Be My Guest!

Please see my weekly hours below for interviews. Don’t forget to check my calendar for updates, as availability dates & times are subject to change.

Monday: 8:30 pm – 10:30 pm
Tuesday: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm, 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Wednesday: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm, 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Thursday: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm, 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Friday: 1:30 pm – 7:00 pm, 8:30 am – 10:30 am
Saturday: 1:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Sunday: 9:00 am – 10:00 pm

Enjoy watching these video podcasts with various guests, including award-winning authors, a publisher, and an entertainment personality. Scroll through the most to latest to earliest interviews below. Under each video is a brief intro, followed by guest’s message on book banning. You can also check them out here on Spotify .

Becca’s Interview Questionnaire

Meet the humble heroes behind Cosworth Publishing. I met director, screenwriter, and author Jimmy Huston and his wife Lynn Mills at the LA Festival of Books a few years ago, and I bought their Teacher’s Bundle of 5 books. In this interview, both authors share their favorite reads, recommendations, and writing styles. They also share how their company started, the ins and outs as indie publishers, and became autism advocates. Jimmy-“It’s difficult. On the one hand, all books should be freely available to everybody. On the other hand, you have people who don’t like a certain book have the right not to like it. I don’t know if they have the right to ban it or burn it, but there’s certainly disagreement in there about a lot of books on a lot of levels. There’s no answer that’s going to please everybody and there may not be an answer that’s actually correct.” Lynn-“It seems like the people who are trying to ban a certain book to get out of the library, or whatever, are kind of narrow in their focus. They shouldn’t be allowed to voice that on the rest of us.”

This was a unique interview with legendary musician and Groovemaster Jerry Jemmott. “It’s the human nature to control other humans. Once they found a way to do it, and it can get done, they’re going for it”…”Writing books and reading books…that’s something we should be allowed to do. That we should be able to do. They give us a freedom. They give us the freedom to express…to discover new worlds by reading. And the freedom to read is essential. And to be able to read what you want to read. And that can be pigeon-holed into something that’s been brainwashed. So much brainwashing has been going through education. By eliminating the truth is a form of brainwashing. Mind control.” On writing, Mr. Jemmott’s most unique comment was from anonymous quote: Don’t let perfection be the enemy of the good.

Avi returned for a second interview. This time, he answered questions from his most devoted fan base in Canada. One of my subscribers reached out to me. They asked if I’d conduct another interview with the author. They also compiled several questions from his fans. He’s here to answer those questions. Nothing’s held back.

My interview with the entertainment reporter and journalist was truly one of kind. “The good news is you can get just about anything on Amazon. While you may not find it sadly in your library or at the school, I think it’s fair to say you can probably get anything, without issue, on Amazon. I’m very proud that I’ve written the first gay Titanic Novel. You can expect more of them to come…I have opened the door. The nice thing about Titanic is that it crosses all demographics…But you’re right. This wouldn’t be in a high school library. Nor should it be…I’m very upfront. This is for adults only. I think the biggest obstacle to reading in general…is the distraction of social media and the abbreviated attention span as a result of it. We’ve become so conditioned. Even a 1 min video seems too long. News articles now say at the top of the article how long of a read they are. 4 min read. 6 min read. 8 min read. Is this what we’ve come to? We have to judge by the length of time it’s going to take us to read the article? That’s very discouraging to me.”

I had an interview former Grey’s Anatomy editor Briana London, who wrote a wonderful historical fiction story called “Shanghai Torah”. 1st message on book banning: “You get educated when you read a book. We’re losing important parts of exposure for students when we ban a book. By doing so…you’re taking away personal positive growth and reading other perspectives about other cultures or ethnicities or lifestyles promotes empathy. And we do not have enough empathy in this country. There’s just so much horrible rude behavior. Angry behavior. It doesn’t help banning books. I worry also that banning books is so polarizing to groups that are already marginalized, and without their stories, they’re being denied the right to exist. And that forces people to go back into hiding and live in fear. the autocratic leaders ban books, and then they are controlling the masses. It’s so much easier to get their messages of racism , or homophobia, or transphobia, antisemitism, fear and hatred. That’s what we’re seeing today.” 2nd Message: I think people are afraid. Teachers are not sure if it’s okay to assign a book. A student may want to read a book. of course, as soon as you ban something, people want to see what it’s about. It’s also profitable because people will go and buy your book. You’re not sure what you can talk about. You’re not sure what you can read. That’s ridiculous that we’re at this point.

The interview with fellow educator and author Jared Reck was inspiring. I really enjoyed our conversation. Here’s what he had to say about book bans, and the obstacles he faces as a teacher. “Obstacle 1: My role as a teacher for so long is just trying to get kids to love reading and find books they love. Book banning has never been any obstacle I’ve had to deal with. *Getting on the banned book list is like good publicity for authors. The banned book list doesn’t necessarily mean like the books have been pulled off the shelves, although we have seen that in the last year. Typically it’s the statistics that they put out every year, just like the number of challenges that a book has gotten at schools or public libraries across the country. Some very specific group with a very specific religious or conservative ideology has a problem, typically with anything from the LGBTQ+ community or anything that’s dealt with ‘race’ in a really honest way over the years. It’s really obvious the ones that get picked out for challenges. A lot of the book bans historically have taken place when you assign certain books, when everybody must read this book. That’s where a lot of these challenges initially came in. Obstacle 2: I think we had a very different understanding of what spicy meant, because I don’t read modern romance novels. If I go off the beaten track, I have to be careful of certain books that are deemed too ‘spicy’ for young adult readers, especially those books with explicit graphic sexual content, even on the covers. Often these are adult novels. Sometimes these books are best-sellers recommended on ‘BookTok’.”

This is my friend and award-winning composer Brooke deRosa. We both performed back in 2024 in “The Mikado” with the Ventura County Gilbert and Sullivan Repertoire Company. She is an avid reader. However, she is mostly influenced by theatrical adaptations. She creates original operatic and musical productions, including film making. We discuss the artistic process from original spark to the finished project. “In general I don’t think things should be censored at all because it becomes a slippery slope. It’s always going to change based on what people feel is inappropriate or not. I don’t think art or theater should be censored.”

Got questions about your life, and how to navigate through the never-ending maze of twists and turns? Ask. Dr. Walls. I was introduced to Kathleen E. Walls via Ms. Munir. She’s an educator, counselor, clinical psychologist, author, and founder of ASK DR. WALLS: Live Your G.R.E.A.T.E.S.T Life, and a co-founder of Sisters 4 Harmony, INC. Here, she explains that actively listening to the divine spirit is essential. Partnering spiritually is also a key intention for navigating through life. Learn what made this wholesome woman, how she became an author of a beloved children’s book series, and life coach. Her message on book Banning: “It starts to eliminate representation.”

Osiris Munir, co-creator of Ankh Entertainment 15 Minutes The Show. We met at our archery class, and she was delighted to be a guest. From entertainment personality to becoming her LA based artist and establishing her own art gallery, she’s come a long way. This was the longest interview I’ve ever conducted, and I enjoyed it all. I love her honest ‘unapologetic’ attitude and her unique upbringing with the mysterious ‘blue veil’. Watch, listen, and learn from this woman whose been through it all. “Banning books is like slavery. Who has the right to control what we read?”

Rabbi Karyn Kedar. I read her book “Dance of the Dolphin” when I attended temple. It didn’t click until much later that I tried reaching out to her. In the midst of the Oct. 7 massacre and hostage situation, we came together to discuss faith in the hardest of times. Rabbi Kedar’s Message: “I’m catogorically against book banning. On the other hand, I’d hate to see a resurrection of “Mein Kampf” on the best seller list… Book Banning is just one of many “solutions” by people who are “afraid of ideas that they consider to be corrupting of an ideology that is a type of monolithic philosophy that bans the variety of human experience.”

This was a surprise. I was researching some information online about Lord of the Rings, and Dr. Finn’s site came up. I read her profile, her work and profession, I wanted to know more. We’re fanatically, medieval sisters! Dr. Kavita Finn’s Message: 1) The Education needs to undergo a dramatic change in not just giving money, but also providing proper resources first to educational employees. 2) She doesn’t believe in Book Banning. Even books perceived as terrible to some, they have value to teach.

The first time I attended the Festival of Books in 2014 was the first time I met Barbara Saltzman. Her vendor was the first one I stopped at. I spent a good amount of time talking to her and her helpers. Her late son David was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and he didn’t have long. As it was put, he ran out onto the campus ground, and cried. Then he thought of an idea for a children’s book. It was about a jester searching for his lost jingle: happiness. Since his passing, Barbara and her family made sacrifices to make his dream come true posthumously. They became their own publishing company, and created the “Jester & Pharley Phund” to help children battling cancer. They been going strong since. This interview was a little different, but I felt so inspired to hear it all. Her Message: “This is not the first time that attempts have been made to keep books off the shelves by people who do not understand why it is vital that a democracy requires that we all be able to read different viewpoints and be able to understand one another without violence and censorship. It is very disturbing to see that some of the books that my children grew up on may be challenged as unsuitable for the children we are encouraging to read.”

*The video above is not age-restricted. I do add in a title card that the content/subject matter may not be suitable for all audiences. Yet, I loved this interview so much. Jeneen “Jacey” West is an art witch. We had a great discussion on books, Wicca and the ‘craft’. She shared her thoughts on book bans, explained Wicca, and the pagan traditions about the “Wheel of the Year”. Jeneen West’s Message: “When you ban books that can stimulate a child’s cognitive development and imagination, especially based on your own agendas, it disturbs their will to think freely for themselves.”

Lisa See’s family goes back to Chinese history and immigration in America. She’s a writer who’s connected to Asian culture. I discovered a treasure so rich in culture, tradition, and historic research behind each story is never short. Her message: “Research shows that the more you read, the more empathy you have. As a country, as a people, we could use more empathy towards other people who are different than us. Why would we want to put up roadblocks around what people can be exposed to? Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot read? Parents can have a say in what their children read…People can have religious reasons, but that’s personal. I don’t know that it’s a government’s role to tell everyone what they can and cannot read. I think it’s much more individual. What is the threat of my belief in what I write, and not invite or be curious about other’s belief systems?”

I first read Avi’s ‘Crispin and the Cross of Lead” back in high school. Later, I came across his book ‘A Beginning, A Muddle, and an End’. This book encourages writers itching to write their own story. He was the first author I reached out to. I was so was tickled when I heard back. I checked out every book of his I could get my hands on. I read a few before our interview, and was mightily impressed with his body of work. His message: “Banning Books Creates Ignorance.”

Susan Salmore is a book club leader, and former teacher. Her message: “Support your local library.”

Please watch, like, comment, and subscribe to my channel. This support allows me to continue interviewing great authors, writers, teachers, and influencers. I also hope to interview “stars” of stage and screen. They have a message to share with today’s world of readers. Also, check out my other videos on YouTube: @BeccaB-TheBookDragon. These include museum trips, book hauls, and book reviews “Thursday’s Thru The Page”. I also showcase my art projects, including my latest craze for making junk journals.