Conversations with Laurel

Laurel shares a "quickie" writing prompt based on the phrase "You are a wild stillness" and proposes a couple of challenges to listeners.

When Laurel tells her friend--Nadine Collier--about her goal to write a Country Western song, Nadine suggests an inspiring line. It becomes a challenge not only for Laurel, but for Nadine and her daughter Sarah as well! In this episode, the three lyricists share their debut CW songs, all titled "Never Share Your Whiskey"!

Routines, when performed with thoughtfulness, can rise to the level of ritual. Laurel shares some special rituals and talks about how they've changed since her recent move.

"Fine Print" is a cautionary tale about what might happen if you fail to read the fine print in legal documents! A tale perfect for Halloween!

In Laurel's horror short story "Taps," a halfway house employee is determined to retrieve her tap shoes from residents still learning lessons about respect.

Laurel shares a new experiment she's trying...drinking a gallon a day (of water!)...and her new writing project (she'd like your participation)!

A piece about Laurel's experience as she waits for her husband and son to return from a SAR mission . . . and an opportunity to participate in Laurel's latest project: a military romance series.

I describe a recent incident that culminated in the loss of my underwear, which takes me back to a memory of my mother. This does include discussion of my mother's experience with stroke.

Award-winning author Helen Starbuck writes romantic suspense mysteries and has a third book coming out soon! Visit with us as she shares writing tips and her experience with research, planning, marketing, and more!

Author Miriam Green's important book "The Lost Kitchen: Reflections and Recipes from an Alzheimer's Caregiver" combines memoir, recipes, and poetry associated with the author's changed role as a caregiver for a mother with Alzheimer's Disease.

When an injured tennis pro meets his match on the courts, he learns a painful lesson about love! Humorous short story!

Spoiler Alert: This is a sad story about moving and losing a beloved pet, but also about changes in life and finding the "poetry" in unexpected events.

WARNING! Language and graphic language that might disturb some listeners! "Hungry Horror" is a screenplay in which visitors to the Virtual Reality (VR) Fright Museum get their money'w worth: a scary experience that changes them forever.

Author Minette Lauren visits with Laurel McHargue to discuss her novel "Race for the Sun: The Soul Watcher Series Book One"--which "combines romance, mystery, and suspense with a unique and refreshing take on the afterlife"--and "Sins of the Sister"--a killer thriller, which she co-wrote with Zoe Tasia.

Short story 14 is a lighthearted alien abduction story!

Poet Judy Cole visits with Laurel and shares her poems and the story of her evolution as a writer. Judy and Laurel talk about some poetic forms, but not 100 of them! And have you heard of "flarf poetry"? Perhaps it was inspired by Gertrude Stein!

Author Keith Steinbaum discusses his latest novel "You Say Goodbye"--a Beatles-inspired murder mystery--and his first novel, "The Poe Consequence," which will be re-released in March 2020. Keith and Laurel discuss inspiration and the amazing child whose efforts launched Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for childhood cancer research.

Author Saralyn Richard talks with Laurel about her murder mystery "Murder in the One Percent"--a page-turning whodunnit set in the upper crust of society.

As race crew for her husband during the 2017 Ouray 100 Endurance Race in 2017, Laurel bemoans her discomfort in the cold rain, then chastises herself when she witnesses the brutal conditions the racers endure.

Strack Press Presents "Warm Springs" by Michael Kilman--anthropologist and author of the Science Fiction series "The Chronicles of the Great Migration." Kilman lectures at the University of Colorado at Denver and works on his YouTubeseries "Anthropology in 10 or Less."

In Short Story 13, a young marriage counselor learns a difficult lesson about breaking the rules after a stimulating session with an eccentric older couple.

Laurel shares her experience competing in Leadville's Turquoise Lake Half-Marathon and her thoughts on nipples.

Sara Potecha, author of "West Point Woman: How Character is Created and Leadership is Learned," visits with Laurel on the Alligator Preserves podcast. Sara and Laurel have many things in common, including their graduation from West Point in 1983 with the 4th class to include women! They share West Point stories and discuss Sara's self-help book on leadership with advice applicable to every workpla...

Short story 12 is about a woman who fears insanity. At age 60, she is sent on a mission by her personal orb.

In Alligator Preserves Episode 51, Laurel McHargue interviews Robert Goswitz about his debut novel--"The Dragon Soldier's Good Fortune"--a unique account of a young new draftee's first tour in Vietnam . . . with a mystical twist.