The Acknowledgments

TRUE BIZ  (adj./exclamation; American Sign Language): really, seriously, definitely, real-talk In this episode of The Acknowledgments, I'm joined by Sara Nović, the author of "True Biz." Her novel introduces us to the students at the River Valley School for the Deaf. In this fictional story, the reader has the opportunity to explore the experiences, relationships, and unique aspects of the De...

In this episode of The Acknowledgments, author Lee Kelly talks about her genre-blend book, "With Regrets." The book was compared to a mix between “Big Little Lies” and “Bird Box,” witha story that revolves around four couples and their struggles when faced with an apocalyptic event. Lee shares how her own experiences as a parent influenced the book's themes, as well as how the COVID pandemic influ...

In this episode of The Acknowledgments, Nutan chats with author Jenn Bouchard. They delve into her book "First Course" and her journey into the literary world. The novel, which revolves around the life of Janie Whitman, a young journalist in Chicago, has received several accolades, including being a finalist in the Women's Fiction category of the 2021 American Fiction Awards. Nutan and Jenn talk a...

In this episode, we chat with Sangamithra Iyer about topics spanning from her unique education, connection to her family, and passion about the natural world around her. Although Sangu’s book, “Governing Bodies,” won’t grace our shelves for some time, she gives a preview by reading a beautifully written section of the book.  Throughout the conversation, Sangu shares her interest in animal wel...

In this episode of the Acknowledgements podcast, author Kristin Contino chats about her royal-themed book, “A House Full of Windsor.” Kristin shares her personal interest in the royal family and how it led to her book's concept which follows mother-daughter duo Debbie and Sarah. Debbie, who's a compulsive hoarder of Royal Family memorabilia ends up on a hoarding reality show with Sarah, who is a T...

In this episode of the Acknowledgements podcast, host Nutan Rubinson sits down and chats with author Tania James to dig into her uniquely-themed book "Loot," a historical fiction, a heist novel, a romance, and a story about colonialism and artistic growth. The story is set in 18th century South India and follows a young wood carver named Abbas who is tasked with creating a mechanical tiger as a gi...

In this episode of The Acknowledgments, author Harini Nagendra discusses her captivating book, "Bangalore Detectives Club." Set in 1920s Bangalore, India, the story follows the determined 19-year-old protagonist, Kaveri, as she forms a detective club after stumbling upon a murder. Harini shares her inspirations for the book, drawing from the strong women in her family and the history of Bangalore,...

Trigger Warning: This episode contains references to suicide and mental health. If you or someone you know needs support, please refer to the 988 Suicide and Crisis hotline . Welcome to another episode of The Acknowledgments, featuring special guest Bruce Goldstein, author of "Puppy Chow is Better than Prozac". Bruce takes us on a journey through his battle with depression and anxiety, revealing h...

Welcome to another episode of The Acknowledgments! In this episode, we have a conversation with Liz Alterman, author of the thriller, The Perfect Neighborhood. Liz takes us on a journey through her fictional upscale community, challenging the perception of a perfect neighborhood, and exploring the pressures faced by mothers. We delve into the motivations behind her choice of setting, the influence...

Trigger Warning: This episode contains references to abuse. If you or someone you know needs support, please refer to organizations such as www.childhelp.org and www.childwelfare.gov . Nutan chats withJenn Reese about her middle-grade book, "A Game of Fox and Squirrels." The story follows Samantha and her sister Caitlin, who find themselves in Oregon after a domestic incident. Samantha's birthday...

In this episode of the Acknowledgements podcast, host Nutan Rubinson sits down with author Harry Harvey to discuss his book "The Summer My Grandmother's Yard Tried to Kill Me." The book follows the adventures of Peter Mulligan, a young boy with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), as he spends his summer with his grandmother on Johnson Island. Harry draws on his love for classic monster movies and his...

In this episode, author Jessica discusses her debut novel "Make Me Disappear," a gripping domestic suspense thriller. The story follows Noel, a nurse in Seattle, who plans her own kidnapping to escape her controlling boyfriend, Daniel. However, the situation takes a dark turn when her fake kidnapping becomes real, and she realizes she is still trapped. Determined to break free, she resolves to tur...

In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with author Katie Runde, a writer, and mom, from Iowa, whose book, The Shore, is a poignant and hopeful tale of a family facing the challenges of a family member living with a glioblastoma brain tumor. Katie shares with us the inspiration for her book, which was inspired by her own family’s experience. Her father was diagnosed with the same condition...

In this episode, we dive into the world of thriller novels with renowned author Jaime Lynn Hendricks. Her book, Finding Tessa, follows the story of a wife who goes missing, and her husband's journey to uncover the truth behind her disappearance. Jaime talks about her writing journey and the arduous process of writing a book. Her writing community played a crucial role in keeping her motivated duri...

For Monica West, it took time to write a book that would impact and resonate with her audience. Her latest book, Revival Season, was nine years in the making. Monica shares that writing was her place of peace, her escape, and her refuge. Monica also reveals the fascinating thing that inspires her writing; she sees an image and builds the story around that image. In today’s episode, this brilliant...

Authors have many different sources of inspiration in writing books. For Arin Greenwood, it is her family and her love for animals. Arin is an animal writer, editor, novelist, and communications consultant who keeps many pets. Arin’s book, Your Robot Dog Will Die, is set in a near-future world where real dogs are non-existent. Her goal? To make this a kinder world for animals. All of Arin’s books...

Writing from a unique perspective, transgender attorney, activist, and author, Robyn Gigl, shares the influences in her writings. Critics say that her legal thrillers, By Way of Sorrow and Survivor’s Guilt, are emotionally resonant and quietly groundbreaking. In this episode, Robyn talks about her transitioning later in life, how it sparked her to write books, and how it affected her relationships...

Guest author Sean Gibson speaks about his funny, light, and unconventional comedic fantasy book, The Part About the Dragon was (Mostly) True. Majoring in English and concentrating on Victorian literature was not one of Sean’s plans, but it definitely led him to writing. Sean shares that his children were very young when he wrote the book so he was sleep deprived. Despite this, he persistently made...

Welcome to The Acknowledgments, a podcast where we chat with authors and take a peek beyond “The End”. I’m your host, Nutan Rubinson, and every other week, I’ll be chatting with a new author about their book, their acknowledgments, and everything in between. Our community is filled with book lovers, from avid readers to aspiring writers, who enjoy discussing, arguing, and just plain old-loving boo...