Women Making History
Aiming to inspire, educate, and entertain women and girls around the world, Big Blend Radio’s ”Women Making History” podcast celebrates women in the past, present, and future, while also sharing success tips on living a happy and successful personal and professional life. Enjoy new and ”From the Vault” interview episodes.
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The Quarter Queen: A Mother-Daughter Voodoo Story
<p>Author Kayla Hardy on "The Quarter Queen," her debut historical fantasy reimagining Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, and her rebellious daughter, Ree. </p> <p>Voodoo queens, secret societies, and the mother-daughter bond that can make or break a family. For National Book Month, Kayla Hardy joins Big Blend Radio’s "Books & Authors" with Books Forward, to talk about The Quarter Queen, a lush, richly researched story of two generations of powerful women in a magically and racially divided 1840s New Orleans.</p> <p>In the novel, Ree finds her formidable mother, Marie, comatose in the bayou and...
100 Men Hall: Music, History & Community in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
<p>Step inside the 100 Men Hall in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, a 1922 Chitlin' Circuit landmark and Mississippi Blues Trail stop just across from the historic train depot. On location for Big Blend Radio's "Travel with Terri" Podcast, this shared episode features travel journalist Terri Guthrie who sits down inside the hall with Rachel Dangermond, the writer and award-winning journalist who purchased it in 2018 and now leads the nonprofit that keeps it alive. It's the perfect episode to celebrate Global Diversity Awareness Month! </p> <p>Rachel traces the hall's roots to a self-reliant benevolent association formed in the Black community during J...
Cassatt Reconsidered: Mary G. Morton on the Artist Behind the Label
<p>Today we're rethinking everything we thought we knew about Mary Cassatt. On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "World of Art" Podcast, host Victoria Chick and Lisa D. Smith welcome Mary G. Morton, curator and head of French paintings at the National Gallery of Art, to talk about her new book, "Cassatt Reconsidered," out this November from Getty Publications.</p> <p>2026 marks the centennial of Mary Cassatt's death (born May 22, 1844, died June 14, 1926), and Mary Morton makes the case for an artist who was bold, modern, and uncompromising. Cassatt's images of mothers and children are an extraordinary part of...
Film Director Sasha Waters: Mary Oliver - Saved by the Beauty of the World
<p>Sasha Waters, director and producer of the new American Masters documentary "Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World," joins Big Blend Radio to talk about bringing the life of one of America's most beloved and most private poets to the screen.</p> <p>Mary Oliver was a bestselling poet and Pulitzer Prize winner whose work — including "Wild Geese" and "The Journey" — has reached readers far beyond the usual poetry audience. Waters discusses how Oliver's decades in Provincetown, Massachusetts shaped her writing, the restorative power of nature and dogs in Oliver's life, and her four-decade love story with phot...
Author Ellen Rachlin on Enheduanna: The World’s First Named Author
<p>Who was Enheduanna — the woman often recognized as the world’s first known named author?</p> <p>On this episode of Big Blend Radio’s "Books & Authors" Show with Books Forward, we welcome award-winning poet and debut historical fantasy novelist Ellen Rachlin, author of Enheduanna’s Song From the Sands, coming August 25, 2026 from Histria Fiction.</p> <p>Set in ancient Mesopotamia around 2300 BCE, "Enheduanna’s Song From the Sands" brings to life Enheduanna, daughter of Sargon the Great and High Priestess of Ur, whose name is associated with some of the earliest known literary works to identify an author. Rachlin di...
Author Laurel Corona on Aloha Wanderwell Takes the Wheel: From Winnipeg to World Explorer
<p>Award-winning author Laurel Corona joins Big Blend Radio to discuss her captivating new historical novel, "Aloha Wanderwell Takes the Wheel," inspired by the extraordinary true story of pioneering adventurer Aloha Wanderwell—the first woman to drive around the world.</p> <p>Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba—the northern gateway of the historic Jefferson Highway—Aloha Wanderwell (born Idris Hall) left boarding school in France at age 16 to join Walter Wanderwell's around-the-world automobile expedition. What followed was an astonishing life of global exploration, filmmaking, cultural discovery, and history-making road trips across six continents.</p> <p>In this engaging conversation, Laurel shares what i...
Getting to Know Author Dr. BJ Magnani: Toxicology, Thrillers & Poison Gardens
<p>What happens when a renowned toxicologist becomes a bestselling thriller writer?</p> <p>On this Big Blend Radio's "Getting to Know You" episode, we chat with BJ Magnani - Author —Professor Emerita of Anatomic and Clinical Pathology at Tufts University School of Medicine, accomplished pathologist, toxicologist, and author of the acclaimed Dr. Lily Robinson suspense thriller series.</p> <p>From poison gardens and forensic toxicology to medical mysteries and the creative process behind crafting unforgettable suspense novels, BJ shares how decades of scientific expertise shaped her fiction. We also discuss the importance of science communication, mentoring women in STEM, fas...
Channeling Marilyn: Author Mima Tipper on Marilyn Monroe's Legacy
<p>Celebrate Marilyn Monroe's 100th anniversary year with this inspiring episode of Big Blend Radio's "Books & Authors" Show with Books Forward, featuring award-winning author Mima Tipper discussing her acclaimed young adult novel, "Channeling Marilyn" (She Writes Press).</p> <p>Rather than retelling Marilyn Monroe's life, "Channeling Marilyn" imagines what might happen if Marilyn's spirit became a mentor to a shy modern-day teenager struggling with confidence, body image, identity, and finding her own voice. Through this unique coming-of-age story, Mima explores timeless themes of fame, self-acceptance, grief, resilience, friendship, and the courage to become your authentic self.</p> <p>In this...
Women Spies of WWII: Author Pam Webber on Espionage & the Miracle of Massawa
<p>On this episode of Big Blend Radio, bestselling and award-winning historical fiction author Pam Webber discusses her new novel, "Massawa: A Tale of Illusion, Espionage, and Love," the first book in a new World War II series inspired by the little-known "Miracle of Massawa" in Eritrea, North Africa.</p> <p>Set in 1942 during the height of World War II, the novel follows fledgling OSS agent Kit Thomas as she embarks on her first mission to investigate the theft of military payroll funds and uncover a dangerous conspiracy threatening Allied operations in the Red Sea region. Along the way, readers...
Like Snow Before Sun: Author Marianne Rabalais Sulser on Cajun and Acadian Heritage
<p>Big Blend Radio's "Books & Authors Show" with Books Forward welcomes debut novelist Marianne Rabalais Sulser, whose historical novel "Like Snow Before Sun" is out now through Atmosphere Press. </p> <p>Born and raised in central Louisiana and now based in Colorado, Marianne takes us deep into the world of 1750s Nova Scotia and the tragic history of the Acadian expulsion — a story she discovered through her own ancestral research.</p> <p>Marianne shares how tracing her family roots led her to an unexpected and beautiful connection to the Mi'kmaq nation, and how that discovery inspired a novel that is as...
