The Bookshop at the End of the Internet

Author C.J. Milacci discusses the first two books in her Talionis series: Recruit of Talionis and Fugitive of Talionis. These YA sci fi dystopian novels feature main character Bria, a young woman haunted by personal tragedy, who is kidnapped to become a recruit in an army of secret soldiers and forced to fight in a war that she wants no part of. C.J. began with a question: What would happen if America fell like Rome did, while the rest of the world moved on and abandoned the survivors of America's collapse? From C.J.'s answer to that question, the Talionis novels were born.

Author Tim Facciola discusses his new Vengeful Realm series. The first book, The Scales of Balance, is out now. Tim describes his fantasy series as Game of Thrones meets Spartacus's rebellion from Rome. Told from seven different points of view, The Scales of Balance follows the story of several main characters, one of whom is Zephyrus, a gladiator with amnesia and a mysterious prophecy who finds himself fighting for his freedom while also serving as a royal spy. This book is filled with combat, conspiracies, betrayals, gods and magic. But at its heart, it is a story about finding one's identity.

Author Michael C. Bland discusses the first two books in his science fiction trilogy: The Price of Safety and The Price of Rebellion. The story is set in the year 2047, and Michael started with the premise that technology can make our lives better, but it can also be used against us. What if, while no one was paying attention, someone out there was actually paying attention to everything. In Michael's near-future world, everyone has a computer implant. In fact, not having one is illegal. But that technology ends up in the hands of bad actors who do not have everyone's best interest at heart.

Author Mark Angelo discusses his children's picture book, Can We Play Baseball, Mr. DeMille?, which is inspired by events from his own childhood. When Mark was a young boy, he and his brother Chris shared a love of baseball. The Dodgers had just moved to Los Angeles, and baseball fever was sweeping the city. Mark and Chris were looking for a place to play with their friends. Open spaces were difficult to find in Los Angeles, but Mark found a perfect spot for playing baseball. The only problem was that it was owned by none other than Hollywood legend Cecil B. DeMille.

Author Reenita Hora discusses her book, Operation Mom: My Plan to Get My Mom a Life and a Man. This YA rom-com novel features a 17-year-old native of Mumbai and her mother, a middle-aged Punjabi woman. Reenita notes that this book is a work of fiction, not a self-help guide, and is more comedy than romance. In fact, it is inspired by the comedy of her everyday existence and the zany, feisty and fabulous women in her life. Her goal was to write a comedic story that would be universal, while still showcasing Indian characters and various aspects of their lives—especially the everyday humor.

Author Brooklyn Quintana discusses her latest book, Blood in the Water. It is the second book in her Fynneas Fog series and the follow up to her debut novel, Nine of Swords. Blood in the Water is a young adult fantasy novel that takes place at a nightmarish military academy on a tropical island. A catastrophic event has changed everything for Fynneas Fog and his friends, and they must pick up the pieces and try to move on, as the story becomes darker with much more at stake. Brooklyn aimed for a horror-story vibe, while still carrying on the mystery and punctuating the tension with moments of levity.

Author Laura Moe and actor Preston Geer discuss their collaboration on the audio book for Laura's young adult novel, Breakfast with Neruda. When the time came for the novel to be made into an audio book, Laura began searching for the perfect narrator and found Preston Geer. In addition to being a working actor in Hollywood, Preston is the narrator of almost 70 audio books, so Breakfast with Neruda was in safe hands. In this episode, Laura explains how a request from a Hollywood producer became the catalyst for turning this novel into an audio book.

Author Candace Kade discusses her new novel, Enhanced, book one in The Hybrid series. Enhanced is a young adult novel set in a part of our world known as the Asian Federation in the year 2123. This is a time when everyone has genetic enhancements, if they can afford them. The main character, a young woman named Lee Urban, unfortunately was born a Natural, someone lacking such enhancements. Lee's genetic make-up places her in danger, and she plays a deadly game of trying to fit into the world of the Enhanced.

Author Amanda Lees discusses her latest book, The Midwife's Child. It is the third book in a series set during World War II featuring female agents fighting in the Resistance. Amanda admits that The Midwife's Child is the hardest book she has ever written. While the book is based on a real-life love story, the novel is partly set in Auschwitz. Amanda worked hard on this book as a way to honor those who were sent there, those who died and those who survived, and to be true to what happened. But Amanda is quick to point out that The Midwife's Child, like all the other books in the series, is a story filled with courage and hope.

Author J.L. Delozier discusses her new novel, The Photo Thief, a modern gothic murder mystery. In this book, a grieving detective meets a troubled, epileptic teen who claims to be able to speak to the dead—and she is convinced the death of her socialite mother was no accident. As a physician-turned-author, J.L. finds herself inspired by science that exits on what she calls "the edge of reality"—bizarre medical anomalies, new genetic discoveries, and anything that seems too weird to be true.