A VOICE OF HOPE: THE MYRLIE EVERS-WILLIAMS STORY, by award-winning author Nadia Salomon, is the first picture book biography ever written about the iconic civil rights activist.

GOODNIGHT GANESHA, Nadia’s bedtime picture book, was named a Bank Street Best Book and a Notable Children’s Recording/DIA Selection by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC).

Nadia’s books are beautifully illustrated, celebratory, and educational. Nadia writes on themes of South Asian and Caribbean culture, STEM, nonfiction, and humor.

NADIA SALOMON

Website: https://www.nadiasalomon.com/

Substack: https://nadiasalomon.substack.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nadiasalomon.author/

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

Visit Kara’s website to receive updates and pre-order her new memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY.

Record Scratch with Kara is sponsored by Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by Adam W. Gibson

TIMESTAMPS

[01:09] Nadia Salomon and GOODNIGHT GANESHA

[02:53] A VOICE OF HOPE

[04:10] Meeting Myrlie Evers-Williams

[08:33] Educational books and school curricula

[10:30] Promoting creative work

[13:04] Drawing on journalism experience

[14:43] Podcasting and works in progress

Artist, curator, and author Cathy Haynes shares her exploration of the forgotten ways humans once experienced time long before digital clocks and endless notifications. In her beautiful new book, THE FULLNESS OF TIME: MARKING THE DAY BY BIRDSONG, BLOOMS, SHADOWS, AND STARS, Cathy shares how nature offers a richer, more meaningful rhythm for daily life.

What if the best way to tell time isn't by looking at a clock but by listening to birds, watching flowers bloom, or noticing the changing shape of your cat's pupils?

CATHY HAYNES

Website: https://cathyhaynes.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathy.haynes.uk/

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

Visit Kara’s website to receive updates and pre-order her new memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY.

Record Scratch with Kara is sponsored by Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by Adam W. Gibson

TIMESTAMPS

[01:09] Introduction - Cathy Haynes

[02:40] Curator, artist, timekeeper

[04:50] Mapping time

[06:08] Reestablishing connections with the rhythms of nature

[09:14] The evening primrose

[11:23] Telling time without clocks

[14:05] Medieval sundials and landmarks

[17:43] Using animals' eyes for timekeeping

[18:57] Mindfulness and intention

The Record Scratch team is taking a break this week, and we are excited to share a conversation that Kara and her agent, Katharine Sands, with the Sarah Jane Freymann Agency, had with Ariel Curry and Liz Morrow, co-hosts of HUNGRY AUTHORS.

Through the Hungry Authors podcast (and Substack), Ariel & Liz share insights and tools to plan and write your book, navigate the publishing industry, and bring your ideas to life.

Kara’s memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY, is on Zibby’s Fall 2026 Most Anticipated Books list!

HUNGRY AUTHORS

Substack: https://hungryauthors.substack.com

@ArielKCurry

@Liz_Morrow

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

Visit Kara’s website to receive updates and pre-order her new memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY.

Record Scratch with Kara is sponsored by Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by Adam W. Gibson

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author, and former Washington Post dance critic Sarah L. Kaufman joins Kara Kavensky for a fascinating conversation about the hidden power of language and why the verbs we choose shape not only our writing, but the way readers experience our stories.

Sarah's latest book, VERB YOUR ENTHUSIASM: HOW TO MASTER THE ART OF THE VERB AND TRANSFORM YOUR WRITING, isn't a grammar book. It's an invitation to think differently about storytelling.

SARAH L. KAUFMAN

Website: https://sarahlkaufman.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahlkaufmanwriter

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahlkaufman/

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

Visit Kara’s website to receive updates and pre-order her new memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY.

Record Scratch with Kara is sponsored by Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by Adam W. Gibson

TIMESTAMPS

[01:09] Intro - Sarah Kaufman

[02:54] Verbs in great writing

[04:38] Overused verbs

[06:31] VERB YOUR ENTHUSIASM origin story

[07:47] Transformative writing techniques

[08:22] Teaching and writing

[10:36] Workshops and writing groups

[11:43] The expressive potential in verbs

[15:59] Becoming and developing a writer

[18:24] The typewriter as assistive technology

[19:49] Learning from parents

[21:01] Learning from authors

[23:06] A message for writers

Jessica Doyle-Mekkes is a nationally recognized keynote speaker, author, educator, and communication expert whose work focuses on confidence, vocal presence, storytelling, and helping people communicate with greater clarity, authority, and impact.

Her bestselling book, "I’M SPEAKING: EVERY WOMAN’S GUIDE TO FINDING YOUR VOICE & USING IT FEARLESSLY," is now available in paperback and as an audiobook.

Listen to Kara’s first discussion with Jessica from Season 2 of Record Scratch.

JESSICA DOYLE-MEKKES

Website: https://www.jessicadoylemekkes.com/

Instagram: @jessicadoylemekkes

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicadoyle-mekkes/

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

Visit Kara’s website to receive updates and pre-order her new memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY.

Record Scratch with Kara is sponsored by Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by Adam W. Gibson

TIMESTAMPS

[01:10] Intro: Jessica Doyle-Mekkes

[02:53] Radio frequencies advantage men

[05:20] The inspiration for I'M SPEAKING

[08:47] Recording the audiobook

[10:27] When voices go underground

[11:52] Coaching and speaking engagements

For nearly four decades, Andrew Neiderman has been one of the most widely read authors you've probably never seen on a book cover.

As the writer who continued the legendary V.C. Andrews franchise after Andrews' death, Neiderman has written 100 novels under one of publishing's most recognizable names, helping grow the series into an international phenomenon with more than 30 million copies of FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC sold worldwide.

But that's only one chapter of his remarkable career.

Neiderman is also the bestselling author of THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE, the novel that became the hit film starring Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves, along with dozens of psychological thrillers adapted for film and television.

In this episode, Andrew is joined by his daughter, Melissa Neiderman, for a candid conversation about storytelling, teaching, family, ghostwriting, Hollywood, and why—after spending decades telling other people's stories—he's finally telling a bit of his own and how he became V.C. Andrews.

ANDREW NEIDERMAN

V.C. Andrews: Fan Page on Facebook

Andrew Neiderman: Website

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

Visit Kara’s website to receive updates and pre-order her new memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY.

Record Scratch with Kara is sponsored by Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by Adam W. Gibson

TIMESTAMPS

[01:10] Andrew Neiderman and daughter, Melissa Neiderman

[03:21] Taking over for V.C. Andrews

[04:55] Retiring from teaching

[06:28] V.C. Andrews’ family

[08:01] Neiderman's memoir

[09:57] One man, two authors

[12:15] Growing up with a writer

[13:51] Looking to the news for stories

[15:35] The V.C. Andrews' biography and fans

[18:24] New work ahead

What happens when grief arrives without warning—and how do we find our way back to hope? Without giving too much away, Dara Levan shares the themes in her new novel.

Author of the acclaimed novels, IT COULD BE WORSE and SHAKEN TO THE CORE, Dara explores the extraordinary strength found in ordinary people facing life's most difficult moments.

DARA LEVAN

Website: https://daralevan.com/

Instagram: @dara.levan

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

Visit Kara’s website to receive updates and pre-order her new memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY.

Record Scratch with Kara is sponsored by Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by Adam W. Gibson

TIMESTAMPS

[01:09] Intro - Dara Levan and SHAKEN TO THE CORE

[03:11] Joy's letters to her mom

[05:45] Cadence, structure & challenging oneself as a writer

[07:26] Chosen family and the complexity of grief

[09:06] Kristy Woodson Harvey recommends SHAKEN TO THE CORE

[10:46] Indiana University football & QB Fernando Mendoza

[12:10] Representation of speech and language challenges

[14:16] The origin of themes

[15:48] The reader's takeaway

Musician Will Calhoun, the drummer from Living Colour, is now an author with his upcoming memoir, THE SECRET LIFE OF BEATS, due out this fall.

From Harry Belafonte to Living Colour, Will’s music career is one of diversity, curiosity, and exploration. His artistry spans more than three decades as one of the world’s best drummers — and he credits his mom’s heartbeat (his earliest memory) for introducing him to life’s cadence.

WILL CALHOUN

Website: https://willcalhoun.com/

Instagram: willcalhoundrum

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

Visit Kara’s website to receive updates and pre-order her new memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY.

Record Scratch with Kara is sponsored by Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by Adam W. Gibson

TIMESTAMPS

[01:09] Introduction: Will Calhoun

[02:47] Why write a book now?

[04:31] Pulling the pieces together

[05:36] The New York experience

[07:25] Discovering music

[09:03] Will's brother and musical neighbors

[10:58] Joining Living Colour

[12:06] Getting fired by Harry Belafonte

[14:59] Belafonte's influence and lessons

[18:22] Jazz great, Wayne Shorter

[20:37] The power of curiosity and discovery

[23:00] Geeking out

[24:44] Thinking about legacy

Nearly one in four American adults experiences family estrangement, and countless others carry invisible wounds from childhood trauma. Stephanie Weaver's story offers something rare: an honest look at pain without sensationalism, paired with a hopeful reminder that healing is possible even when reconciliation isn't.

Stephanie’s memoir, BITTER, SWEET: HOW TO HEAL YOURSELF WHEN YOUR FAMILY IS BROKEN, intertwines family recipes with a deeply personal story of trauma, resilience, estrangement, and forgiveness.

Stephanie was a guest for the RECORD SCRATCH Mother’s Day exploration of mother loss.

STEPHANIE WEAVER, MPH

Website: https://stephanieweaver.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephanieweavermph/

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

Visit Kara’s website to receive updates and pre-order her new memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY.

Record Scratch with Kara is sponsored by Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by Adam W. Gibson

TIMESTAMPS

[01:10] **Content warning**

[02:10] Becoming a writer

[04:02] BITTER, SWEET

[05:10] Resurfacing memories

[06:25] Mom's recipe box

[07:44] Healing therapies

[10:42] Making a trauma memoir approachable

[13:34] Estrangement and writing for others

[15:20] Response to book

[16:38] Forgiveness is for *us*

Kara and Cynthia Occelli, author of RESURRECTING VENUS, discuss growth and transformation.

Cynthia is part of the 2026 Mother’s Day weekend special series.

Topics:

• The origin of Cynthia's famous "seed" quote
• Cynthia’s journey from ninth-grade dropout and welfare mom to law school graduate and successful entrepreneur
• Her coaching philosophy: bespoke, intuition-led, and focused on connecting clients to their own inner wisdom
• Navigating today's political climate while protecting your mental and emotional health
• The foundational role of physical habits in personal transformation

CYNTHIA OCCELLI

Website: CynthiaOccelli.com

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

Visit Kara’s website to receive updates and pre-order her new memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY.

Record Scratch with Kara is sponsored by Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by Adam W. Gibson

TIMESTAMPS

[01:10] Introduction: Cynthia Occelli

[02:03] The "seed" quote

[06:18] The impetus for change

[07:36] Saying "I choose me"

[08:59] Role models

[11:18] Unexpected Google search results

[12:29] Helping clients focus their energy

[16:23] Resurrecting Venus and what's next?

[18:03] Cynthia’s coaching process

[20:46] Biggest challenges

[24:03] How to optimize a coach

[28:24] Moja Tu - Kenyan children