Big Daily Blend

Author Kayla Hardy on "The Quarter Queen," her debut historical fantasy reimagining Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, and her rebellious daughter, Ree. 
Voodoo queens, secret societies, and the mother-daughter bond that can make or break a family. For National Book Month, Kayla Hardy joins Big Blend Radio’s "Books & Authors" with Books Forward, to talk about The Quarter Queen, a lush, richly researched story of two generations of powerful women in a magically and racially divided 1840s New Orleans.
In the novel, Ree finds her formidable mother, Marie, comatose in the bayou and has to uncover the secrets of Marie’s past to save her. Enemies are circling, including a puritanical Brotherhood of alchemists, the slaveholding mayor of the city, and Ree’s childhood best friend turned witch hunter.
In this conversation, Kayla talks about:- Growing up between Ohio and Louisiana Creole country, and how childhood summers hooked her on Marie Laveau- Why slavery itself, the system, is the true villain of the book- Voodoo’s blend with Catholicism: magic, psychology, or both?- The Brotherhood’s obsession with purity, secret societies, and alchemy- Ree’s coming-of-age and mothers and daughters seeing each other as whole people- Her years of writing and querying before the book deal, and how a TV pilot became a novel
Kayla Hardy is a mythology expert and multi-hyphenate author and screenwriter of Louisiana Creole descent. She earned her PhD in creative writing and African American literature from SUNY Binghamton University, where she is an adjunct professor and an accomplished scholar of Black folklore, mythology, and Voodoo. "The Quarter Queen" (Ballantine) is her first novel, named an Essence Most Anticipated Book of 2026 and a Book Riot Best New Book of March.
Kayla Hardy’s website: https://KaylaHardy.com Books Forward: https://booksforward.com/ Big Blend Media House: https://www.BigBlendMediaHouse.com 

Harry Belafonte was a legend in music, but the film "Following Harry" isn’t about his music. It’s about what he did when the music stopped. In this Big Blend Radio conversation, host Lisa D. Smith talks with Emmy-nominated filmmaker and editor Susanne Rostock, director of "Following Harry" and its companion film, "Sing Your Song," about the last twelve years of Harry Belafonte’s life and the new generation of artists and activists he mentored.
Susanne shares how the film began. "Sing Your Song" ended with Harry looking straight at the audience and asking, “What do we do now?” Not long after, he invited her to move her editing equipment into his brand-new office, which became a hub of activism where you never knew who might walk in. She talks about the podcast she once planned to make there, and how a front-row seat to Harry’s conversations with young people turned into a film about how movements are built.
You’ll hear why young people listened to Harry: he was gentle, he was a true conversationalist, and he wasn’t there to lecture. He left what Susanne calls “a trail of crumbs” and invited the next generation to pick it up, or bring something better. We talk about the mentors who shaped him, including Paul Robeson, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Nelson Mandela, and about why passing the baton mattered so much to him.
Lisa also shares her own connection to the story. She grew up in Kenya and South Africa listening to Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masekela, and Susanne talks about Harry’s love for African music and the power of the album he made with Makeba. We also talk about love with conviction, doing what you can with the platform you have, the role of the arts in crossing divides, and Susanne’s work editing the film, which Nancy J. Reid (Big Blend Media) called seamless.
Perfect for Global Diversity Month, this episode is about common humanity, mentorship, and what we choose to leave behind for the next generation. Following Harry is available on Amazon Prime in the US and Canada, starting October 13, 2026.
Watch the trailer and get more information on the film:https://www.followingharry.org/ 
More from Big Blend Media House:https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com 

Celebrate America 250 in upstate South Carolina! On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Jo Goes Everywhere" Podcast, travel writer Jo Clark takes us to Ninety Six National Historic Site, a backcountry crossroads where 12 roads met and later the site of the longest land siege of the American Revolution, from May 22 to June 18, 1781. This park also turned 50 this year.
Jo walks us through the Star Fort and Kosciuszko’s brick-lined mine tunnel. She also tells the tale of the engineer who got shot in the butt, poses for a selfie with the big replica gun, and explains why the kids’ tunnel is such a hit. She shares what it’s like to hear reenactments and cannon fire (earplugs recommended!) and why Lake Greenwood State Park is worth adding to your trip.
Then it’s time to eat and stay. Jo takes us to Break on the Lake and Indigenous Underground, where Chef Erica “Trudy” McCier serves soul rolls and Black Eye Pea Gumbo. She also stops at Main Street Coffee Co., The Rough House and 96 Pecan Company (don’t miss the Lemon Crunch!), and spends the night at The Veranda on Main. At the end, Jo toasts with her Spooktacular Halloween Cocktail.
RESOURCE LINKS:- Read Jo’s full article, with all the details, tips and links to every stop: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/ninety-six-national-historic-site - Get Jo’s Spooktacular Halloween Cocktail recipe: https://recipestravelculture.com/spooktacular-halloween-cocktail/ 
Follow More of Jo:-  https://www.haveglasswilltravel.com/ - https://recipestravelculture.com/ - Jo Goes Everywhere! Podcast: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/jo-goes-everywhere-podcast - Jo Goes Everywhere! Digital Podcast Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/jo-goes-everywhere-magazine 

Travel writer Erin Coyle takes us to Oman, where a cup of coffee is an invitation and hospitality is a way of life.
On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio’s "Food, Wine & Travel" Podcast with the International Food Wine Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA), host Lisa D. Smith talks with IFWTWA member Erin Coyle, a freelance travel writer and ESP teacher who moved to Oman in 2018 to teach, started writing about travel during the pandemic, and now lives in Muscat.
Erin shares what it’s really like to travel in Oman: the warm welcome, the customs worth knowing, the food, and the landscapes that pleasantly surprise first-time visitors.
In this episode:- Why Oman feels calm and welcoming to travelers, and where it sits on the map- Erin’s path from teaching English in Sur to writing about travel- What an Omani wedding looks like, from the late-night start to the bride’s grand entrance- How to dress respectfully in a Muslim country, from wadis to mosques- Oman’s food: shuwa (goat cooked in the ground), mishkek kebabs, kabuli rice, and Paplou fish soup- Why coffee is the heart of Omani hospitality, plus dates, halwa, and the secret of shaking your cup- Modern Muscat versus traditional villages, falaj water channels thousands of years old, and a skyline with no skyscrapers- Wine and alcohol for travelers, wellness and breathwork, and nature from mountains to coast- Erin’s Hot Pot and the one-pot meals every culture shares
It's the perfect episode to celebrate Global Diversity Awareness Month! 
READ ERIN'S OMAN ARTICLE:- https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/oman-hospitality-things-to-do 
CONNECT WITH ERIN:- https://erinshotpot.com - https://www.instagram.com/erinshotpot/ - https://www.facebook.com/erintravelwriter 
IFWTWA:- International Food Wine Travel Writers Association:https://www.ifwtwa.org/ - More Food, Wine & Travel podcast episodes:https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/food-wine-travel-with-ifwtwa - Travel, Food & Wine Podcast Magazine:https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/travel-food-wine-magazine 

Celebrate Pizza Month, Italian American Heritage Month, and Family History Month with pizza, wine, and Sicilian family stories in this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Wine Time with Peggy" Podcast!
Peggy Fiandaca, co-owner of Arizona's LDV Winery, starts with a fall update from the vineyard and the tasting room in Old Town Scottsdale, including a Burgundy wine talk, Petite Sirah in November, trivia night, and two new wine releases. Then she and Lisa D. Smith dive into Peggy's Italian American heritage: growing up Sicilian in Chicago, why so many Italian immigrants came to America and the discrimination they faced, and the close-knit extended family and Sunday suppers that shaped the way she cooks.
Peggy shares the Sicilian pizza traditions of her childhood, a thick, rectangular, focaccia-style pizza baked in an olive-oil-slicked pan and made at home every Friday night. She also explains her Wine Term of the Month, Nero d'Avola, Sicily's flagship red, and what makes a ragù different from a Sunday sauce. Then it's time for pizza and wine pairings: what to pour with a cheesy slice, ham and pineapple, Margherita, and white pizza, plus why pizza for brunch with bubbles sounds like a great idea.
LINKS & RESOURCES- Get Peggy's pizza and wine pairing tips, plus more of her Italian-style recipes: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/how-to-pair-wine-with-pizza - Learn more about LDV Winery: https://ldvwinery.com - Check out the "Wine & Bites" Recipe & Podcast Digital Magazine: https://online.fliphtml5.com/yhwzg/fmlb - Follow "Wine Time with Peggy" Podcast: https://wine-time-peggy.podbean.com/ 

It's October in Asheville, which makes it ghost-watching season. In Part 2 of this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Adventures in Asheville" visit with Dawn Bankson of Star Watch Night Vision Tours, we head out after dark to historic Riverside Cemetery in the Montford neighborhood, a couple of blocks from The Lion & The Rose Bed & Breakfast.
Host Lisa D. Smith and Nancy J. Reid join Steve and Karen Wilson, Dawn, and her guide Todd Robertson at the old vault that ghost hunters report as the most haunted spot in the cemetery. Through military-grade night vision goggles, the building seems to shimmer with waves of twinkling lights. They compare notes on what they're seeing, spot what might be orbs, and keep an eye out for the mother bear and two cubs said to be living in the cemetery.
Then it's out to a farm under a sea of stars to talk about satellites, strange moving lights, how Dawn got started with night vision tours, and why she and Todd love searching for stars and Bigfoot near Mount Pisgah. Todd shares his own Sasquatch call, a camping mystery with no bear tracks, and the squeals that made the group wonder what was out there.
Listen to Part 1, watch the full episode, and get more information:https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/star-watch-night-vision-tours-asheville 
Follow Dawn & Star Watch Night Vision Tours:- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057159232266 - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starwatchnight 
Stay at The Lion & The Rose Bed & Breakfast:https://www.lion-rose.com 
More Adventures in Asheville:- Podcast Channel: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/adventures-in-asheville-podcast - Digital Podcast Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/adventures-in-asheville-magazine 

Step inside the 100 Men Hall in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, a 1922 Chitlin' Circuit landmark and Mississippi Blues Trail stop just across from the historic train depot. On location for Big Blend Radio's "Travel with Terri" Podcast, this shared episode features travel journalist Terri Guthrie who sits down inside the hall with Rachel Dangermond, the writer and award-winning journalist who purchased it in 2018 and now leads the nonprofit that keeps it alive. It's the perfect episode to celebrate Global Diversity Awareness Month! 
Rachel traces the hall's roots to a self-reliant benevolent association formed in the Black community during Jim Crow, and shares the skits, the manless weddings, and the legendary musicians who played here, including James Brown, Ray Charles, Etta James, Guitar Slim, and BB King. She also explains how a Mardi Gras crew began in the hall as the Merrymakers, why the Chitlin' Circuit story is more nuanced than most people know, and how the hall's mission has grown to celebrate every community through A Soulful Christmas, Día de los Muertos, and the Matzo Ball.
You'll also hear about the hall's four annual fundraisers: Rock 'N' Roux in January, Swamp(gr)Ass Get Down in April, Booker Fest over Labor Day weekend, and Cigars Under the Stars benefiting Gulf Coast veterans. Rachel talks about the endowment protecting the hall's future and why visitors from as far as Japan, Australia, and New Zealand keep coming back. Along the way, Terri shares the route of Amtrak's Mardi Gras Train, which runs twice daily between New Orleans and Mobile.
RESOURCE LINKS:- Plan Your Visit: 100 Men Hall: https://100menhall.com/ - Listen to the previous episode about Amtrak's Mardi Gras Trainwith Knox Ross, Chairman of the Southern Rail Commission: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/mardi-gras-train-gulf-coast-amtrak 
TRAVEL WITH TERRI:Travel with Terri: https://www.travelwithterri.com/ Travel with Terri Podcast: https://www.travelwithterri.com/podcast Travel with Terri Magazine: https://www.travelwithterri.com/magazine 

It's Health Literacy Month, and today is publication day for the book, "Treating a Broken System: A Physician's Cure for the Healthcare Crisis."
Retired physician and Professor Emeritus of Clinical Medicine Dr. Neil J. Farber joins Lisa D. Smith on Big Blend Radio to talk about why he wrote the book and what he believes it will take to fix the way patients, physicians, and healthcare administrators work together.
After decades of teaching communication to physicians, Dr. Farber became a patient himself and saw the healthcare crisis from the other side. In this conversation he explains why you keep getting asked the same questions at every visit, how electronic records, patient portals, and AI note-taking are changing the workload for doctors, and why he calls the pressure on physicians "assembly line medicine."
You'll also hear practical tips you can use right away: bring a list of your concerns, bring someone with you or ask to have them join by phone or Zoom, record the visit, and look for a physician who practices shared decision making. Dr. Farber also describes a Mayo Clinic approach in which administrators listen to physicians and give them the authority to fix their own workload, and a Valley fever story that shows why curiosity about the whole person helps both doctors and patients.
Dr. Farber says the book is for patients, physicians, and administrators, and Lisa adds caregivers and families to that list. He is donating his book profits to charity.
Get the book & learn more: https://neiljfarber.com/ More from Big Blend Radio: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/