Much to Celebrate in the July Lineup on Charlotte Readers Podcast
We kick off the month of July with New York Times bestselling author, Jason Mott, in an episode guest hosted by writer, editor and performer, Alice Osborn. The book is “Hell of a Book.” How about that for the title of a book where an African-American author sets out on a cross-country book tour and comes face to face with race in America?
Kristy Woodson Harvey, another New York Times bestselling author also joins us to discuss her relational novel that explores what happens when a woman dies and leaves her husband and their frozen embryos behind. We also have five time Christy Award Hall of Fame winner Chris Fabry, author of more than 70 books, who discusses his novel “A Piece of the Moon,” an exciting, humorous, and character driven story about what happened in a small town when eccentric millionaire Gideon Quidley felt compelled by God to hide his immense fortune in the hills of West Virginia, leaving only a few choice bible verses as clues to where the fortune is hidden.
We also have other award-winning authors with a variety of stories. The month is all novels plus one novella, with additional themes of sexism, environmental disaster, sexual assault, mental health, survival, love, loss, and more.
See the full lineup below:
July 2 Jason Mott’s “Hell Of A Book” Is an African-American Author’s Cross Country Book Tour Of Love and Loss
In this episode 223, guest hosted by writer, editor, and performer, Alice Osborn, we visit with New York Times bestselling author Jason Mott, author of “Hell Of A Book.”
In “Hell of a Book,” an African-American author sets out on a cross-country book tour to promote his bestselling novel. That storyline drives Jason Mott’s novel and is the scaffolding of something much larger and more urgent: since his novel also tells the story of Soot, a young Black boy living in a rural town in the recent past, and The Kid, a possibly imaginary child who appears to the author on his tour.
While the book is at once about family, love of parents and children, art, and money, there always is the tragic story of a police shooting playing over and over on the news. Who has been killed? Who is The Kid? Will the author finish his book tour, and what kind of world will he leave behind? Mott says he has been writing this book in his head for ten years.
Plus, exclusive Patreon episode: Writing in Third Person with Jason Mott
July 6 Two Unlikely Friends Challenge Sexism in Silicon Valley in Lainey Cameron’s “The Exit Strategy”
In this episode 224, we visit with Lainey Cameron, #1 Amazon bestselling author of “The Exit Strategy,” a powerful and satisfying tale of two women brought together by the misdeeds of one duplicitous man and the friendship forged from their shared anger.
Ryn Brennan and Carly Santos are both bright and accomplished women in male-dominated fields, and therefore familiar with the subtle and not-so-subtle sexism that comes along with the job. After discovering that Ryn’s husband and Carly’s fiancé are one and the same, the two women band together to overcome heartbreak and ensure their mutual success.
Jennifer Klepper, the USA Today bestselling author of “Unbroken Threads,” had this to say about the book, “A #metoo story powered by real life, real hope, and an unlikely friendship between two women who find their true strength when they join forces to fight an entire industry steeped in sexism and one man who wronged them both. With smart prose and the insight of someone who’s been in the trenches, Cameron brings warmth and emotion to this Silicon Valley story of power, ambition, and friendship.”
Plus, exclusive Patreon episode: Writing Strong But Relatable Female Characters with Lainey Cameron
July 9 Environmental Lawyer Oversees a Mining Dispute Turned Deadly in Joel Burcat’s “Amid Rage”
In this episode 225, we visit with Joel Burcat, author of “Amid Rage,” an environmental legal thriller and the second in the Mike Jacobs series.
Mike Jacobs is an environmental prosecutor with Pennsylvania’s environmental agency, DEP, and finds himself caught in the middle of a mine permit battle between a psychotic coal mine operator and cynical neighbors with an anti-mining agenda. With offers from both sides and political bosses, Mike must find the courage to do what is right.
Steve Berry, the New York Times #1 internationally bestselling author of the Cotton Malone series, had this to say about the book, “Joel Burcat’s writing is tight and clean…Gritty, tough, poignant. Amid Rage tells a good story in a way every thriller aficionado will appreciate. Well done.”
Plus, exclusive Patreon episode: So You Want to Write a Novel, with Series Novelist Joel Burcat
July 13 Old-School Reporter Gets Revenge in the #MeToo Era in Eric Dezenhall’s “False Light”
In this episode 226, we visit with Eric Dezenhall, author of “False Light,” in which old-school reporting meets the #MeToo movement against the backdrop of sensationalist modern media.
When Sanford “Fuse” Petty learns that his goddaughter was sexually assaulted by a millennial media mogul on a top social media site, he jumps in to help. Instead of going to the police, he hatches a shady, entertaining, and ultimately satisfying plan for revenge.
Martin Clark, author of “The Substitution Order,” had this to say about the book, “…False Light is a masterwork—smart, funny, unpredictable, freewheeling, and start-to-finish entertaining. The plotting is brilliant, the dialogue always sharp. Better yet, perhaps, this novel is a good-news reminder that we can always find measures of virtue and fairness and hard truth in justice’s difficult alchemy.”
Plus, exclusive Patreon episode: Back Story and Subplots with Eric Dezenhall
July 16 Bible Verses Lead to a Millionaire’s Treasure in Chris Fabry’s “A Piece of the Moon”
In this episode 227, we visit with Chris Fabry, award-winning author of “A Piece of the Moon,” a novel inspired by a real-life treasure hunt.
Eccentric millionaire Gideon Quidley feels compelled by God to hide his immense fortune in the hills of West Virginia. As he does, he leaves only a few choice bible verses as clues to where the fortune is hidden. Treasure hunters and locals alike begin hunting for the treasure, but some will find where a true treasure lies.
Publishers Weekly called the book, “”A powerful story of faith and the material things people hold dear…This is Fabry’s best yet,” and the Scott County Library Journal had this to say about the book, “The rural South comes to life, with themes of forgiveness and second chances as highlights. The characters are both deeply flawed and immensely relatable, making this another hit for Fabry.”
Plus, exclusive Patreon episode: Hey, You Can Write, With Award-winning Author, Chris Fabry
July 20 Love, Loss, and the Power of Music to Heal in Kathleen Basi’s “A Song for the Road”
In this episode 228, guest hosted by author Christine Arvidson, we visit with Kathleen Basi, author of “A Song for the Road,” a poignant journey of grief, love, and acceptance.
Miriam Tedesco is still grieving the loss of her husband and twin teenagers one year ago. After finding an automated cross-country road trip planned by her children for Miriam and her husband to take as soon-to-be empty nesters, Miriam decides to take the trip in their honor.
Barbara Claypole, bestselling author of “The Perfect Son” and “The Promise Between Us”, had this to say about the book, “An emotionally complex story about reconciling love with loss, and the healing power of music…I loved every scene from the first to the last.”
Plus, exclusive Patreon episode: The Intersection of Music and Writing with Writer, Musician, Kathleen Basi
July 23 Kristy Harvey Delivers Warm-Hearted Tale of Love and Unconventional Family in “Under the Southern Sky
In this episode 229, we visit with Kristy Harvey, New York Times bestselling author of “Under the Southern Sky,” a novel of love and unconventional family in which two childhood friends reconnect and slowly realize that family is always closer than you think.
When journalist Amelia Buxton discovers a personal connection to the biggest story of her career, she reaches out to her childhood friend Parker with the news—she has discovered a cluster of embryos belonging to Greer, Parker’s late wife.
Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of “Before We Were Yours” has this to say about the book, “Sometimes the key to new love lies hidden in old friendships. In Under the Southern Sky, Kristy Woodson Harvey stirs up a warm-hearted mix of hometown charm and the sort of thoroughly modern problems that bring us back to the people who know us best and the places that remind us of who we really are.”
Plus, exclusive Patreon episode: Creativity in Platform Building with Kristy Harvey
July 27 Rebecca Hodge Explores the Multitudinous Meanings of Survival in “Wildland”
In this episode 230, we visit with Rebecca Hodge, author of “Wildland,” a gripping and emotional novel of acceptance, survival, and courage.
After Kat Jamison learns her breast cancer has returned, she retreats to the Blue Ridge Mountains to make a difficult decision—fight for her life or reunite with her husband in the afterlife. After meeting two children and a pair of abandoned dogs, Kat’s emotions are deeply confused. When a wildfire begins in the forest, Kat must now guide her small crew to safety.
New York Times Bestselling author Diane Chamberlain had this to say about the book, “Heart-stopping…Hodge shows great skill in writing a story that’s both touching and exhilarating.”
Plus, exclusive Patreon episode: From Veterinarian to Novelist with Rebecca Hodge
July 30 Allie Coker Shines a Light on Mental Illness in Novella, “The Last Resort”
In this episode 231, we visit with Allie Coker, author of “The Last Resort,” a novella told “in voices,” small vignettes of characters residing in a sanitarium who exist mostly in their own minds.
As we shift from each small perspective—patients, caregivers, security—we begin to see the Last Resort Sanitarium come into view more clearly, especially the experience of a young, enigmatic woman Sandy and her alter-ego Lex.
Alan Michael Parker, author of “Cry Uncle” and “Whale Man,” had this to say about the book, “Allie Coker’s searing and searching ‘The Last Resort’ is a polyphonic wonder, a choir of soaring and anguished voices. Everyone’s locked up here: the suicidal patients together with the shift-work caregivers, and we hear from them all. Whether ideational or lucky, ‘other-siders’ who have experienced death and returned, we’re all at risk in this terrific little novella. As #19145 warns us about being here (with these patients, and in our own heads), ‘It’s hard to outrun the past when you’re still creating it.’ What a stunning, harrowing debut work of fiction.”
Plus, exclusive Patreon episode: The Unscheduled Writer with Allie Coker