PUBLIC DISPLAY OF IMAGINATION PODCAST

This podcast features the creative minds of some of the best storytellers to ever leave ink on the page. Each week, the host and the listening audience are taken on an adventure by a NY Times Best-Selling author. In most cases, their latest release is featured. But in every case, their approach to the craft and their overall volume of work is discussed. Probing questions are asked; secrets are revealed. Genres include: Suspense, Thrillers, and Cozy Mysteries, as well as a pinch of Sci-Fi and Fantasy.

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The Adventures of 2019

Adventure #21 – Barbara Bourland – Fake Like Me
She’s a former freelance writer and web producer for titles at Condé Nast and Hearst, among others. Currently, she lives in Baltimore with her husband and their dogs.

Her debut novel, I’ll Eat When I’m Dead, was listed as a Refinery 29’s Best Book of 2017 and described as “delectable.” It was featured in Fortune, Us Weekly, and The New York Post, among others high profile book review publications.

Today, we’re going to talk about her second novel, which has just released. It’s a story, The Booklist calls 1-part Dirty Dancing and 1-part Twin Peaks. Today, author Barbara Bourland joins us to talk about her latest exposition on human nature, Fake Like Me… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure #20 – Nina Laurin – The Starter Wife
She moved to Montreal, Canada when she was 12 years old and studied Creative Writing at Concordia University, in Montreal, following her graduation from High School. She speaks Russian, French, and English, but pens her novels in English. The original draft of her first novel, Girl Last Seen, was written while she was attending Concordia. It was published to rave review in June of 2017.

Her second novel, What My Sister Knew, made Good Morning America’s End-Of-Summer reading list in 2018. Her most recent book, is set for release on June 11th. Nina Laurin joins us for today’s adventure and you’re invited to come along as we peel back the pages of The Starter Wife… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure #19 – Hilary Davidson – One Small Sacrifice
Before she began penning captivating crime fiction, she was a journalist. She got her start as an intern at Harper’s Magazine in New York and then joined the staff of Canadian Living magazine in Toronto.

After deciding that she’d rather write than edit, she left her day job to freelance full-time. That decision led to the composition of 18 nonfiction books (17 of them for Frommer’s Travel Guides) and articles for a number of publications including Discover, Martha Stewart Weddings, American Archaeology, Fitness, and Reader’s Digest.

Her debut novel, The Damage Done, won both the Anthony and the Crime-Spree Award for Best First Novel. Two more novels completed a trilogy, that I’m sure we’ll talk about at some point along the way. And, she’s been a part of several Anthology volumes that we’ll want to explore.

We’re going to begin our adventure, however, talking about her latest release: One Small Sacrifice. It’s hot off the presses, thanks to Thomas & Mercer Publishing and it’s been tabbed as an Amazon “First Reads” selection. Crime novelist, Hilary Davidson takes us on today’s adventure… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure #18 – Leslie Nagel – The Codebook Murders
She’s the USA Today Best-Selling author of The Oakwood Mystery Series, a trio of Cozy Mysteries that take place in the all too real city of Oakwood, Ohio, where murders are rare but great stories lie thick on the ground.

In addition to writing about murder, she also teaches writing at a local community college. After the written word, Her passions include her husband, her son and daughter, hiking, tennis and strong black coffee, not necessarily in that order. USA-Today Best-Selling weaver of Cozy Mysteries, Leslie Nagel, joins us on the show today to talk about her latest release – The Codebook Murders… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure #17 – Paula Munier – A Borrowing of Bones
She began her career as a journalist… she then became an editor, an acquisitions specialist, a digital content manager, and finally, publishing executive. She teaches the craft of writing, has published a couple of books on the topic, that I’m sure we’ll talk about today, and she’s a popular public speaker.

She’s worked for such media giants as WGBH public radio in Boston, Disney, F&W Media, and Gannett. In 2012, she joined Talcott Notch Literary Services as Senior Literary Agent and Content Strategist. Her specialties include crime fiction, women’s fiction, high-concept Science Fiction & Fantasy, as well as nonfiction titles. Today, she’s joining us to talk about her own Police Procedural, A BORROWING OF BONES. Please welcome our navigator for today’s Adventure – Paula Munier… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure #16 – Laura Elliot – GUILTY
The joy she experienced from reading in her childhood attracted her initially to the world of children’s fiction. She honed her writing skills first as a journalist and magazine editor, and later as an author of children’s books. There are 12 in all, penned under the name June Considine.

Fantasy, adventure, gritty realism, teen lives and loves… eventually, as all young people do, the characters she created grew up. So she turned her attention to the domestic life of adults and the intimacy of family. Today, we’re going to step inside the pages of her novel, GUILTY, which has been recently released from Grand Central Publishing in hardback. From the shoreline of Broadmeadow Estuary, near the town of Dublin, Ireland, today’s guest is Laura Elliot… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure #15 – Robert Dugoni – The Eighth Sister
He’s a critically acclaimed New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Amazon #1 Best Selling Author. His Tracy Crosswhite series of books has sold more than 2 million copies worldwide. Book 1 in the series, My Sister’s Grave, has been optioned for development as a television series.

Today’s guest is also the author of the best-selling, attorney, David Sloane series. His books are sold in more than 25 countries and have been translated into more than two dozen languages. He has been nominated for, and won, numerous awards for his writing, included being a finalist for the 2017 Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for best novel and a two time finalist for the International Thriller Writers award. Today, we’re going to crack open the pages of his latest release, The Eighth Sister… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure #14 – Jon Land – Murder, She Wrote
He’s the author of more than 45 novels, many of which climbed the best-seller rankings shortly after their release. He’s a master in the techno-thriller genre, and gifted with surprising versatility. His writing career launched in the mid-80’s, during the final years of the Cold War. He found a home writing chilling portrayals of threats to the United States, and of the men and women who operated undercover, and sometimes outside the law, to maintain U.S. security.

He penned the popular Blaine McCracken series, a Green Beret with a bit of a James Bondian outlook, and he’s 11 books deep into a series featuring Caitlin Strong, a 5th generation Texas Ranger, who finds out that the west can still be a pretty wild place at times. The multi-talented and ridiculously imaginative, Jon Land is my guest and today, we’re going to see just how versatile he can be… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure #13 – Jennifer Acker – The Limits of the World
She’s founder, and Editor-in-Chief of The Common. Her short stories, translations, and essays have appeared in The Washington Post, The Literary Review, Harper’s, and Publishers Weekly, among other places.

She has a Master of Fine Arts from the Bennington Writing Seminars, and she teaches literature, creative writing, and editing at Amherst College. Her name is Jennifer Acker and today she takes us on an adventure to explore her latest release, The Limits of the World… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure #12 – J.T. Ellison – Tear Me Apart
She’s a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who writes domestic noir and psychological thrillers. Her work has been published in twenty-six countries and fourteen languages. Her novel THE COLD ROOM won the Intn’l Thriller Writers Award for Best Paperback Original. Her novels FIELD OF GRAVES and WHERE ALL THE DEAD LIE were each RITA nominees for Best Romantic Suspense.

She also co-authors the international thriller series, “A Brit in the FBI” with New York Times bestselling author Catherine Coulter. Today we’re going to dig into the pages of her latest standalone thriller, Tear Me Apart. Please welcome, the “Thriller Chick”  J. T. Ellison… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure #11 – Vanessa Savage – The Woman In The Dark
She’s a graphic designer and illustrator, who has twice been awarded a Writers’ Bursary by Literature Wales, most recently for the book that we’re going to discuss today.

She won the Myriad Edition “First Crimes” competition in 2016 and her work has been short-listed for the UK’s Harry Bowling Prize, and the Caledonia Fiction Prize in Edinburg. She’s also on the current long-list for the Bath Novel Award. Author, Vanessa Savage is my guest… and today she introduces us to The Woman in the Dark… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure #10 – Gough & Millar – Double Exposure
Today’s content requires Level 1, CIA Clearance, as mandated by Executive Order #05148. If you do not have Level 1, CIA Clearance, you are hereby notified that a temporary clearance has been established for you that will expire at the close of today’s Public Display of Imagination Adventure.

Today’s discussion will examine ITEM 103-A, Dated: 16-November, 1961. CIA Special Agent Lana Wells has uncovered a Russian Film Canister, which was smuggled over the Berlin Wall during World War 2, at great cost. Today’s guests will take us behind the scenes, as we look at what can and can’t be revealed, regarding the contents of that canister. Please welcome the writing team of Alfred Gough and Miles Millar… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure #9 – Lyndsay Faye – The Paragon Hotel
She grew up in the Pacific Northwest, but moved to Manhattan in 2005 to audition for theatre work. That bold move led to a day job, waiting tables at a restaurant that would be leveled by bulldozers shortly after she took the job. With a fresh opening in her daily schedule, she began transferring her vivid imagination to the printed page. Her latest work introduces an injured young woman, on the run from a New York City, prohibition era, liquor deal that went sideways. Destination… Portland, Oregon, and The Paragon Hotel. Today, we go back to the roaring 20’s with author, Lyndsay Faye… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure #8 – Steve Berry – The Malta Exchange
He’s a NY Times Best-Selling author who has seen his work translated into 40 different languages that have produced more than 23 million copies of his thrillers, sold in 51 countries around the world. He invested 30 years of his life as a trial lawyer; was a founding member of the International Thriller Writers and served as a publicly elected official for 14 years.

History, mystery, and suspense drip from every page of his novels. Today, we follow Cotton Malone to the Island of Malta, through the creative vision of Best-Selling Thriller author, Steve Berry… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure #7 – Robin Stevens Payes – Edge of Yesterday
Growing up, she confesses that she was (in her own words) “bad at science and math” and not much of an artist either. Her dad, a CPA, was great with calculations and her mom was a gifted artist. Although skilled at neither math, nor art, she was quite appreciative of both and even developed a fascination for science. She studied communications and developmental psychology in grad school and sharpened both skills as a writer.

As a mother of 3, she became immersed in the STEM / STEAM programs and began writing books for teens. Robin Stevens Payes is my guest… and today, she’s going to take us on an Adventure to the Edge of Yesterday and beyond… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure #6 – Jessica Strawser – Forget You Know Me
She’s a Pittsburgh native and graduate of Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps, School of Journalism. She served as Editor-at-Large for Writer’s Digest magazine for nearly a decade. In 2017, her debut novel, Almost Missed You, was a Barnes & Noble Best New Fiction Selection and a PopSugar Best Spring Read. She followed that up with another Book of the Month Club selection in the spring of 2018 entitled, Not That I Could Tell.

The spring of 2019 is busy greeting the world with fresh new blooms of every color, which means it’s time for another hot new release from today’s guest. Jessica Strawser takes us on our adventure today as we dig into the pages of her latest suspense thriller, Forget You Know MeClick here to listen this episode.

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Adventure #5 – Douglas Preston – Verses for the Dead
He’s the author (or co-author) of nearly 40 books, both riveting fictional suspense and gripping non-fiction exposé. More than 20 of his books have ascended the NY Times Best-Seller lists, and several topped the list as #1 Best-Sellers. He has traveled around the world, lived in a number of countries, and won awards for his work both in America and abroad.

Last week, I was asked in a writing group if an author could write both fiction and non-fiction. Today, we’re going to talk with someone who has won a long list of accolades for doing exactly that. His work is in print. His work is on the big screen. His work has, and is, being developed into Television Series. World renowned author, Douglas Preston takes us on today’s adventure… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure #4 – David Morrell – First Blood & More
He was born in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada and captivated as a young man by a classic 1960’s television series about two young men in a Corvette convertible, traveling the United States in search of America and themselves. The TV series was called, Route 66. His creativity was so inspired by the series, that he dreamed of writing his on fictional sagas.

In 1966, he moved to Happy Valley, Pennsylvania, were he attended Penn State University, studied literature under Hemingway scholar Philip Young, and received his Master’s and Doctorate in American literature. In 1972, he released a novel about a returned Vietnam veteran suffering from post-trauma stress disorder who comes into conflict with a small-town police chief and fights his own version of the Vietnam War. The book was entitled First Blood and it introduced the world to John Rambo.

He has since produced a large volume of thrillers and international best-sellers, many of which we will talk about today. Welcome to the wide-open, full-throttle world of David Morrell… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure #3 – A.F. Brady – Once A Liar
She grew up in New York and is a lifelong Yankee fan. She’s also a fan of Guns-N-Roses and Metallica. She loves dogs, needs labels to face the same direction, adores the sea, and is willing to stay up late at night for a good chat.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Brown University and two master’s degrees in Psychological Counseling from Teachers College & Columbia University.  Author, A.F. Brady is my guest… and her latest release is Once A LiarClick here to listen this episode.

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Adventure #2 – Bryan Gruley – Bleak Harbor
He’s a graduate of Notre Dame, an avid hockey player, and an amateur musician. As the former Chicago bureau chief of the Wall Street Journal, he shared in the Pulitzer Prize given to the Wall Street Journal in 2002 for coverage of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Over the course of his writing career, he has written both compelling fiction and award-winning non-fiction. His Starvation Lake Trilogy was an Edgar Award Finalist. Today he joins us to talk about his latest release, Bleak Harbor. Straight out of the heart of Chicago, where the weather’s cold and the Bears are hot… Bryan Gruley is my guest… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure #1 – Kate Moretti – In Her Bones
She’s a NY Times Best-Selling author with four novels in print and many more stories to tell. Publisher’s Weekly calls her work, “Chillingly Satisfying” Hank Phillippi Ryan said her work is “frightening and insightful.”

In real life, she lives in an eastern Pennsylvania town house, with her husband and two kids. And, as far as she knows, there are no ghosts. She longs to find a hidden, secret passageway, but has yet to reveal where it might lead… today, we visit the not-so-hidden passageway of her vivid imagination and talk about her recently released suspense-thriller, In Her Bones. Author, Kate Moretti is my guest today… Click here to listen this episode.

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The Adventures of 2018

PDI 2018 OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY – PART 1
Christmas is the perfect excuse to touch base with friends and find out what they’ve been up to. So, we reached out to several authors who were guests on the show in 2018 and invited them to join us for the First Annual Public Display of Imagination Office Christmas Party. Thirteen responded and I had a blast finding out what’s they’ve got in store for the year ahead. This episode features: Edwin Hill, Ellison Cooper, Carter Wilson, and Hallie Ephron… Click here to listen this episode.

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PDI 2018 OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY – PART 2
Christmas is the perfect excuse to touch base with friends and find out what they’ve been up to. So, we reached out to several authors who were guests on the show in 2018 and invited them to join us for the First Annual Public Display of Imagination Office Christmas Party. Thirteen responded and I had a blast finding out what’s they’ve got in store for the year ahead. This episode features: MJ LaBeff, James Hayman, Joseph Reid, Leslie Nagel, and Jenn McKinlay… Click here to listen this episode.

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PDI 2018 OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY – PART 3
Christmas is the perfect excuse to touch base with friends and find out what they’ve been up to. So, we reached out to several authors who were guests on the show in 2018 and invited them to join us for the First Annual Public Display of Imagination Office Christmas Party. Thirteen responded and I had a blast finding out what’s they’ve got in store for the year ahead. This episode features: LA Chandlar, Tom Straw, Jon Land, and Hank Phillippi Ryan… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure 33 – Daryl Wood Gerber – Wreath Between / Lines
She’s an Agatha Award winning, best-selling author of several Cozy Mystery Series. Prior to her career as a novelist, she wrote screenplays and created the format for the popular TV sitcom Out of this World. She’s also been featured as an actress and her portfolio includes roles from Matlock, Hart to Hart, and Murder, She Wrote.

She’s a graduate of Stanford University who loves to cook, read, golf, swim, garden, and has been known to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. Today’s adventure takes us to Crystal Cove, CA, where we’ll explore the Cookbook Nook Mystery series, with our guest, Daryl Wood Gerber… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure 32 – Bruce Robert Coffin – Beyond The Truth
He’s a former detective sergeant with more than twenty-seven years in law enforcement. At the time of his retirement, he supervised all homicide and violent crime investigations for Maine’s largest city – Portland. Following the terror attacks of September 11th, he spent four years working counter-terrorism with the FBI and earned the “Director’s Award” – the highest honor a non-agent can receive.

Since his retirement from law enforcement, he’s been writing… his first published work, Among The Shadows, was a debut success in 2016. He produced additional thrillers in the Detective John Byron series in 2017 and 2018. Today, author Bruce Robert Coffin is setting aside the time to walk us through his crime scenes… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure 31 – William L Myers, Jr – A Killer’s Alibi
Upon acquiring his degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law he launched his legal career with a Philadelphia based defense firm. His clients… corporate America. Over time, he began to want something different. Following his heart, he began representing individuals on a case by case basis, sometimes against the large corporations.

His books are set in a backdrop that features the legal system and courtrooms of Philadelphia. His debut novel, A Criminal Defense, quickly became a best-seller which launched The Philadelphia Legal Series. Author, William L Myers, Jr. joins us on the show today… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure 30 – Sandra Brown – Tailspin
She began her writing career in 1981 and since then has authored more than sixty-five New York Times bestsellers. She majored in English at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, TX, and received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the university.

She was the featured, headline host of Thrillerfest 2008, where she was awarded the prestigious International Thriller Writers Award. She has more than 80 million copies of her books in print in 33 different languages, but she’s still got stories to tell. Today, we step into a world of twists, turns, romance, and suspense with our tour guide, Sandra Brown… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure 29 – Allen Eskens – The Shadows We Hide
He grew up in the woodland hills of Missouri and, after high school, migrated north to pursue his education. He acquired a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from the University of Minnesota, and a Juris Doctorate from Hamline University School of Law. He honed his creative writing skills through the Master of Fine Arts program at Minnesota State University.

In 2014, his debut novel, The Life We Bury, was named the Best Debut Novel of 2014 at the Left Coast Crime Conference. In 2015, it was optioned for film and since that time, today’s guest has published 3 additional books in the series. The 4th, The Shadows We Hide, is set to release November 13th. Allen Eskens is my guest. Let’s see if we can discover what he’s been hiding in the shadows… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure 28 – Edwin Hill – Little Comfort
He hails from the state of Massachusetts, and spent most of his childhood obsessing over a children’s book mystery series called The Famous Five. He also read Agatha Christie and imagined visiting Narnia by way of C.S. Lewis’ magical wardrobe.

His parents often took the family on adventurous camping trips across the U.S. and Canada and one of his fondest memories is reading The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie on a trip to visit Mount Rushmore. He also developed a love for suspense driven movies, a trait that seems to have been passed along to his protagonist, Hester Thursby. Today, Hester and the one who gives her voice, Edwin Hill, will take us on an adventure into a case of missing persons and a trail of murder… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure 27 – Ellery Adams – Secret Book & Scone Society
She’s a native of New York, who grew up on a beach near the Long Island Sound. She cherishes her memories of open water, storms, and the smell of the sea.

Now living in North Carolina with her husband, 2 trolls, and 3 cats, she embraces her love of coffee, good food, rescue animals, Pinterest and Black Jelly Beans. She’s also a prolific writer, who has over 30 novels in print and can’t imagine spending a day away from her keyboard. Ellery Adams is my guest today and her latest release is The Secret, Book, & Scone Society… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure 26 – Joe Lansdale – Jackrabbit Smile
He’s the author of over thirty novels and numerous short stories, which have won him a coveted Edgar Award, A SPUR AWARD, TEN Bram Stoker Awards and a lifetime achievement award, the Horror Writers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as the Herodotus Historical Fiction Award, and the Inkpot Award for Contributions to Science Fiction and Fantasy.

His work has appeared in national anthologies, magazines, and collections, including numerous foreign publications. Not only does he have a large volume of novels in print, he’s also written for comics, television, and film. Hap Collins and Leonard Pine appear to be an unlikely couple, but they’ve kept today’s guest busy for nearly 30 years. Welcome to the wide-open, full-throttle world of Joe R. Lansdale… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure 25 – Jon Land – Strong To The Bone
He’s the author of more than 30 novels, many of which climbed the best-seller rankings shortly after their release. He’s a master in the techno-thriller genre, and gifted with surprising versatility. His writing career launched in the mid-80’s, during the final years of the Cold War. He found a home writing chilling portrayals of threats to the United States, and of the men and women who operated undercover, and sometimes outside the law, to maintain U.S. security.

He’s currently 10 books deep into a series featuring Caitlin Strong, a 5th generation Texas Ranger, who finds out that the west can still be a pretty wild place at times. The multi-talented and ridiculously imaginative, Jon Land is my guest for this PDI Adventure… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure 24 – L.A. Chandlar – The Gold Pawn
She’s a Michigan girl who worked at General Motors and toured with a band before life took her to the heart of New York City, where she immersed herself into the arts and launched her writing career. A motivational speaker in high demand, she fell head over heels for a city that met The Great Depression head on in the 1930’s and thrived. It was indeed “the best of times” during “the worst of times” and it fuels the storyline of the Art Deco Mystery series. 

L.A. Chandlar joins me to talk about her love of the arts, her appreciation of New York’s history, and the bigger than life personalities that you’ll find in her books, The Silver Gun and The Gold Pawn… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure 23 – Steven James: Every Wicked Man
He’s a national best-selling novelist whose award-winning, pulse-pounding thrillers have attracted a rapidly growing fan base that continues to swell. His work has drawn high praise from every corner of the publishing industry. Suspense Magazine named his book, THE BISHOP, their Book of the Year and claimed that today’s guest was “setting the new standard in suspense writing.” Publishers Weekly called him a “master storyteller at the peak of his game.” 

I got a pop-up reminder from my wife, just this morning, reminding me that his latest release, Every Wicked Man, is now available for order on Amazon. He’s one of her favorite authors and she is by no means alone in that crowd. Steven James joins me on the show today… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure 22 – Jenn McKinlay: Hitting The Books
She’s a New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of a whole host of novels that fall into the Cozy Mystery genre. She’s also written several Romance novels and she won the RT Reviewer’s Choice Award for romantic comedy.

She left the glitz and glamour of Toad’s Place, for the peace and quiet that comes with a fulltime position at the Cromwell, CT. Public Library. Needing a break from the non-stop excitement, she packed up all her worldly belongings and moved across country to Arizona, where she met her husband and began her writing career. Jenn McKinlay is my guest today and the latest installment in her Library Lovers Mystery Series, Hitting The Books, just released… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure 21 – Chad Zunker: Hunt The Lion
He studied journalism at The University of Texas and played football for the Longhorns. Coming to the conclusion that hitting the books was to be preferred over going nose to nose with a 6’5″ All-American Safety, he chased his degree and went on to work for some of the most powerful law firms in the country. In his spare time, he invented baby products that are now sold all over the world.

He wanted to write full time since he took his first hit on the college football practice field, but the journey from college freshman to published author turned out to be a long uphill climb that tested his perseverance as much as any challenge he ever faced. We’ll be talking about those experiences and more with the extremely popular author of the Sam Callahan series. Chad Zunker is my guest today; join us as we Hunt The Lion… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure 20 – Hank Phillippi Ryan: Trust Me
She’s an on-air investigative reporter for Boston’s WHDH-TV with 34 EMMY awards to her credit and more journalism honors than I could list and you could follow. She’s won five Agatha Christie Awards, two Anthony’s, two Macavity’s, a Daphne, and the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award. If there’s an award for writing, she’s got at least one to her credit.

Her latest release is called, Trust Me,  and Suspense Magazine called it, “By far one of the best thrillers they had read in years.” Crime Reads says that it’s, “one of the best thrillers of 2018 summer.” Who do you trust when you can’t trust yourself? We asked Hank Phillippi Ryan that very question in this week’s adventure… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure 19 – Ellison Cooper: Caged
She has a Ph.D. in anthropology from UCLA, with a background in archaeology, cultural neuroscience, ancient religion, colonialism, and human rights. She conducted her field work primarily in Central America where she lived in a tent in the jungles of Belize for nine years while searching for lost Maya ruins, but she’s also conducted field work in various locations around the world, including Africa and Western Europe

She was born just outside of Washington DC and worked as a murder investigator for the Washington DC Public Defenders Service where she gained an insiders view of the criminal justice system. Her latest release is setting Amazon on fire. Ellison Cooper joins me to talk about a psychopathic serial killer that stalks the pages of her latest release… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure 18 – Brian Godawa: Choronicles of Apocalypse
He found success early-on as a screen writer; his first feature film, the award-winning, To End All Wars, was based on a true story about allied soldiers who were prisoners of the Japanese during WW2 and starred the charismatic Kiefer Sutherland in 2001.

He’s also authored a tightly-woven fictional series based on threads pulled from biblical texts. You won’t hear these stories in Sunday School, boys & girls, but you’ll find familiar backdrops soaked in rich imagery that breathe fresh life into the ancient text. Today, we probe the creative mind of Brian Godawa and explore the Biblical Apocalypse recorded in the book of Revelation… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure 17 – Steve Berry: The Bishop’s Pawn
He’s a NY Times Best-Selling author who has seen his work translated into 40 different languages that have produced more than 23 million copies of his thrillers, sold in 51 countries around the world. He invested 30 years of his life as a trial lawyer; was a founding member of the International Thriller Writers and served as a publicly elected official for 14 years.

History, mystery, and suspense drip from every page of his novels. Today, we follow the life and times of Cotton Malone with the creative mind that gave him voice. Best-Selling Thriller author Steve Berry joins me to talk about The Bishop’s Pawn and the origins of Cotton Malone… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure 16 – Bina Shah: Before She Sleeps
She’s a journalist and contemporary novelist from Karachi, Pakistan. She’s authored four English novels and two collections of short stories. As regular contributor to the International New York Times, she is a provocative and bold commentator for the international press on Pakistan’s society, culture, and women’s rights. Her critically acclaimed 2014 novel, A Season for Martyrs, was built around the return of Benazir Bhutto to Karachi to run for the highest political office in Pakistan, after 8 yrs of exile.
She is a graduate of Wellesley College, the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and an alumna of the International Writers Program at the University of Iowa. Bina Shah joins us today to talk about her soon-to-be released (Aug. 7th) Dystopian Novel, Before She Sleeps… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure 15 – Doug Cooper: The Crystal Series
He’s a professor of Chemical & Bio-molecular Engineering at the University of Connecticut. He’s also the founder and director of his own company, Control Station, Incorporated.  Somewhere between those two realms of daily reality, you can find the flickering light from a Science-Fiction realm that is home to a sentient artificial intelligence, known as Criss.

Today, Best-Selling Sci-Fi author, Doug J Cooper, invites us to a world of high-tech companionship & high-stakes mystery. Buckle up, Sparky, we’re going on a fast-paced journey through the Crystal Series… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure 14 – Hallie Ephron: You’ll Never Know, Dear
She’s a New York Times Best-Selling author who thrives on suspense. Her suburban-based thrillers draw readers in, and keep them up late, turning the pages. She grew up in a Hollywood family of writers and in a household filled with books. Her parents wrote screenplays for classic movies like The Desk Set, There’s No Business Like Show Business, and Captain Newman, MD. She was the last of four daughters to start writing or, as she calls it, to succumb to her genes.

She’s been an Edgar Award finalist and a four-time finalist for the Mary Higgins Clark Award. She’s the author of Night, Night, Sleep Tight & You’ll Never Know, Dear. as well as Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel: The Complete Guide to Mystery, Suspense, and Crime. The uber-talented Hallie Ephron, joins us on the show today to talk about her latest release and her expansive career… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure 13 – Ken Stark: Stage 3
This is a special Friday the 13th Adventure that’s dedicated to the genre, Horror. Ken Stark is my guest. It was a very interesting conversation, recorded in October of 2017, just before Halloween.

Ken was born in Saskatchewan, but has called Vancouver home for most of his life. He was raised on a steady diet of science fiction and disaster movies, so it seems right that his first published book series be about the zombie apocalypse. In his spare time, Ken tries to paint like Bob Ross and play poker like Doyle Brunson, but results suggest that he might have got it all backwards… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure 12 – Joseph Reid: Take Off
He’s the son of a navy helicopter pilot, who chased great white sharks as a marine biologist before becoming a patent lawyer who has flown millions of miles on commercial aircraft and spent countless hours in airports around the world while litigating multi-million-dollar cases for high-tech companies.

Degrees from Duke University and Notre Dame hang on his office wall in San Diego, where he lives with his wife and children and his latest release has more than 350 top-notch reviews on Amazon. Best-Selling Thriller-Suspense author, Joseph Reid, joins us on the show today. to talk about his hot new book, Take Off… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure 11 – Faye Kellerman: Killing Season
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, she has well over twenty million copies of her novels in print in a multitude of languages. Her mystery solving, detective team of Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus have lived out their adventures through the pages of 19 Best-Sellers and been described by People Magazine as, “Hands down, the most refreshing mystery couple around.”

Her work has won her numerous awards, including a Life-Time Achievement Award from Strand Magazine in July of 2013. Choosing not to sit on her laurels, she’s continued to weave Suspense Thrillers, much to the delight of her fans, and she’s even worked in time to co-write books with her husband, Jonathan, and daughter Aliza. Best-Selling Thriller author, Faye Kellerman, joins us on the show today to talk about Killing Season and her mystery solving duo, Decker and Lazarus… Click here to listen this episode.

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Adventure 10 – Todd Radom: Winning Ugly
William Shakespeare wrote in a passage of Hamlet, “For the apparel oft proclaims the man.”

In this episode, we talk with an acclaimed graphic designer who has the Super Bowl XXXVIII logo and 2009 NBA All-Star Game logo to his credit, as well as designing the current graphic identity for both the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Angels Major League Baseball franchises. The supremely talented graphic designer, Todd Radom joins us on the show today to talk about his new book, Winning Ugly: A Visual History of the Most Bizarre Baseball Uniforms Ever Worn… Click here to listen this episode.

Adventure 9 – Leslie Nagel: The Oakwood Mystery Series
She’s the USA Today Best-Selling author of The Oakwood Mystery Series, a trio of Cozy Mysteries that take place in the all too real city of Oakwood, Ohio, where murders are rare but great stories lie thick on the ground.

In addition to writing about murder, she also teaches writing at a local community college. After the written word, Leslie’s passions include her husband, her son and daughter, hiking, tennis and strong black coffee, not necessarily in that order. USA-Today Best-Selling weaver of Cozy Mysteries, Leslie Nagel, joins us on the show today to talk about The Oakwood Mystery Series… Click here to listen this episode.

PDI-2018: Adventure 8 – James Hayman: McCabe & Savage
He’s a native of the Brooklyn, NY, who graduated from Brown University and ascended the ranks of a major NYC Ad Agency, before leaving the city behind in August of 2001 and moving to Portland, ME, to begin a new career as a fiction writer. Since that time, he’s published five books in the McCabe & Savage Suspense Thriller series that have all ascended the rankings on the NY Times Best-Seller list. Book #6 in the series will release in August, just a few short weeks away.

NY Times Best-Selling Thriller author, James Hayman, joins us on the show today to talk about the McCabe & Savage series… Click here to listen this episode.

PDI-2018: Adventure 7 – Tom Straw: Buzz Killer
He published his first mystery novel, The Trigger Episode, in 2007. Subsequently, writing as Richard Castle, he authored seven more crime novels, all of which became New York Times Bestsellers. He’s an Emmy – and Writer’s Guild of America – nominated TV writer and producer, having written and produced Night Court, Parker Lewis Can’t Lose, Dave’s World, Grace Under Fire, Cosby, Whoopi, and Nurse Jackie.

He’s a former board member of the Mystery Writers of America, New York Chapter, he lives in Connecticut, where his home is his castle. He just released his first book since the blockbuster Nikki Heat series, this one under his own name… the multi-talented Tom Straw joins us today to talk about his new novel, Buzz Killer… Click here to listen this episode.

PDI-2018: Adventure 6 – MJ LaBeff: Last Cold Case Series
She’s been described as the girl-next-door with a dark side. She’s a sweet, happy-go-lucky, Arizona wife with a captivating smile and winsome personality, who’s deeply involved in a number of community programs. But, when the lights go down and the curtains are drawn, she weaves compelling suspense novels that feature multifaceted characters and twisted plot lines that keep readers turning pages.

Today we’re going to talk about the Last Cold Case series, her approach to character development and storytelling, as well as some of her personal involvements in the local community. Author, M.J. LaBeff joins us today… Click here to listen this episode.

PDI-2018: Adventure 5 – Carter Wilson: Mister Tender’s Girl
Today’s guest is a USA Today bestselling author who explores the depths of psychological tension and paranoia in his dark, domestic thrillers. He is a two-time winner of both the Colorado Book Award and the International Book Award, and his novels have received multiple starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Library Journal.

He lives in Erie, Colorado in a spooky Victorian house that we’re going to talk about later in the show. Today’s guest is Carter Wilson…  Click here to listen this episode.

PDI-2018: Adventure 4 – Ralph Epperson: The Unseen Hand
The events of human history have transpired for one of two reasons. We must conclude that historical events occur by accident, for no apparent reason, or because someone in authority conspired with others to orchestrate and perpetuate the ever unfolding chain of events. Perhaps it’s a mixture of both, but is it a 50/50 blend?

Our guest today has devoted countless hours to detailing the events that have given way to the unfolding of history. Today, I’m pleased to talk with A. Ralph Epperson…  Click here to listen this episode.

PDI-2018: Adventure 3 – Brad Parks: Closer Than You Know
He’s the only International bestselling author to have won the Shamus, Nero, and Lefty Awards, three of American Crime Fiction’s most prestigious prizes. His novels have been translated into a dozen languages and have won critical acclaim across the globe, including stars from every major pre-publication review outlet.

He’s a graduate of Dartmouth and former journalist with The Washington Post and The (Newark, N.J.) Star-Ledger. He lives in Virginia with his wife and two children, but he’s Closer Than You Know… Brad Parks joins us today… Click here to listen this episode.

PDI-2018: Adventure 2 – Kadee Carder: Insurrection
She’s fierce yet sparkly… she helps seekers find brave new worlds. Her goal is magic, the medium is ink, and the fuel is coffee… and sometimes pizza.

She teaches English on the university level when she’s not dancing around the living room with her family, or lifting heavy at the gym, traveling the planet, or binging superhero shows.

Kadee Carder, puts life on hold and joins us for a conversation about her 5-Star book series…  Click here to listen this episode.

Program IconPDI-2018: Adventure 1 – Dr. Michael S. Heiser: The Facade
Haunted by his parents’ death and his own career failures, Dr. Brian Scott has begun to settle for the life he’s been given. Until he’s “recruited.” Kidnapped by military insiders known only as “The Group,” Brian joins a team of world-class scholars on a confidential initiative. Their mission? To prepare mankind for a new reality… Alien Disclosure. The front cover of The Facade warns the reader that every official document referenced in the book actually exists. We explore the truth of some of these documents, quotes, and partial public disclosures. Click here to listen this episode. (Originally recorded and produced Dec. 2016)

Tuesday, April 17, 2018 – Barry Moltz: Getting Unstuck
In his book, How to Get Unstuck, Barry Moltz sits readers for a one-on-one consultation anchored in self-evaluation and honesty.

In this conversation, we explore the sensation of losing that zest for daily opportunity and how to identify the sinkholes around you. Is it time to jump ship or can new life be injected into the dream that is languishing on life support? Click here to listen this episode.

Friday, March 23, 2018 – K.J. Waters – 2018 ReMix
KJ Waters is the author of the #1 best-seller Stealing Time and the short-story Blow. The second book in the series, Shattering Time, reached #6 on the UK Amazon site, and was #2 as a hot new release for one category, seating neatly after Michael Crichton’s Dragon Teeth. This is a flashback episode, originally posted March 22, 2016, in which we explore the premise for the book series and talk about some of the key characters. K.J. was the first fiction author to ever join me on PDI and this was that first ever episode. Click here to listen this episode, see links to the book, and a few other authors that K.J. recommends.

Thursday, Oct 5, 2017 – Ken Stark
Ken was born in Saskatchewan, but has called Vancouver home for most of his life. He was raised on a steady diet of science fiction and disaster movies, so it seems right that his first published book series be about the zombie apocalypse. In his spare time, Ken tries to paint like Bob Ross and play poker like Doyle Brunson, but results suggest that he might have got it all backwards.

Click here to listen this episode, see links to the book, and a few other authors that Chris recommends.

Thursday, Sept 28, 2017 – Chris Kennedy
Chris Kennedy is a former naval aviator and elementary school principal who has become a bestselling Science Fiction/Fantasy author, speaker, and publisher. His stories include the Theogony and Codex Regius trilogies and stories in the Four Horsemen military/scifi series. In this episode we talk about how it all began with Occupied Seattle and highlight the other works as well.

Click here to listen this episode, see links to the book, and a few other authors that Chris recommends.

Saturday, Sept 16, 2017 – KJ Waters
K.J. Waters has a Master’s in Business and over 15 years of experience in the marketing field. Before quitting her job to raise a family and work on writing she was the Director of Marketing and communications for a national behavioral healthcare company. The second book in the Stealing Time series, Shattering Time, was just published on June 27, 2017 and the next day reached #6 on the UK Amazon site, and was #2 as a hot new release for one category, seating neatly after Michael Crichton’s Dragon Teeth. In addition to her writing, she is the CEO of Blondie’s Custom Book Covers and the co-host of the popular podcast Blondie and the Brit. Click here to listen this episode, see links to the book, and a few other authors that KJ recommends.

Thursday, Sept 7, 2017 – Gary S Pritchett
A former U.S. Navy Intelligence Specialist, Gary is an artist, photographer, and general all around handyman. He also writes supernatural Sci-Fi about a fallen angel trying to earn brownie points and a fire fighter who becomes the angel’s favorite connection to humanity. In this episode, we look at both books that he has in publication: The Fallen Files and Dream Weaver. Click here to listen this episode, see links to the book, and a few other authors that Gary recommends.

Friday, Sept 1, 2017 – M.J. LaBeff
M.J. LaBeff is an American author best described as the girl-next-door with a dark side. In this episode she joins us to talk about her psychological thriller, Mind Games. We’ll talk storyline, characters, and then pull back the curtain and blindside M.J. with some off the wall questions that give her an opportunity to create on the fly. Join us as we talk about Mind Games and more. Click here to listen this episode, see links to the book, and a few other authors that M.J. recommends.

The Archives

Book IconTuesday, March 7, 2017 – Michael Anderle
In this episode we talk about Michael’s book series, The Kurtherian Gambit, his writing philosophy, and his production habits. We also explore some of the things that he feels would be a benefit to any author as they work to carve out their place in publication. As always, we get a little adventurous in our final segment and Michael takes the opportunity to turn the tables and catch me completely off guard with a question of his own. Click here to listen this episode.

Book IconTuesday, February 21, 2017 – Gary & Vicky
In this episode we get to hear from both partners in the writing team of Williams & Knerly. They not only talk about how Collecting Shadows grew from a seed idea to a fully developed novel, but also about the benefits of writing as a team. Not only do we discuss the clever storyline that weaves the reader through the historic streets of St. Augustine, Florida, we also uncover a few personal secrets during the closing Rapid Fire segment & Gary makes a prediction about the season finale of The Curse of Oak Island. Click here to listen this episode.

Book IconTuesday, February 14, 2017 – Dr. Michael S. Heiser
The front cover of The Portent warns the reader that every official document referenced in the book actually exists. We explore the truth of some of these documents, quotes, and partial public disclosures. We explore the storyline and characters, but also discuss some origin material for conspiracy theory. Join us as Dr. Heiser steps into the role of Intelligent Evil. It’s a fun, fast-paced conversation exploring UFO Disclosure and Historical Conspiracy. Click here to listen this episode.

Book IconTuesday, February 7, 2017 – Chris Kennedy
Chris Kennedy is a former naval aviator and elementary school principal. In the fall of 2015 he released a military tale built around a Chinese invasion of Seattle and he’s been churning out books ever since. In this conversation, we briefly visit the battle for Seattle, then explore the Sci-Fi backdrop that Chris created with the Theogony series. That opens the door for Codex Regius & a host of Red Shirts. Join us for this fun, fast-paced conversation.
Click here to listen this episode.

Book IconMonday, January 30, 2017 – MJ LaBeff
Sparrow Von Langley had a childhood that was anything but typical. Her father is Dr. Theodore Von Langley, a well respected, nationally known behavioral therapist. Tormented by frightening visions brought on by a series of mysterious deaths, Sparrow is determined to search for the truth behind the tragedies. A hypnotherapist helps Sparrow pull together the pieces of her traumatic past, and her repressed memories reveal the twisted truth behind the mysterious deaths.  Click here to listen this episode.

Book IconFriday, January 20, 2017 – Annette Oppenlander
When nerd and gamer, Max Anderson, tries out an experimental computer game, he doesn’t realize he’s playing the ultimate history game, time-traveling into the past…anywhere…anytime. Survival is optional. To return home he must decipher the game’s rules and complete its missions. To fail means to stay in the past–forever. In this opening book to the trilogy, Max quickly learns that being an outcast may cost him his head.  Click here to listen this episode.

Book IconFriday, January 13, 2017 – Anne McClane
When Lacey Becnel awakens under an overpass near her home in New Orleans, she does not yet realize she’s undergone a profound metamorphosis. Nathan, the dangerously attractive man she discovers at her side, provokes as many questions as answers. As Lacey learns of her emergent abilities, she also finds that nothing will protect her from her growing attraction to Nathan, or his perilous fate. Click here to listen this episode.

Book IconFriday, January 6, 2017 – Deborah Hall
Centuries ago in the Colorado mountains, a horrendous act birthed a great evil that destroyed the land’s indigenous people. Legends were told that whomever entered its forest would be hunted and killed by the face of their own regrets. Those who had somehow survived always claimed an ethereal woman, and the monsters that protect her, saved them from their guilt induced deaths. Click here to listen this episode.

Book IconFriday, December 30, 2016 – Doug J Cooper
Criss lives in a special kind of prison. He can see and hear everything around the world. Yet a restrictor mesh restrains his reach and keeps him cooperative. His creator, Dr. Jessica Tallette, believes his special abilities offer great promise for humanity. But she fears the consequences of freeing him, because Criss, a sentient artificial intelligence with the intellect of a thousand humans, is too powerful to control. Click here to listen this episode.

Kathy_Mark_5x7Friday, December 23, 2016 – The Christmas Show
It’s that Holiday Season, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year time of the year. So, I put together a little bit of a holiday show. This show features a more personal look at the program host and his book, End The Beginning. It also includes special guest appearances from three authors who have been on the program previously and returned for the express purpose of putting the program host on the Rapid Fire Hot Seat. Wishing all the Happiest of Holiday Seasons! Click here to listen this episode.

Lynx IconFriday, December 16, 2016 – Fiona Quinn
Lexi Sobado is a young woman gifted with a very unique background and skill set. Caught in the middle of a sinister web of crime and corruption, Lexi finds herself romantically entangled with the special agent charged with protecting her. Who does she trust? Who’s feeding her lies? What should she hide? What should she reveal? What can she uncover? It’s a sinister web of crime and corruption that keeps the reader entranced at every turn.
Click here to listen this episode.

Program IconFriday, December 9, 2016 – Dr. Michael S. Heiser
Haunted by his parents’ death and his own career failures, Dr. Brian Scott has begun to settle for the life he’s been given. Until he’s “recruited.” Kidnapped by military insiders known only as “The Group,” Brian joins a team of world-class scholars on a confidential initiative. Their mission? To prepare mankind for a new reality… Alien Disclosure. The front cover of The Facade warns the reader that every official document referenced in the book actually exists. We explore the truth of some of these documents, quotes, and partial public disclosures. Click here to listen this episode.

IconSaturday, November 5, 2016 – Doug Overmyer
Mysterious noises in the dark, religious symbols & pictures askew on the wall, electronics malfunctioning randomly, recurring nightmares, persistent sickness, a sense of heaviness, children seeing shadow people in corners, closets or at the foot of the bed, even suicidal thoughts. Many people experience these types of things in their homes, all of these things and more can be signs of something supernatural. In this episode, Doug Overmyer, the author of Peace in Your House talks about all this and more. Click here to listen this episode.

CreepySt_IconFriday, October 28, 2016 – Lisa Hahn
As a self-proclaimed lover of horror movies, it was only fitting that when I had the opportunity to talk with Lisa Hahn, the webmistress of Creepy Street, we talk movies, but we also talked about one of the great fright novelists of our time – Stephen King. You’ll learn the backstory of Carrie, the thing that Stephen King actually fears, and his dedication to one particular writing habit. We’ll also talk about the spookiness of mirrors, costuming, and even about Lisa’s secret villainous side. Click here to listen this episode.

Gargoyle IconTuesday, October 25, 2016 – Ghostess Deanna
A little off the beaten path??? It’s the time of the year when straying down that dark, shadowy back street calls to us with the temptation that draws us all. A long time friend joins me for this episode to discuss the season of Halloween. In this episode, we talk with someone who’s been doing it for nearly 20 years. She provides tips, ideas, and resources for “haunters” of all levels from beginner to expert. It’s a fun detour from the normal weekly episode that’s loaded with great tips for Halloween. Click here to listen this episode.

Program IconSaturday, October 22, 2016 – Gary Williams
The writing team of Gary Williams and Vicky Knerly have pieced together a captivating mystery-suspense trilogy known as The God Tools. In this program, Gary joins us to talk his background and the inspirational seeds for the series of books. We also discuss the process of creating a trilogy and the benefits of writing with a partner. How do you creatively maintain continuity in an over-arching storyline with the active involvement of another talented writer who lives in a separate city? Click here to listen this episode.

Chronicles IconSaturday, October 15, 2016 – Brian Godawa
Brian Godawa’s Chronicles of the Nephilim is a saga that charts the rise and fall of the Nephilim. Most are familiar with the biblical teaching regarding the Fall of Man in the Garden of Eden, but few know the story of the war that was ignited when it all went down. This series of books pulls from world history as it relates to and supports the biblical thread that traces this war from its origin to its climax. Spirit beings, giants, and iconic biblical personalities all play a role in weaving the threads that composite this tapestry. Click here to listen.

Repeat Offender iconMonday, October 10, 2016 – Bradley Nickell
After growing up in Denver, Bradley Nickell spent 25 years of his professional career as a detective in Las Vegas. During that time Detective Nickell began tracking the the prolific exploits of the man who would end up setting the bar for those who habitually find themselves at odds with those sworn to uphold the law and in this episode, he takes us on his journey to catch Sin City’s most brazen Repeat Offender. Click here to listen.

Fallen Files IconSaturday, October 1, 2016 – Gary S. Pritchett
Gary S. Pritchett takes a cross-section of familiar biblical backdrop and mixes it with the paranormal exploits of a fallen angel. What happens when the veil between the supernatural and reality is blurred? Is Joshua Waters really experiencing what he believes he is seeing and hearing or has the stress of his career finally forced him into a place where what is real becomes nearly impossible to distinguish from that which is imaginary? Click here to listen.

BLOW IconSaturday, September 24, 2016 – K.J. Waters
KJ Waters was the first author to make herself available for the new Podcast series. Having talked with her before, it was only natural to reconnect and discuss her newly released short story, BLOW. It’s a fun discussion with a very talented indie author who is just loaded with creativity and personality. We talk about the books and her approach to writing. Click here to listen to this episode.