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THE WELL AND THE MINE is the story of a family living in an Alabama coal mining town in the 1930s. The story begins when nine-year-old Tess watches from the darkness of her back porch as an unknown woman lifts the cover off the family well and tosses a baby in without a word.

As Tess struggles at first to be believed and then later to find the “Well Woman” the family and the town struggle to survive the difficult and complex time they live in.

The book tackles the racism and sexism of the time period as well as the immensely difficult lives of coal miners and their families. It does all this with a grace and fluidity that make it feel like more of a classic than a debut novel.

Gin Phillips is as thoughtful in person as she is in her writing. She came by our offices while on tour for the book and we had a great conversation about how the story came about and why she chose to tell it from multiple perspectives. I picked up on some dualities in the book that Gin had not even realized were there but was pleased to discover. You’ll have to give it a read and see if you saw what I did!

— Dana Barrett, Podcast Host

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Want more of the Better World Books Podcast now? Click here to check out the rest of the great authors who stopped by or called in for a chat!

Comments or questions about the podcast? Feel free to comment here on the blog, or email me at podcast AT betterworldbooks.com.

I got a chance to talk to Stephen Cannell on the phone a couple of days before his visit to Atlanta on his book tour for ON THE GRIND. It was a Saturday morning at about 9AM my time, meaning 6AM for him and he had already been up writing for several hours.

I was a bit nervous for the call, knowing that in addition to being a New York Times bestselling author, Stephen (I think we’re on a first name basis now) is also this uber famous and connected TV producer but truth be told, he couldn’t have been nicer or more gracious.

We talked about Stephen’s backround, and about the character of Shane Scully, his origins and where he may be headed next. And though I know you don’t always think of action packed detective stories as being about some of the today’s most pressing issues, this one certainly is.

Both police corruption and immigration issues are focused on in the book and in the interview, Stephen talks about why he highlights these issues and what he wants the reader to take away.

A couple of days after the phone interview, I went to meet Stephen in person at his appearance at The Margaret Mitchell House. In person, he was just as gracious as on the phone and he is a truly inspiring speaker. If you ever have the opportunity, I urge you to go and hear him speak.

Oh – and if you’re into TV, Stephen appeared with James Patterson on the pilot episode of Castle on ABC!

Enjoy the interview, and click here to check out the rest of the great authors talking about their books on our podcast page!

When an author hits the New York Times Bestseller List things change. He or she can become intoxicated by their new found fame... begin to demand a special kind of bottled water in his or her dressing room, and... oh wait... that doesn’t usually happen with authors. In fact, they rarely have dressing rooms.

But one thing that does happen is that all the new found readers rush right back to the bookstore looking for everything this writer had previously written. And that is exactly what is happening with Garth Stein. THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN has been a smash hit and has practically made Garth a household name. (Well, he might not be as well known as Kleenex, but he’s close.) Anyway, the point is all of this hub-bub has brought about the re-release of Garth’s first book, RAVEN STOLE THE MOON.

As with RACING, RAVEN STOLE THE MOON examines some complex themes and emotions like the death of a child, religious and mystical beliefs and more. The book was written in the dark ages – you know, the 90s, before cell phones were everywhere and Garth opted to keep it that way. But you’ll have to listen to the podcast to find out what other changes he made!

Enjoy the interview!

Like this interview? Subscribe today!
Want more of the Better World Books Podcast now? Click here to check out the rest of the great authors who stopped by or called in for a chat!

Comments or questions about the podcast? Feel free to comment here on the blog, or email me at podcast AT betterworldbooks.com.

— Dana Barrett, Podcast Host

When 14 year old Hannah Salwen saw a homeless man begging for food on the side of the road she knew something wasn’t right and she knew she wanted to do something to fix it. The Salwen’s were well off and already heavily involved in some local charities but for Hannah that just wasn’t enough. After much discussion, her mother Joan finally said “What do you want to do Hannah, sell the house?” To which Hannah replied, “Yes.”

This began a journey for the entire Salwen family in which they decided to sell their house and give half the sales price to a worthy cause. And so THE POWER OF HALF was born.

Hannah and her co-author, (a.k.a. Dad) Kevin came by our offices a couple of weeks ago to chat about the book, the project, and what it means to them. They explain that not everyone has to sell their house. They know that’s not possible. But they do believe there are things you could do with less of and that every little bit counts. The idea of giving up half of something is that it’s measurable and easy to get your head around.

Who are these people, you ask? Well, after meeting the Salwens I can tell you... they are regular people just like you and me. Hannah is now 17 and wants to be a nurse someday. She and her Dad are close, but they still have the normal dad/daughter stuff about being home on time, etc.

I’m sure you’ll enjoy meeting the Salwens in today’s podcast and maybe you’ll even be inspired to start a Power of Half project of your own.

Enjoy the interview!

Like this interview? Subscribe today!
Want more of the Better World Books Podcast now? Click here to check out the rest of the great authors who stopped by or called in for a chat!

Comments or questions about the podcast? Feel free to comment here on the blog, or email me at podcast AT betterworldbooks.com.

— Dana Barrett, Podcast Host

Daniel Pinchbeck is out there. Maybe even way out there, depending on where you are, but he is also most definitely a man of action. As a young man living in New York City and working as a journalist, Daniel faced what he calls a spiritual crisis. Many people in his situation might have just weathered the storm, maybe taken up yoga or found a hobby like bungee jumping. But not Daniel. He wanted answers.

So he went on a journey – both physically and psychically. The journey led him to Shamanism, psychedelic drugs, Mayan culture and more – and led him to believe (to know – in his words) that these things had meaning, were real and tangible and should and could be applied to the economic and environmental challenges of today .

His journey into Shamanism and psychedelics is chronicled in his first book: BREAKING OPEN THE HEAD. His second book 2012: THE RETURN OF QUETZALCOATL (which I was afraid to pronounce in the podcast – even though I really practiced ahead of time!) digs deep into the end of the Mayan Long Count calendar and what that really means in terms of the year 2012 and the immense change he believes is already underway.

His latest book NOTES FROM THE EDGE TIMES is a series of essays Daniel wrote since the publication of 2012. It touches on topics from the environment to the economy to monogamy and psychic ability.

As a man of action – Daniel is not afraid to call it like he sees it. Daniel quotes Einstein and others in the book who say “You don’t solve problems with the kind of thinking that created them” – and whether you buy into his solutions or not, you have to admit that sentiment rings true.

Interviewing Daniel was a challenge to be sure! He’s a smart guy who backs his thinking with lots of research. Give it a listen, then check out the books and form your own opinion.

— Dana Barrett, Podcast Host

PS – did I mention Daniel is the one of the creators of 2012: Time for Change, a documentary with stars like Sting, Ellen Page and David Lynch. It’s currently debuting in selected cities around the world.

Like this interview? Subscribe to the podcast today!
Want more of the Better World Books Podcast now? Click here to check out the rest of the great authors who stopped by or called in for a chat!

Comments or questions about the podcast? Feel free to comment here on the blog, or email me at podcast AT betterworldbooks.com.