Episode 542 - Oswald Black - Thievery and Grace, male-perspective fiction

Best-selling author Oswald Black uses dark humor, gumption, suspense, and contemporary politics to create works of male-perspective fiction as a competitive alternative to today’s mainstream publishing market. His barreling plot lines, unexpected twists, and mind-melting conclusions aim to leave his readers high, but most definitely not dry. His sophomore novel, Thievery and Grace, is now available.

Thievery and Grace: An Absurd Heist Comedy - An unlikely trio unites to swindle millions from a powerful pharmaceutical corporation by orchestrating a fraudulent sexual harassment case.

Wedding Bandits: A Pulp Dark Comedy - A team of con artists travel the country, marrying rich, unsought women, only to clean them out on their wedding night. The only problem is their last mark's father happens to be a secret underworld kingpin now bent on avenging his homely daughter's broken heart.

https://www.oswaldblack.com/

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Episode 541 - Amanda Quintero Aguerrevere - We Said Farewell, Stories of forced exile - modern migration and the enduring strength of the human spirit

Book: We Said Farewell: stories of forced exile - In We Said Farewell, Amanda Quintero Aguerrevere masterfully fictionalizes five testimonies rooted in her native Venezuela, capturing the emotional journey of a generation forced to leave their homeland. From families navigating economic crises to young people evading the grip of political turmoil, each story uncovers the reality of the Venezuelan diaspora, where resilience, identity, and survival are constants against overwhelming odds.

These narratives bring to life the intimate struggles of individuals facing the unknown—leaving behind loved ones, cherished places, and familiar routines. With a focus on the human cost of policy decisions and societal breakdown, We Said Farewell reveals how Venezuela’s upheavals continue to shape lives beyond its borders.

For readers of historical fiction, political drama, and immigration stories, this collection offers a deeply personal look into modern migration and the enduring strength of the human spirit. It is both a tribute and a testament to those who carry their homeland within, even when they must start anew.

Keywords: Venezuela migration stories, diaspora fiction, forced exile, resilience stories, Latin American diaspora, human impact of policy, political upheaval narratives, Amanda Quintero Aguerrevere, exile fiction, Venezuelan diaspora.

About

"We Said Farewell" presents five fictionalised testimonies rooted in my native country, Venezuela, capturing the emotional journey of a generation forced to leave their homeland. From families navigating economic crises to young people evading the grip of political turmoil, each story uncovers the reality of the Venezuelan diaspora, where resilience, identity, and survival are constants against overwhelming odds.

These narratives bring to life the intimate struggles of individuals facing the unknown—leaving behind loved ones, cherished places, and familiar routines. With a focus on the human cost of policy decisions and societal breakdown, We Said Farewell reveals how Venezuela’s upheavals continue to shape lives beyond its borders.

https://www.lesmotsdeamanda.com/

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Episode 540 - Lisa C Taylor - The Shape of What Remains, Choices one woman makes to heal from intractable grief

I think about imagination and creativity and its place in our fast-paced world. For me, writing is a way of slowing down. The cadence and layers in both fiction and poetry are something to savor—and I do—rereading books by my favorite authors and new authors I discover again and again. The words stay with me long after I've turned the last page. These poems and stories bring a deeper meaning to my daily life.

I can't remember a time when I didn't use writing to make sense of the world. The best writing reveals an emotional truth--different from the literal truth. As I tell my students, you owe nothing to reality. The best writing feels authentic even if it takes us to imaginary towns or leaps into a future we cannot know.

I am the author of the novel, The Shape of What Remains (Between the Lines Publishing/Liminal Press, 2025), two collections of short fiction, Impossibly Small Spaces (Arlen House/Syracuse University Press, 2018) and Growing a New Tail (Arlen House/Syracuse University Press, 2015). I also have five published collections of poetry including Interrogation of Morning (Arlen House/Syracuse University Press, 2022) and the collaborative collection with Irish poet and writer Geraldine Mills, The Other Side of Longing (Arlen House/Syracuse University Press, 2011).

Check my schedule on the Events page for a reading near you or contact me if you'd like to bring me to your hometown. Buy books (particularly from independent booksellers) and bring them as gifts next time you're invited to dine at someone's house. They last longer than a bottle of wine and you'll be one of the many heroes supporting small presses that often struggle to survive. You'll also be introducing writers to your friends.

Cover reveal for Lisa's new novel The Shape of What Remains, a story about the choices one woman makes as she begins to heal from intractable grief.

Pre-order is available now at Maria's Bookshop - Durango CO and Amazon.com. The book will be available February 18, 2025.

Book tour in spring of 2025. Please contact Lisa at whitewaterwriting@gmail.com with requests for readings, workshops, classroom visits, booksignings and book group adoption. Lisa is available to visit or Zoom with book groups. Find her on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Threads.

https://www.lisactaylor.com/

https://www.mesaverdewritersconference.org/

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Episode 539 - Beau L'Amour - Son of best selling novelist Louis L'Amour, Striving to maintain a legacy

Advancing A Legacy

Beau L'Amour is a writer and entertainment industry jack-of-all-trades. He is the son of best selling novelist Louis L'Amour and has managed his father's literary estate since 1988. Striving to maintain that legacy, he has done editorial work, revised unfinished manuscripts, managed a literary magazine and an audio/radio drama series, done art direction,

been a comic book writer and producer and become an expert in marketing. In the years since his father passed away L'Amour has helped sell over 120 million books, nearly 5 million audio programs and placed a number of books of short stories (out of 16 posthumous collections) on the Best Seller lists.

Beau is known for his Audio Publishing, Motion Picture Production & Book Publishing. Beau L'Amour was born in Los Angeles, California. His father was Louis L'Amour, a well known author of magazine and paperback fiction. His mother was Katherine Adams, the daughter of a silent movie actress and a southern California real estate developer.

Throughout a good deal of his youth Beau lived in West Hollywood, an unincorporated section of Los Angeles county, known as a center of counter-culture and beatnik life. He grew up surrounded by his parents eclectic and eccentric group of friends; Austrian philosophers, American Indians, FBI agents, members of the Hollywood Ten, Eastern European refugees, Thai aristocracy, mysteriously talented dealers in primitive art and a wide array of writers, from Ray Bradbury to Jim Thompson.

Beau attended West Hollywood Elementary School. In 1973 his family moved to West Los Angeles where he attended Emerson Junior High and University High School. After a year at Santa Monica College he went on to earn his BFA at California Institute of the Arts under the mentorship of director Alexander Mackendrick and illustrator and pioneering digital animator Ed Emshwiller. He also studied acting with Janet Alhanti and Harry Mastergeorge, and directing at UCLA with Ted Post.

https://beaulamour.com/

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Episode 538 - Tony Stewart - Carrying the Tiger - Living With Cancer, Dying With Grace and Finding Joy While Grieving

About the author

Tony Stewart has made award-winning films for colleges and universities, written software that received rave reviews in The New York Times and the New York Daily News, designed a grants-management application that was used by three of the five largest charities in the world, and led the development of an international standard for the messages involved in buying and selling advertisements, for which he spoke at conferences across Europe and North America.

Tony and his late wife Lynn Kotula, a painter, traveled extensively in India and Southeast Asia, staying in small hotels off the beaten track and eating delicious food with their fingers when cutlery wasn’t available. Carrying the Tiger is his first published book.

An inspiring story of love, loss and recovery

“[A] beautifully devastating memoir… a remarkable odyssey of learning to ‘live fully in the shadow of death.’” — Publishers Weekly BookLife (Editor’s Pick)

In the spirit of Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking and Paul Kalanithi’s When Breath Becomes Air comes Carrying the Tiger, a life affirming memoir about the full circle of life and death.

When Tony Stewart’s wife, Lynn, receives a sudden and devastating diagnosis, they scramble to find effective treatment, navigate life threatening setbacks, learn to live fully in the shadow of death, and share the intimate grace of her departure from this world. Then Tony slowly climbs out of shattering grief and, surprisingly, eases toward new love.

There is uncertainty, fear, and sorrow, but also tenderness and joy, along with a renewed perspective on what it means to live and love with one’s whole heart.

“Captures emotions and experiences that will be familiar to anyone who’s stood by a loved one facing a cancer diagnosis... this is a work that will strengthen all who read it.” — Khalid Dar, MD, Oncologist, Mount Sinai Morningside

“A beautiful and very human love story which breathes an extraordinary generosity of spirit.” — David Newman, author of Talking with Doctors

https://www.tonystewartauthor.com/

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Episode 537 - Matthew James Jones - Poet, Novelist, Storyteller and Veteran - Author of Predators, Reapers and Deadlier Creatures

Matthew James Jones is a poet, novelist, storyteller and veteran whose novel Predators, Reapers and Deadlier Creatures is available in Canada, France, the US, the UK, and Germany. Today, Matt writes and teaches in Paris: leadership at the École Militaire and creative writing at SciencesPo. His many published works interrogate themes of dehumanization, poetics, monsters, masculinity, cross-cultural exchange, and healing. He also co-hosts the by-donation Write Time workshop, and organizes fitness enthusiasts who use trees as barbells: the Log Club.

Book: Predators, Reapers and Deadlier Creatures

Predators, Reaper

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Episode 536 - Julie Riga - Stay on Course The Life and Legacy of Ennio Riga, Chef to the Stars

When Ennio Riga passed away in February 2016, he left behind an incredible legacy. To his many admirers who enjoyed his delicious culinary creations, he was a world-renowned chef.

To Julie Riga, he was a loving father who taught her the importance of leadership, perseverance, and determination.

About the Author

Julie Riga, Ennio’s daughter, continues his legacy as a leadership coach, trainer, speaker, and author. In compiling the stories for the book, Julie carries on Ennio’s tradition by helping others reflect, and then decisively act on, their own calls to greatness.

https://www.stayoncourse.io/
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Episode 535 - Lynn Greenberg and Jonathan Greenberg - Robby the Dyslexic Taxi and the Airport Adventure, what makes you different is what makes you great

Robby the taxi has dyslexia, but he doesn’t let that stand in the way of doing a great job driving riders all around the city. Even though he can’t read the street signs, he has a wonderful memory and knows the streets by heart. One day, a regular customer asks him to go somewhere he’s never been… the airport! But Robby has solved problems like this before, and he finds his way to the airport using his unique outlook and creative skills.

This delightful tale was co-written by Lynn Greenberg and her son Jonathan, who also illustrated the book. Jonathan was born with dyslexia, and with the help of Lynn, learned to overcome his learning differences through creativity and art. By sharing Robby the Dyslexic Taxi with your little one, you’ll start them on their journey to learning how to solve their problems as well, whether they have dyslexia, ADHD, autism, or just need a boost in the direction of finding creative solutions for interesting, unexpected, and difficult problems.

Jonathan Greenberg
Author and Illustrator

Jonathan Greenberg was diagnosed with dyslexia as a young child. While he always knew that he learned differently than others, he did not let it personify who he was. Like most kids, Jonathan had a bookshelf full of books, however since he couldn’t read them at first, he became captivated with the artwork and illustrations of every one of them. Jonathan worked hard and overcame his disability, however, his love for art developed into his own passion.

Jonathan is currently a graduate student at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago so teaming up with his mother, an advocate for neurodiverse children, to co-author and illustrate a children’s book was a natural evolution.

Jonathan looks forward to continuing to create and illustrate stories with neurodiverse characters while also expanding his own artistic endeavors through other mediums.

To learn more about Jonathan and his work, visit Creationaire Arts.

Lynn Greenberg
Author

Lynn Greenberg has focused her life on being a champion for children. As a trained Attorney, Lynn spent her time in the legal world practicing family law, providing pro bono work for kids, and advocating on their behalf.

When her youngest son Jonathan was diagnosed with Dyslexia, becoming his advocate, as well as others, came easy. Understanding how to gather facts and create strategic plans, Lynn developed a road map to success for her son and has since become an active supporter of all neurodivergent children.

Writing a children’s book with Jonathan was simply the natural progression for Lynn. Robby the Dyslexic Taxi and the Airport Adventure was born out of Lynn’s desire for neurodivergent children to be able to see themselves in characters in a storyline. Lynn plans to continue creating stories relatable for all children.

https://creativecabcompany.com/

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