Authors & Espresso

The Benefit of the Ex: Finding Beauty in Breakups

Host Nadia Gilkes revisits her 2020 Virtual Festival interview with June Dillinger, author of The Benefit of the Ex: Making Love Visible When Everything Changes. June shares her divorce-to-purpose journey, practical invitations for healing, and how she transformed pain into service as a speaker and Hawaii-based wedding officiant.
This hopeful episode covers accountability, reflective exercises from the book, tips for recording audiobooks, and simple ways to "make love visible" in everyday life.

Keys to the Journey: Coaching, College, and Career Readiness w/ Kala Gause

Host Nadia Gilkes interviews Kala Gause, author of Keys to the Journey, about his workbook-style guide for parents and college‑bound student athletes. They discuss his coaching philosophy, real success stories (including his nephew’s path to the NFL), and practical steps for balancing academics, athletics, and career readiness.
The episode covers scholarship strategies, highlight reels and camps, mentorship, mental wellness, and how families can start preparing early. Kala also shares his writing process, speaking work, and resources for schools and parents to support young people’s long-term goals.

Coach: Mediator of Dreams, Destroyer of Generations — The Jerry “Bobo” Mason Story

Host Nadia Gilkes revisits her 2020 interview with former Texas Tech standout Jerry “Bobo” Mason, covering his high school and college basketball career, the injuries he played through, and his choice to prioritize family over pro opportunities.
Mason discusses his book Coach, Mediator of Dreams and Destroyer of Generations, his 26-year coaching career, and the life lessons and mentorship that shaped his path and helped others heal.

From Reflection to Manifestation: A Mini Vision Board Guide

Host Nadia Gilkes leads a short, guided pre-vision-board workshop to help you clarify goals before you start gluing pictures on a board. She offers reflective journaling prompts, pacing tips (including pausing to write), and a simple structure to review the past year, assess the present, and imagine the future.
The episode covers how to celebrate accomplishments, identify supports and limiting beliefs, inventory what energizes or drains you, and name priorities and role models. Nadia also asks practical future-focused questions—where you want to live, work, or travel, and what small steps you can take this month to move toward that vision.
You'll get guidance on choosing a one-word theme for the year, creating intentional visuals for your board, setting up accountability (partners and a 90-day guided journal), and celebrating progress along the way. The episode finishes with encouragement to prioritize yourself and practical tips for keeping your vision front of mind.

From Engineer to Eloquence: Diane Windingland’s Journey to Confident Speaking

Author and speech coach Diane Windingland shares her journey from engineer to professional speech coach and author of 10+ books. She discusses overcoming fear, Toastmasters, self-publishing, using AI tools for coaching and writing, and practical habits to become a confident speaker.
This episode includes real client transformations, writing and launch tips, and resources for virtual coaching at virtualspeechcoach.com.

Why the World Needs Your Story — Sheila Kennedy Festival Keynote

In this Festival Flashback, Sheila Kennedy explains why every author’s story matters — how books create connection, give others permission to speak, and start conversations that change lives. She shares candid self-publishing insights, encouragement for hesitant writers, and the power of storytelling even in a virtual world.Recorded at the 2020 Virtual Festival of Books, the keynote highlights practical motivation for sharing memoirs or focused life moments, finding your audience, and using your book to influence others one conversation at a time.

From Death to Birth: A Daughter’s Tribute and Journey

Host Nadia Gilkes sits down with debut author Liz DelSignore to discuss her newly published novel From Death to Birth, which follows a man awakening in the afterlife and living his life in reverse. They explore themes of transformation, purpose, grief, and self-discovery, plus the author’s writing and publishing journey—from phone notes to cover design, audiobook narration, editing, and marketing.
Liz shares practical self-publishing tips, the inspiration behind her striking cover, lessons learned during the launch, and a preview of future writing projects.

Change Your Scenery, Ignite Your Story

Host Nadia Gilkes shares a quick, personal episode about the creative power of changing your scenery to refresh your mindset and jumpstart writing. She explains how new views and environments can awaken your senses and improve your storytelling.
Practical ideas include working from coffee shops or hotel lobbies, visiting libraries, spending time in nature, rearranging your home writing space, taking day trips or weekend getaways, and creating mini writing retreats. Nadia also suggests people-watching, listening to different music, and noting dialogue and interactions to enrich your scenes.
She closes with an invitation to weekly write-ins, upcoming interviews with new and experienced authors, and encouragement to prioritize creativity and take small steps that lead to big gains in your writing.

Unveiling Black History: Filling the Gaps in the American Education System

In this engaging conversation, Joel Plummer discusses his new book 'Black Kid, White School: What They Don’t Teach Your Black Child - Volume 1' and the inspiration behind it, emphasizing the importance of teaching Black history to children. He shares insights from over 20 years teaching experience, the challenges of writing, and the necessity of providing Black youth with the tools to navigate a world that often overlooks their history. The discussion also touches on the significance of visual aids in education, the self-publishing journey, and the role of parents in supplementing their children's education.
Key Takeaways:
- Writing is a necessity for Joel, driven by the need to educate. - The book aims to fill gaps in Black history education. - Joel's teaching experience informs his writing style and content. - The book is designed for middle school students and their parents. - Black history is often omitted or misrepresented in schools. - The importance of understanding Africa's contributions to humanity. - Slavery's impact is more severe than commonly understood. - Black resilience is highlighted throughout American history. - Future volumes will cover psychology, culture, and economics. - Parents must supplement their children's education on Black history.

Love, Loss, and Legacy: Anthony K. Robinson’s Festival Flashback

Nadia Gilkes revisits her 2020 Authors & Espresso interview with Anthony K. Robinson, covering his autobiographical fiction (He Was My Husband Too, Being Married to Her, and upcoming When I Said I Do), his experiences with grief and family fallout, nonprofit and scholarship work, self-publishing and ghostwriting advice, and a live breakout performance.