Uncorking a Story
Listen in to Uncorking a Story, where we pop the cork on hidden narratives and delve deep into the brilliant minds of your favorite authors. Get ready to unlock the magic behind your favorite books, one unforgettable story at a time. Hit that subscribe button and never miss a sip of inspiration!
Episodes
October 14, 2025 • 23 mins
“Sometimes you need someone outside of your family and friends to tell you, ‘This part doesn’t make sense,’ or ‘Try it this way.’ That honest feedback is what makes your writing stronger.” – Christine Devane
Christine Devane spent 13 years as a second-grade teacher, where she fell in love with story time and noticed something missing on the shelves—books that spoke directly to shy children. Drawing from her own childhood experien...
Mark as Played
October 7, 2025 • 36 mins
Two attributes of being an author are humility and perseverance. You have to push through a whole lot of no’s and believe you have something there—and have the humility to step back, receive critiques, and let your story grow.” — Camille Di Maio
In this episode of Uncorking a Story, I sit down with bestselling historical fiction author Camille Di Maio to talk about her path from a 12-year-old bookworm seeking refuge in the library...
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September 30, 2025 • 32 mins
“The stories aren’t about violence—they’re about the preciousness of life. Each one is a reminder that this could happen to anyone.” — Jude Berman
Jude Berman grew up surrounded by books and cultural diversity, thanks to her refugee parents. After a career in academic research and running independent presses, she turned her attention to her own writing. In this episode of Uncorking a Story, Jude rejoins me to discuss her latest wo...
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September 23, 2025 • 27 mins
“Don’t look around—just run your own race. That’s what I’d tell my younger self about writing.”-Melanie Anagnos
Melanie Anagnos has worn many hats—waitress, attorney, stay-at-home mom—but her true calling emerged when she pursued her MFA at Sarah Lawrence College. Now, she’s making waves in the crime fiction world with her novel Night Swimming, a police procedural set in her hometown of Paterson, New Jersey. In this conversation, ...
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September 16, 2025 • 45 mins
“Being disillusioned is a very hard place to be in… but I realized my master’s job was to set me free. In the end, that heartbreak gave me the freedom to discover my own truth.” — Deborah Rudell
In this episode of Uncorking a Story, I sit down with Deborah Rudell, author of Grit and Grace, to explore her extraordinary life. From growing up on the road in a converted school bus, to living on a controversial commune in Oregon, to re...
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September 9, 2025 • 30 mins
“When it goes well, writing feels the way it did when I was eight years old—immersed in the story, not thinking about outcome, just the pure joy of language.” – Jackie Thomas Kennedy
Jackie Thomas Kennedy, author of The Other Wife, joins Uncorking a Story to explore the craft of fiction, the role of memory, and the tension between who we are and who we imagine we could be. A Stegner Fellow and widely published short story writer, ...
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September 2, 2025 • 35 mins
“I wanted to write a character who was a relatable superhero—someone a woman today might connect with, not a god or an alien, but a real person with real struggles.” — Caitlyn Grabenstein
In this episode of Uncorking a Story, I sit down with author and artist Caitlin Grabenstein, the creative force behind the surreal collage brand Cult Class whose work has been commissioned by Netflix, Adobe, Glamour, and Porsche. Caitlin joins ...
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August 26, 2025 • 41 mins
“From the very outset, people thought, ‘This can’t possibly be true.’ But it was—and the deeper we dug, the stranger it became.” — Jerry Jamison
In this episode of Uncorking a Story, I sit down with award-winning advertising copywriter turned novelist Jerry Jamison, whose latest book Vanishing Act unearths one of history’s most shocking forgotten stories: a career con man, a faked death, and a doomed airliner. With decades of e...
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August 19, 2025 • 36 mins
“This is not about rejection—it’s about sacrifice.” – Edward Di Gangi
Adopted at birth and raised as an only child, Edward Di Gangi never sought the details of his adoption—until a quiet moment in a New Jersey cemetery at age 69 set him on a journey of discovery. That path led to his acclaimed memoir The Gift Best Given, and now to his latest work, Gliding Through Goodbye. In this deeply empathetic conversation, Ed shares how he...
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August 12, 2025 • 50 mins
“It took me 12 years to write it and get it to a publisher… writing a book was a lot harder than an Ironman.”
In this heartfelt episode of Uncorking a Story, I sit down with Betsy Armstrong—writer, mom, athlete, and philanthropist—to explore the winding path that led her to authorship. From losing her mother at 23, to navigating midlife, infertility, and ultimately adopting two children from Russia, Betsy’s story is one of resil...
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August 5, 2025 • 56 mins
“I flipped twice… my seatbelt wrapped around my neck, so my airway was cut off and I was blue… Doctors called my family in for my last rites that evening.” — Lisa Labozzo
In this moving episode of Uncorking a Story, Reiki Master and intuitive healer Lisa Labozzo shares how a life-altering car accident became the catalyst for a spiritual awakening. Once a high-powered fashion executive, Lisa now devotes her life to healing others...
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July 29, 2025 • 35 mins
“I realized I couldn’t write sex scenes, so I went darker. Turns out, murder is more my thing.” — Kaira Rouda
Bestselling author Kaira Rouda returns to Uncorking a Story to talk about her latest psychological thriller Jill Is Not Happy—a twisted, funny, and disturbing journey through a seemingly normal marriage gone off the rails. Kaira shares her journey from marketing executive to novelist, her struggles with writing romance (sp...
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July 22, 2025 • 56 mins
“The pain of carrying the weight of this secret for so long was more damaging than the reveal.” – Rob Tonkin
At age 14, Rob Tonkin entered the world of radio and climbed his way to the top of the entertainment marketing industry, producing iconic events like the Honda Civic Tour. But behind the success was a lifetime of buried trauma, self-sabotage, and a quest for healing. In this revealing conversation, Rob discusses his bold ne...
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July 15, 2025 • 44 mins
“Once you start understanding someone as a person, not a role, it’s impossible to make them a villain anymore.” — Christina Adams
Today’s episode of Uncorking a Story shines the light on co-authors Anthony and Christina Adams—writing as A.C. Adams—who unpack the personal odyssey that inspired their debut novel, Chasing Shadows. Fueled by Christina’s search for her vanished father and the shocking truth behind his secret double lif...
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July 8, 2025 • 50 mins
“You have to start walking the path before the path is revealed to you.” – Samantha Greene Woodruff
In this lively episode of Uncorking a Story, Mike sits down with bestselling author Samantha Greene Woodruff to unpack her unexpected journey from Nickelodeon executive to acclaimed historical fiction writer. Sam shares how yoga teacher training led to her first novel, how a fascination with lobotomy inspired The Lobotomist’s Wife, ...
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July 3, 2025 • 40 mins
“There’s never been a movie or TV series about Casey Stengel—and he’s the most animated, fun-loving, Robin Williams-type of character ever. And I intend to change that.” — Mark Galley
In this very special episode of Uncorking a Story, I’m joined by Emmy-winning PA announcer for the NY Mets Colin Cosell—yes, that Cosell—as we welcome author, creative force, and lifelong storyteller Mark Galley. Mark takes us behind the scenes of ...
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July 1, 2025 • 34 mins
“I don’t want to tell anyone what to think—I want to expose things and say, here’s what’s going on. What do you think about it?” — Jacqueline Friedland
In this episode of Uncorking a Story, Mike Carlon sits down with bestselling author and former attorney Jacqueline Friedland to talk about her latest novel, Counting Backwards, and her inspiring journey from the world of law to the world of fiction. Jacqueline shares how a Suprem...
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June 26, 2025 • 33 mins
“I want women to feel seen, supported, and connected—this chapter of life isn’t the end, it’s the beginning of something new.” — Lauren Tetenbaum
Lauren Tetenbaum is an author, therapist, and advocate who helps millennial and younger women navigate the big transitions of life—from perinatal shifts to perimenopause and beyond. In this warm and insightful conversation, Lauren joins Uncorking a Story to talk about her new book, Mil...
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June 24, 2025 • 26 mins
“The essence of art is taking life’s randomness and shaping it into something meaningful.” — Lina Chern
Lina Chern’s debut mystery Play the Fool earned major acclaim, winning the 2024 Mary Higgins Clark Award. Now she’s back with Tricks of Fortune, a darker, more nuanced follow-up inspired by a real-life incident in her community. In this candid conversation, Lina and Mike talk about the writer’s true superpower (curiosity), the d...
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June 19, 2025 • 44 mins
“You have to believe before you see—if you believe your body can rebuild itself, it will surprise you.” — Dr. Grazyna Pajunen
Dr. Grazyna Pajunen never set out to be an author—but after 14 years of helping clients in the anti-aging space, she realized there was a need to put the basics in writing. In this inspiring episode of Uncorking a Story, we explore the world of biohacking through the lens of her latest book, Biohacking: A...
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