The premiere episode is an interview with New York Times best selling author, Beth Macy whose works include "Factory Man" and "Truevine."
Most people know Robyn in her professional role marketing and managing live entertainment & sports events. What they may not know is that she is an artist and a poet. We take a look inside her book, “Portrait of the Wind.”
John Ketwig was an optimistic 19 year old who loved hot rods, drums, and music. He entered the army and soon found himself in Vietnam. He shares his experiences in “…and a hard rain fell: A GI’s true story of the War in Vietnam.”
We visit with the New York Times Bestselling author of “The Kitchen House” and “Glory Over Everything.”
Cece Bell is a children's book author and illustrator. Her graphic novel memoir, “El Deafo,” won a Newbery Honor and the Geisel Award.
We travel to the Palisades Restaurant in Eggleston, Virginia, to talk with Terri Fisher, co-author of "Lost Communities of Virginia."
We chat with New York Times best selling author, Sharyn McCrumb. Find out how she digs into the historical details of every story and pieces them together to uncover the truth. We’ll talk about her recent books "The Unquiet Grave" and "Prayers The Devil Answers."
This high school teacher writes about the outdoors, "Living the Locavore Lifestyle", and the roller-coaster ride of high school in "Ninth Grade Blues" and "Tenth Grade Angst." Find out how his students help out with his books!
Learn the story behind the stories of award winning author, Lee Smith as we visit with her in her North Carolina home. We'll talk about her life, her inspirations and her book, "Dimestore".
We’ll visit with the author of the mystery, "Rose in Charge." In addition to be a lifelong writer, Dickinson helped to launch Roanoke’s long running Annual Sidewalk Art Show.
We visit Smith Mountain lake to talk with Susan Coryell about her Southern Gothic novel, “A Red, Red Rose,” the first book of her Overhome Trilogy.
If you love food you’ll love our interview with Vivian Howard, the host of the PBS series “A Chef’s Life”. We’ll chat with her about her award winning cookbook, “Deep Run Roots.”
Learn about her new book, “Bone’s Gift,” a supernatural historical mystery set in 1942 in a southern Virginia coal-mining town. We'll also hear about some of her other works.
We visit with international bestselling author, celebrated storyteller, and literacy advocate, David Baldacci. With 100 million books in print, 40 novels translated into 45 languages and in 80 countries, he believes books can change your life."
Liz is a USA Today bestselling author of Young Adult and urban fantasy. We'll kick off season two, talking to her about her recent works, The Brighton Duology along with her Heroes of Arcania Trilogy.
We'll travel to Smith Mountain Lake and meet the author of the "Mad Max" Mystery series. We'll also learn about her novel, "Eyes Without a Face."
We'll take a look at the World War II era through the books of James Morrison - "Bedford Goes to War: The Heroic Story of a Small Virginia Community in World War II" and "Class of 1940: Coming of Age in World War II."
We venture to the New River Valley and Claytor Lake to talk with New York Times best seller, Krista Davis. Learn about her latest books: The Diva Cooks Up a Storm (Domestic Diva Series); The Coloring Crook (Pen and Ink Mystery Series); and the Paws & Claws Mystery Series.
We visit with Pulitzer Prize winner and investigative journalist, Mary Carter Bishop and discuss her book, "Don’t You Ever: My Mother and Her Secret Son."
We travel to Lynchburg to meet Leah Weiss and talk about her award winning debut novel, "If the Creek Don't Rise."
Sitting beside the famous J-611 locomotive, we'll chat with Michael Abraham about his book, "Chasing the Powhatan Arrow."
We'll travel to Bedford, VA, to visit national bestselling author and Edgar Award nominee, Diane Fanning. We'll talk about her true crime books and her works of fiction including the "Secret City" series.
We visit the New River Valley home of playwright, poet, essayist and novelist, Ann Goethe, to talk about her new book, "Goner. "
We catch up with Big Stone Gap native and New York Times best selling author Adriana Trigiani. We'll discuss her new release, Tony's Wife and much more!
We talk with him about his love of baseball, history and his Mickey Mathews mystery series.
Learn about her new book, The League of Wives: The Untold Story of the Women Who Took on the US Government to Bring Their Husbands Home from Vietnam. It's the powerful, true story of unknown heroines who ignored protocol and battled Washington and Hanoi to bring their POW husbands home.
We travel to the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, to visit with a living legend and one of America’s most celebrated writers. This scholar, educator, poet, American icon, wonderful cook and space enthusiast talks with us about her life and work.
We visit the Williamsburg Botanical Garden and talk with New York Times bestselling author Deanna Raybourn. We’ll learn about the intrepid lepidopterist, Veronica Speedwell, star of Raybourn’s Victorian mystery series.
When you hear the name Pancho Villa do you think bandit, or hero, or scoundrel, or maybe, Robin Hood for the poor peasants in Mexico? Explore a complex Pancho Villa in Cameron MacKenzie’s debut novel, The Beginning of His Excellent and Eventful Career.
We visit with Kristin Wright in Brookneal. Her southern gothic novel, Lying Beneath The Oaks, is twisty, romantic and full of suspense.
We visit the Settlers Museum in Atkins to talk with Jim Minick about his book, Fire is Your Water, Winner of the 2017 Appalachian Book of the Year for fiction. This novel explores what it means to heal and what it means to have faith in God and in each other.
On the docket this week is Martin Clark’s latest legal thriller, The Substitution Order. We talk with the best-selling author and retired judge in the courtroom of the Patrick County Courthouse in Stuart, VA.
We travel to St. Paul and the Mountain Heritage Museum and Gallery where we’ll talk with Frank Kilgore about his book, Far Southwest Virginia: A Postcard and Photographic History.
We’ll talk with science fiction writer K. E. Lanning about The Melt Trilogy which explores humanity and the future.
Walt Whitman has often been called “the poet of democracy, America’s Bard.” We’ll visit with Jean Huets in Richmond to discuss With Walt Whitman, Himself. Her book celebrates the 200th anniversary year of Whitman’s birth by taking you into his world and times through words and pictures.
This episode finds us in neighboring North Carolina to talk with Kim Michele Richardson about her multi-award winning novel, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, a riveting journey through Appalachia with a pack horse librarian in 1936.
For five years, beginning in 1959, Prince Edward County closed its public schools in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision. More than 2,000, predominately black students, were denied a formal education and lives were forever changed. We travel to the Moton Museum in Farmville to talk about The Road to Healing: A Civil Rights Reparations Story.
We visit with Linda Kay Simmons in Moneta to talk about her novel, Lightning Shall Strike. It tells a haunting story that spans multiple generations in rural Virginia.
Find out about the Lindsay Harding Mystery Trilogy. It's a dose of southern life, history, and murder all interwoven with a dash of humor!
On our season 4 premiere, we travel to Blacksburg to meet Sarah Warburton and discuss her debut crime fiction novel, Once Two Sisters.
We visit beautiful Grayson Highlands State Park to talk with Malcolm Smith about his book, Appalachian Fiddler Albert Hash: The Last Leaf on the Tree. It's a story that entertains and educates about Appalachian music and values.
We're in Richmond, VA beside the pool high atop the Graduate Hotel to chat with Rachel Beanland about Florence Adler Swims Forever. Based on a true story, this moving novel transports readers back to 1934.
We visit Troutville, Virginia, to talk with Jordan about her debut novel, What Lurks Below. It's a beautifully written dystopian fantasy that shows courage, holding on to your beliefs, and the tenderness of true sibling love.
We visit with Pete Fanning in Lynchburg, VA, to discuss his books, Justice in A Bottle and Runaway Blues. Both of these YA books have powerful messages and they're not just for kids!
We head to Franklin County to talk with Jane Fenton about her Repo Girl romantic murder mystery series set in Roanoke. We'll also learn about her romantic adventure novel, Crazy For You.
In his words, this week's guest is a true Appalachian American specimen. We'll meet Charles Lytton and talk about his collection of books that are filled with stories of growing up on the New River.
The mountains of Scott County are the backdrop for two novels and our interview with author, Rita Sims Quillen. Hiding Ezra and Wayland, are moving stories of love, trauma and history that take place in 1930s Appalachia.
This episode takes us to Penhook, Virginia, to meet bestselling RITA Award winning novelist, Inglath Cooper. We’ll discuss two of her romantic fiction novels, Wide Blue Sky and That Weekend in Paris. We’ll also make some new equine friends!
We travel to Staunton and the home of musical icon, multiple award winner, and Statler Brother legend, Don Reid. His book, The Music of Statler Brothers: An Anthology, is a deep dive into every album and song the Statler Brothers ever recorded. It’s a behind-the-curtain look at forty years of making music told with wisdom and more than a little wit!
For our season 5 premiere we travel to Richmond to talk with international best-selling author Sadeqa Johnson. Her book, Yellow Wife, was one of O Magazine’s most anticipated historical fiction books for 2021.
This episode finds us in the mountains of far southwest Virginia for a conversation with Sister Bernie Kenny and Tauna Gulley. Their book, Better for Being With You - A Philosophy of Care, chronicles decades of providing compassionate, quality health care to people in Central Appalachia.
We’re in Raleigh, NC to visit with Diane Chamberlain. She is a bestselling author of over 30 novels published in more than twenty languages. We’ll talk about her book, The Last House on the Street, which is full of history and drama along with lots of unexpected twists and turns.
This week, we’re in Roanoke talking with Mitchell Kaplan. His novel, Rhapsody, takes us on a musical journey in the 1920s and explores the relationship with George Gershwin and Kay Swift.
We’re right around the corner on the lawn of Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello, in Charlottesville to talk with Jocelyn Johnson. Her book, My Monticello, is a collection of powerful stories that show people fighting to survive in America.
We’ll visit with Willa Reece in Franklin County, Va. and talk about her book, Wildwood Whispers, which is a heartwarming tale of hope, fate, and folk magic.
We’re in Roanoke to talk with the author of Alternate Routes. This novel is part travel tale and part coming of age story during a time of social changes in mid-1970’s. For the main characters, Walker and Kyla, it was a trip neither could have imagined when they started their journey.
We travel to Bryson City in western North Carolina to visit with Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle who is a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. We’ll discuss her debut novel, Even as We Breathe, which was a finalist for the Weatherford Award, named one of NPR’s Best Books of 2020 and received the 2021 Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award.
With a farm and goats as a backdrop, we visit with Bill Guerrant in Keeling, Virginia. His novel, Jim Wrenn, was inspired by a true story and a newspaper ad that read, "Who wants a seven-year-old boy or a four-year-old girl?". This glimpse into 1900’s life of a mill town and farming community pulls at the heart strings.
This episode finds in Harlan, Kentucky, to talk with Robert Gipe about his innovative trilogy – Trampoline, Weedeater, and Pop. These illustrated novels introduce us to a cast of characters and a range of issues in contemporary Appalachia.
We visit in Roanoke with accomplished poet and visual artist, Cathryn Hankla, who has more than a dozen books of poetry and prose in print.
This week finds us in Bland, Virginia, to talk with talented author, Kristina Gorcheva-Newberry. Writing in English, her second language, she has published fifty stories and received nine Pushcart nominations. Her debut novel, The Orchard, is a moving story of four friends coming of age in the 80s.
Our journeys take us to Barboursville, Virginia, to chat with cozy mystery author, ACF Bookens. We’ll discuss her Stitches in Crime and St. Marin’s series, plus a lot more.
On this special edition of Write Around the Corner we’re in Roanoke with acclaimed journalist and author, Beth Macy. We’ll be discussing her 2018 New York Times-bestselling book, Dopesick. We’ll also talk about the multi-award-winning dramatized adaptation of the book that was released by Hulu as an eight-episode limited series in 2021.
We welcome back New York Times bestseller and multiple award winner Beth Macy to discuss her latest book, Raising Lazarus. This follow-up to her groundbreaking book, Dopesick, is a gripping story of everyday heroes fighting addiction in communities across the country and of the individuals struggling for accountability in America’s courts.
On this episode we’ll visit Richmond, Virginia, and Brian Castleberry where we’ll discuss his book, Nine Shiny Objects. His novel covers a timespan from 1947-87 and follows a wide cast of characters all seeking some kind of meaning in a nation often defined by its chaos.
We visit with Jean Meltzer in Herndon, Virginia, to talk about her two novels, Mr. Perfect on Paper & The Matzah Ball. Her sweet and quirky Jewish romantic comedies are full of vibrant traditions, joy, and humor.
We travel to Charlottesville, Virginia, to talk with international best-selling author Corban Addison. His book, Wastelands, tells the true story of “big pork” and those who took them on in a legal fight for justice and decency.
This episode finds us in Washington County with one of the most important writers of our time, Barbara Kingsolver. Her novel, Demon Copperhead, is a modern adaptation of Dicken’s David Copperfield that is set in the mountains of southern Appalachia. This page turner grabs readers from page one and is on Oprah’s Book Club list.
We’ll talk with Roanoker Ted Blain about his Edgar nominated novel. Passion Play is a whodunnit with lots of twists and turns along with a dash of Othello.
We’re Write Around the Corner in Alexandria, Virginia, to talk with Constance Sayers about her latest book, Ladies of the Secret Circus. The novel is a suspenseful story that has readers time traveling between present day Virginia and 1920s Paris. It’s full of magic, suspense, and lots of secrets!
We’ll visit with Fred Carlisle in Blacksburg, Virginia, to discuss his book, The Lake Effect: A Lake Michigan Mosaic. We reflect on his lifelong love of the lake and the book, which is comprised of a series of different moments, all flowing beautifully together just like the magic of the lake.
The game is afoot as we go to Toano, Virginia, to talk with award winning mystery author, Bradley Harper. He’s a retired US Army Pathologist who has traveled the world and at age 63 took up the pen. In his debut novel, A Knife in the Fog, Jack the Ripper meets Sherlock Holmes’ creator, Arthur Conan Doyle.
A bowling alley in Staunton, Virginia, serves as the backdrop of our interview with award winning mystery writer, Andy Straka. His novel, Split City, features twins who are former pro-bowlers along with a cast of memorable characters and lots of twists and turns.
We visit Orange, Virginia, and the home of New York Times Best Seller, Jeannette Walls. We'll talk about her immensely popular book turned movie, The Glass Castle, and her newly released novel, Hang the Moon. It's an inspirational interview you won't want to miss!
We make a return to Staunton, Virginia, to visit with Statler Brother lead singer, Don Reid. With songwriting and scriptwriting under his belt, novels were next. We'll discuss his latest pager turner, Piano Days.
We talk about his book Mingo.
We talk with New York Times best-selling author Kathleen Grissom about her newest novel. Crow Mary is an enthralling historical saga inspired by the real life of an indigenous woman torn between two worlds in 19th-century North America. It's a story you won't soon forget.
We meet up with Roland Lazenby on the basketball court at Virginia Tech to talk about his latest book, Magic: The Life of Earvin Magic Johnson.
Rachel Beanland talks about the 1811 Richmond Theatre fire which was the inspiration behind her novel, The House is on Fire. This episode was recorded in Richmond’s Monumental Church which was built as a memorial to the victims of the fire.
We visit with New York Times bestseller and Edgar winner, Angie Kim. We’ll learn about why she became an author and the inspiration behind her latest novel, Happiness Falls.
Author Amanda Cockrell talks with us about, Coyote Weather, a novel that takes readers on a journey to the turbulent 1960s in California.
We explore the early life of Jackie Kennedy Onasis before she was a Kennedy and before she was Jackie O when we talk with Louis Bayard about his work of historical fiction, Jackie and Me.
Mystery and history are the topic today as we visit with Katherine Shellman to talk about her Nightingale series that takes gives readers a peak into the world of a 1920s New York speakeasy.
Classical musician and author Brendan Slocumb is our guest to talk about his page turner, Symphony of Secrets. Once you read this book, you'll never look at music the same.
We talk with New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Elle Cosimano about her Finlay Donovan series that’s full of murder, mystery and a big dose of humor.