GO Between the Covers

International bestselling author Kristin Harmel joins us to discuss her novel, The Book of Lost Names. Inspired by an astonishing true story from World War II, the book follows a young female forger who helps hundreds of Jewish children flee the Nazis. Harmel has published over a dozen novels that have been translated into 29 languages and sold all over the world.

Our host Ann Bocock sits down with Kristin Harmel to find out how she strikes a balance between fact and fiction when writing about the Holocaust. She also shares why she chose to write about the forgers of World War II and how a mathematical sequence she obsessed over as a child became an important part of her novel.

A master of historical fiction, Harmel reveals what book ignited her love for the genre and showed her that writers can change the world. She also gives us a sneak peek of her latest historical fiction, The Forest of Vanishing Stars, and shares why it’s so important to remember Holocaust survivors and their stories. Get all the details on this week’s episode of GO Between the Covers!

New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot joins us to discuss her novel, No Offense, a charming romance between a children’s librarian and the town sheriff. This is the second book in her Little Bridge Island series and is set on a small, beautiful island in the Florida Keys. Cabot has written over 80 books and is best known for The Princess Diaries, which was later adapted by Walt Disney Pictures into two feature films.

Our host Ann Bocock sits down with Meg Cabot to find out why she chose the Florida Keys as the backdrop for her Little Bridge Island series and how the people she’s met there inspire the quirky characters in her books.

We also dive into her wildly popular series, The Princess Diaries. Due to her massive success, Cabot has become an important pillar for children everywhere. She shares how this beloved series was born out of her college dorm and why she feels it’s had such a lasting impact. Plus, Cabot offers some advice for aspiring authors and young teenagers facing difficult times. Get all the details on this week’s episode of GO Between the Covers!

New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger joins us to discuss her book, Confessions on the 7:45. Unger has written more than 17 novels, some of which have been published in 26 languages reaching millions of readers worldwide. In this suspense novel, Selena Murphy meets a stranger called “Martha” on the train and they begin sharing their deepest, darkest secrets. Little does Selena know that this private exchange would lead to even darker consequences.

Our host Ann Bocock sits down with Lisa Unger to find out why anyone would reveal their darkest secrets to a stranger. With her extensive knowledge of the human psyche, Unger breaks down her deeply conflicted characters and even dives into her own mind, giving us a glimpse of her unique writing process.

Unger also shares why social media is a running theme in her novel and how its dangerous outcomes can fuel the schemes of a con artist. She reveals why her characters are never fully good or bad and how she’s perfected that gray area between heroes and villains. Get all the details on this week’s episode of GO Between the Covers!

Professor and author David Heska Wanbli Weiden joins us to discuss his crime novel Winter Counts, following the story of a local Native American enforcer on South Dakota’s Rosebud Indian Reservation. Weiden, an enrolled member of the Sicangu Lakota nation, highlights life on a reservation and dives into the important issue of native identity. Winter Counts is a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice and was named one of the Best Books of 2020 by Publishers Weekly.

Our host Ann Bocock sits down with David Heska Wanbli Weiden to talk about the importance of Native American representation in the media and how the native community has responded to his novel. He discusses the broken criminal justice system on reservations and the health issues brought on by food insecurity, healthcare disparities and drug addiction.

Weiden also shares his struggles being half Lakota and why it was so important for his main character to cope with the same issues of identity. He explains what exactly is a winter count and tells us how the Rosebud Indian Reservation has been affected by the pandemic. Get all the details on this week’s episode of GO Between the Covers!

New York Times bestselling author Chris Bohjalian joins us to discuss two of his riveting thrillers, The Red Lotus and Hour of the Witch. He’s written more than 20 books, including the Midwives, The Sand Castle Girls, The Guest Room and The Flight Attendant. His global thriller The Red Lotus is set amidst the adrenaline-fueled world of the emergency room. Hour of the Witch is a twisting thriller about a young Puritan woman who plots her escape from a violent marriage.

Our host Ann Bocock sits down with Chris Bohjalian to find out how a New York Times article and a bike ride around Vietnam became the impetus for his thriller, The Red Lotus. He explains his love for Vietnam and gushes over the ER doctors he got to interview for the book. Bohjalian also gives us a sneak peek into the plot for Hour of the Witch and reveals his obsession with Puritan theology.

Now that The Flight Attendant has been adapted into an HBO Max Original, Bohjalian tells us how he feels about the series and talks about meeting actress Kaley Cuoco. He also shares some books he’s read during the pandemic, from novels full of dread and foreboding to Jerry Seinfield’s light-hearted memoir Is this Anything?. Get all the details on this week’s episode of GO Between the Covers!

New York Times bestselling biographer and film historian Scott Eyman joins us to discuss his book, Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise. It follows the story of Archibald Leach and his journey to becoming Hollywood legend Cary Grant. This is one of over a dozen books that Scott Eyman has written about Hollywood’s Golden Age, which also include John Wayne: The Life and Legend, Hank and Jim: The Fifty-Year Relationship of Henry Fonda and James Stewart and Empire of Dreams: The Epic Life of Cecil B. DeMille.

Today, our host Ann Bocock sits down with Scott Eyman to talk about Cary Grant’s early childhood in Bristol, England with an overbearing mother and an alcoholic father. Eyman discusses how the trauma of a broken family led Cary to sign up for an acrobatic troupe and seek out the world of show business.

Eyman reveals how Cary Grant’s two conflicting identities affected his marriages and the acting roles he would take on. He also answers some juicy questions, such as: who were Cary Grant’s favorite leading ladies? Did Cary really turn down the role of James Bond? And who might be the Cary Grant of our generation? Get all the details on this week’s episode of GO Between the Covers!

Ghanaian American award-winning author Yaa Gyasi joins us to discuss her novel Transcendent Kingdom, a stunning follow-up to her acclaimed national bestseller Homegoing. This book is a powerful, raw and deeply moving story about a family of Ghanaian immigrants ravaged by depression, addiction and grief.

Our host Ann Bocock sits down with Yaa Gyasi to talk about her experience living in Huntsville, Alabama with her Ghanaian family and how the pull of these two worlds influenced her to become a writer. From religion to the importance of place and belonging, she discusses the parallels between her life and that of her main character, Gifty.

Gyasi also dives into the racial disparities of mental health and the devastating toll mental illness can have on a family. She shares how Transcendent Kingdom was different from her popular debut novel, Homegoing, and why she chose to focus this book on a tumultuous mother-daughter relationship. Get all the details on this week’s episode of GO Between the Covers!

Connect with Yaa Gyasi:
Facebook: @YaaGyasiAuthor

Award-winning journalist and Pulitzer Prize nominee Chip Jones joins us to discuss his book, The Organ Thieves: the Shocking Story of the First Heart Transplant in the Segregated South. With nearly thirty years of reporting experience, Jones has worked at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, The Roanoke Times, Virginia Business magazine, and many more. He was also the former communications director of the Richmond Academy of Medicine, where he first discovered this heart-stopping story.

Our host Ann Bocock sits down with Chip Jones to talk about the horrifying case of Bruce Tucker, a black man whose heart was removed without his family’s knowledge or permission. Jones breaks down the racial inequalities during the 1960s and how that sheds light on the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Jones also describes the state of America at that time, when we were not only racing to the moon but racing to perform the first successful heart transplant. He dives into the competition among doctors and how their opportunistic attitudes led to many unethical practices. Get all the details on this week’s episode of GO Between the Covers!

Emmy award–winning journalist and anchor of NPR’s Latino USA Maria Hinojosa joins us to discuss her book, Once I was You: A Memoir of Love and Hate in a Torn America. She tells the eye-opening story of immigration in America through her decades of reporting and personal experiences, painting an astonishing picture of a country in crisis.

Our host Ann Bocock sits down with Maria Hinojosa to talk about her intimate experience growing up as a Mexican American on the south side of Chicago. She shares what her family went through to cross the border and why she strives to correct the narrative on immigration. Hinojosa drives home why it’s so important to share diverse stories and see ourselves in each other.

From being the first Latina in many male-dominated newsrooms to now having 30 years of reporting experience, Hinojosa says that her memoir is very much an American woman’s book. She shares her experience with sexual assault, moments of imposter syndrome and the many facets of her life. Get all the details on this week’s episode of GO Between the Covers!

New York Times bestselling author Alice Hoffman joins us to talk about her book Magic Lessons, a prequel to the beloved novel Practical Magic. This book follows the story of Maria Owens, the matriarch of the amazing Owens women, accused of witchcraft in Puritanical Salem, Massachusetts.

Our host Ann Bocock sits down with Alice Hoffman to find out where her love of magic came from and what type of research she did for her spellbinding prequel. Hoffman also discusses the history of magic in different cultures, the difficulties of being a woman in the 1600s and the social prejudices of the time that are still heavily prevalent today.

With over two decades of writing experience and more than thirty works of fiction, Hoffman talks about her very own magic library and what type of books she’s been collecting. She later reveals who her favorite character is and if Magic Lessons will see the big screen. Get all the details on this week’s episode of GO Between the Covers!

USA Today bestselling author Hank Phillippi Ryan joins us to discuss The First to Lie, her psychological thriller about an investigative reporter squaring off with a major pharmaceutical company. This revenge story full of dark family secrets pits the newsroom against corporate sabotage.

Our host Ann Bocock sits down with Hank Phillippi Ryan to explore the intricate art of lying. As an on-air investigative reporter for Boston’s WHDH-TV, she is no stranger to keeping secrets for the sake of a great story. Ryan details how closely her stories resemble her undercover work and the ethical tightrope she has to navigate. With more than a dozen spin-chilling thrillers, she’s won the most prestigious awards in the genre: five Agatha’s, three Anthony’s, the Daphne and the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award.

Ryan also explains how evoking fear and suspense is more effective than violence and vulgarity, and reveals her very own secret to writing – never knowing the ending! Get all the details on this week’s episode of GO Between the Covers!

Bestselling author and master storyteller James Patterson joins us to discuss Walk in My Combat Boots, a book he co-wrote with retired U.S. Army Ranger Matt Eversmann. Together, they gather firsthand accounts from veterans, most of whom served in Iraq or Afghanistan, to deliver an authentic depiction of life in the military. Many of the soldiers profiled are children of career military men and were spurred into action by the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Our host Ann Bocock sits down with James Patterson to discuss the importance of talking about the military and understanding what it means to put your life on the line for your country. He highlights how decorated war hero Matt Eversmann was able to help soldiers tell their stories, from the time they served to the challenges they faced returning from war.

Patterson also reveals how he manages to write so many books in a year and why education is at the core of his philanthropic work. He talks about the impact of rising poor literacy rates during the pandemic and how he’s involved in helping this issue. Get all the details on this week’s episode of GO Between the Covers!

GO Between the Covers Season 2 premieres on Monday, February 7th! Make sure to subscribe for new episodes every week.

On our first episode, we have the legendary James Patterson! He discusses Walk in My Combat Boots, a book he co-wrote with retired U.S. Army Ranger Matt Eversmann. Together, they gathered firsthand accounts from veterans to deliver an authentic depiction of life in the military. He also discusses his philanthropic work with child literacy and reveals how he manages to write so many books in a year.

Some other upcoming guests include New York Times bestselling author Alice Hoffman (Practical Magic, Magic Lessons), Pulitzer Prize nominee Chip Jones (The Organ Thieves), author of the Flight Attendant Chris Bohjalian (The Red Lotus, Hour of the Witch), and many more.

New York Times bestselling author Robert Kolker talks about his new book Hidden Valley Road, Inside the Mind of An American Family. This haunting true story follows the Galvin family, an extraordinary mid-century family of twelve children, six of them diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Our host Ann Bocock sits down with Robert Kolker to discuss his experience with the 10 surviving members of the Galvin family and the extensive research he did on schizophrenia, a chronic mental illness that distorts how people interpret reality. He reveals the shame and stigmas surrounding the illness in the late 60s and early 70s and the lack of resources available for this struggling family.

Kolker also shares how every family member had a unique way of coping with their hardships and how he strived to give everyone an individual voice in his novel. Get all the details on this week’s episode of GO Between the Covers!

Bestselling author J. Ryan Stradal discusses his newest novel, a family drama called The Lager Queen of Minnesota. It depicts how midwestern values, hard work, fate and some world-class beer helped a group of women succeed in a man’s world of beermaking.

Our host Ann Bocock sits down with J. Ryan Stradal to talk about the strong resilient women in his life and how his mother is a source of inspiration for his books. He also explains the misrepresentation of the Midwest in media and his goal to accurately portray his hometown.

While doing research for his novel, Stradal toured through Midwestern breweries and talks about the female brewmasters he met along the way. In addition to his family drama, Stradal wrote Kitchens of the Great Midwest and discusses the unifying role of food in his books. Get all the details on this week’s episode of GO Between the Covers!

Amy Jo Burns tells us about her most recent novel Shiner, a vibrant and intricate story about myths, miracles, moonshiners and faith healers. It follows strong Appalachian women who fight for their dignity and take back their life stories from hoggish men whose power is largely an illusion.

Our host Ann Bocock sits down with Amy Jo Burns to discuss the running theme of trauma in Shiner and her memoir Cinderland, and how keeping trauma a secret has impacted her life and those of her characters. Burns explores the complexities of womanhood and grapples with the profound question: why do women punish themselves?

Focused on elements not commonly seen in novels, Burns dives into her research on snake handling and the art of moonshining. She also discusses the importance of Appalachia as the backdrop of her novel and shares what she’s been up to during the pandemic. Get all the details on this week’s episode of GO Between the Covers!

This week, we’re taking a look into the life of nationally recognized and highly respected book reviewer Oline Cogdill. Her mystery fiction reviews have appeared in more than 300 publications worldwide, including The Associated Press, Publishers Weekly and Mystery Scene Magazine. She’s also received a Raven Award from the Mystery Writers of America and is a judge for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.

Our host Ann Bocock sits down with Oline Cogdill to talk about what it takes to review a book. With 30 years of experience, Cogdill shares the power and responsibility that comes with being a well-known book reviewer and discusses how she’s seen books change and diversify over the years. She also reveals how mystery authors like Sue Grafton, Sara Paretsky and Marcia Muller impacted her life as a young book lover.

Edgar award-winner Angie Kim discusses her debut novel Miracle Creek. Her courtroom drama focuses on a group of people who are part of a special treatment center with a hyperbaric chamber. This chamber helps cure a range of conditions and disabilities, but when the chamber explodes, there is evidence to believe that it was not an accident.

Our host Ann Bocock sits down with Angie Kim to discuss how the novel draws on her own life as a Korean immigrant whose child underwent treatment at a hyperbaric chamber. Kim takes a hard look at motherhood, sharing the guilt and shame that mothers feel when struggling to raise a child with chronic illness and special needs. She reveals how she found community amongst these mothers and what she learned.

An attorney with a Harvard Law degree, Kim also tells us know how she ended up becoming a full-time writer and reveals the challenges of writing a novel in 7 different perspectives. Get all the details on this week’s episode of GO Between the Covers!

Award-winning author Edwidge Danticat shares her latest novel Everything Inside, a collection of vividly imagined stories about community, family, love and her Haitian roots. Known as one of the greatest writers of all time, Edwidge was only 25 years old when her first novel was selected for Oprah’s Book Club.

Our host Ann Bocock sits down with Edwidge Danticat to discuss her numerous works of fiction and non-fiction. Danticat shares how the massive 2010 earthquake in Haiti has influenced her writing and what she’s learned about death through her books, The Art of Death and Brother, I’m Dying.

Danticat also discusses the importance of being seen and how getting recognition from trailblazers like Oprah Winfrey and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Tony Morrison changed her life. Get all the details on this week’s episode of GO Between the Covers!

Mamta Chaudhry gives us insight on her truly original debut novel, Haunting Paris. Set in two time periods, the Holocaust and the late 1980s, this timeless love story takes an unexpected turn when a bereaved pianist discovers a letter among her late lover’s possessions.

Our host Ann Bocock sits down with Mamta Chaudhry to explore the deep questions of loss, courage and morality that will make you wonder: Would I have been part of the French Resistance? Could I stand up for justice against the Nazis?

With Paris and ghosts playing a large role in her novel, Chaudhry also tells us her favorite spots in the magical city and reveals if she herself believes in ghosts. Get all the details on this week’s episode of GO Between the Covers!

New York Times bestselling author Laura Kamoie, widely known as romance novelist Laura Kaye, joins us to discuss the release of her historical fiction, Ribbons of Scarlet. Starting out as a history professor in the U.S. Naval Academy, Kamoie shares her profound love of history and female empowerment. Her epic novel, in collaboration with five other authors, tells the story of seven unforgettable women during one of the most tumultuous events in history: the French Revolution.

Did these powerful women’s paths actually cross in real life? How thin is the line between truth and fiction? Our host Ann Bocock sits down with Laura Kamoie to get the answers, diving deep into her extensive research and creative processes.

Kamoie also talks about her other novel, My Dear Hamilton, which explores the American Revolution through the eyes of Eliza Hamilton, one of the U.S. founding mothers. For all Hamilton fanatics, she gets into the infamous sex scandal and reveals: Did Eliza really burn those letters? Get all the details on this week’s episode of GO Between the Covers!

Award-winning author James O. Born shares his latest collaboration with the world’s bestselling author James Patterson in the new book Blindside. Set in New York, this thriller follows Detective Michael Bennett as he deals with kidnapping and national security issues.

Our host Ann Bocock sits down with James O. Born to discuss how his long career in police work, DEA and undercover work has helped him write entertaining crime novels. He reveals what it’s like working with the infamous James Patterson and tells us about his other books, such as Scent of Murder, a story about the interesting lives of K-9 handlers.

From his time in Quantico to his undercover work during the Miami Drug Wars, Born shares stories from the many facets of his life. Get all the details on this week’s episode of GO Between the Covers!

Our first episode drops on Monday, February 8! 

Make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

On our first episode, host Ann Bocock is sitting down with award-winning author James O. Born to discuss his latest collaboration with the world’s bestselling author James Patterson in the new book Blindside. He reveals what it’s like working with the infamous Mr. Patterson and shares how his long career in police work, DEA and undercover work has helped him write entertaining crime novels. 

Some other upcoming guests include New York Times bestselling author Robert Kolker (Hidden Valley Road, Inside the Mind of An American Family), award-winning author Edwidge Danticat (Everything Inside) and debut mystery author Angie Kim (Miracle Creek).