Citywide Blackout

Ariane Torres blends feminism, domestic space, and women’s invisibility in debut novel

Mark those calendars for March 1^st, because Somerville-based author Ariane Torres has some big news to share! Her debut book, “We Are The Kings,” is set to release through Bold Story Press.

 

The story centers around Marcella as she grieves the death of her grandmother, unearths family secrets, and refuses to settle for a predictable life or a boring man. While Marcella is sifting through her family’s conflicting and fading memories, she puts into words what no one else will say out loud, revealing not only what may or may not have happened, but what is truly at stake when a woman tells her story.

 

In this interview Ariane and I talk about Marcella, her role in the story and the personal traits that she shares with people in the author's life. We look at the different themes and how they're explored in the book as well as why Ariane wanted to include them.

 

Ariane's background includes majoring in Russian Studies and English Literature and graduate work in prison architecture and aging in prison. These played a role in the book and its writing and we talk about how it happened.

Emilya Naymark returns to Sylvan with a page-turning domestic suspense

As we're recording this episode, author Emilya Naymark is getting set for the release of her brand new book, “Behind the Lie,” which picks up where “Hide In Place” left off. In this sequel, her character Laney Bird’s closest friend vanishes in the aftermath of a shooting which may implicate Laney’s son. We look at how the two books connect as well as how they can be read as standalone stories.

 

Laney as a character has become someone very close to Emilya and we talk all about how the close connection influenced the plot. We also talk about how Laney came to be and how she takes on the different challenges that the story offers.

 

Emilya's husband, an NYPD officer for 20 years, contributed to the process by providing his take on the story, which helped to craft a more accurate and realistic book. We look at what elements made it into the final story and what were left behind.

YAQI makes a great horror movie villain!

Welcome back! After a brief hiatus to deal with some personal issues, we return with LA-based pop artist YAQI. She's just dropped her newest single “I'm On It,” and there are some cool stories behind this song. We go into the sound of the song, her precise rapping style and how this all came together over a six-plus hour session.

 

A theme of the song is about focusing on your goals and not doing what others tell you, and this certainly reflects YAQI's own life. In addition to her music, she has a Master's Degree from the New York Film Academy and has been in a number of short films. She talks about her different villain roles and how it's so comfortable for her....yeah, I'm a little concerned too. We also look at her dream role and the person she'd like to work with above all others.

 

After this, enjoy “I'm On It.” I know I did!

From debut albums to music production—Sarah Krohn shares her journey

After hearing “A Part of Me” by Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter Sarah Krohn, I knew this was an artist to have on the show. So, here we go! Sarah and I talk about how she's grown as a musician from her debut album “81” at age 14 to her most recent single, “Sanguine in Blue,” released last December.

 

“A Part of Me” shares the theme of growing up and leaving home, which ties into her recent move to college in Ohio. We also talk about her recent work with friend and fellow musician Dani Jimenez and her band, Almost Tuesday.

 

Going to the School of Rock has offered Sarah a lot of opportunities beyond the classroom—including performing at Lollpalooza and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and she tells all about these experiences. She also goes into what she learned at School of Rock and how she's continued her musical education since.

 

Afterward, enjoy two of Sarah's songs—“A Part of Me” and “Stardust,” which is from her debut album.

Sorry Mom talk about connecting with their fans and what’s in store for 2022

Taryn and Juno of Sorry Mom, a New England-based femme queer punk band, join me to talk about the different scenes that they've connected, both in the Boston areas and others. This was best seen at a show they did at Bowery Electric, one of the last ones for 2021.

 

Taryn, Juno, and I look at their plans for 2022, which will include more shows and plans for new music releases. We also talk about other cities they've played in and others where they'd love to do shows.

 

Following this, check out “Awesome Party, Dude!” and “Hit The Back.”

Leah Hinton takes us “Away” with upbeat new single

Happy New Year and welcome to our first episode of 2022! We've got some high hopes for this year, so let's get it started off right with Leah Hinton to talk about her new single “Away.” This song takes Leah in some new musical directions with an upbeat, hopeful message. We dive into this and the contribution of Jodron Peace, who she's worked with in the past. Speaking of that, we look at the other artists she's worked with and what makes a truly great partnership among musicians.

 

Leah calls New York City home, but that wasn't always the case. She's born and raised in North Carolina and attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. We talk about what each location offered her and some of her favorite places to check out shows.

 

Following this interview, enjoy the new single, “Away.” I really dug the vibe of the song and the message Leah shares.

 

Debut artists share their journeys in the music world

Toronto-based singer-songwriter Dany Horovitz joins me to discuss his recently-released singles, “Seasons Change” and “Moving On.” Both deal with the concept of moving forward from tough times, and Dany and I talk about the real-life experiences that influenced them. Dany launched his music career just a year ago and we look at what inspired him to take the tunes he'd been working on for years and share them with the world.

 

After this, kick back and enjoy these two singles. Both have a different sound, and have a strong message to share.

 

LA artist XOHA is up next, and we dive deep into her debut single, “Outsider.” The track is honest and heartfelt, describing the often undiscussed inequalities in America. XOHA and I talk about what she's seen of these inequalities and how she crafted the lyrics. We also look at her unique musical style and the different influences throughout her life.

 

To close things out, enjoy XOHA's new single, “Outsider,” a standout song both for its music and the story.

Rhode Island Author Expo, Part 2

In the second episode of my interviews with some of the many authors who attended the ninth annual Rhode Island Author Expo, I'm talking with Michelle Fishpaw for her debut novel, “Claire's Voice,” which chronicles her family's quest after their daughter is shaken by a babysitter. We talk about how she shared such a personal story and the process of writing her first book.

 

Next up, I welcome back Keith Carreiro for his nine-part fantasy series, divided into three three-part sections. He's currently in the process of writing the second part and walks us through the story so far and what people can expect.

 

Herb Weiss was on the show a few years ago for his book, “Taking Charge,” a collection of columns he's written on issues facing senior citizens. For this interview, he's back with a second collection, and we talk about the issues facing seniors today.

 

J.J. Partridge is a new face for the show, and he's got a lengthy series of mystery books featuring his character Algy Temple. J.J. and I talk about Algy and how they came to be, as well as the different stories he's written.

 

 

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.