GSMC Book Review Podcast

Sarah talks to Richard Paolinelli about his book Galen's Way: A Starquest 4th Age Adventure: "Millions of years in the future, humanity has been driven out of the Milky Way and now calls the Andromeda Galaxy home. Lost in their murky past are the tales of great knights that held the line against the invasion of a dark force until the rest of humanity could escape their doom. The last and greatest...

Sarah speaks with Jodi S. Rosenfeld about her debut novel, Closer to Fine: "the story of Rachel Levine, a young, Jewish, bisexual woman finding her adult footing in a world full of uncertainties. Rachel has many teachers along the way―a stubborn grandfather, a progressive rabbi, a worldly girlfriend, a wise supervisor, and an insightful therapist―but in the end, it is her own anxiety that is the b...

Sarah speaks with Seth Mullins about the first book in his Edge of the Known series, The Authors of This Dream: "Brandon Chane's life is spinning out of control. After an altercation outside a performance venue nearly proves fatal, he's feeling at the mercy of dark forces threatening to tear his life apart. Even as a gifted poet and musician, his efforts to channel pain, frustration, and thwarted...

Sarah speaks with Mark Leslie about the first book in his Canadian Werewolf series, A Canadian Werewolf in New York: "Michael Andrews seems to have it all. He's a successful author and a minor celebrity living in Manhattan. It's a pretty big step up from his humble Canadian upbringing. Of course, his lycanthropy poses a bit of a challenge. After waking up from his latest night of howling at the mo...

Sarah speaks with D. Eric Maikranz about The Reincarnationist Papers, the first book in a new series: "Discovered as three notebooks in an antique store in Rome at the turn of the millennium, The Reincarnationist Papers offers a tantalizing glimpse into the Cognomina, a secret society of people who possess total recall of their past lives. Evan Michaels struggles with being different, with having...

Sarah interviews Payal Doshi about her book, Rea and the Blood of the Nectar, the first book in her middle-grade fantasy series: "It all begins on the night Rea turns twelve. After a big fight with her twin brother Rohan on their birthday, Rea's life in the small village of Darjeeling, India, gets turned on its head. It’s four in the morning and Rohan is nowhere to be found. It hasn’t even been a...

Sarah interviews Carter Wilson about his suspense/thriller novel, The Dead Husband: "Twenty years ago an unspeakable tragedy rocked Rose Yates's small, affluent hometown... and only Rose and her family know the truth about what happened. Haunted by guilt, Rose escaped into a new life. Now she seems to have it all: a marriage, a son, a career. And then her husband is found dead. As far as Detective...

Sarah interviews Mia P. Manansala about the first book in her cozy mystery series, Arsenic and Adobo. "When Lila Macapagal moves back home to recover from a horrible breakup, her life seems to be following all the typical rom-com tropes. She's tasked with saving her Tita Rosie's failing restaurant, and she has to deal with a group of matchmaking aunties who shower her with love and judgment. But w...

Sarah and her niece, Risa, interview Christine Isley-Farmer about her children's book, Finding My Yip, the first in the Boomer's Tales series: "Boomer, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, is unable to yip. Boomer lives with Nana Weathers, a musician who possesses a magical ring. Boomer quickly bonds with Nana's nine-year-old granddaughter, Chloe, who has a stutter. Her big wish is to sing like Nana....

Sarah speaks with returning guest, Kim Taylor Blakemore (Kim first joined the podcast on episode 217) about her new historical fiction thriller, After Alice Fell: "New Hampshire, 1865. Marion Abbott is summoned to Brawders House asylum to collect the body of her sister, Alice. She'd been found dead after falling four stories from a steep-pitched roof. Officially: an accident. Confidentially: suici...

Sarah speaks with brothers Ehsan and Shakil Ahmad about the first two books in their Wild Sun series. "On a world enslaved,, the last embers of hope are fading into an unrelenting darkness. Conquered and broken, the natives are forced to ravage their own lush planet of its natural resources—all for the glory of a mysterious empire they’ve never seen and barely comprehend. But not all light is lost...

Sarah speaks with Bethany Mangle about her debut young adult novel, Prepped. Becca is a high school senior who has grown up in a doomsday community, has been taught to always prepared for the worst, has an arranged marriage pending with the boy from the bunker next door, and just wants to escape, go to college and be as normal as possible. If you enjoyed this episode, follow and subscribe to the s...

Sarah talks with Marie Powell about her Last of the Gifted Series: Spirit Sight and Water Sight. Set in 13th century Wales, this historical fantasy series centers on two young siblings who must use their magical abilities to try and prevent the disaster they see coming. If you enjoyed this episode, follow and subscribe to the show: you can find us on iTunes or on any app that carries podcasts as w...

Sarah speaks with Alison Levy about the first book in her Daemon Collecting Series, Gatekeeper. The book's main character comes from a dimension that exists adjacent to ours and she is tasked with finding and catching malfunctioning daemons (creatures who tempt us to either good or evil) to have them repaired. Nothing is ever that simple, though, is it? Tune in to find out more! If you enjoyed thi...

Sarah chats with Sarah C. Patten about her WWII historical fiction novel, The Measure of Gold. Love, the French resistance, espionage, and alchemy all play a role in this fascinating read. If you enjoyed this episode, follow and subscribe to the show: you can find us on iTunes or on any app that carries podcasts as well as on YouTube. Please remember to subscribe and give us a nice review. This wa...

Sarah speaks with Greg Hickey about his crime novel, Parabellum. The reader becomes the investigator as they read through a year in the lives of 4 suspects in a mass shooting. If you enjoyed this episode, follow and subscribe to the show: you can find us on iTunes or on any app that carries podcasts as well as on YouTube. Please remember to subscribe and give us a nice review. This way you will al...

Sarah speaks with returning guest, Matty Dalrymple, about her new book, The Falcon and the Owl. This is the third novel in Dalrymple's Ann Kinnear suspense series. If you are a fan of the paranormal, mysteries, suspense, or aviation, then you should check out the entire series and this novel in particular. Take a listen! If you enjoyed this episode, follow and subscribe to the show: you can find u...

Sarah speaks with Denis Shaughnessy about The Awful Truth About the Herbert Quarry Affair, the prequel to his Marco Ocram series. Marco Ocram is the world's only self-penned character, writing his life in real time as you read it. How does that work? Tune in to find out! If you enjoyed this episode, follow and subscribe to the show: you can find us on iTunes or on any app that carries podcasts as...

Sarah speaks with Rob Swigart about his book, Mixed Harvest: Stories from the Human Past wherein Swigart looks at human origins, early human societies, and the impact of the Sedentary Divide on human history. Part non-fiction, part historical fiction, Mixed Harvest is a unique look at at a defining epoch in human history. If you enjoyed this episode, follow and subscribe to the show: you can find...

Sarah chats with Priscilla Paton about the second book in her Twin Cities Mystery series, Should Grace Fail. The returning detectives find themselves in constant danger as they try to solve a murder that seems more complicated at every turn. If you enjoyed this episode, follow us and subscribe to the show: you can find us on iTunes or on any app that carries podcasts as well as on YouTube. Please...

Sarah speaks with Gabrielle Robinson about her memoir, Api's Berlin Diaries: My Quest to Understand My Grandfather's Nazi Past. After her mother's death, Robinson discovered her grandfather's diaries and learned that he had been a member of the Nazi party. This memoir is her attempt to understand why and to reconcile this knowledge with her own memories of the grandfather she loved. If you enjoyed...

Sarah speaks with Danny Gardner about his newest book, Ace Boon Coon, the second in Gardner's Tales of Elliot Caprice series. This mystery is set in 1950s Illinois and gives the reader a great perspective on this time and place in history as Elliot tries to solve a murder, save the family farm, negotiate organized crime, and more.<br /><br />If you enjoyed this episode, follow us and s...

Sarah speaks with author Nancy Burke about her novel, Only the Women are Burning. The story centers around Cassandra, a suburban wife and mother who witnesses a woman spontaneously combust one morning and can't rest until she finds out why this woman, and 2 others on the same day, met this horrific end. <br /><br />If you enjoyed this episode, follow us and subscribe to the show: you c...

Sarah speaks with returning guest, Stephanie Kane, about her new book, Cold Case Story. Kane previously wrote a fictionalized version of this story in her novel, Quiet Time, the consequences of which eventually became a true crime blog, and then Cold Case Story.<br /><br />If you enjoyed this episode, follow us and subscribe to the show: you can find us on iTunes or on any app that car...

Sarah speaks with author Sariah Wilson about 2 romantic comedies: Roommaid and The Seat Filler. Both books are delightful, with great couples, fun twists, cute dogs, and more.<br /><br />If you enjoyed this episode, follow us and subscribe to the show: you can find us on iTunes or on any app that carries podcasts as well as on YouTube. Please remember to subscribe and give us a nice re...