Online For Authors Podcast

Fiction With a Mission: Exposing the Hidden Crisis in Women's Prisons with Author Amanda DuBois

My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Amanda DuBois, author of the book Unshackled. In addition to writing the Camille Delaney series, Amanda is the founder and busy managing partner of DuBois Levias Law Group, a woman-owned boutique family law firm on Lake Union in Seattle, where she  maintains an active family law practice. Over the past thirty years, she’s represented thousands of individuals – both in divorces and medical malpractice cases. She’s also provided pro bono legal representation for parents who served time in prison and has become very familiar with the issues they face. Prior to becoming a lawyer, she was a high-risk labor and delivery nurse at University of Washington Medical Center.
 
Having a background in both medicine and the law has given her unique insight into the inequities of both systems. That perspective drove her to create the Camille Delaney mystery series. Camille’s adventures weave questions about justice into a fast-paced reading experience with the twists and turns one would expect from a good thriller. Her purpose in writing the series is to raise awareness of injustice and create an opportunity for readers to reflect on how our system could work better for those most marginalized.
 
When she’s not lawyering or writing, she’s usually working on the same social justice issues that she’s sending Camille out to explore. In 2015, she founded Civil Survival Project, an organization that teaches advocacy skills to formerly incarcerated individuals. Civil Survival also provides civil legal aid to individuals struggling with the consequences of incarceration and helping them with reentry. In addition to the Civil Survival Project, she is heavily involved in the community. Plus she has created a newsletter called The Ripple Haven. If you’d like to follow the stories of some amazing women, please subscribe here, https://www.amandadubois.com/blog/announcing-ripple-haven.
 
In my book review, I stated Unshackled is the third in the Camille Delaney Mystery series - and it was so good! You know how I love great characters, and Unshackled is full of them. Camille is an ER nurse turned lawyer, who is exposed to the oxycontin crisis and women in prison when she volunteers at the local prison. What she finds is appalling at best.
 
Abused, traumatized, and addicted women are put into prison and given no help. There is no therapy. No addiction resources. And no help keeping their families together. In fact, Camille soon learns that many women in prison are forced to give up their parental rights. When the mothers make it out of jail, they have no access to their children, which often leads them straight back to addiction. And the kids? Without understanding why their mom's 'abandoned' them, they are likely on their way to a prison sentence as well.
 
Camille meets Charli and agrees to take on her case. But it isn't as simple as getting her child back. Instead, she runs into drug dealers, drug kingpins, drug addicts, and a system that is against everything she wants to accomplish. This story will have you gripping your seat and praying for the right outcome! It's a must read.
 
Subscribe to Online for Authors to learn about more great books! https://www.youtube.com/@onlineforauthors?sub_confirmation=1
 
Join the Novels N Latte Book Club community to discuss this and other books with like-minded readers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3576519880426290
 
You can follow Author Amanda DuBois
Website: https://amandadubois.com/
FB: @amanda.dubois.author
X: @AmandaDuBoisCS
Linked In: @Amanda DuBois
IG: @amandadubois206
 
Purchase Unshackled on Amazon:
Paperback: https://amzn.to/44dy3Lk
Ebook: https://amzn.to/3FOKy85       
 
BONUS: Her publisher has created a 20% discount code for Unshackled. It can be used on the INDIEPUBS.com website using the code: UNSHACKLED20
 
Teri M Brown, Author and Podcast Host: https://www.terimbrown.com
FB: @TeriMBrownAuthor
IG: @terimbrown_author
X: @terimbrown1
 
Want to be a guest on Online for Authors? Send Teri M Brown a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/member/onlineforauthors
 
#amandadubois #unshackled #mystery #terimbrownauthor #authorpodcast #onlineforauthors #characterdriven #researchjunkie #awardwinningauthor #podcasthost #podcast #readerpodcast #bookpodcast #writerpodcast #author #books #goodreads #bookclub #fiction #writer #bookreview
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

From Pirates to Popes: The Wild Journey Behind a Sweeping Historical Epic with Author Kent Merrell

My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Kent Merrell, author of the book The Conquest of Liberty. Meet A. Kent Merrell, a man whose creative spark has ignited award-winning advertising campaigns, inspired global leadership talks, and now fuels the pages of his vivid historical fiction. With his latest book, The Conquest of Liberty, Kent invites readers on a rollicking journey through the reformation in Europe, the discovery of the New World, and the dramatic fall and liberation of the Inca Empire. His storytelling, steeped in travels to far-flung lands and two years living atop the Andes, breathes life into history with a flair only a master of “ideas that work” could muster.
 
Kent’s creative journey kicked off in a small Utah town, where he co-founded an advertising agency fresh out of Brigham Young University. His knack for crafting messages that make phones ring and perceptions shift drew heavyweights like Disney, VISA International, HBO, and Comcast to his doorstep. Recognized as a creative trendsetter in direct marketing, Kent’s trophy case boasts 27 international awards, and his creative presentation expertise has lit up stages from Europe to Latin America. In the mid-1980s, a Madison Avenue legend advised him to stay in Utah, promising the work would come—and it did, in spades.
 
But Kent’s story isn’t just about ads that pop. Leadership runs deep in his veins, sparked by watching his father, an entrepreneur with no formal power, wield profound influence through honorable character. After his father’s passing when Kent was 16, he devoured leadership books and seized every chance to lead—from Boy Scout troops to serving as President of Utah’s Vocational Industrial Clubs of America in high school. Later, Dr. V. Dallas Merrell tapped him to transform “Leading Global Principles” into accessible wisdom, crystallizing Kent’s understanding of influence and impact. Whether guiding corporate giants or mentoring youth, Kent’s leadership is as creative as his advertising, always aiming to inspire and engage. Kent’s take on leadership brings with it tasty chocolate chip cookie recipes with each leadership principle. Soon to be published will be the first ever delicious leadership recipe book “Leaderchip Cookies.
 
Now, Kent channels his global adventures and creative prowess into historical fiction. His debut, The Blade of Safavid, whisks readers across Ancient England, Persia, India, Africa, and the Americas. The Conquest of Liberty continues this tradition, blending meticulous research with storytelling zest. When he’s not penning epics, Kent’s busy with his wife of 46 years, raising five children and doting on 22 grandchildren. Follow his literary adventures at www.kentmerrellauthor.com or catch his broader musings at www.kentmerrell.substack.com.
 
With Kent, expect a tale well-told and a legacy that inspires.
 
In my book review, I stated The Conquest of Liberty is a detailed, many POV, Renaissance historical fiction. We follow the journey of several people - all of whom have incredible stories - and it isn't until the very end that we find out how all of these stories wind together into one. I was immediately hooked despite knowing next to nothing about the Moors, monarchs, and monks of the time.
 
Kent is a master at creating characters. For instance, Miguel, an archbishop's right hand man who lives in Granada should be very foreign to me. But within a few pages, I felt as if he were alive in my living room as he fled persecution, was kidnapped by pirates, and found himself questioning both his King and his Pope. Then, there is Alessandro, a young boy in the care of Balboa, the explorer, Maria, a women who fled her home and lived with the Gitanos, and Vano, the next leader of the Gitanos, not to mention Sayyida al-Hurra, a Morracan Privateer, Jalaf Morisco, a Morracan Exile, and Talavera, the Archbishop accused of heresy.
 
This novel is far more than a historical fiction - it contains within the pages action, adventure, mystery, and love. You won't be able to put this book down.
 
Subscribe to Online for Authors to learn about more great books! https://www.youtube.com/@onlineforauthors?sub_confirmation=1
 
Join the Novels N Latte Book Club community to discuss this and other books with like-minded readers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3576519880426290
 
You can follow Author Kent Merrell
Website: https://kentmerrellauthor.com/
FB: @KentMerrell
IG: @akmerrell
LinkedIn: @A Kent Merrell
 
 
Purchase The Conquest of Liberty on Amazon:
Paperback: https://amzn.to/3HqCg6A
Ebook: https://amzn.to/43ZaOFQ
 
Teri M Brown, Author and Podcast Host: https://www.terimbrown.com
FB: @TeriMBrownAuthor
IG: @terimbrown_author
X: @terimbrown1
 
Want to be a guest on Online for Authors? Send Teri M Brown a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/member/onlineforauthors
 
#kentmerrell #theconquestofliberty #historicalfiction #terimbrownauthor #authorpodcast #onlineforauthors #characterdriven #researchjunkie #awardwinningauthor #podcasthost #podcast #readerpodcast #bookpodcast #writerpodcast #author #books #goodreads #bookclub #fiction #writer #bookreview
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Breathing Dust: Why One Girl Refused to Run with Author Jann Alexander

My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Jann Alexander, author of the book Unspoken. Jann is an author, photographer, and artist. Her characters face down their fears, in novels that are as close-to-true as fiction can get.
 
She specializes in time travel. Read Unspoken, the first novel in her Dust series that stars historic Texas during the Dirty Thirties and beyond. Explore her photography featuring Vanishing Austin, Mother Earth, and Texana. Journey into the American southwest and Mexico, along the Mission Trail, as she captures the colors in her paintings and photos.
 
In my book review, I stated Unspoken by Jann Alexander is a gut-wrenching historical fiction detailing one young girl's experience during the Dust Bowl in the Texas panhandle. If you are looking for a simple read with no drama, then this is not for you. However, if you want the hard, gritty truth about life during the dustbowl of the 1930s, then run right out and grab your copy.
 
We see one dozen years of Ruby's life starting at the tender age of 11. She has lost her baby sister and grandmother to dust pneumonia, also known as the brown plague, and almost succumbs herself. That's when her father sends her away to live with a cousin in Waco, and Ruby's entire life unwinds. We also see snippets of her mother's life - a woman confined to a mental institution. And Jan did a remarkable job showing how both those lives intertwined!
 
I was horrified by conditions at the state welfare home for children as well as the insane asylum. It makes me wonder how anyone could survive either place - and how a child like Ruby Lee figured out not only have to survive but eventually thrive. Although a difficult book to read because of the raw honesty, it was well worth the effort. A definite 5 stars.
 
Subscribe to Online for Authors to learn about more great books! https://www.youtube.com/@onlineforauthors?sub_confirmation=1
 
Join the Novels N Latte Book Club community to discuss this and other books with like-minded readers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3576519880426290
 
You can follow Author Jann Alexander:
Website: https://www.jannalexander.com/
FB: @JannAlexanderAuthor
IG: @jannalextx
LinkedIn: @jannalextx
 
Purchase Unspoken on Amazon:
Paperback: https://amzn.to/4n2u7p7
Ebook: https://amzn.to/3FZrhR6
 
Teri M Brown, Author and Podcast Host: https://www.terimbrown.com
FB: @TeriMBrownAuthor
IG: @terimbrown_author
X: @terimbrown1
 
Want to be a guest on Online for Authors? Send Teri M Brown a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/member/onlineforauthors
 
#jannalexander #unspoken #historicalfiction #terimbrownauthor #authorpodcast #onlineforauthors #characterdriven #researchjunkie #awardwinningauthor #podcasthost #podcast #readerpodcast #bookpodcast #writerpodcast #author #books #goodreads #bookclub #fiction #writer #bookreview
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Love, Loss, and Resilience: A Survivor’s Story with author Christine Sadry

My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Christine Sadry, author of the book 13 Years Lost. Christine Sadry was born in Krasne, Poland, and was adopted in 1964 by a Polish American couple who lived in the United States.  After graduating from West Catholic Girls' High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Christine worked at the United States Social Security Administration from 1973 to 1979.
 
She started her 31-year career with the United Nations in 1979. Christine was a single mother to her daughter and the wife of a United Nations diplomat. After dedicating most of her life to service, she now resides in Naples, Florida.
 
In my book review, I stated Unspoken is a gut-wrenching historical fiction detailing one young girl's experience during the Dust Bowl in the Texas panhandle. If you are looking for a simple read with no drama, then this is not for you. However, if you want the hard, gritty truth about life during the dustbowl of the 1930s, then run right out and grab your copy.
 
We see one dozen years of Ruby's life starting at the tender age of 11. She has lost her baby sister and grandmother to dust pneumonia, also known as the brown plague, and almost succumbs herself. That's when her father sends her away to live with a cousin in Waco, and Ruby's entire life unwinds. We also see snippets of her mother's life - a woman confined to a mental institution. And Jan did a remarkable job showing how both those lives intertwined!
 
I was horrified by conditions at the state welfare home for children as well as the insane asylum. It makes me wonder how anyone could survive either place - and how a child like Ruby Lee figured out not only have to survive but eventually thrive. Although a difficult book to read because of the raw honesty, it was well worth the effort. A definite 5 stars.
 
Subscribe to Online for Authors to learn about more great books! https://www.youtube.com/@onlineforauthors?sub_confirmation=1
 
Join the Novels N Latte Book Club community to discuss this and other books with like-minded readers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3576519880426290
 
You can follow Author Christine Sadry:
Website: https://christinesadry.com/
FB: @csadry1
IG: @christinesadry
LinkedIn: @Christine Sadry
 
Purchase 13 Years Lost on Amazon:
Paperback: https://amzn.to/4n2u7p7
Ebook: https://amzn.to/3FZrhR6
 
Teri M Brown, Author and Podcast Host: https://www.terimbrown.com
FB: @TeriMBrownAuthor
IG: @terimbrown_author
X: @terimbrown1
 
Want to be a guest on Online for Authors? Send Teri M Brown a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/member/onlineforauthors
 
#christinesadry #13yearslost #memoir #terimbrownauthor #authorpodcast #onlineforauthors #characterdriven #researchjunkie #awardwinningauthor #podcasthost #podcast #readerpodcast #bookpodcast #writerpodcast #author #books #goodreads #bookclub #fiction #writer #bookreview
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Dancing Between Worlds: A Memoir of Magic in Havana with Author Rebe Huntman

My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Rebe Huntman, author of the book My Mother in Havana. Rebe’s memoir traces her search to connect with her mother—thirty years after her death—among the gods and saints of Cuba. A former professional Latin and Afro-Cuban dancer and choreographer, for over a decade Rebe directed Chicago’s award-winning Danza Viva Center for World Dance, Art & Music and its resident dance company, One World Dance Theater. She collaborates with native artists in Cuba and South America, and has been featured in LATINA Magazine, Chicago Magazine, and the Chicago Tribune, and on Fox and ABC.
 
Rebe’s essays, stories, and poems appear or are forthcoming in such places as The Southern Review, The Missouri Review, Parabola, Ninth Letter, The Cincinnati Review, and the PINCH, and have earned her an Ohio Individual Excellence Award as well as fellowships from the Macondo Writers' Conference, Virginia Center for Creative Arts, Ragdale Foundation, PLAYA Residency, Hambidge Center, and Brush Creek Foundation. She holds an MFA in creative nonfiction from The Ohio State University and lives in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and Delaware, Ohio. Find her at www. rebehuntman.com and on Instagram @rebehuntman.
 
In my book review, I stated My Mother in Havana is a profound look at a woman who lost her mother at a young age and continues to grieve for years. It isn't until she goes to Havana that she finally finds peace.
 
I fully expected to learn that Rebe's mother was Cuban - but she's not. However, Rebe's research about mothers and symbols of motherhood led to her Cuba where the Virgin Mary and the Cuban goddess of love, Ochún, are often intertwined. She wanted to understand this connection - and by doing so, she found healing.
 
Rebe started life as a dancer and choreographer, and she shines a beautiful light on Cuban dances and rituals along with their gods and saints. I was mesmerized by her ability to throw off her Western upbringing and fully immerse herself in the culture as she tried to discover what makes a mother, what defines the divine feminine, and what she remembered of her own mother.
 
I loved learning about the Afro-Cuban culture, their spiritual views, and the broader concept of motherhood. I think anyone who is a mother - or has a mother - will enjoy this book.
 
Subscribe to Online for Authors to learn about more great books! https://www.youtube.com/@onlineforauthors?sub_confirmation=1
 
Join the Novels N Latte Book Club community to discuss this and other books with like-minded readers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3576519880426290
 
You can follow Author Rebe Huntman
Website: https://www.rebehuntman.com/
IG: @rebehuntman
FB: @rebehuntmanauthor
 
Purchase My Mother in Havana on Amazon:
Paperback: https://amzn.to/3Hnowtn
Ebook: https://amzn.to/4mLUPCj
 
Teri M Brown, Author and Podcast Host: https://www.terimbrown.com
FB: @TeriMBrownAuthor
IG: @terimbrown_author
X: @terimbrown1
 
Want to be a guest on Online for Authors? Send Teri M Brown a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/member/onlineforauthors
 
#rebehuntman #mymotherinhavana #memoir #terimbrownauthor #authorpodcast #onlineforauthors #characterdriven #researchjunkie #awardwinningauthor #podcasthost #podcast #readerpodcast #bookpodcast #writerpodcast #author #books #goodreads #bookclub #fiction #writer #bookreview
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Love, Lies, and the Sixties: A Tale of Youth and Temptation with Author CJ Martin

Guest-host Carole O’Neill’s  guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is CJ Martin, author of the book Peter and Jodi (and Gloria). C.J. Martin, raised in a Chicago suburb, spent 31 years with a major corporation, gaining extensive international experience through multiple assignments in Japan and a posting in Singapore. He is married and the proud father of two adopted children, a son from Japan and a daughter from Indonesia. Now retired, he resides in the scenic landscapes of Western North Carolina.
 
In her book review, Carole stated that through the telling of the relationship between a graduate student and a senior in college, Martin’s contemporary novel is able to entertain the reader with his knowledge of the best music of the sixties. His trips to all the hangouts on Rush Street in Chicago will bring back memories to anyone frequenting those beer and dancing joints during their college days. Between keg parties, sorority, and football games, you feel immediately like you are a part of the scene.
 
As I read, I found myself realizing that Peter was typical of the males in his generation, finding it difficult to know what love is really about. His uncertainty about whether Jodi was the forever one in his life added to his guilt about his unexpected relationship with Gloria.
 
I fully expected to learn that Peter would tell Jodi about his entire encounter with Gloria and receive her forgiveness and acceptance of the ring that would allow them to move into the penthouse condo as a married couple. But it looks like we’ll have to wait for the sequel.
 
Subscribe to Online for Authors to learn about more great books! https://www.youtube.com/@onlineforauthors?sub_confirmation=1
 
Join the Novels N Latte Book Club community to discuss this and other books with like-minded readers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3576519880426290
 
Purchase Peter and Jodi (and Gloria) on Amazon:
Paperback: https://amzn.to/44onBBQ
Ebook: https://amzn.to/4k1csLY
 
Teri M Brown, Author and Podcast Host: https://www.terimbrown.com
FB: @TeriMBrownAuthor
IG: @terimbrown_author
X: @terimbrown1
 
Want to be a guest on Online for Authors? Send Teri M Brown a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/member/onlineforauthors
 
#cjmartin #peterandjodiandgloria #contemporaryfiction #terimbrownauthor #authorpodcast #onlineforauthors #characterdriven #researchjunkie #awardwinningauthor #podcasthost #podcast #readerpodcast #bookpodcast #writerpodcast #author #books #goodreads #bookclub #fiction #writer #bookreview
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Mafia, Masterpieces & the Vatican: A Story Woven from Truth with Author Margaret Philbrick

My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Margaret Philbrick, author of the book House of Honor. Margaret is an award-winning novelist and an award-winning poet. She lives into her calling as a writer and life-long gardener to plant seeds in hearts. John Ruskin’s view that the “greatest thing a human soul ever does in this world is to see something and tell what it saw in a plain way,” is a core motivation of her work in photography, poetry, painting, writing and music.
Margaret writes across all genre and has essays in Christianity Today, Relevant, The Redbud Hyphen, and Patheos. Margaret is a founding member of the Redbud Writers Guild NFP and is the contributing editor of the Guild’s collection of essays and poetry for women, Everbloom.  Margaret is a member of the Redbud Writers Guild, ACFW, Wedgewood Circle and the Door County Published Author Collective. You can find Margaret digging in the dirt or wandering in a forest and connect with her via her website.
 
In my book review, I stated House of Honor is a historical thriller set in Italy. Margaret touts the book as a Godfather meets The Da Vinci Code but with a redemptive twist. I tout it as a book I couldn't put down!
 
Orazio Bordoni is a son of a construction magnate - but he wants nothing more than to be an artist. So, he leaves home and follows on a similar path as Caravaggio - a 16th century artist very much admired by Orazio. Before long, Orazio is caught up in slimy Vatican politics, the Sicilian mafia, and a lover with a powerful political father.
 
What starts out as a "job" turns into a test - one where he must prove his loyalty to the mafia. Will Orazio lose his family? His lover? His friends? His art? His life? The tale twists and turns, often leaving the reader breathless.
 
Margaret does an amazing job helping the reader experience the underbelly of Italy while exposing us to the world of art - all while keeping us guessing as to what will happen next. If you like a good thriller, then you'll love House of Honor.
 
Subscribe to Online for Authors to learn about more great books! https://www.youtube.com/@onlineforauthors?sub_confirmation=1
 
Join the Novels N Latte Book Club community to discuss this and other books with like-minded readers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3576519880426290
 
You can follow Author Margaret Philbrick
Website: https://margaretphilbrick.com/
IG: @margaretannphilbrick/
IG (poetry): @seasonedpoetess
FB: @margaret.philbrick.9
TikTok: @seasonedpoetess
 
Purchase House of Honor on Amazon:
Paperback: https://amzn.to/4kdj8Hh
Ebook: https://amzn.to/43pelwO
 
Teri M Brown, Author and Podcast Host: https://www.terimbrown.com
FB: @TeriMBrownAuthor
IG: @terimbrown_author
X: @terimbrown1
 
Want to be a guest on Online for Authors? Send Teri M Brown a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/member/onlineforauthors
 
#margaretphilbrick #houseofhonor #historicalfiction #thriller #terimbrownauthor #authorpodcast #onlineforauthors #characterdriven #researchjunkie #awardwinningauthor #podcasthost #podcast #readerpodcast #bookpodcast #writerpodcast #author #books #goodreads #bookclub #fiction #writer #bookreview
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Polish Your Manuscript: Top Editing Fixes Every Indie Author Should Make with Editor Katie Chambers

My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Katie Chambers, owner of Beacon Point Services, helping Indie authors write with power. With a passion for words, a gift for teaching, and a flair for dynamic speaking, Katie brings clarity and energy to every conversation. She’s the owner of Beacon Point, where she and her team help indie authors polish both fiction and nonfiction. Katie is equally passionate about helping authors strengthen their writing and guiding freelance editors to streamline and grow their businesses through practical tools, webinars, and resources.
 
Here is what Katie says in her own words:  I’m Katie Chambers, an organizational expert, former English teacher, and editing agency owner who helps editors run their businesses with ease and authors write with power. As the founder of Beacon Point, I lead a team of editors polishing both fiction and nonfiction, and I teach the craft of writing with the same clarity and energy that once earned me the title “best English teacher” a principal had ever seen.
 
After becoming a mom, I had to reimagine my career, and editing became my second act. Within three months of working with Self-Publishing School authors, I was named  their top preferred editor. Since then, I’ve helped hundreds of authors sharpen their writing and bring their message to life. Whether it’s writing structure, revision strategies, character development, or crafting compelling nonfiction, I love making the writing process feel less mysterious and more empowering.
 
But I don’t just edit—I teach. I’ve been called the "admin queen" by editors I mentor and a "favorite conference speaker" for making business systems actually fun. I help freelance editors and creative solopreneurs streamline their workflow, manage clients with confidence, and finally stop drowning in email.
 
I’m also a full-time mom and full-time business owner, so I speak honestly about the messy balance of running a business while raising a family, and how to build systems that support your life, not the other way around.
 
I don’t believe in gatekeeping. I believe in lighting the way. I help authors shine like a beacon.
 
Subscribe to Online for Authors to learn about more great books! https://www.youtube.com/@onlineforauthors?sub_confirmation=1
 
Join the Novels N Latte Book Club community to discuss this and other books with like-minded readers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3576519880426290
 
You can follow Katie Chambers
Website: https://beaconpointservices.org
LinkedIn: @Katie Chambers
YouTube: @beaconpoint8734
 
Suggested books for indie authors on editing:
Understanding Show, Don't Tell: And Really Getting It by Janice Hardy:Paperback: https://amzn.to/3SkmLzl Kindle: https://amzn.to/4krbN74
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition: How to Edit Yourself Into Print by Renni Browne and Dave King:Paperback: https://amzn.to/3FnUogM Kindle: https://amzn.to/43pRRus
Teri M Brown, Author and Podcast Host: https://www.terimbrown.com
FB: @TeriMBrownAuthor
IG: @terimbrown_author
X: @terimbrown1
 
Want to be a guest on Online for Authors? Send Teri M Brown a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/member/onlineforauthors
 
#katiechambers #beaconpoint #editing #terimbrownauthor #authorpodcast #onlineforauthors #characterdriven #researchjunkie #awardwinningauthor #podcasthost #podcast #readerpodcast #bookpodcast #writerpodcast #author #books #goodreads #bookclub #fiction #writer #bookreview
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

From Cassette to Manuscript: A Historical Fiction Journey with Author Roni Robbins

My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Roni Robbins, author of the book Hands of Gold. Hands of Gold capitalizes on Roni Robbins’ nearly four decades as a published writer: a staff reporter for daily and weekly newspapers; a freelancer for national, regional, and digital publications. She is currently a freelance reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Medscape/WebMD, where she was previously an editor after serving as associate editor of the Atlanta Jewish Times.
 
Hands of Gold won, among others, the 2023 International Book Awards for multicultural fiction and the 2023 Global Book Awards gold medal for biographical-survival. In addition to the fiction awards, Robbins won three Simon Rockower Awards for Jewish journalism, including an investigative piece about Jewish seniors who feel “Out of Touch” in nursing homes. Hands of Gold begins and ends in a nursing home.
 
Selected as a touring author with the prestigious Jewish Book Council, Robbins appeared in one of the nation’s largest Jewish book festivals. Hands of Gold consistently ranks high on Amazon’s bestseller lists for biographical literary fiction and Holocaust biographies.
 
In my book review, I stated Hands of Gold is an amazing Jewish historical fiction. According to Roni, the story is loosely based on her Hungarian grandfather, but rather than write a family memoir, she chose to write a historical fiction about Sam Fox.
 
We meet Sam, first at his dying wife's side, and then travel back to see him as a young boy in Hungary at the turn of the 20th century. Sam's life is never easy. From Jewish hardships in the old country, to fleeing from Hungarian conscription, to stealing into first Canada, and then the US, to illness and poverty, Sam figures out how to find joy in a life that continuously throws him lemons.
 
And now, after 65 years of marriage, his dying wife, Hannah, tasks him with telling their children their parents' real history - with all the secrets - even secrets they have kept from one another.
 
This story is a wonderful family saga, filled with Jewish history and culture, determination, and religion. I found the details fascinating and often wondered which parts were true family history and which were merely the figment of Roni's imagination. I loved the book and believe you will, too!
 
Subscribe to Online for Authors to learn about more great books! https://www.youtube.com/@onlineforauthors?sub_confirmation=1
 
Join the Novels N Latte Book Club community to discuss this and other books with like-minded readers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3576519880426290
 
You can follow Author Roni Robbins
Website: https://www.ronirobbins.com/
FB: @roni.k.robbins
X: @ronirobbins
LinkedIn: @ronirobbins
IG: @roni.robbins
TikTok: @handsofgoldnovel
 
Purchase Hands of Gold on Amazon:
Paperback: https://amzn.to/436tjq9
Ebook: https://amzn.to/4j0y3Uo
 
Teri M Brown, Author and Podcast Host: https://www.terimbrown.com
FB: @TeriMBrownAuthor
IG: @terimbrown_author
X: @terimbrown1
 
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Furry Friends and Fiction: The World of 'Dog Park' with Author Michelle O'Neil

The guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Michelle O'Neil, author of the book Dog Park. Michelle also authored the memoir Daughter of the Drunk at the Bar. She has a background as a freelance writer in Washington DC, and her work has been featured in Literary Mama, Brain Child, Age of Autism, The Bark!, Cool Cleveland, and other publications. She is an RN, BSN, and teaches yoga in a large retirement community in SC.
 
In her book review, guest-host Carole O’Neill stated Dog Park: Tales of Heartbreak, Laughter, Community and Hope is a wonderful contemporary fiction. You don’t even have to like dogs to enjoy this book. Every time I drive by the dog park in our neighborhood, I try to imagine the stories playing out among the owners.
 
Michelle has captured the socialization happening within those fences. From widows using the park to prevent an otherwise lonely afternoon, to the young girl escaping the abuse of her father, each story will make you realize there is more going on than what first meets the eye. The optimism, strength and sadness I read about throughout the book gave me a new outlook on the pet owners who spend time at the park – an actual community behind the gate.
 
O’Neil’s characters are engaging, full of engaging backstories. I haven’t had a dog for many years, but this book has given me a reason to revisit that decision.
 
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You can follow Author Michelle O'Neil
Website: michelleoneilauthor.com
IG: @michelleoneilauthor
TikTok: @michelleoneilauthor
FB: @Michelle O'Neil, Writer
 
Purchase Dog Park on Amazon:
Paperback: https://amzn.to/43U2UMO
Ebook: https://amzn.to/4dX3lKL
 
Teri M Brown, Author and Podcast Host: https://www.terimbrown.com
FB: @TeriMBrownAuthor
IG: @terimbrown_author
X: @terimbrown1
 
Want to be a guest on Online for Authors? Send Teri M Brown a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/member/onlineforauthors
 
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*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.