GSMC Book Review Podcast

Sarah speaks with Ariane Torres about her novel, We Are the Kings: "Stuck in a relationship that appears to be going nowhere and recently unemployed, Marcella learns of the death of her grandmother Adele. Adele’s body has been found not far from her late husband’s grave, by a man she’d been involved with as a young woman, a relationship that Marcella and her family had previously known nothing abo...

Sarah speaks with Verónica Gutiérrez about her first Yolanda Ávila mystery, As You Look: "Former LAPD cop-turned private investigator Yolanda Ávila blames herself for her mother’s death. If she’d only followed her cop instincts instead of the juju—her random prophetic dreams—the perpetrator would have been off the streets and her mother would still be alive. The only salve against her guilt is Yol...

Sarah speaks with Timothy Miller about the second book in his Sherlock Holmes historical mystery series, The Strange Case of the Dutch Painter: Paris, 1890. When Sherlock Holmes finds himself chasing an art dealer through the streets of Paris, he’s certain he’s smoked out one of the principals of a cunning forgery ring responsible for the theft of some of the Louvre’s greatest masterpieces. But fo...

Sarah speaks with Gregory Erich Phillips about his novel, A Season in Lights: "In the colorful artistic underworld off-Broadway, Cammie, a dancer in her mid-thirties, has just landed her first part in a show since coming to New York City. Yet the tug of familial obligation and the guilt of what she sacrificed to be there weigh down her dancing feet. Her lover, Tom, an older piano player, came to t...

Sarah speaks with Rick Lenz about his novel, Hello, Rest of My Life: "It didn't matter that he was young again. Without Samantha his life was meaningless. But it really felt good to be twenty-seven again with all of his juices flowing. And there was a sexy woman who wanted him. And the promise of a successful acting career. He'd blown that chance when he was here before but now he was smarter. But...

Sarah speaks with Mazey Eddings about her romantic comedy A Brush With Love: "Harper is anxiously awaiting placement into a top oral surgery residency program when she crashes (literally) into Dan. Harper would rather endure a Novocaine-free root canal than face any distractions, even one this adorable. A first-year dental student with a family legacy to contend with, Dan doesn’t have the same pas...

Sarah speaks with Robert Skead about the third book in his middle grade, historical fiction American Revolutionary War Adventures series, Links to Liberty: Defending the Great Chain at West Point: "In this third book in the American Revolutionary War Adventures series, John and Ambrose Clark are hot on the trail of the spy who gave away the secret of their father’s mission, which ultimately led to...

Sarah speaks with Linda Feyder about her short story collection, All's Fair and Other California Stories: "In present-day Southern California, a diverse group of characters seeks the fulfillment and connection this sunny state has always promised. They come with hopes for a better lifestyle, for a change of perspective, or for the dry, mild West Coast weather. A couple moves to Palm Desert from Ne...

Sarah speaks with Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason about her memoir, House of Music: Raising the Kanneh-Masons: "Seven brothers and sisters. All of them classically trained musicians. One was Young Musician of the Year and performed for the royal family. The eldest has released her first album, showcasing the works of Clara Schumann. These siblings don’t come from the rarefied environment of elite music schoo...

Sarah speaks with Robert Steven Goldstein about his novel, Cat's Whisker: "Cat's Whisker is the story of Samuel Baron, an engineer, inventor, and successful entrepreneur. Trained as a scientist, Baron nonetheless nurtures a lifelong fascination with mysticism and spirituality, investigating themes as varied and interesting as meditation, jiu-jitsu, biology, anthropology, tai chi, BDSM-and the sear...

Sarah speaks with Joe Lee about his historical fiction graphic novel, Forgiveness: The Story of Eva Kor, Survivor of The Auschwitz Twin Experiments: "In March of 1944, at age 10, little Eva was arrested with her entire family, including her twin sister, Miriam, for the 'crime' of being Jewish. Nazis loaded Eva and her family into a cattle car with other men, women, and children headed to the Ausch...

Sarah speaks with V. K. Tritschler about the second book in her Vital Impetus series, Revenge Seeker: "where her enemies can’t find them. When, Peter’s parents find out she’s the offspring of their mortal enemy, they are determined to keep them apart forever. Going alone is perilous, and it’s hard to tell the difference between friend and foe. Determined to bring down her maniacal Grandfather, Jes...

Sarah speaks with Eva Shaw about her historical mystery, The Seer: "It's February 1942. War grips the world. Asian hate runs rampant, and New Orleans is a dangerous place for Chinese-English scientist Thomas Ling as he collides with self-proclaimed psychic Beatrix Patterson. She's a good liar with an excellent memory, which in truth is her only gift-well, that and conning the well-heeled out of th...

Sarah speaks with Defne Suman about her historical fiction book, The Silence of Scheherazade: "September 1905. At the heart of the Ottoman Empire, in the ancient city of Smyrna, Scheherazade is born to an opium-dazed mother. At the very same moment, an Indian spy sails into the golden-hued, sycamore-scented city with a secret mission from the British Empire. When he leaves, 17 years later, it will...

Sarah speaks with returning author J. P. McLean about the first book in The Gift Legacy Series, Secret Sky: "Everybody wishes they could fly—until it happens. When Emelynn Taylor wakes up in the emergency room, her injuries present Dr. Avery Coulter with more questions than answers. Who is this guarded young woman? Why was she found in the middle of Sunset Park? How can she have injuries consisten...

Sarah and Risa are teamed up once again to interview returning guest Christine Isley-Farmer. This time they are talking about the 2nd book in the Boomer's Tale's series, A Hard Nut to Crack: "An upset Robbie shows up on the doorstep of the home of his friends, Chloe, Boomer, and Nana Weathers. His dog, Hoppy, disappeared from his backyard. When Hoppy hasn't returned by the next day, family and fri...

Sarah speaks with Cyla Panin about her book Stalking Shadows: "Seventeen-year-old Marie mixes perfumes to sell on market day in her small eighteenth-century French town. She wants to make enough to save a dowry for her sister, Ama, in hopes of Ama marrying well and Marie living in the level of freedom afforded only to spinster aunts. But her perfumes are more than sweet scents in cheap, cut-glass...

Sarah speaks with Tasha Keeble about her memoir, Call Me Freedom: A Black American Woman Breaks from Empire, which "tracks parallel journeys: one explores the narrator’s life and family relationships, and the second gauges and evaluates her interior life relative to the outside world (i.e., Empire) to free herself from a stultifying duty handed her as a middle-class Black woman-to piously attend t...

Sarah speaks with W. L. Hawkin about her new book, Lure: Jesse and Hawk: "Hawk is a wounded healer bent on losing himself on the Chippewa reservation. Jesse's a vegan nature photographer trying to find herself on that same wild land. When Hawk shoots the deer Jesse's photographing, passions flare. Then, Jesse hears that Hawk's friend is dying and sets off alone on horseback to warn him. He deserve...

Sarah speaks with Kelle Z. Riley about the first book in her Riches and Royals Romance series, Read My Lips: "Claire Lennox thought she could have it all—until trusting the wrong man destroyed her career, her reputation, and her heart. Now, as director of a literacy foundation, she has new ambitions. But when a sexy client tempts her to love again, does she dare? Billionaire chocolatier Clayton Mc...

Sarah speaks with Anthony Ianni about his memoire, Centered: Autism, Basketball, and One Athlete's Dreams: "Diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder, a form of autism, as a toddler, Anthony Ianni wasn't expected to succeed in school or participate in sports, but he had other ideas. As a child, Ianni told anybody who would listen, including head coach Tom Izzo, that he would one day play for...

Sarah speaks with Annette Palmer about her book, Trees...God's Hint to Humanity? "If there wasn’t a floor where you’re sitting or standing, what would be there? Probably a tree. Have you looked around lately? TREES are everywhere! Why? Are trees possibly a hint from God to humanity? Annette Palmer explains why she believes they are. Explore the landscape from a train’s window. Reminisce about your...

Sarah speaks with Louise Marburg about her collection of short stories, No Diving Allowed: "From F. Scott Fitzgerald to John Cheever, the swimming pool has long held a unique place in the mythos of the American idyll, by turns status symbol and respite. The fourteen stories that comprise NO DIVING ALLOWED fearlessly plunge the depths of the human condition as award-winning author Louise Marburg fr...

Sarah speaks with Nicole Fanning about the first two books in her mafia romance Heart of the Inferno series, Catalyst and Ignite: "When Natalie Tyler arrives in Chicago to attend her cousin's wedding, she is just hoping to survive the week with her estranged family... And her ex-fiancé. One week. One uneventful week at the beautiful Hotel Jefferson, is all she has to endure before she can return t...

Sarah speaks with returning author Debbie Burke about the most recent books in her Tawny Lindholm thriller series: "Investigator Tawny Lindholm’s plans for a romantic Florida vacation with attorney Tillman Rosenbaum vanish when they’re caught up in Hurricane Irma. Tillman’s beloved coach, Smoky, disappears into the storm, along with a priceless baseball card. Is he dead or on the run from a shady...