"Now, Appalachia"

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews mystery author Kelly J. Ford about her latest novel REAL BAD THINGS. Kelly J. Ford is the author of the award-winning Cottonmouths, a novel of “impressive depths of character and setting” according to the Los Angeles Review, which named it one of their Best Books of 2017.

An Arkansas native, Kelly writes about the power and pitfalls of friendship, the danger of long-held secrets, and the transcendent grittiness of the Ozarks and their surrounds. She lives in Vermont with her wife and cat.

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot profiles publisher Orison Books with founder Luke Hankins. Luke Hankins is the author of two full-length poetry collections, Radiant Obstacles and Weak Devotions, as well as a forthcoming chapbook, Testament (Texas Review Press, 2024). He is also the author of a collection of essays, The Work of Creation, and is the editor of Poems of Devotion: An Anthology of Recent Poets. A volume of his translations from the French of Stella Vinitchi Radulescu, A Cry in the Snow & Other Poems, was published by Seagull Books in 2019. Hankins is a graduate of the Indiana University MFA program, where he held the Yusef Komunyakaa Fellowship in Poetry.

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot speaks with author Christopher Kelder about his new book THE SECRET OF COBB CREEK: A DEPRESSION ERA STORY OF E. KENTUCKY. Christopher lives in Lexington, Kentucky and is an award winning filmmaker as well as the author of several children's books. This book is his most recent work.

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews author Zach Steele about his new novel THE WEIGHT OF ASHES. Broadleaf Writers Association Founder & Executive Director Zachary Steeleis the author of Anointed: The Passion of Timmy Christ, CEO and Flutter: An Epic of Mass Distraction. He has been featured by NPR, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Publishers Weekly, Baby Got Books, Shelf Awareness, and was nominated for the Sidewise Award for Alternate Fiction.

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot welcomes back author John Vercher to talk about his new novel AFTER THE LIGHTS GO OUT. John lives in the Philadelphia area with his wife and two sons. He has a Bachelor’s in English from the University of Pittsburgh and an MFA in Creative Writing from the Mountainview Master of Fine Arts program. He is a contributing writer for WBUR Boston’s Cognoscenti, and NPR features his essays on race, identity, and parenting. His debut novel, Three-Fifths, was named one of the best books of the year by the Chicago Tribune, CrimeReads, and Booklist. It was nominated for the Edgar, Anthony, and Strand Magazine Critics’ Awards for Best First Novel.

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews journalist Ronnie Greene about his latest book HEART OF ATLANTA: FIVE BLACK PASTORS AND THE SUPREME COURT VICTORY FOR INTEGRATION. Ronnie is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University and a veteran investigative reporter, who, over the years, has worked at the Center for Public Integrity, the Associated Press, and the Miami Herald. He is currently in the DC bureau of Reuters as Washington enterprise editor. He is the author of Shots on the Bridge, a narrative of the police shootings of unarmed innocents on the Danziger Bridge in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina; and Night Fire, an exposé of Shell Oil's toxic waste pollution of the African American district of Norco, LA, a company town.

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews author Sheila Myers about her new novel THE TRUTH OF WHO YOU ARE. Sheila Myers is an award-winning author and college professor in Upstate New York. Her penchant for research and meanderings through the wilderness, lakes, mountains, and vistas (and the occasional trip to a cemetery) in the U.S. and abroad, inspire her novels and short stories. She is adapting her stories to screenplays.

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews author Scott Blackburn about his new thriller novel IT DIES WITH YOU. Scott is an English instructor and a 2017 graduate of the Mountainview MFA program. He lives in High Point, North Carolina with his wife and two children. When he is not writing and teaching, Scott enjoys training in combat sports such as boxing, Muay Thai, and Ju-jitsu, in which he holds a black belt.

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews Eliot interviews co-hosts of the Pantsuit Politics podcast as well as authors Beth Silvers and Sarah Stewart Holland. In addition to the podcast, they are the authors of "Now What?: How to Move Forward When We're Divided (About Basically Everything)." Sarah attended Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky, and later received her Juris Doctor from American University. Sarah began her career as a congressional staffer, campaign aide, and blogger and social media consultant. She lives in Paducah, Kentucky. Beth s cohost with Sarah Stewart Holland of the popular podcast Pantsuit Politics and also coauthored I Think You're Wrong (But I'm Listening): A Guide to Grace-Filled Political Conversation. She attended Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky, and later received her Juris Doctor from the University of Kentucky. Beth has practiced law and served as a human resources executive and business coach. She lives in Union, Kentucky, and serves on several local boards of directors.

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot speaks with author Jamie Lyn Smith about her latest book TOWNSHIP. Jamie Lyn Smith is a writer, editor, and teacher. She earned her BA in English and Theatre from Kenyon College, her Masters in Education from Fordham University, and her MFA in Creative Writing from Ohio State University. Jamie Lyn is the Fiction Editor at BreakBread Magazine and a Consulting Editor for The Kenyon Review. Her work has appeared in The Pinch, Mississippi Review, The Kenyon Review, American Literary Review, Yemassee, Bayou, and others, and she is the recipient of a 2020 Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award in fiction.