For the Love of Books Podcast

The 10th annual U.P. Reader published by Modern History Press is a hefty magazine sponsored by the Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association (UPPAA).

This amazing collection of seventy-plus short works takes readers on a road trip from the Keweenaw to the Soo and from Menominee to Ironwood.

Sponsored by Modern History Press, @Moravian Sons Distillery and Doc Chavent.

Listen in for a chance to win the book podcast giveaway.

Copyright (c)2026. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.

Raised by Silence: Surviving Narcissistic Parents & Ending the Cycle tells the story of breaking free from emotional abuse, manipulation, and generational trauma. Through personal experiences and practical insight, Jennifer Montiel explores the lasting effects of narcissistic parenting while offering hope to those searching for healing.

Sponsored by Jennifer Montiel, @Moravian Sons Distillery and Doc Chavent.

This award winning book encourages readers to recognize unhealthy patterns, establish healthy boundaries, and build a future defined by resilience instead of fear.

Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of Raised by Silence.

Copyright (c) 2026. All Rights Reserved. Emma Blogs, LLC.

To start, this book was written with Love for all those that were there and are still here to help and support us, pick us up, help carry the burden, cry and grieve with us, each and every day.

Sponsored by @Moravian Sons Distillery and Doc Chavent.

This book was not intended to point fingers at anyone. We know that everyone, no matter what they said or did, had positive intentions as they helped us in the grieving process. They genuinely wanted to help in some
way. We know it was all done out of love. We recognize this and appreciate you helping us walk through these uncharted waters.

Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of What NOT to Say to People Who are Grieving.

Copyright (c)2026. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deborah Frontiera’s Living on Sisu: The 1913 Union Copper Strike Tragedy is a compelling novel for young adult readers which follows the adventures and experiences of twelve-year-old Emma Neimi and her family and community who are caught up in the 1913-14 strike in thecopper district of Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula.

Sponsored by Modern History Press, Moravian Sons Distillery @moraviansons and Doc Chavent.

Frontiera has done an excellent job of exploring the history of the strike through Emma’s diary which follows all the key event and

issues in the strike, including the false call of fire which caused the death of seventy-three (sic.), primarily children of those attending a Christmas Eve party for strikers’ families. 

An audio book is also available.

Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of Living on Sisu.

Copyright (c) 2026. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.

Frank Demith will be the featured speaker at the Patriotic evening in Moravian Sons Distillery tasting room located inside The Old Theater in downtown Lowell, MI on June 6 starting at 4 p.m. There is a $5 cover charge. You can buy your tickets ahead of time at www.theoldtheater.com

 

Frank Demith entered the army after graduating high school. He was awarded an appointment to the United States Military Academy and graduated with the class of 1983. He spent 26 years on active duty and retired in 2007 later serving additional 2.5 years on active duty.

Episode sponsored by award-winning author Frank Demith, Moravian Sons Distillery, Modern History Press and Doc Chavent.

He was the program manager for Army Interpreter/Translator program which recruited more than 1500 green card holders who were native speakers of Arabic, Dari, Pashto or Farsi.

He is the recipient of the United Nations Icon of Change Award in recognition of work in support of immigrants while in the military and as part of the civilian workforce.

He has received International Impact awards for both of his books Of Vital Interest and Defending the Eagle.

Take a  listen for a chance to win signed copy of Defending the Eagle.

Copyright (c) 2026. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.

Happy Memorial Day weekend.

Chad Faries sifts through abandoned mines, family history, and the quiet damage of loving Iron County, Michigan--a place that keeps trying to break him. His poetry mines the U.P.'s economic decline, stubborn resilience, and awkward small-town rituals, balancing bleak humor with bruised affection.

Sponsored by Modern History Press, author Frank Demith, Moravian Sons Distillery and Doc Chavent.

Both a personal autopsy and a regional love letter, Faries proves that identity, like iron, is forged under pressure and usually leaves a mess behind.

Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of Amasa Speaker Factory.

Copyright (c) 2026. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.

 

M. Kelly Peach, the author of The Adventures of ArgyLe Sock, The Whore: or Of Bureaucracy, Please, Do Not Tap on the Glass, and The Death of Tintagiles Death, was born in Detroit and raised in the west-side suburb of Garden City.

Sponsored by Moravian Sons Distillery and Doc Chavent

 

Days One-Ten

The main character starts as a cockroach. It begins its transformation by tripling in size. After an evening mating session, it devours its lover. The cockroach continues its rapid growth fueled by constant feeding. Its intelligence increases with its size and it is able to teach itself to read using materials available at the agency. The creature finishes its metamorphosis from an arthropod into something like a female human. She finds a sanctuary over the ceiling and establishes a nest in the rafters.

 

Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of The Whore: or Of Bureacracy.

Copyright (c)2026. Emma Blogs. All rights reserved.

Happy Mayday.

Today's episode is especially close to my heart because I’m sharing the story behind my newest novel, The Quest for the Lost Town.

Sponsored by authors Emma Palova, Frank Demith, Moravian Sons Distillery and Doc Chavent.

The Quest for the Lost Town is the long-awaited sequel to The Lost Town and it dives deep into the story behind the lumbering town of Singapore, MI poised to rival Chicago and Milwaukee in 1837. But instead-- Singapore disappeared in the aftermath of the Great Fire of Chicago.

 Much like the residents of Saugatuck, I still to this day believe that the town exists beneath the shifting sands on the shores of Lake Michigan. It was that belief that propelled me to pursue the sequel to a seemingly dead-end story with only protruding roofs as a clue.

“A whole town cannot disappear,” said a fan at the Grand Rapids Women’s Expo in 2023. “Sometimes we see protruding roofs from the sands.”

Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of The Quest for the Lost Town.

The stunning book cover art is by graphic artist Jeanne Boss.

Copyright (c) 2026 Emma Palova. All rights reserved.

In celebration of Earth Day, this encore episode is supported by Diana Magnuson and her book Garden Sleeping, Garden Growing—a gentle reminder of nature’s cycles and the beauty of renewal all around us.

 

Explore the visible and hidden world of Noriko’s garden from her garden’s point of view, in and around all year long. After the deep snow of winter, her soil is prepared for planting.

 

Sponsored by Modern History Press, Moravian Sons Distillery, authors Terri Martin, Diana Magnuson and Doc Chavent.

Green leaves sprout as plants ripen to fruits and vegetables. Hungry forest animals prowl and pad-pad in to eat them. Insects and birds also aggravate garden, but others are important assistants to her growth. Exuberant and lyrical 

Garden’s story explores nature’s wonders that support our lives. 

 

Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of Garden Sleeping, Garden Growing.

Copyright (c) 2026. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.

Ross J. Smith is a licensed forensic engineer and investigates structural damages from fires, floods, tornados, and collapses. Ross and his wife Kylene live in Grand Haven where they raised their three children near the sandy shores of Lake Michigan.

Sponsored by Moravian Sons Distillery https://moraviansonsdistillery.com and Doc Chavent

Ross J. Smith, writes his debut memoir about fatherhood from the calculated perspective of an engineer. In his self-depre-cating, yet surprisingly poignant story about being a new dad, he battles his technical predispositions as he navigates the uncontrolled va-riables of life while his premature twins fight to survive in the NICU.

Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of Engineering a Father.

Copyright (c) Emma Palova. All rights reserved.