The Happy Meemaw

I'm so happy to welcome returning guest Dr. JohnKarpiscak to talk about his space-based fiction series, where lunar colonies, Martian test beds, and horses become practical problem-solving tools. The conversation covers how his real-world background in space research, disastercoordination, and travel shapes his fiction, plus how characters like Alicia Collins and Mark Selman carry the emotional we...

It was an honor to sit down and chat with Carolyn W. Oglesby, daughter of the late Ira and Gladys West, about their professional and personal legacies. The Wests are local legends in King George County, VA, and their work as mathematicians for the US Navy is known world-wide. Carolyn will be sharing items from their personal collection at the Ira and Gladys West Collection sale on Fri, Oct 23 from...

I used to think worrying harder would protect me. It doesn’t. It just steals your peace before anything even happens. I'm talking today with Angela Enos about Breaking Up With Worry and Angela’s rule is simple: 94% of what we worry about never happens. That one sentence can stop the spiral fast. When I catch myself catastrophizing, overgeneralizing, or rehearsing arguments in my head, I say it...

Hello and Happy Friday! On this episode of The Happy Meemaw Reads, I'm so glad to welcome back author Crystal Cabrae, purveyor of Storyteller Planet and writer of so many interesting characters and universes. Today we're discussing the Altera Valley and her new book series that finds her female protagonist trying to keep a low profile as she returns to the Valley for her grandmother's...

Author Jeffrey Rosoff has been keeping readers on the edge of their seats since publishing "The Glass Fountain" in 2025. Today he continues to introduce us to intriguing characters with "Chipped," and the soon-to-be-released "Collared." Jeff grew up in the Silicon Valley and pursued a career in computer tech and worked for a defense contractor for years, and wrote boo...

The only thing better than a Christmas in July Craft Fair is a Christmas in July Craft Fair with authors and their books on display. I enjoyed meeting story weaver Julie Phend at said fair and invited her to my podcast, and I'm so glad I did! Julie is a writer of stories both factual and fictional. A former middle school teacher, she is passionate about the power of story to hook the emotions...

I'm so happy to be joined once again by Angela Enos, who has taken off her author hat today and put on her motivational speaking chapeau. Today we're talking about her "Not Today" theory: reclaiming your peace from toxic people and thoughts.   Do you have that one toxic person who keeps your phone buzzing or your doorbell chiming at the worst possible moments? The relationship yo...

I made a new baseball-loving friend last summer, and he's back for another episode! He details this summer's baseball adventure, visiting enough parks that he's now surpassed the 100+ mark. I hope you enjoy our conversation about Joe's summer vacation. Thanks for listening!

This week is such a nice conversation about the realities of fostering, and ultimately, adopting a child. Our friends Dawn and Getzani were kind enough to chat with me about the challenges they faced in adopting their young daughter. Dawn, a mother to a son that's now in college, discusses the decision to delve back into motherhood after being an empty nester, and the rewarding outcome of star...

This school year is a big one for our family as one of our grandsons begins Kindergarten. This episode features my daughter and her best friend Sarah, as well as my good friend, Kindergarten teacher Holly, as they discuss all the nerves and excitement of sending your first child to school. Hope you enjoy our discussion! Thanks for listening!

This week on The Happy Meemaw Reads, I'm joined by my wonderful niece and her husband as we review the wildly popular "Dungeon Crawler Carl" by Matt Dinniman. If you're looking for a new series that combines humor, intense action, and a unique take on the sci-fi genre - without needing to be a gamer or sci-fi expert, this series by Matt Dinniman might just be your next obsession....

Hello and happy to all the dads out there! On today's special episode of The Happy Meemaw, I'm joined by my grandson Tanner and my granddaughter Finley, and I'm trying to get some dirt on their dad (my son). Spoiler alert - they don't give much away! I asked them some questions, and they had fun answering and telling me about what a great dad they have. I hope you all enjoy this -...

So fun to welcome back authors Donna Costello and Jim Palmer and talk about their writer/coach relationship and how Donna's Luna Creative Academy had the answers Jim needed as he wrote his first novel. We cover the writing and editing process, self-publishing and marketing of Jim's novel, "The Bridge at Spuyten Duyvil." You can find his book at Amazon.com: The Bridge at Spuyten D...

There's much to smile about on this episode of The Happy Meemaw. Leona Gaither is a bright, successful 20-something who grew up here in our little county in Virginia. When she suffered the impossible loss of her mother, she found comedy helped ease the pain. Now, she's paying her dues and crafting a stand-up comedy routine in the perfect place - New York City. An all-American girl talks ab...

It's Meemaw Music Monday, and today I'm chatting with a creative who has taken his love of music turned it into a fantastic day job. In addition to teaching students of all ages, he plays with several bands, and even subs in when a band is without a member. I was pretty fascinated at being this musically nimble, and also loved the influence his parents and their musical loves and influence...

Author and animator Crystal Cabrae is so incredibly talented and fun to chat with! I was thrilled to get to explore her Storyteller Planet and her world of ideas. Her website offers lots of opportunities for everyone to explore and find their creative outlet. As for her writing, her romantasy stories offer rich characters that you'll remember for a long time. Most of all, Crystal is pure sunsh...

Author Nicholas Crabtree was raised in England, has lived all over the US, and has made his mark as a science fiction writer with some amazing scenarios and memorable characters. His stories are born from a variety of life experiences that sparked his creativity and compelled him to spend hours at this desk writing. I had a great time chatting with him about his writing process and about the creat...

What is that old adage in Hollywood, never work with kids and animals? Despite these words of wisdom, this week, I'm featuring my two grandsons, ages 4 and 2, as I try to find out more about their mom through their eyes, to include her joy of drinking wine and her potential comparison to Marvel villain Thanos. There is some definite silliness, but there are some gem moments as well. I hope you...

I'm joined this week by the brilliant Janice Jones, whose life as an artist is so inspiring, and her drive to share her love of the arts with her community is laudable. She'll celebrate the opening of the 2 Rivers Arts Center this Sat, May 2, and bring encouragement and education to residents who want to nurture their talents. Janice has lived a great life and never lost her passion for le...

If you've ever had an issue narrowing down what you'd like to do with your life, I have great news for you - you can do it all. That's what you'll learn when you meet Angela Enos, my guest on The Happy Meemaw Reads today. She is an author, motivational speaker, writing coach, former legal assistant, and youth pastor that created the "Under the Roof" neighborhood featuring...

What happens when a lifelong Elvis fan, a fan who just discovered Elvis, and me, never a fan at all, get together and talk about the new documentary, EPIC - Elvis Presley in Concert? A great conversation about the King and his place in music history. Join my bestie Karla Salisbury and her daughter-in-law Lauren as they join me for a great Meemaw Music Monday conversation. Thanks for listening!

There's nothing better, as a mother/grandmother, to see children in your life grow up and become amazing adults. Morgan Schmincke came into my life at the age of 4, a smart, happy girl whose two bouts with leukemia did nothing to dampen her spirit. Now an adult, working as a Speech Language Pathologist, I loved catching up with her active life as a wife and Mom, and discussing her amazing jour...

IT wasn't enough for Jim Palmer to be amazingly successful in the marketing world - he knew writing was something he needed as well. Taking a title given to him by his late father, an inspiration as a former journalist, Jim crafted The Bridge at Spuyten Duyvil, his WWII historical fiction novel. I had a great time learning about Jim and his writing journey and I hope you will too. Thanks for l...

Happy Meemaw Music Monday! Join my friends Julie Pietryla, Kathy Nicol, and me as we take a stroll down memory lane and share our top 5 songs by the iconic band Queen. I will always be partial to my favorite Queen album, "A Night at the Opera" - every song a true gem - but Queen has made great music since their inception, and I loved sharing and hearing stories from my friends about the...

Talk about diversity - Lynette Creswell is out there creating stories for adults and children alike, giving us the Sinners of Magic trilogy, and turning the gift to her readers of a short story about the Hoglets into a wonderful set of children's books. The real hero here is her Lynette's husband, though, who provided her with what she needed to create all of these amazing stories. Learn more...