Philadelphia, 1950. Ben Green, a war veteran, soon to be college graduate, aspiring author and a husband with a child on the way finds himself at a crossroads in his 25th year. Ben finds himself pulled in different directions, with a need to find a job to support his family, an old-school Jewish culture that he finds himself both at odds with and respectful of, and questions about what he really wants in life. All of this plays out in Whiz Kid, available on Sunbury Press Books' Milford House imprint.

Amid the culture clash, anti-Semitism, racism and bigotry, there is one thing that unites the city and provides hope: the Philadelphia Phillies are playing inspired baseball and are contending for their first National League pennant since 1915. The "Whiz Kids," players like Robin Roberts, Richie Ashburn, Del Ennis and Jim Konstanty are driving the team on, and the city's passion for the game is at a fever pitch.

While Ben's wife Debby struggles with her pregnancy, Ben must fend off the advances of classmate Ilene, and deal with the attitudes of those around him. Through it all, Ben's novel burns within him as he tries to finish the work and see if there is a future as a writer.

Joel Burcat credits his father David Burcat, whose own unpublished novel marks Whiz Kid, with the genesis of a story he began over 15 years ago. Speaking with Brown Posey Press Show host Tory Gates, Burcat discusses his father's growing-up life in South Philadelphia, the infusion of Jewish culture, baseball, and his own writing process.

A longtime attorney, Joel is the author of a series of crime novels focused on the environment, including Drink to Every Beast, Amid Rage, and Strange Fire. You can find out more about Joel at his website. He lives in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

The roots of baseball and the avenues the national pastime has taken are not only a part of American history, but also politics. J. B. Manheim is the author of several books on the "Deadball Era," uncovering tales of names who left those footprints for superstars to follow, which you can find out about here.

Manheim speaks with Dr. Lawrence Knorr about his decades of research, and past releases, which include The House Divided: The Story of the First Congressional Baseball Game and the parallels, political and otherwise we face today. What's in Ted's Wallet? is the story of how Manheim and Knorr stumbled across a set of ancient cigarette cards, owned by the grandson of Thomas Edison.

J.B. Manheim is Professor Emeritus at The George Washington University, where he developed the world's first degree-granting program in political communication. He was also the founding director of the School of Media & Public Affairs. Manheim is also a member of the Society for American Baseball Research and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. He lives in Maryland.

Author and historian Wylie McLallen returns to the BookSpeak Network to discuss his life, career, and biographies, which have left a lasting impression when considering the subject matter.

Growing up in Memphis, McLallen earned a degree in History and English. He studied under Professor Robert Drake, a close friend of Flannery O'Connor, who exposed his students to poet and novelist James Dickey. 

A programmer and analyst by profession, McLallen's work includes Tigers by the River, a history of the early pro football team that his father was a fan of, and examines the roots of what would become the National Football League. 

McLallen may best be known for his two-volume biography of Ernest Hemingway, Unbridled Dreamer, and A Man of Modern Letters: Hemingway and the Rise of Modern Literature. 

McLallen speaks with host Dr. Lawrence Knorr about these subjects and previews an upcoming biographical release, Electric Bluesman: The Life and Times of Jimi Hendrix.

Wylie McLallen lives with his wife, Nickey Bayne, in Vancouver, British Columbia.

In this episode of The History Stacks, we hear from Carol Schultz Vento, political science professor, attorney, and chronicler of the life of a father whose real-life exploits were immortalized in film.

Vento is the daughter of World War II veteran Arthur "Dutch" Schultz, a member of the 82nd Airborne Division and a paratrooper whose experience in the D-Day invasion was portrayed in the film The Longest Day. In her Sunbury Press releases The Hidden Legacy of World War II (now in its 2nd edition), and Twisted Strands: Family Secrets and Intergenerational Trauma, Vento discusses Schultz's experiences in Europe, his postwar activity in counter-terrorism, but also his Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. 

Advised to write about "the impact of my war on you," Vento discusses her father's struggles with alcoholism and PTSD, and his redemptive work to help others who suffered. 

A native of Philadelphia, Carol Schultz Vento earned her undergraduate degree and doctorate from Temple University and her law degree from Rutgers University School of Law. She lives in Palmyra, New Jersey. You can find out more at her website.

A foremost authority on the American Revolution, Eugene Procknow is the author of a series of scholarly articles for the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Revolution. 

Speaking with Sunbury Press Books founder and program host, Dr. Lawrence Knorr, Procknow discusses how his career as a management consultant with one of the largest global firms allowed him to transition to becoming a writer and historian of the Revolution. He speaks of the discoveries that have provided insights into the thought processes of the Founding Fathers, unique documents, including diaries and the rebel army's order of battle (a copy of which somehow ended up in the hands of the British), and how much more there is to learn.

Eugene Procknow is the host and curator of a website that helps casual and professional researchers locate diaries and memoirs, plus other Revolutionary War sources, which you can find here. In addition, he is the author of "William Hunter: Finding Free Speech" (2022), which is available through Sunbury's Oxford Southern imprint.

More information is available at his professional site. He lives in Washington, DC.

A love of baseball, its players, characters, and quirks has sparked numerous books over the decades, including a series by Chris Williams. In an avowed tongue-in-cheek manner, Williams bestows "honors" on players who were members of some of Major League Baseball's greatest teams but didn't necessarily stand out in terms of stats. 

The Flip Side of Greatness: The Baseball Bozo Award, 1920-1999 takes a look at some familiar players one might not think belong on such a list. Williams, along with host and Sunbury Press Founder/CEO Lawrence Knorr, discusses some of those who made the cut and delves into which of their beloved Philadelphia Phillies might rate a spot in a future work.

A broadcaster for over three decades, Chris Williams is a veteran freelance writer with several books and three volumes of historical baseball essays. He is a regular contributor to the Baseball Almanac website and a former member of the Central Pennsylvania chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research. His works on Sunbury Press include Stealing First and Other Old-Time Baseball Stories, and I am Not a Baseball Bozo: Honoring Good Players Who Played on Terrible Teams - 1920 to 1999.

Along with being a writer and essayist, Chris is a Certified Level 3 Dog Trainer. He lives in Hanover, Pennsylvania.

The BookSpeak Network debuts a new podcast, dedicated to history and those who have devoted their time and lives to keeping the world's past alive.

Dr. Lawrence Knorr, founder and CEO of Sunbury Press Books, invites a familiar voice to be his inaugural guest. Mark Carlson is a lifelong student of military history. For the past two decades, Carlson has regularly contributed to more than a dozen publications devoted to the subject. In this program, Carlson discussed his experiences meeting and interviewing veterans, fellow historians, actors, and writers. 

Furthermore, Carlson has produced several works of history and historical fiction for Sunbury Press. These include When Yamamoto Ran Wild, The Marines Lost Squadron, and the unique fictional Vengeance of the Last Roman Legion Series.  

Despite being legally blind, Mark Carlson works with advanced computer software and travels with a guide dog. He lives in San Diego, California.

The term "Summer Reading" is often tossed about, and on June 21st, 2025, the season was welcomed in during an event that highlighted independent Young Adult Fiction and the value to communities of not only public libraries but also the local bookstore.

The Book Bar in downtown Palmyra, Pennsylvania, offers the best of two worlds: fine books curated by owners Brittany and Nick, plus the perfect complements, good coffee, tea, and local pastries. On this day, four authors who deal primarily in Young Adult works came together for a book signing, plus an in-store, roundtable discussion.

BPP host Tory Gates, whose works can be found through Sunbury Press Books,  was joined by a previous guest, A.E. Faulkner, author of the Darkness and Uprising series; Lindsay K. Bandy, who brings us Inevitable Fate and Nemesis of the Swan; and L.E. DeLano, who has written more than two dozen novels, including the 2021 Spark Award Winner Blue, Traveler, and the instructional, Blow Your Mind, Write Your Book.

The four discuss their inspirations, what led them to write for the YA market (although the appeal is far wider than the term), plus navigating a finicky and selective publishing business. Further, the authors provide insight on why, more than ever, the need to read, to dream, and to imagine is more important than ever.

Sherye Green returns to the Sunbury Press Books Show to discuss her latest work, Through a Dark Valley: The Timothy House Chronicles Book Two, on Scriptoria Press. 

Green's protagonists, Abbie Richardson and Keith Haliday, who we first met in Book One, Abandon Not My Soul, are doing their best to recover from personal losses. As their romance develops, they find hope while teaching at Timothy House and in one another. As the potential for a romance deepens, Abbie and Keith must also battle dark forces that threaten the school. 

Sherye's writings are a reflection of her journey, backed by her faith as she explores the heart's inner landscapes. An author, singer, and speaker, she lives with her husband in Mississippi. You can find out more at her website.

Chloe Miller is dead, missing since 1932, with no body to be found. Her ghost, however, remains in Sterben House, and she is not alone. Despite her whispered warnings, people have come to live here, only to flee in terror from the evil that dwells within.

Still another family moves into Sterben House. Alex knows of Chloe's death and decides to solve the mystery. Will Chloe's spirit be freed, or will Alex stir the demon of Sterben House and suffer an even worse fate? So begins The Haunting of Sterben House: The Grey Girl Series Book One.

Shawn McLain has written since high school, when he authored short stories to entertain his friends and coworkers. He has written several fantasy and horror works, including Thorn, which can also be found on Sunbury's Hellbender Books imprint. You can find out more about Shawn and his writings at his website.