Podcasts about Texas Library Association

The Trump Administration recently slashed an entire agency that provides funding for Texas museums, institutions and libraries — the latter, to the sum of $12.5 million a year. Guest Gretchen Pruett, the newly-retired head librarian in New Braunfels and past president of the Texas Library Association, tells host Nikki DaVaughn what's at stake with the funding cuts and how libraries are essential for a 21st century workforce.  Learn more about the sponsors of this April 15th episode: Austin Community Foundation Zach Theatre Tecovas Visit Port Aransas Cozy Earth - Use code COZYAUSTIN for 40% off best-selling sheets, towels, pajamas, and more. Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

Valerie Ellis loves helping kids and parents connect with God and each other in the everyday moments. She is an author, speaker, and founder of Our Everyday Parables, an online resource with book reviews and ideas for families pursuing faith and compassion. A certified teacher with countless hours in children's ministry, Valerie writes books that serve kids at the intersection of faith and fun. Her latest book is Let's Go! Bible Adventures: Real Bible Stories for Kids Who Love Trains, Tractors, Ice Cream Trucks, and More! Valerie is a frequent speaker for The MomCo (formerly MOPS) and similar groups. She stays involved with her own local chapters of The MomCo, SCBWI, and the Texas Library Association as well. Valerie is also a nonprofit consultant, trainer, and grant writer in the Houston area, where she lives with her husband, Josh, and their two boys. An Ohio-born, Texas-raised TCU Horned Frog, Valerie loves live music, is obsessed with Big Bend National Park, and always has a good reason for not putting her shoes back in the closet. Connect with Valerie on her website, Instagram, X, Pinterest, TikTok, and Goodreads, or sign up for her Newsletter here.

In hour two, Mark and Kenny talk about the three bills that the house will be voting on tonight and what they should do, flight restrictions being put on drones in New York and New Jersey, and the Texas Library Association putting on conferences to help librarians get around book restrictions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Wendy Woodland, director of advocacy and communications at the Texas Library Association, chats with Gloria Meraz, state librarian and director of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. They dive into the proposed accreditation rules for public libraries, highlighting major changes such as updated local expenditure requirements and clarified accreditation processes, while emphasizing the importance of stakeholder feedback. The discussion also explores TSLAC's 2025-2029 strategic plan, which focuses on education, economic development, community engagement, and open government. Gloria shares insights into budget priorities, including IT support, cybersecurity training, and broadband expansion, with a particular focus on improving digital literacy and rural broadband access. Throughout the episode, Gloria underscores the transformative role of libraries in fostering education, economic growth, and community connections in the digital age. Libraries Transform Texas is produced by Association Briefings.

How to write an identity not your own! Also: on inhabiting your character, on easy reading being damned hard writing, on grounding the reader in a scene, and expecting that you WILL make mistakes (and that's okay.) Alex Temblador is the Mixed Latine award-winning author of Writing An Identity Not Your Own, Secrets of the Casa Rosada and Half Outlaw. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Central Oklahoma and is a contributor to Living Beyond Borders: Growing Up Mexican in America and Speculative Fiction for Dreamers: A Latinx Anthology. Her work has also appeared in PALABRITAS, D Magazine, and Colorado Review. Alex has taught creative writing seminars, workshops, and classes with the Women's Fiction Writers Association, WritingWorkshops.com, the Writer's League of Texas, and more, as well as spoken about diversity in the literary world with Macmillan, Texas Library Association, Abydos Learning Conference, and at many other festivals, conferences, and universities. Links mentioned: ✏️ Write More, Worry Less: A Year of Pressure-Free ProductivityJan 4, 2025 - CLICK HERE for the details! Don't miss the early-bird pricing, good till Dec 10th!NZ Ahead with Liz and Brian Story Magic - Lower Your Expectations

In this episode, Valerie Prilop, senior librarian at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and president-elect of the Texas Library Association, sits down with Katie Prentice, executive director of the Texas Medical Center Library, to discuss the dynamic field of medical librarianship. Katie shares insights into the unique challenges and rewards of the profession, from staying up-to-date with ever-evolving resources and technologies to fostering strong communication and active listening skills. She offers valuable advice for aspiring medical librarians, emphasizing the importance of specialized training, including the benefits of exploring PubMed resources to enhance expertise and improve services. Libraries Transform Texas is produced by Association Briefings.

You are the most important person in your own life. But are you truly taking care of yourself?  Are you searching for ways to overcome personal challenges and find joy in every moment?  In this episode of Mitlin Money Mindset, Larry Sprung sits down with Danielle A. Vann, the insightful host of the "Get Your Life Together, Girl" podcast, to explore her inspiring entrepreneurial journey and the transformative lessons she's learned along the way. Learn tips for building resilience, the power of perspective, and practical steps to harness your inner strength.  Topics discussed:  Danielle's background and journey to entrepreneurship. The life event that fueled her mission to help others heal and grow. What inspired Danielle to start the Get Your Life Together, Girl podcast Advice and insights on building resilience and identifying personal strengths. How to achieve your best self and make lasting transformations. The impact of Danielle sharing her story on PBS's Roadtrip Nation And more! Resources: Mitlin Financial   The JOY and Productivity Journal Get Your Life Together, Girl Connect with Larry Sprung:  LinkedIn: Larry Sprung Instagram: Larry Sprung Facebook: Larry Sprung X (Twitter): Larry Sprung Connect with Danielle Vann:  Danielle A. Vann  LinkedIn: Danielle Vann X (Twitter): Danielle A. Vann Instagram: Get Your Life Together, Girl Facebook: Danielle A. Vann YouTube: Get Your Life Together, Girl TikTok: Get Your Life Together, Girl About our Guest: Danielle A. Vann has always had a passion, scratch that, thirst for understanding people's life stories and how those experiences are used as a benefit or detriment. Yet, it wasn't until 2016 that she turned inward and realized her own story needed to be examined and healed after a series of major life shifts, specifically the death of two parents and nearly losing her middle daughter to kidney failure within the span of forty-five days. Some call those shifts “the dark night of the soul,” as they do feel as if there is no light left in the world. However, Danielle calls them “the light of the soul” because often, it isn't until those challenging moments that the fullest expression of the person, the soul, shines!  When Danielle set out to heal and fully thrive in the light of her soul, she longed for resources and support that felt intimately connected to her spirituality, mental, emotional, and physical well-being and path. Yet, no matter what she tried, outside of meditation, she continually felt disappointed by what she found. Finally, taking her healing into her own hands, she found her true calling.  Now, as a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, renowned Life Coach to women, Master-Level Advanced Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner, 100-hour Meditation Instructor through the IMMA, HeartMath Trauma-Sensitive Certified Practitioner, MSBR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) instructor, Sound Healing Therapist, Reiki Practitioner, Master-Level Emotional Intelligence Therapist, Emotional Freedom Tapping Practitioner, DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) therapist, Positive Psychology practitioner, and trained in Energy Healing Medicine, Subconscious release, Emotionally-Focused Therapy, Neuroscience, PTSD and Anxiety, Danielle has created the ultimate blueprint for getting your life together, healing, creating self-love and inner peace.  This blueprint combines psychology, mind and spiritual healing, somatics, neuroscience, mindfulness, purpose work, and the development of emotional intelligence. It's a total mind, body, and soul awakening through the principles of Eastern and Western beliefs and practices. This blueprint has served thousands of women as it has been uniquely tailored to their individual journeys.   Danielle's mission is to help women across the globe, whether it's through teaching, speaking, her widely popular Instagram page @getyourlifetogethergirl, her in-person/online courses, 1:1 session, or on The Get Your Life Together, Girl Podcast, where you can find meditations, mindset resets, tools and practices, and fascinating conversations with other female therapist and coaches.  Vann is also a nineteen-time intentional award-winning author. Prior to working in mental health and healing, she spent years as a scriptwriter, reporter, and evening/morning news anchor. Danielle earned an Oklahoma Broadcast Education Associate award, an Associated Press Award, and an Emmy nomination.  Her love of storytelling led her into writing. While Vann started her publishing career as a children's picture book author, she has expanded her genres to include Young Adult and Self-Help, which are her true passions. Her internationally award-winning Young Adult five-part series, The Whizbang Machine. Vann has received nineteen international and national awards and was named to the prestigious Texas Library Association's Texas Bluebonnet longlist. She is also an inductee of the Texas Authors Institute of History, the only museum dedicated to preserving authors' works and those who support writing and reading in Texas. In addition, Vann has penned two personal development/women's motivational books entitled: Get Your Life Together, Girl & You Are Not Broken & Your Life Does Not Suck, which are forthcoming. Danielle is also the author of Gracie Lou & the Bad Dream Eater and The Very Tall Tale of Ranger, the Great Pyrenees & His Adorable Friend, Miss Keys. In addition, she co-authored the inspirational/self-help nonfiction book Building Faith Through a Carpenter's Hand with The Learning Channel (TLC) and A&E's celebrity carpenter Brandon Russell. Her daily writings are featured on the wildly popular Instagram page @getyourlifetogethergirl.  Danielle has been featured on NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, iHeartRadio, USA Network Radio, Sirius Radio, and nationally syndicated radio and podcasts around the United States and Canada. Her work has been featured in Foreword Magazine, Publisher's Weekly, Story Monster Ink, Mansfield Magazine, Mansfield Now, and at numerous book festivals, including the Bologna Italy Book Festival, the Book Expo of America, and BookCon. Her work has even been featured in the White House and the Halls of Congress in Washington D.C.  She currently lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband, Todd, and their three children, Delaney, Madison, and Chappell.  

We were so lucky to have not one, but both of the brains behind Castle Bridge Media and the Castle of Horror Anthology, In Churl Yo and Jason Henderson join us on the podcast recently!! We can't wait for you all to tune in, but first here's more about this hard working duo and their publishing house:   Castle Bridge Media is an independent publisher of predominantly genre books, with particular interest in horror, science fiction, thriller, and fantasy.  Castling Books is an Imprint of Castle Bridge Media that focuses on juvenile and young adult fiction.   About the Publishers!   In Churl Yo has written and served as an editorial director for a travel trade publication and a destination wedding magazine and has acted as an award-winning creative consultant to several association magazine titles during his career. He is currently Director of Print Production at SagaCity Media in Seattle, Washington. Born and raised in Texas where he graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Marketing, he recently made the move to cooler and greener climes out West with his wife and two children.   Jason Henderson, author of Young Captain Nemo (Macmillan) and Alex Van Helsing (HarperCollins) is a regular speaker on media and entertainment. His popular podcasts “Castle Talk” and “Castle of Horror” feature interviews and discussion panels made up of best-selling writers and artists from all genres. His young adult series, Alex Van Helsing, was named by the Texas Library Association to the 2011 Lone Star Reading List. He also writes for games and comics. Henderson lives in Colorado with his wife and two daughters. Find Castle Bridge Media here: ⁠https://www.castlebridgemedia.com/⁠ On Instagram: ⁠@jasonhenderson_cbm⁠⁠  In Churl on Twitter: https://x.com/inchurlyo Jason on Twitter: https://x.com/jasondhenderson Get a copy of the latest Castle of Horror anthology (including Melanie's story Severed Cape

In this episode of Playfully Faithful Parenting, host Joy Wendling welcomes back guest Valerie Ellis, a mom of two and children's book author. Valerie shares about her online resource, Our Everyday Parables, which helps parents engage with their children about faith and compassion through meaningful conversations and the use of children's books. Valerie also discusses the challenges of parenting preteens and how she learns from her boys, particularly in navigating anxiety. She highlights the importance of finding joy in everyday moments and offers a book recommendation to address anxiety in a playful way. Lastly, Valerie excitingly shares about her upcoming book, "Share the Joy: A Christmas Lift the Flap Book", which encourages families to celebrate the holiday season with fun and faith. Don't miss this insightful and inspiring conversation about raising faithful children. Valerie's Bio: Valerie Ellis is a children's book author, speaker, and founder of the multi-author online resource Our Everyday Parables, which offers book reviews and parenting resources for families pursuing faith and compassion. A certified teacher, Valerie is passionate about helping kids and parents connect with God and each other in the everyday moments. Her books—releasing October 2023 from Paraclete Press, February 2025 from Tyndale, and October 2025 from Waterbrook—are designed to serve families at the intersection of faith and fun. Valerie is a member of MOPS/MOMSnext, SCBWI, and the Texas Library Association. She is also a nonprofit consultant, trainer, and grant proposal writer in the Houston area, where she lives with her husband, Josh, and their two boys. For more information, visit OurEverydayParables.com for parenting and book resources, ValerieEllis.com for speaking events and classroom visits, and ShareTheJoyBook.com for free “share the joy” resources. Valerie would love to connect with you at @iamvalerieellis. Links from the episode: (This may contain some affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using these links. For more information, please see my disclosure policy.) valerieellis.com Share the Joy! A Christmas Lift-the-Flap Book Pre-order Share the Joy! Our Everyday Parables Blog Instagram: @iamvalerieellis Blog Instagram: @oureverydayparables Playfully Faithful Parenting Podcast is a ministry of CreatedtoPlay.com. For more resources, tips, devotions, and tools check us out online: https://createdtoplay.com . Freebies for you: Want to work with me? Sign up for a 15-minute free coaching call: https://createdtoplay.com/free-coaching Join my free 5-day Bible Play Challenge: https://createdtoplay.com/challenge Get 17 fun, free kid's blessings for meals: https://createdtoplay.com/kids-blessings Even though I'm an introvert, I'm social!  Let's connect! Instagram: https://instagram.com/createdtoplay Facebook: https://facebook.com/created2play Twitter: https://twitter.com/createdtoplay Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/createdtoplay Did you enjoy the show? Subscribe and leave me a 5-star review on Apple Music and make me giddy. Music by jorikbasov from Pixabay. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/joy-wendling/message

On this episode of #velshibannedbookclub, MSNBC host and Citizen board member Ali Velshi speaks with Shirley Robinson, Executive Director of the Texas Library Association. In the wake of shameless online attacks, Robinson argues forcefully that librarians are trained professionals who understand better than anyone how to provide the correct reading material to children. 

In this special "Banned Books Week" episode, Jeannette Davies of the San Antonio Public Library interviews Leila Green Little and Diane Moster, two of the plaintiffs in the Little vs. Llano County civil lawsuit. Little and Moster are two of the seven plaintiffs in the lawsuit; all seven received the Sam G. Whitten Intellectual Freedom Award from the Texas Library Association for their outstanding work for intellectual freedom.

In this exciting episode of The Crew Review Podcast, we're thrilled to welcome back Taylor Moore for the third time! Join us as we dive into the electrifying world of his latest release, "RICOCHET," the third installment in the heart-pounding Garrett Kohl thriller series.

Who implements a new law that bans “sexually explicit” material in Texas public school libraries – and how? We’ll talk with the president of the Texas Library Association about what’s being described by proponents as a child protection move, and by critics as the latest attempt to censor and ban books for young people with […] The post Why thousands of dead fish washed up along the Gulf Coast appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

TLA Education and Programs Manager Kelly Mantay shares keys to success when submitting a proposal for TLA 2024, the Texas Library Association's annual conference that will be held next spring in San Antonio. From mistakes to avoid to what kind of sessions librarians are looking for, you can learn it in this short podcast!

In this 12-minute episode, two Texas Library Association staff members, Membership Coordinator Christy Reynolds and Meeting and Events Manager Michelle Cruz, share their top three reasons you should renew your TLA membership (or join if you are new to our organization) and register for the annual conference.

Rose Brock, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Library Science at Sam Houston State University, is a veteran educator and advocate for using audiobooks as a tool for literacy and is the cofounder of the national literacy initiative Guys Listen, a part of the Guys Read literacy national program. Dr. Brock was awarded the Siddie Joe Johnson Award for Outstanding Service to Youth by the Texas Library Association and is cofounder of NTTBF, the North Texas Teen Book Festival. She is the editor of Hope Wins, Hope Nation: Young Adult Authors Share Personal Moments of Inspiration, and author of Young Adult Literature in Action: A Librarian's Guide. James Ponti is the New York Times bestselling author of three middle-grade book series: City Spies, about an unlikely squad of five kids from around the world who form an elite MI6 spy team; the Edgar Award-winning FRAMED! Series, about a pair of tweens who solve mysteries in Washington, DC; and the Dead City trilogy, about a secret society that polices the undead living beneath Manhattan. He lives with his family in Orlando, Florida. Jill Stedronsky is a teacher, professionally, and personally. She teaches 8th graders at William Annin Middle School in Basking Ridge, NJ for the past sixteen years. She is a teacher-consultant for the Drew Writing Project, an adjunct for Drew University, and a researcher. Her focus is intrinsic motivation. She strives to create an authentic environment for her students, and hopefully all students around the world, by motivating her students to read and write for real purposes! She co-authored a chapter with Dr. Kristen Hawley Turner, for the publication of her practice in “Inquiry Ignites! Pushing Back Against Traditional Literacy Instruction.” She hopes to help change curriculum worldwide.

Join us as we team back up with our good friend and Texas Author, Taylor Moore, as we unpack a bit from his debut novel DOWN RANGE and get danger close with book number two, FIRESTORM.Taylor Moore is the author of Down Range, which was nominated for the Barry Award for Best First Novel, named a Strand Magazine Best Mystery of the year, and selected for the Texas Library Association's Lariat Reading List. He is a sixth-generation Texan who grew up on a farm and ranch northwest of Houston and is a former CIA Intelligence Officer who worked in both analysis and operations and later consulted for the Department of Defense in Theater Security Cooperation, Force Protection, and Counternarcotics. He now lives in the Texas Panhandle with his wife and two children, where he is a full-time author, screenwriter, and speaker. This is Taylor's second novel featuring Garrett Kohl.Be sure to follow us on social platforms to stay up on all the latest news and events.Facebook: Lone Star Dry GoodsInstagram: @lonestardrygoods

Rose Brock, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Library Science at Sam Houston State University, is a veteran educator and advocate for using audiobooks as a tool for literacy and is the cofounder of the national literacy initiative Guys Listen, a part of the Guys Read literacy national program. Dr. Brock was awarded the Siddie Joe Johnson Award for Outstanding Service to Youth by the Texas Library Association and is cofounder of NTTBF, the North Texas Teen Book Festival. She is the editor of Hope Wins, Hope Nation: Young Adult Authors Share Personal Moments of Inspiration, and author of Young Adult Literature in Action: A Librarian's Guide.James Ponti is the New York Times bestselling author of three middle grade book series: City Spies, about an unlikely squad of five kids from around the world who form an elite MI6 spy team; the Edgar Award-winning FRAMED! Series, about a pair of tweens who solve mysteries in Washington, DC; and the Dead City trilogy, about a secret society that polices the undead living beneath Manhattan. He lives with his family in Orlando, Florida.Jill Stedronsky is a teacher, professionally, and personally. She teaches 8th graders at William Annin Middle School in Basking Ridge, NJ for the past sixteen years. She is a teacher-consultant for the Drew Writing Project, an adjunct for Drew University, and a researcher. Her focus is intrinsic motivation. She strives to create an authentic environment for her students, and hopefully all students around the world, by motivating her students to read and write for real purposes! She co-authored a chapter with Dr. Kristen Hawley Turner, for the publication of her practice in “Inquiry Ignites! Pushing Back Against Traditional Literacy Instruction.” She hopes to help change curriculum world wide.

Taylor Moore is the author of Firestorm and Down Range, which was nominated for the Barry Award for Best First Novel, named a Strand Magazine Best Mystery of the year, and selected for the Texas Library Association's Lariat Reading List. He is a sixth-generation Texan who grew up on a farm and ranch northwest of Houston and is a former CIA Intelligence Officer who worked in both analysis and operations and later consulted for the Department of Defense in Theater Security Cooperation, Force Protection, and Counternarcotics. He now lives in the Texas Panhandle with his wife and two children, where he is a full-time author, screenwriter, and speaker. This is Taylor's second novel featuring Garrett Kohl. Millie Naylor Hast writes award-winning action thrillers based on important themes of today. She is a former journalist, city council member, and graduate of the FBI, DEA, and Houston Police Citizens Academies. In her spare time she hikes, cycles, and plans new adventures.

Taylor Moore is the author of Firestorm and Down Range, which was nominated for the Barry Award for Best First Novel, named a Strand Magazine Best Mystery of the year, and selected for the Texas Library Association's Lariat Reading List. He is a sixth-generation Texan who grew up on a farm and ranch northwest of Houston and is a former CIA Intelligence Officer who worked in both analysis and operations and later consulted for the Department of Defense in Theater Security Cooperation, Force Protection, and Counternarcotics. He now lives in the Texas Panhandle with his wife and two children, where he is a full-time author, screenwriter, and speaker. This is Taylor's second novel featuring Garrett Kohl. Millie Naylor Hast writes award-winning action thrillers based on important themes of today. She is a former journalist, city council member, and graduate of the FBI, DEA, and Houston Police Citizens Academies. In her spare time she hikes, cycles, and plans new adventures.

We invest much time, energy, and resources in getting elementary students to read, but that effort often wanes as we approach middle school and high school. Join us as we zero in on the challenges of inspiring teens and tweens to continue to love reading and how school librarians can help. Follow on Twitter: @Amele77 @ISTE @mrhooker @jonHarper70bd @bamradionetwork @shellthief @hyphenatic @ISTEMLN Get the Book: Liven Up Your Library #ISTE20 #ISTEturns40 #edchat #edtech #edtechchat Valerie Tagoe is a high school librarian in Texas. She's a winner of the S. Janice Kee Award from Texas Woman's University, and a past president of the Dallas Association of School Librarians. Valerie has 20 years of experience in education and libraries. She holds a bachelor's in French, with a minor in History, from the University of Oklahoma; a Master's of Bilingual Education from Southern Methodist University; and an MLS from Texas Woman's University. Valerie is also involved in the American Library Association and the Texas Library Association. I am excited to learn more about Data Science through the LEADING Fellowship and plan to apply what I learn to my work as a school librarian. I also plan to share Data Science concepts from the LEADING Fellowship with colleagues through professional development sessions, and with students via instruction in Advanced Placement program classes such as AP Seminar and AP Research. Julia E. Torres is a veteran language arts teacher and librarian in Denver Public schools. As a teacher/activist committed to education as a practice of freedom, her practice is grounded in the work of empowering students to use language arts to fuel resistance and positive social transformation. Julia was awarded the 2020 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Teacher of Excellence award and currently serves teachers as part of the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of NCTE board of directors. Julia facilitates workshops and professional conversations about anti-bias/anti-racist education, social justice, and culturally sustaining pedagogies in language arts, as well as digital literacy and librarianship. Her work has been featured in several publications, including NCTE's Council Chronicle, NPR, Al Jazeera's The Stream, PBS Education, KQED's MindShift, New York Times Learning Network, the Chicago Tribune, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development's Education Update, Rethinking Schools, School Library Journal, and many more.

This is part 2 of 2. Our featured guest for this podcast is Dorcas Hand, school library advocate and coordinator of the Intellectual Freedom Helpline for the Texas Library Association. Cate Sweeney, vice-chair of TLA's PR and Marketing Committee, interviews Dorcas. In this section, we hear about how the Intellectual Freedom Helpline was developed and how it's different from (and complements) the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom.

Let's celebrate Banned Books Week! Our featured guest for this podcast is Dorcas Hand, school library advocate and coordinator of the Intellectual Freedom Helpline for the Texas Library Association. Cate Sweeney, vice-chair of TLA's PR and Marketing Committee, hosts this episode. In Part I, we'll hear from Dorcas about three different book challenges she faced as a school librarian; as well as what the Helpline does and how it can help you.

Taylor Moore returns in this episode of The Crew Reviews podcast to discuss his highly anticipated sophomore title, featuring Garrett Kohl, FIRESTORM. Praise for Taylor Moore: "Taylor Moore's Down Range is an intense, authentic, and spellbinding powerhouse that pulls no punches. With high-octane action as well as genuine Texas lore and bravado, readers will be wanting more from hero Garrett Kohl and author Taylor Moore, and soon!" — Mark Greaney, New York Times Bestselling author “[A] strong debut… Things culminate in an exciting, Texas-style showdown between Kohl's family, cartel sicarios, and a host of other bad actors. Fans of J. Todd Scott and C. J. Box will want to check out this propulsive, character-driven thriller.” — Publishers Weekly on Down Range Taylor Moore is the author of Down Range, which was nominated for the Barry Award for Best First Novel, named a Strand Magazine Best Mystery of the year, and selected for the Texas Library Association's Lariat Reading List. He is a sixth-generation Texan who grew up on a farm and ranch northwest of Houston and is a former CIA Intelligence Officer who worked in both analysis and operations and later consulted for the Department of Defense in Theater Security Cooperation, Force Protection, and Counternarcotics. He now lives in the Texas Panhandle with his wife and two children, where he is a full-time author, screenwriter, and speaker. This is Taylor's second novel featuring Garrett Kohl. Order your copy of FIRESTORM:  https://amzn.to/3C5nVHT ------------------- To learn more about the guys from The Crew Reviews or to see additional author interviews, visit us at www.thecrewreviews.com Follow us on social media: Twitter | https://twitter.com/CREWbookreviews Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/thecrewreviews Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/thecrewreviews And don't forget to subscribe to The Crew Reviews, hit the "LIKE" button, and leave a comment.    

Today, I've invited my friend and Director of the Odessa Arts Council, Randy Ham, to talk about Neil Gaiman and his “Sandman” comic book series as we get ready for the launch of the Netflix show. We chat about how we became friends and met Neil Gaiman together at a Texas Library Association conference almost ten years ago, and how that helped bring innovative literary programming to his small west Texas community. We reflect on his event with Neil in front of a packed auditorium, and discuss the Sandman series and how we think it will translate to screen. Around the one hour mark, I accidentally refer to the wrong sibling of the Endless. I refer to the character Desire when I meant to say Delirium. That happens when siblings are involved in a long story, but I apologize for the mistake. You can order Neil Gaiman books using my bookshop.org link to support the show, as well as independent bookstores nationwide. That's at bookshop.org/shop/sheworeblack. I also want to add that you can help out the show by following She Wore Black on Twitter and Instagram, and leaving us a review wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for joining us today. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sheworeblack/message

Episode Summary: This episode kicks off a month of interviews each Monday: Interview June, as my oldest calls it. Valerie Ellis is our first guest and it is a fantastic conversation about play and children's books. Valerie could not be a more perfect Playfully Faithful Parenting guest. She shares amazing book resources and brings a beautiful freshness to reading picture books. Valerie's Bio: Valerie Ellis is a children's book writer, speaker, and co-founder of the multi-author blog Our Everyday Parables, which offers fun ideas, book reviews, and parenting resources for families pursuing faith and compassion. She is also a nonprofit consultant, trainer, and grant proposal writer serving education and human service organizations in the Houston area, where she lives with her husband, Josh, and their two boys. A former public school teacher, Valerie understands how important connectivity and play are to learning and growth. She serves on the children's ministry team at her church and is a member of organizations such as SCBWI, Texas Library Association, and MOPS/MOMSnext. Verses from the episode: Deuteronomy 6:4-9 Links from the episode: Valerie's Blog Valerie's Blog's Instagram Valerie's Individual Instagram Episode 49 about Bible Reading and Picture Books Playfully Faithful Parenting Podcast is a ministry of CreatedtoPlay.com. For more resources, tips, devotions, and tools check us out online: https://createdtoplay.com . Freebies for you: Want to work with me? Sign up for a 15-minute free coaching call: https://createdtoplay.com/free-coaching Join my free 5-day Bible Play Challenge: https://createdtoplay.com/challenge Get 17 fun, free kid's blessings for meals: https://createdtoplay.com/kids-blessings Even though I'm an introvert, I'm social! Let's connect! Instagram: https://instagram.com/createdtoplay Facebook: https://facebook.com/created2play Twitter: https://twitter.com/createdtoplay Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/createdtoplay Did you enjoy the show? Subscribe and leave me a 5-star review on Apple Music and make me giddy. Music by jorikbasov from Pixabay. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/joy-wendling/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/joy-wendling/support

Alexandra Cornejo of the Harlingen School of Health Professions interviews Margarita Longoria, author and editor of the anthology Living Beyond Borders: Growing Up Mexican in America, which has received starred reviews from Kirkus, Booklist, School Library Journal and more. Twenty stand-alone short stories, essays, poems, and more from celebrated and award-winning authors make up this YA anthology that explores the Mexican American experience. Both active Texas Library Association members, Alexandra and Margarita talk about how the book came together, volunteer experiences with TLA and why being a librarian is the best job in the world.

Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, questions@townsquaretalk.org or @townsquaretalk. Libraries – they're not just for books! Some have podcasting gear, recording studios, book clubs, classes and services – all for free. Today, a look at today's libraries. We talk about challenges, including librarian shortages and controversial books. And we discuss the ways libraries impact and serve communities, from bridging the digital divide to the importance of literacy. Has a librarian or library changed your life?  Did you discover a love of reading through the library? What are some of your favorite books and even current recommendations? Guests: Mary Woodard President-Elect of the Texas Library Association Director of library services for a district in the north Texas area Roberto Zapata Assistant Director of Customer Experience at Houston Public Library Resources How to get a library card from Houston Public Library and Harris County Public Library Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day's most important and pressing issues. Audio from today's show will be available after 5 p.m. CT. We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps.

Aram Kim, author of the new book "Sunday Funday in Koreatown," and the popular "No Kimchi for Me!" and "Let's Go to Taekwondo", all in the Yoomi, friends and family series, discusses what inspires her, why she loves libraries and librarians and more, in an interview with Michele Chan Santos of the Texas Library Association.

Let's hear about how public libraries responded with innovation and diligence to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Featured guests are Ramiro Salazar, Director of the San Antonio Public Library (SAPL), in the first part of the podcast; and Haley Holmes and Cheryl Sheehan, Public Service Administrators at SAPL, in the second portion of the podcast. Our hosts today are Jeanette Davies of SAPL and Ted Wanner, Director of Education and Member Engagement at the Texas Library Association.

This is a conversation with two retired librarians - Minetta and Grace. Minetta has grown children, grandkids, she loves books and she is also is an incredible storyteller - like she gets invited to go places and tell stories. She has an incredible knowledge of all kinds of books for all different kinds of occasions. Grace has grown children, loves books and is the ultimate book gift giver. You can ask the Lassiter brothers about this! A few sites and books they mention: https://txla.org (Texas Library Association) http://www.ala.org (American Library Association) https://www.goodreads.com (Good Reads) The Public Library! Minetta's Favorite List -  Anne of Green Gables  All books written by Patricia Polacco Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Grace's Favorite List -  Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus & Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis The Trees of the Dancing Goats by Patricia Polacco

This episode of the Making Afterschool Cool Podcast is a continuation of the series of interviews exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the out-of-school time field. Today, Mary Wagner of the Houston Public Library will be discussing summer youth services offered through the library. During this episode you will learn more about:• Adjustments implemented since the COVID-19 pandemic began• Action steps if you have books or other items checked out• Return for checked out items and fee assessment for overdue items• Summer services provided through the library• Resources available for all age groups GuestAs Youth Services Advocate for Houston Public Library (HPL), Mary Wagoner, M.L.I.S., has a combined 28 years of Library Management, Project Management and Youth Services experience at Houston Public Library. Mary served as Project Director for two Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grants, the Fountain of Youth grant in 2009 and Pop Up Library grant in 2012. In her former role as Special Project Manager, she served as the Project Lead and Steering Committee Chair of several Lean 6 Sigma studies, including the Library Materials Selection Division which resulted in reorganization of the division, a new Holds print solution and new Holds labels. Mary was the Project Lead for TLA Award Winning Children’s Zone in response to Hurricane Ike.Mary served as President of Texas Library Association’s TALL Texans from 2010 to 2011. She belongs to, and has made professional presentations at ALA, ALSC, PLA and TLA on various topics, including: Disaster Response (Katrina, Ike & Harvey), the Pop-Up Library, YPQI (Weikert’s Youth Program Quality Improvement) and Library Collections. In her current role, Mary and her team strive to meet the challenges of providing cohesive and innovative free youth programming and services for children of all ages and parent education as part of a dynamic organization that serves 2.2 million Houston residents and 4.3 million residents in the greater Houston metropolitan area. Resources Houston Public Library https://houstonlibrary.org Harris County Department of Education https://hcde-texas.org CASE for Kids https://hcde-texas.org/afterschool-zone

In this episode of the Intelligent Investing Podcast, Eric Schleien sits down with WSJ Veteran Reporter, Gregory Zuckerman, to discuss his book "The Man Who Solved The Market: How Jim Simons Launched The Quant Revolution"   Editorial Reviews “Leave it to the Wall Street Journal's Greg Zuckerman to lay open the golden mysteries of quantitative investing. With this fine, humane, and eye-opening book, he's well and truly broken the code.” —James Grant, Grant's Interest Rate Observer “Captivating.” —New York Times   “A compelling read.” —The Economist   “Reads like a delicious page-turning novel.” —Barry Ritholtz, Bloomberg   “One of the most important stories of our time.” —Financial Times   “Zuckerman brings the reader so close to the firm's inner workings that you can almost catch a whiff of the billionaire's Merit cigarette.” —Brandon Kochkodin, Bloomberg “A gripping biography of investment game changer Jim Simons… readers looking to understand how the economy got where it is should eat this up.” —Publishers Weekly "Worthwhile reading for budding plutocrats and numerate investors alike." —Kirkus “Immensely enjoyable.” —Edward O. Thorp, author of A Man for All Markets   “An extremely well-written and engaging book . . . a must read, and a fun one at that.” —Mohamed A. El-Erian, author of The Only Game in Town "Page-turning tale…bravura storytelling." —Gary Shteyngart, author of Lake Success About The Book NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Shortlisted for the Financial Times/McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award The unbelievable story of a secretive mathematician who pioneered the era of the algorithm--and made $23 billion doing it.   The Man Who Solved The Market: How Jim Simons Launched The Quant Revolution": Summary Jim Simons is the greatest money maker in modern financial history. No other investor--Warren Buffett, Peter Lynch, Ray Dalio, Steve Cohen, or George Soros--can touch his record. Since 1988, Renaissance's signature Medallion fund has generated average annual returns of 66 percent. The firm has earned profits of more than $100 billion; Simons is worth twenty-three billion dollars. Drawing on unprecedented access to Simons and dozens of current and former employees, Zuckerman, a veteran Wall Street Journal investigative reporter, tells the gripping story of how a world-class mathematician and former code breaker mastered the market. Simons pioneered a data-driven, algorithmic approach that's sweeping the world. As Renaissance became a market force, its executives began influencing the world beyond finance. Simons became a major figure in scientific research, education, and liberal politics. Senior executive Robert Mercer is more responsible than anyone else for the Trump presidency, placing Steve Bannon in the campaign and funding Trump's victorious 2016 effort. Mercer also impacted the campaign behind Brexit. The Man Who Solved the Market is a portrait of a modern-day Midas who remade markets in his own image, but failed to anticipate how his success would impact his firm and his country. It's also a story of what Simons's revolution means for the rest of us.   About Gregory Zuckerman Greg is a Special Writer at The Wall Street Journal, ​a 20-year veteran of the paper and a three-time winner of the Gerald Loeb award — the highest honor in business journalism. Greg is the author of “The Frackers: The Outrageous Inside Story of the New Billionaire Wildcatters,” a national bestseller published October 2014 by Portfolio/Penguin Press. The book describes how several unlikely individuals created an American energy renaissance that brought OPEC to its knees. The Frackers was named among the best books of 2014 by The Financial Times and Forbes Magazine and book of the year by the New York Financial Writers Association. Greg also wrote “The Greatest Trade Ever: The Behind-the-Scenes Story of How John Paulson Defied Wall Street and Made Financial History,” a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best seller published December 2010 by Crown Business/Random House. The book has been translated into 10 languages. Greg and his two sons wrote Rising Above: How 11 Athletes Overcame Challenges in their Youth to Become Stars,” a book for young readers and adults published May 2016 by Philomel/Penguin that describes the remarkable stories of how stars in various sports overcame imposing setbacks in their youth. The book was chosen by Scholastic Teacher magazine as a top pick for 2016 and a top 2017 recommendation of the Texas Library Association. In February 2018, Rising Above-Inspiring Women in Sports, also written by Greg and his sons, will be published. At the Journal, Greg writes about big financial firms, personalities and trades, hedge funds, the energy revolution and other investing and business topics. Previously, Greg was the lead writer of the widely read “Heard on the Street” column and covered the credit markets, among other beats. In 2015, Greg won the Loeb Award for a series of stories revealing discord between Bill Gross, founder of bond powerhouse Pimco, and others at the firm, including Mohamed El-Erian. The stories led to Mr. Gross's surprise departure from Pimco. In 2012, Greg broke news about huge, disastrous trades by the J.P. Morgan trader nicknamed the “London Whale.” In 2007, Greg was part of a team that won the Gerald Loeb award for breaking news coverage of the collapse of hedge fund Amaranth Advisors and in 2003 he won the Loeb award for breaking news coverage of the demise of telecom provider WorldCom. Greg was part of a team that won the New York Press Club Journalism award in 2008. He was a finalist for the 2011 Gerald Loeb award for investigative news coverage of the insider trading scandal and a finalist for the 2008 Gerald Loeb award for coverage of the mortgage meltdown. Greg appears regularly on CNBC, Fox Business, Yahoo Finance, Bloomberg Television and various television networks. He makes regular appearances on National Public Radio, BBC, ABC Radio, Bloomberg Radio and radio stations around the globe. Greg gives speeches to business groups on a variety of topics. Over the past year, he has spoken to groups in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Dallas, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Calgary, Montreal and Niagara Falls. Greg joined the Journal in 1996 after writing about media companies for the New York Post. Previously, he was the managing editor of Mergers & Acquisitions Report, a newsletter published by Investment Dealers' Digest. He graduated from Brandeis University in 1988, Magna Cum Laude. A graduate of Brandeis University, Greg lives with his wife and two sons in West Orange, N.J., where they enjoy the Yankees in the summer, root for the Giants in the fall, and reminisce about Linsanity in the winter.   Staying In Touch With Gregory Zuckerman Twitter Email Website WSJ Profile   Staying In Touch With Eric Schleien Podcast Blog Facebook YouTube LinkedIn Twitter Instagram GSCM

Learn about Daniel García Ordaz, his poetry and insights.  He is a poet, songwriter and teacher from McCallen, TX, doing amazing things for his community as the founder of the Rio Grande Valley International Poetry Festival. http://yourartsygirlpodcast.com/episodes You can order here:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EYRBUTU/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i3   You can order here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HWW4BVS/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0   Daniel's Poets & Writers page:  https://www.pw.org/directory/writers/daniel_garcia_ordaz   Email:  poetmariachi@gmail.com Website:  www.amazon.com/Daniel-Garc%25C3%... Twitter:  @poetmariachi RSS feed:  poetmariachi.wixsite.com/blog   Bio:  Daniel García Ordaz is the founder of the Rio Grande Valley International Poetry Festival and the author of You Know What I’m Sayin’? and Cenzontle/Mockingbird. His focus is on the power of language, which he celebrates in his writings and talks. He defended his thesis, Cenzontle/Mockingbird: Empowerment Through Mimicry, to complete his terminal degree, an MFA in Creative Writing from The University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, and he co-edited Twenty: In Memoriam, a response by poets across the U.S. to the Sandy Hook shootings. García is a teacher and writer, and a recognized voice in Mexican American poetry. His work has appeared in numerous literary journals, academic collections, and anthologies. He was born in Houston and raised in Mission, Texas. His publishing experience including editing and book cover design credits. He appears in the documentary, “ALTAR: Cruzando fronteras/Building bridges" itself an altar offering to the late Chicana scholar and artist Gloria E. Anzaldúa, one of his great influences for this collection. García was one of five authors and the only poet chosen to participate in the Texas Latino Voices project in 2009 by the Texas Center For The Book, the state affiliate of the Library of Congress. He has been a featured reader and guest at numerous literary events, including the Dallas International Book Fair, McAllen Book Festival, Texas Library Association events, TAIR, TABE, and Border Book Bash, among others. García’s work has also appeared in Juventud! Growing up on the Border (VAO Publishing), Poetry of Resistance: Voices For Social Justice (The University of Arizona Press), La Bloga, Left Hand of the Father, Harbinger Asylum, Interstice, Encore: Cultural Arts Source, 100 Thousand Poets For Change, Gallery: A Literary & Arts Magazine (UTRGV), Boundless, and The Mesquite Review, among others. See a videos of him on YouTube and follow him at @poetmariachi.   Cenzontle*   “Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy . . . but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.” ~Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird And what makes a mockingbird special, anyway? Why it’s the trill from her tongue, the cry from her lungs, the sway of her lips, it’s her dusty, rusty, crusty cries, the trail of tears in her eyes on sheet music playin’, floatin’ and swayin’ to the beat, beat, beating, way-laying, saxopholaying, assaulted, accosted, bushwhacked and busted, cracked open, bruised, banged and accused, flat broke and broken terror bespoken— a token of survivin’, of thrivin’, of juke joint jump jivin’ of death cheaten daily through unwanton wailin’.   Why a mockingbird’s got diamonds at the souls of her blues, whip-lashed back-beats at the edge of her grooves, croons of healing above strangely-fruited plains of grieving. She lets loose veracity with chirps still rising at the edge of a knockabout life, troubled and toiled beat-boxed, embroiled, de-plumed, defaced, ignored, encased, caged and debased ‘cause of the color of her skin. But as the din fades and the cool of eve rolls in, there she stands—chest huff-puffed and proud, unbowed and loud, endowed with the power of flight, under the big dip of night, echoing the ancient Even cry of a lioness defending her pride in that sweet mother tongue: I rise up, and, Adam, I shall not be moved today!   The mockingbird sings what the heart cannot pray. The mockingbird sings what the heart cannot pray.   *Cenzontle is the Nahuatl word for the northern mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos.   Our Serpent Tongue   Your Pedro Infantecide stops here. There shall be no mending of the fence. You set this bridge called my back yard ablaze with partition, division labelization, fronterization y otras pendejadas de alienization Yo soy Tejan@ Mexico-American@ Chican@ Chingad@ Pagan@-Christian@ Pelad@ Fregad@ I flick the slit at the tip of my tongue con orgullo knowing que when a fork drops, es que ¡Ahí viene visita! a woman is coming a woman with cunning a woman sin hombre with a forked tongue is running her mouth—¡hocicona! ¡fregona!— a serpent-tongued ¡chingona! with linguistic cunning a cunning linguist turning her broken token of your colonization into healing y pa’ decir la verdad You are not my equal You cannot speak like me You will not speak for me My dreams are not your dreams My voice is not your voice You yell, “Oh, dear Lord!” in your dreams. I scream “A la Chingada!” in my nightmares Your Pedro Infantecide stops here. There shall be no mending of the fence.    

Author Amber Smith and I discuss her newest novel, SOMETHING LIKE GRAVITY. We talk about where she got her idea originally, her process for writing it, and the techniques she employed in telling her story. We also talk about her journey of writing and publishing her first novel, THE WAY I USED TO BE, from the frustrations of rewriting it to the joys of it becoming an award winning New York Times Bestseller. She shares her tips for writing a romantic story, for building suspense, and for writing about characters respectfully without exploiting them. WARNING: We briefly discuss sexual assault as depicted in Amber's books, so discretion should be exercised for younger members of Esteemed Audience. Amber Smith is the New York Times bestselling author of the young adult novels, The Way I Used to Be, The Last to Let Go, and Something Like Gravity. Her debut, The Way I Used to Be (2016), was selected for the American Library Association’s Amelia Bloomer List of Feminist Literature and Texas Library Association’s TAYSHAS List, it was named a Bank Street Best Book of the Year, and nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award in YA Fiction, Connecticut’s Nutmeg Book Award, and Indiana’s Eliot Rosewater Award. Her second novel, The Last to Let Go (2018), received starred reviews from Booklist and VOYA, and was named a most-anticipated book by B and N Teen Blog, Elite Daily, and Bookish. Her next novel, Something Like Gravity, will be released June 18th, 2019 from Simon and Schuster. Amber grew up in Buffalo, New York and now lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with her partner and their ever-growing family of rescued dogs and cats. Fueled by a lifelong passion for the arts, story, and creative expression, Amber graduated from art school with a BFA in Painting and went on to earn her master’s degree in Art History. When she’s not writing she’s usually reading, but can also be found in her studio making art or freelancing as an art consultant. She has also written on the topics of art history and modern and contemporary art. An advocate for increased awareness of gendered violence, including sexual assault and domestic or intimate partner abuse, as well as LGBTQ equality, she writes in the hope that her books can help to foster change and spark dialogue surrounding these issues. MiddleGradeNinja.com AmberSmithAuthor.com

Today's episode is part 2 of the recording from the 2019 Texas Library Association conference. Before the panel “The Myth of “Girl Books” and “Boy Books”: Exploring Gender Bias with Middle Grade Authors” was held, a few of the participants gathered to begin the conversation. .

Today's episode is recording from the 2019 Texas Library Association conference. Before the panel “The Myth of “Girl Books” and “Boy Books”: Exploring Gender Bias with Middle Grade Authors” was held, a few of the participants gathered to begin the conversation. This is part 1 of the after panel discussion.  Please come back on Wed. to hear part 2.

Writing Barn friend and master storyteller Kathi Appelt returns to The Porchlight after having joined Bethany previously in episode 5. In this latest episode, they discuss Kathi's first young adult novel, ANGEL THIEVES, as well as her picture book MAX ATTACKS, which will be released this summer. Kathi's books have won numerous national and state awards, including the Irma and Simon Black Award, Children’s Choice Award, Teacher’s Choice Award, the Oppenheimer Gold Award, Parent’s Choice Award, Storytelling World Award, Growing Good Kids Award, Texas Writer’s League Award for Children’s Literature, the Texas Institute of Letters Award, Best Books for Young Adults, VOYA Top of the Shelf Award, and a host of others. Kathi's first novel, THE UNDERNEATH, was a National Book Award Finalist and a Newbery Honor Book.  It also received the Pen USA Award, and was a finalist for the Heart of Hawick Children’s Book Award. Her novel, THE TRUE BLUE SCOUTS OF SUGAR MAN SWAMP, was a National Book Award Finalist in 2013. In 2016, MAYBE A FOX, co-written with Alison McGhee, won the Texas Institute of Letters Award for Middle Grade Literature and was named to the Texas Library Association’s “Texas Bluebonnet Master List.” In 2009, Kathi was named “Texas Distinguished Writer” by the Friends of the Abilene Public Library.   ANGEL THIEVES took three years and countless hours of research to write even though Kathi grew up on the Houston bayou. Getting the history of the city and the people right and telling the truth as deeply as possible were vital to Kathi as she crafted this complex story. She and Bethany discuss the misrepresentation in history that has shaped us and continues to do so and why Kathi used sensitivity readers to help her represent the characters and world in this novel as honestly as possible. They also discuss the importance of place in fiction and how setting can be the backbone of a story. Both writers share their delight in seeing how children's literature, especially picture books, has expanded to include difficult subjects that, when handled well, can impact children's worldview and teach them empathy. They give a shout-out to friend and fellow author, Kekla Magoon, and her beautiful books and they discuss how the children they write for give them courage to tackle tough topics with honesty as Kekla and many authors do so skillfully in their work. Also, Bethany and Kathi talk about how long stories and ideas can live with us and reassure writers that not every idea has to be written right now. In fact, ANGEL THIEVES was really 25 years in the making rather than just three. Listen today to this inspiring episode with the talented and insightful Kathi Appelt and find out more about Kathi and her work at https://www.kathiappelt.com/

As Heard on the Podcast: Texas Association for the Education of Young Children (Austin Chapter) – http://www.texasaeyc.org/ Texas Library Association – https://txla.org/ @scastro122 Tweet: Book Creator and The Rubber Egg Book Creator (web) Book Creator iOS Freestyle Explosion – https://www.alamodome.com/events/detail/freestyle-explosion-1

Mark Pryor 01:50 Mark Pryor, novelist Amber Elby, YA novelist Dylan Powell, mystery writer George Vance McGee, author Daniel Peña, novelist Leza Cantoral, author and panda Cat with book Phuc with dog Mark Pryor is the author of ten novels, including The Hollow Man, which introduced everyone’s favorite misanthrope*, Dominic. His latest, The Book Artist, a Hugo Marston novel, launches February 2019. He has also published the true-crime book As She Lay Sleeping. A native of Hertfordshire, England, he is an assistant district attorney in Austin, Texas, where he lives with his wife and three children.Laura Elvebak 12:03Born in North Dakota, but raised in Los Angeles and San Francisco, Laura draws from her nomad kind of existence in various cities to craft her mysteries with a touch of noir. Laura’s writing career follows a winding career path through oil and gas companies, law firms, a stint as a go-go dancer in the sixties. Amber Elby 18:45Amber Elby was born in Grand Ledge, Michigan but spent much of her childhood in the United Kingdom. She began writing when she was three years old and created miniature books by asking her family how to spell every, single, word. She studied creative writing at Michigan State University’s Honors College before earning her Master of Fine Arts degree in Screenwriting at the University of Texas at Austin. She currently resides in Texas with her husband and two daughters and spends her time teaching, traveling, and getting lost in imaginary worlds. Dylan Powell 25:22Dylan Powell is an award-winning author who writes crime stories, mystery fiction and books about Texas. Powell's work has been featured in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, the Best American Mysteries 2018 and a host of fine truck stop bathroom walls across the Texas badlands. Kathryn Lane 33:07Kathryn Lane is the award-winning author of Coyote Zone, the second book in the Nikki Garcia thriller series. A transplant to Houston, Lane draws inspiration for her work from her love of world travel. She is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, the Writers League of Texas, and she lives in the Woodlands, Texas with her husband, Bob.George Vance McGee 40:56Born in Austin, George Vance McGee is a liberal arts graduate from the University of Texas. He is the author of Attractive Tales from Grand Cities: A Social Memoir. He spent five years living and working in NYC before returning to his hometown of Austin, where he writes and works as a realtor. Daniel Garcí­a Ordaz 49:53Daniel Garcí­a Ordaz is the founder of the Rio Grande Valley International Poetry Festival and the author of You Know What Iâ’m Sayin’? (El Zarape Press, 2006) and Cenzontle/Mockingbird: Songs of Empowerment (FlowerSong Books, 2018). His writing centers on the creative power of language. Garcí­a has been a featured reader and guest at numerous literary events, including the Dallas International Book Fair, McAllen Book Festival, Texas Library Association, and Border Book Bash.Daniel Peña 57:45 Daniel Peña is a Pushcart Prize-winning writer and Assistant Professor in the Department of English at the University of Houston-Downtown. He was formerly based out of the UNAM in Mexico City where he worked as a Fulbright-Garcia Robles Scholar. A graduate of Cornell University and a former Picador Guest Professor in Leipzig, Germany, his writing has appeared in Ploughshares, The Rumpus, the Kenyon Review, NBC News, and Arcturus among other venues. He’s currently a regular contributor to the Guardian and the Ploughshares blog. His novel, Bang, is out now from Arte Público Press. He lives in beautiful Houston, Texas. David Bowles 01:07:49A Mexican-American author from deep South Texas, David Bowles is an assistant professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Recipient of awards from the American Library Association, Texas Institute of Letters and Texas Associated Press, he has written a dozen or so books, including Flower, Song, Dance: Aztec and Mayan Poetry, the critically acclaimed Feathered Serpent, Dark Heart of Sky: Mexican Myths, and They Call Me Güero: A Border Kid’s Poems, which is a recent recipient of the Claudia Lewis Award. In 2019, Penguin will publish The Chupacabras of the Rio Grande, co-written with Adam Gidwitz, and Tu Books will release his steampunk graphic novel Clockwork Curandera. In April 2017, David was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters for his literary work.Leza Cantoral 01:18:39Leza Cantoral is a Xicana writer & editor who lives on the internet. She is the Editor in Chief of CLASH Books & host of the Get Lit With Leza podcast where she talks to cool-ass writers. Tragedy Queens: Stories Inspired by Lana Del Rey & Sylvia Plath is a CLASH Books anthology of stories that she edited as a result of being a Lana Del Rey & Sylvia Plath megafan. You can find her on YouTube at Get Lit With Leza. She blogs at lezacantoral.com.A Texas-sized thank you to all of the authors who were generous enough to share their time at the festival with us. Please do click through to each of the authors’ sites and support these women and men of the word by buying more books & by reading more widely today.**misanthropy is a really fun word. I mean, so fun.

Rachel Caine is the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of more than fifty novels in a diverse range of genres and categories. She has been honored with multiple awards from RT Booklovers Association and the Texas Library Association, and was honored with two spots on the 2012 “Most Favorite Books of UK Schoolchildren” list. More recently in 2017, she began writing thrillers with the huge bestsellers "Stillhouse Lake" and "Killman Creek". In early July of this year, she’ll also be releasing “Smoke and Iron”, her 4th book in the Great Library Series where she continues the adventures of her unforgettable characters from "Ink and Bone", "Paper and Fire", and "Ash and Quill". In Rachel’s episode, we discuss how she first fell into storytelling, how her musical background taught her to be in the moment with her writing, and how she met her first editor and then sold her first book. Be sure to pay special attention to the helpful advice on carving out time for your writing around a full-time job from the time management queen herself. We also dive into the details about the inspiration behind her stories that helped establish the urban fantasy genre, how she proactively gets the word out about her novels, advice on navigating the world of conventions, conferences, and school visits to promote your work, and how Rachel and her team packages her different genres to make her series distinct from one another. Further into our conversation, we discuss how to go about the writing business by taking control of your expectations, the different ways to overcome writing difficult scenes in your story, crafting a plot that interacts naturally with your characters, and advice on how to decide which point of view works best for your story. We also discuss why it’s important to keep the passion with your story alive throughout the entire process. Say 'Hi' to Rachel on Twitter! Head over to her shownotes page for a list of resources mentioned in the episode by clicking here. Happy listening! Xo, Yin PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word! --- If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page! --- Meet fellow members in our community and check in about your work-in-progress, and join in on other bookish talks and 88 Cups of Tea related things, join our private Facebook group! You can really feel the love and support in our community. You also get the opportunity to submit your questions for upcoming guests on the show. Click here to join our private Facebook group! --- Warm welcome to our new listeners, be sure to check out our archive of episodes by clicking here! ---  “Writing is unique business in that there is so much of it that you can’t control. You can only control what you do and nothing else.”  -Rachel Caine (Click to tweet!) “You have to figure out what your expectations are and how you can best apply yourself to the process.” -Rachel Caine (Click to tweet!) "You have to learn to balance just like you balance your work and your family life and all that. You’ve got to learn how to balance writing and everything else. If it’s a matter of your health, then I think you have to choose your health.” -Rachel Caine (Click to tweet!) “As far as points of view, you pick the person to whom the story matters the most. That’s my general rule.” -Rachel Caine (Click to tweet!)  --- WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN TODAY'S EPISODE:  How Rachel met her first editor and sold her first book A look into Rachel’s musical background that taught her how to be in the moment with her writing Ways you can carve out time for your writing while working a full-time job The importance of taking care of your health and the tips and tools that can help you stay healthy as a writer The inspiration behind Rachel Caine and her stories that helped establish the urban fantasy genre How taking control of your expectations will help you navigate the writing business How Rachel proactively promotes and gets the word out about her novels Advice on how to strategically navigate the world of conventions, conferences, and school visits to promote your work An exciting look at all the projects Rachel is currently working on How a conversation on Twitter pushed Rachel and Ann Aguirre together to craft the “Honor Among Thieves” series Ways to overcome writing difficult scenes in your story How Rachel and her team packages her different genres to make her series distinct from one another The importance of crafting a plot that interacts naturally with your characters Rachel’s experience with writing from different points of view and advice on how to decide which point of view works best for your story The importance of keeping the passion and attraction you have towards your story alive throughout the entire process

Episode 012 TLA Part 5 Happy Book Day Ya’ll!! A special part of TLA is getting to meet your favorite authors in person, or discover your NEW favorite author. Megan interviews author Casey Lyall about her “Howard Wallace P.I.” series as well as finds out what her current favorite reads are. (Hint- they all sound amazing!) As a bonus, Megan got to speak to the dynamic Heather Lamb from A.V. Cato Elementry. Heather has pretty much done it all in the library world and she was one to TLAs experts and even taught a special hands on seminar that Megan attened. Find out what books she recommends for the summer. Books discussed in this episode of the Bee Cave Book Haul Howard Wallace, P.I. by Casey Lyall The Voyage to Magical North by Claire Fayers The Gauntlet by Karuna Riazi Whoosh!: Lonnie Johnson's Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions by Chris Barton and Don Tate The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies Start With Why by Simon Sinek Intro and Outtro Music from http://www.purple-planet.com/ For more about the Texas Library Association check out TXLA.org Check out Caseys first “Howard Wallce P.I.” book on OverDrive, and learn more about her on her website https://www.caseylyall.com You can follow Heather Lamb via twitter @heatherlamb08 or visit her libraries website http://avc.castleberryisd.net/avc_library/

Episode 11 TLA part 4 LIT Happy Book Day Ya’ll!! While at the 2017 Texas Library Association Conference our intrepid librarian and podcast producer Megan hunted down some of our favorite reps and convinced them to be part of the Bee Cave Book Haul! Check out this and other special videos from her adventures on the TLA floor. In this episode Megan spent time with two of our favorite people, Dee and Michael, from Library Interiors of Texas ( http://libraryinteriorsoftexas.com ) and talked books. Thanks to a Grant from the Tocker Foundation, Library Interiors will be working with BCPL on a refresh of the interior of the library sometime in the future. We can’t wait! Books etc. discussed in this episode of the Bee Cave Book Haul Tuff Juice: My Journey from the Streets to the NBA Paperback by Caron Butler Bronzeville http://bronzevilleseries.com Beauty and the Beast (2017) Authors: Dan Brown, Christopher Paul Curtis The Martian by Andy Weir The Gruffalo written by Julia Donaldson, Illustrated by Axel Scheffler Room on the Broom written by Julia Donaldson, Illustrated by Axel Scheffler Intro and Outtro Music from http://www.purple-planet.com/ Learn more about Library Interiors at http://libraryinteriorsoftexas.com For more about the Tocker Foundation at http://www.tocker.org For more about the Texas Library Association check out TXLA.org

Episode 010 TLA Part 3 Happy Book Day Ya’ll!! While at the 2017 Texas Library Association Conference our intrepid librarian and podcast producer Megan hunted down some of our favorite reps and convinced them to be part of the Bee Cave Book Haul! Check out this and other special videos from her adventures on the TLA floor. One of the best parts of TLA is getting to meet with the publishers and learn about some of the new books coming to shelves. Our Penguin Random House Audio Rep Robert gave us the inside scoop on his favorite titles coming out this summer and fall. Anne from Macmillan Library also shared two titles on her must reads lists. PS- We made it to 10 episodes! GASP! HURRAH!! Celebrate by leaving us some comments and let us know what kinds of things you want to hear in the next 10+ episodes. Books etc. discussed in this episode of the Bee Cave Book Haul From Penguin Random House http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti Watch Me Disappear by Janelle Brown (July) Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart (September) Gilded Cage by Vic James Tarnished City of Vic James (September) From Macmillan Library http://macmillanlibrary.com Come Sundown by Nora Roberts The Dry by Jane Harper Intro and Outtro Music from http://www.purple-planet.com/ For more about the Texas Library Association check out TXLA.org

Episode 008 TLA Part 1 Happy Book Day Ya’ll!! While at the 2017 Texas Library Association Conference our intrepid librarian and podcast producer Megan hunted down some of our favorite reps and convinced them to be part of the Bee Cave Book Haul! Check out this and other special videos from her adventures on the TLA floor. In this episode we get to chat with two of our reps from Playaway, makers of some of our favorite pre-loaded audio players. Books etc. discussed in this episode of the Bee Cave Book Haul Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari Game of Thrones/ A Song of Fire and Ice series by George R. R. Martin Game of Thrones on HBO season 7 The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty Big Little Lies on HBO Intro and Outtro Music from http://www.purple-planet.com/ Learn more about Playaway at the library or check out their website at http://www.playaway.com For more about the Texas Library Association check out TXLA.org

This past Thursday and Friday, I was in San Antonio for TLA—the Texas Library Association’s annual conference. I brought my microphone. In this episode, we talk to librarian Curren McLane, a member of TLA’s planning committee, and to Venessa Carson, who is part of the School and Library Marketing team at Penguin Young Readers . We also get an airport-hot-take from Marissa Grossman and Kate Meltzer, two Penguin editors who were also in attendance, and, in my downtime, I roam the main exhibition hall. Full show notes: https://jackcheng.com/see-you-on-the-bookshelf/10-the-librarian-conference