Five by Five—The perils of artistic ambition

By Max Bowen

What begins with a well-meant deception spirals out of control in Diane Wald’s new book, “The Bayrose Files” (Regal House, May 27). The story follows ambitious journalist Violet Maris, who is determined to write a captivating exposé on a prestigious writers’ colony in 1980s Provincetown. She even fakes her application using her friend’s short stories. Violet's promising start at the colony takes a dark turn when her friend, the true author of the stories, dies while she’s in the middle of her residency.

In this interview, Diane talks about the inspiration behind the story, developing Violet’s character and how writing this novella compares to her work in poetry.

What went into crafting this story?
“The Bayrose Files” is the result of many years of pondering how I could write about my years in Provincetown (two in an artists’ colony, and one as a motel manager) without making it autobiographical or judgmental or quaint or hackneyed. After all, the place often evokes automatic reactions from people, especially if they’ve never been there. One day it finally came to me that a completely fictional story filled with interesting characters and a touch of suspense (will the main character be able to pull off her “terrible thing?”) was the way to go. Then the fun began!

The character of Violet Maris is really interesting. How did she come to be?
Oh, Violet, how I love her, that crazy girl! I’ve always been intrigued by people who have a hard time with life challenges that other easily manage. At 26, Violet somehow hadn’t yet learned how to imagine what her actions might mean in the future for herself and others. She was focused and energized, but not contemplative. Violet possesses the unusual ability to sense when something important is about to happen through the temperature of objects she touches, but she struggles to realize what those events might be. The lessons she learns are hard.

How does the loss of Violet’s friend affect her, especially as she’s using their stories to get into this writer’s colony?
Violet and Spencer shared a very deep friendship, and his well-meaning suggestion that she pass off his stories as her own allows her to rush forward without thinking things through. His death shocks her so profoundly that she instantly spills the secret she’s kept so diligently through several months of her fellowship. The loss of her dear confidant is crushing and, in a single instant, her world of illusion disintegrates, forcing her to face several significant situations that she’d rushed recklessly into before.

What inspired the story?
In addition to what I described in my first answer regarding Provincetown, I’ve always wanted to write about the conundrum of artistic ambition. Are there any “pure” artists, really, and, if so, what makes them that way? I also wanted to explore the idea of forgiveness. Who, if anyone, will forgive Violet’s deception, and will she forgive herself?

Do you find any parallels between poetry and novel-writing?
Absolutely. First of all, you have to be true to yourself and your own style. For me, that means putting things down plainly on the page, the way they naturally come out of me. I like Emily Dickinson and Henry James, but it would be folly for me to copy their styles. What brings any kind of writing alive for me is the marriage of imagery and emotion. And I try to bring the same appreciation for language into my fiction that I do with my poetry. A beautiful sentence can be poetic and still be easy to digest.

Five by Five—From fantasy to family story

By Max Bowen

When author Mima Tipper began her writing career, the plan was to pen a young adult fantasy.

Instead, an advisor recommend she write something with a personal connection—leading to her new book, “Kat’s Greek Summer.”

In this Five by Five, Mima talks about the switch from fantasy to a memoir, her main character Kat and how writer and protagonist reflect one another and the theme of going back to your roots.


How did your own background help shape the story?
A year before I began writing the manuscript that would become “Kat’s Greek Summer,” I started an MFA program at Vermont College of Fine Arts. I went into that MFA ready to dive into a YA fantasy I’d been dreaming of writing for years. At the end of the semester, my advisor—though super kind about my dark faerie story—asked me if I’d consider writing something more personal.

At first, I was taken aback. I mean, I love fantasy, and those stories are the ones that got me writing. Something about her words stuck with me, and I began thinking of the Greek side of my family—my mother is Greek—and the many summers I spent in Greece during the first 16 or so years of my life. I didn’t want to write a memoir, and instead created a fictional main character—a girl as opposite to me at the age of 14 as possible—and began writing what I thought would be a fun, gripping, romantic, sun and sand-filled story.

As I wrote, a lot of my feelings about my family and heritage bubbled up, and soon my protagonist Kat Baker started saying and doing and asking things that I never had the courage to say or do or ask. These memories and feelings informed Kat’s story more and more, and the result of all that self-reflecting and imagining turned into “Kat’s Greek Summer.”

Does the story reflect much of your own youth?
Yes, like my main character Kat, I grew up between my two cultures, and never fully connected to my Greek half. When my Greek mother became an American, she wanted to be all American, so she didn’t speak Greek to me or my brother. That made spending summers in Greece fairly surreal. Though we loved my Greek grandparents, especially my yiayiá, my brother and I were expected simply to fit in with our Greek family without much help.

The real fishing village where we stayed is called Alepahori, though the place has changed quite a bit since my childhood. I loved capturing my memories of that place with the physical setting as well as the rustic cottage and relatives in “Kat’s Greek Summer.” Regarding the Greek characters and Kat’s relatives, most are compilations of my true family members and of Greeks I met during my Greek summers, especially my Yiayiá Sofia character. My own Yiayiá Kalomira passed away a bunch of years ago, and it was amazingly fun and personal to bring pieces of her back through my fiction. My character Kat’s story is fiction, but to be honest many, many aspects of her story hold the emotional truth I discovered exploring my own heritage growing up half Greek/half American.

Who is Theofilus and what makes him “off-limits”?
Theofilus is the young Greek fisherman my main character Kat falls for. There was a real Theofilus for me during one of my teen year Greek summers, and my Theofilus also did not speak English. We did have fun trying to communicate, and there were a lot of hand signals. The reason my character Theofilus is “off-limits” is because of his grandfather’s attitudes about how young girls should behave, and his very specific fear of all things American. No spoilers!

What is Kat’s experience going back to her roots?
Born and bred in New England, Kat hasn’t had much contact with her Greek family, so the foreignness of the language and culture is very alien to her. Also, the summer place is a tiny cottage located in a very rustic fishing village, and she finds herself cut off from her sport, her friends, her technology, and everything she knows. The food, the climate, the language are all foreign to her, making her question her Greek heritage, and feel more and more that she doesn’t belong.

What do you hope readers take away from this book?
When my readers turn the last page of “Kat’s Greek Summer,” I want them to take a big satisfied breath because they feel like they’ve gone along with Kat on her daring, swoony adventure in gorgeous Greece, and were rooting for her all the way. I want my readers to feel powerful and hopeful about their own possible choices and future. I want their takeaway from this reading experience to be the message that to belong anywhere or to anyone or anything, they must first belong to themselves.

 

Talking travel, robots, and Moscow marriages at the Rhode Island Author Expo

This December saw the return of the Rhode Island Author Expo, run by the Association of Rhode Island Authors. Along with emceeing the event, Citywide Blackout co-host Max Bowen sat down with some of the many talented writers to talk about their new releases, story inspirations, character development, and what we can expect down the road.

McLaughlin shares details of upcoming books
Heidi McLaughlin, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author, joins me to talk about her two upcoming novels, “Sail Away With Me” (Dec. 31) and “The Art of Starting Over” (Feb. 1). Both are romance stories, and we go into the details of the potential couples, her character development process and how these fit into her over 60 previous works.

Getting married in 1979 Moscow
Joann and Jim Mead have an interesting story about how they met—in Moscow 1979. In their new book, “Married in Moscow: A Red-hot Memoir during Cold War Times,” the couple talk about what brought them to Moscow in the first place and their memorable moments there. Joann and Jim share their first impressions of each other and how they went from two strangers to a marriage that lasted the years.

From travel blogging to crime thriller
To say that C.B. Giesinger has had a wide-ranging writing career would be putting it mildly. From her travel blogging, where she shows readers some of the best places to check out across the globe, she’s also tried her hand at all sorts of genres of books. Most recently, she released “Where the Salt Water Ends” a thriller in which the mother of a missing child begins an investigation when other kids are taken, and the truth is not something she wants to learn.

C.B. and I talk about her different types of writing, portraying strong female characters, and future works.

YA author is back with second “Courage Kids” book
In 2023, I got to meet debut author Nishita Roy-Pope to talk about her first book. “Courage Kids: The Secret Soccer Ball.” Now, Nishita has continued the series with “Courage Kids-Robots, Sharks and the Missing Glow” and with a name like this, you just know it’s going to be a great story. Nishita talks about what inspired this book and how it continues the first one. We also go into this new role for Nishita and how she plans to grow it in the future.

Kelly Swan Taylor shares the newest story in teen mystery series
Kelly Swan Taylor is now in the fourth volume of her Wright Detective series, this time set amidst a new love for her protagonist, Tessa Wright. We explore the different ways that the series has progressed and how Tessa has changed since the first book. Kelly also shares the role that Tessa’s love interest Mason plays in the new book as well as the potential for new titles.

Western Education digs deep with new singles

Western Education

The four-piece rock band Western Education is another old favorite from our Boston days. We’ve seen them on stage many times and it’s always been a blast, so of course, we had to have them on.

Band members Greg Alexandropoulos, Will Hunt and Devin Vaillaincourt join us to recap their most recent singles, which touch on some pretty serious topics, such as the loss of a loved one to cancer and trying to help someone dealing with mental health struggles. The band talks about the real-life people whose stories inspired the music and what it means to share them.

Western Education has been around since 2012, and we go into the “good ol’ days” of promoting music, how things have changed and how they’ve changed with them. We talk about favorite Boston venues – ours and theirs -- and some of the stages they’ve performed on.

Opening this episode is an excerpt from the band’s recent single, “Catherine What Have You Done” and closing things out is the new release, “Madeline in the Hurricane,” which was released on Nov. 15.

 

Citywide Bytes-How a dog helped Anne Abel to heal

For this episode, we’re talking all about dogs, and how one dog named Milo and his owner overcame their difficult pasts.

After the untimely death of her beloved pet, Mattie, author Anne Abel rescued an initially aggressive dog named Milo. Anne's commitment to Milo's rehabilitation became a powerful metaphor for her resilience and growth. Amid many challenges and recovering from childhood trauma, Anne found strength, rediscovered her capacity to love and transformed both herself and Milo in the process.

Anne wrote about this in "Mattie, Milo and Me," and we talk all about those early days with Milo and how she helped to ease his aggressive tendencies. She talks about her own past trauma and how working with Milo changed that, as well as sharing the story multiple times as part of the Moth StorySLAMs.

Citywide Bytes—Author kicks off new trilogy set in a magical San Fran

In “The Others” (September, SparkPress) author Evette Davis blends magic and realism, creating a “secret society of supernaturals who seek to slow the spread of facism.” Here’s a look at what’s in store:

Olivia Shepherd is a political consultant with a secret: She’s an empath, with the power to experience the emotions of those around her. Keen to keep her supernatural abilities hidden, Olivia's world is upended when Elsa, an ancient time-walker, appears in her kitchen, unveiling a destiny she never knew she had.

As Olivia delves deeper into the hidden world of the "Others" who lurk beneath San Francisco's foggy streets, she finds herself drawn into the clandestine organization of The Council–who seek to influence humanity from the shadows–and Gabriel Laurent, the enigmatic leader of a realm where vampires, witches, fairies and demons navigate a delicate balance of power.

In this episode, we go into Olivia’s character, her abilities, and how she finds herself amidst this conflict. Evette shares Olivia’s motivation and how she handles this new world that she finds herself a part of.

We talk about the fantasy aspect of the story and why she chose to place it in San Francisco, where she lives. We even go into what will be happening in her next two books, but no spoilers here!

New book sends us to a creepy island—with pie

Whatever you do, don’t eat the pie. That’s it. That’s all the warning you get.

In Monique Asher’s new book, “Don’t Eat the Pie,” we’re taken to Camillia Island, where Sam moves her family after her mother-in-law falls ill. All seems well and there’s even a pie competition, until Sam’s daughter Emma begins seeing ghosts who try to warn her of something.

Monique talks about the absolutely amazing cover art and introduces us to the artist who created it. We talk about what inspired the book and her writing process. Monique goes into Camillia Island, what makes it the way it is and the things Emma sees.

And speaking of hauntings , Monique is also the co-host of the “Stay The Night Podcast” and shares her experiences recording the episodes at some of the most haunted places around.

Five By Five: Debut novel honors a grandmother’s love of nature

By Max Bowen

In her debut book, writer Adrianna Schuh blends some magic and romance in “Magic is in the Air.” The story follows Olivia Ayala, a fiercely independent Latina witch with cerebral palsy. In her small-town bakery in Addersfield, Rhode Island, Olivia crafts magical confections while raising her son and navigating life's challenges. Enter Draven James, a charming and mysterious man who stirs both the town's magic and Olivia's heart. As Olivia falls for Draven, she uncovers secrets threatening their haven and her dreams.

In this interview, Adrianna talks about what inspired her to write this book and how she created Olivia and the real-life story behind it.


I read that this is your first published novel. What inspired you to write this and how did “Magic Is In the Air” come to be your story?

I love witches. My grandma was a practicing witch and I grew up visiting Wiccan camps with her. She instilled in me a love of nature and the moon. And she taught me to believe in magic. The story is a bit of a love letter to her.

I’d like to know more about your main character, Olivia Ayala. What went into creating her?

Honestly, she's a mix of myself, my grandma, and my mom. I gave her my disability because I wanted to see more disability representation in romance. I was raised by a single mom, so Olivia has that strength and resilience. And she believes wholeheartedly in herself and the power of family. That's my grandma. I looked at all the powerhouse Mexican women in my life and channeled them into Olivia.

What do you hope readers learn or experience with Olivia’s story?

A sense of belonging. I hope they see this strong and beautiful witch and catch a glimpse of themselves. I hope she inspires readers to trust their guts and believe in themselves.

I’m a lifelong New Englander, and was intrigued that Rhode Island is the setting. Why, and how does this shape the story?

I was born and raised in the Midwest. But New England has always fascinated me. The history, the landscape, it just has this magical quality. And witches are a part of that. So it just felt so natural. To have the story set during fall in New England just made sense.

What is the magic that Olivia does? Do her abilities play a big role in the story?

She has the ability to cast spells with her words. She speaks a spell, and poof, magic. There's really a spell for almost everything. It just has to be vocalized. And it is the same for the other witches in the book. Her and her friends abilities play a very big role. It's really the centerpoint of the whole story. It was incredibly fun to write.

Citywide Bytes—In her new book, Donna Levin explores a romanticized past

In author Donna Levin’s new book, “The Talking Stick,” we meet Hunter, who has lost…..well, just about everything. Her husband has left her for her former friend, now best enemy Angelica. She has no job, no prospects, and is unsure of what comes next.

That “next” happens while exploring a San Francisco flea market. Here, she’s sent on a journey with three other women who join her journey to reexamine pasts, explore grief, addictions, parenting, and marriages, and discover that some of their most-cherished memories are romanticized versions of the truth.

In this interview, we look at what inspired this book and introduced to Hunter and Angelica. Donna talks about the element of a Talking Stick and why it was included in the book. She shares a look at the journey Hunter’s on and the people she’ll be sharing it with and just where it’s all going.

John Raposa tries a new genre with “All In The Cards”

When author John Raposa was last on the show, it was in 2017 for his dystopian thriller “Children of Apis” series. Now, he has a new book out, “All In The Cards” and while the book is indeed a thriller, this has a much darker tone. Here’s a look at the synopsis:

Danny and Leigh are your typical teenagers until a mystical deck of cards comes into their possession. What started as an innocent visit to a gypsy's tent results in a decision that alters the path of their lives.

For Danny, the cards are both intriguing and addictive. To Leigh, they have a dark quality that should have been left alone. As the lives of Danny and Leigh unfold, the cards' sinister nature begins to emerge, and their dark powers have a chilling reach.

As the cards' predictions are revealed, Danny and Leigh are forced to question everything they thought they knew. Are the cards really predicting their future, or is it all mere coincidence? And what is the true purpose of this sinister deck?

In this episode, John, Curtis and Max talk about where the idea for the book came from, and his use of a regular deck of playing cards for this dark presence. John goes into the new experiences he had in the writing process for a psychological thriller and how he developed his main characters.

“Night of the Hawk” dives into themes of shamanism, misogyny

By Max Bowen

“Five By Five” is the name for our series of written Q&A interviews with writers and musicians. The name actually refers to audio signals, which ties in with our regular podcast. Five By Five is another way to say “good signal strength” or “loud and clear,” but can also mean “exceptional quality,” which certainly lines up with the artists we speak with.

Psychotherapist and poet Lauren Martin is hoping that her new book, “Night of the Hawk” (She Writes Press) can promote kindness and tolerance in the world.

Her book, a collection of poetry she has worked on for many years, addresses different themes, including climate politics, women’s health and love. In this interview, Martin looks at the shamanistic journey she has been on most of her life, the central message of her work and what she hopes that readers take from it.

What was the shamanic journey that you went on?
I was born with an intrusive ability to see people’s ancestors. When I was a child, spirits would come alive in my bedroom at night. Talking. Mumbling. Agitated. Pleading. My father is a physician and when I would ask, “Why are there people in my room?” he would say it was my eyes adjusting to the dark. And thus began a journey of not being believed.

When a child is shamanistic or a medicine person, there are specific rites that protect children like this from the negative impact of interacting with the dead. Because I did not get those protections, it led to increasing metaphysical occurrences as I grew up. Due to the complications caused by this, I was extremely isolated as I tried to figure this out. I spent decades seeking out answers, eventually ending up in what I see as the root of all religions.

I read that you’ve worked on these poems for many years. How have you changed from the first poem you wrote to the more recent ones?
What a great question. I actually have written poetry for a long time, but this book came together while I was laying in bed with a spinal fluid leak. I typically don’t do many edits and tend to wake up with a poem fully formed. My shamanic journey has always isolated me and the eight years of bed rest made it worse. I think I’ve become more comfortable with my spirit-driven life of service and less expectant of personal desires which ultimately, are not guaranteed.

What are some of the topics your work focuses on, and why did you want them included in the book?
Climate Politics: My religion reveres nature as vibrant and alive entities essential for our survival. I feel deeply concerned by the way greed has distorted facts with regard to the environment.

Women’s Health and Disability: I have spent my life passionate about the fight against misogyny. All the conversations right now seem to focus on our problems with our allies rather than our unification and strength. As a result, policies are rolling backward.

Love and Loss: My poetry is a way I can process my deepest vulnerabilities.

Would you say there is a central theme to your work? If so, what is it?
If I were joking I would say my directness but I think there are a few. Shamanism. Misogyny. Disability. Underlying all of this is the grappling with love and death. I do think my personality has lived in the raw vulnerability of the truth and I hope the exposition of that in my poetry allows people to explore their own vulnerability around these themes. To me, the quality of our connection to others is what sustains us in the world and demarks a meaningful life.

What do you hope people get from reading your work?
My hope is that it promotes kindness and tolerance. I want to express the invisible pain that exists in the world: the pain people hide from each other, the pain of the marginalized, and the pain of the natural world which I believe supports our human machinations and deserves greater reverence.

Thomas Smith takes on an imaginative journey with “Other Places”

Horror author Thomas Smith has written some wildly terrifying tales over the years, and in his new horror collection, “Other Places” (Cemetery Dance), he brings us 16 different stories, all in his signature style.

In this interview, Thomas talks about the phone call from friend of the show Kevin Lucia that got this book rolling, and how he created each story. We learn which was the most fun to write, and get a peek at some of the themes and ideas he incorporated.

We look at the dedication to fellow horror writer Joe Cherkes and the history between the two that led to Thomas choosing Joe for this honor. Thomas talks about his own type of writing and what he hopes the reader gets out of it—and you may be surprised by what he has to say.

Five By Five—“God Bless the Child” spans multiple lives

By Max Bowen 

“Five By Five” is the name for our series of written Q&A interviews with writers and musicians. The name actually refers to audio signals, which ties in with our regular podcast. Five By Five is another way to say “good signal strength” or “loud and clear,” but can also mean “exceptional quality,” which certainly lines up with the artists we speak with. Now with that out of the way, on to the book!

Anne Heinrich’s debut novel “God Bless the Child,” (June 7, 2024, Speaking Volumes) grew from a single story into a three-book series, and in this interview, she speaks

on how it started and diving back into the story years later. She also talks about the alternating viewpoints the story takes as it spans across two women’s lives. We also go into the different topics she goes into that surround motherhood and what we can expect next. 

Here’s a look at the story synopsis:

Mary Kline has always confronted the challenges of her obesity and infertility with unyielding determination, refusing to succumb to societal expectations. But she desires one thing above all; a child of her own. When her vulnerable friend Pearl unexpectedly finds herself pregnant, Mary steps forward as both caregiver to Pearl and guardian to her child, Elizabeth. Mary sees an opportunity in motherhood to heal the wounds of her own loveless past, but Elizabeth resents Mary, finding her repulsive and stifling her upbringing. As the years pass, Elizabeth grapples with unresolved anger and struggles with her mental health, seemingly destined to repeat the same mistakes with the family she makes for herself. Can Elizabeth break free from the pains of her adolescence finding forgiveness for her mothers' shortcomings, in order to become the mother she’s always wanted?

I read that this book was 18 years in the making. How did you develop it over that time?

When I started writing this and collaborating with an editor, our youngest daughter was only 3 years old and too little to get on the school bus for preschool in the next town. I scratched the first draft of “God Bless the Child” on a stack of yellow legal pads three afternoons a week in a little café while she went to her school. I finished the draft and even started pitching to agents, but life as a working mother to three children kept getting in the way. I let the manuscript sit in a drawer for quite a while but did find myself sneaking away when I could to write new stories. It always felt self-indulgent.

My children are grown, and I decided to reach out to my editor to see if he would give my new stuff a read. He agreed and encouraged me to pull the finished novel out of the vault. I did. It needed a little more work, but still had legs. He thought it could be pitched, along with some of the new pieces I’d written, as a three-book series. Things happened quickly after that. We found an agent, and just months later, I had a contract with a traditional publisher. I like to think that the timing was just better this time around. The universe said yes!

Who are the alternating viewpoints?
The story unfolds over three generations, with staggered viewpoints of the primary characters throughout. The plot is not presented in a linear fashion, so the reader must pay attention to who’s doing the talking and what they are revealing. The chapters are shared by the book’s two primary characters, Mary Kline and her surrogate daughter Elizabeth, along with a host of other characters who drive the story forward and backward in their own distinctive voices. Some of the chapters are long, and others quite short.

Other characters who get a fair amount of real estate, or voice, in the book are David, Elizabeth’s husband; Little Mary, Elizabeth’s and David’s young daughter; Johnson Kuhlman, a quirky bystander who become essential to the plot and provides equal shares of solid observation and comic relief; and James Pullman, the pastor’s son, whose unwise dalliances with a vulnerable young Pearl Davis, Mary Kline’s only friend, lead to the a central plot line.

How did you combine them and how does this drive the story?
When I started the manuscript, I just let things spill out onto the page, and put shape to it over time. This is a character-driven story, and the way the narrative builds demonstrates just how deep and wide the shelf life of trauma can be for families. Some of the minor characters were created expressly to answer questions, provide a back story, or just move characters across town. I’ve been able to do a fair amount of what I would call “taking care of business” that a book just must have with dialogue and memory sequences, too. It is just as interesting to consider the characters who are essential to the plot but have no voice at all.

What are some of the topics you take on in this book and how are they presented?
A theme throughout the book is a complicated set of questions around the definition, nature and nuances that define motherhood. None of the characters in God Bless the Child have particularly good mothers and they are flawed as mothers themselves. There is an abortion and some intimate scenes that are visceral, but not gratuitous or loaded with judgement. In fact, these pivotal moments in the story are tucked in tight right next to other harsh, sad realities that exist when children are placed in the care of adults who are ill-equipped to nurture and love in ways that are natural or socially acceptable.

There is a fair amount of emphasis on parents (both biological and adoptive) who are driven by their own needs and desires rather than what is best for the children in their care. The book delves into mental health issues, abuse and even challenges the sanctity of places and people who should be safe harbors for the vulnerable — but often are not. All the characters grapple with the choices they have made, as well as those that have been thrust upon them by others. I think the story has the potential to lead to rich and necessary conversations about love, loss and forgiveness at a time when we’re craving connection more than ever.

This is your debut book. Are others planned?
Yes. “God Bless the Child” is the first in a three-book series to be published by Speaking Volumes. The series is called “The Women of Paradise County.” Book Two, “Violet Is Blue,” will release in June 2025, to be followed by Book Three, “House of Teeth.” I have a healthy start on another stand-alone novel, “A Room for Candace,” but will not be diving back into that one for a while.

Don Silver’s new book takes on a powerful coming-of-age story

Many know Don Silver for years in the music industry as a producer, talent scout and much more. But Silver’s also an accomplished author, as we see in his soon-to-be-released book, Scorched (May 7, Holloway Press). Here’s a look at what’s in store:

After his father's sudden death, 14-year-old Jonas tries to support himself and his mother by selling weed and tranquilizers at parties–until he gets busted and sent to a boarding school for fatherless boys. To survive Lafayette Academy, Jonas and his four roommates form a tight bond. The boys vow to have each others’ backs for life--but that promise is broken the weekend before graduation when they’re drawn into a violent encounter that results in a man’s death. Twenty years later, when one of his old roommates shows up unannounced, Jonas is forced to confront his complicated past once and for all.

Max and Don talk about the origins of the book, how he got into the head of Jonas, and how the main character changed over the course of the writing process. Don talks about how he got into writing in the first place and three books later, if he feel he has “arrived.”

This is Don’s second book in the “coming-of-age” genre and we go into what about this type of story appeals to him. We also shed light on the rest of the cast, and how they grow the story in different ways.

Citywide Bytes-Joseph Macolino takes us on a tour of the world of Evorath

In the latest live episode of Citywide Bytes, Max talked with author Joseph Macolino for his recently-finished (or is it?) “Evorath Trilogy.” 

He released the third book, “The Battle for Erathal,” and we go into how this wraps up the story, as well as what he has planned next.

This series is years in the making, and Joseph talks about the lengthy world-building he did, which included a lot of education to expand his knowledge and create a more varied Evorath. 

He also shares the character creation process, how he’s seen them grow, and the challenge of deciding when certain ones need to meet a grisly end.

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.

“Rain Dodging” blends history, travel, and inspiring women writers

By Max Bowen

In “Rain Dodging,” (She Writes Press) author Susan Goodwin took a historical journey to learn more of Mary of Modena, an inspirational person who founded a court of women writers, something unheard of in the 17th century. Susan talks about how she discovered Mary’s story and how it grew into this new book.


I read that the book is part memoir and part nonfiction. What is the memoir portion?
Think of “Rain Dodging” as a triple helix of royal history, travel, and memoir. Irreverently peppered throughout the book, I twist parallel spicy stories of my own resilient, sometimes messy, feminist path.


What was it about Mary of Modena’s story that inspired you to write a book about her?
14th-century French writer François Rabelais declared women were not fully human beings, not endowed with a soul, and not created in the image of God, who, after all, was male. In 17th-century Christian tradition, women were seen as temptresses who personified original sin and lured men to evil. Something about the resilience of women who wrote and published in an age that did not support them brought forth an emotional reaction. English majors are expected to come up with their own paper topics. When I stumbled onto the late 17th-century Stuart court of Queen Mary of Modena, consort to James II, who at only 14 years of age had been pressured into marriage with a man 25 years her senior and forced to leave her idyllic Italian home, I felt the click, the heartbeat, the stab I feel when I find a topic that intrigues.


I imagine this involved a lot of research. What did you have to do to learn what you needed?
Part of the joy of research—and for me it is joyful—is the ability to explore freely. While attending a summer tutorial at Oxford, I was fortunate to conduct literary research with Dr. Peter McCullough, esteemed professor and Fellow of Renaissance Literature. For six invigorating weeks, I studied Eighteenth-century literature and the arts with the brilliant and delightful Peter. His course energized, making constant connections between history, literature, and artistic movements. While researching my final paper for Peter about poet Anne Finch, Countess of Winchelsea and her poem “Nocturnal Reverie,” I first came upon Mary of Modena, whose court was filled with women writers. A court of women writers would be extraordinary in this time. How did this come to be? How might these women have interacted and inspired one another? What was Mary of Modena’s role in this? I was hooked. Peter was encouraging about my book idea. True to his MO, he dashed to his computer and gathered up a beginning bibliography for me to pursue. This is what got me started on my years-long search for answers.



Mary’s court of women writers—was such a thing unheard of in this time?
This was very unusual and what spoke to me initially.


Was there anything to Mary’s story that surprised you?
How powerless she was to control her own life. As well, the connection between Mary and the women who originated ‘the Salon’ was an unexpected surprise.


What did you learn about the world of early European feminism?
I found a fascinating connection to the history of salon culture. The salon, an important place for the exchange of ideas, developed in 16th-century Italy. Salons encouraged socializing between the sexes and brought nobles and the middle class together. Salons helped facilitate the breaking down of social barriers. Here, women could be powerful influences. Between 1540 and 1560, women writers were numerous enough to be considered a significant group for the first time in Italian literary history. Salon culture flourished in France throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, emigrating from Italy.

One such very important circle—and connected to Mary of Modena—was created on Ischia [Is’ kee ə], an island a mere 17 miles southwest of Naples, Italy. Ischia was a utopia for women receiving dispatches from husbands fighting in war zones while remaining safe from peril themselves. There, in 1509, mistress of Ischia Castle, Constanza d’Avalos, established a poetry salon. She was joined by her niece, poet Vittoria Colonna, a member of the House of Este, Mary of Modena’s noble family. Vittoria launched a “moveable salon” while visiting Duke Ercole II d’Este in Ferrara, just 45 miles from Modena. One such salon was hosted by Isabella d’Este, 1474–1539. Both Isabella and Vittoria were sixth-generation House of Este—Maria Beatrice of Modena was seventh-generation. By the 17th century, in Rome, Princess of Colonna, the daring Marie Mancini—also Mary of Modena’s cousin—was a major salon hostess and a published author of memoir.

Because the women of Ischia lived their adult lives virtually as single, they experienced complete artistic freedom unrestricted by male dominance. Many of the more important Italian salons of the day were led by the women from Ischia or were offshoots of one of their salons. Salon culture spread quickly through Europe. In fact, salon culture could be considered the precursor of modern publishing as a method of moving culture forward.

It is important to me that I pass on knowledge of the early vestiges of European feminism to teach younger generations of women our illustrious histories: Women’s studies go further back than Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem’s second-wave feminism of the 1960s and 1970s or the suffragettes of the early twentieth century.


Did the writing impact you in any way?
The writing definitely reinforced my love of words, of stringing them together to make poetry. As well, I found a new identity through the historical context of the female struggle.


What do you hope readers take away from this book?
There are different themes in “Rain Dodging” but the one that keeps rising to the forefront at this stage in my life is the inner resilience to keep moving forward, to jump over obstacles. I also genuinely want my women readers to know that not only can one accept aging, but one can gracefully knock it on its ass.

Maggie Giles takes us on a “twisted” murder case

It all starts out with a simple jewelry heist…until things take a most unexpected turn!

When cracked open, the case morphs into a full-fledged murder investigation with an unknown drug that seemingly connects a string of deaths. Quite a story, eh? Well, buckle up, because in this episode, Curtis and I talk shop with author Maggie Giles for her new book, “Twisted.” Along with being a great crime thriller, the story explores the different sides of crime and mental health and asks the question: How much are we responsible for when we aren’t fully in our right mind?

Maggie shares the origin of this story and all the different changes she made from first draft to finished product. This includes cutting down the narration from multiple points of view to just a few. She shares the lengthy research she had to do and how her time with Women’s Fiction Writers Association—including being in charge of social media—benefitted her during the story crafting process and in promoting her works.

Maggie takes us into the minds of her characters, which run the gamut of personality types. She talks about who made the final cut and which names got left behind (and may come back in a future book?).

William Sterling shows us why puppets are just terrifying

William Sterling

I think we can all agree on that one, right? So of course these creepy dolls would find themselves into the pages of William Sterling’s soon-to-be-released book, “String Them Up,” out on Sept. 22 through Crystal Lake Publishing.

In this interview, William takes us through the town of Hollow Hills, which is plagued by a series of brutal murders. We meet the toymaker, once a beloved member of the community, now the prime suspect in the killings. William talks about Sinclair Redman, a man with a dark and haunted past who must unearth the truth behind the killings as the bodies continue to pile up.

William talks about the concept of toys in horror and why it appealed to him for his new book. We look at his first time working with a publisher and his own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to promoting his work. Plus, there’s a great giveaway for those that pre-order the book!

Nick Roberts blends real life and terror in new collection

When last we spoke with Nick Roberts, it was for his terrifying release, “The Exorcist’s House.” Nick is certainly not one to sit idle and in this episode, we talk about the upcoming release of “It Haunts the Mind,” available on June 16 through Crystal Lake Publishing. These 15 stories balance the terrors of the supernatural with real-life horrors, confronting demons both real and imaginary.

Nick and I go into the theme of addiction—which we see in many of the stories—and why this was important to him. Nick talks about the amazing artist who did the cover and we go into some of the more memorable covers we’ve come across. Many of these stories are years old and Nick goes into what updates he made for this new collection.