Have you ever used your voice to stand up and speak out? Are you a 'force of nature?' In this episode of the podcast, fabulous author and photographer Kate T. Parker stops by the show to promote her latest book 'Force of Nature.' It's an incredible book about the power of Women and Girls. The conversation between Kate & Joe covers all manner of individual perspectives and how everyone can learn something from these powerful women and girls. Enjoy! About Kate T. Parker KATE T. PARKER is a mother, wife, Ironman, professional photographer/director and New York Times Bestselling author w ..read more

Have YOU ever had a unicorn horn sprout suddenly form your forehead!? What about having to go into the underworld to retrieve your BFF!? Did I mention the horn sings!? All this and more is covered in Dave Roman's FABULOUS graphic novel 'Unicorn Boy'! Dave is on the show today to discuss all things unicorn, how they got started writing and illustrating, and how kids can take lessons from 'the boy' and apply it to their own lives. Enjoy! About Dave Roman Dave Roman is the author/illustrator of the Astronaut Academy series (winner of Maryland’s Black-Eyed Susan Book Award) and writer o ..read more

Do you ever find yourself consumed with the 'voice inside your head'? How do you separate out what is helpful vs what is harmful?  When do you speak up to obtain the necessary tools and resources to come out of a difficult situation? These are some of the topics discussed in the latest episode of the podcast! Author John Schu stops by the podcast to discuss his latest book 'Louder Than Hunger' and he and Joe get into a deep conversation about how to navigate some of life's most difficult times growing up. Also, because John is a librarian there are plenty of discussions around librar ..read more

What would you do if your historic talent show performance was upstaged by GASP your crush!?  And further what would you do if your "crush" then started telling people he saved you because of your disability!? This is the premise for the fantastic book 'Shiny Misfits' writen by Maysoon Zayid. Maysoon joins the podcast today to share the background on writing this particular book and emphasizes the continued importantance of representation in children's books. Enjoy! About Maysoon Zayid Maysoon Zayid is a comedian, actress, writer, and disability advocate. She is a graduate of Arizona Sta ..read more

Ooooh Natural 20! oh nooooo crit miss! Roll your initiative! Which dice? Your d20! ..... What am I reading? Oh, no big deal, it's just dogs playing a roleplaying game.  Oh, ok. Wait, whut? ..... Yes, this week's wonderful author/illustrator, Scout Underhill, created a wonderful book "DnDoggos" based on their wonderful webcomic which has been in existence since 2017! Enjoy this fun interview about this super exciting debut novel from Scout! ..... About Scout Underhill Scout Underhill (they/them) is a nonbinary, queer author-illustrator and a life-long professional dog cuddler, creating st ..read more

How much do YOU know about local politics? What would you do if you didn't like the way your city was being run? Would you decide to step off the sidelines and throw your hat into the ring? that's the situation Dan Cogan found himself in 6 years ago when he decided to help create a better town and community by running for Bedford City Council. Situated firmly between Dallas and Fort Worth, Bedford Texas is a strong suburban community with deep roots and a warm environment. However, back 6+ years ago, this currently thriving city felt a bit tired and worn down. Deciding to do something about it ..read more

Are YOU ready to be the hero? Do YOU think you can choose the correct path? Will YOU be the Fifth hero? All valid questions to ask yourself as you're getting ready to read the latest book from today's guest, author Bill Doyle! Bill stops by the podcast to discuss his latest book, what brought him to writing in the first place, and how he hopes he can impart knowledge onto readers of any age! It's a fantastic conversation, enjoy! About Bill Doyle With over 2,000,000 books in print, author Bill Doyle has written critically acclaimed and bestselling children’s books, including Scholastic’s Behin ..read more

Happy new year! I hope you finished off 2023 in style and what better way to kickoff 2024 than with a FABULOUS guest, the one, the only, the hilarious Bo Johnson! Joe caught some of Bo's stand-up online a few years ago, had the pleasure of seeing him live last year, and HAD to get him on the show to discuss his story. Bo and Joe get into a conversation on how Bo first got into comedy, how he prepares to tour around the country, and some advice for folks just starting out.  It's the best way to start off your year, come detox with DTALKS! Enjoy! About Bo Johnson Bo Johnson is a comedian f ..read more

In this latest episode of the podcast Joe takes some time here towards the end of the year to hone in on the core topic which always drives the podcast, how to raise inclusive kids who will make the world a better place. Wade Hudson stops by the podcast to talk about his latest book The Reckoning. Joe and Wade get into a discussion about why Wade decided to write the book, what else he is up to, and how we can use the lessons from his book to spur on action in our own day-to-day lives. Enjoy!   About Wade Hudson Wade Hudson is an author, a publisher, and the president and CEO o ..read more

After interviewing Deborah Hopkinson a few months ago she mentioned the incredible illustrator Kate Gardiner who worked on the book 'Small Places, Close to Home'. She told me how amazingly talented she is, and after checking out the art myself I wholeheartedly agreed and KNEW I had to get her on the podcast. I'm honored that Kate stopped by the show to tell us all about her experience working with Deborah, what drew her (pun intended!) to illustration, and what's next for her. Enjoy!   About Kate Gardiner Kate Gardiner is a New England based illustrator. Kate often finds herself inspired ..read more