Online For Authors Podcast

Winner of the 2025 American Writing Awards Podcast of the Year in Fiction and the 2024 Positive Change Podcast Awards for Best Host and Best Book Podcast. Tune in to be introduced to new and upcoming authors in a wide variety of fiction genres - from historical to fantasy to mystery to thriller to romance – as well as inspirational memoirs. Online for Authors is the only podcast with a host that personally reads and reviews indie-written fiction and inspirational/memoirs for avid readers who want to add books for their TBR beyond what they can find on the NYT best sellers list. As an award-winning host, Teri M Brown’s goal for Online for Authors is to introduce avid readers to characters they’d like to invite to lunch. If you read more than 40 books per year and want to veer away from the NYT Best Seller’s List or want to expand beyond your preferred genre, Online for Authors can help you discover novels written by Indie-Authors to add to your to-be-read list. Teri M Brown is an author of character-driven fiction and lives for the moments her characters speak their stories to her. Recognizing that other authors also have interesting lives and reasons for writing, Teri uses Online for Authors as a space for these authors to shine. Avid readers listening to Online for Authors will have the opportunity to discover new authors, amazing characters, and “can’t stop reading” stories. If you are looking for the next book on your “to be read” pile, then this is the podcast for you. Listen as authors discuss their latest work (no spoilers!), the impetus behind the storyline, how/where/why they write, what’s coming up next, and more! These conversations are in-depth because, unlike many hosts, Teri takes the time to read and review each novel before interviewing her guests. She believes that by doing so, she can guarantee a good fit for her audience as well as an interesting and inquisitive interview. Additionally, the first Saturday of each month, Teri releases what she affectionately calls OFAU – Online for Authors University. These once-monthly episodes feature writing tips for authors in all stages of their careers and speaks directly to her desire to mentor others. Whether someone wants to know about editing, marketing, book awards, being a guest on a podcast, or how notebooking can help you overcome writer’s block, writers and aspiring writers will find useful tips to move their writing to the next level. 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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Episodes

2 days ago

My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is William R Douglas, author of the book The Sun of All Our Anger: Civil War 2.0. William R. Douglas is an award-winning novelist whose debut novel, The Death and Resurrection of Baseball: Echoes from a Distant Past, was recognized by two book award contests: Readers' Favorite and the Independent Author Network. His latest novel, The Sum of All Our Anger: Civil War 2.0, is a Speculative Fiction story set in 2061, a time when the nation's divisiveness and anger finally come to a boil after the inauguration of the first openly socialist President.
 
After obtaining a Journalism Degree in 1980, his career turned down the road of Information Technology, working for well-known companies: Mindscape Software, Moore Business Forms, EDS (Electronic Data Systems), IBM, Sears, Walgreens, DELL, and currently The Boeing Company. He could still enjoy writing in his career, whether it was technical documentation, websites, newsletters, or other material.
 
He lives an hour northwest of Chicago in the small town of McHenry, Illinois (population 27 thousand), with his wife Laurie and cat Peaches. They enjoy spending time with six kids and nine grandkids and are active in their local church.
 
In my book review, I stated The Sum of All Our Anger: Civil War 2.0 by William R Douglas is realistic domestic military thriller set about forty years in the future. This book was amazing. Horrifying. Thought-provoking. Disturbing. Anxiety-producing. And a must-read.
 
The Civil War is something we should never want to repeat in the United States, but with political parties who refuse to work together, name-calling, and "dig in our heels" ideologies, many fear this could be on the horizon. The Sum of All Our Anger looks at the United States in 2061 and shows readers a worst case scenario that includes states seceding from the Union, martial law, and the removal of the founding documents of our country.
 
Quite frankly, I had to put the book down several times and swallow hard before I could continue. Why? Because I could imagine this scenario playing out. And the results of a second Civil War would be beyond devastating. I hope you read this book, contemplate what you see, and do your part to effect change - regardless of which side of the aisle holds your vote.
 
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 William R Douglas
Website: https://www.authorwilliamrdouglas.com/
FB: @Author William R Douglas
X:authorwilliamr
IG: @williamrdouglas59
 
Purchase The Sun of All Our Anger: Civil War 2.0 on Amazon:
Paperback: https://amzn.to/3Zv8LGO
Ebook: https://amzn.to/4kzrysR
 
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
 
#williamrdouglas #thesumofallouranger #thriller #militarythriller #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.

Tuesday May 27, 2025

My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Robert W Norris, author of the book The Good Lord Willing and the Creek Don't Rise. Robert W. Norris was born and raised in Humboldt County, California. In 1969, he entered the Air Force, subsequently became a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War, and served time in a military prison for refusing to fight in the war. In his twenties, he roamed across the United States, went to Europe twice, and made one journey around the world. In 1983, he landed in Japan, where he eventually became a professor at a private university, spent two years as the dean of students, and retired in 2016 as a professor emeritus.
 
Norris is the author of Looking for the Summer, a novel about a former Vietnam War conscientious objector’s adventures and search for identity in Europe, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, and India in 1977; Toraware, a novel about the obsessive relationship of three misfits from different cultural backgrounds in 1980s Kobe, Japan; Autumn Shadows in August, an hallucinogenic mid-life crisis/adventure, and homage to Malcolm Lowry and Hermann Hesse; The Many Roads to Japan, a novella used as an English textbook in Japanese universities; and The Good Lord Willing and the Creek Don’t Rise: Pentimento Memories of Mom and Me, a memoir and tribute to his mother. He has also written several articles on teaching English as a foreign language. He and his wife live near Fukuoka, Japan.
 
In my book review, I stated The Good Lord Willing and the Creek Don't Rise is a wonderful memoir about Robert's mother, Kay, as well as his own interesting life. This memoir spans 90+ years and gives readers a glimpse into the lives of two people who never quite followed the "rules" as set out by society.
 
Kay, twice divorced, spoke her mind, even when others thought she should keep quiet - just ask the Catholic priest who refused to give her communion. She raised her children with the same spirit - to know who they were and what they stood for along with a willingness to act. Kay was a lifelong learner, taking on getting a pilot's license, going back to school to become a legal secretary, writing poetry, drawing nature, and studying the Japanese language. She loved to travel and she loved her family.
 
I really enjoyed reading Robert's account of his own life and how his mother fit into the picture. I appreciated his candor - he didn't seem to have the need to paint himself in the perfect light, which means the reader gets to see his struggles and pains as well as his triumphs. Although Robert and I have very different opinions about life, I admire how he found his truth and then found a way to live that truth.
 
This is a fascinating memoir about a boy and his mom through the years. I think you'll enjoy it.
 
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 Robert W Norris
Website: https://robertwnorris.com/
FB: @bob.norris.374
 
Purchase The Good Lord Willing and the Creek Don't Rise on Amazon:
Paperback: https://amzn.to/3XNTS1L
Ebook: https://amzn.to/4i1hXZZ
 
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
 
#robertwnorris #thegoodlordwillingandthecreekdontrise #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.

Tuesday May 20, 2025

My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Marj Charlier, author of the book The Candlemaker's Woman. Marj Charlier is the author of eleven novels and three novellas. The Rebel Nun (Blackstone 2021), based on the true story of a nun who led a rebellion in the sixth century, won first place in both fiction and historical fiction from the Colorado Independent Publishers Association awards in 2023. The Candlemaker’s Woman was published by Sunacumen Press in 2024. She has taught memoir and fiction writing workshops at libraries, book festivals and OLLI programs, and has been a board member of several local writers’ guilds, and enjoyed residencies at the Dorland Mountain Arts Colony and the Vashon Island Artist Residency. Marj began her writing career at daily and mid-size newspapers before joining the Wall Street Journal as a staff reporter in 1984. After twenty years in journalism, she began a second career in corporate finance before retiring to write novels. 
 
In her book review, Carole O’Neill stated:
“The Candlemaker’s Woman takes place during the period of the barbarian migrations into the late Roman Empire. Not a period I read a lot about. My history lesson kept interfering with the memoir of a young girl sold into slavery by her mother for safe passage into Gaul. She promises to find her daughter as soon as they are able to cross the Rhine.
 
“As Melia waits for her mother’s return, life with her new family consists of near starvation as she learns how to stretch scraps of food to avoid starvation. She even finds ways to live through the brutal sexual assaults during the nightly visits by her new master. Her only relief seems to come in learning how to make candles. She becomes an expert at the craft and uses her knowledge to her advantage when the soldiers come looking for slaves.
 
“Throughout the book Melia shows the character of a much older woman, learning to become strong while enduring the life of a slave. I found myself rooting for her as she ran through town searching for help in delivering her friend’s baby.
 
“Marj’s character descriptions are vivid and real. Her research is notable. Putting it down was harder than I thought. Waiting for a sequel might be asking too much.”
 
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 Marj Charlier
Website: www.marjcharlier.com
FB: @MarjCharlierAuthor
IG: @marjcharlier
X: @AuthorMarj
LinkedIn: @Marj Charlier
 
Purchase The Candlemaker's Woman on Amazon:
Paperback: https://amzn.to/4jkXu3s
Ebook: https://amzn.to/3FZ3aSr
 
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
 
#marjcharlier #thecandlemakerswoman #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.

Tuesday May 13, 2025

My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Megan Mary, author of the book The Dream Haunters. Megan Mary is an award-winning international bestselling metaphysical author, dreamworker and host of the Women's Dream Enlightenment podcast. She founded Inner Realms Publishing to provide book marketing services such as websites and bestseller campaigns to women authors.
 
In addition to a career spanning over twenty-five years creating and marketing websites, she holds an MA and BA in English Literature, is pursuing her PhD in Metaphysical Sciences and is a member of the International Association for the Study of Dreams and the Independent Book Publishers Association. She lives in Idaho with her husband and two cats.
 
Blending the genres of mystery, fantasy and speculative fiction, her debut series, Witches of Maple Hollow, launched in 2024 with The Dream Haunters. Book 2: The Dream Mirrors & Book 3 will both be released in 2025.
 
In my book review, I stated Dream Haunters by Megan Mary is an enchanting cozy mystery set in Maple Hollow. It's a perfect book for those who love fall, Halloween, and all things magic.
 
Hannah Skye heads to Maple Hollow when she learns her Aunt Jewelia, her last remaining relative, is missing. While there, she begins to recognize that her family has a lot of secrets - and these secrets have a direct impact on her.
 
Will she figure out what she is supposed to learn from the residents of Maple Hollow? Will she rightfully take her place in the family line? Will she be able to save her aunt from the dream haunters? More importantly, will she be able to save the world?
 
Megan creates a wonderful scene and cast of characters. You won't want to miss this cozy mystery.
 
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 Megan Mary
Website: https://www.meganmary.com/
IG: @meganmaryauthor
Threads: @meganmaryauthor
X: @MeganMaryAuthor
Linkedin: @meganmaryi
 
Purchase The Dream Haunters on Amazon:
Paperback: https://amzn.to/3QSwuw0
Ebook: https://amzn.to/4caaoyZ
 
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
 
#meganmary #thedreamhaunters #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.

Tuesday May 06, 2025

My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Penelope Holt, author of the book The Angel Scroll. Penelope was born and educated in England and now lives in New York. She is a novelist, playwright, business writer, and marketing executive, whose work has been performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, York Arts Center, and New York’s American Folk Theater. In addition to writing fiction, The Angel Scroll, and The Apple, based on the controversial Herman Rosenblat Holocaust romance, Holt is a prolific writer, editor, and co-author of non-fiction, including Singing God’s Work, the story of the Harlem Gospel Choir, Emotional Intelligence at Work, and many other works. She is married with two children.
 
In my book review, I stated The Angel Scroll is a wonderful women's fiction mystery full of mysticism and romance. You are going to love Claire, a recently widowed painter who manages to paint a masterpiece well-beyond her abilities. Although the piece brings her fame, she feels like a fraud, having painted something that brings everyone else peace when it brings her nothing but sadness. Despite this, she can't bear to part with it.
 
Enter recently widowed antiquarian, Richard. He believes Claire's painting is one-third of an ancient Christian prophecy, and that this might explain Claire's recent psychic abilities. Before long, the two are on an adventure taking them to Jerusalem, Rome, Siena, Glastonbury Tor, and New England.
 
Within these pages, you'll find intrigue, passion, greed, love, wisdom, good, and evil - like a microcosm of the world we live in! Once I started, I couldn't put it 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 Penelope Holt
Website: https://www.penelopeholt.com/
FB: @Penelope.Holt
IG: @penelopejaneholt
X: @PenelopeHolt
LinkedIn: @Penelope Holt
 
Purchase The Angel Scroll on Amazon:
Paperback: https://amzn.to/4lqcKhw
Ebook: https://amzn.to/3RC1JM9
 
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
 
#penelopeholt #theangelscroll #womensfiction #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.

Saturday May 03, 2025

My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Sue Toth, author of the book about book coaching and editing. For the past 20 years, Sue's specialty has been in collaborating as an editor with fiction authors to turn their books into the ones that readers can’t put down. She works with authors on book coaching and developmental editing.
 
Sue has been a lover of the English language for as long as she's been able to read. You know the kid who had a book and a flashlight under the covers long after she was supposed to be asleep? That was Sue. The one who carried a book everywhere and had her nose stuck in It whenever possible? Also Sue.
 
Sue's entire career has been dedicated to either diving into her own editing projects or teaching others how to do it well. She taught fiction editing at the University of San Diego and journalism and writing at the college level.
 
In the rare times she's not reading, Sue enjoys being with her family, dancing to 80s rock and roll, and watching New York Mets or Jets games.
 
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 Sue Toth
Website: www.suetoth.com
FB: @Sue Toth Editing Services
IG: @suetothediting
LinkedIn: @Sue Toth
 
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 onPodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/member/onlineforauthors
 
#suetoth #editing #bookcoaching #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.

Tuesday Apr 29, 2025

My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Josh Boldt, author of the book Moneymaker. Josh is a crime and mystery author who specializes in Southern themes, settings, and characters. He is the author of three novels: Moneymaker, The False Favorite, and Slurry. He lives in Lexington, Kentucky, where he’s hard at work on his next story.
 
In my book review, I stated Moneymaker is a page-turning Southern crime thriller set on the Georgia coast. We meet Mack, a surveillance expert, when he accepts a job in Savannah. The job is to keep his eyes on a package, and it soon becomes apparent this package contains drugs - and a lot of them. While in Savannah, Mack becomes attracted to Avery, a local exotic dancer, who just happens to be addicted to the drugs Mack is surveilling. And just to keep the story interesting, Josh lets us see the action from a third point of view - that of one of the bad guys named Jerry.
 
Even though the story takes place during one week, the plot moves along quickly, as we see the inner workings of drug smugglers and what they will do to ensure they get paid for their delivery. And throughout this week, you'll find yourself worrying about Mack, Avery, and yes, even Jerry!
 
If you like fast-paced stories with intrigue, guns, and a bit of romance, then you 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 Josh Boldt
Website: http://joshboldt.com/
IG: @joshaboldt
FB: @joshaboldt
 
Purchase Moneymaker on Amazon:
Paperback: https://amzn.to/3E7G4bt
Ebook: https://amzn.to/43PhK95
 
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 onPodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/member/onlineforauthors
 
#joshboldt #moneymaker #thriller #southernfiction  #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.

Thursday Apr 24, 2025

My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Rick Glaze, author of the book Eight Pieces of Eight. Rick published the kayaking adventure, The Purple River in 2021, Spanish Pieces of Eight, a sailing adventure/mystery, and Jackass a Short Story Collection in 2022. He was a Columnist at San Francisco’s Nob Hill Gazette, attended the Stanford University Creative Writing Program, and is a graduate of Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, and MTSU.
 
He is an award-winning songwriter with two CDs, a Pandora radio station, credits on Country Music Television (CMT), BBC Radio, as well as radio airplay. Rick has rafted the Grand Canyon, the Salmon and Rogue Rivers as well as sailed throughout the Caribbean Sea.
 
In my book review, I stated Eight Pieces of Eight is a contemporary adventure full of mysticism, romance, and strong family ties. And let's not forget the treasure!
 
If you've ever wanted to go on a treasure hunt, then this book, the second in his series, is not to be missed. We soon find ourselves on a quest for lost Spanish treasure with Bev, her odd brother, her obsessed cousin, and a new-found boyfriend in a rural area filled with caves near Nashville Tennessee. Bev has inherited a sixth sense like her mother, and this sixth sense allows her to understand a mystical map that glows and changes offering clues to find a missing chest full of gold. But the map gains control of the owners, causing them to forsake all else for the possible treasure. Will the same thing happen to Bev when she comes into possession of the ancient map?
 
The twists and turns were fun and kept me guessing. And I learned quite a lot about Tennessee caves. The character development wasn't quite as deep as I would have liked and sometimes the dialogue seemed rushed, but even with these issues, I enjoyed the book and now want to know more. Luckily, the book ends in such a way that I believe I will get my wish!
 
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 Rick Glaze:
Website: http://www.Rickglaze.com
FB: @rickglazebooks
X: @RicksbooksRick
Tik Tok: @Rickglazeauthor
IG: @rick.glaze
 
Purchase Eight Pieces of Eight on Amazon:
Paperback: https://amzn.to/42j5XgS
Ebook: https://amzn.to/41BZNch
 
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 onPodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/member/onlineforauthors
 
#rickglaze #eightpiecesofeight #mystery #contemporaryadventure #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.

Tuesday Apr 22, 2025

My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Ellis Shuman, author of the book Rakiya - Stories of Bulgaria. Ellis is an American-born Israeli author, travel writer, and book reviewer. His writing has appeared in The Jerusalem Post, The Times of Israel, World Literature Today, and The Huffington Post. His short fiction has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, and has appeared in Isele Magazine, Vagabond, The Write Launch, Esoterica, Jewish Literary Journal, San Antonio Review, and other literary publications. He is the author of The Virtual Kibbutz, Valley of Thracians, The Burgas Affair, and Rakiya – Stories of Bulgaria.
 
In my book review, I stated Rakiya - Stories of Bulgaria is a collection of cultural short stories set in Bulgaria. In these short stories we follow such characters as pickpocketing Roma, a WWII veteran, refugees, authors, makers of rakiya, and hunters - all while learning about the rich history of the area. 
 
As someone who knows little about the Bulgarian culture or the history, I was enchanted by the stories. I was also intrigued by the foods, drinks, mountains, and churches. By the time I was finished with the collection, I wondered if a trip to Bulgaria might be in order!
 
As an author, I was fascinated with how the author weaved these tales into a cohesive whole - and loved how a character from one story would inevitably end up in another. Despite being a series of short stories, it reads far more like a novel, with Bulgaria as the main character. It's a great 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 Ellis Shuman
Website: https://ellisshuman.blogspot.com/
FB: @Ellis Shuman Author
 
Purchase Rakiya - Stories of Bulgaria on Amazon:
Paperback: https://amzn.to/3RwLK1L
Ebook: https://amzn.to/4ja3EU6
 
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 onPodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/member/onlineforauthors
 
#ellisshuman #rakiyastoriesofbulgaria #shortstories #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.

Saturday Apr 19, 2025

Today on Online for Authors, guest-host Carole O’Neill interviews Audrey Gale, author of the book The Human Trial. Audrey Gale long dreamed of being a writer, but never anticipated the circuitous road she’d take to get there. After twenty-plus years in the banking industry, she grew tired of corporate gamesmanship and pursued her master’s in fiction writing at the University of Southern California.
 
Her first novel, a legal thriller entitled The Sausage Maker’s Daughters, was published under the name A.G.S. Johnson. The novel explores one woman’s struggle to find her place amidst the upheaval of the radical 1960s. Her second, The Human Trial, is the first book in a medical-thriller trilogy inspired by Gale’s own experiences with the gap between traditional medicine and approaches based on the findings of the great physicists of the 20th Century, like Einstein and Bohr. Both The Sausage Maker’s Daughters and The Human Trial incorporate Gale’s fascination with historical and scientific research, and always with women finding their places.
 
Gale lives in Los Angeles with her husband and dogs where she is found hiking the Santa Monica Mountains every chance she gets.
 
In her book review, Carole stated that The Human Trial showed that a small number of high school students graduate early and get accepted into a college program of their dreams. Very few graduate high school at 16 years old and go on to get a full-ride at Harvard University. However, Randy Archer, the son of a steel-mill worker in Pennsylvania, does just that.
 
Audrey, the author of The Human Trial, takes you back to the 1920s, against the backdrop of The Great Depression, and introduces us to Archer as he is still living at home with his father and older brothers. They all expect him to follow them to a life in the steel mill. He has another idea, but no financial way to fulfill that dream.
 
Gale describes how Archer defies the odds, with the help of his high school counselor and her friend at Harvard. She convinces Archer he will be mentored alone the way to a degree at the prestigious university unavailable to many.
 
During his years as a graduate student studying to become a pathology researcher, he meets a physics student, Adam Wakefield, working on his PhD. He’s developed a much-advanced microscope which allows the two students to discover a way to offer a non-traditional healing method to terminal patients.
 
There is, of course, a love interest that Archer can’t quite understand. Why such a beautiful girl from Boston’s Beacon Hill would be interested in him, stymies him. Gale keeps you believing they will make the perfect marriage, or will they?
 
The Human Trial has something for everyone: medical science, academic scheming, blue-collared families vs. Boston Brauhmans, and an impossible secret discovery everyone wants a piece of. This is a book that will keep you pulling for the underdog until the final pages.
 
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You can follow Author Audrey Gale
Website: https://audreygaleauthor.com/
FB: @Audrey Gale Author
IG: @audreygaleauthor
 
Purchase The Human Trial on Amazon:
Paperback: https://amzn.to/3DquTdM
Ebook: https://amzn.to/4hgoaRm
 
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 onPodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/member/onlineforauthors
 
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