Beyond the Next Chapter with Whitney Clark
116 episodes - English - Latest episode: 12 days ago - ★★★★★ - 45 ratingsAre you an avid reader looking for your next great read? Or maybe you're someone who wants to fall in love with books? Look no further! Our podcast is the perfect place for all kinds of readers. With a wide range of genres, from romance to thrillers, historical fiction to non-fiction, we've got you covered.
Hosted by Whitney Clark, each episode goes beyond the next chapter and explores important topics such as improving literacy rates in our communities, the concept of silent book clubs, banned books, audiobooks vs. physical books, finding more time to read, and encouraging children to read.
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Episodes
Jenny Mollen, “City of Likes”
July 05, 2022 00:00 - 31 minutes - 71.8 MBWhen Meg Chernoff moves from LA to NYC and becomes friends with Instagram influencer Daphne, everything changes, including her own priorities. Jenny Mollen, the New York Times bestselling author of I LIKE YOU JUST THE WAY I AM and LIVE FAST, DIE HOT joins the podcast to talk with Olivia about her first novel. Celebrity status and the feeling of being celebrity adjacent is a concept that Jenny knows well, as daughter to Arizona TV favorite, Dr. Art Mollen, and wife to actor Jason Biggs. In ...
Taylor Hahn, “The Lifestyle”
June 28, 2022 00:00 - 41 minutes - 95.4 MBA very modern, NYC retelling of the Jane Austen classic, “Emma,” Taylor Hahn’s “The Lifestyle” is a beach read that will make you blush! The lawyer turned novelist joins Olivia in the podcast studio of her Arizona hometown to talk about the research she did- and didn’t do- to learn the swinger lifestyle for her sexy story. The married attorney turned novelist talked about the eye-opening research that went into writing the story of Georgina Wagman (think Cher from Clueless, but smart and g...
Riley Sager, "The House Across The Lake"
June 21, 2022 00:00 - 30 minutes - 70.8 MBRelaxing lakeside is not an option while reading Riley Sager’s latest, THE HOUSE ACROSS THE LAKE. His latest twisty, creepy, suspenseful novel takes readers away to a family vacation home in Vermont where actress Casey Fletcher can hide out after the loss of her husband and a very public meltdown. The arrival of a high-profile couple who bought the house across the lake, Katherine and Tom Royce, changes things for Casey in ways she’d never expect. Riley returns to the podcast to talk about...
Carola Lovering "Can't Look Away"
June 14, 2022 00:00 - 42 minutes - 97.4 MBCAN’T LOOK AWAY is a romantic suspense novel from Carola Lovering, that follows the 2013 romance between Molly Diamond and Jake Danner, and the love that inspires the hit, “Molly’s Song.” Carola joins the podcast to chat with Olivia about the story, plot surprises, and the thrill of visiting the set of TELL ME LIES, her 2018 novel that’s headed to Hulu as an original series. CAN’T LOOK AWAY is published by St. Martin’s Press and is available on audio from Macmillan Audio June 14, 2022 . ...
Jennifer Weiner, “The Summer Place"
June 07, 2022 00:00 - 27 minutes - 63.1 MBWhy would a bestselling novelist put a stick of butter in her bra—and who notices when she does? These questions and more are answered when the Queen of the Beach read Jennifer Weiner returns to the podcast. Her latest novel, THE SUMMER PLACE takes readers back to Cape Cod and delivers what we always expect in the pages of her novels: complex, intriguing characters who you care about and root for, and a plot that will deliver surprises. THE SUMMER PLACE is a family drama that plays out t...
Nina LaCour, "Yerba Buena"
May 31, 2022 17:32 - 38 minutes - 87.5 MBWith many YA novels to her credit already, Nina LaCour releases YERBA BUENA, her first adult novel. YERBA BUENA is a moving story of overcoming loss, learning to love, and what it means to find a place to call home. Nina talks with Olivia in this episode about crafting the love story of Sara and Emilie, the necessary research (mixing and drinking cocktails) required for writing mixologist Sara, and her book’s Los Angeles setting. Nina LaCour is also the author of a children’s book, MAMA AND ...
A Look Back (in Paperback)
May 24, 2022 00:00 - 34 minutes - 78.1 MBOlivia’s Book Club Podcast has survived its first year! The podcast launched on May 17, 2021 with three episodes featuring novelists Kristin Hannah, Donna Freitas, and Jennifer Weiner, and book recommendations from Margaret Stewart. This week, the podcast looks back at a few past conversations with writers whose books are now beach-bag ready in paperback. Don’t pack for your Memorial Day weekend without listening to these book recommendations! Debut novelists Zakiya Dalila Harris (THE OT...
Christina Lauren, “Something Wilder"
May 12, 2022 19:15 - 42 minutes - 98.2 MBLovingly known as the “reigning romance queens” (PopSugar), the writing duo known as Christina Lauren are as lovable as a pair of friends as they are successful as a writing team. Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings join the podcast to talk with Olivia about their new book, SOMETHING WILDER, a wildly exciting romantic adventure set in Utah involving a treasure hunt and a second chance romance. Christina and Lauren talk about the way they collaborate (and why they were already prepped for p...
Jeneva Rose, "One of Us is Dead"
May 10, 2022 00:00 - 42 minutes - 96.8 MB“Sometimes friendship can be deadly.” In ONE OF US IS DEAD, Jeneva Rose delivers a deliciously dramatic thriller written from the perspectives of four women in the posh Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta, where Southern civility and hospitality is for show only. Jeneva Rose joins the podcast to talk about her approach to writing the novel, and how she uses her previous career in social media marketing to promote THE PERFECT MARRIAGE on #booktok, and the hilariously awkward (and successful) o...
Don Winslow, "City on Fire"
May 03, 2022 00:00 - 32 minutes - 74.1 MBDon Winslow turns to the Greek tragedies for inspiration in what the author says is not only his last trilogy, but will be his last published books. CITY ON FIRE is the first of the three novels, and the first book Don has set in his hometown of Providence. The internationally bestselling author talks with Olivia on the cusp of his retirement from writing about crafting characters like Danny Ryan, who feels intimately familiar to him, or reworking a literal goddess into a contemporary and co...
Abby Jimenez, "Part of Your World"
April 26, 2022 00:00 - 39 minutes - 91.5 MBAbby Jimenez just may be the most interesting woman in the world! She’s competed on the Food Network, is the owner of Nadia Cakes, a bakery that ships all across the country, and is a bestselling author (not to mention mom to pets who are very popular on social media.) She joins the podcast to talk about her new novel “Part of Your World,” which she describes as an “age gap, social gap romance” about Alexis Montgomery and Daniel Grant, a doctor and carpenter who meet-cute when she’s drivin...
Gilly Macmillan, "The Long Weekend"
April 19, 2022 00:00 - 25 minutes - 58.8 MBBestselling author of THE NANNY, Gilly Macmillan, joins the podcast to discuss her newest thriller, THE LONG WEEKEND. Set in the isolated Dark Fell Barn, where three women are on edge as they receive a threatening note that one of their husbands will be murdered. Gilly talks with Olivia about the characters, the importance of the isolation of the environment for building the tension, and an old movie called “A Letter to Three Wives” that sparked her idea. “It’s a kind of messy process but ...
Erika Krouse, "Tell Me Everything"
April 12, 2022 06:57 - 40 minutes - 92.2 MBErika Krouse is a writer of both fiction and nonfiction, who joins the podcast to discuss her book, TELL ME EVERYTHING: THE STORY OF A PRIVATE INVESTIGATION. This is a memoir focused on a tale of true crime which parallels the narrator's personal history. This is a moving, painful story of power, powerlessness, and the way lives are left shattered when the system doesn't protect those who need it. In her book, Erika describes herself as simultaneously "forgettable" and "familiar," but ulti...
Sally Hepworth, “The Younger Wife”
April 05, 2022 00:00 - 40 minutes - 93.6 MBA wedding ceremony is pierced by a scream, that sets the scene for Sally Hepworth’s latest suspenseful thriller, THE YOUNGER WIFE, told by alternating narrators. Full of the twists and unreliable family memories and histories Hepworth is famous for, her new novel focuses on two sisters, Tully and Rachel, and how their lives change when they meet their seemingly perfect father’s new fiancée, Heather. Sally returns to the podcast to discuss the book, post-pandemic life, and the challenges (a...
Peng Shepherd, "The Cartographers"
March 29, 2022 00:00 - 33 minutes - 30.8 MB“The process of writing felt very much like a scavenger hunt. I would have one clue, then I as the writer also didn’t know, like the reader, where it led,” says Peng Shepherd of her new novel, THE CARTOGRAPHERS, when in-studio for the podcast. Peng shares her interest in cartography, her lifelong passion for stories, and how she approached the follow up to her highly successful 2019 debut, THE BOOK OF M. Olivia and Peng were joined by her mother, Lin Sue Flood, a former longtime Phoenix ...
Wanda M. Morris, “All Her Little Secrets”
March 22, 2022 00:00 - 45 minutes - 105 MBEllice Littlejohn has succeeded as corporate attorney in Atlanta -in spite of her many secrets. A secret affair, a secret hidden crime, a childhood full of chaos and poverty she’d like to keep secret from colleagues and even friends. Secrets come to the service when her boss is killed, and Ellice responds in the only way she knows how: with more secrets. Wanda M. Morris joins the podcast to talk about her debut novel, ALL HER LITTLE SECRETS. Morris is a corporate attorney who aspired to wr...
Olivia’s Book Club: Maggie Smith, "Truth and Other Lies"
March 15, 2022 00:00 - 37 minutes - 84.7 MBMaggie Smith’s debut novel, TRUTH AND OTHER LIES, is the fascinating story of three women and the secrets and lies that connect them, shape them, and threaten them. A journalist, psychologist, podcast host and business owner, Maggie joins the podcast to talk about what inspired the book. Maggie talks about using her own life experience writing the relationship Megan and her mother, the political candidate. The book tackles politics, family dynamics, professional identity, and what happens w...
Maggie Smith, "Truth and Other Lies"
March 15, 2022 00:00 - 37 minutes - 84.7 MBMaggie Smith’s debut novel, TRUTH AND OTHER LIES, is the fascinating story of three women and the secrets and lies that connect them, shape them, and threaten them. A journalist, psychologist, podcast host and business owner, Maggie joins the podcast to talk about what inspired the book. Maggie talks about using her own life experience writing the relationship Megan and her mother, the political candidate. The book tackles politics, family dynamics, professional identity, and what happens wh...
Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen, "The Golden Couple"
March 08, 2022 00:00 - 34 minutes - 78.1 MB"The Golden Couple" is the latest thriller from bestselling writing duo Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. Their latest page-turner focuses on therapist Avery Chambers' unorthodox 10 session treatment program, and her clients, Marissa and Matthew Bishop. Gorgeous and glamorous, the Bishops' marriage is plagued by secrets and lies that are about to be brought to the surface by Avery. Greer & Sarah talked with Olivia on the podcast about the book, the perks of writing as a team, and share ...
Rebecca Serle, “One Italian Summer”
March 01, 2022 00:00 - 26 minutes - 60.5 MBRebecca Serle is taking readers to Positano, Italy in her latest novel, “One Italian Summer.” The story follows Katy, who, in the depths of grief after her mother’s death, goes alone on a planned mother-daughter trip to the Amalfi Coast. Rebecca joins the podcast this week to talk about writing the emotional novel about a daughter’s love for her mother, the inevitable future of defining yourself after you lose your parents and her fears of losing her own parents. She talks about curiosities...
Eve Rodsky, “Find Your Unicorn Space”
February 22, 2022 00:00 - 33 minutes - 76.3 MBWhen Eve Rodsky applied her expertise in organizational management to making her own household and partnership become more manageable and equitable, she sparked a movement among readers of her first book “Fair Play.” Now, Eve is back to chat with Olivia about her new book, “Find Your Unicorn Space: Reclaim Your Creative Life in a Too-Busy World.” Here, Eve uses this podcast as an example of what a unicorn space can be, involving creativity, connection, and a sense of completion. She talks...
A ‘Bromance’ With Romance Novels
February 15, 2022 00:00 - 25 minutes - 58.9 MBValentine’s Day vibes on this week’s podcast, with Tim Xayasomloth, bookseller at Changing Hands Bookstore. Tim has become known as "The Romance Guy" at the store ever since he challenged himself to read genres outside his fantasy and science fiction favorites, and found he loved the contemporary romance! Comparing a romance novel to a tasty margarita that “goes down easy,” Tim explains to Olivia why he believes men can benefit from reading romance to understand how to be a better guy and b...
Lisa Harding, “Bright Burning Things”
February 08, 2022 00:00 - 51 minutes - 117 MBIrish writer Lisa Harding makes her American literary debut with the highly acclaimed novel, “Bright Burning Things.” Harding writes an emotionally powerful story of Sonya, an actress and single mother who is spiraling out of control, battling alcoholism and trauma. Her four-year-old son, Tommy, is simultaneously Sonya’s lifeline and her prison as the pressures of motherhood push her to her limits. The child is heartbreakingly saddled with playing the role of adult, adoring his mother, and a...
Elle Cosimano, “Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead”
February 01, 2022 00:00 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MBGrab your favorite soup or sandwich from Panera and settle in for a chat with Elle Cosimano – don’t worry, no spoilers! The beloved Finlay is back and smack dab in the middle of yet another wonderful mess in Elle Cosimano’s February 1st release, “Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead,” the follow up to her hit, “Finlay Donovan Is Killing It.” In this story Finlay and Vero must sort out who is after her ex-husband Steven, and what they can do to protect him, or if they want to. Throw in plenty ...
Katherine Faulkner, "Greenwich Park"
January 25, 2022 00:00 - 46 minutes - 107 MBKatherine Faulkner has an impressive new title to add to an already impressive (or posh) resume. The Cambridge grad is the Head of News Projects for The Sunday Times, and now a debut novelist, with the release of “Greenwich Park” from Gallery Books. The story centers around Helen, a complicated and often socially awkward woman who- after many miscarriages is pregnant again and carrying her baby to term. Helen falls into an unusual friendship with Rachel, a fellow expectant mom who quickly...
Colleen Hoover, "Reminders Of Him"
January 18, 2022 00:00 - 52 minutes - 120 MBColleen Hoover is a publishing phenomenon, dominating bestseller lists with her catalog of novels week after week. She is a writer who breaks the rules, gliding between traditional publishing houses to self-publishing with ease, and who refuses to limit herself to genre or expectations. Her ability to create complex, emotionally relatable characters make her readers a devoted fanbase who would never miss a Hoover release and are committed to sharing their favorites with other readers online,...
Rachel Hawkins, “Reckless Girls”
January 11, 2022 00:00 - 48 minutes - 112 MBRachel Hawkins’ 2020 release of “The Wife Upstairs” was a huge hit. The contemporary thriller inspired by “Jane Eyre” was the first release outside of the YA genre and showed she can craft a page-turner for a variety of audiences. Rachel talks with Olivia about “Reckless Girls” (published January 2022) that tracks Lux and her boyfriend Nico as they sail off from Hawaii in search of Meroe Island, a remote location with a dark, menacing history with other twenty-somethings in search of adventu...
Gabriela Garcia, “Of Women and Salt”
January 04, 2022 00:00 - 37 minutes - 85.2 MBFor the first podcast of 2022, we are joined by an author whose ‘buzzed about’ 2021 debut novel is now available in paperback. Gabriela Garcia’s “Of Women and Salt” was named a Best Book of the Year (2020) by Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, and The Boston Globe. The novel is a multi-generational story of women, taking readers from nineteenth-century Cuba, to present-day Mexico, Miami, and the immigrant detention centers in Texas along the southern border. “Of Women and Salt” explores the ex...
Kristi Nelson, “Wake Up Grateful”
December 28, 2021 00:00 - 45 minutes - 103 MB“It’s not happiness that makes us grateful, it’s gratefulness that makes us happy” – Kristi Nelson Kristi Nelson brings her powerful message of the transformative practice of grateful living to the last podcast episode of the year. The author of “Wake Up Grateful” guides readers through the ways you can change your life and perspective for the better, and the ways this shift is proven to improve your life and even your health. Executive Director of A Network for Grateful Living talks with...
Mary Kay Andrews, “The Santa Suit”
December 21, 2021 00:00 - 39 minutes - 90.8 MBBrace yourself for some serious Christmas magic! New York Times bestselling author of 29 novels (and counting), Mary Kay Andrews joins the podcast to talk about “The Santa Suit” the book she calls “a delicious, sweet, peppermint scented goodie.” The novella celebrates the magic of Christmas and second chances with a tale of a new beginning for Ivy Perkins, who is starting over personally and professionally with the purchase of The Four Roses farmhouse. Mary Kay and Olivia chat about Friend...
Karen Schaler, “A Royal Christmas Fairy Tale”
December 14, 2021 00:00 - 40 minutes - 93.7 MBGrab a cup of cocoa and get cozy by the Christmas tree for this visit with Karen Schaler, author of new holiday romance, “A Royal Christmas Fairy Tale.” Entertainment Weekly calls her a “holiday publishing darling” who is equally successful as a novelist and screenwriter, with holiday films like Christmas Camp and A Christmas Prince among her credits. Before she was known as “Christmas Karen” – she had a successful career as a television news reporter. On the podcast, she talks with Olivia a...
Jeff Kinney, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Big Shot”
December 07, 2021 00:12 - 35 minutes - 81.6 MBJeff Kinney is the creative mind behind one of the most successful book series for kids of all time. He joins the podcast to talk about his latest projects: “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Big Shot,” the sixteenth in the series, and the animated film, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” currently on Disney+. He talks with Olivia about why his characters should never grow up, the perks of running a bookstore, and reacts to recent efforts to ban books across the country. In a Moment With Margaret, the two talk ...
Maria Amparo Escandon, “L.A. Weather”
November 30, 2021 00:00 - 39 minutes - 89.6 MB“L.A. Weather” tells the story of one very tumultuous year in the life of the Alvarado family. Successful Mexican-Americans living and working in Los Angeles, the three adult daughters maintain a commitment of meeting their parents for weekly family dinners to share their passion for food, and commitment to family. Author Maria Amparo Escandon joins the podcast to talk about the narrative technique she uses in the novel: taking the reader through the dramatic year that changes each chara...
Christine Pride and Jo Piazza, “We Are Not Like Them”
November 23, 2021 00:00 - 46 minutes - 106 MBWhen an unarmed Black teenager is shot by police while walking home from school, the grief and outrage ripples through the city of Philadelphia in the novel “We Are Not Like Them.” The shooting calls for changes in policing, revealing deep divisions among those who experience systemic racism and those who deny it exists. For lifelong best friends Jen and Riley, the shooting is a deeply personal crisis that threatens to rip them apart for good. Christine Pride and Jo Piazza join the podcast...
Eric Rickstad, “I Am Not Who You Think I Am”
November 16, 2021 00:00 - 40 minutes - 93.3 MBErick Rickstad is a New York Times and international bestselling author of novels including “What Remains of Her” and “The Silent Girls.” He joined the podcast to talk to Olivia about his latest dark, psychological mystery, “I Am Not Who You Think I Am.” It’s a tale that starts in 1976, with a tragic act of violence witnessed by then 8-year-old Maynard, who is not only shaped by the trauma and loss, but by the mounting pressure of keeping a secret from that day he grows to regret. The core o...
Vera Kurian, “Never Saw Me Coming”
November 09, 2021 00:00 - 39 minutes - 89.8 MBSeven psychopaths enjoy a free ride to a prestigious east coast school, in exchange for being participating in a psychopathy study. What could go wrong? For one, students keep getting killed. One study participant, Chloe, isn’t at worried for her safety because she considers herself the dangerous one. Debut novelist Vera Kurian joins the podcast to talk about “Never Saw Me Coming,” and why readers find her protagonist irresistible, in spite of her homicidal plotting and lack of empathy. Ku...
Emily Itami, "Fault Lines"
November 02, 2021 00:00 - 37 minutes - 85.4 MBEmily Itami is a debut novelist who uses her expertise as a travel writer to transport her readers to Tokyo in “Fault Lines.” The book focuses on Mizuki, a wealthy and beautiful Tokyo wife and mother, who is profoundly bored. Her witty internal dialogue reveals there are cracks beneath the shiny surface which, like the fault lines running through the city, threaten to damage or destroy. Emily joined the podcast from London to reflect on her experience living in Tokyo, the expectations women...
Riley Sager, “Survive The Night"
October 26, 2021 00:00 - 41 minutes - 96 MBFans of Riley Sager’s work know that he is a master at delivering twist after twist in suspenseful thrillers like “Home Before Dark,” “Lock Every Door,” and his latest, “Survive The Night.” Sager joins the podcast to talk to Olivia about the novel, its protagonist Charlie, and why the film student fears she may be the Campus Killer’s next victim. He set the book in 1991, the same time that Sager was a college student, allowing him to reference his own favorite music and movies to bring the...
Lisa Jewell, “The Night She Disappeared”
October 19, 2021 00:00 - 42 minutes - 38.8 MBHalloween is creeping up and it is time for some suspenseful reads, and no one does it better than Lisa Jewell. This time, Jewell takes us to a posh boarding school in the English countryside where many secrets lurk in the beauty, in her latest thriller, The Night She Disappeared. The author joins the podcast to talk about the book and tells Olivia the surprising way she approached the novel: beginning with the setting and a “Dig Here” sign, rather than a crime or even a character! She tal...
Paula McLain, "When The Stars Go Dark"
October 12, 2021 02:26 - 39 minutes - 89.9 MBBestselling author of The Paris Wife, Paula McLain, tackles a new genre in her powerful, emotionally charged thriller, When The Stars Go Dark. Following a personal tragedy, Detective Anna Hart launches herself into a missing persons investigation that takes her down a path right into her own painful past, wrestling with what it means to be a woman, a mother, a victim, survivor, and savior. McLain joins the podcast to talk about crafting the layered mystery, and her painful personal history ...
Jenn McKinlay, "Wait For It"
October 05, 2021 00:00 - 37 minutes - 86.5 MBJenn McKinlay is a prolific writer who is best known for the Library Lover’s and Cupcake Bakery Mysteries. McKinlay is quickly building a loyal following for her women’s fiction and romantic comedies, and her latest is “Wait for It.” When the protagonist, Annabelle, moves from Boston to Phoenix, McKinlay brings readers a slice of life in the desert, a setting the author calls home. She talks about writing, the ways the pandemic cramped her style, baking, travel, and who is the boss of her ...
Laura Lippman, "Dream Girl"
September 28, 2021 00:00 - 41 minutes - 37.8 MB"Dream Girl" is NYT bestselling author Laura Lippman's latest suspenseful novel. Lippman calls it "a book lover's book." Told from the perspective of an acclaimed novelist, Gerry Anderson, whose literary relevance was cemented with publication of a book called "Dream Girl." The story finds Gerry bed-ridden and isolated, recovering from physical injury and the passing of his mother, when he starts receiving mysterious phone calls from his book's fictional character. Is he losing his mind?...
Allison Larkin, "The People We Keep"
September 21, 2021 00:00 - 45 minutes - 41.4 MBAllison Larkin’s novel The People We Keep takes readers back to the early 1990s, with teenage April lives mostly alone in a motorhome in a rundown town in rural New York. The People We Keep is the coming-of-age story of a talented young woman who seems to always go without- without a mom, often without a dad, without opportunity, without understanding, without stability, without much of a safety net. Larkin joined the podcast to talk about about writing the story of a traveling musician who ...
Chandler Baker, “The Husbands”
September 14, 2021 00:00 - 45 minutes - 41.4 MBIn “The Husbands,” Chandler Baker takes readers to a suburban, Stepford-inspired, impossibly idyllic Texas community of Dynasty Ranch, which seems to offer Nora Spangler everything she needs. The New York Times bestselling author of “The Whisper Network” joins the podcast to talk about her new novel, her career as an attorney that inspired the character, the sexism women face in the corporate world, and how she feels about her legal colleagues reading her work. Margaret and Olivia talk abo...
Kristin Harmel, “The Forest of Vanishing Stars”
September 07, 2021 00:00 - 48 minutes - 44.3 MBAs a former journalist, novelist Kristin Harmel fully embraces the research required to craft accurate and immersive historical fiction. Harmel became more deeply immersed in World War II Poland and the Jews who her protagonist, Yona, helps to hide and keep alive in the forest against the odds. Along the way, Harmel discovered that she is directly descended from the Polish Jews. Sharing personal and historical revelations, along with telling Olivia about founding Friends and Fiction, and ho...
Zakiya Dalila Harris, “The Other Black Girl”
August 31, 2021 00:00 - 36 minutes - 33.8 MBOne of the most talked about books of 2021, Zakiya Dalila Harris’ debut novel is a genre-bending, searing look at race, office politics, and the micro-aggressions that people of color endure when working in a predominantly white industry. Harris’ “The Other Black Girl” is the story of Nella, a publishing assistant who is used to being the only black voice in the room. When Hazel arrives, dynamics change dramatically, but not at all in ways Nella would expect or desire. A thriller that is ...
Lisa Taddeo, “Animal”
August 24, 2021 00:00 - 43 minutes - 39.9 MBWitnessing a suicide of a married lover, while at dinner with another married lover, is the moment that sends Lisa Taddeo’s “Animal” narrator, Joan, out of New York and headed to California. A dive into grief, rage, and sexual power, the novel is powerfully written and in moments deeply moving and even disturbing. Taddeo reveals she’s far from the darkly intense author many expect is behind her work, shares how she juggled the novel while parenting her six-year-old, and how the pandemic di...
Jennifer Deibel, “A Dance in Donegal”
August 17, 2021 00:00 - 41 minutes - 38 MBJennifer Deibel spent nearly a decade living in Ireland and Austria, building a family and a deep love for all things Irish. That passion for the Emerald Isle and the Gaelic tongue is still with the Arizona schoolteacher, and fueled her passion for writing her debut novel, “A Dance in Donegal” from Revell Books. Jennifer talks to Olivia about making a “perfect cuppa”, life in the desert as compared to a land of green, and how she identifies with her protagonist, Moira. “A Dance in Donega...
Sophia Benoit: “Well, This is Exhausting: Essays”
August 10, 2021 00:00 - 46 minutes - 42.6 MBBe honest, it IS all exhausting! Over the years, Sophia Benoit has sharpened her fierce wit as a means for survival: dealing in with life as a woman in a sexist world, finding love in the age of apps, accepting yourself even when society considers you fat, the push and pull of life as a child of divorce… Benoit, a relationship and sex columnist discusses her collection of essays with Olivia, reflecting on the value of telling her unfiltered truth, and her hope that after readers laugh out lo...
Christina Baker Kline, "The Exiles"
August 03, 2021 00:00 - 43 minutes - 40.2 MBChristina Baker Kline talks about the research and writing of her powerful work of historical fiction, THE EXILES. The novel tells the story of Evangeline, Hazel, and Matthina, three women who must tap into incredible resilience in the face of oppression and injustice. The setting is “the land beyond the seas,” Van Diemen’s Island, a penal colony established by the British, where 25,000 British women were exiled, by way of a former slave ship, The Medea. The ORPHAN TRAIN author shares with O...