Tag

Writing

Fiction, Writers on Writing

APR 01: Greg Iles’ Cemetery Road & Glen Hamilton’s Mercy River

Described as the William Faulkner of the Breaking Bad generation, #1 New York Times Bestseller Greg Iles is no stranger to adversity in a career spanning nearly three decades as an author.  Following a car accident that left him in a coma for 8 days, Greg, much like bandmate Stephen King, rejoined the legendary and notorious lit-rock band The Rock Bottom Remainders.  Today we’ll discuss how his body of work has helped put his homestate of Mississippi on the map.

Born in Germany in 1960, where his father ran the US Embassy Medical Clinic during the height of the Cold War, Greg spent his youth in Natchez, Mississippi, graduating from the University of Mississippi in 1983.  His novels have been made into films, translated into more than twenty languages, and published in more than thirty-five countries worldwide.  His latest is Cemetery Road.

Later, while Glen Hamilton’s novels always begin and end in rain-soaked Seattle, Mercy River stays in the Pacific Northwest as the central plot sees our hero race on a mysterious quest to the arid high desert of central Oregon.  A Seattle native and award-winning author, Glen returns to Conversations Live to discuss the fourth installment in his popular Van Shaw series.

Glen is the current President of the Southern California chapter of Mystery Writers of America.  He is a winner of the Anthony, Macavity, and Strand Magazine Critics Awards.  A resident of California, he frequently returns to Seattle to soak up the rain.

Continue reading
Fiction, Health & Wellness, Writers on Writing

JUL 09: Dan Millman’s Return of the Peaceful Warrior & Mary Simses’ The Rules of Love and Grammar

Dan Millman provides a calm harbor in the storm of today’s ever-changing daily news cycles and stresses in his new book, The Hidden School: Return of the Peaceful Warrior.  He intertwines fiction and autobiography, and shows how to stay centered, focused, and present.

Dan Millman is a former world champion gymnast, coach, martial arts teacher, and college professor, and has authored 17 books.

Later, Mary Simses gives a valuable lesson in the futility of striving for perfection in her second novel,  The Rules of Love and Grammar.  Bestselling author James Patterson calls it a “… smart, well-told story about memory, family, and of course, love.”

Mary Simses enrolled in a fiction writing course while working as a corporate attorney, and her experiences getting short stories published led her to write her first novel, which was adapted into a Hallmark movie.

Continue reading
Fiction, Non Fiction, Writers on Writing

JUL 02: Amy Meyerson’s The Bookshop of Yesterdays & Summer Reads for Everyone

How does the dream of becoming a published author compare to the reality?  Amy Meyerson was already an established writer when she penned her first novel, The Bookshop of Yesterdays, and today she shares her journey in going from writer to novelist.

Amy is an Assistant Professor in the Writing Department of USC, and her writings have been published in numerous literary magazines.

Later, summer weekends are filled with camping trips, journeys to the beach, barbecues, and bonfires, but during the week are the warm and relaxing evenings to yourself.  And there is no better way to pass a few of them then on the back porch with a glass (or two) of wine and a good book.  Today, Vicki will introduce you to books for everyone, from fiction to nonfiction, love to horror, and children to octaogenarians.

Continue reading
Fiction, Writers on Writing

Aug 07: Award Winning Summer Reads

The dog days of summer are upon us, and the cool evening breezes bring about the perfect time to settle on the back porch with a glass of wine and a good book.

Our first guest today delivers a compelling exploration of family, politics, and the fight for racial equality in her debut novel, The Talented Ribkins.  Author Ladee Hubbard won both the 2016 Rona Jaffe Foundation Writer’s Award and the William Faulkner-William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition in the Short Story category.

Glen Erik Hamilton’s debut novel, Past Crimes, was wildly successful, and he returns today to discuss the third novel in the lauded Van Shaw series, Every Day Above Ground.

Glen will also share his approach to living up to the lofty expectations set by his first two books, and what it takes to develop a realistic character who grows with the series.

Continue reading
Fiction, Health & Wellness, Writers on Writing

Jun 12: Dan Millman’s Return of the Peaceful Warrior & Mary Simses’ The Rules of Love and Grammar

Dan Millman provides a calm harbor in the storm of today’s ever-changing daily news cycles and stresses in his new book, The Hidden School: Return of the Peaceful Warrior.  He intertwines fiction and autobiography, and shows how to stay centered, focused, and present.

Dan Millman is a former world champion gymnast, coach, martial arts teacher, and college professor, and has authored 17 books.

Later, Mary Simses gives a valuable lesson in the futility of striving for perfection in her second novel,  The Rules of Love and Grammar.  Bestselling author James Patterson calls it a “… smart, well-told story about memory, family, and of course, love.”

Mary Simses enrolled in a fiction writing course while working as a corporate attorney, and her experiences getting short stories published led her to write her first novel, which was adapted into a Hallmark movie.

Continue reading
Fiction

Jun 05: Spring Fiction Kicks Off with NYT Bestie Heather Gudenkauf

With the arrival of early June weather and late sunsets, it’s time to end each day with a page turner and a cool drink on the back porch.

First, New York Times and USA Today bestseller Heather Gudenkauf returns to Conversations Live with her latest work, Not A Sound, in which a shocking discovery combines with chilling secrets to create an emotional thrillride.

We’ll end today’s show introducing two debut novelists.  Benjamin Ludwig “was inspired to write Ginny Moon in part because of (his) own experience adopting a [young] lady with Autism.”

And, if you believe Kraft macaroni and cheese with hot dog pieces and a side of store brand ketchup deserves a spot on the food pyramid, Bunmi Laditan’s Confessions of a Domestic Failure is for you.

Continue reading
Fiction, Writers on Writing

May 01: The Story You Need to Tell & Steve Berry’s The Lost Order

We all have a story to tell.  Some of them are harder than others, and oftentimes writing can be a cathartic way of releasing inner turmoil.  In her upcoming new book, The Story You Need to Tell: Writing to Heal from Trauma, Illness, or Loss, Sandra Marinelli shares true stories that illustrate how her methods of understanding and communicating your personal stories can lead you on the road to renewal.

Sandra Marinelli is an award-winning teacher and writer, who has literally taught thousands of writers while giving over 200 workshops.  Her experience with breast cancer in 2012 led her to embrace writing as a way of healing.

Later, Steve Berry returns to Conversations Live with his latest adventure starring popular hero Cotton Malone, who finds our country’s dark past could lead to a darker future.

The Lost Order is a riveting thriller that weaves its way through countless plot twists, starting at the Smithsonian, heading to rural Arkansas, and culminating in the rugged mountains of New Mexico.

Steve Berry is a New York Times and international bestselling author who specializes in historical fiction.

Continue reading
Inspirational, Memoir, Personal Development, Self-help, Writers on Writing

Mar 20: 1] The Education of Will 2] Chuck Wendig’s Thunderbird

Sometimes it takes the convergence of extraordinary circumstances to make us face our own demons. For many years, Dr. Patricia B. McConnell grappled privately with intense fear, shame, anxiety, and guilt.

In her latest book, The Education of Will: A Mutual Memoir of a Woman and Her Dog, McConnell takes an unflinching look at her own trauma and how a problem dog helped her grow beyond it, ultimately healing both dog and owner.

Dr. McConnell is a Zoologist and Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist. For more than 25 years she’s specialized in canine aggression, consulting with pet owners on serious animal behavioral problems.

Chuck Wendig is a novelist, graphic comic writer, screenwriter, and game designer.

He talks “… a lot about writing. And food. And pop culture. And his kid. [And] uses lots of naughty language.” Best know for his New York Times Bestselling Star Wars: Aftermath series, Wendig’s latest book is Thunderbird, the fourth installment in the continuing saga of Miriam Black.

Continue reading
Memoir

Jan 09: 1] The Wrong Dog 2] The Seventh Plague

From NY Times Bestselling author David Elliot Cohen comes the heartwarming and often hilarious tale of Simba II, a mischevious white labrador retriever puppy bought home by accident. Included in The Wrong Dog: An Unlikely Tale of Unconditional Love is the author’s 3300 mile cross-country odyssey that chronicles the unbreakable bond between a dog and it’s people.

Bestselling mastermind James Rollins joins Vicki today to discuss the latest entry in his popular Sigma Series. The Seventh Plague blends scientific intrigue with historical mystery, and reveals an ancient threat hidden within the pages of the Bible that has a puzzling connection to Mark Twain’s travels, the genius of Nikola Tesla, and the adventures of explorer Henry Morgan Stanley.

Listen to Conversations Live with Vicki St. Clair every Monday at noon Pacific on KKNW 1150AM or 94.9FM HD. For exclusive updates throughout the rest of the week, like us on Facebook, and follow Vicki St. Clair on Twitter!

David Elliot Cohen demonstrates with great precision the vast and benevolent role dogs play in American family life in his latest effort, The Wrong Dog: An Unlikely Tale of Unconditional Love. As the accidentally adopted new family member grows from an energetic puppy into an enormous ninety-pound dog with a huge personality, Simba cements the bond between two families and enriches their lives in countless ways. A Yale graduate, David has produced numerous titles for Barnes & Noble’s in-house publishing division including four presidential photo-biographies and a book about the power of socially-conscious photojournalism. As an editor and author, he has created books that have sold over 6 million copies worldwide, including 4 NY Times bestsellers.

Featuring an ‘Elon Musk’ like character and a unique perspective on the friendship between Mark Twain and Nikola Tesla, The Seventh Plague by James Rollins weaves several relevant themesthroughout including Trump, Tesla and a secret energy source; whether or not a virus could cause one of the biblical plagues, and the frightening reality of electric-eating bacteria. James Rollins is a New York Times bestselling author of international thrillers, translated into more than forty languages. In each novel, James unveils unseen worlds, scientific breakthroughs, and historical secrets…and he does it all at breakneck speed and with stunning insight.

Listen to PODCAST –

Continue reading
Fiction

Oct 31: 1] Shira Block’s Limerence 2] Sex Trafficking in King County

In your most vulnerable, fragile emotional moments, no elixir can cure what ails you like your partner. A great relationship, built on trust and love, can get you through the hardest times. But what happens when that security is shattered when you find out the relationship… and perhaps even your partner… doesn’t even exist? Therapist Shira Block examines catfishing, non-sexual cheating, and other faux relationships and how to identfy and cope with the fallout in her new book Limerence.

It is estimated that 76% of transactions for sex with underage girls start on the Internet. In King County, WA, a study conducted over a 24-hour period revealed that 8,800 people were online soliciting themselves for sex, and 27,000 were soliciting to buy. At any given time, 300-500 under aged girls are trafficked in King County. The average age of entry is 12-14 years old, with some as young as 8 or 9. Vicki talks with Carol Loya, founder of Escape to Peace, to discuss how we can raise awareness about the horrors of sex trafficking right in our own backyard.

Catch Conversations Live with Vicki St. Clair every Monday at noon Pacific on KKNW 1150AM or 94.9FM HD. Like us on Facebook and follow Vicki on Twitter for exclusive updates and contests!

Limerence by Shira Block is a psychological journey through a world of deception, phantom relationships, family secrets, self-destruction and recreation that draws on Shira’s years as a therapist and tackles modern day issues affecting millions of people and relationships. She covers such topics as emotional, non-sexual cheating that still impacts relationships; catfishing, the act of luring someone into a relationship using a fake online persona; and limerence, an obsessive infatuation with another person or a need for a relationship that interferes with the ability to see life clearly. Shira is a therapist, accomplished lecturer, writer, and personal coach.

Human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world, generating $32 billion a year in profit, tied with arms as the second largest, behind drug dealing. A modern form of slavery, it is estimated that 76% of transactions for sex with underage girls start on the Internet. And it’s happening right here in King County at an alarming rate. Carol Loya, a local resident and owner of Truce Spa, founded Escape to Peace after she witnessed the horrors of the sex trade during a 2012 mission to Pattaya, Thailand. As a former Ambassador for the non-profits Shared Hope and Not Abandoned, Carol’s mission was to rescue girls being sold as sex slaves. She often did this by taking them to dinner to talk, then bringing them to a designated safe house.

Listen to PODCAST –

Continue reading