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This episode features our conversation with Michelle McGill-Vargas, which was live-streamed on May 2, 2026.

Michelle McGill-Vargas writes speculative historical fiction, short stories, and flash fiction. Her work has appeared in Splickety Magazine, The Copperfield Review, and Typehouse Literary. She is a board member of the Midwest Writers Workshop and Historical Novel Society-North America. Michelle is also a writing coach for Writing Day Workshops. She currently resides in the Midwest with her family and furbabies.

During this episode, we chatted about Michelle’s debut novel, American Ghoul (Blackstone Publishing, 2024).

"You can't kill someone who's already dead."

That's what Lavinia keeps telling her jailer after--allegedly--killing her mistress, Simone Arceneau. But how could Simone be dead when she was taking callers just a few minutes before? And why was her house always so dark?

Lavinia, a recently freed slave, met Simone, a recently undead vampire, by chance on a plantation in post-Civil War Georgia. With nothing remaining for either woman in the South, the two form a fast friendship and head north. However, Lavinia quickly learns that teaming up with this white woman may be more than she bargained for.

Simone is reckless and impulsive--which would've been bad enough on its own, but when combined with her particular diet, Lavinia finds herself in way over her head. As she is forced to repeatedly compromise her morals and struggles to make lasting human connections, Lavinia begins to wonder, is she truly free or has she merely exchanged one form of enslavement for another? As bodies start to pile up in the small Indiana town they've settled in, people start to take a second look at the two newcomers, and Simone and Lavinia's relationship is stretched to its breaking point.

A wildly entertaining debut from Michelle McGill-Vargas, American Ghoul deftly combines horror and social commentary—with a dash of buddy comedy—in an innovative twist on the vampire genre.

To learn more about Michelle and to purchase your copy of American Ghoul, please visit: michellemcgillvargas.com.

Find Michelle on Instagram: @a_s_k_delta8

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This episode features our conversation with Johnzelle Anderson, which was live-streamed on April 19, 2026.

Johnzelle is a licensed therapist by trade, and believes in the power of storytelling to heal, imagine, disrupt, and inspire. His writing focuses on mental health, race, relationships, and identity.

He’s an avid reader and reads approximately 100 books annually.

He lives in Virginia with his daughter and an energetic Sheprador.

During this episode, we discussed Johnzelle’s debut memoir, Mixtape: A Memoir, which was released on March 17, 2026 by Atmosphere Press.

In Mixtape: A Memoir, therapist and storyteller Johnzelle Anderson weaves a raw, lyrical portrait of resilience, identity, and healing.

Born to a disengaged West African father and a volatile white mother, Anderson grows up mixed race in 1990s Roanoke, Virginia—feeling like an outsider in every room. Amid childhood abuse, neglect, and racism, he clings to the safety of his grandmother’s love and his inner voice’s promise of a better future.

Told in tracks rather than chapters, Mixtape charts Anderson’s journey from trauma to triumph—from being body-shamed and silenced to building a career in mental health and forming a family of his own. Along the way, he confronts the legacy of generational pain, redefines his sense of belonging, and takes a life-changing trip to Ghana in search of the roots his father never shared.

Honest, at times humorous, and unflinching in its vulnerability, Mixtape: A Memoir is a coming-of-age story for anyone unlearning and daring to rewrite the soundtrack of their life.

A story about the sound and silence of survival, and the rhythms that carry us home. Mixtape: A Memoir is available in hardcover, paperback, e-book and audiobook with Johnzelle narrating the audiobook.

Learn more about Mixtape and to purchase your copy of the book, please visit: johnzelle.co.

Mentioned during the episode:

Check out our interview with Emely Rumble, LICSW about her book, Bibliotherapy in the Bronx (S6 E12): Listen on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Spotify

Find Johnzelle on Instagram: @johnzelle_

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This episode features our conversation with Amiya Phillips, which was live-streamed on April 13, 2026 during National Poetry Month.

Amiya Phillips is the author of the recently self-published poetry book "The Heart of the Mat", which showcases her wrestle with anxiety and how God's divine presence steps in. She has also had other pieces of her work included in the 2016 autumn publication of "A Celebration of Poets." Amiya is a native of Springfield, MA, and graduated from Worcester State University in December of 2021 with a degree in Psychology. She is currently working on obtaining her Master's of Social Work so she can work with diverse communities to improve their mental health.

Released in July of 2025, The Heart of the Mat is an unfiltered collection of Christian poems. It highlights the spiritual wrestling between anxiety and faith. Through soul-searching, heartfelt reflections, Amiya Phillips invites readers into her inner struggles, where weakness meets God's perfection. This book explores the emotional and spiritual connection we have with God. In wrestling, the center of the mat is where the real action happens. That’s where Amiya finds herself, face-to-face with anxiety, round after round. But she’s not alone. This book is a reminder that even in our most difficult battles, God is always near.

The Heart of the Mat provides:

• Affirmations about how God's love helps us to heal and conquer our challenges
• Praise breaks - uplifting scriptural verses and prayers
• A bonus interview with a Christian mental health therapist
• A reminder that God's faith will continue to "order our steps", regardless of the struggles we face

The Heart of the Mat is available for purchase on Amazon.

Read more on Amiya Phillips in this article from Bold Journey.

Mentioned during this episode:

Olive Tree Books 'N Voices, a Black woman-owned bookstore based in Springfield, MA: https://olivetreebooksonline.com/

Check out our interview with Dr. Latoya Bosworth, who is also mentioned during this episode!

Find Olive Tree Books 'N Voices on Instagram: @olivetreebooksnvoices

Find Amiya Phillips on Instagram: @amiyaphillips.author

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This episode features our conversation with our 100th guest, children’s book author Nikki McPhetridge, which was live-streamed on March 21, 2026.

Nikki McPhetridge is a first-time author, storyteller, and creator of Maya's Birthday Wish (Bookfox Press, August 2025). As a mother, dreamer, and believer in the power of play. Nikki brings heartfelt stories to life that celebrate kindness and imagination.

As Maya's birthday approaches, she wonders what to wish for - toys, treats, or something even more special? Maya sets off on a whimsical journey through her imagination, discovering that the best wishes come from the heart! Illustrated by Noor Zaki, Maya’s Birthday Wish received the 2025 Book Fest Award.

Learn more about Nikki and Maya’s Birthday Wish by visiting mayastoryland.com. Maya’s Birthday Wish is available for purchase directly from Nikki’s website and also on Amazon.

Watch the recording of the live broadcast here to see the book's illustrations.

Find Maya's Storyland on Instagram: @mayastoryland

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This episode features our conversation with Rosemary Esehagu, which was live-streamed on March 14, 2026.

Rosemary Esehagu is a Nigerian-American writer and poet. Her poems have appeared in different journals, including Cool Beans Lit, Genre: Urban Arts, a little poetry, Plum Recruit, African Writer Magazine, and Elephant Journal. Her award-winning novel, The Looming Fog, was published in 2006. Her latest book is the Amazon Bestselling hybrid prose and poetry memoir titled Out of the Cocoon: The Journey to Becoming (Manhattan Book Group, February 2025). She lives in Texas and puts her psychology degree to work to explore minds to discover that which empowers us or cripples us. Her works investigate that delicate interdependent relationship between self and society, becoming and unbecoming. She is a passionate advocate for becoming our best selves by embracing all that we are and have been, both the ugly and the beautiful parts.

During this episode, we talked about Out of the Cocoon.

How would you live your life if you understood that every scar, trauma, or suffering can make you stronger and greater?

In her memoir, Out of the Cocoon: The Journey to Becoming, Rosemary shares her story of posttraumatic growth and offers a radical perspective on abuse. Despite encountering abuse as a child and racism and trauma when she immigrated to the US as a teenager, she has found her place and is living her purpose. She uses prose and poetry to express that we can overpower and repurpose others' harmful actions.

Out of the Cocoon explores healing from trauma from someone with personal experience and expertise.

Learn more about Rosemary by visiting www.rosemaryesehagu.com.

Mentioned during the episode: The Amadou Diallo Foundation ~ https://www.amadoudiallofoundation.org/

Find Rosemary Esehagu on Instagram: @rosemaryesehagu

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This episode features our conversation with Dr. Latoya Bosworth, which was live-streamed on March 8, 2026 in honor of International Women’s Day.

Dr. Latoya Bosworth, who honors her paternal great-grandfather with the shortened “Dr. Boz,” is an author, forever educator, and "your favorite life coach" who holistically helps others connect more deeply with themselves so that they may connect more deeply with others in their work & community. Born Latoya Bosworth, she gave herself the pen name Brenda's Child at the age of 21, in honor of her late mother, Brenda Kay Swinton. Although she experienced early childhood and adolescent trauma, Dr. Boz attributes her healing and evolution to writing as an outlet, strong mentors, spirituality, therapy and giving back.

Since 2007, she has self-published more than 15 titles in the genres of poetry, fiction, memoir, and journals. Currently, she's writing on self-help and personal growth. Dr. Boz was a longtime contributor for the monthly publication, Springfield, MA-based An African-American Point of View Newspaper, where she wrote poetry and about issues specifically impacting women of color. Her parenting and self-esteem articles have been featured on Blackandmarriedwithkids.com and ForHarriet.com. She was also an original columnist for Lioness Magazine, an online publication for women entrepreneurs.

Dr. Boz continuously spreads her message of H.E.R.S. - which stands for health, empowerment, resilience and self-worth in workshops, as a keynote speaker, coach, in print and on stage.

During this episode, we chatted about Dr. Boz’s latest books, Quiet Strength, Loud Confidence...Reflections and Realizations of a Free Black Woman and Joyworthy... The Little Guide to Experiencing All the Joy You Deserve.

Published in 2021, Quiet Strength & Loud Confidence is an anthology of Dr. Bosworth’s personal essays, poems, and personal growth practices, arranged to guide you through the internal and external work of becoming and remaining free. If you already consider yourself free, may this book be a reminder to celebrate that freedom. If you are becoming unchained, may this book be the North Star, the moss of the north side of the tree, the drinking gourd on your way to freedom.

You can experience joy every single day. That is, once you know what joy means to you. Published in 2024, Joyworthy... The Little Guide to Experiencing All the Joy. You Deserve will guide you through the process of asking specific questions that shift your perception and beliefs about what it means to create a joyful life. Each chapter highlights practices and ways of being so that even in the most difficult circumstances, there is still joy. Take it all in. You deserve it.

Learn more about Dr. Boz by visiting www.brendaschild.com.

Purchase Dr. Boz's books on Amazon here.

Find Dr. Boz on Instagram: @brendaschild

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This episode features our conversation with Vince Hudson, which was live-streamed on February 28, 2026.

Vince Hudson is a marketing executive, author, and proud HBCU graduate who serves on the Board of Trustees at his alma mater, Dillard University. Raised in Shreveport, Louisiana, Vince was blessed to grow up witnessing Black love modeled daily by his parents, a marriage grounded in faith, discipline, and devotion. That living example shaped both his worldview and his work.

With more than 30 years of global brand leadership experience, Vince has held senior roles across some of the world’s most recognized companies. He served as Chief Brand & Marketing Officer at BET, Senior Vice President of Marketing at American Express, and a global leadership role at Meta, driving brand growth, audience strategy, and cultural impact. His career has centered on building powerful brands that resonate across communities.

Now, Vince applies that same strategic discipline to relationships in his book Date Like a Brand. As a father of three daughters, he wrote the book as both a love letter and a playbook, dedicated to helping them and others navigate modern dating with clarity, standards, and self-worth.

Rooted in Shreveport. Refined through HBCU excellence. Guided by generational Black love. Vince’s mission is to help us build relationships as intentionally as we build our legacies.

During this episode, we talked about his book, Date Like a Brand: A Powerful Marketing Framework for Finding and Keeping the Love of Your Life.

Date Like a Brand, a relationship philosophy and playbook, treats dating as a strategic marketplace, helping you attract the right partner by defining your unique value, establishing your target audience, and avoiding dead-end "situationships".

Purchase your copy of Date Like a Brand on our Bookshop.

Learn more about Date Like a Brand by visiting https://datelikeabrand.com/.

Find Date Like a Brand on Instagram: @datelikeabrandbook

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This episode features our conversation with Toni Ann Johnson, which was live-streamed on February 15, 2026.

Toni Ann Johnson won the Flannery O’Connor Award for her linked story collection, Light Skin Gone to Waste. Selected for the prize and edited by Roxane Gay, the collection was also shortlisted for the Saroyan Prize and nominated for a 2023 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work. Her novella, Homegoing, published in 2021 and linked to Light Skin Gone to Waste, was selected by Katerina Stoykova as the winner of Accents Publishing’s inaugural novella contest. Johnson’s newest linked collection, But Where’s Home?, the third book in the series about the Arrington family, was chosen by Crystal Wilkinson as the winner of the Screen Door Press Prize and published in February of 2026 (Screen Door Press is an imprint of University Press of Kentucky).

During this episode, we talked about Toni Ann’s latest book, But Where’s Home?.

But Where's Home?, Toni Ann Johnson's new collection of linked short stories, explores the sometimes painful and often humorous experiences of the Airringtons as an upper-middle-class Black family in a predominantly white, working-class community. This book follows Johnson's previous collection, Light Skin Gone to Waste. Through multiple perspectives and moments in time, from the 1960s to 2022, readers are invited into the lives of the eldest daughter, who longs for her father's affection while striving for independence; the youngest daughter, who seeks to overcome childhood pain through music and love; a father practicing psychology while engaging in affairs with the white women of the town; and a mother dealing with infidelity while raising her daughters in a place that rejects them.

Deeply emotional, funny, and unflinchingly honest, But Where's Home? lays bare the realities of Black life in America, challenging readers to confront racism, classism, colonized thinking, narcissism, abuse, and troubled parent-child relationships. Johnson's complex and interwoven characters create a kaleidoscope of truths about human nature and race relations in the United States.

Purchase your copy of But Where's Home?: https://www.kentuckypress.com/9781967165032/but-wheres-home/

Find Toni Ann Johnson online: https://www.toniannjohnson.com/

Listen to our first chat with Toni Ann Johnson from Season Three here.

Mentioned during the episode:
Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments: Intimate Histories of Riotous Black Girls, Troublesome Women, and Queer Radicals by Dr. Saidiya Hartman (2019): https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393357622

Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray: https://bookshop.org/a/114101/9780593638484

Check out our interview with Victoria Christopher Murray about Harlem Rhapsody from Season Five: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/black-writers-read-victoria-christopher-murray/id1627999524?i=1000698295022

Find Toni Ann on Instagram: @treeladytoniann

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