Book This with Freddy Cruz Podcast

For David Baldacci, it all started with a notebook his mother gave him when he was a kid. Forty novels later, he's sold 110 million copies and his work has been translated into more than forty-five languages. It's not every day you get to have a one-on-one conversation with one of the bestselling authors of all-time, so I let him do the most of the talking. Fans of his work will love me for it. :) Get his new book Mercy right HERE: https://www.davidbaldacci.com Also, this is the final episode of Book This With Freddy Cruz. I have thoroughly enjoyed speaking with each and every one of the artists featured in this lone season of the podcast. And I hope you did, too. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Safe to say, pretty much all of us have at least heard of Mary Kay Cosmetics, even if we don't WEAR makeup.  Jennifer Bickel Cook has written a tribute to the founder of this billion dollar, women-owned company, Mary Kay Ash. This is the book women (and men) could use at a time when the workplace has been disrupted in so many ways. Get her book Pass it On: What I Learned From Mary Kay Ash right HERE: https://www.amazon.com/Pass-What-Learned-Mary-Kay/dp/1612545238 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Laura Galloway's story is both harrowing and inspiring. She traveled to Europe and met someone special. He eventually left her, and rather than fly back home to America, she STAYED for SIX YEARS. We dive into all the things leading up to this incredible journey of self-discovery. Laura details her story in Dalvi: Six Years in the Arctic Tundra. Get her book HERE: https://authorlauragalloway.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nzondi is a Bram Stoker award winning author and his latest work, Lipstick Asylum, takes you on a wild ride aboard a ZOMBIE INFESTED CRUISE. In this episode, we dive into his work, as well as channeling adversity into creativity. And grab Lipstick Asylum on Amazon! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Get ready for some Halloween fun with a romantic twist. The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling, who also writes as Rachel Hawkins, provides a different kind of spooky fun for this time of year. Catch up with her on Twitter/Instagram (@LadyHawkins). And grab her book! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Big Hurt: A Memoir is one of the best memoirs I've ever read. In it, Erika Schickel details her life in a fractured literary family. It's dark, funny and raw. Catch up with Erika here: https://www.erikaschickel.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before you watch the new season of Grey's Anatomy, check out this conversation with Lynette Rice. She's an editor-at-large for Entertainment Weekly and the only writer who was granted access to Patrick Dempsey after his departure from the show. Lynette's book is How to Save a Life: The Inside Story of Grey's Anatomy and we dig into all the things about America's favorite medical drama. I blew through the book over a weekend and LOVED IT. If you're a fan of the show, you will, too. Grab it here: https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/how-to-save-a-life/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tosca Lee is an award winning New York Times bestselling author of thrillers and historical fiction. Her latest novel A Single Light is centered around a pandemic. So you just KNOW we had to delve into the research and writing process. Check her out! www.toscalee.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hank Phillipi Ryan is an Emmy Award winning investigative TV reporter and best selling author. We delve into the impact of her TV career on her writing career and why she likes to read the ending of books before starting on page one. Check out her new novel Her Perfect Life, in stores now!   https://hankphillippiryan.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lauren Tarshis is the New York Times bestselling author of the I Survived series and Senior Vice President and Editor-in-Chief/Publisher of Scholastic Classroom Magazines, where she oversees more than 25 classroom magazines. Her new releases include I Survived: The Attacks of September 11, 2001and I Survived: The Galveston Hurricane, 1900. We delve into all things children's books and how to talk to kids about disasters like the aforementioned. Check her out here: https://laurentarshis.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anna J. Walner is the international bestselling author of the Uluru Legacy series and she's straight out of the Houston area! We talk about vampires, lycanthropes (aka werewolves), her journey to becoming an author, and the very special cause she's supporting through presale orders of her upcoming novel Larougo.  Check her out here: https://annajwalner.com. Enjoy! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kyle Mills is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-one novels, including six from the late Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp series.  In this convo, Kyle and I chat about creating enemies, the time he met Tom Clancy, favorite books, and of course, his new novel Enemy at the Gates. I scored an advance reader copy and can guarantee you one heck of a ride. Check him out here: https://www.kylemills.com Enjoy! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Reese Witherspoon says someone's work is "captivating," you have to check them out. Enter Alka Joshi, the New York Times bestselling author of The Henna Artist. She joins the pod to talk about her new novel The Secret Keeper of Japiur, as well the move to America from India as a young girl. I love this convo so much, especially the part about writing craft.  Check her out at www.alkajoshi.com and get her books! Btw, The Henna Artist has been picked up by Miramax for a TV series starring Freida Pinto. Enjoy! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Erin Washington is a wife, mother, lifestyle blogger, and author of the book Squats and Margaritas (how's THAT for a title?!?). She joins the pod to talk about her struggles with bulimia, burnout, and all things parenting while trying to achieve balance. I had so much fun talking with her about all the things and you will, too! Check her out in Instagram and grab her book from her website: www.squatsandmargaritas.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

William Kent Krueger is the award winning, New York Times bestselling author of the Cork O'Connor series. His newest novel Lightning Strike is the prequel to his eighteen previous novels and it follows the story of a young boy and his father, a sheriff in small town Minnesota. The prose has so much soul and the plot will keep your face planted in the book. We talk about everything from winters up north to summers down south, as well as his journey to becoming an author and how his life experiences paved the way for his prolific career. Lightning Strike drops on 8/24 and you need this book in your life. Check him out on the socials and on her official website: www.williamkentkrueger.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jarod Barbee is the founder of Death's Head press and Jeremy Wagner is the author of Armageddon Chord and Rabid Heart. This talk is about all things horror. Books, movies, characters. The whole nine. Enjoy! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maggie Smith is an award winning poet whose new collection Goldenrod hits stores on July 27th. She went viral in 2016 with her poem "Good Bones" and has enjoyed much success since then. We discuss creativity in the face of adversity, the roots of language, and of course, poems. I enjoyed this conversation and think you will, too. Be sure to pre-order Goldenrod wherever you get your books. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sophie Jordan is a New York Times and USA Today best selling romance author of over thirty novels. The Duke Goes Down hits stores on July 27th and we dive deep into the inspiration behind the story. We dig into romance in that era and things she learned along the way. As well as our favorite historical fiction books. And because she's local, we talk about life in Katy, Texas, as well as growing up in the Hill Country. Be sure to grab Sophie's new novel on the 27th. Check her out right here: https://www.sophiejordan.net/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lydia Michaels is an award winning author who's been featured in USA Today, Romantic Times Magazine, Love & Lace, and more. She's got thirty-five novels under her belt and five nonfiction books as well. We discuss her challenges with dyslexia and how she overcame them, her new nonfiction book Write 10K in a Day, and her new Jasper Falls series. Whether you're a fan of romance, new to the romance genre, or are an aspiring author looking to increase your daily word count, there's a lot to take in during this wide ranging convo. Check out her work right here: http://lydiamichaelsbooks.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad Thor is the #1 New York Times best selling author of twenty thrillers. The Washington Times declared Spymaster as one of the all-time best thriller novels (I agree). His new novel Black Ice hits stores on July 20th. I was lucky enough to score an advance copy and can assure you that it'll have you HOOKED from page one. Imagine being so creative, the United States government recruits you to help the Department of Homeland Security brainstorm terrorist scenarios. That's how good Brad is. In fact, we talk about his work with the "Red Cell" program, as well as his path to becoming an author and some fun questions toward the end. This interview was in the works for the past few months and I'm so excited to share it with you. Enjoy! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Julie Lythcott-Haims is a former corporate lawyer and Dean of Freshmen and Admissions at Stanford University, motivational speaker, and author of Real American: A Memoir, How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success, Writing Memoir, and Your Turn: How to Be an Adult. Our wide ranging conversation begins with her experience growing up Black and biracial in America. We also talk about the need to purge perfection from our lives, especially parenting. And she gives tips for helicopter parents who wish to change their ways. Lots packed into this thirty-eight minute interview. And be sure to check her out at https://www.julielythcotthaims.com/. Enjoy!   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maha Aburas is a Houston area children's author who has made her debut with a book she wrote during lockdown. With her kids. In one night. As you'll hear, the concept was easy. But the real work began after the first draft of You're Too Young, a story inspired by life with her little ones. A portion of the proceeds will go back to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Houston, so your purchase of this adorable story will ensure access to stories for children right here in H-town! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Clayton Anderson is a retired United States astronaut and four time award winning author. His latest book is Letters from Space, a children's book released last year. Dubbed "the Ordinary Astronaut," he got denied FIFTEEN times before finally getting accepted into NASA's astronaut program. That...is grit. We talk about EVERYTHING in this episode. Boredom in space? Check. Armpit farts in space? Check. ALIENS? Check. All that and then some! It was a real treat to chop it up with him. Enjoy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonya Duncan Ellis is the author of the Sophie Washington series and has sold more than 50,000 books as a self-published author. Anyone who knows anything about book sales knows that this is no small feat. One of her books was also purchased by Scholastic and she's been featured in the Highlights Foundation sponsored Amplify Black Voices cohort. If you have tweenage kids who love the written word and want to support a local creator, look no further than Tonya Duncan Ellis! Official website: https://tonyaduncanellis.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Angela Daniel is a Galveston native who's part of a group of people that includes Billie Eilish and Pharrell Williams. She has synethesia, a neurological condition which enables her to experience see sound or taste colors. We dive into the role it plays in her writing, as well as her novel Dis Bonne Nuit, which is about a viral outbreak in New Orleans. Timely, right?!?!? Enjoy! Official website: http://angelaspearls.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jessica Lahey writes for the New York Times, the Atlantic, and the Washington Post. Her new book The Addiction Innoculation: Raising Healthy Kids in a Culture of Dependence has changed my outlook on parenting in more ways than one. A former alcoholic herself, she pulls no punches and in the book, is extremely vulnerable. Jessica makes the case, backed by hard data and fool-proof solutions, for starting the conversation about addiction as early as your kids' toddler years. As someone who grew up with a close family member that struggled with addiction until it took his life, this topic hits close to home. And I hope you get as much from this conversation, and from Jessica's book, as I did. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Simon Van der Velde is an author from across the pond in the UK. His work has earned him numerous awards and nominations, including The Yeovil Literary Prize, (twice), The Wasafiri New Writing Prize, The Luke Bitmead Bursary, The Frome Short-story Prize, The Harry Bowling Prize, The Henshaw Press Short Story Competition and The National Association of Writers’ Groups Open Competition. Simon's newest release Backstories takes you on a journey into the minds of some of history's most famous and infamous individuals. The short stories in this collection do not disappoint. And with well-written history, they will make you think. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kimber Fountain is the Editor in Chief of Galveston Monthly. She's the author of The Maceos and the Free State of Galveston and The Galveston Seawall Chronicles. This conversation ranges from Galveston's early days to the construction of Galveston's Seawall. As native Houstonian who has spent numerous trips to the beach, I found myself in awe of this history lesson about the island we all know and love. Enjoy! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Navy SEAL Rich Diviney joins the show to talk about his new book The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance. In this episode, we talk about the difference between skills and attributes and why it's important to differentiate the two. We also discuss team dynamics and the benefits of narcissism. Yes, NARCISSISM. Everyone has some degree of it and he explains why that's a good thing. Lots of great stuff packed into this interview, and it'll have you wanting to grab his book (which I hope you do because it's AWESOME). Plus, you'll find out who he'd want to play the role of Rich Diviney in a move. Justin Bieber, Post Malone, or Shawn Mendes. Enjoy! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will Dean's latest book is The Last Thing to Burn, which critics hail as a cross between Room and Misery. He's a British author who moved to Sweden and now lives in the middle of a forest. His story's interesting and the conversation takes quite a few twists and turns. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Navy SEAL Jack Carr joins the pod to talk about his James Reece series, including this new novel The Devil's Hand. I had the privilege of reading an advance copy and WOAH, it's intense! It reminds me of season three of 24, only better and more realistic. There's something about READING something like this that TV/movie screen just doesn't do. We talk about other things to, like life as a SEAL, among other things. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Olivera Jankovska serves as one of the United Nations Association’s 2020/21 Global Ambassadors and a board member of the United Nations Association Houston Chapter, Jankovska serves on the Sister Cities of Houston board as well. She's the author of the My Homeland series. We talk about her background as an economist and how it ties into her decision to publish a children's book series. She gives advice for busy moms and provides great insight into the process of completing a book. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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