In the second and final installment of this series, we hear from the voices of the Pennwriters Conference. The annual event, in its 39th year, was held recently in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. As part of its long-running commitment, Sunbury Press Books founder, Dr. Lawrence Knorr, participated in the three-day event. The conference is designed to assist authors, poets, and writers of any genre and skill level. Events include presentations, workshops, and one-on-one meetups with book editors and literary agents.

This year, BookSpeak Network host and Sunbury Press author Tory Gates sat down with several of these writers in an informal, "shoot-style" series of interviews. No questions were scripted; the conversations are lightly led, and it is hoped the listener will be interested in how these authors create, but also in why. Further, it is hoped you will find some new authors to check out.

Segment 1:

Misty Simon is a longtime author who seeks to touch readers' hearts and their funny bones.

C.J. Grant has worked as a technical writer, but also in fiction, including the recent release, "Sometimes Death is a Blessing," on Running Wild Press.

Joy Givens is a Youth Program Specialist for resettled refugee and immigrant children. She is the author of children's and middle-grade fiction. Her debut picture book, "The Unstoppable Jamie," was released by Two Lions in 2023. 

Segment 2:

Rachel D. Lyne (pronounced Lynn) is an author of both fiction and non-fiction, specializing in faith-based themes. An educator with degrees in Business and Biblical Studies, Rachel believes in spreading hope, "one word at a time." Her works include the Tales of Rizalia series. 

Elle Brown is an author of Harlequin Romance stories, set in the high-stakes, high-risk world of Formula 1. Her love of racing is credited to her father; Elle also dabbles in painting, costuming, and hosting wildly themed dinner parties.

Robert Walton is the author of several Sunbury Press Books releases, including "Fatal Snow," the first of the Henry Thursday series. 

Segment 3:

Sandra M. Bush is the author of the novels "Money Man" and "Money Man Marooned," inspired by her husband's work as a financial advisor. She is also a technical writer and has written for the Pennsylvania School Board Association Magazine, "The Bulletin."

Dave Agans admits to being corrupted early on by MAD Magazine, Get Smart, and Rocky & Bullwinkle at an early age. Dave began writing spy spoofs in the sixth grade; he is the author of the popular technical book, "Debugging," the spy-fi "Urban Legion Trilogy," and the award-winning flash-fiction work, "The Big Nap."

For more information about these authors and the conference, go to Pennwriters dot org.

The 39th Annual Pennwriters Conference was recently held in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. As part of Sunbury Press Books' longstanding commitment to the written word and those who craft it, founder and publisher Dr. Lawrence Knorr was among those who attended--the conference is designed to help authors, poets, and writers of all genres and skill levels. Workshops, presentations, and meetups with editors and agents are part of the event.

This year, BookSpeakNetwork host and Sunbury Press author Tory Gates sat down with several guests of the conference to discuss their careers, their works, and inspirations.

Segment One: 

David Conway is an author of literary fiction who is currently editing his first novel.

Kelly Gourley is an organizer, activist, and writer who is working on her debut work of science fiction.

Cirsten Edwards is an Oncology Nurse who discusses her technical and non-fiction works.

Segment Two:

Nancy A. Hughes is a communications graduate of Penn State University and is the author of eight novels of suspense.

Carla Conti is a journalist-turned-author of true crime. Her works include the award-winning "Chained Birds: A Crimemoir," and "The Jacklighter: Murder, Betrayal, and Justice in Pennsylvania's Endless Mountains."

Vickie Fisher is the author of eight inspirational works, and her latest release is "The Hippy Dippy Grandma's Natural Remedies." 

Segment Three:

M.C. Hillegas has drawn on her work as a search and rescue K9 handler and human remains recovery. She is a winner of the Independent Book Publisher Award for The Canine Handler Series, which includes "Payback," "Setback," and the forthcoming release, "Comeback."

Don Helin has called on his military service, which included postings in Vietnam and Germany, along with three tours in the Pentagon, for his writings. Don has written eleven award-winning thrillers, a personal memoir, "From Army Regulations to Novels," and is the editor of Voices from the Pandemic, an anthology.

Jim Rada is a journalist plus an author of history and historical fiction. He has received numerous awards from the Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association, the Associated Press, and the Society of Professional Journalists. 

To find out more about these authors and the conference, go to Pennwriters dot org.

Set in early 20th-century Pittsburgh, Lara Brenckle Malmont's Three Rivers Home brings us the life and times of Francesco "Frankie" Fortunato, on Sunbury's Milford House imprint. 

The tale of a tenacious orphan, Frankie overcomes loss while battling callous adults, corrupt systems that care nothing for children such as himself. All the while, Frankie promises to reunite with his siblings.

A Pittsburgh native, Lara Brenckle Malmont brings Frankie and other colorful characters to life, specializing in stories about the people and places that call us home. A manga cum laude graduate of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University, Malmont is an award-winning newspaper reporter before transitioning to corporate communications. She lives in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Ronald Rand is known throughout the world as an actor, author, educator, poet, and painter. He is also a traveler, having visited more than two dozen countries as a US Cultural Ambassador. His new book, The Marsh in May and 30 Poems with 29 Paintings by Ronald Rand, is an immersive experience that taps into human experience through word and paint.

While praised for his post-modern and post-Impressionist style at the easel, Rand's poetry draws from the masters he first heard read to him by his mother, to his contemporaries. His words and phrasing are unique and draw the reader in, as do his landscapes and portraits. This book, available on the Lucky Shoe Press imprint of Sunbury Press Books, is another of Rand's methods to embrace life, in all its joys and mysteries.

Best known for his role as former mentor Harold Clurman in the long-running Let it Be Art!, Ronald Rand has appeared in dozens of films, stage productions, and television programs. He founded and published "The Soul of the American Actor" newspaper, has received a series of Fulbright Awards, and received the Jury Best Actor Award at the Bitola 26th International Monodrama Festival in North Macedonia. His upcoming work includes the production UBUNTU, the film "Group Paradise," and "Ibsen," the first opera of Henrik Ibsen.

Ronald Rand lives in Asheville, North Carolina.

While not the first literary detective, Sherlock Holmes is one of the most read, viewed, and heard. Holmes has been depicted more than 250 times; with his partner, Dr. John Watson, the pair have not only captured the imaginations of mystery (and non-mystery) lovers, but also authors, the world over. 

Fan fiction about Holmes and Watson dates back to the 19th century, often featuring playful, satirical, or even harsh wit. On this episode of Milford House Mysteries & Histories, Tory Gates sits down with P.A. O'Neil as she recounts her fascination and her identification with Watson.

Two Sides of the Same Coin: In-between Stories of Sherlock Holmes and John H. Watson comes from O'Neil's pen, a series of tales that take the good doctor's point of view. We follow Watson, mustered out of the British Army after being wounded, not quite himself as he navigates Victorian England and tries to find his place once more.

"On That Last Day" chronicles Watson's meeting with a potential flatmate, the enigmatic Holmes. In the stories that follow, including "The Curse of the Scottish Play," "The Case of the Venetian Glass," and others, O'Neil fashions tales in the tradition of Arthur Conan Doyle, but more from Watson's frank and direct view. O'Neil also offers her inspiration for these stories, and her assessment of Watson, his place beside Holmes, and how the pair never seem to die.

P.A. O'Neil is originally from Southern California. Her writings have appeared in numerous anthologies, journals, and magazines. A further collection of Holmes and Watson works can be found In for a Penny. She is also the author of Witness Testimony and Other Tales. She is a member of Sound of the Baskervilles and the John H. Watson Society. Her piece "The Great Burro Revolt" won her the 2023 Mustang Flash Fiction Award. 

Her writings can be found through Clarendon House Books -- she now lives in Olympia, Washington.

Edward V. Bonner is a man of many passions. From his early years in the steel town of Hazelwood, Pennsylvania, Bonner has combined his love of history, literature, and education with sports. A lifelong martial artist with a specialty in Shotokan Karate, Bonner has participated in numerous tournaments across the US, operated his own school, and still instructs, primarily younger students. He has also competed in several triathlons and running competitions.

With degrees in Aeronautics and Business, Bonner has worked for US Airways (later American Airlines) for more than three decades. He is the author of The Final Resting Place -- Calvary Cemetery on Sunbury's Local History Press.

Speaking with host Dr. Lawrence Knorr, Bonner talks about his life and times, and what is on his horizon.

Andrea van de Loo has lived a life with many experiences and transformations. In a series of short chapters, Andrea brings out her more than 80 years of human experience in "The Pressing Stones: The Healing Journey of a Nazi's Daughter."

Andrea's early life in the Netherlands during the Second World War is recounted, and in particular, that of her father. He joins the SS in an act of self-preservation. Convicted of war crimes, he serves time in prison and a mental institution.  Unable to deal with her early trauma, she lives the first half of her life dissociated from her innermost feelings.

Also documented are travels to Paris and later to India, where Andrea meets the Mother, the spiritual companion of Sri Aurobindo, and lives at the experimental community She inspired, Auroville. Andrea's experiences in her ongoing search for self lead her to California, and her long relationship with a shaman, Hara Ra.   

All through this book, Andrea discusses her psychological journey, her struggles, her process of grief, and also the past of her father. Available through Untimely Books, The Pressing Stones is a remarkable, honest, and unapologetic memoir. 

Andrea van de Loo lives in Santa Cruz, California.

In a land of hard-bitten lawmen, Ed Earl Burch may be the toughest of them all. An aging, but still difficult and dangerous character, Ed Earl has worked both sides of the law. Now, he's back in the borderlands of West Texas and Northern Mexico, where a shadow of his past has again arisen.

A series of grisly, straight-razor murders leads Ed Earl to believe that a man he thought he'd killed is still very much alive. With his ex-Army Ranger wingman Bobby Quintero, Ed Earl has to navigate gun runners, drug dealers, racist gangs, cartels, and fellow cops with questionable allegiances. Then add to the mix a femme fatale boss, who, like Ed Earl, is in the sights of the killer.

Jim Nesbitt knows these backcountry lands as a journalist, horseman, pilot, and hunter. The Fatal Saving Grace is the fifth of the Ed Earl Burch series, which includes The Last Second Chance, The Right Wrong Number, The Best Lousy Choice, and The Dead Certain Doubt. You can find out all about Jim at his website. A diehard Tennessee Vols fan, he lives in Athens, Alabama.

Two brothers are traveling from Iowa to Indiana for the funeral of their father. On the way, their reminisces paint a portrait of the man, with colors Midwest rural life might not expect.

The life and times of Wilbur Rife are replete with abuse, alcoholism, exotic dancers, crime, tragedy, persistence, and love. The testament by one of his sons tells a tale of survival but also of navigating life in an uncertain time. 

Douglas Rife earned bachelor's and master's degrees in History at Iowa State University. He is the author of more than 25 books and is a developer of products for educators and school administrators. His passion for American history has led him to republish local histories, preserve historical sites, and assist in drafting legislation to protect cemeteries in his home state. You can find out more about this pursuit at the website Gravely Speaking.

He lives in Bloomington, Indiana.

In this personal memoir, Eric Gnezda tells of his passions: music, running, and service to others. His life journey has been one with the expected twists and turns, joys, heartaches, and all in between. Through these experiences, Eric discovers life's true meaning and provides hope for a world with renewed humanity and true empathy.

An award-winning singer and songwriter, Eric is the creator and host of the acclaimed PBS series, Songs at the Center. His music has been featured on ESPN, All Things Considered, and Entertainment Tonight. Eric was nominated for an Emmy Award for his work in TV journalism and taught public speaking at the college level for twelve years. He also travels the country to speak before corporations, trade associations, and general audiences. 

You can find out more about Eric Gnezda at this website.