Inside Scoop Live!

”Contention” by Gary D. McGugan

Gary D. McGugan loves to tell stories and is the author of “Three Weeks Less a Day,” “The Multima Scheme,” “Unrelenting Peril,” “Pernicious Pursuit,” and award-winning novels “A Web of Deceit” and “A Slippery Shadow.” After a forty-year career at senior levels of multinational corporations, Gary’s writing uses artful suspense to entertain and inform. His launch of a new writing career—at an age most people retire—reveals an ongoing zest for new challenges and a lifelong pursuit of knowledge. Home is near Toronto, but Gary thinks of himself as a true citizen of the world. His passion for travel and his broad experience are evident in every chapter.
 
Learn more about Gary D. McGugan and his work at https://www.garydmcguganbooks.com/
 
Topics of Conversation
About Contention and the inspiration for the story
What the characters are up to in Contention - Crime Boss, Fidelia Morales, Suzanne Simpson - CEO of Multima Corporation and Howard Knight - Financial Wizard 
Weaving social, legal and ethical issues into the plot - Corporate Espionage
The role of the Caribbean setting
Writing and marketing as an Indie Author
What's next for Gary D. McGugan?
CONTENTION
Fidelia Morales is supreme mobster in the world of organized crime, with international interests in prostitution, illicit drugs, gambling, payday loans, and money laundering. She also rules her outfit with an iron fist. How will she react when her sometime lover and top financial genius wants out?Howard Knight has lived under Fidelia’s rigid control while he invested, scammed, or stole hundreds of millions in cyber currency for her and her criminal outfit, The Organization. But he craves freedom.Will she let him wade into a new corporate espionage venture from a Caribbean Island? Can the notorious crime boss manipulate her on-and-off lover’s ambitions and still realize a long-held dream of controlling one of the world’s largest publicly traded businesses?Contention pits the aspirations of one against the unimaginable power and reach of the other, setting Multima Corporation’s CEO—Suzanne Simpson—squarely in their criminal crosshairs. Will the high-powered executive recognize signals of impending danger soon enough to defend the massive company she inherited?
CONNECT WITH GARY MCGUGAN!
Website:  https://www.garydmcguganbooks.comMonthly Blog: https://www.garydmcguganbooks.com/rendezvous-blogFacebook:  https://www.facebook.com/gary.d.mcgugan.booksTwitter:  https://twitter.com/GaryDMcGuganInstagram:  https://www.instagram.com/authorgarydmcgugan
 

Cruel Lessons by Randy Overbeck

Dr. Randy Overbeck, a retired educator with over four decades of experience, is an award-winning author known for crafting suspenseful, heroic, and mysterious tales set in school environments. His books have received numerous awards and national recognition. His Haunted Shores Mysteries series has achieved bestseller status on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Dr. Overbeck is also the host of the podcast "Great Stories about Great Storytellers," where he uncovers the unique backgrounds of famous authors, directors, and poets. He frequently speaks to audiences nationwide, offering multimedia presentations on various topics.
You can learn more about Randy Overbeck and his work at https://www.authorrandyoverbeck.com/
 
Topics of Conversation
About Cruel Lessons and his new Lessons in Peril series
Research - going to jail for research!
Creating a suspensful whodunit wrapped around the social issue of drug abuse
How a small town and school system handle the drug issue in schools
Sharing Truths with Entertainment
What's next for Randy Overbeck- and more!
 
CRUEL LESSONS
On a school camping trip, fifth graders experiment with a dangerous new hallucinogen and die in a horrific accident, their deaths shattering the quiet town. Assistant Superintendent Ken Parks, hoping to redeem a fatal mistake from his past, grasps the opportunity to conduct the district investigation of how students are getting the drugs. Almost before he begins, the cops make a stunning arrest. But Parks battles on, convinced the real pusher is still out there, poisoning more kids until he receives an anonymous threat: if he continues, those close to him will pay. Is Parks willing to risk those he loves for a chance at redemption?
 
CONNECT WITH RANDY OVERBECK!
Website: https://www.authorrandyoverbeck.com/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/OverbeckRandy/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/authorrandyoverbeck
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/authorrandyoverbeck/
Tik Tok @authorrandyo
Visit Randy Overbeck's Podcast: Great Stories about Great Storytellers

Cram Down by Mark Shaiken

Mark Shaiken lives with his wife Loren and their dog Emily in Denver Colorado. He schooled at Haverford College and Washburn University, and practiced commercial bankruptcy law for almost 4 decades before moving on to writing, board service, and his photography and music.
He is the author of 4 novels in his 3J Legal Thrillers series, including Fresh Start, Automatic Stay, Unfair Discrimination, and Cram Down, the book we are going to visit with Mark about today. He also has a non-fiction title available called: And Just Like That: Essays on a Life Before During and After the Law
You can learn more about Mark Shaiken and his work at markshaikenauthor.com
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION
About Cram Down and the inspiraton behind the story
Cram Down in the legal world
Debuted on Amazon's 100 best seller list for financial thrillers in its first week!
Character Discussion - AMAZING characters!
Rich Kansas City history: incorporating historical elements into a fictional story
Elements of ethical complexities, history, bankruptcy, jazz and music
Creating the audiobook
What's next for Mark Shaiken?
CRAM DOWN
Kansas City attorney Josephina Jillian Jones, 3J to her friends, has dealt with people perpetrating online disinformation, white supremacists, and clients hiding assets, so when a couple who heads up a company that builds inner city housing for marginalized communities comes to her for legal help because their longtime banking partner has shut off their funding, the case appears at first blush to be tame by comparison. But when the bank president disappears and his greed-driven brother seems the likely culprit, things heat up. And when it appears the Kansas City mob is involved, the race is on to save both the company and the bank president. Lives are at stake and the clock is ticking. 3J has a reputation for being fierce and determined, but she’s going to need both help and a little luck to save the day this time.
 
CONNECT WITH MARK SHAIKEN!
Website: htttp://markshaikenauthor.com 
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/mark-shaiken-author
YouTube: https://youtu.be/Dp4M6P7Kvvg?si=lzDB3BXd1Q1P5tmy 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Shaiken-Author/100070831924501/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarkShaiken    

Badger and Turtle Face the Storm by Daniel McMillan

Dan McMillan is a therapist and psychologist in Alberta, Canada, and the father of two young children. This story was originally created to help highlight a common, hurtful pattern in couples’ relationships. One day he told the story to his daughters and found they really enjoyed it as well. So, a kid-friendly version was born in hopes of both entertaining children, and sharing important information for parents to be aware of.
Websites: https://danmcmillanbooks.com/ https://assuredpsychology.com/
Topics of Conversation:
About Badger and Turtle Face the Storm and the inspiration behind the story
Storytelling with Metaphors
Using a storm as the central challenge
Emotional Behaviors - Badger or Turtle - which one are you?
Writing an engaging book for kids that speaks to adults
What's next for Daniel McMillan?
Badger and Turtle Face the Storm
Written by a therapist, Badger and Turtle Face the Storm follows a pair of friends who learn to work together under stress. This book is meant for not only children to enjoy, but as a tool for families to better understand a common, hurtful pattern that can occur, particularly between parents.
 
CONNECT WITH DANIEL MCMILLAN!
Websites: https://danmcmillanbooks.com/ https://assuredpsychology.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/assuredpsychology/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/assuredpsychLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/assured-psychology/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/assuredpsychology/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@assuredpsychology
 

Lemon Curd by Homa Pourasgari

Homa Pourasgari is an activist, entrepreneur, and author.  Her writings dive deep into themes of love, integrity, compassion, and justice. Fluent in multiple languages, Homa has journeyed across the world, immersing herself in diverse cultures and embracing a variety of viewpoints. While she sometimes finds herself lost in the depths of her writing room, perfecting every scene, Homa equally cherishes moments spent with friends and family, laughing and sharing stories.
You can learn more about Homa Pourasgari and Lemon Curd at https://lemoncurdbook.com.
 
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION: 
About Lemon Curd and the inspiration behind the story
Releasing a new edition
The marketing world as a backdrop for the story
Relationships!
Advice for new and up and coming authors
What's next for Homa Pourasgari?
 
LEMON CURD
After years of working long hours in the hopes of becoming a partner at a leading marketing firm, the last thing Anna Lisa Gibson expects is to be forced to share her important client with a Brit from their London office. She finds him rude, arrogant and disagreeable.
With high profile clients to his credit, Neil Scott Whitaker never had any difficulties getting along with women until he meets Anna Lisa. He finds her uptight, unpleasant, and impossible to work with. But as the two get to know each other, they start to become friends. Except that Neil has a lot more than friendship in mind. Although he and Anna Lisa had a bad start, he can't control his attraction toward her, and he wonders what it would feel like to spend one night with his officemate.
 
CONNECT WITH HOMA POURASGARI
Book Website: https://www.lemoncurdbook.com/Website:  https://www.homapourasgari.com/Twitter:  https://twitter.com/HomaPourasgariFacebook:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088472221231

Squeeze Plays by Jeffrey Marshall

Jeffrey Marshall is a writer, novelist and poet from Scottsdale, AZ. He's the author of five books, including the novels Squeeze Plays, Little Miss Sure Shot and Undetected; Undetected and Squeeze Plays were named ShelfUnbound Notable 100 Indie books in 2020 and 2022, respectively, and Squeeze Plays also was named a Book Excellence Award winner in 2023.
A retired journalist and the former editor of two national business magazines, Marshall has freelanced to more than 30 publications as varied as The New York Times, High Country News and Tail Fly-Fishing Magazine, and his short fiction has appeared in online magazines like Bright Flash Literary Review, Ariel Chart and Vocal.com, among others. A short story he wrote took first place in the 2022 Arizona Authors competition.
You can learn more about Jeffrey Marshall and his work at https://jmarshbks.com
 
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION
About Squeeze Plays and the inspiration behind the story
Setting this psychological thriller in the financial hubs of New York and London
The Characters! A bank CEO, a New York tabloic publisher and a Russian oligarch - developing their dynamics and conflicting interests
The financial reporter who plays a pivotal role in uncovering the deeper story
Strong principled female characters
Serious insights into wealth and power with some humorous, satirical elements
What's next for Jeffrey Marshall?
 
SQUEEZE PLAYS
A modern tableau about money and power set in New York and London - Two powerful men, a bank chief executive and a New York tabloid publisher, are at odds over a loan that would keep the publisher afloat. Enter a ruthless Russian oligarch with an offer of a financial life raft to the publisher – a gambit uncovered by a dogged financial reporter who senses a big story.In Squeeze Plays, Jeffrey Marshall whisks us into the paneled boardrooms and lavish penthouses of the New York elite and shows us their lifestyle, their desires and their foibles. Using his background as a financial journalist, he carefully details the reporter’s story, which ties the central characters together in what becomes a stunning front-page expose. Along the way, the reader visits New York, London, Nantucket and the English countryside and sees not just financial skullduggery but sexual blackmail, strong and principled female characters, and a brisk and often satirical take on the corrupting influences of wealth and power.
 

Baby Senses by Dr. Jaya Viswanathan

Dr. Jaya Viswanathan is a neuroscientist and artist born and raised in India. She earned an engineering degree, a Master's in neuroscience, and a Doctorate in cognitive neuroscience. She then worked as a postdoctoral fellow before joining the Division of Neuroscience at the National Institute on Aging [C]. Her research was focused on understanding how brains interpret the world through vision and audition. She was invited to write a Neuronline article about Baby Senses as an educational resource and nominated for the Science Educator Award by the Society for Neuroscience. She loves art and is a part of Tuesday Night Group in DC. Her Neuroscience art has been featured in several art shows and she has been featured in several podcasts.
You can learn more about Dr. Viswanathan and Baby Senses at https://babysensesbook.com/
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION:
About Baby Senses and the inspiration behind the creation of the book
An innovative, accessible approach to presenting a broad spectrum of sensory systems.
How animals sense electric vibes and see light!
Using the Glossary; a friendly learning guide for inquisitive minds of all ages
Introducing the younger generation to neuroscience
SO MUCH MORE!
Baby Senses: A Sensory Neuroscience Primer for All Ages
Animals, from ants to whales, rely on evolved sensory systems to navigate their environments. "Baby Senses" delves into this rich tapestry, exploring beyond the familiar five senses to include incredible abilities like detecting electric fields. Paired with detailed neuroscience artwork, this book offers a vivid glimpse into a usually microscopic realm, captivating both children and adults.
 

My Life Inspring Journal by Jason Jackson

Jason Jackson is the author of "My Life Inspiring Journal," His book portrays his personal struggle to transcend his disabilities and find solace in the shared human experience of adversity.
Highlighting the prevalence of autism (affecting 1 in 44 children) and bipolar disorder (4.4% of the population), Jason navigates the complexities of these conditions. Inspired by conversations with his late father, he intertwines both disabilities into a heartfelt narrative that captures his journey into adulthood.
Jason is currently working on his second book, which will explore the inner thoughts of individuals
Visit Jason’s website, https://perseveracycle.com/ to learn more about him and his work.
 
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION:
Jason's writing journey.
About My Life Inspiring Journal.
Inspiration for writing the book and how it all came together.
Emphasis on abilities over limitations.
Was dad planting the seed for a future author?
What's next for Jason?
MY LIFE INSPIRING JOURNAL
Travel through this author's journey with feelings, thoughts, and desires as a Autistic man living with Bipolar. Learn how he interacts with characters in everyday life. This book is a collage of episodes modeled, and based on the author's true experiences.
Jason Jackson has managed in the few pages of this "journal" to convey both the challenges and insights of someone with autism. The need for validation, love and acceptance are the hidden drivers that direct his perceptions of the world. Told in a way that mirrors the discontinuities of his own mind and his thinking process, Jason is able to inform the readers that stories of life abound and intersect as much as they interact. There is no need to "pity" the person with autism; more important is the ability to see it as a perceptual way of dealing with daily life. In this journal, Jason has accomplished this. --Harriette H, friend and former basketball coach/Sunday School teacher

Saint Bloodbath by Frederick Douglass Reynolds

Frederick Douglass Reynolds is a retired L.A. County Sheriff’s Homicide Sergeant. He was born in Rocky Mount, Virginia, and grew up in Detroit, Michigan where he became a petty criminal and was involved in gangs. He joined the US Marine Corps in 1979 to escape the life of crime that he seemed destined for. After a brief stint in Okinawa, Japan, he finished out his military career in Southern California and ultimately became a police officer with the Compton Police Department. He worked there from 1985 until 2000 and then transferred to the Sheriff’s Department where he worked an additional seventeen years, retiring in 2017 with over seventy-five commendations including two California Officer of the Year awards, one in 1994 and the other in 1998. He lives in Southern California with his wife, Carolyn, and their daughter Lauren and young son, Desmond.  They have six other adult children and nine grandchildren.   
Learn more about Frederick Douglass Reynolds at: https://frederickdreynolds.com/ 
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION
About Saint Bloodbath and the Motivation for Telling this Story
Giving voice to the victims
Telling the story from every perspective
Writing True Crime
What's next for Frederick Douglass Reynolds?
 
SAINT BLOODBATH
Detectives McGuire and Cortes take on a gruesome homicide case in Long Beach, California, and navigate the complex role of being the murder police in an area marked by homelessness, drug abuse, and gang violence. With little but their combined decades of detective experience to go off of, they investigate personal and gang-related motives in an attempt to identify and arrest their suspect. When a severed hand is found in the desert nearly 100 miles away, their years-long investigation crosses jurisdictions, and they must connect the dots before the bloodbath continues. Saint Bloodbath explores the true story of multiple heinous crimes, but perhaps more importantly, highlights the lives and experiences of the victims, their peers, and the investigators who sought to bring a murderer to justice.

”A Wretch Like Me” by Nancy Major

Nancy Major is an award-winning nonprofit and business executive with more than thirty years of professional experience. She’s also a professional speaker and certified Christian trauma coach. Her primary area of focus is helping women overcome sexual shame and trauma.
Recently she added, ‘bestselling author’ to her bio, with her newly released memoir entitled, “A Wretch Like Me: A Modern-Day Mary Magdalene Saved by Grace. “It offers a glimpse into her lived experience as a former prostitute, “outed” by a client bent on revenge. Her courageous story tackles themes of childhood sexual abuse, shame, public humiliation, redemption, and the immeasurable gift of grace.
Nancy often jokingly refers to her colorful life as one that might lead others to think she was either in the witness protection program or running from the law. She has been known by many last names and has moved so many times that the US post office has “unfriended” her!
Today, Nancy is a wife of eleven years, a mother, stepmom, mother-in-law, and grandmother to six beloved and cherished cutie-pies. She and her husband, Jesse, live in southeastern Wisconsin with their two silly pooches, Lulu Bell and Jilly Bean. 
Learn more about Nancy Major at https://nancymajor.net/ 
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION:
About "A Wretch Like Me" and the inspiration behind writing the story.
Shared experiences with Mary Magdalene
Telling difficult stories and bringing light to the dark
Navigating life's challenges through faith
Miracles happen everyday
Christian trauma coaching 
What's next for Nancy Major?
A WRETCH LIKE ME: A MODERN DAY MARY MAGDALENE SAVED BY GRACE
I couldn’t imagine in a million years that I would ever have the courage to face telling the world about this one ugly, vile secret I figured I’d die with. The truth of who and what I had been, how it happened, and the grace that saved me on the day my life imploded.An anonymous packet was sent to business leaders throughout my community and surrounding thirteen-county area. As a business owner, I had made it a point to become well-known. When the president of one of the local chambers of commerce called me and I saw the packet for the first time, I literally couldn’t breathe.I was shell-shocked and utterly shattered. I wanted to die. No words could explain away or erase what had been written. I couldn’t see any possible way to live with the guilt and shame of being “outed” as a prostitute.If you’ve ever been tormented in a silent prison of shame over something you’ve done, haunted by a secret from your past, thought you were too broken, too bad, or too disgusting to be forgiven—you’re not alone.You haven’t been forgotten or abandoned. You’re loved more than you could ever imagine, and above all, you’re NEVER too far gone for grace..How would I know? Because grace saved a wretch like me.
 
CONNECT WITH NANCY MAJOR AT https://nancymajor.net/ 
 

”We Need to Talk” by Suzanne Seifert Groves

Suzanne Seifert Groves parlayed her B.A. in English from The University of Texas at Austin into a storied 35-year career in organizational communications, public relations, and marketing. She has served in leadership roles with several large organizations spanning multiple industries including higher education, healthcare, technology and travel and tourism. Her personal affinity for storytelling enabled her to help the executives and organizations she supported make valuable connections with their audiences. With just enough ADD to be dangerous, Groves is known for taking disparate ideas and weaving them into new creative or strategic concepts that have yet to be tried. Over the course of her career, she and the teams she has led have accrued more than 360 regional, national and international awards for communications, marketing and creative excellence from several prestigious programs including NYX MarCom, MarCom, Muse, Hermes, The Conference Board, PR Daily Content Marketing and more.
In 2020, Groves was named a "Top Woman in Communications," one of only nine women to be recognized in the Visionary category, by Ragan Communications/PR Daily in the inaugural year of the award. In 2014, she was named one of 24 "Great Women of Texas" by the Fort Worth Business Press. In addition to her professional career, she has served on numerous advisory boards including the Arlington Public Library, Leadership Arlington, Susan G. Komen of Greater Fort Worth, Alzheimer’s Association of North Central Texas, and as a member of the Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives Inc. Festival and Events Committee. In 2013, she earned her M.A. in History from The University of Texas at Arlington while working full time, and was named a University Scholar (a distinction only given to the top 1% of undergraduate and graduate students). Why history? Groves will tell you the discipline is a true study in leadership, which continued to inform her career as a communications strategist.
An admitted research junkie, Groves spends her time working on family genealogy for herself and for friends (when she’s not writing or editing). With their two children grown, successful, and likely not boomeranging home, she and her husband travel as frequently as possible, though it means leaving behind their two feisty German Shepherd Dogs and their very bossy cat. Of all her excursions, Groves will tell you one of her favorite memories is being dubbed “The Emu Whisperer” while on her honeymoon in Sonoma.
Learn more about Suzanne Seifert Groves and her work at: suzannegroves.com
 
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION:
About We Need to Talk and Suzanne's inspiration for writing the book
Why do people have trouble communicating effectively?
Information is not Communication
Communicating through Social Media
The Key to Effective Communication
What's next for Suzanne Seifert Groves?
 
WE NEED TO TALK
“We need to talk.” Nobody wants to hear it, and no one should ever say it.
So stop! It’s the worst way to begin a serious conversation, especially when you need something from the other person/s – their cooperation, their agreement or commitment, or a change in behavior.
Suzanne Seifert Groves has a 35-year career in organizational communication and here, in straightforward steps, she provides the ‘difficult conversation’ framework you’ve needed your entire career, and for every personal relationship as well.
How many times have you acquiesced, alienated, or just plain pissed off your staff, your clients, your partner, your kids, or your neighbors because you didn’t frame things correctly? We’ve all done it more frequently than we’d like to admit.
Along with the practice exercises, you’re going to want to make this methodology second nature because it will change how you think and speak about issues important to you. When “taken as directed,” the four-step process will transform every important relationship in your life (with no harmful side effects).

”Still, The Sky” by Tom Pearson

Tom Pearson is an artist and poet who works in dance, theater, film, visual art, and multi-media. He is known for his original works for theater, including the long-running, off-Broadway immersive hits THEN SHE FELL and THE GRAND PARADISE and as a founder and co-artistic director of the New York City-based Third Rail Projects and Global Performance Studio. 
Heis the author of two books, THE SANDPIPER'S SPELL and STILL, THE SKY.
Learn more about Tom and his work at https://tompearsonnyc.com/ 
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION
Connecting with Poetry at an Early Age
About Still, The Sky
Featured Artwork
Using different forms of poetry
Reading and interpreting poetry
Feedback on Still, The Sky
What's next for Tom?
STILL, THE SKY - Synopsis
Still, the Sky is a speculative mythology rendered through poetry and art that combines the tales of Icarus and the Minotaur and creates for them a shared coming-of-age through a correspondence of written fragments, artifacts, ecofacts, and ephemera. Fragmented memories, relics, and confessions combine in a labyrinth of fever dreams and meditations which contemplate innocence and experience, war and peace, exile and homecoming, flight and failure, love and loss.
 
 
Photo credits:
Headshot: Tom Pearson Courtesy of the ArtistMic Shot: Tom Pearson Photo by Joshua Dutton-ReaverPapers in the air: Tom Pearson Photo by Laura Bianchi courtesy of the Bogliasco Foundation 
 
 
 

The Mindful Author by Roxanne McCarty-O’Kane

Since 2007 Roxanne McCarty-O'Kane’s unique and multi-award winning method of storytelling has changed the lives of thousands of budding authors, allowing them to bring their messages to life in nonfiction books with structure, connection to the reader and potential profit.
A prolific ghostwriter, author, workshop facilitator, writing mentor and journalist, Roxanne’s presentations are charged with powerful content and tangible tools that remove the mystery from storytelling and ignite a thought-provoking and emotion-evoking theatre within the mind of aspiring authors.
Her book, The Mindful Author, has become a powerful resource for aspiring authors around the world to craft their manuscripts with clarity and a true sense of purpose and passion. 
This knowledge, and so much more, is brought to life through Roxanne’s intimate Ignite & Write workshops and mentorship programs, offering first-time authors the opportunity to navigate their journey to authorship with ease and confidence.
 
As an MC, presenter and speaker, Roxanne’s down to earth, relatable, humorous style engages her audience, inspires their minds and moves them to begin to think laterally about their own stories and how their lived experiences and knowledge journeys can have a greater impact on the world around them.
Learn more about Roxanne McCarty-O'Kane at http://www.roxannewriter.com/
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION
About Roxanne McCarty-O'Kane
About The Mindful Author
Transformation through Authorship and the Phoenix
Using The Mindful Author as a resource
Ghostwriting
The next books in the Ignite & Write series
THE MINDFUL AUTHOR
The Mindful Author is the first book in the Ignite & Write trilogy designed to step you through from your first word to complete book using the Phoenix Phenomenon process.
Within these pages, you'll find your inspiration and become empowered by the strength of your story as Roxanne leads you to transform your fears, roadblocks, and self-doubt into confidence and completion.
It's time to embrace the mindset of an author.
It's time to IGNITE your passion and WRITE your book.
The world is waiting for your message.
 
CONNECT WITH ROXANNE MCCARTY-O’KANE!
WEBSITE: www.roxannewriter.com
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/roxannewriter/
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/roxannewriter/
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75594136-the-mindful-author
 

The Final Steps by Mark M. Bello

As an attorney and civil justice advocate, author Mark M. Bello draws upon over 40 years of courtroom experience in his Zachary Blake Legal Thriller Series.
A Michigan native, Mark received his B.A. in English Literature from Oakland University and his law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. After working extremely high-profile legal cases, Mark wanted to give the public a front-row glimpse of what victims face when standing up for justice.
Combining his legal experience and passion for justice with a creative writing style, Mark not only brings high-quality legal services to his clients but captivating novels to his readers.
When Mark’s not writing legal and political novels, he writes and posts about fairness and justice in the civil justice system on his website, Legal Examiner and NotFakeNews. In his spare time, Mark enjoys traveling and spending time with his family. Mark and his wife, Tobye, have four children and 9 grandchildren.
Learn more about Mark and his work: https://www.markmbello.com/ 
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION:
Catching up with Mark Bello
About The Final Steps
Branching Out - Writing in new genres and developing new characters.
Reading his work as a reader
What’s next for Mark?
The Final Steps
Summary: Who murdered a popular law professor on a northern Michigan college campus?Judge Rosaline Maxwell is living the good life. Retired from the circuit court bench, she now lives in the home of her dreams, lakefront in scenic Harbor Springs, Michigan. She’s written a fascinating new book and is invited to speak at a local college. But her idyllic existence is rudely interrupted by a call from her best friend, Tyler Guthrie, the college president.A popular law professor has taken his final steps—he is found dead at the bottom of a popular outdoor staircase. The police suspect foul play. There are no witnesses, but key pieces of evidence make Tyler the number one suspect. After his arrest, Rosaline doubts her friend’s innocence but still jumps into the fray, abandoning the law, antagonizing local police, becoming an amateur sleuth with one goal and one goal only: To prove, conclusively, that Tyler Guthrie is innocent of this brutal crime.Along the way, Rosaline receives anonymous death threats, warning her to stay away from the investigation, but the former judge will not be deterred from her quest for the truth. There is no shortage of interesting and quirky suspects as attorney/award-winning author Mark M. Bello keeps you guessing ‘whodunnit’ until the very end.
CONNECT WITH MARK BELLO!
Website: https://www.markmbello.comFacebook: @markmbellobooksTwitter: @markmbelloInstagram: @markmbellobooks
PODCASTS MENTIONED IN THIS INTERVIEW:
Links:
Inside Scoop Podcast – You Have the Right to Remain Silent
Justice Counts Podcast – Pushing Back Against Book Bans

Like Sapphire Blue by Marisa Billions

Marisa Billions is a high school English teacher in Southern California. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Criminology. She is the author of the fiction novels, This Too Shall Pass, Like Sapphire Blue, and Into the Blue Again and is supposed to be working on her upcoming fourth novel. She lives in Southern California with her wife, Stephanie and son Alexander and two Dogs, Max and Bonnie.
Learn more about Marisa and her work at https://authormarisabillions.com/
 
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION:
Catching up with Marisa Billions
Literary Awards and about Like Sapphire Blue
Writing the characters with authenticity and being fearless
Sapphic Novels and LGBTQIA+ Literature 
Growing as a reader and a writer
What's next for Marisa?
 
LIKE SAPPHIRE BLUE
Synopsis:
“Your eyes are amazing. I’ve never seen a blue like that.”Emma Landry is tough, independent, beautiful, and smart. Being an outcast unable to identify with her classmates, she was willing to do whatever it takes to climb her way out of poverty.“What color would you say they are?”Like Sapphire BlueHaving never known a mother’s love, her father “Bear”, raised her on the wrong side of the tracks in a wealthy town.When success beckons, the woman she’s been in love with is, finally, within her grasp. Life is now worth living and loving. That is, until a dark family secret is revealed. A secret tied into the very fabric of who she is, and what she spent a lifetime working to overcome.Faced with a foundation shattering treachery, Emma finds herself at the crossroads. Can she overcome a destiny stronger than death, destitution, and murder, to prove she is more than just her father’s daughter? Or will this new knowledge lead her to destroy the world she’s spent a lifetime building?
 
CONNECT WITH MARISA BILLIONS!
Website: https://authormarisabillions.com/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authormarisabillions
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authormarisabillions/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMarisaBillions

Disrobed by Syl Tang

Syl Tang has been a futurist for 25+ years with an eye towards world events such as natural disasters, geo-political clashes, and economic cycles.
In addition to her book Disrobed, she has written hundreds of articles on the confluence of world events and soft goods for print outlets such as the Financial Times, predicting and documenting occurrences such as the Trump election, the Apple watch and other smart wearables, lab-made diamonds, and the effects of global warming on the South Seas.
As CEO and founder of HipGuide Inc, her work has helped more than 50 companies and governments. In addition to helping them navigate the future, she is behind the launches of some of the most well-known beauty, beverage, automotive and urban development efforts, including revitalizing Detroit and product category changers such as frozen alcohol and mineral makeup.
In 1999 she created the first mobile lifestyle texting product in the market and predicted mobile couponing as it exists today. Her company HipGuide is a case study taught in universities around the world, from Dubai to Nova Scotia to Purdue, through a textbook series with McGraw-Hill.
Her book Disrobed can be found at over 1000+ libraries including Harvard, Oxford, Yale, and the New York Public Library, as well as at all major bookstores including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Waterstone's, and Blackwell's.
Learn more about Syl Tang and her work at: https://linktr.ee/hipguide
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION:
A bit about Syl Tang
Inspiration for writing Disrobed
Clothing and Societal Issues
It's not always about clothing
What's next for Syl Tang?
 
DISROBED: How Clothing Predicts Economic Cycles, Saves Lives, and Determines the Future
AMAZON SUMMARY: We may not often think of our clothes as having a function beyond covering our naked bodies and keeping us a little safer from the elements. But to discount the enormous influence of clothing on anything from economic cycles to the future of water scarcity is to ignore the greater meaning of the garments we put on our backs. Disrobed vividly considers the role that clothing plays in everything from natural disasters to climate change to terrorism to geopolitics to agribusiness. Chapter by chapter, Tang takes the reader on an unusual journey, telling stories and asking questions that most consumers have never considered about their clothing. Why do banker’s wives sell off their clothes and how does that presage a recession? How is clothing linked to ethanol and starvation on the African continent? Could RFID in clothing save the lives of millions of people in earthquakes around the world?
READ OUR REVIEW OF DISROBED!

A Whisper in the Shadows - by Scott MacFadyen

Scott Macfadyen is a Canadian author who loves to spend his time with his wife Tabitha and his dog Carly traveling or off grid where he can work on his writing. Scott spent over 20 years as a chef in restaurants, Pubs and resorts but had always had an interest in writing stories ever since elementary school. In his younger years he was known to write many stories and shared them with his school mates. Scott had a true passion for the escapism of story telling and over the years he had come up with the idea of his first published novella, A Whisper In the Shadows. Scott continues to write and looks forward to bringing you new stories and adventures in the future.
 
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION
Scott's Writing Journey
Writing a novella
A strong female lead and character motivation
On reading and Stephen King
His personal writing escape
Advice for aspiring author
What's next for Scott?
A WHISPER IN THE SHADOWS
"Layla is a devoted mother and wife, but when someone from her past is gunned down and left for dead, she returns to her previous life that her family knows nothing about.Now Layla must keep her secret safe from her family, and find the people who shot the man who rescued her from living on the streets and who turned her into a professional hitwoman.Layla races against time while navigating twists and turns before her dark past catches up to her and her family becomes a target."
 
CONNECT WITH SCOTT MACFADYEN!
Website: https://scottmacbooks.com/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@scottymacwrites
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scott.macfadyen.author
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Scott.macfadyen_author/
 

”Slade” A Conversation with Author Robb Grindstaff

In addition to a career as a newspaper editor, publisher, and manager, Robb Grindstaff has written fiction most of his life. The newspaper biz has taken him and his family from Phoenix, Arizona, to small towns in North Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin, from seven years in Washington, D.C., to five years in Asia. Born and raised a small-town kid, he’s as comfortable in Tokyo or Tuna, Texas.
The variety of places he’s lived and visited serve as settings for the characters who invade his head.
His novels are probably best classified as contemporary southern lit, and he’s had more than twenty short stories published in a wide array of genres. His articles on the craft of fiction writing have appeared in various writer magazines and websites, and one of his seminars was presented at the Sydney (Australia) Writers Festival. He also has taught writing courses for the Romance Writers of America, Romance Writers of Australia, and the Novel-in-Progress writers retreat.
Robb retired from the newspaper business in the summer of 2020 to write and edit fiction full time. He and his wife relocated to the beautiful Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri.
Robb also edits fiction and non-fiction books for authors from around the world. It helps that he’s fluent in five languages: US English, UK English, Canadian English, and Australian English, plus his native language, Texan.
Robb Grindstaff’s books are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple iBooks, and many other online retailers. They are also available in paperback, e-book, and audiobook.
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION
Robb's writing journey
All about Slade
Writing a story using interviews
The most surprising thing he discovered while writing Slade
Being a fulltime writer, fiction editor and working with other authors
What's next for Robb Grindstaff?
SLADE
Synopsis:
A car crash thirty years earlier left Slade Bennington severely disabled but with a new outlook on life. His book about overcoming trauma becomes a bestseller and a box office hit movie. Slade strikes up an unusual friendship with Schuyler, the six-foot-tall teenage actress who portrays his sister in the movie. She encourages him to continue writing, and his pithy musings about life spur a nationwide following of devotees who study his books like Holy Scriptures.
Slade becomes a counselor to the celebrity in-crowd—the Shaman to the Stars. While thousands adore Slade, others call him a Svengali or Rasputin-like character who controls and manipulates his clients.
One disillusioned fan spends years plotting revenge.
 
CONNECT WITH ROBB GRINDSTAFF!
Robb’s website (Discover Robb’s books and learn about his editing services)
Robb’s Amazon page
A Writer’s Block (Robb’s Substack with tips and discussions on writing and editing)
Robb’s books on Evolved Publishing
Robb on Facebook
Robb on Twitter occasionally
Email: robb(at)robbgrindstaff(dot)com.
 
 

The Dark School Series - A Conversation with Matti Silver

Matti Silver has been storytelling for most of his life. He loves working, reading, writing books and creating worlds for himself and others to immerse themselves within. A lover of film, comic books, fantasy and anime, he takes it upon himself to combine all the best ideas and present them to the world, like a master curator of fine taste and limitless free time.
Besides his endless energy and eclectic taste in everything, Matti loves nothing more than reading everything except speed limit signs and expiry dates on his government documents.
To learn more about Matti Silver and his work visit his website at  www.evwpress.com.
 
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION
Becoming an Author
About the series and the inspiraton behind the stories
Writing in the choose-your-own-path genre
Challenges in writing a series
Working with an AMAZING illustrator
What's next for Matti Silver?

A Warm Touch - A Conversation with Connor Shane

Connor Shane is an “almost” 20-year-old author currently making his way through community college. He hopes to become an ecologist one day in order to help better understand and protect the wildlife of our planet.
Connor loves a story that carries a message and believes art is one of the most beautifl ways to teach lessons, allowing us to live our best days. He prefers deep discussions about life as opposed to throwing opinions about the weather into the wind. He’s also a serious gamer.
Connor goes by the pen name Curon. A Warm Touch is his debut novel.
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION
Connor's Writing Journey
About A Warm Touch and the inspiration behind the story
Friendships and Mental Health
Favorite Authors
Future Projects
A WARM TOUCH
After hundreds of years since humanity’s extinction, with a whole new world of technology and animal-like intelligent life living in a reconstructed society, the pain of friendship persists. It doesn’t seem to matter how strong Similic and Drift want their relationships to be, since without passionate effort held together through the thickest of conflicts, they are never meant to be.
The question that always haunts them is one that seems so awfully simple, yet that’s exactly why it rips them to shreds. How do we maintain and improve our closest friendships? At that rate, how do we keep track of our relationships with ourselves, with all the surging thoughts that make us who we are? The answers may or may not lie in an obvious light, but the only way to truly fail is to choose to give up. What seems like such a wonderful party get-together between once close friends ends up becoming the very reason they may never see each other again. It would be simple enough if it were left at that, however Similic and his best friend Drift are determined to keep their connection to their friends and themselves intact. If they are able to do so, and if they are able to figure out this mysterious person who somehow knows too much about them, is a question they might not be able to answer well. But will they ever say that this uncertainty will stop them from trying? So far, the answer seems to be never!
CONNECT WITH CONNOR SHANE!
Amazon Author's Page: https://amzn.to/3jjBXyQ Fanfic.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/10038066/ Booksie.com: https://www.booksie.com/users/curon-238850Instagram at curon2014 Twitter at konablaze73