NWBookTalk

Shirley Karr: Regency Romance, Tall Ships, and the Promise of a Happy Ending Historical romance author Shirley Karr joins Northwest Book Talk to share how childhood years in England, a love of Regency history, and an unforgettable sail on the tall ship Lady Washington helped shape her fiction. Shirley talks about blending humor, adventure, romance, […]

Jesse Morse on Place-Based Writing, Poetry & Finding Stories in Everyday Landscapes Writer, poet, musician, and educator Jesse Morse joins Northwest Book Talk to explore the art of place-based writing and how paying closer attention to the world around us can deepen storytelling. Jesse teaches literature and creative writing at Clark College and discusses how

Michelle St. Romain — Writing Memory, Ancestry, and the Stories That Shape Us Michelle St. Romain joins Northwest Book Talk to share the inspiration behind her debut novel Song of Belonging, a multi-generational story rooted in memory, ancestry, and magical realism. We explore how personal history, culture, and poetry shaped her writing, along with her

Craig Orback, an award-winning children’s book illustrator, joins Northwest Book Talk to share his journey, creative process, and how visual storytelling brings books to life. He also previews his interactive workshop at the Northwest Book Fair & Media Fest, exploring the life of Charles Schulz and the creation of the beloved Peanuts characters.

Temple Lentz – Not Quite Home: Fiction, Community, and Solving Real-World Problems Temple Lentz—nonprofit CEO, elected official, and award-winning author—joins Northwest Book Talk to discuss her debut novel Not Quite Home. Inspired by real experiences in Southwest Washington, the story follows two women from very different worlds who come together to address homelessness through an

Deb Miller – Finding Your Happiness Beyond the Fairy Tale Deb Miller, a 10-time award-winning author and former Fortune 500 marketing executive, joins Northwest Book Talk to share the story behind her book Forget the Fairy Tale and Find Your Happiness. Drawing from a life shaped by global experiences, career reinvention, and personal transformation, Deb

Read Northwest: Building Strong Readers, One Child at a Time Anna Paul and Brook Trang of Read Northwest join Northwest Book Talk to share how their Clark County based nonprofit is transforming early childhood literacy through one-on-one mentoring and community support. With roots dating back to 2022, Read Northwest has grown from just two pilot

Karen Kent – How to Almost Win a Gingerbread Contest Karen Kent joins Northwest Book Talk to share her magical middle grade novel How to Almost Win a Gingerbread Contest. Set in the charming town of Cinnamon Falls, the story follows eleven-year-old Angie as she navigates friendship struggles, a competitive baking contest, and a mysterious

Writing Together: Clark Hays & Kathleen McFall of PumpJack Press On this episode of Northwest Book Talk, host Patty Grasher talks with Portland writing duo Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall, founders of PumpJack Press. Together they’ve written more than a dozen books spanning paranormal westerns, alternate history, science fiction, and romantic comedy. They discuss how

Leslie Johansen Nack: Writing Through Trauma, Resilience, and Recovery Award-winning author Leslie Johansen Nack joins Northwest Book Talk to discuss the deeply personal stories behind her powerful memoirs Fourteen: A Daughter’s Memoir of Adventure, Sailing, and Survival and its sequel Nineteen: A Daughter’s Memoir of Reckoning and Recovery. In this candid conversation, Leslie shares how