Tag

Writing

Fiction, Thriller, Writers on Writing

Mar 27: A Killing On The Hill with Robert Dugoni

Inspired by a True Story Set in 1930s Seattle

A Killing on the Hill with author Robert Dugoni

Known for his crime mystery thrillers, Robert Dugoni joins us with an exciting genre shift. A Killing On The Hill is Robert’s long-awaited foray into historical fiction. Set in Seattle during the 1930’s Great Depression, think high-level corruption, prohibition, glamorous nightlife, and a real-life murder mystery.

We discuss what Seattle was like in the 1930s. How Robert discovered the story of the real-life murder of prizefighter, Frankie Ray, and accused murderer George Moore. How Robert adapted the true story for his thriller. Why he changed his original protagonist from lawyer to journalist, and how that drove the story. The challenges of staying true to the culture and vocabulary of the 1930s, while being sensitive to today’s cultural expectations … and more.

Meet Robert Dugoni

A critically acclaimed New York Times, Wall St. Journal, Washington Post, and Amazon Charts bestselling author, Robert Dugoni is the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Book Award for fiction, and a four-time winner of the Friends of Mystery Spotted Owl Award. Dugoni is best known for the Tracy Crosswhite police procedural series. He is also the author of the Charles Jenkins espionage series, the David Sloane legal thrillers, the Keera Duggan legal thriller series, and several standalone novels.

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Fiction, Thriller, Writers on Writing

Mar 20: Why Brad Taylor Took Risks with A Dead Man’s Hand

Pike Logan Goes Head-to-head with Putin’s Henchman

Dead Man’s Hand with author Brad Taylor

Brad Taylor calls his latest thriller his riskiest project yet because, as he wrote, real-life events were unfolding around the world that could have obliterated his story — think Russia, Ukraine, Nato, and nuclear weapons.

Fortunately, this former special forces officer, managed to write ahead of the curve to create his 18th novel in the Pike Logan series. In Dead Man’s Hand special-ops officer Pike Logan attempts to avert nuclear war by facing down Putin’s right-hand man.

Brad shares the three big risk factors in telling this story. We discuss his travels to Sweden and Finland for ‘boots on the ground’ research. And learn where he found inspiration for the story concept, and where he took creative license with some little known historical facts.

Meet Brad Taylor

Brad Taylor, Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.), is a 21-year veteran of the U.S. Army Infantry and Special Forces, includ­ing eight years with Delta Force. Taylor retired in 2010 after serving more than two decades and participating in Oper­ation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He has written seventeen New York Times bestsellers and is a security consultant on asymmetric threats for various agencies.

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Fiction, History, Thriller, Writers on Writing

Mar 06: Bestselling Thriller Author Steve Berry with The Atlas Maneuver

A Cotton Malone Novel

The Atlas Maneuver with author Steve Berry

Steve Berry joins us with his latest thriller that begins in the Philippines, then takes us from Switzerland to the Atlas Mountains, Morocco, and Luxembourg.

Today we unpack some of the little known historical facts included in the The Atlas Maneuver versus where and how Steve took creative liberties. We also discuss some of the international locations in the book, how neighbors at a charity event helped determine names for some of his characters – including his amoral sociopathic female protagonist.  How and why Steve learned about cryptocurrency and falconry. And what he’s working on now.

Meet Steve Berry

New York Times and #1 Internationally bestselling author Steve Berry has over 26 million books in print, translated into 41 languages. The Atlas Maneuver is Steve’s 23rd novel. Steve’s devotion to historic preservation was recognized by the American Library Association, which named Steve its spokesperson for National Preservation Week. Among his other honors are the Royden B. Davis Distinguished Author Award; the Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award given by Poets & Writers; the Anne Frank Human Writes Award; and the Silver Bullet, bestowed by International Thriller. Together with his wife, Steve Berry founded History Matters.

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Essays, History, Non Fiction, Writers on Writing

Jan 10: Mystery Superfan & Foodie Turns Author

Recipes for Murder, 66 Dishes Celebrating Agatha Christie

Recipes for Murder with author Karen Pierce

Karen Pierce knew when she turned author that her book would somehow include food and mystery. She came up with the perfect solution in Recipes for Murder: 66 Dishes that Celebrate the Mysteries of Agatha Christie.

Karen shares what sparked the idea for her debut nonfiction book, sharing a peek into the life of Agatha Christie and the times she lived in. For example, did you know that when Christie went to cocktail parties, she only drank cream? And what about the burning question that many consider an unanswered mystery: What really happened when Christie herself mysteriously disappeared?

Superfan Karen Pierce did intense research for Recipes for Murder, and shares her insight on that and more today.

About Karen Pierce

Karen Pierce is a detective-fiction doyenne, food lover, and Agatha Christie Superfan. She’s made pilgrimages to Torquay and Greenway House, Christie’s hometown and home. Karen Pierce also attended and volunteered at several Anthony Boucher Memorial World Mystery Conventions. She lives in Toronto, Canada.

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Career, Creativity, Personal Development

Dec 28: Breaking Through Creative Blocks with Patti Dobrowolski

Get Unstuck, Visualize New Possibilities, Create

Creative Genius You, the Equation that Makes You Great with author Patti Dobrowolski

In Creative Genius You, The Equation That Makes YOU Great! Patti Dobrowolski outlines a simple formula that helps you tap into your unique genius and creativity.

Today Patti shares the subtle math behind goal achievement. What it means to give yourself permission to listen to your inner voice. We discuss imagination, curiosity, and intuition. How sketching (yes, even for non-artists) can help release blocks and accelerate the creative process. And, the Desire + Love + Sweat equation.

About Patti Dobrowolski

Three-times TedX speaker, Patti Dobrowolski, is a critically acclaimed comic performer, international keynote speaker, writer, and business consultant. She has taught innovative visual practices to Fortune 500 companies, NGOs, and small businesses. In an earlier podcast you can hear about Patti Dobrowolski’s first book, Drawing Solutions: How Visual Goal Setting Will Change Your Life.

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Fiction, Writers on Writing

Dec 13: Lesley Crewe with Recipe for a Good Life

A story of loneliness & belonging. A love letter to the women who’ve kept kettles warm & neighbors fed in rural Cape Breton.

Recipe for a Good Life with author Lesley Crewe

National bestselling, award winning author Lesley Crewe says if she hadn’t moved to a remote island off Novia Scotia she may never have become a writer. Today, Lesley joins us to to talk about her 15th book – Recipe for a Good Life.

We discuss how Lesley adapts ordinary moments and celebrates everyday things. How she develops her characters and who inspires them. What island life is really like, including community, connection, belonging, humor, and how Cape Breton features in her storytelling. And, of course, we share Lesley’s point of view on writing and what it means to be a writer.

About Lesley Crewe

Lesley Crewe is the Globe and Mail–bestselling author of 13 novels, including Nosy Parker, named one of Indigo’s Top 100 Books of 2022; The Spoon Stealer, longlisted for Canada Reads 2022; and Relative Happiness, which was adapted into an award-winning feature film. She has also published two collections of essays, the Leacock-longisted Are You Kidding Me?! and I Kid You Not! Lesley lives in Homeville, Nova Scotia. Recipe for a Good Life is Indigo Book’s 2023 Award Winning Book of the Year.

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Essays, Memoir, Non Fiction, Writers on Writing

Books, Stories, Poems, Writers, & Life with Best American Short Stories Author, Peter Orner

Still No Word from You: Notes in the Margin

Podcast with author Peter Orner

Peter Orner is a storyteller. He’s a writer’s writer … a novelist, short story master, and prolific essayist. What he really wants to accomplish with his writing, is to connect — especially with readers who can’t not read.

In Peter’s seventh book, Still No Word from You: Notes in the Margin, he shares intimate stories from a life of living and reading. We discover how Peter’s stories are often built around small moments that may otherwise seem insignificant. We discuss how he identifies moments that will make a great story. What it means to live the writer’s life, and the challenges that presents.

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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Health & Wellness, Memoir, Non Fiction

Roll Back The World: A Sister’s Memoir with Deborah Kasdan

A Family Living with an Eldest Child’s Mental Illness, Searching for Answers and Forgiveness

Roll Back the World with author Deborah Kasdan

When her eldest sister Rachel was hospitalized for the first time, young Deborah Kasdan had no idea what was happening. While her parents didn’t discuss Rachel’s problems, or why they occurred, Deborah certainly felt the stigma, shame, trauma, and depression around the diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Today Deborah Kasdan discusses her search for the truth, examining how each family member reacted and coped as family dynamics were impacted. What Deborah learned after Rachel died. Family dynamics and how her perspective on her own relationship with her mother changed while writing Roll Back The World. And what Deborah wishes she’d known when her sister was first “sent away”.

About Deborah Kasdan

Deborah Kasdan had a 35-year career writing about business and technology before retiring and joining Westport Writer’s Workshop to make her personal stories come alive. She served on the board of directors of Under One Roof, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) for Southwest CT.

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Creativity, Non Fiction, Personal Development

Creativity Catalyst Patti Dobrowolski with the Equation that Makes YOU Great!

Get Unstuck, Breakthrough Blocks, Visualize New Possibilities

Creative Genius You, the Equation that Makes You Great with author Patti Dobrowolski

One of our favorite creativity catalysts returns today – this time with an interactive visual book that lays out Patti Dobrowolski’s simple formula to help anyone tap into their unique genius and creativity.

If you think you’re not creative, Patti will show you otherwise in Creative Genius You, The Equation That Makes YOU Great!

Patti’s unique tools and resources provide simple ways to get unstuck, see things with a different perspective, and unlock the creative spark within that is unique to you.

About Patti Dobrowolski

A critically acclaimed comic performer, international keynote speaker, writer, and business consultant, Patti Dobrowolski has brought innovative visual practices to Fortune 500 companies, NGOs, and small businesses. She’s a three times TEDx speaker. And if you wander around clients’ buildings – such as Microsoft, Starbucks, Samsung, and Seattle Space Needle – you’re likely to see her large format visuals adorning walls and hallways. We previously discussed Patti Dobrowolski’s earlier book Drawing Solutions: How Visual Goal Setting Will Change Your Life.

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Fiction, Writers on Writing

Aug 23: Joel Johnson with Never

Debut Novelist at age 68 Tells Coming of Age Story in the Segregated South

Podcast – Never with author Joel F. Johnson

It took Joel Johnson seven years to write his first novel, Never, and he couldn’t have done it a day sooner he says.

Today we discuss why, despite growing up in Georgia, Joel created a fictional town for Never. He shares some of the research he used to weave historical events into his story, narrated by a young boy named Little. We look at how Joel – a white middle-class, professional male – approached the challenge of writing about the life of a black maid called Bit, working on the white side of Jim Crow’s South. And why Bit quickly became his favorite character.

About Joel F. Johnson

A graduate of Harvard, Joel made stops in Alta, Utah, Boulder, and Manhattan before settling in Concord, MA. His collection of poems Where Inches Seem Miles, was selected by Kirkus Reviews as one of the best independent books of 2014. Never is Joel F. Johnson’s first novel.

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