The Hope Prose Podcast
by Tara Kirstin & Alex Moran
The Hope Prose podcast is dedicated to hope-filled books – the authors who write them and the readers they inspire. We upload new episodes once every two weeks and hope to leave our listeners with sparks to ignite their own stories–whether in real life or fictional. We want our podcast to be a place that inspires you to live a life of creative purpose through reading, writing, or maybe even singing. Words are kinda our thing. In our latest season, we are going back to the heart of why we write and interviewing authors who love hope-filled, deeply human stories as much as we do.
Episodes
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Episode 128 - A Legacy of Storytellers w/ Michelle Porter
This week on Hope Prose, Tara returns from her own hiatus from reading, literary events, and writing to speak with one of her new favorite authors from the 2026 Eden Mills Writers’ Festival. Michelle Porter is the incredibly talented author of The Glacier’s Guide to Dying. She is a descendant of…
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Episode 127 - When Fear Ignites Inspiration
This week on Hope Prose, Tara has the joy of speaking with an author she recently discovered who resonates deeply with her own reading and writing passions. Originally from Tasmania, Australia, Mikki Brammer now calls New York City Home. Her debut novel, The Collected Regrets of Clover, was a USA...
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Episode 126 - Recovering the Joy of Creation
This week on Hope Prose, Tara goes back to the beginning of her own writing journey by speaking with the person who helped ignite her first spark in writing, back when she was a young mother who struggled with post-partum anxiety and an all-encompassing amount of imposter syndrome. Back when she...
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Episode 125 - Ethics in Writing and AI Invasion w/ Bruce Holsinger
This week on Hope Prose, Tara has the joy of speaking with Bruce Holsinger, an Oprah Book Club pick author who is not afraid to confront some of our most challenging societal debates, from environmental catastrophe and class expectations and aspirations to, more recently, the artificial elephant…
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Episode 124 - Fiction Connects Us w/Emma Grey
This week on Hope Prose, we continue on our journey around the "why" of writing in conversation with US Today best-selling author Emma Grey, author of The Last Love Note, Pictures of You, and Start at the End. Listen in as Tara discusses with her the power of story to connect us, not only across...
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Episode 123 - Ethan Joella & Nurturing Your Creativity
In this episode of Hope Prose, Tara continues her personal journey on why she started writing in a conversation with an author who has greatly inspired her own writing journey in recent years through his gentle stories and guidance as an author and teacher. Ethan Joella teaches English and...
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Episode 122 - Don Pape on Writing Stories That Last
In this episode of Hope Prose, Tara has the joy of speaking with one of her favourite literary citizens: not a writer, but a voracious reader, friend, husband to Ruth, father, and her beloved agent, Don Pape. Don is the founder of Pape Commons, a collaborative and creative community that leans…
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Episode 121 - Bret Lott
Today on Hope Prose, Bret Lott sits down with Tara to discuss his passion for the written word. Bret Lott is the New York Times author and professor of English at the College of Charleston. He is Crazyhorse magazine's nonfiction editor and leads a study abroad program to Spoleto, Italy, every...
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Season 6 - A New Beginning
We're stepping into a new season, version, and vision of Hope Prose. We're returning to our roots, and we're so excited you're here. New full-length episode dropping Monday morning. <3 The Hope Prose Podcast's Instagram Alex's Instagram Tara's Instagram
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Episode 119 - A Most Puzzling Murder w/ Bianca Marais
In today’s episode, Alex and Tara sit down with powerhouse author and podcaster, Bianca Marais. A newly minted USA TODAY bestselling author who is also co-host of the popular writing podcasts, The Shit No One Tells You About Writing, aimed at helping emerging writers get published, Bianca has...
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Episode 118 - Flameheart w/ Emily and Dalton Bequette
In today’s episode, Alex sits down with husband-wife powerhouse Dalton and Emily Bequette. With a meet-cute as beta readers, it is no wonder they went on to take their love beyond the page with their upcoming YA fantasy novel (out July 29th), FLAMEHEART. Emily is a high school English teacher,...
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Episode 117 - I See You've Called in Dead w/ John Kenney
In today’s episode, Alex and Tara have a thought-provoking and wisdom-filled discussion with John Kenney, author of three novels and four books of poetry, including LOVE POEMS FOR MARRIED PEOPLE. His first novel, TRUTH IN ADVERTISING, won the Thurber Prize for American humor. He is a long-time...
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Episode 116 - A Palace Near the Wind w/ Ai Jiang
In today’s episode, Alex talks with Ai Jiang, the author of multiple award-winning short fiction and the highly anticipated A PALACE NEAR THE WIND (releasing April 15th). Ai is a Chinese-Canadian writer, Ignyte, Bram Stoker, and Nebula Award winner, and Hugo, Astounding, Locus, Aurora, and BFSA...
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Episode 115 - Bluebird Day w/ Megan Tady
In today’s episode, Tara and Alex chat with Megan Tady, author of award-winning SUPER BLOOM, published May 2023 via Zibby Books, and her most recent, BLUEBIRD DAY. She runs the freelance writing and editing company Word-Lift. Her writing has appeared in Woman's Day, Reader's Digest, The…
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Episode 114 - All The Little Monsters, the Misewa Series, & David A. Robertson
In today’s episode, Tara chats with author David A. Robertson, a two-time Governor General’s Literary Award winner, the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award recipient, and received the Writer’s Union of Canada Freedom to Read award. He is a podcaster, public speaker, and social advocate...
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Episode 113 - Better Than Revenge w/ Kasie West
In today’s episode, Alex and Tara chat with prolific writer, Kasie West, author of YA books such as The Fill-In Boyfriend, P.S. I Like You, Listen to Your Heart, and her newest: Better Than Revenge. Her books have been named ALA-YALSA Quick Picks, Junior Library Guild selections, and ALA-YALSA…
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Episode 112 - Borderless, White Space, & Humanity w/ Jennifer De Leon
In today’s episode, Alex sits down with Jennifer De Leon, award-winning author of the YA novels Borderless, featured on the TODAY show, and Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From. She is also the author of White Space: Essays on Culture, Race, & Writing. She is an active speaker, presenter, and educator who...
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Episode 111 - Voices of the Future w/ Sarina Louise
In today’s episode, Alex and Tara sit down with Sarina Louise, an up-and-coming author from The Author Conservatory Program. As a teen, Sarina was diagnosed with Chronic Lyme Disease, an illness that made her give up on her dream of being an author. Now, after walking a miraculous healing…
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Episode 110 - Not Nothing, Empathy, and Respect w/ Gayle Forman
In today’s episode, Alex and Tara sit down with the wisdom-filled talent Gayle Forman. An award-winning author and journalist, Gayle has written several bestselling novels, including those in the Just One Day series, Where She Went, and the #1 New York Times bestseller If I Stay, which has been...
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Episode 109 - Food, Family, & Culture - Mansi Shah
In today’s episode, Tara talks with Mansi Shah about her novel A GOOD INDIAN GIRL. Born in Toronto to Indian immigrants, Mansi is also the author of The Direction of The Wind and The Taste of Ginger. Now based in Los Angeles, Mansi left her long-time career as an entertainment attorney in…
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Episode 108 - A Song to Drown Rivers w/ Ann Liang
In today’s episode, Alex and Tara sit down with the icon herself, Ann Liang. Ann is the New York Times and Indie bestselling author of the critically acclaimed YA novels This Time It’s Real, If You Could See the Sun, and I Hope This Doesn't Find You. Born in Beijing, she grew up traveling back…
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Episode 107 - Getting Away with Murder and Kerryn Mayne
In the first episode of season 5, Tara sits down with Kerryn Mayne. Kerryn is an author, former wedding photographer, and current police officer. When not at work attempting to solve crime, she writes about it or prepares an endless stream of snacks for her kids. Kerryn lives in the Melbourne...
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Episode 106 - Season 4 Wrap Up + Updates!
In this episode of Hope Prose, Alex and Tara sit down for their end-of-season wrap-up and chat about their hopes for the future and beyond. → Connect with Alex on her Instagram or visit her TikTok to find out more about what she’s working on and upcoming projects! → Connect with Tara on her...
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Episode 105 - Historical Romance w/ Hannah Honegger
In this episode of Hope Prose, Alex and Tara are throwing it way back in time and chatting with debut historical romance author Hannah Honegger Hannah is an author, screenwriter, and actress who was destined to write a series about the American Revolutionary War when she was born on July 4th....
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Episode 104 - Literary Agent Bethany Jett
In this episode of Hope Prose, Alex sits down with literary agent extraordinaire Bethany Jett. Bethany is an associate literary agent with the C.Y.L.E. agency, as well as a multi-award-winning author, and a marketing strategist who earned top honors in her master’s program, where she earned her…
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Episode 103 - Isolation, Community Board, and Tara Conklin
In this episode of Hope Prose, Tara Conklin sits down to chat with Tara and Alex to discuss her latest book Community Board. A lawyer turned novelist, her books have been New York Times bestsellers, selected for Read With Jenna (the Today Show book club), Target book club, Barnes & Noble book…
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Episode 102 - Wedding Issues, training to be a doctor, and more w/ Elle Evans
In this episode of Hope Prose, Elle Evans sits down to chat with Tara to discuss the details of her debut novel Wedding Issues. Originally from Massachusetts, Elle now lives in Philadelphia, where she works in health care. She is recovering from a recent five-year stint in Nashville for graduate...
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Episode 101 - Geocaching, Love, & Tracey Garvis Graves
In this episode of Hope Prose, New York Times Bestselling author Tracey Garvis Graves sits down to chat with Tara and Alex about her latest release THE TRAIL OF LOST HEARTS. Listen as they chat about what jumpstarted her career into writing, geocaching, the struggle of writing a character-driven...
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Episode 100 - A Deadly Endeavor w/ Jenny Adams
In this episode of Hope Prose, Tara and Alex chat with debut Jenny Adams about her first book A Deadly Endeavor. She is a librarian turned novelist and holds degrees in Medieval Studies and Library Science from Ohio State University and Drexel University. She has studied fiction at Johns Hopkins...
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Episode 99 - Removing Ego in Creativity w/ Erica Bauermeister
In this episode of Hope Prose, Tara and Alex chat with Erica Bauermeister, the New York Times bestselling author of 5 novels, including The Scent Keeper, The School of Essential Ingredients, and her latest, No Two Persons. Listen as Erica showers them in wisdom about the craft of getting out of…
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Episode 98 - Epic Fantasy and Lord of the Rings With Gillian Bronte Adams
In this episode of Hope Prose, Tara and Alex talk with Gillian Bronte Adams about the most recent installment in her epic YA fantasy. Gillian writes epic fantasy novels, including the award-winning Of Fire and Ash and The Songkeeper Chronicles. She loves strong coffee, desert hikes, and trying…
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Episode 97 - Valley Verified & Dealing With Imposter Syndrome w/ Kyla Zhao
In this episode of Hope Prose, Alex sits down with Kyla Zhao to talk about her latest book “Valley Verified”, and perfect for fans of Legally Blonde. Born and raised in Singapore, Kyla Zhao graduated in 2021 from Stanford University with an MA in Communications and BA in Psychology. Right now…
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Episode 96 - How Fiction Can Help Us Grieve w/ Emma Grey
In this episode of Hope Prose, Alex and Tara sit down for a vulnerable, heartfelt discussion on grief, love, and hope with author Emma Grey. Emma is a novelist, feature writer, photographer, professional speaker, and accountability coach. She wrote her first adult novel, The Last Love Note, in…
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Episode 95 - The Realities of Publishing & Annette Christie
In this episode of Hope Prose, Alex and Tara chat with rom-com/Women’s fiction extraordinaire, Annette Christie. Annette is the author of For Twice in My Life and The Rehearsals, and the author/narrator of Love Lessons. She has a BFA in Theatre and a history of very odd jobs. The back of her head...
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Episode 94 - Identity Stories and Charlene Carr
In this episode of Hope Prose, Tara sits down with Charlene Carr to discuss her latest novel HOLD MY GIRL. Charlene studied literature at university, attaining both a BA and MA in English, including a study program at Oxford. She has independently published nine novels and her first agented…
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Episode 93 - An American Immigrant and Our Family History w/ Johanna Rojas Vann
In today’s episode, Tara and Alex sit down with debut Adult fiction author Johanna Rojas Vann. With a background in journalism, Johanna is a big fan of words—speaking them, reading them, and (especially) writing them. She is passionate about stories that highlight the complexity and beauty of...
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Episode 92 - Writing Banter and Quest Novels w/ Moriah Chavis
In today’s episode, Tara and Alex return to their YA roots and chat with fantasy author Moriah Chavis. She is the author of ‘HEART OF THE SEA’ and various other short stories, and it's been said you can often find her perusing bookstores, attempting to persuade strangers to read her favorite…
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Episode 91 - In Defense of Love Stories With Katherine Center
Prepare for joy in the latest episode of the podcast! Alex and Tara sit down with the “reigning queen of comfort reads” Katherine Center, New York Times bestselling author of ten novels, including How to Walk Away, Things You Save in a Fire, The Bodyguard, and her newest, Hello Stranger—an…
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Episode 90 - From YA to Adult and More With Ally Carter
In our first episode of season 4, we sit down with powerhouse YA and now Adult author, Ally Carter. Ally Carter is the bestselling author of novels that have epitomized action-adventure YA romance for more than a decade. From the spy-centric humor of I’d Tell You I Love You, but Then I’d Have to...
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Episode 89 - Season Finale
Just like that, season three of the Hope Prose podcast is over! Join Tara and Rebekah as they reflect on the past season, tease their upcoming guests, update you on some exciting things happening in their lives, and ask YOU what you want their next season to sound like. Enjoy! The Hope Prose...
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Episode 88 - Co-authoring, Comfort zones, and more w/ Ali Brady
Today’s episode of Hope Prose showcases a first for the show! You’ve heard Tara and Alex talk to authors before, but you’ve never heard them interview CO-AUTHORS. Well, today is the day they break that streak by having Ali Brady in the studio! Ali Brady is the pen name of writing BFFs Alison…
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Episode 87 - The Comeback, K-pop, and Lily Chu
Today’s episode of Hope Prose is for those that love romantic comedies, K-pop, K-drama, or maybe even none of those things and just want something fun to listen to on a long commute. No matter where you fall into those categories, Lily Chu is sure to have you laughing and running out to buy her...
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Episode 86 - The Art of the Short Story and You Are Here w/ Karin Lin-Greenberg
Karin Lin-Greenberg joins Alex and Tara to chat all things her debut novel You Are Here. Karin’s first story collection, Faulty Predictions, won the 2013 Flannery O'Connor Award in Short Fiction from the University of Georgia Press. Her second story collection, Vanished, won the 2021 Prairie...
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Episode 85 - The Do-Over with Suzanne Park and Second Chances
In today’s episode of Hope Prose, Suzanne Park joins Alex and Tara to chat about her newest book The Do-Over. Suzanne is a Korean American writer born and raised in Tennessee and in her former life as a stand-up comedian, she appeared on BET, was the winner of the Seattle Sierra Mist Comedy...
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Episode 84 - Destination Books, Perseverance in Publishing, and Fostering Hope w/ Becky Dean
In today’s episode of Hope Prose, Becky Dean drops by to chat about her newest book Picture-Perfect Boyfriend. Becky is the author of two young adult contemporary romances, Love & Other Great Expectations and (soon!) Picture-Perfect Boyfriend, plus the science fiction series Shades of Starlight...
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Episode 83 - Jamie Chai Yun Liew on Dandelion, Citizenship, and Belonging
In today’s episode of Hope Prose, author, podcaster, lawyer, and professor Jamie Chai Yun Liew sits down with Tara to discuss her debut novel Dandelion. Longlisted for the CBC Canada Reads 2023 and CBC's Best Canadian Fiction 2022 list, Dandelion is also the recipient of the Asian Canadian…
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BONUS - E.A Hendryx & Crowdfunding Your Novel
In today’s BONUS episode of Hope Prose, Emilie (AKA E.A. Hendryx) sits down with Alex to talk about her YA fantasy/sci-fi novel Suspended in the Stars and her experience crowdfunding it. When she’s not reading, writing, or working in her Etsy shop, she loves long walks in the woods and listening…
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Episode 82 - The Book Incubator & Mary Adkins
In today’s episode of Hope Prose, acclaimed author Mary Adkins sits down with Tara and Alex to talk about her latest novel Palm Beach, and her book coaching program The Book Incubator. A former lawyer turned book coach and writer, Mary is a graduate of Duke University and Yale Law School. Her…
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Episode 81 - Here’s to the Misfits
In today’s episode, Candace Kade stops by the studio to talk about her debut novel Enhanced, a YA with a futuristic take on the traditional dystopian-eques plot. Candace is a recovering over-achiever who spends her time dreaming up stories typically involving tech, psychology, culture, and/or...
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Episode 80 - How to Make Paper When the World is Ending w/ Dallas Woodburn
In today’s episode, Dallas Woodburn drops in to talk with Alex and Tara about her YA novel Thanks, Carissa, For Ruining My Life, and her recent collection of short stories How to Make Paper When the World is Ending. Dallas Woodburn is an award-winning writer of fiction, nonfiction, and plays.…
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About this show
The Hope Prose podcast is dedicated to hope-filled books – the authors who write them and the readers they inspire. We upload new episodes once every two weeks and hope to leave our listeners with sparks to ignite their own stories–whether in real life or fictional. We want our podcast to be a place that inspires you to live a life of creative purpose through reading, writing, or maybe even singing. Words are kinda our thing. In our latest season, we are going back to the heart of why we write and interviewing authors who love hope-filled, deeply human stories as much as we do.
Hosted by
Tara Kirstin & Alex Moran