Lament of Hope

It was an honor for me to connect with Jaha Dukureh . Jaha is one of over 200 million women around the world who have experienced FGM. Jaha is the founder of Safe Hands for Girls, which is an organization that provides support to female survivors in Africa of genital mutilation. Jaha talked with me about her  upcoming memoir , her experience with FGM and forced marriage, and how she lives with the...

It was a gift for me to connect with Sara Somers who published a memoir on her food addiction journey in 2020 entitled  Saving Sara . Sara shared with me her decades-long struggle with binging food and where she is now in her recovery journey. I hope this can be an encouragement to anyone who feels alone in this struggle. You are far from alone, dear listener, and Sara's story proves there is hope...

This was such a wonderful interview. Lois is not just a storyteller on paper! She filled our interview with vivid stories of growing up (including her first kiss), her atypical author journey, and how she walked through the death of her sister and son. Time flew as we moved through a stream of stories and experiences. One of my best author interviews yet thanks to lovely Lois.

Muirgen O'Mahony is one of the talented ladies of Celtic Woman. It has been such a gift for me to connect with many of the Celtic Woman members, past and present, over the year and a half of this podcast. I had so much fun talking with Muirgen as we discussed favorite Christmas melodies, Muirgen's experience with anxiety, and her absolute passion for theatre. Celtic Woman start their White Christm...

Regina Calcaterra wrote an autobiography of her childhood and that of her siblings as they faced years of instability in and out of foster care. Her memoir, Etched in Sand, A True Story of Five Siblings Who Survived an Unspeakable Childhood on Long Island , which was published in 2013, became a New York Times and an international bestseller. Regina received her law degree in 1996 from Seton Hall U...

Juliet Marillier is one of my favorite historical fantasy authors. The first book in her Sevenwaters series, Daughter of the Forest , is absolutely stunning. It is vivid storytelling, and my eyes pricked with tears in the final chapters. Please read it!! Juliet talked with me about her respect for the natural world, her heart for animals, particularly dogs, her recent return to writing, and being...

It was such a gift for me to connect with English singer and actor, Hadley Fraser . I was first introduced to Hadley's talent through his portrayal of Raoul in the 25th anniversary of The Phantom of the Opera filmed live at the Royal Albert Hall. Hadley sat down with me to talk about his acting, balancing his family and his career, his love of nature, and his reflections on the meaning of life and...

Natalie Lloyd was such a sweet woman to interview and definitely young of heart. Natalie is an author who lives with brittle bone disease, but it does not define her life or identity. She talked with me about her books, especially Hummingbird , living with brittle bone disease, and how much she loves her husband.

Michael Barnes is the lead vocalist of the rock band, Red . Michael joined our interview from the beautiful outdoors and talked with me about music and life. I really enjoyed talking with Michael. He was just himself, no showy talk or need to impress, but open and honest. I think anyone listening to this interview will be blessed by hearing our conversation.

I really enjoyed talking with Rose Reid . Rose Reid played Finley in a favorite coming-of-age romance film of mine, Finding You, which came out in 2021. Highly recommend if you have a soft spot for anything Irish and a hankering for a sweet romance story!! :) Rose was so genuine and raw about her thoughts and feelings on several subjects such as film, femininity, and faith. I felt like I was makin...

It was a delight to speak with Mary Pope Osborne . I was a huge fan of the Magic Tree House books when I was a kid, and it was incredible to get to connect with her now as an adult. Her life is an adventure story of its own! Comment your favorite Magic Tree House book!

It was such a gift to connect with Karen Kingsbury . She is passionate about the Lord and the gift of writing He has given her to glorify Him and encourage readers. May this interview that gives a glimpse into her personality and love of story bless your day!

It was a gift to sit down and talk with Sean Hepburn Ferrer about his childhood, his mother's passion for humanity, and his own thoughts and hopes for the world. Sean's answers were reflective and honest, and I really appreciated the time we had to connect. Note to audience: I mention in the episode that the film Charade was made by Alfred Hitchcock. This was a mistake as the film actually was dir...

It was such a gift for me to connect with dear Shani. She is vibrant, passionate, and full of life despite being in her twilight years. In addition to her career in theatre and film, Shani hopes to add published author to the list. She is working on getting a children's book published as well as finishing up her memoir. Shani was so engaging to talk to as she shared about her career. She also gift...

Shelehova sat down with me in an intimate and personable interview to share her passion for music and performing, her mother's influence on her life and an upcoming album, as well as some of the countries she has visited and her Russian heritage. Ekaterina also has a new single dropping this Friday, the 25th!!

Tom Turcich sat down with me and talked about his seven-year walking journey around the world that started in 2015. Tom is the 10th person to walk around the world while his travel companion, Savannah, is the first dog to do so. Tom walked thirty-eight countries amounting to a total of 28,000 miles. He shared with me the highs and lows of the journey as well as why he did it, what he learned, and...

It was neat to get to connect with Kami Cotler over zoom! She was very easy to talk to, and candid on her thoughts concerning the education system. Kami has experience teaching high schoolers as well as founding two schools. She has a heart for educating children and helping them succeed.

Adrienne Barbeau is a well-known actress who not only starred as Maude's daughter in the TV sitcom,  Maude , but also performed in Broadway musicals such as  Fiddler on the Roof  as Hodel and in the original cast of  Grease  as Rizzo. She acted in several other films, and currently uses her voice as a video describer for the blind and in voice acting work. She is also the author of five books. Sit...

It was a gift to connect with Eimear Quinn . We discussed so many topics ranging from Irish myths to the changes in Irish society and culture, and then to the unifying and spiritual nature of music.

It was such a gift to sit down with acclaimed vocalist, Lisa Gerrard , and just chat about her life journey. Lisa shared with me how she came to sing for film scores, the beauty and power of the human voice alone, and her thoughts on spirituality and what the word means. Lisa is one of the most elegant guests I have ever had on the show, and I am so grateful for her time and genuine answers.

Rosalind Harris was an absolute delight to speak to. She shared her life story with me, starting from her early childhood all the way to the present day, which involves a passion for people's physical and emotional well-being as well as caring for injured animals.  Was Tzeitel your favorite character in the musical film? What is your favorite song from the musical? Don't forget to subscribe to the...

Chari Hawkins sat down with me to talk about her twenty-year-long journey to realizing her dream of making it to the Olympics. She made it at the age of 33. We talked about the importance of perseverance and determination despite obstacles, her loving marriage with her husband, Charles, and her desire to inspire others to chase their dreams without giving up.

It was such a gift for me to connect with Jeremy Camp's daughter, Arie Camp , during her time in England. Arie sat down with me to talk about her heart for worship and serving the Lord. We talked about her newest song, "Lucky You," which has become a favorite on my Spotify playlist. We also discussed what it is like growing up as a Christian teen in our cultural climate, and what str...

It was a gift for me to talk with Francine about her journey to a relationship with Christ, her days alongside her beloved husband suffering from Parkinson's disease, and her thoughts on  Redeeming Love , both the novel and the film.

Brian Reisinger recently published a book entitled Land Rich, Cash Poor in which he shares his own experience as a farmer's son and the struggles of farming communities across rural America. I learned so much from Brian about the current crisis in rural America, and I highly encourage my viewers to watch this interview to learn more about the silent cries of the farming community.