Book Talk with Cara Putman

Y'all, I never thought we'd get here. When I started Book Talk, I didn't have a vision for a podcast that would become this. Today to mix it up, my good friend Pepper Basham is interviewing me. It was so fun to share some of my writing journey, my passion for helping authors, and why I write the kinds of books that I do. We also talked about story, how she writes, and how we love teach...

Life doesn't always go the way we want it to. If you've lived any amount of time, then you know that. What I love about Toni Shiloh 's novels with Bethany House is that they are spiritual or Hollywood fairy tales. They capture that idea of finding a prince or a star who thinks we're beautiful and worthwhile. They see the value in us that we can't quite find. I love this chance...

Have you ever wondered what it's like to write in a novella collection when the authors intentionally connect the stories closely? That's exactly what Crystal Caudill , Angela Strong , and I did for our collection We Three Kings which releases in September 2023. In this episode of Book Talk, we talk about how we got the ideas for our novellas, how they are connected, and what we incorporat...

Today it is a pleasure to introduce you to my writing friend Kathleen Denly . Her historical fiction is set in 1850s San Diego County California, and you'll enjoy getting to learn more about her passion for discovering little-known aspects of California's history and transforming it into a story. We also enjoyed talking about her family's adoption journey and how that found its way int...

It is my absolute delight to introduce you to my writing friend DiAnn Mills . I met DiAnn at my very first ACFW in 2005 when I attended one of the workshops on plotting and brainstorming. I have loved her and her books ever since. In this episode, we talk about her upcoming book Facing the Enemy, and how it's a healing book for her because it touches on a tragic experience in her life. More th...

Connecting with my friend Rachel Hauck is always a joy, and it's always a delight to have her on Book Talk. This episode is no different. When we hit record, you get to eavesdrop on our conversation about stories as art and characters as joy. Rachel starts with a theme but not necessarily a spiritual thread, that will come later. Then the story idea will hit her later. In the process, the big...

In many episodes, I've introduced you to my writing friends that I've known for a long time. In this episode, I have the privilege of introducing you to a new friend Kristen Parnell . It was such fun to talk about books and writing with this author who highlights that while we don't get to choose the situations of our lives, we do get to choose our response to situations in her books....

Y'all, I had so much fun connecting with my friends Misty Beller , Gabrielle Meyer , & Roseanna White . They each write historical fiction set in different time periods. Gabrielle Meyer's latest In This Moment is set during the beginnings of the Civil War, WWII, and the days leading up to 9/11. Roseanna White's A Beautiful Disguise is set in 1909 with an acrobatic set of aristocrat...

Sometimes you want a book that is richly layered with the best of stories. Author TI Lowe's next novel Indigo Isle is that. Inspired by the Prodigal Son and Beauty and the Beast, this story gripped my heart and didn't let go. I really enjoyed the opportunity to connect with TI and learn more about her journey to publication and how she finds her stories. We talked about the importance of r...

Y'all, it was such fun to reconnect with my writing friend Jaime Jo Wright . Since the last time she was on Book Talk, she's released two books: The Vanishing at Castle Moreau and Premonition at Withers Farm . We talked all about her inspiration for Castle Moreau — Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, the Hungarian countess who was the inspiration for her villain, and why she writes gothic novels. W...

Have you ever wondered what it was like to write Biblical fiction? Wondered how authors got their ideas? Then I'm so glad you can join us for this book talk with Angie Hunt and Connilyn Cossette. In this episode, we discuss many aspects of writing from how they find ideas to how they plot to how they use Scrivener (both are huge fans!). It was such a fun conversation, and I hope you enjoy it!...

It's always fun to introduce you to new authors, and Crystal Caudill is an author whose second and third books release this spring. She's also a coauthor with me on a novella collection that releases later this fall. It's been such fun to get to know her through writing together, and it was fun to talk with her about her books Counterfeit Hope and Counterfeit Love . Crystal writes deep...

Today's guest, Melody Carlson , is the author of more than 200 novels for teens and women. Several of her novels have also been adapted into movies for Hallmark and other channels — on many authors' bucket lists! In this Book Talk, we chatted about where she gets her ideas, what you can expect when you pick up her recent novels, as well as her most recent novel Second Time Around . If you...

Many of you have read and love Dani Pettrey's books. In fact, many of you asked me to have her on Book Talk, something I was delighted to do. Dani writes amazing romantic suspense and romantic adventure, books that are gripping and pull you deeply into the setting and group of friends. We had so much fun talking about her novels, her settings, how she writes multiple characters in each book an...

Are you a reader who loves a new series? Do you fly through a series as fast as you can? Do you also love some diversity in your reading? Then this is the Book Talk for you. In this episode, I connect with Shelley Shephard Gray , who writes Amish romance, Elizabeth Goddard , who writes great romantic suspense, and Amanda Cabot , who writes westerns set in 1880s Texas. In this conversation, we chat...

I had so much fun talking books and Captain America with my friend J'Nell Ciesielski and think you'll enjoy meeting her and learning more about her early 20th-century novels. I adored her latest novel Brilliance of Stars which reminds me of Marvel movies that center on Captain America. There's a reason! The idea came to her while watching those. We talked all about research, WWI, what makes a hero...

Y'all, I always have way too much fun with these romantic suspense-writing friends. Today is no exception. Lynette Eason , Lynn H. Blackburn , and Natalie Walters are authors whose books are those I preorder and read the moment they land on my Kindle or in my mailbox. In fact, I often end up with multiple copies. In this episode, I may have gushed about their latest novels, which happened to be th...

This episode was such fun to record for several reasons. First, Tricia Goyer and I have been friends since I had two kids and she had three — I now have four and she has ten. I've known Christen Krumm for years as she's been a virtual assistant for many of my friends and now for me for years. And I always enjoy meeting new authors like Elly Gilbert . Why did we come together for this episode? Chri...

Do you love slip-time novels? Adore World War II fiction? Love a book that can sweep you into the time and place in a way that makes you feel part of the action and story? Then you will love Melanie Dobson 's books. It was a joy to connect with my friend and talk about her books. She has written thirty and we discussed her passion for telling stories of ordinary people in extraordinary times that...

When you meet Mary Connealy you meet an author who cares deeply about creating characters who resonate with readers. She wants to entertain while also touching people's hearts. Her stories do that for me every time and I love how her most recent stories are a combination of strong women and hearts. In this episode, we talk about how she finds her stories and why she's so passionate about writing t...

There are few people I adore more in the writing world than Kristy Cambron , and you'll understand after listening (or watching) a few minutes of this Book Talk with Cara. Kristy is one of the warmest people I know and she is passionate about books. Her books have a wonderful blend of hope in the midst of darkness, usually war. I have loved her work since her debut novel, The Butterfly and the Vio...

On this episode of Book Talk, I get to introduce you to my friend Jill Eileen Smith . Jill is the author of twenty Biblical fiction novels. If there's a woman in the Old Testament, then she has probably written a novel bringing that woman's story to life. In this episode we discuss how she does her research, some of the books she's enjoyed writing, which books were challenging, and her next title...

In this episode, my good writing friends Jennifer Deibel , Laura Frantz , and Sarah Sundin join me as we talk about their upcoming books. We also dive into what it's like to write historical fiction. How do you know what to research? When to stop researching? The craziest things we've researched and so much more. We also talk about where we would recommend people travel related to our books. It wa...

What happens when you get five writers on a call talking about books, suspense, and more? A really fun call. Lisa Phillips , Megan Besing , Emilie Haney , Laura Conaway , and I talked about how we find time to write. The different seasons of life. The way we bring different things to our books based on different genres. Favorite writers we read. And so much more. I hope you enjoy watching this con...

You asked for it, and we put together a great Book Talk with Deborah Raney and Tamera Alexander about their writing relationship. They have been critique partners for years and attribute much of their success to that shared brainstorming and more. You don't have to spend much time with these two to sense the deep love and respect they have for each other. Watch and you'll learn how their partnersh...