In this finale to Season 1 of Ice Cream with Authors, we’re mixing things up with our very first quiz show! Four of our Season 1 guests (JJ Johnson, Millie Florence, Laurie Christine, and Kristen Joy Wilks) return to the podcast—not to talk about books, but to test their knowledge of books, your hosts, and everything in between. Feel free to shout out answers from home!

Whether you’ve been listening since Episode 1 or are just jumping in, this game show is the perfect way to wrap up a season of celebrating stories, authors, and the God who made us creative.

So grab your favorite scoop, get cozy, and play along with us in this celebration of all things Season 1!

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your ratings and reviews help us reach more families who are searching for great stories for their kids!

To watch this episode on YouTube, head over to our YouTube channel and be sure to like and subscribe.

In this episode of Ice Cream with Authors, we are visiting with S. D. Smith. S. D. Smith is the author of The Green Ember Series, a million+ selling adventure saga featuring heroic #RabbitsWithSwords. In 2025, Smith authored a new adventure novel and wrote its video-gamization story. Green Ember: Helmer in the Dragon Tomb is the first time a novel and its video game have released at the same time. He is also the author of the madcap Mooses with Bazookas: And Other Stories Children Should Never Read as well as the touching throwback adventure, The Found Boys. Finally, he has co-authored two fantasy adventure novels with his son (J. C. Smith), Jack Zulu and the Waylander’s Key and Jack Zulu and the Girl with Golden Wings.

Smith’s stories are captivating readers across the globe who are hungry for “new stories with an old soul.” Though packed with old school virtue and moral imagination, Smith doesn’t merely create “safe” stories, but bold, daring, truthful tales of light that help shape children who become dangerous—dangerous to the darkness.

Ice Cream with Authors is the podcast that brings mini-author visits straight to your home or car! Perfect for kids ages 7 through 13 and their grown-ups, each episode serves up delightful conversations with authors who create faith-filled chapter books and middle grade adventures.

If you enjoyed this author visit, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your ratings and reviews help us reach more families who are searching for great stories for their kids!

To watch this episode on YouTube, head over to our YouTube channel and be sure to like and subscribe.

In this episode of Ice Cream with Authors, we are visiting with Allie Slocum. Allie Slocum’s passion to introduce children to strong character values is what drives her to write the Character Club series and Character Club Lil Sibs Series. Slocum lives in Colorado with her husband, two daughters, and golden retriever.

Ice Cream with Authors is the podcast that brings mini-author visits straight to your home or car! Perfect for kids ages 7 through 13 and their grown-ups, each episode serves up delightful conversations with authors who create faith-filled chapter books and middle grade adventures.

If you enjoyed this author visit, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your ratings and reviews help us reach more families who are searching for great stories for their kids!

To watch this episode on YouTube, head over to our YouTube channel and be sure to like and subscribe.

In this episode of Ice Cream with Authors, we are visiting with JJ Johnson. JJ Johnson is the two-time award-wining middle grade author of the Iggy & Oz series. He serves as the director of marketing for Realm Makers, and the host of the podcast Geeky Dads talk about Geeky Things. He lives in Edmond, OK with his wife and two boys.

Ice Cream with Authors is the podcast that brings mini-author visits straight to your home or car! Perfect for kids ages 7 through 13 and their grown-ups, each episode serves up delightful conversations with authors who create faith-filled chapter books and middle grade adventures.

If you enjoyed this author visit, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your ratings and reviews help us reach more families who are searching for great stories for their kids!

To watch this episode on YouTube, head over to our YouTube channel and be sure to like and subscribe.

In this episode of Ice Cream with Authors, we are sharing the inside scoop on our writing processes, from coming up with an idea to putting the finishing touches on a manuscript. We (Becca Wierwille and Amanda Trumpower, hosts of Ice Cream with Authors) have different creative processes, so we’re excited to share those with you today.

Ice Cream with Authors is the podcast that brings mini-author visits straight to your home or car! Perfect for kids ages 7 through 13 and their grown-ups, each episode serves up delightful conversations with authors who create faith-filled chapter books and middle grade adventures.

If you enjoyed this author visit, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your ratings and reviews help us reach more families who are searching for great stories for their kids!

To watch this episode on YouTube, head over to our YouTube channel and be sure to like and subscribe.

In this episode of Ice Cream with Authors, we are visiting with Phyllis Wheeler. Phyllis Wheeler writes Christian time-travel stories with a bit of fantasy thrown in. Her award-winning books for kids feature strong families and a moral compass. She and her husband live in St. Louis. Find out more at her website, PhyllisWheeler.com.

Ice Cream with Authors is the podcast that brings mini-author visits straight to your home or car! Perfect for kids ages 7 through 13 and their grown-ups, each episode serves up delightful conversations with authors who create faith-filled chapter books and middle grade adventures.

If you enjoyed this author visit, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your ratings and reviews help us reach more families who are searching for great stories for their kids!

To watch this episode on YouTube, head over to our YouTube channel and be sure to like and subscribe.

In this episode of Ice Cream with Authors, we are visiting with Amanda Cleary Eastep. Amanda Cleary Eastep is not related to Beverly Cleary. But she is an award-winning children’s author, and the Tree Street Kids is her middle grade series for kids 8-12.

Ice Cream with Authors is the podcast that brings mini-author visits straight to your home or car! Perfect for kids ages 7 through 13 and their grown-ups, each episode serves up delightful conversations with authors who create faith-filled chapter books and middle grade adventures.

If you enjoyed this author visit, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your ratings and reviews help us reach more families who are searching for great stories for their kids!

To watch this episode on YouTube, head over to our YouTube channel and be sure to like and subscribe.

In this episode of Ice Cream with Authors, we are visiting with Carolyn Leiloglou, author of the award-winning middle grade fantasy series The Restorationists. She is the granddaughter of art collectors, daughter of an art teacher, and homeschooling mom to four wildly creative kids. You can find Carolyn everywhere online as House full of Bookworms.

Audio excerpted with permission of Penguin Random House Audio from Beneath the Swirling Sky by Carolyn Leiloglou; Read by Michael Crouch © 2023, Carolyn Leiloglou, ℗ Penguin Random House, LLC.

Ice Cream with Authors is the podcast that brings mini-author visits straight to your home or car! Perfect for kids ages 7 through 13 and their grown-ups, each episode serves up delightful conversations with authors who create faith-filled chapter books and middle grade adventures.

If you enjoyed this author visit, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your ratings and reviews help us reach more families who are searching for great stories for their kids!

To watch this episode on YouTube, head over to our YouTube channel and be sure to like and subscribe.

In this episode of Ice Cream with Authors, we are visiting with Catherine Witzaney, author of the Wingless Cycle series. Catherine is a middle grade fantasy author of tiny, bird-riding warrior sprites. Her writing pursuits are fuelled by coffee and the grace of God.

Ice Cream with Authors is the podcast that brings mini-author visits straight to your home or car! Perfect for kids ages 7 through 13 and their grown-ups, each episode serves up delightful conversations with authors who create faith-filled chapter books and middle grade adventures.

If you enjoyed this author visit, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your ratings and reviews help us reach more families who are searching for great stories for their kids!

To watch this episode on YouTube, head over to our YouTube channel and be sure to like and subscribe.

In this episode of Ice Cream with Authors, we are visiting with Jon Tilton, author of The Lands of Luxury series. Jon writes heartwarming adventures stories that the whole family can enjoy.

Ice Cream with Authors is the podcast that brings mini-author visits straight to your home or car! Perfect for kids ages 7 through 13 and their grown-ups, each episode serves up delightful conversations with authors who create faith-filled chapter books and middle grade adventures.

If you enjoyed this author visit, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your ratings and reviews help us reach more families who are searching for great stories for their kids!

To watch this episode on YouTube, head over to our YouTube channel and be sure to like and subscribe.

In this episode of Ice Cream with Authors, we are visiting with Millie Florence, author of Beyond Mulberry Glen. Millie published her first book, Honey Butter, at age 13 and hasn’t stopped since! She’s gone on to publish The Balter of Ashton Harper and her newest book Beyond Mulberry Glen, released this year through Sarah Mackenzie’s publishing house Waxwing Books.

Ice Cream with Authors is the podcast that brings mini-author visits straight to your home or car! Perfect for kids ages 7 through 13 and their grown-ups, each episode serves up delightful conversations with authors who create faith-filled chapter books and middle grade adventures.

If you enjoyed this author visit, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your ratings and reviews help us reach more families who are searching for great stories for their kids!

To watch this episode on YouTube, head over to our YouTube channel and be sure to like and subscribe.

In this episode of Ice Cream with Authors, meet Amanda Trumpower, one of the co-hosts of the show. Amanda writes for Jesus lovers who dig dragons, detectives, and droids.

Ice Cream with Authors is the podcast that brings mini-author visits straight to your home or car! Perfect for kids ages 7 through 13 and their grown-ups, each episode serves up delightful conversations with authors who create faith-filled chapter books and middle grade adventures.

If you enjoyed this author visit, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your ratings and reviews help us reach more families who are searching for great stories for their kids!

To watch this episode on YouTube, head over to our YouTube channel and be sure to like and subscribe.

In this episode of Ice Cream with Authors, we are visiting with Kristen Joy Wilks. Kristen Joy Wilks writes from a remote mountain meadow that alternates between quiet and chaos. Her stories highlight the humor and grace God gives amidst the detritus of life.

Ice Cream with Authors is the podcast that brings mini-author visits straight to your home or car! Perfect for kids ages 7 through 13 and their grown-ups, each episode serves up delightful conversations with authors who create faith-filled chapter books and middle grade adventures.

If you enjoyed this author visit, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your ratings and reviews help us reach more families who are searching for great stories for their kids!

To watch this episode on YouTube, head over to our YouTube channel and be sure to like and subscribe.

In this episode of Ice Cream with Authors, meet Becca Wierwille, one of the co-hosts of the show. Becca is the award-winning author of the Road Trip Rescue series and other stories that show kids they are wonderfully created for the unique adventures in their lives.

Ice Cream with Authors is the podcast that brings mini-author visits straight to your home or car! Perfect for kids ages 7 through 13 and their grown-ups, each episode serves up delightful conversations with authors who create faith-filled chapter books and middle grade adventures.

If you enjoyed this author visit, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your ratings and reviews help us reach more families who are searching for great stories for their kids!

To watch this episode on YouTube, head over to our YouTube channel and be sure to like and subscribe.

In this episode of Ice Cream with Authors, we are introducing this show to the grown-ups: to the parents, grandparents, teachers, and others who might want to share our podcast with the young readers in their lives. We will cover four main topics: the differences between chapter books and middle grade, our definition of Christian fiction, our content guidelines, and what you might want to know about Becca Wierwille and Amanda Trumpower, hosts of Ice Cream with Authors.

Ice Cream with Authors is the podcast that brings mini-author visits straight to your home or car! Perfect for kids ages 7 through 13 and their grown-ups, each episode serves up delightful conversations with authors who create faith-filled chapter books and middle grade adventures.

If you enjoyed this author visit, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your ratings and reviews help us reach more families who are searching for great stories for their kids!

To watch this episode on YouTube, head over to our YouTube channel and be sure to like and subscribe.

In this episode of Ice Cream with Authors, we are doing a “Mini Scoop” episode with a few small scoops of behind-the-scenes fun. We filmed this episode in person after our first day at Great Homeschool Convention in Columbus, Ohio, so we’re excited to share more about our experience there—along with a few other fun things!

Ice Cream with Authors is the podcast that brings mini-author visits straight to your home or car! Perfect for kids ages 7 through 13 and their grown-ups, each episode serves up delightful conversations with authors who create faith-filled chapter books and middle grade adventures.

If you enjoyed this author visit, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your ratings and reviews help us reach more families who are searching for great stories for their kids!

To watch this episode on YouTube, head over to our YouTube channel and be sure to like and subscribe.

In this episode of Ice Cream with Authors, we are visiting with Mark Wainwright. Mark Wainwright loves using words to entertain, instruct, and inspire. After 16 years in the book publishing industry, he now teaches professional writing courses at a Christian college in Florida. His fiction and nonfiction books continue to delight kids of all ages.

Ice Cream with Authors is the podcast that brings mini-author visits straight to your home or car! Perfect for kids ages 7 through 13 and their grown-ups, each episode serves up delightful conversations with authors who create faith-filled chapter books and middle grade adventures.

If you enjoyed this author visit, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your ratings and reviews help us reach more families who are searching for great stories for their kids!

To watch this episode on YouTube, head over to our YouTube channel and be sure to like and subscribe.

In this episode of Ice Cream with Authors, we are visiting with Ella Shine. Ella Shine LOVES pets of all kinds. She lives in Sydney, Australia with her three cats, four bunnies, parakeet, bearded dragon and an imaginary ant farm for company. (And when she's not doing any of the above, Ella Shine is simply the super fun pen name of two real authors - Penny Reeve and Cecily Paterson writing books together, chapter by chapter.)

Ice Cream with Authors is the podcast that brings mini-author visits straight to your home or car! Perfect for kids ages 7 through 13 and their grown-ups, each episode serves up delightful conversations with authors who create faith-filled chapter books and middle grade adventures.

If you enjoyed this author visit, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your ratings and reviews help us reach more families who are searching for great stories for their kids!

To watch this episode on YouTube, head over to our YouTube channel and be sure to like and subscribe.

In this episode of Ice Cream with Authors, we are visiting again with co-host Amanda Trumpower to talk about her Power Pup series. Amanda writes for Jesus lovers who dig dragons, detectives, and droids.

Ice Cream with Authors is the podcast that brings mini-author visits straight to your home or car! Perfect for kids ages 7 through 13 and their grown-ups, each episode serves up delightful conversations with authors who create faith-filled chapter books and middle grade adventures.

If you enjoyed this author visit, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your ratings and reviews help us reach more families who are searching for great stories for their kids!

To watch this episode on YouTube, head over to our YouTube channel and be sure to like and subscribe.

In this episode of Ice Cream with Authors, we are visiting again with co-host Becca Wierwille to talk about the third and final book in the Road Trip Rescue series, Road Trip Redemption. Becca is the award-winning author of the Road Trip Rescue series and other stories that show kids they are wonderfully created for the unique adventures in their lives.

Ice Cream with Authors is the podcast that brings mini-author visits straight to your home or car! Perfect for kids ages 7 through 13 and their grown-ups, each episode serves up delightful conversations with authors who create faith-filled chapter books and middle grade adventures.

If you enjoyed this author visit, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your ratings and reviews help us reach more families who are searching for great stories for their kids!

To watch this episode on YouTube, head over to our YouTube channel and be sure to like and subscribe.

In this episode of Ice Cream with Authors, we are sharing the inside scoop on selling books at Teach Them Diligently 2025 in Dayton, Ohio. We (Becca Wierwille and Amanda Trumpower, hosts of Ice Cream with Authors) had so much fun as vendors and speakers at this event, and we’re excited to share about it with you today.

Ice Cream with Authors is the podcast that brings mini-author visits straight to your home or car! Perfect for kids ages 7 through 13 and their grown-ups, each episode serves up delightful conversations with authors who create faith-filled chapter books and middle grade adventures.

If you enjoyed this author visit, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your ratings and reviews help us reach more families who are searching for great stories for their kids!

To watch this episode on YouTube, head over to our YouTube channel and be sure to like and subscribe.

In this episode of Ice Cream with Authors, we are visiting with Laurie Christine. Laurie Christine is an author, podcast host, Bible teacher, wife and mom to four wild, wonderful boys. She writes adventure-packed Biblical fiction and devotions for kids ages 8-12.

Ice Cream with Authors is the podcast that brings mini-author visits straight to your home or car! Perfect for kids ages 7 through 13 and their grown-ups, each episode serves up delightful conversations with authors who create faith-filled chapter books and middle grade adventures.

If you enjoyed this author visit, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your ratings and reviews help us reach more families who are searching for great stories for their kids!

To watch this episode on YouTube, head over to our YouTube channel and be sure to like and subscribe.