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Fiction, Writers on Writing

Dec 14: Wendy Sand Eckel with Mystery at Windswept Farm

December 14, 2022

A Rosalie Hart Mystery

A love of organic farm-to-table food, Italian cuisine, and murder and mayhem in an intimate community … what’s not to love?

Today we discuss the third novel in the Rosalie Hart Mystery Series with author Wendy Sand Eckel. She shares how a minor incident in her teens led to a background in criminology. How she approaches her writing, develops her characters, and how she chose the antagonist for Mystery at Windswept Farm. We also discuss thoughts on the important Italian practice of “Il dolce far niente”.

About Wendy Sand Eckel

With degrees in criminology and social work, followed by years of clinical practice, Wendy Sand Eckel combines her passion for words, relationships, and meaning, through her stories.​ The award-winning author of the Rosalie Hart Mystery Series, Wendy is an active member of the Mystery Writers of America and the International Association of Crime Writers.

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Biography, History, Journalism, Non Fiction

Dec 07: The Pirate’s Wife with Daphne Palmer Geanacopoulos

December 7, 2022

The Remarkable True Story of Sarah Kidd

Daphne Palmer Geanacopoulos’ fascination with pirates focuses on the women behind those pirates. In The Pirate’s Wife, Daphne shares insight into the life of Sarah Kidd, and what it meant to be married to the infamous Captain William Kidd.

We take a peek into piracy and privateering in colonial America and discuss how the once respectable Kidd became a pirate; and why pirates were originally welcomed.  Daphne also reveals who Sarah was, her role, what drove her, and the big question we all want to know: Where is the treasure?

About Daphne Palmer Geanacopoulos

Dr. Daphne Palmer Geanacopoulos is a historian, journalist, and author who’s spent the past 15 years, researching pirates, their lives, and their wives.  The Pirate’s Wife – The Remarkable True Story of Sarah Kidd is Daphne’s second book (narrative nonfiction). Her writing on history, business, science, health, fitness, education, museums, parenting, philanthropy, and lifestyles has appeared in many major outlets, including The New York Times, the Washington Post, and Southern Living.

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Essays, Memoir, Non Fiction, Writers on Writing

Nov 09: Peter Orner – Still No Word From You: Notes in the Margin

November 9, 2022

Observations on books, stories, poems, and life by the author of Am I Alone Here?

He’s known as a writer’s writer, a triple threat — novelist, short story master, and prolific essayist. But if you ask Peter Orner what he really wants readers to take away from his work, it’s connection.

Still No Word from You: Notes in the Margin melds intimate stories from the lived life and reading life. We discuss how Peter’s stories are often built around small moments;  how he knows which moments will make a great story. Living the writer’s life. What challenges Peter as a writer, and more.

About Peter Orner

The author of two novels and several story collections, Peter Orner‘s work has appeared in The Best American Short Stories, The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Paris Review, and more. His previous essay collection, Am I Alone Here? Notes on Living to Read and Reading to Live, was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Criticism. Peter Orner is a 3-time recipient of the Pushcart Prize and has received numerous awards including a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a Fulbright in Namibia. He is currently the director of creative writing at Dartmouth College.

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Memoir, Non Fiction

Oct 12: Escaping the Children of God Cult – Daniella Mestyanek Young

October 12, 2022

Uncultured: A Memoir

Daniella Mestyanek Young was a third-generation Family member to a group better known as the Children of God. She was raised from birth to believe the world outside was dangerous, full of evil people — and that childhood sex with multiple older men was normal. It was God’s will.

Yet when she was just 15 years old, Daniella had the fortitude to escape everything she knew, put herself through school, and forge a new career — only to find herself back in another “cult”.

We discuss how to identify culture vs. cult. The three phases to leaving a cult. How telling her story after many years of hiding the truth helped Daniella overcome imposter syndrome and build a healthy new life with a real family.

About Daniella Mestyanek Young

American author and speaker Daniella Mestyanek Young was raised in the religious cult the Children of God. She later served as an intelligence officer for more than six years in the US Army, achieving the rank of captain, and became one of the first women in US Army history to conduct deliberate ground combat operations on a Female Engagement Team. Daniella’s the recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award and is currently finalizing her master’s degree in industrial and organizational psychology from the Harvard Extension School. Her new book is Uncultured.

 

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Memoir, Non Fiction

Oct 05: White Flag – A Memoir with NYT Bestselling Author Judy L Mandel

October 5, 2022

70% of kids who try drugs before 13 develop a substance abuse disorder within 7 years

When Judy Mandel made a deathbed promise to her sister, she had no idea how that promise would end. From an early age, Judy’s niece Cheryl struggled with addiction and the horrors that came with it – from imprisonment to living in shelters, and ultimately, a fatal overdose.

Trying to understand Cheryl’s life and where things went wrong, Judy Mandel drew on her investigative journalism skills and set out on a painful but revealing journey. The result is her latest memoir, White Flag.

About Judy Mandel

Judy Mandel is a former reporter and marketing executive. She has an MFA in create writing from Stony Brook University, and her essays have appeared in numerous publications including American Writers Review and Complete Wellbeing Magazine. She’s the New York Times bestselling author of Replacement Child. Her second memoir is White Flag.

*According to NCDAS: National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics

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Journalism, Non Fiction

APR 06: Author Michelle Black Exposes Military Cover Up in Sacrifice

April 6, 2022

A Gold Star Widow’s Fight for the Truth

Michelle Black went from wife and mom to investigative journalist when her Green Beret husband Bryan Black was ambushed and killed in Niger. She was met with a flood of military disinformation, where they blamed and shamed Black and his team for going rogue. The media blindly repeated the military’s version of the ambush, and that ignited widow Michelle Black‘s search for the truth — no matter what.

We discuss the Black’s life before the military, before the fatal mission. How leadership ignored the advice to abort, and the many challenges Michelle faced  interviewing survivors to get to the heart of the truth. But she never gave up trying to restore Bryan’s reputation, and eventually exposed the military cover up that left her children fatherless.

About Michelle Black

Michelle Black is mom to two boys, a Gold Star widow, and author. She has a degree in environmental sciences and horticulture. She’s been published in the New York Times, The Daily Beast, and Task & Purpose. Sacrifice: A Gold Star Widow’s Fight for the Truth is her debut book.

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Fiction, Suspense, Writers on Writing

Mar 30: Heather Gudenkauf with Overnight Guest

March 30, 2022

“Fully realized, wholly absorbing & almost painfully suspenseful…” ~ The New York Times

Thrilled to talk again with Heather Gudenkauf about her latest page turner, The Overnight Guest.

Heather shares the true story that sparked an idea for The Overnight Guest. Why she chose a true-crime writer as her protagonist. How she managed different timelines and multiple points of view – and how she did all that while setting a pace that fully engages readers and brings the stories together. Heather also reveals how she takes an ugly first draft and polishes it to become a riveting story and New York Times bestseller.

About Heather Gudenkauf

Heather Gudenkauf is an Edgar Award nominated, New York Times & USA Today bestselling author, and The Overnight Guest is her ninth novel. Heather lives in Iowa and in her free time enjoys having fun with family, reading, swimming, and hiking (with her very spoiled German Shorthaired Pointer, Lolo).

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Fiction

JAN 13: Brad Taylor with American Traitor, a Pike Logan Novel

January 13, 2021

New York Times Bestselling Author of Hunter Killer

Could China deliberately trick Taiwan into starting a full blown war by destabilizing its government and manipulating artificial intelligence defense systems?  Will Pike Logan find the man about to betray his country before it’s too late?

Returning guest, Brad Taylor, shares his experience writing American Traitor. We touch on Brad’s research, where he traveled, favorite spots, and surprises. He shares his favorite scenes to write. How he keeps his two protagonists fresh and evolving. And how growing up in rural Texas influenced Brad’s life.

About Brad Taylor

Retired Lieutenant Colonel Brad Taylor is a 21-year veteran of the US Army Infantry and Special Forces, including eight years with the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment—Delta Force. Brad Taylor has written 14 New York Times bestsellers, and consults with various agencies on asymmetric security threats.

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Non Fiction, Personal Development, Self-help

DEC 16: Unlock Your Radical Intuition with Kim Chestney

December 16, 2020

A Revolutionary Guide to Using Your Inner Power

Nothing stays the same forever and as we move away from the information age, Kim Chestney says we’re at the start of the intuition revolution. It’s time to own your real power by tapping into your intuition – in business and in life.

We discuss what Radical Intuition means, and the difference between instinct and intuition. How radical intuition can help support your life and personal growth. And how knowing the 4 archetypes of intuition, and identifying your primary style, can help remove blocks and open up flow.

About Kim Chestney

An author, innovation leader, and the founder of Intuition Lab, Kim Chestney‘s work has been featured or supported by leading-edge organizations including SXSW Interactive, Carnegie Mellon University, and Hewlett-Packard. Kim’s new book is Radical Intuition: A Revolutionary Guide to Using Your Inner Power.

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Humor, Memoir, Non Fiction

Oct 21: #1 NYT Bestselling Author Teresa Rhyne with Poppy in The Wild

October 21, 2020

A Lost Dog, Fifteen Hundred Acres Of Wilderness, And The Dogged Determination That Brought Her Home

Known as the pack-leader of heartfelt, funny, original dog memoirs, Teresa Rhyne is upfront about her books having happy endings—important when we’re talking about our furry ones.

Today we hear the tale of Poppy, a beautiful beagle rescued from China’s meat trade, only to vanish in 1500 acres of wilderness. Teresa shares how she became involved as a foster mom. Common mistakes that dog owners make when their dog is lost.  And how her own dog helped her through breast cancer.

About Teresa J Rhyne

Teresa Rhyne’s debut memoir The Dog Lived (and So Will I) reached #1 on the New York Times Nonfiction and E-book bestseller lists twice, #1 on the Wall Street Journal Nonfiction bestseller list, and #6 on USA Today’s Top 100 books in the USA. Poppy In The Wild: A Lost Dog, Fifteen Hundred Acres Of Wilderness, And The Dogged Determination That Brought Her Home is Teresa’s third book. When not writing bestselling memoirs, she is a fulltime estate planning attorney in California.

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