Book Talk with Cara Putman

Today it is such fun to introduce you to my friend and debut author Angela Bell. There is something so sweet about that first, full-length book, and when you tackle something that blends Around the World in 80 Days with Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies you get the wonder and magic of A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventures. Y'all, I loved this novel. It was such fun with Victorian whimsy and a hint of steampunk. Historical romance, heavy on wonder and fun. Mystery with a tinge of suspense. Romance with a dollop of travel. There is unexpected depth to the hero and heroine as they both wrestle with the demons of feeling isolated and alone. The fantastical journey they embark on is a wonderous race around 1860 Europe, but it's also an exploration to learn about themselves. I so loved this carefully constructed, intricately timed journey of exploration and fun with hints of suspense and fun. Wait! I'm gushing. In our chat, we explored how her desire to travel shows up in this novel as well as how her love for the hero's war injury impacts him. We explore how she knew she was an author and the advice she would give her younger writing self. It was such fun to connect over this fun story, and I can't wait to hear what you think. Have you read it yet? Connect with Angela Bell Facebook | Instagram | Newsletter For more episodes, and to learn more about the authors I interview, visit https://caraputman.com/podcast If you enjoyed this conversation, I would be thrilled if you left a rating and review on your favorite podcast app! Get the free novella, Dying for Love, when you ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sign up for my newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Do you love a novel that incorporates the Gilded Age, romance, and mystery? Then you will love reading novels by Elizabeth Camden. In this episode of Book Talk, I loved chatting with Elizabeth about her latest novel While the City Sleeps, and her writing in general. As a former university business librarian, Elizabeth brings a unique perspective to her research and books. She's incorporating the emerging technology of the Gilded Age, with business and strong women to create a different type of tension. All of that comes together in While the City Sleeps, a novel in which the heroine is a dentist -- love that! When you're weaving a story with three strands (romance, history, and mystery), sometimes one wants to take over. You'll learn which one wanted to take over in While the City Sleeps as well as why a writer might knowingly have to make a mistake in the history for the sake of the story or readers. We also talked about my favorite books of hers as well as how rejection was a process that taught her to be a better writer. Y'all, this was such an enjoyable conversation, the time flew by and I know you'll love meeting Elizabeth and getting to know her and her books. Connect with Elizabeth Camden Facebook | Instagram For more episodes, and to learn more about the authors I interview, visit https://caraputman.com/podcast If you enjoyed this conversation, I would be thrilled if you left a rating and review on your favorite podcast app! Get the free novella, Dying for Love, when you ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sign up for my newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Today it's a delight to introduce you to Mitch Albom. I have enjoyed each of his books that I have read including Tuesdays with Morrie and The Stranger in the Lifeboat, so I was intrigued by his latest novel The Little Liar. We live in a day where truth can feel so elusive and difficult to find, that the theme of truth is critically important. Then I saw that the book starts during World War II and I was hooked. Y'all know, I am a student of that time period and write books set then, but the war in Greece was new and fascinating to me. The pursuit of truth and the impacts of twisting truth are so brilliantly woven into this novel. I loved learning how Mitch approaches the theme and story. This conversation felt like a twenty-minute masterclass in some ways while also being so engaging. There are decisions we make as writers, and he lets us behind the curtain into some of the decisions he made while writing The Little Liar. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Thanks for joining us for this episode of Book Talk. You'll be inspired! And be sure to share it and the book with a friend. Connect with Mitch AlbomFacebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok For more episodes, and to learn more about the authors I interview, visit https://caraputman.com/podcast If you enjoyed this conversation, I would be thrilled if you left a rating and review on your favorite podcast app! Get the free novella, Dying for Love, when you ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sign up for my newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

It's always such fun to chat with my friend Mary Connealy. She's at 75 books, y'all. 75! Our careers have run on parallel tracks, so I am truly in awe of the way she writes so many books that are all so unique with strong heroines, and cowboys. The secrets to her success? One thousand words a day and research is one of her favorite things to do. The core research for her latest novel Chasing the Horizon came from a book called The Woman Who Wouldn't be Silenced. I found that fascinating because I had seen this book several times and picked it up, but hadn't read it yet. Let me tell you, I cannot wait to read it now. But that book served as the string board for a series of what-ifs that became Chasing the Horizon. Mary's advice to new writers? Be consistent and write a bit each day. Her passion for this story and all of her books comes out loud and clear as we chat in this latest installment of Book Talk with Cara. Connect with Mary ConnealyFacebook | Instagram | Twitter For more episodes, and to learn more about the authors I interview, visit https://caraputman.com/podcast If you enjoyed this conversation, I would be thrilled if you left a rating and review on your favorite podcast app! Get the free novella, Dying for Love, when you ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sign up for my newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Who doesn't love a good romantic suspense? Especially when it blends romance with suspense in a way that welcomes the reader back to the pages again and again? That's why I love reading my friend Dani Pettrey's novels. It was such fun to welcome her back to Book Talk as we talked about the first book in her new Jeopardy Falls series. Set in New Mexico, One Wrong Move takes readers on a ride through the insurance world — with an ensemble cast that is a Dani Pettrey trademark. It was fun learning how she balances the main story with the additional threads — and what she does with all the scenes and chapters she has to cut. In this episode, she also talks about her biggest challenge as a writer — writing instinctually which makes for lots of drafts. And her best advice for herself as a young writer is to balance her time better earlier because that doesn't get easier with later drafts. These are just a couple of the gems she shares with us in this chapter of Book Talk with Cara. I can't wait to hear what you think and if you've read One Wrong Move. I loved it! Connect with Dani PettreyFacebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest For more episodes, and to learn more about the authors I interview, visit https://caraputman.com/podcast If you enjoyed this conversation, I would be thrilled if you left a rating and review on your favorite podcast app! Get the free novella, Dying for Love, when you ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sign up for my newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Today it's so much fun to introduce you to Sarah Sundin and Amanda Barratt. These two write amazing World War II fiction, the kind that pulls you in, yanks out your heart, and leaves you thinking hard about what you've read. They each illuminate different parts of the war and are meticulous at bringing the details of real stories to the page. In this episode, we discuss their newest books. Amanda's is The Warsaw Sisters, set in Poland during the war, and Sarah gushes about it. Sarah's is Embers in the London Sky and involves a Dutch mother who is separated from her three-year-old during the Blitz. They each talk about the joys (Amanda: finding the stories of resistance, Sarah: her characters in particular the hero), and the way they structure their days when writing. And in the end, they both give fabulous advice for their younger selves and current writers. You won't want to miss a word. Thanks for joining us for this episode of Book Talk. You'll be inspired! Connect with Sarah Sundin Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | BookBub Connect with Amanda Barratt Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Goodreads | BookBub  For more episodes, and to learn more about the authors I interview, visit https://caraputman.com/podcast If you enjoyed this conversation, I would be thrilled if you left a rating and review on your favorite podcast app! Get the free novella, Dying for Love, when you ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sign up for my newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

It's a delight to bring you this conversation with my new writing friend Jerry B. Jenkins. We've been in the same published writing group for years. But it was such fun to hop on Zoom and talk about his latest book, The Chosen Book Three. We talked about working with his son Dallas, writing the book after the production, which is the flip, and so much more. It was enlightening to hear his heart for this work and what God is showing him in the writing. There is such care in the process. There's also such fun in the writing and the choices. Jerry's been writing for 50 years, and he is a pro. But this is a calling. Writing has always been a calling, but there's a special add-on to this new work. I can't wait to hear your thoughts as you listen in. Connect with Jerry B. JenkinsFacebook For more episodes, and to learn more about the authors I interview, visit https://caraputman.com/podcast If you enjoyed this conversation, I would be thrilled if you left a rating and review on your favorite podcast app! Get the free novella, Dying for Love, when you ⁠⁠⁠⁠sign up for my newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Today it's so much fun to have my friend Amy Lynn Green. She writes beautiful stories set during WWII often in homefront settings. Today we're talking about her brand new release The Foxhole Victory Tour. Y'all, I adored this story set in a small USO tour — the ensemble tour is wonderful and the setting is unique with most of it being in North Africa. We had so much fun talking about the challenges and fun of writing a story with so many characters — she ends up writing so much more than you read. We talked about how she knew she was a writer and the advice she would give herself if she could go back in time. She also told me that she finds joy in the process of overwriting and then editing down to the core story. It works so well for her books and for us as readers. This is such a fun conversation. You'll love this chance to get to know Amy and her books. You won't want to miss a word. Thanks for joining us for this episode of Book Talk. You'll be inspired! Connect with Amy Lynn GreenFacebook | Instagram For more episodes, and to learn more about the authors I interview, visit https://caraputman.com/podcast If you enjoyed this conversation, I would be thrilled if you left a rating and review on your favorite podcast app! Get the free novella, Dying for Love, when you ⁠⁠⁠sign up for my newsletter⁠⁠⁠!

Today it is such fun to introduce you to my friend Laura Frantz. She is an award-winning author of historical romances, and we're talking about her latest novel The Seamstress of Acadie. This book is set in Canada with the French Acadians and follows the story of people who are sent from their homes in Canada to Louisiana and beyond. It's a story that will pull at your heart. Because she wrote this book during the pandemic, Laura wasn't able to do the on-site research that she usually does. That meant her research had to take different turns. Still, it's deeply embedded in the real experiences and that vitality comes out in the story. You'll enjoy hearing about the joys and challenges of her research as well as learning about a fun summer opportunity to travel to London with Laura and Pepper Basham in June 2024. The Quill and Tea Tour sounds like so much fun and is going to some of my favorite places in England including York, Oxford, and London. Finally, you won't want to miss her writing advice if you're an aspiring or current writer. Connect with Laura FrantzFacebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest For more episodes, and to learn more about the authors I interview, visit https://caraputman.com/podcast If you enjoyed this conversation, I would be thrilled if you left a rating and review on your favorite podcast app! Get the free novella, Dying for Love, when you ⁠⁠sign up for my newsletter⁠⁠!

Today it is such fun to introduce you to my friend Sara Brunsvold. She is an award-winning author of gripping stories that I'd call contemporary women's fiction or saga. They bend genres in the best possible way, and readers agree wholeheartedly. Her first novel The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip is finaling and winning all sorts of awards, and today we're talking about her second The Divine Proverb of Streusel. This novel is laced with recipes that sound amazing and the wisdom of a great-grandmother that guides Nikki as she reconnects with her heritage and more. You'll truly enjoy this opportunity to meet Sara and learn more about her books and how she is inspired to find these stories. Each author has a unique journey to publication and story discovery, and I loved learning about hers. I think you will too! Connect with Sara BrunsvoldFacebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon For more episodes, and to learn more about the authors I interview, visit https://caraputman.com/podcast If you enjoyed this conversation, I would be thrilled if you left a rating and review on your favorite podcast app! Get the free novella, Dying for Love, when you ⁠⁠sign up for my newsletter⁠⁠!