Category Archives: Uncategorized

July 22, 2026 · 8:46 am

Author Interview with Ruben D. Gonzales ~ Under the Tree of Life #ActionAdventure #RomanticSuspense

Please help me welcome today’s guest, Ruben D. Gonzales…

Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now?

I was born and raised in East LA. After college I was with the Peace Corps teaching school in an African village by day and reading and writing by candlelight at night. Before I retired from full-time work, I was Director of Development for Winston-Salem, NC. Now I write full-time and teach part-time at the local community college. My first novel, The Cottage on the Bay, was published by Moonshine Cove Publishing in 2018, and my second book, Murder on Black Mountain, the first in a mystery series, was published by Fire Star Press in 2020. The second, third, and fourth books in my Black Mountain Mystery series were published by Indigo Sea Press in 2022, 2023, and 2025. I have two recent books, a mystery book, Cabana Bay, the first in a mystery series, and an action/adventure book, Under the Tree of Life, published by The Wild Rose Press in 2025.

Family?

My wife and I have nine grandchildren!

Pets?

Our last wonderful dog passed peacefully this month, and we plan a long trip to Australia before we adopt another one. Dogs are important characters in all my mystery stories.

Where did you get the idea for Under the Tree of Life?

While living in a remote African village in West Africa, I found the simple, friendly villages in sharp contrast with the very volatile political environment of emerging nations.

Why did you choose this genre (is it something you’ve written in before)?

I’ve written several books in the mystery genre, but this is my first attempt at romantic suspense, and I hope to write more in this genre. 

Was there anything unusual, any anecdote about this book, the characters, title, process, etc, you’d like to share?

My college major was anthropology, and I studied under a professor who completed his doctoral research in the area where I was stationed with the Peace Corps. Unfortunately, the use of boy and girl soldiers in the area was well known.

What is the most difficult thing about writing a book?

For me I struggle with the grammar.

What was the most difficult thing about this one in particular?

The romantic elements of the genre were new to me, so they proved difficult, although I enjoyed the opportunity to use romance to show different facets of characters.

What do you love that most people don’t like and wouldn’t understand why you do?

I run about every day. It has to be really cold for me not to run. When I was young, I ran in the Boston Marathon.

What’s your favorite book of all time and why?

Moby Dick. So many elements of writing in one book and a historically inspiring trope.

Would you rather have a bad review or no review?

I’ll take a bad review. Usually, people have legitimate complaints, and taking a complaint to heart is an opportunity to do better.

What genre have you never written that you’d like to write?

Fantasy

Your most prized material possession?

My guitar. I purchased it in Spain from a little-known guitar maker over fifty years ago on a backpacking trip through Europe. It turns out it is very valuable now.

Have you written any other books that are not published?

Yes, I have two completed manuscripts that have yet to find a home, but recently signed a contract with Histria Books, for a book of historical fiction with elements of action/adventure and romance. Histria Books are distributed by Simon and Schuster.

What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author? 

That my grammar sucks!

What has been the best compliment?

One publisher told me that my historical fiction book about a civil war plantation matriarch’s life was one of the best books they have ever published.

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

The physical characteristics are from real people, but their emotional stuff is all made up. MOSTLY.

Favorite all time movie?

Casablanca, but a close second is Moonstruck.

GIVEAWAY!! – I’m giving away a copy of my book, Under the Tree of Life. Please go to my website, www.rubendgonzales.com, and use the contact page form to send me your request to be entered into a drawing for the book. Include your name so we can contact you if you are chosen and include the word “drawing” as well.

She thought she was only a visitor, but when she finds out her roots under the Baobab tree run deeper than she imagined, she must decide to run to safety or to stay and fight with the village she began to love.

Blurb:

After a brutal military coup shuts down a Central African country, Dr. Thema Book is hired to lead a medical mission to aid desperate villagers, sending a team of former special ops veterans along for protection.

Beneath a stand of Baobab trees, which the locals call the Tree of Life, Dr. Book and her crew are drawn into a civil war between villagers and the military. Treating the locals as well as wounded child soldiers puts the mission in jeopardy—while pitting crew members against each other.

Faced with the decision to run or stay, Dr. Book discovers her roots in the village stretch deeper than she thought possible. Thema decides to stay, and with the help of the ops team, they fight for the people she’s come to love

Buy links:

https://www.amazon.com/Under-Tree-Life-Women-Valor-ebook/dp/B0FH2XHJGC

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-the-tree-of-life-ruben-gonzales/1147751328?ean=2940184465661

About the Author:

I was born and raised in East LA. After college, I was with the Peace Corps teaching school in an African village by day and reading and writing by candlelight at night. Before I retired from full-time work, I was Director of Development for the city of Winston-Salem, NC. Now I write full-time and teach part-time at the local community college. My first novel of historical fiction was The Cottage on the Bay, published by Moonshine Cove Publishing in 2018, and my second book, Murder on Black Mountain, the first in a mystery series, came out in 2020 from Fire Star Press. The second book in my Black Mountain Mystery series came out in 2022 by Indigo Sea Press; the third book in the series came out in June 2023, and the fourth book in the series was released in August 2025. My two most recent books, Under the Tree of Life and a mystery book, Cabana Bay, the first in a mystery series, were published by The Wild Rose Press in 2025. My website is; www.rubendgonzales.com. My email is: rgonzo1122gm@gmail.com.

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July 18, 2026 · 7:02 am

Author Interview with Tammy D. Walker ~ The Wing of a Bee #Cozy Mystery

Please help me welcome today’s guest, Tammy D. Walker…

Do you have another occupation, other than writer? If so, what is it and do you like it?

I always marvel at people who have a linear career path, from their studies to their job. That’s not me! I studied, among other things, psychology, music, and English, and after grad school focusing on the last, I decided that I’d rather follow my interest in computers and work in tech. So I spent over a decade as a software developer, which I really enjoyed. I’m drawn to solving puzzles, which is why I like both writing code and penning mysteries.

Though I’ve gone back to teaching English, I still follow tech trends, and I use my tech background quite a lot as I write. Leslie, the main character in The Wing of a Bee, is in IT, and she’s working through the messy merger of her company with another while she’s also working on solving the jewelry thefts. So, I brought a lot of my own experience with potential technical problems to her backstory.

What I love about writing mysteries is that I can bring all my educational and employment experience to the books, both to the characters’ lives and the kinds of clues I weave into the stories.

Do you collect anything?

Radios! I have a small collection, since I enjoy listening to both broadcast radio as well as transmissions outside those bands. Living in Dallas, I can hear quite a lot on the air bands from the airports nearby. And weather radio is very important, as Dallas is in tornado alley. Mostly, though, my favorite is shortwave radio, which can potentially reach the world. I’ve curated and hosted shows for shortwave radio that featured poets reading their work, and I loved getting to combine those two interests to showcase contemporary writers to a broad audience. Radio plays a role in some of my mysteries as well.

What do you want readers to come away with after they read The Wing of a Bee?

For me, The Wing of a Bee was a way to explore questions about how to build community in a small town, in this case, the fictional Rosin in northeast Texas. Rosin, like the characters, undergoes significant change. Families move in from nearby Dallas with ideas about small town life not necessarily shared by those already there, while locals want to make the place better for the long-time residents without compromising their interests.

Leslie moved away after college, so she’s in both camps. She wants to both honor her grandmother’s legacy and her mother’s beliefs about what is “right” while building a community that is open, accepting, and, ultimately, supportive of the people who live there.

So, I’d like readers to come away from the mystery considering these questions, too. How do we make community better for everyone? Cozy mysteries should “return the world to order” after the crimes are solved. What, then, should that order look like?

I don’t claim to have the right answers to those questions, but I do want to contribute to some part of that conversation.

Beyond that, I do want to entertain my readers, so I hope they’ve had as much fun solving the mystery alongside Leslie and Veronica as I had writing it.

What genre have you never written that you’d like to write?

I love historical mysteries, and I’d like to write them. My cozies are contemporary and set in or tied to Texas. That said, I’ve been reading a lot about phone hacking in the mid-20th century, and the way phone phreaking—as it was called—was used as both a way to explore technology and build community fascinates me. Phones operate on a very different system now, so the methods they used would no longer work in a contemporary novel, of course. But I think phone hacking, especially dialing around the circuits and listening in on party lines, would be an intriguing way to enter a mystery.

I’d also like to expand beyond Texas at some point. While I’m a believer in “write what you know,” and I do know Texas as I’ve lived here all my life, I travel quite a bit through the Midwest and plains. So, I’d like to set a mystery in Western Nebraska at some point. The landscape is so different from the Northeast and Central Texas settings I’ve used so far, and the bluffs and plains could be characters in themselves.

What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

I’ll start off the toughest criticism discussion whit a little background. I’m a poet, and most of my academic creative writing training focused on that genre. I used to write science fiction—heavy, thinky stuff whit a lot of symbolism and, unfortunately, without a lot of action—and I brought a lot of my poet’s mentality to that. So, I’d often get rejections from editors noting that while the writing was beautiful, the story just wasn’t there. So, that’s the toughest criticism I’ve had as a writer.

I’d read and watched mysteries, so I decided to teach myself plotting by writing a mystery. And, I loved it. I switched genres, and I’ve been writing mysteries ever since.

Two compliments have meant the most to me. First, I love hearing from readers and editors that my mysteries are well plotted and that the storylines work well. And second, that my cozies make people laugh. I love bringing whimsy and joy to my readers, and knowing that I’ve done so makes me very happy.

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

My characters are definitely imaginary. I never base characters off real people. That said, I hope my characters feel real and that they encourage readers to ask questions about real-life situations.

I have had people I know ask my if they’re in my books before, though. Those questions were prompted by characters struggling with certain kinds of problems, and I can understand why they asked. That said, there are problems that are if not universal than widely experienced that it’s easy to see ourselves in the characters. Leslie struggles with work / life balance, like a lot of us do. Martin left a dream behind in his mid-20s to be able to better support Leslie and their kids. The families in the novel work through issues with aging parents, estrangement, and midlife upheavals. So, the characters are fictional, but their problems are very real.

Is there one subject you would never write about? What is it?

In my cozy mysteries, the crime is never murder. I’ve written about art fraud, property damage, fake identities, theft, injury, and vandalism, but no one is killed. I prefer to read mysteries that are less grim, and I know others out there do, too.

That’s not to say that the stakes aren’t high. I just raise them elsewhere. So, instead of “we have to catch the killer because the culprit killed someone,” the tension comes from the crimes’ effects on the entire community as well as the threat to the main characters and their family and friends.

The outline I have for the traditional, historical mystery I might write does involve death. If I do write that, then I’ll publish under a different name, as I do for poetry.

I want my readers to be assured that if they read a cozy mystery by Tammy D. Walker, the crime won’t be murder, but all the other elements that make cozies so lovely—the sense of community, the high stakes, and the amateur sleuth who can’t let the puzzle go until she’s solved it—will all be in the book.

She’s inherited a honey of a boutique from her queen bee grandmother, but can she solve the string of jewelry thefts before the culprit stings again?

Blurb:

Leslie had expected her grandmother’s funeral to buzz. Everyone who was anyone would be at the service for Evelyn, late owner of Butterfield’s Boutique and queen bee of Loblolly County.

What Leslie hadn’t expected was reuniting with her free-spirited cousin, Veronica. Or that they would inherit the coveted boutique.

When an influencer wearing jewelry from Butterfield’s is robbed, Leslie concludes the theft is a publicity stunt. But when the boutique’s window is smashed in violently, the cousins begin to investigate before worse happens to the shop—or to its clients.

With the help of reunited family, new neighbors, and old friends, Leslie and Veronica brave the swarm of suspects who all want the boutique, the jewelry, and their revenge.

Excerpt:

As she breathed in the scent of honeysuckle and the old-fashioned climbing roses, Leslie wondered whether the reception was what her grandmother would have wanted after her funeral. Cynthia, Leslie’s mother and Evelyn’s older daughter, had transformed the backyard of her grand house into a reflection of Evelyn’s life, of course. Cynthia had always been good at arranging events both fitting and tasteful. Guests flitted between tables laden with photos of Evelyn’s full life and tables bearing the weight of too much food, even for the large crowd here to pay their respects.

Well, pay their respects and hobnob with the eminent out-of-town guests and the elite of Rosin, Texas, if they were lucky. The film crew who’d shot the episode of the television show that had turned Butterfield’s Boutique into a magnet for collectors of jewelry and art objects from all over the world was there. As were a dozen jewelry designers, fine artists, and gallery owners, all of whom had flown in from out of town, out of state, or out of country. Anyone connected to the governments of Rosin and Loblolly County in which it sat reminisced about Evelyn Butterfield with the boutique’s moneyed clientele. Half the faculty and administration of nearby Northeast Texas University, which had brought Evelyn and her family to Rosin from their English cottage in Leicester a near lifetime ago, had come to pay their respects to Cynthia. Not that anyone at the university now had been there during Arthur Butterfield’s brief academic career in the US in the 1950s.

Leslie picked her way past a cluster of well-coiffed women in sleek black dresses, all wearing bracelets and necklaces purchased at the boutique. She resisted the urge to fan herself. Mid-afternoon July heat prickled her skin. But she knew her mother would be watching, and she resisted even the appearance that something might be amiss.

But amiss things were, at least for a number of people here.

Buy links:

Amazon:       https://www.amazon.com/Butterfields-Boutique-Computer-Repair-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0GYT5P3DV/

Goodreads:   https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/251577554-the-wing-of-a-bee

BN: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-wing-of-a-bee-tammy-d-walker/1150033519?ean=9781509265961

IndieBound: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-wing-of-a-bee-tammy-d-walker/6c8d6123a9ceee4c

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-wing-of-a-bee/id6764347998

About the Author:

Tammy D. Walker writes contemporary cozy mysteries that have roots in Texas. Her most recent novel is The Wing of a Bee. The author of four poetry collections and the Daw County Sisters Mysteries series, she loves weaving clues into her books that draw on her experiences as a software developer and English teacher. When she’s not working or spending time with family and friends, she’s most likely to be found in her garden, somewhere near a radio, or at her desk writing letters. Find out more at https://www.tammydwalker.com/

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.tammydwalker.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tdwalker_/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Tammy-D-Walker-Cozy-Mystery-Writer/100091886321062/

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July 17, 2026 · 3:52 pm

Books to Read

If you enjoy discovering new books, new authors, check out these offerings…

https://books2read.com/u/bP2ewY

Texas, 1890

Kenna Ainsley has no use for love. It only brings betrayal and disappointment. She finds solace in her work as a Harvey Girl, and the independence that brings.

But one day a stranger sits down at her table. He’s a Deputy Sheriff, and before she can blink, he’s dragging her back to Galveston on an erroneous charge that she’s a runaway wife.

Kenna plots her escape. But even as she tries to free herself, her heart is working against her. She’s falling for the handsome Deputy Sheriff, which sends her fleeing to the one place she swore she would never go.

Deputy Sheriff Levi Brandt has plans, and Kenna is at the center of them. After one look at her, he knows there’s no way in hell she’s gonna end up hitched to anyone else but him. But he’s gonna have to do some heavy lifting to get her to trust him. Lucky for her, he welcomes the weight. No matter how far she runs, he’ll find her. Always.

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Floats-Emma-Mystery/dp/1509264116

After a winter spent tailing unfaithful spouses, Emma Love vows to stop breaking hearts for a living. She retreats to her fair-weather occupation leading kayak tours. But when threats target her and her family, turning away is no longer an option. She enlists help from her old (and new again) boyfriend, Deputy Sam Mattingley, and a host of friends, including those beyond the living veil. As the layers of secrecy are peeled away, Emma contends with the realization that the mystery shrouding the Pratt/Johnson murders and her cousin s marriage is more dangerous than imagined. Can she navigate the clues in time to clear her cousin or will the truth pull them all under?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F1N91D5D

Following the Civil War, Captain Ethan Reed is recruited to find the truth behind the Lincoln Conspiracy. The facts are not as they appear. John Wilkes Booth pulled the trigger, but did someone else point the gun? Ethan’s job is to answer this question and see justice served, no matter the personal cost.

Tormented with no answers about the death of her fiancé, Doctor Sabrina Clay seeks the truth—was it suicide or murder? If there is an answer, she must find it.
On a hot day in Fort Hex, Kansas, Sabrina’s and Ethan’s lives intersect. They’re soon entangled in a web of deceit as attraction sparks. Will they discover the truth, even at the risk of their love?

https://www.kateellington.com/books-1

Elsie Hayward moves into her uncle’s seaside estate on what should have been her wedding day. All she wants is peace and quiet, and to escape the guilt that’s haunted her since her betrothed was lost at sea.​

Any hope of tranquility is dashed, however, when Charles Rockingham arrives in town. A lifetime ago they’d been best friends and almost more. If there’s one person she can’t hide her feelings from, it’s him.​

Charles hasn’t received a letter from Elsie in over a year. He returns home hoping to recapture the deep bond they once shared, but shadows of the past stand between them.​

One last secret must be revealed before they can find their way back to each other.

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July 15, 2026 · 8:36 am

Lisa Wilkes: 10 Moments That Changed My Life ~ You’re Safe Here, Ella #RomanticSuspense

Please help me welcome today’s guest, Lisa Wilkes…

10 Moments That Changed My Life:

1 – Becoming a flight attendant in 2010. My best inspiration for novels comes from my adventures in new cities, plus I met my spouse and my closest friends through this whimsical traveling gig.

2 – Completing my master’s degree in 2022. This was the proof I needed that it’s never too late to chase your dreams and prove to yourself just how much you are capable of.

3 – Becoming a foster parent in February of 2026. While extremely difficult, this experience has also taught me a lot about myself, my spouse, and the transformative power of compassion and patience.

4 – Rescuing my first cat (as an adult), KitKat Sushi Wilkes, in 2017. I grew up with pets, and I’ve always loved animals deeply! But choosing to adopt a kitty as an adult, even with my unique work schedule and lifestyle, opened the door to becoming a foster parent and advocate for animals in need. I currently assist with two local nonprofits and I serve on the leadership board for my airline’s animal rescue team.

5 – Moving back to Florida in 2022. After graduating from the University of Florida with my bachelor’s degree in 2007, I lived in Arizona, Georgia, California, Colorado, and Texas. Returning to Florida was never really on my radar, yet life tends to take some unexpected turns and I ended up moving to Tampa Bay with my family—a decision that worked out for the best.

6 – The publication of my first novel, “Flight Path,” in 2020 was a transformative experience. The road to becoming a published author was not an easy one, but the sense of achievement and pride I experienced when I held my first book in my hands was worth all the stress and rejection along the way.

7 – Surviving the back-to-back deadly hurricanes of 2024. Nothing can prepare a person for watching their entire community crumble overnight, and then having to evacuate (with seven rescue pets, no functioning vehicle, and nowhere to go) less than eight days later. But there were bursts of joy amid all that despair. I watched friends and neighbors come together to assist those with the greatest need. This served as a crucial reminder that, even while navigating unthinkable loss, recovery and repair are possible.

8 – Connecting with students through my role as the Director of Mentorship for UF’s LGBTQ+ Alumni Association. These young adults embody a fierce, unyielding sense of self-awareness and pride that I certainly didn’t have at that age. They are strong and powerful, even when faced with hostility or unwarranted aggression.

9 – Completing AmeriCorps in 2004 and again in 2008. I’ve always had a heart for philanthropy, but doing full-time community service for two years (in separate cities and fields) really solidified that desire to give back and help to folks battling really difficult situations.

10 – Publishing my first children’s book, a charitable tale about a disabled rescue kitten, in 2023. I’d always vehemently asserted I would never write a children’s book, so this event proved that it’s kind of silly to entirely swear off any specific action/pursuit in life. It was an absolute blast to write this series, plus the books support a worthy cause. Now, I’m open to composing additional children’s books in the future.

She exposed a crime at thirty thousand feet. Now they want her grounded—for good.

Excerpt:

Something slid across Ella’s neck, either a strand of hair or a bug or a piece of debris floating in the wind. She pawed at the side of her face but came up empty. Maybe it had been nothing at all, just her fried and dysfunctional neurons playing a trick on her.

Ella gasped for air. She was losing her mind for sure: memories were tangible forces, vicious little creatures with sharp teeth. Reality, on the other hand, felt like a faded old photograph. Blurred lines, fraying edges.

Aunt Taylor asked a question. She sounded so far away.

A quick pinprick drew Ella’s attention. She glanced at her right hand as a bumblebee deposited its stinger in the fleshy area near her thumb. She swiped a finger over the bump, which oozed a single drop of blood.

The world rushed back to Ella with a powerful whoosh. Whiplash, disorientation.

“Did you report it? Has your scalp healed? Let me help,” Aunt Taylor said. This time her voice was clear, with a pleading edge to it. “I told a supervisor in the crew room, but she claimed I was making it up for attention.”

Ella batted her eyelids, dissolving the liquid that pooled in the corners. Hadn’t she cried enough over this? “I sent an email to a different supervisor that night. No response.”

Her phone buzzed again, another text illuminating the splintered screen. Picking out your burial plot? You’ll be in a casket soon.

“Jesus. Don’t let those texts upset you,” Aunt Taylor muttered, nodding at Ella’s phone. “I’ve heard worse. Took me a long time to realize those comments reflect the speaker, not the recipient. Remember that.”

Ella wanted to take Aunt Taylor’s reassurances to heart, she really did. But the texts felt personal. They were spot-on, in so many ways. Despite her best efforts, Ella had achieved nothing. She was a monumental screw-up, like the Team of Terrorists constantly reminded her.

“Yep. Thanks, Aunt Taylor.” Ella deleted the message and glanced around the empty cemetery. Who the heck was watching her? Did the man on the train follow her?

A few months back, Ella disabled the geolocation services on her phone. But it made no difference. She had also changed the password to her FliCrew airline portal, at Parker’s urging. Her employee info, including her work schedule, was hidden from coworkers. Yet Pat’s mafia continued to stalk her. New passwords didn’t faze them.

Taylor sighed and stared blankly ahead, her vacant gaze slicing through Ella’s heart. For years, Aunt Taylor had endured hostility from people who didn’t know a thing about her, not one single thing. She’d patiently waded through their unwarranted aggression. No outbursts, no complaints.

But things had escalated this year. Protective walls could only sustain so much before crumbling. Strong as she was, Taylor Gearson had her limits. And Ella would not allow Pat’s Team of Terrorists to push her aunt past her breaking point.

Buy links: https://a.co/d/002zAKpz or my website, http://www.lisamichellewilkes.com

About the Author:

Lisa Wilkes is a licensed social worker (LMSW) and flight attendant who draws on firsthand experience to craft high-stakes, emotionally resonant fiction. She began writing as a teenager, first publishing editorials on compelling local issues before transitioning into copywriting for nonprofits and, ultimately, complex and inspiring books.

Her previous novels, Flight Path (2020) and Mid-Flight (2023), were published by small presses, with Mid-Flight praised by readers for its powerful queer heroine. Lisa is also the author of two children’s books featuring celebrity rescue cat Wisp, I Love You Even if You’re Stinky (2023) and Stay Stinky (2024), with all proceeds supporting animal welfare organizations. You’re Safe Here, Ella (2026) is her first suspense novel, and 50% of profits are donated to the student scholarship fund at the University of Florida.

As a queer woman, dedicated animal rescuer, and fierce advocate for human rights, Lisa writes the kind of stories she once searched for—propulsive tales where dynamic characters thrive, grow, and take up space unapologetically.

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July 13, 2026 · 8:48 am

Author Interview with Susan B. Nolen ~ An Uncertain Age #historicalfiction

Please help me welcome today’s guest, Susan B. Nolen…

Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?

I’m originally from Portland, Oregon. I’ve lived several places since then, but now I live in a rural area of NW Washington state with my extended family, some dogs and chickens.

Where did you get the idea for AN UNCERTAIN AGE?

Several years ago I wrote a scene for a writing workshop that featured an old woman kneading bread, mourning a recent loss, in some village a long time ago. That image stuck with me. When I decided to write a novel about an older woman, I started from that scene. She became Margaret, my protagonist, and the novel started as a way to figure out how she got there and what she would do next. That led me to research on medieval widows and on down the rabbit hole.

Why did you choose this genre (is it something you’ve written in before)?

I’ve always loved historical fiction, especially if there is suspense or crime involved. So I thought of this novel in those terms. Then my editor sold it to the publisher as women’s fiction, which initially surprised me. But I did want to write a novel with a woman protagonist who pushed beyond patriarchal expections, who was someone to be reckoned with. So I guess women’s fiction works.

What actors would you like in the main roles if your book were made into a movie?

Brenda Blethyn as Margaret, please! She’s amazing. Besides, I know she can handle the accent.

What do you want your tombstone to say?

“It’s more complicated than that.” That was sort of my theme song as an academic, trying to complicate, among other things, identity development and motivation for my fellow psychologists. There’s a tendency to try to reduce human motives to a few variables, and motives are complex things that develop through interaction in cultural contexts. I think developing characters in novels is equally complex.

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

There are bits and pieces of real people in all my characters, and I draw on people I’ve known and characters I’ve met in fiction when I create a character, but then they go and do things that surprise me. None of my characters is modeled on a single specific person.

How did you come up with the title?

The main character, Margaret Surteys, is a woman of a certain age – nearing fifty (in the 14th century), past childbearing when that was seen as a woman’s main job in life. But then her step-granddaughter Agnes showed up: rising 11, not a child, not a woman – an uncertain age for sure. And then the years right after the first wave of plague – the Black Death took nearly half the population of Europe – was an age of uncertainty. I wanted to play with those ideas in my novel.

How much of the book is realistic?

I hope all of it! There is a lot that is not known for sure about village folk in the 14th century. They mostly did not write, so there are no letters or diaries to read. The only records that remain are court records, but those tell you lots about the kinds of things people did for a living, how they quarreled, who they married, and the complaints they made about the people who ran the village. I’ve done my best to stay true to what is known, based on historians and near-contemporary writers.

How did your interest in writing originate?

I played around with writing poetry and songs as a teenager and was good at school writing, but never thought about being a writer. As an academic I wrote a lot and helped students improve their writing, but didn’t get into dabbling in fiction until my 50s. Even then it was hard to write for a living and write for a hobby – too much time in front of a computer. After I retired, I finally had the time to learn how to write creatively.

In a medieval village, a widow battles powerful men to retain control of her brewery and protect her found family.

Blurb:

The years following the Black Death were an age of uncertainty and opportunity. Newly widowed Margaret Surteys startles the village by taking over her husband’s brewery and seizing her only chance for independence, despite her advanced age and the opposition of the powerful Reeve. She also takes on her abandoned step-granddaughter, Agnes, who has plans of her own. As the business grows, Margaret, aided and exasperated by Agnes, must battle official pressures and a mysterious string of serious mishaps at the brewery. Suspecting organized sabotage and a link to more than one death, they hatch a scheme to catch the culprit, which ends in disaster. Margaret must risk her livelihood and newfound autonomy to save the child she has come to love.

Excerpt:

2 August, 1349; Thornham, Palatinate of Durham

Sometimes, Margaret Surteys had to admit, her age was an advantage. This afternoon, for example, while hawking ale to dirt-encrusted workmen down by the river. Foreigners, mostly, from north and south, come to build the bridge—which was, after a year and a half, starting to resemble one. All day, they’d shifted the great stones, piling block upon block to raise the piers in the thick August heat. Working up a powerful thirst. They’d no eyes for an old woman, cared only for the ale cask she trundled on her handcart and the dipper that filled their cups.

“Give us another, then, mistress,” shouted one burly fellow with enormous hands and dark, oily hair. The smell of stale sweat and stone dust made her eyes water.

“Sorry, lads,” she said, pulling the heavy cloth up over the keg. “That’s the lot.”

The workers grumbled and cursed, but gave her no real trouble. Had she been young and fair they might have pressed her for more than ale. But they’d not try that on, not for a crone with grizzled hair that might, long ago, have been the color of oak leaves in autumn. That left Margaret free to stuff their coin into her waiting purse instead of swatting away a groping, grimy hand. And she and Tobias needed every penny she could earn.

She flexed her stiff fingers, picked up the handles of her barrow, and started the push up from the riverside. Not what she’d imagined for herself after nearly fifty summers. Until last year, she’d been a Brewster, one of several village women crafting ale for family and neighbors. Back then she’d not appreciated the full measure of her husband’s grand plan.

Ah, Tobias’s plan. Well, and it had worked, after a fashion. He’d built them a brewhouse and made himself the Brewer. After a lean year, they were beginning to show a profit, becoming a serious rival to the Reeve, the most powerful man in the village, though they still walked the knife’s edge, tottering between security and ruin. And Margaret still missed being in charge, shepherding each small batch from roasted malt to final product. Now she was but Brewer’s wife, finding grain when supplies ran low or selling their surplus ale. And, of course, tending their sheep and other stock, and gardening, and spinning, and mending, and all.

But she’d no time to stand mulling her regrets. The manor had finally put in a large order that would earn enough to see them through to harvest-time, if only she could find enough wheat. If they could not supply the ale and lost their best customer to the Reeve, they might not be able to pay the installment on their debt. She must make sure that did not happen.

Buy links:

·  Bookshop.org (softcover)

·  Barnes & Noble (Nook & softcover).

·  The Wild Rose Press (softcover) – this page also has all the buy links

·  Amazon US and Amazon worldwide (Kindle & softcover)

·  Apple Books (ebook)

·  BooksAMillion (softcover)

About the Author:

Susan B. Nolen writes historical and contemporary suspense in a multigenerational, multispecies household in the wilds of western Washington. After years of studying and writing about identity and motivation in social context, she now writes novels and short stories about women making space for themselves in the world. It’s way more fun.  An Uncertain Age is her debut novel.

Visit her at http//sbnolen.com, read her newsletter on Substack (https://substack.com/@sunolen), follow her at Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/sbnolen.com), Facebook (SB Nolen), and LinkedIn (Susan B. Nolen).

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July 6, 2026 · 2:00 pm

🎉🏆🥇 2026 NEST FIRST PLACE WINNER SPOTLIGHT 🏆🎉 📖

Congratulations to the First Place Winners of the 2026 National Excellence in Story Telling (NEST) contest sponsored by Central Region Oklahoma Writers (CROW)…

 ~ Contemporary Novel

Royal Caleva: Raul by Nancy Herkness

Find the book here: ➡️ https://www.amazon.com/Royal-Caleva-Family-Forbidden-Romance-ebook/dp/B0FBT98C5X ⬅️

 ~  Contemporary Short

Christmas Gifts: The Sapphire Necklace by J.L. Lawrence  

Find the book here: ➡️ https://a.co/d/07TNZGGE  ⬅️

  ~ Cozy Mystery Novel

The Spirit of Vanderlaan  by Susan Harris Howell  

Find the book here: ➡️ https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Vanderlaan-Samantha-Hayes-Book-ebook/dp/B0DHV65RM4  ⬅️

~  Cozy Mystery Short

Sweet Secrets by Lori L. Robinett    

  

Find the book here: ➡️ https://www.amazon.com/-/zh_TW/Lori-L-Robinett-ebook/dp/B0D7CWWBR8    ⬅️

 ~ Erotic

Love Song for the Barbarian by Kay Jeffery 

Find the book here: ➡️ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0FJG8HKFT ⬅️

 ~ Historical Novel  

Hearts Flush by M.J. Schiller    

  

Find the book here: ➡️ https://books2read.com/HeartsFlush ⬅️

 ~ Historical Short 

The Wylder Rose by Jane Lewis      

Find the book here: ➡️ https://www.amazon.com/Wylder-Rose-West-ebook/dp/B09QJ9CK9F  ⬅️

 ~ Horror Short  

Sandcastles by Jon Minton

 

Find the book here: ➡️ https://books2read.com/sandcastles/ ⬅️

 ~ Horror Novel  

A Lady in Pieces by Robert Herold      

Find the book here: ➡️ https://books2read.com/u/3G0xdd ⬅️

 ~ Inspirational Novel 

What Brings Us Joy by Teresa Wells     

Find the book here: ➡️ https://tinyurl.com/What-Brings-Us-Joy-Amazon  ⬅️

 ~ Inspirational Short  

Heart of Beauty by Danielle Grandinetti   

 

  Find the book here: ➡️ https://daniellegrandinetti.com/heart-of-beauty/ ⬅️

 ~ Paranormal Short 

Crown of Ruined Oaths by Susan Person   

   

Find the book here: ➡️ https://books2read.com/CrownofRuinedOaths ⬅️

 ~ Paranormal Novel 

The House on Darkling Street by Annette Miller   

Find the book here: ➡️ https://www.amazon.com/House-Darkling-Street-Garland-Falls-ebook/dp/B0DJC1NSCM ⬅️

 ~ Suspense Short 

Crossfire by Carolyn Wren

Find the book here: ➡️ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FL17JXM6 ⬅️

 ~ Suspense Novel 

Free To Be Me by J. D. Webb  

Find the book here: ➡️ https://www.amazon.com/Royal-Caleva-Family-Forbidden-Romance-ebook/dp/B0FBT98C5X ⬅️

 ~ Women’s Fiction  

The Wild Card by Carolyn Brown  @carolynbrownbooks/  

Find the book here: ➡️ https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Card-Novel-Carolyn-Brown-ebook/dp/B0F63SZLKB ⬅️

 ~ Young Adult  

Bondwitch by Chelsey M. Ortega  

Find the book here: ➡️ https://www.amazon.com/Bondwitch-Chelsey-M-Ortega-ebook/dp/B0CF6H8NYC ⬅️

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July 6, 2026 · 5:00 am

The Spotlight is On… Linda Griffin ~ Cherry Creek #HistoricalRomance

Please help me welcome today’s guest, Linda Griffith…

Is the romance Molly seeks in the gold country or did she leave it behind?

When her fiancé died, Eileen said, “Then I’m free,” words that her younger sister Molly didn’t understand and never forgot. In 1850s Ohio, a girl doesn’t have that many options, and marrying Andrew MacLeith may be the best she can hope for. He promises to cherish her, but they have to live with his parents, and he can’t even protect her from his mother’s sharp tongue. After a quarrel, Molly impulsively joins his gambler brother Hugh on a journey to the Pike’s Peak gold region. Perhaps the romance and freedom she longs for lie elsewhere. Or were they right under her nose all along?

Excerpt:

“When I get to Pike’s Peak,” he assured me, “I’ll send back more money than this to Ma and Pa and anybody I owe money to. But not to Andrew. He wouldn’t know how to spend it. You would, though, wouldn’t you, Molly?” he teased.

“Yes,” I said wistfully. My prospects were even more dismal than before. If he ran off to Kansas, he wouldn’t return for a long time, if he ever did. I was on the verge of tears again.

“Hey now, cheer up. Aren’t you glad of my good fortune?”

“Yes,” I said, although I wasn’t. I was envious.

“Do you mean to say it’s serious between you and Andrew?” he asked, frowning.

“I hate living here,” I burst out, as I had to Andrew. Complaining to his brother was wrong, but I was too unhappy to contain myself.

Hugh was briefly taken aback before he said, with his usual charming insouciance, “Come to Pike’s Peak with me, then.”

I didn’t think he meant it, and I was only half serious when I said, “I wish I could.” Decamping to Kansas would be an adventure and an escape, and it would teach Andrew a thing or two.

“Why can’t you?” he asked, making it sound almost logical “If you don’t like it here, what’s keeping you? Pike’s Peak is the future, the new Eldorado. Don’t you want a piece of it?”

“I couldn’t dig for gold,” I said. “And I don’t have any money.”

“I do,” he said. He fanned out his winnings. “Come on, Molly. It will be fun.”

Buy links:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GX2TH5Q5

https://books.apple.com/us/book/cherry-creek/id6762278970

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cherry-creek-linda-griffin/1149911267

https://www.audible.com/pd/Cherry-Creek-Audiobook/B0H2C7SHJP

https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/cherry-creek-unabridged/id6771821970

About the Author:

Linda Griffin knew she wanted to be a “book maker” as soon as she learned to read and wrote her first story at six. Her passion for the printed word also led her to a career with the San Diego Public Library. She retired to spend more time on her writing and has had work published in numerous literary journals. Cherry Creek is her eleventh book published by The Wild Rose Press. In addition to the three R’s—reading, writing, and research—she enjoys travel, movies, and Scrabble.

Website: https://www.lindagriffinauthor.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lindagriffin.author

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindagriffinauthor/

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June 30, 2026 · 7:17 am

Guest Author Lyndi Alexander ~ SIXSHOOTER and SPECTRUM  ~ Sci-fi Romance

Please help me welcome today’s guest, Lyndi Alexander…

I have always believed that love is the greatest gift any of us can give another person. Another being. Anyone.  We certainly don’t share enough of it.

SIXSHOOTER celebrates the love between Valeni Pascual, a mercenary ship’s pilot and Nik, an alien who can manifest as either a male or female human.

Because love is not limiting, their love expands to include Garrett Rawls, a cowboy from old Earth who managed to travel through a wormhole in space to reach the Sisrian planetary system where Valeni is from. Each of them loves the others, male or female, and they are free to express that love. Indeed, that is what holds them together through assorted political intrigue and dangerous times helping the captain from the HORIZON CROSSOVER series.

Along with Valeni’s brother Luca and Nik’s alien colleague Zie, the crews of Valeni’s Tiburon and Garrett’s Sixshooter move into new territory through an unknown wormhole in SPECTRUM. Here, their love is not the problem but the nature of their physical beings. First they encounter a planet that values animal beings over humans, which makes the human members of the crews uncomfortable. But when they move on in the new universe to find somewhere they could fit in better, the human-based world is even worse for Nik and Zie as non-humans. The only thing that will keep them together and rescue those in trouble is the love they hold for one another.

Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets? 

Lyndi Alexander always dreamed of faraway worlds and interesting alien contacts. She lives as a post-modern hippie in Asheville, North Carolina, a single mother of her last child of seven, a daughter on the autism spectrum, ruled by nine sassy cats, finding that every day feels a lot like first contact with a new species.

Tell us a little about writing this book:

My favorite part of these two books—and the most challenging for me—was creating the alien Nik, and their gender-shifting ability.  Nik grew up in a culture near hostile humans, and Nik’s people, naturally a warm-blooded kangaroo-like mammal, learned the skill to shift into a human appearance out of self-defense.  Nik got separated from their people and came across mercenary pilot Valeni Pascual, who rescued them.  Over time, Nik realized that Valeni needed companionship of two sorts—a female, sister-like fighter, who became blonde bombshell Nikki, and a male companion/lover, who became warm and sensuous Nicholas. The challenge then became how to refer to them.  He? She? It?

For the first time, I understood the necessity to have a way for those who see themselves as either, or both, to refer to themselves.  It was hard for this 20th century brain to accomplish, but I purposely set out to use “they” and “them” because that describes exactly the nature of the sweet and delightful Nik. Only a being in this much love could alter themselves in such ways to fit with Valeni like puzzle pieces, and then to expand their love to include Terran Garrett Rawls as well.  Only one that deserved their story to be told educated me on moving into the new language of gender-speak.

Like space, love has no boundaries

Excerpt:

Indigo…violet…indigo…swirls of electric feeling as Garrett’s hand passed lightly down their leg…as Valeni moved softly by Nikki, heaving a long sigh with her release. The shooting lines of red fading as all three lay back, exhilarated but exhausted.

The afterwaves of love.

Garrett groaned and stretched out his legs, reaching all the way to the bottom of the broad mattress. The dark blue duvet slipped off the end onto the floor, but it didn’t seem to bother him. “I swear, you gals make me feel fine as frog hair split four ways.”

Valeni snickered. “What a way to go.”

Was that true? Nikki let the question wind through their coalescing thoughts. Would it be a preferable way to leave the mortal world, while engaged in the procreational act? Not if we managed to procreate. Oh, how we wish we could…

Buy links:  Paperback at Amazon • Hardback at Amazon • eBook at Amazon Kindle • eBook at Apple Books • eBook at Kobo • eBook at Smashwords • Audiobook at Apple

Find Lyndi Here:

Author Links

Website  and Blog       https://lyndialexander.wordpress.com/

Facebook                        https://www.facebook.com/lyndialexander13/

Goodreads                     https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4185290.Lyndi_Alexander

Amazon Author Page

https://www.amazon.com/Lyndi-Alexander/e/B005GDYPU2/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Bookbub:                        https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lyndi–alexander

Smashwords | Lyndi Alexander    https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/lyndialexander

Instagram        https://www.instagram.com/alexander_lyndi/

Book Trailer    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jixU6FfqNZ0

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June 21, 2026 · 2:41 pm

Books to Read – Discover New Authors & New Books!

If you enjoy discovering new books, new authors, check out these offerings…

https://www.amazon.com/Forever-Kind-Love-Cedar-Hill/dp/1509264302/?

Willow Barton s life crumbles at her husband s arrest for fraud, forcing her to return to her Ohio hometown to rebuild. Running a small bookstore and helping her best friend care for her ailing father offers solace until Zachary Hayes, her best friend s brother and a charming country music star, shows up. Struggling to revive his career and reconnect with his estranged father, Zach sparks an undeniable yet unwelcome chemistry with Willow. As her estranged husband seeks forgiveness, and Zach battles his own demons, Willow must confront her painful past and decide if she s willing to risk her heart again. Caught between heartbreak and hope, can they overcome their fears and build a future together?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H3N1SMWW

A New Leash on Love by SD Porter

Violet is ready for a fresh start. Freshly divorced, with eyes wide open, she’s looking forward to starting a new life in Shady Lake, a small town in Western Washington. But Maggie, her Great Pyrenees, is intent on embarrassing her at every turn, dashing her hopes for a fresh start.

Written in the Sky by Celaine Charles

Julienne’s design deadlines have blown past, leaving her creativity running on fumes. A Fourth of July escape to Lake Kaniksu should be the reset she needs, until all her childhood traditions fizzle away. Worried her spark has sputtered out, a charming stranger literally stumbles into her at the beach, causing her to look up. Maybe the inspiration she’s seeking isn’t in the lake at all.


A Detour Worth Taking by Eliza Storm

With all the changes happening in Sasha’s life, her family’s annual backpacking trip is the one thing she is counting on to remain constant. But when her sister Sydney invites her fiancé and his friend along, suddenly every tradition is broken and Sasha is pulled into a detour she didn’t ask for.

https://mybook.to/Dark_Mission_SVaughan

This romantic suspense mystery is part of a series, but a stand-alone novel with limited overlapping characters and its own conclusion—no cliff-hanger.

Can they hold onto the heartbreak of the past when he’s protecting her from a killer 24/7? 

After museum curator Laura Rossiter witnesses a murder, she runs for her life, finally landing in a Maine resort where she feels safe. Until bad-boy Cole Stratton rides his Harley back into her life…

Now a DARK officer, Cole has a mission—protect Laura, the golden girl he’s never forgotten, and flush out a killer. As the danger increases, so does the tension between the ex-lovers. Cole still believes she’s out of his league… and that she’s hiding secrets she intends never to reveal.

Together 24/7, they can’t deny the passion reigniting between them. But as the painful memories of their past assail them and a killer closes in, they must find a way to trust each other—before their future is extinguished forever.
 
Entire series: Dark Mission, Dark Cover, Dark Rules, Dark Vision, Dark Justice

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June 17, 2026 · 7:55 am

TALK ABOUT FAKE NEWS with Randy Overbeck ~ New Release: Abigail Trench

Please help me welcome today’s guest, Randy Overbeck…

TALK ABOUT FAKE NEWS

               “Fake news,” has become a common refrain of President Trump and other politicians lately.  Sometimes what is tagged in the media as fake news is a story or misinformation planted by Russia or another of our adversaries or even a bot. Often, what politicians are referring to as “fake news” today is a news story with a slant or opinion they believe is wrong, though seldom is the news completely fake or made up.

               The same could not be said of “reporting” in the time of our founding fathers.

In 1776, people got their news from gossip in the taverns and shops (think of it like their social media with a much smaller footprint). As you could probably guess, what was eventually “reported” ended up bearing little resemblance to the original message, like the old post office game.

Beyond that, locals in New York or Boston or Philadelphia obtained their “news” from periodical publications like broadsheets or early newspapers. Many of these papers have been lost to history but a number have survived to give us an accurate look into what passed for news. Rather than simply reporting an event—think the Boston Massacre or the Battle of Bunker Hill—with a particular slant reflecting either British or patriot sympathies, these publications often simply invented the story. This news article may or may not have any relationship to the truth. Then, the publisher would add some sensational headline.

LAWLESS RIOTERS SACK BOSTON

This was true of papers supporting either side, loyalist or rebel. Lost battles would be recorded as great victories, votes reported as usurping authority, blatant cruelties by soldiers upon locals touted as necessary military action, an orderly retreat became a victorious rout.

               Like today, these sensational stories served to inflame the reader, whip up a certain sentiment, create a frenzy against “British trampling liberty” or “Savage rebellion against our kind sovereign”—pretty much the same as the algorithm on social media platforms. Whatever it took to sell more papers. In 1776, there was not even an interest in coming close to the truth, unless it fit their purpose.

               A few actual headlines I think will illustrate.

ROYAL NAVY CRUSHES REBELLION

Actual: British ships won a battle with smugglers. This had little effect on the “rebellion.”

BRITISH FLEET MENACES HARBOR, LIVES IN PERIL

Actual: The British began enforcing a blockade of Boston harbor.

CONFUSION AND COWARDICE:

BRITISH FORCES HARRASSED AT CONCORD

Actual: Outnumbered patriots fought British in the Battle of Concord.

Many of these ludicrous headlines and stories were aimed at Washington.

WASHINGTON’S GUERILLA TACTICS

UNDERMINE CIVIL ORDER

Actual: The strategy developed by Washington of short hit-and-run strikes was proving very successful, with British troops always wondering when the next attack might hit them.

               Some interesting examples of colonial “fake news” came from an influential loyalist paper published by James Rivington called the Royal Gazette. Thanks to work by historians, we have quite a few issues of this “newspaper” in archives. My favorites from this collection revolve around George Washington, a frequent target of the publisher.

WRETCHED USURPER WASHINGTON PROCLAIMED KING

TYRANT IN PHILADELPHIA:

WASHINGTON WEARS A FOREIGN CROWN.

Actual: The stories accompanying these headlines, and others like it, held no “news,” only lies and fabrications intended to get readers in an uproar, loyalists in defiance, rebels in disbelief. However, they were successful in their primary goal—selling papers.

I found what I researched about the Royal Gazette paper so interesting that I decided to include it in my new novel, ABIGAIL TRENCH, using the actual articles and headlines. My new historical thriller tells the story of the lone female operative of Washington’s secret spy ring that helped to win the Revolutionary War. ABIAGIL TRENCH launches this month (6/9/26) published and distributed by Diversion Books and Simon & Schuster. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence than reading the captivating story of one of the unsung heroes of the fight for independence. Interested? You can check it out here. https://www.authorrandyoverbeck.com/books/abigail-trench

Blurb

A vivid, propulsive Revolutionary-era thriller with the spy-craft verve of the streaming hit TURN: Washington’s Spies and the electricity of 1776’s New York that Hamilton lovers will recognize, this story is inspired by the lone female operative in Washington’s spy ring.

In occupied New York, a schoolteacher with everything to lose turns information into a weapon, threading between Redcoats and rebels as plots against Washington gather steam.

After rogue Redcoats assault her and strip her family’s Long Island farm, Abigail Trench fights to survive in New York City—tutoring in a high-ranking British officer’s Water Street household by day, navigating taverns, informants, and soldiers by night. Through Abigail’s keen eyes—and a counter-narrative following a principled British major—the novel renders the moral gray zones of occupation with gritty intimacy. As rumors swirl of a strike at General Washington, Abigail’s vantage inside upper-crust parlors and rough waterfront rooms makes her an ideal courier—and a target.

This historical thriller delivers high tension, textured world-building, and a captivating heroine who put it all on the line for freedom.

About the Author

Dr. Randy Overbeck is an award-winning educator, bestselling author, popular podcaster and speaker in much demand. After serving children for almost four decades as teacher, college prof and school leader, he used those experiences and skills to craft captivating mysteries, thrillers and historical suspense. His novels have earned more than a dozen national awards including Thriller of the Year, Best Book Award, the Gold Award and Mystery of the Year and have garnered hundreds of five-star reviews on Amazon, Goodreads and BookBub.

His newest novel, ABIGAIL TRENCH, is a historical suspense about the Revolutionary War, released June, 2026 by Diversion Books and distributed by Simon and Schuster.

Dr. Overbeck is also the host of the popular podcast, Great Stories about Great Storytellers, whichreveals the little known backstories of famous authors, directors and poets and ranks among the top 50% of all podcasts in the US. When he is not writing or podcasting, he is in much demand as a speaker, sharing informative and entertaining programs to more than 300 groups all over the country.

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