Passions & Prologues

Judith Turner-Yamamoto spent three decades attending dance glasses and it's brought a new perspective to how she interacts with the world. In this discussion, Adam and Judith chat about the connections between movement and writing and how the world of dance helps her appreciate her environment more as well as how the discipline has driven her writing. They then chat about her new book, Loving the...

Judith Lindbergh has spent her life dedicated to storytelling. It started through dance and acting and extended into becoming an author, teacher, and creator of The Writers Circle. There, writers of all age and experience come together to take workshops and classes under world class published authors. They foster creativity, openness, and the joy of writing. In this discussion, Adam and Judith tal...

A picture is worth a whole novel with Kerri Schlottman Kerri Schottman has always been fascinated by photojournalism. She loves the stories that can be conveyed by a single picture and she’s had a great deal of exposure to the artists who take them. She found herself thinking about the concepts of how photos can remove the subject's voice in a way when we only look at a picture. This is how her ne...

Wow does this episode cover a lot! Iconic romance author Penny Reid opens this discussion by discussing her obsession with crafting before getting why and how she learned to make soap before getting into her deep dive into essential oils. We then bring up a classic Penny Reid concept- KNITTING! But wait… there’s more! We also chat about the “Penny Reid-iverse” by getting into her journey as a self...

Nikki Payne, debut author of Pride and Protest, is a cultural anthropologist by day who spends her time thinking about big questions and how to answer them. On this episode, she joins Adam to discuss one of the questions she's spent her life thinking about: What does it mean to be "ugly". She opens the conversation by explaining how her fascination began with the movie, The Color Purple and has co...

Bestselling rom-com writer Sophie Cousens lives on Jersey Island in the UK and it has changed the entire way she lives her life, in the best possible way. In this discussion, Adam and Sophie chat about what living on a small island is like, the stress she feels now that her books come with expectations, and her love of the romantic comedy genre.  Her latest book, Before I Do, is the perfect end of...

Surprise! It’s a bonus episode absolutely loaded with book recommendations! Adam is joined by his good pal, Amy Clark from momadvice.com and the fabulous Book Gang podcast to offer up some book recommendations just in time for your holiday travel season. These recommendations span every genre so there is definitely something for everybody. Enjoy and thanks for all the support in the first few mont...

Sangu Mandanna, author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, has always loved to unwind after a busy day. Her favorite way to do so involves the simple, repetitive tasks of pointing and clicking. She first remembers playing with tamagotchi before graduating to the computer games of her youth that she would play with her father.  Adam and Sangu discuss their shared love of the King’s Que...

Martha Anne Toll has lived a musical life. She was raised with siblings who formed a family string quartet, studied with a world class teacher for viola, and spent countless hours perfecting the singular notes that, collectively, make beautiful music. In addition to music, Martha has a love of books few can match, interviewing authors and reviewing stories for NPR while she’s also spent a lifetime...

Horror novelist Dawn Kurtagich deeply understands what makes a story memorable. She seeks out the small details and aspects that make stories special. She learned these things by watching Xena, Warrior Princess.  The show was an awakening for her on so many levels. In this wide reaching conversation, Dawn and Adam discuss how Xena opened up her world but they also discuss mental health, the small...

New York Times bestselling author Claribel Ortega knows about world building. She's been doing it since she was a child when she first discovered The Sims, the popular video game that lets you build entire communities and lives and determine how they play out. In this discussion, Claribel shares her experiences with the addicting game, the surprisingly emotional moments when her Sims die, and how...

Melissa Urban, co-creator of Whole 30, joins Adam to discuss her new book, The Book of Boundaries. Melissa has built her career by being someone people come to seeking help with creating spaces in their own lives and over the years she’s learned to build boundaries for herself. As a recovering addict, it’s pivotal for her to maintain a healthy lifestyle and healthy mindset.  In addition to discuss...

Rachel Harrison has quickly established herself as one of THE defining voices of the horror genre. She exploded onto the scene several years ago with her terrifying and unnerving debut The Return before following that up with the equally spooky Cackle. Both books were not only atmospheric and gothic, but they also were extremely well written, the pages flying by. Her newest book, Such Sharp Teeth,...

Alexis Henderson took the world by storm with her debut novel, The Year of the Witching, back in 2020 and now she’s back with another gothic book just in time for spooky season! Eventually, we discuss House of Hunger, where A young woman is drawn into the upper echelons of a society where blood is power but first Alexis shares where her aesthetic was born: The early 2020s Tumblr scene.  We get int...

Emily Austin has thought a great deal about religion and anxiety in her life. Growing up in a blended religious household, she saw first hand the ways religion can affect how we interact with one another. It left her questioning her beliefs and her heart and, eventually, led to the powerfully beautiful novel, Everyone in this room will someday be dead. In this discussion, Adam and Emily discuss th...

Claire North, author of the new book Ithaca, interacts with words and colors in a different way than almost anyone you have ever met. Claire has synesthesia, a condition that means she interacts with words and colors in a very unique way. This helps her in her "day" job where she lights live music performances. In this discussion, we talk about her experience with live music lighting, the colors o...

New York Times bestselling author Kalynn Bayron is a theater nerd to her very core. She was raised in a house of musicals, having been introduced to the likes of Sweeney Todd and Phantom of the Opera early on in her life (perhaps too early!) In this chat, Adam and Kalynn chat about their shared obsessions with musicals, talk about their own experiences growing up with them, and the ones they still...

For Gilly Segal, hockey is about family. It’s one of her connections to her dad and now it’s a massive part of life for Gilly and her son. In this discussion, Gilly and Adam chat about how sports bond us to family in ways that go beyond just wins and losses, the positive effects sports have on the lives of children, the difference between the dream and reality of working in sports, and much more. ...

Kimberly Jones knows the importance of history. Her powerful book, How We Can Win is all about the history of systemic racism in the United States and leveling the playing field. The New York Times bestselling I’m Not Dying with You Tonight, co-written with Gilly Segal, is based on actual race riots. Also, she’s currently working on a biography of her mother, a trailblazer in multiple ways.  She a...

Jen Doll is delightful and that is not up for debate. The author of the new young adult book, That’s Debatable, joins the show to discuss a passion she and Adam both share… Cooking! The conversation kicks off with Jen explaining how she found her love of being in the kitchen at the beginning of the pandemic and how it helped her bond with her stepson.  Adam and Jen share some recipes as well while...

The internet’s Ryan La Sala is this week’s guest! You might know Ryan from such massive books like Reverie and Be Dazzled and he has a new book that you absolutely have to go get called The Honeys. On today’s episode, Adam and Ryan discuss one of Ryan’s MANY passions… Cosplay! Ryan explains how cosplay helps him manifest his dreams and how his second book Be Dazzled went from being partially based...

On episode three of Passions & Prologues, Julia Whelan chats with Adam about her unique passion- packing for vacation! Julia is well known for iconic voice as the narrator of hundreds of audiobooks and her new novel Thank You for Listening is a must read (or listen!).  Julia has traveled all over the world for various lengths of time and across all seasons. All of this experience has made her a ma...

On the second episode of Passions & Prologues, Brad Meltzer joins the podcast to discuss a passion that he and Adam share- THE MUPPETS! They talk about their first memories of watching Sesame Street, how they bonded over a mutual love of the holiday classic Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas, and why they both see themselves in Kermit the Frog. Brad then shares a few family memories with The Muppets...

On the first episode of Passions & Prologues, Adam brings on his good friend Mallory O'Meara to talk about her passion for powerlifting! Mallory, the James Beard Award-winning author of Girly Drinks and Lady from the Black Lagoon, shares the story of how she fell in love with the world of powerlifting. Mallory and Adam touch on why working out has become an oasis away from their work lives, how li...

Every week, host Adam Sockel interviews a popular member of the literary world about their passions beyond the books they're known for. These longform, relaxed conversations show listeners a new side of some of their favorite content creators as well as provide insight into the things that inspire their work.