Bringing Life To Characters

My next guest is author Pat Daily. Pat Daily is the CEO of Boundary Layer, Inc., a company dedicated to improving human performance in high-risk endeavors. He is a polymath, serial entrepreneur, gamer, and the author of The SPARK Chronicles, a near future science fiction series.

My next guest is author Ben Leman. Ben Leman is a businessman, rancher, and fourth generation Texan. His craving for adventure has taken him on extended trips to remote parts of Alaska, elk hunting in mountain wildernesses, flying as a licensed pilot, and on travels all over the world. Of Scottish decent, Ben has spent years studying the clashes between Highland clans, and particularly, the content of this story. His quest to understand their complexities has taken him to many of the locations in Scotland mentioned in his debut novel, Between the Tines.

My next guest is author Amy Shannon. Amy is a legend keeper, storyteller, and historian whose roots run deep in upstate New York. A lifelong resident of the Capital Region—Albany, Schenectady, and Saratoga Counties—Amy calls the Ballston Spa/Malta area is her true hometown, a place where she’s planted her heart and built a life of meaning.A mother of four, Amy, shares a close bond with three of her sons, each one a steadfast supporter of her creative journey. She is the founder of the acclaimed Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews, a professional book reviewer, editor, author promoter, and host of the Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews podcast on Spotify.

My next guest is author TK Cassidy. After 40 years of traveling, award-winning author TK Cassidy has returned home to Montana. She has always been drawn to writing. From the moment she first held a pencil, she felt a profound sense of purpose. By the age of seven, she had already developed a writer's callus on her finger—a testament to her unwavering dedication that persists even after 60 years.Her versatility as a writer is evident in her inability to confine herself to a single genre. At times, her wicked sense of humor takes center stage, crafting stories about unlikely characters like 70-year-old sisters turned cat burglars (yes, really!) or the endearing Scruffy, whose quest for a grand prize will leave you in stitches.

My next guest is author Ann Charles. Ann is a USA Today Bestselling author who writes hilarious, sometimes hair-raising, award-winning books filled with humor, mystery, adventure, romance, supernatural, and more! She has a B.A. in English (creative writing) from the Univ. of Washington. When she isn't escaping into story worlds filled with rowdy characters, she's arm wrestling her kids, road tripping with her husband, and arguing with her sassy cats.

My next guest is author Seth Voorhees. Seth is a Black Hills Author. Living in the Black Hills of South Dakota. He enjoys drawing from his experiences as a social worker, particularly in adolescent development and mental health, to shape his characters and their journeys through human morality and challenges. He identifies himself as a dark fiction author because his writing spans over several genres. He resides in Rapid City with his partner and stepdaughter. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree with an emphasis in sociology and psychology from Black Hills State University.

My next guest is author Liisa Kovala. Liisa is a Finnish Canadian author, book coach, and podcaster. Like Water for Weary Souls (2025) is her second historical novel. Liisa is the author of Sisu's Winter War (Latitude 46, 2022) and Surviving Stutthof: My Father's Memories Behind the Death Gate (Latitude 46, 2017) which was shortlisted for a Northern Lit Award and published in Finland by Docendo (2020). Liisa lives with her husband in Greater Sudbury, Ontario. She is inspired by her Finnish heritage and the northern landscape she calls home.

My next guest is author Jim Nesbitt. Jim is the author of five hard-boiled Texas crime thrillers that feature battered but dogged Dallas PI Ed Earl Burch — THE LAST SECOND CHANCE, a Silver Falchion finalist; THE RIGHT WRONG NUMBER, an Underground Book Reviews “Top Pick”; THE BEST LOUSY CHOICE, a Silver Falchion winner; THE DEAD CERTAIN DOUBT, a 2024 Independent Press Awards best crime fiction winner; and, THE FATAL SAVING GRACE, a December 2025 release. Nesbitt was a journalist for more than 30 years, serving as an editor and roving correspondent for newspapers and wire services in Alabama, Florida, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Washington, D.C. He chased hurricanes, earthquakes, plane wrecks, presidential candidates, wildfires, rodeo cowboys, migrant field hands, neo-Nazis and nuns with an eye for the telling detail and an ear for the voice of the people who give life to a story. He is a lapsed horseman, pilot, hunter and saloon sport with a keen appreciation for old guns, vintage cars and trucks, good cigars, aged whiskey and a well-told story. He now lives in Athens, Alabama.

My next guest is author Kristine Jensen. Kristine is a lifelong writer whose work has spanned scripts, screenplays, and storytelling for brands and organizations. She has spent her career shaping narratives, crafting voices, and distilling complex ideas into language that connects. Born and raised in South Dakota, Kristine drew inspiration for her first novel from the minutes of her grandmother’s real-life women’s club, which met for more than sixty years. She now lives in Oregon, where she writes fiction that celebrates women’s inner lives, unlikely friendships, and the quiet power of small towns.

My next guest is author John DeDakis. John is an award-winning novelist, writing coach, and manuscript editor and a former editor on CNN's "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer." DeDakis is the author of six mystery-suspense-thriller novels. In his most recent novel, ENEMIES DOMESTIC, protagonist Lark Chadwick is a pregnant White House press secretary at a time in the not-too-distant future when abortion is a crime and the president is a dictator. DeDakis, a former White House correspondent, regularly leads writing workshops at literary centers and writers’ conferences. He is also the host of the video podcast “One-to-One with John DeDakis” on YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Originally from La Crosse, Wisconsin, DeDakis now lives with his wife Cindy in Baltimore, Maryland. In his spare time, what little he has of it, DeDakis is a jazz and rock-and-roll drummer.

My guest is USA Today Bestselling author Lynessa Layne. Lynessa is a native Texan from the small town of Plantersville. She’s a fan of exploration, history, the beach (though she’s photosensitive), Jesus, and America too (RIP Tom). In addition to being an avid reader, she's obsessed with music of all types (hence her reference to Tom Petty). As a child, she created music videos in her mind and played Barbies perhaps a little longer than most with her little sister not yet realizing she was writing and enacting stories all along. Though she's put away the dolls, she now uses her novels as an updated, grown-up version of the same play. A military wife, she’s bounced around the US, including the settings in her Don’t Close Your Eyes series, currently landing in the heart of sweet home Alabama where she and her husband are raising their blended family. Best known as the author of the romantic suspense mystery series, Don’t Close Your Eyes, Lynessa is also a certified copy editor and a member of Mystery Writers of America with work featured by Writer’s Digest and Mystery and Suspense Magazine. She has also graced the cover of GEMS (Godly Entrepreneurs & Marketers) Magazine and was a finalist for Killer Nashville’s 2022 Silver Falchion Awards for Best Suspense and 2022 Reader’s Choice.

My Guest is Author Andre Gonzalez. Andre Gonzalez is the international bestselling author of the Wealth of Time Series, and co-owner of M4L Publishing. After surviving the Aurora Theater Shooting in 2012, Andre was inspired to chase his lifelong dream of pursuing a career as an author. This tragedy gave him a new appreciation for life along with a drive to make the world a better place by publishing books readers all around the world can enjoy. He has written over twenty time-travel, thriller, and horror books after spending many years reading and studying the works of Stephen King and Dean Koontz. Keeping readers up late and their hearts pumping faster than normal is his ultimate goal. Andre was the recipient of the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers 2021 Independent Writer of the Year award. When he’s not writing, you can find Andre buried underneath a long to-do list or chasing around his three hyper children. He and his wife are raising their family in their hometown of Denver, CO.

My guest is best-selling author Bruce Most. Bruce writes crime whodunits and short stories. His latest whodunit is NO TIME FOR MURDER. A former crime writer living a rat-race family and professional life reluctantly agrees to investigate whether his best friend’s death was murder, not suicide. Now if he can just find the time. Bruce grew up on a diet of famous whodunit writers including Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen, and his grandfather’s collection of Perry Mason books. Many mystery readers love figuring out the puzzle, and Bruce believes in playing fair with them. His favorite mystery writer remains the great Raymond Chandler, whom he pays homage to in the award-winning mystery, MURDER ON THE TRACKS and its sequel, THE BIG DIVE. His award-winning ROPE BURN features a former big city detective caught up in rustling and murder in contemporary Wyoming cattle country. Yep, cattle rustling still exists. He also is the author of the Ruby Dark bail bond mysteries, BONDED FOR MURDER and MISSING BONDS.

For this episode I'll be streaming live within the Wild Deadwood Reads Facebook group with a few guests stars, including author Johny Weber. I'll be talking about the Wild Deadwood Reads Event being held in Deadwood South Dakota starting June 13th thru the 15th.

Renée Pawlish is the bestselling author of the Reed Ferguson mystery series, the Sarah Spillman police procedural series, the Dewey Webb historical mystery series, supernatural mystery Nephilim Genesis of Evil, and more.

I will be interviewing Best-Selling Mystery Crime author Mike Faricy. Faricy's tightly woven Dev Haskell series is penned with a delightful sense of humor and even some romance. His Jack Dillon Dublin Tales series features US Marshal Jack Dillon who is sent to Dublin and decides to stay. The Hotshot series consists of zany, delightfully entertaining standalone crime tales. The Corridor Man series is a bit more gritty and a lot more violent.

My guest will be award-winning mystery and thriller author Carmen Amato, best known for the Detective Emilia Cruz police series set in Acapulco. The series draws on her 30 years with the Central Intelligence Agency and knowledge of the war on drugs.

My guest will be Nancy S. Thompson, an award-winning author of three published thrillers - The Mistaken, Leverage, and Stirred. Her two conspiracy thrillers - Against Orders was recently released. And Proximity to Power - is coming soon. Nancy lives with her husband in Seattle, where she owns and runs her own interior and architectural design business. She’s also a freelance editor, paints abstracts, and loves to play piano.

My guest is Jodi Bowersox, an award-winning author and artist with more than 25 books for children and adults. Her novels span genres from faith fiction to suspense to time travel to sci fi, with small town, big city, and interplanetary settings. Known for her twisty mysteries and page-turning action, even her faith fiction books are full of suspense. Her children's books, under the name J.B. Stockings, tackle issues like personal care, responsibility, diversity, unconditional love and just plain fun for children aged 0-10.

Join me as I interview award-winning author Leigh M. Hall. Leigh is a believer in fairytales, the kind that keep some people up at night. Leigh published her first novel, Girl Bully (a best-selling psychological thriller), in 2020. Since then, she has published many more intensely dark and captivating novels. Many of her books can be listened to through Audible and Apple books.

Bruce Robert Coffin is the award-winning author of the Detective Byron Mysteries, co-author of The Turner and Mosley Files along with bestselling author LynDee Walker, and author of the forthcoming Detective Justice Mysteries. A former detective sergeant with more than twenty-seven years in law enforcement, he supervised all homicide and violent crime investigations for Maine's largest city. Following the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, Bruce spent four years investigating counter-terrorism cases for the FBI, earning the Director's Award, the highest award a non-agent can receive.

This week I'll be interviewing audiobook producer Phillip Polite to talk about the books he's produced, which includes two of my books.

This week I have two for the price of one, with award-winning authors S. Lee Manning and J.B. Manning. The married couple, both lawyers and each with new books we'll discuss. Deadly Choice is out Sept 18th and The Kingdom of the Hatch on Sept. 25th.

Margaret Mizushima is the author of the award-winning and internationally published Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries. Active within the writing community, Margaret serves as past president for the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, was elected the 2019 Writer of the Year by Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, and is also a member of Northern Colorado Writers, Sisters in Crime, and Women Writing the West. She and her husband recently moved from their home in Colorado to the Pacific Northwest.

On this episode, I'll chat with Jim Nesbitt, the author of four hard-boiled Texas crime thrillers that feature battered but dogged Dallas PI Ed Earl Burch. Nesbitt was a journalist for more than 30 years, serving as an editor and roving correspondent for newspapers and wire services in Alabama, Florida, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Washington, D.C. He chased hurricanes, earthquakes, plane wrecks, presidential candidates, wildfires, rodeo cowboys, migrant field hands, neo-Nazis and nuns with an eye for the telling detail and an ear for the voice of the people who give life to a story.

On this edition I'll be interviewing author, Mary Yungeberg. Mary has been an avid writer all her life. After graduating from Iowa State University with a B.S. in Animal Science and almost a minor in English, she pursued several careers that included selling hybrid swine breeding stock, professional resume writing, and the airline industry. Along the way she wrote numerous freelance articles, raised two rambunctious sons and showed her National Show Horses and Arabians. In 2008, on an Alaska cruise, relaxing for the first time in decades, she made the decision to pursue the career she’d always dreamed of: writing thrillers.

My guest will be Reed Farrel Colemen. Called a hard-boiled poet by NPR’s Maureen Corrigan and the noir poet laureate in the Huffington Post, Reed Farrel Coleman is the New York Times-bestselling author of thirty-one novels—including six in Robert B. Parker’s Jesse Stone series—short stories, poetry, and essays. In addition to his acclaimed series characters, Moe Prager and Gus Murphy, he has written the stand-alone novel Gun Church and collaborated with decorated Irish crime writer Ken Bruen on the novel Tower. Reed is a four time Edgar Award nominee in three different categories: Best Novel, Best Paperback Original, and Best Short Story. He is a four-time recipient of the Shamus Award for Best PI Novel of the Year. He has also won the Audie, Macavity, Barry, and Anthony Awards.

My next guest on Bringing Life to Characters is Helen Starbuck. A Colorado native and former OR nurse, Helen Starbuck is an award-winning author of The Annie Collins Mystery Series and standalone contemporary romantic suspense. No relation to the coffee bunch, she (sadly) doesn't get free coffee. She has two crabby cats and a retired 22-year-old pampered pasture-pet horse. When she’s not writing, you can find her dressing up like a princess and ballroom dancing with her friends or reading books about strong women and interesting men who find themselves in suspense-filled situations.

This month's guest is T.O. Paine. An award-winning author of fast-paced thriller suspense novels. He is a member of International Thriller Writers and holds a master’s degree in computer information systems. When he is not writing, you can find him running and cycling through the mountains of Colorado, USA. T.O. has run fifty marathons in fifty states, ridden his road bike over 10,000 miles up 10,000-foot mountains, and completed an IRONMAN.

This week I'll have Award-winning author Kathleen Donnelly, who was a handler for Sherlock Hounds Detection Canines—a Colorado-based narcotics K-9 company. She retired from the K-9 work, but continues to enjoy crafting realism into her fictional stories from her dog-handling experience. Along with working dogs, Kathleen trained horses and loves spending time with her own mare. Her love of the mountains came from growing up in Colorado where her father worked for the U.S. Forest Service. She has a B.A. in Journalism from Colorado State University and formerly wrote for The Berthoud Weekly Surveyor where she won a Colorado Press Award. Her debut novel, Chasing Justice, won a Best Book Award from the American Book Fest, a PenCraft Award for Romantic Suspense and was a 2023 Silver Falchion finalist in the Suspense category and Readers’ Choice Award. Her second book, Hunting The Truth, was a Colorado Authors League finalist in the mystery category and a 2024 Silver Falchion finalist for the Reader’s Choice Award. She lives near the Colorado foothills with her husband and four-legged friends.

This month my guest is award-winning author MARY KELIIKOA the author of DON'T ASK, DON'T FOLLOW, a domestic thriller, the Silver Falchion Finalist and Ippy Silver Award-winning HIDDEN PIECES and Silver Falchion Finalist, Foreword Indie Finalist, and Ippy Bronze Award-winning DEADLY TIDES in the Misty Pines mystery series featuring small-town Sheriff Jax Turner. In addition, the author of the PI Kelly Pruett mystery series, which was a Shamus and CLUE Finalist and nominated for a Lefty, Agatha & Anthony for best debut. Her short stories have appeared in Woman’s World and in the anthology Peace, Love and Crime.

My guest this week is #1 Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Barbara Nickless, who promised her mother she’d be a novelist when she grew up. What could be safer than sitting at a desk all day? But a sense of adventure led her astray for a few decades. Now an award-winning author and creative writing instructor, she spends her free time snowshoeing, caving and hiking the Colorado Rockies.

My next guest will be Philip Kushner. Philip is an experienced trial and appellate lawyer, whose focus is commercial litigation, white-collar criminal defense and crisis management. He is often involved in high-profile matters with high-stakes and extensive media coverage. He also is an aspiring author looking to publish his novel, The Devil Comes to Kindland.

This week I'll be interviewing the sister writing team of Blythe Hudson and Carter Fielding.

My next guest on Bringing Life to Characters is Elizabeth Crowens. Elizabeth has worn many hats in the entertainment industry in NY and LA for over 25 years. Writing credits include short stories and articles in Black Belt, Black Gate, and Sherlock Holmes Mystery magazines, stories in Hell’s Heart and the Bram Stoker Award-nominated A New York State of Fright, and three alternate history/SFF novels, which she self-publishes under the name of Atomic Alchemist Productions. Recipient of the MWA-NY Leo B. Burstein Scholarship, NY Foundation of the Arts grant to produce a self-published, photo-illustrated anthology, a Glimmer Train Honorable Mention, an Eric Hoffer First Prize, two Grand Prize and four First Prize Chanticleer Review awards.

My guest this week on Bringing Life to Characters is Manuel Ramos. Manual is the author of eleven novels and a short story collection. He has received the Colorado Book Award (twice), the Chicano/Latino Literary Award, the Top Hand Award from the Colorado Authors League, and Honorable Mentions from the Latino International Book Awards. His first novel, The Ballad of Rocky Ruiz, was a finalist for the Edgar® award. My Bad: A Mile High Noir was a Shamus finalist. He is a co-founder of and regular contributor to the award-winning Internet magazine La Bloga (www.labloga.blogspot.com), which deals with Latino literature, culture, news and opinion. His latest novel is Angels in the Wind, published by Arte Público Press in 2021 (also a Shamus finalist.) In 2021, Manuel was inducted into the Colorado Authors' Hall of Fame.

On his episode of Bringing Life to Characters, I'll be speaking with award-winning and best-selling Author Sara Paretsky. Sara revolutionized the mystery world in 1982 when she introduced V.I. Warshawski in Indemnity Only. By creating a detective with the grit and smarts to take on the mean streets, Paretsky challenged a genre in which women historically were vamps or victims. V.I. struck a chord with readers and critics; Indemnity Only was followed by twenty more V.I. novels. Her voice and her world remain vital to readers; the New York Times calls V.I., “a proper hero for these times,” adding, “to us, V.I. is perfect.” While Paretsky’s fiction changed the narrative about women, her work also opened doors for other writers. In 1986 she created Sisters in Crime, a worldwide organization to advocate for women crime writers, which earned her Ms. Magazine’s 1987 Woman of the Year award. More accolades followed: the British Crime Writers awarded her the Cartier Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement; Blacklist won the Gold Dagger from the British Crime Writers for best novel of 2004, and she has received the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters from a number of universities.

This month my guest is Silver Falchion and CIBA Murder & Mayhem award-winning author Lori Roberts Herbst, who writes the Callie Cassidy Mystery series. Lori is a proud member of Sisters in Crime and currently serves as Board Secretary, as well as moderator of the Cozy Cup group. She is also a member of the SinC North Dallas chapter and Mystery Writers of America. A former journalism teacher and counselor, Lori lives in Colorado Springs and is a wife, mother of two, and (gasp!) grandmother of four.

My guest this week is author Scott Graham. Scott is the author of the National Park Mystery Series, published by Torrey House Press. The nine-books-and-counting in the critically acclaimed series feature archaeologist Chuck Bender and his family as they encounter villainous intrigue in America’s iconic western national parks, illuminating environmental and social justice issues specific to the parks along the way.In addition to his mysteries, Scott is the author of five nonfiction books, including Extreme Kids, winner of the National Outdoor Book Award. Scott is an avid outdoorsman and advocate for public lands who lives with his wife, an emergency physician, in Durango, Colorado. He has worked as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor, radio disk jockey, city councilor, and coal-shoveling fireman on the steam-powered Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.

My guest is Cynthia Swanson. Cynthia writes psychological thrillers, often using historical settings. Cynthia’s debut novel, The Bookseller, was a New York Times bestseller, an Indie Next selection, the winner of the 2016 WILLA Literary Award for Historical Fiction, and is slated to be a motion picture produced by Julia Roberts. The Bookseller was also nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award and the Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association Reading the West Award. The Bookseller is translated into 18 languages. Cynthia’s second novel, The Glass Forest, was a USA Today bestseller, has been noted in Forbes as being one of “Five Novels With a Remarkably Strong Sense of Place” and is translated into 7 languages. Her third novel, Anyone But Her, is a 2025 Colorado Book Award Finalist (Thriller) and was named 2024 Best Mystery/Thriller by the Indie Author Project. Cynthia is the editor of the anthology Denver Noir, which features dark, morally ambiguous stories set in and around Denver, Colorado, written by 14 notable literary and mystery authors. Denver Noir received the 2023 Colorado Book Award (Anthology). Cynthia lives with her family in Denver.Ask

My guest is Jodi Burnett. Jodi is a Colorado native and a mountain girl at heart. She loves writing Mystery and Suspense Thrillers from her small ranch southeast of Denver, where she lives with her husband and their two big dogs. There she dotes on her horses, complains about her cows, and writes to create a home for her imaginings. Burnett is a member of Novelists, Inc. and Sisters in Crime. Get free books by Burnett on her website.

My guest is author Aaron Philip Clark. Aaron is a native of Los Angeles, CA. He is a novelist, screenwriter, educator, and author of the International Thriller Writers Award-nominated Detective Trevor Finnegan series. Clark teaches creative writing at UCLA Extension and finds inspiration while hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains and exploring the many facets of Los Angeles.

My next guest is Christy Award-winning author Patricia Raybon. Patricia was reared near Denver, Colorado under big sky, bright sunshine, and the humbling mystery of Christ. A newspaper journalist who turned to historical fiction, she authors devotional writing for Our Daily Bread Ministries and writes the Annalee Spain Mystery series set in Colorado's 1920s Klan era. She and her husband Dan live in their longtime, beloved neighborhood in beautiful Aurora, Colorado.

My next guest is author Ann Parker. Ann is a science writer by day and fiction writer at night. Her award-winning Silver Rush mystery series, published by Poisoned Pen Press (a Sourcebooks imprint), is set primarily in 1880s Colorado, and more recently in San Francisco, California, the “Paris of the West.” The series was named a Booksellers Favorite by the Mountains and Plains Independent Booksellers Association. The Secret in the Wall is the eighth and newest in the series.

My next guest is author Mark Stevens. The son of two librarians, Mark Stevens was raised in Lincoln, Massachusetts and has worked as a reporter, television news producer, and in public relations. He's the author of The Fireballer (2023, Lake Union). He's also the author of The Allison COil Mystery Series including Antler Dust, Buried by the Roan, Trapline, Lake of Fire, and The Melancholy Howl. Buried by the Roan, Trapline, and Lake of Fire were all finalists for the Colorado Book Award (2012, 2015 and 2016 respectively). Trapline won. In September of 2016, Stevens was named Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers' Writer of the Year. Stevens hosts a regular podcast for Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and has served as president of the Rocky Mountain chapter for Mystery Writers of America. Stevens also writes book reviews; follow them at the blog link.

My next guest is author Tee O'Fallon. Tee is the author of the K-9 Special Ops, Federal K-9, and NYPD Blue & Gold Series. Tee spent twenty-three years as a federal agent conducting complex, long- and short-term criminal investigations, especially undercover operations, across many agencies at the federal level, and multi-state investigations as a police investigator. It felt only natural to combine her hands-on experience in the field with her love of romantic suspense. Tee has lived in New York State most of her life with a five-year stop in Colorado. When not writing, she enjoys cooking, gardening, chocolate, lychee martinis, and all creatures canine.

My next guest is author Rhonda Blackhurst. Rhonda is an avid reader, writer, coffee and dark chocolate connoisseur, and certified life coach. She has 10 independently published novels: The Inheritance, a contemporary fiction novel; seven books in the Melanie Hogan Mysteries; and Finding Abby and Abby's Redemption in the Whispering Pines Romantic Suspense duology. She was awarded the 2022 Master of Literary Arts Award from the Brighton Chamber.

My next guest is Clay Stafford. Clay has had an eclectic career as an author, filmmaker, actor, composer, educator, public speaker, and founder of the Killer Nashville International Writers' Conference, voted the #1 writers' conference in the U.S. by The Writer magazine. He has sold nearly four million copies of his works in over sixteen languages.

My next guest is Traci Hunter Abramson, Traci was born in Arizona, where she lived until moving to Venezuela for a study abroad program. After graduating from Brigham Young University, she worked for the Central Intelligence Agency, eventually resigning in order to raise her family. She credits the CIA with giving her a wealth of ideas as well as the skills needed to survive her children’s teenage years. She loves to travel and recently retired after twenty-six years coaching her local high school swim team. She has written forty-five best-selling novels and is an eight-time Whitney Award winner, including 2017 and 2019 Best Novel of the Year.

My next guest is Marc Cameron. Author of the New York Times bestselling Jericho Quinn Thriller series, Marc Cameron's short stories have appeared in The Saturday Evening Post and BOYS LIFE magazine. In late 2016, he was chosen to continue the Tom Clancy Jack Ryan/Campus Thriller series. TOM CLANCY COMMAND AND CONTROL released in November 2023. Cameron is a retired Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal who spent nearly thirty years in law enforcement. His assignments have taken him from Alaska to Manhattan, Canada to Mexico and dozens of points in between. He holds a second-degree black belt in Jujitsu and is a certified scuba diver and man-tracking instructor.