The Banderpod

Rachel Donahue interviews Kate Gaston (That Middle Distance Substack), who is well-known for her incisive and witty writing of all kinds. Rachel and Kate chat all about motherhood, homeschooling, bravery in art, Gary Larson, the ‘spiritual gift of awkward hugs’ and her two upcoming books “The Inconvenient Kingdom” (Rabbit Room Press) and “Days Like This” (InterVarsity Press). Everyone’s awed and inspired by her! And it’s not very hard to see why!

Mentioned in this episode:

• That Middle Distance - Kate Gaston’s Substack

• Banderpod S5:E3 - Andy Patton

• Rabbit Room Press

• InterVarsity Press

• The Far Side - Gary Larson

• The Inconvenient Kingdom - Kate Gaston

Click to learn more about Bandersnatch Books!

www.bandersnatchbooks.com

Special Thanks to:

Son of Laughter for our theme song: “Cricket in a Jar.”

Evelyn Warnemuende for our artwork.

S.D.G. Morgan for audio engineering: sdgmorgan.substack.com & bammerhab.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bandersnatchbooks.substack.com

Frank Ewert (owner of Work With Words, LLC and author of Embrace Your Writer’s Block) appears on the Banderpod to chat with Annie Beth Donahue all about the ins and outs of developmental editing, how spaghetti sauce relates to writing, and of course, hockey! Frank Ewert is a writer who loves to edit. Or perhaps an editor who loves to write? (He’s never sure which comes first.)

Mentioned in this episode:

• Work With Words, LLC

• Embrace Your Writer’s Block - Frank Ewert

• Blue Ice and Other Stories from the Rink - Frank Ewert

• Save the Cat! - Blake Snyder

• Story - Robert McKee

• The Habit: A Writer’s Community

• Mary Karr

Click to learn more about Bandersnatch Books!

www.bandersnatchbooks.com

Special Thanks to:

Son of Laughter for our theme song: “Cricket in a Jar.”

Evelyn Warnemuende for our artwork.

S.D.G. Morgan for audio engineering: sdgmorgan.substack.com & bammerhab.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bandersnatchbooks.substack.com

Matt Mellema (author of Red Rex & the host of the Believe to See podcast) returns to the Banderpod to chat with Carolyn Clare Givens all about his upcoming sequel to Red Rex, titled Quetzo Dawn. Then the conversation wanders into dream narratives!

(“Quetzos” are the nicknames of his Quetzalcoatlus (flying dinosaurs) in the book!)

PREORDER QUETZO DAWN

Mentioned in this episode:

• Red Rex - Matthew Mellema

• The Banderpod Season 2, Episode 7 - Matthew Mellema

• Brothers Mellema YouTube Channel

• Believe to See Podcast

• The Punic Wars

• Quetzalcoatlus

• Seth G. Antes

• The Lantern Boy - R.A.H. (Robert) Thacker

• Brian Mellema Design

• Realm Makers

Click to learn more about Bandersnatch Books!

www.bandersnatchbooks.com

Special Thanks to:

Son of Laughter for our theme song: “Cricket in a Jar.”

Evelyn Warnemuende for our artwork.

S.D.G. Morgan for audio engineering: sdgmorgan.substack.com & bammerhab.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bandersnatchbooks.substack.com

Annie Beth Donahue interviews Krista Lynn Weeks about the upcoming release of The Birding Tree on Jan. 19th, 2027 (preorders open soon). Krista discusses how a hobby of birdwatching combined with rediscovering a childhood idea for a story in one of her old notebooks to make the seed of the idea for her new book. As Krista pondered her old idea, she realized it still had immense potential as a Middle Grade novel.

Nine years and several edits later, Krista sent the book to Bandersnatch Books and we loved it! We can’t wait to share it all with you in the new year. In the meantime, get to know Krista!

Mentioned in this episode:

• The Birding Tree - Krista Lynn Weeks

www.bandersnatchbooks.com/books/birding-tree

• A Storied Life - Krista Lynn’s Substack

bykristalynn.substack.com

• Krista Lynn Weeks’ Site

kristalynnweeks.com

• Jessica Linn Evans - Illustrator

• The Burgess Bird Book for Children - Thornton W. Burgess

• Flora and Ulysses - Kate DiCamillo

• Charlotte Mason Method

• Plot Grid of J.K. Rowling

• Merlin Bird ID app

Click to learn more about Bandersnatch Books!

www.bandersnatchbooks.com

Special Thanks to:

Son of Laughter for our theme song: “Cricket in a Jar.”

Evelyn Warnemuende for our artwork.

S.D.G. Morgan for audio engineering: sdgmorgan.substack.com & bammerhab.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bandersnatchbooks.substack.com

Carolyn Clare Givens chats with Betsy Farquhar the Editor-in-Chief of Redeemed Reader, a bookish review site for all types of books. She discusses the origins and mission of Redeemed Reader, along with thoughts on various book prizes, the dangers inherent in reviewing book series before they’re done and the trickiness of navigating social media as a book person. Then Carrie shares her conspiracy theory about the Newbery Medal…

ORDER THE REDEEMED READER

Mentioned in this episode:

Redeemed Reader - www.redeemedreader.com

The Redeemed Reader - Janie Cheaney et al.

The Newbery Medal

Phoenix Award

The American Library Association

Melissa Sweet - www.melissasweet.net

Mari in the Margins - Rebecca J. Gomez

Wild Things and Castles in the Sky - Leslie Bustard et al.

Enclave Publishing - www.enclavepublishing.com

Waxwing Books - www.waxwingbooks.com

The Teacher of Nomad Land - Daniel Nayeri

Charlotte’s Web - E.B. White

The Blue Sword - Robin McKinley

The Hero & the Crown - Robin McKinley

Jen Bryant - www.jenbryant.com

Biblical Critical Theory - Christopher Watkin

Awesome Good Clean Jokes for Kids - Bob Philips

Click to learn more about Bandersnatch Books!

www.bandersnatchbooks.com

Special Thanks to:

Son of Laughter for our theme song: “Cricket in a Jar.”

Evelyn Warnemuende for our artwork.

S.D.G. Morgan for audio engineering: sdgmorgan.substack.com & bammerhab.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bandersnatchbooks.substack.com

Carolyn Clare Givens chats with David Kern about all sorts of bookish topics, including but not limited to, David’s local bookstore (Goldberry Books); his publishing wing with wife, Bethany (Lumen Art); and his podcasts: Close Reads and Withywindle. Then there is also a meditation on midnight conversations with books in closed bookstores…

And of course, the most important question is asked: Cheetos or Doritos?

ORDER FROM GOLDBERRY BOOKS

Mentioned in this episode:

• The Charlatan’s Boy - Jonathan Rogers

• Lumen Art - Bethany Kern

• Withywindle Podcast

• Close Reads Podcast

• Goldberry Press

• Goldberry Books - www.goldberrybooks.com

• Lumen Curriculum - https://www.goldberrypress.com/pages/lumen

• “Christianity and the Future of the Book” by Alan Jacobs

• Winters in the World - Eleanor Parker

• From Here to You - Maile Silva

• Sam Sacks - Wall Street Journal

• The Banderpod S3:E6 - Graeme Pitman

• Byword Writing App

Click to learn more about Bandersnatch Books!

www.bandersnatchbooks.com

Special Thanks to:

Son of Laughter for our theme song: “Cricket in a Jar.”

Evelyn Warnemuende for our artwork.

S.D.G. Morgan for audio engineering: sdgmorgan.substack.com & bammerhab.substack.com

Lumen Sound from Pixabay

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bandersnatchbooks.substack.com

Rachel Donahue interviews Jonathan Rogers about the new re-release of The Charlatan’s Boy on Oct. 5th, 2026 (preorders open now)! She also discusses how his creation of the writers’ community The Habit has helped her as a writer and hundreds of others.

Along the way, Jonathan and Rachel also discuss naming alligators, feechies, dogs in tuxedos, flintknapping tomfoolery, phrenological scams, the picaresque novel, his love of small talk, disintegration vs. reintegration, writing messy by hand, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and finally who are the writers that make Jonathan Rogers want to write?

Preorder - The Charlatan’s Boy

Mentioned in this episode:

• The Charlatan’s Boy - Jonathan Rogers

• The Habit Writers Community

• The Wilderking Trilogy - Jonathan Rogers

• Joe Hox

• Flintknapping

• Warner Robins, GA

Click to learn more about Bandersnatch Books!

www.bandersnatchbooks.com

Special Thanks to:

Son of Laughter for our theme song: “Cricket in a Jar.”

Evelyn Warnemuende for our artwork.

S.D.G. Morgan for audio engineering: sdgmorgan.substack.com & bammerhab.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bandersnatchbooks.substack.com

The Song of the Stone Tiger by Glenn McCarty has been nominated for audiobook of the year by The Selah Awards! To celebrate we’re closing out season five by sharing Glenn reading the first three chapters of the book. Enjoy!

Mentioned in this episode:

• The Selah Awards - 2026

https://www.blueridgeconference.com/2026-selah-award-finalists/

• The Song of the Stone Tiger Audiobook - Audible

https://www.amazon.com/Audible-Song-Stone-Tiger/dp/B0G1TZ74QK

• The Song of the Stone Tiger Audiobook - Spotify

• The Song of the Stone Tiger Audiobook - Hoopla

www.hoopladigital.com/audiobook/the-song-of-the-stone-tiger-glenn-mccarty/18968967

• The Song of the Stone Tiger

www.bandersnatchbooks.com/store/p/stone-tiger

Click to learn more about Bandersnatch Books!

www.bandersnatchbooks.com

Special Thanks to:

Son of Laughter for our theme song: “Cricket in a Jar.”

Evelyn Warnemuende for our artwork.

S.D.G. Morgan for audio engineering: sdgmorgan.substack.com & bammerhab.substack.com

Music by DELOSound from Pixabay

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bandersnatchbooks.substack.com

Rachel Donahue interviews Dr. Carolyn Weber about how poetry has shaped her life and faith, and also her newest release, Four Questions God Asks. Carolyn is best known for her memoir Surprised By Oxford, which has been turned into a movie (available on Apple, Angel or Amazon) but Carolyn is also a poet and the trajectory of her entire life has been altered by how deeply she engaged with a John Donne poem which helped her understand the gospel as a graduate student.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Surprised by Oxford (2022)

• Four Questions God Asks - Carolyn Weber

• Surprised by Oxford - Carolyn Weber

• Holy is the Day - Carolyn Weber

• Sex and the City of God - Carolyn Weber

• Holy Sonnets - John Donne

• ‘Batter My Heart, Three Person’d God’ - John Donne

• Rime of the Ancient Mariner - Samuel Taylor Coleridge

• Surprised by Joy - C.S. Lewis

• Homegoing: Poetry for a Season - Carolyn Weber

• Summering - Carolyn Weber

• Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier

• Ties that Blind - Dr. Alan Godwin

• George MacDonald Press - David Jack

• Introduction to Poetry - Billy Collins

I ask them to take a poem

and hold it up to the light

like a color slide

or press an ear against its hive.

I say drop a mouse into a poem

and watch him probe his way out,

or walk inside the poem’s room

and feel the walls for a light switch.

I want them to waterski

across the surface of a poem

waving at the author’s name on the shore.

But all they want to do

is tie the poem to a chair with rope

and torture a confession out of it.

They begin beating it with a hose

to find out what it really means.

Click to learn more about Bandersnatch Books!

www.bandersnatchbooks.com

Special Thanks to:

Son of Laughter for our theme song: “Cricket in a Jar.”

Evelyn Warnemuende for our artwork.

S.D.G. Morgan for audio engineering: sdgmorgan.substack.com & bammerhab.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bandersnatchbooks.substack.com

Annie Beth Donahue interviews Bethany Faulk about the newest Bandersnatch Book release, Seichō Summer! Bethany describes Seichō Summer as a kind of 90’s Little House on the Prairie, albeit with sushi rather than smoked meats! But both Faulk and Laura Ingalls Wilder lightly fictionalized their own childhoods to make a story that could resonate with all generations about feeling misplaced somewhere… until you slowly grow up and connect the dots. (成長 - Seichō is Japanese for “growth”) Bethany started with her own teenage journals to remember the joys and angsts she’d forgotten and to lovingly recreate the 90’s and to write this coming of age novel from a true place. Annie Beth and Bethany also discuss how Bethany once got a sushi roll named after her!

Mentioned in this episode:

* Seichō Summer - Bethany Faulk

www.bandersnatchbooks.com/books/seicho-summer

* National Novel Writing Month - NaNoWriMo

* Little Women - Louisa May Alcott

* The Anxious Generation - Jonathan Haidt

* Little House in the Big Woods - Laura Ingalls Wilder

* Flicker.Press

Click to learn more about Bandersnatch Books!

www.bandersnatchbooks.com

Special Thanks to:

Son of Laughter for our theme song: “Cricket in a Jar.”

Evelyn Warnemuende for our artwork.

S.D.G. Morgan for audio engineering: sdgmorgan.substack.com & bammerhab.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bandersnatchbooks.substack.com