Authors & Espresso

Grief, Burnout, and the Pause Between Episodes

Host Nadia Gilkes shares a candid episode about grief, burnout, and the need to rest. She explains why the podcast is delayed, celebrates recent good news, and encourages creatives to honor their emotions, seek support, and give themselves grace while navigating difficult seasons.

Live, Love, Give: Minerva Honkala’s 365-Day Devotional Journey

Minerva Honkala, poet, devotional writer, and humanitarian, shares her motto "Live, Love, Give," her 365-day devotional Boost Me Up, and her long-standing scholarship work supporting students. The episode explores faith, purpose, daily practices (Pause, Ponder, Pray), and her community impact. Listeners will hear about her nonprofit FASFOS, volunteer work, writing and publishing journey, and practical encouragement to build self-worth, strengthen family ties, and create a purposeful life guided by faith.

ISBNs Explained: Own Your Book’s Identity

This episode breaks down what an ISBN is, why it matters for distribution and discoverability, and how it differs from copyright. Nadia explains the pros and cons of free ISBNs from retailers versus buying your own through Bowker, covers costs and formats, and explains why ISBN ownership matters for branding and long-term control. Practical advice: consider buying a 10-pack to cover multiple formats and future editions, register your own publisher information, and keep control of your book’s identity.

Grace Over Grind: Autism Parenting, Advocacy, and Rest as Strategy

Welcome to Authors & Espresso with Nadia Gilkes featuring Tiana Tee, a licensed marriage and family therapist, Amazon bestselling author, and mother of a nonverbal autistic son. In this episode Tiana discusses her new book, What? A 90-Day Devotional for When Life Changes Everything, and shares lived experience on autism parenting, early warning signs, stigma in Black and brown communities, and practical advocacy tips for IEPs and assessments.   She also explores preventing and healing burnout through self-care and 'grace over grind,' explains the value of functional behavioral assessments and record-keeping, and introduces companion group sessions that guide readers through acknowledgement, attending, and aligning to a new normal. Tiana’s A Seat on the Couch series and upcoming memoir about her son are also highlighted, offering relatable stories and therapeutic insights for readers seeking healing and practical tools.

Inside Amazon’s AI Audiobook Beta: My Hands-On Test

Host Nadia Gilkes walks through her hands-on experiment with Amazon’s audiobook AI beta, testing voice options, accents, and chapter-by-chapter editing from an existing e-book. She highlights pronunciation fixes, pacing and emotion limitations, royalty and pricing choices, and practical tips for authors deciding whether to use AI narration or record professionally.