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Podcast

History, Journalism, Non Fiction, Writers on Writing

Aug 07: Michael Castleman Shares The Untold Story of Books

August 7, 2024

A Writer’s History of Book Publishing

The Untold Story of Books with author Michael Castleman

Are physical books here to stay? The answer might surprise you. There are so many interesting stories and trails and fun facts in Michael Castleman‘s The Untold Story of Books: A Writer’s History of Book Publishing that we couldn’t put it down. Whether you’re a writer, reader, bibliophile, librarian, publisher, or just interested in how it started and where it’s at stories, we think you’ll enjoy it too.

Michael shares insights into Bestseller Lists; why they don’t tell the whole story and how they can be manipulated. We explore when and why book dedications began. How a machine designed for pressing olive oil changed the publishing industry, and what that meant for scribes and authors. We also peek into traditional versus independent (indi) and self publishing. How the digital revolution and AI impacted the industry – and where Michael sees it all going.

Meet Author Michael Castleman

Michael Castleman is a journalist and author of bestselling books on sexuality, health, and the history of book publishing. He also writes fiction. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Michigan, Michael Castleman earned an M.A. in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley, Graduate School of Journalism. He has lived in San Francisco since 1975.

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Creativity, Non Fiction, Personal Development, Uncategorized, Writers on Writing

Jul 31: Matthew Dicks – Strategies from a Master Storyteller

July 31, 2024

Stories Sell: Storyworthy Strategies to Grow Your Business and Your Brand

Stories Sell with author Matthew Dicks

Today’s guest has many talents and accolades. But regardless of what Matthew Dicks is doing – teaching high school students, writing books or Moth GrandSLAM talks, giving keynote speeches, consulting with Fortune 500 clients, even hosting as a wedding DJ – he says ” … the heart of it revolves around story.”

That’s what we discuss in Stories Sell: Storyworthy Strategies to Grow Your Business and Your Brand.

Matthew shares how to differentiate between a romp and a story. Why you should keep a story bank, and how Matthew builds his. Why most companies, salespeople, and marketers get storytelling wrong, and why you should focus first on story, then purpose. What makes a 5-second Moment. How to avoid death by PowerPoint. Why But and However help to transition story scenes, but And doesn’t. When to risk introducing humor and why … and much more.

Meet Matthew Dicks – Bestselling Author, Moth StorySLAM & GrandSLAM Champion

Matthew Dicks is the internationally bestselling author of several novels, including Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, and Something Missing. His nonfiction titles include books we’ve discussed on the show before: Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade and Change Your Life Through the Power of Storytelling. Someday is Today:  22 Simple Actionable Ways to Propel Your Creative Life. And his latest, Stories Sell: Storyworthy Strategies to Grow Your Business and our Brand. Matthew Dicks is a 56-time Moth StorySLAM Champion, and a 9-time GrandSLAM Champion, whose stories have been featured on the nationally syndicated Moth Radio Hour. His stories have also appeared on PBS’ Stories From the Stage.

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Fiction, Thriller, Writers on Writing

Jul 24: Grant Blackwood on Red Star Falling

July 24, 2024

A Luke Daniels Thriller coauthored with NYT Bestselling Author Steve Berry

Red Star Falling with coauthor Grant Blackwood

Why would an already established, New York Times bestselling author want to coauthor a novel with another well-established NYT and #1 International bestselling author? Who approached whom? How does that collaboration work? Who comes up with the plot? The story? How do they handle the action scenes? And did they travel to Russia and Ukraine for research?

Those are just a few of the questions we discuss today as we explore the action-packed adventure thriller, Red Star Falling with Grant Blackwood.

Set in the waning days of the Cold War, Luke Daniels embarks on a quest in search of the legendary lost library of Ivan the Terrible. Will that unlikely key end a looming threat orbiting two hundred miles above the earth? No spoilers today, we promise!

Meet Grant Blackwood – NYT Bestselling Author

Grant Blackwood is the New York Times bestselling author of his Briggs Tanner series. He’s also the coauthor of The Fargo Adventure Series with Clive Cussler. The New York Times bestselling Dead Or Alive with Tom Clancy. And Kill Switch with James Rollins. A US Navy veteran, Grant Blackwood spent three years aboard a guided missile frigate as an operations specialist and a pilot rescue swimmer. Red Star Falling is the second book he has coauthored in Steve Berry’s Luke Daniels Thriller Series.

Steve Berry originated the Luke Daniels character and thriller series. Steve is the NYT and #1 Internationally bestselling author of 18 Cotton Malone novels, five stand alone thrillers, and several works of short fiction. He has more than 26 million books in print, translated into 41 languages. Steve Berry is the founder of History Matters; serves as an emeritus member of the Smithsonian Libraries Advisory Board; and was a founding member and former co-president of the International Thriller Writers. Steve Berry has been our guest on many occasions – to find conversations with Steve, type Steve Berry into Conversations Live search box.

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Non Fiction, Science

Jul 17: Jaime Green Explores The Possibility of Life Beyond Earth

July 18, 2024

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

The Possibility of Life with author Jaime Green

One of the most frequently asked – yet unanswered – questions we humans ask about the cosmos, is: Are we alone?

Author Jaime Green says, while the science behind this is fascinating, it doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s a reflection of our values and aspirations, our fears and anxieties. And most importantly, our enduring sense of hope.

Jaime shares why the question we should really ask is, not “Is there life out there?“, but “What if … ?” We explore how science has influenced our history and culture, and the role that science fiction plays – think Star Trek and Avatar. Jaime also reveals if she’s answered the big question for herself … the question of what it means to 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, Suspense, Thriller, Writers on Writing

Jul 17: The Haters with Bestselling Novelist Robyn Harding

July 10, 2024

A twisted tale of fame, obsession, and the dark recesses of social media.

The Haters with author Robyn Harding

Author Robyn Harding shares her frightening, real life story that inspired her latest novel, The Haters.

We discuss The Haters storyline and how Robyn created a novel within a novel. How she develops her characters. Her favorite scenes to write. Why tension is important to moving the story forward, and how screenwriting helped develop her writing skills.

Robyn also shares why she was thrilled, as a Canadian author, to use Vancouver BC as the book’s key location. And why she dedicated The Haters to ” … everyone with the courage to put their work – and themselves – out into the world.”

Meet Robyn Harding

Robyn Harding is the bestselling author of several novels including The Haters, The Drowning Woman, The Perfect Family, The Arrangement, Her Pretty Face, and The Party, which was a finalist for the Arthur Ellis Award for best crime novel. Her novel, The Swap, debuted at #1 on the Globe and Mail and Toronto Star Canadian bestsellers lists. She is also the screenwriter and executive producer of the independent film, The Steps. She lives in Vancouver, BC, with her family and two cute but deadly rescue chihuahuas.

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Environment, Journalism, Non Fiction, Science, Social Issues

Jun 26: The Parrot & The Igloo with NYT Bestselling Author David Lipsky

June 26, 2024

Climate and the Science of Denial

The Parrot and the Igloo with author David Lipsky

“Lipsky spins top-flight climate literature into cliffhanger entertainment.” ~ The New York Times

He’s known as a writer who finds the stories behind the stories. In The Parrot And The Igloo: Climate And The Science Of Denial, David Lipsky explores how the virulent “anti-science” movement in America was no accident. It was planned, programmed, and paid for.

Today, David Lipsky shares why he describes his book as a story about ingenuity and folly. We look at some of the inventors who created our world. Scientists who sounded warning bells. Why Mark Mills is one of David’s favorite people in this story. How we went from being a country that supported science, to a population divided into science supporters versus science deniers, hucksters, and propagandists.

We learn when, how, and why planned “denial” movements began (think Christmas 1953 and cigarette companies). And who won the casting call to become the first Celebrity Doubter and “paid voice” behind the massive Climate Denial Campaign.

Meet Bestselling Author David Lipsky

David Lipsky is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Absolutely American and Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself, the basis for the movie The End of the Tour. He’s written for The New York Times, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Harper’s Magazine, and is a recipient of the National Magazine Award and the GLAAD Media Award. His work has appeared in The Best American Short Stories and The Best American Magazine Writing anthologies. Lipsky teaches writing and literature at NYU and lives in New York City. The Parrot And The Igloo is a NYT Editors’ Choice, a New Yorker and Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2023, and a USA Today Must Read.

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Biography, Historical, Memoir, Non Fiction, Travelogue

Jun 19: Ben & Me with Award-Winning Journalist & NYT Bestselling Author Eric Weiner

June 19, 2024

In Search of a Founder’s Formula for a Long and Useful Life

Ben and Me with author Eric Weiner

Part biography, part travelogue, part memoir, Ben & Me is not a traditional biography. It’s a guide to thinking well and living a useful life. It’s about curiosity, diligence, constant learning, and, most of all, the elusive goal of self-improvement.

Eric Weiner follows Franklin from Philadelphia to Paris, and Boston to London, to discover Ben’s life lessons, large and small.

We learn how to improve a relationship by asking someone to do you a favor—a psychological phenomenon known as The Ben Franklin Effect. Weiner discloses Franklin’s biggest strengths, his human flaws, and what most disappointed him about Ben. Eric also shares what he learned about himself on this journey. And much more.

Meer Eric Weiner – Author, Speaker, Philosophical Traveler

An award-winning journalist, bestselling author, and speaker, Eric Weiner‘s latest book is Ben & Me: In Search of a Founder’s Formula for a Long and Useful Life. His other books include The Geography of Bliss, The Geography of Genius, Man Seeks God and The Socrates Express. Eric is a former foreign correspondent for NPR, and reporter for The New York Times. He is a regular contributor to The Washington Post, BBC Travel, and AFAR, among other publications. And he lives in the Washington, D.C. area.

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Fiction, Thriller, Writers on Writing

Jun 12: Ryan Steck with Out For Blood

June 12, 2024

A true warrior is not one who conquers others, but one who conquers their own fears. ~ Tu Lam, Retired Green Beret

Out For Blood with author Ryan Steck

Ryan Steck joins us to discuss Out For Blood – Ryan’s latest and third book in a trilogy that launched the Matthew Redd thriller series. A former Marine Raider, Matt is busy living life as a cattle rancher, husband, and new father when his past comes hurtling into town looking for blood. His blood.

We discuss the progression of the Matthew Redd series and how Ryan pulls his story lines together. How he researched a polar vortex for Montana, the key locale of his protagonist. Why he leverages those he knows (human and furry) for character inspiration. And the difference between relatives and family. Ryan also shares, how he manages his plot and the pacing of action scenes to keep readers interested and on the page in today’s world full of distractions.

Meet Ryan Steck, Thriller Author

Book editor and founder of The Real Book Spy, Ryan Steck is now a three-time author, with his fourth Matthew Redd manuscript already written and in the publishing process. A former sportswriter, Ryan experienced a life-changing diagnosis of Dyslexia that led him to Google “Dyslexic authors”, then to reading books to help improve his dyslexia, and eventually to authoring books. In addition to his Matthew Redd series, Ryan Steck is currently writing the legacy Alexander Hawke spy series following the death of the original author, Tedd Bell. Look for that next year, along with the fourth Matthew Redd story,

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Health & Wellness, Nature, Non Fiction, Personal Development, Psychology, Science, Self-help

Jun 05: PTSD, Anxiety, Depression, Burnout – Why Mother Nature May Be Your Best Cure

June 5, 2024

“Nature Calls Us Home To Our True Selves. She reminds us that we are … intimately connected … beautifully unique.” ~ Dr. Rochelle Calvert

While it saves us time in some ways, today’s digital world also demands more of us – from self-managed online accounts, form-filling, and appointment setting, to 24/7 business emails, DMs, IMs, texts, meetings, presentations … the list goes on.

Add to that the trauma of stressful life situations, ever-increasing living costs, job struggles, job losses, toxic work environments, and longer working hours, and Americans around the country are experiencing more PTSD, trauma, anxiety, and depression than ever before.

Dr. Rochelle Calvert, author of Healing with Nature: Mindfulness and Somatic Practices to Heal from Trauma, says combining nature with mindfulness and somatic practices can often be THE best prescription. She helps us unpack the science behind these therapies and explore the benefits provided – free of cost – by Mother Nature’s Rx. We also share how to incorporate simple therapeutic practices into everyday life.

Meet Dr. Rochelle Calvert

A clinical psychologist, Rochelle Calvert, PhD, specializes in life transitions, depression, anxiety, PTSD, trauma, and pain. She’s the founder of New Mindful Life, with a private practice in California. An expert on mindfulness, nature-based therapy, and somatic experiencing, Rochelle’s book is Healing with Nature: Mindfulness and Somatic Practices to Heal from Trauma.

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Business, Career, Non Fiction, Personal Development

May 29: Tired of the Corporate Drill? Time to Cut Loose? Entrepreneur Trevor Blake Shares Secrets to a Successful Startup

May 29, 2024

A Recession-Proof Guide to Starting, Surviving, & Thriving In Your Own Venture

Trevor Blake Author of Secrets to a Successful Startup, Podcast

If you’re done working for The Man and want to get serious about starting your own venture, Trevor Blake has some great advice based on real-life business success. In Secrets to a Successful Startup Trevor says “It takes the same amount of effort to build a multimillion-dollar business as it takes to build a $50,000 business …” so what is it you want to fix, solve, create, accomplish, and become?

We discuss Trevor’s journey from a poor home background into successful entrepreneurship. Dipping into what he calls the foundation from which he’s built his own multimillion dollar business, Trevor shares what he means by global pioneering spirit, and why success always begins with self-leadership and mindset.

We discuss why you don’t need to know everything, as long as you’re smart enough to hire the right people. Where Trevor’s winning ideas came from and how he massaged them to fruition. And we look at some of the most common mistakes made by entrepreneurs, new and old.

Meet Trevor Blake

Trevor G. Blake is an entrepreneur, physicist, author, curious human, and life adventurer. As CEO, he founded three different medical technology companies, which sold for over $300 million.  He wrote his New York Times Bestseller, Three Simple Steps: A Map to Success in Business and Life after conquering his own self-limiting beliefs.  Secrets to a Successful Startup: A Recession Proof Guide to Starting, Surviving and Thriving in your Own Venture is a practical handbook based on his own experience, proven business studies, and real-life success stories of winning entrepreneurs.

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