Burke Allen's Big Time Talker Podcast — by SpeakerMatch

This week, Burke chats with Mom’s Choice award-winning children’s author Nina Kelly at the American Library Association’s annual conference. Nina shares her journey from working in elderly care and organ donation to becoming a beloved writer for kids aged 6-10. She discusses her debut book, The Honeybee Treehouse, which teaches children about the importance of bees, and her second book, Athena the...

This week, Burke teams up with Jim O'Cain and Hal Bryan from the October Sky Minute Podcast. In this special crossover episode, they dive into 1950s music, radio, and the cultural impact of October Sky. Burke shares his unique perspective as Homer Hickam's manager while the group explores West Virginia's vibrant music scene and radio's pivotal role in small-town America.   Enjoy Burke's personal s...

This week, Burke speaks with Liliane Fortna, author of the award-winning book Winks from Above, live from the San Diego Convention Center. Liliane dives into her personal journey, sharing how a profound experience with illness inspired her to explore life's hidden signs and synchronicities. Drawing from her diverse upbringing in Vietnam and France and an unexpected modeling career, Liliane discuss...

This week, Burke is joined by Dr. Joe Kerwin, the first American physician in space. In this captivating episode, Dr. Kerwin takes listeners through his pivotal role as a science pilot on the historic Skylab Two mission and his involvement in the Apollo program, including Apollo 13. Hear thrilling firsthand accounts of spacewalks, the emotional and physical challenges of life in space, and the pow...

This week, Burke sits down with Dinodave Fuqua, an adventurous dinosaur fossil hunter and the author of "Made in Montana." Dinodave shares stories from his upbringing in the small town of Glendive, Montana, and his incredible experiences in paleontology, including a thrilling trip to Mongolia, where he unearthed a triceratops fossil with renowned paleontologist Jack Horner.   "Made in Montana" is...

This week, Burke sits down with rockabilly music expert Buzz Campbell to explore his remarkable musical journey in-depth. From the sun-soaked surf tunes of his youth to the life-altering moment he witnessed the Stray Cats live, Buzz takes us through his evolution as a musician. He shares captivating stories from his career, including opening for Lee Rocker, backing up the legendary Chuck Berry, an...

This week, Burke sits down with award-winning thriller novelist T.O. Paine to dive deep into his latest book, The Delusion. Paine shares his unique approach to writing, blending 40% of his real-life experiences—including marathon-running adventures across all 50 states—into his novels. He opens up about the personal tragedy that sparked his literary journey and reveals how this loss fueled his buc...

This week, Burke sits down with Award-Winning Author Rick Robinson to explore his latest non-fiction book, *1968*. Best known for his political thrillers, Robinson shifts gears to provide an in-depth look at a year that reshaped America.   They discuss the pivotal events of 1968, including the Vietnam War, a turbulent presidential election, and the civil rights struggles highlighted by the tragic...

This week, Burke interviews Award-Winning Author Eliot Esparza at the American Library Association conference, where he introduces his supernatural detective urban fantasy thriller, "My Mind is Not Yours." Esparza shares insights about his self-publishing journey, including his illustrations and the challenges of engaging young adult readers while emphasizing the importance of capturing ideas on p...

This week, Burke is excited to welcome Rodney Justo, the charismatic lead vocalist of the Atlanta Rhythm Section. Rodney takes us on a journey through the band's storied career, sharing behind-the-scenes anecdotes from their hit-making days.   From the creation of iconic tracks like "So Into You," "Imaginary Lover," and "Spooky,"  to unforgettable moments on the road, Rodney provides an insider’s...

This week, Burke speaks with Award-Winning Author Tasha-Nicole Terani about her book 'A Tree for Me.' In this episode, you'll hear her story of how the book came to be, discuss her life as an orphaned child, her memories of a beautiful tree from her childhood, and her respect towards changed her perspective on her life. Although she felt lost, the tree taught her to love herself and not rely on ot...

This week, Burke talks with Award-Winning Author Cambria Williams about her Readers Favorite Award-winning book, The Befallen. Williams is most well known for her incredible fantasy fiction and poetry. She comes on to discuss the writing process, a bit about the book, and how she teaches others to write.  Her newest book, The Befallen, is her debut into the dark fantasy novel world. It follows Slo...

This week Burke speaks with Richard Battle, a longtime friend of the show, about his new book AmeriCANS Who Made America. It's a comprehensive breakdown of inspirational American figures of the 18th century. Richard goes through American history to draw attention to valuable Americans who may or may not have gotten their fair share of attention and praise. He discusses the common criticisms of his...

This week, Burke talks with DC Glenn, The Brain Supreme of Tag Team. Most well known for their Platnum Hit, Whoomp! (There It Is), Glenn shares his life as a D.J. in Georgia, his ability to learn no matter what, and his sheer determination to grow as a person.   While Glenn grew up in Chicago, he’s lived an extraordinary life in the up-and-coming Georgia Rap Scene, teaming up with a friend and bro...

This week, Burke speaks with award-winning author of the Ages of Malice series, Lloyd Jeffries. He served in the U.S. military and has practiced Emergency, Trauma, and Wilderness medicine for 20+ years. Lloyd decided to create the Ages of Malice series because he wanted to write a novel that thrilled, inspired thought, and questioned everything while doing so in a meaningful way. The Ages of Malic...

This week, Burke speaks with award-winning author Noemi Figueroa Soulet about The Borinqueneers, the only Hispanic segregated regiment in U.S. military history. Noemi first became interested in the 65th Infantry Regiment in 1999, leading her to produce a documentary and write a book on the subject. In their conversation, she delves into the regiment’s history, highlighting the contributions of Pue...

This week, Burke speaks with award-winning author Mark Worden. Mark won the Readers Favorite Award in the Christian - Devotional/Study category for his book He Is!: Knowing God through Fifty Scriptural Meditations.  In a deeply personal conversation, Burke and Mark delve into the profound topic of God, tracing Mark's spiritual journey that began in his youth. They also explore the idea of whether...

"Keeps you on the edge of your seat," - a quote from just one of the 5-star Amazo reviews for Adam Klein's latest book, Unlawful Games. The first-time author entered his book legal thriller into the Reader's Favorite Award's and has since earned high praise. He thanks his relationships with real-world lawyers in New York who helped him sculpt the world of this suspenseful mystery.  Adam has been a...

This week Burke speaks with Stephen Winer, one of the award-winning writers behind David Letterman's first show. He has used his lifelong love for writing to write a variety of shows with some of the country's favorite talents. After 40 years in the business, he's seen the industry evolve and what those changes meant for the actors and the writers behind the scenes. He has a great appreciation for...

"I realized I should not only forgive the people who hurt me throughout my life, but I should also thank them," Liliane Fortna. While recovering from a lifesaving emergency story Liliane Fortna looked back on her life and wrote about her story. At 73 she wrote her first book and has used her career to be a positive influence for others. Liliane's story reads like it came from a storybook: She had...

This episode features discussions of sensitive topics that some may find inappropriate. Listener Discretion is advised! This week Burke is joined by award-winning author Adrian Heflin who has received major praise for his book Lady of the Plantation. Lady of the Plantation follows a young girl fighting her way through the Georgia slave trade in the 19th century. The book touches on several sensiti...

What are the little-known tips and tricks to renting? Rent rates have increased over the last decade, especially in big cities - Justin Pogue uses his expertise from his time as a landlord to help renters slash those prices. Justin is the writer of Rental Secrets: Reduce Your Rent - Get Better Value - Create Quality Communities, a recent Reader's Favorite Award winner. His book is full of advice f...

"This book literally left me speechless," 5-star Amazon Review for The Flower from the Garbage. G. Edward Martin loves to write and uses his passion to fuel his entire creative process. He uses his book, The Flower from the Garbage to ask rough, philosophical questions to keep readers engaged in more ways than one. He's pleased to see his writings earn him a Reader's Favorite Award and it only enc...

"My Best Mistake by Carole Wolfe is a fun and inspiring read," Edith Wairimu for Readers' Favorite This week Burke is joined by Carole Wolfe, a Reader's Favorite award-winning author, who recently found critical acclaim with her "My Best..." series. For Carole, being a writer has been a lifelong ambition. It's something she's been excited to do and is thrilled to be recognized for her work. She ta...

This week Burke speaks with Terry Birdgenaw, author of the award-winning Antunite Chronicles trilogy of books. He talks about his inspirations and what got him into writing. Terry shares how his career as a scientist actually informs the way he writes these books. He was inspired by the altruistic tendencies of ants and how their attitude reflects those of humans. He uses these characteristics to...