May 2021 Line-Up
The May line-up has eight exciting author guests, including three New York Times bestselling authors, two of whom call North Carolina home. As always, we have a variety of books and personal stories on the podcast. We have literary fiction by Jill McCorkle about love and loss, two memoirs (one about growing tall in journalism and one about a Peace Corps adventure in Africa), two non-fiction works (one about the rise and fall of tobacco in North Carolina and one about the dangerous world of multi-level marketing), short stories and a novella by Ron Rash, a dystopian novel, and another thriller by John Gilstrap.
May 4 Jill McCorkle Crafts a Layered Tale of Love, Pain, and Family in “Hieroglyphics”
In this episode 206, we visit with New York Times bestselling author Jill McCorkle, author of “Hieroglyphics,” a heartfelt and intricate tale that weaves together the lives of four characters: Frank and Lil, a married couple who came together from the shared grief of losing a parent, Shelley, a single mother raising her young son in Frank’s former home, and Harvey, Shelley’s young son.
“Hieroglyphics” is a raw and meditative story of love, pain, and redemption, with a deep understanding of resilience and family bonds.
In a starred review, Publisher’s Weekly had this to say about the book, ““Engrossing . . . McCorkle finds an elegant mix of wistfulness and appreciation for life . . . Throughout, McCorkle weaves a powerful narrative web, with empathy for her characters and keen insight on their motivations. This is a gem.”
Plus, exclusive Patreon episode: Writing with Jill McCorkle
May 7 Nancy Stancill Narrates Life at Six Feet in Her Authentic Memoir, “Tall”
In this episode 207, we visit with Nancy Stancill, author of Tall: Love and Journalism in a Six-foot World,” an authentically written and compulsively readable memoir of Nancy’s life from gangly teen to investigative reporter.
Author Judy Goldman, author of “Together: A Memoir of a Marriage and a Medical Mishap,” has this to say about the book: “In journalist Nancy Stancill’s masterful hands, this memoir about the struggles and satisfactions, bonuses and betrayals of being a very tall woman is not only wonderfully absorbing; it is also instructive. Whether you’re a six-footer or you top off at five feet, the book is a reminder that how you measure yourself is more of a determiner of your success and well-being than any measure on a yardstick. Stancill gets it just right. ‘Tall’ is a glorious book, fully alive.”
Plus, exclusive Patreon episode: Investigative Journalism Tips for Writers with Nancy Stancill
May 11 Gene Hoots Tells the Story of North Carolina’s Gold Leaf in “Going Down Tobacco Road”
In this episode 208, we visit with Gene Hoots, author of “Going Down Tobacco Road: R.J. Reynolds’ Tobacco Empire: The Gold Leaf and North Carolina.” Using his twenty–one years of experience working for the tobacco empire, financial analyst Gene Hoots details the rise and fall of R.J. Reynolds.
Along with this history are universal business lessons. Tobacco is a controversial product, but the industry that created it is one of the most successful industries in America.
Critics said the book “tells a huge American story that needed telling,” and that it “achieves this rare balance between combining a huge but purely business/industry story with its deep human and cultural implications, giving texture, drama, and empathy to the reader.”
Plus, exclusive Patreon episode: Making Financial Non-Fiction Interesting With Gene Hoots
May 14 Ron Rash’s “In the Valley” Returns to the Villainess Who Propelled Serena to National Acclaim
In this episode 209, guest host and award-winning author Heather Bell Adams interviews Ron Rash, aptly called by The New York Times “one of the great American authors at work today.” His latest book is “In The Valley, ” named a Garden & Gun and Atlanta Journal Constitution best book of the year and Winner of the 2020 Thomas Robinson Prize for Southern Literature.
“In the Valley” is a collection of ten searing stories and the return of the villainess who propelled Serena to national acclaim, in a long-awaited novella. The story “Baptism” was chosen for inclusion in The Best American Short Stories 2018, and “Neighbors” was selected by Jonathan Lethem for The Best American Mystery Stories 2019.
Ron Rash has long been a revered presence in the landscape of American letters. A virtuosic novelist, poet, and story writer, he evokes the beauty and brutality of the land, the relentless tension between past and present, and the unquenchable human desire to be a little bit better than circumstances would seem to allow (to paraphrase Faulkner).
Plus, exclusive Patreon episode: Writing with Ron Rash
May 18 Books Are the Key to Freedom in Post-Apocalyptic America in Jacqui Castle’s “The Seclusion”
In this episode 210, we visit with Jacqui Castle, author of “The Seclusion,” a timely dystopian thriller which showcases the danger of totalitarianism in America in the year 2090. It was Foreword Indies Book of the Year Award Winner in Science Fiction and the winner of the North Carolina Author Project.
When best friends Patricia “Patch” and Rexx discover an old van filled with dangerous contraband—books from before The Seclusion—the pair head on a journey to save Patricia’s father and truly understand how events happening now caused this uncertain future.
Atia Abawi, award winning foreign correspondent and author of “The Secret Sky” and “A Land of Permanent Goodbyes”, calls The Seclusion, “a terrifying glimpse into what could be at the end of the path America is on today. Castle does an amazing job transporting us in to the future—too great a job.”
Plus, exclusive Patreon episode: Book Marketing Outside the Box With Jacqui Castle
May 21 Robert Fitzpatrick Warns Readers of the Dangers of Multi-Level Marketing in “Ponzinomics”
In today’s episode 211, we visit with Robert Fitzpatrick, author of “Ponzinomics: The Untold Story of Multi-Level Marketing,” an in-depth look at the history of multi-level marketing and how the lack of regulation has ruined many lives.
Hannah Martin, UK-based Consumer Activist and Educator and Co-Founder of Talented Ladies Club, says “Ponzinomics is essential reading for anyone who wants to truly understand the MLM industry – where it originated, why it’s not treated as illegal and how it works (or rather, why it doesn’t work for over 99% of participants).”
Authors, financial researchers, attorneys and policy advisors say the book is one of the most comprehensive looks at an industry that has made some people at the top of every pyramid very rick and many others who participate nothing more than financial losers. One reviewer calls the book “A cogent exposé of the pervasive and damaging presence of MLM in the American and, increasingly, world economy. A must read not only for those interested in the specific nature of MLM, but also for anyone who cares to understand what moves us and how we are governed.”
Plus, exclusive Patreon episode: Challenges in Writing About Controversial Non-fiction Topics with Robert Fitzpatrick
May 25 A Mother and Two Sons Face A Nuclear Apocalypse in John Gilstrap’s “Crimson Phoenix”
In this episode 212, we visit with New York Times bestselling author John Gilstrap, author of “Crimson Phoenix,” a fast-paced thriller of human survival during WWIII and a nuclear apocalypse.
Victoria Emerson, a single mother and member of the US House of Representatives, refuses to abandon her sons and move into the military safety bunker with other members of congress. With millions of Americans without food, power, or government aid, Victoria becomes the leader they need.
New York Times bestselling author Jeffrey Deaver has this to say about the book, “Crimson Phoenix ticks every box for big-book thrillerdom. We’re treated to political turmoil, military action, harrowing escape, relentless pursuit, and heart-wrenching scenes of family struggling against conflict, which Gilstrap pens like no other author. And to top it all off, he’s created one of the most singular and compelling heroines to come along in years.”
Plus, exclusive Patreon episode: Building an Author YouTube Channel with John Gilstrap
May 28 In “The Warm Heart of Africa,” Jack Allison Shares A Life-Changing Experience in the Peace Corps
In this episode 213, we visit with Jack Allison author of “The Warm Heart of Africa,” a colorful first-hand account of life in the Peace Corps in the 1960’s. While volunteering in Malawi, this journey for self-realization forged a career as a physician and public health educator.
Using his background and deep passion for music, Jack created a series of popular songs and jingles with important public health messages while he was serving in Malawi. The culture and customs in Malawi were different, but music was a language spoken by all. His song about feeding children peanuts in porridge was number one in Malawi three years running.
Chris Matthews, the retired host of the MSNBC show, Hardball, and former Peace Corps volunteer said “…Jack Allison writes about the real Africa—the summer heat, the pungent aroma, the sound of children at play—but most of all, the humanity. In ‘The Warm Heart of Africa,’ you can hear the continent’s voice—and instantly know why it changed our lives…”
Plus, exclusive Patreon episode: The Music of Memoir with Jack Allison