Finding Hope, Magic, and Mystery with Bestselling Author Melissa Payne| S4 FINALE EP200: Book Banter Podcast
- Dianne Burckhardt

- 23 hours ago
- 4 min read
A season finale conversation with Melissa Payne about second chances, unexpected adventures, and the stories that stay with us.

Bleeped words: Serial K!ller x3
Hello Happy People,
It’s the season finale, and we’re wrapping up the year with bestselling author Melissa Payne, whose stories of redemption, love, and second chances have captured readers’ hearts. Her latest novel takes us to Sunny Pines Retirement Community, where secrets, spirits, and a determined grandmother named Birdie Allen prove that adventure doesn’t end at sixty-two.
Melissa and I talk about finding hope in unexpected places, the beauty of aging characters who still have plenty of fight left, and how a touch of mystery and magic can make even the heaviest story feel full of light. We also chat about writing through the chaos of family life, celebrating small victories, and the joy of closing out another creative year.
If you love heart, humor, and a dash of the supernatural, this conversation will leave you smiling and ready for the holidays.
Melissa Payne is the bestselling author of The Wild Road Home, A Light in the Forest, and several other award-winning novels set in small mountain towns. She lives in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains with her husband, three kids, a friendly mutt, a very loud cat, and the occasional bear.
As we wrap up this season of Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt, thank you for tuning in, sharing the love, and supporting all the incredible authors we’ve featured this year. Everyone with Burckhardt Books and Book Banter Productions wishes you a peaceful holiday season filled with good stories, warm drinks, and a little bit of magic. We will share the "Best of" episodes starting next week until our season five opener February 4, 2026.
Enjoy,
Dianne
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Season Countdown Episodes
Every Wednesday
November 12th - December 10th
12th - S4 EP 196: Now Streaming
Candace MacPhie, Author of The Back in a Year Series Including Finding Color
19th - S4 EP 197: Now Streaming
Amy Weinland Daughters, Author of You Cannot Mess This Up: A True Story That Never Happened
26th - S4 EP 198: Now Streaming
David J. Gibson, Author of the Dystopian Fiction Novel Elite Memories
December
3rd - S4 EP 199: Now Streaming
David Weill, Author of Tell Me I Belong: A Journey Across Faiths and Generations
Season 4 Finale
10th - S4 EP 200: Now Streaming
Melissa Payne, Bestselling Adult Fiction Author of In the Beautiful Dark
Season Hiatus Episodes
Every Wednesday
December 10th - January 28th, 2026
17th - S4 Hiatus EP 201
Rebroadcast S4 EP179: Breakfield & Burkey, Authors of The Enigma Series & Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles
24th - S4 Hiatus EP 202
Rebroadcast - S4 EP180: Valerie Sherrard, Author of the Middle-Grade book A Bend in the Breeze
31st - S4 Hiatus EP 203
Rebroadcast S4 Lovefest EP163: Doug Williams, Playwright, Filmmaker, & Author of Failure Point
January 2026
07th - S4 Hiatus EP 204
Rebroadcast - S4 EP182: Risa August, Author of The Road Unpaved: Border to Border with a Brain Tumor and a Bike
4th - S4 Hiatus EP 205
Rebroadcast -S4 EP174: Miles Spencer, Co-Author of the Amazon Bestseller, A Line in the Sand
21st - S4 Hiatus EP 206
Rebroadcast - S4 EP178: Linda Hughes, Romantic Women’s Fiction Author of The Second Chances Series
28 - S4 Hiatus EP 207
Rebroadcast - S4 EP175: Joel Shulkin, MD, Author of The Forensic Technothriller, Heroic Measures
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