By D. M. Needom
The Better To Podcast is a place where we'll discuss what was the inspiration for their perspective projects and how it all came about. Sometimes, we’ll take a deeper dive into that moment t
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In this podcast episode, I sit down with author Amy Truebloog to discuss her writing career and more.
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Amy True, also writing as Amy Trueblood is a celebrated and award-winning author.
In her latest book, “Meet Me in Ivy Falls,” she brings her formidable writing talents to the adult contemporary romance market.
Some of Amy’s awards include Award-Winning Historical Fiction: Amy True's book (writing as Amy Trueblood) Across a Broken Shore won the 2020 Gold Medal for Historical Fiction in the Independent Publisher Book Awards and the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards.
Her work has also been recognized by the American Library Association, with “Across a Broken Shore,” being named a 2020 Best Feminist Book in Children's Literature. Junior Library Guild Selections: Both “Nothing But Sky” and “Across a Broken Shore,” were selected as Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selections.
Amy grew up near Disneyland, which sparked her interest in storytelling from a young age. She graduated with a degree in journalism and has experience in advertising and entertainment. She’s an active member of the writing community, extremely active on social media, and a frequent participant at romance conventions.
Her journey to publication was not straightforward, facing challenges and rejections before successfully publishing her books. This dedication and perseverance provides an engaging talking point with audiences.
Books by Amy True: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Amy-True/author/B0CVQZVR27?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
Books by Amy Trueblood: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Amy-Trueblood/author/B07664V7N4?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1723756980&sr=8-1&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
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If you would like to contact the show about being a guest please email us at [email protected]
This episode is on YouTube:https://youtu.be/ROlH2MAqQ8E
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Have a question for our producer Rich Zei contact him at [email protected]
Intro and Outro music compliments of Fast Suzi
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©2024 Better To...Podcast with D. M.Needom
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Wajid sits down to discuss, Reincarnation, Past Lives, Dreams, and more.
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Wajid Hassan was born in Pakistan and moved to England before settling in America. Wajid has lived an interesting and varied life in many fields of endeavor.
From a technical background as a Field Service Engineer to a stand-up comedian with over twenty years as a union actor doing voice-over, narration, commercials as well as TV and movie roles.
He also encompasses over forty years of experience in the field of metaphysics, healing, spirituality, and new age concepts.
An avid hiker he managed to climb to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in 2006 Africa’s highest mountain in Tanzania.
He is a humanitarian and environmentalist always looking for ways to improve life for people along with a deep love for our Planet and all the plants and animals who reside upon Her back.
As a qualified Speaker, Healer, and Teacher he can demonstrate how to reignite the spiritual flame within us and send it outwards to all, improving not only our own personal lives but those of all life streams that live on our beautiful world.
Something he outlines in detail in his #1 bestseller on Amazon,
“The Struggle for World Sanity” which will inspire and uplift those who read it.
Get your copy here.
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If you would like to contact the show about being a guest please email us at [email protected]
This episode is on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ddXVF-RLHUY
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Have a question or want to be a guest on the podcast email: [email protected]
Have a question for our producer Rich Zei contact him at [email protected]
Intro and Outro music compliments of Fast Suzi
To see upcoming guests click here: https://www.dmneedom.com/better-topodcast
©2024 Better To...Podcast with D. M.Needom
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Long-time friend of the show, Sarah Martucci is back for our Spooky October Episode. We talk about Being an intuitive reader and medium, of course, Sasquatch, haunted items, and messages from loved ones who have crossed over.
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Sarah's Bio: From a very young age, I have been blessed with the gift and ability to help people from all walks of life find clarity and peace. Through customized readings, I have helped men, women, mothers, friends, and many others find closure with loved ones who have passed on, and answers to questions so they can find purpose and live their truth.
You can find Sarah's Weekly Readings and her series Make-Up & Mediumship here
Follow Sarah:
Website https://sarahmartucci.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SarahMartucci11/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theofficalsarahmartucci/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiraInvenietis
******If you would like to contact the show about being a guest please email us at [email protected]
This episode is on YouTube:https://youtu.be/9_pbe2ESbnM
Follow us on Social Media
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Have a question or want to be a guest on the podcast email: [email protected]
Audio production by Rich Zei of Third Ear Audio
Intro and Outro music compliments of Fast Suzi
Upcoming guests: https://www.dmneedom.com/better-topodcast
©2024 Better To...Podcast with D. M.Needom
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Bob and Lisa the driving force behind The BellRays stop by to talk about their musical journey, touring, and their latest album, Heavy Steady Go.
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Bob and Lisa Kekaula made The BellRays happen in 1990 in Riverside, California but they weren’t really thinking about any of this then. They wanted to play music and they wanted it to feel good. They wanted people to WANT to get up, to NEED to get up and check out what was going on. Form an opinion. React.
So they took everything they knew about; the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, the Who, the Ramones Billie Holiday, Lou Rawls, Hank Williams, the DB’s, Jimmy Reed, and Led Zeppelin (to name a very few to whom “BLUES IS THE TEACHER”) and pressed it into service.
Those bands and artists have since become “buzz words”, things to imitate and sound like. That was never The BellRays intention. The BellRays were never about coming up with a “sound”, or fitting in with a scene. It was about the energy that made all that music so irresistible. The BellRays’ influences learned from the Blues and then learned how to make it their own. The Beatles wanted to play R&B, converted that energy, and invented “Rubber Soul”. The Ramones were trying to be Del Shannon or Neil Sedaka and out came “Rocket to Russia”.
It’s an organic trail that flows through Bob and Lisa and the current rhythm section of Pablo Rodas (Lisa and the Lips, Alber Solo) on bass and Craig Waters (Countdowns, Andre Williams, Cody Chestnut) on drums, and comes out honest and urgent. You will learn and you will feel. Blues is always teaching and Punk is always preaching.
For more information go to their website: https://thebellrays.com/
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If you would like to contact the show about being a guest please email us at [email protected]
This episode is on YouTube:https://youtu.be/19BYiRDY42E
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Have a question or want to be a guest on the podcast email: [email protected]
Audio production by Rich Zei of Third Ear Audio
Intro and Outro music compliments of Fast Suzi
Upcoming guests: https://www.dmneedom.com/better-topodcast
©2024 Better To...Podcast with D. M.Needom
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Cat, Jennifer, and I discuss writing, dating, our biggest moments as a writer, and more.
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Cat Rambo has published over 250 fiction pieces, including the Nebula Award-winning novelette, Carpe Glitter, as well as nonfiction works.
Since first appearing on the SF scene in 2005, Cat Rambo has published over 250 fiction pieces, including Nebula Award-winning novelette, Carpe Glitter, and nonfiction works that include Ad Astra: The SFWA 50th Anniversary Cookbook (co-edited with Fran Wilde) and writing book, Moving From Idea to Finished Draft. Their 2021 works include the fantasy novel Exiles of Tabat (Wordfire Press) and the space opera You Sexy Thing (Tor Macmillan).
Rambo has been short-listed for the World Fantasy Award, the Compton Crook Award, and the Nebula Short Story Award. A former Vice President and two-term President of the SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America), Cat continues to volunteer with the organization as part of its mentorship program and Grievance Committee.
They founded the online school The Rambo Academy for Wayward Writers in 2010, specializing in classes aimed at genre writers, which now offers dozens of classes from some of the best writers currently working in speculative fiction.
Cat lives in Indianapolis.
Blog: https://www.kittywumpus.net/blog/
Classes: https://catrambo.teachable.com/
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Jennifer Brozek is a multi-talented, award-winning author, editor, and media tie-in writer. She is the author of the Never Let Me Sleep, and The Last Days of Salton Academy, both of which were nominated for the Bram Stoker Award. Her BattleTech tie-in novel, The Nellus Academy Incident, won a Scribe Award.
Her editing work has earned her nominations for the British Fantasy Award, the Bram Stoker Award, and the Hugo Award. She won the Australian Shadows Award for the Grants Pass anthology, co-edited with Amanda Pillar. Jennifer’s short-form work has appeared in Apex Publications, Uncanny Magazine, and in anthologies set in the worlds of Valdemar, Shadowrun, V-Wars, Masters of Orion, and Predator.
Jennifer has been a freelance author and editor for over fifteen years after leaving a high-paying tech job, and she has never been happier. She shares her husband, Jeff, with several cats and often uses him as a sounding board for her story ideas. She lives in Seattle.
Website: http://www.jenniferbrozek.com/
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If you would like to contact the show about being a guest please email us at [email protected]
This episode is on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2jwGgrJpDas
Follow us on Social Media
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bettertopodcastwithdmneedom
Have a question or want to be a guest on the podcast email: [email protected]
Have a question for our producer Rich Zei contact him at [email protected]
Intro and Outro music compliments of Fast Suzi
To see upcoming guests click here: https://www.dmneedom.com/better-topodcast
©2024 Better To...Podcast with D. M.Needom
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Tracy Bonham sits down to discuss the highs and lows of her music career as well as the challenges in love, parenting, and her breast cancer diagnosis.
Tracy Bonham is a classically trained violinist and pianist turned alternative singer-songwriter who rose to fame in 1996 with her twice GRAMMY™nominatedalbum, The Burdens of Being Upright(Island Records). This debut album cast Bonham into the global spotlight with MTV fame and major radio airplay with her #1 alternative chart-topping song Mother Mother, an anthem for disgruntled teenagers of all ages. While so many of her songs have been placed in film and TV throughout the decades, you might have most recently heard Mother Mother in Yellow Jackets season 1 episode 2.
Over the past 27 years, Bonham’s albums and live performances have shown what it is to be an ever-evolving artist. While Bonham sings, she moves from guitar to violin, from violin to piano, and back again. When playing live, her songs from the 90s blend and blur with stylistic changes that she has created over time making her entire repertoire make sense as an entire body of work. She plays the old and new material and even though the songs span thirty years they all continue to be equally relevant. Bonham will be joined by upright bassist Rene Hart (David Amram, James Hunter) and drummer Alvester Garnett (Regina Carter, Abbey Lincoln), and with her new material she connects to something deeper than ever, her true self.
Most of the new songs are performed on the piano giving her the chance to lean back on what made her fall in love with music in the first place. Borrowing harmonic structures and beautiful melodies from her favorite classical romantic composers, Bonham stretches herself artistically to combine this rediscovered passion with her unique and quirky songwriting style to create musical alchemy. This purifying process most certainly acts as a vehicle for inner transformation for Bonham. "It's like going back to the spark I had as a very young musician, discovering the beauty of Ravel and DeBussy and reclaiming that spark and everything that has happened after that". Bonham speaks of her current line-up, "Playing with incredible jazz musicians like Rene and Alvester has opened my mind and is now giving me the support I have always needed to spread my wings and fly. I am really enjoying exploring the intersections and overlaps of where classical and jazz meet without excluding my alternative rock sensibilities. These dudes can rock too. The three of us playing together is definitely my happy place"
People Magazine: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6RaSfqo4f0b42iNouQeAKK?si=vuFrzhFYQm2Am2rigsy3JQ
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6RaSfqo4f0b42iNouQeAKK?si=vuFrzhFYQm2Am2rigsy3JQ&nd=1&dlsi=997a4b6a968e483e
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If you would like to contact the show about being a guest please email us at [email protected]
This episode is on YouTube: https://youtu.be/jx8FL3BQqRc
Follow us on Social Media
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Have a question or want to be a guest on the podcast email: [email protected]
Audio production by Rich Zei of Third Ear Audio
Intro and Outro music compliments of Fast Suzi
Upcoming guests: https://www.dmneedom.com/better-topodcast
©2024 Better To...Podcast with D. M.Needom
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Dave and I discuss the music business, how sometimes giving up on a dream for a bit can be the best, and more.
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LIFE OF A "LONG PLAYER"
After a 25-year hiatus, long-time rocker Dave Lebental returned to his musical roots and started to investigate the modern music landscape. He quickly realized he was a modern-day Rip Van Winkle who had awoken into a different musical world than the one he left. Digital recording, digital distribution, and social media have all made it much easier to be an independent artist.
He started writing new songs on his acoustic guitar and learning how to record them in his home studio. The byproduct of these self-produced recording sessions is Dave Lebental's debut solo LP entitled “The Long Player”. The LP is a collection of 11 Americana, Blues, and Rock tracks. Now 62 years old, Lebental says his songs and sound owe a debt to James Taylor, Ryan Adams, The Eagles, Tom Petty, and The Beatles.
Band - the Driftwood Souls
Website: https://dlmusic.us/
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If you would like to contact the show about being a guest please email us at [email protected]
This episode is on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XupS8aeNd3k
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Have a question or want to be a guest on the podcast email: [email protected]
Have a question for our producer Rich Zei contact him at [email protected]
Intro and Outro music compliments of Fast Suzi
To see upcoming guests click here: https://www.dmneedom.com/better-topodcast
©2024 Better To...Podcast with D. M.Needom
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Chloe and I talk about Music, Dating, and more.
"Yeehaw Pop" artist Chloe Styler brings a Gold Coast glam to the Music City scene. From Australia to Nashville, Chloe now finds herself gently pushing the barriers of country music with her distinct pop-country sound and making waves internationally.
2023 was epic for Chloe, having independently released her EP ‘Side B’, earning a nomination for ‘Release of the Year’ at the Gold Coast Music Awards, playing to a sold-out crowd at her headline EP Launch and showcasing her talents on a global stage. The young star illuminated the Spotlight Stage at the prestigious CMA Fest and appeared at two Sounds Australia showcases in Nashville, including debuting inside the hallowed walls of The Bluebird Café as part of Americana Fest.
Since releasing her first project in 2017, Chloe has delivered multiple alluring singles that have earned her over 270,000 streams across all platforms, nominations at the Queensland Music Awards and Gold Coast Music Awards, and finalist status in the Queensland Music Awards and Gold Coast Music Awards. Chloe has graced festival stages such as Americana Fest (USA), Big Red Bash, CMA Fest (USA), Deni Ute Muster, Falls Festival Byron Bay, Groundwater Country Music Festival, Gympie Music Muster, and more. She has supported Australian country music legends such as Lee Kernaghan, Troy Cassar-Daley, and Fanny Lumsden, as well as international 80’s pop icons Tony Hadley (ex-Spandau Ballet) and the Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey at some of the most esteemed venues across Australia.
Chloe Styler’s music is forward-thinking and unique, and her new music pushes the boundaries that little bit further. This year will see Chloe release a slew of singles recorded at Station West Recording Studios and produced by Grammy-award-winning engineer and producer, Luke Wooten (Brad Paisley/Dierks Bentley). These tunes are set to break new and exciting international ground for this quickly rising-country star.
Website:
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If you would like to contact the show about being a guest please email us at [email protected]
This episode is on YouTube: https://youtu.be/0xjiFF38_wI
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Have a question or want to be a guest on the podcast email: [email protected]
Have a question for our producer Rich Zei contact him at [email protected]
Intro and Outro music compliments of Fast Suzi
To see upcoming guests click here: https://www.dmneedom.com/better-topodcast
©2024 Better To...Podcast with D. M.Needom
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Danny Saber stops by the podcast to discuss his latest release with the late Micheal Hutchence as well as his relationship with Michael. We discuss how he chose his musical path, other artists he worked with, and more.
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In the great pantheon of musicians transcending above mere “celebrity” status, the late MICHAEL HUTCHENCE towers over most. A consummate “rock star” if there ever was one, he embodied the spirit and smoldering swagger of rock ‘n’ roll while possessing one of the most iconic voices in the contemporary music scene. So, it was with an earth-rattling shudder when tragically he passed away in 1997, leaving a mind-numbingly impressive legacy across the entertainment realm. What many didn’t know, however, is that he left some of his brilliance behind in the form of unreleased music. Producer, musician, and personal friend DANNY SABER (Madonna, Rolling Stones, U2) has completed some of these musical pieces to continue and extend Hutchence’s impact. The new single “ONE WAY” was released, April 5, 2024 via Boss Sonics.
“’One Way’ is the culmination of nearly two decades of work,” says Saber. “One of the fundamental reasons for releasing this music is to allow the fans to hear Michael’s voice on something new and fresh, offering a glimpse into what might have been, and, in turn, reawakening millions of people who may have simply forgotten about him.”
“Michael first contacted me in 1995 soon after the release of my album It’s Great When You’re Straight,” recalls Saber, referring to the UK #1 album by his band Black Grape with Happy Mondays’ Shaun Ryder. “Michael was a huge fan of my record and wanted to find the right sound for a solo record, a sound that would galvanize all the success he had with INXS and allow him to establish himself as a solo artist and spread his creative wings outside the confines of being the frontman of one of the most successful bands in the world.”
Working closely with Hutchence, the two became friends and creative partners. “Over the next two years, we became very close collaborators, and the period we worked together was one of the best times of my life,” Saber remembers. “I had just broken through with a #1 record and having Michael as a ‘big brother’ to help me navigate this was so important to me.”
Get your copy of "One-Way" here
Michael Hutchence Picture by Chris Cuffaro
Danny Saber Picture by Dear Karr
PR - REYBEE, INC
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If you would like to contact the show about being a guest please email us at [email protected]
This episode is on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-T_3IjUIPPI
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Have a question or want to be a guest on the podcast email: [email protected]
Have a question for our producer Rich Zei contact him at [email protected]
Intro and Outro music compliments of Fast Suzi
To see upcoming guests click here: https://www.dmneedom.com/better-topodcast
©2024 Better To...Podcast with D. M.Needom
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Gearld and I discuss writing and his latest release Preacher Stalls the Second Coming, cults, and so much more.
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Gerald Everett Jones lives in Santa Monica. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild and Women’s National Book Association, as well as a board member of the Independent Writers of Southern California (IWOSC). He is a Film Independent (FILM) Fellow. He holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honors from the College of Letters, Wesleyan University, where he studied under novelists Peter Boynton (Stone Island), F.D. Reeve (The Red Machines), and Jerzy Kosinski (The Painted Bird, Being There).”
Gerald says…When I was in high school, my chemistry teacher approached me and asked with a sly grin, “You interested in mining?” I told him absolutely not. I was going to be a writer. Little did I suspect that he wanted to send me to a student conference on metallurgy where I could seek the fellowship of like-minded teens on a minimally supervised road-trip to the Big City. Undeterred by my abrupt negative response, he grumbled, “Well, you’re interested in mining your own business, aren’t you?” And he sent me anyway. Now I realize I should’ve listened more carefully to everything he said.
I write mystery-thrillers and literary fiction for adult readers who seek insight, fascination, and delight in the adventures of their own lives.
I’ve been a professional writer all my working life. I host GetPublished! Radio and I’ve been a regular book reviewer on KRLA-AM in Los Angeles. My book reviews have been syndicated by Splash Magazines Worldwide (splashmagazines.com), and I’m a top reviewer at Goodreads.com.
I studied screenwriting with John Truby and Lew Hunter (UCLA), and my screenplay Christmas Karma was honored by the WGAW Diversity Program in 2016.
In 2020 I won six book awards, and then another six in 2021, in the categories of Mystery and Literary Fiction, and one in Business. The third novel in my Evan Wycliff series will be Preacher Raises the Dead, which will deal with issues of euthanasia and near-death experience.
Website: https://geraldeverettjones.com/
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If you would like to contact the show about being a guest please email us at [email protected]
This episode is on YouTube: https://youtu.be/So-AWiCmggE
Follow us on Social Media
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_d.m.needom/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bettertopodcastwithdmneedom
Have a question or want to be a guest on the podcast email: [email protected]
Have a question for our producer Rich Zei contact him at [email protected]
Intro and Outro music compliments of Fast Suzi
To see upcoming guests click here: https://www.dmneedom.com/better-topodcast
©2024 Better To...Podcast with D. M.Needom
Support the show
The podcast currently has 177 episodes available.