Lindsey Stirling to hit the road for Duality Unleashed 2026" summer tour

photo credit: Shervin Lainez

Global phenomenon Lindsey Stirling, the trailblazing multi-platinum electronic violinist, dancer, and aerialist, announces her new Duality Untamed Tour 2026with special guest PVRIS, a 32-date North American run launching in Richmond, Virginia. The tour will bring Stirling’s genre-defying live show to major markets including Boston, Washington, DC, Phoenix, Seattle, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Nashville, and Chicago. Tickets for the tour will be available for presale beginning Tuesday, Jan. 27; with public onsale starting Friday, Jan. 30 at 10am local. Please visit www.lindseystirling.com/tourfor more information on tickets and VIP sales.
Lindsey Stirling is an artist who stylishly blends sonics with visuals. From her arresting mixture of pop, classical, and electronica, to her meticulous attention to impactful, thematic albums and videos. Artistically, she defies categorization. You can easily find her studio efforts at the top of Billboard’s Top Dance Electronic Album chart, Classical Albums chart, and the all-genre Billboard 200 list. She is the rare artist, especially in the new millennium, to have amassed instrumental AC radio hits.

The tour is named after Stirling's most recent studio album, Duality, another experimental opus that embraces Stirling’s indie music spirit, and features guests such as Royal & the Serpent and Walk Off the Earth. Stirling makes brilliant use of Duality’s extravagant soundscape by exploring intricate questions of intuition and truth. “Eye Of The Untold Her” was used in Suni Lee’s gold & bronze medal winning floor routines during the Paris summer Olympics.

Stirling stays on the pulse of social media as well, amassing 14.3+ million subscribers and over three billion views on YouTube. She also has over 5.2M followers on Tik Tok, and 4.2M+ on Instagram. It’s no wonder that Forbes placed her at #4 on its 2015 World’s Top-Earning YouTube Stars list. In a career spanning more than a decade, Stirling has sold more than 1 million headlining concert tickets.

About PRVIS
Hailing from Boston, MA, PVRIS - the creative project of vocalist/instrumentalist/songwriter, Lyndsey Gunnulfsen (aka Lynn Gunn) - focuses on artistry, emotional resonance, and story-telling in her music. Rather than be tied down to a specific genre, PVRIS has always explored a diverse, eclectic mix of sounds, resulting in a genre all their own.

PVRIS took the unconventional approach of disengaging completely from the public eye to write/record their new album, EVERGREEN. Weary of seeing how modern culture has become so dependent on the internet, social media, instant gratification, and the ever-present “algorithm,” Gunnulfsen embarked on a journey of reflection, meditation, and self-discovery. The result is a body of work that feels timeless and refreshing.

Lindsey Stirling Duality Untamed 2026 Dates w/PVRIS
*not yet officially announced

Tuesday July 7 – Richmond, VA – Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront
Thursday July 9 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
Friday July 10 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
Saturday July 11 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
Monday July 13 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Tuesday July 14 – Vienna, VA – Filene Center at Wolf Trap
Wednesday July 15 – Boston, MA – Leader Bank Pavilion
Friday July 17 – Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater
Saturday July 18 – Charlotte, NC – Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre
Monday July 20 – St. Augustine, FL – The St. Augustine Amphitheatre
Tuesday July 21 – Macon, GA – Atrium Health Amphitheater
Wednesday July 22 – Nashville, TN – Ascend Amphitheater
Thursday July 23 – Brandon, MS – Brandon Amphitheater
Saturday July 25 – Grand Prairie, TX – Texas Trust CU Theatre
Tuesday July 28 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre
Thursday July 30 – Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre
Friday July 31 – Lincoln, CA – The Venue at Thunder Valley
Saturday August 1 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater
Monday, August 3 – Woodinville, WA – venue TBA*
Tuesday August 4 – Nampa, ID – Ford Idaho Center
Wednesday August 5 – Idaho Falls, ID – Mountain America Center
Friday August 7 – Casper, WY – Ford Wyoming Center
Saturday August 8 – Colorado Springs, CO – Ford Amphitheater
Monday August 10 – Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre
Tuesday August 11 – La Vista, NE – The Astro Amphitheater
Thursday August 13 – Waite Park, MN – The Ledge Amphitheater
Friday August 14 – West Allis, WI – Wisconsin State Fair
Saturday August 15 – Rosemont, IL – Rosemont Theatre
Tuesday August 18 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center
Wednesday August 19 – Sterling Heights, MI – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill
Friday August 21 – Grand Rapids, MI – Acrisure Amphitheater

Saturday August 22 – Indianapolis, IN – Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park

Five by Five—New tech novel looks at the possible future of AI

By Max Bowen

In his new book, “Quinto’s Challenge,” debut sci-fi author Peter McChesney looks at a world where artificial general intelligence has has remade the world into something complete new.

The book opens with the US President challenging scientists to develop new technology to make resurrection possible. Soon after, a quantum physicist makes the discovery that changes everything—unlocking the power not just to restore life, but to reshape the world. But in the wrong hands, that power could become a superweapon of surveillance and control, changing the world as we know it forever.

In this Five by Five, Peter’s talks about his time in the tech world and its influence on his writing, his take on AI, and resolving the ethical dilemmas of evolving technology.

Tell me about your time in the tech world and the perspective it gave you on artificial intelligence.
I’ve been tech-curious since childhood in Australia, drawn to new gadgets and emerging technologies. That curiosity shaped my career, which spanned roles in cybersecurity, HR tech and autonomous driving.

In the HR space, I helped companies adopt AI-powered hiring tools that supported, rather than replaced, human decisions. Later, I led an organization working on AI-based autonomous driving, helping those systems better interpret the world.

These experiences gave me a front-row seat to AI’s power and limitations. I saw how effective it can be when curated by humans, but also how easily it can be over-trusted or misused.

That perspective shaped “Quinto’s Challenge,” which imagines a future where artificial general intelligence (AGI) has made much of the workforce obsolete, sparking backlash, and where even AGI has been surpassed by “Manufactured Sentience”: androids that think, feel, and act.

What do you see as the ethical dilemmas and how can we resolve these?
Several ethical dilemmas have emerged from the AI revolution. One is the use of personal data and copyrighted material to train AI without consent, something I believe should only happen with explicit permission. Another is the rise of deceptive generative content. In “Quinto’s Challenge,” AI-generated media is regulated, but public trust remains shaken.

The book also explores the societal cost of overreliance on AI, especially how it can diminish creativity, purpose, and genuine growth.

Finally, large language models reflect the biases of those who train them. These tools don’tthink, but rather generate outputs from human-fed data. The more society relies on them, the more power is concentrated in the hands of their creators.

While there are no simple answers, I believe ethical training, smart regulation, and stronger media literacy will all be part of the solution.

What led you to writing a book on the topic and did it further your knowledge?
While AI features prominently in “Quinto’s Challenge,” the story was sparked by something else: the question of whether science could one day achieve the religious promise of resurrection. That intersection of faith and science became the heart of the novel, framed as a presidential moonshot to conquer death itself.

I wanted to explore not just how resurrection might work, but what it would mean for society, politics, and identity. Could it inspire a kind of secular belief in an afterlife?

AI helped me imagine how such a future might unfold, from fully automated construction to universal basic income and sentient androids. While the book is character-driven, it’s also grounded in plausible worldbuilding.

Writing it expanded my understanding of AI’s potential and limits, as well as the ethical and psychological questions we’ll face as the lines between humanity and technology continue to blur.

Tell me about the real life science behind your book.
“Quinto’s Challenge” draws on three major scientific threads. First is quantum mechanics, specifically the principle that information in the universe is never truly lost. The novel explores that principle, specifically by how the memories and personalities of every person who ever lived may still be encoded in spacetime, and how such data might one day be retrieved.

Second is advanced genetics. Today we have the basics of cloning. In the novel, cloning is used to remake the bodies of the deceased once their full genome is obtained.

The third thread is AI. AGI helps reconstruct data from spacetime, but even that falls short. Enter Manufactured Sentience: conscious androids capable of furthering the work (although a neurodivergent physicist ultimately provides the missing breakthrough.).

Other extrapolations include SecondSight, a mixed-reality lens that replaces all smart devices and serves as a platform for both exposition and plot.

Do you see this book as any sort of cautionary tale when it comes to cutting-edge tech?
Absolutely. Technology is power, and power is neutral. How we use it determines whether it uplifts or endangers humanity.

In “Quinto’s Challenge,” the scientific discovery that makes resurrection possible is awe-inspiring. But like the Manhattan Project, it carries dangerous alternate uses, so potent that no government could resist.

That captures the book’s cautionary thread. Whether it’s nuclear energy, political power, or cutting-edge tech, each demands strong ethical safeguards and public accountability.

Quinto’s Challenge asks not only can we do something, but should we? It doesn’t offer easy answers, but it does offer hope: that even in a world reshaped by staggering technological forces, human unity, brilliance, and belief can still work wonders, even the resurrection of the dead.

Peeling the onion—Cash McCahill returns in new thriller

Author Paul Coggins

By Max Bowen

From nationally-recognized criminal defense attorney, Paul Coggins recently made the switch to writer with his debut thriller, “Sting Like a Butterfly,” and introducing the world to Cash McCahill, a criminal lawyer who finds himself on the wrong side of the law.

In his new book, “Chasing the Chameleon” (March 6, Savio Republic), A drug cartel gives Dallas defense lawyer Cash McCahill an ultimatum: betray his client or face death. He refuses to turn on his client, prompting the cartel to put out a hit on him. Instead of going on the run, he hides in plain sight by surgically altering his face and stealing the identity of a dead cop 20 years his senior.

Only two people know his secret: the surgeon who gave him a new face, and Tina Campos, a trusted paralegal in Cash’s law firm and a trans woman who helps others find safe, affirming care.

In this Five by Five, Paul talks about McCahill’s growth from the first book to the third, how his career influenced his writing and the messages for readers in the new book.

How has the protagonist changed from the first novel to now?
Between the first novel and the present, Cash McCahill (my protagonist) has done time for a crime he didn’t commit, lost and regained his law license, and gone underground to escape death at the hands of a drug cartel. His legal skills were always sharp, but his survival skills are sharper than ever.

How do you plan your books, given that it is a series?
The series is like the peeling of an onion. At the end of book one, a conspiracy is exposed to reveal a deeper and more dangerous conspiracy, which will be peeled back in book two. The end of each book should expose one conspiracy and tease the next one.

How does your experience with the justice system help you as a writer?
Cops and agents are the biggest gossips and yarn spinners on the planet. As a young prosecutor, I went out of my way to retain their tales, which were a mix of fact and fiction. Since it is nearly impossible to separate fact from fiction, I chose the course of least resistance and became a novelist.

How did you make the switch from prosecutor/defense attorney to writer?
Law and writing are complementary skills. A law professor once told me that 99% of success as a lawyer was picking the right word at the right time, which is 100% of being a good writer.

What are the lessons and messages in the new book?
Cash’s small law firm is the David that takes on a different Goliath in every book, and occasionally he squares off against more than one giant adversary. Diversity and inclusion are the keys to the success of Cash and the firm, which features his over-the-hill mentor, a Dreamer in constant fear of deportation, and a trans woman as the lone associate.

Five by Five—Telling the overlooked stories in debut historical fiction novel

By Max Bowen

One woman is willing to risk it all for the sake of all young women in Nancy Bernhard’s debut historical fiction novel set during the infamous reign of the Tammany Hall crime syndicate. The Double Standard Sporting House (Jan 20, 2026, She Writes Press) follows Nell “Doc” Hastings, a brothel owner who also runs a small free clinic for women. When a young woman enters her clinic bleeding and bruised, Nell discovers a sex ring selling virgin girls to the most prominent men in the city–and risks her entire business to bring them to justice.

In this interview, Nancy talks about what inspired the book and her interest in the story behind it. She shares the family story that led to her interest in what is referred to as a “fallen woman” and the truth behind it. Nancy also talks about the parallels between the setting of the book and today.

Given that this is your debut novel, I’d like to ask what got you into writing?
I trained as an historian and have written for decades, but I was always frustrated by the narrow conventions of academic writing. Plus, women’s stories are often hidden from recorded history, or seen through sexist lenses. I moved into historical fiction so I could tell the overlooked stories, to imagine how women would have told their own lives, and to shift those patriarchal lenses.

How did you come to know this topic and how did it become the setting for your book?
My very flamboyant grandmother once told me that her Aunt Beatrice was a madam. I wondered how a middle-class girl from a large, supportive family would have ended up in the sex trade. It turns out it wasn’t true. Beadie lived with a married man, and anyone living outside the boundaries of sexual convention was deemed a “fallen” woman. But I got interested in the question, and the answer turned out to be epidemic rape and seduction. I began to imagine a smart and capable girl who suffers an assault, and makes the most of her life on the far side of respectability. She finds greater power and independence in the demimonde than she would ever have been allowed in mainstream society.

What kind of research did you do and did it wind up changing the book?
I read about 100 books on the history of the sex trade, the Tammany Hall political machine and 19th century reproductive medicine. I decided to set the book in 1868 based on one half-sentence in Marilyn Wood Hill’s book “Their Sisters’ Keepers: Prostitution in New York City, 1830-1870,” which said that in the 1870s, the Tammany Hall political machine gained control of the trade, “thus ending a brief but unique era when prostitution was managed predominantly by females.” I tried to find out more about that takeover but never found very much. So I imagined how the syndicate would have brutalized these women, and how they might have fought back.

Did you find any parallels between the events of the book and today?
A breathtakingly corrupt political machine that traffics young girls? That’s timely, and in fact a perennial tragedy. Women coming together to tell their stories and to heal in community certainly has more traction now than in 1868, but I believe they have helped one another heal in similar ways throughout history, even if we have no records of it.

How did you wind up working with She Writes Press and how would you describe the experience?
The gatekeepers of traditional publishing treat aspiring authors like dirt, and I finally decided to stop begging. One day I did a web search for something like “feminist critique of publishing industry” and the first five hits were for She Writes publisher Brooke Warner. The press is very professional, and the community of authors is invaluable. We trade information and support, which you won’t find at a Big Five publisher. Not everyone can afford a hybrid, but I’m very grateful for the respect and control She Writes gives its authors.

Five by Five—New mystery thriller incorporates a wealth of research

By Max Bowen

Michael G. Colburn’s Lady Black Mystery series has returned with the second book, “Asylum Murders” (Dec. 16). Set in the streets of 1890s Melbourne, Lady Edith “Edie” Black has reinvented herself. Once a notorious London thief, she now poses as a widowed aristocrat while secretly establishing herself as a private investigator.

In this Five by Five, Colburn dives into the lengthy research he did, particularly on the setting and time period and how he worked to get everything right. He talks about Lady Edith and how she came to be and what we can expect in future books.

How does the setting (both time and location) influence the story?
The details of the setting have to be as authentic as possible when writing a historical mystery in order to be believable. Building details and styling, street names, tram stops, the weather — all have to be researched to mesh with the story and action. Writing about the 19th century, I always use a period accurate map of the location I am writing about. Character names need to reflect the time and location as well. For example, I wanted to use the name Neil. I got conflicting information, so I had to dig further; I found Neil used as a first name in Tasmania, but I didn’t find it used in Australia. I was writing about the Torres Strait in eastern Australia; my Neil became a blackbirding pirate from Tasmania. In writing about a variety of locations, I rely on research as much as creativity.

What kind of research did you do when writing?
I did extensive research on daily activity and news in the locations where my books take place. Local newspaper archives are an important source. There is a wealth of information available in the daily news. During writing, a lot of the research is to make sure the words, actions, names and events fit with the 19th century and where the characters are located. I don’t try to convey accents or dialects; the reader can impose those if the wording works. As an example, in writing Lady Black Book Two, “Asylum Murders,” I found several events that became part of my story in the daily news of Melbourne. One example: there were reports of severed human limbs showing up in the Yarra River flowing through Melbourne. Some were dragged ashore by dogs. I never found where they identified a source of these limbs, and they became an important detail in my narrative.

How did you develop the character of Lady Edith?
I wanted a strong-willed lady lead. Many of the mysteries I read and enjoy have female lead characters. When researching the theft of the steamship Ferret for the beginning of “Stolen Brilliance,” the first Lady Black novel, I read an article in the Cardiff Wales newspaper that reported on ship activity in the port. It stated that James Henderson, the new “owner” of the Ferret, boarded the ship, refurbished and ready for departure, with a tall, elegant lady listed as his wife. I found no further reference to Henderson’s wife, and of all the many articles on the missing ship and subsequent activities of the thief, none mentioned his wife until a brief reference in Melbourne before and during his trial. There is no record that I could find that he had a wife, and that suited my needs perfectly. I built the lady into a story and a heroine.

What’s your process for creating a mystery?
I can’t always do this, but I try to find a time and place, involving genuine occurrences and actual crimes, preferably unsolved, to build into a narrative of investigation and sometimes resolution. I also want to build conflict and mystery between the characters along the way. In the first two books, I had multiple unsolved crimes that I could incorporate (and resolve in a fashion) using my characters and story. I try to write so that the multiple events that are real come together and are resolved by the end of the narrative, but leave room for surprises.

Was it always the plan to make this a series? How will things develop further in future books?
Yes, it was. While each book has a resolution, some details are left open to continue the story and relationship of the characters. For the forthcoming third book in the series, I’ll revisit another true event (the sinking of the R.M.S. Quetta) and build the book around it.

Five by Five—Listening to your characters

By Max Bowen

What began as a short story quickly grew to become Melora Fern’s novel Whistling Women and Crowing Hens.”

After finding a box of mementos and learning that her grandmother, Verna Hintz Kurtz, traveled with the Versatile Quintet in the Swarthmore Chautauqua circuit as a trombone player and whistler in the 1920s, Melora Fern was inspired to write her debut novel.

In this Five by Five, Melora talks about her grandmother’s experience it’s the Chautauqua circuits, the research done for the book, and her next project.


When you learned of your grandmother’s story, what led to writing a book about it?
I found the little-known history around musical whistling and Chautauqua circuits fascinating and after more research, I decided I had to write about it. I first tried to write my grandmother’s story, but soon discovered I didn’t know enough to write that since she wasn’t around to give me answers to my many questions.

Before I knew it, these characters started living in my head. They were quite persistent that their story be told so I started writing down scenes involving the Versatile Quintet ladies. I wrote Birdie’s audition for the Chautauqua circuit as a short story first and soon found she had much more to say. After about 40 pages in, it became obvious this was going to a novel.

Since I hadn’t been schooled as a creative writer — my earlier career had been accounting — I knew I had much to learn! I went to my first writing workshop in North Carolina and kept writing until I had a very bad first draft! After many more workshops, online writing courses, following craft books and advice from my faithful writers critique group—I rewrote it, edited it, and honed it into a manuscript. It took eight years of writing and editing and then another year of querying to get it published as a book!

Tell me about your grandmother and her time with the Versatile Quintet.
Based on her scrapbook and brochures I believe my grandmother, Verna Hintz Kurtz, traveled with the Swarthmore Chautauqua circuit as a member of the Versatile Quintet during the summers of 1926-28. Unbeknownst to me, she played the trombone—a photograph of her holding one was at the top of the pictures I discovered in a family memento box. She was also a talented musical saw player and whistled in perfect pitch.

The few Swarthmore Chautauqua brochures she saved show that same photograph along with the other Versatile Quintet members; one holding a banjo, one behind a harp and the other two are smiling young women with bobbed haircuts. In the description, it reads “These five young ladies give unusually artistic programs of vocal solos, duets, quartets, readings, costumed songs, and humorous sketches.”

My grandmother also took a correspondence whistling course from the California School of Whistling founded by Agnes Woodward in 1923. I have her letter of acceptance, a certificate of completion, and her textbook, “The Art of Whistling” with her pencil markings in the margins. I have no idea how she did it, since my grandmother lived in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and the school was located in Los Angeles, California! You can see where I got many of my ideas for the characters in my novel.

I did know my grandmother whistled because I have a treasured memory of sitting with her on their back patio. Grandma whistled bird calls and several birds flew or hopped closer to converse with her, without any bird food or bread. I thought she was magical, like Snow White! She could whistle over 50 distinct bird songs. She whistled with the U.S. Navy Band on July 12, 1937, at a concert in Washington D.C. that was broadcast over many radio stations (based on several articles and a program). She continued to entertain through the years using her whistling, musical saw, and singing at local ladies luncheons, church groups, lodges and even the nearby Pocono Manor Resort. Sadly, she had a fatal stroke when I was 8 and neither she nor my mother had ever told me about her Chautauqua circuit days.

For those not familiar, what are the Chautauqua circuits?
The Chautauqua Movement, an American phenomenon at the turn of the 20th century, began as a Sunday school teacher’s camp in upstate New York in 1874. Loosely translated from the Iroquois language, “chautauqua” means “two moccasins tied together” which some say describe the shape of the nearby Lake Chautauqua. American history has appropriated the word Chautauqua to now be defined as “any of various traveling shows and local assemblies that flourished in the U.S. in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, that provided popular education combined with entertainment in the form of lectures, concerts, and plays.”

“Mother Chautauqua,” The Chautauqua Institute, is still thriving today as an educational and recreational lakeside destination in upstate New York. President Teddy Roosevelt, who was one of four Presidents to visit the institute, has been quoted saying that Chautauqua was “the most American thing in America.” Because of the popularity of the institute at Lake Chautauqua, several towns adopted their own independent autonomous sessions, known as “daughter Chautauqua’s,” often sharing the same lecturers and musical acts.

However, it was the traveling Chautauqua circuits that brought the arts, educational lectures and cultural enrichment to small-towns all over North America. Any town could host a Chautauqua circuit, as long as the community leaders ensured the required number of season ticket sales. Circuits were a win-win for educating rural America—the circuits provided the tents, stage, talent, lecturers, and the town provided the ticket sales and people. And educate they did—in 1924, considered the circuits’ peak, there were over 1000 circuits in at least 10,000 towns providing culture to as many as 40 million people.

Circuit Chautauqua’s highbrow entertainment and lectures are referred as the forerunners to TED talks of today. They also influenced modern journalism, radio, television and podcasts. From around 1910 to 1936, circuit Chautauqua’s tents were set-up in tranquil areas—by a river, park or among trees and all daily activities were stopped so the townspeople could dedicate a week of their life to learn, be entertained, and connect with their families and communities.

Tell me about the time period and how it influences the book?
The 1920s were tumultuous, exciting, and ever-evolving. For many, especially those who lived in cities, there were dramatic cultural changes, economic prosperity, and new freedoms. However, just as many people who lived in rural towns resisted these same changes—they clung to their Victorian principals and morals. Prohibition is just one example of this push/pull of the 1920s. People had survived the Great War, which ended in 1918, followed by the Spanish Flu epidemic hardships, and many folks were not as open to all the social changes the “Roaring Twenties” brought. White women experienced the most transformation—from gaining the right to vote in 1920, to working many blue-collar jobs that had been considered “male only” before WWI, to riding in or even driving automobiles that became accessible during the 1920s.

“Whistling Women and Crowing Hens” is a coming-of-age story about a naïve woman who escapes her small town by train-traveling with a group of modern women all over America in 1924. It’s a perfect time period for a novel about a young woman finding her voice! I wanted to write a story that wasn’t about flappers, speakeasies, or jazz music because I learned that many women in the 1920s didn’t have those experiences. Most women adopted the new fashions, hairstyles, and phrases but they were uncomfortable with the social and sexual freedoms portrayed through the media about the flappers. It was important to me to represent these people, especially the women, the rural towns, the circuits, and the culture of the 1920s time period as accurately as I could.

Will there be another book?
Ab-sol-ute-ly! I’m in the research stage of my next novel. You can be assured that it will also be set during the 1920s because I find that time period to be rich with little known historical facts. Birdie and her Versatile Quintet friends most likely will make an appearance.

Five by Five—Showing the power of love and unity

By Max Bowen 

In her debut book, “R.A.T.S: Revolutionary Army of Teens, We Are One,” Claudia Daher shares a genuine desire to “lift the spirit instead of bringing it down.”

The book follows a diverse group of teenagers who discover they are Earth’s last line of defense against an alien race determined to steal Earth’s water. Secretly training in a high stakes alternate reality game called R.A.T.S, David and his allies work to hone their skills to fight real-world ecological and extraterrestrial threats. 

In this Five by Five, Claudia shares the book’s origin, introduces us to the diverse cast, and shares her message for readers.


I really like the story. Where did the idea come from and how did you develop it?
The idea came to me in 2012, when my children were still teenagers. I felt a deep concern for the new generation — so many young people were losing touch with family values, social awareness and even with the beauty of our planet. Technology was advancing quickly, but human connection seemed to be fading.

I would turn on the TV and see nothing but violence, low language, families fighting, promiscuity, and stories about drugs and crime. And I thought, “What kind of world are our children growing up in?” That question stayed in my heart. I wanted to write something completely different — a story with no negativity, no bad language, no darkness — something that could lift the spirit instead of bringing it down.

So, little by little, I began. It all started with a simple desire: to imagine a better world for all our children — a world where love, respect, and unity could still shine. From that dream, R.A.T.S: Revolutionary Army of Teens, We Are One was born.

Who are the group of teens?
The R.A.T.S are a group of extraordinary teens between the ages of 15 and 18, coming from very different parts of the world — Aruba, the United States, India, Dubai, Israel and beyond. Each of them has a unique background, nationality and faith—yet when humanity becomes threatened and the world begins to fall into an apocalyptic state, they are mysteriously brought together through what they believe is just a virtual game.

But this “game” is much more — it is actually a secret training program designed to prepare them to pilot real spacecrafts and defend the planet. They are led by David, a young man with a noble and pure heart. He doesn’t follow trends or social pressure; he is authentic, charismatic, and just — a true leader of light.

Each teen has a mother, a father, a grandmother, a grandfather, an aunt, an uncle, or a tutor — because, in the end, no matter our religion, nationality or social class, families are always part of the story. Our children and teenagers are the light of the world. Without them, life would simply have no color, no joy and no purpose.

When the teens finally realize that the game was real, they choose to rise together. Despite their differences in culture, religion, and social status, they unite with courage and purpose to protect Earth and restore hope to humanity. They discover that helping one another doesn’t diminish our own light — like a candle lighting another, we don’t lose our flame by sharing it; on the contrary, the light grows stronger, and together, we make the world brighter. 

What kind of worldbuilding did you have to do?
I created a world that reflects the one we live in — a planet in crisis, where values, compassion and family ties are fading. The young generation is growing up witnessing wars, sadness, and hunger, while the sense of unity and purpose seems to be slipping away.

In this story, the teens are our future. Through them, I wanted to show that there is still hope — that even in the darkest times, love, forgiveness, and faith can rebuild what has been lost. The book became a way to bring these essential topics back into the conversation: family, mutual respect, and emotional connection.

After all, we live in two worlds — our inner world and our social world. If we are not strong, peaceful, and loved within, it becomes difficult to make the right choices outside. The story reflects this balance — that healing the world begins with healing ourselves.

As a debut writer, what led you to write a book in the first place?
Writing this book was not just an artistic project — it was a calling of the soul. For many years, I have been involved in community work, supporting families, immigrants and humanitarian causes. I have seen how much the world needs messages of kindness, understanding and purpose.

I wanted to create a story free from negativity — no drugs, no violence, no vulgarity — something that schools, parents, and young readers could embrace with pride. R.A.T.S was my way of offering light, of reminding people that goodness and faith are not outdated — they are essential. It was time to give this generation a story that shows that love and unity are still the most powerful forces on Earth.

Is there a message for the readers?
Yes. The message is simple but powerful: We are one. We belong to the same world, and we are responsible for one another. Even a small act of goodness can change everything. Faith, love, and respect can rebuild the future — and it all begins within each of us.

I truly believe that together we can still change our destiny for the better and create a brighter world. We are all tired of bad news — it is time for good news, for peace and for health. This book is an invitation to believe again — to believe in goodness, in light, and in the beauty of a world where we care for each other.

Because if God is One, then We Are One.

Five by Five—A hollow life finds new meaning

By Max Bowen

What would you do to escape a hollow, go-nowhere life?

For Cole, the protagonist in T.J. Derry’s book, “Carried Away,” that means heading to the Indonesian islands, chasing silence, clarity, and something real. There, he reconnects with old friends and sparks a relationship with someone who sees through his detachment. But after a catastrophic tsunami, the laid-back surf trip quickly turns into a violent fight for survival.

In this Five by Five, T.J. introduces us to Cole and where his life is (and isn’t) and what awaits in the Indonesian islands. He talks about what inspired the story and his support of the Sungai Watch through the proceeds of book sales.

Let’s begin with Cole. Who is he, and why does he make this move?
Cole wants what everybody wants—to wake up next to the love of his life, hear the songbirds outside, and look in the mirror and feel like his life means something. But instead, he’s caught in the rot of modern adulthood: working a hollow job, renting a shoebox in a city where lattes cost ten bucks, contributing nothing of substance. And I think a lot of people feel that—like existence has been boiled down to one hedonic pursuit after the next. Now, on the wrong side of 30, his identity as ‘young’ has all but atrophied away.

His hope was that something would snap into place—the career, the girl, the accomplishment that proves there’s some kind of point to it all. And rattling around in his head is the frustration of a generation promised the world—told they’d be something more, someone more. Instead, they’re stuck paying rent, scrolling social media, nursing hangovers and learning that promise was hollow.

To him surf trips are an escape hatch, a way to dodge winter and feel like an individual. But this trip feels different. The Mentawais are the top of the heap—emblematic of the ultimate escape into adventure, maybe even a shot at feeling connected to the world—to other people—to himself. He doesn’t know exactly what he’ll find there, only that the usual escapes aren’t cutting it anymore.

What’s the effect of being in the Indonesian islands?
I guess by the time Cole gets to the Ments, he’s running on fumes. The trip over is long, often harrowing, full of moments where he’s anxious, but also amused by how absurd it all is. He steps off the plane into this completely different world—new air, new language, no familiar anchor—and almost right away he meets Kendal, who, for all he can tell, might be the perfect woman. That’s part of the shock: the place, the people, the timing and the circumstances. It all throws him off balance, in exactly the way he needs.

What follows isn’t just a surf trip; it’s long days in the sun and nights under the stars, reconnecting with nature, camaraderie with old friends, laughter and that connection with Kendal—open in a way he hasn’t seen in years, untouched by the cynicism he’s used to back home. The islands don’t just give him escape; they give him a jolt of life. Heaven at first…

How does Cole handle the tsunami and what comes after?
Well, I wouldn’t say he handles much—a tsunami like this is untameable. At first he doesn’t even know what’s happening. They’re surfing a remote reef when the earthquake hits, so they have no idea anything’s wrong until the ocean starts dragging them out to sea. At first you think it’s just a current, maybe it’ll let up—but it doesn’t. It only builds. And then they see the wave on the horizon. Panic sets in, and from there it unravels into pure chaos—physical and emotional torture as he stares down his own death. It’s hell.

When the waves finally let him go, he’s severely battered, exhausted, barely keeping himself afloat—and then he sees his friends are still alive too. That moment is loaded: relief that he’s not alone, colliding with dread, because they’re together but stranded—no land in sight, no clue which way to go, no help coming. And that’s when survival shifts. It’s not just about him anymore—it’s about holding the others together, whether he’s ready for it or not.

From there it’s endurance. They scrape together debris for a raft, just enough to keep them afloat through the night. Darkness brings its own kind of terror—sharks in the water, nerves unraveling—but they cling to each other and push through. By the time they finally drag themselves onto a small island, they’re in bad shape, but alive. And for Cole, that changes everything: the guy who left New York feeling aimless now knows how lucky he is just to have what he has—a heartbeat.

What inspired the story?
One of the things that inspired it was just wanting to read it. I’ve always been fascinated by natural disasters—forces so powerful that they make you feel small in a way nothing else can. As a kid I remember learning about tsunamis and thinking how wild it would be to see one in real life…of course, that was before I understood they leave bodies and sorrow in their wake.

Years later I was stuck in an airport, scrolling for something to read, and nothing felt right. So I figured—why not write the book I was looking for? Which sounds simple, but it wasn’t. I carried that idea around for a while without writing a single word—until one night, in the middle of a reckless 1 a.m. cab ride through the Nicaraguan jungle, I pulled out my phone to journal. Maybe to calm myself down, maybe just to leave a last note if things went sideways. That entry ended up leading off the second chapter and gave me something to build from.

After that, I leaned on what I knew—traveling, surfing, spearfishing, trying to fold myself into nature—and built a story out of it. That was the start. What came next was messy, grueling, nothing like the romantic notion I’d had at the beginning—but maybe that’s the only way to write a book like this.

I read that you’re donating a portion of the proceeds to Sungai Watch. What is this organization and why do you want to donate to them?
Sungai Watch is this grassroots group in Indonesia, founded by Gary Bencheghib and his siblings. I’d been following them for years on social, inspired by how they grew it from nothing into a team of more than 150 people out there every day—pulling plastic from waterways, building barriers, recycling what they can, and educating local communities. I related to it—I’ve spent plenty of time picking trash off beaches myself, just on a smaller scale. So donating a portion of the proceeds felt obvious. The book’s set in Indonesia, and so much of it is about our fragile relationship with the ocean. If the story is about surviving in the water, Sungai Watch is about making sure the water survives us. And to me, that’s work worth backing.

Ink and Riffs: Epic adventures and honest explorations

Ink and Riffs is a regular review series written by me, Citywide Co-Host Max Bowen, to talk about what I’m reading and listening to and why I think it’s awesome. Feel free to send suggestions to citywidemax@yahoo.com.

Not Your Type (Music)
Having heard her recent single, “Villain 2.0,” I wanted to check out the rest of the music from singer-songwriter Leanne Galatti, and her latest EP is a great listen. “Not Your Type” brings a seasoned sound, a blend of folk, rock and a bit of pop sounds, with Galatti’s powehouse vocals a solid accompaniment.

The aforementioned single is among the four track in the EP, a realistic look at relationships and being honest about your role and what you did. I really liked this take on the love song and feel it as something different to offer.

One cool aspect is the varied instrumentation, with “Villain 2.0” featuring a great piano track and the opening song “Standoff” giving a kickass saxophone player. Definitely something cool to hear.

Outer Lands (Comic)
What begins as a historical epic unexpectedly turns into a post-apocalyptic thriller. When a young prince living in a seemingly Ancient Grecian world is exiled to a prison isle to keep him from assuming the throne, he unintentionally discovers a massive global conspiracy in this science-fiction fantasy mash-up.

This has been such a great comic, and I can safely say I’ll be reading it again. The story by writer Matthew Arnold kept me hooked and I read the whole thing in a couple of hours. It takes a twist that I did not see coming, and the worldbuilding shows a lot of work and research. The art by Davide Gianfelice is incredibly detailed, and adapts well to both daylight and evening scenes, really bringing the tale to life.

Witness Titanic (Podcast)
I’m a huge fan of the history of the Titanic, having read books and visited museums. Following my visit to the Titanic museum in Cobh, Ireland, I knew I wanted to learn more, and this podcast, hosted by Titanic researcher James Penca, has a lot to offer.

The series takes the form of a formal inquiry, with interviews with Titanic researchers and experts, to reading statements made by the survivors of the sinking. It covers a lot, from what it means to see the ship today, to uncovering the truth about what caused this maritime tragedy in 1912.

Five by Five—The story of a nontraditional traditional relationship

By Max Bowen 

Over 40 years, Marsh Rose and Jack shared a relationship living in separate homes but with a bond that ran deep. When Jack passed from a stroke, Marsh was encouraged to turn a column she was working into a memoir, “A Version of the Truth,” set to be released in October.

Set in the famed Northern California wine country, the book explores themes of feminism, sexuality, identity, love and loss, inviting readers to think about the search for truth and the ways in which we must confront its mystery to find a version we can live with.

In this interview, Marsh talks about how she and Jack met and the nature of their relationship. She talks about the grieving process after Jack passed and how she turned that story into this new memoir.

Let’s begin with how you and Jack met and how the relationship began.
We bonded over DIY projects. Jack was a neighbor when I lived in a decrepit rental in northern California. The landlord was upset about rent control (he deemed it “socialism”), he wouldn’t make repairs and the place was falling apart. Jack was a construction worker and helped keep the place from collapsing around me. We developed a routine of two nights a week together and daily phone calls. Neither of us wanted to get married or live together.

Can you talk more about the unique nature of your relationship?
We had little in common, superficially: no shared upbringing, lifestyle, interests or friends. But we both craved intimacy while also protecting our privacy and independence. This foundation helped me to allow our differences to inform my own life and perspectives over the years.

What was your grieving process, after so many years together?
I relied on two special friends, my journal which always helps anchor me to sanity, and the need to stay grounded so that I could keep working, remain healthy and possibly write about it.

What inspired you to share yours and Jack’s story?
I was working with my mentor, Marion Roach Smith, to develop an essay I hoped to submit to the New York Times’ “Modern Love” column, about helping a partner with health problems in a nontraditional relationship. When I was a few weeks away from finishing the essay, Jack had a stroke and…the ending happened, to my ultimate surprise. Marion and I decided to turn the essay into a full-length memoir. I see it less as a story about the relationship, which is just the vehicle, and more as the discovery that we don’t always get the answers we need.

Any messages that you hope the readers take from it?
These days, especially as AI becomes more and more prevalent in our lives, we’re led to believe we can have all the answers to all our mysteries. We can’t, but we can find a way to live with unanswerable questions. I hope the readers get that message. To abuse the wise words of Mick Jagger, we can’t always get what we want but maybe, in this story, some readers may get something they need.

Five by Five—Magic series focuses on the story of tarot

Susan Wands

By Max Bowen 

Susan Wands’ Arcana Oracle Series was inspired by the story of Pamela Colman Smith, who co-created her tarot deck in 1909, and would go on to become the best-selling deck worldwide. Now three books in, the story is set in Gothic London and has its own system of magic. In this Five by Five, Susan talks about Smith’s story, her own experience in tarot and how she built the series around this.

Let’s begin with who Pamela Colman Smith is and how she inspired the book.
Pamela was born in London to American parents in 1878, and lived in Manchester, Jamaica and New York City, and returned to London at the age of 20 to work at the Lyceum Theatre. Pamela was a child prodigy, a natural artist, storyteller, and published author before the age of 19, and the first artist exhibited by Stieglitz in NYC. Mentored by Bram Stoker, she was introduced to the Golden Dawn, a magician’s group. With member A.E. Waite, she co-created her tarot deck in 1909, which eventually went on to become the best-selling deck in the world.

What is your interest/experience in tarot and how does this factor into the book?
I was a tarot reader for decades, and when I first started researching, Pamela’s name wasn’t even on her tarot deck! For 100 years, it was known as the Rider Waite tarot, not the Waite Smith. But I started researching her before the advent of the internet, so finding out about Pamela’s background required requesting materials through libraries and handwritten letters to museums. I finally tracked down a number of Pamela’s artworks and celebrated Pamela’s name on her tarot deck in 2009, 100 years post-publication of her first deck.

I love the idea of Gothic London as a setting. Have you been to London before? What kind of research did you do need to do?
I lived in several London neighborhoods when my husband was acting on the West End. Since Pamela was first hired by Bram Stoker to work at the Lyceum Theatre, I spent a lot of time there and took the tube to her different residences. Two bookstores, Watkins and the Atlantis, feature heavily in my books, as she was a patron at both shops, and I went there frequently as well as to the British Museum, where she researched tarot cards. I also walked Pamela’s paths from Chelsea to the Lyceum Theatre and across the Thames to last known addresses.

How did you develop the system of magic used in this book?
I studied the Golden Dawn’s degrees of study, Pamela’s group, to understand what kind of magic they practiced and why. The Golden Dawn had two women leaders, Annie Horniman and Florence Farr. Florence developed a secret method of astral projection, outside the auspices of the Golden Dawn, and W.B. Yeats and others were not in favor of her methods of channeling magical resources. The idea that women could belong to a club in the Victorian Era was challenging enough, but that women presidents and leaders insisted on their own formulas for magical practice was a huge inspiration for my series.

What can we expect in the rest of the series?
Each book pairs Pamela with tarot muses. In the first book, “Magician and Fool,” Pamela bases the Magician on the owner of the Lyceum Theatre, Sir Henry Irving, and the Fool on William Terriss, a matinee idol. “High Priestess and Empress” brings in Florence Farr and Dame Ellen Terry, to guide her to own her cards, and the third book, “Emperor and Hierophant,” has Bram Stoker and Ahmed Kamal help her battle ownership for her magic. The next books will follow the 22 card archetypes of the Major Arcana in Pamela’s tarot deck. Next up: Lovers and Chariot!

Five by Five: Writer says ‘not again’ in new book

By Max Bowen

Anna argues with her mom about a school science award. Ben discovers in his seventh decade that he is Jewish. Chester searches for his little sister in a snowstorm. Dixie is pregnant with her second child.

Inspired by the ongoing wave of school shootings in this country, “Shot” by Jude Berman collects 26 fictional short stories of gun violence, each featuring a different person from a different place in the U.S.

In this Five by Five article, Jude talks about the different characters in the collection, how the stories came to her, and the message for the readers.

What inspired this book?
“Shot” was inspired by yet another school shooting. I saw it on the news. I read about it. I wept about it. I was angry about it. Like everyone else, I said “not again.” I also wondered how it is that we don’t know better, that we can’t figure out how to stop this from happening. “Thoughts and prayers” clearly don’t make a difference. So I was inspired to use the power of storytelling as one small way to make a difference.

How did you go about creating the different challenges that each character faces?
“Shot” is a collection of 26 fictional short stories; any resemblance to real-life people is a coincidence. Yet I don’t feel like I created these characters. Rather, they came to me. When I was taking a walk, or just at some random moment during the day, I would feel them sitting on my shoulder, whispering, “Tell my story.” Each story is unique. The specific challenges each one faces are unique as well. So all I did was listen, and then I told the stories.

Is there something that ties these stories together?
All of the stories are tied together by the theme of gun violence. In one way or another, each character faces an incident of gun violence. For most, it comes at a completely unexpected moment. That moment is different in each story, yet the stories are united by the universality of the experience.

Why the decision to organize this in the ABC format?
The first character who came to me told me her name was Anna. The next one was Ben. Then it occurred to me there were stories for every letter of the alphabet, and that that was a good way to illustrate the diversity of people who encounter gun violence. However, it’s not the only way. The 26 characters are all from different US states. They range in age from four to eighty and are diverse with respect to gender, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, profession, and more.

What do you hope readers take from these stories?
Very simple: death by gun violence can happen to anyone. It can happen to your loved ones. It can happen to you. At any moment. Most likely, you won’t see it coming. So, understanding that, what do you want to do about it?

Ink and Riffs: Murders, music and magic

Ink and Riffs is a regular review series written by me, Citywide Co-Host Max Bowen, to talk about what I’m reading and listening to and why I think it’s awesome. Feel free to send suggestions to citywidemax@yahoo.com. 

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees (comic)
Without a doubt, this has been one of the best comics I’ve read in some time. Here’s the story:

Don’t. Murder. The locals.

This is small-town serial killer, upstanding citizen, and adorable brown bear Samantha Strong’s cardinal rule. After all, there’s a sea of perfectly ripe potential victims in the big city just beyond the forest, and when you’ve worked as hard as Sam to build a cozy life and a thriving business in a community surrounded by friendly fellow animal folk, warm decor, and the aroma of cedar trees and freshly baked apple pie…the last thing you want is to disturb the peace.

So you can imagine her indignation when one of Woodbrook’s own meets a grisly, mysterious demise—and you wouldn’t blame her for doing anything it takes to hunt down her rival before the town self-destructs and Sheriff Patterson starts (literally) barking up the wrong tree.

This was the original graphic novel debut by writer-artist Patrick Horvath, and I gotta say, he’s off to a hell of a start. The story was dark, tense and kept me guessing until the twist (and twisted) ending. The art reminds me of the books I read as a kid, which really just serves to make the whole thing even more surreally creepy. Read this one and then check out the new sequel series.

Work in Progress (music)
I’ve been a huge fan of the music of gavn! for some time, and this new album, “Work in Progress,” is a great example of his skill with music and vocals. The flow of the seven-track EP is powerful and passionate, from the opening track, “Eventually,” and continues throughout.

“Dead to Me” really stood out to me, with a story of the challenges of moving on from a person that needs to be left behind. I’ve been there a time or three and know firsthand how hard this can be.

The album shifts around a bit, with the more mellow “Shame” that slows things down a bit but maintains that same strength. The vocals are a real high point for me, with an intensity that draws you right in with a shared emotional experience.

This album is a high recommendation from me. You’re going to find yourself immersed in the stories and with this delivery, it’s sure to be a favorite.

Island Eight (Book)
Written by M.Z. Medenciy, “Island Eight” is the first in the Ataraxia Series and from what I have read so far, is one to be watched. Here’s a look at the story:

In a world on the verge of repeating a cataclysmic history, Sophia, an entertainer from the town of Salinas, unknowingly holds the keys to the world’s salvation. Yet, she turns a blind eye to their king’s tyranny to ensure her happiness. But not even the gods can protect her when the eyes of the castle shift directly to Salinas. After narrowly escaping death with the aid of a mysterious man who whisks her away to once forbidden lands, Sophia is unwillingly sucked into the brewing war with which she wanted nothing to do.

One thing that I really liked about the story is that it balances the seriousness with a good dose of humor and personality. There’s plenty of light-hearted moments that break up the tension and M.Z. weaves these different parts together perfectly. The result is a very organic tale with very realistic characters.

I can see that a lot of world-building went into this, not just the different cities, magical beings and legends, but the people themselves. Even if they’re not the main characters, each person has something that makes them unique and keeps the story moving forward. I’m really looking forward to the rest of this book and the series as well.