Thoughts from a Page Podcast

In this interview, I chat with Robin Oliveira about A Wild and Heavenly Place, how she set out to write an epic love story, creating a strong sense of place, her title and cover, understanding her characters' motivations, shipbuilding and coal mining, and much more. Robin's recommended reads are: The General and Julia by Jon Clinch The Voyage of the Narwal by Andrea Barrett On the Way to the End o...

In this interview, I chat with Brandy Schillace about The Framed Women of Ardemore House, writing a mystery series, creating an authentic neurodiverse character, her title and cover, how she named the house in the book, her Peculiar Book Club and why she launched it, and much more. Brandy's recommended reads are: Books by Ngaio Marsh, Louise Penny and Donna Leon Red Rabbit by Alex Grecian The King...

In this interview, I chat with Karen Outen about Dixon, Descending, how she came upon with the idea for this story, the mental component of climbing Mt. Everest, her research and the way she depicts the mountain, having to decide what to leave out, choosing the correct year to set the story, her title and cover, and much more. Karen's recommended reads are: Time's Undoing by Cheryl A Head The Leav...

In this interview, I chat with Jessica Bryant Klagmann about This Impossible Brightness, how she came up with the idea for this novel, climate change and incorporating it into the story, focusing on the idea of listening, echoes, genre mashups, and much more. Jessica's recommended reads are: The Comet Seekers by Helen Sedgwick The Bear by Andrew Krivak All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solution...

In this Behind the Scenes interview, Adam Vitcavage and I chat about Debutiful, how Debutiful got started, his First Taste Reading series, why he focuses on debuts, why he doesn't believe in spoilers, how he decides who to interview, and much more. Adam's recommended reads are: All-Night Pharmacy by Ruth Madievsky The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan Night Bitch by Rachel Yoder Real Life...

In this interview, I chat with ReShonda Tate about The Queen of Sugar Hill, how she became interested enough in Hattie McDaniel to write about her, how Hattie opened doors for others, the research she did for the book, how she decided what years of Hattie's life to focus on for the story, looking at historical events through the lens of the time period versus a 21st-century lens, and much more. Re...

In this interview, I chat with Benjamin Stevenson about Everyone On This Train Is a Suspect, subverting the unreliable narrator trope, setting this book on the Ghan and his trips on the train, creating homages to Golden Age mysteries, weaving humor into his stories, his screen adaptation news, and much more. Benjamin's recommended reads are: The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton...

In this interview, I chat with Laurie Frankel about Family Family, exploring adoption in a positive manner, her research, unpacking the idea of chosen family, infusing humor into her stories, cancel culture, how much the book transformed over time, and much more. Laurie's recommended reads are: The Future by Naomi Alderman We Must Not Think of Ourselves by Lauren Grodstein Percival Everett's books...

In this interview, I chat with Karl Marlantes about Cold Victory, how he came up with the idea for this story, why the Cold War enthralls people even today, his title and cover, educating people about the past because it informs the present, and much more. Karl's recommended reads are: The Road to Reality by Roger Penrose Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan Foster by Claire Keegan The Women b...

In this interview, I chat with Julie Chavez about Everyone But Myself, her publishing journey including working with Zibby Books, what surprised her the most about writing a memoir, how involved the editing process can be, her title and cover, and much more. Julie's recommended reads are: The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley If You Want to Make God Laugh by Bianca Marais Th...

In this interview, I chat with Amy Pease about Northwoods, writing about addiction and how her health care background helped her depict it authentically on the page, why she decided to write a mystery, getting the cover right for the book, the Facebook group Cops and Writers, her research, avoiding drug addiction stereotypes, and much more. Amy's recommended reads are: Demon Copperhead by Barbara...

For today’s episode, I am running an episode of one of my favorite podcasts, Book Bumble. This is their Episode 7 of Season 2 and focuses on the theme of surprises. Here are their original Show Notes: "Today, our stack of books is tied together with a common theme of surprises! There are many different ways to be surprised while reading a great book. We will also share our Books in Hand. So settle...

In lieu of my January Behind the Scenes episode, today I am running a joint episode with Victoria Wood, founder of Bibliolifestyle and The Reader’s Couch, and Amy Allen Clark, founder of MomAdvice.com and the Book Gang podcast. We are excited to be launching this collaboration for 2024. Books mentioned in this episode: Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene...

In this interview, I chat with Ashley Elston about First Lie Wins, how she came up with the idea for this one, switching to adult fiction from YA, focusing on identity, the screen adaptation of the book, incorporating technology into her book, and much more. Ashley's recommended reads are: All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell Want to know which new titles are pub...

In this episode, I reminisce about some of my favorite episodes of 2023: Amanda Peters about The Berry Pickers Hugh Howey about Wool Alice Hoffman about The Invisible Hour Pip Williams about The Bookbinder Bruce Borgos about The Bitter Past Elizabeth Passarella about It Was an Ugly Couch Anyway Rory Carroll about There Will Be Fire Rachel Beanland about The House Is on Fire Shelley Read about Go a...

In this episode, Kelly Hooker and I discuss our favorite books of 2023. Kelly’s Selections:   Favorite Book of the Year: Go As a River by Shelley Read Best Book To Recommend to Anyone: The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise by Colleen Oakley Most Unique Premise: Shark Heart by Emily Habeck Most Likely to Feel like a Conversation with a Friend: It Was an Ugly Couch Anyway by Elizabeth Passarella...

Mary and Pamela join me to discuss their recommended reads for Winter 2024. Mary’s Selections: Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar You Only Call When You're In Trouble by Stephen McCauley Mercury by Amy Jo Burns Family Family by Laurie Frankel The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett Splinters by Leslie Jamison Bunyan and Henry by Mark Cecil Say Hello To My Little Friend by Jennine Capo Cru...

In this interview, I chat with Jon Clinch about The General and Julia, how he decided to write about Ulysses S. Grant, the impact Samuel Clemens had on the publishing of Grant's memoirs, how he structured the story, preserving the Mark Twain House, and much more. Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2024? Check out the new Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensiv...

In this episode, Thoughts from a Page listeners share their favorite reads of 2023: Kristen Smith - The wishing Game by Meg Shaffer Karen McNamara - The Road to Dalton by Shannon Bowring Jayda Justus - After Anne: A Novel of Lucy Maud Montgomery's Life by Logan Steiner Cynthia - Shark Heart Mary O'Malley - The Book of More Delights by Ross Gay Sidra Jeffries - The House Is on Fire by Rachel Beanla...

In this episode, I revisit some of my favorite Behind the Scenes conversations from 2023: Davina Morgan-Witts, Founder of Book Browse Jane Green, Founder and Creative Director of Emerald Audio Caroline Bleeke, Executive Editor at Flatiron Books Kristyn Kusek Lewis, Contributing Books Editor at Real Simple Magazine Jenny Brown, Senior Editor at Shelf Awareness Sarah High, Senior Partnerships Manage...

In this interview, I chat with Katie Cotugno about Meet the Benedettos, her love of Pride and Prejudice, taking on the challenge of a reimagining of a classic, choosing character names, reality TV and its cultural impact today, and much more. Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2024? Check out the new Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive...

Kristyn Kusek Lewis recommends books for gift giving this holiday. Her recommendations: Tell Me Everything by Minka Kelly The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin Capote's Women by Laurence Leamer Nothing Is Missing by Nicole Walters The Book of More Delights by Ross Gay Call You When I Land by Nikki Vargas Life in Five Senses by Gretchen Rubin The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon Absolution by...

In this episode, Kelly and I chat about standout debut novels. Kelly’s selections: Lucky Girl by Irene Muchemi Ndirtu How To Be Remembered by Michael Thompson  Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley Last Summer On State Street by Toya Wolfe  Shadows Of Pecan Hollow by Caroline Frost  Landslide by Susan Conley  Raft of Stars by Andrew J. Graff  Shiner by Amy Jo Burns  A Place For Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza...

In this interview, I chat with Mackenzie Funk about The Hank Show, how he first learned about Hank Asher and then decided to write about him, how our personal data is accumulated and used today and how it all began, his research, the initial way that this data collection was put to use, and much more. Mackenzie's recommended reads are Subduction by Kristen Millares Young The Making of the Atomic B...

In this interview, I chat with Amanda Peters about The Berry Pickers, how she decided to write this story, writing in first person, choosing who would narrate the story, writing a character study, the Barnes and Noble Discover Prize and other accolades, and much more. Amanda's recommended reads are Crooked Hallelujah by Kelli Jo Ford Brother, Sister, Mother, Explorer by Jamie Figueroa If an Egypti...