Authors & Espresso

Host Nadia Gilkes walks indie authors through preparing for book festivals: how to choose the right events, what logistics to ask about, and how to set up a professional, sales-ready table. She also covers marketing materials, payment options, staffing tips, and practical tricks to maximize visibility, sales, and meaningful reader connections.

Host Nadia Gilkes shares a candid episode about grief, burnout, and the need to rest. She explains why the podcast is delayed, celebrates recent good news, and encourages creatives to honor their emotions, seek support, and give themselves grace while navigating difficult seasons.

Minerva Honkala, poet, devotional writer, and humanitarian, shares her motto "Live, Love, Give," her 365-day devotional Boost Me Up, and her long-standing scholarship work supporting students. The episode explores faith, purpose, daily practices (Pause, Ponder, Pray), and her community impact. Listeners will hear about her nonprofit FASFOS, volunteer work, writing and publishing journey, and pract...

This episode breaks down what an ISBN is, why it matters for distribution and discoverability, and how it differs from copyright. Nadia explains the pros and cons of free ISBNs from retailers versus buying your own through Bowker, covers costs and formats, and explains why ISBN ownership matters for branding and long-term control. Practical advice: consider buying a 10-pack to cover multiple forma...

Welcome to Authors & Espresso with Nadia Gilkes featuring Tiana Tee, a licensed marriage and family therapist, Amazon bestselling author, and mother of a nonverbal autistic son. In this episode Tiana discusses her new book, What? A 90-Day Devotional for When Life Changes Everything, and shares lived experience on autism parenting, early warning signs, stigma in Black and brown communities, and...

Host Nadia Gilkes walks through her hands-on experiment with Amazon’s audiobook AI beta, testing voice options, accents, and chapter-by-chapter editing from an existing e-book. She highlights pronunciation fixes, pacing and emotion limitations, royalty and pricing choices, and practical tips for authors deciding whether to use AI narration or record professionally.

Hello and welcome to Authors and Espresso with Nadia Gilkes, who announces the launch of Author Status .. Loading , her new on-demand self-publishing course, and explores audiobook options. This episode explains ways to create audiobooks — record yourself, hire a narrator or studio, or use AI narration like Amazon KDP's Virtual Voice and Riverside's AI — and gives practical tips: start with one ch...

This episode re-airs Nadia Gilkes’ guest interview on the Sunday Morning Chat Series with Jesse Oakley III. Nadia discusses her bestselling comedic novel Woke Up Dead, the inspiration behind it, and her upcoming book Before Forever — a divorce-attorney’s take on premarital conversations. She shares the emotional story behind her book cover, practical end-of-life planning advice,...

In this episode of Authors & Espresso, host Nadia Gilkes interviews Sheryl Green, a bestselling author and expert on setting boundaries. Sheryl shares her personal journey of hitting rock bottom due to overcommitment and burnout, leading her to discover the importance of boundaries. The conversation explores various aspects of boundary-setting, including the Goldilocks principle, the clash que...

Host Nadia Gilkes talks with Dr. Otito Iwuchukwu — organizational psychologist, editor, and author of The Belonging Paradox — about her multi‑hyphenate career, the psychology of belonging, and the power of words. They cover practical tips for writers and self‑publishers, the pillars of belonging (orientation, empathy, grace, boundaries), and how Dr. Otito’s editing and consulting work helps people...

Host Nadia Gilkes gives a candid behind-the-scenes account of the emotional, messy, and ultimately rewarding process of designing book covers for self-published authors. She shares personal failures, lessons learned, and the choices that helped her land on a cover she loves. Filled with practical tips—use stock photos smartly, play with Canva, set a clear concept before hiring designers, che...

Host Nadia Gilkes recaps Authors & Espresso’s February episodes featuring three independent Black authors: Rhonda Green (Behind the Smile), James Jeffley (Un-FEC'd and more), and Jesse Oakley, III (Greetings, Happy People). Each interview explores personal journeys, leadership, mental health, and practical writing and publishing tips. Nadia also shares a personal highlight —moderating a Black...

In this episode host Nadia interviews Jesse Oakley, III — a civil engineer, longtime Toastmaster and former Toastmasters International Director, Red Cross volunteer, author of Greetings, Happy People, and host of the Sunday Morning Chat Series. They discuss leadership growth, the power of positivity, service, lifelong learning, and practical stories that reveal how to show up and lead with purpose...

Host Nadia Gilkes interviews award-winning speaker, coach, author, minister, and musician James Jeffley about leadership, change, and the human side of organizations. They discuss his latest books, including Misdiagnosed and Un-FEC'd, the FEC framework (Fear, Ego, Culture), the importance of listening and diagnostics in solving organizational problems, and the role of creativity, spirituality, and...

Host Nadia Gilkes interviews author and engineer Rhonda Green about her Sunrises and Sunsets trilogy and her new memoir Behind the Smile: Depression is Real. They discuss storytelling, mental health, leadership in STEM, and how personal honesty can heal and inspire. Rhonda shares candid moments from her life, practical resources for recognizing and responding to depression, and lessons from Toastm...

In this episode Nadia Gilkes interviews Len Tran about his escape from Vietnam, 21 days at sea as a refugee, and the path that led him to the United States. Len shares the memories behind his memoir "Split Up by the Sea" and why he decided to record his family’s legacy. They also discuss Len’s career as a chemical engineer and supervisor at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, his self-help book...

Host Nadia Gilkes walks through her step-by-step editing process—from resting the draft and reading it like a novel, to big-picture revisions (story, characters, pacing), then line edits and formatting. She explains using beta readers, text-to-speech, writing groups, or hired editors to catch what you miss. Practical tips include printing and redlining, selecting thoughtful beta readers, vet...

Host Nadia Gilkes interviews Joi A. McMillon about her 30-plus year healthcare journey from bedside CNA to healthcare executive and author. They discuss Joi’s new book, Survey Ready Every Day, which blends memoir, practical leadership tools, and reflective exercises designed to help caregivers and leaders lead with compassion, accountability, and resilience. The episode covers mentorship, building...

Host Nadia Gilkes celebrates the first chapter of Authors & Espresso with a year-end recap: the podcast launch on her authorversary, twice-monthly author interviews, and festival flashbacks. She spotlights featured guests, their books, and practical publishing and writing tips shared throughout the year. The episode highlights memorable interviews (including Angela Findley, Sheila Kennedy, Che...

Author and teacher Verde Arzu discusses her novels Rainbow and Promise Keeper, her work as a middle school special education and English teacher, and her commitment to centering Black queer lives and HBCU culture in her storytelling. She also shares insights on indie publishing and placing books in independent bookstores, using AI as a creative tool, and how listeners can follow her work at VerdeA...

Host Nadia Gilkes revisits her 2020 Virtual Festival interview with June Dillinger, author of The Benefit of the Ex: Making Love Visible When Everything Changes. June shares her divorce-to-purpose journey, practical invitations for healing, and how she transformed pain into service as a speaker and Hawaii-based wedding officiant. This hopeful episode covers accountability, reflective exercises fro...

Host Nadia Gilkes interviews Kala Gause, author of Keys to the Journey, about his workbook-style guide for parents and college‑bound student athletes. They discuss his coaching philosophy, real success stories (including his nephew’s path to the NFL), and practical steps for balancing academics, athletics, and career readiness. The episode covers scholarship strategies, highlight reels and camps,...

Host Nadia Gilkes revisits her 2020 interview with former Texas Tech standout Jerry “Bobo” Mason, covering his high school and college basketball career, the injuries he played through, and his choice to prioritize family over pro opportunities. Mason discusses his book Coach, Mediator of Dreams and Destroyer of Generations, his 26-year coaching career, and the life lessons and mentors...

Host Nadia Gilkes leads a short, guided pre-vision-board workshop to help you clarify goals before you start gluing pictures on a board. She offers reflective journaling prompts, pacing tips (including pausing to write), and a simple structure to review the past year, assess the present, and imagine the future. The episode covers how to celebrate accomplishments, identify supports and limiting bel...

Author and speech coach Diane Windingland shares her journey from engineer to professional speech coach and author of 10+ books. She discusses overcoming fear, Toastmasters, self-publishing, using AI tools for coaching and writing, and practical habits to become a confident speaker. This episode includes real client transformations, writing and launch tips, and resources for virtual coaching at vi...