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On Episode 3, Mark Miller chats with chaplain Davy Lin, LMFT, about his modern-miracle life story.

After surviving a motorcycle accident that was fatal to the other passenger, Davy was left paralyzed from the chest down. At the age of 24—with his body now debilitated and his dreams shattered—he had a choice to make. Would he let circumstances define what was left of his life? Or would he seek out a greater purpose despite the overwhelming challenges?

Leave a comment or question below, and join in the conversation!

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GET THE BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/dp/196439919X/

GUEST BIO: Davy Lin holds an M.Div. from Fuller Theological Seminary, an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Trinity College of Graduate Studies, an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California, and a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of São Paulo (Poli-USP). He has been happily married to his wife, Susana, for over 25 years, and they reside in Temple City, CA.

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Thanks for joining this episode of Bookmarked Conversations!

– Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0347IAUwroFtXeugYNzKGd?si=1b6fc0e3005048db

– Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bookmarked-conversations/id6801888129

– Discover more books: https://www.bookmarkedpages.com

00:00 BMC Intro

00:16 Meet Davy Lin

01:18 What’s the book about?

04:11 Life before the accident

06:04 The day everything changed

07:24 Surviving an accident you don’t remember

09:53 Searching for meaning in a strange new world

14:19 Silver linings in serving others

18:30 Sharing your story with the world

21:40 Should I really write my story?

25:27 An unscripted ending

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On Episode 2, Mark Miller chats with kids book illustrator Michael Vallado about a bevy of his projects—most enticingly, the epic retelling of Santa’s origin story.

But before we get to Santa taking on a monstrous mythical beast, we discuss:

• What it was like illustrating a series of “The Bad Guys” chapter books for Scholastic and DreamWorks.

• Michael's experience turning a true story into artwork for an early-reader audience.

• The journey of becoming a better storyteller and freelancer.

• The lost art of creating re-enchanted tales—and more.

Leave a comment or question below, and join in the conversation!

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GUEST BIO:

Michael Vallado is an illustrator and character designer located in Southern California. He loves creating characters and worlds that are vibrant and full of adventure. When Michael isn't drawing, you can find him reading Tolkien, going for walks, or hanging out with his cat.

• Substack: https://substack.com/@michaelvallado

• IG: https://www.instagram.com/michael_learns_art/

• Website, Books & Merch: https://www.michaellearnsart.com/shop-fzlp5

• “The Bad Guys” Books: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G3VXSHZT?binding=paperback&ref_

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Thanks for joining this episode of Bookmarked Conversations!

– Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0347IAUwroFtXeugYNzKGd?si=c12f75361d734eff

– Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bookmarked-conversations/id6801888129

– Discover more books: https://www.bookmarkedpages.com

00:00 BMC Intro

00:17 Meet Michael Vallado

01:48 The cliffhanger question

02:34 Diving into “Hannah and the Lost Jelly Shoe”

06:54 Owning your projects as a freelancer

09:54 Collaborating on “Galifkadori”

15:10 Finding the gold in your projects

18:06 Inside scoop on “The Bad Guys” books

23:55 Why is Santa fighting a dragon?

24:40 Rediscovering Santa’s origin story

37:32 Re-enchanting modern stories

45:45 Flipping subverted stories on their head

49:02 Taking the MSG out of our culture

51:35 Upcoming launch of the graphic novel

53:48 Final thoughts

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On our pilot episode, Mark Miller talks with Madeleine Kleppinger about her book "My Brother’s Mark"—a historical fiction novel that explores one woman's journey defecting from Czechoslovakia in the late 60s.

• Madeleine shares the true story (actually, many of them) that sparked the process of writing the book.

• She also offers personal reflections on what it's like to embed factual truth into a work of fiction and how collaboration strengthens a book.

• We mention Czech pastries that you don't want to miss, as well as an unexpected opportunity through the Smithsonian...

Leave a comment or question below, and join in the conversation!

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GET THE BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1964399068/

SYNOPSIS: In the summer of 1969, while most teenagers are trying on flare-fit bell-bottoms and scanning the radio for rock ‘n’ roll, Pavla Horakova is preparing to flee her country. Everything she knew as home is upended during the occupation that is extinguishing the hope of the Prague Spring. And when the waves of Soviet soldiers continue to crash upon the eastern border of Czechoslovakia, Pavla makes the decision to run. But she isn’t alone. "My Brother’s Mark" is one woman’s journey to escape the crushing pain from a selfish act of brutality and live out a selfless sacrifice for loyalty. It’s only when she is asked to return home that commitment to those she loves is fully put to the test.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Madeleine Kleppinger is a scientist by night, writer by day. Her passion is to help readers discover their greatest story through her own storytelling. Her previously published works include the short stories "Chimes" and "The Night Gardener." She currently resides on the Iowa side of the Quad Cities with her husband, Johnathon, and American bulldog, Sonnet. You can connect with Madeleine at https://www.mkleppinger.com and through her socials @makleppinger.

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Thanks for joining this episode of Bookmarked Conversations!

Discover more books at https://www.bookmarkedpages.com

00:00 BMC Intro

00:17 Meet Madeleine and her book

02:20 Why Czechoslovakia? Why this story?

04:17 The TRUE story behind "My Brother's Mark"

07:58 Curiosity connecting with culture

11:06 Compulsion to write feeds the book

13:43 What it's like sharing the finished story

15:30 The Smithsonian (Affiliate) takes notice

17:09 Candid advice for aspiring authors

19:40 Reflections on the collaboration process

22:17 Collaborating = Curling!

23:34 Molding the book and the author simultaneously

25:29 Final thoughts (A sequel?!)