Bookable Space with Yvonne Battle-Felton

In this engaging episode of Bookable Space we’re joined by Edith Lynn Hornik-Beer reading to us from To Invest Successfully Terms You Need At Your Fingertips. Edith talks about researching the book, how (and why) the book came to be, the importance of understanding investment terms, and how we can learn from research. It’s an informative discussion about writing, research, and more.  About the bookIn your financial journey, it's essential to be prepared for the road ahead; a nest egg is important for starting a family, buying a home, retiring, or being prepared for a rainy day. Investing can help you fund your dreams, but there are many ways to go about it. Understanding the terminology can make all the difference. To Invest Successfully: Terms You Need at Your Fingertips features a wide array of financial language and defines terms with simple, clear-cut explanations. This guide covers financial subjects including stocks, money instruments, cryptocurrency, real estate, insurance, and loans, organized alphabetically so you can quickly find the terms you need. While this guide is not intended to advise you on how to invest, it can give you peace of mind by helping you understand the terms you need.About the authorEdith Lynn Hornik-Beer attended Simmons University for women. Her writing has been published both here and abroad in such papers as The New York Times, The Denver Post, Neue Zuercher Zeitung (Switzerland). She is also known for her self-help books. She has lectured among others at Chautauqua Institute, Colorado Mountain College, and Long Island University Southampton. About the hostYvonne Battle-Felton is an author, academic, and podcaster. Her debut, Remembered, was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction and the Not the Booker, and shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize. Winner of The Shirley Jackson Award, Curdle Creek is her second novel. Yvonne was a finalist in the Hurston Wright Foundation Legacy Zora Award for Fiction, has been awarded the RSL Scriptorium Award, and lives in West Yorkshire, England. She aims to create a literary community bringing readers and writers together over words. For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, of Bookable Space we’re joined by P.M. Raymond. P.M. reads from Things are as They Should Be and Other Things to Die For. It’s rich discussion about writing Southern gothic, what writing New Orleans makes possible, creating fictious places, crafting a short story collection, and more. About the book:THINGS ARE AS THEY SHOULD BE and other words to die for is an interconnected Southern gothic noir journey from reconstruction New Orleans to a present-day Louisiana landscape of terror. Littered with transgressive messages and exploring the limits of greed and vengeance through the lens of race and gender, THINGS ARE AS THEY SHOULD BE unites the supernatural with human failings.Bio:P.M. Raymond is an award-winning author from New Orleans. She is a 2025 Horror2Comic Semifinalist, 2024 Sisters in Crime Eleanor Taylor Bland Award Winner, and 2024 Claymore Award and Killer Shorts Screenplay Finalist. Her work has appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Writer's Digest, Punk Noir, and Dark Yonder.Where to buy:Uncomfortably Dark HorrorBookshop.orgYour local libraryIndependent bookstores – my favorites include:Quail Ridge BooksMcIntyre BooksMalaprops Bookstore  About the HostAuthor of Remembered and Curdle Creek, Yvonne Battle-Felton is an award-winning novelist, academic, event host, and podcaster, and lives a literary life bringing people together over stories. For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, of Bookable Space we’re joined by Scott Gould. Scott reads from Peace Like a River. It’s an engaging discussion about revising characters, returning home, knowing a place well enough to lie about it, writing process, diving into a good story, and more.  About the book: Peace Like a River, the latest novel from acclaimed Southern writer Scott Gould, weaves a lyrical and heartwarming tale of fathers, sons, and grandfathers, and the intricate bonds that define them. Sixty-something Elwin McClennon returns to his hometown in Lowcountry South Carolina— and the dying father— he fled fifteen years before. Accompanied by Thom, his odd and precocious thirteen-year-old son, Elwin embarks on a journey to reconcile with his father, and their complicated pasts, along the banks of the syrup-slow Black River. A captivating exploration of forgiveness, redemption, and the enduring bonds of family, Peace Like a River invites readers into a world where love and loss intersect with the healing power of nature and introspection.About Scott Gould: Scott Gould is the author of six books, including The Hammerhead Chronicles, winner of the Eric Hoffer Award for Fiction, and Things That Crash, Things That Fly, which won a 2022 Memoir Prize for Books. His other honors include a Next Generation Indie Book Award, an IPPY Award for Fiction, the Larry Brown Short Story Award and the S.C. Arts Commission Artist Fellowship in Prose. His work has appeared in a number of publications, including Kenyon Review, Crazyhorse, Pithead Chapel, Garden & Gun, and New Stories from the South, among others. He lives in Sans Souci, South Carolina. About the HostAuthor of Remembered and Curdle Creek, Yvonne Battle-Felton is an award-winning novelist, academic, event host, and podcaster, and lives a literary life bringing people together over stories. For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of Bookable Space was recorded live in front of an audience and streamed on Facebook Live. This episode includes the edited audio. In this episode, Helen reads from Black Swan Shock. It’s a lively discussion about writing place and space, writing stories readers can space into, writing from experience, writing the future, and more.About the bookOlympian Marla Case retires and considers becoming a medical responder. Before committing to that, she is caught in a massive earthquake. Reacting with her physical skills and newly acquired understanding of some emergency medical actions, she helps victims. However, personal tragedy also affects Marla, and she struggles to find catharsis herself.About Helen Hynson VettoriHelen Hynson Vettori (pronounced: HELL-lun HIN-suhn Ve-TOR-ee ) has always lived and worked in the Washington, DC area. Her knowledge and experiences gained as an EMT/paramedic and federal emergency manager enable her to write award-winning books with credible and thrilling Black Swan plots. She lives in Leesburg, VA.About the HostAuthor of Remembered and Curdle Creek, Yvonne Battle-Felton is an award-winning novelist, academic, event host, and podcaster, and lives a literary life bringing people together over stories. For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Bookable Space, Alex Crockford reads from The Time Capsule Murders: A Cambridge Mystery and talks about writing place, developing characters, the past as inspiration, and more. It is a delightful episode complete with character voices.About the BookSeventeen years ago, bumbling law student Roger Whiteley and a group of his contemporaries gathered for a pre-graduation party in Cambridge. During the evening they made secret predictions about their futures, which they locked away in a time capsule. The group reassembles in college to open the capsule on the allotted date, but less than twenty-four hours into their reunion one of them is stabbed to death and the capsule itself goes missing. Whiteley is dragged into a treasure hunt with his eccentric former criminology tutor, Gerald Sinclair, as the unlikely duo race to track down the time capsule and unlock the mystery before the killer finds it.  About the Author By day, Alex is a solicitor. He lives in Cambridge with his wife, eleven-year-old son and two rather large, bumbling ragdoll cats.About the HostAuthor of Remembered and Curdle Creek, Yvonne Battle-Felton is an award-winning novelist, academic, event host, and podcaster, and lives a literary life bringing people together over stories. For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Bookable Space, Brad Goldberg reads from Z vs V. We talk about writing vampires and zombies, writing Manhattan, creating your own rules, and more.About the BookKyle, one of the few remaining humans, struggles for survival in a world ravaged by both zombies and vampires. Trapped in Manhattan, he and a young girl, Chloe, face dangers from both undead forces, including Chloe's own vampire father who wants to turn her. About the AuthorI grew up in Chester County outside of Philadelphia. After earning a degree in Communications and Creative Writing from Carnegie Mellon University, I studied film at UCLA. As a trailer editor, writer, and producer, I’ve created thousands of pieces of advertising for motion pictures and TV. My fiction has been published in Best Indie Speculative Fiction: Volume IV, Bards & Sages Quarterly, Mobius Blvd., and on RipplesInSpace.com and Teleportmagazine.com.About the HostAuthor of Remembered and Curdle Creek, Yvonne Battle-Felton is an award-winning novelist, academic, event host, and podcaster, and lives a literary life bringing people together over stories. For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Bookable Space, Deborah Derrickson Kossmann reads to us from her memoir Lost, Found, Kept. It’s a moving discussion about writing life, writing family, and writing home.About the Book How does a psychologist fail to recognize that her intelligent, sensitive, and book-loving mother has created "the worst hoarder house ever seen?" After making the horrifying discovery that her mother had no water in her house for at least two years, Deborah Derrickson Kossmann begins the otherworldly excavation of a childhood home she hasn't been inside for three decades.Moving back and forth in time, from this surreal nightmare of an archaeological dig to recollecting her past and long buried family secrets, Kossmann seeks to untangle a web of complicated familial relationships. In her lyrical and unflinching quest, she comes to understand what's been lost, what's been found and what's been kept in both her own and her mother's life.About the AuthorDeborah Derrickson Kossmann won Trio House Press's inaugural 2023 Aurora Polaris Creative Nonfiction Award for LOST FOUND KEPT: A MEMOIR (January 2025). Her essays, feature articles and poetry have appeared in The New York Times, Nashville Review, Memoir Monday, Psychotherapy Networker and PSYCHE to name a few. Deb is a clinical psychologist who lives in Havertown, PA. https://www.lostfoundkept.com/book-lost-found-kept-memoir-deborah-derrickson-kossmanAbout the HostAuthor of Remembered and Curdle Creek, Yvonne Battle-Felton is an award-winning novelist, academic, event host, and podcaster, and lives a literary life bringing people together over stories.  For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Bookable Space, Vicky Pinpin Feinstein reads from Beyond Fear and Suspicion, The New Americans in Little Ethiopia. It’s a discussion about writing and telling people’s stories, building trust, and accepting challenges that bring us closer to the stories we want to tell. The episode was recorded in 2025. About the BookWhat happens when a Filipino immigrant tries to know her Ethiopian neighbours? A journey through the heart of Little Ethiopia in a Washington, DC suburb, Beyond Fear and Suspicion: The New Americans in Little Ethiopia braids the stories of former refugees, asylum seekers, students, and diversity visa recipients through forced exits out of their native land, all while still reeling from the traumatic effects of wars, famine, and repressive regimes. Returning to her DC area home after living in Sydney, Vicky Pinpin-Feinstein found that many Ethiopians had moved to the suburb of Silver Spring. In this enriching story of a Filipino American’s curious desire to know these people living and working in what was once an iconic American hometown, fear and suspicion greeted her at every turn. But Vicky was determined. Traveling to Ethiopia, she discovered a fresh perspective on identity, belonging, and the labyrinthine workings of a people divided by ethnicity, politics, and trauma. Beyond Fear and Suspicion: The New Americans in Little Ethiopia chronicles the connections and tensions between “others” struggling to find their way in, illuminates the often-shifting ground of who and what is an American in the 21st century, and reveals the emotional truths behind their courage, redemption, persistence, and hope.About the AuthorVicky Pinpin-Feinstein is a writer, former college lecturer, communications technology and society professional, and author of A Thousand Little Deaths, an account of her experience growing up under the Marcos dictatorship in the Philippines. With graduate degrees in the Social Sciences, her career focused on media and society at various institutions. Working with refugees inspired her to write Beyond Fear and Suspicion. She received an Individual Artist and Scholar Award from the Montgomery Arts and Humanities Council. Vicky lives by her motto that life is a curious mix of a love for organization and randomness.About the HostAuthor of Remembered and Curdle Creek, Yvonne Battle-Felton is an award-winning novelist, academic, event host, and podcaster, and lives a literary life bringing people together over stories. For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Bookable Space, Jean Burgess reads That Summer She Found Her Voice. It’s an engaging discussion complete with character voices. Jean shares insights into writing places we love, writing from life and research, and writing about timely themes like feminism in the late 70s, racial injustice, and more.About the bookSet against a backdrop of 1970s Baltimore, this is the story of 23-year-old Margie Stevens as she tours the country as a singer in aswing band and how she clarifies her own views on emerging feminism, social injustice, and personal spirituality – eventually discovering herauthentic voice as a woman.About the authorJean Burgess is a writer, editor, playwright, and workshop presenter. Before diving into a writing career, Jean taught theatre and speech communications on both the secondary and college levels for twenty-three years. She holds an M.A. in Theatre fromNorthwestern University and a Ph.D. in Educational Theatre from New York University.For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Bookable Space we’re joined by Julie McDonald Zander. Julie reads to us from The Reluctant Pioneer and talks about writing fact and fiction, research, and more.About the book:Matilda Koontz cherishes her life as a wife and mother on a Missouri farm, but her hardworking husband wants to claim free farmland in the Pacific Northwest. When he suggests selling the farm to trek two thousand miles across the Oregon Trail, she balks. But in the spring of 1847, Matilda and Nicholas Koontz and their sons embark on a grueling journey westward. Fresh graves testify to dangers of disease, accidents, starvation, and a multitude of hazards threatening her family and her beloved’s dream.With new struggles at every turn, Matilda wonders how she can protect her sons on such a perilous journey. Will they reach the trail’s end? Will the babe growing inside her womb survive? When tragedy strikes, the question changes: How can she possibly continue? This pioneer woman’s journey is inspired by a true story. Author bio:Julie McDonald Zander, who holds a bachelor’s in communications and political science from the University of Washington, worked as a newspaper reporter and editor before launching Chapters of Life (www.chaptersoflife.com) to capture and preserve life stories. She and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest, where they raised two children. Her nonfiction book about Matilda, Washington Territory’s Grand Lady, was a finalist for two national awards. This is her debut novel.For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Bookable Space, we’re joined by Nikki Alexander. Nikki reads from Arc of the Universe and talks to us about writing about space, the pursuit of equality, and what space and place make possible for the book.About the Book:Arc of the Universe is a contemporary fiction novel exploring themes of social justice and moral courage. Carrie Davenport, a Black law professor in North Carolina, has the career opportunity of a lifetime to design a system of government for a new experimental settlement on Mars. Can Carrie regain faith in herself and in democracy to craft the “government of the future” after an instance of police violence destroys all trust in institutions?Author BioNikki Alexander is a debut fiction author based in the greater Washington, DC area. She earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School. When she’s not lawyering or writing, she enjoys tap dancing and attempting to keep her temperamental houseplants alive.About the HostAuthor of Remembered and Curdle Creek, Yvonne is a novelist, writer, academic, event host, and podcaster, and aims to live a literary life bringing people together over stories. For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this engaging episode of Bookable Space, we’re joined by Amy W Daughters reading from  You Can Not Mess This Up. A True Story That Never Happened. Three readings and three questions, Amy talks to us about writing herself, researching the past, and writing her way back to who she was. Bio:A native Houstonian and a graduate of Texas Tech University, Amy W. Daughters has been a freelance writer for more than a decade — mostly covering college football and sometimes talking about her feelings. Her debut novel, You Cannot Mess This Up: A True Story That Never Happened (She Writes Press), was selected as the Silver Winner for Humor in the 2019 Foreword INDIES and the Overall Winner for Humor/Comedy in the 2020 Next Generation Indie Awards. Her second book, Dear Dana: That time I went crazy and wrote all 580 of my Facebook friends a handwritten letter (She Writes Press, 2022), has won several awards, including the 2023 Reader’s Favorite Gold Medal for NonFiction Relationships, and caught the attention of Kelly Clarkson! An amateur historian, hack golfer, charlatan fashion model, and regular on the ribbon dancing circuit, Amy — a proud former resident of Blackwell, England, and Dayton, Ohio, currently lives in Tomball, Texas, a suburb of Houston. She is married to a foxy computer person, Willie, and is the lucky mother of two amazing sons, Will and Matthew.About the book:It’s 2014 and Amy Daughters is a 46-year old stay-at-home mom living in Dayton, Ohio. She returns to her hometown of Houston over the Thanksgiving holiday to discuss her parents’ estate—and finds herself hurled back in time. Suddenly, it’s 1978, and she is forced to spend 36 hours in her childhood home with her nuclear family, including her 10-year old self. Over the next day and a half, she reconsiders every feeling she’s ever had, discusses current events with dead people, gets overserved at a party with her parents’ friends, and is treated to lunch at the Bonanza Sirloin Pit. Besides noticing that everyone is smoking cigarettes, she’s still jealous of her sister, and there is a serious lack of tampons in the house, Amy also begins to appreciate that memories are malleable, wholly dependent on who is doing the remembering. In viewing her parents as peers and her siblings as detached children, she redefines her difficult relationships with her family members and ultimately realizes that her life story matters and is profoundly significant—not so much to everyone else perhaps, but certainly to her. Amy’s guide said her trip back in time wouldn’t change anything in the future, but by the time her 36 hours are up, she’s convinced that she’ll never be the same again.About the Host:Yvonne Battle-Felton is an author, academic, and podcaster. Her debut, Remembered, was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction and the Not the Booker, and shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize. Winner of The Shirley Jackson Award, Curdle Creek is her second novel. Yvonne was a finalist in the Hurston Wright Foundation Legacy Zora Award for Fiction, has been awarded the RSL Scriptorium Award, and lives in West Yorkshire, England. She aims to create a literary community bringing readers and writers together over words. For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Bookable Space, we’re joined by Maura Casey. Maura reads to us from Saving Ellen: A Memoir of Hope and Recovery and answers three questions about writing, research, and more. Over a 35-year journalism career, Maura Casey worked as a reporter and opinion writer for four newspapers, including as a member of The New York Times editorial board. She has won 45 national and regional journalism awards. She writes a weekly Substack column called Casey’s Catch with 3,900 subscribers.  Maura began to keep journals at the age of 12 and never stopped. She also never re-read them. When she did, during the Covid-19 lockdown, she was surprised to see they contained pages of scenes at home about her big Irish family, her alcoholic father, wise-cracking mother and her sister Ellen struggling with kidney disease and its aftermath. The result is her first book, “Saving Ellen: A Memoir of Hope and Recovery.” It was published last year by Skyhorse Publishing. She welcomes reader comments at [email protected] Rice, author of “Last Day” and “The Shadow Box” “Saving Ellen” is a shimmering memoir of childhood, tender and honest, full of tumult and complicated love. It's a stunning portrait of an Irish Catholic family, but the heart of the story, and the beauty of how the Caseys love each other through it all, is universal. It's a brilliant book.”About the Host:Yvonne Battle-Felton is an author, academic, and podcaster. Her debut, Remembered, was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction and the Not the Booker, and shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize. Winner of The Shirley Jackson Award, Curdle Creek is her second novel. Yvonne was a finalist in the Hurston Wright Foundation Legacy Zora Award for Fiction, has been awarded the RSL Scriptorium Award, and lives in West Yorkshire. She is the Academic Director of Creative Writing at Cambridge University.  For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Bookable Space, Robbie Bach reads from The Block Chain Syndicate and talks to us about writing places that inspire story, writing what you want to read, and more.About the Book: When a dead man begins blackmailing Senator Tamika Smith, it sets off a chain of chilling events. Her boyfriend is kidnapped. A school shooting leaves his daughter wounded. A shadowy digital syndicate unleashes a string of crimes, from fraud and identity theft to assassination, all choreographed with military precision. As the country teeters on the edge of economic collapse, Tamika races against time to rescue her family and uncover the truth behind a global conspiracy built on blockchain and buried secrets.Bach’s insider knowledge of the tech world and his deep involvement in civic and policy circles lends a chilling authenticity to this thriller. With themes ripped from current headlines, AI, disinformation, political extremism, and digital vulnerability, The Blockchain Syndicate is not just a suspenseful read; it’s a wake-upcall.About the Author:Robbie Bach joined Microsoft in 1988. Over the next twenty-two years, he worked in various marketing, general management, and business leadership roles,including supporting the successful launch and expansion of Microsoft Office. As Chief Xbox Officer, he led the creation and development of the Xbox business,including the launch of the Xbox and its highly popular successor, the Xbox 360. He retired from Microsoft as the president of the Entertainment and DevicesDivision in 2010.In his new role as a civic engineer, Robbie works with corporate, philanthropic, and civic organizations that are driving positive change in our communities.  He was an Arjay Miller Scholar at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he earned his MBA, and a Morehead Scholar at the University of North Carolina,where he earned his degree in economics.He and his wife, Pauline, reside in Washington State, with their yellow lab, Roscoe. They have three grown children and two grandchildren.For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Bookable Space, we’re joined by Bear. Bear reads from Becoming Raven Bear, An Alaskan Magical Memoir, and talks to us about who we are when we change our surroundings, building a home, and building ourselves. Its one of my favorite episodes. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.About the Author:From 1968-1971, Bear traveled around the United States with his partner Jessica. They ultimately ended up in Alaska where they delivered their daughter in a remote cabin on the Yukon River in January of 1973. They split up in 1975 but still built another cabin in the Alaskan wilderness. Upon leaving that cabin alone on November 1st Bear froze his feet hiking on the river and almost died. He was stuck in an abandoned mining camp for 9 days waiting to be rescued.SummaryBecoming Ravenbear is set in the late 1960s through 1975. Follow Efrem/Bear/Ravenbear through his adventures and struggles as he travels around Europe, the United States and in the wildness of Alaska and the Yukon Territory. Join him as he searches for his spiritual connections and comes to trust the spirits of the deep wilderness.To contact Bear directly, please email [email protected] or visit the website to view hundreds of color photos here www.ravenbearstories.com For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andrea Harrison reading from The Selfish Shellfish and the Sick Sea. Angela reads from the book and talks to us about the importance of teaching children about conservation, her love for the sea and more. About the bookThe author takes children on a journey to experience how the main shellfish character’s selfish and greedy behavior will propel other fish to work together with compassion to improve conditions and their survival in the ocean. This environmental story is meant to create an awareness in young children about the importance of preserving the ocean, as well as reminding them that problems affecting everyone in a community can be solved with cooperation, generosity, empathy, and truthfulness.About the authorAndrea Harrison, a retired elementary school teacher and current content marketing writer, always wanted to become a published writer. From very young, Andrea was always creating stories, some she wrote down and others she kept in her head, yet never had the courage to turn any of it into a book, until now. *While the sale mentioned in the episode has passed, visit Andrea's book page here for sales, offers, coloring sheets, and more.For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Bookable Space, we’re joined by Lacy Fewer. Lacy readds to us from  Yankeeland and talks about writing heartache, family history, living out dreams on the page, and connecting with the past.About Yankeeland:Brigid feels hindered by the strict society of her small Irish town in the early 1900’s and dreams of a new life in the land of opportunity they call Yankeeland—America. Brigid’s quest to have a child see’s her mental stability questioned. Caught up in a patriarchal medical establishment she has little power to fight. The new life in America Brigid dreamed about takes a drastic turn. Decades later Brigid’s grandniece discovers a sack full of letters which unravels the story and vows to tell the tale of what really happened to Brigid in Yankeeland. About the author:Lacy Fewer is a native of Dublin, Ireland. A graduate of University College Dublin, she has enjoyed a career in banking and finance. Following her passion for storytelling she has shifted her focus to writing. Yankeeland is her debut novel and was inspired by the discovery of her grandaunt's letter, which haunted her. She lives in Meath with her husband and children.For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Bookable Space we’re joined by Joyce Yarrow. Joyce reads to us from Zahara and the Lost Books of Light. We talk about writing the past, inspiration, and bringing places to life through research and imagination.About the bookJournalist Alienor Crespo discovers a trove of irreplaceable books rescued from the flames of the Spanish Inquisition. Using her gift of second sight, Alienor exploits her knowledge of the past to confront extremists, who are bent on destroying all evidence of harmony between Christians, Muslims, and Jews in Medieval Spain. The future of the underground library of Zahara is at stake as well as the lives of its protectors. Selected as Best Book in Historical Fiction by the PenCraft Award for Literary Excellence, Zahara and the Lost Books of Light will hold you spellbound until the end.For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Bookable Space, we’re joined by Eric Grandy. Eric reads to us from Accidental Paradise and talks about writing books where good people make good decisions.About the authorEric Grandy was born and raised in Baltimore. After graduating from City College and from Essex Community College, he was drafted by the Chicago Cubs and played six years for them. He went on to be a photographer, lab manager, driver for DHL and warehouse manager. Today he writes full time. About the bookIn Accidental Paradise, natural talent, hard work, and a childhood friend help LaVern Whitaker find her calling as an actress. When her life becomes overwhelming, they discover a small, North Carolina town where her true identity can remain unknown and she can stay out of the spotlight. The more she visits her secret getaway, the more deeply she feels connected to the history, the lifestyle, and the people. Could this place be her home away from home, or become the home she has dreamed of? Or will sinister forces rip it all away?For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Bookable Space, we’re joined by Ilana Debare. Ilana reads to us from Shaken Loose and Shaken Free. It’s an interesting discussion about writing Hell, researching and developing characters, and more.About the authorIlana DeBare is a former newspaper reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle and Sacramento Bee. She’s author of a nonfiction book, Where Girls Come First: The Rise, Fall, and Surprising Revival of Girls’ Schools, as well as two fantasy novels, Shaken Loose and Shaken Free. She lives in Oakland, California.About the bookAnnie Maple, a 29-year-old college dropout, dies and goes to Hell. Trying to escape, she learns Hell is a profoundly unjust place filled both with truly evil people and billions of decent souls who simply didn’t happen to be Christian. Seeking the courage to transcend her past failures, Annie must choose between returning to life and challenging this system of divine injustice.Readers can find Shaken Loose and Shaken Free either online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Bookshop.org, or by ordering from their local independent bookstore. Links to order online are also on my website at ilanadebare.comFor information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Bookable Space, Lucie Andre reads to us from Never Ready and talks about writing about the Aids crisis, what writing NYC and memory make possible, writing as a time capsule and more. About the Author: Lucie André moved to New York with a BA from UVa and few skills beyond waitressing and reading. Her love of art, people, and art-people led her to fundraising for some of the city’s best organizations.In Atlanta she and her husband renovated a house and raised a daughter, as shebuilt a consulting business and dreamed of being a writer. Now in Baltimore, she is.About the book:Never Ready is a New York coming of agePrecocious Henrietta Drake knows it’s weird if your mother is your best friend. When her mom decamps for a Swiss psychiatric hospital, things really unravel.Henri isn’t thrilled about a senior year with only her architecturally obsessed dad and is shocked when he suggests she drop out and head for the West Village.The only catch is she has to live with a half sister she barely knows and work for a dance company she’s never heard of.As the orbit of design and dance around American Genius Mark Carpenter collides with an epidemic, it reveals the tough, tender secrets of dysfunctional art families. Now Henri must confront their contradictions and fragility, not to mention her own.  Never Ready features an anxious heroine curating her own life. Art helps her hang on, but is she ready for more goodbyes?For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Bookable Space, we’re joined by Carolyn Korsmeyer reading from Riddle of Spirit and Bone. Carolyn talks to us about influences for the book, writing and researching places you know well, what location makes possible, and more. About Riddle of Spirit and Bone The discovery of a skeleton buried beneath a city sidewalk leads a group of student archaeologists to the nineteenth century spiritualist movement and the journey of three women seeking answers from beyond the grave. As the past collides with the present, layers of time peel back to reveal long-buried secrets of loss, love, and murder.Author bio: Carolyn Korsmeyer’s previous two novels include a narrative set in Jane Austen’s England and a mystery set in Krakow at the turn of the millennium. She lives in Buffalo, New York, where half of the dual timeline of Riddle of Spirit and Bone takes place.For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Bookable Space, we're joined by Megan Mary. Megan reads to us from The Dream Haunters: A Metaphysical Mystery of Magick. Book 1 of the Witches of Maple Hollow Trilogy. We talk about writing spaces, the importance of writing and reflecting on dreams, and more. About the book: Hannah Skye receives a cryptic letter from her missing Aunt Jewelia. Her experience of a recurring pumpkin patch dream unfolds into a spiritual journey to Maple Hollow, a mysterious island of eternal autumn, where she discovers the mystical Skye Manor and her magickal family legacy.About the author: Megan Mary is an international bestselling metaphysical author of the Witches of Maple Hollow trilogy, dreamworker and host of the Women's Dream Enlightenment podcast. She founded Inner Realms Publishing, holds an MA and BA in English Literature and is pursuing her PhD in Metaphysical Sciences. For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Bookable Space, we're joined by Wendy Pratt. Wendy reads from The Ghost Lake and talks about what she learned about herself and the world around us while writing this moving memoir about grief, place, and the natural world.About the author:Wendy Pratt is a poet, author, editor and workshop facilitator living and working on the North Yorkshire coast, where she grew up. She is the author of five collections of poetry. Her latest collection When I Think of My Body as a Horse (Smith|Doorstop Books) won the Poetry Business Book and Pamphlet award in 2021. She is the founder and editor in chief of Spelt Magazine, and runs courses and workshops at York Centre for Lifelong Learning.About the book:A memoir of grief, nature and ancestry in rural Yorkshire.I am setting out on a pilgrimage through an ancient landscape.I will begin at my daughter’s grave. Paleolake Flixton is an extinct lake in North Yorkshire. Human occupation of the site dates back thousands of years to prehistoric times. Over the millennia, the vast lake disappeared, turning to wetland and peaty fields. Today all that is left of it is a watermark.Wendy Pratt brings the reader on a pilgrimage around the ghost lake, to locations that have acted as journey markers in her own life. While traversing forests and fenland, she reflects on the process of finding belonging in nature as a woman who exists in a series of liminal spaces – as a working-class writer, an infertile woman in a fertile world and a bereaved mother in a society focused on children.An early draft of The Ghost Lake was longlisted for the 2021 Nan Shepherd Prize.For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this engaging episode of Bookable Space, host Yvonne Battle-Felton is joined by Marcia Hutchinson reading The Mercy Step.About the Author After attending Oxford University and working as a lawyer in the City Marcia Hutchinson relocated back to Yorkshire where she founded and ran educational publishing company Primary Colours from 1997 - 2014. She was awarded an MBE for services to Cultural Diversity in 2010 and is now a full time writer.About the bookThe Mercy Step follows precocious child Mercy from birth to her relationships with her family in 1960's Bradford. If she had her way it would just be Mercy and her mother but her siblings and her fear-inducing father keep getting in the way. She responds by living in her imagination with her faithfull Dolly.About the hostYvonne Battle-Felton is an award-winning author, academic, editor, podcaster, host, creative producer, and writer. Her debut, Remembered (Dialogue Books, Blackstone Publishing) was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction (2019) and shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize (2020). Yvonne has six titles in Penguin Random House’s The Ladybird series. Yvonne is former Senior Commissioning Editor at Hachette’s John Murray Press and is the Academic Director of Creative Writing at Cambridge University. Winner of The Shirley Jackson Award (novel), Curdle Creek (2024 Dialogue Books, Henry Holt), a gothic horror inspired by Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery, is her second novel. Yvonne is a podcaster, author, literary event organizer, event host, and lover of stories. For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Bookable Space, host Yvonne Battle-Felton is joined by A.C. Adams reading from Chasing Shadows. It's a heartfelt discussion about family, fictions, writing, and more.About the BookWhen renowned professor Dr. Aidan Ryan vanishes without explanation, he leaves behind a haunting message revealing he has a new life and can never return. His devastated daughter Sofia embarks on a global search to uncover the truth behind her father’s disappearance. What she finds is more shocking than she could have imagined—a web of family secrets and lies that challenges everything she thought she knew.BIOA.C. Adams is the nom de plume of co-authors Anthony Leigh Adams and Christina Adams. They have written and produced film and television projects for studios including Disney, ABC, CBS, NBC, and OWN. For more information about Chasing Shadows and A.C. Adams’s other projects, visit adamsentertainment.com.Links to Buy the Chasing Shadows Book and AudiobookAmazonBarnes & NobleApple BooksChasing Shadows Book TrailerAuthor’s Websitehttp://adams-entertainment.comAbout the hostYvonne Battle-Felton is an author, academic, editor, podcaster, host, creative producer, and writer. Her debut, Remembered (Dialogue Books, Blackstone Publishing) was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction (2019) and the Not the Booker, and shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize (2020). Yvonne has six titles in Penguin Random House’s The Ladybird series. Curdle Creek (2024 Dialogue Books, Henry Holt), a gothic horror inspired by Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery, is her second novel and has been nominated for the Shirley Jackson Awards. Follow Yvonne on Substack on Why I Write: Yvonne Battle-FeltonFor information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this engaging episode, we’re joined by Kelechi Okafor. Kelechi reads to us from her debut novel, Awakened. We talk about adventures, writing future present, and more.About the AuthorKelechi Okafor is a Nigerian-born, London-based writer of fiction, journalism, stage and screen. Her work explores global issues through an anti-colonial, anti-white supremacy, and anti-heteropatriarchy lens. In 2024, she launched her subscription platform, Keleidoscope, and opened ‘Child of Light’, a children’s home and resource centre in Nigeria. Known online as @Kelechnekoff and affectionately as ‘just a Baby Girl,’ Kelechi draws creative strength from writers like Toni Morrison, Octavia Butler, bell hooks and Audre Lorde, and deities including Oshun and Yemoja. Her voice echoes a legacy of radical storytelling.About the bookIn a near-future London where technology affects everything from our bodies to our politics, journalist Pels Badmus wants to make a difference. She’s desperate to solve a spate of disappearances of young Black children but her boss doesn’t want to hear it. Instead, he assigns her to cover protests linked to sacred Spirit Vine rituals in Benin. Pels finds herself in West Africa, agreeing to the assignment in the hope she can leverage it later. She’s also trying to ignore the strange, ethereal dreams she’s been having... and when Pels takes the Spirit Vine herself, she experiences something divine; something that points to an unfulfilled destiny that could change the course of her life.About the hostYvonne Battle-Felton is an author, academic, editor, podcaster, host, creative producer, and writer. Her debut, Remembered (Dialogue Books, Blackstone Publishing) was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction (2019) and the Not the Booker, and shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize (2020). Yvonne has six titles in Penguin Random House’s The Ladybird series. Curdle Creek (2024 Dialogue Books, Henry Holt), a gothic horror inspired by Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery, is her second novel and has been nominated for the Shirley Jackson Awards. Follow Yvonne on Substack on Why I Write: Yvonne Battle-FeltonFor information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Bookable Space with Yvonne Battle-Felton, we're joined by Sara Sartagne reading from The Year of Yes and No. About the AuthorHaving wanted to be a journalist when she was a teenager, Sara actually ended up in PR. From there, it was a short skip to writing for pleasure, and from there to drafting her first book, a romance series where gardens feature in a BIG way. This allows her to indulge her passion for gardening, inherited from her grandmother. Sara’s English Garden Romance series started as a trilogy and morphed into slightly more than a quartet. It has four novels, three novellas and a short story. The novels are The Garden Plot, Love in a Mist, The Glasshouse Effect and A Wilder Heart. All the novellas are available to subscribers from her website. Her dual timeline novels, the Duality Series, are stand-alone books which features two stories, somehow connected. These are The Visitor, which won a Prestige Chill With A Book Award; The Fern Keepers, which also received a Premier Chill With A Book Award; and her latest book, The Year of Yes and No. She’s currently working on a stand-alone contemporary story set in Corfu. She loves hearing from readers who have thoughts about her books and characters - and even about gardening! - so please visit my website (good for news and freebies!)About the BookA picture paints a thousand words, but sometimes you just need one.1802 Colchester Hall, Northumberland. Harriet has been invisible all her life, a dutiful daughter, a dutiful wife and, with her husband's recent passing, a dutiful widow.But when she inherits her husband's fortune, she discovers a freedom she has only dreamt of. Now wealthy, Harriet can say yes whenever she chooses – but only if she remains unmarried.Battling her ingrained sense of duty and her conniving mother-in-law, Harriet must fight for her new-found independence. But every day, her feelings for long-time confidante Alexander grow, leaving her with an agonising choice – freedom, or love. Which will she say ‘yes’ to?2023 London. Gabriella Sullivan has a lot to juggle. Taking on more responsibility at a London art gallery pays the bills, but being her family's default administrator, cook and babysitter is what drains most of her energy.When Gabriella stumbles upon Regency miniatures of Harriet Colchester, she's fascinated by the differences before and after Harriet’s marriage – one portrait deferential, the other devil-may-care.Inspired to research Harriet's story, it doesn't hurt that the investigation includes Hugo, the chocolate-voiced owner of the miniatures.Can Harriet's journey help Gabriella find her own voice, and say 'no' to her family's unreasonable demands?About the host Yvonne Battle-Felton is an author, academic, editor, podcaster, host, creative producer, and writer. Her debut, Remembered (Dialogue Books, Blackstone Publishing) was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction (2019) and the Not the Booker and shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize (2020). Curdle Creek (2024 Dialogue Books, Henry Holt), a gothic horror inspired by Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery, is her second novel and has been nominated for the Shirley Jackson Awards. For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this delightful episode of Bookable Space we're joined by Bram Stoker Award-winning editor, author Del Howison. Del reads from The Survival of Margaret Thomas and What Fresh Hell is This. Del has recently been awarded the Bram Stoker Lifetime Achievement Award.About the author:Del Howison is an author, journalist, and SAG actor. He is a Bram Stoker Award-winning editor of the anthology series Dark Delicacies: Original Tales of Terror and the Macabre by the World’s Greatest Horror Writers. He has written articles for Fear.net, Gauntlet Magazine, and Writers Digest among others. Del’s short story Cul-de-Sac appeared in Weird Tales Magazine #369. His western short story The Lost Herd was turned into the premiere (and highest rated) episode, The Sacrifice, for the series Fear Itself. His dark western novel The Survival of Margaret Thomas was shortlisted for the Peacemaker Award given out by The Western Fictioneers. He has been shortlisted for over half a dozen awards including the Shirley Jackson Award and the Black Quill. The Survival of Margaret Thomas is a dark female driven western novel and What Fresh Hell Is This? is a retrospective collection of published Horror up through 2023 including some new stories.About the host:Yvonne Battle-Felton is an author, academic, editor, podcaster, host, creative producer, and writer. Her debut, Remembered (Dialogue Books, Blackstone Publishing) was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction (2019) and shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize (2020). Yvonne has six titles in Penguin Random House’s The Ladybird series. Yvonne is former Senior Commissioning Editor at Hachette’s John Murray Press and is the Academic Director of Creative Writing at Cambridge University Institute of Continuing Education. Curdle Creek (2024 Dialogue Books, Henry Holt), a gothic horror inspired by Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery, is her second novel and has been nominated for the Shirley Jackson Awards.For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this uplifting episode of Bookable Space with Yvonne Battle-Felton, we’re joined by Deborah Rudell. Deborah reads to us from Grace and Grit: The Transformation of a Ship and a Soul and talks to us about writing, the difference a supportive writing group can make, and getting to know herself through writing. About the author: A college professor in San Diego, California, Deborah Rudell participates in her city’s vibrant writing community. She is a graduate of Hay House Writer’s Workshop and the Certificate in Memoir Writing program at San Diego Writers, Ink. Her work has been published in the International Memoir Writers Association’s anthology, Shaking the Tree: I Didn't See That One Coming. Deborah lives with her black cat in a tiny house built in 1906 by a retired sea captain, who carved a sailing ship into the front door. This is her first book.About the book: Deborah Rudell’s world unravels when the leaders of her spiritual commune are exposed, arrested, and imprisoned for bioterrorism and attempted murder. Crushed and adrift, she moves her family off the commune to create a sense of normalcy. But when her husband seeks an opportunity to dismantle and rebuild a derelict fifty-foot schooner, Deborah uproots their children once again and joins him in Kauai.For the next five years, she dedicates her life to restoring a boat. Pouring herself into the work at hand can only distract her so much as disillusionment about the cult’s lies and manipulation slowly rises to the surface. While she grapples with emotional turmoil and contemplates a new life path, Deborah sets out to accomplish something she never thought possible: sailing across the Pacific to the Olympic Peninsula.Will the dangers that come with navigating the ocean be too much to bear, or will she find resolution and fortitude in the turbulent adventure? Grit & Grace: The Transformation of a Ship & a Soul is one woman’s account of conquering overwhelming challenges with tenacity and ingenuity and ultimately discovering her inner strengthFor information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Bookable Space with Yvonne Battle-Felton, we’re joined by Moira Darrell.   Moira reads to us from Selena and Her Mysteries and Messed Up Choices, and talks to us about questions, secrets, writing, and more. For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Bookable Space host Yvonne Battle-Felton is joined by Valerie Nieman. Valerie reads from Upon the Corner of the Moon: A Tale of the MacBeths. She talks to us about writing, researching, and imagining.About the author:Valerie Nieman is the author of Upon the Corner of the Moon, In the Lonely Backwater (Sir Walter Raleigh Award), five other novels, a short fiction collection, and three poetry books. A graduate of West Virginia University and Queens University of Charlotte, she has held NEA and regional writing grants.About the book:Deeply researched and thoughtfully constructed around themes of women's lives and spirituality, the power of storytelling, and the complex politics of northern Europe between the invasions of the Vikings and the Normans, Upon the Corner of the Moon is the first of two books telling the story of real people who’ve been rewritten into emblems of evil. “Steeped in the myth, mystery, politics, and culture of Celtic Scotland, Upon the Corner of the Moon presents the world of the young Lady Macbeth and Macbeth with authenticity, a deft hand, and a poet’s voice,” says Susan Fraser King, author of Lady Macbeth: A Novel.  At the dawn of the second millennium, two royal Scottish children are swept away from their families—Macbeth to the perilous royal court of his grandfather, Gruach to the remnants of the goddess-worshiping Picts. Macbeth learns that blood bonds are easily severed while Gruach finds her path only to lose it when she’s summoned back to the patriarchal world. They struggle with gaining and losing power, guided and misguided by prophecy and politics as their paths converge in a fiery bid for royal succession. Upon the Corner of the Moon separates literary legend from the reality of rulers who changed the face of Scotland. "Upon the Corner of the Moon is a haunting and bloody tale of Scottish history. It’s also a finger tracing along a set of scars, ones we already know are too deep to ever really heal,” said the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this delightful episode of Bookable Space, we're joined by Natalie Leon. Natalie reads from The Japanese Art of Living Seasonally and talks about travel, living seasonally, and believing in your projects.About the Book: The Japanese Art of Living Seasonally, is a treasure trove of the traditional Japanese foods, flowers, festivals and folklore that have delighted and inspired me since I started travelling to Japan almost a decade ago, which has forever changed how I connect with the natural world and the seasons.This beautiful guide unlocks the secrets of Japan's seasonal culture to help you relish the seasons wherever you are.About the author: Natalie Leon is a British Japanologist and non fiction author based in London. She is a seasonality specialist and a practitioner of The Way of Tea. Passionate about slow living, traditional Japanese art, culture and tea.For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Bookable Space, we're joined by Maisie Nesbitt. Maisie reads to us from Stay Calm and Cheerful. We talk about writing, safe spaces, and more. About the writer: Maisie Nesbitt is the nom-de-plume of a teacher who has dabbled in poetry since the Covid-19 pandemic. Writing about her experiences with online learning and more broadly, the rollercoaster of emotions that is relating to her pupils and colleagues, Maisie now delves into something more personal with this newest work. She enjoys cooking, practicing yoga and mindfulness (with awonderfully contradictory passion for to-do lists ). She remains sane thanks to singing ina choir and adding books to her ever-growing Shelves.About the book: Started as a way to elaborate the loss of a sibling by suicide, the poems in this collection are a raw, honest narrative of what grief can bring in its day-to-day challenges. The collection also explores topics of friendship; familial relationships; mental health; career hopes and pressures; and the experience of conception and family planning . Hoping to provide a relatable insight into all of this and more, "Stay Calm and Cheerful" also hopes to ground and normalise the uncomfortable thoughts we may not always be able to explain or share.For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Bookable Space, we're joined by Kristina W. Kelly. Kristina reads to us from Tavern Tale and Imaginari and talks about writing, gaming, and the joy of exploring the side quest.About Tavern Tale: What if the side quest is really the main quest?Divine has chased the thief who stole her talisman across half of Trelvania. The talisman is the key to accessing her magic well, and without it, she is powerless. Divine meets Saph, a flirty tavern owner with an eyepatch who will help Divine locate her talisman if Divine helps her complete a mysterious quest in a chest.About the author:Kristina W. Kelly writes fantasy, sci-fi, and poetry. Her works include her coauthored epic science fantasy series The Etherea Cycle, her fantasy romance Tavern Tale, and her sci-fi and fantasy poetry collection, Imaginari. Kristina is a trumpet player, plays video games, and tends to her flower garden and two children in Indiana.For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Bookable Space, host Yvonne Battle-Felton is joined by Allie Cresswell. Allie reads to us from The Cottage on Winter Moss.About the author:UK-born Allie Cresswell has a BA and an MA in English Literature.She was a print-buyer, pub landlady, bookkeeper and college lecturer, but nowadays she writes full time, producing the kinds of books that she herself enjoys reading; character-driven historical and contemporary fiction and prose as delicious as a rich, truffle chocolate.She lives in remote, coastal NW England, where The Cottage on Winter Moss, her 13th novel, is set.For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this engaging episode of Bookable Space, we’re joined by Joanne Limburg. Joanne reads from Small Pieces and talks to us about writing grief, taking care of yourself while writing, and writing as a monument. About the bookWhen Joanne Limburg's brother Julian took his own life, she found herself holding the fragments of a shattered family narrative. In Small Pieces, she assembles them into a new pattern, with pieces from their shared childhood, their wider family history, their Jewish background, the three-year period between her brother's death and that of her mother, and the ten strange days after his death, spent in the town where he lived and died.About the authorJoanne Limburg grew up in NW London. She published her first poetry collection with Bloodaxe Books, Femenismo, in 2000. Since then, there have been two further poetry collections for adults, one for children, three non-fiction books and one novel. Her most recent book is Letters to my Weird Sisters: on Autism and Feminism. She lives in Cambridge and teaches at the Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education.For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bookable Space is a reading podcast that celebrates books and introduces readers to books we may have missed the first time around. In this episode of Bookable Space, host Yvonne Battle-Felton is joined by Laura Gwendolyn Hill. Laura reads to us from The Saxon Sword: The Song of Artemis Book One About the book:On a remote Scottish island, a baby girl, Artemis, is born. As a child, she is determined to unravel the mystery of her father’s identity. As a young woman with the heart of a warrior, she leaves home to find her father and faces many dangers on the road.Fate leads Artemis into the kingdom of Northumbria where Edwin reigns as High King of Britain. Artemis is oath-bound to protect a princess, but can she prove her worth in a man’s world? Is she worthy of wielding the Saxon Sword?BioLaura Gwendolyn Hill is a Sheffield based author, musician, and mother. ‘The Saxon Sword’ is her debut novel. For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bookable Space is a reading podcast that introduces readers to books we may have missed the first time around. In this episode of Bookable Space, Yvonne Battle-Felton, author of Curdle Creek, is joined by C.C. Legault. C.C. reads to us from Who is Bobbie-Mae?About the book: Bobbie-Mae wakes up alone in a hospital room. In the aftermath of a life-threatening car accident, there is complete darkness in her recall. Unsure whether her memories will ever return, Bobbie-Mae starts to read her old journals with the hope that they will help her understand who she was so that she can discover who she wants to be.Bio:C.C. Legault lives in Canada with her husband, three children, and her dog Lulu. She is currently a teacher, but she has previously worked in a university, a library, a coffee shop, and a cemetery. People, stories, and music are her passions. Who Is Bobbie-Mae? is her debut novel.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cclegault.author/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cc.legaultWebsite: www.cclegault.comFor information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bookable Space is a reading podcast that introduces readers to books we may have missed the first time around. In this episode of Bookable Space, Yvonne Battle-Felton, author of Curdle Creek, is joined by Victoria Bennett. Victoria reads to us from All My Wild Mothers.About the book:  Weaving together memoir and herbal folklore, All My Wild Mothers is a story of motherhood, grief, and growing. At seven months pregnant, Victoria learns that her eldest sister has died in a canoeing accident. In that moment, her life changes. Five years later, and struggling with the demands of motherhood, grief and full-time care, Victoria and her family move to a new social housing estate in rural Cumbria. Here, in the rubble of a former industrial estate, she and her young son begin to grow a wild apothecary garden: daisy, for resilience; dandelion, for strength against adversity; sow thistle, to life melancholy, and borage, to bring hope in dark and difficult times. Stone by stone, seed by see, they discover that sometimes life grows, not in spite of what is broken, but because of it." Victoria Bennett is a disabled writer, carer and mother. Her writing has received several awards for poetry and narrative non-fiction, including the New Writing North Debut Award. Her debut memoir, All My Wild Mothers: motherhood, loss and an apothecary garden, is published by John Murray Press (2023), and won the Nautilus Award for Memoir 2024, was shortlisted for the Lakeland Book of the Year, and long listed for the inaugural Nan Shepherd Prize. She lives in Orkney. When not juggling writing, care and chronic illness, she can be found where the wild things grow, tending her apothecary garden. For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bookable Space is a reading podcast that introduces readers to books we may have missed the first time around. In this episode of Bookable Space, Yvonne Battle-Felton, author of Curdle Creek, is joined by Sharon Tyers. Sharon reads to us from Linen and Rooks.About the book:Linen and Rooks is set in 1830’s Denbigh, North Wales at the time when cholera visited twice. The Bleachworks where the linen was whitened just outside the town is long gone but rooks still circle the town and in this story a white rook visits and leaves carrying a child.About the author:Sharon Tyers is a retired English teacher who self -published her first book, Linen and Rooks, in 2022 and is now working on a memoir of her mum’s life as a sock linker in Leicester. She gives talks on creative writing skills in libraries and galleries.One of the bookstores where you'll find Linen and Rooks https://www.orielglasfryn.com/For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special holiday edition of Bookable Space, host Yvonne Battle-Felton turns the tables as she reads from Curdle Creek. This episode was recorded live at Autumn Book Launch 2024. Curdle Creek was published by Holt/Macmillian in the US and Dialogue Books/Hachette in the UK.About the book Osira, a forty-five-year-old widow, is an obedient follower of the strict conventions of the remote all-Black town that’s stuck in the past and governed by ominous rituals including a one in, one out population policy. Osira has always been considered blessed, but her luck changes when her grown children run off to parts unknown, escaping Curdle Creek’s harsh traditions, she comes in second to last in the Running of the Widows, and her father flees after his name is called in the annual Moving On ceremony. They say there’s no place like home. Let’s hope they’re right. About the author Yvonne Battle-Felton is an author, academic, editor, podcaster, host, creative producer, and writer. Her debut, Remembered, was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction (2019) and shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize (2020). Winner of a Northern Writers Award in fiction (2017), Yvonne has six titles in Penguin Random House’s Ladybird series; and writes creative nonfiction essays, short stories, and stories for children. She is Senior Commissioning Editor at John Murray Press (UK) and the academic director of creative writing at Cambridge University Institute of Continuing Education. Curdle Creek is her second novel. For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Bookable Space, host Yvonne Battle-Felton is joined by Emily Grandy. Emily reads to us from Michikusa House.About the bookWhile spending a year on a small farm in rural Japan, a young woman struggling with mental illness finds meaning in learning to grow her own food and cook with the seasons. But transformation is often bittersweet, and she will be forced to choose between the familiarity of old ties and the desire for fulfillment.For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Bookable Space, host Yvonne Battle-Felton is joined by Francine Pozner Ehrenberg. Francine reads to us from America's Candidate.About the authorFrancine Pozner-Ehrenberg has been an attorney for over 30 years. She was a Supervising Deputy Attorney General who specialized in Financial and Computer Crimes. She also served as a Major in the U.S. Army, Judge Advocate General's Corp. America's Candidate is her first novel.About America's CandidateAmerica’s Candidate suspensefully tells the story of Annie and her fiancé Amir who want to produce a television show competition to change the voting and political system. Viewers vote for their favorite candidate in the competition and the tv Network will fund the contest winner to run for President in the next election. This story delves deep into a world of ruthless actions, dilemma, and betrayal while mixing politics with suspense, crime, drama and morally complex characters.For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Bookable Space, host Yvonne Battle-Felton is joined by Kathy Harms. Kathy reads from Resilience in the Rubble.About the Book As paramedic Kathy Harms navigates the devastation in the aftermath of the catastrophic 2005 Kashmir Earthquake as a first-time medical aid worker, she is confronted by the scale of suffering she observes in the region, and her own lack of experience in the area of humanitarian work.In the field, she meets Nadeem Malik, a 19 year old student struggling to come to terms with personal loss and the destruction of his home and everything that was once familiar. He must now find a way to support his family, and find them suitable shelter for the cold winter months. His plight mirrors that of the 2.8 million people in the region who were displaced by the earthquake begging the question, is recovery from a disaster of this scale even possible?“Resilience in the Rubble: A True Tale of Aid and Survival in Kashmir” weaves together the firsthand accounts of both Kathy and Nadeem. Though heartbreaking, their personal stories show the strength of the human spirit, and the resilience of a population in the face of unthinkable adversity.In this episode of Bookable Space, host Yvonne Battle-Felton is joined by Kathy Harms. Kathy reads from Resilience in the Rubble. For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this engaging episode of Bookable Space, host Yvonne Battle-Felton is joined by Bryan Thomas Schmidt. Bryan reads to us from his book Shortcut.About the book:A mathematical genius. A formula that speeds up space travel called SHORTCUT. His loving wife. When Laura Maxx disappears after an attack that leaves Jason Maxx in the hospital, his only goal is to find her and bring her back. Then he gets a message: Laura is alive. Somewhere in space. To get her back, he’ll do whatever it takes—even taking on government agents who might try to stop him. Racing against the clock to perfect the formula and the system that relies on it and find a suitable craft to take him out there, Jason finds he needs more than math to succeed this time.An unforgettable near future, hard science fiction thriller from the producer of Donnie Darko and A Time To Kill and the #1 bestselling author and first editor of Andy Weir’s The Martian, SHORTCUT will have you on the edge of your seat!About the author:Bryan, Thomas Schmidt is an 11 time #1 bestselling author and editor. As an author, his novels include the SAGA OF DAVI RHII space opera series, the JOHN SIMON THRILLERS, and SHORTCUT, which is his 7th published novel of 11 written.As an editor, he has edited or co-edited 22 anthologies, including official entries in PREDATOR, and ALIENS VS. PREDATORS, Jonathan Maberry's JOE LEDGER, and Larry Correia's MONSTER HUNTER INTERNATIONAL series. His most recent anthology is ROBOTS THROUGH THE AGES, co-edited with SFWA Grandmaster Robert Silverberg. He's also written dozens of short fiction pieces including official tie-ins to The X-Files, Predator, Aliens Vs. Predators, Joe Ledger, Monster Hunter International, and Decipher's Wars. He lives in Ottawa, KS with his two dogs, and two cats.For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back with Season III. In this episode of Bookable Space Dr Khadijah Z. Ali- Coleman. Kadijah read to us from her book For The Girls Who Do Too Much. In this lively discussion with novelist Yvonne Battle-Felton, Khadijah talks to us  about writing influences, impact, creativity, vulnerability, and more in this engaging and uplifting episode. About the writer: Dr. Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman is a visionary cultural curator with over two decades of experience transforming spaces into vibrant centers of artistic and educational engagement. She is the founding director of Black Writers for Peace and Social Justice (BWPSJ) and is the 2023-2026 Poet Laureate of Prince George's County, Maryland.A trailblazer in arts and education, Dr. Ali-Coleman founded the multidisciplinary arts group Liberated Muse in 2008 and co-founded the national education research group Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars, LLC (BFHES), during the COVID-19 quarantine in 2020. BFHES has provided vital support to over 3000 families, offering annual teach-ins and workshops. Dr. Ali-Coleman's impact extends beyond the stage and classroom. She has been featured in prominent media outlets such as The Washington Post, USA Today, The Guardian, and The Financial Times for her pioneering work in arts and education. Her expertise as a playwright, performer, presenter, and curator has been sought after by institutions including the Smithsonian's Anacostia Community Museum, DC Public Library System, and The United States Peace Corps.A recipient of numerous grants and fellowships for her writing, performance, and teaching, Dr. Ali-Coleman is an Associate Professor of English at Coppin State University. Her second poetry collection, For The Girls Who Do Too Much was released on August 2.About the book:For the Girls Who Do Too Much is a poignant and powerful collection of poetry that resonates with the experiences of women of all ages. This collection is an ode to the women who wear many hats, work tirelessly, love deeply, and sometimes lose themselves in the process. With unflinching honesty and tender introspection, Ali-Coleman navigates themes of loss, love, aging, work toxicity, mothering, and depression. This book follows Ali-Coleman's debut poetry collection, The Summoning of Black Joy (2023), that features poetry that went on to be showcased at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on the Millennium stage during the 2023 Black History Month presentation, "Voices of Freedom and Resistance," performed by her multidisciplinary arts group, Liberated MuseFor information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this engaging episode, we are joined by Michal Spiegelman. Michal reads from Becoming Soulful Six Keys for Profound Transformation in Your Therapy, Coaching, or Healing Practice and talks to us about her writing practice, listening to our souls, and more.About Michal:Michal Spiegelman is the visionary behind Beacons of Change, a transformative platform dedicated to guiding women and healing professionals toward a soul-fueled life lived at full power. As the founder and creator of the Soulful Healer Method for Profound Transformation, Michal empowers a diverse community of individuals to find their authentic voice and develop a distinctive identity.About the book: Focusing on the six keys that unlock the best version of yourself (Empowerment, Spirituality, Authenticity, Insight, Vitality, and Embodiment), Spiegelman invites you to take a step-by-step journey to become a healer who has embraced your true power and full potential. This powerful book includes thought-provoking questions and practices to help you integrate this method into your life, as well as examples from women and healers like you. Whether you’re a seasoned therapist looking to connect more deeply with your life’s work or someone who wants to add more positivity and meaning to your life, the lessons in Becoming Soulful will light the way for your own healing.For more information and to buy the book go to: https://amzn.to/3WPai9H For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this engaging episode of Bookable Space, host Yvonne Battle-Felton is joined by Rosie Wilby. Rosie reads to us from The Breakup Monologues: The Unexpected Joy of Heartbreak and talks to us about writing, science of relationships, immersive research, and more. About the author:Rosie Wilby is an award-winning comedian, writer and podcaster who has appeared on BBC Radio 4 programmes including Woman's Hour, Saturday Live, Unsafe Space and Four Thought and TV programmes including Good Morning Britain and Sunday Morning Live. Her latest book The Breakup Monologues is based on her acclaimed podcast (a British Podcast Award nominee and recommended by Chortle, The Observer, Psychologies and more) and is published globally by Bloomsbury. You can check it out here:https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/1472982282/Rosie also regularly contributes to The Guardian, The Independent, Stylist, Cosmo and Perspective and has hosted programmes for Virgin Radio, BBC and Resonance FM. Follow her on Twitter / X @rosiewilby or on Instagram / Threads @breakupmonologues About the book:In 2011, comedian and podcaster Rosie Wilby was dumped by email... though she did feel a little better about it after correcting her ex's spelling and punctuation. Obsessing about breakups ever since, she embarked on a quest to investigate, understand and conquer the psychology of heartbreak. Many years later, this book is a love letter to her breakups, a celebration of what they have taught her peppered with anecdotes from illustrious friends and interviews with relationship therapists, scientists and sociologists about separating in the modern age of ghosting, breadcrumbing and conscious uncoupling.Mixing humour, memoir and science, she attempts to assimilate their advice and ideas in order to not break up with Girlfriend, her partner of nearly three years. Will this self-confessed serial monogamist, and breakup addict, finally settle down?For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this engaging episode of Bookable Space, host Yvonne Battle-Felton is joined by Inés G. Labarta. Inés reads from The Three Lives of Saint Ciarán and talks to us about writing, reading, life, and more.The Three Lives of Saint CiaránA young girl, un-dead and un-alive, brought to the shores of Iberia and nurtured to become the saviour of Madrid. A crippled boy drowning in the waters of Loughmichnois, called to preserve the secrets of a civilisation. A nun who instigates the bombing of Neo Dublin to reset a futureless people and start afresh.Times of darkness, worlds seemingly beyond salvation, people who have never known joy. What do they have in common?Three entirely different versions of Saint Ciarán to restore hope, faith, and brightness for humankind.Bio:Inés G. Labarta is a queer and an immigrant writer living in the northwest of England. Her publications include the middle grade trilogy Los Pentasónicos (2008-2010) and the novellas McTavish Manor (Holland House, 2016) and Kabuki (Dairea, 2017). Her new novel, The Three Lives of Saint Ciarán, was shortlisted for the Northern Writers Awards and will be published by Blackwater Press in 2024. Her short fiction has appeared in places like Extra Teeth, Toasted Cheese Literary Journal and Oranges. Her writing has been commissioned by institutions such as the Lancashire City Council and Litro magazine. In 2019 she gained a PhD in Creative Writing from Lancaster University. After working as a lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Wolverhampton and the University of Plymouth she returned to Lancaster University in 2023 to lecture there. In 2023 she was also an Eccles Centre Visiting Fellow which allowed her to travel to the British Library to research for her current novel, a dark queer western set in the Pacific Northwest.For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.