Burke Allen's Big Time Talker Podcast — by SpeakerMatch

Burke Allen's Big Time Talker Podcast — by SpeakerMatch

Big Time Talker with Burke Allen brings you compelling conversations the best Authors, Entertainers, and Experts with longtime broadcaster Burke Allen. Our sponsor SpeakerMatch is the leading provider of tools and services for emerging and professional speakers, authors, and others with a message to share.

Episodes

October 27, 2026 • 48 mins
On this episode of the Big Time Talker Podcast, Burke Allen welcomes back award-winning author and filmmaker Rick Robinson for a special simulcast with Zoom Into Books. Rick discusses 1968, his nonfiction book and documentary exploring one of the most turbulent and transformative years in American history.

From the Vietnam War and the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy to the civil rights movement...
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On this episode of the Big Time Talker Podcast, recorded live at the American Library Association Summer Conference in Chicago, Burke Allen welcomes award-winning author B.R. Michaels to discuss her debut fantasy novel, Stolen Histories, and her journey into independent publishing.

Winner of a Next Generation Indie Book Award, Stolen Histories is an epic fantasy adventure following a deaf Oracle who leads a ragtag team of th...
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On this episode of the Big Time Talker Podcast, recorded live at the American Library Association Summer Conference in Chicago, Burke Allen welcomes professional magician, producer, and author Connie Boyd to discuss her award-winning book The Power of Magical Women and the extraordinary women who have shaped the world of magic.

With more than 35 years of experience as a professional magician, Connie shares how the entertainm...
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On this episode of the Big Time Talker Podcast, recorded at the American Library Association conference in Chicago, Burke Allen welcomes author Dan E. Hendrickson to discuss his historical Western novel Railroad Man: Legacy Son. Set in 1883, the novel follows Arthur Edwards, a Civil War Navy veteran tasked with helping extend the railroad from Cheyenne, Wyoming, north toward Billings, Montana. The story expands the Edwards family b...
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On this episode of the Big Time Talker Podcast, recorded at the American Library Association Summer Conference in Chicago, Burke Allen sits down with author Judah Freed to discuss the 2026 edition of Making Global Sense, his modern extension of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense.

Judah explains how Paine’s ideas inspired him to explore concepts he calls a “Declaration of Interdependence,” mindful self-rule,...
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On this episode of the Big Time Talker Podcast, Burke Allen welcomes back award-winning author and educator Hazell Thomas to discuss Money Moves a Nation: A Civil Rights Lesson for Children and the personal history that inspired her to write it. Hazell grew up in Money, Mississippi, the small town connected to the 1955 murder of Emmett Till—an event that became a catalyst in the American Civil Rights Movement.

Drawing...
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On this episode of the Big Time Talker Podcast, Burke Allen welcomes back award-winning children's author Matt Dragovits to discuss Dawn of Legends: A Tale for Christmas, the latest addition to the magical world of Zach’s Quest.

Matt shares how growing up with nine brothers and sisters in Pennsylvania—and watching classic Rankin/Bass Christmas specials—helped shape his lifelong love of the holiday season. ...
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On this episode of the Big Time Talker Podcast, Burke Allen welcomes back award-winning children's author and illustrator Ashley Belote to talk about the latest chapter in her creative career, including Squirrel Lock Holmes #1: The Pet Rock Mystery and Little Red and Big Bad Fred.

Ashley shares how Squirrel Lock Holmes became her first early chapter book in a graphic-novel style, following squirrel detective Squirrel Lock a...
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On this episode of the Big Time Talker Podcast, Burke Allen sits down with award-winning author K.M. Cookie to discuss her debut novel, Song of Hummingbird Highway, and the personal journey that finally inspired her to become the writer she had always wanted to be. K.M. introduces Terry, a Midwestern woman who follows her musician boyfriend to Belize, where mystical rhythms and ancient forces lead her on an unexpected journey. When...
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On this episode of the Big Time Talker Podcast, Burke Allen sits down with author Jessica Teich to discuss the revised anniversary edition of The Future Tense of Joy, a deeply personal memoir that intertwines her own life with the story of a young woman she never met.

Jessica shares how an obituary for 27-year-old Lacey Cooper Reynolds captured her attention and ultimately transformed what began as an autobiography into what...
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On this episode of the Big Time Talker Podcast, Burke Allen sits down with award-winning author C.C. Soleil to discuss her historical thriller, Holy Orders.

Blending historical fiction, contemporary mystery, archaeology, and a touch of the supernatural, Holy Orders follows a team of archaeologists in southern Germany whose investigation into the Black Plague uncovers evidence of a horrific crime buried for 700 years. As the ...
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On this episode of the Big Time Talker Podcast, Burke Allen welcomes author, psychotherapist, and educator Mary McCluskey to discuss her award-winning children's books, The Leader of the Parade and Bubbles, Balloons, and Birds.

Drawing on more than two decades of experience as a therapist, Mary shares how her books help children navigate emotions, trauma, diversity, grief, and resilience through imaginative storytelling. She...
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On this episode of the Big Time Talker Podcast, Burke Allen welcomes award-winning author E.G. Slade to discuss Momentum Montessori: A Life in Motion, a historical novel inspired by the life and personal writings of Dr. Maria Montessori.

Drawing from Montessori's 1913 diary and extensive historical research, Elizabeth Slade explores the remarkable woman behind one of the world's most influential educational philosophies. The...
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On this episode of the Big Time Talker Podcast, Burke Allen welcomes entrepreneur, business leader, and motivational speaker Tony Holland for an inspiring conversation about resilience, financial literacy, and building lasting wealth.

Tony shares his remarkable journey from growing up in a difficult environment in Brunswick, Maryland, to earning a scholarship to Johns Hopkins University, overcoming homelessness, and becoming...
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On this episode of the Big Time Talker Podcast, Burke Allen sits down with award-winning children's author Tina Neely to share the heartwarming true story behind Bacon Loves Everyone.

Inspired by her real-life pet pig, Bacon Bit, Tina discusses how an unexpected companion became the inspiration for a children's book centered on love, acceptance, and belonging. She shares how she taught herself digital illustration after more...
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On this episode of the Big Time Talker Podcast, Burke Allen sits down with author Michael Ciccarelli Walsh to explore the creative journey behind his imaginative storytelling—from action-packed sci-fi adventures to heartwarming children's books.

Michael discusses how his background in screenwriting shaped his approach to writing novels, why compelling characters matter more than spectacle, and what inspired his Zoboros...
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Beach Boys fans, listen up ! Summer is officially here and this week on the Big Time Talker podcast with Burke Allen, we celebrate summer in style! There’s plenty of sun, surf and sand between our toes during this special encore presentation of our conversation with longtime Beach Boys band member Bobby Figueroa from California Surf Inc. Go behind the scenes and get the inside story about one of the biggest groups in music hi...
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Recording artist Ryne Brashear joins Burke Allen on the Big Time Talker Podcast to share his journey from growing up on a sixth-generation cattle farm in Upton, Kentucky, to building a music career in Nashville. Ryne talks about how farm life shaped his work ethic, the lessons he learned playing on Broadway, and how his sound blends country, gospel soul, and gritty rock and roll.He also opens up about songwriting, performing live, ...
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In Part Two of this special live Big Time Talker Podcast event, Burke Allen continues his conversation with New York Times No. 1 bestselling author Homer Hickam at the Washington County Public Library in Abingdon, Virginia.Homer shares the fascinating story behind the title change from Rocket Boys to October Sky, reflects on his relationship with his brother Jim, and answers audience questions about his bestselling books, the inspi...
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In this special live episode of the Big Time Talker Podcast, Burke Allen sits down with New York Times No. 1 bestselling author Homer Hickam during the Sunday with Friends Author Series at the Washington County Public Library in Abingdon, Virginia.Best known for Rocket Boys, the memoir that inspired the acclaimed film October Sky, Homer shares the fascinating stories behind his journey from growing up in the coal-mining town of Coa...
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