Bookish Flights: Themed Book Recommendations & Author Interviews

Send us Fan Mail

Today, I am chatting with Patricia Lezama, a writer and storyteller living in a teacher’s body. Patricia holds a BA in Education and an MA in Literature. She has worked as a Project Manager in education and IT in both public and private sectors in Colombia. Currently, she teaches Spanish in Southern California while continuing her journey as a writer and poet.

📚 Children’s Language Development
 📖 The Power of Poetry
 ✍️ Writing in Community
 🌎 Spanish Literature – Patricia’s book flight features a mix of classic and contemporary Spanish authors.

Connect

• Website
• Patricia’s Poetry Corner
• Purchase Sentir Latino Transformado en Mujer: Identidad Latina Poesía
• Instagram
• Spanish Social Club (at Yipao Coffee Roasters in San Diego)
• LinkedIn

Books and authors in the episode (Editions are listed in English/Spanish):

• The Color Monster: A Story About Emotions by Anna Llenas
• Baltasar & Blimunda/Memorial del Convento by José Saramago
• Luís de Camões books
• Women Who Run with Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés
• The Delivery/La Encomienda by Margarita García Robayo

Book Flight

• Love Poems/Los Amorosos by Jaime Sabines
• The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa
• El Sonido de las Olas (The Sound of the Waves) by Margarita García Robayo
• El Dulce Daño by Alfonsina Storni

Episode Sponsor

This episode was sponsored by Bethany House with a Suspense Book Flight, head over to their website and get a generous 30% off & free shipping. 

• Serial Burn by Lynette Eason
• Break My Fall by Lynn H. Blackburn
• Shattered Sanctuary by Nancy Mehl

The BFF Book Club is becoming a family affair! ❤️ This our FREE virtual book club, where we read together each month and have live author chats.

Each Family Book Flight pairs our BFF Book Club pick with:

• One chapter book for growing readers
• One picture book for our littlest readers
• A few family conversation starters + a simple activity

Three books. One common theme.

→ Join us here: https://bookishflights.kit.com/bfffamily

Support the show

Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website

Send us Fan Mail

In today’s episode I am chatting with Sasha Peyton Smith. Sasha is the New York Times best-selling author of fantasy novels for young adults including The Witch Haven and The Rose Bargain. Her work has been translated into more than a dozen languages world-wide. She lives in a 100-year-old house in the mountains of Utah, with her husband and (allegedly) two ghosts, though she has yet to see them. 

This episode was as much fun to record as it was to read The Rose Bargain. What you’ll find in today’s episode - About Sasha. Her childhood, she started her career in biology and is now a full-time writer. Tips for new writers, difference in writing her first series to writing The Rose Bargain. Her book flight includes books that have rocked her world and shaped her as a reader and a writer. 

Episode Highlights:

• Sasha’s childhood and how she found her way to writing
• Transitioning from a career in biology to becoming a full-time author
• Advice for new and aspiring writers
• The differences between writing her debut series and The Rose Bargain
• Sasha’s book flight and the books that have influenced her the most

This episode was just as fun to record as it was to read The Rose Bargain! Tune in now.

Connect with Sasha Peyton Smith:

• Instagram
• Website
• Purchase Sasha’s books

Show Notes

Some links are affiliate links, which are no extra cost to you but do help to support the show.

Books and authors mentioned in the episode:

• Cold Hearted Rake by Lisa Kleypas
• Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
• Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
• Emily Wilde series by Heather Fawcett

Book Flight

• Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
• Marrying Winterbourne by Lisa Kleypas
• I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

The BFF Book Club is becoming a family affair! ❤️ This our FREE virtual book club, where we read together each month and have live author chats.

Each Family Book Flight pairs our BFF Book Club pick with:

• One chapter book for growing readers
• One picture book for our littlest readers
• A few family conversation starters + a simple activity

Three books. One common theme.

→ Join us here: https://bookishflights.kit.com/bfffamily

Support the show

Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website

Send us Fan Mail

In today’s episode, I sit down with award-winning author Melody Carlson, whose prolific career includes over 250 books with more than 7.5 million copies sold. Best known for her beloved Christmas novellas, young adult fiction, and contemporary romances, Melody’s latest novel, Welcome to the Honey B&B, explores themes of family, second chances, and the power of community—all in the face of dementia.

This conversation is especially personal, as Melody shares her own experience of losing her husband to Frontal Temporal Dementia (FTD), a rare and early-onset form of the disease. We discuss how book serendipity plays a role in her writing journey, how faith and storytelling intersect, and the ways humor and classic films have helped her navigate grief.

Melody also offers heartfelt advice for caregivers and widows, drawing from her own journey with loss and healing. Plus, she gives us a sneak peek into her upcoming novel, All Booked Up, and shares her current TBR picks in a special book flight segment.

Key Highlights:

📖 The Inspiration Behind Welcome to the Honey B&B – A personal journey through dementia and family resilience.
💡 The Role of Faith and Book Serendipity – How the right books and writing projects come into our lives at the perfect time.
🎥 Healing Through Humor and Classic Films – Finding joy in tough times.
❤️ Advice for Caregivers and Widows – Lessons learned from love, loss, and resilience.
📚 Melody’s Book Flight – A glimpse into her TBR and what’s next in her writing journey.

Connect with Melody Carlson:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Purchase Melody’s books

Books and authors mentioned:

• Caring for Carol by Caring by Caring for Me by Andrew P. Mauro, Sr.
• The Glass Lake by Maeve Binchy
• The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher
• Elizabeth Berg books
• L.M. Montgomery books
• A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
• A Man Called Peter by Catherine Marshall
• Christy by Catherine Marshall

Book Flight

• A Three Dog Life by Abigail Thomas
• The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barrett
• Beyond Our Selves by Catherine Marshall

The BFF Book Club is becoming a family affair! ❤️ This our FREE virtual book club, where we read together each month and have live author chats.

Each Family Book Flight pairs our BFF Book Club pick with:

• One chapter book for growing readers
• One picture book for our littlest readers
• A few family conversation starters + a simple activity

Three books. One common theme.

→ Join us here: https://bookishflights.kit.com/bfffamily

Support the show

Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome to today’s episode of Bookish Flights! This episode is the latest installment in the BFF Book Club! If you love books, author meet-and-greets, and in-depth conversations, the BFF Book Club is for you. Each month, we dive into a new book, and this month’s selection is Until Our Time Comes by Nicole M. Miller.

Nicole lives in Southwest Washington state with her husband and three sons, along with her two purebred Arabian horses, chickens, ducks, dogs, cats, and guinea pigs. When she is not writing or tending to her animals, she works in human resources. 

Episode Highlights:

• Nicole shares what it’s like to have both a book baby and a human baby in the same year.
• A deep dive into the journey to publication for Until Our Time Comes, including the pitching process and the years spent crafting her novel.
• Fascinating insights on what happened to horses, animals, and the land in countries ravaged by WWII.
• A sneak peek into what she is currently working on.

This was such a fun BFF Book Club discussion, and we loved hearing from Nicole about her writing journey and historical research. 

If you’d like to join us next month, we are switching gears to a contemporary domestic suspense novel, What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange. This poignant novel explores family resilience, community, and the unexpected magic of middle school hockey.

When Kyle McCray returns to his hometown after his father’s debilitating stroke, he must face the consequences of his sudden departure years ago, including fractured relationships and unresolved emotions. Stepping into the role of coaching the struggling local hockey team, Kyle embarks on an unexpected path to redemption. But can he and his estranged wife, Casey, finally confront their past and find peace? Register here to join us on March 23rd at 130 pm PST!

Connect with Nicole M. Miller:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website
• Purchase Until Our Time Comes

Book Flight

• The Wings of Poppy Pendleton by Melanie Dobson
• Yesterday’s Tides by Roseanna M. White
• Midnight on the Scottish Shore by Sarah Sundin

The BFF Book Club is becoming a family affair! ❤️ This our FREE virtual book club, where we read together each month and have live author chats.

Each Family Book Flight pairs our BFF Book Club pick with:

• One chapter book for growing readers
• One picture book for our littlest readers
• A few family conversation starters + a simple activity

Three books. One common theme.

→ Join us here: https://bookishflights.kit.com/bfffamily

Support the show

Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website

Send us Fan Mail

In today’s episode, I am chatting with James Arnett. James was born and raised in Winnipeg in Canada and graduated in Arts and Law at the University of Manitoba and Harvard Law School. He has been a senior partner of a major Canadian law firm, CEO of a prominent Canadian public company and Chair of an Ontario utility. Along the way, he wrote articles for law review journals, newspapers and magazines, but recently has turned to writing historical fiction. He enjoys trekking, Kayaking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. He lives with his wife, Alix, in Toronto and has 4 children and 5 grandsons. His latest novel, The Monmouth Manifest, was published in September last year. 

In this episode, we chatted about the high percentage of author guest who have been lawyers and then have turned to writing. The importance of good writing while practicing law. His path to getting into writing that started with writing a treatment for a movie. It did not get picked up but then it was suggested he turn it into a novel. He realized he enjoyed and was actually good at writing dialogue. One thing he loves about writing is you get a piece or nugget of history and then you build the plot around it. 

Key Highlights:

• The high percentage of former lawyers who transition into writing careers
• The role of writing in law and how it helps develop storytelling skills
• James’s journey from legal writing to historical fiction
• The experience of writing a movie treatment and transitioning it into a novel
• The joy of discovering historical nuggets and weaving them into engaging narratives
• How James realized he enjoyed and was good at writing dialogue
• The thrill of taking a historical event and building a plot around it

Connect with James Arnett:

• Website
• Purchase James’ books:
  • The Monmouth Manifesto
  • Bean Fate

Books and authors mentioned in the episode:

• Graham Greene books
• Anthony Trollope books
• The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
• All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
• The Howe Dynasty by Julie Flavell

Book Flight

• For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
• Bleak House by Charles Dickens
• A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

The BFF Book Club is becoming a family affair! ❤️ This our FREE virtual book club, where we read together each month and have live author chats.

Each Family Book Flight pairs our BFF Book Club pick with:

• One chapter book for growing readers
• One picture book for our littlest readers
• A few family conversation starters + a simple activity

Three books. One common theme.

→ Join us here: https://bookishflights.kit.com/bfffamily

Support the show

Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website

Send us Fan Mail

In today’s episode, I am chatting with Jordan Millsaps. Jordan is a wife and mama of two little girls living in East Tennessee. When she’s not writing romance, she enjoys reading, baking, working 1000-piece puzzles, and traveling with her family. She never gets tired of talking about books and connecting with other readers and writers. 

Key Highlights:

• Food & Fiction – From baking bread to making pasta, Jordan shares her love for food and how it inspires her writing.
• Book Flight: Foodie Romance Novels – If you love books with delicious descriptions and swoon-worthy romance, this one’s for you! All of Jordan’s books and book flight are sweet, clean closed door rom-coms.
• Flash Fiction 101 – Writing stories in 1,000 words or less? Jordan explains how this helped her discover her favorite genres.
• Thrillers That Won’t Keep You Up at Night – Love suspense but need your sleep? We’ve got recommendations!
• Indie Publishing Insights – Jordan talks about the journey of self-publishing and what it really takes to be an indie author.

Why listen?
✔️ Get delicious book recommendations
✔️ Learn how to start writing flash fiction
✔️ Find thrillers that balance suspense with sleep
✔️ Discover the indie author journey

Connect with Jordan Millsaps:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Purchase Jordan’s books

Books and authors mentioned:

• The Wedding Date Deal by Jordan Millsaps
• The Gratitude Guarantee by Jordan Millsaps
• The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza
• Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken
• If You Would Have Told Me by John Stamos

Book Flight

• Hadley Beckett’s Next Dish by Bethany Turner
• How to Kiss Your Enemy by Jenny Proctor
• The Saturday Night Supper Club by Carla Laureano

The BFF Book Club is becoming a family affair! ❤️ This our FREE virtual book club, where we read together each month and have live author chats.

Each Family Book Flight pairs our BFF Book Club pick with:

• One chapter book for growing readers
• One picture book for our littlest readers
• A few family conversation starters + a simple activity

Three books. One common theme.

→ Join us here: https://bookishflights.kit.com/bfffamily

Support the show

Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website

Send us Fan Mail

In today’s episode, we have not only one guest but two! I am chatting with HEATHER TAYLOR and HILLARY NUSSBAUM. Together they wrote Know Your Newlywed, a full-cast audio production starring Mary Mouser of Cobra Kai and Tyler Posey of Teen Wolf. Know Your Newlywed is set between Boston and Chicago, and the female main character is an anthrozoologist—how cool is that? Heather writes and directs TV, film, and audio projects about complicated family relationships. She strives to destigmatize mental illness, disabilities, and poverty in her work. Hillary is a writer, director, and producer with a background in television development. 

Episode Highlights:

• Writing Exclusively for Audio – The challenges of storytelling without visual descriptions.
• Creating Connection Through Sound – How to portray emotions & chemistry using audio.
• Sound Environments – Using sound design to transport listeners between settings.
• Casting & Voice Acting – The fascinating process of selecting voice actors and how they create authentic relationships despite recording separately.
• Collaboration in Audiobook Production
• Book Flight: Rom-Coms with the Fake Dating trope.

Connect with Heather Taylor and Hillary Nussbaum:

• Instagram
  • Heather
  • Hillary
• Heather’s Website
• Purchase Know Your Newlywed

Books and authors mentioned in the episode:

• Ann Patchett books
• L.M. Montgomery books
• The Shennara Series by Terry Brooks
• The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
• Kitchen Science
• Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella
• The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White
• Population: 485 - Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time by Michael Perry
• The Night Shift by Dr. Brian Goldman
• Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Aknar

Book Flight

• The Spanish Love Decepetion by Elena Armas
• Funny Story by Emily Henry
• The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

The BFF Book Club is becoming a family affair! ❤️ This our FREE virtual book club, where we read together each month and have live author chats.

Each Family Book Flight pairs our BFF Book Club pick with:

• One chapter book for growing readers
• One picture book for our littlest readers
• A few family conversation starters + a simple activity

Three books. One common theme.

→ Join us here: https://bookishflights.kit.com/bfffamily

Support the show

Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website

Send us Fan Mail

In today’s episode, I am chatting with Dr. Josh McConkey. Dr. (Colonel) Josh McConkey is an award-winning/best-selling author and esteemed Emergency Physician with over two decades of clinical experience. He served as a professor at Duke University and maintains Board Certification in Emergency Medicine. With 22 years of military service, Dr. McConkey now commands the 459th Aeromedical Staging Squadron in the US Air Force Reserves, demonstrating exceptional leadership and dedication. He is a devoted father of three and his greatest passion lies in shaping future American leaders alongside his wife, Elsa. 

Key Highlights:

• Josh’s Career: Serving as an air transport/CCAT doctor in the Air Force Reserves, where he provides critical care during medical evacuations. Insights into his work as a flight surgeon and how his perspective on adrenaline and risk-taking has evolved since becoming a father.
• The Weight Behind the Spear: Discussion on his book, which encapsulates his leadership ethos and was inspired by the increasing mental health challenges he has witnessed as an emergency room physician. Despite the divide in our country, his books talks about empowering and equipping the next generation. 
• Taking Action on Mental Health: The importance of community engagement, personal empowerment, and leveraging individual strengths to make a meaningful impact.
• Personal Development & Leadership: A deep dive into his book flight, featuring titles that have shaped his leadership philosophy and personal growth.

This conversation is packed with wisdom, experience, and actionable insights—don’t miss it!

Connect with Dr. Josh McConkey:

• Website
• Instagram
• Twitter/X
• LinkedIn
• Purchase The Weight Behind the Spear

Books and authors mentioned in the episode:

• Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe)
• Mornings on Horseback by David McCullough

Book Flight

• Call Sign Chaos by Jim Mattis and Bing West
• An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield
• Everything is F*cked by Mark Manson

The BFF Book Club is becoming a family affair! ❤️ This our FREE virtual book club, where we read together each month and have live author chats.

Each Family Book Flight pairs our BFF Book Club pick with:

• One chapter book for growing readers
• One picture book for our littlest readers
• A few family conversation starters + a simple activity

Three books. One common theme.

→ Join us here: https://bookishflights.kit.com/bfffamily

Support the show

Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome to today’s episode of Bookish Flights! This one is our latest installment in the BFF Book Club! This month features Champagne Widows with Rebecca Rosenberg. Rebecca is an award-winning novelist, champagne geek and lavender farmer. Rebecca first fell in love with methode champenoise in Sonoma Valley, CA. Over decades of delicious research, she has explored many wine cellars in search of fine champagne. When Rebecca discovered the real-life stories of the Champagne Widows of France, she knew she’d dedicate years to telling the stories of these remarkable women who made champagne the worldwide phenomenon it is today. Welcome to the show, Rebecca!

Episode Highlights

• How Rebecca discovered the stories of the Champagne Widows
• Her writing journey and how she brings history to life
• Her experience as a lavender farmer and how it complements her writing lifestyle
• French history and how she distilled it into fascinating tidbits for readers
• The title of Champagne Widows and the incredible strength of Barbe-Nicole Clicquot.

Connect with Rebecca:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website
• Purchase Rebecca’s books

Books Mentioned in Show

• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
• The Widows of Champagne by Renee Ryan
• Madame Pommery by Rebecca Rosenberg
• Lavender Fields of America by Rebecca Rosenberg
• Silver Echoes (Rebecca’s newest book, will be up for pre-sale in late February 2025)

Book Flight

• A Welcome Misfortune by Kay Bratt
• A Beautiful Rival with Gill Paul
• The Last Fashion House in Paris by Renee Ryan

If you’d like to join us next month, we will be discussing another fantastic historical fiction/romance novel, Until Our Time Comes by Nicole M. Miller. This book is an unforgettable WWII novel inspired by true events. Follow American horse trainer Adia Kensington and British intelligence agent Bret Conway as they fight to save 250 prized Arabian horses from the invading German army in war-torn Poland. This epic tale of courage, love and resistance is a page-turner you will not want to miss! Register here to join us on February 23rd at 130 pm PST!

The BFF Book Club is becoming a family affair! ❤️ This our FREE virtual book club, where we read together each month and have live author chats.

Each Family Book Flight pairs our BFF Book Club pick with:

• One chapter book for growing readers
• One picture book for our littlest readers
• A few family conversation starters + a simple activity

Three books. One common theme.

→ Join us here: https://bookishflights.kit.com/bfffamily

Support the show

Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website

Send us Fan Mail

We're chatting with Elle Kaelee today. Elle has always been a student of storytelling, and her career over the years has involved theater, photography, and, of course, writing. She released Glass Wings, a dark urban fantasy, as initially a way of coping with the death of family members, but it turned into something much bigger—a full trilogy that will be fully released by the end of Fall 2025. The second book of the trilogy, Burning Glass, was released in late December 2024. She lives with her family, a mother of two little boys, in Seattle and can often be found at farmers' markets and breweries. This episode covers adult themes, so you may want to pop in a pair of headphones. Either way, this episode is a must-listen!

Episode Highlights:

• Elle’s Creative Career Journey: From theater to costume design to photography, Elle shares stories from her fascinating creative career, including how she perfected getting people to "do with their face what she needed them to do" during photoshoots. 
• The Origin of Glass Wings: Elle talks about how her writing journey began during childhood (sometimes being grounded sparks creativity!) and how her dark urban fantasy trilogy grew from personal grief into a full immersive world.
• Parenting Adventures: Hear Elle's perspective on parenting, plus insights from her unique experience living van life for a year.
• Books, Hoarding and Trigger Warnings: We discuss our shared love for books and how Elle navigates all the books she wants to read with her van lifestyle. She also explains the importance of trigger warnings and why she includes them at the start of her books.

Connect with Elle Kaelee:

• Instagram
• Website
• Purchase Elle’s Books

Books and authors mentioned:

• Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
• Gild by Raven Kennedy
• A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
• Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
• Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadband

Book Flight

• Belladonna by Adalyn Grace
• One Dark Window / Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig
• When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker

The BFF Book Club is becoming a family affair! ❤️ This our FREE virtual book club, where we read together each month and have live author chats.

Each Family Book Flight pairs our BFF Book Club pick with:

• One chapter book for growing readers
• One picture book for our littlest readers
• A few family conversation starters + a simple activity

Three books. One common theme.

→ Join us here: https://bookishflights.kit.com/bfffamily

Support the show

Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website