EPISODE 498 - Richie Billing - Fantasy Fiction, The Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed Podcast, and Discord communities About Richie Billing The formal spiel… Richie Billing writes all kinds of stories, but mostly fantasy fiction. His tales often explore real-world issues, zooming in on the characters and their troubles. Richie worked as a lawyer for a number of years before giving it all up to pursue writing. His short fiction has been widely published, with one story adapted for BBC radio. And in March...
Feb 10, 2025•47 min•Ep. 498
EPISODE 497 - Jacob Lawson - Make It Extraordinary - 27 Life-Changing Lessons That Will Elevate You Beyond the Ordinary Jacob Lawson is an author, speaker, personal development mentor, and serial entrepreneur who has started multiple businesses over the years, including his flooring solutions company, Extraordinary Flooring, Inc. As a graduate of “the school of hard knocks,” Jacob knows firsthand how important life experiences are, and how early mentors can continue to impact us throughout our l...
Feb 07, 2025•44 min•Ep. 497
EPISODE 496 - Sean Hagerty - Retired Special Operations Soldier and Author of JONES POINT About the author Sean Hagerty is a retired Special Operations Soldier with over 25 years of experience. He spent his younger years training and conducting combat operations with the 1st of the 75th Ranger Regiment. After nine years, in 2005 he was selected for and assigned to a Special Operations unit at Fort Belvoir Virginia. There he spent sixteen years and finished his military career, retiring as a Serg...
Feb 05, 2025•39 min•Ep. 496
Episode 495 - Jodie Kennedy - Clumsy Beauty - Hear I love you in every little moment J. K. Kennedy has been serving up bite-size poetry to a rapidly growing audience since October, 2022. An accidental creative writer and incessant (over)thinker, she enjoys her quiet life in the country with her husband and two dogs. Her love of words comes from her beloved grandmother, who introduced her to the interdimensional art of storytelling. She also makes hearty greeting cards to help people express thei...
Feb 03, 2025•50 min•Ep. 495
EPISODE 494 - Donny Young - The 4MIDABLES, Inspector Gadget, The Cannonball Run Movie and Putting Yourself Out There Writer for the iconic “INSPECTOR GADGET” cartoon series. Inspector Gadget: Volcano Island (Gadget Goes Hawaiian) Season 1, Episode 15 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlb-BKVhS3g Extra in Cannonball Run The Cannonball Run Final Scene and End Credits https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUOaxwA5Wic Excited to introduce 4 amazing Teens who solve major crimes anonymously! https://www.insta...
Jan 31, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 494
Episode 493 - Phyllis Gobbell - PRODIGAL, a Southern novel that echoes an ancient Biblical story Phyllis Gobbell’s writing career spans four decades. Her history of publication includes both fiction and nonfiction, with a total of five novels and over thirty stories and articles in literary journals, anthologies, and magazines. One of her first stories appeared in the anthology, HomeWorks, in 1996, a collection of writings by Tennessee authors living at that time, including Alex Haley, Robert Pe...
Jan 29, 2025•38 min•Ep. 493
Episode 492 - AJ Whitney - Sovereign, When Your Number is Up - Orphans Face A Dire Fate AJ Whitney is a young adult author living in the Kansas City metro with her husband of nearly 20 years and two teenagers. She is also a high school counselor, dubbed as “the punk rock school counselor.” Apart from books, which are her oldest love, she also enjoys making and listening to music, befriending every animal imaginable, playing board games, and getting sucked into D&D campaigns against her will....
Jan 27, 2025•52 min•Ep. 492
Episode 491 - Steven Joseph - Fiction, Nonfiction Author, Possibly Cranky, Lawyer and Run-On Sentences Embracing the Culture, Celebrating Milestones, and Achieving Zen Steven Joseph is a first-generation American, veteran attorney, negotiator, prolific speaker, and a modern humorist. He’s a real New Yorker. A fully cured overweight person, Steven is a five times Boston Marathon runner and 16 times NYC Marathon runner – balancing it all perfectly through the art of Zen. Yet Steven believes he is ...
Jan 24, 2025•50 min•Ep. 491
EPISODE 490 - Stacia Moffett - Lost and Found in Tennessee, set in rural Radford, Tennessee in the 1950s, Jim Crow “The Missing Girl” and “Jessa Is Back” explore the South’s cultural and racial legacies through compelling stories of friendship, resilience, and identity. Lost and Found in Tennessee, set in rural Radford, Tennessee in the 1950s, follows Jessa, whose days as an orphaned runaway undermine the carefully cultivated truce between the town’s Black and white communities. Jessa’s experien...
Jan 22, 2025•47 min•Ep. 490
EPISODE 489 - Author Darlene Campos Shares the Amazing Story of Holocaust Survivor Pete Philipps Hello! Hola! I'm Darlene P. Campos, an Ecuadorian-American author who is also a proud Houstonian. I earned my BA in English-Creative Writing with a Medicine and Society Studies minor from the University of Houston (Go Coogs!) and my MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Texas at El Paso (Go Miners!). I am the author of the young adult novels Behind Mount Rushmore, Summer Camp is Cancell...
Jan 20, 2025•48 min•Ep. 489
EPISODE 488 - Mick Heyman - Reduce Your Anxiety, Mellow Your Money, and the Rule of 72 Mick Heyman, CFA and Founder of Heyman Investment Counseling, has a 40-year career in wealth management, helping individuals and institutions of all sizes to build and preserve wealth with his stress-free method for mellowing your money. Mick started his career at a small firm in Cincinnati before moving to Louisville to focus on equities with a team of top equity managers, managing billions in assets for clie...
Jan 17, 2025•51 min•Ep. 488
EPISODE 487 - Kate Kennedy Author of Once Upon a School, building a school to serve children without housing I am a mom, a wife, a sister, and a daughter. I am a visionary and a dreamer of big dreams. I am a writer and a theology nerd. I am passionate about empowering others to share their stories through the sharing of my own. My study and research interests include identifying the places where the church meets the world and gathering the beautiful tapestry of stories that live quietly in our c...
Jan 15, 2025•46 min•Ep. 487
EPISODE 486 - Steve MacBeth - No Names No Pack Drill - An Oral History of Canadians at War in Afghanistan Steve MacBeth, a three-tour Afghan war veteran, offers a compelling, first-hand account of Canada’s involvement in one of the most protracted and most complex conflicts of the 21st century. Through vivid and unfiltered interviews with 150 frontline soldiers, this collection captures the diverse experiences of those who served. These soldiers share their stories from the front lines of Afghan...
Jan 13, 2025•52 min•Ep. 486
EPISODE 485 - Wendy Dale - Memoir Writing for Geniuses, Peru and Grandma's Pies About Wendy Dale "Wendy is the best instructor I've had, bar none. She continually pushes you and never lets you settle for good enough. She is knowledgeable, patient, helpful, and has an excellent sense of humor! I would take a class again with her anytime." -- Sandra Carpenter "Wendy is phenomenal! I've taken dozens of writing courses and completed an MFA in creative writing. Never hav...
Jan 10, 2025•51 min•Ep. 485
EPISODE 484 - Zeeva Bukai - The Anatomy of Exile, A modern-day Romeo and Juliet story between a Palestinian and a Jew Zeeva Bukai is a fiction writer, born in Israel and raised in New York City. Her stories have appeared in OfTheBook Press, Carve Magazine, Pithead Chapel, The Master’s Review, jewishfiction.net, Mcsweeney’s Quarterly Concern, Image Journal, December Magazine, The Jewish Quarterly and elsewhere. Her honors include a fellowship at the New York Center for Fiction, residencies at Hed...
Jan 08, 2025•56 min•Ep. 484
Episode 483 - Bob Johnson - Midwest Author - The Continental Divide explore the undertow of violence and sin along the St. Lawrence Divide in Northern Indiana Bob Johnson holds an MFA from the Iowa Writers Workshop. He took a disgraceful, extended break from writing short stories to follow several career paths, the most notable of which were an English professorship at Goshen College in Goshen, Indiana, and Operations Manager at WSBT-TV in South Bend. He came to his senses in the last year and i...
Jan 06, 2025•42 min•Ep. 483
EPISODE 482 - Bart Stark - Army Paratrooper, Combat Veteran, Prosecutor, Defense Attorney, Novelist Bart Stark is a U.S. Army paratrooper and a combat veteran, who later entered a life of crime as a prosecutor and defense attorney. Now, Bart is beginning the third act of his life as a novelist. After leading a vagabond life which took them across America and Europe, Bart and his wife settled in the highlands of Panama. His favorite pastime is hiking his dogs in the jungle and daydreaming dystopi...
Jan 03, 2025•41 min•Ep. 482
Episode 481 - Grinelle Buzz Desjarlais - Saving KC, exploring the human condition through the lens of addiction The new re-released edition of “Saving KC” by Grinell “Buzz” Desjarlais offers readers a unique experience by presenting two alternate endings, allowing them to choose between a hopeful conclusion or a more somber, thought-provoking one. This historical fiction novel, set against the backdrop of post-Vietnam America, delves into the complexities of addiction, recovery, and redemption. ...
Jan 01, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 481
BONUS - Book Suggestion For January 2025 - Mel Robbins - The Let Them Theory Mel Robbins' latest book, "The Let Them Theory," offers a refreshingly simple yet powerful approach to personal growth and empowerment. At its core, the book revolves around two words: "Let Them," which Robbins presents as a transformative tool for reclaiming control over one's life Key Concepts The central premise of "The Let Them Theory" is that by relinquishing the need to cont...
Dec 30, 2024•16 min
Episode 480 - Monica Singh - Pronounced Guilty - Behind bars in the Indian criminal justice system Set against the backdrop of contemporary India, Pronounced Guilty is a thought-provoking tale that delves deep into the complexities of the human psyche, exploring themes of second chances and the pursuit of justice. In a world where moral boundaries blur and the line between right and wrong is often obscured, Pronounced Guilty prompts readers to question their perceptions of criminals and the Indi...
Dec 30, 2024•42 min•Ep. 480
Episode 479 - Jo Ann Fawcett - The Prince Was Wrong, Leaving the Narcissist Behind Book: The Prince Was Wrong: Leaving the Narcissist Behind After eighteen years of marriage to her seventh husband – an inmate in a state prison, Jo Ann Fawcett realized that her now-ex was a narcissist. The Prince Was Wrong: Leaving the Narcissist Behind is Jo Ann’s second memoir and shares her journey through this problem that affects millions. You will learn the red flags of this type of abuse. You will experien...
Dec 27, 2024•34 min•Ep. 479
Episode 478 - CB Strul - CONNECTIVITY, a new science fiction novel that combines gaming and motherhood C.B. Strul is author of The Ancient Ones and founder of Odom’s Library. He also has in print three novellas: Spinners , Forget the Complex , and What Grows from the Stump of a Tree? His short play Leading the Blind was produced in Los Angeles by the former artist organization ImageneseFree. And his three Minuet short films as well as the animated feature screenplay for Critter Crossing have rec...
Dec 25, 2024•40 min•Ep. 478
Episode 477 - Ben Hawken - Author of Chandelier - A Family, a Crisis, a Signal Ben Hawken is the award-winning creator of several beloved video series and a small handful of children. Previously, he was the author of zero other books and graduated with honors from a community college, as well as a real college. He lives outside Seattle with his family. Book: Chandelier A Family, a Crisis, a Signal. At the height of the Cold War, Sienna Barrett was an unremarkable and otherwise anonymous child. S...
Dec 23, 2024•47 min•Ep. 477
Episode 476 - Bruce Stock - We Throw a Curve Ball with Switch Pitcher and The Canadian Veterans Party Meet Local Author & Veteran Bruce Stock Bruce Stock was in Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry; he was the first PPCLI officer to become a vice-regal aide-de-camp to the Governor-General. He served at Rideau Hall with the Vaniers from 1964 to 1966 and was there with the Governor-General and Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson as they inaugurated and unfurled the new Canadian flag in 196...
Dec 20, 2024•42 min•Ep. 476
Episode 475 - Tami Kiekhaefer - How The Movie, A Man Called Otto Speaks to Anxiety, Loneliness and our Ungaurded Minds A Little About Me After over 20 years in the field of psychology and social work, I still feel a passion for the work I provide to my clients as well as continuing to develop my personal and professional skills. I enjoy working with adults and adolescents in all capacities. Witnessing the transformation as people move from wounded, unbalanced and fearful, to becoming empowered, ...
Dec 18, 2024•47 min•Ep. 475
Episode 474 - Lily Iona MacKenzie - Dreaming Myself into Old Age, One Woman's Search for Meaning I don’t have hayseed clinging to my trousers, but growing up on a Canadian farm gave me a unique foundation as a writer. I sprouted under cumulous clouds that bloomed everywhere in Alberta’s big sky. They were my first creative writing instructors, scudding across the heavenly blue, constantly changing shape: one minute an elephant, bruised and brooding. The next morphing into a rabbit or a cast...
Dec 16, 2024•34 min•Ep. 474
Episode 473 - Joe Herod - In A World of Writers be a Storyteller - Joe’s journey from dusty boxes to literary dreams is nothing short of magical Joe Herod, or as the literary world knows him, JS Herod, channels the spirits of Ernest Hemingway, Jack London, and Patrick Rothfuss in his writing. Born in Dallas, Texas, Joe's early years were spent crisscrossing the country, courtesy of his father's military career. Naturally, Joe caught the travel bug and spent years on the move himself. I...
Dec 13, 2024•53 min•Ep. 473
Episode 472 - Natasha Sharma - Beneath Divided Skies - Based on the ‘Rescue and Restoration Act of 1949’ About the author Natasha Sharma is a freelance software developer who moonlights as a writer. She has been a voracious consumer of the written word since her childhood and is never without a book (or a Kindle) by her side. A true blue feminist, she is passionate about creating awareness on gender inequality and other social issues. At the same time, her work displays a characteristic streak o...
Dec 11, 2024•46 min•Ep. 472
BONUS - Share Your Story, Poem and Writings Here on Living The Next Chapter Thanks for supporting this podcast! I am putting in place a new way to support authors, writers and poets in their writing journey! I want to feature your writings here on Living The Next Chapter. Share your poem, a portion of your chapter, something that you are working on - and do so right here on the podcast. The opportunity to share your work in progress with the world! Go to my website, click on the "Speak Pipe...
Dec 10, 2024•15 min
Episode 471 - Rebecca Hendricks - Hard Dog's Night - Hound Dog Series, historical fiction, coming-of-age, and the power of music Rebecca Hendricks is a writer and author of the new novel Hound Dogged. Rebecca has made a career doing accounting and Judicial Assistant work, but her passion has always been writing and creating colorful and exciting stories. Starting at a young age, Rebecca could be found in her room, spending countless hours writing stories in long hand or typing her work with...
Dec 09, 2024•35 min•Ep. 471
