Audrey Gales takes us on a thrilling ride through the annals of medical history

In her Depression-era thriller “The Human Trial,” author Audrey Gale shares the story of Dr. Randall Archer, who changed medicine forever with his groundbreaking microscope. Overnight, he’s catapulted from the steel mills to the upper echelon of Bostonian society. But many challenges await, from the devastation of the Great Depression to the battle to maintain his place.

In this episode, Curtis and Max talk with Audrey about what inspired this book and the creation of Archer. We look at her own experience with medicine and how this shaped the novel, as well as the research done. Audrey talks about Archer’s ascension and how this impacts him, as well as how he has to fight to keep what he’s earned.

Trey Calloway brings new sounds and co-creators into “Wanted Man”

By Max Bowen

For Trey Calloway’s recent release, “Wanted Man,” his own time in love provided a lot of the inspiration. Released back in October, the song features Trey’s powerful vocals amidst a country/rock sound. In this interview, Trey talks about his own life experience, the new sound he explored, and working with Grady Saxman and Andi Renfree.


Let’s begin with the message of the song. Is there a takeaway you hope people will have?
My new song "Wanted Man" is about an outlaw type who's given up on love after several failed relationships. The guy has a reputation as a rebellious, carefree heartbreaker, until he finally finds the one woman he believes is an angel on earth who brings him love. I hope the song speaks to listeners about needing love in their lives and gives them hope of finding it, through the story of a strong, tough independent person who thinks he doesn't need that kind of love until he finds it and realizes that it's all he’s ever wanted.

Does it reflect any real-life experiences?
"Wanted Man" does reflect my own experiences as a younger musician going through several failed relationships, and then when I wasn't even looking for love I met my fiance. The song tells the rest of the story, and I'll be a married man by this time next year!

How does this fit in with your more recent releases?
This song "Wanted Man" has more of a country rock feel than many of my other recent releases which are ballads or have more traditional country roots. "Wanted Man" is my first recording with my new producer Grady Saxman at Saxman Studios in Nashville, and I think we clicked bringing this song to life with a modern country vibe but rocking it out. I recorded an entire album of songs with Saxman this year, and when the full album is released in 2024, "Wanted Man' will be the title track.

I read that you co-wrote this song with Andi Renfree. Have the two of you worked together before and what was the writing process?
Andi Renfree and I met in Nashville through a mutual friend about three years ago, and we've been writing music ever since. The number of songs we've written together is in double digits, and in fact, two songs on my upcoming "Wanted Man" album were written with Andi. She's a great person and an amazing singer-songwriter, and she and her husband, who is also a musician, have become my good friends. When Andi and I write together it's a true collaboration, and our trusting and laid back approach to sharing ideas fosters creativity so our writing generally flows easily.

I really loved the sound of this song. Did this come together easily or was it a trial-and-error process?
With Andi, "Wanted Man" came together easily. We knew we wanted to write a country rock song about a desperado with a little edge. Kicking around ideas about this, we landed on the idea of a wanted man and then the twist that being a wanted man was actually a love song. Once we came up with this hook, the rest of the song came together easily. Because Andi and I have written so much together, we're both comfortable and familiar with each other's processes and respect each other's ideas and musical ability. "Wanted Man" is the culmination of our work together in Nashville over the past few years, and I hope your listeners enjoy it!

Being in front of and behind the camera with Tonya Todd

For my next guest, between all she does on set, behind the camera and behind the mic, I’m glad she found the time to talk with me. This episode features Las Vegas-based actress, podcaster and writer Tonya Todd.

Tonya and I dive into her various projects, starting with her work on the series “Dark Ops,” which is on Knight TV+. Dark Ops follows the inner workings of the FBI's Behavior Analysis Unit 2 whose mission is to hunt down and dismantle ransomware crime syndicates global and we take a close look at Tonya’s character Senator Anne. This is a part she had little time to prepare for, and we talk about how she got into character, as well as the ways that she made Senator Anne her own.

Tonya is also working on the short film “Mourning Sacrifice,” wherein a detective helps a woman find her missing husband. This film is Tonya’s directorial debut, and it’s also based on a short story she wrote. She shares the casting process, how the characters changed the story, as well as being in the big chair for the first time.

Fantasy, children’s lit and more at the Rhode Island Author Expo

The weekend of Dec. 2 saw the return of the annual Rhode Island Author Expo. Citywide host Max Bowen was there to not only emcee the event, but interview some of the great writers who were there.

Kicking off this episode is Nishita Roy-Pope to talk about her new book, “Courage Kids: The Magic Soccer Ball.” It’s her debut book and we talk about how her background in business and as a diversity leader helped prepare her for this new role. Nishita talks about the different characters, how her kids helped with the ideas and what she hopes people take away from the story.

Up next, Ann Watt channels her 30 years as a critical care nurse into a memoir, “When Being a Nurse was Fun.” She shares a few stories from her time as a nurse and what inspired the book. We go into what nursing was like pre-COVID and how the pandemic changed everything.

Keith Carreiro is no stranger to the show, having been on before to talk about his nine-book series, “The Immortality Wars.” This blend of science fiction and fantasy centers on Pall Warren, a 16th-century warrior who wakes up to find himself in the far future. He’s now four books into the series with the release of “The Pilgrim” and we look at how the story has advanced.

Kelly Swan Taylor brings a little mystery to the show with her series “The Wright Detective,” now three books long. Tessa Wright is a seventh-grade student who solve mysteries with her friends. We talk about the main character’s creation, along with how her friends and father—also a detective—factor into the books. Kelly has a new book, “Frozen in Time,” and we talk about the intense plot that awaits.

Maggie Kozel brings things to a close with her book, “My Legs are Crying.” Like Ann, this book is centered on real-life experience in the medical world. Maggie’s book is based on her work with emotional-based illnesses, and we go into what they are and how her work impacted medicine.

Reflecting on a ‘sterling’ career

Sterling Golden is retiring.

Those are four words I never thought I’d say. But, here we are. As of Jan. 1, 2024, Sterling Golden will bring a 15-year career in music, nightlife, events, radio, and podcasting to a close and enter his next phase-focusing on family.

In this interview, Sterling and I talk about the decision to retire made early this year and how he’s processed it in the months that followed. Sterling shares his thoughts on stepping down and how he’s already begun adjusting to his new role.

But the man isn’t quite done yet. He has two interviews dropping this month, as well as a final, 23-hour playlist covering some of his favorite music from 1976 to present. Sterling gives a few previews as to that you can expect, but trust me, you’ll want to check them out and hear the full stories.

Fifteen years is a long time in any industry, and Sterling and I talk about some of his best moments and memorable encounters. We look at business left unfinished and if there’s any chance that Sterling Golden will return to the world of nightlife. He also talks about his last live event and the experience of being on stage for the final time.

New book defines the meaning of home

For Roberta Kuriloff, much of her life has been spent finding her home—from living in an orphanage following the deaths of her mother and aunt and separation from her father to standing on a plot of land in Maine preparing to build her new house.

In “Framing a Life: Building a Space to Be Me,” Kuriloff chronicles this journey, bringing together several journals that she kept over the years. The book details an eight-year spiritual quest where she explore her Jewish roots, how she came to understand the losses and the influence they had on her, and discovering her sense of self.

In this interview, Roberta speaks with Max on the concept of ‘home’ and what it means to her. We talk about the writing process and what inspired her decision to share the story with the world. Roberta shares the losses she’s endured, and how she’s grown through them into the person she is today. We also go into the spiritual quest and what she experienced during that time.