Our Next Chapter

Ch 41: The Stories We Carry with Irena Smith

We kick things off with author signatures, big family updates, and the very strange feeling of watching their boys grow up and move toward their own next chapters. Then we're joined by Dr. Irena Smith, author of Troika, a powerful memoir about a three-day road trip across California with her mother and daughter that unfolds into something much deeper: family history, identity, generational dynamics, and the stories we carry with us. We talk improv and storytelling, how ADHD can be a creative superpower, the art of “show, don’t tell,” and what it means to write something true without losing the humor and lightness of real life. Plus, The Impossible Detour somehow becomes a time-traveling carnival romance. And to wrap it all up, we celebrate our anniversary with trivia from the years we started dating and got married, because nothing says romance like remembering Napster, Survivor, and Wedding Crashers. Matt & Andrea here. Thanks for joining us on this journey.  We'd love to hear from you. Visit us at www.OurNextChapterPodcast.com

Ch. 40: Would You Open It? with Joan F. Smith

Andrea is back on pothole patrol, we wrestle with the soulmate question at the heart of Your Soul Mail Is Attached, and after our conversation with Joan F. Smith, we get a special soul mail delivery of our own. Joan joins us to talk about the big idea behind her new adult novel, her move from YA to adult fiction, her writing process, and how personal experiences shape her stories. Plus, she plays The Impossible Meet Cute with us and closes things out with our Final Five. Matt & Andrea here. Thanks for joining us on this journey.  We'd love to hear from you. Visit us at www.OurNextChapterPodcast.com

Ch 39: Project Hail Mary Review (Oops all spoilers)

We took this one to the movies. In this special episode, we headed out to see Project Hail Mary , then talk through all of it, and yes, this is your official spoiler warning. We’re breaking down what worked, what surprised us, and the moments that stuck with us most. From Gosling's glasses crawling all over his face to Rocky being Amaze Amaze Amaze, we’re getting into everything. If you haven’t read or seen it yet, maybe save this one. If you have, come hang out. Matt & Andrea here. Thanks for joining us on this journey.  We'd love to hear from you. Visit us at www.OurNextChapterPodcast.com

Ch 38: Chasing Passion with Natalie Keller-Reinert

Matt and Andrea kick things off with an audiobook narration audition before welcoming bestselling author Natalie Keller-Reinert to the show. Natalie shares how a lifelong love of horses turned into a writing career, the path from indie publishing to Flatiron Books, and the story behind her new novel The Jump. We then wrap up with a story about the Dreamers and Readers festival and how the Dallas-Fort Worth book community showed up for authors when it mattered most. Matt & Andrea here. Thanks for joining us on this journey.  We'd love to hear from you. Visit us at www.OurNextChapterPodcast.com

Ch 37: Make the Disasters Kiss with Jennifer Dugan

We’re back with a conversation we loved with bestselling author Jenn Dugan, whose newest novel, Anderson in Bloom, is out tomorrow! Jenn shares her journey from writing after bedtime to publishing multiple books a year, and what it really means to write messy, complicated characters who still deserve big love. We talk about finding your voice, navigating YA and adult romance, reclaiming your story, and why she likes to take “two disasters and make them kiss.” Matt & Andrea here. Thanks for joining us on this journey.  We'd love to hear from you. Visit us at www.OurNextChapterPodcast.com