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Happy New Year People,

We have finally crossed over into 2026 and are getting closer to the start of Season 5! But for today, we have got an incredible replay from Season 4! In this inspiring episode of Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt – Book Talk Podcast, Dianne chats with the effervescent Risa August, award-winning author, speaker, Gestalt practitioner, and rare disease warrior with sparkles in her hair and a tutu in her bag. Diagnosed with a pituitary tumor over a decade ago, Risa could have let life slow her down. Instead, she chose to pedal harder, live louder, and advocate fiercely for herself and others.

Risa brings her signature blend of wisdom and whimsy to the conversation as we discuss her book, The Road Unpaved: Border to Border with a Brain Tumor and a Bike. She shares how she transformed her journey through illness into a mission of inspiration. With a heart for healing and a flair for fun, she now helps others break through life’s roadblocks by shifting their perspectives and embracing life, fully, fearlessly, and with glitter when necessary.

A former Ironman athlete with a passion for barbells and bikes, Risa continues to thrive on movement, creativity, and joyful exploration. Whether she’s dancing Bollywood, flying on aerial silks, or leading workshops with tiaras and glitter, she reminds us that healing doesn’t have to be heavy. It can be playful, profound, and incredibly empowering.

This episode is a celebration of resilience, authenticity, and living a life unleashed. Tune in and get ready to smile, be inspired, and maybe even be moved to start your own tutu collection.

Subscribe now to this podcast so you do not miss out when we start Season 5 Feb. 4, 2026! Podcast Guest Applications for Season 5 are now open!

Risa's Website

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Happy New Years Eve, My Happy People,

Today we are replaying Dianne's amazing chat with the multi-talented Doug Williams. Doug is an award-winning screenwriter, playwright, filmmaker, and the author of the FBI thriller, Failure Point.

Doug is a former journalist who once served as a press secretary in the US Senate. He has worked in communications in public and private sectors and created a successful career as a freelance writer which has spanned more than 25 years.

As a scriptwriter, his work has received numerous accolades. His work, Black Star Rising, based on the life of Texas congresswoman, Barbara Jordan, was awarded honors in more than 45 competitions worldwide, including 12 Best Screenplay awards. Black Star Rising is currently in development for a feature film.

Failure Point is not Doug's first book, having previously published Nowhere Man and A Sacred Duty, a book he co-wrote with Paula Pedene. The story is based on Paula's true account of her experience as the federal whistleblower who exposed a scandal at the Veterans Administration hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, that took the lives of hundreds of U.S. veterans – also in development for a film. Nowhere Man was hailed by critics and compared to House of Cards.

Dianne and Doug did their best to cover as much of the amazing aspects of Doug's life and career, as time would permit. You do not want to miss a single sensational soundbite of this incredible author interview. If you love thrillers with a good romance at the center, you may have found your new favorite author. Don't wait, go listen now!

Subscribe to this podcast so you don't miss out on Season 5 beginning Feb. 4, 2026.

Enjoy,

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Happy Holidays, People,

We are thrilled to replay this amazing author for you today in our holiday hiatus episodes. Get ready to meet the remarkable mind behind some of Canada’s most beloved books for young readers! In this episode of Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt – Book Talk Podcast, Dianne had the privilege to chat with Valerie Sherrard. Valerie is the award-winning author of A Bend in the Breeze, The Glory Wind, Counting Back from Nine, and the fan-favorite Shelby Belgarden mystery series. With a writing career that spans picture books, historical novels, and gripping young adult fiction, Valerie brings a powerful mix of heart, history, and humanity to everything she writes.

From her early beginnings in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan to her inspiring life in Miramichi, New Brunswick, Valerie’s journey is as compelling as her characters. She’s not only a storyteller but a former foster parent to over seventy teenagers and a passionate advocate for literacy and creativity in youth. Her stories have won multiple awards and captured the hearts of readers across generations, and she’s still just getting started.

In this warm and insightful conversation, Valerie shares what sparked her love for storytelling, the real-life experiences that shaped her books, and why she believes it’s never too late to chase your dreams. Whether you’re a fan of heartfelt fiction, curious about the writing life, or looking for a new favorite author, this episode will leave you inspired.

Don't forget to subscribe to our podcast so you will be ready for Season 5 beginning Feb. 4, 2026

Valerie on Blog Spot

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Valerie on Amazon.com

New Book: An Unbalanced Force

New Book: Absolutely No Body Parts (Pre-order)

Dyslexic Font

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Bleeped words in today's episode: Drüg$, Hüm@n Traff!c!ng

Happy Holidays People,

We are kicking off our Holiday Hiatus episodes with the incredible writing team of Breakfield and Burkey. Dianne specifically chose this show as part of our memorial tribute to Rox Burkey who we lost in 2025. She was an incredible woman, as you will hear in this episode, and a real loss to the writing community.

Charles Breakfield, as the CTO of the Enigma Series, leverages his decades of technology expertise, including security, networking, voice, and anything digital, to bring innovative technothriller elements into storytelling. He has deep knowledge of World War II history, has traveled extensively, and seeks cultural exchanges to learn what makes different people tick. Charles enjoys wine tasting, winemaking, Harley riding, cooking new recipes, and woodworking.

Rox Burkey, as the COO of the Enigma Series, uses her extensive professional knowledge of optimizing technology and business investments to drive stellar customer experiences into the ongoing stories of the Enigma Series. Characteristics of people she has met over her career are woven into their stories. Rox enjoys her family, friends, puppies, reading, reviewing books, and traveling whenever possible. Meeting readers at various events is one of her favorite pastimes.

Breakfield and Burkey have created award-winning stories that resonate with men and women, with a fresh perspective on technology possibilities within a fictional framework. They pen The Enigma Series and the Enigma Heirs Series, and cozy mysteries with the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles (MBCC).

Subscribe to our podcast now and be ready for Season 5 beginning Feb. 4, 2026.

The Enigma Series Website

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Breakfield on Amazon

Burkey on Amazon

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Bleeped words: Serial K!ller x3

Hello Happy People,

It’s the season finale, and we’re wrapping up the year with bestselling author Melissa Payne, whose stories of redemption, love, and second chances have captured readers’ hearts. Her latest novel takes us to Sunny Pines Retirement Community, where secrets, spirits, and a determined grandmother named Birdie Allen prove that adventure doesn’t end at sixty-two.

Melissa and I talk about finding hope in unexpected places, the beauty of aging characters who still have plenty of fight left, and how a touch of mystery and magic can make even the heaviest story feel full of light. We also chat about writing through the chaos of family life, celebrating small victories, and the joy of closing out another creative year.

If you love heart, humor, and a dash of the supernatural, this conversation will leave you smiling and ready for the holidays.

Melissa Payne is the bestselling author of The Wild Road Home, A Light in the Forest, and several other award-winning novels set in small mountain towns. She lives in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains with her husband, three kids, a friendly mutt, a very loud cat, and the occasional bear.

As we wrap up this season of Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt, thank you for tuning in, sharing the love, and supporting all the incredible authors we’ve featured this year. Everyone with Burckhardt Books and Book Banter Productions wishes you a peaceful holiday season filled with good stories, warm drinks, and a little bit of magic. We will share the "Best of" episodes starting next week until our season five opener February 4, 2026.

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Hello My Happy People,

This week on Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt – Book Talk Podcast, Dianne welcomes back Dr. David Weill. We first spoke in Season 3, Episode 135 when his fiction book All That Really Matters was coming out.

Dr. Weill is the Principal of the Weill Consulting Group, which focuses on improving the level of transplant care. Before founding his consulting firm, he served as Director of the Center for Advanced Lung Diseases and the Lung and Heart-Lung Transplant Program at Stanford University Medical Center.

In addition to his work in medicine, Dr. Weill is a successful author. His newest book, Tell Me I Belong: A Journey Across Faiths and Generations, is a deeply personal exploration of identity, heritage, and belonging. Known for his memoir Exhale and his novel All That Really Matters, Dr. Weill continues to expand his storytelling voice with honesty, compassion, and reflection.

When he isn’t writing or consulting, Dr. Weill enjoys life in New Orleans with his wife and their two daughters.

In this episode, Dianne and Dr. Weill had a wonderful in-depth discussion about the inspiration behind Tell Me I Belong and the universal search for connection that unites his life and his work.

S3 EP 135 Previous episode

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Hello My Happy People,

Dr. David Gibson is back on the show, and this time he’s traded forensic botany for a dystopian adventure. The longtime scientist and professor known for Planting Clues: How Plants Solve Crimes returns to chat about his bold new novel Elite Memories, a futuristic story where memory transfers, sentient animals, and survival all collide.

We talk about what inspired this unexpected leap from nonfiction to sci-fi, how real science sneaks into his storytelling, and why even in a world ruled by technology, it’s still human nature that drives the story. David also shares how years of studying ecosystems shaped the way he builds worlds on the page, both real and imagined, and why writing fiction might be the most freeing experiment of his career.

If you love authors who take creative risks, scientists who spin great stories, and tales that make you think while keeping you entertained, this episode is for you.

David J. Gibson, PhD, FRSB, is an Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Plant Biology at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology. He’s written several acclaimed works on ecology and forensic botany. With Elite Memories, he steps into fiction, blending sharp science with a wild imagination to explore what makes us human.

Previous Episode S2 EP 58

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Hello My Happy People,

Imagine waking up in your childhood home, with your ten-year-old self still living there. How different would your past look when seen through your adult eyes? That’s the wild premise at the heart of You Cannot Mess This Up: A True Story That Never Happened by award-winning author Amy Weinland Daughters.

In this week’s episode, Amy joins me to talk about memory, forgiveness, and what really happens when you face the ghosts of your own past. With her trademark wit and raw honesty, she shares her author journey and why she believes that none of us are quite who we remember.

You’ll laugh, you’ll question your own memories, and you might even call your mom after this one.

Born in Houston and raised in Spring, Texas, Amy is the 2020 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Overall Winner for Humor and Comedy. Her work blends hilarious truth-telling with heart-punch insight into how our stories make us who we are.

If you’ve ever wondered what you’d say to your younger self or what she might say back, this episode just might reshape your self-image.

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