Book Lover's Companion - The English Version

Host Edith interviews author Lennox Caige about his 2025 political thriller An American Spectacle, which he calls “fiction with friction” because it draws on contemporary U.S. headlines after Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022. Caige explains his goal to spark discussion about reproductive rights—especially rape, incest, and unclear medical exceptions—by portraying flawed characters on all sides a...

Host Edith welcomes returning guest Francine Ehrenberg to Book Lover’s Companion to discuss Ehrenberg’s second novel, A Dangerous Screw Loose, published in August and written as a direct continuation of America’s Candidate, picking up minutes after book one ends. Ehrenberg explains reader demand to resolve cliffhangers and how book two expands the political thriller into a courtroom murder trial,...

Host Edith welcomes author and coach Lee Baucom to Book Lover’s Companion to discuss what it means to treat writing—especially fiction—as a business. They distinguish hobby writing from pursuing income, emphasizing that authors must wear multiple hats, particularly marketing as simply making readers aware and connecting the right audience to the right book. They cover cutting through today’s “nois...

Host Edith welcomes San Francisco author Rick London to Book Lover’s Companion to discuss his December 2025 novel The Dancing Wolfe Man (Volume One). London explains his pen name and how a vivid nighttime drive after a 1998 Super Bowl gathering inspired a werewolf story he later developed in 2024. Wanting to avoid a typical savage-werewolf arc, he made music the central force that anchors protagon...

Host Edith welcomes returning guest and author Twila Mason to discuss Step by Step, book two in the interconnected-yet-standalone Desperate Hearts series. Twila explains that the novel follows Chrissy’s path to a “happily ever after” after the events of book one, beginning with her being chosen to paint a City of Chicago mural and meeting her charming boss, Adam Rochester, sparking a workplace rom...

Host Edith interviews retired US Air Force officer and historical fiction/children’s author Steve Doherty about his novels inspired by a WWII covert operative he interviewed in 1995 (renamed Jonathan Preston), whose missions behind Japanese lines in the China-Burma-India theater were classified for 50 years. Doherty explains how Preston and teammate George Linka worked with British intelligence an...

Host Edith welcomes returning guest Emma Woodhouse, a fiction and nonfiction author, to discuss two upcoming autumn releases: the historical novel "Anne Morgan: Hellish Beauty" (September) and the nonfiction "Criminal Women of Victorian London" (November). Woodhouse explains her fascination with overlooked working-class Victorian women and shares the story of Anne Morgan, a “witch” murdered in 185...

Host Edith welcomes returning guest Kimberly Sullivan and fellow editors/writers Elaine, Carolyn, Christy, Kay to discuss the anthology Feisty Deeds 2: Historical Tales of Badges and Bruises. They explain eligibility and guidelines within the Women’s Fiction Writers Association historical fiction affinity group, including a 3,000-word limit, historical settings (50+ years past), fictional female p...

Host Edith welcomes editor Jennica Dotson to discuss how she became an editor through internships and on-the-job learning, and to explain the differences between developmental editing (big-picture plot, structure, character, and worldbuilding), line editing (stylistic, line-by-line refinement, often including some copy work), and copy editing (grammar, punctuation, and typos). Jennica recommends d...

Host Edith welcomes children’s book author Kate Hull (joining from Florida) to discuss her Share Joy brand and her self-published Amazon children’s books: Where Does Joy Live?, Where Does Peace Live, and Where Does Love Live. Hull explains how Share Joy began with fresh flower bars at corporate and charity events and grew into a mission focused on helping people find joy, peace, and love. She desc...

Host Edith welcomes returning guest Ekta Garg—author, editor, and book reviewer—to discuss the writing and publishing journey. Ekta explains editing stages (developmental editing, line/copy editing, proofreading) and shares that she now offers manuscript assessments focused on character, dialogue, plot, tension, and conflict. She advises writers to finish a draft, step away for at least a month, r...

Host Edith welcomes neurosurgeon and memoirist Craig Yorke to discuss his April 2025 memoir Steep, which began as a letter to his adult sons and evolved after encountering a James Baldwin quote about history living within us. Yorke reflects on how awareness of the past can bring perspective and a measure of freedom, especially for those shaped by misuse and assigned identities, and argues individu...

Host Edith welcomes returning guest Lisa Towles, thriller author, fellow podcaster, and book coach, to discuss Lisa’s nonfiction book, “The Me Factor: Your Secret Weapon for Author Visibility,” which aims to reduce authors’ fear of marketing and help them use their unique identity in branding. Lisa explains a sequence for effective marketing: clarify author identity, conduct a genre analysis based...

Host Edith welcomes returning guest Caroline Ailanthus to discuss her new epic fantasy novel The Elf, the Dwarf and the Telegraph: Book One, the first in a trilogy. Caroline explains the story’s large scope and ensemble cast, centered on three protagonists including Gwen, a transgender half-elf with a sword, in a quasi-Roman world on the brink of civil war driven by environmental justice, conserva...

Host Edith welcomes regular guest and co-host Teri M. Brown to discuss her upcoming novel “Peg Unhinged,” releasing April 21, 2026. Brown introduces Peg, a near-50 woman navigating menopause symptoms, brain fog, hot flashes, and anger while her husband abruptly leaves to date younger women. The conversation explores how women’s health concerns are often dismissed, cultural pressures on women to st...

Host Edith interviews author and college professor Jess Bowers about her debut short story collection, Horse Show, named one of Electric Literature’s most exciting debut collections of 2024. Bowers, a lifelong equestrian and haflinger owner, explains that each story features a horse (or horse-adjacent animal/object) and a “show,” using entertainment and spectacle to examine human mistreatment and...

Host Edith welcomes author Tudor Alexander to Book Lover’s Companion to discuss his historical fiction family saga The Last Patient, published in February 2025. Alex explains the novel is inspired by his parents’ and his own experiences across five decades of communism in Romania, ending with his parents’ immigration to the United States and the challenges of starting over in their sixties, includ...

Host Edith welcomes fiction author Lexy, a retiring or recovering lawyer joining from Paris, to discuss her cross-genre romantic supernatural thriller series. Lexy explains that the first three books can be read in any order (including a legal thriller, a coming-of-age high school story, and a WWII Deep South historical romance), with storylines converging later, and that the series will span eigh...

Host Edith welcomes returning guest Kristina Bak from Bellingham, Washington to discuss the third and final book in Bak’s near-future, non-dystopian YA trilogy about Stevie, a young healer shaped by her father’s disappearance, a childhood abduction, and traumatic amnesia. Bak explains how Stevie’s coming-of-age from 16 to 18 culminates in new strength as she navigates an uneasy friendship with Cor...

In this episode of Book Lover‘s Companion, host Edith welcomes author, editor, and book podcast host Ekta Garg Ekta from Illinois to dive into the world of modern fairy tales. They discuss Ter's book, 'The Witch's Apprentice and Their Stories,' a micro collection of short stories filling the gaps in beloved fairy tales and nursery rhymes. They explore the relevance of fairy tales today, the proces...

In this episode of Book Lover‘s Companion, Edith interviews Carmen Amato, a CIA veteran, crime fiction writer, and dog mom, about her exciting novels. They delve into Carmen's popular Emelia Cruz Mystery series and the Gallo Club historical fiction thrillers. Carmen shares insights about her characters, her experiences in the CIA influencing her writing, the research process behind her books, and...

In this episode of Book Lover's Companion, Edith welcomes author Laura McHale Holland to discuss her latest novel 'Shinbone Lane,' set in 1974 San Francisco. Laura shares insights into the characters, the plot, and the magical realism that infuses her storytelling. The conversation also touches on themes of nostalgia, societal changes, and the impact of the past on the present. Tune in for a deep...

Join host Edith in this engaging episode of Book Lover's Companion as she welcomes back returning guest Laury A. Egan. Dive into a captivating discussion about Egan's thriller, 'Jenny Kidd,' set in the atmospheric Venice, and uncover the main character's journey and the dark, thrilling narrative. They also explore the psychological elements inspired by Patricia Highsmith and discuss the multifacet...

In this episode of Book Lover's Companion, host Edith welcomes crime fiction and historical fiction author Libby Fisher Hellman from Chicago. They discuss Libby's latest book 'Max's War,' part of her saga series focusing on World War II. Libby shares her extensive research process, including the role of the Richie Boys, a group of Jewish refugees trained in counterintelligence. They also delve int...

Join host Edith on the Book Lover‘s Companion podcast as she welcomes writer and journalist David Finkle. In this riveting episode, Edith and David delve into his books 'Humpty Trump and the Second First Hundred Days' and 'Humpty Trumpy Hit a Brick Wall,' which present the tumultuous presidencies of Donald Trump through verse. David shares inspirations, challenges, and candid thoughts on the polit...