Episode #47: Elizabeth Tucker

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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:

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.

Episode #46: Jane Cable

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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:

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.

Episode #45: Jen Gilroy

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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
  • DNA…Surprise! – 27:11
  • From Canadian Schoolgirl to French spy – 42:07

Michael’s Beer Pairings:

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.

Episode #44: Christina Courtenay

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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: 

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.

Episode #43: Connie Kinsey

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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
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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.

Episode #42: Robert Bidinotto

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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:

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.

Episode #41: Nancie Laird Young

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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:

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:

Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Episode #40: Janet Raye Stevens

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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:

Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Episode #39: Janelle Molony & Jodi Nasch Decker

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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:

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:

Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Episode #38: Linda Wisniewski

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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:

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:

Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.