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Interview with Shannon Wideman, Author of The Girl Who Ran

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write The Girl Who Ran?

I wanted to write a story about how our experiences and families shape both our strengths and our weaknesses. We don’t get to choose or control how we’re affected, but we can learn to use those experiences to our advantage.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of The Girl Who Ran, what would they be?

Unshattered by Meraki Moon

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

I love to read historical fiction, the bigger the better, but I wouldn't want to write it. I prefer to write epic fantasy.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

Nexus by Yuval Harari; Poems and Prayers by Matthew McConaughey.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

The ball. I loved the idea of a farm girl going to an event so different from her lived experience and having her sexuality awoken.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I am a yoga teacher, so I write in some pretty weird positions. I rarely sit in a chair.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

"This too shall pass."

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

I’d want readers to be so invested in the characters that they can’t wait for the next book, but also to have a sense of their own powers and how to use them for good.

 

Shannon Wideman is the author of the new book The Girl Who Ran

Connect with Shannon Wideman

Author Site

Facebook

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New Mystery and Thriller Books to Read | October 21

Hold on to the edge of your seat as we hunt for clues and solve the case with these exciting new mystery and thriller books for the week! There are so many bestselling authors with new novels for you to dive into this week including Elizabeth Buhmann, Thomas Scott, Lee Goldberg, and more. Enjoy your new mystery, thriller, and suspense novels. Happy reading!


Mystery / Thriller


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New Books to Read in Literary Fiction | October 21

Literary fiction readers are in for a treat. This week’s latest releases list is full of intriguing reads you won’t want to miss! The new releases list includes so many bestselling authors like Matthew Fults, Kris Maze, Kirsten Pursell, and more. Enjoy your new literary fiction books. Happy reading!



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New Science Fiction and Fantasy Books | October 21

Set off on an adventure to new worlds this week! This selection of new science fiction and fantasy books will surely please! Science Fiction fans should be excited about the latest from bestselling authors Joely Sue Burkhart, Jason Anthony Peffley, B.T. Gottfred, and more. If Fantasy is what your library needs, you’ll be able to pick up the latest from Phil Crosby, Keith R. Fentonmiller, Sara Langhe, and more. Enjoy your new science fiction and fantasy books. Happy reading!


Fantasy


Science Fiction


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New Young Adult Books to Read | October 21

Are you an avid reader of Young Adult books? This week you are in luck! With all of these new novels, you’re bound to find a new favorite book to add to your reading list. This week includes new novels from bestselling authors Emma Scott, Martha Carr, Michael Anderle, and more. Enjoy your new young adult books. Happy reading!



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New Biography and Memoir Books to Read | October 21

Looking for some new biography and memoir books for your library? There are so many new releases this week that you’re bound to find a new favorite. You can pick up new books from Lukas Gage, Eli Sharabi, Kevin Federline, and more. Enjoy your new biography and memoir books. Happy reading!



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Fame, Freedom & the Fight to Be Seen: Must-Read Biographies & Memoirs

Fame, Freedom & the Fight to Be Seen: Must-Read Biographies & Memoirs

These new releases trace the cost of visibility from global stages to small-town battles for equality. Every page hums with grit, grace, and the quiet courage it takes to stay true. Not celebrity fluff, just real lives, raw and luminous.



Searching for Bowlby: The Life of John Bowlby

by C. V. Wooster

Release Date: October 2, 2025

Searching for Bowlby is a historical narrative of John Bowlby, the father of attachment theory. Tracing his childhood, career, and collaborations reveals how his personal struggles shaped the ideas that transformed psychology, parenting, and our understanding of human connection.

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Still Bobbi: A Master Class in Resilience and Reinvention

by Bobbi Brown

Release Date: September 23, 2025

In Still Bobbi, she reveals how a young girl from suburban Chicago who was bored at school but had a budding entrepreneurial spirit that she inherited from her Papa Sam, grew up to become a makeup artist to the stars and a beauty industry icon who built two juggernaut brands.

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Misunderstood

by Allen Iverson

Release Date: October 7, 2025

In Misunderstood, Allen Iverson shares in searing clarity and touching candor his meteoric rise from impoverished child in the Virginia projects to high school champion to Georgetown University protégé of legendary coach John Thompson, and finally to NBA All-Star and Reebok’s Vice President of Basketball.

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The Fair Way: The True Story of a Landmark Case for Equality

by B. Birgit Koebke & Kendall French

Release Date: October 1, 2025

The Fair Way is the gripping true story of Birgit Koebke and Kendall French—two women who refused to be sidelined by discrimination. When their country club denied Kendall the same rights given to other spouses, they didn’t walk away quietly. They fought back.

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Freedom, Unfiltered

by Zane “Elliot Finn” Robinson

Release Date: October 5, 2025

From surviving family dysfunction and being charged as an adult at 17, to losing custody of his daughter and building a new life in the adult industry — this book doesn’t hold back. It’s about the moments no one saw. The kind of freedom that doesn’t come easy, doesn’t come pretty, but comes from choosing yourself after everyone else counted you out.

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Unlocked

by Eben Etzebeth

Release Date: October 2, 2025

Eben Etzebeth is the most-capped player in South African Rugby history. A towering lock, whose intelligence, energy, and aggression on the pitch are feared, respected, and often imitated but never matched, he is the heart and soul of the Springbok team, a key part of their astonishingly successful run that encompasses two consecutive World Cups and a current two-year stint at the top of the world rankings.

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Game-Changing Business Books to Read Now

Game-Changing Business Books to Read Now

From reframing fear to mastering curiosity, these books go beyond clichés to challenge how you lead. Each one dives deep into mindset, culture, and the psychology of success. The kind of reads that change how you show up at work and in life.



Reframe: How to Stop Listening to Fear and Start Leading from Within

by Michael Goodman

Release Date: October 14, 2025

Reframe is a practical guide to shifting perspective, breaking free from limiting beliefs, and seeing challenges as opportunities. Through stories, insights, and tools, it empowers readers to rethink obstacles, embrace growth, and create meaningful change in their work and lives.

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Cultural Excellence: A Leader's Guide to Strengthening the Heart of Your Organization

by Michele Herlein

Release Date: September 23, 2025

Is your organization's culture intentionally designed or simply a default setting? In Cultural Excellence, organizational development expert Michele Herlein provides leaders with a practical roadmap for transforming workplace culture from an accidental byproduct into a powerful driver of success.

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The Wisdom of Ignorance: Why Not Knowing Can Be the Key to Innovation in an Uncertain World

by Alan Gregerman

Release Date: October 7, 2025

Ignorance may or may not be bliss. But the right kind of ignorance can be genius. Expertise in any field is ultimately important to success. But it usually comes with a problem—a tendency toward incremental change and to become limited by what we know and what has worked in the past. As a result, the most innovative thinking that has driven upstart companies and allowed old brands to stay relevant in a fast-changing world often comes when we leave behind what we know best and what’s considered “possible.”

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The Devil Emails at Midnight: What Good Leaders Can Learn From Bad Bosses

by Mita Mallick

Release Date: September 23, 2025

In The Devil Emails at Midnight: What Good Leaders Can Learn From Bad Bosses, Mita Mallick shares how bad bosses aren't born. Bad bosses are made. They are a product of their circumstances. She shares hilarious and heartbreaking stories of the 13 bad bosses she once endured and survived, even including when she was a bad boss in her career. She challenges us, both current and aspiring leaders, to avoid the pitfalls of bad boss behavior.

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Revered: The Power of Female Leadership

by Jamie Moraga

Release Date: October 10, 2025

In Revered: The Power of Female Leadership, Jamie Moraga shares her personal journey—starting, growing, and selling a business in a male-dominated industry—alongside the candid voices of women leaders from all walks of life. From farms to Fortune 500 boardrooms, their stories span backgrounds, industries, and experiences, yet echo a common thread: resilience, grit, and determination.

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The Curiosity Curve

by Debra Clary

Release Date: October 9, 2025

Growth, resilience, and adaptability are qualities that are not only desirable but essential in today’s workplace. Dr. Debra Clary, a narrative scientist and transformational leader, has discovered that the driving force behind these qualities is curiosity. If you’re a leader in any sector, The Curiosity Curve will guide you to create a culture of curiosity for long-term, sustainable growth.

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