Bookish Introverts Podcast: Christian/Clean Fiction Book Talks

“The Bookish Introverts Podcast” delves into the quiet joys of books with hosts Amazon Best-Selling Christian Fiction Author Brett Nelson and avid reader Melanie Dyer. Together, they explore the profound impact of fiction on introverted souls as they unravel tales, share insights, interact with authors, and maybe even bring a few “special guest readers” along the way. Quiet minds, big bookshelves. You don’t want to miss it.
Episodes
Episodes



Friday Oct 04, 2024
Friday Oct 04, 2024
Brett and Melanie talk with Christian Fiction Rom-Com author Angela Ruth Strong, who shares insights about her writing process and the adaptation of one of her books into a movie. They delve into her latest work, 'Fiancé Finale.' The discussion is filled with humor, personal anecdotes, reflections on the writing journey, and romantic comedies in literature.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Angela Ruth Strong03:01 The Journey to Movie Adaptation06:40 Life as a Flight Attendant12:20 Navigating Post-COVID Challenges15:35 Balancing Writing and Flight Attending17:23 Exploring Angela's Book Series20:32 Diving into 'Fiancé Finale'24:49 Character Dynamics and Growth30:28 Themes of Grace and Apology34:22 Cultural References and Humor41:15 Culinary Curiosities and Cultural Treats43:49 Creative Inspirations and Writing Processes46:51 The Role of Faith in Writing50:04 Character Development and Real-Life Inspirations54:36 Navigating Family Dynamics and Expectations58:11 The Journey of Writing and Publishing01:01:49 Romantic Comedy vs. Traditional Romance01:06:11 The Evolution of Genres and Reader Preferences01:10:55 Rapid Publishing and Authorial Challenges01:13:05 outro-vocal-1-music-1.mp3



Sunday Sep 22, 2024
Sunday Sep 22, 2024
We hope you enjoy a this episode with a different theme. Brett and Melanie share their personal reading and writing journeys, discussing the books that shaped their early years and the challenges they face as writers. They reflect on their favorite authors, the impact of feedback on their writing, and the importance of exploring different genres. The conversation also touches on the significance of writing from personal experiences and the joy of discovering new literary worlds.
Chapters
00:00 Getting to Know Us: A Different Kind of Podcast Episode03:54 The Books That Shaped Us: Early Reading Memories07:04 The Writing Journey: From Inspiration to Publication09:42 The Challenges of Editing and Feedback12:37 Exploring Genres: Historical Fiction and Beyond15:59 The Impact of Personal Experiences on Writing18:50 Navigating the Publishing World: Marketing and Sales21:35 Milestones and Reflections: Celebrating Our Podcast Journey01:32:14 outro-vocal-1-music-1.mp3



Saturday Sep 07, 2024
Saturday Sep 07, 2024
Brett and Melanie discuss the book 'Transgression: City of God' by R.S. Ingermanson. The book combines time travel and science fiction themes in which characters go back in time to 57 A.D. to prevent an assassination on the Apostle Paul.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background09:17 The Author and His Work15:48 Exploring Time Travel and Wormholes24:47 The Tension Between Judaism and Christianity36:43 Rivka's Journey to 57 AD43:48 Introduction and Setting the Stage44:47 Suspicion and Possession46:15 Ari's Apology and the Manifesto47:07 Discovering the Truth and Going Through the Wormhole47:57 Ari's Impulsive Decision and Arrival in Jerusalem48:57 Ari's Past Trauma and Hatred for Christians49:54 Language Barriers and Gender Roles51:15 Meeting Brother Baruch and the Sanhedrin's View on Women52:37 Women in the Early Christian Church53:07 Baruch and Ari's Friendship54:33 Rivka's Language Skills and Ari's Impulsive Dive55:32 Damien's Plan and Ari's Brave Act56:29 Ari and Damien's Fight and Rivka's Doubts57:29 Damien's Visit to Hannah and Ari's Dive into the Wormhole58:58 Damien's Attempted Attack and Rivka's Escape01:03:16 Hannah's Assault and Damien's Plan to Kill Paul01:07:01 Rivka's Determination and Ari's Indifference01:08:53 Ari and Rivka's Plan to Stop Damien01:13:14 Baruch's Revelation and Hannah's Escape01:17:42 Ari's Race to Save Rivka01:25:00 Confrontation and Danger01:27:17 Ari's Transformation01:28:39 Race Against Time01:30:34 Trapped in the Past01:33:28 The Final Showdown01:45:45 Rivka's Brave Act01:53:53 A Touching Encounter01:59:25 Hope and Romance02:04:42 outro-vocal-1-music-1.mp3



Saturday Aug 24, 2024
Saturday Aug 24, 2024
Summary
Brett and Melanie discuss L.M. Montgomery's book classic 1931 novel, 'A Tangled Web.' They talk about Montgomery's biography, including her upbringing, writing career, and personal life. The book revolves around a family gathering called a 'levy,' where the matriarch, Aunt Becky, reads her obituary and will, causing tension and conflict among the family members. The main plot revolves around the inheritance of a jug, which becomes a source of contention and reveals the absurdity of family dynamics.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background02:13 Similarities and Differences in Montgomery's Work06:20 Biography of L.M. Montgomery10:01 The Mandela Effect and Misremembered Details14:27 L.M. Montgomery's Writing Journey19:21 Exploring the Characters and Plot of 'A Tangled Web'24:10 Discussion on Mental Health and Suicide25:55 The Significance of the Starn Jug31:14 The Humor and Sharp Wit in Montgomery's Writing36:50 Romantic Relationships and Family Dynamics40:11 Love and Relationships in the Lives of the Characters45:15 Family Dynamics and Societal Expectations53:21 The Role of the Jug in the Characters' Lives01:00:37 L.M. Montgomery's Descriptive Writing and Humor01:22:33 Resolving Love and Reconciliation01:24:49 Acceptance of Age Difference01:29:49 Jocelyn's Apology and Reunion01:32:59 Peter and Donna's Reunion01:35:33 Margaret and Brian's Happy Ending01:38:19 Big Sam and Little Sam's Reconciliation01:42:25 Who Gets the Jug?01:48:46 The Debate Around Censorship01:52:05 Mixed Ratings for the Book01:57:40 Upcoming Book: 'Transgression: City of God'01:58:53 outro-vocal-1-music-1.mp3



Saturday Aug 10, 2024
Lisa Wingate's "The Prayer Box" Book Discussion; Bookish Introverts Podcast
Saturday Aug 10, 2024
Saturday Aug 10, 2024
Brett and Melanie discuss the book 'The Prayer Box' by New York Times best-selling Christian Fiction author Lisa Wingate. They talk about the concept of prayer boxes and their personal experiences with prayer. They explore the main character Tandy's journey of starting over and her struggles with addiction and relationships. They mention the significance of the prayer boxes and the themes of self-acceptance and love in the book. The principal themes of the conversation include self-acceptance, the impact of facade, the importance of kindness, the power of words, the struggle for a fresh start, the significance of memories, and the complexity of family dynamics.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Discussion of the Book Format06:47 The Concept of Prayer Boxes13:05 The Initial Creepiness of the First Chapter21:39 Annoyances in the First Chapter27:01 Meeting Pastor Bilbo34:48 Themes of Self-Acceptance and Love37:00 The Facade of Perfection40:34 The Power of Kindness46:16 The Weight of Words52:38 Striving for a Fresh Start55:36 The Significance of Memories01:05:07 Navigating Family Dynamics01:11:24 Unveiling Iola's Racial Identity and Relationship with Benoit01:15:38 Valuable Wisdom: Faith, Self-Acceptance, and Kindness01:38:04 Engaging with Listeners: Social Media Platforms and Book Suggestions01:42:26 Upcoming Book Selection: 'A Tangled Web' by L.M. Montgomery



Sunday Jul 28, 2024
Sunday Jul 28, 2024
Brett, Melanie, and podcast guest author C.O. Wyler discuss her books "Untaken" and "Untaken, Too" which explores the topic of the rapture. They touch on various topics including:
The rapture,
The tribulation period,
AI,
aliens and UFOs and the possibility of extraterrestrial life and its relation to the rapture,
the fear surrounding AI and its potential benefits and dangers,
the various aspects of the rapture and end-time prophecy,
the role of America in end-time prophecy,
and many other fun and interesting topics.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the Book Series Untaken08:03 Republishing and Writing under a Pseudonym18:14 Overview of Book One: Untaken27:41 Discussion on Aliens and UFOs37:59 Exploring the Fear and Misconceptions of AI49:38 Should Christians Fear AI?54:42 The Implications of AI in the Tribulation01:00:46 Making a Decision to Follow Christ Now01:06:21 The Potential Benefits and Dangers of AI01:08:10 Beheading and the Guillotine in Biblical References01:20:29 The Sound of the Rapture01:32:12 Seeking Normalcy and Prepping01:36:46 The Role of America in End-Time Prophecy01:41:23 Introduction and Fixation on Student Loans01:46:18 The Importance of Professional Editing01:49:07 The Difficulties Faced by Indie Authors01:57:23 Lack of Teaching on the Rapture and Tribulation02:00:09 God's Perfect Timing02:03:14 Supporting Indie Authors02:07:50 Conclusion and Next Episode Preview



Sunday Jul 14, 2024
Sunday Jul 14, 2024
Summary
In this book talk, Brett and Melanie discuss the novel 'A Trial of Innocents' by Michael Swiger. They provide a brief biography of the author and highlight his work in prison ministry. They also discuss the title of the book and its play on words. The conversation then delves into the main characters, including Daniel Solomon, a lawyer who takes on a pro bono case, and Laurie, a condescending and mean-spirited antagonist. The hosts touch on various themes such as abortion, faith, and the complexities of the characters.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Author Background04:22 Discussion of the Protagonist and Unique Spelling10:40 Revealing the Reason for the Unique Spelling18:22 Analysis of the Antagonist26:36 Comparisons to Other Authors and Unrealistic Expectations31:11 Exploring Sensitive Topics and Choices in the Story36:00 Exploring Faith and Realism in the Face of Surgery39:13 The Heavy Topic of Abortion in the Book41:51 Lori's Complicated Plan and the Irony of the Trial44:22 The Surprising Twist Involving Dr. Baryshov49:03 Ironic Inconsistencies of Lori's Motives54:02 Laurie's Unpleasantness and the Custody Battle58:55 Melanie's Enjoyment and Brett's Middle-of-the-Road Reaction01:04:20 The Importance of Growth in Writing and Not Judging an Author by Their First Book01:09:42 Teasing an Upcoming Author Interview and Social Media Channels01:11:45 outro-vocal-1-music-1.mp3



Sunday Jul 07, 2024
Angela Hunt Interview/Author of Historical Biblical Fiction
Sunday Jul 07, 2024
Sunday Jul 07, 2024
In this episode, Brett and Melanie interview author Biblical Fiction author Angela Hunt. They discuss Angela's background, her writing process, and her approach to historical and biblical fiction. Angela shares insights into her research methods and the challenges of writing in different genres. They also touch on the importance of accuracy in historical fiction and the role of editors in the publishing process. Angie also discusses the importance of writing authentic child characters, the plot of her books in 'The Emissary' series, the motivations of her villains, the historical accuracy of wedding traditions, the challenges of writing biblical fiction, and her newsletter for writers. She also shares her future plans for writing about the matriarchs of the faith.
00:00 Introduction and Background of Angela Hunt
05:46 Angela's Extensive Bibliography and Writing in Different Genres
07:33 The Challenges of Writing Historical Fiction
20:48 The Role of Editors in the Publishing Process
35:10 Staying True to Historical Context in Fiction
36:16 Angela's Writing Process and Collaboration with Publishers
40:36 Understanding the Justifications of Villains
42:54 Historical Traditions: Orange Veils and White Bridal Gowns
44:58 Filling in the Gaps: Bringing Biblical Times to Life
47:59 Navigating Criticism and Genre Preferences
49:45 Using Ancient Manuscripts in Fiction
01:08:44 Wrap-up
01:09:59 outro-vocal-1-music-1.mp3

Meet Your Hosts
Brett Nelson is an Amazon Best-Selling Author of Christian Fiction and to date has published six books. He lives in Arkansas and is happily single. His favorite authors are Mary Higgins Clark, Katherine Spencer, and Colleen Coble. He will read about any genre, but his favorites are thrillers, suspense, and recently has learned that he enjoys paranormal fiction. He likes Christian fiction and secular fiction ... well, really, he'll read *almost* anything.
Melanie Dyer lives in Arkansas and is happily married. She is an avid reader and also enjoys other “Introverted” hobbies such as gaming, music, and movies. While she enjoys several genres of books, historical fiction usually tops the list, and she loves revisiting favorite books from her childhood. Her favorite author is LM Montgomery with C.S. Lewis and Jim Butcher rounding out the top three. She has made efforts with writing but has a tendency towards “Squirrel!” syndrome and loses track of what she’s doing.
Podcasting is their sidehustle and they started "The Bookish Introverts Podcast" because ... they're introverted friends who wanted to talk about the books they love.
Contact Brett and Melanie on the official Bookish Introverts Podcast social media sites or email them at BookishIntrovertsPodcast@gmail.com