My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Linda Margolin Royal, author of the book The Star on the Grave. Linda Margolin Royal was born in Sydney, forever thankful her father and grandparents received life-saving transit visas from Chiune Sugihara in 1940, which enabled them to enter Japan and escape the Holocaust. This ultimately meant they could find a permanent, safe home in Australia in 1941. The remainder of her family, numbering in the hundreds, was murdered in concentration camps. She trained as a graphic designer and then copywriter, and spent thirty years in the advertising industry both in Australia and the US, writing advertisement scripts for TV and radio, and general press advertising for multinational newspapers and billboards. Linda’s creative bent extends to abstract painting and drawing from live models. The Star on the Grave is her first novel.

In my book review, I stated The Star on the Grave by Linda Margolin Royal is a Holocaust historical fiction. I love historical fiction, especially those based on true family history and those that give me an insight into an aspect of history I didn't know.

The novel is a dual timeline showing Rachel's life in 1968 and her grandmother and father's life in 1940 - relatives of the author. We learn of a Polish Jewish family escaping the Nazis through Lithuania and a brave Japanese diplomat, unknown to me, named Chiune Sugihara who issued thousands of visas to save them. This novel hit both of my loves!

I also love great characters, and this novel doesn't disappoint. I immediately came to love Rachel and felt her despair, anger, grief, and eventual understanding as her world shattered around her. Her grandmother is a character who is deserving of her own book! Linda did such a great job describing her that I could both see and hear her in my head as I read. And even Rachel's father, though not a warm and fuzzy character, held me captive.

This is a great read. A definite must-read. Grab your copy today!

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You can follow Author Linda Margolin Royal

Website: https://staronthegrave.com/

IG: @lindaroyal8968/

FB: @The Star on the Grave

LinkedIn: @Linda R.

Purchase The Star on the Grave on Amazon:

Paperback: https://amzn.to/4suyvzi

Ebook: https://amzn.to/4udenTV

Teri M Brown, Author and Podcast Host: https://www.terimbrown.com

FB: @TeriMBrownAuthor

IG: @terimbrown_author

X: @terimbrown1

Want to be a guest on Online for Authors? Send Teri M Brown a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/member/onlineforauthors

#LindaMargolinRoyal #thestaronthegrave #historicalfiction #terimbrownauthor #authorpodcast #onlineforauthors #characterdriven #researchjunkie #awardwinningauthor #podcasthost #podcast #readerpodcast #bookpodcast #writerpodcast #author #books #goodreads #bookclub #fiction #writer #bookreview

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My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Deborah J Brasket, author of the book This Sea Within. Deborah Brasket spent six years sailing around the world with her husband and children. When she returned home to the Central Coast, she taught English at Allan Hancock and Cuesta colleges before joining SBCAN.

After retirement, she settled among the golden hills and vineyards of Paso Robles to write the kinds of novels she loves to read. When Things Go Missing was published in September 2025. Her second novel This Sea Within will be published in June 2026.

In my book review, I stated This Sea Within is a political thriller by Deborah J Brasket. We quickly meet Lena, a young woman on the brink of discovering who she truly wants to be. However, her mother's absence, and Lena's anger on the subject, have gotten in the way. So, she decides to go to San Balanque, her mother's homeland, to figure out the parts of her she's missing. If only life were that simple.

Instead of a few simple lessons about her heritage, Lena soon learns of an underground revolution trying to overthrow the cruel dictator - and the activist in her wants to know more. When she meets Raoul, the leader of the rebel group known as the Aguileros, her world changes forever.

Will she be able to reconcile her pacifist leanings to the freedom fighter mentality needed to overthrow the government? Will her family's past taint her future as an Aguileros? Can she separate her feelings for Raoul from her feelings about the revolution?

This is an intense novel that doesn't hold back. You'll find yourself struggling along with Lena as you try to figure out where you stand - and where you should stand. This is a must-read!

Author Note: There is violence and sex scenes, but at no time did I feel they were gratuitous or out of line with the characters.

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You can follow Author Deborah J Brasket

Website: https://deborahjbrasket.com

FB: @DeborahJBrasket

IG: @dbrasket

LinkedIn: @Deborah Brasket

X: @DeborahBrasket

Purchase This Sea Within on Amazon:

Ebook: https://amzn.to/4eF6aCS

Teri M Brown, Author and Podcast Host: https://www.terimbrown.com

FB: @TeriMBrownAuthor

IG: @terimbrown_author

X: @terimbrown1

Want to be a guest on Online for Authors? Send Teri M Brown a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/member/onlineforauthors

#deborahjbrasket #thisseawithin #thriller #terimbrownauthor #authorpodcast #onlineforauthors #characterdriven #researchjunkie #awardwinningauthor #podcasthost #podcast #readerpodcast #bookpodcast #writerpodcast #author #books #goodreads #bookclub #fiction #writer #bookreview

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Shane Vigeant who will be chatting about marketing with AI in mind. Shane is a digital marketer based in Boise, Idaho, where he helps nonfiction authors build platforms that grow their books and businesses. He’s built over 500 websites, managed six figures in ad spend, and focused on making marketing simple so people can actually reach the right audience.

Subscribe to Online for Authors to learn about more great books! https://www.youtube.com/@onlineforauthors?sub_confirmation=1

You can follow Author Shane Vigeant who will be chatting about AI Marketing

Website: https://booklaunchers.com/

LinkedIn: @shane-vigeant

Teri M Brown, Author and Podcast Host: https://www.terimbrown.com

FB: @TeriMBrownAuthor

IG: @terimbrown_author

X: @terimbrown1

Want to be a guest on Online for Authors? Send Teri M Brown a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/member/onlineforauthors

#shanevigeant #booklaunchers #aimarketing #terimbrownauthor #authorpodcast #onlineforauthors #characterdriven #researchjunkie #awardwinningauthor #podcasthost #podcast #readerpodcast #bookpodcast #writerpodcast #author #books #goodreads #bookclub #fiction #writer #bookreview

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Jim Nesbitt, author of the book The Fatal Saving Grace. Award-winning author Jim Nesbitt has written five hard-boiled Texas crime thrillers that feature an indelible protagonist, Dallas private eye Ed Earl Burch, a cashiered homicide detective with bad knees, a wounded liver and an empty bank account. He’s smart, tough, profane and reckless: nobody’s hero—and nobody’s fool.

Drawing on four decades as a journalist chasing hurricanes, presidential candidates, neo-Nazis, cops, crooks and cowboys, Nesbitt writes hard-hitting novels bristling with relentless action, pulse-racing plots, solid storylines and a colorful cast of characters. Gritty and remorseless, these stories take readers on a thrill ride that runs from the gleaming towers of Dallas and Houston to the stark desert mountains of the Texas Big Bend country and northern Mexico.

This is hard-boiled detective fiction at its finest -- taut, tense and uncompromising sagas of revenge and redemption. With his pitch-perfect voice and keen eye for detail, Jim Nesbitt has created extraordinary tales centered on a main character like no other: the deeply flawed but wildly compelling Ed Earl Burch. They are damned good stories exceptionally well-told.

A lapsed horseman, pilot and saloon sport with a keen appreciation of old guns, vintage cars and tractors, red meat, good cigars, aged whisky without an “e”; and a well-told story, Nesbitt is also a diehard Tennessee Vols fan, who now lives in enemy territory -- Athens, Alabama -- with his wife, Pam. He is working on his sixth Ed Earl Burch novel, THE PERFECT TRAIN WRECK.

In my book review, I stated The Fatal Saving Grace is Book 5 of the Ed Earl Burch Hard-Boiled Texas Crime Thrillers series by Jim Nesbitt. I enjoyed this crime thriller and the crusty old character of Ed Earl Burch. This felt like a cross between an old western and a noir fiction with characters that weren't all good or all bad. In fact, Jim had me hoping that one of the bad guys might not have to face prison time.

Burch, as he is known to his peers, was once a lawman but had his badge taken away. Then he spent the next couple of decades as a PI before getting a badge again. However, the transition from "do anything as long as you don't get caught" to "follow the law" isn't easy on Burch or those he works with. This is especially true when it becomes apparent that a killer they thought was dead is very much alive and back at the killing game. Throw in the Aryan Brotherhood, the Dixie-Mafia, drug turf wars, and over-inflated lawman egos, and you've got a story worth reading.

NOTE: This is not a clean book. There is some rather graphic killing scenes and a bit of loud sex, but none of it felt out of character for the protagonist or his world.

Subscribe to Online for Authors to learn about more great books! https://www.youtube.com/@onlineforauthors?sub_confirmation=1

You can follow Author Jim Nesbitt

Website: https://jimnesbittbooks.com/

FB: @edearlburchbooks

Substack: @edearl56

Purchase The Fatal Saving Grace on Amazon:

Paperback: https://amzn.to/4mmDX5z

Ebook: https://amzn.to/3O0RTFE

Teri M Brown, Author and Podcast Host: https://www.terimbrown.com

FB: @TeriMBrownAuthor

IG: @terimbrown_author

X: @terimbrown1

Want to be a guest on Online for Authors? Send Teri M Brown a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/member/onlineforauthors

#jimnesbitt #thefatalsavinggrace #crimethriller #terimbrownauthor #authorpodcast #onlineforauthors #characterdriven #researchjunkie #awardwinningauthor #podcasthost #podcast #readerpodcast #bookpodcast #writerpodcast #author #books #goodreads #bookclub #fiction #writer #bookreview

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Hema Gupta, author of the book The Things We Never Said Out Loud. A third-year medical student by day and confessor of silenced truths by night, the author behind the things we never said out loud exists in the liminal space between diagnosis and disclosure, between the clinical and the confessional. With hands trained to heal the body and a pen that excavates the soul, they understand that both medicine and poetry are acts of witnessing, of looking at what others turn away from and naming it with precision and tenderness.

In the things we never said out loud, available through Barnes & Noble, they turn their gaze inward to the unspoken territories we all inhabit: the secrets that calcify in our chests, the truths that live just beneath our tongues, the confessions we rehearse in darkness but never release into light. This debut collection proves that sometimes the most powerful medicine is simply giving voice to what we've kept buried.

As a new voice in contemporary poetry, they are building a community of readers who recognize themselves in these unearthed truths. You can follow their journey at the intersection of scalpel and stanza on social media @hemaabemaa, where healing and writing continue their conversation.

In my book review, I stated The Things We Never Said Out Loud is a book of poetry by Hema Gupta. These poems look at a relationship between a man and a woman focusing on what they think of one another, what others think of them, and what they think of themselves. Although not usually into poetry, I felt this volume was very relatable and down-to-earth. I could see myself, especially as a younger woman. I also found the verses to be fun and flirty, with a bit of an edge that felt slightly dangerous - or at least emboldened.

I don't understand the hows and whys of poetry, but these poems caused me to think back on days of early love. Those days when you want it to last but wonder if it will. When you hope it is going somewhere but sometimes your doubts get in the way. For me, as a newly widowed woman, they made me pine for a love that will never be again.

I'd say, give this book of poems a try. I think you'll like them.

Subscribe to Online for Authors to learn about more great books! https://www.youtube.com/@onlineforauthors?sub_confirmation=1

You can follow Author Hema Gupta

IG: @hemaabemaa

Purchase The Things We Never Said Out Loud on Barnes & Noble:

Paperback: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-things-we-never-said-out-loud-hema-gupta/1147360260

Teri M Brown, Author and Podcast Host: https://www.terimbrown.com

FB: @TeriMBrownAuthor

IG: @terimbrown_author

X: @terimbrown1

Want to be a guest on Online for Authors? Send Teri M Brown a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/member/onlineforauthors

#hemagupta #thethingsweneversaidoutloud #poetry #terimbrownauthor #authorpodcast #onlineforauthors #characterdriven #researchjunkie #awardwinningauthor #podcasthost #podcast #readerpodcast #bookpodcast #writerpodcast #author #books #goodreads #bookclub #fiction #writer #bookreview

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Joanna Monahan, author of the book Welcome to Blooms. Joanna Monahan lives in North Carolina with her husband, children, and two distracting cats.

Before she began writing, Joanna worked a variety of jobs, including marketing, professional organizing, and setting up book fairs. She enjoys theater, baseball, and bookmarking recipes she will never make. A child of the 80s, she regrets that she no longer receives pizza coupons in exchange for reading.

You can find her at joannamonahan.com talking about books, writing, and all things GenX or on Instagram where she regularly torments her characters by participating in fiction writing challenges. Joanna is a proud member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, the North Carolina Writers’ Network and the Author’s Guild.

In my book review, I stated Welcome to Blooms is a humorous women's fiction by Joanna Monahan. You will be delighted to meet Daisy Greene, a woman who is trying hard to outrun an overbearing mother, a hardworking father, a go-along-with-the-flow brother (named Bud), and a family business that makes her sneeze. That's right, Daisy's family owns a flower shop, and not only is she allergic to the flowers, she's pretty certain she's allergic to her family.

She has her life mapped out in a city far away from home and rarely visits. She even screens her calls to keep from talking to her mother or brother unless absolutely necessary. Until the day her father goes into the hospital - and she finds herself smack dab in the middle of the family drama once again.

This is a funny novel - part romantic comedy, part cozy, part midlife coming of age. You will laugh and cry. You will shout at Daisy to get her head on straight. You will cheer her on as she finally figures out what is important. And, if you are like me, you might even feel a few allergies coming on!

This is a must read - so run out and grab your copy today!

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You can follow Author Joanna Monahan

Website: www.joannamonahan.com

IG: @joannamonahanauthor

FB: @Joannamonahanauthor

Pinterest: @joannamonahanauthor

Purchase Welcome to Blooms on Amazon:

Paperback: https://amzn.to/4c5Q3wh

Ebook: https://amzn.to/4t68WW5

Teri M Brown, Author and Podcast Host: https://www.terimbrown.com

FB: @TeriMBrownAuthor

IG: @terimbrown_author

X: @terimbrown1

Want to be a guest on Online for Authors? Send Teri M Brown a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/member/onlineforauthors

#joannamonahan #welcometoblooms #womensfiction #terimbrownauthor #authorpodcast #onlineforauthors #characterdriven #researchjunkie #awardwinningauthor #podcasthost #podcast #readerpodcast #bookpodcast #writerpodcast #author #books #goodreads #bookclub #fiction #writer #bookreview

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Dan Kowalski, author of the book Death by Misadventure. Daniel Kowalski is a novelist, screenwriter, and filmmaker whose work dives deep into crime, history, and the darker edges of human nature.

He writes modern noir stories—lean, character-driven thrillers grounded in real human stakes. His debut mystery-thriller, Suicide Bridge, has been praised for its gritty atmosphere, cinematic pacing, and relentless sense of tension. His follow up novel Family Feud has been critically praised and his third novel Death by Misadventure is set to be published in 2026.

As a screenwriter, Daniel develops grounded crime dramas and neo-noir thrillers that explore flawed people pushed into impossible situations. His scripts often draw from true events, historical conflicts, and the unspoken moral compromises people make under pressure.

Daniel is also the creator of Dan’s Docs, a YouTube channel dedicated to true crime documentaries. Blending investigative storytelling with a filmmaker’s eye, the channel explores real cases, hidden histories, and the forces that shape criminal behavior.

Across novels, screenplays, and documentary filmmaking, Daniel’s work asks the same central question: What happens when ordinary people are pulled into extraordinary darkness — and who do they become on the other side?

In my book review, I stated Death by Misadventure is a noir thriller by Daniel Kowalski. This book kept me riveted to my seat, and I couldn't wait to discover the "who" and "what" behind all that was going on! The main detective is Jennifer, and like with all noir works, although the good guy, she is certainly not a pristine character. She has a past case that haunts her, a family she has abandoned, and drinks - a lot. Even so, she manages to hang on to her career and gets the case of an attorney gunned down in his garage. Is it a robbery gone wrong or something more?

Jennifer follows leads that end up going nowhere, causing her to drink at an even greater rate. At the same time, she meets up with an old flame from high school. As this relationship heats up, she thinks she may be on the road to some personal happiness. A second murder, a jealous wife, a PI with too much information, and someone she learns is more of a predator than a friend, nearly does her in.

Will she solve the case before finding herself in prison? This touch and go thriller is well-written and keeps you guessing right to the end.

Subscribe to Online for Authors to learn about more great books! https://www.youtube.com/@onlineforauthors?sub_confirmation=1

You can follow Author Dan Kowalski

Website: https://dankowalski.com/

FB: @Dan Kowalski: Author and Screenwriter

YouTube: @DansDocs

Purchase Death by Misadventure on Amazon:

Paperback: https://amzn.to/41zzvXf

Ebook: https://amzn.to/4uSou0F

Teri M Brown, Author and Podcast Host: https://www.terimbrown.com

FB: @TeriMBrownAuthor

IG: @terimbrown_author

X: @terimbrown1

Want to be a guest on Online for Authors? Send Teri M Brown a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/member/onlineforauthors

#dankowalski #deathbymisadventure #thriller #terimbrownauthor #authorpodcast #onlineforauthors #characterdriven #researchjunkie #awardwinningauthor #podcasthost #podcast #readerpodcast #bookpodcast #writerpodcast #author #books #goodreads #bookclub #fiction #writer #bookreview

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Gerald Everett Jones, author of the book Jonathan's Journal. Gerald Everett Jones is a freelance writer who resides in Santa Monica, California. He writes mystery-thrillers and literary fiction for adults interested in intriguing stories. Jonathan’s Journal is my fifteenth novel. I have 20+ book awards I am a board member of Writers & Publishers Network (WPN). Jones has received 20+ book awards, including six in 2020, seven in 2021, and six in 2022. His works often explore themes of morality, justice, humor, and human complexity across multiple genres and settings. Jones holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honors from Wesleyan University, where he studied under notable novelists. He is also the host of the GetPublished! Radio Show and has contributed to the literary community as a book reviewer and radio host. His blog and podcast, Thinking About Thinking, continue to provide insights for readers and writers alike.

In my book review, I stated Jonathan's Journal is a dual timeline historical fiction by Gerald Everett Jones. We meet Jonathan Worthington, an art historian, as he tries to discover why his mother had a WWI diary from a man with his initials. What was the connection? Jonathon hires Elena to help him understand the history. We also meet the man in the diary, a WWI soldier who Jonathan nicknames Fred.

Through the reading of the journal, Jonathan and Elena's thoughts on what they've read and their knowledge of the history, and even Fred's inner thoughts that were never written down, the reader takes a journey to more thoroughly understand the war that didn't end all wars.

But we also get to see the personal journey of Fred as he comes to terms with who he is and what he wants out life while simultaneously experiencing the same for Jonathan. Although touted as historical fiction, Jonathan's Journal has a lot in common with literary fiction speckled with splashes of romance and a bit of intrigue. This was a fun read.

Subscribe to Online for Authors to learn about more great books! https://www.youtube.com/@onlineforauthors?sub_confirmation=1

You can follow Author Gerald Everett Jones

Website: https://geraldeverettjones.com/

FB: @geraldeverettjones

IG: @geraldeverettjones/?hl=en

X: @superscribbler1

Purchase Jonathan's Journal on Amazon:

Ebook: https://amzn.to/3Q7EWu2

Teri M Brown, Author and Podcast Host: https://www.terimbrown.com

FB: @TeriMBrownAuthor

IG: @terimbrown_author

X: @terimbrown1

Want to be a guest on Online for Authors? Send Teri M Brown a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/member/onlineforauthors

#geraldeverettjones #jonathansjournal #historicalfiction #terimbrownauthor #authorpodcast #onlineforauthors #characterdriven #researchjunkie #awardwinningauthor #podcasthost #podcast #readerpodcast #bookpodcast #writerpodcast #author #books #goodreads #bookclub #fiction #writer #bookreview

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.