Okie Bookcast

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Happy 2022 from The Okie Bookcast! There is so much great stuff coming in the days ahead! If you haven't heard the New Year's Resolutions interlude, I strongly encourage you to take a few minutes to check out the big goals for 2022 and how you can be a part of them.

One of those goals is launching the Read Oklahoma Challenge. I'm encouraging everyone to read one Oklahoma-connected book a month through 2022. There are new categories each month and I'll provide some recommendations along the way. For January, we're reading any work by Oklahoma great, S.E. Hinton. You can find a list of her books here.
For more on the Challenge and to sign up to let us know you're in, visit the Read Oklahoma Challenge web page.

Dr. Beth Brown is my guest for this chapter. Beth is a life-long educator who says she is on a mission to inspire families and kids to have fun, become more active and learn life skills through sports in her children’s book series “Adventures with Divot & Swish.” She was a college athlete at the University of Oklahoma and holds a Ph.D. in sports psychology from the University of Kansas. Since finishing her degree, she’s gone on to impact thousands through her roles as a golf coach, an educational program developer at First Tee and LPGA-USGA Girls Golf, and the founder of the coaching and consulting agency, Team Aureus.

Beth's latest book - Adventures with Divot and Swish in the Ozark Mountains: The Superpower of Confidence - is releasing in January and can be found at her website or at several of the OK Indie Bookstores (see below). In addition to her books, Beth has created resources for educators to use the books in the classroom, and those are also available from her website. Beyond her site, you can connect with Beth on Instagram and Facebook (@adventureswithdivotandswish).

Beth and I talk about her books, the importance of helping kids develop superpowers like confidence and courage, her work with children in a variety of spaces, and how her experiences in sports have shaped the stories she tells. You're going to love hearing from Beth.

For our review this episode, M. Jane Hawkins reviews three books from award-winning Oklahoma children's author Tammi Sauer - Nugget and Fang, Wordy Birdie, and Not Now, Cow. Jane is a former educator and editor who has worked with kids in a variety of capacities. Her books - A Truck Named Tony and Tony the Truck and the Christmas Delivery are available from her website - janehawkins.net.
You can connect with Jane at her website or on Twitter (@mjchawk) and Instagram (@maryjanehawkins).

Mentioned in the episode:
Letty Watt
Charlotte Strickland
Karl Brune
Full Circle Bookstore
Best of Books
Magic City Books
Dr. Carol Dweck
Legacy - James Kerr
The Culture Code - Darren Coyle
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success  - Dr. Carol Dweck
Winnie the Pooh
Nugget and Fang - Tammi Sauer
Wordy Birdie - Tammi Sauer
Not Now, Cow - Tammi Sauer

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Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Text the Bookcast and say "hi"!

In this short interlude episode, J talks about five goals (resolutions) for the Bookcast for 2022.

1. 24 quality shows - Check out upcoming guests and past conversations at okiebookcast.com/episodes.
2. Growing the scope of the show - 77 counties and 50 states. Track progress at okiebookcast.com/reach.
3. Growing the community - connect with @okiebookcast across social media.
4. Launching the Read Oklahoma Challenge - 12 Oklahoma-connected books across 2022. Check out the challenge at okiebookcast.com/readoklahoma.
5. Launching the Bookcast Newsletter - more information coming soon. 

Thanks for starting with the Bookcast in 2021. Excited to see where we go in 2022!

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Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Text the Bookcast and say "hi"!

Welcome to Chapter Seven of the Okie Bookcast! I get to talk with the delightful author Ginny Myers Sain. Ginny's debut YA novel, Dark and Shallow Lies, has exploded this fall, becoming an Indiebound bestseller and showing up on multiple top books of the year lists.  Her book is a mystery-thriller that explores the question, "How do you keep a secret in a town full of psychics?". You can find out more about Ginny and her work on Twitter (@stageandpage) and Instagram (@ginnymyerssain) or at her website - ginnymyerssain.com. You can find Dark and Shallow Lies everywhere books are sold.
My conversation with Ginny includes her book and its unique setting, the connection between her work in theatre and her writing, and why she chooses to write for young adult audiences. She also drops some information about her new book coming in 2022!

This chapter's review comes from Oklahoma author J.L. Hyde. J.L. is an Okie transplant from a small town in northern Michigan and says she's not leaving any time soon. She became an author after losing her job in hospitality management due to COVID-19 and has published two books - Underground and Delta County. You can connect with J.L. on Facebook  (AuthorJLHyde), Instagram (@bookandbeerreview) and her website - jlhyde.com.
J.L. reviews The River at Night by Erica Ferencik. 

Mentioned on the Podcast:

Anna Myers
Benjamin Myers 
Tennessee Williams 

• Night of the Iguana 
• A Streetcar Named Desire 
• The Glass Menagerie 
• Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 

That Weekend - Kara Thomas
The Forest of Stolen Girls - June Hur
The Corpse Queen - Heather M. Herman
Park & Fine Literary and Media
Underground - J. L. Hyde
Delta County - J. L. Hyde
The River at Night - Erica Ferencik

Remember, you can purchase any of the books mentioned on the podcast by visiting our Bookshop.org shop. 10% of your purchase goes to support indie bookshops and another 10% will be donated to literacy initiatives in Oklahoma.

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My guest is Nick Bremmer. Nick is the owner of Word of Mouth Bookshop X Goods located in Prelude Coffee Roasters at the 8th Street Market in Oklahoma City. We talk about Word of Mouth's beginnings as a pop-up shop, his approach to curating a collection of "books that love to be talked about", and the connection between books and breweries. 

Our review is from Stillwater eighth-grade author, Abhi Sukhdial. His first novella, Three Days Till EOC, is a sci-fi thriller about climate change and was recognized as an Honor Winner in the Young Adult Fiction category of the Green Earth Book Awards in 2021. Abhi has been reviewing books and movies for a couple of years and contributed a fantastic review of his favorite book - See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng. 

Mentioned on the episode: 

Prelude Coffee Roasters, OKC 
8th Street Market, OKC 
The Stand - Stephen King
Where the Crawdads Sing - Delia Owens
This is How You Lose the Time War - Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
Jacket Weather - Mike DeCapite
J.R.R. Tolkien 
Lies of Locke Lamora - Scott Lynch
A Darker Shade of Magic - V.E. Schwab
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan
Literati Press Comics and Novels, OKC 
Bookshop.org 
Libro.fm 
Three Days Till EOC - Abhi Sukhdial
See You in the Cosmos - Jack Cheng

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At the halfway mark of National Novel Writing Month, we have great conversation with author and writing teacher Roger D. Colby. Roger teaches writing and literature at Norman High School and is the author of six science-fiction novels and a ton of short stories and poetry. He also hosts a couple of podcasts that we talk about on the show. You can connect with Roger and find all of his work at rogerdcolby.com.

Our conversation ranges from Roger's work and process to tips for writers to the worst movie he's ever seen. It's a fun, informative, and encouraging interview that I'm sure you'll enjoy.

Our review for this episode comes from Laurie Ward, reviewing Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom. Laurie's newly released first novel - The Book of Life: Part One - just released and she is hard at work on Part Two, which will release in early 2022. In addition to her work as a writer, Laurie can be found hiking trails, kayaking, quilting with her mom on Zoom, painting, drawing, cheering on her daughter at the soccer field, or cozied up on the couch watching the latest documentary with her husband. Laurie is a transplanted Okie, now living in North Carolina, but still faithful to her Sooners.

In addition to our conversation and review, this episode includes an update about our NANOWRIMO social media contests.

Mentioned on the podcast:

Typerspace: Tales from Planet Pantser - Podcast by Roger D. Colby
3 Cylinder Stardrive - Podcast by Roger D. Colby and Richard Kutz
Peter Straub
Stephen King
Story Clock Method - Seth Worley
Magic 2.0 Series - Scott Meyer
The Book of Strange New Things - Michel Faber
Ready Player One - Ernest Cline
Armada - Ernest Cline
Cannibal Amazon Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death
Scrivener
Norwood - Charles Portis
True Grit - Charles Portis
Foundation - Isaac Asimov
Star Wars and Philosophy: More Powerful than You Can Possibly Imagine - Kevin S. Decker
The Matrix and Philosophy: Welcome to the Desert of the Real - William Irwin

You can find expanded show notes and links to all of the books, authors, and organizations listed above at okiebookcast.com. You can also subscribe to receive updates when new material goes live on the site and connect with us through comments on the individual shows.

Music by JuliusH

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Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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We're kicking off National Novel Writing Month with a fun and encouraging conversation with author and professor, Mel Odom. Mel has published over 220 novels in genres ranging from science fiction to westerns to romance to tie-ins with popular movie and television franchises. In addition to his writing, Mel has taught in the Professional Writing department at the University of Oklahoma for several years. 

Mel says of his work that he writes "with the hope of telling an interesting tale that will incite a reader to think for himself or herself, to examine his or her own place in the world, and offer a little nudge in the direction of dreams, faith, and personal growth in spite of whatever odds a person has to face. I also believe we were all put here for a purpose. Hopefully, several purposes." You can connect with Mel and find his entire catalog at melodombooks.com.

Our conversation covers Mel's story and career, the challenges of writing across genres, the advantages of self-publishing, and a ton of great tips for both new and experienced writers who are tackling NANOWRIMO. 

Our review comes from Tulsa author Bre Lockhart, reviewing Fragile Things - a short story collection by Neil Gaiman. Bre is a fantasy and science-fiction writer from Tulsa, who also publishes mystery and poetry under different pen names. In addition to her writing, Bre is an editor for Three Point Author Services and serves as an administrator for the Tulsa Writers' Syndicate. You can find out more about Bre and her work, including links to her social media, at brelockhart.com.

Mentioned on the podcast:

Mark Twain
Swiss Family Robinson
Andre Norton
Robert A. Heinlein
Mack Bolan: The Executioner Series 
Raymond Chandler
Dashiell Hammett
Robert B Parker
Blackpool Mystery Series - Harlequin Novels by Mel Odom writing as Jordan Gray
Debra Webb
Nora Roberts
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
NCIS
Forgotten Realms 
Sabrina the Teenage Witch
La Brea 
International Association of Media Tie-In Writers 
Titan Books 
Chris Fox
Craig Martel
Robert Crais
Hardy Boys
Nancy Drew
Grosset and Dunlap 
Three Point Author Services 
Tulsa Writers' Syndicate 
Indie Author Magazine 
Tulsa Library 
Fragile Things - Neil Gaiman
Harlan Ellison
Ray Bradbury
Tori Amos 
American Gods - Neil Gaiman

You can find expanded show notes and links to all of the books, authors, and organizations listed above at okiebookcast.com. You can also subscribe to receive updates when new material goes live on the site and connect with us through comments on the individual shows.

Music by JuliusH

Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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In this quick interlude, J gives the details for our three social media contests in celebration of National Novel Writing Month. 

Twitter - My First Line
Instagram - My Writing Space
TikTok - My Writing Distraction

Winners of each category will receive a $20 gift card to Bookshop.org.

Check out the interlude for more details and let's see what you come up with. 

Happy writing!

Text the Bookcast and say "hi"!

We're celebrating Halloween at the Okie Bookcast! Our guest for Chapter Three is Jeff Provine - author, professor, and ghost tour guide. Jeff grew up on a Land Run farm outside of Enid and now is a Professor of English at Oklahoma City Community College. Jeff's fiction work ranges from The Academy - a long-running web comic to Celestial Voyages - a series of steam-punk novels. He is also the author of a series of books in the Haunted Oklahoma series (some with Tanya McCoy) that focus on ghost stories and urban legends from around the state. His latest book, Secret Oklahoma City, focuses on unusual stories about OKC. In addition to his writing about Oklahoma, Jeff leads ghost tours of the haunted sites around OKC and Norman featured in his books. You can access Jeff's work at jeffprovine.com.
Our conversation centers on Haunted Oklahoma and ghost stories from our state, but we also cover Oklahoma history, pigeons, comics, and an incredible choice for his meal with a fictional character.

Our review is by D.E. Chandler, reviewing Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt. D.E.'s work ranges from novels (Bone Sliver and Nova Wave) to award-winning short fiction and poetry. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Oklahoma City University’s Red Earth MFA program, and lives with her husband Tom in Oklahoma. She is a member of Oklahoma Writers Federation’s Prosateurs chapter. You can find out more about D.E. and her work, as well as links to her social media, at her web site - dechandlerwrites.com. 

Mentioned in the Chapter: 
Reading Rainbow
Haunted Oklahoma Books - Jeff Provine

• Norman Campus
• Norman
• Shawnee
• Guthrie
• Oklahoma City 
• Oklahoma

The Academy w/ Commentary - Jeff Provine
The Academy Classic - Jeff Provine
Okie Comics
Celestial Voyages series - Jeff Provine
Stone of Thor - Peggy Chambers and Mike Kennedy
Secret Oklahoma City: A guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure
M.R. James - "The Mezzotint"
Edgar Allen Poe - The Raven
Book of Dwarves
Book of Elves
The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck - Don Rosa
Hex - Thomas Olde Heuvelt
Bone Sliver - D.E. Chandler
Nova Wave - D.E. Chandler

Links to all of these titles and organizations available at okiebookcast.com

Music by JuliusH 

Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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For this chapter of the Okie Bookcast, we talk with Oklahoma author Amy M. Le, author of the Snow Trilogy (Snow in Vietnam, Snow in Seattle, and Snow's Kitchen) and The Copper Phoenix. Amy immigrated with her mother and cousin to the United States from Vietnam in the aftermath of the war and is proud of her strong connections to both her Vietnamese roots and the Vietnamese community in Oklahoma City and beyond. In addition to her writing, Amy is the founder of Quill Hawk Publishing - a company dedicated to assisting indie authors publish their work. She works with a number of community organizations and is active in several writing organizations in Oklahoma and beyond.
In our conversation we discuss her experience as a refugee and the importance of her dual identity as Vietnamese-American and how these experiences informed the Snow Trilogy. Additionally, we cover her writing process, Quill Hawk Publishing, cooking, the Seattle Seahawks, and Oompa Loompas - what more could you ask for?
You can connect with Amy and find out more about her story and her work at Amy-M-Le.com or on social media at @amy_m_le (Instagram and Twitter) or @authoramymle (Facebook). 

Our review this week comes from Mark Edward Jones, reviewing Dissolution by C. J. Sansom. Mark's debut novel, Peculiar Activities, launches October 6. He has won awards for mystery writing and has a flash fiction piece entitled Alone in Warsaw published in the UK publication, Painted Words. Mark has also worked as an editor and consultant on multiple projects. You can find out more about Mark and his work at mejbooksllc.com.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @okiebookcast and visit okiebookcast.com for updates and information.

Mentioned in this Chapter:
Snow in Vietnam - Amy M. Le
Snow in Seattle - Amy M. Le
Snow's Kitchen - Amy M. Le
The Copper Pheonix - Amy M. Le
Quill Hawk Publishing
The Mountain Sings
House of Sticks
Together for Good Refugee Film School
Peculiar Activities - Mark Edward Jones
Dissolution - C. J. Sansom

Links to all of these titles and organizations available at okiebookcast.com

Music by JuliusH 

Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Text the Bookcast and say "hi"!

Welcome to the first episode of the Okie Bookcast! In this chapter, I sit down with Charles Martin, Steve Gooch, Chloe Harrison, and James McGough from Literati Press Comics and Novels. We talk about the history of the publishing house and bookstore, how they make decisions about publishing projects and the curation of their store, their commitment to Oklahoma storytelling and their role in the community, and some past, present, and future projects to check out.  You can find out more about Literati Press at literatipressok.com and @literatipress on social media.

Our review of a favorite book for this chapter is from Hannah Joy Herron. You can find her novels Awake and Sleep Tight on Amazon and at bookstores in OKC. You can also find out more about Hannah and her work at hannahjoyherron.com.

Books and Authors mentioned in this chapter:
Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
Killers of the Flower Moon - David Grann
Heathen - Natasha Alterici
The Black Jack Demon - Nick Hermes
We Promised Utopia - Charles J. Martin, Adrian Morales, and Robert Holman; Art by John Eric Osborn, Jonathan Koelsch, and Chloé Elimam
Open - E. Scott Jones
Rez Detective - Steven Paul Judd and Tvli Jacob; Art by M. K. Perker
Glamorella's Daughter - Jerry Bennett and Charles J. Martin
S. (Ship of Theseus) - Doug Dorst and J.J. Abrams
Pale Fire - Vladimir Nabokov
Oklahoma Heroes
Lew Archer Series - Ross Macdonald
Easy Rawlins Series - Walter Mosley
Harvey Pekar
Misery - Stephen King

Links to all of these titles and organizations available at okiebookcast.com

Voice Talent (in order of appearance): Bennett Waggoner, Hannah Herron, Matthew Vaughan, Scott McMurry
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