Bookish Flights: Themed Book Recommendations & Author Interviews

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In today’s episode, I am chatting with Jared Michaud. Jared has had a life-long drive to write fiction and is the author of Brightstar: Energematrice6 – The Epimyth Begins. Growing up, his mind was shaped by the stories he read. From C.S. Lewis to Orson Scott Card, he found authors who knew how to speak to his heart and give voice to what was inside of him. He started writing stories himself when he was only seven years old, and wrote his first novel starting when he was twelve. Today, he writes from a little house in a little town in Wyoming, where he lives with his wife and six children. He is a Christian and  a lover of truth. He is on a mission to give his children’s generation myths built on the greatest foundation the world has ever seen.

We talked about the importance of myth in stories, the gentle art of writing about the truth, including a piece of yourself in the characters you write and more! This is a delightful episode with Jared, I hope you enjoy. Happy listening!

You can purchase a copy of Energematrice 6 at 10% off HERE by using the code “flights”. 

You can connect with Jared at the links below:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Facebook

You can find the show notes for this episode with links to the books mentioned in the episode right HERE. 

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

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In today’s episode, I am chatting with Jaime Jo Wright. Jaime is the author of ten novels, including Christy Award and Daphne du Maurier Award-winner The House on Foster Hill and Carol Award-winner The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. She’s also a two-time Christy Award finalist and ECPA bestselling author of The Vanishing at Castle Moreau. Jaime lives in Wisconsin with her family and cats. 

What did we not talk about in this episode?? Our conversation ranged from momento mori photography, fashions we hoped to never see again, which of her ten novels was her favorite to write as well as a sneak peek at the title of her next book coming April 2025. You heard it hear first friends! I also love her quote about “audiobooks are amazing tricks of the trade,” because I could not agree more! This was such a fun and delightful conversation, I hope you enjoy it too. Happy listening!

You can connect with Jaime at the links below:

• Instagram
• Website
• Purchase Jaime’s books HERE. 

You can find the show notes for this episode with links to the books mentioned in the episode right HERE. 

Support the show

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

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• Facebook
• Website

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Today we have an episode from the kids for the kids. I am speaking today with Morgan and her Mom, Jenn Kappes. Morgan is 8 years old and a 3rd grader. She has brought a book flight of her favorite graphic novels. I have listed the recommended ages for the books of the flight below. They live in sunny, beautiful Hawaii and you can hear the birds chirping in the background, it sounds idyllic! Happy listening!

To follow along with Morgan’s reading journey, check out her Bookstagram.

Show Notes

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

Books mentioned in the episode

• Judy Moody and Stink series by Megan McDonald (ages 5-8)

Book Flight

• The Tryout by Christina Soontorvat and Joanna Cacao (ages 8-12)
• Stacey’s Mistake: The Babysitter’s Club by Ellen Crenshaw (ages 8-12)
• Smile by Raina Telgemeier (ages 8-11)

Support the show

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

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• Facebook
• Website

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In today’s episode, I am chatting with J.D. “Danny” McCabe. J.D. is a Pittsburgh, PA native, and the author of The Third Gift, a true story about a tumultuous marriage gone wrong. He now speaks with organizations across the country about his experiences. From an early age, Danny was independent and a practical realist. He began writing his diary as a historical journal of events in the demise of his marriage that evolved quickly and came without context. Danny was encouraged to share this unbelievable voyage in rediscovering himself by the many people who witnessed and heard about his journey first hand. 

In this episode, he shares all about writing his book and what that process was like. He also talks about doing the recording  of the audiobook version himself. All the proceeds of his book go toward a center for women and an endowment fund. 

You can connect with J.D. at the links below:

• Instagram
• TikTok
• To purchase The Third Gift: My Dance with the Devil (and her Mother)

You can find the show notes for this episode with links to the books mentioned in the episode right HERE. 

Support the show

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

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• Website

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In today’s episode I am chatting with Erin Bartels. Erin is the award-winning author of We Hope for Better Things, The Words between Us, All That We Carried, The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water, and Everything is Just Beginning. A two-time Christy finalist and winner of two 2020 WFWA Star Wards and the 2020 Michigan Notable Book Award. Erin has been a publishing professional for more than twenty years. She lives in mid-Michigan with her pastor husband, their teenage son, and a neurotic little chihuahua mix. Her latest novel, The Lady with the Dark Hair, came out yesterday. Congratulations Erin!

I learned so much from Erin in this episode about painting, art and the history of colors and how they were made. I cannot wait to dig into the books from her book flight. We also talked about making time for your pursuits and hobbies. This is an episode you will not want to miss. Happy listening!

You can connect with Erin at the links below:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• To purchase The Lady with the Dark Hair

You can find the show notes for this episode with links to the books mentioned in the episode right HERE. 

Support the show

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

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website

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In today’s episode, I am chatting with Huda Al-Marashi. Huda is the author of the memoir First Comes Marriage: My Not-So-Typical American Love Story and a co-author of the middle-grade novel Grounded. Her other writing has appeared in various anthologies and news outlets, such as the New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, and al Jazeera. She is a fellow with the Highlights Foundation Muslim Storytellers Program and a public speaker. 

Huda shared all about her experience as a woman living in diaspora, immigrant experiences in a foreign country and how assimilation into other cultures is dependent on many factors. She talked about how she fit writing into motherhood and the tension of writing memoir - bordering a line of fiction, using composite characters and figuring out the story you want to tell within your memoir. Lastly, she talked about how supportive the writing community is and what an invaluable resource they are. This episode is amazing and one you will not want to miss! Happy listening!

You can connect with Huda at the links below:

• Website
• Instagram
• To purchase:
  •  First Comes Marriage
  • Grounded

You can find the show notes for this episode with links to the books mentioned in the episode right HERE. 

Support the show

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

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Today we are featuring another episode from the kids. I am speaking today with Hazel and her Mom, Ashley Terpstra. Hazel is 11 and a 6th grader. However, please note she has a higher reading level than that, I have listed the recommended ages for the books of the flight below. We talked all about Battle of the Books which was really fun to learn about and a book flight of her favorite books. Ashley is no stranger to the show herself, her episode is still the most downloaded! To hear all about her and a Kristin Hannah book flight, tune in HERE. Happy listening!

Show Notes

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

Books mentioned in the episode

• What is the Story of Scooby Doo? by M.D. Payne (ages 8-12)
• Death on the River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Amazon Adventure by Samantha Seiple (ages 12+)
• Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia (ages 9-11)

Book Flight

• I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman (ages 14+)
• Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Penelope Bagieu (ages 14+)
• Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys (ages 12+)

Support the show

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

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• Facebook
• Website

Send us Fan Mail

In today’s episode, I am chatting Kristie Addair Guard. Kristie is the author of Healing Ever After. Kristie Addair Guard lives in Campobello, South Carolina, where she recently traded the suburban life for the country and has a farm full of animals. Her favorite topic of conversation is Jesus, and her gift is to encourage others, especially women, to find, understand, and walk in their identity in Jesus. 

Kristie shared all about writing her book, vulnerability and authenticity. She talks about the journey and the healing that happened along her journey. Her book flight includes books that encouraged her along her writing journey and is a beautiful reflection of her faith. Happy listening!

You can connect with Kristie at the links below:

• Instagram
• To purchase Healing Ever After

You can find the show notes for this episode with links to the books mentioned in the episode right HERE.

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 Sandhya Gokal. Sandhya is a pharmacist and health coach with over 12 years experience. She specializes in making healthy habits so fun that they become superpowers! She’s been a bookworm since the age of 7 and consumes at least 1 book a week (often reading multiple at a time) on many subjects. She has a particular interest in mythology, children’s books and fantasy fiction. Sandhya loves diving into the world of stories and bringing back lessons to experiment with the real word. 

Sandhya loves exploring the inner landscape of people and understanding why they do what they do and about how books gives us a glimpse into the mind of the author. She also talked about techniques she learned through books that have helped her throughout life. Her laugh is infectious. I cannot wait for you to tune into this episode, it is an absolute delight. Her book flight focuses on children’s books that change your perspective and focus on fun.

You can connect with Sandhya at the links below:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook Group - Cracking the Consistency Code
• LinkedIn

You can find the show notes for this episode with links to the books mentioned in the episode right HERE. 

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 Matt Coyle. Matt is the best-selling author of the Rick Cahill PI Crime Series. He was named the 2021 San Diego Writer’s Festival Mystery Writer of the Year, and his novels have won the Anthony Award, the Shamus Award, the Lefty Award, the San Diego Book Award, among others. He has also received nominations for numerous Anthony, Macavity, Shamus, and Lefty Awards. Odyssey's End is the 10th book in this award-winning series. 

Matt dives deep into what it takes to write crime fiction - life experiences, getting to the truth of the matter and honor code/core of who you are as a person. His book flight includes 3 books that have influenced his writing.

You can connect with Matt at the links below:

• Instagram
• Website
• To purchase the Rick Cahill series

You can find the show notes for this episode with links to the books mentioned in the episode right HERE. 

Support the show

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

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website