BookSpeak Network

On this episode of The Milford House Mysteries, cohosts JM West and Sherry Knowlton interview Patty Bialak. Bialak is the author of the new thriller, When the Numbers Don’t Add Up. The new novel follows Pasha Stern, a successful accountant with an uncanny talent for forensics. When she uncovers a multi-million-dollar international crime during a routine corporate audit, Pasha is drawn into the world of terrorists, extremists and traitors.  The book takes the reader on a roller coaster ride up and down the west coast of California, across the globe to Israel and back again.  Join us to discuss the book and Bialak’s own adventurous life.Milford House Mysteries Hosts - Sherry Knowlton is the author of the Alexa Williams series of murder mysteries including Dead of Autumn, Dead of Summer, Dead of Spring, and Dead of Winter. Joan West is the author of the Carlisle Crime Cases series including Dying for Vengeance, Courting Doubt and Darkness, Darkness at First Light, and Had a Dying Fall.

Baseball Under the Palms: A History of Miami Minor League Baseball - The Early Years (1892-1960), tells the fascinating story of the growth of hardball from its humble beginnings, to organized play, and team participation in “outlaw leagues. This led to the eventual acceptance of a minor league baseball team in Miami by the National Association. This sometimes included affiliations with major leagues teams. Along the way, some of baseball’s most legendary names including the likes of Chico Fernandez, Pepper Martin, Satchel Paige, and Woody Smith passed through Miami, either on their way to illustrious minor or major league careers or finishing out their celebrated moments in the sun.This work is the first of its kind that brings to light the full spectrum of the history of minor league baseball in Miami. The inspiration for us writing Baseball Under the Palms, emanated from, The Forgotten Marlins: A Tribute to the 1956-1960 Original Miami Marlins. For lovers of our national pastime, we bring to light the richly varied and illustrious history of teams and leagues; once at the forefront of local baseball.Sam Zygner is the author of The Forgotten Marlins: A Tribute to the 1956-1960 Original Miami Marlins. He has served as the Chairperson for the South Florida Chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) since 2006 and been a member since 1997. He is a lifelong Pittsburgh Pirates fan.Barbra Cabrera was born into the baseball world. Her father, Emilio, played professional baseball in Cuba and the United States. As a print journalist, she covered the gamut from interviewing Hollywood movie and television stars to securing exclusive interviews when covering true crime stories. On Spanish-language radio, she found her calling as an investigative reporter. Barbra is a life-long Miamian and baseball devotee.

Lawrence Knorr, President/CEO of Sunbury Press, has been involved with book publishing since 2000. He holds an MBA from Penn State University, and is a Project Management Professional (PMP), and Certified Scrum Master (CSM). Lawrence’s 30+ year career in information technology, as a programmer, analyst, project manager, CEO, and Chief Information Officer has prepared him well for the “Age of Content” – the era of eBooks, data integration, eCommerce, and networks. Lawrence has taught business and economics courses for over fifteen years at local colleges and is the author or co-author over twenty books. He is also an award-winning digital artist. Lawrence often speaks or is a panelist at numerous writers conferences and book fairs.Chris Fenwick, Director of Fiction Imprints, is a writer, project manager, and e-commerce professional. She returns to Sunbury Press, having spent the last ten years as E-commerce director in both for-profit and non-profit businesses. Her first novel, the 100th human, remains one of Sunbury Press’ all-time best sellers.Music clips were from Capitol recording artists BANG (c) 1973

Scott grew up in New York and is an avid sports fan. He was a sportscaster and then a sportswriter for many years. He also contributed more than one hundred #1 most viewed articles for several online magazines. His work for those was enjoyed by more than 125 million readers. He started writing novels when an editor he worked for suggested that he give it a try.Scott is the author of:On the RunTwister TownOn Ice

C. S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity is the obvious inspiration for the title of this book. In that book, Lewis uses the example of a person standing in a hall that is lined on both sides by rooms: Each room represents a different Christian tradition. He wanted to get readers into the hallway and let them choose for themselves whether to enter Christianity by the door of Anglicanism, Catholicism, and so forth.Mere Christianity brilliantly focuses on what essentially all Christians agree upon; namely the Creed, the canon of the New Testament, etc. However, many of the great controversies between Protestants and Catholics are purposely not discussed. There were ecumenical reasons for avoiding topics like papal primacy, purgatory, Marian devotions, and so forth. But, by avoiding these sorts of topics, Mere Christianity can be read as Mere Protestantism.I wrote Mere Catholicism to address some of those missing topics. Even though I am both intellectually and emotionally convinced of the truth of Catholic Christianity, I am indebted to C. S. Lewis (an Anglican) for helping me better understand how Christianity offers the most compelling raison d’être. His work and I hope my own is an exploration of “faith seeking understanding,” to quote St. Anselm of Canterbury.

Brian Koscienski & Chris Pisano skulk the realms of south-central Pennsylvania. Brian developed a love of writing from countless hours of reading comic books and losing himself in the worlds and adventures found within their colorful pages. In tenth grade, Chris was discouraged by his English teacher from reading H.P. Lovecraft, and being a naturally disobedient youth he has been a fan ever since. They have logged many hours writing novels, stories, articles, comic books, reviews, and on occasion a bawdy haiku. During their tenure as a writing duo, they even started their own micro-press publishing company, Fortress Publishing, Inc.The Vengeful Prince Saga is now a trilogy:The Devil's GraspThe Devil's InfluenceThe Devil's Judgment

On this episode of Milford House Mysteries, hosts Joan West and Sherry Knowlton offer Writing Tips for Aspiring Writers.  We discuss the writing process, character development, dialogue, and how to build suspense among other topics.  And we finish the podcast with a lightning round of things to avoid when writing.  Join us with this light, refreshing summer dip into the pool of writing tips.Milford House Mysteries Hosts - Sherry Knowlton is the author of the Alexa Williams series of murder mysteries including Dead of Autumn, Dead of Summer, Dead of Spring, and Dead of Winter. Joan West is the author of the Carlisle Crime Cases series including Dying for Vengeance, Courting Doubt and Darkness, Darkness at First Light, and Had a Dying Fall.

The Last Ride of the Iron Horse: How Lou Gehrig Fought ALS to Play One Final Championship SeasonLast Ride of the Iron Horse tells the tale of Lou Gehrig's final year in the Yankee lineup, as he dealt with early effects of the paralytic disease ALS. For much of the 1938 season, the legendary Gehrig -- dubbed the Iron Horse for his strength and reliability -- struggled with slumps and a mystifying loss of power that shook his confidence. Fans booed and sportswriters called for him to be benched. Then, as the Yankees battled for the pennant in August, Lou began pounding home runs like his old self -- a turnaround that in retrospect looks truly miraculous. It may have been a rare case of temporary ALS reversal.About the Author:Dan Joseph is a journalist and author living in the Washington, D.C. area. He is a graduate of Indiana University and has spent nearly 20 years working for the Voice of America, most as an editor in VOA’s central newsroom. He previously co-authored “Inside Al-Shabaab,” a study of the East African terrorist organization. A member of SABR (Society for American Baseball Research), he is also a lifelong baseball fan and one of the few living people under 50 to have attended a Pittsburgh Pirates World Series game.

JOEL BURCATJoel Burcat is the author of environmental legal thrillers, speculative thrillers, and imaginative stories about everything from beer to murder. As a practicing environmental lawyer, Joel Burcat writes environmental legal thrillers that are both electrifying and accurate. His published shorter works range from thrillers about “the best beer I’ve ever had” to a middle-aged lawyer running off to Italy, jeopardizing the lives and careers of his young associates.Burcat’s writings explore many facets of life, although he has a true fascination with unexpected twists. His characters’ reasons for doing things are as important as their actions. From the person lying in bed next to you to psychopathic strip mine operators, each has an underlying motive to be explored and revealed.Burcat has completed five novels. Three of them are environmental legal thrillers, DRINK TO EVERY BEAST, AMID RAGE, and STRANGE FIRE. Watch for DRINK TO EVERY BEAST, published by Headline Books and available at bookstores, Amazon, and Kindle in May 2019. Watch for AMID RAGE coming soon!Burcat grew up in Philadelphia. He now has two grown daughters, and lives with his wife in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the place that provides the setting for many of his stories.PRAISE for Drink to Every Beast“…A fast-paced and compelling story.”– DP Lyle, MD, award-winning author of the Jake Longly and Cain/Harper thriller series“…a fast-paced environmental legal thriller with smart, engaging characters and a level of complexity that serious readers of the genre will undoubtedly enjoy.”– Jeff Gunhus, USA TODAY bestselling author “…a spine-tingling thriller that will make you want more.”– Don Helin, award-winning author of Devil’s Den and Secret Assault

“In a world haunted by aggression, violence, and betrayal, ‘You Are Not Alone’ serves as a campfire around which we can gather, united in our commitment to alter the trajectory of sexual violence and reclaim the dignity of our lives. It illuminates the resilience of the human beings who've lived through the trauma of sexual violence and inspires all of us to become more evolved and compassionate in our intimate connections.” -- Dr. Paul L. Hokemeyer, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, New York, NY www.drhokemeyer.comABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jyssica Schwartz is a thirty-something writer, editor, and book coach living in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and a very fluffy cat. She has 10 years of corporate sales and business development experience before she quit her job in early 2017 to pursue being a full-time writer. Building and refining her business has been a challenge and a joy. Jyssica is often found curled up with a cat and a book, posting pictures of food and cats on Instagram, pithy notes on Twitter, or discussing random thoughts on her Medium blog when she probably should be working. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and has always been a writer, even before she was getting paid. Jyssica loves music, traveling, rollercoasters, the Yankees, and the Offspring. Check out her website at www.jyssicaschwartz.com, blog at medium.com/@jyssicaschwartz, and join her mailing list for rare notes on writer-y things.