Middle Grade Meets Mental Health: K G Mach’s Powerful WWII Story

Middle Grade Meets Mental Health: K G Mach’s Powerful WWII Story

In this moving episode of the Connecticut Book Festivals Podcast, Jed sits down with K.G. Mach (pen name of author Kimberly Mach), creator of the middle grade novel Present, Still Missing, to talk about war’s invisible wounds and the power of stories to open hard conversations at home. K.G. Mach introduces us to Irene, a baseball‑and‑football loving girl growing up just after World War II. Irene’s dad returns from the war physically safe but emotionally distant, living with what we now call PTSD. K.G. explains that while PTSD wasn’t officially recognized until 1980, its impact on families has been with us throughout history. She shares fascinating research about Mason General Hospital on Long Island, where doctors were successfully using talk therapy and outdoor activities with veterans in the 1940s—only to see that work sidelined as the Cold War began. Jed and K.G. Mach explore how the book looks at PTSD through a child’s eyes, and why it was important to her that the story remain honest but ultimately hopeful. They talk about Irene’s fierce, sporty spirit (inspired in part by K.G.’s sister‑in‑law), gender expectations in the 1940s, and how friendships and empathy grow over the course of a middle school year. K.G. also shares powerful moments from school visits and book signings, including a veteran father who opened up to his daughters after seeing the book. The conversation branches into intergenerational stories, listening to our elders, and how reading together can spark life‑changing family discussions about trauma, resilience, and mental health.

Book Party over Comedy Clubs: Fatherhood, Reading, and Andrew Ginsburg

In this episode of the Connecticut Book Festivals Podcast, host Jed Doherty welcomes author, stand-up comedian, and personal trainer Andrew Ginsburg to celebrate his powerful picture book, The Colors of My Sky. Andrew shares the story of Lester, a blue butterfly whose mother only lets him play with other blue butterflies. At school, Lester wants to be friends with butterflies of many colors, but his mother keeps insisting that “blue is the finest butterfly.” Finally, Lester invites her to a party and gently shows her that the sky isn’t just blue—it can be gray, pink, orange, and more—each color reflected in his friends’ wings. Through this simple, kid-friendly story, Andrew explores themes of racism, exclusion, and acceptance in a subtle and accessible way. Andrew talks about the real-life inspiration for the book: his children’s blue eyes, his own brown eyes, and a funny (and slightly brutal) comment from his son that got him thinking about how we put certain traits on a pedestal. He and Jed dive into how picture books can spark big conversations about diversity, change, and identity. Listeners also hear about Andrew’s journey from personal training and stand-up comedy to writing for children, his love of school visits, and why reading aloud to his kids—“book party” every night—became more important to him than performing in comedy clubs. The episode is a warm reminder that reading together, embracing change, and celebrating differences can shape kinder, more open-hearted kids—and parents.

Resilience, Faith, and Soul Care: AndreYah Maria Hernandez Black’s Devotional Journey

In this inspiring episode of the Connecticut Book Festivals Podcast, Jed Doherty welcomes AndreYah Maria Hernandez Black, author of the 30-day devotional Revelations for Resilience: Whispers from the Divine for Soul Care. Andrea shares the deeply personal story behind the book—her journey through a devastating season of spousal abandonment in 2015–2016, which led to post-traumatic stress disorder, and how faith, wellness practices, and writing became her lifeline. AndreYah explains that the devotional is autobiographical and prophetic, born from hundreds of journal entries in which she poured out her heart to God and then listened for divine guidance. Those “whispers from heaven” became poetic messages paired with scripture and full-color nature photographs, inviting readers into quiet reflection, healing, and hope. She emphasizes that the book is flexible: some read it day by day, others dip in and out as needed—what matters most is meeting God in the pages. Jed and AndreYah talk about hearing God’s voice—what that feels like, how stillness and time in nature help, and how her mother first nurtured her faith. AndreYah also reflects on the courage it took to publish such vulnerable work, how the process matured and grounded her, and the powerful moment when her father recognized her voice in her writing. AndreYah hints at future projects, including books inspired by her parents—one about her mother’s lessons and another about her father’s time in the Negro Leagues—all driven by a desire to pass on wisdom and change lives.

Led by His Past: Inside Katelyn Marie Peterson’s Romantic Suspense World

In this episode of the Connecticut Book Festivals podcast, host Jed Doherty welcomes romantic suspense author Katelyn Marie Peterson to talk about her gripping trilogy, focusing on the second book, Led by His Past. The story follows Lynn Callahan and her private investigator boyfriend, Jake Connolly, as they’re pulled into a tense new case when Jake’s ex-girlfriend shows up asking him to investigate her sister’s murder in Burlington, Vermont. Katelyn opens up about how real her characters feel to her, especially now that she’s living with them over the course of three books. She describes how she carefully planned the trilogy from the start, including cliffhangers and emotional arcs that carry from one book to the next. She also shares how much research went into portraying Jake’s work as a private investigator and how using real Burlington landmarks—where she got engaged—helps bring the story to life. Listeners get to hear some of the personal inspirations behind her characters, including elements drawn from her son and a beloved childhood dog. Jed and Katelyn chat about the delicate balance between mystery and romance, the joy of a good “whodunit,” and the surprises that happen when characters grow beyond the original outline. Katelyn also teases what’s ahead in the third book, which will blend both Lynn’s and Jake’s perspectives, and talks about her dream of one day writing a rom-com. It’s a warm, engaging conversation for anyone who loves twisty, heartfelt stories.

Balancing Spice and Story: Crafting Dark Romance with CS Kelleher

On this episode of the Connecticut Book Festivals Podcast, Jed welcomes CS Kelleher, author of the dark contemporary romance novel Scorched Boundaries—the first in a planned four-book series. CS shares how the book began in an entirely different direction: a romantic suspense involving mistaken identity and South Korean gangs. After hitting a massive bout of writer’s block, inspiration struck one night while she was watching TV and typing on her phone. That spontaneous moment became the prologue to Scorched Boundaries and launched a brand‑new cast of characters and storyline. Listeners meet Maeve Donovan, an Irish American CEO of a boutique luxury real estate marketing firm in Portland, Oregon, and Lee Hae Jin, a South Korean billionaire mogul whose darkness shapes much of the story. CS explains the difference between romantic suspense and dark contemporary romance, emphasizing the heavier emotional themes, psychological thriller elements, and the importance of clear trigger warnings. CS talks about her deep love of Asian dramas and K‑pop, and how binge‑watching Korean and Chinese dramas during COVID helped inspire the emotional tone and character dynamics of her series. She and Jed also have fun discussing “brain characters”—those fictional voices that take over and insist on changing the plot—and how one such character turned her planned trilogy into a four‑book series. Along the way, CS shares stories about writing spicy scenes, her retired‑teacher mom’s grammatical “eye twitches,” honoring her Nana through her pen name, and her hopes to someday return to an earlier South Korea–set project.