This week we are joined by Karissa Vacker! Karissa Vacker is an award winning narrator of over 500 audiobooks, and can most frequently be heard in the thriller, YA, and rom com genres. She is a classically trained actor with credits from major regional theaters, and also enjoyed a career in film and TV. Some credits include NCIS, Castle, How I Met Your Mother and Chuck. She also is passionate about spreading her love of meditation, and hosts a sleep meditation podcast, Sleep Wave , for the app S...
Jun 30, 2025•51 min•Season 5Ep. 18
This week, we are joined by Catherine Mack! Catherine Mack (she/her) is the pseudonym for Catherine McKenzie, the USA Today and Globe & Mail bestselling author of over a dozen novels. Her books are approaching two million copies sold worldwide and have been translated into multiple languages including French, German, Portuguese, and Polish. Television rights to Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies and its forthcoming sequels sold in a major auction for development into a series. In this...
Jun 23, 2025•59 min•Season 5Ep. 17
This week we are joined by Ashley Poston! Ashley Poston is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of The Dead Romantics , The Seven Year Slip , and A Novel Love Story . She has also written over half a dozen young adult novels. Her latest novel, Sounds Like Love , comes out on June 17th, 2025. After graduating from the University of South Carolina with a BA in English, she pursued a career in the publishing industry as a marketing designer. Now, she writes full-time from her little...
Jun 16, 2025•51 min•Season 5Ep. 16
This week we are joined by Kevin McCaffrey! Kevin appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, was a regular on truTV’s World’s Dumbest, VH1’s I Love the 2000s, and was a 2-time winner on truTV’s Comedy Knockout. He has 2 albums: “ Nice & Drunk ” (2018) and “ Not Helping ” (2024). He hosts two podcasts: “ Sex and the Cidiots ” and “ The Bridgerton Bros ,” with WGA award winner Jon Daly. In this discussion, we explore growing up in Chicago, playing basketball, and an early passion for come...
Jun 09, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Season 5Ep. 15
This week we are joined by Jamie Shriner! Jamie Shriner is what would happen if Bo Burnham and Jenna Marbles were cryogenically frozen together in a pair of cat lady glasses. A former theatre kid, current queer & hard of hearing divorcé, Jamie uses humorous original songs to discuss her struggles with dating, body image, womanhood, and being queer in Indiana where she grew up. Jamie was named Best of the Fest at Big Pine Comedy Festival and Laughs After Dark Comedy Festival and is a regular ...
Jun 02, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Season 5Ep. 14
This week we are joined by Shelley Gruenberg! Shelley Gruenberg is an Atlanta Based standup comedian and sex symbol! You may have seen her on dish nation, or roast battling as Atlanta’s champion around the county. See her live at Laughing Skull Lounge! This week, we discuss growing up in Myrtle Beach, navigating school with autism, the importance of fashion and self-expression, aspirations in film and college life, and the transition to the Atlanta comedy scene. We explore personal expression, e...
May 26, 2025•57 min•Season 5Ep. 13
This week we are joined by Jane L Rosen. Jane L. Rosen is the author of six novels, Nine Women, One Dress , Eliza Starts a Rumor , A Shoe Story , On Fire Island , Seven Summer Weekends and Songs of Summer . She has a monthly column in the Fire Island and Great South Bay News called Cake Or Pie? where she whimsically interviews her fellow authors. She is also a screenwriter and New York Times, Tablet and Huffington Post contributor. In this engaging conversation, we discuss family dynamics, the n...
May 19, 2025•56 min•Season 5Ep. 12
This week we are joined by Sophie Stava ! Sophie has loved to read as long as she can remember. Her passion for reading led her to study English Literature at University of California Santa Barbara, where received her B.A. She spent a number of years as (among other things) an event planner, executive recruiter, and ghostwriter before pursuing her own writing. She currently resides in Southern California with her family. When she isn't writing, you'll find her reading, acting as personal assista...
May 12, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Season 5Ep. 11
This week we are joined by Patrick Holbert! Patrick Holbert is a former TV producer-turned-standup comedian who has appeared on Sirius XM, TruTV, The Travel Channel, and was the host of the internationally syndicated TV show “The Movie Loft” for two years. The New York Times called him the “charming M.C.” of the children’s variety show he helmed for multiple tours. An accomplished director, camera operator, and video editor, Patrick has produced several comedy specials and docmentaries for natio...
May 05, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Season 5Ep. 10
This week we are joined by Katherine Center! Katherine Center is the New York Times bestselling author of twelve novels, including The Bodyguard, Hello Stranger, Things You Save in a Fire, and The Rom-Commers. Katherine writes deep, nuanced, laugh-and-cry rom-coms that brim with hope and healing. The movie adaptation of her novel Happiness for Beginners became a Netflix movie in 2023 and hit the Global Top Ten in 81 countries, and the movie of her novel The Lost Husband hit #1 on Netflix in 2020...
Apr 28, 2025•1 hr 15 min•Season 5Ep. 9
This week we are joined by Kate Posey! Kate Posey writes thriller romcoms for readers who hanker after true crime and true love. She lives in BC with her family. Check out her debut novel Serial Killer Games ! In this episode, we discuss the importance of reading as a coping mechanism during awkward middle school years and how it led Kate to discover her passion for writing and fan fiction. Kate shares her journey from a secretive writer to a published author, discussing the joy of writing in so...
Apr 21, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 5Ep. 8
This week we are joined by Dotun Olubeko! Dotun Olubeko is a dynamic functional health expert, content creator, and winner of ABC’s The Bachelorette, where he got engaged to his now fiancée Charity Lawson. Blending clinical expertise with authentic storytelling, Dotun creates engaging, impactful content that resonates with diverse audiences. Beyond his time on The Bachelorette, Dotun has showcased his charisma and on-camera presence on Dancing with the Stars, Celebrity Family Feud, and Live with...
Apr 14, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Season 5Ep. 7
This week we are joined by Lauren Connolly! Lauren Connolly is an award-winning author of contemporary and magical romance stories, including PS: I Hate You . She’s lived among mountains, next to lakes, and in imaginary worlds. Lauren can never seem to stay in one place for too long, but trust that wherever she’s residing there is a dog who thinks he’s a troll, twin cats hiding in the couch, and bookshelves bursting with stories written by the authors she loves. In this episode, Lauren Connolly ...
Apr 07, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 5Ep. 6
This week we are joined by Trish Smart! Trish Smart is a nomadic stand-up comic that flies under the radar and into your watering hole. Right now she’s living in a van down by a walmart parking lot painting a toilet selfie to sell at a show near you. She is an edgy comic that pushes the envelope of what women should be allowed to say out loud. Amidst her renditions of her quixotic lifestyle choices, Trish has smooth transitions and unexpected punch lines; she makes everyone want her to keep spea...
Mar 31, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Season 5Ep. 5
This week we are joined by Byron Lane! Byron Lane is an author, playwright, and screenwriter. His debut novel, A Star is Bored, is hailed by The New York Times Book Review as "wildly funny,” inspired by his time as assistant to actress Carrie Fisher. He also wrote the celebrated novel Big Gay Wedding, the series Last Will & Testicle, the acclaimed play Tilda Swinton Answers an Ad On Craigslist, and the award-winning feature film Herpes Boy, starring Octavia Spencer. He’s a former journalist ...
Mar 24, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 5Ep. 4
This week we are joined by Deanna Colon! Deanna is a singer, songwriter, actress, vocal coach, and chef. Deanna was a contestant on Season 8 of NBC’s #1 rated show, “America’s Got Talent”, making it to the live, quarter semifinal round at Radio City Music Hall in NYC. She was also the lead singer/dancer/actress for 2 years of BIG LOTS holiday commercials. Deanna has sung background vocals for many recording artists, including Nick Jonas, Celine Dion, Lea Michele, Justin Bieber, and Paula Abdul. ...
Mar 17, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Season 5Ep. 3
This week we are joined by Marty Cunnie! Marty Cunnie is a New York based comic originally from San Francisco. He produces shows in Bushwick and Astoria. Make sure to check him out! In this episode, Marty shares his deep love for cats and rugby, including the unique culture surrounding the sport, and the community it fosters. We discuss finding direction in college and transitioning into comedy, highlighting the motivations and experiences that led to this career path. We also discuss Marty’s lo...
Mar 10, 2025•1 hr•Season 5Ep. 2
This week we are joined by Ash Diggs! Ash Diggs is a Brooklyn-based comedian who has been featured on Buzzfeed, Vulture, Don’t Tell Comedy, and is an inaugural faculty member at The Second City NY. He recently taped a set for Newcomers at The Bell House streaming on Veeps and has performed in clubs and festivals across the country, earning the right to open for some of his heroes such as Ilana Glazer, Cameron Esposito, Moshe Kasher, Tim Meadows, Joyelle Johnson, and more. Make sure to check him ...
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Season 5Ep. 1
This week we are joined by TJ Klune! TJ Klune is the #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today bestselling, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The House in the Cerulean Sea , Somewhere Beyond the Sea , Under the Whispering Door , In the Lives of Puppets , the Green Creek Series for adults, the Extraordinaries Series for teens, and more. Being queer himself, Klune believes it's important—now more than ever—to have accurate, positive queer representation in stories. This week, TJ Klune shares his jo...
Feb 24, 2025•58 min•Season 4Ep. 52
This week we are joined by Alison Espach! Alison Espach is the New York Times best-selling author of The Wedding People , a New York Times Editor’s Choice, a Goodreads Choice Award Winner, a TODAY Show #ReadwithJenna Book Club pick, a Barnes and Noble Book Club Pick, and the #1 Indie Next Pick for August 2024. The Wedding People will be published in over twenty countries. She is also the author of Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance, a Chicago Tribune and NPR “Best Book of 2022,” as well as The A...
Feb 17, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 4Ep. 51
This week we are joined by Christine Heesun Hwang! Heesun (she/her) is a queer, Korean-American writer and actor based out of New York. Most recently, she performed in the original Broadway company of "SUFFS". Other acting credits include the national tours of "Les Miserables" and "Miss Saigon". For TV, "The Beast in Me" (Netflix), "Gossip Girl" (HBO Max). Hwang is also a lyricist in the BMI Lehman-Engel Musical Theater Writers Group. In this conversation, Heesun shares her journey into musical ...
Feb 10, 2025•1 hr•Season 4Ep. 50
This week we are joined by Lisa Genova! Acclaimed as the Oliver Sacks of fiction and the Michael Crichton of brain science, Lisa Genova is the New York Times bestselling author of Still Alice , Left Neglected , Love Anthony , Inside the O’Briens , and Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting . Her new novel is More Or Less Maddy . Still Alice was adapted into an Oscar–winning film starring Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, and Kristen Stewart. Lisa graduated valedictorian from Bates...
Feb 03, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Season 4Ep. 49
This week we are joined by Reagan Allen! Reagan Allen is a Brooklyn-based comedian and actor, originally hailing from Little Rock, Arkansas. She’s performed all over the world, from NYC comedy clubs and improv theaters, to festivals in the UK, and the Vail Comedy Festival where she met Emily earlier this year! Her debut musical comedy hour ‘Intelligent Bisexual Woman’ premiered at the 2024 Glasgow International Comedy Festival, and went on to a well received run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival....
Jan 27, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Season 4Ep. 48
This week we are joined by Erin Bennett! Erin Bennett is a Los Angeles-based actress whose passion for storytelling makes her a natural fit for audiobooks. Winner of multiple Earphones and Audie nominations, many of her over 500 titles have made AudioFile’s “Best Audiobooks” lists. Erin is one of the most versatile, genre-hopping narrators in the business, and according to Audible, is a "pied piper narrator. If she narrates, I listen!" Erin’s very first audiobook was Elin Hilderbrand's Summerlan...
Jan 20, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Season 4Ep. 47
This week we are joined by Rebecca Fishbein! Rebecca Fishbein is the author of Floral Estrangements and Good Things Happen to People You Hate. She has also written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, Teen Vogue, and The Cut, among others. Make sure to check her out! In this conversation, Rebecca shares her experiences of growing up in New York City, discussing the unique challenges and joys of city living, her journey into writing, and her transition from living alone to sharing space w...
Jan 13, 2025•57 min•Season 4Ep. 46
This week we are joined by Jessica Saul! Jessica is an LA based actress, comedian, and content creator hailing from South Florida. Jessica‘s unhinged internet videos have garnered millions of views on Tik Tok on Instagram as well as caused concern for her mental health. Her short film, Clementine which she wrote and starred in, showcased at 12 film festivals across the country, snagging nominations for several awards, taking home the title of "Best Short" at the Laugh After Dark Comedy Festival ...
Jan 06, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Season 4Ep. 45
This week we are joined by Leah Bonnema! Leah Bonnema is a stand-up comedian, actor and writer who has been seen on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Chris Gethard Presents, Oculus & AXS TV’s Gotham Comedy Live. She is the cohost of the popular podcast, Were You Raised By Wolves?! , and author of a romcom-esque novel, The Holiday Breakdown , which received a shout out on Katie Couric’s cite. Make sure to check her out! In this episode, Leah Bonnema and our hosts explore various themes rela...
Dec 30, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 4Ep. 44
This week we are joined by Jenn Bouchard! Jenn Bouchard is the award-winning author of the novels First Course, Considering Us, and several short stories. She is a graduate of Bates College and Tufts University. An avid cook, Jenn volunteers for good causes and is a devoted Red Sox fan. A high school social studies teacher of twenty-five years, she lives with her family in the Boston suburbs. In this episode, we explore the evolution of education, the challenges of frequent relocations during ch...
Dec 23, 2024•57 min•Season 4Ep. 43
This week we are joined by Dr. Sara Glass! Sara Glass, PhD, LCSW is a therapist, writer, and speaker who helps members of the queer community and individuals who have survived trauma to live bold, honest, and proud lives. She lives in Manhattan, New York. Make sure to follow @drsaraglass on social platforms! This week, Sarah Glass discusses her journey of navigating multiple roles as a therapist, author, and LGBTQ+ advocate. She shares her experiences growing up in a strict Hasidic community, he...
Dec 16, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 4Ep. 42
This week we are joined by Ashley Herring Blake! Ashley Herring Blake is an award-winning author and teacher. She loves coffee, cats, melancholy songs, and happy books. She is the author of six novels for young adult and middle grade readers, as well as the Bright Falls adults romance novels and the holiday romance, Make the Season Bright . She lives on a very tiny island off the coast of Georgia with her family. In this conversation, Ashley Herring Blake shares her journey from a musical backgr...
Dec 09, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 4Ep. 41
