Desideratum

This is a story about a struggling writer who gets invited to a writing retreat. She's thrilled because it's a once in a lifetime opportunity with a famous horror novelist. The retreat takes place at a remote estate, where even the house has a dark and storied past. We’re talking about the NY Times bestseller The Writing Retreat, with author, therapist and creative coach Julia Bartz. Thank...

This is a story about a detective, a cold case forensics expert named Elise. But this isn’t just a cold case, crime solving detective story. This story begins with our detective caught in the middle of an active crime scene. She fires her weapon for the first time. She takes a man’s life to save another man. Then, the saved man disappears from the scene, and Elise is drawn to him looking for answe...

This is a story about movies - classic films - that a psychology professor at Yale University adored, explored and built a long standing popular college course around. Author and Professor Dr. James Charney brings you the Yale course that explores the portrayal of mental illness in films in his book Madness at the Movies. The audiobook is narrated by Golden Voice (too many awards to list, more tha...

This is a scary story. A classic horror story - with a haunted house, a monster, and unflinching violence. But, there’s something else here too…  we’re talking about Everything the Darkness Eats by Eric LaRocca with narrator Andrè Santana.  This episode is sponsored by Dreamscape Media, an independent award-winning audiobook publisher. Dreamscape produces a wide range of titles from motivational s...

This is a story about a life - a beautiful life - lived across 4 countries, with struggle, multiple languages and loves.  We’re talking about Elizabeth Graver’s new novel Kantika and we begin with home recordings she made decades ago with her grandmother Rebecca. You’ll also hear some of narrator Gail Shalan’s skillful and delightful narration.  She is an incredible guide as the story takes us fro...

This is a story set in the Wild West in the early 1900’s. The story centers around a woman named Ruby who is living a mostly quiet and mostly lawful life… when out of the blue her past comes hustling into town and takes her and us on a journey filled with missteps and mayhem. We’re talking about KT Blakemore’s Wild-Willed Women of the West series - book one is called The Good Time Girls. I hope yo...

This is a story about a remarkable woman. She was trusted by American presidents and generals. Her impact on our nation can still be felt today. But, you’ve probably never heard of her, and you might never have if not for a high school history teacher. We’re talking about the first biography written about the incredible Anna Marie Rosenberg (appropriately titled The Confidante) by teacher and debu...

This is a story about a family.  It is a close up look at a father and daughter, at two sisters, at a husband and wife. But, it’s also this huge story about tradition and patriarchy and freedom. It felt like poetry to me at times.. and this conversation about it was so rich. We’re talking about In the Time of our History with author Susanne Pari on this Desideratum.  The narrator Mozhan Marnò is a...

This is a collection of 10 classic short stories written over a hundred years ago, brought together in a carefully curated anthology. Each story gives a feminine perspective on marriage - its role in society and the personal beauty and pain that can be found within its bonds. We’re talking about Marriage from the Feminine Perspective annotated, published and narrated by Christine Mascott. The anth...

This is a story about a girl growing up in San Francisco in the 1930’s - her family suffers one tragedy after another and she decides to escape the city and head to Yosemite…  Where she crosses paths with a real person in history - a Park Ranger named Enid Michael.  We’re talking about the historical fiction, The View From Half Dome, with author Jill Caugherty.  Jill shares how her storyline and c...

This is a story about a young boy named Philbet. He’s growing up in the deep south in the 1960’s and ‘70’s. He loves cars and his grandaddy’s garden and an older boy named Knox.  In this story, you see how Philbet hides himself and then finds himself. We’re talking about Red Clay Suzie, a fictionalized memoir written by Jeffrey Dale Lofton. Lofton is a natural storyteller and not just on the page....

This is a story set in what looks like a perfect neighborhood -  rocking chairs on covered porches, manicured lawns and families looking out for each other.   But in this story,  the illusion of perfect families and close friendships fractures when a child goes missing.  We’re talking about the novel The Perfect Neighborhood with author Liz Alterman.  Liz made me laugh and think deeply. I loved he...

This is a story set firmly in Kentucky bluegrass - a story swirling around a retired history professor who finds herself in one murder mystery after another. We’re talking with the author of the Josiah Reynolds cozy mystery series Abigail Keam, and we begin our conversation with something she has in common with her main character… beekeeping.   While Death By Greed (Book 18 in the series) just rel...

This is a story about a string of murders - assassinations - of media pundits. They were extreme peddlers of their party's agendas, and their murders feel politically motivated. Assigned to the case is a group of grizzled and green FBI detectives. We're talking about the crime novel Code Gray with narrator Champ Westwood on this Desideratum. Listen as Champ reveals what he appreciates abou...

Narrator by Landon Beach is a mystery thriller that will have you asking - what just happened and whodunnit?! Listen as Landon describes how he got inside the head of this hot mess of a main character - an audiobook narrator. And, find out how Landon first met his real life narrator the legendary award winning Scott Brick. Congratulations to Scott on being an Audie 2023 Finalist for Best Male Narr...

(00:00) Introduction with scratchy recording from a lone singer who inspired the novel Gradle Bird by JC Sasser (02:52) Oral storytelling and walking around with a tape recorder gathering stories (04:18) Setting in small town feels timeless  (05:35) Rooted in reality to distill the truth looking back on life experiences using fiction (07:00) Abandoned structures sparked imagination starting i...

(00:00) Introduction this is Such A Pretty Girl by T Greenwood (02:15) Words are powerful and 1970's advertising cringe  (04:52) Me too movement lens and two time lines give characters a reason to revisit their past  (06:42) Child narrator storytelling give out of the mouth of babes moments (08:27) Desire for something right out of reach and key to all stories is   (10:51) Settings...

Folly Park is a story about history, race, identity, and friendship. At its heart is a woman named Temple Preston and her old, crumbling, ancestral plantation in Virginia.  With the discovery of long hidden, disturbing family secrets, Temple gets wrapped up in exposing these family secrets as a way to save the ancestral home, until she begins to question whether it's really worth saving.&nbsp...

This is a story about a quiet, thoughtful man named Harlan Leblanc.  The story is about how and why Leblanc gets tangled up in a murder investigation. You'll hear from author James Wade about the action and the allegory he created, and about the ways he tried to mirror and balance the darkness and hope in this gritty tale.  We talk about the humor he found in indecision and inflammation....

This is a story about a seasoned war photojournalist named Annie Green. The timeline is 2015 and Annie is headed back to Afghanistan on assignment. She’s struggling through PTSD from the last time she was there - when a girls school she was working at exploded killing her closest friend. She’s also facing betrayal from a rival journalist, and she’s navigating a delicate balance between love, mothe...

This is a story that author Kerry Anne King says began with a house: a house that won't stay painted, whose shingles won't stay on, and the lawn won't stay mowed.  It's in a constant state of falling apart. Like it's grieving, or possessed by ghosts. Kerry's new novel IMPROBABLY YOURS is her 13th, and it does have some spooky elements.  But, it's also an adventure complete with a real treasure map...

Her new crime mystery 9 Days got us talking about tarot card readings and wondering if how the stars aligned at the time of our birth could shape or guide us...  That's because author Jule Selbo's new murder mystery 9 Days opens with a world famous astrologist confessing to murder.  When the astrologist's 12 year old son doesn't believe his mother is guilty, he hires Private Investigator...

The Deception is about life and death and the delicate veil between the two. The story spirals around an Illusionist running from her past, and a Medium whose past fame and spirit guide have abandoned her. The pliable Maud (the Medium known as the Maid of Light) and the clever Clementine (a master of tricks and illusions) join forces to find fame and fortune, but at what cost… does the end justify...

Imagine a character waking you up with his story… that’s how Robb Grindstaff describes writing his new novel SLADE. For me - talking to Robb about writing SLADE was a meta moment - interviewing an author about his life and his book that is about interviewing an author about his book and his life. Turns out interviewing skills are all over Robb’s resume. The newspaper biz took him from small town W...

Ellen Marie Wiseman is drawn to the dark corners of history, where rumors and mystery shroud the truth. It's where she finds and develops characters who shine. Listen as she shares how her own history led her to write about hidden truths and social injustices.  We're talking about her new novel, The Lost Girls of Willowbrook, which is set in a real state run institution exposed back in 1972 f...