In the conclusion of this two‑part series, The Bookshop at the End of the Internet presents four more conversations with members of the First Coast Romance Writers, recorded during their recent retreat. This episode features Melody Johnson, Leah Miles, Vanessa Victoria Kilmer, and Vickey Wollan—authors whose work spans romantic suspense, paranormal worlds, adventure, and holiday stories. From ghosts and haunted lore to treasure hunting, Navy SEALs, and the creative resilience of writing with dyslexia, these interviews highlight the breadth and imagination of the romance genre. Join host Stacey Horan as she wraps up this special series celebrating storytelling, community, and the joy of discovering new authors.

In this first installment of a special two‑part series, The Bookshop at the End of the Internet features five brief, lively interviews recorded onsite at a working retreat of the First Coast Romance Writers. Host Stacey Horan chats with Maggie FitzRoy, LaTisha Redding, Lynn Westhoff, Marie Morton, and Ann Wright—authors at various stages of their writing journeys who bring humor, passion, and unique perspectives to the romance genre. From YA themes to paranormal trilogies to Caribbean‑inspired sports romance, this episode offers a warm, engaging look at the many ways stories take shape. Tune in for books, inspiration, and a behind‑the‑scenes glimpse into a vibrant writing community.

Author Marty Neumeier discusses his new thriller, Octavo. This didactic novel delves into the nature of creativity while spinning a thrilling tale through two storylines. One is set during the Renaissance and follows the last pupil of Leonardo DaVinci who writes an adventurous account of the lengths he and DaVinci go through to get DaVinci's notebooks published. There is a mystery surrounding why and how the notebooks fail to be published, and Marty's tale shows DaVinci in the role of detective, trying to solve the mystery. The second storyline is set in modern times and features two art authenticators discover the manuscript. Determined not to let the manuscript meet the same fate as Davinci's notebooks, they hatch a plan to steal it, which leads to even more adventure.

Author Butch Phelps discusses his new book Stretch n' Release: The Missing Piece to a More Pain-Free Life. Butch knows what pain feels like firsthand. At age 18, a car crash left him with a broken arm and a broken pelvis. By age 40, he was in such terrible shape and his back pain so severe that he had to roll out of bed in the morning onto his knees and crawl out of his car, using the door handles to pull himself upright. Butch began to study muscle therapy, eventually becoming a licensed therapist and certified health coach, and developed his own stretch-and-release technique over the span of twenty years working in the field. Stretch n' Release took four years to write. The end result is a book that is part memoir, chronicling Butch's own battles with pain, and part do-it-yourself guide that helps people heal themselves.

Author Amy Weinland Daughters discusses her book, You Cannot Mess This Up: A True Story That Never Happened. Amy kicked around the idea for a funny little time travel story for very long time before actually writing it, finishing it, and sending it out into the world. You Cannot Mess This Up is the story of Amy going back in time to her childhood home in 1978 to spend 36 hours with her family over the Thanksgiving holiday. She meets her ten-year-old self and rediscovers what a wonderful, funny, vibrant person she used to be. By the end of writing this story, Amy wanted to be that 10-year-old self again. Amy describes this book as a "memoir wrapped in a tortilla of fictional time travel." We also chat about her her follow-up book, Dear Dana, which chronicles that time when she sent handwritten letters to her nearly 600 Facebook friends.

Author Claire Barner discusses her debut novel, Moonrising. This sci fi romance takes place approximately 50 years in the future and is set largely on the moon's first colony. Main character, Dr. Alex Cole, has spent her life looking for ways to solve earth's growing food problem. When her funding is threatened, she finds herself being thrown a lifeline by a charismatic businessman who hires her to create a sustainable food source for the moon's first hotel. While living on the moon and trying to grow food is challenging enough, back home on earth support for her plans to save the planet are being threatened by government resistance and eco-terrorists. Is she willing to die for her grandiose vision of saving humanity and are she willing to sacrifice those she loves in the process? Claire describes Moonrising as cozy and romantic with some very real science and a heart-pounding climax.

Author Candace Kade discusses her new novel, Augmented—the third and final installment in The Hybrid series. Our heroine, Lee Urban, is a Natural (someone born without genetic enhancements) who is fighting to dismantle the enhancement programs while trying to outmaneuver those who wish to erase her existence. Lee is someone who straddles two worlds—that of the Naturals and the Enhanced—but feels that she doesn't really belong to either one. Is it possible that she is the one person who can be a bridge between them? Maybe—if she can stay alive long enough to find out. Candace also shares how growing up as an expat in China and returning to the US as an adult gave her plenty of inspiration for writing about her main character's struggles.

Alex R. Johnson discusses his debut novel, Brooklyn Motto. This book, set in New York City in 1998, is Alex's take on classic noir detective fiction. In it, Nico, a disillusioned private investigator, makes his living by photographing municipal employees suspected of insurance fraud. He's approaching thirty, wondering where his career is going, and realizing he has to grow up and start making active choices about his life. During one of his PI jobs, Nico witnesses a murder involving a corrupt police officer. While he has no desire to entangle himself in anything involving police corruption, he's left with no choice but to investigate and solve the case before more people end up dead, including himself.