Okie Bookcast

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Chapter 37 of the Bookcast focuses on the Oklahoma Writers' Federation, Inc. - a non‑profit federation of writers' groups from across Oklahoma and beyond dedicated to promoting higher standards for the written word. I sat down with Nick Lyon (President) and Bre Lockhart (Conference Coordinator) about OWFI and it's mission and the upcoming conference.

Connect with OWFI: website | Facebook

Nicholas Lyon is the author of the historical novel The Baptist Bootlegger and current president of the Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. For his day job, he teaches English to high school students who would rather be on TikTok. He is also a woodturner and musician. He lives with his wife and two kids in Guthrie, OK.

Connect with Nick: website | Twitter | Facebook

Bre Lockhart is a fantasy and sci-fi author with pen names in the genres of mystery and poetry. She’s also a fiction editor, an admin for Tulsa Writers Syndicate,  a writer for Indie Author Magazine, and the conference coordinator for OWFI. 

Connect with Bre: website | Facebook | Twitter

Our review for this episode comes from Bookcast guest and friend of the show, Betsey Kulakowski. Betsey is the best-selling author of The Veritas Codex paranormal thriller series. Her 5th book in the Series, The Lost Templar was released in December of 2022, and she's preparing for the spring launch of the 6th book -- The Pirate's Curse. 
Betsey reviews Stranger in the Woods by Anni Taylor.

Connect with Betsey: website | Instagram

My book is available for preorder on Kindle! Order now and get yours when it drops on March 14!
God Help Me! I'm a Young Dad

Mentioned on the show:
Paper Pages Books
Dear Writer, You Need to Quit - Becca Syme
First Blood - David Morrell
How to Sell a Haunted House - Grady Hendrix
Josh Malerman
My Heart is a Chainsaw - Stephen Graham Jones
Stephen King
Neil Gaiman
Tao Wong
Matt Dinniman
Dawn Chapman
Ready Player One - Ernest Cline
Lance Hawvermale
Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
Silence of the Lambs - Thomas Harris

Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Music by JuliusH

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Our guest for this month's YNGR is Mel Odom. Mel is the author of over 200 novels and is a professor in the Professional Writing department at the University of Oklahoma. He's also a Bookcast alum, appearing on Chapter 4 of the show way back in 2021.
Listen to chapter 4 of the Bookcast.
Be sure to stay through the end of the conversation for a big announcement!

Connect with Mel: website | Facebook

Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram

Books Discussed on the Show:

Mel
The Girl From Everywhere - Heidi Heilig
Sleep No More - Jane Ann Krentz
The Never Game - Jeffery Deaver
The Gray Man - Mark Greaney

Hannah
Dead Silence - S.A. Barnes
Book Lovers - Emily Henry
Local Woman Missing - Mary Kubica
Shutter Island - Dennis LaHane

J
The Book of Accidents - Chuck Wendig
The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
Shutter - Ramona Emerson
The Children of Men - P. D. James

Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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My guest for Chapter 36 is author, historian, and attorney Bob Burke. Bob has written over 150 books about Oklahoma and Oklahomans, ranging from topics like The Oklahoma City Bombing to the Oklahoma State Fair to Oklahoma legends like Wiley Post and Ralph Ellison. Bob is a 3-time winner of the Oklahoma Book Award, received  the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Oklahoma Center for the Book, and has been inducted into the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame, and the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.
Bob and I talk about his interest in Oklahoma, his passion for writing biographies, his extensive writing process and working with co-authors. I also got to hear a ton of stories from Bob about everything from baseball to Donald Duck.

Connect with Bob: website | Facebook

Our review  is from Sheeva Azma, Sheeva is a freelance science writer, digital and strategic communicator, and science policy wonk who merges her interests in science, writing, and policy to solve hard problems through effective messaging with her science communications company, Fancy Comma, LLC. She is a scientist turned science writer who has written two books designed to encourage scientists to try their hand at science writing.
Sheeva reviews Who Can Hold the Sea by by James D. Hornfischer.

Connect with Sheeva: website | Twitter

Mentioned on the show:

Typically I try to include all of the books mentioned, but Bob talked about so many different books and projects that it seemed best to point you to his catalog.

Books by Bob Burke

David McCullough

Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Love fantasy stories and dragons? Then I've got the conversation for you!

My guest, Kathryn Fogleman-White, describes herself as Keeper of Dragons, and lover of coffee.  As a Master Storyteller, Kathryn believes in providing quality books that give readers a chance to pause and take a brain break from the rest of the world. She the author of the Tales of the Wovlen series of novels and co-author of Books 4 and 5 of the Heroes of Ravenford series. As a writing coach, Kathryn believes that authors - published and aspiring - should never feel alone in their writing.  We cover a lot of ground in our conversation, talking about her unique approach to writing, working on her first novel at 10 years old, and of course, dragons.

Connect with Kathryn: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Our review today comes from Nicholas Lyon.  Nicholas is the author of the recently published novel The Baptist Bootlegger about a Baptist preacher bootlegging hooch in 1950's Oklahoma. He is also the current president for the Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. and a high school English teacher. He lives in Oklahoma with his wife and two boys. 

Nicholas reviews The Discretionist by Lance Hawvermale.

Connect with Nicholas: Twitter | Facebook

Mentioned on the Show:

Eragon - Christopher Paolini
Dragonheart
The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
Tales of the Wovlen - Kathryn Fogleman
Nigel Andreola - Starry Night Media
Heroes of Ravenford - F. P. Spirit
Dr. Caroline Leaf
Dr. John Townsend
Dr. Henry Cloud
Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
The Baptist Bootlegger - Nicholas Lyon
The Discretionist - Lance Hawvermale

Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Welcome to the January edition of Your Next Great Read! Hannah and I are joined by Oklahoma author Jamie (J. L.) Hyde to talk about the books we're loving and why you might love them too! Plenty of thrillers and true-crime this month, with other great books thrown in as well.

Connect with Jamie: Website | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
Purchase Jamie's books: jlhyde.com/books

Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram

Books discussed on the show:
Jamie
The Turn of the Key - Ruth Ware
Lessons in Chemistry - Bonnie Garmus
All Good People Here - Ashley Flowers
Murder In Greenwich: Who Killed Martha Moxley? - Mark Fuhrman

Hannah
The Pale Blue Eye - Louis Bayard
Fairy Tale - Stephen King
Murder at Archly Manor - Sarah Rosett
The Stranger Beside Me - Ann Rule

J

Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story - Bono
All Systems Red - Martha Wells
Gone Tomorrow - Lee Child
In Cold Blood - Truman Capote

Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Welcome to Chapter 34! I had the joy of talking with Andrew Berzanskis, Editorial Director for the University of Oklahoma Press. Andrew has worked in publishing for two decades, during which his work involved acquiring books for the University of Washington Press, West Virginia University Press, and the University of Georgia Press. He got his start in university press publishing through an editorial fellowship at the University of Texas Press.
In our conversation, you’ll learn about the mission of OU Press and some of the similarities and differences between university presses and the larger commercial publishers. We also talk about the kinds of books featured by OU Press and Andrew walks through the publication process from acquisition to production, including some incredible advice for authors interested in working with these presses.
Connect with Andrew and OU Press: Website | Andrew on Twitter | OU Press on Twitter

Doing something a little different with the review this month. The book is Rilla Askew's Prize for the Fire, reviewed by Rilla (giving a synopsis of the book from Chapter 30 of the show) and me providing a short review (from the November episode of Your Next Great Read).

Mentioned on the show:
Prize for the Fire - Rilla Askew
The Good Country: A History of the American Midwest, 1800-1900 - Jon Lauck
A Promise Kept: The Muscogee (Creek) Nation and McGirt v. Oklahoma - Robert J. Miller and Robbie Ethridge
Brandon Hobson
Joy Harjo
Sanora Babb
Way I See It - Wampus Reynolds
Pekolah Stories - Amanda Bales
Garth Brooks: The Road Out of Santa Fe - Matt O'Meilia
Woody Guthrie
Literati Press Comics and Novels
Magic City Books
Full Circle Books

Music by JuliusH

Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Welcome to Volume Three of Behind the Rain: An Audio Anthology of Oklahoma Poetry. 
I'm excited to share with you the work of these 11 Oklahoma poets. 

Darkness Comes to Me - Ken Hada

• Twitter: @KhadakhadaKen
• Website: kenhada.org

Old Car - David Jennings

• Website: davidjenningsartinphotographyandpoetry.com

Estelle and Rain in the Forecast - Ruth Key

• Website: thesouljar.blogspot.com

A Circle Seen from all Sides - Caleb Jordan

• Twitter: @gkmonthly

Selections from A Wichita Mountains Ontology - Seth Copeland

• Twitter: @SethTCopeland
• Website: https://neutralspaces.co/seth_t_copeland/

Preservation - Brand Rackley

• Instagram: @brandrackley 

to do list - Nicholas Allen

• Twitter: @nallenwrites
• Website: nallenwrites.com

No, Thank You - Shayla Raquel

• Instagram: @shaylaleeraquel
• Website: shaylaraquel.com

The Ghosts Still Live Here - Durell Carter

• Instagram: @Durellrc

Cicadas and Sycamores - Thomas Juarez

• Twitter: @thomasj66714281

Remembering Oklahoma - Linda Neal Reising

• Twitter: @nealreising

If you'd like to submit a poem for consideration for Volume Four of Behind the Rain (releasing April 15, 2023), visit okiebookcast.com/behindtherain for details.
Connect with the Bookcast @okiebookcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more Oklahoma voices. 

Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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As we turn the calendar over to 2023, some of my former guests and reviewers have checked in for this special "Where Are They Now?" episode of the Bookcast.

I've included each guest's name and the episodes where you can hear more from them, as well as a link to their websites.

Enjoy this opportunity to catch up with these friends!

Charles J. Martin - Chapter 1
literatipressok.com

Betsey Kulakowski - Chapter 27
authorbetseykulakowski.com

Debra Chandler - Chapter 3
dechandlerwrites.com

Mark Edward Jones - Chapter 2
mejbooksllc.com

Hannah Herron - Chapter 1
hannahjoyherron.com

Amy M. Le - Chapter 2
quillhawkpublishing.com

Jerry Bennett - Chapter 19
thejerrybennett.com

Amy Prokopis - Chapter 17
amyprokopis.com

Ginny Myers Sain - Chapter 7
ginnymyerssain.com

Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Music by JuliusH

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It's the year-end edition of Your Next Great Read. No guest this month so Hannah and I took a few minutes to talk about our favorite and least favorite reads from this year as well as our regular conversation about what we're reading and why you might enjoy it too.

Remember - you can purchase all the books mentioned on the show through the links below or by visiting the Next Great Read store on Bookshop.org.

Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram

Hannah
Best of the Year:  Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir
Leave No Trace - Mindy Mejia
The Power - Naomi Alderman
Verity - Coleen Hoover
Into the Water - Paula Hawkins

J
Best of the Year: Dead Silence - S.A. Barnes
Blowback - James Patterson and Brendan DuBois
The Invention of Sound - Chuck Palahniuk
We Could Be Heroes - Mike Chen
Time and Again - Clifford D. Simak

Other books mentioned
The Martian - Andy Weir
Resurrection Day - Brendan DuBois
Everything You Want Me to Be - Mindy Mejia
Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk
The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins
City - Clifford D. Simak
Way Station - Clifford D. Simak

Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Music by JuliusH

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It's Chapter 32 of the Okie Bookcast!

Today I talk with Kylar Merrell, comic writer and artist and the driving force behind Foreign Press Comics - an Oklahoma-based publisher. Kylar has created several titles, including Terminal, Valkyrian, and his contributions to the newly released Fletcher Cross anthology. He's also the host of the Comics Unscripted podcast. He describes himself as a fifth grade science teacher by day and a comic creator and publisher by night. We have a great time talking about the world of independent comics, but also about the creative process and the cool ways in which Kylar is using Foreign Press Comics to bring artists together.
Connect with Kylar: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website | Podcast

Our reviewer for this episode is John-Eric Osborn. Eric is a comic artist and creator whose work includes one of my favorite comics - We Promised Utopia - and one of my Next Great Read cohost Hannah’s favorites - Hiro Doggie: Space Corgi.
Eric is reviewing Desolation Jones by Warren Ellis and J.H. Williams.
Connect with Eric: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website

Mentioned on the show:
DC New 52
Francis Manapul
Adora and the Distance - Mark Bernadin, Ariela Kristantina (Illustrator)  and Bryan Valenza (Illustrator)
Pandemics in Panels - Foreign Press Comics
Fletcher Cross - Foreign Press Comics
SoonerCon
New World ComicCon
New World Comics
New Star Comics
The Rez Detectives: Justice Served Cold - Steven Paul Judd (Author), Tvli Jacob (Author),  M. K. Perker (Illustrator)
Heathen - Natasha Alterici
Blankets - Craig Thompson
Skim - Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki
Fun Home - Alison Bechdel
Comics Unscripted Podcast
Outlaw Country - Kylar Merrell

Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Music by JuliusH