Libsyn Directory

Sadeqa Johnson: Keeper of Lost Children

Release Date: 02/20/2026

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Devi S. Laskar joins Carol Fitzgerald to discuss her third novel, MIDNIGHT, AT THE WAR, which is primarily set in the years after 9/11. The protagonist, Rita Das, is a journalist inspired by Christiane Amanpour and Sylvia Poggioli, who planted themselves in conflict zones for their reporting. The book explores both personal and professional challenges faced by Rita, who is running from conflicts in her own life into parts of the world where she finds herself in unknown political circumstances as she works. She has complicated relationships, including a rocky marriage, a lover, a sick mother,...

Allison Pataki: It Girl

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Allison Pataki joins Carol Fitzgerald to discuss her latest novel, IT GIRL, which is a USA Today bestseller and a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Allison shares that her inspiration for the book was Evelyn Nesbit, one of the Gibson Girls of the early 20th century, who became America's first self-made female celebrity and “It Girl,” rising from poverty in Pittsburgh to Broadway stardom. The story takes place during a transformative period following the Gilded Age with new technology like electricity, automobiles and cameras, and the birth of Broadway as the “Great White Way.”...

“Bookaccino Live” Book Group: Patrick Ryan

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Patrick Ryan joined us for March’s “Bookaccino Live” Book Group. We had a brilliant conversation about his debut novel, BUCKEYE, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Readers from across the country shared their questions about the plot, the characters, the cover, the audiobook --- and so much more. Patrick noted that the book took six years to write and two years to edit. He discussed his inspiration for it, which included trips to see family in Ohio on summer vacations from his home in Florida. He also talked about the map he constructed of the town of Bonhomie to ensure that he...

Patricia Finn: The Golden Boy

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Patricia Finn joins Carol Fitzgerald to discuss her novel, THE GOLDEN BOY, a complex, non-linear narrative about marriage, friendship and redemption that spans multiple timelines. The book explores themes of memory, identity, exile and atonement through the lives of Stafford and Agnes, a wealthy couple who are living on Maui when readers first meet them. The novel’s structure consists of three parts: marriage (a 24-hour period on Maui), friendship (non-linear memories) and found family. This is Patricia’s first novel at the age of 71, and she talks about how her background — which...

“Bookaccino Live” Book Group: Lily King

Bookreporter Talks To

Lily King joined us for February’s “Bookaccino Live” Book Group to discuss her most recent novel, HEART THE LOVER, which is an instant New York Times bestseller and a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Eight readers joined us on camera to ask Lily questions about the plot and its various twists (spoilers ARE included), as well as character development, her writing process, the book’s title and cover, and much more. Other members of the audience, who submitted their questions via Zoom’s Q&A feature, were curious to know about Lily’s involvement with the production of the...

Sadeqa Johnson: Keeper of Lost Children

Bookreporter Talks To

Sadeqa Johnson joins Carol Fitzgerald to discuss her latest novel, KEEPER OF LOST CHILDREN. Like her earlier two works of historical fiction, it is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Sadeqa shares that she found a piece about the Brown Babies when she was doing research for THE HOUSE OF EVE. The story was calling to her, but she put it aside to finish that book. She learned more about the Brown Babies and Mabel Grammer, the inspiration for her character Ethel Gathers, in both Ebony and Jet magazines. Bringing these children from Germany to the United States brought lots of press;...

Wendy Walker: Blade

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Wendy Walker joins Carol Fitzgerald to discuss her new thriller, BLADE, a Bookreporter Bets On selection that is set in the world of competitive figure skating. The novel, which draws from Wendy's personal experience as a competitive figure skater (she trained in Colorado from ages 13 to 16), features alternating timelines that follow attorney Ana Robbins, who returns to her former skating facility to defend a young skater accused of murder. Wendy talks about the book’s themes of isolation, the pressure on young athletes, and the psychological impact of competitive sports. The dual-timeline...

Ashley Elston: Anatomy of an Alibi

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Ashley Elston joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her New York Times bestseller, ANATOMY OF AN ALIBI, which also is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Ashley reveals that she rewrote the book three times, changing structure, timeline and point of view. She shares the character she began with, and how the others evolved, as well as what stayed the same from the very start. Ashley was thinking about the Murdaugh family murders and how technology can help with an alibi as much as it can hurt it. She confirms that she is under contract for a new book and updates us on what is happening with...

Paula McLain : Skylark

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Paula McLain joins Carol Fitzgerald to discuss her latest novel, SKYLARK. Paula has been enthralled with Paris since her 2011 bestseller, THE PARIS WIFE. Her new book features dual timelines set in Paris --- one in 1664 and the other in the 1940s during the Nazi occupation. The characters face parallel struggles across different time periods. Both storylines address how people find meaning and hope through connections with others. In SKYLARK, the underground tunnels beneath Paris serve as a space of refuge and resistance throughout history. Paula conducted extensive research, including...

“Bookaccino Live” Book Group: Allen Levi

Bookreporter Talks To

Allen Levi joined us for January’s “Bookaccino Live” Book Group to discuss his New York Times bestselling debut novel, THEO OF GOLDEN. The audience clearly was mesmerized by the insight he gave into the characters and setting. Allen talked about his inspiration for writing the book and expressed his appreciation for how it has resonated with so many people. He thoughtfully responded to a number of reader questions. Some were asked by attendees who appeared on the virtual stage, while Carol Fitzgerald shared questions and comments from those who were camera-shy or weren’t able...

More Episodes

She learned more about the Brown Babies and Mabel Grammer, the inspiration for her character Ethel Gathers, in both Ebony and Jet magazines. Bringing these children from Germany to the United States brought lots of press; there is even a documentary called Brown Babies: The Mischlingskinder Story.

Sadeqa talks about crafting the three different characters the way that she did and the challenge of parsing their stories together. She also expresses her love of the audiobook, which features three voice actors --- Ariel Blake, Karen Chilton and Adam Lazarre-White --- the latter of whom she came to admire when he narrated S. A. Cosby’s work.

Our Latest “Bookreporter Talks To” Interviews:

Wendy Walker: https://youtu.be/y-2G5AC9heU

Ashley Elston: https://youtu.be/Yb_ig0leaQA

Paula McLain: https://youtu.be/vKwg0G18sCA

Belle Burden: https://youtu.be/kmlJvv037Yg

Rebecca Armitage: https://youtu.be/xVTebMX3Bg0

Vicky Nguyen: https://youtu.be/ssPMpaokVp8

Brisa Carleton: https://youtu.be/aE2cCH4oMsk

Alex DeMille: https://youtu.be/EstkI7Caul8

Lily King: https://youtu.be/ir_IaUnaru4

Our Latest “Bookaccino Live” Book Group Events:

Allen Levi: https://youtu.be/tELDtaqsD7g