Bookish Flights: Themed Book Recommendations & Author Interviews

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Want to be a guest on more podcasts? After more than 250 interviews on Bookish Flights, I've seen what makes a podcast guest stand out and what can make a pitch fall flat.
In this solo episode, I'm taking you behind the scenes of podcast hosting to share a few things I wish more potential guests knew. From getting a host's attention to making the most of your interview once it airs, there are some things you might not have considered!
Whether you're an author hoping to reach more readers or an entrepreneur looking to grow your audience, you'll want to tune in before sending your next pitch.
Ready to start pitching yourself to podcasts?
I created Pitch Perfect, a self-paced workbook to help authors, entrepreneurs and creatives navigate the podcast pitching process and put what they've learned into action.
The BFF Book Club is becoming a family affair! ❤️ This our FREE virtual book club, where we read together each month and have live author chats.
Each Family Book Flight pairs our BFF Book Club pick with:
One chapter book for growing readers
One picture book for our littlest readers
A few family conversation starters + a simple activity
Three books. One common theme.
→ Join us here: https://bookishflights.kit.com/bfffamily
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Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!
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Today on Bookish Flights, I'm joined by contemporary romance author Deborah Clack to talk about her journey from high school history teacher to published novelist. Deborah shares how she always viewed the world through the lens of storytelling, the steep learning curve of becoming an author, and the rejection she faced along the way. We also talk about making time for ourselves as moms, finding hope in difficult seasons, and her Shelter & Sky series, including her newest novel, After We Fall.

Episode Highlights:

Growing up with a love of storytelling
Going from teaching history to writing romance
Believing in your stories while still learning the craft
Navigating rejection and the road to publication
Making time for creativity and letting go of mom guilt
Writing about grief, hope, and learning to live again
Why the Shelter & Sky books can stand alone, but are even better read in order
A Book Flight featuring three dramatic, emotional romances

Connect with Deborah:

Instagram
Website
Some links are affiliate links, which are no extra cost to you but do help to support the show.
Books and authors mentioned in the episode:
Lynne Gentry books
Becky Wade books
The Water Keeper by Charles Martin
Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune
John Le Carre books
Lynn H. Blackburn books
Book Flight
The Bodyguard by Katherine Center
Dream a Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Long Way Gone by Charles Martin
The BFF Book Club is becoming a family affair! ❤️ This our FREE virtual book club, where we read together each month and have live author chats.
Each Family Book Flight pairs our BFF Book Club pick with:
One chapter book for growing readers
One picture book for our littlest readers
A few family conversation starters + a simple activity
Three books. One common theme.
→ Join us here: https://bookishflights.kit.com/bfffamily
Support the show
Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!
Instagram
Facebook
Website

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What happens when you step outside your comfort zone and make room for something new? Courtney Walsh joins the BFF Book Club to talk about her novel Brighter Than Before and the courage it takes to get out of your own way, build meaningful connections, and remember just how strong you really are.

Episode Highlights:

Getting outside your comfort zone (even when you’d really rather stay home!)
Finding friendship and community as an adult and making friends when you’re constantly on the move
Why the smallest everyday interactions can make such a difference
The value of spending time alone and getting into your own head
Why female friendships can be so difficult—and so important—to find as an adult
The courage it takes to start over and Cclebrating the bravery and strength of women

Connect with Courtney:

Instagram
Website
📚 Next Meet the Author Book Club - The Brunswick with Callie Murray
🗓️ Nov 3rd | 🕓 5 pm PST / 7 pm CST / 8 pm EST
After her seemingly perfect life falls apart, Claire takes a leap of faith into a fresh start in Chicago, discovering friendship, purpose, and the possibility of a brighter future along the way. Register Here.
Books and authors mentioned in the episode:

Crafting Sweet Escapes and Swoony Fiction with Courtney Walsh (E153)
Ashley Poston books
Katherine Center books
As Luck Would Have It by Courtney Walsh (Pre-order for 03/02/27 pub date)
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Harry Potter - Full-Cast Audio by J.K. Rowling
Book Flight
Becky Wade books
Cover Story by Mhairi McFarlane
The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter
Dessert Pairing
Spies, Lies and Alibis by Natalie Walters
The BFF Book Club is becoming a family affair! ❤️ This our FREE virtual book club, where we read together each month and have live author chats.
Each Family Book Flight pairs our BFF Book Club pick with:
One chapter book for growing readers
One picture book for our littlest readers
A few family conversation starters + a simple activity
Three books. One common theme.
→ Join us here: https://bookishflights.kit.com/bfffamily
Support the show
Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!
Instagram
Facebook
Website

Send us Fan Mail
In this episode of Bookish Flights, I’m joined by national bestselling and award-winning author Katherine Reay to talk about her latest novel, The Undercover Bookshop. We chat about life on a Montana ranch, writing spy novels, the fascinating true history behind her fiction, and why sometimes the facts are far more unbelievable than anything she could make up. Katherine also brings us a Book Flight of Classic British Mysteries.

Episode Highlights:

Life on a Montana ranch and finding creativity in the quiet
How moving gave Katherine a chance to recalibrate her life and routines
Writing spy novels—and why she says she would “crumble like an old biscuit” as a real spy
The roles women played during the Cold War
Digging into the true history behind The Undercover Bookshop
Choosing fact over fiction when the real story is already unbelievable
The luxury of sneaking in an hour of reading during the day
Katherine’s Book Flight of Classic British Mysteries

Connect with Katherine:

Instagram
Facebook
Website
Some links are affiliate links, which are no extra cost to you but do help to support the show.
Books and authors mentioned in the episode:
A Shadow in Moscow by Katherine Reay
The Berlin Letters by Katherine Reay
The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie
What’s Didn’t The Ask Evans by Agatha Christie
John Le Carre books
Frederick Forsyth books
Daniel Silva books
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Astral Library by Kate Quinn
Book Flight
A Shilling for Candles by Josephine Tay
Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers
The Murder of Roger Ackroydby Agatha Christie
The BFF Book Club is becoming a family affair! ❤️ This our FREE virtual book club, where we read together each month and have live author chats.
Each Family Book Flight pairs our BFF Book Club pick with:
One chapter book for growing readers
One picture book for our littlest readers
A few family conversation starters + a simple activity
Three books. One common theme.
→ Join us here: https://bookishflights.kit.com/bfffamily
Support the show
Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!
Instagram
Facebook
Website

Send us Fan Mail
Today, I’m joined by bestselling author Annie Barrows to talk about her journey from editor to author, why she loves writing for children, and her Stella & Marigold series, including the newest book, Past and Presents. We also talk about the joy of getting lost in a story, writing with the reader in mind, and, of course, I couldn’t let Annie go without asking about one of my favorites, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

Episode Highlights:

Annie’s journey from editor to author and the moment she realized the writers were having more fun
Why she loves writing for children and believes kids are “the most interesting people on earth”
The Stella & Marigold series and writing stories that entertain and respect young readers
Why Annie believes a writer’s first loyalty should be to the reader
The pleasure of slowing down with a book and how reading can make us better writers
The joy of stepping outside yourself and living in someone else’s world through a story
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and why Annie believes the book continues to connect so deeply with readers

Connect with Annie:

Website
Instagram
Facebook
Some links are affiliate links, which are no extra cost to you but do help to support the show.
Books and authors mentioned in the episode:
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens 
Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows
The Best of Iggy for Annie Barrows (series for boys)
Like by Annie Barrows
The Magic Half by Annie Barrows
Indigo’s Star by Hilary Kay
Book Flight
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall (Middle Grade)
Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Klan, Illustrated by Sophie Blackall (Picture book)
Bog Myrtle by Sid Sharp (Fairy tale - early chapter book, read aloud)
The BFF Book Club is becoming a family affair! ❤️ This our FREE virtual book club, where we read together each month and have live author chats.
Each Family Book Flight pairs our BFF Book Club pick with:
One chapter book for growing readers
One picture book for our littlest readers
A few family conversation starters + a simple activity
Three books. One common theme.
→ Join us here: https://bookishflights.kit.com/bfffamily
Support the show
Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!
Instagram
Facebook
Website