Book Party over Comedy Clubs: Fatherhood, Reading, and Andrew Ginsburg
Connecticut Book Festivals Podcast
In this episode of the Connecticut Book Festivals Podcast, host Jed Doherty welcomes author, stand-up comedian, and personal trainer Andrew Ginsburg to celebrate his powerful picture book, The Colors of My Sky. Andrew shares the story of Lester, a blue butterfly whose mother only lets him play with other blue butterflies. At school, Lester wants to be friends with butterflies of many colors, but his mother keeps insisting that “blue is the finest butterfly.” Finally, Lester invites her to a party and gently shows her that the sky isn’t just blue—it can be gray, pink, orange, and...
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Resilience, Faith, and Soul Care: AndreYah Maria Hernandez Black’s Devotional Journey
Connecticut Book Festivals Podcast
In this inspiring episode of the Connecticut Book Festivals Podcast, Jed Doherty welcomes AndreYah Maria Hernandez Black, author of the 30-day devotional Revelations for Resilience: Whispers from the Divine for Soul Care. Andrea shares the deeply personal story behind the book—her journey through a devastating season of spousal abandonment in 2015–2016, which led to post-traumatic stress disorder, and how faith, wellness practices, and writing became her lifeline. AndreYah explains that the devotional is autobiographical and prophetic, born from hundreds of journal entries in which she...
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Led by His Past: Inside Katelyn Marie Peterson’s Romantic Suspense World
Connecticut Book Festivals Podcast
In this episode of the Connecticut Book Festivals podcast, host Jed Doherty welcomes romantic suspense author Katelyn Marie Peterson to talk about her gripping trilogy, focusing on the second book, Led by His Past. The story follows Lynn Callahan and her private investigator boyfriend, Jake Connolly, as they’re pulled into a tense new case when Jake’s ex-girlfriend shows up asking him to investigate her sister’s murder in Burlington, Vermont. Katelyn opens up about how real her characters feel to her, especially now that she’s living with them over the course of three books. She...
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Balancing Spice and Story: Crafting Dark Romance with CS Kelleher
Connecticut Book Festivals Podcast
On this episode of the Connecticut Book Festivals Podcast, Jed welcomes CS Kelleher, author of the dark contemporary romance novel Scorched Boundaries—the first in a planned four-book series. CS shares how the book began in an entirely different direction: a romantic suspense involving mistaken identity and South Korean gangs. After hitting a massive bout of writer’s block, inspiration struck one night while she was watching TV and typing on her phone. That spontaneous moment became the prologue to Scorched Boundaries and launched a brand‑new cast of characters and storyline. Listeners...
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Cat Carmichael on the Case: JP Ferris and the Cat Carmichael Detective Series
Connecticut Book Festivals Podcast
JP Ferris joins the Connecticut Book Festivals Podcast to talk about his long-running Cat Carmichael Detective Series and the latest installment, Catnap, book 13 in the saga. JP introduces Cat Carmichael, a tough, emotionally rich NYPD homicide detective shaped by the loss of her father, who was killed in the line of duty right in front of her. That trauma fuels Cat’s vow to become the best homicide detective New York has ever seen. JP shares that Cat is a blend of Olivia Benson, Kate Beckett, a touch of Jane Rizzoli, and quite a bit of JP himself—right down to having a law enforcement dad...
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Raising Confident Girls: Diana Sussman on The Neighbor’s Secret
Connecticut Book Festivals Podcast
In this engaging episode of Reading With Your Kids, Jed welcomes Diana Sussman, author of the middle grade mystery The Neighbor’s Secret. Diana introduces us to Maddie, a curious and imaginative 12-year-old who becomes convinced her new neighbors are Russian spies after witnessing something very strange. Maddie’s big imagination sometimes gets her into trouble—like the time she thought a neighbor was being eaten by a Yeti—but she’s also sharp, determined, and usually onto something real. Diana shares how her own love of puzzles, mysteries, and strong female characters helped shape...
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Overprotected Offline, Underprotected Online: Veronica Sommers Tells Parents What They Need to Know
Connecticut Book Festivals Podcast
In this powerful episode of the Connecticut Book Festivals Podcast, host Jed Doherty welcomes Veronica Sommer, author of Sacred Stewardship: Restoring Moral Clarity in the Digital Age. Drawing on over two decades in cybersecurity recruiting and her experience raising two smartphone-era teens, Veronica offers a heartfelt, eye-opening look at what today’s kids are really facing online. Jed and Veronica begin by talking about that familiar parenting dilemma: giving kids phones “for safety” and connection, without fully understanding that those same devices give the entire world access to...
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Fire & Ice, Exploring Dragon Island Legends
Connecticut Book Festivals Podcast
In this episode of the Connecticut Book Festivals Podcast, host Jed Doherty welcomes back middle-grade fantasy author Greg Slomba to talk about his brand-new series, the Dragon Island Legend books, beginning with Fire and Ice. Greg explains that this new series grows out of the world of his earlier Deliverers books, particularly The Golden Dragon of Aang, which introduced the mystical Dragon Islands. Each of the five planned stories will focus on a different island, with Fire and Ice serving as a 95-page novella that opens the saga. Greg introduces listeners to Ben and May, two 15-year-old...
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Feathered And Famous
Connecticut Book Festivals Podcast
On this episode, Jed welcomes author and neuroscientist Gail Martino, whose new picture book “Feathered and Famous: Meet America’s All Star Birds” celebrates the national and state birds of the United States and the stories behind them. Gail explains how her book helps kids (and parents) discover the unique traits that made each bird worthy of representing a state—from the clever chickadee of Massachusetts, which actually grows part of its brain in the fall to help remember where it hid seeds, to the hopeful, homey robin of Connecticut, often seen as a harbinger of spring. She also...
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Physics, Pirates, and a Haunted Inn: Conversations with AJ Alanson
Connecticut Book Festivals Podcast
In this engaging episode of the Connecticut Book Festivals Podcast, Jed Doherty welcomes AJ Alanson, author of the Admiral Inn mystery and adventure series, to celebrate book ten, Wolf in the Cove. AJ introduces us to June Faust, a former Treasury Department “super accountant” who buys a derelict mansion on the coast of Maine through a government auction—sight unseen. The locals wish the place had been burned to the ground, but June spends a decade fixing it up, turning it into the Admiral Inn, and slowly (and awkwardly) mending fences with the small-town community. Each book in the...
info_outlinen this captivating episode of the CT Book Festivals podcast, host Jed Doherty sits down with Lisa Franco, the author of the acclaimed book "My Dearest Darling: Letters of Love in Wartime." Lisa's journey to uncover this remarkable piece of history is nothing short of extraordinary.
It all began when Lisa, a self-proclaimed "naturally curious journalist," stumbled upon a treasure trove of World War II-era letters in the basement of an antique store on Cape Cod. As she delved into the beautifully written correspondence between a young naval officer, Donald, and his sweetheart, Marjorie, she was immediately drawn into their timeless love story.
"The letters were so amazingly, beautifully written, full of love and longing," Lisa recounts, her voice brimming with emotion. "I couldn't stop thinking about them." Determined to preserve this piece of history, Lisa embarked on an 11-year odyssey to track down the family and bring their story to life.
Through her meticulous research, Lisa not only uncovered the historical context of the letters but also the profound sacrifices made by the Greatest Generation. "You can't let it go away," she emphasizes, "This generation is dying, and we need to remember their legacy."
As Jed and Lisa discuss the book's impact, it becomes clear that "My Dearest Darling" is more than just a romance – it's a testament to the power of communication, the resilience of the human spirit, and the enduring strength of true love, even in the face of war.
Whether you're a history buff, a hopeless romantic, or simply someone who appreciates the lost art of letter writing, this episode of the CT Book Festivals podcast is a must-listen. Prepare to be captivated by the extraordinary tale of "My Dearest Darling" and the remarkable woman who brought it to life