1on1 with Jon Evans

Terry Hayes found international success when his 2014 debut novel I am Pilgrim became a critically-acclaimed best seller. But in achieving his lifelong ambition, the former journalist and Hollywood screenwriter suddenly found himself in an abyss, searching for the emotional drive to take readers on another page-turning thriller ride. Now, with The Year of the Locust, Hayes has found his groove again, delivering a masterful, suspense-filled espionage story that breaks the mold of today's spy genre.

Jim Shockey is considered one of the world's best outdoor sportsmen. He's taken audiences along on wildlife adventure television shows, and led hunting expeditions and conservation efforts into some of the most remote locations on earth. Shockey's passion for folk and tribal art can be seen in the Hand of Man Museum in his native Canada. Shockey has now embarked on a new adventure, as an author, with his debut thriller, Call Me Hunter, and he wants you to dig and find the fiction.  

In the decade since the death of New York Times bestselling author Tom Clancy, Don Bentley is one of the novelists that have continued to bring life to Clancy's characters. Tom Clancy: Weapons Grade, Bentley's newly-released fourth thriller featuring Jack Ryan, Jr., ends one chapter in the former Army Apache helicopter pilot's writing career, while another is about to begin as he takes over writing for another well-known character, Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp.

Takayo Siddle and Nicole Woods have a lot more in common than being head basketball coaches at UNC Wilmington. They both grew up in North Carolina, played high school and college basketball in the state, and worked as assistant coaches at in-state universities before landing their first head coaching jobs in Wilmington. Woods hopes to add another similarity, by rebuilding the Seahawk women's hoops program that has fallen on tough times. Siddle did it with the men's team, and he thinks it won't be long before Woods has the same success.

While most little league baseball players dream about making the major leagues, that's never been enough for Walker Jenkins. Setbacks like not making the all-star team as a six-year-old have fueled his competitive fire to work harder and be better than everyone who has played the game. It made him a top draft pick of the Minnesota Twins, and earned him a multi-million dollar signing bonus. Now the teenager from Oak Island is getting his chance at pro ball, and his plans don't include striking out. 

At the height of America's civil rights movement, a school board vote closed the only all-Black high school in Wilmington, North Carolina. Generations of families had graduated from Williston Senior High School since its' inception in 1866. But, in June 1968, facing the possibility of losing federal funding over the school system's delayed desegregation plan, the New Hanover County Board of Education abruptly closed Williston Senior High, forcing around 900 students to attend mostly-White high schools to complete their education. Now, 55 years later, the community is working to heal the wound caused by that decision.

With the uniform, badge, helmet, motorcycle and million-dollar smile, Erik Estrada rocketed to television stardom as Officer Frank Poncherello on CHiPs, one of NBC's most successful shows of the 70s and 80s. More than 40 years and dozens of roles later, Estrada's on-screen career brought him to Wilmington for Divine Renovation. It's a home remodeling show with a faith-based twist, with a message that hearkens back to the actor's very first movie.

Elle Graham already has an impressive acting resume, with appearances on high-profile projects like Stranger Things and The Walking Dead. The 13-year-old from Hampstead is riding a wave of popularity right now, thanks in part to starring in the hit Disney television show The Secrets of Sulphur Springs, which is in its third season. Elle also has a major role in a new movie, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, which opens nationwide this weekend.

Carli Batson did not enter her first pageant until her teenage years, a decision made after her father lost his job. Once Batson started, though, she found success, winning several titles and enough scholarship money to avoid the burden of college tuition debt. Now the former Miss Wilmington and Miss North Carolina is preparing to wear a new crown, as the 2023 North Carolina Azalea Festival Queen. 

Fans can't wait to see what Jonas Pate and the other co-creators of the smash hit television series Outer Banks have planned for the show's third season, which starts streaming February 23 on Netflix. The writer/director/producer has taken the Pogues on whirlwind adventures and audiences have loved it, sending OBX2 all the way to #1. The North Carolina native previews the new season, talks about the cast and crew that made it happen, and gives a sneak peek into the new project he hopes to launch soon.

Their recognizable blue and teal canopies wave on nearly every beach in the United States. Dane Barnes, his brother Scott and best friend Alex Slater invented the Shibumi Shade after years of lugging their family's heavy umbrellas on beach vacations. As the wind-driven sunshade gained in popularity, the three UNC grads learned that launching their own company is not a breeze, and a lot of little things must be done to achieve success. 

Bevin Prince has had many roles in her life. The best-known may be playing Bevin Mirskey on the still-popular TV show One Tree Hill. As an entrepreneur, she launched Recess by Bevin Prince, a high-intensity cycling center in Wilmington. Bevin is now cast in a role she never wanted, as a widow. On this episode of the 1on1 with Jon Evans podcast, Bevin talks publicly for the first time about the lightning strike that killed her husband, Will Friend, and how the support of family and friends helped her find the strength to move forward, and to keep showing up.

Mark Robinson pulls no punches when it comes to his beliefs and principles. Robinson's direct, some would even say fiery, approach to sharing his opinions is one reason for his rapid ascension into political relevance and history in North Carolina. The outspoken lieutenant governor has written a memoir, We Are The Majority, that recalls how his life's experiences helped shape the values that Robinson's supporters admire, and his critics dislike.

When Morgan Myles started singing Hallelujah in her blind audition on The Voice, she got a four-chair turn from the celebrity judges within 40 seconds. The response and high praise Myles received from Camila Cabello, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani and John Legend did more than raise her profile on the national stage. It reaffirmed Myles's faith in her own talent and gave her a much-needed boost of confidence after years as a touring musician. Now, Wilmington's connection to NBC's hit show shares her story about taking this chance, so America can hear her sing.

Martin Jarmond knows about success. The UNCW alum has done the hard work it takes to succeed on both personal and professional levels. But had it not been for a single phone call, made at one of Jarmond's lowest moments when self-doubt threatened to become an obstacle, his achievements may have never happened. Ground may have remained unbroken. Racial barriers may have stood for many more years. UCLA's Athletic Director talks about the importance of that call on his career, and how he works to help others follow in his path.

Carson Kressley had started a career in fashion when a friend urged him to audition for a reality show. That opportunity turned into his breakthrough role as fashion savant for Bravo TV's original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy series, which won an Emmy and changed the trajectory of Kressley's life. The television personality, best-selling author and designer will soon be in Wilmington, to emcee a charity fundraiser to benefit the Welcome Home Angel organization.  

Dr. Aswani Volety has spent nearly all his life in education. In fact, he started school at the age of two in his native India, and hasn't stopped learning since. Now the newly-installed UNCW Chancellor wants to use his experiences as a student, teacher, scholar, researcher and administrator to ensure every Seahawk receives what he calls ‘a great education'.

Jerrod Mustaf played against the best basketball talent in the world. The Whiteville, NC native was a first-round NBA draft pick, and made it all the way to the finals, before taking his game overseas and winning a pair of championships in international leagues. Since then, as the CEO and Executive Director of the Take Charge Program his father founded, Mustaf has spent decades creating programs that combine sports and life skills to benefit young men and women.

Nina de Gramont's career as a published author began in 2001 with Of Cats and Men. The UNCW professor's ninth book, The Christie Affair, has made her a ‘best-selling author'. De Gramont's fictional novel of Agatha Christie's famous 11-day disappearance landed on the New York Times' list shortly after its' release, thanks in part to being chosen for Academy Award-winning actress Reese Witherspoon's Book Club. De Gramont talks about having to keep that secret, the pressure of her follow-up, and the joys of teaching the next generation of writers.

REO Speedwagon has sold more than 40 million records since its' debut in 1971, and Kevin Cronin has been the front man for the past 45 years. After a mandatory, unscheduled hiatus from touring because of the pandemic, Cronin and the band are ‘Back on the Road Again' in 2022, with live shows packed with fan favorites, while the singer-songwriter also finishes writing a book about his career.

Brantley Gilbert has toured with some of the biggest names in country music. The rock star has hundreds of sold-out shows and more than a half-dozen #1 records to his credit. But, like many singer-songwriters, the pandemic has kept the self-proclaimed ‘road dog' from performing live as often as he wanted. In our conversation, Gilbert talks about getting back out on tour in 2022, the love-letter he wrote to his wife and daughter, and the first time he ever picked up a guitar.

At just 13-years-old, Carson Holmes experienced what he now calls a “life-changing” event. He auditioned for and got the part of Three Langmore on the Netflix series Ozark, which has become one of the streaming service's biggest hits. The Wilmington actor talks about working alongside the award-winning cast, the scripts his parents wouldn't let him read, and the cliffhangers still ahead for fans of the show.

Michelle Li is an excellent journalist. Several Murrow and Emmy awards are proof of her skills. But nothing in her two decades of television news could have prepared Michelle for the racist voicemail a viewer left her on New Year's Day. By gracefully sharing her pain, and letting the world hear the viewer's rant, Michelle started a conversation about race and discrimination against Asian Americans that has turned into the positive #veryasian movement.

The fifth season of the award-winning “1on1 with Jon Evans” podcast is in the books. Season five featured interviews with authors, actors, athletes, directors, television personalities, comedians and newsmakers with ties to southeastern North Carolina. This end-of-the-year compilation features several of the most interesting excerpts from some of the year's conversations.

Reporters Nick Ochsner and Michael Graff covered the 2018 election fraud scandal in North Carolina's Ninth Congressional District for different news organizations. The more time they spent in Bladen County, uncovering networks and identifying individuals working to influence elections, the more they realized politics in this rural county has its' own set of rules. Their book The Vote Collectors is a deep dive into how it worked and nearly won a seat in Congress.

Wiley Cash's fourth novel, When Ghosts Come Home, represents several firsts in the New York Times best-selling author's career. He's crafted a murder-mystery and set it along the coast of his native North Carolina. Despite the mid-1980s timeframe, Cash's characters deal with many of the same social issues making today's headlines, while they work to exorcise the ghosts of their past. It's an engaging story that will make readers think, with an ending that turns on the answer to a simple question.

Meredith Viera's current project, the Fox-syndicated game show 25 Words or Less is now in its' third season and seen on television stations across the country. It's another success in Viera's award-winning career that began in local radio more than four decades ago, and has taken her around the world to cover the biggest stories and newsmakers.

They came out of Chicago and put the city's name at the top of the music charts, where it stayed for decades. Trumpet player Lee Loughnane is one of three founding members of Chicago still touring with the rock and roll band 52 years after releasing their first album in 1969. Now back on the road after a pandemic-forced break, Loughnane talks about the excitement of performing live, what fans can expect to hear at the shows, and why he has no plans to stop playing any time soon.

Actress Yaya DaCosta left NBC's Chicago Med after six seasons to play the lead character of Angela Vaughn in Our Kind of People. The new Fox show, which shoots in Wilmington, NC, is inspired by Lawrence Otis Graham's bestseller that goes inside America's Black Upper Class. DaCosta talks about the importance of the show, what drew her to the project, and how her experience in Reality TV nearly sidetracked her acting career.

Dr. Muneeb Shah has had a meteoric rise to social media stardom. The fourth-year Dermatology Resident in Wilmington, NC posted his first TikTok video about skin care on May 1, 2020, and now has more than ten million followers. Dr. Shah's videos on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube have more than three billion views. This is the story of how he became one of the most influential voices in the field of dermatology and the world of social media, and how serious he takes that role.  

John Maginnes accomplished his dream of becoming a pro golfer, playing on the PGA Tour for a decade and competing alongside some of the biggest names in the sport like Tiger Woods and Nick Faldo. But when an injury presented an opportunity, Maginnes grabbed it. Now, as a host, analyst and on-course reporter on Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio, Maginnes still makes a living in the game he loves, while also enjoying a second chance at being a Dad.  

Jay Leno and Kevin Eubanks are working together again on television. Leno is rebooting the comedy show You Bet Your Life, and he wanted Eubanks to co-host. Their relationship goes back to the early 90s, when Leno took over as host of The Tonight Show and Eubanks became the bandleader. The two friends talk about what fans can expect to see when the new show airs in September. 

Brad Thor tried once to launch a writing career, and it didn't work. When the pieces started falling into place to give him a second chance, he jumped at it, and is now a #1 bestselling author of 21 thrillers, selling tens of millions of books around the world.  Brad joins WECT's Jon Evans to talk about the idea behind his new Scot Harvath book “Black Ice”, the gamble of killing-off familiar characters, and getting the call to help prevent future terror attacks against the United States.

Kathy Reichs' new book, The Bone Code, is the 20th in her bestselling Bones series that features forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. It's a murder-mystery ‘ripped from the headlines' that takes Tempe back to an unsolved case from her past. Reichs has also co-authored the young adult Virals books, and produced episodes of the long-running Bones television series, entertaining millions of fans since her debut in 1997.

Jack Carr spent two decades on the front lines of America's war on terrorism. The former Navy Seal sniper and Special Operations Commander transitioned into a second career, and is now a New York Times bestselling author. While crafting novels like The Devil's Hand, which keep readers riveted, Carr supports organizations that help other veterans begin and succeed in their post-military lives. 

Hannah Black and Megan Petersen have taken different roads to their place in the film industry. Once their paths converged in an acting class, it set off a chain of creative events that resulted in the award-winning independent film, Drought. The co-creators, co-directors and co-stars talk about the project's long road from start to finish, the messages they wanted to convey, and the one word not contained in their vocabularies.

Drew and Owen Scheid play two of the central characters in the award-winning independent film Drought, now streaming on Amazon Prime. While Drew has more acting experience, Drought marks Owen’s film debut, playing a young man on the autism spectrum who is fascinated with weather and storm chasing. The two brothers talk about the messages the movie conveys, overcoming a hurricane interruption, and working together on-screen for the first time.

Shaneequa Vereen took a leap of faith to move halfway across the country without a job. Now, as Public Affairs Officer and Live Mission Commentator at NASA, Shaneequa is helping document mankind’s leaps into the heavens and beyond, while showing other young women of color that anything is possible with hard work and dedication.

Alex Highsmith is an imposing figure in his shoulder pads and Pittsburgh Steelers uniform. If you look closely, you will also see a little chip on his shoulder. It’s the fuel that has powered Highsmith’s internal engine, helping the Wilmington native reach the National Football League, where he is now paid to play the game he used to play for fun. Highsmith has already noticed the difference.

Patrick Brien doesn’t look at complicated issues the way most people do. The Army veteran and CEO of Cape Fear Collective has a view from about ten thousand feet, where he sees potential partnerships and innovative opportunities to address issues like poverty, affordable housing and healthcare. By using data to light the way, and capital to fuel the engine, Brien believes CFC can be the vehicle to drive understanding and generational change.

Long before Greta Van Susteren became Chief National Political Analyst for Gray TV and the host of “Full Court Press” on WECT, before she anchored shows on CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC and Voice of America, and before she first gained national attention providing legal analysis during the O.J. Simpson Trial, the Wisconsin native had earned two law degrees, taught courses at law school and practiced law for a dozen years. But in the end, Greta says attending a toga party made a bigger difference in launching her television career.

Cliff Cash hasn’t had many chances to make people laugh with his stand-up comedy since the pandemic hit. But fans can get their fill with Half Way There, Cliff’s new album that spent three days at #1 on the iTunes Comedy Chart. In our podcast, Cliff talks about his first on-stage performance, why some people cry during his shows, and the time he had to tell his brother to stop being so funny.

Chris Everett is now working on the follow-up to his award-winning 2015 documentary film Wilmington on Fire, which chronicled the 1898 Wilmington Massacre that overthrew the existing city government and resulted in the deaths of dozens of Black leaders. Chris talks about the film’s renewed importance in conversations about racial justice, the retired pro basketball player who helped to get it finished, and the stories he wants to tell in Chapter II. 

Actress Jen Lilley’s latest project for The Hallmark Channel brought her to Wilmington to shoot USS Christmas during the pandemic. Along with spreading holiday cheer through the movie, Jen also came up with a way to keep COVID-19 from cancelling Christmas for families and children in need. She’s also channeled her advocacy for foster children and adoption into the successful Fostering Hope podcast.

Takayo Siddle became the head coach of the UNCW Men’s Basketball Team in March of 2020. He’s had to work hard, on and off the court, to keep his team virus-free during the COVID-19 pandemic. Siddle talks about that challenge, his journey to becoming a head coach, and the tough love lesson he learned when his Mom did not pick up the phone.

Dr. Charles Foust takes over as the Superintendent of New Hanover County Schools at a turbulent time. The COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges for students, families, teachers and staff. Three educators from inside the system were arrested and charged with sex crimes against children in the past two years, and the investigation into whether administrators violated any laws in handling allegations brought to their attention. Dr. Foust talks about how he plans to address the challenges that lie ahead, in and out of the classroom.

Trevor Donovan has been on hiatus since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. But the actor is getting back in front of the cameras, coming to Wilmington in September to star in another Christmas movie for the Hallmark Channel. Donovan talks about working under new pandemic-related safety rules, the importance of his breakthrough role on the CW's 90210, and the decision he calls the ‘best of his career’.

New Hanover Regional Medical Center has operated for more than 50 years as a public hospital. That's likely to change by the end of 2020, as negotiations are underway to sell NHRMC to Novant Health in a deal worth upwards of $5 billion. Jon interviews the two Chief Executive Officers, John Gizdic of NHRMC and Carl Armato of Novant, with questions raised by the public, and hears how they believe the partnership will reform healthcare and improve lives in southeastern North Carolina.

Beck Black grew up in rural North Carolina loving to sing and play music. Little did she know one day, she would be teamed up with one of the most famous musicians in the world. Beck’s new song, “Who’s Gonna Save Rock n’ Roll”, features Ringo Starr on drums, and the former Beatle also appears in the music video. Here’s the story of how it all came together, and what’s on the horizon for Beck Black’s music career.

According to the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, 129 journalists were physically attacked while covering protests that followed the death of George Floyd. They were shoved to the ground, hit with batons, rubber rounds, tear gas, rocks, bottles and other projectiles, all while trying to document the history-making Black Lives Matter movement. Four television news reporters describe their experiences and emotions of covering the civil unrest.

After earning three degrees from Ivy League schools and handling multiple health crises on the federal and state levels, Dr. Mandy Cohen says she never anticipated having to help ten million people through a pandemic. Now, as Secretary of North Carolina's Department of Health and Human Services, Dr. Cohen is the face of the state’s effort to stop the spread of COVID-19, while balancing being a wife and mom to two little girls.