Books and Brews Podcast

Laura Vosika

The Books & Brews Podcast is the place where literature and beer meet. Each month we welcome a new guest author to read and discuss their work. Author Laura Vosika leads in-depth interviews to delve into the motivations, inspirations and preoccupations of each guest. Certified Cicerone® Michael Agnew pours beers specifically selected to pair with the writer's work. It's an hour of entertaining erudition that hits your mind and your mouth.

  1. MAR 28

    Journey to Africa with Juliet Cutler, Episode #83

    Books and Brews: the place where beer and literature meet! Juliet Cutler is a writer, educator, and a designer of award-winning exhibits for museums, parks, and cultural centers around the world. In 1999 and 2000, she lived in Tanzania where she taught English at the first school for Maasai girls in East Africa. In her first book Among the Maasai, Juliet recounts her experiences as a young American teacher working in a context where women and girls face unimaginable challenges. Twenty-five years later, she illustrates the positive impacts of educating women and girls in her second book Lessons in Hope, which features the stories of Maasai women working in education, health care, government, nonprofits, and business. She regularly travels to Tanzania to support causes that uplift Maasai women and girls. All proceeds from the sales of her books support these causes. We talked about Juliet's work in the earliest years of the school for Massai girls in Tanzania, African cultures, National Geographic's portrayals of those cultures, attitudes toward disabilities, how Massai culture is changing, and designing exhibits for museums and parks...in addition to many other things! 00:00 START 07:03 Drink 1: Hakuna Mata 09:42 Reading 1: Intro 14:20 Inspiration and Preparation for Africa 19:44 The Distinct & Iconic Massai Culture 26:17 Drink 2: Dowa (medicine) 30:06 Reading 2: Neema's Dreams 34:44 How has life changed since the school started? 39:22 Adapting vs Maintaining Tradition & Culture 42:53 Drink 3: Ama-lekkerlicious 45:52 Reading 3: Kafika House 52:48 Changing Attitudes toward Disabilities 52:48 What did Africa DO to you!? (or How the African Experience Changed Juliet)   Visit our PATREON for our extended AFTER HOURS with other authors Www.booksandbrews.net www.lauravosika.com www.gabrielshornpress.com www.glenmirrilfarms.wordpress.com www.julietcutler.com   ~ ~ If you enjoy our interviews or have benefited from them, we invite you to help us continue our work. It takes a great deal of time and money to produce Books and Brews. We've been doing interviews since January 2017 as a free service to authors. We continue to promote those authors on our social media for years after their interviews. Subscribing, following, liking, commenting and sharing all help us to keep doing what we do. A $5 tip helps us pay for our many expenses: Libsyn hosting, web hosting, Google meets, providing the drinks for the interview and the many hours of preparation and editing that go into each episode.  Patreon: patreon.com/BooksandBrewswithLauraVosika Tip Jar: paypal.me/booksandbrewsMN Books and Brews products: https://www.zazzle.com/store/books_an… (more to come) Sponsor an episode to promote your product or service: contact us booksandbrewslive@gmail.com COMING NEXT:  Laura Creedle—horror JK Divia — dark fantasy, mythological horror, paranormal Barry Black — former FBI master bomb technician Randy Lerch — former MLB player Charles Graham — sci-fi drawing from military & rescue experiences UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEMES: CHILDREN and AMERICA See Laura's interview at Central Valley Talk Our theme music is from www.bensound.com. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel to get notifications of all our new videos, including our Books and Brews LIGHT guests, available exclusively on YouTube. We have now interviewed more than 115 authors! Would you like to be featured? Leave a comment. https://www.youtube.com/@booksandbrews

    1h 3m
  2. FEB 27

    Hey Y'all, Come on in to Chat with Ms. Rat! Southern Humor in Episode #82

    Books and Brews: the place where beer and literature meet! Marlene and her family have experienced a number of tragedies and frightening experiences. Any one of which could have been their undoing. If she could find one little spark of humor in that tangle of fears she could make life better. She is a southern humorist who enjoys a bit of the dark-side. After nearly 35 years of teaching and counseling adolescents and their parents, she retired, only to begin writing the Hey Y'all column for Gwinnett Citizen Newspaper and for Anything Goes for Inspirations for a better World online magazine. In 2020 she received the Georgia Independent Author of the Year Award and the Christian Women Writers Award for Life is Hard. Soften it with Laughter. A Place with a Past received the award in 2021. Ladies of All Nations, International presented her the Global Woman of Courage Award. We talked about rings, family history, the importance of humor, her father's experiences in world war II and how he acquired part of Hitler's tea set…and more! You won't want to miss her reading about Tasteful Native Costumes! 00:00 START 07:15 Drink 1: Butterbean Cocktail 9:22 Reading 1: Take Cover! We at War! 13:46 Becoming Ms. Rat 22:01 Hope, Faith & Medical Experts 27:54 Drink 2: 5 Gold Rings 31:31 Reading 2: 5 Gold Rings 38:58 Sentiment even without knowing whose the rings were 40:04 Dad and Hitler's tea set 46:15 Drink 3: Skip and Go Naked 49:33 Reading 3: Tasteful Native Costumes 54:10 Boys' and parents' reaction! 55:31 What does being southern mean to you?   Visit our PATREON for our extended AFTER HOURS Www.booksandbrews.net www.lauravosika.com www.gabrielshornpress.com www.glenmirrilfarms.wordpress.com Www.msratwrites.com  ~ ~ If you enjoy our interviews or have benefited from them, we invite you to help us continue our work. It takes a great deal of time and money to produce Books and Brews. We've been doing interviews since January 2017 as a free service to authors. We continue to promote those authors on our social media for years after their interviews. Subscribing, following, liking, commenting and sharing all help us to keep doing what we do. A $5 tip helps us pay for our many expenses: Libsyn hosting, web hosting, Google meets, providing the drinks for the interview and the many hours of preparation and editing that go into each episode. Patreon: patreon.com/BooksandBrewswithLauraVosika Tip Jar: paypal.me/booksandbrewsMN * Books and Brews products: https://www.zazzle.com/store/books_an… (more to come) Sponsor an episode to promote your product or service: contact us booksandbrewslive@gmail.com COMING NEXT MONTH:  Juliet Cutler — travels to Africa and girls' education Laura Creedle — horror JK Divia — dark fantasy, mythological horror & paranormal Barry Black — former FBI master bomb technician Randy Lerch — memoir, former MBL player  UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEMES: CHILDREN and AMERICA.  See Laura's interview at Central Valley Talk Our theme music is from www.bensound.com. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel to get notifications of all our new videos. We have now interviewed more than 115 authors! Would you like to be featured? Leave a comment. https://www.youtube.com/@booksandbrews

    1h 3m
  3. JAN 29

    Life After a Terrorist Attack: Episode #81 with Christiane Scarpino

    Books and Brews: the place where beer and literature meet! In 1977 at the age of 21, Christiane Scarpino miraculously survived a terrorist bombing when she left her desk, just 10 feet from the bomb, to go get her morning donut and coffee from a co-worker. Missing Pieces tells the story of the bombing, the aftermath of dealing with the FBI's interrogations, and the long-term PTSD impacts. We talked about Christiane's name-change that resulted from the trauma of the bombing, what PTSD is as compared to how it's casually used today, her duck tolling retrievers, EMDR therapy, long=term memory issues and impact of PTSD and advice on healing and moving forward from trauma. We covered the group behind the bombing and the question of why they were eventually given clemency for an act that killed the man visiting Christiane's office that day. 00:00 START 04:49 Drink 1: Lavender Lullaby: a mocktail 06:36 Reading 1: The Explosion 13:10 Purpose after Near Death 15:12 Clemency for Murder 17:22 Drink 2: The Laser Beam 18:47 Reading 2: The Lineup 24:59 Dogs and Duck Tollers 30:334 Relaxation Techniques 32:52 Why Can't You Just be Grateful? 34:36 Drink 3: Lady Jane 37:12 Reading 3: The Importance of Names 40:26 On Changing a Name 42:51 EMDR 43:42 Functioning without memory 50:34 Best Advice for Those Dealing with PTSD   Visit our PATREON for our extended AFTER HOURS with Ashley and Andrea Www.booksandbrews.net www.lauravosika.com www.gabrielshornpress.com www.glenmirrilfarms.wordpress.com Www.christianescarpino.net  ~ ~ If you enjoy our interviews or have benefited from them, we invite you to help us continue our work. It takes a great deal of time and money to produce Books and Brews. We've been doing interviews since January 2017 as a free service to authors. We continue to promote those authors on our social media for years after their interviews. Subscribing, following, liking, commenting and sharing all help us to keep doing what we do. A $5 tip helps us pay for our many expenses: Libsyn hosting, web hosting, Google meets, providing the drinks for the interview and the many hours of preparation and editing that go into each episode. Patreon: patreon.com/BooksandBrewswithLauraVosika  Tip Jar: paypal.me/booksandbrewsMN * Books and Brews products: https://www.zazzle.com/store/books_an… (more to come) Sponsor an episode to promote your product or service: contact us booksandbrewslive@gmail.com COMING NEXT MONTH:  Marlene Ratledge, humor and education UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEMES: CHILDREN and AMERICA  See Laura's interview at Central Valley Talk Our theme music is from www.bensound.com. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel to get notifications of all our new videos. We have now interviewed more than 115 authors! Would you like to be featured? Leave a comment. https://www.youtube.com/@booksandbrews

    1h 3m
  4. 12/19/2025

    Romance and Military Thriller with Kristie Wolf, Episode #80

    Books and Brews: the place where beer and literature meet! Kristie Wolf weaves tales about fearless heroes and badass heroines who fight for justice and love while burning up the pages. Kristie's passion for writing romance ignited during her teenage years when she told her mom she was going to write a novel someday. She did, and now she can't stop. As the daughter of a Vietnam Veteran, wife of a Marine, and Navy mom, she enjoys writing happily ever afters for not just military heroes, but for all the brave, loyal, and selfless men and women who serve and protect our country in every capacity.  We talked about why people do or don't, can or can't, fall in love, military sci-fi vs reality, PTSD, cowboys, horses and boots…and more! 00:00 START 05:04 Drink 1: Strawberry Buttercream Martini 08:19 Reading 1: The Stolen Cake 16:30 Does the technology exist for VIPER's amputees' new limbs? 17:30 Ethics, Experimentation and Improving Quality of Life 25:59 Drink 2: Empress and Tonic 25:13 Reading 2: Kane to the Rescue 34:41 PTSD and Stalkers 37:41 Men as Protectors, Trust 40:25 Tropes in Romance 43:22 Drink 3: Grogg or Mulled Spiced Wine 46:51 Reading 3: Christmas with a Cowboy 51:00 The Naked Cowboy of Gooseberry Falls 52:51 Our Experiences with Horses   Visit our PATREON for our extended AFTER HOURS with Ashley and Andrea Www.booksandbrews.net www.lauravosika.com www.gabrielshornpress.com www.glenmirrilfarms.wordpress.com Www.kristiewolf.com  ~ ~ If you enjoy our interviews or have benefited from them, we invite you to help us continue our work. It takes a great deal of time and money to produce Books and Brews. We've been doing interviews since January 2017 as a free service to authors. We continue to promote those authors on our social media for years after their interviews. Subscribing, following, liking, commenting and sharing all help us to keep doing what we do. A $5 tip helps us pay for our many expenses: Libsyn hosting, web hosting, Google meets, providing the drinks for the interview and the many hours of preparation and editing that go into each episode. Patreon: patreon.com/BooksandBrewswithLauraVosika  Tip Jar: paypal.me/booksandbrewsMN * Books and Brews products: https://www.zazzle.com/store/books_an… (more to come) Sponsor an episode to promote your product or service: contact us booksandbrewslive@gmail.com COMING NEXT MONTH:  Kristie Wolf, thrillers UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEMES: CHILDREN  See Laura's interview at Central Valley Talk Our theme music is from www.bensound.com. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel to get notifications of all our new videos. We have now interviewed more than 115 authors! Would you like to be featured? Leave a comment. https://www.youtube.com/@booksandbrews

    1h 2m
  5. 11/18/2025

    Episode #79: Jake Needham on Crime & Character

    Books and Brews: the place where beer and literature meet! Jake Needham is an American lawyer who became a screen and television writer through a series of coincidences too ridiculous for anyone to believe. When he realized how little he actually liked movies and television, he started writing crime novels. Jake has lived in Asia and Australia since 1980, first in Sydney, then in Hong Kong, and from 1992, in Bangkok. He and his wife, an Oxford graduate and prematurely retired concert pianist, have been married for thirty-two years and have two adult sons. Jake has published seventeen novels that have collectively sold over a million copies. You see? The great tradition of the American expat novelist isn't entirely dead yet. We talked about masks (psychological, not covid), childhood trauma, plastic surgery…and Aquanet wiggling into tight pants in the 80! (And more!)  00:00 START 05:30 Drink 1: Mango Cinnamon Margarita 08:11 Reading 1: Charlie and the Dogs 13:48 From law to writing for film & TV 24:27 Character-driven fiction 25:05 Drink 2: Singapore Sling 28:24 Reading 2: A Hot Day in Singapore 33:31 Misbehaving Characters: Plotting and Pantsing 41:20 Cultural differences and life in Singapore  44:40 Drink 3: The Zombie 48:18 Reading 3: Charlie Trust 56:16 Living next door to Farrah Fawcett 58:01 Law, the legal system, and justice   Visit our PATREON for our extended AFTER HOURS with Ashley and Andrea Www.booksandbrews.net www.lauravosika.com www.gabrielshornpress.com www.glenmirrilfarms.wordpress.com Www.jakeneedhamnovels.com  ~ ~ If you enjoy our interviews or have benefitted from them, we invite you to help us continue our work. It takes a great deal of time and money to produce Books and Brews. We've been doing interviews since January 2017 as a free service to authors. We continue to promote those authors on our social media for years after their interviews. Subscribing, following, liking, commenting and sharing all help us to keep doing what we do. A $5 tip helps us pay for our many expenses: Libsyn hosting, web hosting, Google meets, providing the drinks for the interview and the many hours of preparation and editing that go into each episode. Patreon: patreon.com/BooksandBrewswithLauraVosika  Tip Jar: paypal.me/booksandbrewsMN * Books and Brews products: https://www.zazzle.com/store/books_an… (more to come) Sponsor an episode to promote your product or service: contact us booksandbrewslive@gmail.com COMING NEXT MONTH:  Kristie Wolf, thrillers UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEMES: CHILDREN  See Laura's interview at Central Valley Talk Our theme music is from www.bensound.com. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel to get notifications of all our new videos. We have now interviewed more than 115 authors! Would you like to be featured? Leave a comment. https://www.youtube.com/@booksandbrews

    1 min
  6. 10/27/2025

    Episode #78: Technology & Truth & a Paranormal Thriller with Ashley Fontainne & Andrea Emmes

    Books and Brews: the place where beer and literature meet! Ashley Fontainne is an author and co-author of more than 30 novels, known for her intricate plots and writing in genres from dark comedy to mystery/thrillers to suspenseful paranormal. Andrea Emmes, a singer, performer and one-time magician's assistant who has narrated many of Ashley's books, steps into writing for the first time with their co-authored paranormal and psychological thriller, ETERNAL BEAUTY. We talked about masks (psychological, not covid), childhood trauma, plastic surgery…and Aquanet wiggling into tight pants in the 80! (And more!)  00:00 START 06:26 Drink 1: The Exorcist 09:35 Reading 1: Bridget 16:17 Technology & Truth: how much of what we see isn't real?  23:45 Ashley's most meaningful book  25:51 Drink 2: Witch's Brew 30:30 Reading 2: Claire 37:29 Abused children, trauma & the brain  39:03 Claire & plastic surgery  44:25 Drink 3: The Bulge in My Pants 46:58 Reading 3: Barbara 52:35 Why the story is set in the near future 55:14 Women & other women; women & men & love & sex    Visit our PATREON for our extended AFTER HOURS with Ashley and Andrea Www.booksandbrews.net www.lauravosika.com www.gabrielshornpress.com www.glenmirrilfarms.wordpress.com Www.ashleyfontainne.net Www.andreaemmes.com   GET THE BOOK: https://bit.ly/42AqEF3 AUDIO: https://www.audible.com/pd/Eternal-Beauty-Audiobook/B0FV4W68M5 ~ ~ ~ If you enjoy our interviews or have benefitted from them, we invite you to help us continue our work. It takes a great deal of time and money to produce Books and Brews. We've been doing interviews since January 2017 as a free service to authors. We continue to promote those authors on our social media for years after their interviews. Subscribing, following, liking, commenting and sharing all help us to keep doing what we do. A $5 tip helps us pay for our many expenses: Libsyn hosting, web hosting, Google meets, providing the drinks for the interview and the many hours of preparation and editing that go into each episode. Patreon: patreon.com/BooksandBrewswithLauraVosika Tip Jar: paypal.me/booksandbrewsMN  Books and Brews products: https://www.zazzle.com/store/books_an… (more to come) Sponsor an episode to promote your product or service: contact us booksandbrewslive@gmail.com COMING NEXT MONTH:  Jake Needham, counter-terrorism and action thrillers UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEMES: CHILDREN See Laura's interview at Central Valley Talk Our theme music is from www.bensound.com. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel to get notifications of all our new videos. We have now interviewed more than 115 authors! Would you like to be featured? Leave a comment. https://www.youtube.com/@booksandbrews

    1h 3m
  7. 09/30/2025

    Episode #77: One Family's Story of Jack the Ripper, with Robert Gereb

    Books and Brews: the place where beer and literature meet! Róbert Geréb is a boundary-pushing author and accomplished AI developer. As co-author of Jack the Ripper's Assassins—the cornerstone of The Dighton Chronicles, built on multigenerational oral history from a Romani-Viking lineage—he melds immersive storytelling with rigorous historical research. He also penned two nonfiction guides through Aspect Books: EASY MILLIONAIRE MATH, a practical blueprint for building scalable, passive-income businesses; and Declutter Your Life, Enrich Your Soul, an emotionally holistic program for simplifying your surroundings, finances, and relationships for deeper personal growth.  00:00 START 09:35 Drink 1: the Ripper's Fog 13:38 Reading 1: Game Shooting with Prince Albert Victor 20:20 How a Transylvanian got involved with an English Romani family's history 24:50 What did you know about Jack the Ripper before meeting the Dightons? 26:16 Drink 2: Mary's Last Night 29:41 Reading 2: When Caroline First Met the Prince 36:03 Some stories are too strange to be anything but true 40:38 Why he let her live 42:44 Drink 3: Autumn Ripper 45:53 Reading 3: What Started it All 52:13 Other theories on who Jack the Ripper was 55:15 Why do some stories capture our imagination for centuries?   Visit our PATREON for our extended AFTER HOURS with Robert Gereb and other authors Https://jacktherippersassassins.com Www.booksandbrews.net www.lauravosika.com www.gabrielshornpress.com www.glenmirrilfarms.wordpress.com  ~ ~ If you enjoy our interviews or have benefitted from them, we invite you to help us continue our work. It takes a great deal of time and money to produce Books and Brews. We've been doing interviews since January 2017 as a free service to authors. We continue to promote those authors on our social media for years after their interviews. Subscribing, following, liking, commenting and sharing all help us to keep doing what we do. A $5 tip helps us pay for our many expenses: Libsyn hosting, web hosting, Google meets, providing the drinks for the interview and the many hours of preparation and editing that go into each episode. Patreon: patreon.com/BooksandBrewswithLauraVosika Tip Jar: paypal.me/booksandbrewsMN Books and Brews products: https://www.zazzle.com/store/books_an… (more to come) Sponsor an episode to promote your product or service: contact us booksandbrewslive@gmail.com COMING NEXT MONTH:  Ashley Fontaine and Andrea Emmes, supernatural thriller UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEMES: CHILDREN  See Laura's interview at Central Valley Talk Our theme music is from www.bensound.com. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel to get notifications of all our new videos. We have now interviewed more than 115 authors! Would you like to be featured? Leave a comment. https://www.youtube.com/@booksandbrews

    1h 3m
  8. 08/07/2025

    Episode #76: Family Secrets Come to Light with Hiram Johnson

    Books and Brews: the place where beer and literature meet! Hiram Johnson is retired law enforcement officer, currently teaching criminal justice as an adjunct, a father, author and creator. His book Reason to Fight: a search or truth is a surprising tale of a family mystery. We talked about the event that landed his grandmother in prison for murder, prison conditions for women in the 1920s, his search for his shrouded family history and the connection he developed with a previously unknown relative in the search for his grandfather's identity. Find Hiram's books at Xulonpress.com  00:00 START 06:26 Drink 1: the Blank Slate 8:14 Reading 1: Asking Daddy for the Truth 12:41 A quest leads to murder and miscegenation, 20:56 Creative non-fiction: fact vs conjecture 26:07 Drink 2: the Pot of Gold 28:50 Reading 2: My Mother Bernice 33:30 the need to know our family history 37:20 Did Fred's father ever know the truth? 39:31 Drink 3: The Last Word 42:55 Reading 3: What Started it All 47:50 Convicted…for self-defense? 51:30 How Bernice faced the injustice   Visit our PATREON for our extended AFTER HOURS with Hiram Johnson Www.xulonpress.com www.lauravosika.com www.gabrielshornpress.com www.booksandbrews.net  ~ ~ ~ If you enjoy our interviews or have benefitted from them, we invite you to help us continue our work. It takes a great deal of time and money to produce Books and Brews. We've been doing interviews since January 2017 as a free service to authors. We continue to promote those authors on our social media for years after their interviews. Subscribing, following, liking, commenting and sharing all help us to keep doing what we do. A $5 tip helps us pay for our many expenses: Libsyn hosting, web hosting, Google meets, providing the drinks for the interview and the many hours of preparation and editing that go into each episode. Patreon: patreon.com/BooksandBrewswithLauraVosika Tip Jar: paypal.me/booksandbrewsMN Books and Brews products: https://www.zazzle.com/store/books_an… (more to come) Sponsor an episode to promote your product or service: contact us booksandbrewslive@gmail.com COMING NEXT MONTH:  Sam Ritchie…if walls could talk! To her, they do! UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEMES: CHILDREN  See Laura's interview at Central Valley Talk on YouTube Our theme music is from www.bensound.com. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel to get notifications of all our new videos. We have now interviewed 115 authors! Would you like to be featured? Leave a comment. https://www.youtube.com/@booksandbrews

    1h 3m

About

The Books & Brews Podcast is the place where literature and beer meet. Each month we welcome a new guest author to read and discuss their work. Author Laura Vosika leads in-depth interviews to delve into the motivations, inspirations and preoccupations of each guest. Certified Cicerone® Michael Agnew pours beers specifically selected to pair with the writer's work. It's an hour of entertaining erudition that hits your mind and your mouth.