Author in the Headlights

What makes a leader, and how do we build growth that lasts?

Join Strider S.R. Klusman on Author in the Headlights for a conversation with longtime friend, retired Army Lieutenant Colonel, leadership coach, and author Marshall Townsend II.

Marshall discusses his book, The Disciplines of Growth, and the leadership principles developed throughout his military career and subsequent work as a coach and trainer.

From the difference between management and leadership to the importance of building strong foundations during life's quieter seasons, Marshall explains why lasting success requires more than ambition.

His guiding philosophy is simple: Look, listen, and learn before leading.

And there's a personal twist: Marshall and Strider share a history as medieval reenactment knights, bringing decades of friendship and experience to this discussion.

Featured book: The Disciplines of Growth
https://books2read.com/u/3LoddX

Marshall's podcast: Owning Leadership
https://mt2leadership.libsyn.com/

MT2 Leadership contact:
https://mt2leadership.libsyn.com/contact

Author in the Headlights Bookstore:
https://www.duramenpublishing.com/book-store-update

🎙️ A passion for purses, mystery, and murder!

Join me on Author in the Headlights as I welcome mystery author Wendy Kendall, creator of the Purse-Suit Mysteries!

Wendy combines her love of handbags, romance, and intrigue in stories filled with unexpected twists, memorable characters, and a little murder along the way.

We'll talk about her writing journey, her amateur sleuth Katherine Watson, and her latest mystery, Don't Shoot the Messenger Bag.

📚 Discover Wendy's latest book:
https://books2read.com/u/boLPRV

👜 Visit the Author in the Headlights Bookstore:
https://www.duramenpublishing.com/book-store-update

#AuthorInTheHeadlights #WendyKendall #MysteryBooks #CozyMystery #AuthorInterview #PurseSuitMysteries

🎃 What makes a nightmare unforgettable?

Just in time for Halloween, Author in the Headlights welcomes horror author Daniel Barnett, creator of the NIGHTMARELAND series.

Join host Strider S.R. Klusman for a journey into the world of horror fiction, where ordinary characters encounter extraordinary terrors and the imagination becomes a writer's most frightening tool.

We explore Daniel's influences, including Stephen King, Clive Barker, and Ramsey Campbell, and discuss the techniques horror writers use to create suspense, dread, psychological unease, and genuine fear.

From developing characters readers care about to building situations that keep them turning pages long after midnight, this conversation explores what makes horror such a compelling genre.

📚 Featured Book: NIGHTMARELAND — Volumes 1–6

Whether you're a devoted horror reader or curious about the creative process, join us for a conversation with a writer who knows how to make the darkness interesting.

Author in the Headlights — Conversations with the people behind the books.

What does it take to write 50 books across multiple genres?

In this episode of Author in the Headlights, host Strider S.R. Klusman welcomes USA Today bestselling author David Poyer for a conversation about his extraordinary writing career.

From modern military thrillers and the Hemlock County novels to science fiction, historical fiction, and underwater adventures, David has spent decades creating compelling stories.

We discuss his journey into writing, the challenges of working across genres, his writing methods, and the continuing adventures of Tiller Galloway.

David also discusses what's next for the series, including the upcoming sixth Tiller Galloway thriller.

Featured book: YUCATAN BLUE
https://books2read.com/u/m2pAWr

Explore more books from our guests:
https://www.duramenpublishing.com/author-in-the-headlights-new

Author in the Headlights — Conversations with the people behind the books.

Jeffrey Archer's final book, Adam & Eve, along with his tribute.

A special Author in the Headlights dedicated to Jeffrey Archer.

What began as preparation for an interview about his novel Adam & Eve became an opportunity to reflect on a remarkable and often controversial life.

From political ambition to international literary success, public disgrace, and reinvention, Jeffrey Archer's journey was as compelling as many of the stories he created.

Join Strider S.R. Klusman as he reflects on the storyteller, the politician, and the man behind both.

Featured books —

Adam & Eve:
https://books2read.com/u/3ngQwe

Not A Penny More, Not A Penny Less: https://books2read.com/u/mVd15p

Kane and Able: https://books2read.com/u/boLeAZ

End Game: https://books2read.com/u/mdrEMW

More books at: https://www.duramenpublishing.com/book-store-update

And More of Author in the Headlights:
https://www.duramenpublishing.com/author-in-the-headlights-new

What happens when losing your publisher opens the door to an entirely new chapter?

New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni joins Strider on Author in the Headlights to discuss his remarkable publishing career, the creation of detective Tracy Crosswhite, and his latest novel, One Split Second.

Robert shares how a professional setback helped lead to My Sister's Grave, the novel that launched one of his most successful series. We also discuss his approach to maintaining multiple series, the business of writing, and the importance of encouraging emerging authors.

Strider also shares a personal story about Robert's generosity in speaking with a brand new author at a PNWA conference.

Explore Robert's books:

One Split Second: https://books2read.com/u/bWn2wM

My Sister's Grave: https://books2read.com/u/mKXzkL

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell: https://books2read.com/u/mv6poe

Author in the Headlights Bookstore for more of Dugoni's books:
https://www.duramenpublishing.com/book-store-update

And Strider's books - The Adventures of Rhone & Stone

Stone: https://books2read.com/u/m0B2xJ

Luna: https://books2read.com/u/bPeLxR

Recalled: https://books2read.com/u/3G0pqP

For more interviews:
https://www.duramenpublishing.com/author-in-the-headlights-new

Author in the Headlights — Helping readers discover authors and authors discover readers.

What is climate fiction, and how does it turn today's environmental challenges into compelling stories?

Author S.W. Lawrence, MD, joins Strider on Author in the Headlights to discuss his Dragon trilogy and the growing genre of climate fiction, also known as Cli-Fi.

Sandy explains why Fossil Dragon, the first book in the trilogy's reading order, was actually the last one he wrote. We also explore his environmental advocacy, his writing process, and his plans for a new novel.

Explore the trilogy:

Fossil Dragon:
https://books2read.com/u/bQMlgv

Climate Dragon:
https://books2read.com/u/bz8wL9

Cloud Dragon:
https://books2read.com/u/bwpjzO

Visit Sandy:
https://swlawrence.com/

More Author in the Headlights interviews:
https://www.duramenpublishing.com/author-in-the-headlights-new

Author in the Headlights — Helping readers discover authors and authors discover readers.

Am I good enough?

It's one of the questions creative people ask themselves over and over—and Ted Leonhardt believes understanding where that question comes from can change how we see ourselves and our work.

Ted joins Strider on Author in the Headlights to discuss his book The Work Beneath the Work, part memoir and part reflection on a lifetime spent working with creative people.

Ted shares how his complicated childhood led him to ask, “Why am I the person I am?” We explore the persistent fear of not being good enough, the anxiety of sharing creative work with others, and why those feelings don't necessarily disappear with success.

We also hear about Ted's beginnings as an illustrator at Boeing, the drawings he continues to create for his stories, and a handwritten letter from a reader that reminded him why the work matters.

📚 The Work Beneath the Work:
https://books2read.com/u/bxK6Je

Author in the Headlights — Helping readers discover authors and authors discover readers.

For more episodes:
https://www.duramenpublishing.com/author-in-the-headlights-new

Love, betrayal, and royal intrigue in medieval Portugal.

Historical fiction author Catherine Mathis joins Strider on Author in the Headlights to introduce her Queens of Portugal Trilogy.

Her first novel, Inês, explores the legendary love story of Pedro and Inês, often called Portugal's Romeo and Juliet. Her second novel, Leonor, continues the trilogy with another fascinating woman from Portuguese history.

Discover Catherine's historical inspiration, her writing journey, and the challenges of transforming history into fiction.

Explore Catherine's books:

Inês: https://books2read.com/u/4jl5yk

Leonor: https://books2read.com/u/b59q6O

And more books at the Author in the Headlights Bookstore: https://www.duramenpublishing.com/book-store-update

Author in the Headlights — Helping readers discover authors and authors discover readers.

Gail returns to Author in the Headlights to talk about Neither Life Nor Death, the third installment in her award-winning Drew Davies Railway Mystery Series.

Set in post-war Mumbles, Wales, the series combines Gail’s love of history with something much more personal: she grew up in a railroad family. Her father was a railroad engineer, her uncles were brakemen and conductors, and her mother and aunts worked in the railroad office.

Gail and Strider talk about turning real places into fiction, researching in Wales, building characters across a series, and discovering that there may be no single “right” way to write a book.

Grab a cup of coffee and join us for another conversation about books, writers, and the stories behind the stories.

Neither Life Nor Death was released August 30 and is a historical cozy mystery with romance, set in Mumbles, Wales.

Author in the Headlights — Books • Writers • Real Conversations