Living The Next Chapter: Candid Conversations with Authors and Writers for Readers Searching for a New Read

EPISODE 737 - Ben Schenkman - Challenging readers’ conventional thinking and the complexities of moral dilemmas In this engaging conversation, author and voice actor Ben Schenkman returns to chat about his creative journey, his latest release My Brother’s Keeper, and the many realities of being an independent author in today’s publishing landscape. Ben opens with a personal story about his family’...

EPISODE 736 - Shymara Medina - Proud Puerto Rican children’s book author, is passionate about storytelling that uplifts and inspires young minds In this episode, Shymara Medina shares the story behind her journey as a proud Puerto Rican children’s book author and the inspiration that shapes her storytelling. She talks about how her life in Georgia, her family, and her everyday experiences became t...

EPISODE 735 - Alison McBain - Do something creative every day, The New Empire - A  journey of self-discovery has a steep price In this episode of Living The Next Chapter, host Dave welcomes Alison McBain, a prolific Canadian author based near Edmonton, Alberta. With a dual American-Canadian heritage, Alison shares her journey from growing up in the States to returning home three years ago, embraci...

EPISODE 734 - Jordan Gray - The Infinite Night Book 1 - The Happy Marauder Perfect Bound In this episode of Living The Next Chapter, author Jordan Gray shares his unconventional path to publishing hard science fiction novels, born from boredom during long shifts in the Air Force, industrial jobs, and escorting oversize loads as a pilot car operator. Starting as a middle school detention escape—scr...

EPISODE 733 - Joel Steele - Life Switch - How to Experience the Power of Living ON by Discovering Your Potential, Passion, and Purpose Joel Steele joins the conversation to explore the journey behind his book Life Switch—a project rooted in the idea that anyone can learn to “flip the switch” from living an ordinary life to an extraordinary one. Speaking from his home in southern New Jersey, Joel b...

E142 - Laura Cayouette - Actor, Writer, Producer, Blogger - Character Development and Author Tools A professional actor for over 25 years; Django Unchained, Now You See Me, Kill Bill, Enemy of the State, True Detective, Friends & more. Endorsements from actor/filmmakers Richard Dreyfuss, Kevin Costner, Lou Diamond Phillips, Reginald Hudlin, Adam Rifkin & more. Private coach available throu...

EPISODE 494 - Donny Young - The 4MIDABLES, Inspector Gadget, The Cannonball Run Movie and Putting Yourself Out There Author and screenwriter Donny Young shares an inspiring journey through a creative career built on persistence, curiosity, and a willingness to embrace opportunity. From writing episodes of Inspector Gadget on a Smith Corona typewriter to developing his newest young adult adventure...

BONUS - Share Your Story, Poem and Writings Here on Living The Next Chapter Thanks for supporting this podcast!  I am putting in place a new way to support authors, writers and poets in their writing journey! I want to feature your writings here on Living The Next Chapter.  Share your poem, a portion of your chapter, something that you are working on - and do so right here on the podcast.  The opp...

Episode 525 - Richard DeVeau - Light's Out - We Paint a Picture of a special forces veteran, CIA officer, and leader of Boston's Homeland Security team About the author After majoring in marketing at Bentley University, Richard spent a career as a copywriter and creative director serving such clients as Red Lobster, Ducati Motorcycles, Marriott Hotels, and Clorox. He also brought his wri...

Episode 592 - Joe McClean - Screenwriter, Author and Director - Putting Yourself Out There and Into Your Story, That is Where the Opportunity Lies Joe made a bunch of short films and one feature length movie with friends and no money. To this day, I enjoy watching those early attempts to craft a story, but essentially this era of on-the-job-training was my film school. Now it was time to take my f...

EPISODE 732 - Rich Lyons - Life Is Sales, sales mastery includes self awareness and embracing the unknown In this episode, Dave welcomes Rich Lyons, author of Life of Sales, entrepreneur, and former CEO of Lyons Consulting Group. From escaping the Chicago winter for the warmth of Zihuatanejo to reflecting on a career rich with lessons in integrity, leadership, and purpose, Rich shares an intimate...

EPISODE 731 - Lance Hillsinger - Child Welfare Social Worker to Author - Navigating Legal Documents to Authorship In this thoughtful episode, author and retired social worker Lance Hilzinger joins us from San Luis Obispo, California, to reflect on a lifetime of service in the child welfare system and his journey into writing. With three decades of experience advocating for children and families in...

EPISODE 730 - Dale L. Sproule - Gods of the New Wilderness Series that blends philosophy, AI, and myth Author and long-time speculative fiction writer Dale L Sproule joins Dave to explore how the writing and publishing landscape has transformed over the past several decades and what that means for today’s authors. Speaking from Toronto, after years on Canada’s west coast, Dale reflects on how the...

Episode 360 - Bob Young - True Golf - the story of Moe Norman and a new song with Bob's brother Neil Young Our Guest - Bob Young was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1942. He was a member of the Canadian Professional Golfers’ Association for nearly three decades and first met Moe Norman in the early 1960s. Like Norman, Young has always been intrigued by metaphysics and has had access to th...

EPISODE 729 - Melania Murphy - Bound by Love, Not Tradition - Empowering Women Through Married Name Choices In this episode, Melania Murphy joins the show to explore how married name choices can be a powerful act of identity, equality, and intention in modern relationships. Based in Bradenton, Florida, Melania shares how her own family background—growing up in a household with multiple last names—...

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 th...

Episode 352 - Tammy J Cohen - Text Messages to My Sons - How to Connect Deeply with Your Kids in a Digital World In this episode, Dave sits down with author Tammy J Cohen to explore a deeply relevant question in modern parenting: how do we truly connect with our kids in a world dominated by devices? Tammy shares the unexpected origin of her book Text Messages to My Sons: Connecting Deeply in a Wor...

EPISODE 728 - Fran Hawthorne - Journalist and Author of the new novel Her Daughter Author and journalist Fran Hawthorne joins the show to discuss her latest novel Her Daughter and the deeply personal and complex themes that run through her work. From snowy New York days to memories of her formative years in California, Fran brings warmth, humor, and candor to a conversation that spans decades of s...

EPISODE 727 - Rita Lussier - And Now, Back to Me - When You Dread The Truth of The Empty Nest An award-winning journalist and writer whose column “For the Moment” was a popular feature of The Providence Journal for a dozen years. Her writing has also been featured on National Public Radio, in The Boston Globe, The New York Daily News, and many more. Rita enjoys coaching writers, conducting worksho...

EPISODE 726 - Eleanor Vincent - Disconnected, Portrait of a Neurodiverse Marriage Author and memoirist Eleanor Vincent joins Dave from her home in the San Francisco Bay Area, reflecting on a life shaped by place, creativity, grief, and late-life love. She traces her journey from snowy Midwestern roots to California, where a long career in journalism taught her the discipline of daily writing and t...

EPISODE 725 - Veronica Iniguez - Captain and Me at Sea! Sometimes, the greatest mysteries are hidden in plain sight About the author Veronica Iniguez is a debut author, born in the vibrant heart of Mexico and now embracing the desert magic of Arizona. She is a proud mother of six wonderful children. As an educator, she is passionate about inspiring young minds through learning and discovery. When...

EPISODE 724 - Ellen Meeropol - Literary Late Bloomer and Author with a Love for Island Life Ellen Meeropol is the author of six novels (Sometimes an Island, The Lost Women of Azalea Court, Her Sister's Tattoo, Kinship of Clover, On Hurricane Island, and House Arrest) and the guest editor for the anthology, Dreams for a Broken World. Her work has been honored by the Sarton Women's Prize,...

EPISODE 723 - Terri Lewis - From Ballet to Authorship - Words That Dance, That Fly In this author conversation, Terri Lewis shares how dance, history, and family have been woven through every stage of her life and writing. Now speaking from Florida while her Colorado garden sleeps under snow, she reflects on the two passions she held in high school: ballet and writing. Knowing a dance career had a...

EPISODE 722 - Andrey Medina - Screenwriter and Author - Sci-Fi storyteller who's fascinated by the questions that don't have easy answers In this episode, Dave sits down with author and screenwriter Andrey Medina to explore how imagination, movement, and instability as a child sparked a lifelong inner world that eventually led him to science fiction. Andrey explains that he was not so mu...

EPISODE 721 - Janet Kintner - A Judge's Tale - A Trailblazer Fights For Her Place on the Bench In this episode of Living the Next Chapter, host Dave sits down with Janet Kintner, a retired judge, attorney, and newly published author whose journey from the courtroom to the writer’s desk reveals a life committed to justice, courage, and reflection. Speaking from her homes in San Diego and Victo...