Books That Make You Podcast

What if the truth about extraterrestrials and hidden government projects was right in front of us? Author Paul Vecchiet joins us to discuss The Disclosure Paradox , a novel that blurs the line between fiction and reality. Inspired by his experiences with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Paul shares insights into secret underground facilities, the military-industrial complex, and why we may not ye...

What happens when you blend On the Road with The X-Files ? You get Skunk Ape Semester , a thrilling yet thoughtful road trip through paranormal Americana. Award-winning author Mike Robinson joins Books That Make You to discuss his latest novel, his fascination with Bigfoot, and how speculative fiction can explore humanity's biggest questions. In Skunk Ape Semester , a zoologist embarks on a cross-...

Join us for a fascinating conversation with Sara Winokur, geneticist-turned-author, as she delves into the inspiration behind her thrilling novel, Ivory Bones . Drawing from her ancestry, which traces back to a Barbary pirate, and her extensive career in genetics, Sara weaves together a murder mystery that's as grounded in real science as much as historical intrigue. Learn about the real-life Lewi...

Step into a rich, genre-bending world with M.D. House as he introduces Crossroads of Awakening Memory , the first book in his expansive fantasy series. Meet Rayne Barrett, a reluctant young hero thrust into a universe filled with dragons, magical talismans, and interdimensional portals. From medieval-inspired worlds to modern Earth, the story weaves fantasy, history, and spiritual exploration into...

Step into the gripping world of Kaleidoscope of Secrets with author Sandy Clements. In this stimulating interview, Sandy shares the inspiration behind her novel—a fast-paced story of family secrets, a smuggling operation hidden beneath an antique business, and the moral dilemmas faced by the reluctant protagonist, Mia. Learn how Sandy weaves complex family dynamics, suspenseful twists, and a race-...

Ready to refresh your To-Be-Read list for 2025? In this episode of Books That Make You , we explore 15 remarkable titles that will inspire, captivate, and entertain in the coming year. Whether you're into gripping dystopias like Suzanne Collins' Sunrise on the Reaping , heartfelt memoirs like Terence Ang's The Boy and The Man , or thrilling mysteries like Sara Winokur's Ivory Bones , there's somet...

Kieren-Paul-Brown is rewriting the rules of storytelling with his novel N-Word , a daring narrative intertwining historical fiction, spiritual exploration, and modern-day social critique. Meet Antonia, an 85-year-old white woman reincarnated as Cara, a young Black social media influencer. The story spans two timelines: the civil rights movement of the 1950s and Cara's tumultuous world in 2024, ble...

Step into the shadowy world of Black Rose Cocoon , where a female serial killer defies some of the darker norms. 🖤 Award-winning author A.G. Flitcher shares the chilling inspiration behind his latest novel, diving deep into the psychology of fear, love, and madness. What sets female killers apart? How do societal reactions shape stories of crime? A.G. Flitcher explores these haunting questions an...

Dive into the world of family secrets, historical depth, and emotional redemption with Barbara J. Taylor, author of the Scranton Trilogy . From coal miners to vaudevillians, her richly crafted characters explore life's complexities in early 20th-century Scranton, Pennsylvania. Discover how tragedy sparks generational stories, how hope persists through Violet's journey, and the mystical elements th...

Chelan's poetic journey began at just 21 after a profound, life-altering experience. She describes it as a creative opening—a mystical event where verses flowed through her, bringing comfort, hope, and a newfound sense of wholeness. Her captivating works, including Beloved, Wild Grace, and The Prophetess, The Return of The Prophet from The Voice of The Divine Feminine, serve as pathways for reader...

Welcome to another exciting episode of Books That Make You. Join us as we dive into the world of podcasting with our special guest, Dave Campbell from True Media Solutions. Dave is a seasoned host and producer of several successful podcasts, and today, he's here to share his insights on how podcasting is revolutionizing storytelling. In this episode, we explore: The transformative impact of podcas...

The United States has a very complex, oft-oversimplified past. Dr. Robin Bernstein—a Dillon Professor of American History and Professor of African and African-American Studies and Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality at Harvard University—unravels a bit of that past in her new book Freeman's Challenge , a gripping story of murder, greed and race about a young man sentenced to five years of hard...

Books That Make You Consider the Social Dynamics of the South As a place where race and identity exist in centuries-long tension—which, of course, reverberates to this day—the South holds a complex, multifaceted history. The series "Lost and Found in Tennessee" by Stacia Moffett, featuring The Missing Girl and Jessa is Back, offers a gripping portrait of the South's enduring legacy and rich histor...

Books That Make You Confront Fear—and Embrace Your Spiritual Gifts When she was sixteen years old, Alejandra G. Brady awoke to someone she knew standing at the head of her bed. It was her first visit from someone who had died. It wasn't until she was 50 when someone would give her a name for these unusual experiences. Feeling as if something was missing in life and suffering from cervical compress...

Books That Make You Select Your Own Ending for Your Life Since no one gets out of life alive, we can at least decide how our own stories should end. Saving KC is the new Historical Fiction novel by Grinelle "Buzz" Desjarlais, who deeply and compassionately explores addiction, and the connections we might find in unexpected places. Set against the backdrop of post-Vietnam America, Saving KC follows...

Books That Make You Enter the World of Hollywood—and Murder This fall, gear up for an emotion-packed thriller, as you shake literary hands with an aging Hollywood horror actor whose wife's death years ago may, in fact, have been murder. Such is the set-up of the new novel, The Salvation of Henry Maxwell , by Lee Lindauer. Lindauer is an award-winning author, whose transition to writing from struct...

Books That Make You Fall Under the Spell of a Prohibition-era Moonshiner Travel back to the 1920s alongside a troubled boy named Rufus. Watch him leave his family—and a secret—behind, only to find what he hopes is a new home with a new family, the O'Haras. Unfortunately, things don't go too well for Rufus in Whiskey and Old Stogies , a twisting, turning historical literary fiction novel filled wit...

Books That Make You Understand Your Potential—Through Genre Fiction Very often, so-called "commercial" or genre fiction can speak to us in ways as powerful as "literary" or classic works. Going beyond simply the realm of entertainment, such books can teach us, help us explore possibilities about ourselves and the world. Award-winning author Tina Hogan Grant is a suspense romance novelist, writing...

Books That Make You Think Mellowing Your Money Are you overwhelmed when people discuss investment strategies? Does the roller coaster of the stock market make your head spin? Do you feel pressure, anxiety, and the need to act fast or else—or else? What if, in fact, you could mellow your money, and—likely—make more of it? Mick Heyman, CFA and Founder of Heyman Investment Counseling, has a forty-yea...

Books That Make You Stimulated by a Fast-Paced, Modern Techno Thriller Mystery, suspense, and technology—what reader doesn't love this combo? With good reason, techno-thrillers are increasingly one of the most captivating genres. The tech world—and all its fruits and unveilings—are pushing limits and outpacing humans' ability to keep up. Here comes The Ransom Enigma , the latest in the "Magnolia B...

Books That Make You Rock 'n Roll Back to a Hard Dog's 1950s We often view history—especially our own—through a nostalgic lens, fondly remembering the good things while sometimes forgetting the more challenging, upsetting times we had as a nation and society. Take the 50s era of rock and roll, for example: some of the most revolutionary, influential music was being made, all against a backdrop of g...

Books That Make You Go Flying with Snoodles in Space Everyone's favorite crankiness expert and award-winning children's book author, Steven Joseph's latest book, Snoodles in Space Episode 2: The Zoodles Strike Back ! is the third volume of the beloved "Snoodles" series, which has captivated readers of all ages with its adventure, humor and valuable life lessons. Outside of being an author, Steven...

Discover the powerful insights of Tashena Anderson-Place, author of " Fill Your Cup: Discovering the War Between Life and Faithfulness." Join us as Tashina shares her journey of using coffee as a metaphor for life's ups and downs, and how we can choose what fills our cups. Tashena opens up about her personal struggles, the importance of a heart and mind shift, and practical steps to overcome life'...

Books That Make You Be a Better Leader Managing a team, leading others…how might one go from being a wide-eyed novice to an in-demand leader people want to work for? More importantly, how can you move from being a "worker" to a facilitator of an energized team? In his multi-award-winning book , Be a Better Manager in Five Minutes a Day , Dr. Dominic Mcloughlin illustrates the path to becoming that...

Books That Make You Understand That You Are a Masterpiece Most of us encounter serious doubts about ourselves, and our lives. We might grow bitter, regretful, assume that it's simply our lot in life to experience inequity. Thus, it's sometimes easy for us to let others write us off. As someone once destined for a life of crime or addiction, Jay Morris might well have been the kind of person most w...