Inside Scoop Live!

Still on Fire: Field Notes from a Queer Mystic - An Interview with Jan Phillips

Jan Phillips' quest has taken her into and out of a religious convent, across the country on a Honda motorcycle, and around the world on a one-woman peace pilgrimage. She is the founder and Executive Director of the Livingkindness Foundation, which created a Learning Center in Nigeria and supports anti-racist creative projects by black women in the U.S.
Jan is the author of eleven award-winning books and a thought leader who bridges spiritual intelligence, evolutionary creativity, and social transformation. She has taught in over 25 countries, and has published work in the New York Times, Ms., Newsday, People, Parade Magazine, Christian Science Monitor, Spirituality and Health, Science of Mind, National Catholic Reporter, Sun Magazine. Still on Fire: Field Notes from a Queer Mystic is her first memoir.
For more information about Jan Phillips and her work visit her website at www.janphillips.com.
 
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION
About the book and her inspiration for writing it.
Being Gay. And Catholic. And Suicidal
Experiences in the Convent
Religion vs. Spirituality
Marginalization and Homophobia
What is a Queer Mystic?
What's next for Jan Phillips?
 
STILL ON FIRE: FIELD NOTES FROM A QUEER MYSTIC
Jan Phillips was a devoted Catholic who wanted nothing more than to be a nun and who joyously entered the convent at 18. Two years later, she was dismissed for “a disposition unsuited to religious life, with excessive and exclusive friendships.” She was lesbian. She had always known it. “It was being homosexual that made me want to kill myself [at 12]. As far as I knew, there was nothing worse than being queer. They were perverts, sinners, hated by God, hated by just about everyone. Lezzies, bull dykes, fags, queers, lesbos―all damned, and there I was, one of them.”
Still on Fire is a memoir of religious wounding and spiritual healing, of judgment and forgiveness, and of social activism in a world that is in our hands. Phillips traveled the globe on a one-woman peace pilgrimage, raised the consciousness of women, faced her privilege on a trip to India, and is working to dismantle structural racism. Her The Livingkindness Foundation supports schoolchildren in Nigeria. “Any spirituality that does not bring about more justice, more social awareness, more right action in the world is a lame and impotent excuse for faith … My action for justice is my spirituality.” Over the years, Phillips created a life of love, service, community, and prayer. She evolved her understanding of God and came to see herself―and all of us―as the light of the world. “Had I not been born gay … my heart would not have broken in half, would not have opened itself to Love Supreme, would not have been tenderized by life’s bitter pounding.” She tells the story of her life with humor and compassion, sharing her poetry, songs, and photos along the way.

”Wisdom” - An Interview with Jason Merchey

The founder of Values of the Wise, Jason Merchey is also a philosophical thinker, master’s level psychologist, proponent of the research ideal, social critic, author / essayist / blogger, and a student of the tradition of arts and letters. Growing up Jewish in a suburb of Los Angeles, he grappled with sociocultural, familial, religious, psychological, and self motivation issues that led to much of the insight he has today. After junior college, he earned a bachelor’s degree summa cum laude in psychology and social behavior from the University of California Irvine, and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa for excellence in liberal scholarship. Jason went on to earn a master’s degree in clinical psychology from California State University Fullerton. Having moved to San Diego, he obtained thousands hours of experience counseling clients of all types. It was in that capacity that Jason became intrigued by and began to study wisdom, values, and ethics.
The Values of the Wise™ website (www.ValuesoftheWise.com) and book series were born as ways to lead not only himself but also his clients to find the insight, consolation, and wisdom from great quotations representing our intellectual heritage.
Jason lives in the Hendersonville, NC area with his wife and pets. He has earned a graduate certificate in philosophy and ethics from Harvard University Extension.
Learn more about Jason Merchey and his work at www.ValuesoftheWise.com.
 
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION
About the book - "Wisdom: A Very Valuable Virtue that Cannot be Bought"
What is wisdom?
Lack of wisdom and the consequences in America and around the world
Research, including 1,500 quotes referenced in Wisdom
Important takeaways
What's next for Jason Merchey?
 
WISDOM: A VERY VALUABLE VIRTUE THAT CANNOT BE BOUGHT
Wisdom is not for sale no matter how much money a person has! But it CAN be developed and improved. Improving your understanding of wisdom will certainly lead to living a better life!
This new book will help you live a life that harnesses the power of philosophy, critical thinking, and applied psychology. These things are not as complicated as they may seem and indeed have the potential to increase your wisdom. Greater wisdom leads to improved personal growth, happiness, and success.
 

An Interview with B.A. Bellec Author of PULSE

B.A. Bellec’s debut novel, Someone’s Story, won the Reader Views Reader’s Choice Literary Award for Young Adult Book of the Year. Someone’s Story is a young adult coming-of-age book and has seen good support over Instagram, YouTube, and Goodreads. One of the aspects that makes Bellec’s projects unique is he includes musicians in his novels and then he actually produces the songs as his book goes through the editing stages.
Bellec was born in Richmond, BC, and raised in Langley, BC, before settling in Winnipeg, MB. His first adventure was a career in Finance, where he spent 15 years developing his business skills. His highest achievement was the Certified Payroll Manager designation. He currently still consults with businesses on their systems and processes. Over that period of time, he also attended Lights Film School where he started to nurture his early creative abilities. 
A self-starter always interested in research, he taught himself many of the aspects of storytelling through reading books, screenplays, and material online. Whenever he found an inspirational piece of art, he quickly went to the source to find the story behind the artist who created the work. It took many years after attending film school for him to finally combine his creative skills with his life experience and tell these stories he had been holding back. Some of his favorite creative people: Lukas Rossi, Justin Furstenfeld, Peter Jackson, Stephen Chbosky, J.K. Rowling, and Stephen King. 
During COVID-19, Bellec started a YouTube channel and was awarded a grant from The Canada Council for the Arts. He also pounded away on the keyboard to bring his second novel, Pulse, from his imagination to the page.
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION
About Pulse and writing in different genres
The creature
Cover art and working with Midnight Comics
Music and the original song, Perduto
Reader Views Literary Awards Sponsorship
and more...
 
Pulse is a multi-POV dystopian sci-fi horror thriller set in 2040, centered around a corporation, a creature, and a music festival. Think Fyre Festival, Black Mirror, and X-Files combined. The story deals with themes of capitalism, consumerism, business, politics, pandemics, climate change, activism, and technology while bouncing between a diverse group of characters sure to entertain almost anyone. The book is already being praised for its fantastic use of horror, engaging world-building, and genre-bending approach utilizing some screenplay-like formatting. This is the first entry in a new series with the sequel well underway. 
B.A. Bellec writes with a unique, modern, minimalistic approach. He is the author of Someone's Story, his award-winning debut novel called a masterpiece by multiple reviewers. Never afraid of a challenge, Bellec switched genres to bring you this dark vision that simmered in his mind for years. 
In addition to writing, Bellec also creates music. You can find it on his YouTube channel.
Follow him on social media or at www.babellec.com to stay in the loop on new projects.

Town Lawe - An Interview with Author Bruno Pirecki

Before devoting himself to writing, award-winning author Bruno Pirecki spent over two decades as a Nashville entertainment industry executive, specializing in strategic alliances and artist relations. A native of Capitol Hill in Seattle, Washington, he spent his formative years enjoying the beauty of the San Juan Islands and the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. He is a thirty-year resident of Franklin, Tennessee, and lives downtown with his wife, Jennifer; their three rescue cats; and one spoiled Rhodesian ridgeback.
Town Lawe, his debut novel, received the Gold/First Place award in the Adult Fiction category at the 2022 Feathered Quill Awards.
You can learn more about Bruno Pirecki on Instagram at @bruno.pirecki.
 
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION
His writing journey
About Town Lawe
Writing amazing characters
Representing minority groups in fiction
Being a visual writer
Editing and Research
What's next for Bruno Pirecki?
 
TOWN LAWE
“Our path is straight, yet it is made up of corners. It was designed this way, so the splendor unfolds only in glimpses.” So says Chilok, a tribal wise woman and mystic whom Townsend Lawe has known all his life. Town is a precocious boy growing up in Pole Pass, Idaho, a sleepy mountain hamlet rich in mining history, native lore, and secrets buried since its foundation. Accomplished in academics and the tribal traditions handed down from his ancestors, Town finds peace deep in the forest and in his schoolwork. But while away at college, he begins to explore the mysteries of his deceased mother’s past, and his sleuthing leads to a little-known off-campus institution in Princeton, New Jersey, where a shocking discovery exposes the sins of his hometown’s founding families. In the process, he experiences the wisdom of Chilok firsthand and opens an ancient truth that reveals a glimpse of what lies beyond . . .

California Chrome: Our Story - An Interview with Perry Martin

Perry Martin’s career was in performing root cause failure analysis for the USAF performing “aircraft mishap investigations” and then for the private sector involving failures in high reliability equipment. His first book was Electronic Failure Analysis Handbook, published by McGraw Hill in 1999 and was a comprehensive overview of the use of root cause failure analysis in developing more reliable electronic equipment. “California Chrome Our Story” documents the development of a champion racehorse and more enlightened readers will ascertain how root cause failure analysis was used in this process.
To learn more about Perry Martin and California Chrome visit https://www.chromeourstory.com
 
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION
About the book and inspiration for writing California Chrome: Our Story.
Breeding Horses
Being involved in all aspects of being a racehorse owner.
Who are the Chromies
California Chrome and his charismatic charm
The process of the development of a champion racehorse
 
CALIFORNIA CHROME: OUR STORY
California Chrome - Our Story A compelling true story about family, life and love. Building a dream, and then getting swept away by the horse of a lifetime! The Martins had built a comfortable middle-class life, only to risk it all and push their finances to the limit in building Martin Testing Laboratories. After years of struggling, they made the business profitable through sheer will. Regaining their financial feet, you would think they would relax and enjoy their much earned success. Instead, they embark on the ride of a lifetime as the first horse they had ever bred, California Chrome, takes the world by storm and wins the Kentucky Derby! This book is an effort to clear the social media and internet fog surrounding California Chrome and to dispel the salacious gossip that in today's world passes for journalism. It is a clear-eyed look at the business of breeding and racing a champion racehorse, and all the thrills and heartaches that go along with it.

They Called Me Mama - An Interview with Gloria Swift

Gloria A. Swift immigrated to the United States in 1973 and served in the United States Army where she received many "firsts" in awards and recognition. Ms. Swift also served as the first female police officer on the Foster City Police Department. Those were the days when it was difficult for black women to integrate into a white, male-dominated profession.
Ms. Swift is a retired educator who holds multiple degrees and credentials in Education. 'Thank You, Ms. Swift - It's Not about As and Bs' was written to highlight the challenges teachers face when assigning students the grades they earned. Ms. Swift enjoys authoring real stories about real people. She does not shy away from the issues that affect human lives.
Ms. Gloria Swift spends her time commuting between the United States and Belize, where as a Director, she is actively involved in the non-profit organization established in honor of her parents, John and Adele Swift Development and Enrichment Center (JADE), providing for those who need food, financial assistance in education, and transportation. She also assists in the family's B&B in Belize. In her spare time, Ms. Swift visits countries around the world and soaks in the culture.
To learn more about Gloria Swift and her work visit her Amazon page at: https://www.amazon.com/author/gloriaswift
 
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION
Her writing journey
About "They Called Me Mama"
Farm animals vs. Pets
Returning to Belize and the farm after many years
Mama telling the story in first person
Life on the farm with Mama in charge
What's next for Gloria Swift?
 
THEY CALLED ME MAMA
It is not every day I say, “I enjoy time with critters.” I grew up on this farm decades ago. Then I left. Now I have returned. I enjoy working with the critters now more than ever. The sheep, turkeys, fowls, guinea hens, and dogs are unique. I spent time with one sheep whom I called Mama. She understood me. No matter where she was, when she heard my voice, she came running. Mama was spoiled, and she knew it. The flock treated her with respect. They never entered the pen in the evenings unless Mama was there to enter first. They assembled in front of the gate and waited for her. In the mornings, she led them out of the pen. There are times when Mama sneaked away from the flock and ate alone. When she was discovered missing, they ran all around the farm baaing and baaing. Mama heard them, but she never answered. When the flock found her, they surrounded her, but Mama continued eating. I observed a turkey hen training her first seven chicks. She stretched her neck in the air, called out a certain sound, and all the chicks crouched on the ground. After giving another signal, they got up.
Remarkable. As a child, I never observed these behaviors. They were critters who served a purpose. Now I get so involved that the loss of one haunts me for weeks even months. Mama told her own story, her observations and challenges. She was favored more than the others, and she knew it. Her story is a reminder that the day will come when each of us will leave our loved ones. We have to pass on the torch of life and hope for the best.

Chaos Above the Sand - An Interview with Bruce Thomas

Bruce Thomas was raised in Farmington, Missouri, by two loving parents. Playing four sports in high school while playing in the band, singing and acting in a local play, he obtained a fantastic education and well-rounded childhood. After high school, Bruce was appointed to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. After four years of strenuous physical and mental activities, he graduated in 1980 as a second lieutenant with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering. After graduation, Bruce set upon his real life's passion, flying. In the summer of 1980, he attended US Air Force pilot training at Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma. After an exhausting and rewarding year, Bruce received his silver pilot's wings. All three of his daughters were born at Vance Air Force Base during this part of his career while he was teaching other Air Force pilots how to fly jet aircraft. After five rewarding years, Bruce was qualified in the A-10 Warthog, a close air support, fighter aircraft. His first assignment was in the far north near Fairbank, Alaska. For the next twenty years, he flew the single-seat A-10 fighter in multiple wars and hotspots all over the world. During his military career, Bruce was stationed in six different states and six foreign countries, including Iraq and South Korea. Lieutenant Colonel Thomas retired from the 303rd Fighter Squadron at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, in 2004. As his military career was drawing down, Bruce was blessed to receive an invitation to become a commercial airline pilot with Southwest Airlines. After six years, he was upgraded to captain on the Boeing 737 aircraft in 2006. In 2020, he retired from his second job at Southwest Airlines after a total of twenty years of exciting flying all over the USA. He now concentrates on relaxing and writing in Overland Park, Kansas. Bruce has been married to Vivian for twelve years. His five children and nine grandchildren are all blessed with good health and beautiful families. Bruce Thomas's first book, The Hope of the South, was published in 2018 and is available on all major outlets. Chaos Above the Sand, a prequel, is the second book in the Special Projects Unit series.
Learn more about Bruce Thomas and his work by visiting his website at https://www.brucethomasauthor.com/.
 
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION
About "Chaos Above the Sand"
What is the SPU?
Character dynamics and development
Research, Traveling and Writing
Writing a Series
What's Next for Bruce Thomas?
CONNECT WITH BRUCE THOMAS!
 
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/BruceThomas1957
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/BruceThomasSPU2
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/brucethomasauthor
 
 
CHAOS ABOVE THE SAND
Iran 2010. The Iranian High Council has decided that today is the day that their fighter pilots will attack. With a large group of fighter aircraft poised to cross the border into Iraq, the only thing standing in the Iranians way is Wild Bill Eddy's four F-15C aircraft. With lightning speed, the battle rages in the sky above Iraq. Iran's desire to control the Middle East sets this fast-paced, multilayered story in motion.
Germany, May 1944. Field Marshal Erwin Rommel has sent his most trusted representatives to steal vast treasures from Hitler's hidden storage location. Once these were obtained, they intend to use the horde to fund their escape from the war that has devastated Germany and made them lose faith with the Führer. A mix of attacks, setbacks, and terrible timing cause the treasures to be lost when the Allies attacked Normandy on June 6, 1944.
From the beginning, the Special Projects Unit is thrown into this thriller with traitors, spies, and patriotic soldiers. The SPU director, William "Wild Bill" Eddy, along with his best friend, Assistant Director Mark "Vector" Jones, race to solve the clues to who is supplying top secret information to the Iranians. With villains and traitors on every page, the SPU must decipher the clues and save the USA from a fast-approaching military defeat. Clues to the lost World War II treasure become mixed into the story of the building and hiding of the SPU. This yarn is the tale of the development and birth of the SPU.

The Savage Path: A Memoir of Modern Masculinity - An Interview with David L. Savage

David L. Savage grew up as an Air Force brat in West Texas with a deep and rich scouting background beginning in Cub Scouts, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout, and earning the bronze, silver and gold palms, then establishing and leading a high adventure Explorer Post before heading to Texas A&M University to study engineering.  The summer after graduating from Texas A&M, he worked as a backpacking guide, or Ranger, at Philmont Scout Ranch and Explorer Base in Cimarron, New Mexico.
David has a passion for history and geopolitics, which he has enriched through global job-related travel and extensive reading.  He and his wife, Kimberly, have been married for eighteen years and live in Katy, Texas. They blended their families and raised four children, now grown.
He has written hundreds of poems and was the official Roaster-in-Chief at many company promotion and retirement events, all in verse.  His rich sense of humor has been displayed as an amateur at the Comedy Workshop in Houston and winning the Star Search contest in Chicago back in the late eighties.  He also was the U.S. Regional Winner of the Tall Tales Contest for Toastmasters International in that same time period.
David has been a lifelong backpacker and outdoorsman and has been blessed to have a group of five older advisors who, along with David, call themselves “The Sixpack.”  They have backpacked for twenty-five years together to provide some of the rich and humorous stories he shares throughout his memoir, The Savage Path.
Learn More about David and his work by visiting his website at www.thesavagepath.com
Topics of Conversation
About "The Savage Path: A Memoir of Modern Masculinity"
Inspiration for writing the book
What is Modern Masculinity?
David's radio show/podcast: "Wrestling with the Inner Man"
Advice for young men
What's next for David L. Savage?
The Savage Path: A Memoir of Modern Masculinity
This book is one humble man's memoir describing his journey through life with its successes, failures, friendships, and family. Using humility and humor to highlight hard-won wisdom, David invites you to sit by his campfire, feel its warmth, and let it draw you into the intimate storytelling environment that only its flickering flame and the expansive night sky can provide. It is a sacred place where we share tall tails, triumphs, and tragedies. Through it all, we engage in the pursuit of authentic manhood and positive, healthy masculinity.
CONNECT WITH DAVID L. SAVAGE!
Website: www.thesavagepath.comEmail: dsavage4@comcast.netLinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/DavidLSavageInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidlsavage/

Grydscaen Dark: An Interview with Natsuya Uesugi DuBois

A writer with a BA in English, a minor in Japanese, an art degree in animation, and an MBA in International Management, certificate in Social Engineering and multiple awards for articles on Net Neutrality, Privacy, LGBT Youth Homelessness, Cybersecurity and Cyberbullying, Natsuya Uesugi is writing his dream of showcasing fictional minority characters in positions of power.
Of Mixed Multi-cultural heritage (Indigenous, Asian, French, Scottish, Dutch, African-American), he sees life through the lens of challenge, marginalization, personal power and systemic marginalization. With ADHD on the Autism Spectrum and Transgender as a QPoC minority voice often silenced and invisible in mainstream literature, film, and manga, Natsuya focuses on bringing stories of empowerment, truth, triumph, and hope against insurmountable odds.
Using fiction, fantasy, and yaoi to spread his positive message, he writes to encourage LGBT, non-gender conforming, and neurodivergent young people to live their truth and dare to be their genuine selves. His stories, lauded for bringing visibility for featuring Queer People of Colour, his writing showcases the power of a multicultural viewpoint daring to pen diverse, real world fiction that fosters the complex aesthetic and art of #OwnVoices realness, beauty,and truth.
To learn more about Natsuya Uesugi DuBois visit his websites at: https://natsukoarts.com/ and https://www.grydscaen.com/.
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION
About the Grydscaen series
Natsuya’s diverse writing portfolio
The multiple award-winning grydscaen anime web series
Passions outside of writing
The invisibility of many groups in mainstream literature, film and manga and the importance of representation of those groups in the Indie World.
What’s next for Natsuya Uesugi DuBois?
GRYDSCAEN: DARK
A clandestine meet occurs in the Echelons under cover of darkness where Top Secret intel on the stock market changes hands. The insider tip gets the gothic hacker Jester engaged in a high tech game. Parliament votes to lower harsh stock market regulations fueling the Corporation's bottom line, a payoff from ministers who were propped up by illegal corporate campaign donations. Ordered by Jester, the teenage hacker Rom infiltrates the largest high volume brokerage house causing wild gyrations in trading. When Jester triggers an insidious stock market payload all hell breaks loose threatening the pristine City. Will Zoon, the leader of the Triumvirate, get roped into the fray? Can Raven, the government hacker, put the cryptic clues together before the market crashes? Find out in grydscaen: dark. Whose side are you on?
FIRST LOOK!! EXCLUSIVE CONCEPT SKETCH
17 year old Amiael Saren Aiken from book 3 of the "grydscaen: Prophet Trilogy."
FOLLOW NATSUYA UESUGI DUBOIS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
  NatsuyaUesugiAuthor  Natsuya Uesugi Manga  Natsuya Uesugi Manga  #NatsuyaUesugiManga  NatsuyaUesugiManga
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13136335/

An Interview with B.A. Bellec - Author of Someone’s Story

B.A. Bellec’s debut novel, Someone’s Story, won the Reader Views Reader’s Choice Literary Award for Young Adult Book of the Year. Someone’s Story is a young adult coming-of-age book and has seen good support over Instagram, YouTube, and Goodreads. One of the aspects that makes Bellec’s projects unique is he includes musicians in his novels and then he actually produces the songs as his book goes through the editing stages.
Bellec was born in Richmond, BC, and raised in Langley, BC, before settling in Winnipeg, MB. His first adventure was a career in Finance, where he spent 15 years developing his business skills. His highest achievement was the Certified Payroll Manager designation. He currently still consults with businesses on their systems and processes. Over that period of time, he also attended Lights Film School where he started to nurture his early creative abilities. 
A self-starter always interested in research, he taught himself many of the aspects of storytelling through reading books, screenplays, and material online. Whenever he found an inspirational piece of art, he quickly went to the source to find the story behind the artist who created the work. It took many years after attending film school for him to finally combine his creative skills with his life experience and tell these stories he had been holding back. Some of his favorite creative people: Lukas Rossi, Justin Furstenfeld, Peter Jackson, Stephen Chbosky, J.K. Rowling, and Stephen King. 
During COVID-19, Bellec started a YouTube channel and was awarded a grant from The Canada Council for the Arts. He also pounded away on the keyboard to bring his second novel, Pulse, from his imagination to the page. He can’t wait to release that book along with the new songs that will go with it!
For more information about B.A. Bellec and his works visit his website at www.babellec.com.
Topics of Conversation
About Someone's Story and the inspiration behind the book.
Putting your story out and the editing process
Publishing during a pandemic
Creating an anonymous character as the lead protagonist
Incorporating Music into the story
Marketing during a pandemic
Blonde roast anyone?
What's next for BA Bellec?
CONNECT WITH B.A. BELLEC!
Website: https://babellec.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BABellecsProductionStudioInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ba_bellec Twitter: https://twitter.com/b_bellec Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/babellec