Citywide Blackout

Citywide Bytes-That time I lived in Edgar Allen Poe’s basement

Author and storyteller Matthew Mercier has a certain claim to fame—he once lived in the Bronx home of Edgar Allen Poe. In fact, the experience was so life-changing, he made it the subject of his recently-released book. “Poe and I,” out through Crystal Lake Entertainment. Here’s a look at what’s in store:

Jonah Peabody takes a job as caretaker and head docent for a historical house in The Bronx that once served as the last home for Edgar Allan Poe, a job that requires him to live on the premises so he can give tours on the weekend. To be more precise, he must live in the basement of Poe’s home—Poe’s Basement.

This is Matthew’s first book and in this episode, we talk about the writing process and what of his own experiences made it into the story. We talk about his protagonist, Jonah Peabody and how he and Matthew relate. He also shares some memorable times living in the home of one of the legends of the horror genre.

Citywide Bytes—“The Groupies” takes us on a bloody good tour

On Oct. 22, the world will be introduced to, as writer Helen Mullane puts it, “the acid-drenched, blood-soaked journey into the heart of rock n’ roll excess” and I could not have done a better job summing up “The Groupies,” a new five-issue series which debuts on Oct. 22 through Comixology.

Helen and I go into the origins of this series, and how she and co-creator/artist Tula Lotay shaped the story. Helen shares her interest in the world of groupies and how she dove into it to craft the characters. She talks about working with Tula and how she applied her art style to the story. We even give a few hints as to what you can expect, but you’ll need to read “The Groupies” to find out what happens!   

Joseph Falank combines personal drama with a spooky atmosphere in new book

Three couples. A weekend at a secluded lake house. What could go wrong?

Quite a lot, as it turns out. Joseph Falank’s new book, “The Vanishing at Echo Lake” (Oct. 22), combines the each couple’s relationships issues with a mysterious cabin where the living have a tendency to go missing without a trace.

Joseph talks about what inspired the book, not his first in the horror genre, and how he created both the world of the cabin and the people, in a way that makes them matter to the reader. He goes into the force surrounding the cabin and how we learn of its effect on the people there. The book’s set amidst the COVID pandemic and we look at why this was done and how it impacts the story.

Joseph even gives us a sneak peek at his next project, a fantasy story that his daughter helped inspire. 

Crossing time zones and genres with Michael Botte

Over his lengthy musical career, Michael Botte has seen it all and played it all, and in this interview, he shares it all—how it started, how it changed and how he feels to be a recent International Singer Songwriter Association award-winner for Male Emerging Artist of the Year.

Michael goes into his recent single release, “Dance With Your Shadow” and the upbeat reggae style that he got to incorporate. We talk about the genre-jumping he’s done and how he views his own sound. We learn how he met Bob Beals of Sound Foundation Studios and the great working relationship they’ve enjoyed over the years.

Michael’s merch bears the word, “#musicismytherapy” and he shares how this part of his life has helped him with his mental health and the impact he hopes to make through his music.   

Closing out the episode is Michael’s single, “Dance With Your Shadow.”

Robotic Hawks deliver a sonic punch to the face

It was in 2018 that the three-piece band Robotic Hawks came together and, in that time, they’ve taken many a stage and radio show and, in this episode, we’re going to hear all about it!

Band members Tyler Pollard (Vocals/Bass), Brian Sturk (Drums) and Shawn Doherty (Guitar) give us the whole backstory—how the band came together through a Craigslist ad and some of their favorite venues over the years. This includes some of Curtis and I’s most beloved venues, the Middle East and the Sinclair.

We talk about how the band’s style has evolved with the release of their new EP “All Business” as well as their unique style and how it’s been perceived over the years. We also go into the collaborative process behind their songwriting. Shawn, Tyler and Brian give us a look as to what’s next for Robotic Hawks and we highlight some upcoming shows.

Opening the episode is an excerpt from “High Maintenance” and closing things out is “Wishing Well,” both of which are from the new album.

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.  

H.D Hunter talks young adult fiction and a writer’s impact

How does one judge the impact of their work?

It’s a topic that I talk about with author, activist, and teacher H.D. Hunter in the latest episode. He has a new book out on Aug. 20, “Something Like Right,” and it’s his first foray into the world of young adult fiction. We talk about what new lessons this offered after working primarily in elementary/middle school fiction and how he enjoyed the experience.

H.D. shares the origin of Zay, the main character of the book, and his role in the story, which touches on themes of love, broken families and healing from generational trauma. H.D. shares how Zay came to be, and their evolution during the writing process, as well as the possibilities of more books in this genre.

We also speak on the “Futureland” series, a trilogy which recently came to its conclusion. Set in a theme park where literally anything can happen, it’s focused on Cam Walker and his family, the park’s creators, and their many adventures over the three books. We dive deep into this, as well as what may be next for the series.

H.D. has had the chance to reach many young readers through this work, and we talk about what he hopes they have taken away from the experience.

 

PHOTO BY CALDWELL PROPHOTO, LLC. TAKEN AT GARDENS OF BABYLON LANDSCAPES, NASHVILLE, TN

Citywide Bytes: Hayley Verrall shares an upbeat tale with “Peach Iced Tea”

On our latest episode of Citywide Bytes, singer-songwriter Haley Verrall joins me to share the story behind her latest single, “Peach Iced Tea.” It’s an upbeat tale and a shift from some of her past work. We talk about this and some of the different sounds she’s tried out since she began releasing music.

 

We also talk about some her past music, including “Late Bloomer,” which was part of a past edition of the Blackout Collection.

Since college, Haley has run Singing for Smiles, performing for senior citizens. This came about from when she sang for her grandmother and we go into what she’s done over the years. 

Opening the episode is an excerpt from “Late Bloomer” and closing things out is “Peach Iced Tea.”

Citywide Bytes: Synthpop artist Bjorn Felle takes us to “Paradise Moon”

The next guest on Citywide Bytes came to our attention with his single “Theory of Mind,” and now, he’ll be talking about some great new music he has to share.

A sound inspired by synthpop, punk, 90s techno and 16-bit videogame soundtracks, Bjorn Felle’s style is always changing and in this episode we learn about the twists and turns he’s taken since starting his musical career. We dive into is new album, “Paradise Moon” and learn about the new sounds he got to try out as well as some of the past sonic experiments he’s conducted.

Bjorn also shares some show stories and gives some clues as to what he’s got in the works, both in the studio and on the road.

Opening the episode is an excerpt from “Dopamine” from the album “Extreme Hazard Planet” and closing out the episode is “Welcome To Paradise Moon,” the lead track from “Paradise Moon.”

“The Thing in the Wind” takes readers on a walk through a haunted woods

With his new book, Bill Mullen is making the pivot from thriller to horror. “The Thing in the Wind” goes on a dark journey through the Canadian wilderness, but there’s a lot more to it. The book is now available through Crystal Lake Entertainment, here’s a look at the story:

A search party stumbles upon an unspeakable horror that threatens both their lives and sanity.

In the heart of the Canadian wilderness, a harrowing tale of survival and psychological horror unfolds in this gripping novel. Amidst the vast, unforgiving landscape, a woman’s world is shattered by the mysterious disappearance of her mother in the remote reaches of northern Saskatchewan. Along with her father and a small, determined search party, she embarks on a desperate quest for answers, only to encounter an unspeakable terror lurking in the shadows of the ancient forests. 

As the group navigates the treacherous wilderness, their journey becomes a chilling fight for survival against not only the harsh elements but also a malevolent force that defies explanation. Haunted by eerie premonitions and the feeling of being stalked by an unseen entity, they begin to realize that they are facing a horror far beyond their wildest imaginations. 

Bill, Curtis and Max talk about the origins of the book and the work that went into it from a research and story building perspective. Bill shares his love of horror and how it went going from his thriller “Red Nocturne,” to a much darker tale. He also goes into the location for the book and how this shapes the story to come.