When the stable foundation of your life suddenly shifts, what do you do with the time you have left? Join host Terry Shepherd on In Conversation as he sits down with Dara Levan, the award-winning author, podcaster, and speech-language pathologist, to discuss her beautifully poignant new novel, Shaken to the Core. Together, they dive into a deeply moving story about grief, transformation, and the profound ways love and "framily" can reshape our worldview when we least expect it.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

📸 Finding a Voice Behind the Lens: How the protagonist, Joy, uses photography as a protective comfort zone until life’s sudden detours force her to step out from behind the camera and reclaim her voice.
📖 The Legacy of a Camp Diary: The evocative role of a 1980s sleepaway camp journal as a portal to understanding a mother's youth, sparking an unexpected professional metamorphosis.
🌈 Choosing Joy Through Grief: Dara shares her personal experiences with otherworldly "visits," symbols like rainbows and ladybugs, and the conscious decision to choose hope in the wake of profound loss.
🎙️ The Art of Listening: How hosting her own podcast, Every Soul Has a Story, and her background in speech pathology have deepened her empathy and expanded her worldview.

About the Guest

Dara Levan is an author, speaker, speech-language pathologist, and the founder of Every Soul Has a Story, a global platform dedicated to sharing the experiences that shape us. She is the author of It Could Be Worse, a contributor to the USA Today best-selling anthology On Being Jewish Now, and her latest novel, Shaken to the Core, has been recognized as a Zibby’s Summer Read and recommended in People Magazine.

About Terry Shepherd

Terry Shepherd is the author of the Jessica Ramirez thriller series and the host of In Conversation, where he welcomes world-class authors, creatives, and cultural figures for deep, insightful discussions about their craft and life journeys.

Links & Resources

Visit the Author’s Website: DaraLevan.com
Buy the Book: [Shaken to the Core on Amazon/Bookshop]
Listen to Dara's Podcast: [Every Soul Has a Story]
Connect with the Host: [TerryShepherd.com]

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