Book Talk with Cara Putman

In this episode, the host reconnects with author Katherine Reay after three years. Katherine updates listeners on her move from Chicago to Montana, her new rural life, and her children who are now spread across the country. The conversation centers on her latest novel, The English Masterpiece , an art forgery caper set in 1973. Catherine discusses her inspiration from the Cold War era and famous a...

In this episode of Book Talk with Cara, I welcome Deborah Clack to discuss her debut novel, Even After This , a book 13 years in the making. Deborah shares her journey of perseverance in the face of countless rejections, the heartfelt and humorous elements within her story, and the challenges she encountered bringing her characters to life. The novel revolves around a widow's unexpected encoun...

Show Notes: Exploring 'The Broken Weathervane' with Laura DeNooyer In this episode of Book Talk with Cara, host Cara Putman interviews Laura de Noyer about her latest novel, 'The Broken Weathervane.' Laura shares her background as an art and writing teacher from Wisconsin, her experience as a mother of four, and her journey as an author of three published novels. She explains how h...

In this episode of Book Talk with Cara, Cara interviews debut author Kristine Delano as she launches her novel, The Lies We Trade . Kristine shares her journey from a 20-year career on Wall Street to becoming an author. They discuss the inspiration behind her book, including the complexities of female mentorship, the intriguing dynamic of high-stakes finance, and how personal experiences shaped he...

In today's episode of Book Talk, I get to introduce you to my friend Emily Conrad who writes wonderful contemporary romance filled with depth, faith, and small town. In Risking His Heart , she's woven together tropes like best friends to love with a small town setting. But Emily's also wrestling with the very real life issue of what happens when one door gets shut. With this book she f...

In this episode of Book Talk with Cara, I get to chat with historical fiction author Michelle Shocklee about her new novel, The Women of Oak Ridge . Shockley shares her background, inspiration for the book, and insights into the historical context of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, during World War II. Our discussion delves into her research process, the dual timelines of the novel, and the challenging tech...

Do you ever meet someone and just click? That's what happened when I hopped on the call with Sheila Roberts . She writes novels that are contemporary mysteries set in a larger community. You can tell from the cover that they have humor and fun. It only takes a few minutes of chatting with Shelia to see how much that fun comes from her personality and perspective on life. The Man Next Door is h...

In this episode of 'Book Talk with Cara,' I interview Nicole Baart about her newest book, Where He Left Me . Nicole shares insights into her background, inspiration for the book, and her writing process. The conversation reveals Nicole's melding of personal experiences and creative what-ifs that shaped the suspenseful, nature-versus-man story set at a remote cabin. We discuss the chall...

In this engaging episode of Book Talk with Cara, host Cara Putman welcomes author Ann Swindell to discuss her latest novel, Love in the Castle Library , the second book in her Christmas series. Anne shares the joys of transitioning from non-fiction to fiction, creating the imaginary kingdom of Leathersby, and blending this fictional world with the real-life charm of Oxford, England. They delve int...

Some people are such fun to have a conversation with, and today's Book Talk guest is one of those. Amanda Wen is the author of multiple books, and today we're talking about her latest novel, Echoes of a Silent Song . What I love is that she brings elements of her day job -- working as an accompanist for school choirs to this book. Yet she's also diving into a slight mystery with mental...

In this episode of Book Talk with Cara, I get to interview my friend, author Kate Angelo , about her latest book, Girl Lost . Together, we delve into the book's innovative use of cutting-edge technology, such as 3D-printed organs, and its deep ethical issues. Kate shares her journey from a tech-loving nerd to an inspired writer, discussing her background, her engagement with scientific innovat...

Robin Pearson is one busy woman, as you'll quickly learn in today's episode of Book Talk. An author who writes in North Carolina, she incorporates her southern roots into her stories. In our conversation, we got to talk about our shared love of bookstores and dream of owning one... for her that led to her latest novel, The Stories We Carry , which focuses on a woman working in a bookstore...

In this episode of Book Talk, I interview Ash Clifton , a debut author from Gainesville, Florida, about his intense thriller, Twice The Trouble . I like to compare this novel to works by Michael Cane, Tom Clancy, and Daniel Silva. Ash shares his journey of becoming a writer, inspired by his father's role as Chief of Police and Ash's exposure to former football players on his college team....

In today's episode of Book Talk, I have the pleasure of bringing my friend Kelly Goshorn onto the show to talk about her latest novel The Undercover Heiress of Brockton . I loved writing in a novella collection with Kelly a couple years ago, so I loved getting the chance to read this full-length novel. It's set in the very real events that happened when a shoe factory in Brockton exploded...

Y'all, there are rare moments when I read a book and think, "I wish I'd written this one." Connie Mann 's book that comes out in the spring is one of those (spoiler alert: I endorsed it!). But her current book, The Liar's Treasure is soooo good. That's why when I was planning this season of Book Talk I had to invite her to be a guest. This current series makes me thin...

I have known Kim Duffy (also writing as Kimberly Duffy) for several years, and it was past time to have her on as a guest. She is someone I love brainstorming with and spending time with because she's wicked smart and has this wry sense of humor I enjoy. She also loves to travel and homeschools her kids, so there are so many points of intersection even as we are so different. While I love her...

For today's episode of Book Talk, it's a treat to welcome Kristen Hogrefe Parnell back. Kristen writes page-turning romantic suspense, and her novella in Truth started with a what-if when she was on vacation at Rosemary Beach. She kept adding layers until she had the plot for the book. Like many authors, Kristen has always wanted to write. If she could go back in time, she'd ask herself what if it...

For today's episode of Book Talk, I'm so pleased to introduce you to Sarah Hamaker . On her website, Sarah hosts quick takes with authors, a great way to learn about what authors are working on and their newest books (you can listen to my part in one recent episode here ). In addition to encouraging and supporting other authors, Sarah writes page-turning romantic suspense. She has a novell...

One of the things I enjoy most about hosting Book Talk is making new writing friends. I love connecting with writers I've known for years, but today I get to introduce you to a new friend. Paul Bradley Carr and I hadn't met before we recorded, but as you enjoy this conversation, I think you'll find that we had so many things to talk about. It was a fast and fun chat about his new book...

t is so much fun to welcome Bethany Turner back to Book Talk. She was my first guest at the very beginning of Book Talk, and it is a delight to have her back as we discuss her latest romantic comedy, Wes and Addie Had Their Chance . I was surprised to learn that this was the first book idea that she had...ten years later, it's finally seeing the light of day. I love these characters and story....

Today, it's a thrill to get to introduce you to the delightful Lisa T. Bergren . The author of more than 70 books, Lisa is a wonderful person who writes fantastic novels. Today we're talking about her River of Time series. This series is one of my favorites, a passion I share with my oldest daughter. She inhaled this series multiple times as a teen, selecting different locations in Siena a...

In this episode of Book Talk, I get to introduce you to my friend Dan Walsh , a writer who has been compared to Nicholas Sparks. He has published traditionally and as an indie, with great success in both. We talked about why he's made the publishing choices he has as well as the journey two of his books have had on the path to possibly becoming books. It was a fascinating conversation as we ex...

There are some authors that I aspire to write like, and Susan Meissner is one of them. I am delighted to introduce you to her in this episode of Book Talk. Her latest novel A Map to Paradise , was featured in PEOPLE magazine. Woot! There is a gentleness to Susan that I so appreciate, and this episode grew out of reconnecting with her at a published author retreat in February. I know you'll enj...

Becca Kinzer is the award-winning author of romantic comedies like Dear Henry, Love Edith . I LOVED First Love, Second Draft , a book of second-chance love and forced proximity, so it was such fun to talk about it with Becca. I think we could also bond over our fondness of Jimmy Stewart, but we didn't dive down that rabbit hole in today's conversation. What we did talk about is the way lov...

It is always a delight to share my friend Jaime Jo Wright with y'all. In November, we were at the Christy Awards, and it was a thrill to watch her win the Christy for mystery/suspense/thriller. Y'all, I don't want to go head-to-head against this amazing writer. I can say this because I love Jaime and her writing. Jaime's books fill an interesting niche: Christian gothic. What is th...