Tony Stead was an offshore commercial diver, working on oil rigs in th Gulf of Mexico in the years before and after hurricanes Rita and Katrina. After this episode of his life, he started a scuba diving operation in Bocas del Toro, Panama. I met him surfing here in Bocas. He is one of the friendliest and most generous people I have met and is a good friend. His stories of commercial diving are captivating, and his advice for starting a business in a foreign country is valuable to anyone with that dream. 

We talk about becoming an offshore commercial diver, the training and education, the work, the gear, the dangers, the incredible underwater scenery, the partying, blowing money on stupid stuff, the Shell Mars, his first dive, the benz, triggerfish bites, manta rays, how the work changed after hurricanes Rita and Katrina,  the BP spill and how it changed the indusrtry, doing cocaine, moving to Panama and starting a dive shop in Bocas del Toro, getting sober, finding out who his real friends were, two big mistakes people make when starting a business in a foreign country, and more. 

Links and photos are on the podcast shownotes page

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Laura Stanfill is the author of two books: "Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary," and "Imagine a Door." She is also the owner of Forest Avenue Press. 

We talk about why she started a publishing house, the importance of local bookstores, the joy of publishing and working with authors, Forest Avenue Press, what makes a book great, her book "Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary," a head injury that changed her look on life, publishing a book and the steps involved, how to tell when a book is finished, choosing an editor, writing a query letter, artificial intelligence and where to draw the line, creativity and how to cultivate it, the importance of play in creativity, wonder, her book "Imagine a Door," advice for writers, and more.

Links are on the shownotes page

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Michael Stockham has worked as a big-firm lawyer for over twenty years after receiving his law degree from Cornell Law School. He’s a sought-after litigator and speaker. His award-winning legal thrillers include Confessions of an Accidental Lawyer and the Jake Fox series of legal thrillers, which begins with Jake Fox: Ties that Blind. His books have attracted over 2.5 million page reads, over 100,000 readers, and over 3,000 rave reviews. Confessions of an Accidental Lawyer is Michael Stockham’s first novel, and is inspired by a true story. A life-long lover of books, Michael received two degrees in creative writing: a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New Mexico and a Master of Arts from Texas A&M University. Blessed by two grown daughters who are Clemson University Tigers, Michael lives in Dallas with his wife of twenty-four years, Kiersten, along with three dogs and two potbelly pigs.

We talk about learning to write, reading, lawyers, self-publishing, marketing books, the true story of a bankrobber in solitary confinement that inspired Confessions of an Accidental Lawyer, writing a series, using Scrivner and ProWritingAid, AI and whether or not to use it, AI in law, writing techniques, maximizing productivity and creativity, listening to songs on loops while writing, rituals, writing to an audience, eliciting emotions from readers, tips for aspiring writers, curiosity, and more.

Links are in the podcast shownotes page

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Peter Gooch is the author of the new novel "Lips." He was on the show last year for his debut novel "Seren." He is a painter, writer, and former art professor living in New Mexico. His short fiction has appeared in numerous literary magazines and online. Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, he holds an MFA from Western Michigan University. He resides in Corrales with his wife, Dr. Sharon Ransom.

We talk about coming up with the idea for "Lips," developing characters, overcoming fear to write risky material like sex scenes, writing technique and craft, favorite authors and their use of language, writing endings, the difficulty of writing happiness, the importance of having fun in art, finding a good space to write, cultivating the creative writing mindset, his upcoming book "AIX," and more.

Links and photos are on the podcast shownotes page

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Orignial poetry recited by the author, Paul Trammell.

Shownotes are here

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Meteor Shower is an original short story by Paul Trammell, narrated by the author. Every month, I post a short story on my substack page. If you sign up, and it's free, you'll get a short story, written by me, in your inbox on the first of every month, as well as occasional poetry, books reviews, and essays. Find this at https://paultrammell.substack.com/

Shownotes are at https://www.paultrammell.com/dream-chasers-and-eccentrics

Support the show through Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/DreamChasersandEccentrics

Ryan and Jonah are two brothers writing and recording original music in the band Crown Mountain. 

We talk about writing and recording music, creativity and how to cultivate it, setting aside time to be creative, playing covers, improvisation, playing different instruments, what it takes to make it big, drinking, drugs and writing music, drugs and performing, touring, overproduced music, pitch correction, and more.

Links are on the shownotes page

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Aurora Winter is an author and creative entrepreneur. Her books include "Turn Words into Wealth," "Marketing Fast Track," and the fantasy series "Magic, Mystery, and the Multiverse."

We talk about writing fantasy, getting into a creative frame of mind, freedom of speach, grief, healing from a broken heart, reinventing ourselves, using our story to our advantage, neuroscience of effective communication, the three steps of communication, the value of adding a story to a sale, making $250,000 in 90 days, overcoming grief, a dream visitation from her husband 2 years after his death, the value of being in pursit of something meaningful, having a mission in life, whether or not we all have a time to die, and more!

Links are on the podcast shownotes page

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Exit Game! is my latest short story, published June 1 on paultrammell.substack.com

Sign up for the newsletter if you'd like to get a free short story every month, as well as occasional poetry and book reviews (no strings attched).

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James Goodhand is the author of the new novel "Reports of His Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated." He was also on the show last year with his novel "The Day Tripper." I love and recommend his books and James is a great speaker and storyteller. He lives in Surry, UK, and repairs cars when not writing novels.

We talk about his new novel, what it's like having a child who will read your books one day, books we love, creativity, how a novel gets its start - where the ideas come from, neuroses, death, routines, various themes from the book, the passage of time, memories, making the years count, his next project, and more. I also read highlights I took from the book and we discuss them. 

links are on the podcast shownotes page 

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