Inside Scoop Live!

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
 
 
 

Coming Full Circle - A Conversation with Budd Titlow

For the past 50 years, professional ecologist and conservationist Budd Titlow has used his pen and camera to capture the awe and wonders of our natural world. His goal has always been to inspire others to both appreciate and enjoy what he sees. Now he has one main question: Can we save humankind’s place — within nature’s beauty — before it’s too late?
Budd’s two latest books are dedicated to answering this perplexing dilemma. PROTECTING THE PLANET: Environmental Champions from Conservation to Climate Change, a non-fiction book, examines whether we still have the environmental heroes among us — harking back to such past heroes as Audubon, Hemenway, Muir, Douglas, Leopold, Brower, Carson, and Meadows — needed to accomplish this goal. Next, using fact-filled and entertaining story-telling, his latest book — COMING FULL CIRCLE: A Sweeping Saga of Conservation Stewardship Across America — provides the answers we all seek and need.
Having published five books, more than 500 photo-essays, and 5,000 photographs, Budd Titlow lives with his music educator wife, Debby, in San Diego, California.
You can learn more about Budd on his website www.buddtitlow.com.
~
Mariah Tinger is an author and educator teaching sustainability at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. Additionally, she is pursuing her Ph.D. in climate communication at Otago University and applying her knowledge as a co-host on the podcast, The Climate Minute. 
When she is not chasing chickens or her children in her Massachusetts home, she is dreaming of new ways to tell the climate story.
You can learn more about Mariah on her website www.mariahtinger.com.
 
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION:
About Coming Full Circle and the inspiration behind the storyline
Writing the story as a fictional tale as opposed to a non-fiction narrative
Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss
Sanctity and equality of all living things
The biggest danger to our planet and ways we can fix the problem
COMING FULL CIRCLE
Amazon Synopsis: Is there a winning re-write of United States history that everyone will feel good about? Following a multi-generational family across America and back again, this book sets the record straight. The skillful, entertaining story-telling shines a light on the origins of our current conservation crises—climate change and biodiversity loss—while convincing readers that we have immediate solutions right at our fingertips. Only one question remains: Will we use these solutions in time? Buy a copy of "Coming Full Circle" and find out what happens! (from Budd Titlow and Mariah Tinger, the authors of "Protecting the Planet")
 
CONNECT WITH BUDD TITLOW!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/protectingtheplanetashome/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/budd.titlow/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/btitlow/

Soulful Return: A Conversation with Author Fidelis Mkparu

FIdelis O. Mkparu is a Nigerian immigrant to the US, and in this novel, he sets out to speak to his experiences and those of his fellow immigrants.
He is a professor of Medicine at Northeast Ohio Medical University and a senior attending cardiologist at Aultman Hospital and Mercy Medical Center in Canton, Ohio. Previously, he was a Spaulding fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital at Harvard Medical School. His preceding novels include Love’s Affliction and Tears Before Exaltation (Colorado Independent Publishers Association EVVY Awards Winner, Literary & Contemporary Fiction 2018). 
To learn more about Fidelis Mkparu and his work visit his website at https://fidelismkparu.com.
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION:
About Soulful Return and the inspiration behind the story/
Writing a fictional accounting versus a memoir or biography
Reconnecting with his family, homeland and soul
The struggle of immigrants
Growth as a writer
What's next for Fidelis Mkparu?
SOULFUL RETURN
Amazon synopsis: "The hounding voice inside me would not let go."Thus begins the emotional journey of Afamefuna Onochie Nwaku a Harvard-trained medical doctor with a career most can only dream of, a loving wife, and supportive family. Then, after he receives a telephone call from his sister who lives in Nigeria that her life is being threatened.Left with no other fair choice, Afam leaves behind his family, throwing his marriage into turmoil and risking the life he has built in Boston. Instead of the Nigeria that he loves, that he needs, he finds a land and people he barely recognizes waiting for him. Afam decides to stay but realizes that his future in Nigeria is as murky as the River-Niger after a torrential tropical rainfall.As Afam sets out on a journey to reconnect with the family and heritage that he left behind, he must face new enemies in an increasingly corrupt Nigeria where many people see him as an American intruder. And through it all, he must fight to keep his family together—and alive.
CONNECT WITH FIDELIS MKPARU:
Website: https://fidelismkparu.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fidelis.mkparu
Twitter: https://twitter.com/fidelismkparu
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fidelis-mkparu-md-facc-fase-fasnc-58545938/ 

”Unfair Discrimination” An Interview with Mark Shaiken

Mark Shaiken lives with his wife Loren and their dog Emily in Denver, CO. He schooled at Haverford College and Washburn University, and practiced commercial bankruptcy law for several decades before moving on in 2019 to write, volunteer and play music.
Mark has written three legal thrillers to date: Fresh Start, Automatic Stay and Unfair Discrimination. Before getting into fiction, he wrote And . . Just Like That - essays on a life before, during, and after the law. Mark is currently working on his next book in his legal mystery series, titled Cram Down.
You can learn more about mark and his work at markshaikenauthor.com
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION
About Unfair Discrimination and the inspiration behind the story
Protagonists 3J and Pascale and the dynamics of their relationship
Research around the Civil War and how it ties to the antagonist and his white nationalism ancestry
Balancing bankruptcy terminology with a captivating storyline
Mark's writing process and how he's grown as a novelist
What's next for the series?
UNFAIR DISCRIMINATION
Amazon Blurb: A committee of creditors hires 3J, one of whom is the leader of a White Nationalist organization on the government’s domestic terrorist list. When the member realizes he will not get paid back everything he is owed, he blames 3J, a black attorney, and opposing counsel, a Jewish attorney. How far will the hater go to get paid back and what steps will he take to do so in the name of White Nationalism?
CONNECT WITH MARK SHAIKEN!
Website: http://markshaikenauthor.com 
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/mark-shaiken-author
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Shaiken-Author/100070831924501/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarkShaiken 
Check out the trailer for Unfair Discrimination
https://youtu.be/TK0yh8f3eAE 
 

The American Outsider: A Conversation with the Author: Homa Pourasgari

MEET THE AUTHOR
Born in Tehran, Iran, Homa Pourasgari spent hours in her father’s home office, writing, reading and letting her imagination carry her to unseen worlds. She moved to Los Angeles, California at a young age. After graduating from Loyola Marymount University with a degree in business, she went to Paris for a year to study literature at the Sorbonne. Before becoming a fulltime writer, she ran her own boutique, worked at a bank and a CPA firm, was a personal trainer and even taught spinning and cardio kickboxing. When she is not writing, she is stumbling, miming and pointing to find her way in a foreign country. Her latest novel, The American Outsider, is based on her travels in Japan.
Learn more about Homa Pourasgari and her work at https://www.homapourasgari.com/ and https://www.theamericanoutsider.com/ 
 
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION
Inspiration behind The American Outsider
The plight of the dolphin and advocating for the species
Japanese Culture and the research involved in writing the story
Elements of importance - reader take-aways about other cultures, human and non-human rights
Book launch mid-January 2023
THE AMERICAN OUTSIDER
Summary from the webite:​​​
“She had gone to Taiji to help save the dolphins; in the end, it was the dolphins who had saved her.”​
Tessa Walker is a veterinarian with a strong, emotional connection to animals. As a teen, she witnessed the brutal slaughter of dolphins, and as an adult, she decides to do something about it. She leaves her home in Los Angeles and travels to Japan to speak out for them, but little does she know that she is embarking on an adventure that will change her life forever. From the urban metropolis of Tokyo to the historic Kyoto to the culinary city of Osaka, and the seaside town of Taiji, Tessa is determined to help Japanese activists stand up for her beloved mammals.​
Along the way, the friendships and bonds that she builds with people in Japan, and the unconditional love of a stranger named Toshiro, open her eyes to a complicated society of conventions and traditions. Yet, her limited knowledge of the language and customs doesn’t deter her from taking on a dangerous mission that could land her in jail.
CONNECT WITH HOMA POURASGARI
Website: https://www.theamericanoutsider.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/homapourasgariFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/homa.pourasgari/
Read our review of The American Outsider

The Astrology of 2023: Traversing the Bridge - An Interview with Gahl Sasson

Gahl Sasson is an established author and has been teaching workshops on Storytelling, Kabbalah, Astrology, and Mysticism around the globe for over 20 years. His first book, A Wish Can Change Your Life, has been translated into over eight languages and is endorsed by HH the 14th Dalai Lama. His second work, Cosmic Navigator, is the essential reference guide to understanding your astrological makeup. Since 2018 Gahl has been publishing a yearly bestselling book on the astrology of the upcoming year.
He is a contributor to the Huffington Post, and Astrology.com, and has been named "Los Angeles' Best Astrologer" by W Magazine. He is a guest lecturer at USC, Tel Aviv University, and teaches at Esalen, Omega Institute, University of Judaism, and the Open Center in NYC. He has appeared on CNN, ABC News, KTLA-TV Los Angeles to name a few. His academic paper, Symbolic Meaning of Names in the Bible was published by the Journal of Storytelling, Self, & Society. He currently resides in Los Angeles but gives seminars and workshops regularly in over 13 countries.
His website is www.CosmicNavigator.com and has a podcast – the Cosmic Navigator Astrology Show.
 
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION:
His journey to becoming the Cosmic Navigator
About The Astrology of 2023 and the significance of Traversing the Bridge
Who will benefit from reading this book?
Basic knowledge points about Astrology for those interested in learning more
Key dates in 2023
How The Astrology of 2023: Traversing the Bridge stands apart from other books on Astrology
 
THE ASTROLOGY OF 2023: TRAVERSING THE BRIDGE
Prepare for and plan the next 12 months with this essential astrological guide written by The Cosmic Navigator, Gahl E. Sasson. The 2023 Manual combines Kabbalah, Astrology, Tarot, history, and Mythology. The first part of the book provides a list of important dates for each month. The second part details the major astrological trends of the year 2023, while the third section lays out a month to month forecast for each zodiac sign. What days are good for finance? Which dates are auspicious for love and relationships? When should you pay attention to your health or start a diet? When will Mercury retrograde? When are the eclipses and what do they mean for each sign? How to manifest your New Year's resolution? Why is the numerology of 2023 lucky 7? What does it mean that Pluto moves into Aquarius for the first time since the French Revolution? Get your guide to the stars to help you navigate the Astrology of 2023.
 
CONNECT WITH GAHL SASSON!
Website: https://cosmicnavigator.com/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cosmic_navigator/ 
Links to Webinars, Live Events and Free Goodies: https://linktr.ee/cosmic_navigator