Recently Uncorked

Revealing Purpose, with Nick Kemp

“You don’t need to find your ikigai—you already have it. You just need to notice it.” — Nick Kemp What if purpose isn’t something you chase—but something you already have? In this episode, Mike sits down with Nick Kemp, founder of Ikigai Tribe and author of A Year of...

Writing Through the Fire, with Priya Hutner

“We suffer as humans—and writing gives us a place to put that pain, to understand it, and maybe even transform it.”— Priya Hutner What happens when the life you’ve built—your beliefs, your community, your identity—suddenly falls apart? In this episode of Uncorking a...

Writing Without Limits, with Christian Toms-Arbel

“If you want to be a writer for money, you’re in the wrong place. The authors who last are the ones who truly love the craft.”  — Christian Toms-Arbel Christian Toms-Arbel has been telling stories since childhood. Born with a disability that required multiple...

Healing, Class, and Coming Home with Leigh Shalloway

“The story came out of me when it was supposed to come out of me—after living a whole life.” – Leigh Shalloway In this episode of Uncorking a Story, Mike Carlon sits down with novelist and holistic care practitioner Leigh Shalloway to explore the long, winding journey...

The Infinity Within: Kris Land on Souls, Cheat Codes, and the Game of Life

“Maybe what Jesus really wanted was to show us what we’re all capable of—and that we’ve simply forgotten our own power.” — Kris Land In this mind‑expanding conversation, Mike sits down with author, spiritual thinker, and serial entrepreneur Kris Land to explore the...

Love Remembers, with Charlotte Maya

Charlotte Maya’s life was turned upside down when she arrived home from a hike with her children to find a police officer and priest waiting at her home. They took her aside to tell her that her husband committed suicide and that’s where this story begins. Meet...

Tutto Bene, with Rose Patruno

Rose Patruno grew up in a very patriarchal society where her brother enjoyed many more freedoms than she did. Over time, this impacted her mental and physical health and she had no choice but to leave her home in Puglia, Italy to find love and work in Paris. After...

Finding the Fun, with Lina Chern

There is one thing that Lina Chern and I can wholeheartedly agree on and that’s the importance of having fun during the writing process. If what you are writing isn’t bringing you joy then, chances are, you aren’t going to want to see it through. It took Lina a long...

Getting Curious, with Jill Santopolo

Sometimes, beauty comes from tragedy, which is the backstory to Jill Santopolo’s debut novel The Light We Lost, which she penned after going through a traumatic breakup. Well, life has come full circle for Jill as her latest book, Stars in an Italian Sky, was inspired...

Letting Go, with Christopher Rice

One of the expressions my father is very fond of saying is, “Everything happens for a reason.” He’s also fond of saying, “If a problem can be solved with money, it’s not really a problem,” which is easy to say when one has money, but I digress. Over time, I have come...

Flashpoints, with Cheryl A. Head

The sparks that ignite story ideas are almost always rooted in experience, emotion, and curiosity. Today’s guest on Uncorking a Story, award winning author Cheryl A. Head, discusses how the murder of George Floyd served as the flashpoint for her latest novel, Time’s...

Finding the Love Within

If you are like me, when you hear the term lunch lady you immediately think of Adam Sandler and Chris Farley, but today’s guest on Uncorking a Story, Vanessa David, smashes that stereotype. But this episode really isn’t about lunch ladies—it’s the story of a woman who...

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