Whispers at Garden Gate

We are so excited to kick off our “Voices of New England” chapter USA Today and internationally bestselling author Heather Webb, a New Englander herself. 🍁📜✍️ Our founder Ivanka Dimitrova sits with the author to discuss literature, history, the Gilded Age, and Heather’s captivating historical mystery novel The Hope Keeper. 💎 Heather shares details about her writing process, research, inspiratio...

Award-winning biographer, literary scholar, and editor Pamela Smith Hill joins  Whispers at the Garden Gate  for a thoughtful conversation celebrating the enduring legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the remarkable woman behind one of the world’s most beloved children’s classics. Drawing from decades of research and her acclaimed biography,  Too Good to Be Altogether Lost , Pamela reflects on Wilde...

I am excited to share my inspiring conversation with award-winning children’s author and Picture Book Author Academy founder Rosie J. Pova. We talk about our love for children’s literature, storytelling, and the courage to pursue our dreams. From growing up in Bulgaria and longing to see the world to immigrating to North America and eventually finding her voice as a children’s author, Rosie shares...

In this episode, we welcome writer, editor, and host of Modern Prairies’s Prairie Pages Book Club Laura Bray. Together, we reflect on the books that shaped our childhoods, the changing perspectives that come with age, and why readers often find themselves sympathizing with Caroline Ingalls as much as Laura. We also discuss what it means to create your own prairie wherever you are, cultivating beau...

Join me for a delightful conversation with author and illustrator Mike Berenstain as we explore the enduring legacy of  The Berenstain Bears  and the family story behind one of children’s literature’s most beloved series. From memories of growing up in a house filled with sketches and storyboards to carrying forward the artistic traditions established by Stan and Jan Berenstain, Mike shares heartf...

In this enchanting episode of  Whispers at the Garden Gate , we welcome bestselling author Virginia Kantra, who invites us to step into the magical world of reimagined classics. Together, we journey through the stories of  The Wizard of Oz ,  Anne of Green Gables , and  Little Women , as Virginia reflects on transforming beloved childhood heroines into contemporary women navigating identity, creat...

In this episode of Whispers at the Garden Gate , we journey to Mansfield, Missouri, and Rocky Ridge Farm, the home where Laura Ingalls Wilder spent more than six decades of her life and where she wrote the Little House books that would become beloved by generations of readers. Joining us is Vicki Johnston, Supervisor of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home & Museum, who offers a fascinating glimpse i...

To close this very special season, I am honored to welcome bestselling author Sarah McCoy, whose wisdom, warmth, and uplifting spirit are truly a breath of fresh air. In this heartfelt and deeply reflective conversation, we talk about writing, resilience, and her journey into the world of Anne of Green Gables. We speak about Marilla, the quiet strength behind Avonlea, and the seasons of life that...

As we near the end of this season, I sit down with novelist, poet, and professor  Jeanette Lynes  to explore the deep connection between poetry and prose, the power of setting in storytelling, and the persistence required to build a literary career. Jeanette reflects on how reading  Anne of Green Gables  by Lucy Maud Montgomery first opened her eyes to the emotional power of fiction, and how her l...

In this episode of  Whispers at the Garden Gate , we welcome bestselling author Kathleen Grissom to discuss her latest novel, Crow Mary. Inspired by the extraordinary life of the real Crow Mary and endorsed by her great-granddaughter, Crow elders, and Crow scholars, this riveting read takes us back in time to the 1870s Cypress Hills of Saskatchewan, Canada. Kathleen shares her road to publication,...

In this episode of  Whispers at the Garden Gate , author Logan Steiner discusses her novel  After Anne  and the life and legacy of Lucy Maud Montgomery, the creator of  Anne of Green Gables . Logan shares how her lifelong love of Montgomery’s work inspired her journey into historical fiction. We discuss the delicate balance between historical research and creative imagination, the challenges of ho...

In celebration of Canadian voices, history, and literature, we are launching season two of Whispers at the Garden Gate with a very special guest. I am delighted to share my talk with bestselling historical fiction author Genevieve Graham about her journey into writing, the importance of Canadian literature, and her latest book, The Chambermaid’s Key. We discuss the challenges and joys of researchi...

In this season’s finale, Rebecca Wood, of Jane Austen’s House Museum, invites us into the rooms where Austen wrote and edited all her novels (some were written earlier but she extensively revised them in Chawton prior to publication). Rebecca shares insights into Austen’s daily life at Chawton, the significance of the house as both a creative sanctuary and a literary landmark, and how the museum c...

As we near the end of this season, we welcome Dr.  Sarah Emsley  to Whispers at the Garden Gate for a discussion you won’t want to miss, whether you’re an Austen fan, a reader, or a writer. Sarah reflects on a childhood shaped by books and literary conversations, and the gradual discovery of Jane Austen’s work that would later influence her own writing. She shares how a pivotal moment in graduate...

Francine Mathews, also writing as Stephanie Barron, reflects on a literary career spanning more than three decades and over thirty novels, shaped by a lifelong love of classic literature and storytelling. She shares how her early encounters with beloved authors like Austen, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky instilled in her a reverence for language and narrative — a belief that words, when carefully chosen,...

In this special episode of  Whispers at the Garden Gate , we step inside Chawton House with Molly Maslen, Assistant Curator, for an intimate interview and virtual tour of one of England’s most significant literary landmarks. Molly shares the fascinating history of Chawton House and the Knight family, whose stewardship of the estate shaped not only its architectural and cultural legacy but also its...

In this thoughtful and deeply evocative conversation,  Sandra Lawrence , author of  Literary Gardens , invites us to see gardens not merely as physical spaces, but as gateways to imagination, memory, and stories. She traces her love of gardens back to childhood reading, where fictional landscapes first awakened her imagination. Drawing on her deep knowledge of writers and the landscapes that inspi...

Join us as we travel to Victorian London alongside author  Irina Shapiro,  who shares her remarkable journey as a writer whose stories bridge centuries, genres, and hearts. Known for her sweeping  time-travel romances  and intricately crafted  Victorian murder mysteries , Irina has published more than sixty novels in just fourteen years—an extraordinary achievement that reflects both discipline an...

In this very special episode, we welcome Lady Fiona Carnarvon, the Countess of Carnarvon , who invites listeners into the storied world of Highclere Castle, also known as the real  Downton Abbey . A writer, historian, and custodian of one of England’s most iconic estates, Lady Carnarvon shares reflections on country life, heritage, and the enduring beauty of the natural world. Drawing inspiration...

For our second episode, we sit with  Julia Seales , author of the delightfully witty  Beatrice Steele Mysteries . From charming Swampshire in A Most Agreeable Murder, to the intrigue of Regency London in A Terribly Nasty Business, Julia’s work blends Austen–inspired social comedy with Christie’s twisty suspense. Julia shares her background in screenwriting and storytelling, and the ways she balanc...

To kick off the season, we welcome international bestselling author  Natalie Jenner , whose beloved novels— The Jane Austen Society ,  Bloomsbury Girls ,  Every Time We Say Goodbye , and now  Austen at Sea —have captured hearts around the world. In this reflective conversation, Natalie takes us behind the scenes of her newest novel,  Austen at Sea,  and discusses her journey to publication, the im...