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Hello My Happy People,

This episode continues our Lovefest celebration, and this time we’re exploring a different kind of love. Not the spark of romance, but the fierce, protective love that shows up in moments of crisis.

In this episode of Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt, I sit down with Jacque Gorelick to talk about her forthcoming memoir, Map of a Heart: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Finding the Way Home.

After losing her mother at eight and spending her childhood searching for belonging, Jacque believed she had finally found stability in marriage and motherhood. Then an ordinary day ended in a frantic 911 call when her husband collapsed from cardiac arrest. What followed was a terrifying stretch in an ICU waiting room as she advocated for his life while caring for her newborn and navigating complicated family dynamics.

In our conversation, we talk about balancing a medical crisis while managing motherhood, extended family, and the unexpected support that came from people in her life. We also discuss what it means to write through trauma and how putting lived experience on the page can come with its own emotional reckoning.

If Lovefest is about honoring all forms of love, this episode is a powerful reminder that love is not just romantic. It is steadfast, sustaining, and sometimes revealed most clearly in the hardest moments.

Jacque's Website

Jacque on Instagram

Jacque on Blusky

Jacque on Facebook

Buy Jacque's Book

Jacque on Substack

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BurckhardtBooks.com:

• BUY THE LATEST ISSUE: Book Banter Magazine
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About Dianne:

• Dianne Burckhardt, Award-Winning Indie Author
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Hello My Happy People,

We are keeping the Lovefest momentum going with today's guest. I get to share my chat with science fiction author and YouTuber John Newton. John's work blends historical science fiction, time travel, and big questions about faith, ethics, and choice. What is not to love about that?

We talk about his novel The Healing Stone, the first book in the Shadows of Time series. Set in medieval Spain, the story follows a young man who discovers a mysterious stone capable of healing anything, just as a hidden war over time itself begins to unfold. It’s a time travel science fiction story rooted as much in human cost and moral responsibility as it is in history and speculation.

John shares how his background in electrical engineering, robotics, and theology influences his world-building, why themes of healing and trauma run through his fiction, and how science fiction can explore faith and ethical dilemmas without becoming preachy or losing momentum. We also talk about mixing YouTube, writing, and storytelling, and where the Shadows of Time series is headed next. We even had the chance to geek-bond over quantum theory.

It’s a thoughtful, approachable conversation about time travel, belief, and what happens when the power to heal collides with the consequences of changing history.

John's Website

John's YouTube Channel

John on Facebook

John on Instagram

Buy His Books

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Support Us: FREE options. Learn more, Click here!

BurckhardtBooks.com:

• BUY THE LATEST ISSUE: Book Banter Magazine
• Buy & Read: The Into the West Saga Serial books
• Subscribe: Our Newsletter
• Apply to be a guest on our podcast: Podcast Guest Application

About Dianne:

• Dianne Burckhardt, Award-Winning Indie Author
• Meet Dianne EP 1: Who Am I?
• Dianne Burckhardt on Facebook
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Bleeped words: Murd3r3d x 4

Hello My Happy People,

Oh, how I missed you! But we are back with a BANG to start Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt—Book Talk Podcast Season 5. We are kicking off Lovefest with someone who embodies pure creative joy. E. K. Johnston is not only a multi-#1 New York Times bestselling author and a dedicated professional who takes her craft seriously, she is also an unapologetic Star Wars fan who ended up writing for the franchise while still being one of its biggest fans.

In this episode, she talks about stepping into the galaxy far, far away to write Star Wars™: Ahsoka, what it means to love a franchise from both sides of the page, and why fandom has always been a natural part of her creative life. We also get into her love of LEGO® builds, including the massive Rivendell set that proves she has the patience of a saint and the heart of a true Lord of the Rings fan.

E.K.'s personality really shines in this conversation. She is funny, warm, insightful, and intensely passionate about storytelling. Whether she is talking about her recent book Sky on Fire, her worldbuilding process, or her lifelong love of epic worlds and big ideas, her passion shows up in everything she does.

She is the perfect person to open Lovefest because she reminds us all why we fall in love with stories in the first place. Her enthusiasm is contagious, her dedication is admirable, and her joy for her favorite fandoms makes this episode the best possible start to Season 5.

Subscribe to Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt—Book Talk Podcast on your favorite podcast streaming service and never miss any of our amazing authors.

E.K's Website

E.K. on Instagram

E.K. on Tumbler

Buy E.K.'s Books

E.K. on Penguin Random House

Support the show

Support Us: FREE options. Learn more, Click here!

BurckhardtBooks.com:

• BUY THE LATEST ISSUE: Book Banter Magazine
• Buy & Read: The Into the West Saga Serial books
• Subscribe: Our Newsletter
• Apply to be a guest on our podcast: Podcast Guest Application

About Dianne:

• Dianne Burckhardt, Award-Winning Indie Author
• Meet Dianne EP 1: Who Am I?
• Dianne Burckhardt on Facebook
• Dianne Burckhardt on TikTok