a family historian, an award-winning non-fiction author, and news journalist. Jodi Nasch Decker, Ed.D. is a college professor and freelance writer. Together, they provide interpretation and context for the poet Martha Nasch’s alleged seven year fast and 1920’s insane asylum stay. SevenYearsInsane Readings: News Reports on Martha Nasch's Seven Year Fast – 13:59 Force Feeding in the Asylum – 24:56 The Asylum, a poem by Martha Nasch – 40:09 Michael’s Beer Pairings: Celebrator Doppelbock, Privatbrauerei Ayinger (paired to News Reports) – 11:02 CPB, Lupulin Brewing Company (paird to Force Feeding in the Asylum) – 23:32 The Abyss, Deschutes Brewing Company (paired to The Asy...
2022-07-011h 02Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcasts Episode #: Episode #39: Janelle Molony and Jodi Nasch DeckerJanelle Molony, M.S.L. is a family historian, an award-winning non-fiction author, and news journalist. Jodi Nasch Decker, Ed.D. is a college professor and freelance writer. Together, they provide interpretation and context for the poet Martha Nasch's alleged seven year fast and 1920's insane asylum stay. SevenYearsInsane Readings: News Reports on Martha Nasch's Seven Year Fast – 13:59 Force Feeding in the Asylum – 24:56 The Asylum, a poem by Martha Nasch – 40:09 Michael's Beer Pairings: Celebrator Doppelbock, Privatbrauerei Ayinger (paired to News Reports) – 11:02 CPB, Lupulin Brewing Company (paird to Force Feeding in the Asylum) – 23:32 The Abyss, Desc...
2022-07-011h 02Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Episode #38: Linda WisniewskiLinda C. Wisniewski is a former librarian who shares an empty nest with her retired scientist husband in Doylestown, PA. Linda teaches memoir workshops and produces webinars for the Pearl S. Buck Writing Center. She was born in Amsterdam, New York and is a graduate of SUNY at Buffalo and the library school at Villanova University. Her work includes fiction, memoir and personal essays and has been published in numerous literary magazines and anthologies both print and online. Her credits include publications as diverse as the Philadelphia Inquirer, Massage, The Quilter, the Christian Science Monitor, gravel and Foliate Oak. Linda w...
2022-06-021h 01Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Episode #38: Linda WisniewskiLinda C. Wisniewski is a former librarian who shares an empty nest with her retired scientist husband in Doylestown, PA. Linda teaches memoir workshops and produces webinars for the Pearl S. Buck Writing Center. She was born in Amsterdam, New York and is a graduate of SUNY at Buffalo and the library school at Villanova University. Her work includes fiction, memoir and personal essays and has been published in numerous literary magazines and anthologies both print and online. Her credits include publications as diverse as the Philadelphia Inquirer, Massage, The Quilter, the Christian Science Monitor, gravel and Foliate Oak. L...
2022-06-021h 012022-05-041h 002022-04-011h 02Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #35: Ilona ParunakovaIlona Parunakova is an author, diversity and inclusion speaker, and founder and CEO of IP Resilience Global and Identity Guru. She penned the best-selling books Opium of the Almond Tree, Am I Godfident, Unfiltered, Unleashed, Unapologetic, Royal Grand Berries, Success without Apology, and In the Front Line with Royal Warriors. Additionally, she has published the International Project book Godfident Voices and the children's book Bella's Butterfly. Parunakova is a TEDx international speaker who brings encouragement to audiences whenever she walks on stage. Parunakova is a direct descendant of survivors of the Armenian Genocide during World War I. She...
2022-03-161h 00Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcasts Episode #34: Sadira StoneAward-winning contemporary romance author Sadira Stone spins steamy, smoochy tales set in small businesses—a quirky bookstore, a neighborhood bar, a vintage boutique… Her stories highlight found family, friendship, and the sizzling chemistry that pulls unlikely partners together. When she emerges from her writing cave in Las Vegas, Nevada (which she seldom does), she can be found in belly dance class, or strumming her ukulele, perhaps exploring the West with her charming husband, or cooking up a storm, and always gobbling all the romance books. Sadira's promise to readers: a guaranteed HEA and no cliffhangers! www.sadirastone.com
2022-02-0100 min
Reading And Writing PodcastLaura Vosika interview - Episode 563The 563rd episode of the Reading & Writing Podcast features an interview with Lara Vosika, author of THE BLUE BELLS CHRONICLES.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/reading-and-writing-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
2022-01-1416 minBooks and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #33: Shannyn SchroederSloane Steele is the pen name for Shannyn Schroeder. As Sloane, her Counterfeit Capers series of heist romances are her love letter to the TV show Leverage. As Shannyn, she writes contemporary romances about big families, both those created by blood and by choice. Her books are set in the city of Chicago because having grown up there and lived near the city her whole life, she writes what she knows. Shannyn is a part-time English teacher, part-time curriculum editor, and full-time mom, even though her kids are pretty self-sufficient teens. In her down time, she bakes cookies, reads...
2022-01-031h 00Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Episode #32: Christine Madline EllsworthChristine Madline Ellsworth, has just released her first book of poetry, published by Potter's Wheel Publishing. Here is a collection of poems tracing the arc of transition in a contemporary woman's life. From childhood fascinations to adult issues such as domestic violence, marriage and divorce, Ellsworth shares many relatable experiences. Ellsworth holds BA and MA degrees in English literature from Moorhead State University Moorhead and Marquette University, respectively. She is a member of the Jackpine Writer's Bloc and her poetry has appeared in issues of The Talking Stick. Her work has also appeared in Moorhead State University's Red Weather...
2021-12-021h 02Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #31: Sandy HannaSandy Hanna is an award-winning author for her memoir "The Ignorance of Bliss: An American Kid in Saigon," a true coming-of-age story about growing up in Vietnam in the early 60s. She current resides in Lambertville, New Jersey. As a military BRAT (British Regiment Attached Transfer) her story reveals a turbulent time where politics and intrigue resided between plot and counterplot and where, as children, she and her siblings lived in the continuous present - perhaps the only way children can live. Ms. Hanna graduated from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois with a BA in Interdisciplinary Programs...
2021-11-011h 01Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #30: Christine HusomChristine Husom is a national best-selling author from Minnesota. She pens the suspenseful Winnebago County Mysteries and the cozy, but not too cozy, Snow Globe Shop Mysteries where bad guys demonstrate not everyone is "Minnesota Nice." She also has stories in many anthologies. Husom served with the Wright County Sheriff, is a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime and is active with the Twin Cities chapter. She loves meeting readers at a variety of venues and events. www.christinehusom.com Christine's Readings: Death in Lionel's Woods – 33:47 Secret in Whitetail Lake – 26:11 Frosty the...
2021-10-011h 00Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #29: Nicole BurnhamNicole Burnham is the RITA Award-winning author of over twenty romance novels, including the popular Royal Scandals series. As an army brat, Nicole was raised moving around the world. She still travels abroad whenever she can score cheap airfare and loves that it feeds her writing. If Nicole isn't at her keyboard, she is happiest spending time at Fenway Park or trail running. www.nicoleburnham.com Nicole's Readings (read by Hollis McCarthy): Scandal with a Prince (Megan Hears a Voice) – 12:32 Slow Tango with a Prince (Emily Finds Vittorio) – 26:02 To Kiss a King (Expert Advice) – 45:31 Michael...
2021-09-021h 02Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #28: Jeff LaFerneyJeff LaFerney was a full-time language arts teacher in Davison, Michigan, for 30 years. After coaching basketball for most of his career, he decided to write books instead and took on his new hobby. Now he spends his free time reading, writing, and editing books. He and his beautiful wife have two adult children. His Clay and Tanner Thomas series focuses on a father and son team who use parapsychological abilities to solve mysteries. Jumper is a time-travel science fiction adventure. Lost and Found, is a unique mystery/treasure hunt with ties to World War II history. His latest, Planer...
2021-08-021h 01Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #27: Ernie BrillErnie Brill writes fiction and poetry about everyday people. His I Looked Over Jordan and Other Stories explores race and class among hospital workers. The actress Ruby Dee purchased, adapted, and performed the story Crazy Hattie Enters Ice Age for her and her husband's PBS TV series "With Ruby and Ossie." Brill won a New York State Council for The Arts Fiction Grant. He received his BA and MA in English from San Francisco State College. Brill has published widely fiction, poetry and essays in the US and Canada (River Styx, Other Voices, Z, U. of Minnesota, Prentice Hall...
2021-07-061h 01Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #26: Eugenia FainEugenia Fain is an author of poetry and prose. She is also a songwriter and available on Amazon and Spotify. Eugenia has forty years of experience in writing. She is a preschool teacher and tutor. She is published here and abroad; she is considered an international author. Eugenia is featured in several anthologies. She is published online, in print, ebook, and audiobook form. She has no children of her own; but she resides in Columbia, SC with her husband, Ivan, and tabby cat, Buddy. Allpoetry.com Eugenia's Readings: Immortality, a glose poem – 13:12 A Song of De...
2021-06-0359 minBooks and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #25: Melonie JohnsonUSA Today bestselling author Melonie Johnson―aka #thewritinglush―enjoys cheap wine, expensive beer, and sipping cocktails that start with the letter m. Declared a "writer to watch" by Kirkus and a "fizzy, engrossing new voice" by Entertainment Weekly, her smart funny contemporary romances include Too Good to Be Real and her award-winning Sometimes in Love debut series: Getting Hot with the Scot, Smitten by the Brit, and Once Upon a Bad Boy. A former high school English and Theatre teacher, she spends her days in her Star Wars office, dreaming up meet-cutes. She lives in Chicagoland with her husband, thei...
2021-05-061h 01Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #24: Philip WatlingPhilip Watling lives in Milton Keynes, England with his American wife and their amazing cats, Spirit and Shadow. Unable to work, he still manages to do some… a zero-hour contract job that he can dip in and out of when he feels up to it! When not doing that, much of his week is spent at the gym, swimming and talking to everyone – socializing with people in the city center, seeing friends at various church-sponsored lunch clubs and chatting to lots of people - on line and off - trying to help as many as he can. His remaining time...
2021-04-021h 01Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Episode #23: Cynthia Kraack and Joseph TachovskyCynthia Kraack is an author of fiction, short stories and nonfiction. 40 Thieves on Saipan was released by Regnery History in 2020 and received Best Book in Military History from the American Book Festival. The High Cost of Flowers won two 2014 Midwest Book Awards taking first in Literary Fiction and Contemporary Fiction. Her debut work, Minnesota Cold, won the 2009 Northeastern Minnesota Book Award for Fiction. She also wrote the Ashwood trilogy, a speculative fiction family saga. The Saturday Evening Post, Glimmer Train, Big Muddy Literary Journal and the Hal Prize competition have published or recognized her short stories. She has an...
2021-03-0159 minBooks and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #22: Chris PowellDr. Chris Powell is an author, poet, musician, engineering and management consultant and aspiring polymath with his fingers on everything from fretboards and ivories to the pulse of post-modernism, surrealism, and nihilism's impact on the destruction of morality and sanity. His work takes him from the Internet of Things to Cyberspace, and from Supercomputers to AI. More down to earth, he putters in his labs with birdhouses and cameras, servomotors and drones. At the range he's comfortable with AR's and lasers, in a kilt with trombones and guitars, on a kneeler with his Rosary, and in the kitchen making ome...
2021-02-011h 01Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Episode #21: Lauretta and Michael KehoeLauretta Kehoe is an avid reader of all types of books, but mostly science fiction and fantasy, seeking in these stories reflections of my Christian faith. Not finding many, she decided to write what she wanted to read. Michael Kehoe is a professional comedian, actor and screenwriter, who has appeared in several movies, including the latest Jason Bourne film, the upcoming Godzilla sequel, two television shows and two commercials. Michael has also appeared as his Geriatric Elvis persona at five casinos in the Las Vegas area. A Dream of Dragons is their debut urban fantasy novel published b...
2021-01-031h 01Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #20: Shawn D BrinkShawn D. Brink is currently building a following with four novels to his name, the latest being MY GYPSY WAR DIARY (Gabriel's Horn Publishing). He has also had numerous shorter works in various publications and anthologies. Shawn is represented by Liverman Literary Agency. shawnbrinkauthor.wordpress.com Facebook Twitter Shawn's Readings: Ghosts – 9:05 Post-Game Events – 27:45 Haunted Memories – 44:55 Michael's Beer Pairings: Winter Welcome, Samuel Smith Old Brewery – 6:49 Windvane, Bad Weather Brewing Company – 25:02 Dead Guy Ale, Rogue Ales – 41:32 Interview Highlights: Norfolk, Norfolk, and Norfork – 13:21 Memories of growing up in Norfolk, Nebraska – 15:32 Wearing bolo ties in Clovis, Ne...
2020-12-011h 00Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast #19: Sandra Lynne ReedBorn and raised in Alaska, Sandra graduated from University of Alaska and became a travel agent. After marriage, she helped run her husband's real estate appraisal business until their children were grown, while doing freelance writing. She and her family left Alaska in 1988 and has lived in Western Washington since 1991. A lifelong fascination with the Middle Ages stoked her interest in historical fiction, and she traveled to Italy to research a novel set in the thirteenth century Kingdom of Naples. Her passion for family history keeps the drama of the past alive for her and sometimes inspires story...
2020-11-0459 minBooks and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Episode #18: Lisa GurineLisa Gurine has written newsletters and business communications professionally for more than twenty years. She comes from a long line of storytellers and for most of her life has channeled her creative energy into re-telling and embellishing her family's history. Without Words grew from the seeds of her own ancestors' lives as South Dakota immigrants. Lisa Gurine resides in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, with her husband of more than thirty years. Her passion for cross-cultural understanding led her to volunteer with an international high school exchange program. She and her husband have hosted six foreign exchange students at their...
2020-10-011h 01Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #17: Ozgur K SahinOzgur K. Sahin is an award-winning historical novelist and life coach. True Colors, the second book in his Brethren of the Spanish Main series, was released in late 2019 as a sequel to The Wrath of Brotherhood. He is currently working as a life coach while hunkered down during the Covid-19 pandemic and working on a non-fiction book on narcissism. He grew up in Minneapolis and his studies range from astrophysics and history to meditation and development studies. ozgurksahin.com Ozgur's Readings: Pieter at the Prison – 14:21 Coya with the Golden Staff – 31:06 Captain Roy Toppings at the Huci...
2020-09-011h 02Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #16: Mike FaricyThe Dirty Lowdown called Mike Faricy America's hottest new mystery writer. Robert Carraher referred to him as Minnesota's Master of the Bizarre. Crime Scene referred to him as the next Carl Hiaasen. Mike Faricy writes four crime fiction series; Dev Haskell mystery series, the Corridor Man series, Jack Dillon Dublin Tales series, and the Hotshot series. Faricy's novels are filled with the sort of oddballs we're all curious about, but wisely prefer to keep at a distance. His characters serve not so much as an example as they do a warning to us all. None of them will be...
2020-08-041h 01Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #15: Mark ConnerMark Connor is from St. Paul, MN. In summer 2019, he was featured in the first Gabriel's Horn Press anthology, Surprised by Joy. A boxer since age 10, he currently trains competitive and recreational boxers, runs a training business called Fighting Chance/Boxing for Life and writes fiction, poetry, and journalism. He has written and published many articles about Boxing and Irish culture and history, as well as other features. boxersandwritersmagazine.com Mark's Readings: The Perfect Metaphor – 9:26 Halfway Around – 29:53 Two Pilgrim Souls: Anam Cara – 46:14 Michael's Beer Pairings: Veltins Pilsener, Brauerei C & A Veltins (paired to The Pe...
2020-07-031h 02Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #14: John Gaspard and Jim CunninghamJohn Gaspard is author of the Eli Marks mystery series as well as two other stand-alone novels, "The Greyhound of the Baskervilles" and "The Ripperologists." He also writes the Como Lake Players mystery series, under the pen name Bobbie Raymond. In real life, John's not a magician, but he has directed six low-budget features that cost very little and made even less - that's no small trick. He's also written multiple books on the subject of low-budget filmmaking. Ironically, they've made more than the films. Those books ("Fast, Cheap and Under Control" and "Fast, Cheap and Written That...
2020-06-0558 minBooks and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Episode #13: Judith GranahanFiction Author, Judith Granahan of Minnesota writes books about strong, intelligent, inventive women who get in trouble. The question is who will survive, who won't? Women have always been described as super human to sniveling child, intelligent to incompetent, collaborator to cut throat; it goes on and on. With such varied attributes in mind, Granahan creates novels full of compelling characters dealing with mystery, danger, thrills, romance, horror, and difficult choices. Someday she may even write science fiction, fantasy or historical novels. www.judithgranahanbooks.com Judy's Readings: Rose Teaches her Sons to Hate (See...
2020-05-011h 02Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast #12: Tony PlocidoTony Plocido is the author of three collections of poetry. The first, Sucker Punch Wisdom, was published with two other K.C. poets (Jeremy O'Neal & William Peck). His other books are Aging and Other Side Projects (2016) and Felt This So Many Times (2018). Is writing can also be found in 2019 Martin Lake Journal, Starled by Joy (2019), and 2019 Talking Stick by Jackpine Press. March 2019, he became the host/curator of the long running showcases, Poets & Pints and Writers Read. He also is a board member for Cracked Walnut the local chapter of The League of MN Poets. You can find his w...
2020-04-011h 01Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #11: Tim YoungTimothy Young has published four books and three chapbooks of poetry. He has recorded four CDs of poetry with various musicians; produced poetry and cultural videos; organized readings, cultural events, festivals and concerts; and for five years he co-hosted The Northland Literary Review on KFAI radio. His work has been chosen for The Writers Almanac, The Best American Poetry of 1999, college textbooks, many magazines and has been the inspiration for award-winning musical compositions performed in Jazz at Lincoln Center, the University of Texas-Arlington, St. Olaf College and many other venues. He has been a cattle inspector, a police and...
2020-03-021h 01Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Episode #10: Douglas VanDykeDouglas was born Nov 28th, 1971. He got the chance to live in many different places while growing up, courtesy of the assignments the US Army offered his father. Quiet and shy, he dreamed of other worlds and places…and desired to write about them. He got into fantasy role-playing games in his mid-teens. To this day he regularly meets friends in tabletop role-playing games and online adventures. Many of his characters evolved in games, and developed their own personality. Having to rely on self-publishing for his novels, Douglas was surprised at the amount of good reviews and publicity th...
2020-02-031h 01
Radio ToniAuthors | Customer serviceStephen Chong M.Ed. is a highly sought after personal development coach, speaker and author. His latest novel, "Bodies of Consequence, focuses on life-after-death experiences.Laura Vosika is a writer, poet, and musician. Her time travel series, The Blue Bells Chronicles, set in modern and medieval Scotland. She co-hosts the radio program Books and Brews with Laura Vosika and Michael Agnew. Kerry Hort Rowe, Brain Thinking, is live on the show to talk about the lost art of customer service.Radio Toni Radio Show is broadcast live at Thursday's at 7PM ET on W4WN Radio – Th...
2020-01-241h 53Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #9: Martin CaseMartin Case, freelance researcher and writer, researches political and economic networks that shaped US relationships with indigenous nations, and drove the expansion of the US across the continent. He was on the design team for Why Treaties Matter, a collaboration of the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, the Minnesota Humanities Center, and the Smithsonian Institute. His book -- The Relentless Business of Treaties: How Indigenous Land Became US Property – was published in 2018 by the Minnesota Historical Society Press. Treatysigners.org Treatiesmatter.org We would like to extend special thanks to the Yoerg Brew...
2020-01-171h 00Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #8: Sarah StonichSarah's first novel, These Granite Islands was awarded a Loft McKnight Award; a Friends of American Writers Award, and was a Barnes & Noble Great New Writers pick, among other awards. That novel was translated into eleven languages. Her second, The Ice Chorus, was also widely translated. Her memoir Shelter: Off The Grid in the Mostly Magnetic North won a Northeast Minnesota Book Award. Her feminist trilogy Fishing With RayAnne (originally written under the pen name Ava Finch) will be re-issued by The University of MN Press, beginning in 2020. She is currently adapting that series for television, as well as...
2019-12-041h 01Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #7: Donna IsaacPoet Donna Isaac is a teaching artist who organizes community readings in the Twin Cities. Published work includes a poetry book, Footfalls (Pocahontas Press), a paean to American folk music and her formative years in the Appalachians; two chapbooks, Tommy (Red Dragonfly Press); Holy Comforter (Red Bird Chapbooks); and work in journals such as the Saint Paul Almanac, the Penn Review, and AvantAppal(achia). Persistence of Vision, a chapbook focused on Donna's love for movies, is forthcoming from Finishing Line Press, November 2019. donnaisaacpoet.com Events Poets Dore Kesselbach, Sharon Chm...
2019-11-051h 01Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode 6: Anya Johanna DeNiroAnya Johanna DeNiro lives in St. Paul. Her fiction has appeared in Catapult, One Story, Minnesota Monthly, and elsewhere. She's currently at work on a Young Adult novel entitled My Heart Is an Unslain Dragon. Her novella City of a Thousand Feelings is forthcoming from Aqueduct Press in the winter of 2019. LINKS @adeniro on Twitter AqueductPress.com Upcoming Events: Laura will be reading at the Startled By JOY 2019 poetry reading and open mic on October 6th, 2019. The event takes place from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at the Tr...
2019-10-021h 02Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast Episode #5: Barry MacDonald (Tekkan)Tekkan is the Dharma name for Barry MacDonald. He has lived in England, Japan, and Minnesota, all of which have influenced him. The themes of his life revolve around his Buddhist practice and his recovery from addiction. His books, "Everyday Mind," look for the extraordinary hidden within everyday events. He uses the sonnet form without the rhyme scheme followed by a Japanese tanka. LINKS https://www.facebook.com/barry.macdonald.1293 Upcoming Events: Barry and Laura will be reading at the Startled By JOY 2019 poetry reading and open mi...
2019-09-031h 01Books and Brews PodcastBooks and Brews Podcast #4: Kathryn KysarKathryn Kysar is the author of two books of poetry, Dark Lake and Pretend the World, and she edited Riding Shotgun: Women Write About Their Mothers. She has received fellowships from Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts, the Minnesota State Arts Board, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies. Kysar recently served on the board of directors for the Association of Writers and Writing Programs and teaches at Anoka-Ramsey Community College and the Loft Literary Center and lives with her family in St. Paul LINKS http://www.kathrynkysar.com/
2019-08-011h 01