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Author Interview

Fiction, Writers on Writing

Jul 27: #1 NYT Bestselling Novelist Susan Wiggs with Sugar and Salt

July 27, 2022

Everyone has a past. It’s who you are now that matters.

A long-time listener favorite joins us with a great new story just in time for summer. Sugar and Spice takes us back to Perdita Street (introduced in The Lost and Found Bookshop) with a tale of family, friendship, redemption, and love.

Susan Wiggs is known for weaving women’s issues into her storylines, and Sugar and Spice is no exception — including abortion, sexual abuse, and racism. Today we find out how Susan gets in the right headspace to write those challenging scenes. How she approaches writing multiple timelines. And how has she learned to draw readers into her books from page one.

About Susan Wiggs

Susan Wiggs is a #1 New York Times bestselling author. She’s authored more than 50 novels including the Lakeshore Chronicles series and the New York Times bestsellers The Lost and Found Bookshop, The Oysterville Sewing Circle, and Family Tree. Her award-winning books have been translated into two dozen languages.  Susan lives with her family on an island in Washington State’s Puget Sound.

 

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Inspirational, Non Fiction, Personal Development, Self-help

Jul 20: Live Your Authentic Life with Award-Winning Author Kate Eckman

July 20, 2022

Eliminate Perfectionism, Stop Procrastinating with The Full Spirit Workout

Did you promise yourself during Covid lockdown that things would be different? That you’d start an exciting creative project, quit your job, look for a career that fits you better. Or maybe you decided to work less and spend more time with family. Go back to school. Or simply play more. And then … life happened.

You’re not alone. Kate Eckman returns to Conversations Live to explore how we can overcome two of the biggest blockers to our personal and professional success – perfectionism and procrastination.

About Kate Eckman

As a former elite athlete, Kate Eckman deeply understands sports psychology and performance. She’s a  certified executive coach, working with leaders in business and sports, and the award-winning author of The Full Spirit Workout: A Ten-Step System to Shed Your Self-Doubt, Strengthen Your Spiritual Core, and Create a Fun and Fulfilling Life.

 

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Journalism, Memoir, Non Fiction, Travel & Adventure

Jul 13: A Hard Place to Leave: Stories from a Restless Life with Marcia DeSanctis

July 13, 2022

Travel journalist of the year reveals the push-pull tension between home and away

What did travel writers do when their wanderings were halted during COVID lockdown? Marcia DeSanctis sorted through a decade’s body of work to compile her new book  A Hard Place to Leave: Stories from a restless life.

We discuss some of Marcia’s adventures and insights into being a travel writer. Why the desert is her sweet spot. How she balances her introverted self with writing open honest personal stories – including the search for her way back after falling in love with another man. And, how Marcia finds stories that resonate while traveling the globe.

About Marcia DeSanctis

Marcia DeSanctis is a Contributing Writer at Travel + Leisure, and writes essays and stories for Vogue, Town & Country, Departures, BBC Travel, and many other publications. She received the 2021 Grand Solas Award for Travel Story of the Year, and has received 5 Lowell Thomas Awards for excellence in travel journalism, including one for Travel Journalist of the Year. She’s the New York Times bestselling author of 100 Places in France every Woman Should Go … and the book we talk about today, A Hard Place to Leave Place to Leave: Stories from a restless life. 

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Health & Wellness, Journalism, Non Fiction, Psychology, Science, Self-help

JUL 06: Caroline Williams with MOVE

July 6, 2022

How the Science of Body Movement Can Set Your Mind Free

If you hate working out, loathe gong to the gym, listen up!  New science shows how even simple movement can boost your mental health.

Journalist Caroline Williams interviews Nobel prize winning scientists, yoginis, athletes, and health experts and learned that while going to the gym is great, it may not be the best solution for you.

We share how stretching lifts the draining effects of an overactive immune system. What dance can do for your emotional literacy. How core strength can help control stress and anxiety. And why emotional resilience is strengthened by physical strength.

About Caroline Williams

Veteran science journalist Caroline Williams says “I like talking almost as much as I like writing”. She has produced radio programs and reports for the BBC, across Science, Natural History, and Children’s Radio. Caroline writes regularly for New Scientist magazine, and her work’s been featured in the Boston Globe, BBC Earth, and the Guardian. She was co-presenter of the New Scientist podcast. Move! How the Science of Body Movement Can Set Your Mind Free is Caroline’s second book.

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Fiction, History, Suspense, Thriller, Writers on Writing

JUN 29: The Omega Factor with NYT Bestselling Author Steve Berry

June 29, 2022

#1 International Thriller Bestseller Introduces New Character – Nicholas Lee

It’s been a decade since Steve Berry wrote a stand-alone novel and that’s what we talk about today with The Omega Factor. Why write a stand-alone now? Who is Nick Lee? How did Steve Berry learn about the legendary Ghent Altarpiece, a highly-violated work of art that’s been stolen, vandalized, or dismantled 13 times? Do the Maidens of Saint-Michael (think ninja nuns) really exist? Are they really at odds with the Vatican and Catholic Church? And, how and where did Steve take creative license and tweak historical truth to make a new thrill ride.

About Steve Berry

Steve Berry is the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author of 16 Cotton Malone novels, five stand-alone thrillers, and several works of short fiction. Steve serves as an emeritus member of the Smithsonian Libraries Advisory Board and was a founding member of International Thriller Writers (ITW). With his wife, Elizabeth, Berry is the founder of History matters, dedicated to historical preservation. The Omega Factor is Steve’s latest novel.

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Creativity, Non Fiction, Personal Development, Writers on Writing

Jun 23: Start Realizing Your Creative Dreams with Matthew Dicks

June 22, 2022

Someday is Today: 22 Simple, Actionable Ways to Propel Your Creative Life

Like many of us, returning guest Matthew Dicks wears many hats, yet he is super creative and extremely prolific. So how does he get it all done?

Matthew shares some of his winning strategies to wipe out those excuses we make about being too busy or too tired. His goal is to help you go from dreaming to doing, from talking to creating. We discuss black holes, living a life of YES, performative productivity, the power of accountability, the importance of gathering your tribe … and much more.

About Matthew Dicks

Matthew Dicks is a bestselling novelist, nationally recognized storyteller, playwright, communications consultant, award-winning elementary schoolteacher, humor and advice columnist, minister, wedding DJ, and professional public speaker. He’s won multiple Moth GrandSLAM story competitions. And with his wife, Elysha, created the organization SPEAK UP. Vicki last talked with Matthew Dicks about his first book on creativity, Storyworthy – podcast. Today we discuss his latest, Someday is Today: 22 Simple, Actionable Ways to Propel Your Creative Life. 

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Creativity, Journalism, Non Fiction, Science

Jun 15: Inspired–Understanding Creativity with Matt Richtel

June 15, 2022

A Journey Through Art, Science, and the Soul

How do we define creativity? How does it work? Where does inspiration spark? How can we optimize our own creative potential? And what do great creators have to share with us?

Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Matt Richtel takes a deep dive into the new science behind creativity and creative minds, and blends it with insight from great creators, and stories of his own. We talk about The Muse and Hope. Why intelligence doesn’t always factor into creativity.  How anyone can become more creative. And more delicious insight from  Inspired: Understanding Creativity, A Journey Through Art, Science, and the Soul.

About Matt Richtel

An American writer, narrative storyteller, and New York Times Science reporter Matt Richtel was awarded the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for a series on distracted driving. He’s the author of three narrative nonfiction books, several novels, and a daily comic strip. His latest book is Inspired: Understanding Creativity, A Journey Through Art, Science, and the Soul.

Catch our previous podcast with Matt Richtel right here A Deadly Wandering.

 

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Arts, Creativity, Essays, History, Non Fiction

JUN 08: Movie Historian John DiLeo – There Are No Small Parts

June 8, 2022

100 Outstanding Film Performances with Screen Time of 10 Minutes or Less

Today we dive into a few of the stories in John DiLeo‘s fascinating new book There Are No Small Parts.  And that means we’re heading to the movies – vicariously, through John’s book.

In There Are No Small Parts, film expert DiLeo focuses on 100 amazing performances where actors – including some very big names at the top of their game – were on screen for just 10 minutes or less. Why would big names appear in a film for less than 10 minutes? Tune in to find out!

About John DiLeo

Movie historian John DiLeo is the author of six previous books about classic movies. He has been a frequent participant in the Black Bear Film Festival in Pennsylvania, has conducted onstage interviews with many named actors, and is often heard on Sirius XM radio. As a book reviewer, John DiLeo has contributed frequently to the Washington Post.

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Fiction, Humor

May 11: Unlikely Animals with Annie Hartnett

May 11, 2022

Spirits narrate. Animals talk. Humor, heartache,  love, & a missing girl … a magical tragicom filled with the messiness of family life and death.

Author Annie Hartnett‘s second novel wasn’t going too well. She wasn’t enjoying authoring it and wondered if all second novels were this difficult to write. But as she took a drive through New Hampshire, Annie spotted something that changed the direction of her story and brought Unlikely Animals to life … or raised it from the dead … because the folks in the cemetery narrate the story.

About Annie Hartnett

Annie Hartnett‘s first book, Rabbit Cake, was listed as one of Kirkus Review’s Best Books of 2017 and was a New England Book Award finalist. Annie was awarded fellowships and residencies from the MacDowell Colony, Sewanee Writers’ Conference, and the Associates of the Boston Public Library. She holds degrees from the MFA program at the University of Alabama. Information for Book Clubs.

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Journalism, Non Fiction, Social Issues

Apr 27: Why We Fall For Hype with Gabrielle Bluestone

April 27, 2022

How Con Artists, Grifters and Scammers are Taking Over the Internet – & Why We’re Following

Gabrielle Bluestone shares her insights into why scammers do what they do, and why – despite overwhelming evidence calling them out – we blindly believe what we’re told without researching the source.  She says we are at “the natural end of a society primed to trust their own emotions over objective, verifiable facts.” 

From celebrities to politicians, to the little-known, we discuss why we get sucked into their spiel. Where social media and influencers factor in. The rise of cancel culture, where seemingly harmless messaging and soundbites create images that can make or break reputations and campaigns. Why Fyre was the greatest festival that never happened. Where greed plays a role. And why you shouldn’t trust cosmetic surgery photos because even they are often digitally altered.

About Gabrielle Bluestone

A journalist and licensed attorney from New York, Gabrielle Bluestone’s writing has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, New York Observer, Sunday Times Magazine, and more. She’s the Emmy-nominated producer of Netflix’s  documentary Fyre. And the associate producer of Different Flowers, winner of the 2017 Kansas City FilmFest Festival Prize.

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