Bookaholic | Author Interviews | Book Reviews | Book News

A Hidden Town. Retired Spies. One Impossible Choice. | Episode 152

Is your TBR list giving you anxiety? Find out how you can read FASTER! Check it out! https://speechify.com/text-to-speech-...

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📚 BUY THE BOOK 👉Purchase Welcome To Cottonmouth https://amzn.to/4p0VoKf

What does the US government do with spies and special operators when they pass their expiration date? They retire them to a small town deep in the Piney Woods of East Texas, where they're certain to cause no trouble.   Check out author Jay S. Bell here - https://www.jaysbell.com/

That brilliant premise is at the heart of Jay S. Bell's thrilling new novel, and in this episode of The Bookaholic Podcast, we dive into the story behind one of the most original espionage thrillers in recent years.

Cottonmouth, Texas appears to be an ordinary East Texas town—but beneath its quiet streets lives a community of retired intelligence officers, former double agents, covert operatives, and special operators who have spent their lives protecting America. Their mission now? Stay hidden.

Devlin Mahoney has one job: keep everyone in Cottonmouth out of sight and out of trouble. But when two women running from a ruthless criminal stumble into town, Mahoney must decide whether to follow government orders or do what's right.

Join us as we discuss:
✔️ The inspiration behind Cottonmouth, Texas
✔️ Writing authentic spy fiction
✔️ Espionage, covert operations, and retired special agents
✔️ Character development and moral conflict
✔️ Jay S. Bell's writing journey
✔️ What readers can expect next

Whether you love spy novels, political thrillers, military fiction, CIA stories, espionage, suspense, or action-packed mysteries, this conversation belongs on your watch list.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------It's summer! Here are my beach read recommendations! Summer Reads - https://www.amazon.com/shop/bookaholi...

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Ruta’s Closet: A Holocaust Story from Lithuania | Episode 151

Is your TBR list giving you anxiety? Find out how you can read FASTER! Reader's Anxiety Relief

📚 BUY THE BOOK 👉Purchase Ruta’s Closet here: https://amzn.to/4gzMr8n

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👩🏽‍💻 ABOUT THE AUTHOR Keith Morgan was born in January 1954, in Blackpool, England. He began his career as a reporter for his hometown newspaper in Blackpool in 1975, moving to Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1980, where he is currently the Driving Editor, for The Province and Vancouver Sun newspapers.

🔗 CONNECT WITH Keith Website: https://www.rutascloset.com

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On The Bookaholic Podcast, Keith Morgan discusses his book Ruta’s Closet, centered on Ruth Krone-Siegel’s family surviving the Holocaust in the Šiauliai (Shavel) Lithuania ghetto while also recounting major events in the wider ghetto. Morgan explains how his childhood friendships with Jewish classmates, his reporting career in Vancouver, and a 1997 assignment led him to Ruth’s testimony, which inspired a successful four-part newspaper series for young readers and ultimately the book. He details the ghetto’s purpose as controlled, fenced slave labor, the role of the leather factory in survival, and Ruth’s traumatic loss of her sister Tamara during the children’s roundup. The conversation highlights Lithuania’s largely unknown Holocaust history, ongoing antisemitism, the need for “never forget/never again,” and educational tools on rutascloset.com, including a study guide and book-club talking points, plus plans for youth adaptations and expanded media projects.

00:00 Welcome and Premise

00:07 Why This Story Matters

02:25 Finding Ruth’s Story

02:46 Teen Promise to Journalist

04:45 First Talk at Center

05:45 Tamara’s Heartbreak

08:11 From Series to Book

09:38 Lithuania Hidden History

10:51 Sir Martin Gilbert’s Help

13:48 Baltics and Mass Killings

17:06 What a Ghetto Was

17:58 Survival Through Work

19:41 Life Inside the Ghetto

21:03 Returning to Lithuania

21:47 Smuggling and Public Hangings

22:56 Last Words Remembered

23:52 No Trigger Warnings

25:43 Never Forget Never Again

27:56 Warnings Before Nazis

29:02 Genocide Echoes Today

30:09 Propaganda Social Media

33:33 Denial And Education

35:08 Youth Version With AI

38:45 Podcasts And New Formats

41:32 Final Thanks And Tease

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Belle Burden’s Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage | Solo Pod 1

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📚 BUY THE BOOK 👉Purchase Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage here: https://amzn.to/4aeWBaI

It's summer!  Here are my beach read recommendations!  Sumer Reads

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Her Family Talks To The Dead | Irish Ghost Story | Episode 150

In this episode of the Bookaholic Podcast, host Deirdre sits down with author Gail Grant Park to discuss her cozy paranormal mystery trilogy — We Are Shadows: An Irish Ghost Story and its sequels.

Gail shares how real-life family experiences with the afterlife inspired her stories, including a breathtaking account of a spirit saving a cousin from a car accident, and a humorous but heartwarming visit from her late father. She also dives into how her 24 years following her husband's military career — including time in Brussels, Belgium — helped her connect with Irish cousins whose culture, slang, and recipes are woven throughout the books.

We also talk about her journey to becoming a published author later in life, joining a writing group, self-publishing, and winning multiple awards for Book One.

In this episode:

*The stunning cover art created by an Irish designer

*The true ghost stories behind the fiction

*How her family's writing tradition spans generations (including her 96-year-old poetry-writing mother!)

*Gail's new children's book Rain or Shine, It's Camping Time and upcoming memoir

🔗 Visit Gail's website: gailgrantpark.com

📚 Purchase We Are Shadows: https://amzn.to/4etnVmW

📚 Purchase the trilogy: https://amzn.to/4fDq29P

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⭐ Leave a review on my website and socials.

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#irishghoststory #tbr #beachreads

Sasha Preston on Cozy Heist Mysteries, Female Friendship, and Diverse Leads | Episode 149

Sasha Preston on Cozy Heist Mysteries, Female Friendship, and Diverse Leads in the Sweet Escape Series | Episode 149

In this episode of the Bookaholic Podcast, I’m joined by Sasha Preston  author of The Sweetest Escape. We talk about her cozy, female, caper, what inspired this story, and why readers who love cozy mysteries  will absolutely want to add this book to their list.

📚 BUY THE BOOK

👉 Grab The Sweetest Escape  here: https://amzn.to/3OK6GVx

🎁 BOOKAHOLIC FREEBIE

Want more book recommendations and author interviews?

📩 Join the Bookaholic Newsletter: https://www.book-a-holic.com/newsletter/

✨ WHAT WE TALK ABOUT IN THIS EPISODE

• Why she writes cozy mysteries with a heist twist
• Her focus on female leads to highlight women’s friendships and themes
• Women’s economic empowerment and financial freedom
• The standalone prequel to The Sweetest Escape

👩🏽‍💻 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sasha Preston  writes cozy mysteries  and is known capers and heists featuring diverse women.

🔗 CONNECT WITH Sasha

Website: https://www.sashapreston.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sashaprestonwriter/

💛 SUPPORT THE PODCAST

⭐ Leave a review on my website and socials.
📌 Subscribe on YouTube
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📌 BOOKS MENTIONED

• The Sweetest Escape (Book 2) - https://amzn.to/3OK6GVx

• A Sweet Scheme (Book 1) - https://amzn.to/4n0wv0a

🔍 Keywords

#cozymysteries #mysteries #capers #heists #femaleleads #oceans8

Some links may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

00:00 Welcome to Bookaholic

00:21 Why Cozy Heists

01:24 Friendship and Empowerment

03:02 Quick Tech Glitch

04:02 Oceans Eight Inspiration

04:59 Series Order Explained

05:15 A Sweet Scheme Plot

07:31 Why Diverse Characters

08:54 Meet The Sweetest Getaway Cast

11:59 Wrap Up and Farewell

When Doctors Say “Never”: What Every Parent Needs to Hear | Episode 148

 

 

 

 

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At birth, doctors gave Suzy Fischer a devastating prognosis: she would never walk, never talk, never live independently, and never form meaningful relationships.

Born with severe brain abnormalities and the rare condition Joubert Syndrome, Suzy’s life was expected to be defined by limitations.

But her mother, Jane Fischer, refused to accept a future built on “nevers.”

In this deeply moving episode, we explore Suzy’s extraordinary journey—one marked by unimaginable challenges, relentless perseverance, and a mother’s unwavering belief in what could be instead of what doctors said would never be.

Today, Suzy is the oldest living person with Joubert Syndrome, and her story continues to challenge medical assumptions and inspire families around the world.

Her journey is captured in the powerful memoir: If You Knew Suzy: Pushing Past the Boundaries of Never.

This episode is a testament to love, resilience, advocacy, and the extraordinary strength found in both caregivers and children.

Listen To This Podcast Before Your Next Relationship | Episode 147

Today's episode is brought to you by L'Oreal Magic Root Cover-up!  Cover gray in just three seconds.

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WARNING: This episode contains discussions of drug manufacturing, violence, and assault.

Brenda Coffee shares her extraordinary memoir "Maya Blue: A Memoir of Survival"—a story described as a Netflix series come to life. From falling in love with the genius who invented the first personal computer to surviving a cocaine lab, threats from Big Tobacco, and a harrowing escape from the Guatemalan army, Brenda's journey is one of resilience and transformation.

0:00 - Introduction & Sponsor
1:33 - Brenda's Childhood: Military Father & Role Reversal with Mother
5:29 - Meeting Philip Ray: The Genius Behind the First Personal Computer
8:58 - Living on the Edge: Racing Cars & Dangerous Adventures
9:24 - Philip Decides to Make Cocaine from Scratch
15:12 - The Cocaine Lab: Discovery & Addiction
21:30 - Inventing the Vape: Coining "Vaping" in the Late 1970s
24:31 - Threats from Big Tobacco & the Government
28:00 - Philip's Death & Financial Devastation (1987)
28:26 - Sponsor Break
30:00 - Journey to Find Herself: Trip to Guatemala
32:30 - Captured by Guatemalan Army
35:18 - The Escape: Fighting Back & Survival
38:16 - The Meaning of Maya Blue: Strength & Resilience
41:31 - Transformation: Finding Brenda Coffee
43:34 - Therapy & Reclaiming Personal Power
45:25 - Closing & Book Information

How I edit my podcast and videos - Descript

How I record my podcast and videos - Streamyard

Where I source music - Epidemic Sound

DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you!

EX-CIA Agent Unveils Thrilling Secrets | Episode 146

In this episode of the Bookaholic Podcast, host Tracy Abramson discusses her latest book, Victim Number Eight. With over 45 bestselling novels to her name, Tracy shares insights into her writing process, how her background in the CIA influences her thrillers, and the intricate research behind her stories. She talks about her visits to Istanbul, the personal experiences that shape her characters, and her commitment to maintaining a clean, character-driven narrative. Tracy also reflects on the importance of emotional authenticity in thrillers and her unique experiences interacting with other well-known authors like Brad Thor. Tune in to hear more about Tracy's journey, her writing expertise, and what keeps her motivated to excel in her genre.

00:00 Welcome to the Bookaholic Podcast

00:39 Inspiration Behind Victim Number Eight

01:41 Real-Life Experiences in Fiction

04:42 Exploring Istanbul and Cultural Insights

06:40 Researching Serial Killers for Authenticity

08:42 Balancing Action and Emotional Depth

09:53 Meeting Brad Thor and Industry Insights

14:54 Writing Clean Thrillers for a Broad Audience

17:39 Advice for Aspiring Thriller Writers

19:14 Where to Find Victim Number Eight

How ADHD Became Her Superpower in Writing! | Episode 145

In this episode of the Bookaholic podcast, Deidre interviews EK Wise about her journey of managing ADHD while authoring the book 'Keepers of the Rock' EK Wise discusses her late diagnosis of ADHD, her writing process, and the methods she employs to stay focused. The conversation delves into her background, inspirations from life experiences like her love for geology, and the creation of her novel's unique fantasy world where characters draw powers from earth's elements. The podcast also touches on the importance of recognizing and addressing learning differences, both in children and adults, and ends with a discussion on the future direction of her book series.

00:00 Introduction and Warm Welcome

00:18 Discussing ADHD and Writing Process

01:07 ADHD Journey and Coping Strategies

04:35 Importance of Evaluation and Support

07:56 Introduction to 'Keepers of the Rock'

08:46 Geology Passion and Book Influence

10:22 Book Cover Design and Elements

12:01 Plot and Setting of 'Keepers of the Rock'

17:51 Author's Writing Journey and Inspirations

23:11 Series Continuation and Future Plans

25:33 Conclusion and Farewell

Listeners, give this episode a review on your favorite podcast platform!  You can also leave a review at my website or leave me a voicemail.  Subscribe to my newsletter Behind The Book.

CONNECT WITH BOOKAHOLIC // INSTAGRAM: @truebookaholic // FACEBOOK: @truebookaholic // PINTEREST: @truebookaholic // TIKTOK: @truebookaholic //

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EMAIL: support@book-a-holic.com

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Vietnam War & Past Lives: Inside Ellen Birkett Morris’s Gripping Tale! | Episode 144

Purchase Beware The Tall Grass here.

Exploring 'Beware the Tall Grass' with Ellen Birkett Morris: The Bookaholic Podcast In this episode of the Bookaholic Podcast, celebrated author Ellen Birkett Morris discusses her latest novel, 'Beware the Tall Grass.' Ellen delves into the book's intriguing dual narrative that intertwines a mother's love with a soldier's courage. Inspired by a real-life program that investigates children's past life memories, Ellen transformed a short story into a novel over an eight-year journey. She shares her process, from overcoming the challenge of expanding her writing from short stories to novels, to the crucial role a developmental editor played. Ellen also discusses the book's compelling themes, including the impact of the Vietnam War and intergenerational trauma, as well as her own evolving thoughts on reincarnation. The episode highlights the novel's accolades, including winning the Donald L. Jordan Prize and concludes with a glimpse into Ellen's future writing plans.

00:00 Welcome to the Bookaholic Podcast

00:27 Introducing 'Beware The Tall Grass'

02:04 The Inspiration Behind the Story

03:07 The Eight-Year Journey of Writing

05:57 Exploring Themes and Characters

08:03 Vietnam War and Personal Connections

11:29 Beliefs and Skepticism in the Story

17:45 Accolades and Recognition

20:22 Future Projects and Final Thoughts

Listeners, give this episode a review on your favorite podcast platform!  You can also leave a review at my website or leave me a voicemail. 

Subscribe to my newsletter Behind The Book.

CONNECT WITH BOOKAHOLIC

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LINKEDIN: Bookaholic