Author Interviews

Ludwig van Beethoven was the world's first Rock Star. Howard Jay Smith discusses the many great romances in his life, as well as his masterwork, the 9th Symphony. Smith calls the 9th Symphony, "the most profound and influential" piece of Western Classical music ever written, which Beethoven wrote while entirely deaf. Howard Jay Smith also talks about the research that went into writing this historical novel, Beethoven in Love; Opus 139. Interviewed by Jeffrey Masters. Click Here to Download the Podcast on iTunes Bio: Howard Jay Smith is an award-winning writer from Ojai, California. Beethoven in Love; Opus 139 is his third book. He [...]

Bonnie J. Wallace (mom of Disney's Dove Cameron) talks about what convinced her to move to Hollywood, and how Dove landed an agent and eventually the starring role in Live & Maddie. She also provides audition tips for any parent of [...]

Liz Crokin was a journalist investigating the affair with a prostitute of a 2012 Presidential Candidate when she got sick with meningitis. She talks about investigating the cover-up, while also treating her illness that eventually caused brain damage. This inspired the events in Malice, which is described as Fifty Shades of Grey meets House of Cards. Alikona Bradford interview Liz Crokin. Bio: LIZ CROKIN has worked as an investigative journalist, columnist and senior editor for various publications for over a decade. Her work has been featured in the RedEye Edition of the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times: Splash, Us Weekly, In Touch Weekly, Star, National [...]

Sherlock Holmes is one of the most popular fictional characters of all time. Bonnie MacBird talks about why he is so popular and how he's been able to hold our attention for so long. Jeffrey Masters talks to Bonnie MacBird and her new Sherlock Holmes book, Art in the Blood. Click Here to Download the Podcast on iTunes Bio: Bonnie MacBird was born and raised in San Francisco and fell in love with Sherlock Holmes by reading the canon at age ten. She attended Stanford University, earning a BA in Music and an MA in Film. Her long Hollywood career includes feature film development [...]

In this edition, Susan K. Wehlrey talks with Jeffrey Masters about her newest book, EGO at Work. She says having a healthy ego is not just helpful, but completely essential to success in business and your relationships. Click Here to Download the Podcast on iTunes Bio: Susan K. Wehrley is known as the "Biz Buddha" by those who have worked with her because she combines her highly honed intuition, her exuberant creativity, and her no-nonsense approach to “call the bird out of the bush” and raise the level of mindfulness in organizations. She facilitates collaborative conversations so owners and their employees can realize and [...]

Mackie Burt talks about creating the world in her novel, Above, and what we can look forward to in future books. Mackie starting writing the book at 16. Since then she's written a follow-up book and has started a new series called, The Grey Area. We also talk about moving to Los Angeles at 16 and her acting work. In this edition, Jeffrey Masters talks with Mackie Burt about her novel, Above. Click Here to Download the Podcast on iTunes Bio: Mackie Burt has always believed we make our own luck. From a very young age,Mackie nurtured her two loves: reading and acting. [...]

Joshua Mohr talks about writing his new novel, All This Life. With a wide cast of characters and an exciting pace that mimics the speed of our modern, all-too-connected lives, All This Life examines the dangerous intersection of reality and the imaginary, where coding and technology seek to highlight and augment our already flawed human connections. Using his trademark talent for creating memorable characters, with a deep insight into language and how it can be twisted to alter reality, Joshua Mohr returns with his most contemporary and insightful novel yet. In this edition, Jeffrey Masters talks with Joshua Mohr about his book, All This [...]

Issa Rae talks about her new book, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, fighting to add diversity in Hollywood, and the HBO show she's working on with Larry Wilmore. We also talk about the struggles of black hair, with a special shoutout to Miss Jessie's hair products. “I’m awkward—and black. Someone once told me those were the two worst things anyone could be. That someone was right. Where do I start?” ― Issa Rae, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl In this edition, Jeffrey Masters talks with Issa Rae about her book, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl. Click Here to Download the [...]

Jeffrey Masters talks with Father Norm Supancheck about his book, When Love Calls: A Memoir of Great devotion. In 1966 Southern California, twenty-somethings Norm Supancheck and Shayla Strohmeyer make a heartbreaking decision not to get married. There’s just one problem: they are deeply, acutely, and irrevocably in love. Though they are separated, their lives will intersect over the years in uncanny ways. Shayla will give her heart to another man and marry him instead. Norm, who becomes a priest, will perform their wedding ceremony and bless their union. Shayla and her husband will raise a family. Norm will baptize their children. Shayla and her [...]

Paige McKenzie's web-series, The Haunting of Sunshine Girl is being adapted into a book and TV series by The Weinstein Company. In the book, which is out now, Sunshine must save her mother from the evil spirits that are also living in their new house. Paige talks about creating The Haunting of Sunshine Girl with her mother, Mercedes Rose, and their producer, Nick Hagen, and what's next for the series. The Haunting of Sunshine Girl is co-written by Alyssa Sheinmel. "But I swear, just as I'm drifting out of consciousness, in that place where you're more asleep than awake anymore, I hear something else. [...]

Steven T. Seagle talks with us about his new graphic novel, Imperial. We also discuss the film adaptation of Big Hero 6 (which he is a creator of) and N.W.C., a nationally touring play about race that he directed. In this edition, Jeffrey Masters sits down and talks with Steven T. Seagle about his graphic novel, Imperial. Click Here to Download the Podcast on iTunes Bio: Steven T. Seagle is a founding partner of Man of Action Entertainment, creators of the boys’ action global franchise phenomenon Ben 10. As a television creator/writer/executive producer his other credits include Generator Rex, MARVEL’S Ultimate Spider-Man, and MARVEL’S [...]

Chrys Phillips talks about the first book in the Magic Haven Saga, Vengeful Kiss. We discuss attending and getting to meet fans at Wonder Con, and what's next in the series. In this edition, Jeffrey Masters sits down and talks to Chrys Phillips about her novel, Vengeful Kiss (Magic Haven Saga: Book 1). Click Here to Download the Podcast on iTunes Bio: Australian born, writer Chrys Phillips is currently writing her fiction series the Magic Haven Saga. Aside from her creating her novel series, Chrys is also working with top notch entertainment firms to adapt optioned screenplays into novels. This shows the distinct [...]

Joe Kelly (Man of Action) talks about deconstructing crime story archetypes in his new graphic novel, Bang!Tango. Vinnie, former-gangster is rehearsing for a tango competition and the femme fatal character is a transgender woman who convinces him to help her rob a mob boss. Joe also discusses his Superman comic, What's So Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way, which has been called the greatest Superman story of all time, and his animated series, Ben 10. In this edition, Jeffrey Masters sits down and talks to Joe Kelly about his graphic novel, Bang!Tango. Click Here to Download the Podcast on iTunes [...]

In Katie Gilmartin's novel, Blackmail, My Love, we follow Josephine as she searches for the truth behind her brother's disappearance. She buys a suit, cuts her hair short, and renames herself Joe as she navigates through the subtle nuances of queer life in San Francisco in the 1950s. "I got a broom and dustpan from a closet down the hall, swept up the remaining shards, fishing out the acorns but not the earrings or the hair, and slid it all into the container. I dumped the whiskey, cloudy from my blood, down the drain, and poured myself one last finger." - Katie Gilmartin, Blackmail [...]

In Reeling Through Life, Tara Ison explores how movies have, for better or worse, shaped the many aspects of her life. Films are didactic and entertaining, but more than that, they shape our identities. They offer glimpses into other realties and offer up ways-of-being that inform how we operate in the world. Reeling Through Life is equal parts memoir and film study. In 10 insightful and humorous essays, Tara talks about 115 films and their continuing impact on her life. "And I'm eleven years old again, fearing invisibility, hoping to be heard. Seeking the distinction and complexity of dysfunction and dark secrets. Hoping to [...]

Alexandra Fuller (best known for her memoir, Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood) writes about her marriage and its slow unravel in her new memoir, Leaving Before the Rains Come. She describes her husband as “the perfect rescuer” who would save her from the chaos of her family and their life in Africa, and juxtaposes him with stories of her father who declared “boring” to be the worst possible sin. Leaving Before the Rains Come is written with wit and candor; it’s a raw exploration of one’s self that is both unabashed and elegant. “Long after the divorce was final [...]

Jon Krakauer's international bestseller, Into the Wild, and Sean Penn's inspirational film of the same name skyrocketed Chris McCandless (aka Alexander Supertramp) to global fame after he hitchhiked to Alaska and walked into the wilderness alone in 1992. In The Wild Truth, Chris's sister, Carine, tells her own story, while filling in the blanks of her brother's journey. Together they witnessed firsthand the dysfunctional and violent family dynamic that made Chris willing to embrace the harsh wilderness of Alaska. Carine speaks candidly about the deeper reality of life in the McCandless family, and reveals how she learned that real redemption can only come from [...]

Why is your brother-in-law concerned about the Estate Tax? Why do millionaire news reporters get everything wrong? Why are blood-sucking teachers bankrupting America? Jimmy Dore, the comedy darling of America’s Progressive Left, answers all these questions and more! In this laugh-out-loud collection of essays that are both street-smart and informed, Jimmy sets out to discover what’s wrong. Crackling with caustic wit and insight, no aspect of American life is safe from Jimmy’s hilarious scrutiny. He gets to the heart of the issues: why Republicans should support gay marriage or why the President shouldn’t have Secret Security until the country has gun control, bringing clarity [...]

Doyin Richards’ adventures in fatherhood have been documented on his blog, Daddy Doin’ Work. With this book, he answers questions about fatherhood that many women want to know in his no-nonsense, entertaining style. He urges new mothers to enter the minds of new dads, thereby changing their perception of what should be expected from a modern father. "Dads who teach their kids to be who they are, love themselves, be kind to others - while offering affection in the process - will increase the likelihood of raising happy, healthy, successful children." - Doyin Richards, Daddy Doin' Work In this edition, Jeffrey Masters sits down [...]

Thomas Page McBee attempts to answer the question, "What does it mean to be a man?" His new book focuses on the two men who most impacted his life, his father who abused him as a child and a mugger who almost killed him. He seeks to understand these examples of flawed manhood while grappling with the decision to transition from female to male. Man Alive is extraordinarily personal, while still telling the universal story of how we struggle to create ourselves. “Being human means being at the mercy of others. It’s uncomfortable at that knife’s edge, but you’ve still got a choice [...]