For the Love of Books Podcast

Authors Alley at LAF features 23 Michigan Authors

In a powerful display of camaraderie, Michigan Authors have become a staple of the Lakeshore Art Festival coming to downtown Muskegon this weekend June 28 &29 on Clay Street.

Sponsored by Modern History Press, Moravian Sons Distillery https://moraviansonsdistillery.com and authors Brian Talarczyk and Jennifer Raines.

Stop by this weekend to support more than 20 authors who write in all genres from children's books to memoirs and mysteries.

Copyright (c) 2025. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.

Author Brian Talarczyk pens I Am Not Bipolar: A Memoir

Happy Father's Day from the For the Love of Books Podcast with host author Emma Palova

In this candid memoir, author Brian Talarczyk delves into his harrowing journey with bipolar disorder—a legacy he unknowingly inherited until his father’s sudden death in 2001.

Sponsored by authors Brian Talarczyk, Jennifer Raines, Caroline Topperman and Lowell-based business Moravian Sons Distillery.

 

With vulnerability and humor, Talarczyk recounts the soaring highs and crushing lows of his experience, from manic episodes and terrifying psychosis that led to his stay at the Yale New Haven Psychiatric Facility, to the profound depression that nearly claimed his life. I Am Not Bipolar is a raw and compelling account of a man’s battle with mental illness, the lessons learned, and his resolve to break the silence surrounding mental health.

Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of I Am Not Bipolar: A Memoir

Copyright (c) 2025 Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.

Author Caroline Topperman pens memoir Your Roots Cast a Shadow

Caroline Topperman's own move to Poland is a central part of Your Roots Cast a Shadow memoir as she grapples with her "Polish roots" while being a "Canadian by nature".

Sponsored by author Caroline Topperman, Moravian Sons Distillery and Doc Chavent.

 

She experiences cultural differences, language barriers, and a growing awareness of the political climate in modern-day Poland, particularly the rise of nationalism and racism.

Her journey to understand her family's past is intertwined with her present-day observations of Polish society, including its attitudes towards history, religion, and social acceptance.

The book ultimately questions how personal history intersects with global events to shape identity and the challenges of balancing one's origins with new surroundings.

Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of Your Roots Cast a Shadow.

Copyright (c) 2025. Emma Palova. All rights reserved.

Author Carla Stockton pens Too Much of Nothing, a memoir

In Too Much of Nothing, Carla Stockton, a first-generation American baby boomer, shares her life story through a series of vignettes. The memoir begins with her mother's escape from Europe before World War II and culminates in Stockton's own journey to break free from a stifling marriage.

 

With a blend of humor and heart, Stockton reflects on the challenges and triumphs of living in the shadow of history. Her story is a meditation on the resilience required to navigate the complexities of identity and womanhood in a changing world.

Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of Too Much of Nothing.

Sponsored by author Carla Stockton, Doc Chavent, and Moravian Sons Distillery.

Copyright (c) 2025. Author Emma Palova, All rights reserved.

 

Holidays with Lowell authors Glad Fletcher and Kathryn Den Houter

Lowell authors Glad Fletcher and Katherine Den Houter joined forces for a special holiday book signing event at the Coffee House at Cascade Christian Church on Dec. 14 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Holiday episode sponsored by authors Kathryn Den Houter, Glad Fletcher, Moravian Sons Distillery and Doc Chavent. 

Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of Fletcher's or Den Houter's books.

Copyright (c) 2024. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.

Author Pamela Withrow pens memoir Madam Warden

Pam Withrow was an Indiana farm girl transplanted to Michigan. After a teen marriage and a stint on welfare, she graduated from college and began work with the Michigan Department of Corrections. Within seven years she was named the first woman to head a prison for men in Michigan. She then worked at the Michigan Reformatory in Ionia for 15 years.

 

Madam Warden takes the reader with Pam as she moves through progressively responsible positions in the Michigan Department of Corrections, introducing you to the people who lived and worked in the institutions she managed. Evidence-based programs and the story of one prisoner who benefitted from cognitive restructuring are featured.

Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of Madam Warden.

Sponsored by Doc Chavent

Holiday Author Talk & Moravian Sons Liquor Tasting

Get into the holiday spirit this Saturday at The Book Nook & Java Shop in cozy Montague with four authors and four spirits.

The special holiday event organized by Written in the Mitten starts with author founder Ingar Rudholm talking about book descriptions, followed by Rudholm on memoirs and short stories, authors H. William Ruback and Marie Lapres.

Moravian Sons Distillery based in Lowell will offer free samples of 100 percent Michigan-made liquors and cocktails, available for purchase at the bar of The Book Nook.

Come and enjoy the spirit of the season on Dec. 16 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 8744 Ferry Street in downtown Montague.

Sponsored by Doc Chavent.

Author Janice Afman pens memoir SariSari

Jan Afman spent 10 years in Taiwan and six years in the Philippines during a difficult time in her life. She managed to write about it in her memoir SariSari many years later after processing her experience.

"It was hard to pry myself out of my comfort zone," she said. "I had to get over a culture shock."

However, she encourages people not to avoid difficult experiences since they are opportunities to grow.

"I learned to look for good things each day," she said. "I learned about growing from not being a happy camper to contentment."

Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of SariSari.

Sponsored by Doc Chavent, authors Hilton Everett Moore and Ed Bentley.

Author Rich Nelson pens This Tender Man - My Father’s Story

In his memoir, This Tender Man-My Father's Story Nelson explores the journey of an ordinary man caught up in the extraordinary circumstances of war. "My father nearly died of malaria in the jungles of WWII New Guinea" is the opening line of the book.

 

Woodrow F. Nelson served in the U.S. Army's 1462nd Engineer Maintenance Company in the tropical Pacific during WWII, coming home damaged by war but committed to leaving the war behind and going back to work, starting a family, and serving his community. 

However, like many veterans, he never shared any of the war stories with his son. Author Rich Nelson embarked on a journey to find out about his father's experience.

The book also delves into Muskegon's colorful historical and cultural tapestry.

 

Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of This Tender Man-My Father's Story.

 

Sponsored by Doc Chavent, The Lowell Ledger, and UP author Hilton Everett Moore

 

Author Michael Farrell pens When Perfection Isn’t Perfect

Find one good thing a day..........

Farrell's inspirational memoir touches all who feel they are broken, alone, have no hope in their future, and those who seek a true purpose for their life.

 

The story starts with Farrell's crippling childhood anxieties to a desire to end the author's life after believing there was no future or purpose for his life.

"If you look for bad things you will find them," Farrell said.

Then after a divine encounter, Farrell turned the corner and sought one good thing a day. His sports participation and an eventual perfect national collegiate football record stand today as a testament to the amazing blessings God provides in life.

"This memoir was a way to thank my family, friends, and teammates who've helped me," he said.

Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of Farrell's new book.

Sponsored by Doc Chavent, The Lowell Ledger, and UP author Hilton Everett Moore.