GSMC Book Review Podcast

Sarah welcomes bestselling author Christina Kovac for an engaging conversation about her gripping psychological suspense novel, Watch Us Fall . Also known for The Cutaway , Kovac returns with a tense, character-driven mystery that explores the fragile bonds of friendship, hidden secrets, media attention, and the stories people tell themselves to avoid uncomfortable truths. Set against the backdrop...

Creativity takes many forms, and sometimes the most powerful stories are the ones we create together. Sarah welcomes Andy and Jeff Crocker, the creative duo behind Mister & Mischief, to discuss their imaginative new zine, Infinite Right Answers . Drawing from years of experience designing immersive theater, interactive entertainment, and unforgettable audience experiences, Andy and Jeff share...

Award-winning author Mark Stevens returns to the GSMC Book Review Podcast to discuss Two Truths and a Lie , the gripping follow-up to his acclaimed suspense novel No Lie Lasts Forever . In this thrilling conversation, Mark joins Sarah to talk about the next chapter in reporter Flynn Martin's story and the escalating dangers she faces when a copycat killer begins targeting those connected to her in...

Award-winning author K.L. Murphy joins Sarah on the GSMC Book Review Podcast to discuss her compelling historical fiction novel, The Great Forgotten , a moving story inspired by one of America's deadliest and most overlooked railway disasters. Set against the backdrop of World War I and spanning generations, The Great Forgotten brings readers to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1918, where a devastating t...

Award-winning storyteller and world traveler Renee Gilmore joins Sarah on the GSMC Book Review Podcast to discuss her powerful memoir, Wayfinding , a deeply personal story of resilience, healing, and self-discovery. For Renee, the open road has always represented possibility. Her travels have taken her across all seven continents, from everyday roadside stops to some of the world's most iconic des...

Sarah welcomes author Julia Fine, writing as Margaux Eliot, to discuss her captivating new novel, Honeymoon Stage. Blending romance, mystery, nostalgia, and sharp social commentary, this entertaining story transports readers back to the early 2000s, when reality television was reshaping celebrity culture and turning private lives into public spectacles. At the center of the novel is Cassidy Baum,...

In this powerful episode of the GSMC Book Review Podcast, Sarah welcomes author Yvonne Martinez to discuss her thought-provoking novel Scabmuggers , a story inspired by real events that explores feminism, power, and conflict within academic and political spaces. Set at Harvard in the 1990s, Scabmuggers follows Ana, a student navigating harassment while refusing to expose her perpetrator. What unfo...

Step into the vibrant world of the 1920s in this captivating episode of the GSMC Book Review Podcast, as Sarah welcomes author Melora Fern to discuss her evocative historical novel Whistling Women and Crowing Hens. Set against the backdrop of the Jazz Age, this story follows Birdie Stauffer, a young woman determined to break free from small-town expectations and find her voice on the Chautauqua ci...

On this episode of the GSMC Book Review Podcast, Sarah welcomes acclaimed author Janet Burroway for a thoughtful conversation about her powerful historical novel, Simone in Pieces . Spanning decades and continents, this unforgettable story follows Simone Lerrante, a Belgian war orphan whose fractured memory shapes her understanding of identity, love, and belonging. Burroway shares the inspiration...

Sarah welcomes author Emily Sayre Smith for a lively and heartfelt conversation about her memoir Smartass: Memoir of a Mouthy Girl . Packed with humor, honesty, and unforgettable life moments, Emily’s story traces her coming of age in a deeply unconventional family shaped by contradictions, creativity, and chaos. Growing up with a priest for a father and a magician for a mother, Emily’s early life...

Storytelling has the power to connect, persuade, and leave a lasting impression, and this episode of the GSMC Book Review Podcast brings that idea to life. Sarah welcomes Corey Rosen, author of A Story for Everything: Mastering Diverse Storytelling for Any Occasion , for an engaging conversation about how anyone can become a more confident and impactful storyteller. Drawing from his experience as...

Step into a gripping conversation on the GSMC Book Review Podcast as Sarah welcomes back science fiction author J.D. Sanderson to discuss his ambitious collection, A Footstep Echo: The Complete Collection . This expanded edition brings together two novels and a short story, offering readers a richer and more refined journey through time, memory, and the unknown. At the heart of the story is Bernar...

Get ready for a deliciously entertaining episode of the GSMC Book Review Podcast as Sarah chats with author Carmela Dutra about her charming and suspenseful Food Truck Mystery series. From the irresistible debut A Murder Most Fowl to its sizzling sequel Homicide and Hot Wings , this conversation serves up humor, heart, and plenty of twists. Listeners are introduced to twins Beth and Seth Lloyd, wh...

Sarah chats with Shanna Hatfield about the inspiration behind this suspenseful and uplifting story, the characters whose lives collide during one unforgettable moment, and the powerful themes of hope, courage, and second chances that shape the novel. Set on the iconic St. Johns Bridge in Portland, The Bridge follows five strangers whose lives intersect during a tense holiday crisis. Sergeant Arche...

Sarah welcomes author Courtney Psak to discuss her suspenseful novel, The Hostess , a chilling story set against the glamorous yet unsettling backdrop of the Hamptons. Natalie and her husband leave the city after a devastating accident, hoping a peaceful getaway will give Natalie time to heal. Their last minute rental in the Hamptons appears to be the perfect escape. The estate is breathtaking, co...

Sarah welcomes acclaimed Chicago author Bill Hillmann to discuss his powerful novel White Flight , a gritty, thought-provoking story about violence, class mobility, race, and redemption.  Set between Chicago’s working-class neighborhoods and the charged streets of New Orleans, White Flight follows Golden Gloves boxer Joe Walsh as his promising future collides with tragedy. After a fatal campus fig...

Sarah has a conversation with acclaimed biographer Judith Lissauer Cromwell to discuss her compelling biography, Louise-Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun: Portrait of an Artist, 1755–1842. This captivating work chronicles the extraordinary life of Louise-Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, one of the most celebrated portrait artists of the 18th and early 19th centuries. Best known as the favored painter of Marie Antoi...

Sarah sits down with debut author Amy Rossi to discuss her powerful and emotionally resonant novel, The Cover Girl . At the heart of the story is Birdie Rhodes, discovered at just thirteen by legendary modeling agent Harriet Goldman and launched into the high-stakes world of fashion. What begins as a dream opportunity quickly becomes something far more complicated when Birdie falls for a much olde...

Sarah talks with physician, author, and public health thinker Dr. Wendy Johnson to discuss her powerful and timely book, Kinship Medicine: Cultivating Interdependence to Heal the Earth and Ourselves . Modern life promises convenience and progress, yet many of us feel more isolated, unhealthy, and disconnected than ever. In Kinship Medicine, Dr. Johnson challenges the foundations of how we live and...

Sarah sits down with author Sandra J. Paul to discuss her chilling psychological suspense novel, The Girl Without a Voice . Set against the eerie backdrop of the fall of 1980, this gripping story blends the tension of a thriller with the unsettling pull of true crime. The novel follows Alice, a young woman born mute and isolated from the outside world by her controlling parents. Her life changes f...

Sarah welcomes debut novelist Allison Cundiff to discuss her literary fiction novel, Hey, Pickpocket , a heartfelt and beautifully written story about identity, belonging, and the search for home. Hey, Pickpocket follows Frances, a woman determined to leave her past behind as she travels to Ireland in hopes of beginning again. Surrounded by striking landscapes and rich local culture, Frances encou...

Sarah sits down with author and former professional dancer Diane Christiansen to discuss her memoir, The Last Real Showgirl: My Sequined ’70s Onstage . This candid and captivating conversation shines a light on a nearly vanished era of entertainment, when showgirls represented the height of glamour in clubs, resorts, and world-class venues. Diane shares her journey from a restless teenager in Illi...

Sarah sits down with author Wendy Gee to discuss her crime fiction mystery Fleet Landing, a tense and emotionally charged novel set against the backdrop of Charleston, South Carolina. The conversation explores the inspiration behind Fleet Landing, a story where a string of suspicious fires exposes long-buried secrets, systemic corruption, and the human cost of injustice. Wendy Gee shares insight i...

Sarah welcomes bestselling author Kait Ballenger to discuss her dark romantasy novel Original Sinner, a bold reimagining of the seven deadly sins set in modern-day New York City. In Ballenger’s world, the sins are ultrarich power brokers—Lust runs brothels, Sloth dominates streaming media, and Pride, known as Lucifer, rules with beauty, control, and danger. When a private rant about Lucifer goes p...

Sarah welcomes bestselling author Victoria Helen Stone for a gripping conversation about her latest psychological suspense novel, Bald-Faced Liar. Known for unforgettable thrillers like Jane Doe and The Hook, Stone once again delivers a tense, character-driven story that keeps readers questioning everything. And everyone. The novel follows Elizabeth May, a traveling nurse who has mastered the art...