Denise S. Robbins is a Pushcart-nominated author from Madison, Wisconsin. Her debut novel, The Unmapping, will be published with Bindery Books in June 2025. Her interviews and writing have also appeared in Chicago Review of Books, Creative Independent, Gulf Coast Journal, The Normal School, Barcelona Review, and more.
“What Doesn’t Kill You Opens Your Heart”: Denise S. Robbins interviews author Max Hipp
September 25, 2024 by Leave a Comment
Introduction The author, teacher, and musician Max Hipp is a creature of the South, which becomes immediately clear in the first sentence of new debut short story collection—and every sentence after that. What Doesn’t Kill You Opens Your Heart (Cool Dog Sound 2024) is an honest, brutal, and necessary dive into the heart of the […]
“If Lost” by Clint Bowman
September 25, 2024 by Leave a Comment
To quote the opening lines of a Mary Chapin Carpenter song, “To be alive is to know your purpose / It’s your place in the world.” While “A Place in the World” does not rate inclusion on the playlist of songs to listen to while reading Clint Bowman’s new book, If Lost (Loblolly Press 2024), […]
“Birdhouse Jesus” by Terri Chastain
September 24, 2024 by 1 Comment
Birdhouse Jesus (Twisted Road Publication 2023) by Terri Chastain is a powerful novel. Like many powerful books, it has some heart-clutching, harrowing scenes, but, on balance it is uplifting. Yet, given some elements of the plot, perhaps there should be a trigger warning that the story contains a few scenes of sexual abuse of a […]
Donna Meredith Interviews Rachel Hauck, author of Meet Me at the Starlight
September 17, 2024 by 1 Comment
Novel Summary: Meet Me at the Starlight (Bethany House Publishers 2024) spans three generations. In 1987, supermodel Harlow Hayes seeks solace in a quaint Florida beach town to heal from a heartbreak that shattered her entire world. To her surprise, she encounters Matt Knight—a Hollywood A-lister with a bad-boy reputation—who has returned to his hometown […]
“This Familiar Heart: An Improbable Love Story” by Babette Fraser Hale
September 17, 2024 by Leave a Comment
This Familiar Heart (Winedale Publishing 2024) is a moving and memorable love story about an unlikely couple whose feelings were impassioned and despite any initial hesitancy forged a loving bond that lasted decades. Author Babette Fraser Hale has written a captivating book that doesn’t confine itself to the love she shared with her late husband. […]