Citywide Blackout

Rhode Island Author Expo returns!

A couple weeks ago, one of my favorite events, the Rhode Island Author Expo, saw its big return to an in-person format. Over 100 authors attended, and there were panels for book marketing, hybrid publishing, world-building and much more. I was there to emcee the show, as well as interview some of the great writers.

 

Opening this episode is Tim Jones, creator of the Sour Grapes comic. We go into the origins of the comic, its many characters, and how Tim's gotten it into so many newspapers over the years.

 

After that, Angelina Singer and I catch up after two years, and she has quite a bit to share. She's released her Rewind Duology and worked with Chelsea Kwoka to create the audiobook version.

 

To close out this episode, MC Madjoucoff and I talk about her book, “Fried Catfish,” a comedy/drama all about the world of catfishing.

John Lawrence continues his humorous biographical book series

This episode takes a deep dive into “Residency: Playing Doctor” by John Lawrence. It's the second in a comedic three-part series focused on his more than 20 years in medicine. The newest book (available Dec. 27) takes us through his medical training and time as a junior doctor.

 

What's interesting is that medicine was the last thing that John wanted to do with his life, and we look at how he wound up in medical school, as well as what the experience was like for him. John and I talk about what inspired him to write this series and how he decided what to include.

 

John's also worked in the film world, and we see how working on screenplays tied into his books, particularly his confidence in his writing abilities.

Deshawn White releases tribute song for “Spider-Man: No Way Home”

For this episode, I sit down with rapper/producer Deshawn White to talk about his recently-released single, “Control,” a tribute to the upcoming “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” The song took Deshawn in some new directions, including getting into character, a first for him. We also nerd out a bit on the film franchise and talk about the different actors who've played the wall-crawler over the years.

 

But there's much more! Deshawn's career began when he was just 12 years old. We look at this early work, and what happened that led to him releasing “Hold On” in 2011, his first Christian single, followed by “Before The Ceiling Falls” in 2015. Deshawn and I talk about the role religion has played in his life and why he felt so strongly about dedicating an album to it.

 

In 2022, Deshawn will relase “BOATS” or “Based On A True Story.” It's a summation of his life—both the good and the bad, and he holds nothing back as we talk about the different tales that he'll share. We also look at what's next, and the answer is pretty interesting.

 

Following this, enjoy Deshawn's new single “Control.” It's a really powerful song and compelled me to check out the rest of his work.

Mark Sheldon dives into the third book of his serial killer series

Just in time for the holidays, author Mark Sheldon joins me to talk about the final chapter of his Sarah Killian series, “Sarah Killian: The Marching Tides,” available on Dec. 10 through Crystal Lake Publishing. Here's a little excerpt from the plot, written in Sarah's rather unique way.

 

For my final mission, I (begrudgingly) team up with my good for nothing, S.O.B. assassin ex, Jason. Why would I do such a crazy thing? Well, aside from the obvious answer that I am crazy, we are fleeing from the mysterious organization known only as the Marching Tides—a collective hell-bent on bringing down the Trusted Hierarchy of Everyday Murderers (T.H.E.M.) and exposing their shady dealings to the world at large.

 

Pretty cool, huh? And in this episode, Mark and I dive into the plot of the final novel, as well as some of the twists and turns of the series. We look at Sarah's character, how she came to be, and what led Mark to write this interesting take on the world of serial killers and assassins.

Rhode Island Author Expo, Episode 2: Elizabeth Devlin and Apryl Scott

In this second collection of interviews previewing the annual Rhode Author Island Expo, I'm talking with Apryl Scott about here recently-released book of poetry, “The Book of Jade.” The book was written following a powerful spiritual moment in the author's life and we talk about what that was and the change it led to. We also get a few readings from the book, and also talk about Wrestless Communications, which she founded.

 

Following that, it's writer Elizabeth Devlin for her book, “Home Waters.” It's a blend of drama and science thriller when Becket Fallon learns of a toxic algae that could threaten the entire East Coast. Elizabeth talks all about the research she did for this novel and the amazing folks she worked with to develop the very realistic scientific threat.

ShellzDaGod shares how it is being back on stage and making cash on IG

ShellzDaGod's a familiar face from the show and in this episode he joins me once again to talk about things resuming some form of normal. For Shellz, that includes being back on stage in front of a crowd, and he gives a heads-up on what he has in store in 2022.

 

And in bigger news, Shellz recently became monetized on Instagram! He said the news came out of nowhere and we look at the posts he's made, including some that preview his new music.

 

After this, I've two of Shellz's songs for you. Up first it's “Into Something,” followed by “Daddy Is A Joke.”

Christopher Sebela shares character designs and worldbuilding for “.Self” comic

BONUS TRACK-Sal Abbinanti releases his cult classic Atomika: God is Red” in omnibus format

 

It's a dual-comic episode! First up is four-time Eisner-nominated writer, designer, and publisher Christopher Sebela to talk about his newest series, “.Self,” which you can only find on comiXology Originals.

 

In .Self, Natalie Winters seems to have a perfect life. But when her Postscript account is hacked, Natalie’s backup files are torrented online and people begin making bootleg copies of her. We talk about Natalie's role, the perception of a perfect life and why she's so determined to get it back. Chris also talks about the character-building process and the different personalities he's created in the many titles he's worked on.

 

Chris also has a Kickstarter for a new title, “Foulbrood” which has him working once again with artist Claire Roe and we talk about the real-life news story that served as inspiration for a series that explores bees, crime and the intersection of bees and crime.

 

After that, I welcome back Artist Sal Abbinanti to talk about the upcoming release of the omnibus edition of his classic title “Atomika: God is Red.” He also has a Kickstarter going that runs until Dec. 2. It's already well past its $25,000 goal and we talk about that and the vast list of artists that are contributing to this new edition.

 

Sal dives into the history of the title and all the challenges he faced when trying to get it published. We talk about the story and the research that went into building it.

Rhode Island Author Expo interviews, Episode 1

This year marks the big return of an in-person Rhode Island Author Expo. And so, I've been doing interviews with some of the great authors who will be part of the event.

 

First, Lisa Jacob and I talk about her recently-released book “Carnival Farm,” as well as a series of short stories based on Tarot Cards. We also look at her podcast, Dark Mystic Quill.

 

Next up is Peter O'Donnell, who was on the show two years ago. He's been busy in that time, putting out the first two books of his “In The Giant's Shadow” series, a blend of thriller and science-fiction elements, and we go deep into the story and future of the series.

 

Our final interview in this episode is with Christine Lajewski, who has some of the most terrifying horror stories I've ever read. We talk about what makes a good horror story and the short tale she has included in the Wicked Women anthology.

Evelyn LaTorre takes us through the second part of her cross-cultural romance

Author Evelyn LaTorre shares the story behind her marriage to Antonio, a man she met while serving in Peru as part of the Peace Corps in her new book, “Love in Any Language.” It's the continuation of her first book, “Between Inca Walls,” and illustrates the trials and joys in the blending of two cultures.

 

In this episode we dive deep into her meeting Antonio and their early years together. Evelyn also shares what led her to write the book and how she decided what to share. We talk about what makes a cross-cultural relationship work and the things she learned during her time with Antonio.

How sweet is to be back at Rhode Island Comic-Con!

Well, the title says it all! On Nov. 5 and 6 I had the chance to reunite with the convention community at one of my favorite events—Rhode Island Comic-Con. I checked out the amazing cosplays, met cool creatives and bought some great merch over the weekend. And of course, many interviews were done.

 

To start, I met up with Author Coral Isabella Aurora to learn about her new book and the messages about bullying and treating others fairly.

 

Next, the writers from the comic Starside catch me up on a series I got into two years ago and give a few hints about the story's future.

 

Cosplayer Stevie Oaks shares his dead-on impersonation of Peter Griffin and what it's been like being at a convention for the first time as one of the guests.

 

On the convention's second day, I chatted with Wayward Raven founder Mark Frankel about the diverse stories they publish, a special request for submissions, and why in their comics, dead is dead.

 

Bringing this episode to a close is Khepera Cosplay, who shares how it feels to be back after two years and the various villains she's cosplayed as.