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HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN is the USA Today bestselling author of 14 psychological thrillers, winning the genre's most prestigious awards: five Agathas, five Anthonys, and the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award. She’s also an investigative reporter for Boston's WHDH-TV, winning 37 EMMYs. National book reviewers call her “a superb and gifted storyteller.” Her newest is the page-turning standalone THE HOUSE GUEST – a story of psychological manipulation exploring the dark heart of marriage and friendship—it’s Gaslight meets Thelma & Louise! Publishers Weekly says, “Ryan is a master of suspense!” and the Library Journal starred review calls it "Binge-worthy.”

https://hankphillippiryan.com/

https://hankphillippiryan.com/events/

https://www.facebook.com/HankPhillippiRyanAuthor

https://twitter.com/hankpryan

https://www.instagram.com/hankpryan/

E132 - Eileen Cook is a multi-published, award-winning author. Her novels have been published in nine languages and optioned for film and TV. She spent most of her teen years wishing she was someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer. She’s an instructor/mentor with The Creative Academy and Simon Fraser University Writer’s Studio Program, where she loves helping other writers find their unique story to tell. She was a keynote speaker at the Surrey International Writers' Conference, won the Battle of the Books competition and survived talking in front of a group of over 300 grade one through three students.

Eileen and I had a great talk about her novel, You Owe Me a Murder, and the just released writing resource, Build Better Settings - How To use Setting to Show Character Arc in Your Fiction, co-written with Crystal Hunt. Thank you Eileen for a fantastic interview.

https://eileencook.com/thrillers/

https://www.instagram.com/eileencookwriter/?next=%2Feileencookwriter%2F

https://www.facebook.com/EileenCook.author

https://twitter.com/Eileenwriter

https://creativeacademyforwriters.com/

E130 - Debra Purdy Kong was a criminology student and spent many hours writing about criminal behaviour for term papers. When she received her diploma from Douglas College, she realized that she’d rather write crime fiction than work for the Criminal Justice System, a decision she’s never regretted.

While learning the craft of writing through courses, conferences, workshops, books, and critique groups, she worked as a secretary for accountants, academics, lawyers, and others. When she left full time employment to raise her children, she used pockets of free time to develop short fiction while she kept working on mystery novels. When her children grew older, she ventured into security work. In today's podcast we talk about 2023 being a year of transition and how transition is occurring in her personal life as well as in her writing life. We also talked about Debra's security work and how she's worked it into her Casey Holland mystery series, in particular, her latest novella, A Gold Satin Murder.

http://www.debrapurdykong.com/

https://debrapurdykong.wordpress.com/

E127 - Patti Lee brings women's fiction stories to life, tapping into the hopes and sometimes fears of readers. Her debut novel, Between February and November placed in the top 10 in Notebook Publishing’s #IndieApril contest and took first place in the 2022 Firebird Book Awards fiction category. An award-winning essay writer, her creative non-fiction has been included in Crone Rising by Jazz House Publications. Her short story, The Ward House, was included in the autumn anthology Of Cottages and Cauldrons, also by Jazz House Publications.

We talked about motivation. I re-told the Randy Bachman pizza story and quoted David Bowie. We also discussed challenging ourselves, feeling like a writer and Patti's four cats and my two dogs. A great Season 5 opening podcast. Thank you Patti.

https://www.pattileewriter.com/

https://twitter.com/PattiAuthor

https://www.facebook.com/PattiLeeAuthorPage

https://www.instagram.com/authorpattilee/

E126 - Christine Milkovic Krauss is a children’s author of picture books, which highlight educational points about pet care, support, inclusivity and celebrate being different together. When Christine is not writing picture books, she works as an essential service worker. Her children’s book Teddy Loses His Ear is based on her family’s experience during the pandemic. Teddy Loves Spaghetti, the second book in this adorable series, is also available now. Thank you Christine.

https://cmkauthor.wixsite.com/christinemilkovic

E125 - W.L. (Wendy) Hawkin writes mysteries and romantic adventures, often charged with “myth, magic, and mayhem” from her home near Vancouver, Canada. Her Hollystone Mysteries features a coven of West Coast witches who solve murders using ritual magic and a little help from the gods. Those books are To Charm a Killer, To Sleep with Stones, To Render a Raven, and To Kill a King. Her latest, Lure, of the Lure River Romances, is a small-town romantic suspense series. When Wendy's not writing, she writes book reviews for Opal Magazine. On today's podcast we talk about her novel Lure, Muskoka, Ontario, cottages, cabins and we unpackage her characters.

http://bluehavenpress.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@wlhawkin/videos

https://linktr.ee/wlhawkin

E124 - Diane Bator is a prolific Canadian mystery writer and the mom of three kids, two cats and a step-dog as well as the author of Wild Blue Mysteries, Gilda Wright Mysteries, Glitter Bay Mysteries, and the Audra Clemmings Mysteries from Books We Love Ltd. with many more books and plays to come! Diane was on the show on August 6, 2022 when we talked about her novel Dead Without Honor, a Gilda Wright mystery. Today, we talked about her latest Audra Clemmings' Mystery, Dead Man's Doll, book 2 in her Sugarwood Mysteries as well as the theatre.

https://dianebator.ca/

https://www.instagram.com/dianebatorauthor/

https://www.facebook.com/dianebatorauthor/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/diane-bator-35b63418/

E123 - Freddy Cruz is the founder of Freddy Cruz Creative Works, a boutique media company in the Greater Houston area. Freddy’s work spans twenty-six years, three with the iconic KDWB/Minneapolis-Saint Paul and twenty-one with the legendary, two-time Marconi Award winning KRBE/Houston. The Greater Houston area has heard Freddy’s voice for more than seventeen thousand hours via weekday shows, community affairs shows and podcasts. And he has elevated world class brands by means of over fifty-eight thousand hours worth of production elements and traditional ads. When he's not in the lab creating auditory satisfaction, you can find him nose deep in a book, snuggling with his dog Sparrow, or jogging on the trail (trying hard to not sound like a horror movie villain). 

Today we talk about his thriller novel, Allow Me To Ruin Your Christmas, which is his third novel. Humor, sarcasm, writing, we talk about it all, and being the author unique to your personality instead of trying to be someone else. Thank you. 

https://www.freddycruzcreativeworks.com/books

https://linktr.ee/thefreddycruz

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBwWaCiNZQmBU4uFFnY-7yg

https://www.facebook.com/freddycruz

https://www.instagram.com/thefreddycruz/

E122 - Jule Selbo had just returned from Sweden where she was a speaker at a film conference when she joined me in the studio to talk about her latest novel, 9 Days, A Dee Rommel Mystery. Jule switched gears in her prolific career as a screenwriter in Los Angeles, (her work includes Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, animated Disney movies (Hunchback of Notre Dame Part Deux, Ariel’s Beginning), Melrose Place, Hercules, HBO’s Women Behind Bars, to name a few), and now lives in Portland Maine where she is focusing on eating, drinking and writing novels. Four novels have been published so far. Her most recent: 10 DAYS: A Dee Rommel Mystery was a Silver Falchion 2021 Award winner, as well as on the 2021 top-five list of Kirkus’ best crime/mysteries and nominated for a Foreword Review Best Award. The second novel in her series: 9 DAYS, A Dee Rommel Mystery, is out now. We talked about everything from Columbo to the 1934 Production Code which prohibited profanity, nudity, drug use and much more, including women producing and directing their films.

https://www.juleselbo.com/

https://www.facebook.com/jule.selbo

https://twitter.com/juleselbo?lang=en

E121 - Tanis Rideout’s internationally acclaimed first novel, Above All Things, was a national bestseller, named to numerous best books of the year lists, and published in several languages around the world. It was awarded the Premio ITAS del Libro di Montagna and was longlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. Her new novel is The Sea Between Two Shores. She is also the author of the poetry collection Arguments with the Lake, and, in 2006, she was named the “Poet Laureate for Lake Ontario” by the environmental advocacy group Lake Ontario Waterkeeper. Born in Belgium, she grew up in Bermuda and in Kingston, Ontario, and now lives in Los Angeles.

We talked about her latest novel out now, The Sea Between Two Shores, which begins in the early 1800s when a Nova Scotian couple arrive on an island in the Oceanic archipelago, now known as Vanuatu, to convert the local Indigenous peoples. Two hundred years later a Toronto family are mourning the loss of their son. The lives of both families connect by their desire for healing and the desire to heal the actions of their ancestors. 

We talked about Canada's past, the digital country, disappearing due to climate change, and hopepunk!

 https://www.tanisrideout.com/

https://www.instagram.com/tanisrideout/?next=%2F

https://twitter.com/tanisrideout

E118 - Meredith Hambrock is a Canadian fiction and television writer who grew up in Toronto and now lives in Vancouver. Her short fiction has appeared in several magazines, including Maisonneuve and Descant. She’s been a finalist for the CBC Short Story Prize and most recently wrote for the sitcom Corner Gas Animated. Today we’ll be talking about her debut novel, Other People’s Secrets, as well as 5 beat story structure, that vomit first draft, messy heroines and the events that occur in small towns. Thank you Meredith for joining me.

https://www.meredithhambrock.com/

https://twitter.com/meredithambrock

https://www.instagram.com/meredithhambrockbooks/?next=%2Fmeredithhambrockbooks%2F

E117 - Award-winning sci-fiction author Edward M. Lerner joins me in the studio. On Edward’s website, it is written Edward is the perpetrator of science fiction and techno-thrillers. While you probably know Ed from his SF novels, including the InterstellarNet series and the epic Fleet of Worlds series with Larry Niven, Ed is a prolific author of acclaimed short fiction. The Best of Edward M. Lerner showcases his finest and favorite shorter works.

Edward is a physicist and computer scientist. After thirty years in the industry, working at every level from individual technical contributor to senior vice president, he now writes full-time. In addition to science fiction and technothrillers, he also writes popular science, notably including Trope-ing the Light Fantastic: The Science behind the Fiction. Edward is the recipient of the Canopus Award, a Hugo finalist for best novelette Championship B’tok; Fate of Worlds (with Larry Niven) was a Locus Award finalist, and many more.

https://www.edwardmlerner.com/

https://www.facebook.com/EdwardMLerner

E116 - Award-winning author Benny Sims returns to the podcast and we talk about his second novel, Mile Marker Zero.  Benny's love of storytelling traces back to reading Jack London’s The Call of The Wild when he was seven years old. He remembers his uncle telling him stories about being an artillery cannoneer in North Africa and Italy during World War II.

Benny grew up in Tennessee but moved to the small town of Benton in southern Illinois when he was 14. After attending college in Murray, Kentucky, he relocated back to Tennessee to work as a journalist. Later he worked for three decades in the aerospace industry in Huntsville, Alabama.

Benny and I talk about Benton, the late George Harrison, and George Harrison's sister. As well as, when is that novel really done? And how many endings do we write, before we write the ending. 

https://bennysims.com/books/

https://www.instagram.com/btsims17/

https://www.facebook.com/benny.sims.77

E114 - Zachary Hagen is a Mississippi based fantasy author and editor. When he isn't busy writing his next book or working with an editing client, you can often find him walking around his neighborhood or hiking.

From a young age he was enthralled with the world of story. From the stories his parents read to him from his blue bedtime story books to the first two series that he read, The Chronicles of Narnia and A Series of Unfortunate Events. Zachary's tastes continued to develop throughout his years of reading. The influences for his first series, The Eternal Chronicles, include Christopher Paolini, J. R. R. Tolkien, and C. S. Lewis to name a few. 

Thank you Zachary for an interesting conversation about faith and using the bible for inspiration for novels.

https://zacharyhagenwrites.com/

https://www.facebook.com/people/Zachary-Hagen-Writes/100076206160257/

https://www.tiktok.com/@zacharyhagen_writes?lang=en

https://mobile.twitter.com/mr_zhagen

E111 - International Amazon Bestselling author, Shoshona Freedman’s debut novel, The Faithful, was an International Amazon Bestseller, it reached the Quarter Finals in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, and was selected by Suspense Magazine as a "Best Debut of 2015.” Shoshona was on my podcast on April 10, 2021, when we discussed her novel, The Day She Died. Her latest novel, Blood Atonement, is out now. Shoshona lives in Vancouver with her husband and two children. She’s a proud member of Sisters in Crime, Crime Writers of Canada, International Thriller Writers, and Mystery Writers of America.

Shoshona and I talked about cults, being in the sometimes heavy world of our fiction, and how we come up for air, especially with regards to Blood Atonement. As well as being sensitive and respectful to the portrayal of victims. It may be fiction, but our words have impact. Thank you Shoshona. It was a pleasure.

https://www.smfreedman.com/

https://www.instagram.com/smfreedmanauthor/?next=%2Fsmfreedmanauthor%2F

https://www.facebook.com/smfreedmanauthor

https://twitter.com/SMFreedman

https://www.tiktok.com/@authorsmfreedman

E110 - D.C. Gomez is a four-year army vet who has a morbid and quirky sense of humor. Her heart thumps for those who serve their country and those who support them. Her love-journey of humanity is ongoing. She is an award winning, USA Today Bestselling author, public speaker, mentor and podcaster. Her podcast is Inside the Minds of Authors. She writes multiple genres from Urban Fantasy, Contemporary Literature, YA, Children’s Books and Devotionals. I believe the current count for her novels and novellas is 18. She has an undergraduate degree in Film and Television from NYU. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New England, she now calls Texas her new adoptive home.

https://dcgomez-author.com/

https://www.facebook.com/dcgomez.author

https://www.instagram.com/dc.gomez/

http://christinegerardidesigns.weebly.com/

https://dcgomez-author.com/podcast/

E109 - Award-winning science fiction and fantasy author, Edward Willett, joined me on the podcast. Edward (Ed) has written over 60 science fiction, fantasy and non-fiction books for readers of all ages. His science fiction and fantasy novels are published through DAW Books in New York. Under the pseudonym Lee Arthur Chane, he is the author of the steampunk fantasy novel Magebane, and as E.C. Blake, he wrote the Masks of Aygrima fantasy trilogy, Masks, Shadows, and Faces. His novel Marseguro won the 2009 Aurora Award which honours Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy. His novel Terra Insegura was a 2010 Aurora finalist and his YA novel, Star Song, was a 2022 finalist. He has also won a Saskatchewan Book Award for his YA fantasy Spirit Singer, and been shortlisted multiple times. We had a good conversation exploring sci-fi, and I learned about the lunar brewpub. 

https://edwardwillett.com/

https://shadowpawpress.com/about/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=543186719

https://www.instagram.com/edwardwillettauthor/?next=%2F

E107 - Jane Baird Warren writes for kids and adults, who, like her, still read Middle Grade and Young Adult fiction—Harry Potter was a game-changer for Jane. Jane has an MFA in creative writing from UBC. Her writing has been featured on CBC radio and in more than a dozen literary magazines in North America and the UK. In her fiction and real life, Jane is fascinated with people, but what she enjoys in both worlds is kindness and courage. She has a ridiculous memory for trivia, which she’d always believed was the most useless superpower a girl could have, until she started writing.

We talked about the issues she expertly wove into the classroom setting, the importance of acceptance, and I learned a little Scottish. Thank you Jane for a great discussion.

https://www.janebairdwarren.com/

https://www.janebairdwarren.com/book

https://www.instagram.com/jbwarren2/

https://www.facebook.com/jane.bairdwarren.1

https://twitter.com/jbwarren2

E104 - Diann Floyd Boehm is a humanitarian, educator and award-winning author. Diann was responsible for getting computers and technology into Texas classrooms. She lived overseas in many different countries, including Dubai and the The Philippines. But foremost, she's an author, having written picture books and YA novels. She is republishing her books in the dyslexia font and has many more books about to be published. 

We talked about her children's books and her YA novel, Rise! A Girl's Struggle for More, which was an Amazon bestseller, and has been compared to Anne of Green Gables. Diann's The Moonling Adventures - The Serengeti, won Best Texas Children's Book 2021. We also talked about Dubai.

Diann, you renewed my faith in mankind and I wish you were my grade 4 teacher. Thank you.

https://www.diannfloydboehm.com/ 

https://www.dyslexiefont.com/

https://www.facebook.com/diannfloydboehm/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/diannfloydboehm/

https://www.instagram.com/diann_floyd_boehm/

E103 - Sebastien deCastell has an interesting story on how he began writing, which involved camping on an island. Sebastien has been nominated for many amazing awards. He was the 2019 finalist in the Sunburst (Canada) Best Young Adult; 2019 Finalist in the Grand Prix D’Imaginaire (France) Best Foreign YA; the 2019 Winner of the Centurion Award (UK) Best Novel, and the list goes on. You can check out Sebastien’s website and see the beautiful Booknest Fantasy Award 2018 he won for Saint’s Blood. Today, we talk about his fantasy novel, Way of the Argosi, Book 1 of The Argosi. Rock music, fencing, and film options, we talk about it all. Thank you Sebastien.

https://decastell.com/

https://www.facebook.com/decastell

https://www.instagram.com/sebastiendecastell/

J. Lynn Else loves reading and writing about awesome women from antiquity. She was "... getting frustrated with the way historical women were being portrayed in numerous books which focused more on their sexual escapades than their own self-sustaining strength in overcoming social bonds. I wanted to satisfy both my wants as a reader and a writer.” 

J. Lynn is a fan of Star Wars, Star Trek and MST3K (Mystery Science Theatre 3000 – American science fiction comedy). J. Lynn graduated from college with a theatre major and a dance minor. She’s self-published two historical fiction novels set in ancient Egypt, The Forgotten: Aten’s Last Queen and The Forgotten: Heir of the Heretic and one science fiction novella, Strangely Constructed Souls. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and two kids. Their shelves are overrun with books, her kitchen is overrun with loose-leaf tea, and her workroom is overrun with Funko Pop figures.

We discussed whether King Arthur was a historical character, or mythical? And J. Lynn gave me her take on Lapsang souchong. After this episode, everyone's going to want to be Twig Lady.

Finally, HAPPY BIRTHDAY J. LYNN!!

https://www.teasippinnerdymom.com/

https://www.instagram.com/jlynnelseauthor/

https://twitter.com/JLynnElseAuthor?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.teasippinnerdymom.com%2F

E101 - Amy Tector loved reading and writing since a child. She grew up in Quebec’s Eastern Townships. When her husband got a job being a NATO archivist, they lived the expat life for almost three years. In Belgium, Amy returned to her PhD and wrote 460 pages about the representation of disability in Canadian novels of the First World War. You may remember Amy from when we talked about her novel, The Honeybee Emeralds, E91.

Her debut novel, which was a 2008 finalist in the Crime Writer’s of Canada Unhanged Arthur Award, has grown and morphed into the book which is available now, and we talk about The Foulest Things today. It is Book 1 in her Dominion Archives Mystery.  In reference to Amy's novel, Louise Penny’s writes The Foulest Things, is, “A literary joy ride.”

https://www.amytector.com/

https://twitter.com/amy_tector

https://www.instagram.com/amytectorwrites/

E100 - Philip Fracassi is the author of the award-winning story collection, Behold the Void, which won “Best Collection of the Year” from This Is Horror and Strange Aeons Magazine.

His newest collection, Beneath a Pale Sky, was published in 2021 by Lethe Press. It received a starred review from Library Journal, and was named “Best Collection of the Year” by Rue Morgue Magazine. It was nominated for a Bram Stoker award. His novels include A Child Alone with Strangers, Gothic, and Boys in the Valley. Philip’s books have been translated into multiple languages and his stories have been published in numerous magazines and anthologies, including Best Horror of the Year, Nightmare Magazine, Black Static, Dark Discoveries, and Cemetery Dance. The New York Times calls his work “terrifically scary.” As a screenwriter, his feature films have been distributed by Disney Entertainment and Lifetime Television. He currently has several stories under option for film/TV adaption.

Philip lives in Los Angeles and on today's podcast, we talk about his novel, Gothic. As well as his podcast, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dark-word/id1617331704

https://pfracassi.com/

Thank you, Philip.

E99 - M.N. Grenside was born and raised in London. He began his career at Lloyds of London, specializing in Kidnap, Ransom and Extortion Insurance. At age twenty-five M.N. Grenside decided it was time for a career change and he started his media career working for Jim Henson and The Muppets. He has been involved in entertainment ever since. He is an award-winning producer, producing television series and mini-series such a Lonesome Dove, Merlin, Treasure Island, Fraggle Rock and much more. Mark appeared at the renowned Oxford Literary Festival, the Malta Book Festival, and he was interviewed by the Crime Writers of Canada author A.J. Devlin There’s a lot more to say about M.N. Grenside which will be revealed in the podcast. Today, we talk about his thriller novel, Fall Out.

https://mngrenside.com/

https://mngrenside.com/and-another-thing/

https://twitter.com/MNGrenside

https://www.facebook.com/MGrenside

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58891098-fall-out

E97 - Teoni Spathelfer is a member of the Heiltsuk Nation from coastal BC. Since childhood she has loved immersing herself in her own culture and learning about other cultures around the world. Teoni has worked as a publicist; a radio journalist, host, and producer; and an arts and music writer. Her documentary Teoni’s Dream, informed by her mother’s residential school experience, has aired nationwide on CBC Radio. Her photography has been featured across various media and sold privately. She has been blessed with three daughters and four grandchildren.

Today, Teoni and I discuss the third book in her Little Wolf series, Abalone Woman. "Stories are medicine," Teoni writes. So true. It has been a great experience watching Teoni's journey. Our first interview was about the first book in the series, Little Wolf, followed up by White Raven, and then capping off with Abalone Woman. Thank you Teoni for sharing your stories and experiences on the podcast. All these books can be purchased from Strong Nations (link below), Indigo, Amazon, Munro bookstore (Victoria) 

https://www.strongnations.com/gs/show.php?gs=3&gsd=8400 

https://www.instagram.com/teonispathelfer/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/teoni-spathelfer-ab456144/

E96 - Mickey Mikkelson is the founder of Creative Edge Publicity.

In 2006, he began his work in the literary and bookseller industry as the Special Events Manager for Chapters/Indigo, Canada’s largest bookstore chain, in St. Albert, Alberta.  Ten years later, he formed Creative Edge Publicity, an aggressive publicity firm that specializes in advocating for both the traditional and independent artist.

Since founding Creative Edge, Mickey has signed some of the top talents in the literary industry, including multiple award-winning authors, New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors, and successful indie authors, many of whom have become international bestselling authors while working within the Creative Edge brand.

Mickey and I have an informative conversation about publicity versus selling books. We talk about the gritty .... money. Mickey's humor makes for a fun podcast, including his story about the National Enquirer, and the red flags authors should be aware of when it comes to finding a publicist. Mickey also shares the touching story of how his daughter came up with the idea for Creative Edge Publicity logo. With over a hundred clients, Mickey explains how a simple, "I can get you a book signing," turned into what has become a boutique publicity firm, Creative Edge Publicity. Thank you so much Mickey.

https://www.creative-edge.services/ 

https://www.facebook.com/mmcreativeedge

https://twitter.com/MickeyCreative

I found out that a few weeks ago, YA author, Inga Kruse, after 8 years battling cancer, passed. To honour Inga's memory, her spirit, her creativity, I'm re-publishing our podcast. Inga was in midst of treatment when we recorded this episode. Inga had amazing strength. Rest in peace, Inga.

E9 - Inga Kruse has been writing since she first drew and wrote political newsletters for her classmates in grade 4. Twenty years ago this Montrealer moved to BC, captivated by its rugged mountainous landscape and the love of her life.

Her young adult mystery novel Lou and the Whale of a Crime features Lou, a fifteen-year-old teenage girl who, with her curious engineering mind, builds her own spy gear. Lou and her huge Great Dane, Rocky are befriended by Oliver, a wheelchair user. He is known for his clever Shakespearean quotes and his determination. The two are thrust into a serious investigation that has international implications. Inga outlines the depths she undertook to authentically represent the Indigenous people of Squamish, and the detailed feedback she received from her 12-year-old beta readers.

Inga has her own amazing backstory. She explains the inspiration behind the exoskeleton, a project she was involved with as executive director of a charitable Veteran's organization, They rallied with others behind Captain Trevor Greene, the man MacLeans magazine captioned the Iron Soldier.

E93 - Gordon Mott, the author of Lithuanian Lullaby, The Angels of Klaipeda, and now Tears of Jurate is back and we talk about his latest novel. Gordon is quoted in the Baltic Times, “I have a special place in my heart for the Baltics.” Gordon is a former American-Lithuanian English teacher and he met his wife, Asta, in Lithuania in the early 1990s. Gordon’s first book, Lithuanian Lullaby, was published in early 2021, and immediately took off. The novel has been on the Amazon bestseller list in both the USA and Canada in the Lithuania category – it even achieved the coveted number 1 position in both countries. It has also sold well in Europe and has been purchased by readers as far away as India. Tears of Jurate carries on with Vana and Darius's story as well as the courageous story of Jurate, a market trader. As Gordon writes in his novel, "Welcome to 1997!"

https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100065013460047

https://ca.linkedin.com/in/gordon-mott-0938154

https://www.amazon.ca/Books-Gordon-Mott/s?rh=n%3A916520%2Cp_27%3AGordon+Mott

E91 - Amy Tector talked to me about her debut novel, The Honeybee Emeralds which is a fantastic summer read. Amy holds a PhD in English literature from the Universite Libre de Bruxelles. She works at Canada’s national archives, Library and Archives Canada. She spent many years as an expat, living in Brussels and in The Hague, where she worked for the International Criminal Tribunal for War Crimes in Yugoslavia.

In The Honeybee Emeralds Amy beautifully weaves fiction and fact, as beautifully as the diamonds and emeralds in the honeybee emerald necklace. This suspenseful mystery is situated in Paris. From French royalty, Josephine Baker to the Mata Hari, this novel has intrigue, suspense, humor and the reader is rooting for the wonderful cast of characters. She even has The Honeybee Emeralds Parisian playlist on her Linktree account. Thank you Amy.

https://www.amytector.com/

https://linktr.ee/AmyTector

https://instagram.com/amytectorwrites?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

https://twitter.com/amy_tector?lang=en

All the way from Wanganui, New Zealand, I had the pleasure of interviewing fantasy author and landscape artist Steven Raaymakers.  Steven has a love for fantasy art and stories. He has painted concept art for the last 8 years including many commissions. He considers himself a visual storyteller. Steven wrote and created art during his teens, and we discuss the meshing of art and writing when it comes to crafting a series. We also discussed internal and external conflict, hand-in-hand in his novel, A Canticle of Two Souls, book 1, and his impactful words "war children." Steven's latest novel, A Canticle of War, book 3 was just published April 4, 2022. Thank you, Steven for joining me on the podcast.

https://www.stevenraaymakers.com/

https://www.facebook.com/stevenraaymakersauthor

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17562159.Steven_Raaymakers

https://twitter.com/svraaymakers

E89 - TARA MOSS is an internationally bestselling author, human rights activist, documentary and podcast host, and model. Her crime novels have been published in nineteen countries and thirteen languages, and her memoir, The Fictional Woman, was a #1 international bestseller. Her most recent novel is The War Widow, the first in the Billie Walker mystery series. A UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, she has received the Edna Ryan Award for significant contributions to feminist debate and for speaking out on behalf of women and children. In 2017, Tara Moss was recognized as one of the Global Top 50 Diversity Figures in Public Life. In 2021, she hosted the Audible Original true-crime podcast The Man in the Balaclava. Tara Moss lives in Vancouver with her family.

Tara and I have a great discussion about her fast-paced, thrilling new novel, The Ghosts of Paris. The dialogue is intense, and the reader feels like they are watching a tennis match. Funny scenes, that noir setting, and an intriguing and secretive plot makes for a dynamite novel. Thank you Tara.

https://taramoss.com/

https://www.instagram.com/taramossauthor/

https://www.facebook.com/taramossauthor/

https://twitter.com/tara_moss

https://www.pinterest.com.au/taramossauthor/?autologin=true

E88 - Some people thought Laura Ellen Scott's novel Blue Billy was a cozy. She proved them wrong. 

Laura and I had a fun and lively discussion about Blue Billy, the third novel in her New Royal Mysteries. Laura is a multi-published author of novels and short stories, as well as a professor at George Mason University. Laura likes writing stories with dark themes and quirky characters. She was born and raised in Northern Ohio and currently lives in Fairfax, Virginia. 

We talked about the presentation and contest she had with her students and the naming of a character. I learned what Blue Billy really is--a blue contaminated soil. I also learned about coke ovens. It's not what you think, and creepy statues from dolls to Santa Claus. Thank you Laura.

https://www.lauraellenscott.com/

https://www.facebook.com/LauraEllenScottAuthor/

https://twitter.com/LauraEllenScott

https://instagram.com/lauraellenscottles?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

E85 - International bestselling author, Hannah Mary McKinnon, returns to the podcast to talk about her latest novel, Never Coming Home.

Hanna was born in the UK. She grew up in Switzerland and now lives in Canada with her husband and three sons. Before moving to Canada, she had completed commercial studies in Geneva and worked as a PA for DuPont. Later she moved to Neuchatel and became the Purchasing Manager for a high-tech company. Hannah is the author of numerous essays and pieces. Her sixth novel, Never Coming Home is in stores now, and it's receiving great reviews.

“Sly and deliciously clever, Hannah Mary McKinnon captivates with this engrossing tale of a missing wife and the devious husband who hopes to inherit her fortune.”

“Hannah Mary McKinnon is back with another sit up and read until the small hours of the morning thriller.”

Hanna and I discuss Never Coming Home, and writing that evil yet loveable character and so much more. Thank you Hannah.

https://hannahmarymckinnon.com/

https://www.instagram.com/hannahmarymckinnon/?hl=en

https://www.facebook.com/hannahmarymckinnon

https://twitter.com/HannahMMcKinnon

E84 - L.A. Kessler returns to the podcast and we discuss her thriller novel, Perfect. After reading her thriller you'll think twice about saying that word ... Perfect. There is humor in her novel which balances the thrilling escapes and the subject matter. As much as I tried to be analytical reading Perfect, I kept being pulled into the story.

Lisa shares a touching story of how her mother was the inspiration for her heroine, Juliette, and which character Lisa relates to the most.

Lisa is the bestselling author of passionate, page-turning fiction. She has written 40 books in over 10 years. She has twice won the San Diego Book Award for Best Published Fantasy Sci-Fi Horror and Best Published Romance. Her books have also won the PRISM award and her vampire story, Immortal Beloved was a finalist in the Bram Stoker Award. Lisa has multiple series, a blog and is the host of the podcast BookLights, which I had the pleasure of being on. If you missed the first interview I had with Lisa about her novel, Sedona Salvation, that podcast was published on March 26, 2021.

https://www.authorlisakessler.com/

https://www.instagram.com/ldydisney/?hl=en

https://www.facebook.com/LisaKesslerWriter

https://twitter.com/LdyDisney?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

E83 - Award-winning author A.G. Flitcher of the Boone and Jacque urban fantasy series is back on the podcast. Today, we talk about book 3 in his series, Boone and Jacque: Saddleton Haunting. We have a thorough discussion about characters, settings and motivations, as well as his pansexual and transgender characters. 

A.G. Flitcher reveals the trauma he's recovering from in his personal life. He also talks about the take-away he wants writers and readers to experience after reading his novels. 

A.G. Flitcher's first podcast interview when we talk about book one, Boone & Jacque: Saddleton's Secret can be found in season 1, March 6, 2021.

https://www.facebook.com/A.G.Flitcher/

https://twitter.com/agflitcher?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9EWTIZ6JNCRglAEsJtGGhw

https://www.instagram.com/agflitcher/

E81 - Today, award-winning mystery author Mike Martin is on the podcast to talk about his latest novel and the first virtual Maple Leaf Mystery Conference which takes place over 5 days from May 24 to 28, 2022.

Mike was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Mike has always been a writer, and during the last 15 years he’s worked as a freelance writer, specializing in workplace and social policy issues. He’s been published in newspapers and magazines across Canada, the US and New Zealand. His first book was Change the Thing You Can: Dealing with Difficult People. The Walker on the Cape was his first published fiction novel. He has also published a number of short stories in periodicals and on-line. 

In today's podcast we talk about his 12th Sgt. Windflower novel, Dangerous Waters, the B&B which was constructed using a shipwreck's lumber; St. Pierre, which is part of France, and the virtual Maple Leaf Mystery Conference featuring a great line-up of Canadian authors and International best-selling author, Ian Rankin. 

https://sgtwindflowermysteries.com/

https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore

https://www.facebook.com/mike54martin

https://twitter.com/mike54martin

E77 -  Lisa Kessler's writing career was foretold to her by a fortune teller. When she received writing advice from Ray Bradbury, she knew she was on the right path. Forty books within a 10 year period, Lisa has numerous series under her belt. She writes a blog, and she is a podcast host. Lisa's books have won the PRISM award, she has twice won the San Diego Book Award, and her vampire story, Immortal Beloved, was a Bram Stoker finalist.

Lisa and I discuss the writing advice Ray Bradbury shared with her. Great advice that involves short stories and commitment. Using tarot cards to plot your novel, and we even discussed what an author should put on their Tik Tok account! Sunshine pirates and grumpy heroines, it's all in today's electric podcast. Thank you, Lisa.

https://www.authorlisakessler.com/

https://www.instagram.com/ldydisney/?hl=en

https://twitter.com/ldydisney

E76 - Cindy DeJager is a gracious human and an amazing magazine publisher. She is the entrepreneur behind Opal Writer's Magazine and Opal Rising Magazine. Her magazine is packed with great information for writers and authors at various stages of their career. She shares why the magazine is called opal, which is a beautiful and tender story in itself. Opal Writer's Magazine started in Alberta seven years ago, now, it has subscribers from all over Canada, the US, the UK, Australia and just recently Denmark. Each month the magazine showcases an author as well as featuring individuals in the business, such as Mark Leslie Lefebrve, who was the Director of Author Relations and Self-Publishing for Rakuten Kobo. In the May 2019 issue (attached) there is advice from Jenny Hoops about D-I-Y audiobooks. Links to both issues are attached. As well, her cat Sophie, expresses her opinions. Thank you very much Cindy for coming on the podcast.

https://opalpublishing.ca/

https://opalpublishing.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/may-owm.pdf

https://opalpublishing.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/mar-owm_2022.pdf

E75 - Award-winning YA author, Alisha Sevigny chatted with me about the 2nd and 3rd books in her Secret Sands Series, The Desert Prince and The Oracle of Avaris. The original novel in the series being The Lost Scroll of the Physician. Alisha is a talented author. Her novels can be read by all age groups, and her fierce heroine, Sesha, is an inspiration for all females. Her novels deal with issues relevant today. In fact, we acknowledged what's going on in the world and the connection to her novels. As well, The Oracle of Avaris is a YAdudebooks Award winner. Congratulations Alisha. Thank you for joining me.

https://www.alishasevigny.com/

E74 - Award-winning Vancouver crime writer of the Wakeland novels, Sam Wiebe, and I discuss his latest novel, Hell and Gone, which is the third novel in his Dave Wakeland series. Sam's prose is gritty and authentic. He gives the reader a great sense of living on the streets of Vancouver. We talk about beats, and Sam's not meaning music, conflict, as well as the writing courses he offers, the flagship course being Mystery Writing Mastery.  I came away from this interview thinking dig down when it comes to your protagonist's conflict, keep adding layers. 

Sam’s work has won the Crime Writers of Canada award and the Kobo Emerging Writer’s prize. He has been shortlisted for the Edgar, Hammet, Shamus and City of Vancouver book prizes. As well, I got a scoop. Small screen. Tune in to find out what's on the horizon for Sam.

http://samwiebe.com/

72 - Artist Cory Scott, moved back to Canada with three suitcases. A creative soul since a child, he's travelled the world and worked various jobs. When he and his fiancée left Australia and were selling their possessions, Cory was pleasantly surprised when Australians wanted to buy his paintings hanging on the walls. Cory knew this was a sign and pursued art fulltime. Cory’s art has won numerous awards, including in 2020, the Award of Excellence at the Sooke Fine Arts Show. On Cory’s website, Cory writes that he, “was born a daydreamer in the prairie city of Brandon, Manitoba, spending his days fishing in the Assiniboine River and melting coins on the railway tracks.” Cory explains the backstory behind the yellow VW bus, the yellow house and the yellow mailbox in his painting, Victoria, The Redfern Nursery, featured in the podcast art.  

https://www.coryscottgallery.com/

https://www.instagram.com/coryscottgallery/

https://www.facebook.com/coryscottgallery

Have you heard the term story bible? Or reading guides? Multi-published, bestselling historical romance author, Celeste Barclay, joins me in the studio. She is the author of 31 historical romances and after 16 years in the classroom where she was a Social Studies and English teacher, she is now a full-time author, entrepreneur, independent publisher and mentor. We talk about her historical romances, writing as a business, and her upcoming new releases. Celeste and I had a great conversation, and two days shy of Valentine's Day, it was great to talk about romance.

https://www.celestebarclay.com/

Author Mark Creedon joins me on the podcast and we talk about his historical fiction novel, Caught Between Two Devils, which is based on the real experiences of family members, Antanas Paskevicius, and Antanas's wife Jadwyga and his sister Maria in April 1944, when they, along with other prisoners, escaped from a forced labor camp during WWII. A moving interview, Mark and I discuss favourite scenes, the little Polish car that looks like a small frog, war, romance, humanity and helping your neighbour.

Mark worked in Child Welfare and Family Services agencies for 38 years until he retired in 2013. Caught Between Two Devils is available in paperback and Kindle format through Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.

DISCLAIMER: this podcast contains a story or two about war crimes which some listeners may find upsetting.

Amazon bestselling author Gordon Mott returns to the podcast. Gordon and I previously talked on the podcast about his hugely popular novel, Lithuanian Lullaby and today we talk about Gordon’s second novel, The Angels of Klaipeda.

Gordon and I have an extensive discussion about characters, their strengths, their weaknesses and finding the character to carry a new series or new story. We also talk about the Stockholm syndrome and using life events to fuel a novel, in particular the kidnapping of Terry Waite.

If you live in the Chicago, Illinois area, on Saturday, April 9, 2022 at 2:00 PM, Gordon will be speaking about and signing his latest novel, The Angels of Klaipeda at the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture. Details can be found on Gordon’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100065013460047

Multi-published author Marcelle Dube joins me on the podcast. Marcelle is the author of numerous mystery novels and short stories. Her bibliography is incredible. She is also on the executive of the Sisters in Crime – Chapter West.  Marcelle grew up in Montreal, and after trying a few provinces, she set roots in the Yukon for 35 years and she now lives in Alberta, which she says is, “much like the Yukon in all the ways that counts.” Today, we will be talking about her latest novel, The Wronged Woman, the common error novelists make when writing the short story, the "dirty middle" and the "boys in the basement."

http://www.marcellemdube.com/

Gordon Mott is the author of the historical fiction novels, Lithuanian Lullaby and The Angels of Klaipeda. He has lived and worked in the UK, Australia, Canada and Lithuania. With a degree in politics from Trent University in Peterborough, Canada, he holds an interest in East European development and has taught and travelled extensively in the region. We had a good discussion about the writing of his first novel, Lithuanian Lullaby, an epic historical fiction novel which is also a love story. The novel highlights western and eastern cultures between 1987 and 1997 following Lithuania's Independence and has been number one on Amazon in Canada and the U.S.

Gordon has been interviewed extensively overseas, and his novel has been featured in numerous publications worldwide. I was honoured to be his first Canadian interview.

Penni Jones’s website is titled, Scapegoats and Sacred Cows, and under that title is written This is my existential crises, get your own. She has a sharp, refreshing voice. Penni is also an editor, screenwriter & t-shirt wearer. Her novels are Suicide Souls, Kricket and On the Bricks. Penni and I talked about writing, imaginations and how in her dedication she writes about the grief following suicide. As we talked about Suicide Souls, we agreed that her novel has many layers, it's part thriller, part mystery and has humour. As much as this is a work of fiction, Penni respectfully writes about the topic of suicide. We have a good conversation including her inspiration behind some of her scenes. Would you believe the Detroit airport? And ghosts. Scapegoats and Sacred Cows – This is my existential crisis. Get your own. Penni Jones author (@pennijonesauthor) • Instagram photos and videos

Jenn Ashton considered herself a writer at age 6 and she was first published at age 14. She writes in many genres and forms from children's books, newspaper editorials, music magazine columns to training materials and literary fiction. In 2015 she began working as a virtual artist in North Vancouver. Her work has the nuances of Picasso. In 2020 she was long listed for the Kanturk Arts Festivals' Flash Fiction, in 2019 she was the recipient of the Muriel's Journey Prize for Poetry as well as the Jericho Writer's Flash Contest.  She searched for her First Nation's family history.  Her fiction novel, People Like Frank: And Other Stories from the Edge of Normal, will have you laughing and reflecting, as you follow the stories of life's real heroes--the people on the edge. Author Jenn Ashton (jenniferashton.ca) Jenn Ashton Art (jenniferashton.ca)

Point of view such as 3rd person fixed, back stories for all characters, creating tension in a cozy, check out today's podcast with multi-published author Erik D'Souza as we discuss his latest novel Death in Halfmoon Bay, a Suzanne Rickson mystery. Erik's first book, Straight Men in Gay Bars sold internationally. His novella and short stories have been published in various literary magazines, both in print and online. Like all authors, Erik has many stories to tell. We talk about the characters in Death in Halfmoon Bay, finding humour at the kitchen table and paying homage to writing greats Agatha Christie and L.R. Wright. Learn which Canadian authors are Erik's favourite, 3 out of 4 who have stopped in the dressing room. Get the scoop on his publishing company Timbercrest Publishing and how it has helped authors reach their publishing dreams. As well as, find out what everyone keeps asking Erik to write about. https://timbercrestpublishing.com/ and http://erikdsouza.com/