Gsmc Book Review Podcast

Sarah speaks with Verónica Gutiérrez about her first Yolanda Ávila mystery, As You Look: "Former LAPD cop-turned private investigator Yolanda Ávila blames herself for her mother’s death. If she’d only followed her cop instincts instead of the juju—her random prophetic dreams—the perpetrator would have been off the streets and her mother would still be alive. The only salve against her guilt is Yolanda’s vow to reject that juju crap, and to solve cases using only good solid detective work. But when her godson is kidnapped and his parents are suspected of murder, Yolanda finds herself caught between what she feels and what she knows. And with the escalation of the case comes the escalation of her dreams. Until she can no longer ignore their importance. If she wants to overcome the guilt and deal with her pent-up grief, Yolanda must confront the juju and learn to trust its place in her life. If she doesn’t, she risks losing yet another loved one. And she can’t possibly let that happen." If you enjoy

Sarah speaks with Timothy Miller about the second book in his Sherlock Holmes historical mystery series, The Strange Case of the Dutch Painter: Paris, 1890. When Sherlock Holmes finds himself chasing an art dealer through the streets of Paris, he’s certain he’s smoked out one of the principals of a cunning forgery ring responsible for the theft of some of the Louvre’s greatest masterpieces. But for once, Holmes is dead wrong. He doesn’t know that the dealer, Theo Van Gogh, is rushing to the side of his brother, who lies dying of a gunshot wound in Auvers. He doesn’t know that the dealer’s brother is a penniless misfit artist named Vincent, known to few and mourned by even fewer. Officialdom pronounces the death a suicide, but a few minutes at the scene convinces Holmes it was murder. And he’s bulldog-determined to discover why a penniless painter who harmed no one had to be killed–and who killed him. Who could profit from Vincent’s death? How is the murder entwined with his own forgery investigation? Holme

Sarah speaks with Gregory Erich Phillips about his novel, A Season in Lights: "In the colorful artistic underworld off-Broadway, Cammie, a dancer in her mid-thirties, has just landed her first part in a show since coming to New York City. Yet the tug of familial obligation and the guilt of what she sacrificed to be there weigh down her dancing feet. Her lover, Tom, an older piano player, came to the city as a young man in the 1980s with a story eerily in tune with Cammie's own. Through their triumphs and failures, both learn the fleeting nature of glory, the sweetness of new love, and how a dream come true isn't cherished until it passes. The bright lights of the stage intoxicate, while degradation and despair lurk close behind the curtain. Their sagas are marred by two pandemics, AIDS in the 1980s and COVID-19 today, which ravaged the performing arts community, leaving a permanent scar on those who lived through them. The poignant intersection of their stories reveals a love affair unbound by

Sarah speaks with Rick Lenz about his novel, Hello, Rest of My Life: "It didn't matter that he was young again. Without Samantha his life was meaningless. But it really felt good to be twenty-seven again with all of his juices flowing. And there was a sexy woman who wanted him. And the promise of a successful acting career. He'd blown that chance when he was here before but now he was smarter. But where was Sam? Was she stuck back in the future, or did she exist at all? He had to find out. His heart was aching. He had to get back to her, but how? And what would he find when he got there?" If you enjoyed this episode, follow and subscribe to the show: you can find us on iTunes or on any app that carries podcasts as well as on YouTube. Please remember to subscribe and give us a nice review. This way you will always be among the first to get the latest GSMC Book Review Podcasts. We would like to thank our Sponsor: GSMC Podcast Network Advertise with US: https://gsmcpodcast.com/advertise-wi

Sarah speaks with Mazey Eddings about her romantic comedy A Brush With Love: "Harper is anxiously awaiting placement into a top oral surgery residency program when she crashes (literally) into Dan. Harper would rather endure a Novocaine-free root canal than face any distractions, even one this adorable. A first-year dental student with a family legacy to contend with, Dan doesn’t have the same passion for pulling teeth that Harper does. Though he finds himself falling for her, he is willing to play by Harper’s rules. So with the greatest of intentions and the poorest of follow-throughs, the two set out to be “just friends.” But as they get to know each other better, Harper fears that trading fillings for feelings may make her lose control and can't risk her carefully ordered life coming undone, no matter how drool-worthy Dan is. Blood, gore, and extra-long roots? No problem. The idea of falling in love? Torture." If you enjoyed this episode, follow and subscribe to the show: you can find us o

Sarah speaks with Robert Skead about the third book in his middle grade, historical fiction American Revolutionary War Adventures series, Links to Liberty: Defending the Great Chain at West Point: "In this third book in the American Revolutionary War Adventures series, John and Ambrose Clark are hot on the trail of the spy who gave away the secret of their father’s mission, which ultimately led to him being shot by Redcoats. But when there is an attack on America’s new strategic defense on the Hudson River—the Great Chain at West Point—the twins must protect it. They soon discover things aren’t always as they seem and their friends have deadly connections. Discover how the boys’ faith in Providence and each other help the cause for Liberty!" If you enjoyed this episode, follow and subscribe to the show: you can find us on iTunes or on any app that carries podcasts as well as on YouTube. Please remember to subscribe and give us a nice review. This way you will always be among the first to get the la

Sarah speaks with Linda Feyder about her short story collection, All's Fair and Other California Stories: "In present-day Southern California, a diverse group of characters seeks the fulfillment and connection this sunny state has always promised. They come with hopes for a better lifestyle, for a change of perspective, or for the dry, mild West Coast weather. A couple moves to Palm Desert from New York for the arid, warm climate a doctor prescribes and they manage both illness and homesickness. The woman makes an unlikely friend in a young albino boy who teaches her a harsh lesson about the margin for cruelty that resides in us all. A young Mexican woman migrates to California and marries an American man—only to be deserted. A young man is disqualified from the Naval Aeronautical program and returns to his sister’s home, where he struggles with his identity and sexuality. After years of estrangement, a teenage girl travels to California from New York to spend the summer with her father. Between eac

Sarah speaks with Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason about her memoir, House of Music: Raising the Kanneh-Masons: "Seven brothers and sisters. All of them classically trained musicians. One was Young Musician of the Year and performed for the royal family. The eldest has released her first album, showcasing the works of Clara Schumann. These siblings don’t come from the rarefied environment of elite music schools, but from a state comprehensive in Nottingham. How did they do it? Their mother, Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason, opens up about what it takes to raise a musical family in a Britain divided by class and race. What comes out is a beautiful and heartrending memoir of the power of determination, camaraderie and a lot of hard work. The Kanneh-Masons are a remarkable family. But what truly sparkles in this eloquent memoir is the joyous affirmation that children are a gift and we must do all we can to nurture them." If you enjoyed this episode, follow and subscribe to the show: you can find us on iTunes or on any app t

Sarah speaks with Robert Steven Goldstein about his novel, Cat's Whisker: "Cat's Whisker is the story of Samuel Baron, an engineer, inventor, and successful entrepreneur. Trained as a scientist, Baron nonetheless nurtures a lifelong fascination with mysticism and spirituality, investigating themes as varied and interesting as meditation, jiu-jitsu, biology, anthropology, tai chi, BDSM-and the search for the perfect cocktail. His life is a quest-ultimately a successful one-for a view of the cosmos where science and spirituality don't just peacefully coexist but are instead intimately bound up as co-equal aspects of an integrated and inspiring reality." If you enjoyed this episode, follow and subscribe to the show: you can find us on iTunes or on any app that carries podcasts as well as on YouTube. Please remember to subscribe and give us a nice review. This way you will always be among the first to get the latest GSMC Book Review Podcasts. We would like to thank our Sponsor: GSMC Pod

Sarah speaks with Joe Lee about his historical fiction graphic novel, Forgiveness: The Story of Eva Kor, Survivor of The Auschwitz Twin Experiments: "In March of 1944, at age 10, little Eva was arrested with her entire family, including her twin sister, Miriam, for the 'crime' of being Jewish. Nazis loaded Eva and her family into a cattle car with other men, women, and children headed to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. Within moments of their arrival, the twins lost their entire family to the gas chambers without a chance to say goodbye. Because twins were considered valuable for research, the girls were spared immediate death by Josef Mengele, the Nazi doctor and war criminal, in favor of experimentation and torture. This stunning, heartbreaking illustrated biography tells the story of a tenacious girl's fight to survive a horrific childhood ravaged by tragedy; her growing anger as an adult who settled in Terre Haute, Indiana; and her eventual discovery that forgiveness might

Sarah speaks with V. K. Tritschler about the second book in her Vital Impetus series, Revenge Seeker: "where her enemies can’t find them. When, Peter’s parents find out she’s the offspring of their mortal enemy, they are determined to keep them apart forever. Going alone is perilous, and it’s hard to tell the difference between friend and foe. Determined to bring down her maniacal Grandfather, Jess is just beginning to realize the depth of her ties to those around her and the strength they bring to her. Will she become the great protector or is she more like her Grandfather than she wants to admit?" If you enjoyed this episode, follow and subscribe to the show: you can find us on iTunes or on any app that carries podcasts as well as on YouTube. Please remember to subscribe and give us a nice review. This way you will always be among the first to get the latest GSMC Book Review Podcasts. We would like to thank our Sponsor: GSMC Podcast Network Advertise with US: https://gsmcpodcast.com/advertise-w

Sarah speaks with Eva Shaw about her historical mystery, The Seer: "It's February 1942. War grips the world. Asian hate runs rampant, and New Orleans is a dangerous place for Chinese-English scientist Thomas Ling as he collides with self-proclaimed psychic Beatrix Patterson. She's a good liar with an excellent memory, which in truth is her only gift-well, that and conning the well-heeled out of their money and secrets. Hired by the US Army to use her connections to expose Nazi saboteurs and sympathizers, Beatrix recruits the reluctant Thomas. Together, they pit their skills against a government conspiracy, terrorist cells, kidnappings, and murderous plots. As Beatrix grapples with the truth of her own past, she must come to terms with her ruse. Exposing the Nazi war machine about to invade the country could cost Beatrix everything she's worked so hard to build. But the information she and Thomas uncover could change the outcome of the war. The question remains: will anyone believe a liar

Sarah speaks with Defne Suman about her historical fiction book, The Silence of Scheherazade: "September 1905. At the heart of the Ottoman Empire, in the ancient city of Smyrna, Scheherazade is born to an opium-dazed mother. At the very same moment, an Indian spy sails into the golden-hued, sycamore-scented city with a secret mission from the British Empire. When he leaves, 17 years later, it will be to the smell of kerosene and smoke as the city, and its people, are engulfed in flames. Told through the intertwining fates of a Levantine, a Greek, a Turkish and an Armenian family, this unforgettable novel reveals a city, and a culture, now lost to time." If you enjoyed this episode, follow and subscribe to the show: you can find us on iTunes or on any app that carries podcasts as well as on YouTube. Please remember to subscribe and give us a nice review. This way you will always be among the first to get the latest GSMC Book Review Podcasts. We would like to thank our Sponsor: GSMC Podcast Network

Sarah speaks with returning author J. P. McLean about the first book in The Gift Legacy Series, Secret Sky: "Everybody wishes they could fly—until it happens. When Emelynn Taylor wakes up in the emergency room, her injuries present Dr. Avery Coulter with more questions than answers. Who is this guarded young woman? Why was she found in the middle of Sunset Park? How can she have injuries consistent with falling from above the tree line? Seemingly from nowhere? And, more importantly: Why is she lying about it? The truth is stranger than anyone could have imagined - least of all Emelynn herself. Nine years earlier, during the same summer she'd lost her father, 12-year-old Emelynn accepted a 'gift' from a mysterious woman called Jolene. Now, as she recovers in Dr. Coulter's emergency room, she's left wondering if that blessing was really more of a curse. Jolene's gift planted the seeds of incredible power within Emelynn - but what's the point of such abilities if you can

Sarah and Risa are teamed up once again to interview returning guest Christine Isley-Farmer. This time they are talking about the 2nd book in the Boomer's Tale's series, A Hard Nut to Crack: "An upset Robbie shows up on the doorstep of the home of his friends, Chloe, Boomer, and Nana Weathers. His dog, Hoppy, disappeared from his backyard. When Hoppy hasn't returned by the next day, family and friends spring into action. Boomer makes friends with two squirrels in a squirrel network who offer to help with the search. Will the piling-up clues lead to a reunion for Hoppy and Robbie?" If you enjoyed this episode, follow and subscribe to the show: you can find us on iTunes or on any app that carries podcasts as well as on YouTube. Please remember to subscribe and give us a nice review. This way you will always be among the first to get the latest GSMC Book Review Podcasts. We would like to thank our Sponsor: GSMC Podcast Network Advertise with US: https://gsmcpodcast.com/advertise-with-

Sarah speaks with Cyla Panin about her book Stalking Shadows: "Seventeen-year-old Marie mixes perfumes to sell on market day in her small eighteenth-century French town. She wants to make enough to save a dowry for her sister, Ama, in hopes of Ama marrying well and Marie living in the level of freedom afforded only to spinster aunts. But her perfumes are more than sweet scents in cheap, cut-glass bottles: A certain few are laced with death. Marie laces the perfume delicately--not with poison but with a hint of honeysuckle she's trained her sister to respond to. Marie marks her victim, and Ama attacks. But she doesn't attack as a girl. She kills as a beast. Marking Ama's victims controls the damage to keep suspicion at bay. But when a young boy turns up dead one morning, Marie is forced to acknowledge she might be losing control of Ama. And if she can't control her, she'll have to cure her. Marie knows the only place she'll find the cure is in the mansion where Ama was curse

Sarah speaks with Tasha Keeble about her memoir, Call Me Freedom: A Black American Woman Breaks from Empire, which "tracks parallel journeys: one explores the narrator’s life and family relationships, and the second gauges and evaluates her interior life relative to the outside world (i.e., Empire) to free herself from a stultifying duty handed her as a middle-class Black woman-to piously attend to everyone’s needs before her own. – The triggering event-learning of her father’s death months later from her ultra-religious aunt, who rejects the narrator’s claim to her father-is a stab wound requiring the narrator fourteen years’ distance to confront. Keeble’s epistle to the deceased father she barely knew takes the reader on her voyage towards “true emancipation.” Cycling through time and record, the narrator does not blink-vulnerably linking her life to myths that sustain the status quo and perpetuate Black disinheritance. – The narrator invites the reader to excavate ground and history from the noise

Sarah speaks with W. L. Hawkin about her new book, Lure: Jesse and Hawk: "Hawk is a wounded healer bent on losing himself on the Chippewa reservation. Jesse's a vegan nature photographer trying to find herself on that same wild land. When Hawk shoots the deer Jesse's photographing, passions flare. Then, Jesse hears that Hawk's friend is dying and sets off alone on horseback to warn him. He deserves the chance to say goodbye she never had. But danger lurks everywhere near the small Midwestern town of Lure River. Jesse's just discovered the fragile bones of a missing Indigenous girl in her shed and drawn the unwanted attention of two local men. Can Jesse find Hawk before they find her? Ruby Little Bear's tragic tale weaves through the narrative, reminding us that one moment can change everything." If you enjoyed this episode, follow and subscribe to the show: you can find us on iTunes or on any app that carries podcasts as well as on YouTube. Please remember to subscribe and

Sarah speaks with Kelle Z. Riley about the first book in her Riches and Royals Romance series, Read My Lips: "Claire Lennox thought she could have it all—until trusting the wrong man destroyed her career, her reputation, and her heart. Now, as director of a literacy foundation, she has new ambitions. But when a sexy client tempts her to love again, does she dare? Billionaire chocolatier Clayton McClaine risks everything—even his heart—when he goes incognito, hoping to overcome the dyslexia that haunts him and threatens to destroy his carefully crafted image. They’re perfect for each other, except for one little thing—the billion-dollar deception that lies between them." If you enjoyed this episode, follow and subscribe to the show: you can find us on iTunes or on any app that carries podcasts as well as on YouTube. Please remember to subscribe and give us a nice review. This way you will always be among the first to get the latest GSMC Book Review Podcasts. We would like to thank our Sponsor: GSM

Sarah speaks with Anthony Ianni about his memoire, Centered: Autism, Basketball, and One Athlete's Dreams: "Diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder, a form of autism, as a toddler, Anthony Ianni wasn't expected to succeed in school or participate in sports, but he had other ideas. As a child, Ianni told anybody who would listen, including head coach Tom Izzo, that he would one day play for the Michigan State Spartans. Centered: Autism, Basketball, and One Athlete's Dreams is the firsthand account of a young man's social, academic, and athletic struggles and his determination to reach his goals. In this remarkable memoir, Ianni reflects on his experiences with both basketball and the autism spectrum. Centered, an inspirational sports story in the vein of Rudy, reveals Ianni to be unflinching in his honesty, generous in his gratitude, and gracious in his compassion. Sports fans will root for the underdog. Parents, teachers, and coaches will gain insight into the experience of