1 rich Libsyn https://www.libsyn.com 90 600 Luca Di Matteo returns to the Connecticut Book Festivals podcast to celebrate his new novel, Jordan’s Bitter Pill, and to share the inspiring story behind the fast-growing Connecticut Book Festivals community. Luca introduces Jordan’s Bitter Pill as a contemporary novel about Jordan, a young doctor from a sheltered, middle-class background who chooses an inner-city residency. There, she meets patients forced to choose between healthcare and basic needs, a reality that reshapes her values and career path. Instead of taking a lucrative job, Jordan opens a practice in the neighborhood—but because she’s an outsider, trust doesn’t come easily. Her creative attempts to help patients skirt the medical–legal line a bit too closely, attracting an ambitious prosecutor and putting her on trial. The heart of the story, Luca explains, isn’t just healthcare—it’s community, family, and doing what’s right, even when it’s risky. Jed and Luca talk about authenticity in storytelling, Luca’s years in medical practice, and how readers are seeing themselves in his characters—proof, for him, that he got it right. The conversation then shifts to Connecticut Book Festivals, which has exploded from a handful of authors to nearly 600 Connecticut writers, offering free membership and growing opportunities. Luca also shares the vision behind Shattered Ceiling Press, a new publishing venture focused on keeping more money and rights in authors’ hands. Throughout the episode, Jed and Luca highlight their shared mission: lifting up authors, building community, and helping readers discover their next favorite read—often right in their own backyard. Connecticut Book Festivals Podcast https://sites.libsyn.com/558800 <iframe title="Libsyn Player" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/42131735/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/88AA3C/" height="90" width="600" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe> https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/content/204231220