Whether you are a reader or a writer, you have THAT ONE BOOK that changed things for you. It might be the book you read as a teen that rocked your world, or the book that made you want to become a writer - or a better writer. Maybe it's a book that gives you comfort when you need it, that is as familiar as your own face looking in the mirror.

For this special episode, which I had planned on releasing as a holiday special later in December, I asked the authors I've interviewed to share that book with us. And with supply chain issue affecting bookstore all over the world, I wanted to give you adequate time to pick these up, should you want to gift them or keep for yourself.

I've collected all the books, including those the authors penned, in a Goodreads list.

Check our my own books on my website.

This debut novel is a crazy ride. From the very first page, I was hooked, wanting to know why a priest murdered a parishioner with a candlestick. If that feels reminiscent of a game of Clue (Colonel Mustard, in the library, with a knife), you're not wrong. There are enough twists and turns and unexpected, laugh out loud moments in All is Well to give you literary whiplash.

Buy All is Well.

To learn more about the Beringia Land Mass:

https://phys.org/news/2021-05-ancient-horse-dna-reveals-gene.html

https://www.beringia.com/exhibit/ice-age-animals/giant-beaver

My Sister the Serial Killer: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38819868-my-sister-the-serial-killer

Check out my own work at my website.

There is nothing about P.L. Stuart that I found intimidating. He is friendly, kind and generous with his time. A law enforcement employee by day (and night, because shift work), he has been in some harrowing situations. His calm demeanour would diffuse any tense situation, a handy trait when it comes to managing the seven children he and wife Debbie share. He is quite the opposite of the protagonist he created in A Drowned Kingdom. Othrun is entitled, spoiled, racist, bigoted - not entirely likeable at the start. But over the course of 400+ pages, you'll feel connected to the prince without a kingdom. I have not read much high fantasy. It's not my typical genre. But the fact that I am eagerly awaiting book 2 (coming in 2022), tells you a great deal a bout P.L.'s skill as a writer.

Get your copy of A Drowned Kingdom.

To learn more about your host and her own books, visit danagoldstein.ca.

Rebecca Eckler has spent most of her writing career sharing her life and her opinions. She was a columnist for the Globe and Mail and the National Post, sharing stories of motherhood and her view of the world. As the executive editor for SavvyMom.ca, Rebecca writes about her parenting style, opening her up to criticism and hateful comments. Her writing style is candid and open. She is brutally honest about her own experiences and shares freely in her memoirs. As the founder of the weekly newsletter, Re:Books, Rebecca champions Canadian women authors, from the obscure to the mainstream. Once you dive into her books, you'll feel you know her and that you've been friends for years. In this episode we talk about everything from pregnancy to menopause, from publishing to promotion.

Dana Church's new middle grade non-fiction, The Beekeepers, isn't just for kids. Her research is sound and the information shared within its pages is valuable for readers of any age. If you didn't know our bees were in trouble, this book will help you understand why and give you tools to do something about it. The Beekeepers changed my relationship with the chonky buzzers in my own backyard and I now watch them with interest rather than run squealing into the house.

Follow Dana on Twitter or Instagram or visit her website.

To learn about Dr. Shiela Colla and the bee nest sniffer dogs: https://wildlifepreservation.ca/blog/nosing-out-nests-can-detection-dogs-be-used-to-find-bumble-bee-nests/

Research Article here: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0249248

Learn more about Working Dogs for Conservation: https://wd4c.org/

Check out my own books: http://danagoldstein.ca

In this episode, you’re going to meet Elise Russel, author of Behave Boldly, a memoir of her entrepreneurial journey so far. The book chronicles the details of her struggles and successes as she built her company, Pony Friday. Her story is not complete however, and during the conversation Elise is candid about what it’s really like to build and run your own business.

Full disclosure here - I’ve known Elise for more than half of her entrepreneurial life. I’m proud to call her my friend and have supported her through many walks in the park, chats about clients and coffee dates in the before times. I was a fan before she had even written the first paragraph of Behave Boldly.

Buy the Book

Link to the #WhatPublishingPaidMe spreadsheet, where you can browse the list of authors who voluntarily shared how much their advances were (or weren't). [live at time of this episode's release]

To listen to past episodes, learn more about your host, Dana Goldstein, or to order her books, visit danagoldstein.ca.

Waubgeshing Rice, Waub to all those who know him, has been crafting stories from the age of 17. He started reporting when he was an exchange student in Germany, went to journalism school and worked for CBC Television as a reporter before his latest novel, Moon of the Crusted Snow, enabled him to focus on writing full time. Anyone who remembers the blackout of 2003 will find parallels to that eastern seaboard chaos in Waub's novel. In this episode, Waub talks about his early experience as an exchange student, how his culture influences his writing, and how his grandmother is a voice he paid tribute to in the novel.

Buy Moon of the Crusted Snow

Follow Waub on Twitter

Read the Maclean's article where Waub shares his views on Ryerson

Listen to more episodes and learn more about your host, Dana Goldstein

Judith Clark absolutely set out to write a novel about a gay boy living in rural Alberta. The controversy in the province over GSA's - Gay Straight Alliances - inspired her to tell the story of a high schooler who choses to keep his sexuality a secret until he graduates. Gunnar has a lot at stake: his space on the wrestling team, his friendships and his plans to stay under the radar until his final day. Life gets in the way, and Gunnar is set on a path he never intended to take so soon.

In this episode, we talk about how Judith was able to get inside a teenager's head and her path to writing the novel.

To learn more about Judith and to purchase Under the Radar, visit her website.

To learn more about me, my books and for past episodes, visit danagoldstein.ca.

Brittney Morris performed what most writers would consider an impossible feat: she wrote an entire novel in 12 days. After being inspired by the Black Panther movie, Brittney decided to write a story about a 17-year-old high schooler who developed a game played by the global black community. Brittney wanted to participate in Pitch Wars, a mentoring program where published/agented authors, editors, or industry interns choose one writer each, read their entire manuscript, and offer suggestions on how to make the manuscript shine for an agent showcase.

She had 14 days to produce an entire manuscript. So she did.

In this episode, Brittney shares how she feels the pressure to represent her race, how she overcame more than 200 rejections and what the full-time writing life means to her.

Learn more about Brittney on her website.

Check our her author profile on Amazon.

To learn more about me, my books and for past episodes, visit danagoldstein.ca.

When Canadian Karen Patterson moved to China, she fully intended to spend the rest of her life there. While there, she built businesses, learned the language, got married and gave birth to her daughter. She never imagined her life would be completely upturned when her husband, Chinese artist Wu Yuren, disappeared.

For years, Karen struggled to find him, and when she did, the fight to free him from the clutches of the Chinese government began. As a foreigner in a foreign land, Karen was the only one who could help. Taking on China is a riveting look behind the red wall - at the people, the art world, and the obstacles one woman faces in her search for freedom.

Purchase Taking on China.

To listen to more episodes, or to check out my books, visit danagoldstein.ca.