Guest host Julie Chavez interviews debut author Courtney Sender about In Other Lifetimes, All I’ve Lost Comes Back to Me, a wise, fierce, and lyrical collection of stories about the longings and loneliness of love. Courtney reveals how her own experiences with heartbreak have inspired her writing and how they infiltrate her characters in this book. She also describes her path to writing (it’s tied to Divinity School, a longing for love, and her grandmother) and then shares which story in this co...
Aug 07, 2023•30 min•Season 18Ep. 4
In this special weekend re-release, #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 20 books, Kristin Hannah, joins Zibby to discuss The Four Winds, a powerful American epic about love, heroism, and hope, set during the Great Depression. Kristin talks with Zibby about her iterative writing process, a mother's unconditional love, and the importance of female friendships. Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3DFjzqK Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens...
Aug 06, 2023•30 min•Season 18Ep. 3
In this special weekend re-release, Zibby speaks to award-winning author David Sedaris about The Best of Me, a wickedly funny and memorable collection of stories about life's surprises. In the interview, David Sedaris talks about owning who you are as a writer and explains why "publishing isn’t writing.” He also tells Zibby why he doesn’t read internet comments and discloses how he expresses love (hint: it involves Christmas!) Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3OIvWsp Share, rate, & revie...
Aug 05, 2023•36 min•Season 18Ep. 2
Guest host Julie Chavez interviews bestselling co-authors Jo Piazza and Christine Pride about You Were Always Mine, a tender, provocative, and thoughtful novel about a Black woman who finds an abandoned white baby. The three discuss the themes of motherhood, adoption, and intimate interracial relationships, as they relate to the book and to their real lives. Jo and Christine also talk about their fascinating co-writing process, their friendship, and the books they are reading and loving. Purchas...
Aug 04, 2023•36 min•Season 18Ep. 1
Zibby interviews debut author Avery Carpenter Forrey about Social Engagement , a bitingly sharp and wickedly funny novel about a bride whose marriage implodes on her wedding night. It is an unputdownable critique of millennial wedding culture… and the lies we tell on social media. Avery describes the neverending wedding season that inspired this novel and admits she is part of the culture she makes fun of. She also talks about her path to writing, her thoughts on social media, how she is balanci...
Aug 03, 2023•26 min•Season 17Ep. 100
Guest host Julie Chavez speaks to accomplished Canadian wine expert and New York Times bestselling author Natalie MacLean about Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much, her powerful coming-of-middle-age memoir about how she resurrected her life and career in the cutthroat wine industry. Natalie reveals why she decided to share her story and then describes her experiences with overdrinking, depression, shyness, perfectionism, and therapy. (Go to win...
Aug 02, 2023•33 min•Season 17Ep. 99
Zibby Books author alert!!! Zibby interviews author Michelle Wildgen about Wine People, an intoxicating escape into the cutthroat world of wine and the complicated terrain of women’s friendship. Michelle describes her journey to food writing (she started as a back waiter!) and shares the secrets to doing it well! She also discusses her two fascinating female protagonists (and the real-life women who inspired them), her food writing role models, her previous novels, her love of The Bear on Hulu, ...
Aug 01, 2023•25 min•Season 17Ep. 98
Zibby speaks to therapist, creative coach, and New York Times bestselling author Julia Bartz about The Writing Retreat, a pulse-pounding, claustrophobic, unputdownable thriller about a young author who attends an exclusive writer’s retreat that soon descends into a nightmare. Julia talks about the first iterations of this story and the changes it went through since 2014 NaNoWriMo, and then shares how her own frustrations as a writer (and dreams of attending a writing retreat!) inspired this nove...
Jul 31, 2023•25 min•Season 17Ep. 97
In this special weekend re-release, Zibby speaks to #1 New York Times bestselling author and "queen of beach reads" Elin Hilderbrand about Troubles in Paradise, a sizzling, sun-soaked summer novel that transports the reader to the bright Caribbean for romance and passion. Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/43DzO21 Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens ! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jul 30, 2023•32 min•Season 17Ep. 96
In this special weekend re-release, Zibby interviews Academy Award-winning actress, director, producer, activist, and New York Times bestselling author Natalie Portman about Natalie Portman's Fables, a children's book with playful, witty, and insightful retellings of three classic fables: The Tortoise and the Hare, The Three Little Pigs, and Country Mouse and City Mouse. It is paired perfectly with Janna Mattia's charming illustrations. Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3pQ6MP3 Share, rate, &...
Jul 29, 2023•25 min•Season 17Ep. 95
Bestselling author Adrienne Brodeur joins Zibby to discuss Little Monsters , a kaleidoscopic and riveting novel about Cape Cod, complicated families, and corrosive, long-buried secrets. Adrienne delves into her fascinating characters and then reveals how her own complex relationships and experience with family secrets influenced this novel. (You can read all about that in her incredible memoir Wild Game.) She also talks about her job as the director of Aspen Words, a literary nonprofit; the book...
Jul 28, 2023•24 min•Season 17Ep. 94
Zibby interviews New York Times bestselling author (and Zibby’s 1993 summer writing class instructor!!) Helen Schulman about Lucky Dogs , a dazzling and propulsive book about two women on opposite ends of a high-profile sexual abuse scandal. It explores love, power, betrayal, and obsession. Helen describes the heartbreaking Me Too story that inspired this novel and delves into her fascinating female characters. She also talks about her teaching career, her writing process, her screenplays, her n...
Jul 27, 2023•25 min•Season 17Ep. 93
Zibby speaks to award-winning writer Ava Chin about Mott Street: A Chinese American Family’s Story of Exclusion and Homecoming, a gorgeously written, deeply researched, and intimate portrayal of the Chinese Exclusion Act and her family’s epic journey to lay down roots in America. Ava shares how this book came to be – from collecting family stories since she was a child, to traveling to Shanghai on a Fulbright to investigate her village, to putting piles and piles of notes into book form. She als...
Jul 26, 2023•27 min•Season 17Ep. 92
Guest host Julie Chavez interviews New York Times bestselling author Bruce Feiler about The Search: Finding Meaningful Work in a Post-Career World, an insightful, game-changing book that reimagines work and offers actionable steps for living a happy and meaningful work life. Bruce shares how experiencing his own “lifequakes” (like his cancer diagnosis at 43) turned into a love of hearing other peoples’ life stories. And now, a love of nonlinear work-life stories! He also shares fascinating trend...
Jul 25, 2023•34 min•Season 17Ep. 91
Zibby interviews New York Times bestselling author and repeat MDHTTRB guest Kristy Woodson Harvey about The Summer of Songbirds, a warm and hopeful novel about four women who come together to the save the summer camp that changed their lives. Kristy talks about the camp experience (and sailing fiasco) that inspired this novel and then discusses the themes she loved exploring–lifelong friendships, secrets, and the universal feeling of homesickness. She also talks about Friends & Fiction, her ...
Jul 24, 2023•33 min•Season 17Ep. 90
In this special weekend re-release, Zibby interviews #1 New York Times bestselling author Brit Bennett about The Vanishing Half, a stunning, immersive, provocative, and compassionate novel about twin sisters, inseparable as children, who ultimately choose to live in two very different worlds, one black and one white. "A page-turner." — O, The Oprah Magazine "Not to be missed." — Harper's Bazaar "Hypnotic. Hooks you from the very beginning and never lets you go." — Essence Purchase on Zibby's Boo...
Jul 23, 2023•26 min•Season 17Ep. 89
In this special weekend re-release, Zibby interviews the former first daughter and granddaughter, #1 New York Times bestselling author, and co-anchor of the Today Show, Jenna Bush Hager. In her poignant, humorous, intimate, and sincere memoir, Everything Beautiful In Its Time, Jenna shares stories of her grandparents and the wisdom they passed on that has shaped her life. Purchase on Zibby's Bookshop: https://bit.ly/44RvcX9 Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3Q9JJcu Subscribe to Zibby's weekly...
Jul 22, 2023•29 min•Season 17Ep. 88
Guest host Julie Chavez interviews Emmy Award-winning journalist, speaker, and mom-of-three Paula Faris about her latest book, You Don’t Have to Carry It All: Ditch the Mom Guilt and Find a Better Way Forward. Paula discusses her research on working moms in America, pointing out the systems and outdated gender expectations that continue to make their lives so challenging. She also talks about CARRY Media, the organization she founded (after abruptly losing her TV job), to advocate for and celebr...
Jul 21, 2023•35 min•Season 17Ep. 87
Debut author Diane Marie Brown joins Zibby to discuss Black Candle Women, a propulsive, poignant, warm, and wry family drama with a magical twist about four generations of Black women, the secrets they keep for and from each other, and the family love curse that makes anyone they fall in love with die. Diane describes the inspiration behind this story (it involves many childhood summers spent in New Orleans) and the unconventional, twelve-plus-year path to getting it published. She also reveals ...
Jul 20, 2023•20 min•Season 17Ep. 86
Guest host Julie Chavez interviews Nicole Baart about The Long Way Back, a twisty, atmospheric thriller about an Instagram-famous mother-daughter duo living a picture-perfect life in their vintage Airstream trailer… until the daughter goes missing. Nicole describes her life with five children (four teens!!), the inspiration behind this novel (it involves her own cross-country trip in a trailer), and the evolution of her writing over the last 15 years. She also reveals how writing started for her...
Jul 19, 2023•34 min•Season 17Ep. 85
Guest host Julie Chavez interviews cultural critic and co-host of NPR’s hit podcast Pop Culture Happy Hour , Aisha Harris, about Wannabe: Reckonings with the Pop Culture That Shapes Me, a brilliant collection of essays that feels like “hanging out with your smart, hilarious, pop-culture-obsessed friend.” Aisha talks about podcasting, classic TCM movies, Janet Jackson, motherhood, and obsessive celebrity fandoms. She also discusses the thriving Black artistry space, from Beyoncé to Jordan Peele, ...
Jul 18, 2023•33 min•Season 17Ep. 84
Guest host Julie Chavez interviews writer and editor Elizabeth Passarella about It Was an Ugly Couch Anyway: And Other Thoughts on Moving Forward, a refreshingly honest and hilarious collection of essays about navigating change and staying sane during the unexpected twists. Elizabeth shares the story behind her iconic title (it isn’t the one she originally wanted!) and describes how tough it was to write during the pandemic when she didn't feel like herself. She also talks about her beloved New ...
Jul 17, 2023•32 min•Season 17Ep. 83
In this special weekend re-release, Zibby interviews Golden-Globe nominated actor Lou Diamond Phillips and illustrator Yvonne Phillips about the epic and unforgettable science fiction fantasy tale The Tinderbox: Soldier of Indira. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's famous fairy tale of the same name, this book has the intrigue of Game of Thrones mixed with the star-crossed romance of Romeo and Juliet ... and you won't be able to put it down. Purchase on Zibby's Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3NVijV...
Jul 16, 2023•27 min•Season 17Ep. 82
In this special weekend re-release, actress, activist, and author Alyssa Milano joins Zibby to talk about her latest book, Sorry Not Sorry, a sharply observed, uproarious, and profoundly intimate collection of essays about her life, career, and humanitarianism . Alyssa shares how she wrote all of the essays to rhythm, how her mental health throughout the pandemic inspired a sizable amount of the book, and what changes she wants to see in the publishing industry to help authors like her feel more...
Jul 15, 2023•27 min•Season 17Ep. 81
Zibby interviews best friends and co-authors Audrey Bellezza (a two-time Emmy-nominated TV producer) and Emily Harding (also a TV producer!) about their glamorous, heartfelt, and steamy new friends-to-lovers rom-com, Emma of 83rd St. Audrey and Emily describe the wine-soaked night they decided to write a book together and how they actually accomplished that during a pandemic (hint: Google Docs). They also talk about their incredible TV writing careers, the job that brought them together, their e...
Jul 14, 2023•30 min•Season 17Ep. 80
Zibby interviews beloved songwriter, Bangles frontwoman, and debut author Susanna Hoffs about her clever, sexy, and riotously funny rockstar redemption romance This Bird Has Flown. Susanna compares book-writing to songwriting, reveals she used music to sharpen her mind and stimulate her imagination while writing, and shares how she got here in the first place (it all started with a childhood surrounded by books in a bohemian, art-loving household). She also talks about her beautiful cover art, t...
Jul 13, 2023•29 min•Season 17Ep. 79
Zibby speaks to international rockstar Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle Jonas, both repeat guests on MDHTTRB, about There’s a Beach in My Bedroom, a colorful new picture book about turning a disappointing canceled beach day into an even more fun day at home. Kevin and Danielle talk about their collaboration with each other and their illustrator, their exciting summer book tour, and typical beach days in their family (they are big Jersey Shore-ers!). Kevin also talks about his upcoming tour (wi...
Jul 12, 2023•17 min•Season 17Ep. 78
Zibby Books author alert!!! Zibby is joined by author Sandra A. Miller to discuss Wednesdays at One, an intriguing, atmospheric, and masterfully written literary suspense about family, friendship, and the price we pay when our mistakes come back to haunt us. Sandra describes the terrifying, real-life stalking experience that inspired this novel – her psychologist husband’s client became obsessed with him and tormented their family for years. She also talks about the case of vertigo that kept her...
Jul 11, 2023•29 min•Season 17Ep. 77
Zibby interviews debut author Taylor Koekkoek (along with his wife and upcoming Zibby Books author Joselyn Takacs!) about Thrillville, USA, a raw and remarkable story collection about Americans living on the margins of society, seeking solace in drugs, booze, and self-destructive relationships. Taylor describes his sources of inspiration (like dangerous, ramshackle amusement parks and his friends’ unfortunate life experiences) and reveals his ultimate goal: writing about people who are strugglin...
Jul 10, 2023•24 min•Season 17Ep. 76
In this special weekend re-release, Zibby records an Instagram Live with Cheryl Strayed, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wild (which was made into an Oscar-nominated film), Tiny Beautiful Things (which is now a Hulu TV show), and This Telling (the Amazon Original Story they talk about in this episode!). This Telling is part of an incisive collection of funny, enraging, and hopeful stories of women’s empowerment and escape. Zibby: "I was over the moon to be interviewing her. I have be...
Jul 09, 2023•37 min•Season 17Ep. 75
