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.

From Page to Playback: How AI is Changing Audiobooks

Hello and welcome to Authors and Espresso with Nadia Gilkes, who announces the launch of Author Status .. Loading, her new on-demand self-publishing course, and explores audiobook options.
This episode explains ways to create audiobooks — record yourself, hire a narrator or studio, or use AI narration like Amazon KDP's Virtual Voice and Riverside's AI — and gives practical tips: start with one chapter, listen with headphones, and check pronunciations and audio levels before publishing.

Turning Experience into Impact: Love, Legacy & Writing Before Forever with Nadia Gilkes

This episode re-airs Nadia Gilkes’ guest interview on the Sunday Morning Chat Series with Jesse Oakley III. Nadia discusses her bestselling comedic novel Woke Up Dead, the inspiration behind it, and her upcoming book Before Forever — a divorce-attorney’s take on premarital conversations.
She shares the emotional story behind her book cover, practical end-of-life planning advice, encouragement for aspiring authors, and where to find her work and podcast. A warm, candid conversation about writing, legacy, and starting important conversations early.

You Had Me at No: How Boundaries Save Your Sanity

In this episode of Authors & Espresso, host Nadia Gilkes interviews Sheryl Green, a bestselling author and expert on setting boundaries. Sheryl shares her personal journey of hitting rock bottom due to overcommitment and burnout, leading her to discover the importance of boundaries. The conversation explores various aspects of boundary-setting, including the Goldilocks principle, the clash question as a decision-making tool, and the significance of kindness in communication. Listeners are encouraged to pause before responding to requests and to recognize their struggles with different types of boundaries. Sheryl emphasizes that setting boundaries is essential for emotional health and maintaining relationships.

The Belonging Paradox: A Renaissance Woman’s Guide to Finding Your Place

Host Nadia Gilkes talks with Dr. Otito Iwuchukwu — organizational psychologist, editor, and author of The Belonging Paradox — about her multi‑hyphenate career, the psychology of belonging, and the power of words.
They cover practical tips for writers and self‑publishers, the pillars of belonging (orientation, empathy, grace, boundaries), and how Dr. Otito’s editing and consulting work helps people find authentic communities and stronger voices.

When Book Covers Make You Cry: A Self-Publisher’s Cover Journey

Host Nadia Gilkes gives a candid behind-the-scenes account of the emotional, messy, and ultimately rewarding process of designing book covers for self-published authors. She shares personal failures, lessons learned, and the choices that helped her land on a cover she loves.
Filled with practical tips—use stock photos smartly, play with Canva, set a clear concept before hiring designers, check thumbnail readability, and be cautious with AI—this episode encourages creators to experiment and own the design process.