Liberation is Lit Podcast

Making It Over the Tobin Bridge (with Charity Collier)

In this episode, we welcome debut novelist Charity Collier to discuss her journey to becoming an author, from journaling and overcoming dyslexia-related discouragement to gaining confidence with her writing. Charity shares the inspiration and symbolism behind her romance novel, Making It Over the Tobin Bridge, rooted in Boston’s North Shore/South Shore culture and the bridge’s meaning as a personal crossing. We explore how romance can be powerful and subversive, emphasizing self-love, empowerment, and platonic love alongside romantic relationships.  Charity’s Book Making It Over the Tobin Bridge [https://bookshop.org/a/25451/9798999258144] Other Books Mentioned Midnight Library [https://bookshop.org/a/25451/9780525559498] by Matt Haig The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion [https://bookshop.org/a/25451/9780525559498] by Beth Brower Olivia and Jai by Rebecca Ryman Where to Find Charity Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/charitycollier_author/] Timeline 00:00 Welcome to the Podcast 01:10 Charity’s Writing Journey 04:00 Why Tobin Bridge 05:39 Reinventing Romance 09:37 Staying Grounded 10:59 Next Book Wolf Eyes 14:22 Books Inspiring Her 17:08 Community Impact Advice 19:45 Where to Find Charity 20:33 Final Thanks and Outro Thank you for being part of the Liberation is Lit podcast! If you have stories to share, want to suggest topics, or just want to connect, find us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok @liberationislit or visit our website at liberationislit.com. If you enjoyed the episode, please consider leaving a review! Remember, your voice matters, and together, through the lens of stories, we're making a difference in the world.

Stories of Hurt That Heal (with Kim Coleman Foote)

On the Liberation is Lit podcast, host Tayler Simon talks with New Jersey author Kim Coleman Foote about her lifelong journey as a writer, the family storytelling that inspired her historical fiction, and how her novel Coleman Hill uses both tragedy and humor to humanize relatives and explore intergenerational trauma rooted in slavery. Foote discusses researching family history, using imagination when records are missing, and how writing helped her gain empathy without excusing harm, while challenging normalized cycles of violence. She shares grounding practices like taking breaks, prioritizing mental health, and accountability, and previews her upcoming book Saltwater Sister, which moves between the 18th century and 1999 to examine the Dutch role in the slave trade, repeating history, Ghana, and reparations. The episode closes with community-impact advice: start small by building respectful relationships with neighbors. Kim’s book Coleman Hill [https://bookshop.org/a/25451/9781638931706] Where to Find Kim Website [https://kimfoote.com/about/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/kimcolemanfoote/] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/KimColemanFoote] Timeline 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 00:37 Kim’s Writing Journey 01:30 Why Historical Fiction 04:48 Trauma and Humor in Coleman Hill 07:52 Humanizing Family Through Backstory 09:05 Research and Character Childhoods 11:40 Writing as Healing and Breaking Cycles 13:56 Staying Grounded as a Writer 16:50 Saltwater Sister Preview 19:58 Making Impact Locally 21:12 Where to Follow and Closing Thank you for being part of the Liberation is Lit podcast! If you have stories to share, want to suggest topics, or just want to connect, find us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok @liberationislit or visit our website at liberationislit.com. If you enjoyed the episode, please consider leaving a review! Remember, your voice matters, and together, through the lens of stories, we're making a difference in the world.

A Soul With Good Intentions (with Channelle Desamours)

In this episode, we welcome author and high school science teacher Channelle Desamours to discuss her new YA supernatural thriller mystery, They Call Her Regret. Channelle shares why she writes for teens, how the dystopian boom reignited her reading, and how science and problem-solving inform her approach to mysteries.  Channelle’s Books They Call Her Regret [https://bookshop.org/a/25451/9781250337702] Needy Little Things [https://bookshop.org/a/25451/9781250334817] Other Books Mentioned When I Was Death [https://bookshop.org/a/25451/9780593859476] by Alexis Henderson The Year of the Witching [https://bookshop.org/a/25451/9780593099612] by Alexis Henderson They Both Die at the End [https://bookshop.org/a/25451/9780062457806] by Adam Silvera Where to Find Channelle channelledesamours.com [http://channelledesamours.com] Instagram [http://instagram.com/elledesamours] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@elledesamours] Timeline 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:02 Why Write YA Mysteries 04:24 Regret Plot and Stakes 05:40 Themes of Consequences 08:54 Social Justice in Fiction 11:35 Staying Grounded as Author 13:13 Students Reading Her Books 15:29 Upcoming Releases and Writing 17:18 Recent Reads and Recs 19:02 Advice and Closing Thank you for being part of the Liberation is Lit podcast! If you have stories to share, want to suggest topics, or just want to connect, find us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok @liberationislit or visit our website at liberationislit.com. If you enjoyed the episode, please consider leaving a review! Remember, your voice matters, and together, through the lens of stories, we're making a difference in the world.

Vulnerable Heart and Creative Stillness (with Dhayana Alejandrina)

In this episode, we welcome writer Dhayana Alejandrina to discuss storytelling, social change, and Dhayana’s concept “Creative Stillness,” a reframe of writer’s block as a needed pause to live life and spark creativity. Dhayana shares her origins as a writer, her focus on capturing humanness, and how social media pressures and hyper-capitalism can distort creative worth, emphasizing trusting your voice and what true support looks like beyond trends. Dhayana’s Book Creative Stillness [https://dhayana-alejandrina.square.site/product/creative-stillness-signed-limited-pre-order-package-/77FQXXWVTJKQIDF32VW4UN53] Agridulce [https://bookshop.org/a/25451/9781662912061] Where to find Dhayana Substack  [https://substack.com/@dhayanalejandrina] https://dhayana-alejandrina.square.site/ [https://dhayana-alejandrina.square.site/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/dhayanalejandrina] Timeline 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 01:15 Dhayana Writing Origins 03:06 Creative Stillness Explained 06:21 Creating Under Pressure 11:42 Why Community Matters 16:26 Published Works and Workshops 18:53 Staying Grounded as a Writer 22:14 Advice for Community Impact 24:48 Where to Find Dhayana 25:37 Closing and Call to Action Thank you for being part of the Liberation is Lit podcast! If you have stories to share, want to suggest topics, or just want to connect, find us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok @liberationislit or visit our website at liberationislit.com. If you enjoyed the episode, please consider leaving a review! Remember, your voice matters, and together, through the lens of stories, we're making a difference in the world.

Defining Ourselves as Human Beings (with D.A. Murray)

In this episode, we welcome author D.A. Murray to discuss her dystopian novel Dominion: Ascension and how storytelling can explore social change. Murray shares her background as a longtime writer and a Black woman in corporate America and tech, explaining that the book was shaped by observations of social, political, and economic power dynamics, shifting gender roles, coercion, and technology’s influence on humanity.  D.A. Murray’s book Dominion: Ascension [https://bookshop.org/a/25451/9798888247723] Other Books Mentioned Vicious [https://bookshop.org/a/25451/9781250183507] by VE Schawb The Silent Patient [https://bookshop.org/a/25451/9781250301703] by Alex Michaelides Sociopath: A Memoir [https://bookshop.org/a/25451/9781668003190] by Patric Gagne Where to Find D. A. damurrayoffical.com [http://damurrayoffical.com] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083241445199] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/damurrayofficial/] Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@damurrayofficial] Timestamps 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 00:39 Chicago Weather Banter 01:14 Why Write Dystopia 04:46 Themes Behind Dominion 07:53 Bias and IQ Testing 09:17 Coercion and Power 13:05 Staying Grounded Today 14:51 What She Reads Now 16:23 Book Two Teaser 17:31 Advice for Impact 20:01 Where to Follow 20:44 Podcast Wrap Up Thank you for being part of the Liberation is Lit podcast! If you have stories to share, want to suggest topics, or just want to connect, find us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok @liberationislit or visit our website at liberationislit.com. If you enjoyed the episode, please consider leaving a review! Remember, your voice matters, and together, through the lens of stories, we're making a difference in the world.