“Each time I speak, someone comes up crying, saying they finally feel seen. That’s how I know the healing matters.” —Babs Walters Babs Walters has spent her life helping others find their voice—first through corporate training, and now through the courageous act of telling her own story. In this heartfelt episode of Uncorking a Story,…

If you remove the rule of law, the dark side of human nature is very powerful—and in this period, there was no law. — Jeffrey Konvitz In this riveting episode of Uncorking a Story, Mike chats with entertainment attorney, screenwriter, producer, and bestselling author Jeffrey Konvitz—known for The Sentinel and now Circus of Satan. Jeffrey…

In this inspiring episode of Uncorking a Story, Mike sits down with trailblazing journalist, bestselling author, and entrepreneur Jackie Lapin. From being one of the first female sportswriters in America to building a top PR firm and now creating a global community for history lovers through Historic Traveler International, Jackie shares her remarkable journey through…

“Nobody writes alone—and if they do, I don’t think they write well.” In this riveting episode of Uncorking a Story, debut novelist and former fashion exec Kay Smith-Blum shares how a haunting dream, buried Cold War secrets, and a real-life radioactive whale led to her award-winning novel Tangles. We dig into her writing process, the…

“If I accept that I’m his victim… can I even say I’m a wife? If my child’s DNA is evidence of a crime… can I say I’m a mother?” – Brandi Dredge In this emotional conversation, author Brandi Dredge shares the raw and redemptive journey behind her memoir Girl Uncoded. From surviving childhood trauma and…

“I really wanted to reach the parents who might be crying in their kitchen and feeling alone—to let them know they’re not alone in those feelings.” – Jennifer Celeste Briggs In this moving episode, Jennifer Celeste Briggs opens up about her powerful memoir Watching Sarah Rise, the story of raising her daughter Sarah, who faced…

“All love is risky. People die, they leave, they don’t listen to you—but you love them anyway.” — Virginia DeLuca When Virginia DeLuca’s husband unexpectedly walked out on their marriage in his 60s—claiming he wanted children—her gut reaction wasn’t just heartbreak. It was: If you must go, I wish you triplets. That quip became the…

“We spend so much of our life trying to put the pieces back in the dollhouse… the furniture changes, the people change.” — Beverly Jean Armento In this emotional episode of Uncorking a Story, Michael Carlon sits down with author and educator Beverly Jean Armento to discuss her powerful memoir, Seeing Eye Girl. Beverly reflects…

“I’ve always believed that within the realm of what’s possible, I can do it—and fiction was just another challenge to embrace.” — Iris Mitlin Lav In this episode of Uncorking a Story, Michael Carlon uncorks the remarkable second act of Iris Mitlin Lav, a seasoned public policy expert who turned to fiction writing after retirement….

“My dad looked at me [from his deathbed] and said, ‘It just went so fast.’ I asked what did, and he said, ‘Life.’ That moment changed everything—I knew I had to write the book.” — Jennifer Griffith On this special Mother’s Day episode of Uncorking a Story, I sit down with Jennifer Griffith—host of About…