Uncorking a Story

Sandra Feder is a graduate of Stanford University and is an MFA candidate in the Writing for Children and Young Adults program at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is a black belt in Taekwondo, likes to paint, and has a sweet tooth — particularly for dark chocolate. She is the author of two picture books and three early chapter books. She joins me today to talk about Angry Me, her sixth book. ...

About Allison Raskin: Allison is a New York Times best-selling author. She is also the co-host of the popular podcast, Just Between Us and co-creator of a YouTube channel of the same name. Allison has written and developed multiple TV shows and created the original scripted podcast, Gossip. A vocal mental health advocate, Allison also runs the mental health-focused Instagram account Emotional Supp...

Kelly Leonard is the Executive Director of Insights and Applied Improvisation at The Second City. He began his Second City career in 1988, eventually becoming producer of Second City in 1992 and Executive Vice President through 2015. He has produced hundreds of original revues with talent such as Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey, Keegan Michael Key, Seth Meyers and Amy Poehler. His book, "Yes, And," rece...

E Lockhart is the author of We Were Liars, Genuine Fraud, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks and a number of other novels. She joins me today to talk about her latest book, Family of Liars. What is the importance of community when it comes to writing a book? Why do authors seek institutional validation of talent? What advice would she give her younger self? Listen in to uncover the a...

Polly was in the second wave of women ordained priest in the Episcopal Church. Her book, American Blues, is available wherever books are sold.  Why did she become a priest? What obstacles did she have to climb on her path to ordination? What moved her to write American Blues? Tune into the deep episode of Uncorking a Story to learn the answers to these questions and uncover how American Blues is,...

About As the director of educational outreach at the Holocaust Documentation and Education Center for twenty-six years, Merle Saferstein worked closely with hundreds of Holocaust survivors helping them pass along their Legacy of Remembrance to hundreds of thousands of students and teachers. She joins me today to talk about her life and her book Living and Leaving My Legacy: Volume 1. Connect with...

About Marilyn Simon Rothstein: Marilyn is the author of Lift and Separate and Husbands and Other Sharp Objects. She is the winner of the Star Award presented by the Women’s Fiction Writers Association for Outstanding Debut. She joins me today to talk about her third novel, Crazy to Leave You. She graduated from New York University with a degree in Journalism, began her writing career at Seventeen...

About Kristan Higgins has sold 4.5 million books worldwide, scored nine New York Times bestsellers, and is published in more than two dozen languages. Her novels have received rave reviews from the New York Times and NPR and regularly receive national media attention from People, Entertainment Weekly, Woman’s World and more. Her latest book. OUT OF THE CLEAR BLUE SKY, is a story of betrayal, reven...

About Shaun Phillips is a Christian author, speaker, coach, and pioneer. His first book, Flappy and Whiskers go to the Park, was published August 2021, ten after writing it for his two young daughters. Through the experience of getting that book published, Shaun has uncovered a passion for helping others unlock their untold stories and share them with the world through books, videos, podcasts and...

About P. David Ebersole: He is an award-winning independent filmmaker and television director working in both narrative and documentary.  His credits include the documentary HIT SO HARD (2012) about drummer Patty Schemel of the seminal grunge band Hole. Along with his husband and business partner Todd Hughes, he is Executive Producer and Director of several documentaries including the new, MY NAME...

About Kurt and Ellie: Kurt and Ellie are a father daughter combo team who have authored the book The Barrens: A novel of love and death in the canadian arctic.   In this episode, Mike, Kurt, and Ellie discuss:  Ellie's trip in subarctic Canada and how it inspired the book How they made the story come alive as being so real on the page What it's like working with your father in writing a story Lear...

About Farhoud: Farhoud is an award-winning writer, director, and executive producer focused on storytelling projects that inspire mass culture change.   In this episode, Mike and Farhoud discuss:  Near death experiences Not wanting to disappoint your parents Knowing what you stand for Detaching yourself from the outcomes Finding meaning in the work you do   Key Takeaways:  A near-death experience...

In life, we often have to pivot to become the person we are meant to be. This insight hit me like a slap in the face when I spoke with Lauren McBrayer about her debut novel.   About Lauren: Lauren McBrayer is a graduate of Yale with a law degree from UC Berkeley. A working mom of three, she is the head of business affairs for a television network in Los Angeles. Like a House on Fire is her adult d...

About Carleton Eastlake: Carleton graduated from UCLA with degrees in political science and psychology and graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School with a concentration in law and the social sciences. After a career in public policy and consumer protection law, being hired on Steven Spielberg's series seaQuest confirmed him as a television writer and producer.  He has shared an Edgar and Saturn...

About Kathleen and Liz: Kathleen is the author of the New York Times Bestselling novel Girl in Pieces, How to Make friends with the dark, and You’d Be Home Now. Her books have been published in more than 24 countries. Liz Lawson is the author of The Lucky Ones, a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2020. Together, they have a book called The Agathas, a fun, young adult mystery which is a departure from th...

About Sascha: Sascha is an Emmy-nominated screenwriter, who has written and produced lauded shows such as GLOW, The Bold Type, The Baby-Sitters Club, and The Carrie Diaries.  In 2015, she was named one of Variety's “10 TV Writers to Watch.” Rothchild has written for LA Weekly, the Los Angeles Times, Elle, and the Miami Herald, and adapted her article, "How to Get Divorced by 30" into both a memoir...

About Tess: With over forty million copies sold, New York Times bestselling thriller writer Tess Gerritsen is widely known for her Rizzoli & Isles novels, which inspired the hit TNT television series that aired for seven seasons. The iconic crime-stopping duo Jane Rizzoli & Maura Isles return in Gerritsen’s new novel, LISTEN TO ME which will be available on July 5. In this episode, Mike and Tess d...

About Michelle: Michelle Huneven is the author of four novels: Round Rock, Jamesland, Blame, and Off Course. Her books have been New York Times Notable Books and finalists for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and the National Book Critics Circle Award. Her latest book, Search, is available now wherever books are sold and has been named One the 10 Most Anticipated Fiction Books of 2022 by Kirkus....

About RaeAnne: RaeAnne Thayne is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly's bestselling author of more than 70 novels. She graduated from college with a degree in journalism and quickly rose through the ranks of the local newspaper, becoming a reporter and then an editor. She developed a passion for romantic novels and published her debut 1995. Her stories have been described as "poign...

About Colleen: A native of New England, Colleen Hubbard now lives in the U.K. with her family. She wrote her debut novel, Housebreaking, while on maternity leave from her job with the NHS. She graduated from the University of East Anglia’s MA program in creative writing, where she earned the Head of School Prize with a distinction.   In this episode, Mike and Colleen discuss:  Taking small steps C...

I seriously thought I was the only person on the planet who remembered the show Small Wonder, but today’s guest proved me wrong! As part of getting to the story behind the story, I ask my guests a series of questions about what they were into as kids. One of my go-to questions is, “What were some of your favorite TV shows when you were younger?” James Crews surprised the hell out of me when he men...

When I worked at the consumer products giant Unilever, I got an insider’s view into how products go from the idea stage all the way to being available for sale on the store shelf. It’s a long and comprehensive process characterized by different stages and gates a team has to pass through to keep the project (and idea) alive. While not on the same scale, authors have to follow a similar process to...

I have another confession to make, I hated reading newspapers when I was younger. They were always in black and white and just seemed so boring. Then I discovered the USA Today. It had pictures in color, and was much easier to read than other newspapers. And don’t get me started on the purple section! I loved the purple section—it was always the first one I’d read! Why am I sharing this? Well, tod...

When I was early in my career, I had this recurring anxiety dream where all my teeth would fall out, one at a time. Later in my life, that dream morphed into being thrust back into high school unprepared for a test while naked (Freud would have a field day with me). These days, anxiety dreams take the form of doing down in a plane crash. Why am I sharing all of this? Today’s guest, Steve Fretzin,...

When I was a kid, I used to dread gym class. My Physical Education teacher was fond of picking two captains for opposing teams, typically the most athletic kids in the grade, and then they’d hand select their team members. I was typically picked at the bottom of the list because I just wasn’t that good at sports. It was embarrassing to always be picked last, or close to last, and it really impacte...