Her new crime mystery 9 Days got us talking about tarot card readings and wondering if how the stars aligned at the time of our birth could shape or guide us...  That's because author Jule Selbo's new murder mystery 9 Days opens with a world famous astrologist confessing to murder.  When the astrologist's 12 year old son doesn't believe his mother is guilty, he hires Private Investigator Dee Rommel to find the truth in just 9 Days. Listen as Jule explains why being underestimated can be a good thing, where a family heirloom of hers turned up in the book, and how a fascination with superheroes worked its way into this story. 

Desideratum Podcast listeners save 15% on the Dee Rommel mystery series with the code DP15 on Pandamoon.com. 

The Deception is about life and death and the delicate veil between the two. The story spirals around an Illusionist running from her past, and a Medium whose past fame and spirit guide have abandoned her. The pliable Maud (the Medium known as the Maid of Light) and the clever Clementine (a master of tricks and illusions) join forces to find fame and fortune, but at what cost… does the end justify the means? 

Listen as author Kim Taylor Blakemore shares how she scoured history to find her own muses for this tale of authenticity and duplicity. We talk about how she delivers readers to an 1870’s New England that was romanced by spiritualism. We discuss her seductive and charming characters and rainy rainy setting with shades of gray ethics that will seep into your very bones. 

Thanks to Kim’s publisher Lake Union Publishing and the audiobook publisher Brilliance Audio. You can find other hauntingly beautiful books by Kim Taylor Blakemore on her website here. You can find other stories narrated by Gail Shalen and Hope Newhouse on their websites.   As always, thanks for being here - thanks for listening. 

Ellen Marie Wiseman is drawn to the dark corners of history, where rumors and mystery shroud the truth. It's where she finds and develops characters who shine. Listen as she shares how her own history led her to write about hidden truths and social injustices.  We're talking about her new novel, The Lost Girls of Willowbrook, which is set in a real state run institution exposed back in 1972 for its atrocious abuses.  Ellen opens the novel with quotes from a real doctor who was there in 1972.  Dr. William Bronston's physician activism helped bring an end to the institution. He is joining Ellen for some of her book launch events.  You'll hear him describe how Ellen's storytelling takes him back in time, and you'll listen to a few minutes from the chapter of the audiobook that Dr. Bronston says affected him most profoundly. 

Thanks to Vida at Kensington Books for connecting me to Ellen and Dr. Bronston.  Kensington generously provides Desideratum listeners the discount code DP20 to save 20 percent across their incredible library. You just enter DP20 at checkout at Kensingtonbooks.com

Check out Libro.fm to find The Lost Girls of Willowbrook audiobook narrated by Morgan Hallett. Using the affiliate link to Libro.fm supports this podcast and a local book store of your choice. 

You can find more about the heartbreak and hope in all of Ellen’s fictions on her website. https://ellenmariewiseman.com/ 

You can get a copy of Dr. William Bronston’s book Public Hostage Public Ransom on his website. https://www.publichostagepublicransom.org/

Author Carol Van Den Hende sought solace in writing and then committed to sharing what she learned about resilience with her readers. Her novels Goodbye Orchid and Orchid Blooming are about love, personal growth, and trauma recovery.  Listen to how she drew inspiration from combat wounded veterans. Find out why her own personal love story (how she met her husband)  influenced her characters' brushes with kismet.  Hear an excerpt of Carol narrating Goodbye Orchid,  and find out how she used her first novel's backstory to create her 2nd novel - Orchid Blooming - which launches this month. 

Here's Carol's LinkTree which connects you to her book events, newsletter, social media presence, and website. 

A special thank you to Kathy L. Murphy who shined her light on Carol so I could find her.  Goodbye Orchid is the Pulpwood Queen's May 2022 Bonus Book of the Month.

As always, thank you for listening.

With a cast of many characters, telling the story from more than a dozen vantage points - Johnnie Bernhard takes readers on a journey with a widow and a sojourner in her new novel Hannah and Ariela.  Johnnie's connection to the land, the people, and the history of Texas shine through, but listen to how writing from all these different points of view challenged her and made her "put her ego in her back pocket". We talk about the layers of miracle and faith and we dig deeper into the real life tragedy of human trafficking at the heart of this harrowing fiction. 

You can find Johnnie's other award-winning literary fiction novels and more about her - on her website - HERE.  I’ve had the absolute honor of narrating her novels: Sisters of the Undertow, How We Came to Be, and A Good Girl.

Finally, you should know, a portion of the proceeds from Hannah and Ariela book sales will go to the aid of victims of human trafficking.

A special thank you to TCU Press, and as always, thank you for listening.

She comes from a long line of resilient, resourceful, and quirky Colorado women, and she loves finding obscure historical facts to write about.  But, while Randi Samuelson Brown's new novel is rooted in the past, it's action and suspense are current and contemporary.  We're talking about book one in her new series featuring a Brand Inspector in Colorado cattle country.  It's called Brand Chaser and it's layered with history, mystery, danger, suspense and even a little romance.  We begin with what made Randi jump from writing about Colorado's colorful past to this modern take on the wild west. 

Thanks to Randi Samuelson Brown for sharing her story and her history. And, thanks to her publisher Wolfpack publishing . You can find Brand Chaser everywhere you buy books.