Featured Interview With Ken Winder & Mike Lynch

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in South San Francisco. I now live in San Jose. I have a cat named Pia.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started writing in 1981 just after I graduated from high school.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Anything that has to do with historical non-fiction

Tell us a little about your latest book?
On the surface, this seems like a simple story – John Anglin, Clarence Anglin and Frank Morris broke out of Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary on June 11, 1962, and presumably drowned in the San Francisco Bay . . . or did they? But like many mysteries, there’s what everyone knows, and then there’s the story behind the story. Who were these men and what life experiences and skills did they possess that made their escape possible? And just as important, those who played a part in their escape—famous mobster Mickey Cohen, James “Whitey” Bulger, Bumpy Johnson, exotic dancer Candy Barr, Fred Brizzi, to name a few. And once out, how were the escapees able to vanish without a trace, yet the official FBI report released in 2002 claims the three were sighted in various locations following the escape? The answers to these and other powerful questions are almost beyond belief, and all of them true.

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Featured Interview With Mindy Willens

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Chicago, but have lived in California since 2007. I don’t have any dependents (including pets or plants, haha). My passion is singing, and my greatest accomplishments there have been breaking a wine glass with my voice and opening for The Supremes.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
As a child, I loved Dr. Seuss and Louis Sachar the most. I became a teacher, and I use Mo Willems to introduce new readers to the joy that books can bring. I have several books for children that I’ve written, and only two years ago, I started my first book for adults, Date Smart: QuickStart.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I’ve always been excited by choose-your-own-adventure style books. I brought the concept over to my current work, and I find it enhances the reader’s experience by cutting to the chase, and gamification.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
After tragically losing my little sister to a guy she met online (Nicole Willens 1986-2012; 25 years old) to dating violence, and my own nightmare relationship with someone akin to the “Tinder Swindler,” I decided to create my own dating app to remedy the shortcomings of those available (circa 2015). It broadened my perspective as people of all ages and varied backgrounds approached me for dating advice and access to my collection of resources. That’s what prompted me to author ‘Date Smart: Quickstart,’ a comprehensive dating survival guidebook. It’s packed with essential tips and tools to navigate the dating scene, presented in a unique flowchart format. This interactive approach allows you to “choose your own advice” as you read. I poured my heart and soul into developing a program that addresses the unique challenges we face in safeguarding our emotional and physical wellbeing when we put ourselves out there to find love.

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Featured Interview With Dr. Artika R. Tyner

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a civil rights attorney, educator, and writer.

I was raised in Rondo, a historically African American community. I still live in my community. I work diligently to preserve our cultural heritage and celebrate our roots.

I do not have any pets but one day I will buy a horse.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I realized a fascination with books at a very young age. My earliest memories are reading books with my mother and reciting scriptures with my grandmother. My grandmother also taught me how to read hymnals since she was a gospel singer.

I always wrote short stories and poetry. This is how I reflected on the world around me. It was also a tool for unleashing my imagination. I became a published author in 2015 with the release: “The Lawyer as Leader: How to Plant People and Grow Justice.”

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite authors to read are: W.E.B. Dubois, Carter G. Woodson, Bryan Stevenson, bell hooks, and Toni Morrison. My favorite genre to read is biographies. My favorite biography is: Groundwork: Charles Hamilton Houston and the Struggle for Civil Rights. I am inspired by Dr. Carter G. Woodson who committed his life’s work to celebrating Black history and culture.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is: The Courageous Six Triple Eight: The All-Black Female Battalion of World War II

When the United States entered World War II, it had to face its own contradictions at home. Opportunities opened up for Black people and women in support of the war effort. But ideas about race and gender didn’t change as swiftly. Read the story of the first all-Black battalion in the Women’s Army Corps–the Six Triple Eight–and its leader, Major Charity Adams. These women bravely confronted the racism and sexism they experienced. And they did it while creating a system to make sure millions of letters and packages got to soldiers fighting in Europe. From the Women Warriors of World War II graphic novel series, this inspiring story will introduce readers to heroes who were victorious in more ways than one.

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Dr. Artika R. Tyner’s Website

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Featured Interview With Isaac Mashman

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
A huge thank you to you guys for allowing me the opportunity to sit down for an interview! My name is Isaac Mashman. I am primarily a businessman, an author, and a huge coffee addict. I was born and raised in Jacksonville Florida and I’m currently living in Little Rock Arkansas. I do plan, however, to move back to my home city and build myself as one of the city’s leading business people in late 2024, early 2025. As for pets? Absolutely. With my fiancé, we have four cats and one dog, definitely huge animal lovers, although they get on our nerves at times.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Growing up, I was always an avid reader. I had bookcases in my room stacked on top of each other filled to the brim with various fiction novels and series. I can’t say I read every single one of them, but I usually spent at least a couple minutes every day reading, which was part of my routine.

As I got older, my reading was limited to what was required in school, but as I progressed, I fell back in love with books especially those that fall underneath the self-help personal development genre. In regards to writing, being an author was something I wanted to do from a very young age. I remember writing my own version of The Lord of The Rings, and I had a character name, a brief storyline, and got 20 pages in on looseleaf paper. I never pursued it, but I knew that one time in my life I would eventually publish a book.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
As I mentioned earlier, I’m a massive fan of self-development and new thought material. I view writing a little bit like a game of telephone that you used to play in school. By the time the message got to the last student, it would be all scrambled and mismanaged. in terms of personal development wouldn’t you want to go as far back to the source material as possible? This is why in the bookshelf behind my desk, I have various books from the 1900s like The Power of Will by Frank Channing Haddock which I can guarantee no one has heard of.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I wrote my first book in November 2021, called Personal Branding: A Manifesto on Fame and Influence and I am currently working on an expanded second edition, which will come out later this year. I will be taking the time to go into more strategies and psychological implications regarding one’s personal brand. I’m super excited because I’m able to take all of the knowledge and things that I learned the first time around to make this launch and release even more effective.

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Featured Interview With McCracken Poston Jr

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My full name is McCracken King Poston Jr. I live in Ringgold, Georgia, where I also work. I am a criminal defense lawyer licensed in Georgia and Tennessee. I will also go to other jurisdictions on a case-by-case basis.
My first book, “Zenith Man: Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom” (Citadel, Hardcover, February 2024), is about a murder case in which I was the defense lawyer.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I enjoyed reading as a student, but I didn’t start writing until the obsession set in to write this story. My publisher wants me to write more books, but I am thinking I may have to fictionalize the future ones.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I always enjoyed the stories of H.G. Wells and the poems of Robert Frost. and I like humor as well. But my first love was historical nonfiction.
Pete Earley, Jon Meacham, Jonathan Karl,

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“Zenith Man: Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom” (Citadel, Hardcover, February 2024)
From Amazon:
“Was this small-town TV repair man “a harmless eccentric or a bizarre killer” (Atlanta Journal Constitution). For the first time, Alvin Ridley’s own defense attorney reveals the inside story of his case and trial in an extraordinary tale of friendship and an idealistic young attorney’s quest to clear his client’s name—and, in the process, rebuild his own life.

In October 1997, the town of Ringgold in northwest Georgia was shaken by reports of a murder in its midst. A dead woman was found in Alvin Ridley’s house—and even more shockingly, she was the wife no one knew he had.

McCracken Poston had been a state representative before he lost his bid for U.S. Congress and returned to his law career. Alvin Ridley was a local character who once sold and serviced Zenith televisions. Though reclusive and an outsider, the “Zenith Man,” as Poston knew him, hardly seemed capable of murder.

Alvin was a difficult client, storing evidence in a cockroach-infested suitcase, unwilling to reveal key facts to his defender. Gradually, Poston pieced together the full story behind Virginia and Alvin’s curious marriage and her cause of death—which was completely overlooked by law enforcement. Calling on medical experts, testimony from Alvin himself, and a wealth of surprising evidence gleaned from Alvin’s junk-strewn house, Poston presented a groundbreaking defense that allowed Alvin to return to his peculiar lifestyle, a free man.

Years after his trial, Alvin was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, a revelation that sheds light on much of his lifelong personal battle—and shows how easily those who don’t fit societal norms can be castigated and misunderstood. Part true crime, part courtroom drama, and full of local color, Zenith Man is also the moving story of an unexpected friendship between two very different men that changed—and perhaps saved—the lives of both.”

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McCracken Poston Jr’s Website

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Featured Interview With Bret Kissinger

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in rural Wisconsin. I still live in Wisconsin.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My love of writing originated from movies. I saw Titanic at such an indelible age. In a packed theater, I experienced a room full of strangers laugh together and cry together. I was fascinated with the beautiful blend of fact and fiction, and how they used compelling characters to really bring the event to life. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to be a writer. I started writing in notebooks, and then, on the family computer. I’ve been writing since I was nine years old.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I grew up with Harry Potter, so I owe so much of my love of reading to J. K. Rowling. I remember the excitement of waiting in line on release day, waiting to get my copy of the new Harry Potter book. How I started reading it in the checkout line. I try to read an array of genres. Biographies offer so many potential ideas for future stories. I try to read the popular books, but I pride myself on finding books the mainstream has missed, regardless of their genre.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Winter Tiger & The War Eagle is a historical fiction set during the Second World War. It’s the story of the two people from opposing sides of the war. Reinhardt is a German fighter pilot. Kira is a Soviet sniper. Both find themselves in Paris, and as their attraction to each other increases, they are forced to choose between duty and decency.

We view the Second World War through this lens of good and evil, and that certainly is true. But there were good men on the evil side, and there were evil men on the side of good. I have an extensive knowledge of the war, but it wasn’t until I read a biography of a female Soviet sniper, that the idea for this story came to me. It offered a chance to show a different point of view to the war.

Readers can find my books online on Amazon and Barnes and Noble!

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