EPISODE 704 - Sasha Preston - The Sweetest Getaway, a gripping, girl-powered caper About Sasha Preston Originally from Michigan, I’ve made my home in the perfectly weatherless land of Southern California. I fell in love with a boy from Orange County and never looked back. I write women’s fiction crime capers that help you to escape your daily reality, feel a sense of excitement, and plan your next adventure – all with some humor and close friendship thrown into the mix. They say you should write...
Apr 24, 2026•41 min•Ep. 704
EPISODE 703 - Michael Hunter - Resilience for leaders in tech, integrating heart, mind, body, and spirit to sustain leaders In this episode of Living The Next Chapter, host Dave welcomes Michael, a seasoned guide for tech leaders who positions himself not as a fixer, but as a partner uncovering hidden dynamics that sap energy and stall progress in teams. From Columbia, Missouri—near the quirky geographic heart of the continental U.S.—Michael shares his winding path: childhood passions for drawin...
Apr 22, 2026•32 min•Ep. 703
EPISODE 702 - John R. Carlos - Retired Royal Australian Air Force Wing Commander and Author of Cryonic Dreams, Awakening Amazon Bestselling Author John R. Carlos Launches a Bold Sci-Fi Trilogy That Confronts Power, Control and the Ethics of Resurrection About John R. Carlos Born in Madrid and raised in Perth, Australia, John R. Carlos is a retired Royal Australian Air Force Wing Commander. Over a 42-year career, he served in a variety of roles across Australia and on deployments to Egypt, Iraq, ...
Apr 20, 2026•43 min•Ep. 702
EPISODE 701 - Julie A Swanson - North of Tomboy, Trying to Find Your Spot and Fit In As A Kid In this episode of Living The Next Chapter, Dave sits down with author Julie A. Swanson to talk about her novel North of Tomboy and the real-life experiences that shaped it. Julie shares that she has been writing since childhood, creating handmade books her mom would “send off to be published,” even though nothing actually happened with them. Although she originally dreamed of being a writer, she was st...
Apr 17, 2026•43 min•Ep. 701
Episode 700 - Dominick Domasky - Motivation Champs, Creative Sparks for Authors and Creative Facing Lackluster Results In this episode, Dominick Domasky shares an encouraging and practical conversation about purpose, consistency, and the long game of creating meaningful work. He reflects on the early mistakes he made with his first book, the years it took to find his direction, and how those experiences shaped a mission that is no longer centered on himself but on helping other people share stor...
Apr 15, 2026•45 min•Ep. 700
EPISODE 699 - Mark Peres - The Accord - The Accord, a defining novel about the future of human-AI relations This episode features author Mark Peres, who shares the story of his rich and varied life journey as a writer, educator, and civic leader based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Mark describes growing up as the son of an international import-export salesman, moving often between port cities, which helped him build a deep appreciation for diverse cultures and human connections. He eventually se...
Apr 13, 2026•53 min•Ep. 699
EPISODE 698 - Joe Battaglia - Award-winning journalist, From High School Sports to Olympic Coverage - We Go for Gold “Beneath The Rings” Joe Battaglia is a seasoned and award-winning journalist who spent years in The Olympics arena. With over two decades in sports media, Battaglia has led content creation across news, politics, and athletics, including a role on the NBCOlympics.com team that earned a Sports Emmys for Outstanding New Approaches To Sports Event Coverage for the 2008 Beijing and 20...
Apr 10, 2026•49 min•Ep. 698
Episode 697 - Rae Dumont - In the Shadow of Silence - A Novel of love and joy leading to the descent of untreated depression and unbearable loss In this episode, author Rae Dumont shares the inspiration behind her novel In the Shadow of Silence , a story drawn from her decades as a pediatrician and family therapist. Living in a New Jersey suburb near Manhattan, Dumont explains how the book demanded to be written, capturing fundamental truths about families facing mental health struggles, particu...
Apr 08, 2026•54 min•Ep. 697
EPISODE 696 - Heather Ogden - The Lies We Fear - The Betrayal, Dark Fantasy, Power and Control, Truth as Rebellion Heather Ogden is a writer, fantasy worldbuilder, and lifelong storyteller who finds strength in solitude and meaning in imagination. As an introvert, she’s always been drawn to quiet spaces where deep emotions and layered characters can unfold without noise. She writes to explore identity, power, and the fragile line between loyalty and truth—often through morally gray characters an...
Apr 06, 2026•45 min•Ep. 696
EPISODE 695 - Becca Pearce - You Don’t Have to Achieve to Be Loved - Identity, Health Scare and Rebuilding, and For What In this heartfelt conversation, Becca Pearce shares her personal journey from striving for relentless achievement to discovering the simple truth that love does not depend on accomplishment. Joining from Baltimore, Maryland, Becca recounts how her community, the influence of her city’s sporting legacy, and her close network of family and friends helped shape her sense of self....
Apr 03, 2026•41 min•Ep. 695
EPISODE 694 - Anna B Reardon - Wethersfield Road - A love letter to anyone who’s ever felt like they were too much Living The Next Chapter welcomes author Anna B. Reardon to dive into her debut novel, Wethersfield Road, and the deeply human journey behind it. Speaking from her home in Austin, Texas, Anna shares the vibrant backdrop of her city and how its mix of nature and creativity mirrors the many layers of her own story—a story of recovery, self-discovery, and learning to love being “too muc...
Apr 01, 2026•47 min•Ep. 694
EPISODE 693 - Lally Pia - Fortune Teller’s Prophecy: A Memoir of an Unlikely Doctor Lally Pia is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and an award-winning author. Her debut memoir, The Fortune Teller’s Prophecy: A Memoir of an Unlikely Doctor was published by She Writes Press in April, 2024. It received first place in the Chanticleer International Book Awards (2023), third place at the Independent Book Publisher Awards (2024) and second place at Book Fest (2024). Lally was a finalist in the natio...
Mar 30, 2026•43 min•Ep. 693
EPISODE 692 - Sandra Freels - Anneke Jans in the New World - an ordinary woman who lived an extraordinary life Originally from Indiana, Sandra Freels majored in Russian at Indiana University and then completed a PhD in Slavic Languages and Literatures at Stanford University. The author of three textbooks, for many years she headed the Russian Program at Portland State University. An interest in genealogy led Sandra to the Council Records of New Netherland and the delicious stories of the people ...
Mar 27, 2026•47 min•Ep. 692
Episode 691 - Laura L Engel - You’ll Forget This Ever Happened - Secrets, Shame, and Adoption in the 1960s This intimate conversation with memoirist Laura Engel explores late blooming creativity, the cost of secrecy, and the profound impact of reunion and loss across generations. Speaking from the foothills outside San Diego, Laura reflects on beginning her first book at sixty eight, transforming decades of journals and memories into a deeply personal memoir about closed adoption in the nineteen...
Mar 25, 2026•51 min•Ep. 691
EPISODE 690 - Cindy Eastman - True Confessions of An Ambivalent Caregiver, Grief, Loss and The Next Chapter About the author Cindy Eastman is a writer and an educator. Her career has taken a wide and diverse route from introducing computer skills to elementary schoolchildren, teaching freshman English as an adjunct at a community college to facilitating a writing course for seniors for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. In her weekly essay on Substack called Silver Linings, she discusses get...
Mar 23, 2026•51 min•Ep. 690
EPISODE 689 - Matthew Neal Boedy - The Seven Mountains Mandate - Exposing the Dangerous Plan to Christianize America and Destroy Democracy A movement driven by prosperity preachers, extremist politicians, and right-wing power brokers laid the groundwork for Trump’s presidency and is now advancing its agenda under his second administration. This multipronged effort against our national institutions is being led by millennial “kingmaker” Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and the new face ...
Mar 20, 2026•41 min•Ep. 689
EPISODE 688 - Ruth A Milligan - The Juniper Ridge Trilogy - A Dystopian Science Fiction Thriller Series Ruth A. Milligan writes Science Fiction and Horror stories. She found her love of writing in grade school where she pounded out her stories on an old typewriter heavier than her and spent almost every day reading at the public library. When she's not writing, Ruth enjoys dance, hockey, airplanes, really strong coffee, and meeting new people. She published her first book in December 2023. https...
Mar 18, 2026•41 min•Ep. 688
EPISODE 687 - Carter Vance - A story of living, loving and growing up on Canada's Parliament Hill In this engaging episode, author Carter Vance shares his writing journey with host Dave, connecting as fellow Canadians. Originally from the small town of Cobourg, Ontario—famous for its literal Big Apple roadside sculpture and summer beach—Carter credits a high school teacher's encouragement for launching his creative path. She connected him with local cafe owners for poetry readings, sparking his ...
Mar 16, 2026•42 min•Ep. 687
EPISODE 686 - Richard Walter - DEADPAN is a funny novel about an unfunny subject - Hate speech and bigotry Richard Walter is an author of best-selling fiction and nonfiction, celebrated storytelling educator, screenwriter, script consultant, lecturer and retired professor who led the screenwriting program in the film school at UCLA for several decades. He has written scripts for the major studios and television networks; lectured on screenwriting and storytelling and conducted master classes thr...
Mar 13, 2026•58 min•Ep. 686
EPISODE 685 - Scott Hatfield - The Shadow of Cáelunárra, Semi-Clean and NO SPICE - Epic Dark Immersive Fantasy About the author Scott A. Hatfield Jr. is a lifelong storyteller, political scientist, and avid hiker who blends myth, emotion, and world-shaping prophecy into his writing. Based in the Intermountain West, Scott draws inspiration from the raw landscapes of Utah, his academic studies, and the human struggles that echo through history. He earned his Master of Public Administration from Ut...
Mar 11, 2026•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 685
EPISODE 684 - Cyndi Brec - THE THERANS SERIES, hidden truths, the weight of untold legends, and the power of preserving the past while daring to shape the future My name is Cyndi Brec. I love writing my heroine into dangerous webs of deception while I sip French vanilla iced coffee. I'm an avid reader turned YA fantasy romance writer with a strong background in Recreational Therapy who has penned The Therans Series. I have never thought of myself as an author, more of a storyteller. During my do...
Mar 09, 2026•44 min•Ep. 684
EPISODE 683 - Anson Joaquin - Author of Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction and Epic Fantasy - The Infernal Age series Anson Joaquin joins the show from Roanoke, Virginia, a mountain town he describes with both affection and humor. While the location may have been jokingly dismissed by others, it provides the peaceful setting where Anson balances family life, a full time job, and his work as a novelist. Anson shares how his love of storytelling began early. As a child he was introduced to fantasy a...
Mar 06, 2026•48 min•Ep. 683
EPISODE 682 - Ben Schenkman - Author of The Devil You Know Series, Representation and Stories That Include All Voices Ben Schenkman likes many things in life: his 20-pound Maine coon cat, his family, his coffee, and his eclectic hobbies—not necessarily in that order. Ben also likes to play devil’s advocate in his urban fantasy books by exploring the gray areas of good and evil with questions like, “Does the end really justify the means? Or is it all simply black and white?” Ben leaves these ques...
Mar 04, 2026•47 min•Ep. 682
EPISODE 681 - Lisa Cheek - Twenty-five year career editing feature films and TV, The Big Day Lisa Cheek’s writing career began after a twenty-five year career editing feature films and TV commercials. Her first memoir, “Sit, Cinderella, Sit”, was a People Magazine pick, an Amazon Bestseller, made Zibby’s Most Anticipated Books for 2025 and was a Next Generation Indy Award finalist in Women’s Literature. She’s written for both radio and television and is published in LA Poets and Writers Collecti...
Mar 02, 2026•31 min•Ep. 681
EPISODE 680 - John Newton - Historical science fiction, a stone that heals anything, look-alikes, and time travelers losing their tools About John Newton Born in Simi Valley, California, John Newton attended twelve different schools until he finally got it right and was graduated from a high school on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The Cypriots soon realized it was in their national interest to ship John back to the United States. He meandered through college until the administration bribed...
Feb 27, 2026•44 min•Ep. 680
EPISODE 679 - Eric Nierstedt - Author of the urban fantasy series, the pantheon saga About the author Eric Nierstedt grew up in central New Jersey, raised on a healthy diet of TV, comic books, and way, way too many books. As a child, he constantly daydreamed about his favorite stories, and re-adapting them to accommodate the early characters he was creating (and really, who didn't think that Lord of the Rings could use more characters?). In high school, Eric started the early drafts of what woul...
Feb 25, 2026•45 min•Ep. 679
EPISODE 678 - Robert Howell - Canadian Author of the Gothic Horror, Blood Castle, the sequel to Blood Mansion Robert Howell has a range of skills and experiences, having studied Business Administration in college while taking courses in literature, poetry, cartography, and supernatural studies. After completing college, he joined the military to satisfy his urge to travel across Canada and various parts of Europe. Following his military service, he spent 40 years in real estate, starting as an ...
Feb 23, 2026•46 min•Ep. 678
EPISODE 677 - Peter Cotton - Tales from Frank the Snake for Children from a Doctor, Grandfather and Storyteller Peter Cotton is a retired physician living on Dewees Island in South Carolina, writing fun books for young children about Fred the lovable snake and his friends. Peter grew up in England where the first tale was conceived long ago as a bedtime story for his then young children about how (not) to cross the road. When they had their kids, they asked what happened to “Fred-Fred”. Peter te...
Feb 20, 2026•35 min•Ep. 677
EPISODE 676 - Jennifer Celeste Briggs - Watching Sarah Rise - A Journey of Thriving With Autism Jennifer Celeste Briggs has a BA in English Literature from Swarthmore college. She lives in Pittsburgh, PA with her husband and two daughters. Her daughter Sarah has a genetic anomaly and autism. When Sarah was four, Jenny decided to run a Son-Rise Program for her, calling it Sarah-Rise, and training at the Autism Treatment Center of America. The Son-Rise Program is a loving child-centered approach t...
Feb 18, 2026•49 min•Ep. 676
Episode 675 - David Niemitz - Writer and Teacher - Guild Mage, a serial fantasy novel Writer and teacher David Niemitz joins the show from Connecticut to talk about his dual life in the classroom and on the page, and how both worlds feed each other. He shares how teaching “film as literature” to high school seniors, using stories like Star Wars, The Matrix, Moana and The Princess Bride to explore the Hero’s Journey, keeps him immersed in narrative structure, character arcs, and mythic storytelli...
Feb 16, 2026•54 min•Ep. 675
