Episodes

  • Larry Morris on Writing and Publishing Science Fiction
    Dec 20 2023
    Welcome to the award-winning The Hill Country Authors Podcast. In this podcast, Hill Country resident Tom Fox visits with authors who live in and write up the Texas Hill Country.  In this episode, Tom visits with author Larry Morris, a science fiction writer from Wimberly, TX. Larry Morris, a former software architect with over two decades of experience in data processing at BMC Software in Houston, found a new passion in writing science fiction as he approached retirement. After a successful career in the tech industry, Larry transitioned into a successful career as a science fiction author, publishing his first book in 2011. His perspective on writing is shaped by his preference for working with small groups of potential writers with established authors rather than larger organizations focused on critiquing each other's work. Larry's passion for science fiction, combined with his unique approach to writing and collaboration, has led to the creation of his popular Salvage series and a fulfilling second career. Join Tom Fox and Larry Morris on this episode of the Hill Country Authors Podcast to learn more about Larry's successful transition from software architect to sci-fi author. Key Highlights: Larry Morris' Captivating Salvage Series in Science Fiction Cosmic Adventures: Space Junk and Alien Threats Larry's Successful Self-Publishing Seminars Where to Find Larry Morris' Captivating Science Fiction Novels Resources Larry Morris on Linkedin Larry Morris Author Page on Amazon   Tom Fox Instagram Facebook YouTube Twitter LinkedIn
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    20 mins
  • Kimberly Fish – The Town of Comfort as a Character
    Aug 9 2023
    Welcome to the award-winning The Hill Country Authors Podcast. In this podcast, Hill Country resident Tom Fox visits with authors who live in and write up the Texas Hill Country. In this episode, Tom visits with author Kimberly Fish who features Comfort in many of her books. This podcast episode explores how the history of the Texas Hill Country has impacted two authors' writing careers. Tom Fox and Kimberly Fish discuss how German immigration to the region in the mid-1800s left a lasting impact on the state. As a result of this influence, Comfort, Texas was founded by German immigrants and has its language, customs, and monument. Tom Fox and Kimberly Fish bring the Hill Country to life through their work, with Tom Fox incorporating Comfort, Texas as a character in his stories and Kimberly Fish creating a fictionalized version of the town to introduce readers to the nuances of the Hill Country of Texas. Key Highlights ·       Texas Hill Country ·       German Immigration to Texas ·       Comfort's History ·      Creating a Character Town Resources Kimberly Fish Tom Fox Instagram Facebook YouTube Twitter LinkedIn
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    29 mins
  • Peggy Sundberg – Cowgirl Peg & Crooze on Croozer: Blind Inspiration
    Jul 12 2023
    Welcome to the award-winning The Hill Country Authors Podcast. In this podcast, Hill Country resident Tom Fox visits with authors who live in and write up the Texas Hill Country. In this episode, Tom visits with children’s book author Peggy Sundberg, Cowgirl Peg. Peggy has achieved inspiring success stories through her love of writing and animals. Peggy, born and raised in Alvin, Texas, developed a love of writing and horses from a young age and had a lifelong dream of rescuing ancient horses that nobody wanted anymore. She was able to pursue her dream when she was 50, and her lifestyle changed, living in a horse trailer and a barn on a small ranch in western Colorado. Peggy had four horses and five fosters residing on the ranch and worked with a group out of Denver to foster horses. She also had a lifelong dream of writing children’s books with meaningful messages and could do this after rescuing a little horse and hearing his story. The book was about friendship and tolerance of differences in a happy way. Peggy’s latest book, Crooze on Croozer, was not planned and was inspired by a woman who asked her to write a book about her dog. The book is about a blind blue healer dog and is told from the dog’s perspective. Peggy did research with the Texas School for the Blind to ensure she was getting the story right, and the book is meant to be a feel-good story and to inspire those with disabilities to do great things. The book is a truly Texan product, and I hope it will make kids think about what it would be like to be blind and appreciate what they can see. Key Highlights: ·      Cowgirl Peg Adventures ·      Love of Horses ·      Crooze on Croozer ·      Rescuing Horses ·      Cowgirl Peg  Resources: Peggy Sundberg Cowgirl Peg Crooze on Croozer Tom Fox Instagram Facebook YouTube Twitter LinkedIn
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    28 mins
  • Julia Daily – “No Names to be Given”: An Author’s Journey Through Adoption
    Apr 27 2023
    Welcome to the award-winning The Hill Country Authors Podcast. In this podcast, Hill Country resident Tom Fox visits with authors who live in and write up the Texas Hill Country. In this episode, I visit Julia Daily, our first Fredericksburg author on the show. She shares her diverse professional background in public relations, teaching, and being the executive director of Craftsman’s Guild of Mississippi. Julia gets personal and talks about her experience writing her recent book, “No Names To Be Given,” based on her own adoption story. Tom and Julia then delve into the shame and secrecy surrounding pregnancy out of wedlock in the 1900s. Julia shares her adoption story and how it inspired her to write about three women forced to give up their children for adoption. She also discusses her second book, The First Daughter of Thorn Ranch. The podcast is thrilling and explores family dynamics, conflict, and conservation. The lively conversation includes Julia’s writing process, how she researches, and her upcoming projects, including a possible third book in her series. Additionally, the podcast discusses Julia’s interesting podcast that celebrates the success of authors who publish their first book after the age of 50. This episode is sure to keep you engaged and wanting more. Key Takeaways: ·      The Shameful Treatment of Unwed Pregnant Women ·      Women in Texas Ranching ·      Preserving Generational Ranches in Texas ·      Julia’s Writing Process and Research Methods ·      Julia on script writing and podcast promotion  Resources Julia Daily Purchase No Names to Be Given Purchase The Fifth Daughter of Thorn Ranch
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    23 mins
  • Skye Alexander-Writing in the Jazz Age
    Mar 22 2023
    Welcome to award-winning The Hill Country Authors Podcast. In this podcast, Hill Country resident Tom Fox visits with authors who live in and write up the Texas Hill Country. In this episode, I visit with author Skye Alexander, a prolific author whose most recent series features protagonist Lizzie Crane and is set in the Jazz Age in New England and New York.   Alexander is the author of a mystery series set in New York City in the mid-1920s. Her main character, Lizzie Crane, is an Irish immigrant striving to rise above her working-class background. Alexander has heavily researched her series, setting the first four books in New England and the fifth and sixth books in New York City. Skye has written nearly 50 books and many more magazine articles. She does extensive research for her books and considers herself "not a morning person." She is heavily involved with the Friends of Kerrville Library. Her third book in the Lizzie Crane series will be released in August. Tune in to the Hill Country Authors Podcast for a full exploration of these and other authors' works. Key Takeaways: ·      Class Struggles in Jazz-Era New York City: A Discussion with Sky Alexander ·      Research Process for Setting Novels in New England and New York City ·      Writing Process of K.C. Jones ·      Writing Professionally at a Young Age ·      The Benefits of Volunteering at the Friends of the Library Book Store  Notable Quotes 1.     "It's a really fun way to make a living. I'm very fortunate."  2.     "My protagonist, her name is Lizzie Crane, and she is from a poor Irish immigrant family in New York City in the mid-1920s when the stories take place." 3.     "Lots of books have atmosphere, many of us read a book or a specific author for atmosphere. But you had, in my mind, an incredibly unique atmosphere. The best way I can describe it is, I do not want to say, class conflict, but you were able to emphasize class as opposed to race or other issue in America in a way I have rarely seemed done in a mystery." 4.     "It was actually the first wave of feminism and the first wave of the women's movement. I wanted to make sure that I was able to bring that into the story and show how women were really struggling to find their place in the world." Resources Skye Alexander Purchase Try to Catch a Falling Knife Purchase What The Walls Know
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    19 mins
  • Marilyne Cizmich-Lessons from Sonia the Cat
    Feb 22 2023
    Welcome to award-winning The Hill Country Authors Podcast. In this podcast, Hill Country resident Tom Fox visits with authors who live in and write up the Texas Hill Country. In this episode, I visit with children’s author and Hill Country resident Marilyne Cizmich.  Highlights include: ●      Growing up in the Bay Area ●       Traveling around North America ●       The Kerrville Folk Festival ●      Getting a Nursing Degree ●      School Nursing in Alaska ●       A trip to Ukraine and Sonia the Cat ●       Relocating to the Hill Country Why your business needs a podcast? Find out at this Lunch Workshop on why your business needs a podcast. The podcast is hosted by the Texas Hill Country Podcast Network and will be held on Friday, March 3, from 11:30 AM CT to 1:00 PM CT at the Kroc Center. For information and registration click here.
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    26 mins
  • John Moore-The Country Writer
    Feb 8 2023
    Welcome to award-winning The Hill Country Authors Podcast. In this podcast, Hill Country resident Tom Fox visits with authors who live in and write up the Texas Hill Country. In this episode, I visit with newspaper columnist John Moore. John Moore is a columnist across Texas and is featured in Kerrville Times. In this podcast, John talks with Tom Fox about his upbringing in Ashdown, Arkansas, which is in the Southwest corner of the state. John shares experiences in East Texas, its ecosystem, and explains why the Razorbacks are very important due to the lack of professional sports teams. He covers his work in trading and liquidating antique cars, and how his high school English teacher sparked his passion for writing. His most recent column is about television channels and movable antennas.  Key Takeaways: ●      The Ecological, Cultural, and Economic Impact of Oil Drilling in East Texas ●       The Impact of the Arkansas Razorbacks on Sports in the State ●       Reclaiming Childhood Memories with Antique Cars and Tractors ●       Pursuing a Passion for Writing Encouraged by a Teacher ●       The Work of a Texas Native Newspaper Columnist Notable Quotes: “He would buy things and he would bring them home and he would fix them up and he would sell them. And he brought home a black and white television set. And I remember the first thing I ever saw on that television set was Alfred Hitchcock Presents. And I was hooked. I mean, I was just hooked. I was just fascinated by the stories and the suspense and the mystery and the horror. And I just loved it.”  “East Texas is unique just as Texas is unique. People have a hard time understanding when they're not from Texas, when you tell them you're going to say, Del Rio or El Paso, and it's gonna take a couple of days to get there in a car. They have no sense of how big this state of Texas is.”  "And I thought, well, if it's in the paper, maybe my dad will think it's a big deal. So I did it. Then the next thing I knew, I got a letter from a lady who said she and her husband wanted to buy my books. Well, I didn't have any books. So I thought, well, I’ll write a book. So I wrote a book." "People asked me, all the time. What's it like in Texas? And I say, well, where I live in Texas, it's really no different. It looks the same as where I grew up in Southwest Arkansas, the people are essentially the same. The morals are the same. People are very much people of faith here just like they are where I grew up  Resources John Moore, The Country Writer
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    29 mins
  • James Horkey: From My Own Prison to Redemption
    Jan 25 2023
    Welcome to award-winning The Hill Country Authors Podcast. In this podcast, Hill Country resident Tom Fox visits with authors who live in and write up the Texas Hill Country. In this episode, I visit with James Horkey, the Hill Country’s most recent first-time author. Horkey’s story and his book From My Own Prison to Redemption: Healing for the Wounded is a story of survival and victory, follows the diagnosis, treatment, and recovery of a man who was led to drug and alcohol addiction and dysfunctional interactions as a coping mechanism resulting from trauma suffered as a child. Determined to break the cycle and help others as others have helped him, Horkey’s honest and heartfelt memoir offers hope to those suffering—be it the addict or their friends and family—that there is life beyond addiction, and no one is out of reach when God is invited into our lives to perform His miracles. Horkey relates the steps he took to find sobriety, from finding the courage to acknowledge his disease and seeking healing to living a joyful, prayerful, peaceful life in recovery; and perhaps, if you’re ready, begin a healing journey of your own. Horkey has a heart to serve, especially in helping those with addiction by working with them through a 12-step program. He has spent years sharing his experiences, strength, and hope with individuals, 12-step groups, hospitals and institutions, and prison ministry. Resources From My Own Prison to Redemption: Healing for the Wounded
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    16 mins