In this week’s episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, author DeAnna Lynn discusses her latest children’s picture book, SOAR!: A children’s book about overcoming. Looking for a book for young readers about overcoming adversity and rising above stereotypes? Check out SOAR!, which introduces readers to a young boy from inner city Chicago who learns to overcome the circumstances in his life and appreciate how special he truly is. DeAnna is an experienced Early Childhood educator, and she uses her knowledge of social-emotional development to write culturally relevant books for children of color. Her mission is to influence children and families through both culturally responsive teaching and children’s literature. In this episode, DeAnna discusses her writing journey, the use of companion coloring books to strengthen children’s learning, and how she loves experimenting with new strategies and methods of weaving positive messages into her work.

The Bookshop at the End of the Internet is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, Spotify and iHeartRadio. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode!

In this week’s episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, author Rick Reed discusses his Jack Murphy thriller series. In the latest installment, The Fiercest Enemy (Book #9), a chilling discovery in the underground mines of rural Indiana sends Det. Jack Murphy searching for the truth on behalf of the victims. In writing this series, Rick draws from his own background as a detective with more than 30 years in law enforcement. Rick’s main character, Det. Jack Murphy, is based on several detectives he has known over the years, and much of the books’ supporting casts are amalgamations of real people. Rick readily admits to drawing on real life for inspiration for his stories, because, as he will attest from his own law enforcement background, the truth is stranger than fiction. In fact, his very first book, Blood Trail, is the true-crime story about how a bad check led him to track down a serial killer. In this episode, I’ll chat with Rick about his writing journey, how his books reflect the detective’s job of finding the truth, and his plans for more Det. Jack Murphy books. 

The Bookshop at the End of the Internet is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, Spotify and iHeartRadio. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode!

In this week’s episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, author Lani Forbes discusses her new young adult historical fantasy series: Age of the Seventh Sun. This new series is a trilogy, with Books One and Two (The Seventh Sun and The Jade Bones, respectively) available in bookstores now. These books are inspired by MesoAmerican mythology and, in particular, the origin myth of the five suns. In creating this series, Lani has woven together a fun mix of fantasy, history and romance. Based on the legends and history of the Aztec and Maya people, her story is rich and complex, filled with royal blood lines, powers of the gods, ancient rites and, quite possibly, the end of the world. In this episode, Lani discusses her writing journey, her passion for world-building, and how she used her characters to explore the theme of questioning societal institutions and beliefs.

The Bookshop at the End of the Internet is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, Spotify and iHeartRadio. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode!

In this week’s episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, award-winning author Donna Meredith discusses her latest novel, Buried Seeds. It is the story of two women, a century apart, and both of them have had enough. In 2017, one woman takes over the duties of president of the local teacher’s union, while in 1903 her great-great-grandmother joins the women’s suffrage movement. Both women fight to control their own destiny and come to realize that advocating for causes they believe in often comes with great personal sacrifice. Buried Seeds, as with all of Donna’s books, contains strong yet flawed heroines who find courage and, in turn, find themselves. In this episode, Donna discusses her writing journey, how retiring from a 30-year career as an educator gave her the courage to write her first novel, and how the best writing advice she has ever received is to triangulate the senses (listen in to find out what that means!).

The Bookshop at the End of the Internet is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, Spotify and iHeartRadio. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode!

In this week’s episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, author Stella May discusses her novel, Rhapsody in Dreams. This book is a modern-day love story with a mystical twist. How many chances do we get to find love with the one person who is meant for us? In Rhapsody in Dreams, a young couple finds out they had a chance encounter as children, but that may not be the only time their souls have previously found each other. Stella is also the author of several other books, including the Once & Forever trilogy. This series is an epic story about love, family secrets, jealousy and betrayal that spans two continents and three generations. In addition, Stella has begun work on a new series, involving mystery, romance and time travel, aptly titled, Upon a Time. In all of her stories, she explores human relationships, in all their various forms, as she believes relationships are the conversations of our lives. In this episode, Stella discusses her writing journey, how writing under a pen name taught her a lot about herself, and why the fear of living without books drove her to learn English as quickly as she could when she came to the US over thirty years ago.

The Bookshop at the End of the Internet is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, Spotify and iHeartRadio. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode!

In this week's episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, author Erica George discusses her debut young adult novel, Words Composed of Sea and Sky. This lyrical novel is written with a dual timeline for the two main characters, each of which is a young woman learning to express herself through poetry. One these young women lives in present-day Cape Cod; the other lives in the same town in the year 1862. This novel, like much of Erica’s writing, is all about finding your own voice. Erica always knew she was going to be an author, from the time she could hold a pencil. Words Composed of Sea and Sky will be available on bookshelves on May 25th. (Check out her website for pre-order giveaways!) This may be Erica’s first published novel, but it certainly won’t be her last. In this episode, Erica discusses her writing journey, her plans for following up her debut novel with more books, and how one of the characters in this novel introduced himself to her when she was just 13 years old and has been with her ever since.

The Bookshop at the End of the Internet is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, Spotify and iHeartRadio. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode!

In this week’s episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, author Nova McBee discusses her latest book, Calculated, which will appeal to readers both young and old who enjoy mission-impossible-type stories. Nova blended several sources of inspiration to write this book. She was living in Asia, was reading Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo, and, due to the nature of her work at that time, Nova had attended a number of meetings regarding the issue of human trafficking. She felt inspired to start writing a story that blended these ideas, locations and issues, and Calculated was born. The story involves a math prodigy, high stakes intrigue and fast-paced action. Calculated, is the first book in the series, and the second book, Simulated, will be available in May 2021. In this episode, Nova discusses her writing journey, how challenging it was for her to write about a math prodigy when she isn’t one herself, and why, even though she was surrounded by books and writers her whole life, she never thought about writing her own stories until the age of twenty-eight.

The Bookshop at the End of the Internet is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, Spotify and iHeartRadio. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode!

In this week’s episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, author Donna Galanti discusses her latest middle grade novel, Unicorn Island. It is the first book in a new series about a young girl who discovers a mysterious island off the coast of South Carolina, an island full of mythical beasts and darker dangers. After writing several books for adults, Donna tried her hand at books for kids and found her niche with middle grade stories. Unicorn Island is her second middle grade series. Her first is a series of "Joshua" books: Joshua and the Lightning Road and Joshua and the Arrow Realm. Donna has always been a writer, ever since she was a kid, and her books for young readers are inspired by the stories she made up for her son when he was little. In this episode, Donna discusses her writing journey, how the setting plays an important role in her Unicorn Island series, and why she thinks middle grade books make for the perfect blend of childhood magic and young adult seriousness.

The Bookshop at the End of the Internet is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, Spotify and iHeartRadio. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode!

In this week’s episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, award-winning author Darryl Bollinger discusses his latest novel, The Healing Tree. Darryl has written seven medical thrillers, with his plots revolving around hospitals, big pharma and the healthcare industry. Darryl worked in healthcare for twenty-eight years, and he has no shortage of inspiration for his thrilling novels. The Healing Tree is his most recent book, and it, too, involves plenty of danger and deception. But, above all, it is the story about the lengths we will go to for the chance to save someone we love. In this episode, Darryl discusses his writing journey, his theory on why the combination of suspense and the medical field makes for such tantalizing thrillers, and how the entire outline for The Healing Tree came to him during one hike in the mountains of North Carolina.

The Bookshop at the End of the Internet is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, Spotify and iHeartRadio. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode!

In this week’s episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, author McKenna Dean discusses her new paranormal romance series, Redclaw Origins. The first two books, Bishop Takes Knight and Bishop’s Gambit, are available now. Set in the 1950’s, the stories center around Henrietta Bishop and Dr. Peter Knight. They find themselves working for Redclaw Security, part detective firm and part enforcement agency, which regulates matters involving the growing population of shifters that has emerged since the onset of the nuclear age. McKenna’s new series incorporates both romance and mystery, set against the backdrop of the 1950’s, and it features her own spin on the paranormal genre of shifters. McKenna also has a second series set in modern day that continues the saga of Redclaw Security, complete with mystery, paranormal shifters and plenty of romance. In this episode, McKenna discusses her writing journey, how growing up in a family of readers made her the storyteller she is today, and some of the strange things she discovered during her research into the 1950’s.

The Bookshop at the End of the Internet is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, Spotify and iHeartRadio. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode!

In this week’s episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, author M.K. Tufft discusses her middle grade series for kids. Marsha has three books currently out, Putney and the Magic eyePad, The Cardboard Boat Race and The Butterfly Detective. She writes stories with a STE(A)M theme – that is, science, technology, engineering, art and math. Marsha is a retired engineer with degrees in mechanical, aerospace and materials engineering. She enjoys developing experiments for kids to give them fun experiences with science, technology, engineering and math. She believes that there is no better way to learn than by doing, and her stories reflect this manner of learning. If you like Marsha’s stories, you should check out her website, putneydesigns.com, to find how-to instructions for the experiments, designs and solutions that she writes about in her books. In this episode, Marsha discusses her writing journey, how she translated her engineering background into her writing, and why she felt it was important to include art in her STEM learning.
​
The Bookshop at the End of the Internet is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, Spotify and iHeartRadio. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode!

In this week’s episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, authors Kathy Chiu and Rebecca Pebble discuss their new novel, Endowed. The story involves four women who meet in an improv troupe and become friends. The characters are all from very different backgrounds, but they find the common bond of friendship as they help each other navigate life, loss and love. Both Kathy and Rebecca are improv troupe veterans. When they found out that each of them dreams of writing a novel and had separately come up with story ideas about friends in an improv troupe, they knew they had to write the book together. As they wrote, they used improv concepts such as “yes and,” and Endowed is written in a “cut to” format, much like a comedy improv performance. In this episode, Kathy and Rebecca discuss their writing journey, the special meaning behind the book’s title, and how writing a book about four friends strengthened the authors’ own friendship.

The Bookshop at the End of the Internet is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, Spotify and iHeartRadio. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode!

In this week’s episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, author Esther Jantzen discusses her middle grade novel, WALK: Jamie Bacon’s Secret Mission on the Camino de Santiago. When Esther decided to write this story, she wanted to write it for kids, especially boys, who were hesitant readers. WALK is one of the first books for kids written about the Camino de Santiago, 500-mile walk beginning in France and terminating in the town of Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain. The Camino de Santiago has been a pilgrims’ route since the beginning of the 9th century. Esther, who retired from career as an educator, has walked the Camino three times, finding inspiration and gathering research first-hand for the story she would eventually write. Walking the Camino was a life-changing experience for Esther, and she hopes the adventures in her book, WALK, will inspire young readers as well. In this episode, Esther discusses her writing journey, what it’s really like to hike the Camino de Santiago, and the surprising differences she encountered between teaching books in her high school English classes and actually writing a book herself.

The Bookshop at the End of the Internet is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, Spotify and iHeartRadio. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode!

In this week’s episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, author Shery Knowlton discusses her latest novel, Dead on the Delta, which is the fifth book in her Alexa Williams suspense series. Dead on the Delta follows Sherry’s hero, Alexa Williams, to Africa for an adventurous ride filled with wild animals, amazing locales, pressing environmental issues and, of course, murder. In this book, as with all of her stories, Sherry uses her fiction to address a number of timely social issues. Her stories have included topics ranging from illegal poaching, endangered species, terrorism, prejudice, fracking and the vulnerability of women, to name of few. In addition, she often pairs her stories with actual historical mysteries or events ripped from the news headlines. In this episode, Sherry discusses her writing journey, how her research for Dead on the Delta included time spent on safari in Africa studying conservation issues and the political landscape, and how a real-life murder mystery from the 1930’s that took place close to where she grew up eventually inspired her very first novel. Check out Sherry's own podcast, The Milford House Mysteries, and her six-part podcast special, An African Adventure on the BookSpeak Network.

The Bookshop at the End of the Internet is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, Spotify and iHeartRadio. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode! 

In this week’s episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, award-winning author Donald Quist discusses his linked story collection, For Other Ghosts. The stories take place in settings across the world with characters that are equally varied. Donald approached this story collection as a means of radical empathy, pushing himself to write beyond what he knows and to find connections to and amongst his characters and, hopefully, his readers as well. Donald is also the author of the acclaimed essay collection, Harbors, and he will follow that up with another essay collection to be released this fall. As if he wasn’t busy enough, Donald is hard at work on his PhD in English, he serves on the faculty of the MFA in Writing program at Alma College, and he is the creator of the online nonfiction series, Past Ten. In this episode, Donald discusses his writing journey, his views on the democratization of the publishing industry, and the biggest lesson he has learned from his MFA students: a concept he calls aboutness.

The Bookshop at the End of the Internet is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify and iHeartRadio. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode!

In this week’s episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, author Marina Brown discusses her latest novel of historical literary fiction, The Orphan of Pitigliano. This novel won the 2020 Published Book of the Year award, as well as a gold medal, in the Royal Palm Literary Awards competition. It is a sweeping story involving a small Italian village, Jews in Italy during WWII, Etruscan grave robbers, a modern-day medical mystery and old-world superstitions, including il malocchio (the Evil Eye). Marina did an amazing amount of research for this novel. She worked with a noted archeologist. She became fluent in Italian in order to conduct interviews, and she learned firsthand how to carry out a grave robbery. In this episode, I’ll chat with Marina about her writing journey, how she enjoys watching her characters come alive on the page, and how she believes creativity is like an aquifer that can feed a number of artistic expressions (of which she is proof, being not only a writer but also a cellist, a professional ballet dance and a painter).

The Bookshop at the End of the Internet is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify and iHeartRadio. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode!

In this week’s episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, author Michelle R. Young discusses her debut novel, Gear Heart. It is the first book in a new sci fi trilogy that marries a retro, futuristic steam-punk vibe with an espionage thriller. Michelle found inspiration for her story from a vivid and colorful dream. She dreamt this dream over and over again for year before she finally began to write the story. As a young person, Michelle dealt with two learning disabilities, dysgraphia and ADHD. She hated writing throughout her school years, until college when she discovered writing for fun. That was a turning point for Michelle. Now, she is hard at work on writing books 2 and 3 of her new Gear Heart trilogy. In this episode, I’ll chat with Michelle about her writing journey, how being an artist specializing in oil painting and watercolor has influenced her writing, and her personal motto: If your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough.

The Bookshop at the End of the Internet is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify and iHeartRadio. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode!

In this week’s episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, author Michael Wiley discusses his newest series starring Private Investigator Sam Kelson. The most recent installment is Lucky Bones, book #2 in the series. Book #3, Head Case, will be available later this spring. The main character, PI Sam Kelson, is not your typical private investigator. Well, he is in that he gets himself embroiled in the mysteries his clients have hired him to solve. However, Michael’s main character suffers from disinhibition, which manifests as impulsivity and often a lack of regard for social conventions. The main character’s inability to keep quiet when the situation requires it is not a helpful trait for a private investigator. It does, however, make for some very interesting storylines.  Michael found inspiration for his main character’s affliction from his children when then were teenagers, specifically their deep embarrassment at almost everything he said and did. In this episode, Michael discusses his writing journey, how he puts his own unique spin on the mystery genre, and how he treats his stories as puzzles that he is constantly taking apart and putting back together.

The Bookshop at the End of the Internet is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify and iHeartRadio. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode!

In this week’s episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, author L.E. Perez discusses her new series, The Reaper Trials. It is a paranormal fantasy series that she is writing with co-author and friend, Mia Ellas. The series expands upon the reaper lore that L.E. created in her standalone novel, Reap the Night. The first book in the series, Reaper Revealed, is available now, with second installment to arrive in spring 2021. These dark, twisty, paranormal fantasy stories feature an amazing and detailed world filled with diverse characters, and it follows the main character’s journey as she tries to survive her training as a reaper at the famed L’Academie L’Mort (the Death Academy). In this episode, L.E. discusses her writing journey, what it’s like to create a series in collaboration with another author, and her not-so-secret identity, among the authors who know her, as a fight whisperer.

The Bookshop at the End of the Internet is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify and iHeartRadio. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode!

In this week’s episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, author Dr. Joel Shulkin discusses his debut novel, Adverse Effects. What would you do if you were the only passenger riding an otherwise empty bus on a snowy day in Boston and, when the bus makes a stop, a stranger gets on and sits down in the seat directly behind you? If you are Joel Shulkin, you write a book about it. When Joel found himself in that exact situation, the inspiration for his book, Adverse Effects, was born. Adverse Effects is a medical and psychological thriller with a bit of espionage thrown in for good measure. In this episode, Joel chats about his writing journey, how his work as a full-time physician influences his medical thrillers, and the best writing advice he received, which was not to write about only what you know but to write about what you want to know.

The Bookshop at the End of the Internet is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify and iHeartRadio. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode!

In this week’s episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, author Stephanie Harper discusses her latest novel, Wesley Yorstead Goes Outside. It is the story of a 33-year-old graphic novelist who suffers from agoraphobia and has not left his apartment in over five years. When Wesley meets a charming and spunky grocery delivery woman named Happy Lafferty, his orderly world—both physical and mental—becomes unsettled and, for the first time in years, is changed for the better. Stephanie began this novel in 2010 as part of her MFA degree, long before the recent pandemic forced many of us into quarantine. Her novel is a mediation on fear and anxiety, and it explores the impact that human connection can have on one’s life. In this episode, Stephanie discusses her writing journey, how anxiety and fear can keep us from living our lives, and her hope that her book will help people see that relationships and human connection can transform us.

The Bookshop at the End of the Internet is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify and iHeartRadio. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode!

In this week’s episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, author Ismée Williams discusses her latest contemporary young adult novel, This Train is Being Held. The inspiration for this book came from a ride on the NYC subway, the same subway line that she took every day to go to work at the hospital where she was a pediatric cardiologist. Ismée knew she wanted to write a romance set in NYC with characters of Latinx identity, and inspiration for such a story arrived by subway train. This Train is Being Held is a slice of NYC life, and it is ultimately a story about expectations--about who you are versus what your family, friends and society expect you to be. In this episode, Ismée discusses her goal of writing hopeful stories, how being put on bed rest with her third child launched her writing career, and an unexpected career highlight when she discovered readers of her books were creating fan art of her characters.

The Bookshop at the End of the Internet is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify and iHeartRadio. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode!

In this episode, I’m celebrating the 100th episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet. I’m also celebrating the podcast’s two-year anniversary since the first episode went live on the various podcast platforms. There have been so many wonderful guest authors who visited the Bookshop to discuss their books and their writing journeys. In this episode, I’ll talk about the wide variety of authors and books that have been featured on the podcast, I’ll hit some of the interview highlights over the past two years, and I’ll marvel at the amazing authors who were gracious enough to sit down with me for a chat about books. Join me on this trip down podcasting memory lane and start the new year off right by finding a new favorite author and lots of fantastic new books to read.

The Bookshop at the End of the Internet is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify and iHeartRadio. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode!

The podcast is taking a (much needed!) break for the remainder of 2020. Thank you to all the authors who have visited with me on the podcast during the past two years. You've been generous with your time and advice, and I wish you continued success on your writing journey. And, thank you to everyone who has downloaded episodes and listened to the authors tell their stories. If you haven't listened to all 99 episodes, now is the time to catch up and find a new book to read. I wish everyone a happy, healthy and safe holiday season. Good luck with the remainder of 2020, and best wishes for a wonderful 2021!

In this week’s episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, author Megan Fuentes discusses her new series that blends romance with historical fiction. In her Love Affairs at the World’s Fairs series, Megan’s stories take place at various World’s Fairs. The first two books, In Barcelona With You and In Buffalo with You, are out now, with Book 3 to be unveiled in spring of 2021. Megan loves historical settings for her stories and the challenge of getting her characters out of tricky situations without the use of modern technology. She chooses her World’s Fairs carefully. Some are successful ones, others are disasters, but all of them create interesting and unique backdrops for her romantic storylines. So far, she’s planning a total of 19 books for her series. Megan had her first published story at age 18, but technically she was selling books long before that. She got her start as an author of comic books, which she created and sold to family and friends when she was in the third grade. In this episode, Megan discusses her writing journey, why she is such a big fan of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), and the secret identity she uses to write in another favorite genre: fantasy-bent fairy tales.

The Bookshop at the End of the Internet is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify and iHeartRadio. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode!