Desideratum

Today's featured story was inspired by a teller of tall tales - a lover of stories. As we head into Father’s Day weekend, listen to Meghan Holloway talk about the ways her grandfather enriched her life and her writing. Meghan Holloway wrote a successful WWII Historical Fiction published by Polis Books called Once More Unto the Breach as well as a trilogy in the Thriller Crime genre with Hunting Gr...

Today's featured story is from Grace Sammon's novel The Eves. Grace describes The Eves as a multi-generational novel portraying lives lived well and lives in transition. It captures the conversations we wish we had had with our parents, if we had taken the opportunity, and the lessons we would want to impart to our children, if they were ready to listen. Told through the voice of the psychological...

This weeks featured story is from author Dianne Bilyak. It's a vignette from her memoir Nothing Special: The Mostly True, Sometimes Funny, Tales of Two Sisters.  The title tells you a lot. This book with a long descriptive title took an unusual and interesting path to publication.  I am excited for you to hear about it.  I loved Dianne's dedication in the book "To my inimitable sister, Chris Bilya...

Today's featured story is from Edgar Award Nominee Joseph S. Walker. The Edgar Allan Poe Awards are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America. The short story Joe chose for the podcast is titled Mercy. It was inspired by the growled word 'mercy' in the the Roy Orbison song Pretty Woman. It's published in a clever anthology called Peace, Love and Crime where each story draws inspiratio...

Our featured story this week is from Laura Kemp. Border Song is set in Oklahoma, a long way from Laura's Michigan based Yellow Wood series. She explains how she feels about nature - especially the wild places. And, she talks about being a spooky storyteller at heart.  You can find her books on her website and check out the world she has created at 'Kemp Camp' on FB.  Thanks for listening. https://...

Todays featured story is from Robert Gwaltney. It's a special excerpt from his debut novel The Cicada Tree.  Before the story, we talk about how powerful early childhood experiences can be, what advice his granny Louise gave him about where to sit, and what music influenced him while he was writing The Cicada Tree.  After the story, hearing about his essential things will make you want to reach ou...

Today's featured story is from Melissa Face and her collection of parenting essays called I Love You More Than Coffee.  Her book celebrates early motherhood, but it's not just for new moms reaching for their coffee.  It's also for moms looking back and remembering. Melissa is quick to smile and laugh, a joy to talk to.  Listen to why she's glad she wrote these essays, how her daughter's confidence...

Our featured story comes from Alison Ragsdale, a proud Scot lass, who writes emotionally charged novels that often require tissues.  I want you to listen to how her own personal resets - adapting to her life's unexpected events - shapes her characters and her storytelling. I love what she says about supporting characters grounding her stories and the gift her father gave her that shows up in her c...

The featured story this week is from Marylee Macdonald's collection of short stories Body Language: Twelve unforgettable portraits of heartbreak and desire.  The story is brought to life by her talented audiobook narrator Adam Barr.  Marylee's work in this collection is about the solace of touch and it's connection to well being.  She also talks about place and how she uses it to put her character...

Our featured story Ignorance or Innocence is from Johnnie Bernhard.  It will be included in an anthology of short stories about home, in September, 2021. Johnnie wrote this story awhile ago, before her successful novels. Unlike her novels, this story is autobiographical, set in a small Texas town where she moved in 8th grade. It's kind of a story about being an outsider, but Johnnie has this way o...

Our featured story comes from Steve Wiegenstein's twelve story collection Scattered Lights.  Like Steve, the characters in these stories are deeply rooted in the Ozarks. Yet through his storytelling, he unearths something more universal than regional in each human motivation and interaction.  In Unexplained Aerial Phenomena the character Janine says, "Every story fills a need." I hope after you li...

In this season of rebirth and renewal, when new beginnings are announced by every budding leaf and celebrated by every spectacular bloom; it is the perfect time to meet Ann Parker and hear her perspective on seasons, bravery, truth and essential things. Her featured story is called Thirteen Seconds. It's about a plane crash. It is just one of many stories in Ann's practical and deeply personal boo...

A talk with Daniel Wade is a walk on a wandering path. Come along as he talks about the sea, about Ireland's long history of storytelling and about how we should all be looking for a lighthouse. The featured story is from Embers and Earth, Daniel's spoken word album.  Aperture is about Daniel's grandmother and darkness.  I am grateful to hear it in his own voice. Daniel is a poet, a playwright, a...

Today you will get to know author Mandy Haynes and hear her story Something More about a little girl named Jewell who sees beauty in small things and who is truly more precious than diamonds and rubies.  Mandy Haynes is an author of literary fiction with a southern drawl.  Her official tag line is "Hell, we cain't all be saints." You can find her books Walking the Wrong Way Home and Sharp as a Ser...