Citywide Blackout

Writer Miles Gunter, artist Briane Andan, colorist Lee Loughridge, and letterer Taylor Esposito have created “Grammaton Punch,” an action-packed comic book series about a boy who sees and fights ghosts, available only on Comixology. I’ve been loving this series and getting the chance to talk with Gunter about how it came to be was a blast.

 

Gunter and look at the series origins, including the concept and working with Andan, Loughridge, and Esposito. He and I dive into the horror and video game influences, with a bit of anime thrown into the mix. We talk about main character Van Nguyen, who has the ability to see and touch ghosts, his struggles in the role of protector, and how he approaches being the hero in the series.

In Michael Bland’s debut novel, “The Price of Safety,” we’re introduced to Dray Quintero and his mission to save his daughter from a crime she didn’t commit. As intense as that was, things get taken to a whole new level in “The Price of Rebellion.” Here’s a look at the synopsis.

It’s 2047. Secrets have been revealed. And Washington wants revenge. Dray Quintero learned an ugly truth: the leaders in D.C. are fake. Using his technology, they’ve stolen the identities of those duly elected to Congress and are determined to stay in power. After revealing the dangers of their government-mandated implants to his fellow citizens, Dray joins the already-underway rebellion. Before he can strike, The Agency attacks with devastating consequences. Dray and the other survivors are forced to run as Agents hunt them.

 

Michael and I talk about how Dray has grown as a character from the first book and the challenges that await in the second. We look at how Dray learning his tech has led to the takeover of D.C. affects him and how he manages as a part of the rebellion.

In the future, everyone has a microcomputer in their brains and computer-screen lenses in their eyes. Kind of like what we have now. Michael tells me how current technology and politics influenced that of “The Price of Safety” and what awaits us in the next book.

This episode has some great lessons to share. To open, Jonathan Kroll has taken his 20 years’ experience as a leadership trainer and provided the best lessons in his new book, “Preparing Leadership Educators.” In this book, Kroll helps leadership educators who want to refresh their pedagogical knowledge and revitalize strategies. We talk about what makes a strong leader, elements of leadership from the past that need to change in 2023 and what the book provides that sets it apart from the many others on this topic.

 

Following this, Suzanne Marriott and I talk about her soon-to-be released book, “Watching for Dragonflies: A Caregiver’s Transformative Journey.” The book follows Suzanne as she becomes her husband Michael’s caregiver after he’s diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. We talk about how she took on the role and the changes it created for their relationship, both good and challenging. We also look at the resources she had access to, how it helped her, and how she’s transformed from the experience.

It was just one year ago that I first interviewed singer-songwriter Dany Horovitz and it was such a blast I figured “Let’s do it again!”

 

So here we are, recording one year exactly from the date the last interview dropped and so much has happened. Earlier this year he released a new EP, “The Candle is Worth the Game,” and since then he’s dropped the singles “Don’t Look to Me” and “Sorry From the Road,” both of which will be on his next album, “Phanerorhyme,” named in part for mind-altering drugs. Yeah, you can bet I ask what that’s all about.

 

Along with the new album, Dany and I spend some time talking about the new sounds and instrumentation he’s explored while recording the new tracks. We go into the folks he’s worked with, what they’ve brought to the table and the amazing music that’s come from it. His debut album “Free Times” was released a little over a year ago and we talk about how he’s grown as an artist.

 

Afterward, kick back and enjoy “Sorry From the Road” and “It’s No Use Trying to Change Me.” If you’ve heard some of his earlier work, you’re gonna like the new paths he walks with these.

It seems like he was just here, but nevertheless, we welcome back Jon Merz, this time to talk about his lengthy writing career. Standing above his many, many titles has to be the Lawson Vampire Series, now being developed into a television pilot. This series began with the first book, “The Fixer” in 2002. Now, 35 books later, it’s still going strong.

 

Jon and I dive into the story behind the story, how it all kicked off and why it was originally intended to be just one book. Things changed, however, and we look at the expansion of the series and the different adventures the main character has been on.

 

Speaking of which, meet Lawson: vampire by birth, Fixer by trade. His mission: preserve the secret existence of living vampires by any means necessary. Jon and I take a walk through the vampire world, Lawson’s role in it and how he’s changed over 20 years.

 

It's no secret that writing today is a very different industry. An author can’t expect to make it with just print or even e-books, and Jon shares some of his insight and what led him to pursue different avenues to make his writing career pay off.

I’ve been a longtime fan of the Lackadaisy webcomic, so when I heard it had been adapted into an animated pilot, my only question was “How do I see it!!” The pilot, around 23 minutes long, is a superb creation with stunning animation (Don Bluth’s movies came to mind), brilliant music and some of the best voice work I’ve heard in awhile. I’m sincerely hoping that more episodes get released.

 

Joining me for this episode is Comic Creator Tracy Butler, Director Fable Siegel, and 3-D Layout Artist Zachary Nall. We talk about how this pilot came to be and the adjustment to the story. Tracy and Fable share how they met and the collaboration process. Zachary goes into about the different challenges of animating a series set in the 1920s and we dive into the extensive research needed for everything from trash bags to firearms.

 

But this show wouldn’t be complete without the sounds. We also talk about the exceptional music done by Sepiatonic and the diverse and talented voice crew that brought this fantastic cast of characters to life. And of course, we look at what’s next for the series, both comic and animated.  

A haunted item is a familiar element in horror novels, but a haunted desk? That’s a new one to me and I am here for it! Continuing our series of interviews with authors on Cemetery Dance,  Philip Fracassi joins me to talk about his recent novel “Gothic.” Here’s a look at what lies in store:

 

On his 59th birthday, Tyson Parks—a famous but struggling horror writer—receives an antique desk from his partner Sarah in the hopes it will rekindle his creative juices. Perhaps inspire him to write another bestselling novel and prove his best years aren’t behind him.

A continent away, a mysterious woman makes inquiries with her sources around the world, seeking the whereabouts of a certain artifact her family has been hunting for centuries. With the help of a New York City private detective, she finally finds what she’s been looking for.

It’s in the home of Tyson Parks.

 

Philip and I look at the haunted desk and why he went this route, as well as its history and why others are looking for it. We talk about Tyson and how he’s changed, as well as where he falls on the hero/villain spectrum. We also take a look at his forthcoming novel, “Boys in the Valley,” out later this summer.

In 2019 on Piano Day, Adrian happened to tune Mariko’s piano. He asked if she wanted to play together; she said maybe. Realizing she might be able to return to her long-lost passion, music, they connected and started rehearsing with the hopes of playing out.

 

And then the pandemic happened.

 

But that didn’t stop Adrian and Mariko. They kept playing and sending ideas and soon after had a catalog of 50+ songs, which led to their first album, “Ignite the Sky.” In this episode, we talk about the origin of the A.M.s and how the experience has allowed them to grow as artists. We examine the story of “Ignite the Sky,” which chronicles Mariko’s journey of finding her birth parents during COVID, while processing the events and struggles of 2021 in quarantine. We also see how the two—despite living several hundred miles apart, have been able to play out now and again.

 

Following this, enjoy the single, “Ignite the Sky.” I really enjoyed this entire album, and hope that you check it out.

In this episode, author Kimberly Kenna and I discuss the very unique main character in “Artemis Sparke and the Sound Seekers Brigade,” the first installment in the new Brave Girls Collection. Artemis Sparke is always more at home in the natural world than with humans.

 

But when her favorite salt marsh is threatened and all evidence points to the historic hotel where her mother works, something has to be done. With her friends Warren and RT and help from deceased ecologists, Artemis works to untangle the clues and finds family secrets that could be the key to saving the marsh.

 

Kimberly and I talk about the inspiration for his character and how it ties into her own life. We look at Artemis and what makes her the way she is and why it was important for the story. We talk about the environment and its role in the book as well as her decision to use part of the proceeds to support Save the Sound. Kimberly also goes into future installments of the Brave Girls Collection.

To say that Hollis Morrisette has a lot on his plate is putting it very mildly. Between acting, modeling, writing and music, it’s hard to imagine how he makes time for it all. But make time he does, and in this interview, we talk about the many, many aspects of his creative life.

 

When he was just 5 years old, Hollis knew he wanted to live in Los Angeles someday and he speaks on those early day and how his life changed. He talks about his choice to take on so much and how he’s adapted to the challenges they’ve presented. We also talk about the necessity of a team and the different people Hollis works with.

 

Following this, enjoy “I Can’t Hate You,” one of the recent singles that Hollis has put out.