Author

David Vandver

Historical, Journalism, Non Fiction, Writers on Writing

Jan 29: Michael Cannell Discusses Blood and The Badge

January 29, 2025

The Mafia, Two Killer Cops, and a Scandal That Shocked The Nation

Blood and the Badge with author Michael Cannell

Michael Cannell‘s BLOOD AND THE BADGE reads like a novel – except it’s not. This true tale features Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracapp, two decorated NYPD detectives, who double-dipped as Mafia informants and paid assassins.

Considered the most corrupt chapter in NYPD history, Cannell sheds new light on Eppolito and Caracapp, who the Mafia cap called his “Crystal Ball”.

We discuss: Why the FBI couldn’t indict them. What motivated both cops to betray their own, frame innocent people, set up assassinations. And, what drove the detective who finally broke the cold case, putting them where they belong – behind bars.

Meet Michael Cannell

Michael Cannell is the author of five non-fiction books, most recently Blood and the Badge: The Mafia, Two Killer Cops, and a Scandal That Shocked the Nation. His previous books include A Brotherhood Betrayed: The Man Behind the Rise and Fall of Murder, Inc., and Incendiary: The Psychiatrist, the Mad Bomber and the Invention of Criminal Profiling. Cannell has worked as a reporter for Time and an editor for The New York Times. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Sports Illustrated and many other publications.

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Fiction, Historical, Writers on Writing

Jan 22: Hold Strong with Robert Dugoni & Jeff Langholz

January 22, 2025

A Novel Inspired by the Deadliest Accident in US Military History. A Story of Courage. Perseverance. Faith. Resilience.

Hold Strong with coauthors Robert Dugoni and Jeff Langholz

When Chris Crabtree discovered a little known historical story from WW2, he found a personal connection with someone from the true event. That began a 12 year odyssey. Chris mentioned the story to Jeff Langholz who went down a research rabbit hole for the next decade, as they tried to recreate the event in novel form.

So how, when, and why did bestselling author Robert Dugoni get involved? We discuss that today with two of the three coauthors – Robert Dugoni and Jeff Langholz.

They share the significance of the title, Hold Strong. How they collaborated as authors, and who played what role in the development and writing of the book. Where the authors took creative license and why. Which characters were a composite of multiple characters and why. And much more.

Meet Coauthors Robert Dugoni, Jeff Langholz, & Chris Crabtree

ROBERT DUGONI is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Amazon Charts bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite series, the Charles Jenkins series, the David Sloane series, and several standalone novels. He’s a multi-time winner of the Friends of Mystery Spotted Owl Award for best novel set in the Pacific Northwest. And a recipient of the Nancy Pearl Book Award for fiction.

JEFF LANGHOLZ is an award-winning teacher, researcher, entrepreneur, and writer. His work has appeared in more than 250 media outlets including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and National Geographic. He’s a professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, CA.

CHRIS CRABTREE (not joining us today) teaches middle and high school English language arts in Costa Rica. Chris’s discovery of Father Tom Scecina’s heroism and sacrifice during the deadliest accident in US military history (the sinking of the Arisan Maru) sparked the journey of HOLD STRONG.

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Journalism, Non Fiction, Social Issues

Jan 15: Protect Yourself from Cyber Attacks with Nicole Perlroth

January 15, 2025

What You Can Do Today to Keep You and Your Data Safe from the Cyber Weapons Arms Race

This is How They Tell Me the World Ends with Author Nicole Perlroth

Even if everything seems to be working and functioning normally, chances are, a cyber attack has already infiltrated your digital world without your knowledge.

In This is How They Tell Me the World Ends, Nicole Perlroth reveals unreported stories of the cyberweapons market, the most secretive, invisible, government-backed market today. We discuss the active participation of the US. How a pre-strike of cyber attacks on Ukraine aided Russia before they attacked on land. And the singularly most vital thing you can do to protect yourself and your data.

About Nicole Perlroth

Nicole Perlroth was the lead cybersecurity, digital espionage, and sabotage reporter at The New York Times for a decade, where her work was optioned for film and television. She’s a regular lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Today, she increasingly prefers life off the grid. This Is How They Tell me The World Ends is Nicole’s first book, and a New York Times bestseller.

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Memoir, Non Fiction, Women's Issues

Jan 08: Patricria Bonis Married Her Ideal Man – Or Did She?

January 8, 2025

JEDDAH BRIDE: A Testament to How Far a Mother Will Go to Protect Her Children

Jeddah Bride with author Patricia Bonis

When Patricia Bonis fell madly in love with Rahman Abbar, scion of a wealthy Saudi Arabian family, their wedding was the happiest day of her life. But her joy as a JEDDAH BRIDE soon evaporated into a life she was ill prepared for.

Patricia Bonis shares her journey from a smart, free-spirited student at Wellesley College, to living a life she found intolerable … a restricted life as a Saudi wife, viewing the world through curtains and veils and outdated rules. And, ultimately, to her final escape, painful sacrifices, and long-term triumphs.

Meet Patricia Bonis

PATRICIA BONIS is a renowned interior designer who has spent more than three decades designing the homes, offices, and embassies of some of the world’s most influential leaders, including top CEOs, ambassadors, and international financiers. She now splits her time between Palm Beach Florida, and Millbrook, New York, with her current husband. JEDDAH BRIDE is Patricia’s debut book.

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Essays, Non Fiction, Uncategorized, Writers on Writing

Dec 18: Nancy Slonim Aronie on Writing the Story You Have Inside You

December 18, 2024

Seven Secrets to the Perfect Personal Essay: Crafting the Story Only You Can Tell

Seven Secrets to the Perfect Personal Essay with author Nancy Slonim Aronie

For Nancy Slonim Aronie, helping people tell their stories has been a lifelong mission. In Seven Secrets to the Perfect Personal Essay, Nancy reveals secrets that help shape your story so that it moves, connects, and resonates with readers.

Nancy shares why she encourages new writers to master the personal essay. How you benefit from what she calls the gift of opening yourself up. How to cope with a writer’s feelings of vulnerability. How to find your voice (hint … you already have it) and what makes a story storyworthy. We discuss honesty, how to deal with negative feedback and constructive criticism, how to gather ideas, and more.

Meet Nancy Slonim Aronie

Nancy Slonim Aronie is the founder of the Chilmark Writing Workshop on Martha’s Vineyard, and the author of Memoir as Medicine; Writing from the Heart; and now Seven Secrets to the Perfect Personal Essay: Crafting the Story Only You Can Tell. A regular commentator for NPR’s All Things Considered, Aronie has taught at Harvard University and conducted writing workshops and lectures at Kripalu, Omega, Esalen, Rowe Conference Center, Wainwright House, and the Open Center in New York City.

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Fiction, Suspense, Writers on Writing

Dec 11: Rachel Kushner Introduces Creation Lake

December 11, 2024

“Brain-spinning tale of lies, greed, surveillance, crimes against nature, and ecowarriors…” Booklist Starred Review

Creation Lake with author Rachel Kushner

Rachel Kushner’s protagonist, Sadie Smith a former U.S. spy and ruthless observer of human behavior, has total faith in her ability to manipulate that behavior. She’s hired to infiltrate an anarchist commune in rural France and stir up trouble. Meanwhile, a radical from an earlier generation is living in a network of caves — a life that Sadie finds increasingly appealing.

Rachel Kushner joins us to talk about Creation Lake and its storyline. She shares insight into the character development of her protagonist, and why Sadie is the opposite of the author. How the story’s structure was inspired by noir fiction, yet Rachel says her book doesn’t exactly follow noir storytelling. And more.

Meet Novelist Rachel Kushner

Rachel Kushner is the author of the novels CREATION LAKE, THE MARS ROOM, THE FLAMETHROWERS, and TELEX FROM CUBA, a book of short stories, THE STRANGE CASE OF RACHEL K, and THE HARD CROWD: ESSAYS 2000-2020. She has won the Prix Médicis and been a finalist for the Booker Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Folio Prize, the James Tait Black Prize, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and was twice a finalist for the National Book Award in Fiction. She is a Guggenheim Foundation Fellow and the recipient of the Harold D. Vursell Memorial Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Rachel’s books have been translated into 27 languages. Her fiction has been published in the New Yorker and the Paris Review, and her nonfiction in Harpers and the New York Times Magazine. 

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Environment, Nature, Non Fiction, Science, Wildlife

Dec 04: Barrett Klein with The Insect Epiphany

December 4, 2024

How Our 6-legged Allies Shape Human Culture

The Insect Epiphany with author Barrett Klein

The impact insects have on our shaping human culture is staggering … far beyond what most of us realize. Today’s guest, entomologist Barrett Klein, shares some of the insights from his latest book, THE INSECT EPIPHANY: How Our 6-legged Allies Shape Human Culture.

We explore the many things we take for granted that happen as a direct result of insects … and what life without them would be like. We discuss how we use insects’ bodies for silk, pigments, food, medicine. How we try to recreate them for flight technology, architecture, social structures. And how we mimic them for fighting (think Kung Fu and Muhammad Ali) yoga, music, and even fashion.

Full of photos, art, illustrations, fascinating stories, and fun facts and anecdotes, The Insect Epiphany is a great way to nerd out and learn things you never knew you needed to learn!

Meet Entomologist Barrett Klein

Barrett Klein investigates mysteries of sleep in societies of insects, creates entomo-art, and is forever on the search for curious connections that bind our lives with our six-legged allies. Barrett studied entomology at Cornell University and the University of Arizona. He fabricated natural history exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History, worked with honey bees for his PhD at the University of Texas at Austin, and spearheaded the Pupating Lab at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse.

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Essays, Inspirational, Memoir, Non Fiction, Writers on Writing

Nov 20: Peter Himmelman with Suspended By No String

November 21, 2024

A Songwriter’s Reflections on Faith, Aliveness, and Wonder

Suspended By No String with author Peter Himmelman

From Emmy and Grammy-nominated musician, writer, and the creative force behind BIG MUSE, comes the timely and insightful book, Suspended by No String: A Songwriter’s Reflections on Faith, Aliveness, and Wonder.

Peter Himmelman shares thoughts and reflections on universal subjects from grief and meaninglessness, to struggles with the pain that surrounds us. Written as a way through his own struggles in life, Peter offers a view outside our myopic world, and the daily onslaught of social and news media surrounding us.

Focusing on what we can control, we discuss what Peter means by creativity, and share insights from his book, including some his own turning points in life, how Peter’s mentors impacted him, and valuable lessons learned along the way.

Meet Songwriter and Author Peter Himmelman

With over 25 critically acclaimed recordings to his credit, this singer-songwriter has been inspiring fans across the globe with his spiritually tinged Americana rock and roll for more than 40 years. Peter Himmelman is the founder of Big Muse, a company that teaches creative thinking, leadership skills, and deeper levels of communication in all facets of life – from personal to professional. His clients include The Wharton School, UCLA, and The Ross School of Business, The United States Army War College, and international bra//nds such as McDonald’s, Adobe, and Gap Inc.

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Non Fiction, Science

Nov 06: The Possibility of Life in the Heavens with Jaime Green

November 6, 2024

Science, Imagination, and Our Quest for Kinship in the Cosmos

The Possibility of Life with author Jaime Green

It’s human nature to gaze up at the starry skies on a clear night and reflect on the frequently asked but as of yet unanswered question … Are we alone?

Author Jaime Green contends that rather than trying to find a definitive answer to “Is there life out there?”, the question we should be focusing on is “What if there is?”

Jaime explores how our history and culture has been influenced by science, both real and in the fictional worlds of science fiction — think Star Trek and Avatar. And in turn, how our values, fears, anxieties and enduring sense of hope are reflected in our interpretations of scientific evidence. Jaime also reveals if she’s answered the big question for herself … what does it mean to be human?

Meet Jaime Green: Award-winning Science Author

Jaime Green is a freelance writer, editor, and writing teacher. The Possibility of Life was an NPR Science Friday Book Club Pick, a Wired Book to Read for Spring, and a TODAY Show Summer Pick. The series editor for The Best American Science and Nature Writing, Jaime Green is a lecturer at Smith College and at the Johns Hopkins Science Writing Master’s Program.

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Fiction, Writers on Writing

Oct 30: Familiaris with International Bestseller David Wroblewski

October 30, 2024

15 years in the making sequel to instant classic The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

Familiaris with author David Wroblewski

Over a decade after David Wroblewski‘s modern classic and debut novel The Story of Edgar Sawtelle comes Familiaris, the follow-up to the #1 New York Times bestseller. The new novel explores the origins of the Sawtelle family, and David discusses why, after 15 years, he felt compelled to return to their farm in Wisconsin to give John and his new bride Mary (and their three dogs) their own book.

David dives into how his creative process helped shape this new excursion into the trials and events of the Sawtelle’s lives. How his childhood influences, the evolution of his characters as he develops them, and sense of environment determines the direction of his storytelling.

Meet Award-winning, Bestselling Author David Wroblewski

David Wroblewski is the author of the internationally bestselling novel The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, an Oprah Book Club pick Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, winner of the Colorado Book Award, and numerous other awards. David Wroblewski received an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the Warren Wilson M.F.A. Program for Writers, and a Bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Wisconsin. He lives in Colorado with the writer Kimberly McClintock and their dogs, Pie and Luci.

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