Citywide Blackout

Facing mortality—Author’s cancer diagnosis inspires memoir

On May 28, 2013, Jocelyn Rasmussen woke up and realized, with profound clarity, that she had cancer. This was later confirmed by a doctor, after which Jocelyn was told she had a small chance of survival.

Today, Jocelyn is a cancer survivor for 12 years and living a life of love, adventure and music. 

During her treatment, Jocelyn began speaking with other patients with life-threatening illnesses about hope and healing, a message she brings to her memoir, “This Day Won't Come Again: Radical Presence and Life-Threatening Illness.”

In this episode, Jocelyn recounts that fateful day and what went through her mind after receiving the diagnosis. She talks about the choice to go into treatment, and how she managed the days that followed.

Jocelyn speaks on her meetings with other patients and the person that recommended she publish a book, as well as how she built on what had already been done. She explains the message of living “into the best and worst of all that arises when the possibility of our own mortality seems sooner rather than later.”   

Citywide Bytes—Choosing between two lives

What if you could lead an entirely different life, changing the choices you once made? Would you be willing to leave the old life behind? That’s the story behind author C.B. Giesinger’s new book, “The Wall That Divides the Ocean.” Here’s a look at the plot.

Anna is satisfied with the life that she has built with her husband, Chris. Her steady, but lackluster job, and their cushion-stain-free lifestyle give her stability, untouched by chaos. 

As she succumbs to her brain-swelling coma, Anna opens her eyes inexplicably to a life she would have once had. She finds herself married to a man she'd once met in Scotland, though she'd left him to pursue a more predictable path over a decade ago. He gives her life meaning and excitement, filled with the happiness and chaos that make life worth living.  

Will the truth of her circumstances force her to confront her new life and return to where she came from? Or will she risk living a lie to preserve the dream she has created across the ocean?

In this interview, C.B. talks about the inspiration for the book and how she chose the cover and title. We do into the new life that Anna is living in her coma and the man she’s now married to. We talk about how it compares to her old life and the choice she has to make. 

Headed to a musical circus

Derek Smith of Derek Smith and the Cosmic Vultures is back with a brand new three-part album called Temporary Circus. Act 1 was released back in May, with the second act slated for Sept. 12. The music is a wonderful, eclectic blend of sounds that showcases Derek’s wide-ranging style.

In this interview, Derek talks about the origins of Temporary Circus and what we can expect in Act 2. He shares what’s new in this release, including his wife singing on one of the tracks. We talk promotion for the new project, and how he makes himself heard amidst the ten of thousands of artists working toward the same goal.

Derek’s music has recently hit some new milestones, with songs like “Black Angel” and “White Spade Symphony” reaching 30,000 listens on Spotify, and he gives an honest take on what that means to him.

Closing out this episode is “Indie Darling,” from “Temporary Circus Act 1.”

Citywide Bytes—Crime thrillers in the heart of San Fran

Born and raised in San Francisco, author Brian Brady has blended the city’s endless inspiration with his lengthy career as a police officer and security executive to create his series of books. The newest, “Greed,” begins with an art forgery and theft, traveling from San Francisco to Paris to Amsterdam, but takes a twist when one of the perpetrators gets too greedy.

In this episode, Brian talks about what inspired his decision to join the writing world and the real-life cases he’s drawn inspiration from. He talks about San Francisco as a setting, the things he’s learned as a writer and give us a glimpse into his fourth book.

A journey of healing and activism

Heidi Yewman’s memoir “dumb girl” (Aug. 19) chronicles the physical, emotional and sexual abuse she suffered for years, and how that pain was transformed into purpose following the tragic shooting at Columbine High School. Among the victims was her beloved basketball coach.

For years Yewman has worked as a gun violence activist, producing the award-winning documentary “Behind the Bullet,” and has worked on campaign, organized vigils and asked the hard questions to gun owners.

In this interview, we talk about Yewman’s decision to share her life’s story in “dumb girl” and what it was like to revisit the experiences of her childhood. She talks about her time as an activist and the gains and losses, as well as the hope she sees with the younger generation. 

Citywide Bytes—Brenda Coffee’s memoir shows the power of your voice

In her memoir “Maya Blue: A Memoir of Survival,” Brenda Coffee takes us through the good and the bad of her eventful life, reminding us that if you keep your voice and your wits, you can survive almost anything. 

 

In this interview, Brenda talks about how she opens the book, with a burly man telling her and hr husband that their lives wee in danger. We talk about how she chose what to include and what to leave out, and how the editing process shaped the story. She also goes into the message behind the story and how the public has responded since the book was released.

One Time Mountain returns with new members and music

Rock band One Time Mountain has undergone a lot of changes in recent years, including a brand new lineup in 2020 when the band at that time went their separate ways.

Guitarist Brian Murphy decided to keep it going and recruited Ethan Garman, Zach Rizzo and Alec Smith, creating a lineup that brings a lot of fire and past music experience with them.

In this episode, the band joins us to talk about the new one up and how it stands apart from the previous incarnation. We go into new music, in particular, “Goin’ Crazy,” which drops the same day as this episode. We talk about future releases and plans for the band down the road.

Closing out this episode is an excerpt from “Goin’ Crazy,” and you should definitely check out the new single!   

From self-destruction to redemption in “Asshole”

Rob Tonkin’s new book “Asshole” is an honest look at his own life, from self-destruction to eventual redemption, with a lot of hard-won insights into authentic living.

In this episode, Rob talks about his career in the music and radio industries, which while very successful, covered up wounds from his past. Rob talk about these experiences and what led him to get help from a variety of sources, and his new life on other side.

Rob goes into the writing process and the challenges of revisiting certain parts of his life. He talk about the unique title and cover photo, how both came to be used, as well his hopes for readers. 

From Amsterdam to Australia

Hendrika de Vries was just a little girl when she experienced brutal violence and hunger in WWII Amsterdam. She immigrated to Australia as a professional teenage swimmer, and in her new book, “Open Turns: From Dutch Girl to New Australian,” she chronicles her experiences during this time, and how they reflect what young women go through today.

In this interview, Hendrika shares her youth in Amsterdam and the experience of growing up during the war. She talks abut the family’s immigration to Australia and how she got into swimming, even shattering a few records in the process.

Hendrika shares how she views current events and their similarities to what she went through as a child, as well as how she found the courage to overcome these struggles. She talks about th writing process and what it was like to revisit this part of her life.

Citywide Bytes—A murder mystery with a side of the paranormal

JP Behren’s new book is a crime noir book with a unique take. “Murder in the Monashee Mountains” is the second book in the Travis Daniels Investigation series. Here’s a look at the story: 

After escaping the cursed streets of Arkham and Miskatonic University, Travis Daniels is on the run with his ward, Leslie Owens. While searching for a safe place to hide, they witness a savage murder in the woods of Monashee Mountain. Now, he is tasked by competing interests in the town of Tonasket to discover the truth behind the murder and recent sabotage to the local logging operation. The clock is ticking as ancient rivalries threaten the innocent people of the nearby towns, the local Native American Tribes, and the tenuous peace held between the sasquatch and were-wolves. 

In this interview, JP talks about the first book in the series, “Missing in Miskatonic,” and how his new book picks up where the last left off. He talks about the creation of Travis Daniels and Leslie Owens and their roles in the new story. He goes into the two sides— sasquatch and were-wolves, and how he weaves these groups into the book. He also talks planning out the third book, and working with Crystal Lake Publishing.