GO Between the Covers

What would you do if your mother was arrested for shooting a man over a mango tree? For award-winning journalist and author Annabelle Tometich, this was just the beginning of an unforgettable journey through family, culture, identity, and resilience.

In this episode, Annabelle sits down to discuss her highly acclaimed memoir, The Mango Tree: A Memoir of Fruit, Florida & Felony. She shares her Filipino-American upbringing, the challenges of navigating multiple cultures, and the shocking events that shaped her life. From medical school rejection to becoming a renowned food writer and author, Annabelle’s story is one of transformation, discovery, and survival.

🎧 In This Episode:
✔ The true story behind The Mango Tree and its unbelievable opening scene
✔ How growing up multicultural shaped Annabelle’s identity 🇵🇭🇺🇸
✔ Family trauma, resilience, and the power of storytelling
✔ Why she wrote under a French male pseudonym as a food critic
✔ Her journey from science to journalism to memoir writing

More than 60 years after JFK’s tragic assassination in Dallas, a forgotten and chilling story has resurfaced—one that could have changed history before his presidency even began.

In this episode, bestselling author and historian Brad Meltzer reveals the shocking details from his latest book, The JFK Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Kennedy. He dives deep into the failed assassination attempt in Palm Beach, Florida, orchestrated by a disgruntled postal worker who came terrifyingly close to ending JFK’s life.

🎧 Listen in as we explore:
✅ The near-deadly plot against JFK—before Dallas
✅ Why this assassination attempt disappeared from history
✅ The political tensions and hate that fueled the attack
✅ Jackie Kennedy’s pivotal and often-overlooked role in JFK’s legacy

Was this a lone wolf, or was there something bigger at play? Tune in for a mind-blowing discussion that uncovers the hidden stories of history.

What if Marilyn Monroe had walked away from Hollywood and chosen a quiet life in a small Southern town? 🏡✨ In this episode we sit down with two-time Edgar Award-winning author Lori Roy to discuss her latest novel, Lake County—a gritty, suspenseful, and deeply immersive Southern Gothic crime story.

Set in 1950s Florida, Lake County imagines a world where Marilyn Monroe, at the lowest point in her career, retreats to a hidden life in a small town. But as her teenage niece dreams of following in her footsteps, organized crime, power struggles, and dark secrets threaten to unravel everything.

What happens when a mother flees with her child, only to be accused of kidnapping? Is she a criminal—or a desperate parent fighting for freedom?

In this gripping episode, New York Times bestselling author James Grippando joins us to discuss his latest legal thriller, Grave Danger. Inspired by real-world custody battles and international law, the novel explores a shocking case where justice, human rights, and family collide.

Grippando reveals the real-life case that sparked the story, the research behind high-stakes courtroom battles, and how his protagonist, Jack Swyteck, takes on a system stacked against his client. From the Hague Convention to FBI conflicts, this conversation uncovers the legal and moral dilemmas at the heart of the novel.

🔥 In this episode, you'll learn:
✅ How real international custody cases shape legal thrillers
✅ The hidden challenges of fighting for justice across borders
✅ The evolution of Jack Swyteck—from young lawyer to legal powerhouse

Don’t miss this must-listen episode for fans of legal thrillers, true crime, and high-stakes courtroom drama.

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International bestselling author Kristin Harmel joins us to discuss her novel, The Book of Lost Names. Inspired by an astonishing true story from World War II, the book follows a young female forger who helps hundreds of Jewish children flee the Nazis. Harmel has published over a dozen novels that have been translated into 29 languages and sold all over the world.

Our host Ann Bocock sits down with Kristin Harmel to find out how she strikes a balance between fact and fiction when writing about the Holocaust. She also shares why she chose to write about the forgers of World War II and how a mathematical sequence she obsessed over as a child became an important part of her novel.

A master of historical fiction, Harmel reveals what book ignited her love for the genre and showed her that writers can change the world. She also gives us a sneak peek of her latest historical fiction, The Forest of Vanishing Stars, and shares why it’s so important to remember Holocaust survivors and their stories. Get all the details on this week’s episode of GO Between the Covers!

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New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot joins us to discuss her novel, No Offense, a charming romance between a children’s librarian and the town sheriff. This is the second book in her Little Bridge Island series and is set on a small, beautiful island in the Florida Keys. Cabot has written over 80 books and is best known for The Princess Diaries, which was later adapted by Walt Disney Pictures into two feature films.

Our host Ann Bocock sits down with Meg Cabot to find out why she chose the Florida Keys as the backdrop for her Little Bridge Island series and how the people she’s met there inspire the quirky characters in her books.

We also dive into her wildly popular series, The Princess Diaries. Due to her massive success, Cabot has become an important pillar for children everywhere. She shares how this beloved series was born out of her college dorm and why she feels it’s had such a lasting impact. Plus, Cabot offers some advice for aspiring authors and young teenagers facing difficult times. Get all the details on this week’s episode of GO Between the Covers!

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New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger joins us to discuss her book, Confessions on the 7:45. Unger has written more than 17 novels, some of which have been published in 26 languages reaching millions of readers worldwide. In this suspense novel, Selena Murphy meets a stranger called “Martha” on the train and they begin sharing their deepest, darkest secrets. Little does Selena know that this private exchange would lead to even darker consequences.

Our host Ann Bocock sits down with Lisa Unger to find out why anyone would reveal their darkest secrets to a stranger. With her extensive knowledge of the human psyche, Unger breaks down her deeply conflicted characters and even dives into her own mind, giving us a glimpse of her unique writing process.

Unger also shares why social media is a running theme in her novel and how its dangerous outcomes can fuel the schemes of a con artist. She reveals why her characters are never fully good or bad and how she’s perfected that gray area between heroes and villains. Get all the details on this week’s episode of GO Between the Covers!

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Professor and author David Heska Wanbli Weiden joins us to discuss his crime novel Winter Counts, following the story of a local Native American enforcer on South Dakota’s Rosebud Indian Reservation. Weiden, an enrolled member of the Sicangu Lakota nation, highlights life on a reservation and dives into the important issue of native identity. Winter Counts is a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice and was named one of the Best Books of 2020 by Publishers Weekly.

Our host Ann Bocock sits down with David Heska Wanbli Weiden to talk about the importance of Native American representation in the media and how the native community has responded to his novel. He discusses the broken criminal justice system on reservations and the health issues brought on by food insecurity, healthcare disparities and drug addiction.

Weiden also shares his struggles being half Lakota and why it was so important for his main character to cope with the same issues of identity. He explains what exactly is a winter count and tells us how the Rosebud Indian Reservation has been affected by the pandemic. Get all the details on this week’s episode of GO Between the Covers!

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New York Times bestselling author Chris Bohjalian joins us to discuss two of his riveting thrillers, The Red Lotus and Hour of the Witch. He’s written more than 20 books, including the Midwives, The Sand Castle Girls, The Guest Room and The Flight Attendant. His global thriller The Red Lotus is set amidst the adrenaline-fueled world of the emergency room. Hour of the Witch is a twisting thriller about a young Puritan woman who plots her escape from a violent marriage.

Our host Ann Bocock sits down with Chris Bohjalian to find out how a New York Times article and a bike ride around Vietnam became the impetus for his thriller, The Red Lotus. He explains his love for Vietnam and gushes over the ER doctors he got to interview for the book. Bohjalian also gives us a sneak peek into the plot for Hour of the Witch and reveals his obsession with Puritan theology.

Now that The Flight Attendant has been adapted into an HBO Max Original, Bohjalian tells us how he feels about the series and talks about meeting actress Kaley Cuoco. He also shares some books he’s read during the pandemic, from novels full of dread and foreboding to Jerry Seinfield’s light-hearted memoir Is this Anything?. Get all the details on this week’s episode of GO Between the Covers!

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New York Times bestselling biographer and film historian Scott Eyman joins us to discuss his book, Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise. It follows the story of Archibald Leach and his journey to becoming Hollywood legend Cary Grant. This is one of over a dozen books that Scott Eyman has written about Hollywood’s Golden Age, which also include John Wayne: The Life and Legend, Hank and Jim: The Fifty-Year Relationship of Henry Fonda and James Stewart and Empire of Dreams: The Epic Life of Cecil B. DeMille.

Today, our host Ann Bocock sits down with Scott Eyman to talk about Cary Grant’s early childhood in Bristol, England with an overbearing mother and an alcoholic father. Eyman discusses how the trauma of a broken family led Cary to sign up for an acrobatic troupe and seek out the world of show business.

Eyman reveals how Cary Grant’s two conflicting identities affected his marriages and the acting roles he would take on. He also answers some juicy questions, such as: who were Cary Grant’s favorite leading ladies? Did Cary really turn down the role of James Bond? And who might be the Cary Grant of our generation? Get all the details on this week’s episode of GO Between the Covers!

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