BookSpeak Network

Join co-hosts J.M. West and Sherry Knowlton in today’s Milford House Mysteries as we interview the talented Laury Egan about her latest novel, A Bittersweet Tale. We’ll also talk to Egan about her entire body of literary work, which includes a wide range of genre and literary fiction in novel and short story form. Egan is also a poet and fine art photographer. In addition to A Bittersweet Tale, Eg...

Brad is a sixth-grader with his head in the clouds, and his mind more on creating drawings than his studies. Banned from his favorite pasttime until his grades improve, Brad is visited by a mysterious raven...the raven gives him a magic pen, which Brad uses to create a monster...and you-know-what breaks loose! Jason Lady's debut novel "Monster Problems" takes us back to middle schoo...

On this episode of Milford House Mysteries, co-hosts Sherry Knowlton and J.M. West explore the importance of settings, especially in suspense fiction. For some books, setting is critical to the story. For, others, less so. When you read reviews, books that offer a distinct connection to the setting are often heralded as having a well-developed “sense of place.” We discuss some authors and books wh...

A work of historical fiction, "The Indigo Scarf" follows the lives of two slaves in a quest for freedom and identity. PJ Piccirillo brings the 18th and 19th Centuries to life, and looks at the "peculiar institution" of slavery in an at times harsh, gritty and unforgiving tone. He chronicles the lives of these men, the women who followed them, and those who attempted to free sla...

Mavericks, Mystics, and Misfits: Americans Against the Grain takes the reader on a journey across American history through the lives of exemplary men and women whose stories capture the spirit of their time and place and reveal the American character. Arthur Hoyle is a writer, educator, and independent filmmaker. His documentary films have won numerous awards and have aired on PBS, and he received...

Love Is the Seed       Three Supreme GiftsLisa Hromada is the author of two books: Three Supreme Gifts: A Practical Approach to Self-Mastery and to Transforming Your Life Here and Now and LOVE IS THE SEED: TEACHINGS FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD: One Woman. One Man. Over 150 Sessions with Souls and Wise OnesLISA HROMADA is an author and speaker of timeless spiritual teachings. She shares a simple, yet pro...

On this episode of The Milford House Mysteries, cohosts JM West and Sherry Knowlton interview author Sharon Marchisello. We'll be talking to Marchisello about her latest novel, Secrets of theGalapagos, as well as her first novel Going Home and her other writing, including travel articles, short stories, corporate training manuals, screenplays, book reviews, a nonfiction book, and a personal f...

A New York native, Tom Wells graduated from Bates College in Maine in 1976, and landed a job teaching English in the Augusta School System the very same day. Forty-one years later, some of Wells' Cony High School students presented him with a handmade book: students, present and past, told him what a positive influence he'd been to them. "Dear Mr. Wells" is an examination of hi...

Entering the growing genre of Climate Fiction is "Rainwalkers," a novel set in the near-distant future. With a failing environment, a deconstructed United States and endless war against indistinct enemies, a once-thiriving agricultural region is now "The Valley," a dying land overseen by dictators. A desperate attempt to bring back the rain has made it toxic to all but a handfu...

A stolen guitar, an insurance investigator, her wisecracking tomboy driver and a lot of shady, sometimes dangerous characters make up "Special Risk," the first of a new series by author Sandy Nork. Set in the Philadelphia area, Valerie Sloan must track down a museum-piece axe, deal with her twisted family history and come face to face with foreign organized crime. Sandy is a former libra...

IN THE COMPANY OF PATRIOTSVirginia Brackett seeks the truth about patriotism and loss as embodied by her father, WWII and Korean Conflict veteran Captain Edmund C. Roberts, from many historic sources – journalism, history texts, and military communiques, as well as personal documents. Her memoir details her journey to come to know a father lost to an ideal of service. Over ten years of research, s...

Denis Akinmolasire is the author of "Love, War and Glory," a series of poems and short pieces about these emotional subjects, and more. In 2019, Denis released "The Mission to End Slavery: What if Slavery Never Existed?" The first of a time travel series, racism and prejudice are examined in a cautionary tale. Both are available on Akinster Books. Denis is a native of London, E...

CRUEL DEATH, HEARTLESS AFTERMATH: My Family's End-of-Life Nightmare and How To Avoid ItNinety-three-year-old Joseph Yourshaw knew his end was near and had carefully planned so that he would have a peaceful and dignified death. He completed an advance directive, appointed his daughter, Barbara Mancini, as his health care proxy, and enrolled in home hospice care. He made it clear -- he wanted t...

RABBIT STEW FOR YOUR SOUL: 20 Recipes with a Dash of StorytellingBob Ford has been hunting rabbits since he was a kid and has traveled the country with hunting beagles. Over the years, Ford has developed many recipes for rabbit, and you will find just a few of them here. He developed these recipes over more than three decades. Some go back to meals that the author’s mother made. Visits to restaura...

GODS, PHILOSOPHERS, AND SCIENTISTS: Religion and Science in the WestAccording to Pew Research studies, most Americans think religion always conflicts with science. The popular writings of scientists such as Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Lawrence Krauss reinforce this idea, as do books by writers such as Christopher Hitchens and Daniel Dennet. Furthermore, the two versions of the enormously popu...

WHERE THE TREE FROGS TOOK ME: How encounters with strangers shaped a life of travel and beyondWe are all looking for ways to make our lives meaningful and often turn to those in our inner circles and communities for the direction. But what if that sense of meaning and perspective comes from complete strangers? And what if those random encounters were not so random after all? This book shows us how...

THE RELUCTANT RV WIFEFollow a reluctant wife and her excited husband through two humorously-conflicted years of RV travel. He wanted to go; she wanted to stay. They both learn, grow, and change as a new level of freedom evolves. This book is light-hearted and humorous but at the same time serious. While not a How-To book, it gives lots of basic information about RVing. And while not a travelogue,...

Sunbury Press Founder Lawrence Knorr joins Tory Gates to discuss the history of Sunbury Press, and the future of its varied imprints, and a look at independent publishing...

On this episode of The Milford House Mysteries, cohosts JM West and Sherry Knowlton interview author Pat LaMarche. LaMarche, who was a guest on a previous podcast, is back to talk about her first novel, Magic Diary, and her soon-to-be-released children's book, Princess of the Park. An award-winning broadcaster and journalist, LaMarche has spent a lifetime traveling around the world and across...

The book's title is derived from an episode that occurred during George Washington's visit to the region in 1770. While attending a frontier social event at a locale in the upper Youghiogheny, he was challenged by a local rowdy to a wrestling match. Upon enduring this verbal abuse for over an hour, Washington finally obliged him. with devastating results. This story is among Washington&a...

Whether it’s to finish college or muster up the courage to talk to the cute girl in his class, Jonathan Barnes wants nothing more than to make something of himself. To be a man and make it on his own. That is, if his constantly questioning and racing mind lets him. After a sudden, bloodied brawl on campus that leaves over half of White Haven College dead, Jon finds himself thrust into a world turn...

Ronald A. Mayer is the author of a number of baseball books: The 1932 Yankees, 1937 Newark Bears: A Baseball Legend, Perfect! 14 Pitchers of Perfect Games, Christy Mathewson: A Game-by-Game Profile of a Legendary Pitcher, The 1923 New York Yankees,  and The New Jersey Book of Lists. His latest book, Baseball Memories, is a collection of 101 poems celebrating America’s national pastime - - baseball...

As the New Year begins, Sherry Knowlton and J.M. West devote this first podcast of 2020 to take a look back at 2019. In this episode of the Milford House Mysteries, they each pick five of the favorite books they read in 2019. Not all of these books were published in 2019. They are simply some of the top books that Sherry and Joan enjoyed reading during the past year. They include brand new books b...

On this episode of The Milford House Mysteries, cohosts JM West and Sherry Knowlton interview mystery-suspense author JC Gatlin. Gatlin is the author of the new  Amateur Sleuth murder mystery, H_NGM_N.  Set in Florida, the book features heroine, Tori Younger, a journalist who is investigating the death of her childhood friend. The book features elements of suspense, humor, and a touch of paranorma...

On this episode of the Hellbender Radio Show, host Kyle Romines and cohosts Joe Mills and Jacob Romines interview author Travis Liebert about his new bestselling horror anthology, Things Undone. From John's bio:  Travis Liebert is a 20 year old Louisville native and member of the widely invasive species "Homo sapiens sapiens." His hobbies include reading, writing, and anything else...