Podcasts about books and brews

Books and Brews: the place where beer and literature meet! Michael Colon is a novelist and freelance writer, born and raised in New York City. His author's story is about hard work, perseverance, and believing in the power of imagination. His inspiration comes from various societal abnormalities, the beauty in cultural differences, and his  own life experiences. His debut novel, The Gift from Aelius, is about an artificial intelligence's growing awareness of purpose and life. There is not a science fiction tale as poetic and thought-provoking.  In the not-too distant future, A191, a Codex with artificial intelligence, feels like a misfit in Paradise, a walled city in the middle of an endless desert where humans imprisoned his race long ago. He's not like the others of his kind; he longs to meet humans and make peace with them so man and Codexes can be reunited in the world. These thoughts and feelings are not allowed in Paradise; he risks banishment to the desert by the Overseer A. I. who rules by fear and force. The journey reveals the truth about his existence, the Overseer's lies, and the consequences of mankind's untethered technology.  00:00 START 05:31 Drink 1: The Singularity 08:13 Reading 1: Codex 12:53 Will AI begin to think for itself? 15:30 Did AI already try to destroy humanity? 21:21 Drink 2: Paradise 23:28 Reading 2: Starry Desert Night 29:02 Free will and choices 31:10 Numbers, names, and fear of losing our humanity 35:03 Philosophy and Sci-fi 45:12 Drink 3: Bingo 47:06 Reading 3: At the Haven 48:04 Political divide 48:59 Finding your purpose   Visit our PATREON for our extended AFTER HOURS with Michael Colon https://www.clippings.me/users/michaelcolon www.lauravosika.com www.gabrielshornpress.com www.booksandbrews.net  ~ ~ If you enjoy our interviews or have benefitted from them, we invite you to help us continue our work. It takes a great deal of time and money to produce Books and Brews. We've been doing interviews since January 2017 as a free service to authors. We continue to promote those authors on our social media for years after their interviews. Subscribing, following, liking, commenting and sharing all help us to keep doing what we do. A $5 tip helps us pay for our many expenses: Libsyn hosting, web hosting, Google meets, providing the drinks for the interview and the many hours of preparation and editing that go into each episode. Patreon: patreon.com/BooksandBrewswithLauraVosika Tip Jar: paypal.me/booksandbrewsMN * Books and Brews products: https://www.zazzle.com/store/books_an… (more to come) Sponsor an episode to promote your product or service: contact us booksandbrewslive@gmail.com COMING NEXT MONTH:  Richard T. Ryan, Sherlockian tales! UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEMES: CHILDREN  See Laura's interview at Central Valley Talk See Laura's interview with Rob & Joan Carter at INDIE NOVEL SOURCE Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

John Graham shipped out on a freighter when he was 16, hitchhiked through the Algerian Revolution at 19 and was on the team that made the first ascent of Denali's North Wall at 20, a climb so dangerous it's never been repeated. He hitchhiked around the world at 22, working as a correspondent in every war he came across. A US Foreign Service Officer for 15 years, he was in the middle of the 1969 revolution in Libya and the war in Vietnam. As a global peace builder, post Foreign Service, he contributed to peace efforts in Israel and Palestine. For the last 42 years he's been a leader of the Giraffe Heroes Project, a global movement inspiring people to stick their necks out to solve public problems and giving them tools to succeed (giraffe.org). His speeches, blogs, podcasts and interviews have a global audience.  In our interview, we talked about John's adventures around the globe, being a thrill seeker, his realization of his need to change, and more. 00:00 START 03:43 Drink 1: The Shipwreck 05:13 Reading 1: Cruise Ship Down! 11:25 The Coast Guard's most important rescue ever--and John was there! 14:35 From selfish to selfless 19:15 Helping to end apartheid 22:46 Castro's man and plans on a napkin 33:20 Drink 3: Honey Lemon Spritz 36:19 Reading 3: A Healing Miracle 48:22 "Most significant risks challenge the soul." 49:52 Seeking meaning in our lives   Visit our PATREON for our extended AFTER HOURS with John Graham www.johngraham.org www.lauravosika.com www.gabrielshornpress.com www.booksandbrews.net SEE OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL FOR BOOKS AND BREWS LIGHT:  www.youtube.com/@booksandbrews   ~ ~ If you enjoy our interviews or have benefitted from them, we invite you to help us continue our work. It takes a great deal of time and money to produce Books and Brews. We've been doing interviews since January 2017 as a free service to authors. We continue to promote those authors on our social media for years after their interviews. Subscribing, following, liking, commenting and sharing all help us to keep doing what we do. A $5 tip helps us pay for our many expenses: Libsyn hosting, web hosting, Google meets, providing the drinks for the interview and the many hours of preparation and editing that go into each episode. Patreon: patreon.com/BooksandBrewswithLauraVosika  Tip Jar: paypal.me/booksandbrewsMN * Books and Brews products: https://www.zazzle.com/store/books_an… (more to come) Sponsor an episode to promote your product or service: contact us booksandbrewslive@gmail.com COMING NEXT MONTH:  We have a surprise gest for January 2025 UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEME: CHILDREN. See Laura's interview at Central Valley Talk: https://youtu.be/ZKdeLPPgdys?si=wqPHZsAxYqgzjKcV Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

J.P. Reedman lives in Wiltshire near to Stonehenge. Born in Canada, she has had a lifelong interest in ancient and medieval history, and is often found lurking around prehistoric sites, ruined castles and abbeys, and interesting churches with camera in hand. She became a full-time writer in 2018.  Series include: I, Richard Plantagenet, 5 books chronicling Richard's life from childhood to Bosworth, and Medieval Babes, a set of standalone novels about lesser-known medieval queens and noblewomen. Her most recent release is Princess in the Police Station, the tale of little Anne Mowbray, wife of the younger ‘Prince in the Tower' whose grave was unexpectedly found in the 1960's. The next book to be released will be The Melancholy of Winter, which is about Edmund of Rutland, Richard's tragic elder brother. In our interview, we talked about JP reading Beowulf as a young child, historical foods and records of the menus of great feasts, whether being a noble is over-romanticized, historical hoaxes, and more. 00:00 START 05:54 Drink 1: Medicine for Melancholy 08:51 Reading 1: The Young Nobles Want to Skate 14:01 Using obscure historical terms 15:37 From fantasy to historical fiction 19:43 Drink 2: Dilly Bean Dirty Martini 22:55 Reading 2: Finding the Bean on Twelfth Night 25:41 The hideous Henry Holland of history  31:15 England and Canada: the story of a war bride 38:39 Drink 3: The Blackberry Raven 42:59 Reading 3: Fighting with Fish 45:53 Boys and mischief! 51:55 Most interesting and important things learned from history   Visit our PATREON for our extended AFTER HOURS with JP Reedman www.x.com/@stonehenge2500 www.lauravosika.com www.gabrielshornpress.com www.booksandbrews.net SEE OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL FOR BOOKS AND BREWS LIGHT:  www.youtube.com/@booksandbrews   ~ ~ If you enjoy our interviews or have benefitted from them, we invite you to help us continue our work. It takes a great deal of time and money to produce Books and Brews. We've been doing interviews since January 2017 as a free service to authors. We continue to promote those authors on our social media for years after their interviews. Subscribing, following, liking, commenting and sharing all help us to keep doing what we do. A $5 tip helps us pay for our many expenses: Libsyn hosting, web hosting, Google meets, providing the drinks for the interview and the many hours of preparation and editing that go into each episode. Patreon: patreon.com/BooksandBrewswithLauraVosika  Tip Jar: paypal.me/booksandbrewsMN * Books and Brews products: https://www.zazzle.com/store/books_an… (more to come) Sponsor an episode to promote your product or service: contact us booksandbrewslive@gmail.com COMING NEXT MONTH:  John Graham, adventurer extraordinaire! UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEME: CHILDREN. See Laura's interview at Central Valley Talk: https://youtu.be/ZKdeLPPgdys?si=wqPHZsAxYqgzjKcV Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.  

About A Whisper in the Dark Sarah Parker thinks she has found the perfect place for a fresh start when she moves her family from the Midwest to a sleepy suburban neighborhood in an idyllic southern town. Leaving a position as a serious journalist to write fluff pieces for a local paper is a compromise she is willing to make to escape the past and rebuild her family. Ten years earlier, Ben and Mary moved to the same neighborhood in search of their own fresh start, leaving a trail of death and disfigurement in their wake. Now that cancer has taken Mary, a blossoming friendship with the Parker family offers Ben a glimpse of the things he missed out on and the child he and Mary were denied. As he questions the sacrifices he made to be with Mary and the evil he harbored to protect her, that evil has set its sights on Sarah's eleven-year-old son, Sam, putting the entire town in danger. About Elizabeth Devecchi Elizabeth Devecchi spent most of her formative years in the tiny state of Rhode Island, striking out after high school to gather degrees while exploring the world. This has resulted in an undergraduate degree in French from Wittenberg University, polished during a year abroad in Montpelier, France; an Italian Law Degree from the Università di Torino, Italy; an L.LM in International Law bestowed by The University of Iowa; and formal Mediation training. When she started her hobby blog, The Moon, The Sun, and Little Man (since incorporated into her author website), Elizabeth knew she wanted to get back to one of her earliest passions: writing. She officially began her career as an author in her in her early 50s with a short story titled “The Hunt,” which can still be found floating around the internet as part of the December 2021 issue of international literary journal, Ariel Chart. Elizabeth writes in a variety of genres and styles.   Elizabeth's debut horror novel, A Whisper in the Dark, was signed by Wicked House Publishing and released October 4th of 2024. _____________________________________________________________________    Our theme song is by Benny and the No Goods.   Check out their awesome music right HERE Bennyandthenogoods.bandcamp.com One easy way to support this show is to rate and review Alley Chats wherever you listen to our podcast.  Those ratings really help us and help others find our show. Alley Chats is produced and edited by Rob Southgate for Southgate Media Group.  Follow this show on Facebook @alleychats Follow our parent network on Twitter at @SMGPods Make sure to follow SMG on Facebook too at @SouthgateMediaGroup Learn more, subscribe, or contact Southgate Media Group at www.southgatemediagroup.com.   Check out our webpage at southgatemediagroup.com If you're an artist or writer or creative type that would have a table at in artist alley and would like to be on Alley Chats, message us through the Facebook page or email us directly at rob@alleychatspodcast.com

ABOUT THE NAMASTE SLASHER  Meditating has never been this frightening. Think "Friday The 13th", but set in a modern day Mindfulness retreat. A deliciously camp yet gruesome slasher with nods to the classic 80s Slashers. When five people from all over Europe take part in an exclusive Mindfulness retreat on mountain Velebit in Croatia, they have no idea what's in store for them once a masked killer shows up. Let's hope their healing crystals can provide the necessary protection. Twists & Turns, Chase Scenes and Queer Representation. ABOUT ALAN SHIVERS   Alan Shivers is an indie horror author hailing from Belgium, and he's just been announced as an attending author for Books & Brews 2.0, taking place on August 2, 2025 in McCordsville, IN! You can find more details about the event on the Events page. He also just released his latest book, The Namaste Slasher, on October 1. In honor of the release and the announcement for Books & Brews 2.0, "The Heart of Indie Horror" blog is giving away TWO paperback copies of The Namaste Slasher. Here are the rules: In order to enter, you must either share their blog on your social media platform OR sign up for the email subscriptions. You must also agree to bump this book right up to the top of your TBR and review it on whatever platforms you normally use to review! Winners will be chosen on 10/8/24 at 4:00 PM EST. Here's the link to the blog where you can potentially win "The Namaste Slasher" theheartofindiehorror.blogspot.com/2024/10/the-namaste-slasher-by-alan-shivers.html _____________________________________________________________________    Our theme song is by Benny and the No Goods.   Check out their awesome music right HERE Bennyandthenogoods.bandcamp.com One easy way to support this show is to rate and review Alley Chats wherever you listen to our podcast.  Those ratings really help us and help others find our show. Alley Chats is produced and edited by Rob Southgate for Southgate Media Group.  Follow this show on Facebook @alleychats Follow our parent network on Twitter at @SMGPods Make sure to follow SMG on Facebook too at @SouthgateMediaGroup Learn more, subscribe, or contact Southgate Media Group at www.southgatemediagroup.com.   Check out our webpage at southgatemediagroup.com If you're an artist or writer or creative type that would have a table at in artist alley and would like to be on Alley Chats, message us through the Facebook page or email us directly at rob@alleychatspodcast.com

Steve Downes is a contemporary Irish poet and novelist, currently living and working in Ireland. Educated in N.U.I. Maynooth, he holds a Degree in Classical History and a Masters in Cultural Anthropology. Steve has published poetry; science fiction, including Cosmogonic Marbles, Temporal Tome, Gadzooks Armageddon  and Botolf Tales (the Botolf Chronicles), Warworld: Shadows & Dominions (part 1), Murder on the Alpha Centauri Express and The Deaths of Guner Zoon; and four children's Books: The Upstairs Cat Series (3 books) & An Apprenticeship to Doctor Vantastic.  Steve continues to write and publish work in many genres. In 2017 & 2018 Steve exhibited from his collections of historical photographs, Lost Graveyards of Ireland (2017) and A Landscape For Yourself (2018). Among other things, we talked about his painting, the IRA, angsty poetry, and...the world's oldest maternity hospital! 00:00 START 05:26 Drink 1: Irish Coffee 12:28 Reading 1: chase & fight in Dublin 17:53 The Rotunda, world's oldest maternity hospital 23:55 Why the Irish give Dublin's statues...interesting...names 25:52 Tales of the IRA 33:01 Drink 2: The Love and Murder 38:21 Reading 2: Murder on the Alpha Centauri Express 42:07 On marketing 43:07 From high school dropout to a masters in classical history to sci-fi! 48:28 Drink 3: The Mission Impossible 51:57 Reading 3: Dr. Vantastic 55:43 Steve's many genres   Visit our PATREON for our extended AFTER HOURS with Stephen Downes https://writerstevedownes.wordpress.com www.lauravosika.com www.gabrielshornpress.com www.booksandbrews.net  ~ ~ If you enjoy our interviews or have benefitted from them, we invite you to help us continue our work. It takes a great deal of time and money to produce Books and Brews. We've been doing interviews since January 2017 as a free service to authors. We continue to promote those authors on our social media for years after their interviews. Subscribing, following, liking, commenting and sharing all help us to keep doing what we do. A $5 tip helps us pay for our many expenses: Libsyn hosting, web hosting, Google meets, providing the drinks for the interview and the many hours of preparation and editing that go into each episode. Patreon: patreon.com/BooksandBrewswithLauraVosika  Tip Jar: paypal.me/booksandbrewsMN * Books and Brews products: https://www.zazzle.com/store/books_an… (more to come) Sponsor an episode to promote your product or service: contact us booksandbrewslive@gmail.com COMING NEXT MONTH:  Michael C. Keith, author of poetry, memoir, short stories, and novels UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEMES: MUSIC; FAITH. Laura will be at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, TN on October 26 and 27  See Laura's interview at Central Valley Talk See Laura's interview with Rob & Joan Carter at INDIE NOVEL SOURCE Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.            

Kathy Murray is a certified personal trainer with over thirty years' experience in the fitness industry. She is a graduate of The Ohio State University where she was a member of the 1983 National Cheerleading Championship Team. After college she competed in and won the United States Aerobic Championship in 1986 and spent the year traveling the world as a Fitness Ambassador and worked as a free-lance educator to teach fitness to European Instructors. While in Munich, she coached the Munich Cowboys (American Football) Cheerleaders to six national titles in cheerleading and was head trainer/translator for the German Gladiators during a pilot TV show for the International Gladiators. Kathy has owned her personal training business Fit Bodies for 25 years and in 2022 co-authored the Audible book, The Munich Cowboy Cheerleaders based upon her true story of her time coaching the squad. She has recently released it in both paperback and ebook formats.  In her spare time she is a competitive triathlete which she has been enjoying for 20 plus years now.  She lives in Atlanta with her husband Lutalo, dog Mingus and cat Sassy. We talked a lot about the impact of travel, experiencing other cultures, and learning languages, in addition to cheerleading and Kathy's time as a coach. Kathy's Readings:   00:00 Start 08:40 The Competition Starts! 29:40 Speeding Ticket--AGAIN! 48:45 Conflict with Dad (or...Following Our Dreams)   Chris's Cocktail Pairings:    06:35 The Cheerleader 26:35 The Speeding Ticket 46:12 Grumpy Old man   Interview Highlights:    20:15 Life Lessons from Cheerleading and Band 22:00 The Importance of Fitness and Other Thoughts on Exercise 35:50 Other Countries' Attitudes Toward Foreigners and Americans 41:11 Overcoming the Language Barrier 54:20 Doing What You Love 55:54 Friendship with a Celebrity and Traveling the World   Visit our PATREON for our extended AFTER HOURS with KATHY MURRAY   COMING NEXT MONTH:    Steve Downes, Irish author, poet, and children's writer   UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEMES: MUSIC; FAITH. Laura will be at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, TN on October 26 and 27  See Laura's interview at Central Valley Talk See Laura's interview with Rob & Joan Carter at INDIE NOVEL SOURCE Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.  

About MJ Mars MJ Mars is a geek, ghoul, and horror enthusiast living in Lancaster, UK. Her debut novel, The Suffering, was published by Wicked House in 2023. When she isn't writing, you'll find MJ playing pool, trying to skateboard (badly), or listening to rock music. She owes every success to her mis-spent youth. Short story collection, We've Already Gone Too Far out now! Coming in 2025: The Fovea Experiments, a second novel to be published by Wicked House. MJ is currently working on a sequel to The Suffering.   About We've Already Gone Too Far A father takes his son on a camping trip but isn't sure who he brings home. When passengers begin to disappear from her flight, a cabin crew member faces the childhood fears she thought she'd long overcome. At his mother's funeral, a magician contemplates a family curse. Two graduates listen to a retired soldier talking about his participation in a death-defying experiment, and a punk band trying to be polite at a high-brow art installation step up when monsters attack. These stories and more await you in We've Already Gone Too Far, 8 Nasty Little Tales by MJ Mars.   _____________________________________________________________________   Our theme song is by Benny and the No Goods.   Check out their awesome music right HERE Bennyandthenogoods.bandcamp.com One easy way to support this show is to rate and review Alley Chats wherever you listen to our podcast.  Those ratings really help us and help others find our show. Alley Chats is produced and edited by Rob Southgate for Southgate Media Group.  Follow this show on Facebook @alleychats Follow our parent network on Twitter at @SMGPods Make sure to follow SMG on Facebook too at @SouthgateMediaGroup Learn more, subscribe, or contact Southgate Media Group at www.southgatemediagroup.com.   Check out our webpage at southgatemediagroup.com If you're an artist or writer or creative type that would have a table at in artist alley and would like to be on Alley Chats, message us through the Facebook page or email us directly at rob@alleychatspodcast.com

About Leigh Kenney Leigh was born and raised in the garden county of Wicklow, Ireland. She lives by the Irish Sea with the love of her life, two wonderful boys, a black Labrador, and a three-legged cat that hates people. You can find out more about Leigh's work and any upcoming releases on her social media: LeighKennyWrites   For more information about Books & Brews, check out the event on Facebook right here  facebook.com/share/qbGdAEcvzp8En1q3/   _____________________________________________________________________Our theme song is by Benny and the No Goods.   Check out their awesome music right HERE Bennyandthenogoods.bandcamp.com One easy way to support this show is to rate and review Alley Chats wherever you listen to our podcast.  Those ratings really help us and help others find our show. Alley Chats is produced and edited by Rob Southgate for Southgate Media Group.  Follow this show on Facebook @alleychats Follow our parent network on Twitter at @SMGPods Make sure to follow SMG on Facebook too at @SouthgateMediaGroup Learn more, subscribe, or contact Southgate Media Group at www.southgatemediagroup.com.   Check out our webpage at southgatemediagroup.com If you're an artist or writer or creative type that would have a table at in artist alley and would like to be on Alley Chats, message us through the Facebook page or email us directly at rob@alleychatspodcast.com

About Blaine Daiglw Having lived his entire life deep in the gut of Louisiana, Blaine Daigle grew up surrounded by ghost stories of haunted plantations and cursed woodlands. He still lives in Louisiana with his wife and two children and can't wait to pass on the nightmares to his kids..when they are old enough. During the day he teaches high school English. At night, he enjoys diving deep into the fears that shape and mold the world around him. Website: https://www.blainedaigle.com/   For more information about Books & Brews, check out the event on Facebook right here  facebook.com/share/qbGdAEcvzp8En1q3/   _____________________________________________________________________Our theme song is by Benny and the No Goods.   Check out their awesome music right HERE Bennyandthenogoods.bandcamp.com One easy way to support this show is to rate and review Alley Chats wherever you listen to our podcast.  Those ratings really help us and help others find our show. Alley Chats is produced and edited by Rob Southgate for Southgate Media Group.  Follow this show on Facebook @alleychats Follow our parent network on Twitter at @SMGPods Make sure to follow SMG on Facebook too at @SouthgateMediaGroup Learn more, subscribe, or contact Southgate Media Group at www.southgatemediagroup.com.   Check out our webpage at southgatemediagroup.com If you're an artist or writer or creative type that would have a table at in artist alley and would like to be on Alley Chats, message us through the Facebook page or email us directly at rob@alleychatspodcast.com

About Lisa Vasquez Lisa Vasquez, (known by her readers and fans as the Unsaintly Queen) creates vivid, twisted horror with the precision of a scalpel, and cuts into the reader's psyche with fleshed out characters. Vasquez is a mentor for the HWA, is head of Stitched Smile Publications, and retired editor-in-chief of the company's quarterly publication, House of Stitched Magazine. Vasquez now focuses on her own stories which range from slow and subtle gothic horror, to the more extreme sub-genres of horror. Her writing style has been compared to the works of Mary Shelley, Baz Luhrman, and the Grand Guignol (John Palisano, Bram Stoker-winning author of NERVES), and is hailed as, "A writer of nightmarish vision and a new, poetic voice in today's horror genre" (Peter Molnar, author of THE CLOCKWORK LAZARUS). A native Chicagoan who spent half her life on the city's south side, she now lives in Houston, Texas, fighting off mosquitos large enough to carry off small children, and avoiding direct sunlight. The Unsaintly Queen is rumored to only accept offerings of “sparklies.”   For more information about Books & Brews, check out the event on Facebook right here  facebook.com/share/qbGdAEcvzp8En1q3/   _____________________________________________________________________Our theme song is by Benny and the No Goods.   Check out their awesome music right HERE Bennyandthenogoods.bandcamp.com One easy way to support this show is to rate and review Alley Chats wherever you listen to our podcast.  Those ratings really help us and help others find our show. Alley Chats is produced and edited by Rob Southgate for Southgate Media Group.  Follow this show on Facebook @alleychats Follow our parent network on Twitter at @SMGPods Make sure to follow SMG on Facebook too at @SouthgateMediaGroup Learn more, subscribe, or contact Southgate Media Group at www.southgatemediagroup.com.   Check out our webpage at southgatemediagroup.com If you're an artist or writer or creative type that would have a table at in artist alley and would like to be on Alley Chats, message us through the Facebook page or email us directly at rob@alleychatspodcast.com

Rob interviews Tiffay Koplin, an admin for the Facebook group, Books of Horror.   For more information about Books & Brews, check out the event on Facebook right here  facebook.com/share/qbGdAEcvzp8En1q3/   _____________________________________________________________________Our theme song is by Benny and the No Goods.   Check out their awesome music right HERE Bennyandthenogoods.bandcamp.com One easy way to support this show is to rate and review Alley Chats wherever you listen to our podcast.  Those ratings really help us and help others find our show. Alley Chats is produced and edited by Rob Southgate for Southgate Media Group.  Follow this show on Facebook @alleychats Follow our parent network on Twitter at @SMGPods Make sure to follow SMG on Facebook too at @SouthgateMediaGroup Learn more, subscribe, or contact Southgate Media Group at www.southgatemediagroup.com.   Check out our webpage at southgatemediagroup.com If you're an artist or writer or creative type that would have a table at in artist alley and would like to be on Alley Chats, message us through the Facebook page or email us directly at rob@alleychatspodcast.com

Rob interviews horror author Lisa Breanne.   For more information about Books & Brews, check out the event on Facebook right here  facebook.com/share/qbGdAEcvzp8En1q3/   _____________________________________________________________________Our theme song is by Benny and the No Goods.   Check out their awesome music right HERE Bennyandthenogoods.bandcamp.com One easy way to support this show is to rate and review Alley Chats wherever you listen to our podcast.  Those ratings really help us and help others find our show. Alley Chats is produced and edited by Rob Southgate for Southgate Media Group.  Follow this show on Facebook @alleychats Follow our parent network on Twitter at @SMGPods Make sure to follow SMG on Facebook too at @SouthgateMediaGroup Learn more, subscribe, or contact Southgate Media Group at www.southgatemediagroup.com.   Check out our webpage at southgatemediagroup.com If you're an artist or writer or creative type that would have a table at in artist alley and would like to be on Alley Chats, message us through the Facebook page or email us directly at rob@alleychatspodcast.com

About Jeff Strand Jeff Strand's bio was funnier when he talked about losing the Bram Stoker Award four times, but he's now a Bram Stoker Award WINNER! His novels are usually classified as horror, but they're really all over the place, almost always with a great big dose of humor. He's written five young adult novels that all fall into the "really goofy comedy" category. Several of his books are in development as motion pictures, and he's mostly not allowed to blab any details, which he finds MADDENING. He currently lives in sunny, warm Duluth, Minnesota. For more information about Books & Brews, check out the event on Facebook right here  facebook.com/share/qbGdAEcvzp8En1q3/   _____________________________________________________________________Our theme song is by Benny and the No Goods.   Check out their awesome music right HERE Bennyandthenogoods.bandcamp.com One easy way to support this show is to rate and review Alley Chats wherever you listen to our podcast.  Those ratings really help us and help others find our show. Alley Chats is produced and edited by Rob Southgate for Southgate Media Group.  Follow this show on Facebook @alleychats Follow our parent network on Twitter at @SMGPods Make sure to follow SMG on Facebook too at @SouthgateMediaGroup Learn more, subscribe, or contact Southgate Media Group at www.southgatemediagroup.com.   Check out our webpage at southgatemediagroup.com If you're an artist or writer or creative type that would have a table at in artist alley and would like to be on Alley Chats, message us through the Facebook page or email us directly at rob@alleychatspodcast.com

About Matthew Lutton Matthew Lutton is an up-and-coming author hailing from Newport Beach, California. Growing up in the sunny beach town, Matthew's imagination was sparked by the eerie and unexplainable happenings that would occur in the quiet corners of the city. He has always been fascinated with the horror genre, and began writing his own stories as a way to explore his dark and twisted thoughts. Matthew's debut anthology, "10 Drink Minimum" delves deep into the darkness of the human soul, exploring themes like fear, desperation, and madness. His tales are a unique blend of psychological horror, supernatural mystique, and visceral violence. Each story is crafted with precision, creating a world that is both hauntingly realistic and unforgettably surreal. When he's not writing, Matthew loves to explore the California coastline and mountains, soaking up inspiration for his next tale of terror. He is a self-proclaimed film buff, especially when it comes to horror, and has a knack for spotting creative storytelling techniques that others may miss. "10 Drink Minimum" has been met with critical acclaim, and has made its way onto many horror fans' must-read lists. Available now on Amazon, it showcases Matthew's unique storytelling voice and is a chilling journey into the depths of horror.   For more information about Books & Brews, check out the event on Facebook right here  facebook.com/share/qbGdAEcvzp8En1q3/   _____________________________________________________________________Our theme song is by Benny and the No Goods.   Check out their awesome music right HERE Bennyandthenogoods.bandcamp.com One easy way to support this show is to rate and review Alley Chats wherever you listen to our podcast.  Those ratings really help us and help others find our show. Alley Chats is produced and edited by Rob Southgate for Southgate Media Group.  Follow this show on Facebook @alleychats Follow our parent network on Twitter at @SMGPods Make sure to follow SMG on Facebook too at @SouthgateMediaGroup Learn more, subscribe, or contact Southgate Media Group at www.southgatemediagroup.com.   Check out our webpage at southgatemediagroup.com If you're an artist or writer or creative type that would have a table at in artist alley and would like to be on Alley Chats, message us through the Facebook page or email us directly at rob@alleychatspodcast.com

About Christopher Hawkins Born and raised near the shores of Lake Michigan, Christopher Hawkins has been writing and telling stories for as long as he can remember. A dyed-in-the-wool geek, he is an avid collector of books, roleplaying games and curiosities. When he's not writing, he spends his time exploring old cemeteries, lurking in museums, and searching for a decent cup of tea. Christopher is an award-winning author and the former editor of the One Buck Horror anthology series. His works of short fiction have been published in numerous magazines and anthologies, including Cosmic Horror Monthly, Fusion Fragment, Underland Arcana and The Big Book of New Short Horror. He is a member of the Chicago Writers Association and the Chicagoland chapter of the Horror Writers Association. An expatriate Hoosier, Christopher currently lives in a suburb of Chicago with his wife and two sons. For more information about Books & Brews, check out the event on Facebook right here  facebook.com/share/qbGdAEcvzp8En1q3/   _____________________________________________________________________Our theme song is by Benny and the No Goods.   Check out their awesome music right HERE Bennyandthenogoods.bandcamp.com One easy way to support this show is to rate and review Alley Chats wherever you listen to our podcast.  Those ratings really help us and help others find our show. Alley Chats is produced and edited by Rob Southgate for Southgate Media Group.  Follow this show on Facebook @alleychats Follow our parent network on Twitter at @SMGPods Make sure to follow SMG on Facebook too at @SouthgateMediaGroup Learn more, subscribe, or contact Southgate Media Group at www.southgatemediagroup.com.   Check out our webpage at southgatemediagroup.com If you're an artist or writer or creative type that would have a table at in artist alley and would like to be on Alley Chats, message us through the Facebook page or email us directly at rob@alleychatspodcast.com

About Christopher Bevard Christopher Bevard has been a writer of horror and crime fiction for the better part of three decades. He is also the creator of Sensory Eclipse Media, an independent production company and home to the podcasts ‘Fifteen Minutes in Hell' and ‘Cicatrix,' as well as the founder of Midnight Parlor Puzzles & Novelties, specializing in horror-themed, narrative puzzle games. Christopher can be contacted via his website at http://www.christopherbevard.com.   For more information about Books & Brews, check out the event on Facebook right here  facebook.com/share/qbGdAEcvzp8En1q3/   _____________________________________________________________________Our theme song is by Benny and the No Goods.   Check out their awesome music right HERE Bennyandthenogoods.bandcamp.com One easy way to support this show is to rate and review Alley Chats wherever you listen to our podcast.  Those ratings really help us and help others find our show. Alley Chats is produced and edited by Rob Southgate for Southgate Media Group.  Follow this show on Facebook @alleychats Follow our parent network on Twitter at @SMGPods Make sure to follow SMG on Facebook too at @SouthgateMediaGroup Learn more, subscribe, or contact Southgate Media Group at www.southgatemediagroup.com.   Check out our webpage at southgatemediagroup.com If you're an artist or writer or creative type that would have a table at in artist alley and would like to be on Alley Chats, message us through the Facebook page or email us directly at rob@alleychatspodcast.com

About Edmund Stone Edmund Stone is a writer of horror and fantasy living in a quaint river town in the Ohio Valley. But mostly he lives in his head where he derives a wealth of characters and strange ideas. He writes at night, spinning tales of strange worlds and horrifying encounters with the unknown. He lives with his wife, three dogs, and a plethora of cats. Check out Edmund's website at edmundstonehorror.com   For more information about Books & Brews, check out the event on Facebook right here  facebook.com/share/qbGdAEcvzp8En1q3/   ________________________________________________________________________ Our theme song is by Benny and the No Goods.   Check out their awesome music right HERE Bennyandthenogoods.bandcamp.com One easy way to support this show is to rate and review Alley Chats wherever you listen to our podcast.  Those ratings really help us and help others find our show. Alley Chats is produced and edited by Rob Southgate for Southgate Media Group.  Follow this show on Facebook @alleychats Follow our parent network on Twitter at @SMGPods Make sure to follow SMG on Facebook too at @SouthgateMediaGroup Learn more, subscribe, or contact Southgate Media Group at www.southgatemediagroup.com.   Check out our webpage at southgatemediagroup.com If you're an artist or writer or creative type that would have a table at in artist alley and would like to be on Alley Chats, message us through the Facebook page or email us directly at rob@alleychatspodcast.com

Like any good soldier's son, Frank Warner moved with his family from fort to fort, accepted each change, and was ready to move again. Then, in 1960, Frank's father was ordered to Fort Huachuca (WahCHOOka), Arizona. This was the fifth Army post of Frank's childhood, the first place he never wanted to leave. So when his father was ordered to Vietnam in 1963, sending Frank and the rest of the family to Pennsylvania, the uprooting wasn't easy. Frank's book, “Tumbleeweed Forts: Adventures of an Army Brat,” describes the joys of living in Fort Huachuca, and the heartache of leaving it behind.  Tune in for a fun conversation and great cocktails, including in red, white, and blue for July! Frank's Readings: 00:00 Start 10:02 A Bike Race on Base! 30:57 Atomic Dollars 47:01 Leaving Huachuca Chris's Cocktail Pairings:  06:11 Red, White, and Blue 25:40 The Atomic Cocktail 44:09 Goodbye Sunshine Interview Highlights:  19:10 This plane is on fii--ire! 23:29 Why Huachuaca? Why it was magical 35:02 Silver Dollars and Stories on Atomic Testing 38:34 Private Jones' Buried Treasure & the Scientist with Alien Technology 43:31 How Tombstone got its Name 50:15 Finding Old Friends 52:12 Dad going to Vietnam, Saving the Ashes Visit our PATREON for our extended AFTER HOURS with FRANK WARNER COMING NEXT MONTH:  Devrie Donalson, comedian and author UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEMES: MUSIC; FAITH Laura will be selling her books, premium rabbit fertilizer, herbs & more at the Morristown Farmer's Market, 130 W Morris Boulevard, Morristown, TN on July 5, starting at 5 pm. Laura will be at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, TN on October 26 and 27  See Laura's interview at Central Valley Talk See Laura's interview with Rob & Joan Carter at INDIE NOVEL SOURCE Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

About Jay Bower Jay Bower is a horror author living outside St. Louis, MO in the forest of southern Illinois. He spends his time reading, writing, and convincing his wife the dark stories he writes do not involve her. He's the author of The Dark Sacrifice, the Dead Blood Series, and Hanging Corpses. Find out more and sign-up for his newsletter (and receive a FREE story) at jaybowerauthor.com.   For more information about Books & Brews, check out the event on Facebook right here  facebook.com/share/qbGdAEcvzp8En1q3/   ________________________________________________________________________ Our theme song is by Benny and the No Goods.   Check out their awesome music right HERE Bennyandthenogoods.bandcamp.com One easy way to support this show is to rate and review Alley Chats wherever you listen to our podcast.  Those ratings really help us and help others find our show. Alley Chats is produced and edited by Rob Southgate for Southgate Media Group.  Follow this show on Facebook @alleychats Follow our parent network on Twitter at @SMGPods Make sure to follow SMG on Facebook too at @SouthgateMediaGroup Learn more, subscribe, or contact Southgate Media Group at www.southgatemediagroup.com.   Check out our webpage at southgatemediagroup.com If you're an artist or writer or creative type that would have a table at in artist alley and would like to be on Alley Chats, message us through the Facebook page or email us directly at rob@alleychatspodcast.com

Sharon Bennett Connolly is the best-selling British author of several non-fiction history books. A Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, Sharon has studied history academically and just for fun – and has even worked as a tour guide at a castle. She also writes the popular history blog, www.historytheinteresngbits.com and co-hosts the podcast A Slice of Medieval, alongside historical novelist Derek Birks.  Sharon regularly gives talks on women's history, for historical groups, fesvals and in schools; her book Silk and the Sword: The Women of the Norman Conquest, is a recommended text for teaching the Norman Conquest in the Naonal Curriculum. She is a feature writer for All About History and Living Medieval magazines and her TV work includes Australian Television's Who Do You Think You Are? Tune in for a fun conversation and great beer!   Sharon's Readings: 00:00 Start 11:16 The Young Bride's First Duties 29:12 Stephen's Coronation 46:43 Matilda at the Helm   Chris's Cocktail Pairings:  08:01 The Nikolaschka from Germany 26: The Mourning Cocktail 43:39 Belgian Brownie   Interview Highlights:  15:21 The Wreck of the White Ship: a king's tragedy 21:33 How oppressed were women in medieval times? 24:06 How a British author ended up on Australian TV 31:33 Widows and abbeys: the real reason 38:17 Why history is important (and a real-life vampire!) 51:50 Women, Leadership, and Leading Warriors 54:43 Do we ever learn from history?   COMING NEXT MONTH:  Like any good soldier's son, Frank Warner moved with his family from fort to fort, accepted each change, and was ready to move again. Then, in 1960, Frank's father was ordered to Fort Huachuca (WahCHOOka), Arizona. This was the fifth Army post of Frank's childhood, the first place he never wanted to leave. So when his father was ordered to Vietnam in 1963, sending Frank and the rest of the family to Pennsylvania, the uprooting wasn't easy. Frank's book, “Tumbleeweed Forts: Adventures of an Army Brat,” describes the joys of living in Fort Huachuca, and the heartache of leaving it behind.  UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEMES: MUSIC; FAITH Laura will be selling her books, premium rabbit fertilizer & more at the Morristown Farmer's Market, 130 W Morris Boulevar, Morristown, TN on July 5. Laura will be at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, TN on October 26 and 27  See Laura's interview at Central Valley Talk See Laura's interview with Rob & Joan Carter at INDIE NOVEL SOURCE   Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

ABOUT ANDREW NAJBERG   Andrew Najberg is the author of the best-selling (#1 US Horror Amazon) novels The Mobius Door (Wicked House Publishing, 2023), and Gollitok (Wicked House Publishing, 2023), as well as The Neverborn Thief (Olive-Ridley Press, 2024) and the forthcoming collection of short fiction In Those Fading Stars (Crystal Lake Publishing, 2024) and Extinction Dream (Wicked House Publishing, 2025). His short fiction has appeared in Fusion Fragment, Khoreo, Translunar Travelers Lounge, Utopia Science Fiction, Prose Online, Psychopomp Review, Solar Press Horror Anthology, and is forthcoming in Make Your Presence Known Anthology, and the Gods and Globes III Anthology.   Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0CBNGGV9H?ingress=0&visitId=2bd5dea6-919f-4854-9e91-416867ba4588&ref_=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1    Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewNajbergAuthor   Twitter https://twitter.com/AndrewNajberg   Insta https://www.instagram.com/andrewnajberg/   TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@andrew.najberg   Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/andrewnajberg.bsky.social   Threads https://www.threads.net/@andrewnajberg     For more information about Books & Brews, check out the event on Facebook right here  facebook.com/share/qbGdAEcvzp8En1q3/   __________________________________________________________________________ Our theme song is by Benny and the No Goods.   Check out their awesome music right HERE Bennyandthenogoods.bandcamp.com One easy way to support this show is to rate and review Alley Chats wherever you listen to our podcast.  Those ratings really help us and help others find our show. Alley Chats is produced and edited by Rob Southgate for Southgate Media Group.  Follow this show on Facebook @alleychats Follow our parent network on Twitter at @SMGPods Make sure to follow SMG on Facebook too at @SouthgateMediaGroup Learn more, subscribe, or contact Southgate Media Group at www.southgatemediagroup.com.   Check out our webpage at southgatemediagroup.com If you're an artist or writer or creative type that would have a table at in artist alley and would like to be on Alley Chats, message us through the Facebook page or email us directly at rob@alleychatspodcast.com

ABOUT DAEMON MANX Daemon Manx is a recovering addict who spent nearly a decade in the prison system where he focused on recovery and learned to write horror. Making the most of his second chance at life, Daemon recently celebrated eleven and a half years clean and sober and is celebrating that milestone with the release of his upcoming series The Ojanox. He is a Splatterpunk Award nominee, received the H.A.G. award for his story The Dead Girl in 2021, and was a bonus round winner on the gameshow Wheel of Fortune in 1999. But all that pales in comparison to what Daemon is infamously known for, sideswiping Ronald Reagan's limousine. Fortunately … or unfortunately, no presidents were harmed in the accident. Amazon.com: Daemon Manx: books, biography, latest update   (99+)Daemon Manx Horror Author (@daemonmanx) | TikTok   (2) Facebook   The Ojanox Series (4 book series) Kindle Edition (amazon.com)   Writer | Author (daemonmanx.com)   Daemon Manx (@daemonmanx) • Instagram photos and videos   For more information about Books & Brews, check out the event on Facebook right here  facebook.com/share/qbGdAEcvzp8En1q3/   __________________________________________________________________________ Our theme song is by Benny and the No Goods.   Check out their awesome music right HERE Bennyandthenogoods.bandcamp.com One easy way to support this show is to rate and review Alley Chats wherever you listen to our podcast.  Those ratings really help us and help others find our show. Alley Chats is produced and edited by Rob Southgate for Southgate Media Group.  Follow this show on Facebook @alleychats Follow our parent network on Twitter at @SMGPods Make sure to follow SMG on Facebook too at @SouthgateMediaGroup Learn more, subscribe, or contact Southgate Media Group at www.southgatemediagroup.com.   Check out our webpage at southgatemediagroup.com If you're an artist or writer or creative type that would have a table at in artist alley and would like to be on Alley Chats, message us through the Facebook page or email us directly at rob@alleychatspodcast.com

Robert Heath grew up in different places around the world, beginning in Japan in the late ‘40s. Robert and his eight siblings followed the assignments of their father, a sergeant in the U.S. Army.  He ultimately became an educator for 37 years, serving all grade levels from Pre-K through doctoral programs in South and North Carolina.  He now lives in the mountains of NC, where he loves writing and hiking. You can find him at face book at BratBob3of9 We talk about Bob's adventures growing up in Taiwan, Japan, Germany and the United States, with one sister and seven brothers, life as a military brat, the fun of large families and lots of boys and the antics kids get up to behind mom's back, U.S. history, bullying...and the day Bob was captured by Chiang Kai-Shek's soldiers and brought face with the military leader himself! Tune in for a fun conversation and great beer!   Bob's Readings: 00:00 Start 08:56 How About a Date? 25:54 Swinging 43:03 Captured by Enemy Soldiers!   Chris's Beer Pairings:  07:52 Bell's Smitten 23:29 Masthead's Tire Swing 39:54 Great Leap's The Hidden General   Interview Highlights:  12:36 How Bob's mother asked out his future mother-in-law 14:47 The stories mom never knew about--and how they led to a book 18:49 US history through personal experience 33:27 Americans in Japan two years after Hiroshima 36:26 Culture shock on returning to your own country 48:40 Do military parents make a point of not talking politics with brats? 51:16 Wild and free: military life or the times?   COMING NEXT MONTH:  Sharon Bennett Connolly has been fascinated by history for over 40 years and was recently elected as a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, ‘in recognition of your contribution to historical scholarship.' She's studied history academically and just for fun and even worked as a tour guide at historical sites.  One Christmas her husband gave her…a blog – and she hasn't looked back. The blog has given her the chance to share the history she loves – the stories themselves, and the places they happened. And in 2017 she completed her first non-fiction book, Heroines of the Medieval World. UPCOMING EVENTS: ·        Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEMES: MUSIC; FAITH ·       Laura will be selling her books, premium rabbit fertilizer & more at the Morristown Farmer's Market, 130 W Morris Boulevar, Morristown, TN on May 10, June 7, and July 5. ·       See Laura's interview at Central Valley Talk ·       See Laura's interview with Rob & Joan Carter at INDIE NOVEL SOURCE   Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

J.S. Absher is a poet, memoirist, and independent scholar. As a teetotaler—he is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—he can't add much insight into brews, but he can hold his own when it comes to books. Stan's first full-length book of poetry, Mouth Work (St. Andrews University Press) won the 2015 Lena Shull Award from the North Carolina Poetry Society. Stan's second full-length book of poetry, Skating Rough Ground, was published in 2022 by Kelsay Press. Poems have recently been published or accepted by The McNeese Review, Mormon Lit Blitz, Triggerfish Critical Review, Irreantum, and Tar River Review and have won awards from BYU Studies Quarterly and the journal Dialogue. His poems have been nominated four times for the Pushcart Prize and twice for Best of the Net. He has also published an annotated editions of two memoirs written in the late 19th century by Ida Crumpler Beard. Stan has two prose projects under way. His father killed himself in December 1977. Earlier that year he was a whistleblower in a government investigation of the bank where he worked. The confidential information he handed on widened the scope of the investigation and led to the arrest and conviction of the bank's CEO and two other executives and the firing of several other employees. This turmoil, on top of his already unstable mental state, contributed to his death. Stan's account of these events is based on his father's memoirs and letters, more than a hundred newspaper articles, his own journal, and the memoirs of another participant. Outside those directly concerned, it is now a minor story, but it connects in interesting ways with the Watergate scandal and other major events. Stan's memoir of these events will include poems he's written and published over many years. Stan is also currently researching and writing about the history of North Carolina immediately before the imposition of Jim Crow, focusing on fifty African American men who were arrested in 1895 for their efforts to stop a lynching in Winston-Salem, a lynching that thankfully did not occur. Stan is trying to understand who they were—their jobs and professions, their backgrounds, their kinship and social networks (to the extent they can be determined), and what happened to them afterwards. Stan's interest in this event was sparked by the one-sided account in Ida Beard's memoir mentioned above.   Absher lives in Raleigh, NC, with his wife Patti. His work in poetry and prose can be followed on www.jsabsherpoetry.com.   Stan's Readings: 00:00 Start 08:12 The Pear Tree and Remembering Clara 23:06 What I Knew and When 43:09 Building a Wall   Chris's Cocktail Pairings:  04:21 Brazilian Lime Aid 20:53 The Marigold 40:40 White Peach Interview Highlights:  16:35 The business of being a poet 19:07 Travels to France, Belize, and Taiwan 30:36 Blowing the Whistle: family issues and corporate greed 35:11 Links to the Nixon scandal 40:46 How ancient Rome influenced a poem 50:01 From The Deserted Wife to a thwarted lynching and Jim Crow   COMING NEXT MONTH: Manswell T. Peterson has endured many challenges in his life. He decided to put those experiences to good use by writing novels as an adult. He is founder of OmegaMan Publishing & Manswell Peterson Studios. He has written at least fourteen books since 2012. Escape to the Locrottum Universe – a modern fantasy world where royal drama, tyranny, and misunderstandings run rampant! www.locrottumuniverse.com    UPCOMING EVENTS: ·        Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEMES: MUSIC; FAITH ·       Laura will be selling her books, premium rabbit fertilizer & more at the Morristown Farmer's Market, 130 W Morris Boulevar, Morristown, TN on April 13, June 7, and July 5, noon to 5 pm ·       See Laura's interview at Central Valley Talk ·       See Laura's interview with Rob & Joan Carter at INDIE NOVEL SOURCE   Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Theresa Halvorsen has a “don't tell me I can't do that,” attitude about life and is an author, publisher, editor, and YouTuber. She's ‌overly-caffeinated and at times, wine-soaked. The author of multiple cross-genre works, including Warehouse Dreams, Lost Aboard and River City Widows, Theresa wonders what sleep is. She's the owner of No Bad Books Press and one of the hosts of the popular YouTube channel, the Semi-Sages of the Pages. In whatever free time is left, (ha!) Theresa enjoys board games, concerts, geeky conventions, and reading. Her life goal is to give "Oh-My-Gosh-This-Book-Is-So-Good!" happiness to her readers. She lives in Temecula with her husband, her adult children, their partners (she has no idea who actually lives in her house and who's just visiting) and many pets. Find her at  www.theresaHauthor.com and on Tiktok and Facebook.  Theresa's Readings: ·       Wonderland's Mad Queen – 8:57 ·       River City Widows, Chapter 1 – 23:52 ·       Riding the El – 42:55 Chris's Cocktail Pairings:  ·       Queen of Hearts (paired to Wonderlands' Mad Queen) – 7:20 ·       River City (paired to River City Widows, Chapter 1) – 21:41 ·       The El (paired to Riding the El) – 40:21 Interview Highlights:  ·       Building a career as an indie author – 15:08 ·       The Dad's Playbook to Labor and Delivery – 16:09 ·       The ghost at Lochranza Castle – 31:36 ·       PTSD: victimization, responsibility, blame and trauma – 36:07 ·       Stories of portals: are we seeking escape? – 48:40 ·       Houses as inspiration – 52:00   COMING NEXT MONTH: J.S. Absher is a poet, memoirist, and independent scholar. As a teetotaler—he is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—he can't add much insight into brews, but he can hold his own when it comes to books. Stan's first full-length book of poetry, Mouth Work (St. Andrews University Press) won the 2015 Lena Shull Award from the North Carolina Poetry Society. Stan's second full-length book of poetry, Skating Rough Ground, was published in 2022 by Kelsay Press. Poems have recently been published or accepted by The McNeese Review, Mormon Lit Blitz, Triggerfish Critical Review, Irreantum, and Tar River Review and have won awards from BYU Studies Quarterly and the journal Dialogue. His poems have been nominated four times for the Pushcart Prize and twice for Best of the Net. He has also published an annotated editions of two memoirs written in the late 19th century by Ida Crumpler Beard.  He currently has two more projects underway. UPCOMING EVENTS: ·        Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEMES: MUSIC; FAITH ·       Laura will be selling her books, premium rabbit fertilizer & more at the Morristown Farmer's Market, 130 W Morris Boulevar, Morristown, TN on April 13, June 7, and July 5 ·       See Laura's interview at Central Valley Talk ·       See Laura's interview with Rob & Joan Carter at INDIE NOVEL SOURCE ·       Theresa will be at Wondercon in Anaheim: March 29-31 ·       LA Festival of Books: April 20-21 ·       Comic-Con Revolution in Ontario: May 18-19 ·       Comic-Con San Diego: July 25-28   Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Peter is the Author of 30 books, fiction and non-fiction and published on 4 continents. He is a resident expert and regular of Top 50 USA radio and TV markets including Fox, CBS, ABC, ESPN, Coast to Coast, iHeart and over 100 major radio and TV networks. Peter is a multi-award-winning, director, cinematographer, actor and producer on 7 continents Peter has written more than 800 articles (self-help and fiction) appearing in major news media world- wide He has been a university professor for 28 years, as well as being a psychologist, specializing in criminal psychology, sports psychology and addiction studies. www.peterandrewsacco.com Peter's Readings: ·       Gummer, the World's Last Toothless Vampire – 8:20 ·       Meeting a Vampire Actor – 27:43 ·       A Haunted Air BnB – 42:33 Chris's Cocktail Pairings:  ·       Bloody Maru (paired to Gummer) – 5:57 ·       Love Bite (paired to Meeting a Vampire Actor) – 26:00 ·       The Haunted Mansion (paired to A Haunted Air BnB) – 39:45 Interview Highlights:  ·       Jack the Ripper/criminal profiling – 15:40 ·       Music or criminal psychology? – 22:09 ·       Adventuring in Antarctica!? – 31:53 ·       Why are we drawn to vampires & zombies? – 34:03 ·       From author to TV show host – 47:17 ·       Scariest things seen--and why Peter quit the TV show – 48:29   COMING NEXT MONTH: Theresa Halvorsen is the author to the Dad's Playbook to Labor and Delivery and Warehouse Dreams and countless articles on pregnancy, birth and parenting. But her true love is speculative fiction. Theresa enjoys interacting with other writers and helps to produce a writing Podcast called the Semi Sages of the Pages She co-runs a writer's group in Temecula that meets once a month, and belongs to various critique groups.  UPCOMING EVENTS: ·        Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEME: MUSIC ·       Laura will be selling her books, premium rabbit fertilizer & knit goods at Overhome Trading Post in ThornHill Tennessee, February 10, 2024 ·       See Laura's interview at Central Valley Talk Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Stephanie Sanders-Jacob is an author and artist from Sandusky, Ohio. Her alien abduction novel, Singing All the Way Up, debuted with No Bad Books Press in July 2023. Her short fiction has been featured by Books of Horror, Hearth & Coffin, Mixer, Mosaic, and Ether Arts. You can find her online at www.sandersjacob.com and her artwork at www.rabbitandrain.com  Stephanie's Readings: Things were better before I killed my dad – 8:28 Airship, 1897 – 28:51 Running from the fighting – 44:50   Chris's Cocktail Pairings: Freak Show (paired to Things were better before I killed my dad)– 6:18 Aviation (paired to Airship, 1897) – 25:35 International Incident (paired to Running from the fighting) – 42:32 Interview Highlights: Was Laura really abducted? Seeking truth in our own lives – 14:19 A story about UFOs — with universal themes – 15:36 Watershed years: coincidence...or more? – 31:26 Scientific theories on UFOs: Jung vs Vallee – 33:36 Stephanie's alien/UFO inspired jewelry – 39:25 Family, relationships, kindness, truth – 49:31 COMING NEXT MONTH: Peter Sacco, award-winning film producer, director, writer on 7 continents! UPCOMING EVENTS:  Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEME: MUSIC. See www.gabrielshornpress.com/poetry-anthology  Laura —  Overhome Trading Post, February 10, 2024. See author page for details. www.facebook.com/laura.vosika.author  Books by multiple authors for sale Stephanie —  Punk Rock Flea Market Lorain: 4/28 at the soccer sportsplex in North Olmsted Punk Rock Flea Market Akron: 5/4 at the summit county fairgrounds Norwalk Public Library: date to be announced Find us at — www.booksandbrews.net www.lauravosika.com www.aperfectpint.net Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

M. B. (Michael) Zucker has been interested in storytelling for as long as he can remember. He devoted himself to historical fiction at fifteen and earned his B.A. at Occidental College and his J.D. at Case Western Reserve University School of Law. He lives in Virginia with his family. He is the author of four novels: The Eisenhower Chronicles, A Great Soldier in the Last Great War, Theodore Roosevelt and the Hunt for the Liopleurodon, and The Middle Generation: A Novel of John Quincy Adams and the Monroe Doctrine. Among his honors is the Best Fictional Biography Award at the 2023 BookFest. www.mbzucker.com Michael's Readings: Meeting the Elder Adams – 8:53 The Holy Alliance – 27:53 JQA Helps an Enslaved Woman – 42:46 Chris's Cocktail Pairings: Old Gimlet Eye (paired to Meeting the Elder Adams)– 6:03 Hot Ale Flip (paired to The Holy Alliance) – 23:56 Mint Julep – 38:29 Interview Highlights: Parents and pressure to be president – 17:17 Can our country unite? – 21:50 Writing and publishing from age 14 – 20:05 Summing up the Monroe Doctrine – 33:03 Founding Fathers' intentions regarding slavery – 47:21 How JQA spent a night in the snow to find his brilliant idea – 52:06 COMING NEXT MONTH: Theresa Halvorsen, paranormal and pregnancy! UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEME: MUSIC Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Welcome to our water cooler conversations! This minisode was such a fun way to chat with some of the incredible participants of our recent adult book fair: Tipsy Books and Brews. A huge thank you to every one who came out We love meeting new books friends! A big shout out to Writer's Block Bookstore and Three Odd Guys Brewing for your partnership with this event. Be sure to check out: @writersblockbookstore Author: @paigelavoiauthor Romantasy Bookcon: @fabledfantasyevents also check out the other awesome authors in attendance: @terrlet @sarahallenbooks As well as @threeoddguysbrewing Stay tipsy!

RALPH JARRELLS became an author after retirement from more than four decades in marketing, advertising, and publishing, much of it in senior executive positions. He writes mostly historical fiction with religious themes. His first book was published August 4, 2017 when he was 75—a great example that you're never too old to start a new chapter in your life.  His firth book, The Essential Last Supper debuted this month. Ralph's Readings:   ·       Three Kings – 11:55   ·      A Lady and a Pirate – 41:05   ·       Fighting Like a Little Girl – 46:55 Chris's Pairings:    ·      Goliath (paired to Three Kings) – 9:06   ·      Sweet Tea and Vodka (paired to A Lady and a Pirate) – 31:35   ·       Rum and Grog (paired to Fighting Like a Little Girl) – 46:55    Interview Highlights:    ·       Did Jesus & Judas know each other in Egypt? – 18:10   ·       Did he really do it for the money? – 21:48   ·       Lady vs Pirate – 41:05   ·       From the Bible to piracy – 42:31 COMING NEXT MONTH: MJ Williams, the sister-in-law mystery-writing team UPCOMING EVENTS:   ·        Gabriel's Horn is  accepting submissions for its anthology. This year's theme is: MUSIC  Our theme music is from www.bensound.com 

DAN COONAN has worn many hats through the years – Conference Commissioner, Athletic Director, CEO, Attorney, Novelist, Senior Congressional Campaign Advisor, Fundraiser, Nonprofit Chairman of the Board, College Adjunct Professor, Political Essayist, Youth Sports Coach, Bartender, Batting Practice Pitcher, Wedding Officiant, Dock Talk Facilitator, devoted husband and father.   His books are Presidential Spirits: Part history lesson, part magical realism these well-researched books imagine conversations of all 45 presidents in a saloon stocked with any drink you want, located above the private quarters of the White House and accessible only to presidents - and a few colorful wait staff- through a secret portal. Dan's Readings:   ·       First Night in the Secret Saloon – 9:58   ·      Teddy Roosevelt: a soft easy life is not worth living – 28:20   ·       FDR on Churchill – 48:13 Chris's Pairings:    ·      Manhattan (paired to First Night in the Secret Saloon) – 6:40   ·      Old Fashioned (paired to Teddy Roosevelt) – 25:29   ·       Bohemian (paired to FDR on Churchill) – 43:25    Interview Highlights:    ·       Beyond the basic plots – 14:50   ·       Author as main character – 21:49   ·       What would you ask presidents? – 23:58   ·       Carrie Nation axing the bars – 32:03   ·       CAN we come together? – 34:35   ·       Finding the positive in others – 53:07 COMING NEXT MONTH: Ralph Jarrels, religious-based fiction, Jesus and Judas, Best Friends Forever  UPCOMING EVENTS:   ·        Gabriel's Horn is  accepting submissions for its anthology. This year's theme is: MUSIC  Our theme music is from www.bensound.com 

KAREN ESSEX is an award winning, bestselling author of six books including Leonardo's Swans & Stealing Athena. She has recently co-written a pilot based on her two-volume novel, Kleopatra, for Netflix, which Lauren Hissrich, creator of The Witcher franchise, will executive produce. She adapted Anne Rice's The Mummy for James Cameron and Fox Studios and collaborated on adapting her novel Dracula in Love as a series for A&E Studios & Lifetime. She just completed a historical novel about the fabulous Gabor sisters, the first global fashion and glamour influencers, and she's determined to enjoy her summer. Karen's Readings:   ·       The Great Egyptian Parade –   ·       Seeking the Cat Killer –   ·       The Gabors in Desperate Times – Chris's Pairings:    ·      Winter Wine (paired to The Great Egyptian Parade) –   ·       Honey Mint Whiskey Smash (paired to Seeking the Cat Killer) –   ·       Forget Me Not (paired to The Gabors in Desperate Times) –    Interview Highlights:    ·       The importance of research –   ·       Cleopatra (Kleopatra) vs Liz Taylor –   ·       From costume design to VP of production! –   ·       Evil in the world–or evil in us? –   ·       The many marriages of the Gabor sisters –   ·       Alexandria in the Bay – COMING NEXT MONTH: Dan Coonan, Presidential Spirits in which our 45th president  UPCOMING EVENTS:   ·        Gabriel's Horn is  accepting submissions for its anthology. This year's theme is: MUSIC   ·       Check out Karen's upcoming trip with readers to the Italian sites in Leonardo's Swans  Our theme music is from www.bensound.com 

Military brat, voracious reader, and now writing books in her favorite genre, Patty Perrin who writes as PTL Perrin grew up in Europe and speaks several languages. A misfit by any account, Patty shares her love for people, Native cultures, our amazing world, alien encounters, astounding mysteries, and the Creator of it all in her writing. Author of Reflections of a Misfit, an inspirational collection of faith journey snippets, and the four-book TetraPhere series, Patty is working on another YA Scifi/Fantasy series. She enjoys living in Florida and loves her husband and her large and diverse family. Patty's Readings:   ·       The Warning – 9:30   ·       Terra's Call: Jewel – 25:10   ·       Reflections of a Misfit – 39:56 Chris's Pairings:    ·      Mind Eraser (paired to The Warning) – 6:49   ·       Chocolate Raspberry Martini (paired to Terra's Call: Jewel) – 22:20   ·       Summer on Corfu (paired to Reflections of a Misfit) – 38:18    Interview Highlights:    ·       Tetrachromats – 12:00   ·       Atlantis – 15:13   ·       A Night at Frankenstein's Castle – 31:46   ·       Best Marketing Practices – 34:35   ·       Mutli-lingual and...a new island? – 44:45   ·       Advice to Misfits – 48:19 COMING NEXT MONTH: Karen Essex, international best-selling author of historical fiction and more  UPCOMING EVENTS:   ·        Gabriel's Horn is  accepting submissions for its anthology. This year's theme is: MUSIC   ·       Laura will be giving a Pub Talk at the Kitchi-Gammi Club in Duluth  Our theme music is from www.bensound.com 

This month at Books & Brews, with Michael on sabbatical, Laura and Dr. Chris Powell visit Hoops Brewery in Duluth, MN. We talked with Bjorn Erickson, one of the brewers about brewing...and books. Bjorn had a great story about how he got from earning a degree in German to brewing beer. We talked about the blending of science and artistry, the hard parts of being a brewer, and the reasons Bjorn loves his job, and the numerous books and genres Bjorn reads. If you're in Duluth, we highly recommend stopping at Hoops Brewery, a family friendly place with lots of games for families and kids. You can bring your own food or get pretzels from Hoops with lots of great sauces. Hoops Brewery The Beer We Drank:  Laura -- 88 Stout Chris -- 5050 Hefeweizen Bjorn -- 889 Cream Ale Interview Highlights: Lake Superior, granite, and brewing -- 4:07 The road from a degree in German to brewing -- 8:45 On becoming a brewer -- 10:00 Telling a story with beer -- 14:08 Reading in High Middle German -- 27:34 The tour begins -- 41:42   COMING NEXT MONTH:  PTL Perrin is a military brat, voracious reader, and now writes books under the name PTL Perrin in her favorite genre, YA sci-fi/ fantasy. P.T.L. Perrin, grew up in Europe and speaks several languages.   UPCOMING EVENTS:  Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEME: MUSIC DTBD: Laura will be giving a Pub Talk at the Kitchi-Gami Club in Duluth, MN Kitchi Gammi Club | Duluth's Premier Social Club Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

I grew up in Scotland, graduating from Edinburgh University with a degree in genetics. Back then, genetics was all about statistics and probability. So, I became a statistician until I took up the more chancy career of writing children's books. Exploring the Insect World was published nearly 50 years ago. I then switched to time-slip fantasies and historical fiction. I've written nature-activity books, biographies, and more books about insects, which I now look on as my true calling. I married an entomologist. When you share your home, and sometimes your refrigerator, with insects you realize they need an advocate in our world!  Margaret J. Anderson - Homepage (peak.org)  Margaret's Readings: ·        Dung Beetle/Scarab Beetle – 12:16 ·        Ollie Falls into Another Time – 26:52 ·        Saving the Duck or Destroying Books? – 42:12 Michael's Beer Pairings:  ·        Egyptian Process Brew, British Museum and Alpha Beta Brewery ([paired to Dung Beetle] – 8:27 ·        Belhaven Scottish Ale, Belhaven Brewery Company Ltd. (paired to Ollie Falls into Another Time) – 24:42 ·        Skull Splitter, Orkney Brewery (paired to Saving the Duck) – 40:37 Interview Highlights:  ·        Making the study of dung beetles INTERESTING! – 15:48 ·        Where did those character's names come from!? – 20:20 ·        Thoughts on Smailholm being restored since In the Keep of Time was written. – 31:07 ·        Why are we drawn to switching identities? – 35:21 ·        What really happened to Danny Duck? – 45:35 ·        Taking things in stride as an adult...good or bad? – 47:17 COMING NEXT MONTH: While Michael takes a hiatus, Laura and Chris will visit a local brewery. UPCOMING EVENTS:  ·        Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEME: MUSIC ·        DTBD: Laura will be giving a Pub Talk at the Kitchi-Gami Club in Duluth, MN Kitchi Gammi Club | Duluth's Premier Social Club Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.  

Born and raised in west Michigan, Sharlene MacLaren attended Spring Arbor University. Upon graduating with an education degree, she taught second grade for two years then accepted an invitation to travel internationally for a year with a singing ensemble. In1975, she returned to teaching and married her childhood sweetheart. They've raised two lovely daughters, both of whom are now happily married and enjoying their own families. Retired since 2003 after 31 years of teaching, “Shar” loves to read, sing, travel, and spend time with her family, in particular her wonderful, adorable grandchildren.sharlenecaclaren.com Sharlene's Readings: ·       Dear Mr. Griffin – 9:30 ·       Calm Down! – 25:10 ·       Vandalism at the Church – 39:56 Michael's Beer Pairings:  ·       Sapporo Black Beer, Sapporo Breweries Ltd. (paired to Dear Mr. Griffin) – 6:49 ·       Hitachino Nest White Ale, Kiuchi Brewery (paired to Calm Down!) – 22:20 ·       Graffiti IPA, Dry County Brewing Company (paired to Vandalism at the Church) – 38:18 Interview Highlights:  ·       Can secrets ever really be kept? – 15:46 ·       The decision never to write historical fiction--how did it go! – 17:40 ·       From passing stories in high school to writing professionally. – 19:27 ·       Differing experiences with anti-Japanese prejudice after WWII – 30:39 ·       International singing tour! – 36:22 ·       Do we step down for all our mistakes? – 44:30 COMING NEXT MONTH: Margaret J. Anderson author of children's novels, the time travel that inspired Laura's own books, and non-fiction about bugs  UPCOMING EVENTS: ·        Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEME: MUSIC ·       Laura will be selling her books AND chicken eggs (some so big the cartons can't shut) at Hoops Brewing for the first four Saturdays of April.  ·       Laura will be giving a Pub Talk at the Kitchi-Gammi Club in Duluth Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Elizabeth Tucker is a Distinguished Service Professor of English at Binghamton University who specializes in children's and adolescents' folklore, folklore of the supernatural, and legends. Her books include Campus Legends: A Handbook, Haunted Halls: Ghostlore of American College Campuses, Children's Folklore: A Handbook; Haunted Southern Tier; and New York State Folklife Reader: Diverse Voices, co-edited with Ellen McHale (2013). She is co-author of Legend Trips: A Contemporary Legend Handbook (2018). She has edited Children's Folklore Review and served as president of the International Society for Contemporary Legend Research and the Children's Folklore Section of the American Folklore Society; she is also a Fellow of the American Folklore Society. For several years she has written a column on play for the International Journal of Play. She loves to travel and go on legend trips. https://tinyurl.com/LibbyTucker   Elizabeth's Readings: ·        The Wedding Cake House – 11:14 ·        Minnehaha's Ghost – 25:49 ·        The Ghost in the Machine – 42:13 Michael's Beer Pairings: ·        Phantom Bride, Belching Beaver Brewery – 9:53 ·        Minnehaha, Iron Goat Brewing Company – 24:12 ·        Ghost in the Machine Double IPA, Parish Brewing Company – 40:39 Interview Highlights: ·        Suzie the ghostly bride—benevolent or malicious? – 14:00 ·        Why are stories of shadow creatures increasing? – 16:45 ·        Do campus ghost stories serve a function? ·        College increases belief in ghosts?! – 38:00 ·        Why call for the ghost of an angry woman? – 30:11 ·        Tina...the mischievous doll joins the program! – 49:03 COMING NEXT MONTH: Sharlene MacLaren UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEME: MUSIC Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.  

Eva Glyn writes emotional women's fiction inspired by beautiful places and the stories they hide. She loves to travel and her last trip before the covid lockdowns was to Croatia, where she met a man with an incredible story of growing up during the country's Homeland War in in 1990s. It inspired The Olive Grove, set on the island of Korcula. Two more Croatian novels have followed, both taking their inspiration from the Second World War. An Island of Secrets was published in 2022 and The Collaborator's Daughter will follow in 2023. Her books are published by Harper Collins imprint One More Chapter. Eva lives in Cornwall, although she considers herself Welsh, and has been lucky enough to have been married to the love of her life for more than twenty-five years. She also writes as Jane Cable www.janecable.com Jane's Readings: The Olive Grove – 14:24 An Island of Secrets – 27:51 The Collaborator's Daughter – 42:10 Michael's Beer Pairings: Saison Dekot, Vunetovo Craft Beer – 12:52 The Abyss, Deschutes Brewery – 25:59 Dark to the Core Imperial Stout, Collaboration of Abyss Brewery and Burning Sky Brewery – 40:46 Interview Highlights: How a tour guide led to a book – 21:32 Why use two author names? – 24:53 Tito and alliances in WWII – 33:37 Why some eras draw us more than others – 37:08 "The past isn't always what it seems." – 50:05 "Men are not one thing; they are many things." – 52:43 COMING NEXT MONTH: Elizabeth 'Libby' Tucker, folklore UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEME: MUSIC Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Jen Gilroy writes women's fiction for Orion Dash and sweet western romance for Harlequin Heartwarming—uplifting stories about women finding home, family and new beginnings–and finding themselves too. She's a Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® finalist and was shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists' Association Joan Hessayon award. A dual British-Canadian citizen, Jen lived in England for many years and earned a doctorate in geography, focusing on British cultural studies and social history, from University College London. She worked in higher education and marketing before becoming a full-time writer. She now lives in small-town Ontario, Canada with her husband, teenage daughter and floppy-eared rescue hound. When not writing, she enjoys reading, ballet and paddling her purple kayak. www.jengilroy.com Jen's Readings: Tearing up the Ticket – 12:53 ..Surprise! – 27:11 From Canadian Schoolgirl to French spy – 42:07 Michael's Beer Pairings: Ominous, Bad Weather Brewing Company (paired to Tearing up the Ticket) – 11:03 Fuller's London Pride, Fuller, Smith & Turner (paired to DNA…Surprise!) – 25:02 KEREL Bière de Garde, Verbeeck-Back-De Cock Brewery (paired to From Canadian Schoolgirl to French Spy) – 39:01 Interview Highlights: How an elderly aunt's “What if?” led to a book – 19:03 RAF 'Sweetheart Jewelry' – 22:56 How often do DNA tests shock people? – 31:18 Ballet! -- Does Jen dance or watch? – 37:23 Researching the French Resistance – 47:01 Coming back to writing – 51:15 COMING NEXT MONTH: Eva Glyn, romance and relationships UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology NEW THEME: MUSIC Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Christina Courtenay writes historical romance, time slip and time travel stories, and lives in Herefordshire (near the Welsh border) in the UK. Although born in England, she has a Swedish mother and was brought up in Sweden – hence her abiding interest in the Vikings. Christina is a former chairman of the UK's Romantic Novelists' Association and has won several awards, including the RoNA for Best Historical Romantic Novel twice with Highland Storms (2012) and The Gilded Fan (2014) and the RNA Fantasy Romantic Novel of the year 2021 with Echoes of the Runes.  Hidden in the Mists (timeslip/dual time romance published by Headline Review 18th August 2022) is her latest novel. Christina is a keen amateur genealogist and loves history and archaeology (the armchair variety). Christina Courtenay Christina's Readings: Battle at Orkneyjar, 883 AD – 15:04 Skye Sees a Ghost, present day – 28:40 Ottarr Catches Asta Burying Treasures, 880 AD – 45:10 Michael's Beer Pairings:  Camelot Mead, Oliver Winery & Vineyards (paired to Battle at Orkneyjar) – 11:52 First Call, Modist Brewing Company (paired to Skye Sees a Ghost) – 25:29 Empty Rowboat, Lake Monster Brewing Company (paired to Ottarr Catches Asta Burying Treasures) – 41:47 Interview Highlights:  Genealogy and wonky family lines! – 9:55 The appeal of time travel and dual time stories – 21:17 Vikings and Old Norse – 24:30 Life on a farm – 32:32 Sheep and trombones?! – 33:47 Our judgments on others – 49:17 COMING NEXT MONTH: Jen Gilroy, author of romance and women's fiction UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Connie Kinsey is a former military brat who has put down deep roots in a converted barn on a dirt road at the top of a hill in West Virginia. She lives with two dogs and a cat, and is pursuing happiness, one cup of coffee at a time. Primarily a memoirist, the events of her life permeate her work. Her fiction is sometimes described as autofiction because it incorporates autobiography in a fictionalized form with endings far from the truth of what really happened. In January of 2021, Connie was thrilled to be selected as one of two Writers-in-Residence for the Museum of the American Military Family & Learning Center. She works full-time with a children's nonprofit.  wvfurandroot.com Facebook wvfurandroot.com Connie's Readings: Redemption – 13:05 Being a Brat – 28:30 Chapter 5 from Black Fishnets and Combat Boots – 43:36 Michael's Beer Pairings: Grapefruit Supreme, Surly Brewing Company (paired to Redemption) – 10:38 Crunkle Sam Barleywine, Clown Shoes (paired to Being a Brat) – 25:32 Budweiser, ABInBev (paired to Chapter 5 from Black Fishnets and Combat Boots) – 40:55 Interview Highlights: Faulkner chicks and Tennessee Williams chicks! – 16:52 And what about Appalachian chicks? – 19:11 Why West Virginia? – 23:17 The effects of growing up military – 36:08 The Museum of the American Military Family – 36:48 The story behind Black Fishnets – 48:24 Writing dark comedy—humor with a serious message – 53:55 COMING NEXT MONTH:  Christina Courtenay, author of historical fiction, time slip, and time travel UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Robert Bidinotto is author of the bestselling Dylan Hunter vigilante thriller series. Robert's debut novel, HUNTER, soared to the top of the Kindle bestseller list and was a Wall Street Journal “Top 10 Fiction Ebook.” Its sequel, BAD DEEDS, became a #1 Audible thriller. The third installment in the series is the gripping political suspense novel WINNER TAKES ALL. Before turning to fiction, Robert produced decades of award-winning nonfiction journalism. He earned a national reputation as an authority on crime while writing investigative articles for Reader's Digest. One of those was named a finalist for a National Magazine Award, by the American Society of Magazine Editors. Robert also wrote two acclaimed nonfiction books about criminal justice. As editor of The New Individualist magazine, he won the prestigious Folio gold “Eddie” Award, for editorial excellence. Robert lives on the Chesapeake Bay, where he is writing the further adventures of Dylan Hunter. www.bidinotto.com Robert's Readings: The Funeral – 12:02 from Bad Deeds – 29:05 from Winner Takes All – 46:08 Michael's Beer Pairings: Dead Guy Ale, Rogue Ales (paired to The Funeral) – 9:47 A Little Crazy, Revolution Brewing (paired to Bad Deeds) – 26:14 Bomb!, Prairie Artisan Ales (paired to Winner Takes All) – 42:48 Interview Highlights: Why Robert didn't narrate! – 16:33 Good people, bad deeds, and enablers – 18:48 The vigilante character in history – 35:02 Dylan Hunter--a different sort of vigilante – 37:30 The genesis of Dylan Hunter – 50:09 On justice – 54:13 COMING NEXT MONTH:  Connie Kinsey, memoirist and Writers-in-Residence for the Museum of the American Military Family & Learning Center. UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Nancie Laird Young grew up as an Army BRAT and traveled with her family across the United States, Europe and the Far East. Eventually she grew up, married (twice), had three great daughters, and various careers in human services, academic administration, advocacy for people with disabilities. These led to contributions to books and magazine articles about the Internet, which eventually led to positions in Community/Social Media Management, Content Development, and Strategy at WashingtonPost.com, Edmunds.com, LifetimeTV.com, and AOL/Time Warner among others. After leaving the corporate world she moved to the Eastern Shore of Maryland, presumably to care for her aging father. The story of how she reconnected with her father and rediscovered herself is the topic of her memoir Tea with Dad, Finding Myself in My Father's Life (Green Writers Press/Green Place Books, June 2021). Young is principle among others in the formation of a new small, independent press expected to open for submissions in late 2023. www.nancielairdyoung.com Nancie's Readings: Moving Home from the Prologue – 11:54 No More Baseball – 27:37 About the Heart – 42:01 Michael's Beer Pairings: Free the Bib, Lift Bridge Brewery (paired to Moving Home) – 9:22 Twins Pils, Summit Brewing Company (paired to No More Baseball) – 25:16 Shock Top, ABInBev, (Paired to About the Heat) – 40:47 Interview Highlights: Compromising—again – 18:35 Thinking about death – 33:05 A good life--being satisfied – 47:05 Getting to know our parents – 51:08 COMING NEXT MONTH: Robert Bidinotto, Vigilante Author UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology Release of Saint in the Cellar by Laura Vosika and Chris R. Powell, available in print, ebook, and hard cover. Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Meet award-winning author Janet Raye Stevens – mom, reader, tea-drinker (okay, tea guzzler), and weaver of smart, stealthily romantic tales. A Derringer Award finalist, Janet's work has been recognized multiple times, including winning the Daphne du Maurier award for the WWII-set paranormal A Moment After Dark and RWA's Golden Heart® award for the fun and flirty holiday romance Cole for Christmas. Janet writes mystery, time travel, paranormal, and the occasional Christmas romance with humor, heart, and a dash of suspense. She lives in New England with her husband, who's practically perfect in every way, and their various family members, all geniuses and good-looking to boot. janetrayestevens.com Readings: To the Rooming House from Beryl Blue, Time Cop – 14:04 At the Nightclub with the Soldiers from Beryl Blue, Time Cop – 27:18 A Moment After Dark – 44:18 Michael's Beer Pairings: Northern Standard, Fulton Beer (paired to To the Rooming House) – 11:41 Coors Banquet, Coors Brewing Company (paired to At the Nightclub with the Soldiers) – 24:40 Saporro Premium Beer, Sapporo (paired to A Moment After Dark) – 41:30 Interview Highlights: A childhood immersed in WWII – 18:52 What was good about the 1940s? – 19:39 The Day My Teacher Wore a Miniskirt to School – 32:18 Why do some wars get more fictional attention than others? – 38:22 Why a mortician with paranormal gifts? – 49:43 Getting into the minds of others – 53:35 COMING NEXT MONTH: Nancie Laird Young, Author of Tea with Dad: Finding Myself in My Father's Life UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology Release of Saint in the Cellar by Laura Vosika and Chris R. Powell, available in print, ebook, and hard cover. Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Janelle Molony, M.S.L. is a family historian, an award-winning non-fiction author, and news journalist. Jodi Nasch Decker, Ed.D. is a college professor and freelance writer. Together, they provide interpretation and context for the poet Martha Nasch's alleged seven year fast and 1920's insane asylum stay. SevenYearsInsane   Readings: News Reports on Martha Nasch's Seven Year Fast – 13:59 Force Feeding in the Asylum – 24:56 The Asylum, a poem by Martha Nasch – 40:09 Michael's Beer Pairings: Celebrator Doppelbock, Privatbrauerei Ayinger (paired to News Reports) – 11:02 CPB, Lupulin Brewing Company (paird to Force Feeding in the Asylum) – 23:32 The Abyss, Deschutes Brewing Company (paired to The Asylum) – 39:23 Interview Highlights: How Jodi and Janelle came to write about poems from an asylum – 15:37 How Martha ended up in the Asylum – 18:23 Going viral, 1934-style – 21:33 Martha not eating – 28:23 The husband who committed her: villain or victim? – 33:10 Life after an asylum – 41:47 Happy times in an asylum – 48:20 Crossing war-torn country in a wheelchair with Wyatt Earp's father – 53:20 COMING NEXT MONTH: Janet Raye Stevens, time travel UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology Release of Saint in the Cellar by Laura Vosika and Chris R. Powell, available in print, ebook, and hard cover. Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Linda C. Wisniewski is a former librarian who shares an empty nest with her retired scientist husband in Doylestown, PA. Linda teaches memoir workshops and produces webinars for the Pearl S. Buck Writing Center.  She was born in Amsterdam, New York and is a graduate of SUNY at Buffalo and the library school at Villanova University. Her work includes fiction, memoir and personal essays and has been published in numerous literary magazines and anthologies both print and online. Her credits include publications as diverse as the Philadelphia Inquirer, Massage, The Quilter, the Christian Science Monitor, gravel and Foliate Oak. Linda worked as a reporter and columnist for the Bucks County Women's Journal and the Bucks County Herald. She has won fiction and essay contests from the Wild River Review, the Pearl S. Buck Writing Center, Mom Writers Literary Magazine, and the Story Circle Network and her work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Linda's memoir, Off Kilter: A Woman's Journey to Peace with Scoliosis, Her Mother and Her Polish Heritage was published in 2008 by Pearlsong Press. Her novel, Where the Stork Flies, was published in 2021 by Sand Hill Review Press.  www.lindawis.com. Linda's Readings: Meeting Regina – 16:11 Seeking a Way Back Through Time – 29:27 Kat in Regina's Time – 42:59 Michael's Beer Pairings: My. Grodz., Fair State Brewing Cooperative (paired to Meeting Regina) – 10:53 Mysterious Black Madonna, Ambrose Cellars (paired to Seeking a Way Back Through Time) – 24:57 Saison d'Epeautre, La Brasserie de Blaugies (paired to Kat in Regina's Time) – 40:35 Interview Highlights: How Polish ancestry and the family tree led to a book different from expected – 22:15 The stork in Polish folklore – 27:21 The significance of the Mermaid – 34:04 Women then and now: Whose life was harder? – 35:39 Putting our lives into fiction--deliberate or not? – 47:48 Seeing our lives through an image as metaphor – 53:22 COMING NEXT MONTH: Loretta Livingstone, time travel author UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology Release of Saint in the Cellar by Laura Vosika and Chris R. Powell Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Ilona Parunakova is an author, diversity and inclusion speaker, and founder and CEO of IP Resilience Global and Identity Guru. She penned the best-selling books Opium of the Almond Tree, Am I Godfident, Unfiltered, Unleashed, Unapologetic, Royal Grand Berries, Success without Apology, and In the Front Line with Royal Warriors. Additionally, she has published the International Project book Godfident Voices and the children's book Bella's Butterfly. Parunakova is a TEDx international speaker who brings encouragement to audiences whenever she walks on stage. Parunakova is a direct descendant of survivors of the Armenian Genocide during World War I. She herself survived wartime in the Republic of Georgia after the collapse of the USSR. Parunakova also endured ethnic discrimination, experiencing mocking and rejection by family members, and denied admission to universities.  Through it all, she has succeeded in transforming the obstacles of war, loss, and the struggle to fit in into her superpowers. Parunakova's Christian faith has been instrumental to her survival. It allowed her to see things from a positive perspective—that no matter what happens, God will always be in control of her destiny. She introduces herself unapologetically as God's Masterpiece and puts God as a CEO of her life. IP Resilience Ilona's Readings: Not Naturally Ambitious – 10:50 Beauty of the Woman – 29:02 Identity and Society – 45:29 Michael's Beer Pairings:  90 Shilling, Odell Brewing Company (paired to Not Naturally Ambitious) – 7:34 Pilsner Urquell, Plzeňský Prazdroj (paired to Beauty of the Woman) – 25:55 Chimay Grande Réserve, Abbaye de Scourmont (paired to Identity and Society) – 41:10 Interview Highlights:  Optimism after war, earthquake, cold, hunger, and discrimination – 20:22 Beauty pageant won and yet there are obstacles! – 30:41 What is inner beauty? – 35:35 A mother's influence – 38:56 Identity and Legacy – 47:20 Keys to Success/Building a strong identity – 51:04 COMING NEXT MONTH: Marian McCarthy, novelist, memoirist, short story writer. UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Award-winning contemporary romance author Sadira Stone spins steamy, smoochy tales set in small businesses—a quirky bookstore, a neighborhood bar, a vintage boutique… Her stories highlight found family, friendship, and the sizzling chemistry that pulls unlikely partners together. When she emerges from her writing cave in Las Vegas, Nevada (which she seldom does), she can be found in belly dance class, or strumming her ukulele, perhaps exploring the West with her charming husband, or cooking up a storm, and always gobbling all the romance books. Sadira's promise to readers: a guaranteed HEA and no cliffhangers! www.sadirastone.com   Sadira's Readings: Christmas Re-Kindled, Bangers Tavern Romance #1 – 16:03 Opposites Ignite, Bangers Tavern Romance #2 – 32:42 Delicious Heat, Bangers Tavern Romance #3 – 41:22 Michael's Beer Pairings: Bell's Amber, Bell's Brewery (paired to Christmas Re-Kindled) – 12:55 Grainbelt Nordeast, August Schell Brewing Company (paired to Opposites Ignite) – 30:35 Dale's Pale Ale, Oskar Blues Brewery (paired to Delicous Heat) – 39:26 Interview Highlights: From Cozy Mystery to Romance – 27:45 Most romantic date ever? – 29:09 On using pseudonyms – 37:44 How writers get started – 38:40 Do you believe in love at first sight? – 46:16 Influences and inspirations – 47:19 Best thing about writing/hitting the zone – 50:03 Advice to aspiring writers – 51:00 COMING NEXT MONTH: Motivational speaker Ilona Parunakova. UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Sloane Steele is the pen name for Shannyn Schroeder. As Sloane, her Counterfeit Capers series of heist romances are her love letter to the TV show Leverage. As Shannyn, she writes contemporary romances about big families, both those created by blood and by choice. Her books are set in the city of Chicago because having grown up there and lived near the city her whole life, she writes what she knows. Shannyn is a part-time English teacher, part-time curriculum editor, and full-time mom, even though her kids are pretty self-sufficient teens. In her down time, she bakes cookies, reads romance, and watches far too much TV. shannynschroeder.com Shannyn's Readings: It Takes a Thief – 13:53 Catch Your Breath, O' Leary Family #4 – 25:37 My Forever Plus-One, Daring Divorcees – 42:08 Michael's Beer Pairings: Grain Belt Premium, August Schell Brewing Company (paired to It Takes a Thief) – 9:12 Undercover Investigation Shutdown Ale, Lagunitas Brewing Company (paired to Catch Your Breath) – 23:26 Family Drama, Flying Dog Brewery (paired to My Forever Plus-One) – 40:15 Interview Highlights: The good thieves – 18:44 The name behind the beer (or What goes on in breweries?) – 23:52 Finding time to write with kids – 38:00 What is the attraction of reading about big families? – 32:14 Conflict in romance--when you're with your best friend? – 48:24 Using two author names – 51:37 COMING NEXT MONTH: Sadira Stone, Romance Author. UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Christine Madline Ellsworth, has just released her first book of poetry, published by Potter's Wheel Publishing. Here is a collection of poems tracing the arc of transition in a contemporary woman's life. From childhood fascinations to adult issues such as domestic violence, marriage and divorce, Ellsworth shares many relatable experiences. Ellsworth holds BA and MA degrees in English literature from Moorhead State University Moorhead and Marquette University, respectively. She is a member of the Jackpine Writer's Bloc and her poetry has appeared in issues of The Talking Stick. Her work has also appeared in Moorhead State University's Red Weather, and the South Dakota State Poetry Society's Pasque Petals. She is currently working toward certification as a certified applied poetry therapy facilitator through the International Federation of Biblio-Poetry Therapy (ifbt.org). Ellsworth was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and currently lives in Wyndmere, North Dakota with her Blue Heeler and two cats. This book is available in print and Kindle versions on Amazon. The author is available for book signings and poetry events both electronic and in person. christinemadlineellsworth.com Christine's Readings: What to Wear While Saving France – 13:01 Kitchen Table – 30:21 Rembrandt's Light – 43:40 Michael's Beer Pairings: Bubble Daze IPA, Urban Growler Brewing Company (paired to What to Wear While Saving France) – 9:58 Saison Dupont, Brasserie Dupont (paired to Kitchen Table) – 25:21 Weihenstephaner Korbinian, Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan (paired to Rembrandt's Light) – 40:02 Interview Highlights: How reading poetry can save the world – 16:34 Importance of poetry for mental development – 17:42 Transformation as the residual effect of poetry – 23:32 What makes a good poem? – 32:26 How to draw in a reader through poetry – 36:26 The fascinating life of Rembrandt – 47:58 Transformation of a person or the transformative power of art? – 50:54 COMING NEXT MONTH: Shannyn Schroeder UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Sandy Hanna is an award-winning author for her memoir “The Ignorance of Bliss: An American Kid in Saigon,” a true coming-of-age story about growing up in Vietnam in the early 60s. She current resides in Lambertville, New Jersey. As a military BRAT (British Regiment Attached Transfer) her story reveals a turbulent time where politics and intrigue resided between plot and counterplot and where, as children, she and her siblings lived in the continuous present - perhaps the only way children can live. Ms. Hanna graduated from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois with a BA in Interdisciplinary Programs in Science and Literature and University of Massachusetts with a MED in the Biology of Cognition. Her background is one of working with children and designing learning environment for museums, theme parks, and communities. However, she sees herself as a life-time storyteller and artist. Sandyhanna.net Sandy Readings: Witnessing the Coup – 9:35 Baby Powder & Hershey Bars – 28:27 Brink's Bomb – 43:44 Michael's Beer Pairings: Maximus Colossal IPA, Lagunitas Brewing Company (paired to Witnessing the Coup) – 7:34 Young's Double Chocolate Stout, Eagle Brewery (paired to Baby Powder & Hershey Bars) – 25:46 Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier, Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan (paired to Brink's Bomb) – 40:24 Harvey Weissbanger Recipe 1 oz. Galliano 2 oz. Orange Juice 6 oz. Weissbier Fill a collins glass with ice. Add the Galliano and orange juice. Top with Weissbier. Garnish with orange peel. Interview Highlights: Did you take it for granted you survived a shooting spree? – 15:34 The Dragon Lady and Colonel Sam's Expose – 19:12 Did your brother's basketball start the Vietnam War? – 23:26 Everything in life lies in acceptance – 35:26 Military kids taking control in an out-of-control world – 36:58 Military transport to Saigon – 51:05 COMING NEXT MONTH: Christine Madline Ellsworth, poet and 1st time novelist UPCOMING EVENTS:  Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology Laura will be signing books Sunday, November 7, 2 to 5 pm at Maple Grove Lutheran Church, 9251 Elm Creek Blvd N, Maple Grove, MN. Several other authors from Night Writers will also be signing books. Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Christine Husom is a national best-selling author from Minnesota. She pens the suspenseful Winnebago County Mysteries and the cozy, but not too cozy, Snow Globe Shop Mysteries where bad guys demonstrate not everyone is “Minnesota Nice.” She also has stories in many anthologies. Husom served with the Wright County Sheriff, is a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime and is active with the Twin Cities chapter. She loves meeting readers at a variety of venues and events. www.christinehusom.com Christine's Readings: Death in Lionel's Woods – 33:47 Secret in Whitetail Lake – 26:11 Frosty the Dead Man – 41:36 Michael's Beer Pairings: Oktoberfest, Indeed Brewing Company (paired to Death in Lionel's Woods) – 5:37 Helles Schlenkerla Lagerbier, HellerBräu Trum KG (paired to Secret in Whitetail Lake) – 24:20 Bourbon Barrel Quad, Boulevard Brewing Company (paired to Frosty the Dead Man) – 39:16 Interview Highlights: From Sheriff's Office to Author – 16:21 Writing from things seen at the sheriff's office – 18:23 Researching for a crime novel – 19:35 Character-driven vs plot driven – 34:29 Readers' views of Minnesota – 36:12 Writing mysteries vs writing other fiction – 50:18 COMING NEXT MONTH: Sandy Hanna, Memoirs of military life UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Nicole Burnham is the RITA Award-winning author of over twenty romance novels, including the popular Royal Scandals series. As an army brat, Nicole was raised moving around the world. She still travels abroad whenever she can score cheap airfare and loves that it feeds her writing. If Nicole isn't at her keyboard, she is happiest spending time at Fenway Park or trail running. www.nicoleburnham.com   Nicole's Readings (read by Hollis McCarthy): Scandal with a Prince (Megan Hears a Voice) – 12:32 Slow Tango with a Prince (Emily Finds Vittorio) – 26:02 To Kiss a King (Expert Advice) – 45:31 Michael's Beer Pairings:  Sofie, Goose Island Beer Company (paired to Scandal with a Prince) – 10:33 Tango, Wyerbacher Brewing Company (paired to Emily Finds Vittorio) – 23:28 Ola Dub Special Reserve 40, Harviestoun Brewery Ltd. (paired to Expert Advice) – 42:45 Interview Highlights:  Struck by a voice – 14:10 What drew you to royalty? – 18:48 A man's point of view vs. a woman's point of view in romance – 30:04 Identical twins – 33:28 Law degree and writing romance – 35:35 Emotional focus of romance novels – 50:25 Fictional kingdom vs. a real kingdom – 53:02 Growing up military and writing – 54:58 COMING NEXT MONTH: Christine Husom, mystery author UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Jeff LaFerney was a full-time language arts teacher in Davison, Michigan, for 30 years. After coaching basketball for most of his career, he decided to write books instead and took on his new hobby. Now he spends his free time reading, writing, and editing books. He and his beautiful wife have two adult children. His Clay and Tanner Thomas series focuses on a father and son team who use parapsychological abilities to solve mysteries. Jumper is a time-travel science fiction adventure. Lost and Found, is a unique mystery/treasure hunt with ties to World War II history. His latest, Planer, is the sequel to Jumper, his best-selling novel. He has a blog called The Red Pen where he usually infuses humor to share about himself or to give inspiration or writing tips. jefflaferney.blogspot.com Jeff's Readings: Loving the Rain – 13:28 Lost and Found – 30:22 Jumper – 43:35 Michael's Beer Pairings:  Union Jack IPA, Firestone Walker Brewing Company (paired to Loving the Rain) – 10:50 Foggy Geezer, War Pigs Brewing & 3 Floyds Brewing (paired to Lost and Found) – 27:22 Wonderstuff, Bauhaus Brew Labs (paired to Jumper) – 40:55 Interview Highlights:  What led to the very strong disclaimer that your work is fiction! – 22:15 Mixing secular and faith – 23:52 What's historical, what's not – 38:19 Research on time travel – 49:11 Dropping crumbs that readers want to follow – 51:54 How to hook the reader – 54:30 COMING NEXT MONTH: Nicole Burnham, romance author UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Ernie Brill writes fiction and poetry about everyday people. His I Looked Over Jordan and Other Stories explores race and class among hospital workers. The actress Ruby Dee purchased, adapted, and performed the story Crazy Hattie Enters Ice Age for her and her husband's PBS TV series “With Ruby and Ossie.” Brill won a New York State Council for The Arts Fiction Grant. He received his BA and MA in English from San Francisco State College. Brill has published widely fiction, poetry and essays in the US and Canada (River Styx, Other Voices, Z, U. of Minnesota, Prentice Hall Ontario Canada. Favorite writers include Virginia Woolf, Richard Wright, Mahmoud Darwish, Hyseoon Kim, Gwendolyn Brooks, Sterling A. Brown, Pedro Pietri, Pablo Neruda. Active Muse Ernie's Readings: Intake – 9:55 End of Faculty Meeting – 27:13 Longshore – 42:31 Michael's Beer Pairings:  Commander 2018, Lift Bridge Brewery (paired to Intake) – 6:33 Caked and Layered, Pipeworks Brewing (paired to End of Faculty Meeting) – 24:22 Arbeiter Bier, Arbeiter Brewing Company (paired to Longshore) – 38:51 Interview Highlights:  How a chapbook about hospitals came to be – 12:30 A short story on PBS "With Ossie and Ruby" – 17:50 Buzz words at Meetings – 29:38 Early advocacy for multicultural literature – 30:37 The value of art to society – 46:56 How our life's work may hurt us – 49:20 COMING NEXT MONTH: Jeff LaFerney, YA author of time travel and sci-fi UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Eugenia Fain is an author of poetry and prose.  She is also a songwriter and available on Amazon and Spotify.  Eugenia has forty years of experience in writing.  She is a preschool teacher and tutor. She is published here and abroad; she is considered an international author.  Eugenia is featured in several anthologies.  She is published online, in print, ebook, and audiobook form.  She has no children of her own; but she resides in Columbia, SC with her husband, Ivan, and tabby cat, Buddy.  Allpoetry.com   Eugenia's Readings: Immortality, a glose poem – 13:12 A Song of Despair, a viator poem – 29:29 Dancing, a masnavi poem – 43:22 Michael's Beer Pairings: Course Correct, Pryes Brewing Company (paired to Immortality) – 11:45 Dark Truth Imperial Stout, Boulevard Brewing Company (paired to A Song of Despair) – 26:51 Black Ale, Bent Paddle Brewing Company (paired to Dancing) – 39:41 Interview Highlights: Glose poems: which comes first, the poem or the idea? – 17:35 Published in Norton's Anthology at 11 – 24:17 Being positive vs admitting difficulty – 33:09 The complexity of forms – 36:56 Why love? – 45:05 Where do you hope your work is 100 years from now? – 50:29 COMING NEXT MONTH: Ernie Brill, poet UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology. Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

USA Today bestselling author Melonie Johnson―aka #thewritinglush―enjoys cheap wine, expensive beer, and sipping cocktails that start with the letter m. Declared a “writer to watch” by Kirkus and a “fizzy, engrossing new voice” by Entertainment Weekly, her smart funny contemporary romances include Too Good to Be Real and her award-winning Sometimes in Love debut series: Getting Hot with the Scot, Smitten by the Brit, and Once Upon a Bad Boy. A former high school English and Theatre teacher, she spends her days in her Star Wars office, dreaming up meet-cutes. She lives in Chicagoland with her husband, their two redhead daughters, and one very large dog. Meloniejohnson.com Melonie's Readings: Too Good to be Real – 13:52 Getting Hot with the Scot – 27:05 Smitten by the Brit – 44:44 Michael’s Beer Pairings: Sea Quench Ale, Dogfish Head Brewery (paired to Too Good to be Real) – 11:05 Old Chub, Oskar Blues Brewery (paired to Getting Hot with the Scot) – 24:53 Lager, Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Beer Americano Cocktail (paired to Smitten by the Brit) – 39:23 Beer Americano Recipe 5 oz. Campari 5 oz. Sweet Vermouth 3 oz. Lager Beer Fill a collins glass with ice. Add the Campari and vermouth. Froth the beer using an Aerolatteor immersion blender and pour into the glass. Garnish with an orange peel. Interview Highlights: Easter Eggs vs Tropes – 21:20 Boozy Book Broads – 22:42 Winks & Nods – 36:34 The author in the characters – 52:54 COMING NEXT MONTH: Eugenia Fain, poet UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology. Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Philip Watling lives in Milton Keynes, England with his American wife and their amazing cats, Spirit and Shadow. Unable to work, he still manages to do some… a zero-hour contract job that he can dip in and out of when he feels up to it! When not doing that, much of his week is spent at the gym, swimming and talking to everyone – socializing with people in the city center, seeing friends at various church-sponsored lunch clubs and chatting to lots of people - on line and off - trying to help as many as he can. His remaining time is spent playing with the cats, caring for his wife and volunteering at a local community fridge. philipwatling Amazon Mardibooks Facebook    Philip's Readings (Read by Chris Powel): Intro – 11:55 Hit by a Bus – 24:52 Falling out of bed – 43:25 Michael’s Beer Pairings: Fuller’s London Porter, Fuller’s Brewery (paired to Intro) – 8:09 Fuller’s London Pride, Fuller’s Brewery (paired to Hit by a Bus) – 21:45 Provider, Steel Toe Brewing (paired to Falling out of Bed) – 36:46 Interview Highlights: The coincidence that saved a life – 13:29 The dream job with horses – 16:05 How long can a person be dead? – 18:37 Reassessing values – 30:11 Goal in writing this book – 54:37 COMING NEXT MONTH: Freida Kilmari, fantasy author UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology. Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Cynthia Kraack is an author of fiction, short stories and nonfiction. 40 Thieves on Saipan was released by Regnery History in 2020 and received Best Book in Military History from the American Book Festival. The High Cost of Flowers won two 2014 Midwest Book Awards taking first in Literary Fiction and Contemporary Fiction. Her debut work, Minnesota Cold, won the 2009 Northeastern Minnesota Book Award for Fiction. She also wrote the Ashwood trilogy, a speculative fiction family saga. The Saturday Evening Post, Glimmer Train, Big Muddy Literary Journal and the Hal Prize competition have published or recognized her short stories. She has an MFA from the University of Southern Maine’s Stonecoast Program in Creative Writing. She is a founding board member of Write On, Door County. Cynthiakraack.com Facebook Joseph Tachovsky is the son of Lieutenant Frank Tachovsky, commanding officer of the 40 Thieves. Tachovsky knew nothing of his father’s heroic past beyond that he was a Marine in the Pacific until his father’s funeral in 2011. A eulogy was given in which a man recounted a story a wherein Lieutenant Tachovsky “saved every man in our unit” from a Japanese tank. This set him on a journey to discover everything he could about his father and the 40 Thieves. Tachovsky is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and currently resides in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. 40thievessaipan.com Facebook Cynthia and Joseph's Readings: Four Woodpeckers – 13:48 Arello and Duley – 29:48 Pacts & Premonitions – 41:59 Michael’s Beer Pairings:  Coastal Sunshine Fruited Sour, Humble Forager Brewery (paired to Four Woodpeckers) – 10:00 Budweiser, Anheuser-Busch InBev (paired to Arello and Duley) – 25:56 Old Rasputin, North Coast Brewing Company (paired to Pacts & Premonitions) – 40:31 Interview Highlights:  The hardest part of writing such a book – 23:09 Why does it matter to tell the story of the 40 Thieves? – 24:52 Origins of the name “40 Thieves” – 35:18 Rivalry and stereotypes among the branches – 36:30 The Thieves as old men – 38:00 Do you believe in premonitions? – 47:42 What gives a 21-year-old the courage to face death? – 50:27 Lingering impacts of war – 52:58 COMING NEXT MONTH: Philip Watling: The car hit me....I died.... UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Dr. Chris Powell is an author, poet, musician, engineering and management consultant and aspiring polymath with his fingers on everything from fretboards and ivories to the pulse of post-modernism, surrealism, and nihilism's impact on the destruction of morality and sanity.  His work takes him from the Internet of Things to Cyberspace, and from Supercomputers to AI.  More down to earth, he putters in his labs with birdhouses and cameras, servomotors and drones.  At the range he's comfortable with AR's and lasers, in a kilt with trombones and guitars, on a kneeler with his Rosary, and in the kitchen making omelets and Long Island Iced Teas for his love.  Dr. Powell's book has been described by Kirkus Reviews as having certain similarities to Joan Didion’s 2005 book The Year of Magical Thinking, which investigated the nature of grief, but Dr. Powell’s book investigates the nature of illness itself.  He meticulously details his late wife Bonnie’s every procedure and symptom, and every failure of modern medicine to provide her with relief.  He also applies the same method to his own emotions and spirituality, presenting engaging, admirably honest deductions regarding sacrifice and dedication in this powerful, heartbreaking memoir. chrisandlaurapowell.com Chris's Readings: Caring for Bonnie – 12:09 From Love to Shame – 25:07 Psalm of Winged Transcendence – 41:51 Michael’s Beer Pairings:  Manhattan Social Club, Boulevard Brewing Company (paired to Caring for Bonnie) – 9:13 Belgian Iambic (paired to From Love to Shame) – 22:55 Chardonnale, Brewery Ommegong (paired to Psalm of Winged Transcendence) – 38:13 Interview Highlights:  Sacrifice and service--the hard parts of love – 17:10 Writing for healing – 20:30 Love that destroys – 30:02 Narcissism – 32:39 A poem as psalm – 45:24 Powell as musician – 46:56 The Hurdy-Gurdy – 54:48 COMING NEXT MONTH:  Cynthia Kraak and Joseph Tochovsky, Forty Thieves on Saipan UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Lauretta Kehoe is an avid reader of all types of books, but mostly science fiction and fantasy, seeking in these stories reflections of my Christian faith. Not finding many, she decided to write what she wanted to read. Michael Kehoe is a professional comedian, actor and screenwriter, who has appeared in several movies, including the latest Jason Bourne film, the upcoming Godzilla sequel, two television shows and two commercials.  Michael has also appeared as his Geriatric Elvis persona at five casinos in the Las Vegas area. A Dream of Dragons is their debut urban fantasy novel published by Tate Enterprises in 2016.  They have also published stories in several anthologies, including Creative Writing Institute’s 2017 anthology Lost, Enchanted Anthologies: Once Upon a Cursed Time, Christmas Nightmares and Fractured Fairytales Volume II, and Black, Blue and Purple Pain.  In addition to writing their own books, they work with other authors to publish theirs, such as turning movie scripts into novellas for Producer, Director and Actor, Ron Becks. They are members of the Jerry Jenkins Writer’s Guild. laurettakehoe.com mikekentertainment.com Laurie's Readings: I am flying! – 13:02 Shopping with Anne – 26:10 Henry with the Bad Guys – 43:15 Michael’s Beer Pairings: Dragon's milk, New Holland Brewing – 10:37 Gray Duck Spirited Seltzer, Gray Duck Spirits – 23:01 Chaos Monger, Warpigs Brewing USA – 38:18 Interview Highlights: Dreams in story-telling – 16:10 Mixing light and dark story elements – 19:22 Elvis impressions – 20:33 Pollyanna vs likable characters – 32:14 Saving Anne vs Saving Henry – 35:45 Fiction: Faith, Secular or 3-dimensional? – 53:48 COMING NEXT MONTH: Dr. Chris R. Powell, readings on love for February UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

This week’s episode is a rebroadcast of episode 25, where we featured two librarians from the Northeast Regional branch of the Louisville Free Public Library. Mk Eagle and Hannah Elliott talked about Books and Brews 502, which is similar to the Library’s summer reading program for kids, except it is for adults and can include beer and coffee. While Hannah has now moved to Jefferson County Public Schools, mk is still at LFPL and provided us with an update for this year’s program, which, like everything, is different due to COVID. Books and Brews 502 runs from December 1, 2020 -February 29, 2021. Mk says the main difference is that there will be no pop-up libraries. Instead, folks can check in at seven local breweries during their respective weeks in December, January, and February. Or Books and Brews 502 participants can check-in in the two participating coffee shops at anytime during those months. Mk says the free book giveaways will be exclusively at Against the Grain’s Public House the second week of each month, but there won’t be browsing. Instead, tell your bartender you’re participating in Books and Brews and get handed a surprise book. How cool is that? Books, and coffee or beer brews go perfectly together. For more details about the program go to www.lfpl.org Books mentioned in this episode: 1- Laurell K. Hamilton, Anita Blake series 2- Monster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction by Lisa Kroger and Melanie Anderson 3- Chi's Sweet Home by Kanata Konami 4- Exquisite Corpse by Penelope Bagieu 5- The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

This week's episode is a rebroadcast of episode 25, where we featured two librarians from the Northeast Regional branch of the Louisville Free Public Library. Mk Eagle and Hannah Elliott talked about Books and Brews 502, which is similar to the Library's summer reading program for kids, except it is for adults and can include beer and coffee. While Hannah has now moved to Jefferson County Public Schools, mk is still at LFPL and provided us with an update for this year's program, which, like everything, is different due to COVID. Books and Brews 502 runs from December 1, 2020 -February 29, 2021. Mk says the main difference is that there will be no pop-up libraries. Instead, folks can check in at seven local breweries during their respective weeks in December, January, and February. Or Books and Brews 502 participants can check-in in the two participating coffee shops at anytime during those months. Mk says the free book giveaways will be exclusively at Against the Grain's Public House the second week of each month, but there won't be browsing. Instead, tell your bartender you're participating in Books and Brews and get handed a surprise book. How cool is that? Books, and coffee or beer brews go perfectly together. For more details about the program go to www.lfpl.org Books mentioned in this episode: 1- Laurell K. Hamilton, Anita Blake series 2- Monster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction by Lisa Kroger and Melanie Anderson 3- Chi's Sweet Home by Kanata Konami 4- Exquisite Corpse by Penelope Bagieu 5- The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

Shawn D. Brink is currently building a following with four novels to his name, the latest being MY GYPSY WAR DIARY (Gabriel’s Horn Publishing). He has also had numerous shorter works in various publications and anthologies. Shawn is represented by Liverman Literary Agency. shawnbrinkauthor.wordpress.com Facebook Twitter Shawn’s Readings: Ghosts – 9:05 Post-Game Events – 27:45 Haunted Memories – 44:55 Michael’s Beer Pairings:  Winter Welcome, Samuel Smith Old Brewery – 6:49 Windvane, Bad Weather Brewing Company – 25:02 Dead Guy Ale, Rogue Ales – 41:32 Interview Highlights:  Norfolk, Norfolk, and Norfork – 13:21 Memories of growing up in Norfolk, Nebraska – 15:32 Wearing bolo ties in Clovis, New Mexico – 18:29 From end times thriller to a boy in the Midwest in the 70s – 20:03 Tornado! The craft of vivid writing – 34:37 Why the D. in Shawn D. Brink? – 38:33 Using flashbacks – 47:46 Jumping back to the 1800s – 51:49 COMING NEXT MONTH: Lauretta and Michael Kehoe, A Dream of Dragons UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.  

Born and raised in Alaska, Sandra graduated from University of Alaska and became a travel agent. After marriage, she helped run her husband’s real estate appraisal business until their children were grown, while doing freelance writing. She and her family left Alaska in 1988 and has lived in Western Washington since 1991. A lifelong fascination with the Middle Ages stoked her interest in historical fiction, and she traveled to Italy to research a novel set in the thirteenth century Kingdom of Naples. Her passion for family history keeps the drama of the past alive for her and sometimes inspires story ideas for novels or non-fiction. sandralynnereed.com Sandy's Readings: Earthquake! – 10:44 Fireflies in New York – 26:19 The Northwoods Axe Murderer – 41:38 Michael’s Beer Pairings:  Earthquake High Gravity Lager, City Brewing Company (paired to Earthquake) – 8:58 Éphémère (Apple), Unibroue (paired to Fireflies in New York) – 24:05 Bomb!, Prairie Artisan Ales (paired to The Northwoods Axe Murderer) – 39:46 Interview Highlights:  Deciding to write the book. The origins of the story – 17:01 What inspired 3 women to go on a 22,000-mile road trip with five kids in 1965?! – 20:30 Overcoming doubt and scoffing – 21:40 Showing the route around the country – 31:30 People's perceptions of each other – 35:30 Travel and writing – 48:53 Why is it important to tell our stories? – 52:15 COMING NEXT MONTH: Shawn D. Brink, apocalyptic trilogy, YA adventure UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Lisa Gurine has written newsletters and business communications professionally for more than twenty years. She comes from a long line of storytellers and for most of her life has channeled her creative energy into re-telling and embellishing her family’s history. Without Words grew from the seeds of her own ancestors’ lives as South Dakota immigrants. Lisa Gurine resides in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, with her husband of more than thirty years. Her passion for cross-cultural understanding led her to volunteer with an international high school exchange program. She and her husband have hosted six foreign exchange students at their home and have engaged with many more. Her other favorite pastimes include international travel, volunteering with her church and honing her writing skills with her Night Writers critique partners. Lisagurinebooks.com Facebook Lisa's Readings: Letter to Emma – 8:56 The Boy from the In Between – 27:11 Hulda and the White Cake – 44:43 Michael’s Beer Pairings: Guinness Draft Stout, Guinness Ltd. (paired to Letter to Emma) – 5:22 Mango Mango Mango, Dugges Bryggeri & Stillwater Artisanal Ales (Paired to The Boy from the In Between) – 23:32 Cake’d Up Celebration Cake, Mankato Brewery (Paired to Hulda and the White Cake) – 41:08 Interview Highlights: The story behind Letter to Emma – 13:35 Turning fact into fiction – 15:42 Developing as a writer; exercises and writers groups – 21:40 Hosting exchange students – 34:20 Perceptions of the Land of Snow – 35:35 What's the deal with cake! – 50:01 The importance of telling our family stories – 52:26 COMING NEXT MONTH:  Sandy Frykholm, author of The Drive in '65 UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology Lisa Gurine will be one of three authors at a book signing, Maple Grove Lutheran Church, 9251 Elm Creek Blvd N, Maple Grove, MN, Sunday, November 8, 2020, 1 - 5 pm Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Ozgur K. Sahin is an award-winning historical novelist and life coach. True Colors, the second book in his Brethren of the Spanish Main series, was released in late 2019 as a sequel to The Wrath of Brotherhood. He is currently working as a life coach while hunkered down during the Covid-19 pandemic and working on a non-fiction book on narcissism. He grew up in Minneapolis and his studies range from astrophysics and history to meditation and development studies. ozgurksahin.com Ozgur's Readings: Pieter at the Prison – 14:21 Coya with the Golden Staff – 31:06 Captain Roy Toppings at the Hucia – 46:51 Michael’s Beer Pairings: Sidra Asturiana Mayador Natural Cider, Sidra Mayador (paired to Pieter at the Prison) – 9:56 Cowbell Cream Ale, Urban Growler Brewing Company (paired to Coya with the Golden Staff) – 26:30 Stout/Rum Cocktail with Obsidian Stout, Deschutes Brewery (paired to Captain Roy Toppings at the Hucia) – 44:29 Cocktail Recipe (from CB2): 1.5 oz Rum 1.5 oz Ginger-Jalapeño Syrup .5 oz Fresh Lime Juice 5 oz Stout-Style Beer Preparation: Pour the rum, syrup, and lime juice into a shaker and fill it with ice. Shake and strain the liquid into a glass half-filled with fresh ice. Top with the beer and garnish with a lime wedge. Interview Highlights: Humor in a serious story – 21:38 Why 1660? Why pirates? – 22:56 Flawed and scarred heroines – 38:28 Research--history, fiction, and Ginger Plantation – 52:40 Writing vivid descriptions – 53:59 Writing on narcissism – 55:59 COMING NEXT MONTH: Lisa Gurine, Author of Without Words, the stories of South Dakota settlers UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology. Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

The Dirty Lowdown called Mike Faricy America's hottest new mystery writer. Robert Carraher referred to him as Minnesota's Master of the Bizarre. Crime Scene referred to him as the next Carl Hiaasen. Mike Faricy writes four crime fiction series; Dev Haskell mystery series, the Corridor Man series, Jack Dillon Dublin Tales series, and the Hotshot series. Faricy's novels are filled with the sort of oddballs we're all curious about, but wisely prefer to keep at a distance. His characters serve not so much as an example as they do a warning to us all. None of them will be saving the world from terrorism, international banking conspiracies, or coups to take over the government. Rather, Faricy's characters inhabit a world just below the surface of polite society. The circumstances they find themselves in are usually due to their own bad decisions, but then bad decisions make for interesting stories. Originally from St. Paul, Minnesota, Faricy still spends part of his time in the saintly city as well as in Dublin, Ireland. mikefaricybooks.com Mike's Readings: Bite Me – 11:30 Last Shot – 26:39 Mr. Swirlee – 43:19 Michael’s Beer Pairings: Mas Agave, Founders Brewing Company (paired to Bite Me) – 8:35 Steel Reserve, Steel Brewing Company (paired to Last Shot) – 22:40 Dirty Bastard, Founders Brewing Company (paired to Mr. Swirlee) – 41:16 Interview Highlights: Where does a womanizing private investigator like Dev Haskell come from? – 17:36 Mike's history with St Paul, where most of his novels are set. – 20:57 Where does Mike find his characters? – 35:15 Why Ireland? What happened to Mike in a pub there! – 36:07 Why the decision to write under pen names--and why change that now? – 49:48 Mike's amazing marketing--and why he can now write full time – 50:29 COMING NEXT MONTH:  Ozgur K. Sahin, author of Brethren of the Spanish Main series. UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Mark Connor is from St. Paul, MN. In summer 2019, he was featured in the first Gabriel’s Horn Press anthology, Surprised by Joy. A boxer since age 10, he currently trains competitive and recreational boxers, runs a training business called Fighting Chance/Boxing for Life and writes fiction, poetry, and journalism. He has written and published many articles about Boxing and Irish culture and history, as well as other features. boxersandwritersmagazine.com Mark's Readings: The Perfect Metaphor – 9:26 Halfway Around – 29:53 Two Pilgrim Souls: Anam Cara – 46:14 Michael’s Beer Pairings: Veltins Pilsener, Brauerei C & A Veltins (paired to The Perfect Metaphor) – 6:03 Ommegang Saison Rosé, Brewery Ommegang (paired to Halfway Around) – 27:24 Dirt Wolf Double IPA, Victory Brewing Company (paired to Two Pilgrim Souls: Anam Cara) – 42:43 Interview Highlights: Boxing and jazz improvisation – 11:41 Boxing and poetry – 14:48 Mark’s start in boxing – 17:30 Mark’s mentors – 21:06 Similarities of boxing to poetry – 24:24 Other boxer poets – 25:16 Native American medicine wheel – 37:04 Spontaneous writing vs re-working a poem – 39:07 The epic Irish poet and his muse – 48:06 Becoming a monstrance – 53:03 COMING NEXT MONTH: Mike Faricy, mystery author Our theme music is from www.bensound.com. UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology

John Gaspard is author of the Eli Marks mystery series as well as two other stand-alone novels, "The Greyhound of the Baskervilles" and "The Ripperologists." He also writes the Como Lake Players mystery series, under the pen name Bobbie Raymond. In real life, John's not a magician, but he has directed six low-budget features that cost very little and made even less - that's no small trick. He's also written multiple books on the subject of low-budget filmmaking. Ironically, they've made more than the films. Those books ("Fast, Cheap and Under Control" and "Fast, Cheap and Written That Way") are available in eBook, Paperback and audiobook formats. John lives in Minnesota and shares his home with his lovely wife, several dogs, a few cats and a handful of pet allergies. elimarksmysteries.com Free Eli Marks Short Story - The Invisible Assistant Ebook version:  https://BookHip.com/RLJQGX Audiobook version:  https://BookHip.com/GGHJVS Free Eli Marks Short Story - The Last Customer Ebook version:  https://BookHip.com/TXSQS Audiobook version:  https://BookHip.com/NCPKGD Jim Cunningham is an actor, writer, producer, and director. He spent three years in Dudley Riggs Brave New Workshop’s Resident Improv Company and has done numerous television commercials—including the Carsoup Guy—and voiceovers for TV and animated series.​ He hosted Mall of America, the Show, Explore Minnesota, Golf Nut for WCCO TV, “Minnesota Fun” for the Twins and Minnesota Wild, and has been the host of the Renaissance Festival’s Feast of Fantasy for almost 30 years.​ Last but not least, Jim spent three years hosting his own radio show on sports and entertainment. John's Readings: The Ambitious Card (Eli Marks Mysteries) – 10:11 Acting Can Be Murder (Como Lake Players) – 21:57 Greyhound of the Baskervilles – 38:10 Michael’s Beer Pairings: Schell's Hefeweizen, August Schell Brewing Company (paired to The Ambitious Card) – 7:15 Triumphant Session IPA, Summit Brewing Company (paired to Acting Can Be Murder) – 19:51 Ellie's Brown Ale, Avery Brewing Company, Boulder Colorado (paired to Greyhound of the Baskervilles) – 7:04 Interview Highlights: Writing novels vs. writing screenplays – 15:38 Writing novels inspired by magic tricks – 18:08 On planting clues and red herrings – 26:06 Murder mystery theater – 28:54 Making audio books – 29:56 Sunday Night Magic! – 32:10 Jim's years doing voice-overs and narration – 47:39 COMING NEXT MONTH: Poet and boxer Mark Connor. Our theme music is from www.bensound.com. UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology

Fiction Author, Judith Granahan of Minnesota writes books about strong, intelligent, inventive women who get in trouble. The question is who will survive, who won't? Women have always been described as super human to sniveling child, intelligent to incompetent, collaborator to cut throat; it goes on and on. With such varied attributes in mind, Granahan creates novels full of compelling characters dealing with mystery, danger, thrills, romance, horror, and difficult choices. Someday she may even write science fiction, fantasy or historical novels. www.judithgranahanbooks.com Judy's Readings: Rose Teaches her Sons to Hate (See That House) – 10:48 Hailey Goes Off the Mountain (See That House) – 23:47 Anna Mae Shoots Her Husband's Grave (Dancers of the Third Age) – 41:25 Michael’s Beer Pairings: Obsidian Stout, Deschutes Brewery (paired to Rose Teaches her Sons to Hate) – 6:54 Zombie Dust, 3 Floyd's Brewing Company (paired to Hailey Goes Off the Mountain) – 21:10 BOMB!, Prairie Artisan Ales (paired to Anna Mae Shoots Her Husband’s Grave) – 36:58 Interview Highlights: Starting the Night Writers group – 12:23 What kind of research goes into writing about corporate financial shenanigans? – 19:16 How do you get inside the head of characters completely unlike yourself? – 25:26 Writing people who are despicable in many ways--but not two dimensional bad guys. – 31:37 Revenge is not the answer to evil--what is? – 34:02 Your characters do a lot of shooting! What's your background with guns? – 45:46 What drew you to writing about an abused woman? – 47:40 Why do some people get the strength to leave abusive situations? – 50:54 COMING NEXT MONTH: Film maker and novelist John Gaspard. Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.  

Tony Plocido is the author of three collections of poetry. The first, Sucker Punch Wisdom, was published with two other K.C. poets (Jeremy O'Neal & William Peck). His other books are Aging and Other Side Projects (2016) and Felt This So Many Times (2018). Is writing can also be found in 2019 Martin Lake Journal, Starled by Joy (2019), and 2019 Talking Stick by Jackpine Press. March 2019, he became the host/curator of the long running showcases, Poets & Pints and Writers Read.  He also is a board member for Cracked Walnut the local chapter of The League of MN Poets. You can find his work on his personal website, Mental Valley. Poets & Pints  Poets & Pints Facebook Writers Read Writers Read Facebook Mental Valley Mental Valley Facebook Tony on YouTube: Argument   Word Hinged Desire Events: Tony will be leading a virtual Poets & Pints via Zoom on April 15th. Check the Facebook page for additional information. Tony’s Readings: The Loose Loop in My Sweater – 13:04 Expense – 28:33 Awakened – 43:11 Michael’s Beer Pairings: Samuel Adams Utopias, Boston Beer Company (paired to The Loose Loop in My Sweater) – 9:16 Salted Nut Roll Cream Ale, Tin Whiskers Brewing Company (paired to Expense) – 24:13 Aspall Dry English Cider, Aspall Cider (paired to Awakened) – 40:41 Interview Highlights: Poetry as reflection on life lived and yet to be lived – 17:15 Writing on the fly, borrowing from others, writing from life – 30:22 Being a Generation X poet – 32:53 Performance poetry – 36:26 Self-affirmation – 55:55 Becoming active in the poetry scene – 48:38 Tony’s performance poetry workshop – 51:18 COMING NEXT MONTH: Judith Granahan Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Robert, Katrina, Alan and Brian enjoy some food from Cali Comfort and some adult beverages from North Park Beer Company.  We enjoyed  'Resonant" written by David Andry and colored by Harry Saxon as well as "Mars Attacks" written by Kyle Starks and art by Chris Schweizer.  Make sure to put "Resonant" on your pull list at your local comic book store.  Solid story with fantastic art.  We can't wait to see where this story is going.  We discuss how "Mars Attacks" is a fun read that presses the nostalgia button.  Enjoy!

Timothy Young has published four books and three chapbooks of poetry. He has recorded four CDs of poetry with various musicians; produced poetry and cultural videos; organized readings, cultural events, festivals and concerts; and for five years he co-hosted The Northland Literary Review on KFAI radio. His work has been chosen for The Writers Almanac, The Best American Poetry of 1999, college textbooks, many magazines and has been the inspiration for award-winning musical compositions performed in Jazz at Lincoln Center, the University of Texas-Arlington, St. Olaf College and many other venues. He has been a cattle inspector, a police and fire dispatcher in Alaska, a handy-man at an Indigenous People's clinic in Mexico, an inner-city newspaper editor, an organizer for Robert Bly's Men's Conferences, and has taught storytelling, anger management and moral judgment to at-risk youth at the Red Wing Correctional Facility. Facebook: Timothy Young Facebook: To the Palace of Kings You Tube: Timtwoboots  Upcoming Events: Tim will be performing at the 10th Annual Blues Night as part of his House Concert Series on March 6 & 7. More information can be found on the To the Palace of Kings Facebook page. Tim's Readings: Gramps and the Skunk – 10:00 1998 Calendar of Pierre-August Renoir's Paintings – 26:32 Joy Soup – 42:59 Michael’s Beer Pairings:  Heineken, Heineken International (paired to Gramps and the Skunk) – 7:10 Biere de Garde, Finnegans (paired to 1998 Calendar…) – 24:00 Lonely Blond, Fulton Beer (paired to Joy Soup) – 41:05 Interview Highlights: What is the draw we have to the stories of our ancestors? – 12:14 Tim’s start in poetry – 15:29 Who is Robert Bly? – 21:00 Artists inspiring other artists and other art forms – 29:46 About poetry and Andrew Wyeth's paintings – 31:38 Meeting Robert Bly – 35:58 Robert Bly’s place in poetry and his influence on Tim – 37:11 Having poems read at Jazz at Lincoln Center – 49:50 COMING NEXT MONTH: Poet Tony Plocido Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.  

Douglas was born Nov 28th, 1971. He got the chance to live in many different places while growing up, courtesy of the assignments the US Army offered his father. Quiet and shy, he dreamed of other worlds and places…and desired to write about them. He got into fantasy role-playing games in his mid-teens. To this day he regularly meets friends in tabletop role-playing games and online adventures. Many of his characters evolved in games, and developed their own personality. Having to rely on self-publishing for his novels, Douglas was surprised at the amount of good reviews and publicity they received. The Earthrin Stones trilogy sold more copies than expected. The Widow Brigade started its reception earning eleven straight 5-star reviews, including a recent widow who said it helped with her healing process. Douglas lives with his wife and two sons in Minnesota. He works in health care, serving people’s needs in medical imaging. Most people see him wearing scrubs. dhealoral.com   Facebook: @Dhea-Loral Twitter: @ThaminDheaLoral Upcoming events: Douglas will be at Con of the North, Feb 14-16, Crowne Plaza Minneapolis West, 3131 Campus Dr, Plymouth, Mn - A popular gaming convention featuring just about every type of gaming you can imagine. He will be at Marscon, Feb 28-Mar 2, Hilton Minneapolis/St Paul Airport/Mall of America, 3800 American Blvd E, Bloomington, Mn - A Sci-fi based convention near Mall of America, which also includes some fantasy and steampunk. Douglas's Readings: The Widow Brigade – 12:56 Sword and Path – 30:16 Boxer Earns his Wings – 44:13 Michael’s Beer Pairings: Stjørdal, Hammerheart Brewing (paired to The Widow Brigade) – 9:28 Saison Dupont, Brasserie Dupont sprl (paired to Sword and Path) – 27:02 Budweiser Copper Lager, ABInBev (paired to Boxer Earns his Wings) – 41:46 Interview Highlights: Expanding the emotional world of dwarves – 19:57 Douglas’s background as a writer – 22:34 What sparked Dhea Loral and the dwarf widow Duli? – 23:18 Male writer creating female characters – 25:54 World-building – 39:40 The steampunk world of 'Boxer' – 50:47 How does growing up in the military affect us as writers? – 53:53 COMING NEXT MONTH: Poet Tim Young Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Martin Case, freelance researcher and writer, researches political and economic networks that shaped US relationships with indigenous nations, and drove the expansion of the US across the continent. He was on the design team for Why Treaties Matter, a collaboration of the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, the Minnesota Humanities Center, and the Smithsonian Institute. His book -- The Relentless Business of Treaties: How Indigenous Land Became US Property – was published in 2018 by the Minnesota Historical Society Press. Treatysigners.org Treatiesmatter.org   We would like to extend special thanks to the Yoerg Brewing Company of St. Paul for hosting us on our first on-site recording. The Yoerg Saloon is located at 378 Maria Ave, St. Paul, Minnesota, 55106   Marty's Readings:   Relationships to Land, Kinship vs. Property, Marshall’s Doctrine of Discovery – 11:30 Making the American Myth: Whose story is it? – 31:55 From the Gospel of the Child Rabbit – 47:16   Michael’s Beer Pairings:   Samuel Smith India Ale, Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery (paired to From the Intro) – 9:55 Yoerg’s Bock, Yoerg Brewing Company (paired to On Marshall’s Doctrine of Discovery) – 29:07 Alpha State, August Schell Brewing Company (paired to From the Gospel of the Child Rabbit) – 43:47   Interview Highlights:   The fascinating history of Yoerg's Brewery--our host for episode 9 – 4:42 How Marty got involved in the Treaty Signers Project – 17:32 Treaty signer relationships vs. the American myth – 18:51 org online database – 23:16 Marshall's Doctrine of Discovery – 26:10 Implications of viewing land as kin vs. property – 37:28 Treaties as international agreements – 41:05 On writing your personal 'gospel' – 50:35 Under a speeding semi! – 52:16   COMING NEXT MONTH: Fantasy fiction writer Douglas van Dyke   Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.  

Sarah’s first novel, These Granite Islands was awarded a Loft McKnight Award; a Friends of American Writers Award, and was a Barnes & Noble Great New Writers pick, among other awards. That novel was translated into eleven languages. Her second, The Ice Chorus, was also widely translated. Her memoir Shelter: Off The Grid in the Mostly Magnetic North won a Northeast Minnesota Book Award. Her feminist trilogy Fishing With RayAnne (originally written under the pen name Ava Finch) will be re-issued by The University of MN Press, beginning in 2020. She is currently adapting that series for television, as well as writing original screenplays. Laurentian Divide, the second book in her Northern Trilogy, was the winner of the 2019 Minnesota Book Award and the NEMBA award, as well as being a 2019 National Reading Group Month selection by National Women’s Book Association. In March 2020, WPRI, Wisconsin Public Radio International’s longest running program, Chapter A Day, will feature Laurentian Divide, to be read on air by Jim Flemming. She’s currently researching and is at work on the final volume of the Northern trilogy, Watershed. Sarah has been awarded fellowships at several international residency programs, including the Tyrone Guthrie Center in Ireland; Gibraltor Center, Toronto; Hawthornden, Scotland; Art Omi, New York, and Chicago’s Ragdale Foundation, Sarah lives in Minneapolis on the Mississippi River in a renovated flour mill with her husband, musician Jon Ware. sarahstonich.com Sarahstonichbookshelf   Sarah's Readings:   Alpo Ponders Life – 16:30 Pete Meets Meg – 29:05 Sissy and the Sled Dogs – 44:41   Michael’s Beer Pairings:    Grain Belt Premium, August Schell Brewing Company (paired to Alpo Ponders Life) – 14:50 Summit Great Northern Porter – Summit Brewing Company (paired to Pete Meets Meg) – 27:20 Tip Up Winter Ale – Beaver Island Brewing (paired to Sissy and the Sled Dogs) – 42:12   Interview Highlights:   Overview of the Northern Trilogy – 13:00 Why do people read? – 24:20 What makes a great book? – 25:20 How and when did you get started writing? – 39:51 40 raw acres with a city boy – 54:16   COMING NEXT MONTH: Novelist Lyn Miller Lacoursiere, author of the Lindy Lewis Adventures   Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.  

Poet Donna Isaac is a teaching artist who organizes community readings in the Twin Cities. Published work includes a poetry book, Footfalls (Pocahontas Press), a paean to American folk music and her formative years in the Appalachians; two chapbooks, Tommy (Red Dragonfly Press); Holy Comforter (Red Bird Chapbooks); and work in journals such as the Saint Paul Almanac, the Penn Review, and AvantAppal(achia).  Persistence of Vision, a chapbook focused on Donna's love for movies, is forthcoming from Finishing Line Press, November 2019. donnaisaacpoet.com   Events   Poets Dore Kesselbach, Sharon Chmielarz, Donna Isaac, and Ethna McKiernan will read work at Magers & Quinn, 3038 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, MN, November 5, 2019, 7:00 p.m. All poets have new books for sale. Clapping Waters' Reading Series will feature Donna Isaac, Nov. 13, 6:00-6:30 (open mic: until 8:00) at River Falls Public Library (lower level) in River Falls, WI. Donna Isaac will read at Tillie's Farmhouse, 232 Cleveland Ave., St. Paul, MN, November 20, 2019, 7:00 p.m. with poet Margaret Hasse. Books for sale. Come early for dinner and music by John Wenstrom and co.   Donna’s Readings   Unravelling – 10:12 Bloodlines – 27:45 For the Love of Dance – 45:20   Michael’s Beers Oberon, Bell’s Brewery (paired to Unravelling) – 7:56 Rubaeus, Founders Brewing Co. (paired to Bloodlines) – 24:30 Let’s Dance, Urban Growler Brewing Co. (paired to For the Love of Dance) – 42:23   Interview Highlights   Childhood then & now – 12:11 Tommy Chapbook: Poems for Donna’s Brother – 17:47 Donna’s Background – 19:32 Donna’s Influences – 22:21 Influences of Growing Up in Appalachia – 31.26 Imagery of Ireland – 38:16 Interest in Family Research – 40:53 Writing About Joy and Beauty – 48:30 Themes of Donna’s Chapbooks Holy Comforter and Persistence of Vision – 55:09 The Value of Poetry – 56:37   NEXT MONTH: Author Sarah Stonich.   Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.  

Anya Johanna DeNiro lives in St. Paul. Her fiction has appeared in Catapult, One Story, Minnesota Monthly, and elsewhere. She’s currently at work on a Young Adult novel entitled My Heart Is an Unslain Dragon. Her novella City of a Thousand Feelings is forthcoming from Aqueduct Press in the winter of 2019.   LINKS @adeniro on Twitter AqueductPress.com   Upcoming Events: Laura will be reading at the Startled By JOY 2019 poetry reading and open mic on October 6th, 2019. The event takes place from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at the Troubadour Wine Bar, 2827 Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis. Michael is teaching a class on barrel-aged beer on November 19th at Zymurgy Brewing on Main Street in Menomonie, Wisconsin   Anya’s Readings: Take Pills and Wait for Hips – 10:40 City of a Thousand Feelings – 36:56 Faint Voices Increasingly Desperate – 47:14   Michael’s Beer Pairings: W. Lee’s Harvest Ale 2002 Vintage, J.W. Lee’s & Company, UK (paired to Take Pills and Wait for Hips) – 15:26 Wittekerke, De Brabandere, Belgium (paired to City of a Thousand Feelings) – 34:07 Firebrick, August Schell Brewing Company, MN (paired to Faint Voices Increasingly Desperate) – 45:07   Interview Highlights: What is an Interactive Fiction game? – 25:44 Imagery, Allegory, Writer’s Intention – 27:51 How does the Glass-Bottom Boat Image in Take Pills and Wait for Hips relate to theme of transition as a transgender woman? – 31:09 What goes into getting an MFA? – 41:15 Writing in second person – 43:11 Writing in third person present tense – 51:32 Writing transgender protagonists – 54:45   COMING NEXT MONTH: Poet Donna Isaac.   Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.  

Tekkan is the Dharma name for Barry MacDonald. He has lived in England, Japan, and Minnesota, all of which have influenced him. The themes of his life revolve around his Buddhist practice and his recovery from addiction. His books, “Everyday Mind,” look for the extraordinary hidden within everyday events. He uses the sonnet form without the rhyme scheme followed by a Japanese tanka.   LINKS https://www.facebook.com/barry.macdonald.1293   Upcoming Events: Barry and Laura will be reading at the Startled By JOY 2019 poetry reading and open mic on October 6th, 2019. The event takes place from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at the Troubadour Wine Bar, 2827 Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis.   Barry’s Readings: Reading Circles of Sober Alcoholics – 12:20 The Wood Flooring of the Zen Temple – 27:44 Like a Basset Hound – 42:39   Michael’s Beer Pairings: All Out Non-alcoholic Extra Dark, Athletic Brewing Company (paired to Reading Circles of Sober Alcoholics) – 9:16 Pilsner Urquell, Plzeňský Prazdroj (paired to The Wood Flooring of the Zen Temple) – 25:31 Heavenly Body Golden Wheat, Wellbeing Brewing Company (paired to Like a Basset Hound) – 41:30   Interview Highlights: Sonnets and the sonnet form – 13:32 Meeting Shakespeare in Amsterdam – 15:40 The influence of a well-read father – 16:42 Writing routine and meditation – 20:25 What brought you to Japan? – 31:18 The impact of travel on an artist's work – 33:49 Zen and dharma, Barry's dharma name – 35:09 Does image lead to idea or does an idea seek an image? – 45:11 The Everyday Mind series – 47:36   COMING NEXT MONTH: Novelist, short story writer and interactive fiction creator Anya Johanna DeNiro  Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.  

Kathryn Kysar is the author of two books of poetry, Dark Lake and Pretend the World, and she edited Riding Shotgun: Women Write About Their Mothers. She has received fellowships from Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts, the Minnesota State Arts Board, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies. Kysar recently served on the board of directors for the Association of Writers and Writing Programs and teaches at Anoka-Ramsey Community College and the Loft Literary Center and lives with her family in St. Paul   LINKS http://www.kathrynkysar.com/ https://twitter.com/darklake https://sonoglyphcollective.com/   Upcoming Events: Kathryn is reading at the St. Paul Irish Fair of Minnesota on August 10th. Time: 12:00 pm. Address: Eóin McKiernan Speaker’s Tent, Harriet Island. Kathryn is performing as part of the Minnesota Fringe Festival at 5:30 pm on August 10th at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She will be joined by Marie Cooney and musician Kevin Kern among others. Laura is appearing at the Startled by JOY 2019 poetry reading and open mic on August 11th. The event goes from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at the Eggroll Queen Café, 1579 Hamline Avenue North, Falcon Heights, Minnesota Laura is appearing at the Startled by JOY 2019 poetry reading and open mic on October 6th. The event goes from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at the Troubadour Wine Bar, 2827 Hennepin Avenue Minneapolis, Minnesota   Kathryn’s Readings: Escape from Paradise, Iowa – 10:09 Things I Learned from my Grandmother – 20:05 German – 22:16 Returning to Lake Superior – 42:11   Michael’s Beer Pairings Hamm’s, Hamm’s Brewing Company (paired to Escape from Paradise, Iowa) – 8:48 Fort Road Helles, August Schell Brewing Company (paired to Things I Learned from my Grandmother and German) – 18:13 Ring of Fire, Bad Weather Brewing (paired to Returning to Lake Superior) – 39:00   Interview Highlights: Kathryn’s Background – 13:11 Kathryn’s Craft; Finding Inspiration and Writing Process – 14:42 Why Poetry? – 16:21 Title and Cover of book, Pretend the World – 25:09 Organizing a Book of Poetry; Finding the Themes – 30:29 Kathryn speaks on her grandmother and the advice of yesterday and today – 33:20 Mixing music and poetry – 45:31 The future of poetry in the era of self-publishing – 51:02   COMING NEXT MONTH: Tekkan, local poet of the Everyday Mind series   Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.  

Oh college. For some, it was the best times of our lives. For others, college was less than glamorous. Nonetheless, it was a memorable time for us all. SO join us as we recall the good, the bad, and the straight up ugly of one of the most fun and reckless time in our young adult years!

Bob Miller has been a professional magician for twenty years, performing on stage and table-side magic. He has also created several of his own tricks which he sells on his website. ​ In addition to magic, Bob works as a programmer. He has created software for magicians to track customers and shows, and software for writers based on K.M. Weiland’s workbook, Outlining Your Novel.​ As if that’s not enough, Bob is now writing a five book thriller series, Chrysalis Chronology. The series is about genetically-altered humans with special powers. The first two books – The Smart Kid and The Time Leaper – are currently available, with others to follow.​  LINKS ​ http://bobmillermagic.com/blog/​ http://bobmillerauthor.com http://chrysalischronology.com https://www.facebook.com/BobMillerAuthor/​  Upcoming Events:​ Bob performs table side magic and balloon animals every Friday night at EL TORO, 10901 Douglas Drive, Champlin, MN, 6 to 8 pm. ​Free to all customers!​ Launch of Startled by JOY 2019, new poetry in classical forms, edited by Laura Vosika.​ Next Chapter Booksellers, 38 South Snelling Drive, 2 to 3:30 pm​. Music, free wine and hors d'oeuvres. ​Bob’s Readings: ​ The Trap at Lincoln from The Smart Kid, Book One​ – 13:08 The Falls from The Time Leaper, Book Two​ – 33:00 Date Night from The Proxy Agent, Book Three​- 45:55  Michael’s Beer Pairings: ​ Black Ops, Brooklyn Brewing​ (paired to The Trap at Lincoln) – 11:02 Sea Quench, Dogfish Head​ (paired to The Falls) – 30:33 Siracusa Nera, Dogfish Head​ (paired to Date Night) – 43:35  Interview Highlights: ​ Bob’s life as a magician​ – 20:25 The Pre-Date Calendar trick​ – 22:40 The Chrysalis Chronology novel series – 26:38 Why does it matter for characters to change throughout a story?​ – 40:33 The plots in magic, the plots in writing​ – 52:25  COMING NEXT MONTH: Kathryn Kysar, Twin Cities poet  Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

This week, Marnie sits down with Glen McDonald from Lexington, Oklahoma. Glen is the owner of Anomalist's Books and Brews, a used bookshop that specializes in true crime and the strange and unusual. Glen shares his experiences with Bigfoot, his thoughts on the Woo, and tells about some upcoming events that are going to be held at Anomalist's. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eerieokie/support

Summer is in full swing and Sara has some new DVDs to share. Nicole chats about Twitter and how you can vote for your favorite librarian. And Stephanie is here to talk about the new program, Books & Brews.

Herlinda calls in from Normandy, France, where she is attending the ceremony for the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. She is a few miles from Omaha Beach where the troops landed on June 6, 1944. She attended the memorial ceremony at the American Cemetery. Herlinda will be back next week with some Cider and Calvados from Normandy and some French wine for Steve. Sarah-Jane Wiseman, Michelle Novacel from Lagunitas and Adriana D’Aubuisson from the Sonoma County Public Library are here to tell about Books and Brews, an event to raise money for the Sonoma Public Library that is happening this Saturday June 8 from 7-9 pm at the Central Library in Santa Rosa. Adriana works for the non-profit foundation that raises funds to support the libraries in the county. This is the first Books and Brews event which they plan to make into an annual event. The Community Giving Department of Lagunitas has been working with thousands of non-profits in the community for a long time. Sarah-Jane has been a “beer fairy” for the eight years she has worked for Lagunitas. 60% of their donations go to non-profits inside Sonoma county. Last year they donated to 6500 events. They try to donate in every state where they legally can. They have an easy application on their website for non-profits to ask for help with their events. This event will also include other breweries, not just Lagunitas. The other partners are also local, like Bear Republic, Henhouse, Russian River, Golden State ciders, in addition to non-alcoholic beverages. Adriana tells about the 3D printer and the piano that they have available there. The library also has a lot of programs to promote literacy and reading. Mark comments on the Lagunitas Summer Lager, a clean crisp beer. He also likes Lagunitas Daytime, which is only 4% alcohol, so it’s light that way but has a lot of flavor.

This month Michael and Laura welcome Toussaint Morrison – writer, poet, musician, lyricist, actor...and more – about his multiple artistic endeavors. Toussaint writes and produces scripts for YouTube, has toured with multiple bands, has written lyrics and music for nearly 200 songs, and participates in slam poetry—among other things. Stop by and hear Toussaint reading and performing some of his work!   Toussaint Morrison is an avid mentor for youth, working as a paraprofessional in special ed. classrooms and leading spoken word workshops primarily in middle schools. He is also an Emmy award winning host of PBS's civic engagement web series, America From Scratch. Graduating from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Theater, Morrison now spends his time writing & producing film for majority casts of color.   http://www.toussaintmorrison.blogspot.comwww.urbanhomecompanion.com Youtube.com/toussaintmorrison Youtube.com/urbanhomecinema Patreon.com/toussaintmorrison   Toussaint is performing a live spoken word show at the Phoenix Theater in Minneapolis on Saturday, June 22nd.   Toussaint’s Readings: The Fight that Never Was – 12:35 Escaping Nina’s – 28:15 Baby Gots Venom – 44:40   Michael’s Beer Pairings: Miller High Life, Miller Brewing Company – 9:50 Ninja vs. Unicorn, Pipeworks Brewing Co. – 26:40 The Abyss, Deschutes Brewery – 41:38   Interview Highlights: The impact of New Orleans on Toussaint’s writing. – 19:25 Managing time—how does one person do so much? – 22:25 Urban Home Companion and Toussaint’s beef with Garrison Keillor! – 32:10 Influence of Charles Bukowski and elevating the mundane moments – 36:35 How different styles of writing lend themselves to different stories or messages – 50:45   COMING NEXT MONTH: Kathryn Kysar, Twin Cities poet   Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.