The Bookshop at the End of the Internet

Author L.E. Perez discusses her new series, The Reaper Trials. It's a paranormal fantasy series that she is writing with co-author and friend, Mia Ellas. The first book in the series, Reaper Revealed, is available now, with second installment to arrive in Spring 2021. These dark, twisty, paranormal fantasy stories, featuring an amazing world filled with diverse characters, follow the main character's journey as she tries to survive her training as a reaper at the famed L'Academie L'Mort (the Death Academy).

Author Dr. Joel Shulkin discusses his debut novel, Adverse Effects. What would you do if you were the only passenger riding an otherwise empty bus and, when the bus makes a stop, a stranger gets on and sits down in the seat directly behind you? If you are Joel Shulkin, you write a book about it. When Joel found himself in that exact situation, the inspiration for his book, Adverse Effects, was born. Adverse Effects is a medical and psychological thriller with a bit of espionage thrown in for good measure.

Author Stephanie Harper discusses her latest novel, Wesley Yorstead Goes Outside. It is the story of a 33-year-old graphic novelist who suffers from agoraphobia and has not left his apartment in over five years. When Wesley meets a charming and spunky grocery delivery woman named Happy, his orderly world—both physical and mental—becomes unsettled and is changed for the better. Stephanie's novel is a mediation on fear and anxiety, and it explores the impact that human connection can have on one's life.

Author Ismée Williams discusses her latest contemporary young adult novel, This Train is Being Held. The inspiration for this book came from a ride on the NYC subway, the same subway line that she took every day to go to work at the hospital where she was a pediatric cardiologist. This Train is a Being Held is a romance with characters of Latinx identity, and it shows a slice of NYC life. Ultimate, it's a story about expectations—about who you are versus what your family, friends and society expect you to be.

I'm celebrating the 100th episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet. There have been so many wonderful guest authors who visited the Bookshop to discuss their books and their writing journeys. In this 100th episode, I'll talk about the wide variety of authors and books that have been featured on the podcast, I'll hit some of the interview highlights over the past two years, and I'll marvel at the amazing authors who were gracious enough to sit down with me for a chat about books.

Author Megan Fuentes discusses her historical romance series, Love Affairs at the World's Fairs. The first two books, In Barcelona With You and In Buffalo with You, are out now. Megan loves historical settings for her stories and the challenge of getting her characters out of tricky situations without the use of modern technology. She chooses her World's Fairs carefully. Some are successful ones, others are disasters, but all of them create interesting and unique backdrops for her romantic storylines.

Author Mathieu Cailler discusses his debut novel titled, Heaven and Other Zip Codes. It is a contemporary story about the fracturing of a family. Told from four different points of view-–that of a lonely wife, her unfaithful husband, their awkward son and his tutor-–this novel explores family, guilt, manipulation, betrayal and love. Heaven and Other Zip Codes is Mathieu's first novel, but he is the award-winning author of 5 other books, including poetry and short story collections and two children's books.

Author A.M. Bochnak discusses her dystopian fantasy novels in The Magical Bond series. Volumes 1, 2 & 3 of the series are out now, with Vol. 4 on the way. It is a post-apocalyptic, dystopian story about an alternate world where magic is the norm. The fate of magic is under threat from evolution, but there might be a key to reversing magic's downfall. Angelique is a world-builder, as this series shows, and she spends years building the worlds for her novels before writing a single word of the manuscript.

Author Mira Monroe discusses her new young adult fantasy series, The Unwanted. Book One, Magick, follows a seemingly normal teenage girl just trying to make it through high school when she discovers that she descends from a long line of Wiccans and is next in line to inherit the royal crown. Book Two, Reign, follows the main character as she navigates covens, family drama, new relationships and high school prom. Mira's series is a fun mashup of fantasy and fairytales, with Book Three on the way.

Author Edward A. Farmer discusses his debut novel, Pale. The story takes place on a Mississippi cotton plantation in the summer of 1966. When the Missus of the plantation begins flirting with one of the black farmhands, no one is safe. Secrets that have enveloped the house threaten to unravel, and lives are transformed forever. Sizzling with tension and the Mississippi summer heat, Pale explores the ties that bind us and the surprising ease with which we can lose our humanity.