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THE PHILLY PHENOMS

Ten-year-old Lee Lomax is trying to scratch a severe golf itch. Like many kids, Lee idolizes his dad, Sam, a talented golfer who has put his game on hold to focus on his family. But Lee is relentless and vows to spend his summer at Sam’s blue-collar country club in the Philly suburbs, hoping it will entice his dad to do the same. Enter the despicable Hal Rustin, who wants nothing more than to see the Lomax family booted from the club. Sam might have no choice but to step in.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nate Oxman has been a golf writer in the Philadelphia area for nearly 20 years. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Penn State University in 2004, Oxman served as an unpaid intern and later sports editor at The Spirit Community Newspapers in Philadelphia, where he covered general news and local youth and high school sports. In 2007, he was hired as the associate sports editor for Montgomery Newspapers, which publishes a group of weekly papers in the Philadelphia suburbs of Montgomery County, and the staff writer for Philadelphia Golfer, a monthly golf magazine published by the newspaper group. While writing for Philadelphia Golfer, Oxman earned a Keystone Media Award from Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association as well as a first-place prize from the Philadelphia Press Association. In 2010, Oxman became the staff writer for Tri-State Golf Magazine, a quarterly publication covering golf news throughout the tri-state area of eastern Pennsylvania, south Jersey, and Delaware. He continues to serve as the staff writer for Tri-State Golf and has contributed freelance work to myriad publications including The Philadelphia Daily News, The Philadelphia Inquirer, South Jersey Magazine, Suburban Life Magazine, Golf Association of Philadelphia Magazine, and Golfer’s Tee Times.

Oxman has covered dozens of local and national events on every major professional golf tour as well as the USGA including the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion, the 2015 and 2024 U.S. Women’s Opens at Lancaster Country Club and the 2026 Truist Championship and Mizuho Americas Open. Oxman is a longtime member of the Golf Writers’ Association of America, the International Network of Golf, the Golf Travel Writers’ Association of America and the Delco Press Club.

Oxman shifted gears and earned his teacher certification from Cabrini University in 2010 and has served as a classroom teacher in the School District of Haverford Township since 2012. He received his Master’s degree in Teaching Secondary English from Slippery Rock University in 2023.

In addition to his work in education and journalism, Oxman began caddying at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa. in 1995 and has served as one of the club’s assistant caddie managers since 2009. He has caddied in club, local, and national events including the 1998 U.S. Girls’ Junior, the 2005 U.S. Amateur, and the 2022 Curtis Cup matches. Oxman’s father and uncle both caddied on the PGA Tour.

He lives in Havertown, Pa., a suburb of Philadelphia, with his wife, Laura, and three daughters: Anna, 12, Emilia, 9, and Eden, 5.

CONNECT WITH NATE OXMAN!

WEBSITE: https://thephillyphenoms.com/

THIS IS ME

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Inspiration and Writing Journey. Aspen’s personal experiences and how the isolation of COVID sparked the story.

Identity and Belonging. Luke’s struggle to live authentically in a small rural town.

Family Legacy. The pressure of living up to his grandfather’s achievements and values.

Community Acceptance vs. Rejection. The tension between tradition and embracing change.

What’s Next. Plans for the sequel and trilogy: This Is Us and This Is Where We Belong.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Aspen Thomas grew up in the small western Riverina town of Goolgowi, where the vast landscapes and vibrant community life shaped his early imagination. After moving to Canberra for high school, Aspen continued to nurture his passion for storytelling, drawing inspiration from the world around him. As a child, he loved weaving tales about farm machinery that came to life, setting the stage for a lifetime of creative exploration.

CONNECT WITH ASPEN THOMAS!

Website: https://aspenthomas-writes.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aspenthomaswrites/ 

Fungus Theory of Conscious Growth - A Radical Biological Origin Story Linking Fungi, Evolution, and Humanity's Cosmic Destiny

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mark L. Christensen is a lifelong explorer of ideas, driven by a deep curiosity about cosmology, physiology, and sociology. With a passion for connecting science, creativity, and big-picture thinking, Mark has spent decades developing insights and innovations that challenge conventional boundaries. His work invites us to rethink how we grow, evolve, and understand our place in the universe.

Learn more about Mark and his work at https://marklchristensen.com/

Read an extended interview with Mark L. Christensen: https://readerviews.com/reviews/meet-the-author-christensen-fungus-theory-of-conscious-growth/

THE PYJAMA BOY

Steven Murphy spent his formative years in Sydney's Redfern. Abandoned by his mother when only weeks old, his father left him in the care of a cruel, alcoholic stepmother while he himself was in jail. Unbelievably, the child they dubbed the "Pyjama Boy" fought his way through life to achieve his ultimate goal. His story is a poignant and haunting one that captivates its reader from the very beginning and remains long after the book has been closed.

TOPICS OF CONVERSATION:

Childhood Abuse and Trauma

Resilience and Transformation

Emotional Honesty and Vulnerability

The Book’s Evolution and Re-release

Sequel and Multimedia Integration

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Steven Murphy is an Australian author and speaker, whose book The Pyjama Boy offers a raw, unfiltered account of surviving a childhood marked by abandonment, abuse, and neglect. Once known on the streets of Redfern as “the boy in the crumpled pyjamas,” Steven overcame extraordinary adversity to serve in the military, become a police officer, and later, a nationally sought-after speaker.

First released nearly two decades ago and now reintroduced with new reflections, The Pyjama Boy is a powerful reminder that trauma does not define a person—how they respond to it does. Today, Steven speaks at schools, youth centers, and community events across Australia, using real photos, documents, and unsparing honesty to connect with audiences and spark conversations about resilience, identity, and hope.

CONNECT WITH STEVEN MURPHY!

Website: https://thepyjamaboy.com/

CICERO JAMES, MIRACLE WORKER

My name is Cicero James, and I died last Thursday.

TOPICS OF CONVERSATION

Overview of the Story and Inspiration

World-Building and Magic System

Character Development and Voice

Themes of Mental Health and Trauma

Series Continuation and Reader Reactions

Hal Emerson is the author of ten books, including the award-winning Exile Trilogy, beginning with The Prince of Ravens. He is a graduate of UCLA with a BA in theatre, where he studied Shakespeare, Chekhov, and the Greek and Roman Classics. He also has an MBA from UC Berkeley (Cal).

Some of his favorite books and series include East of Eden, The Brothers Karamazov, The Lord of the Rings, and The Wheel of Time. As a young reader he was particularly inspired by The Chronicles of Prydain, and he is an avid Harry Potter fan.

He still believes in the Oxford comma, and he has seen every Robin Williams movie.

CONNECT WITH HAL EMERSON!

https://www.halemerson.com

https://www.instagram.com/halemerson/

https://x.com/halemersonauth

Marketing is more than just strategies and sales—it's a means to connect, inspire, and create positive change. In Harnessing Purpose: A Marketer’s Guide to Inspiring Connection, Melissa Fors Shackelford draws from her 25 years of experience as a marketing executive to explore the transformative power of purpose-driven marketing. This insightful guide challenges business leaders and marketers to think beyond the bottom line, emphasizing the importance of aligning personal and organizational purposes. Melissa’s actionable advice reveals how authentic brands inspire loyalty, build deeper connections, and achieve long-term success. Key chapters cover essential topics, including finding professional purpose, fostering creativity, balancing work-life dynamics, embracing inclusive and ethical marketing, and crafting strategies that reflect a brand's core values. Melissa also delves into cause marketing, effective team collaboration, and building resilience in modern marketing challenges. Packed with inspiring real-world examples and practical advice, Harnessing Purpose is a roadmap for professionals seeking to make an impact through their work.

Whether you're launching a startup, managing a small business, or leading a marketing team, this book will equip you with the tools to unlock creativity, foster meaningful connections, and lead with authenticity. If you’re ready to transform your marketing approach and build a purpose-driven brand, Harnessing Purpose is the guide you’ve been waiting for.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Melissa Fors Shackelford is a trusted advisor to executives and emerging businesses, helping organizations build compelling brands, accelerate market growth, and navigate the complexities of the healthcare industry. With over 20 years of experience as a marketing executive, Melissa brings deep expertise in go-to-market strategy, brand positioning, and growth marketing to her consulting practice, Shackelford Strategies.

As a sought-after consultant and advisor, Melissa partners with C-Suite leaders, startups, and established healthcare brands to refine messaging, strengthen market positioning, and drive customer engagement. She provides hands-on guidance to help businesses launch new offerings, enter new markets, and scale sustainably. 

Melissa is a recognized thought leader in marketing and brand strategy. She is a frequent industry speaker, podcast guest, and contributor to leading publications, covering topics such as purpose-driven marketing, inclusive communications, and branding. Her expertise has earned her prestigious honors, including Nonprofit Marketer of the Year (American Marketing Association, 2019).

Melissa holds an MBA in Marketing from the University of St. Thomas and a BA from the University of Minnesota. She serves on multiple industry and corporate boards. 

CONNECT WITH MELISSA FORS SHACKELFORD!

Website: https://harnessingpurpose.com/

SWIPE: A TWISTY PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER

Sonya's fed up with bad internet dates. But she never meant to kill anyone.

After a stressful day at work and a creepy first meetup, Sonya Romano goes on a mission: teach a lesson to the smarmy guys she's meeting on her dating app. But when one of them falls to his death as a result of her confrontation--a married man posing as a single guy--she realizes she's gone too far.

Meanwhile, Jake Parker, former Pulitzer nominee, has hit rock bottom. His boss gives him an assignment: go under cover and produce a click bait story about dating apps. Things start to look up when another married man on the app is murdered, and Jake suspects that there may be a serial killer targeting cheaters.

With Jake hot on her trail, Sonya races to cover her tracks, until they finally meet. Fighting a powerful mutual attraction but suspicious of each other, neither of them know that a deranged psychopath is closer than they think, and much more of a danger than either of them realizes.

Can they figure out what's going on, before one of them is next?

TOPICS OF CONVERSATION

How Swipe Was Born – The story’s inspiration, how Bonnie Traymore and R.G. Belsky teamed up, and what made their co-writing process successful.

Crafting Complex Characters – Building emotionally rich, flawed protagonists (Sonya and Jake), and how their arcs were shaped through collaboration.

Modern Dating & Deception – Exploring the risks, absurdities, and emotional fallout of dating app culture, and how it mirrors broader social disconnection.

Blending Thriller with Dark Humor – Striking a balance between suspense and satire, and navigating how far is “too far” in both tone and theme.

Launch Buzz & What’s Next – Early reader reactions, the book’s success on NetGalley, and a peek at each author’s upcoming solo projects and thoughts on a sequel.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

R.G. Belsky is an award-winning author of crime fiction and a journalist in New York City. Belsky has published more than 20 novels—most of them set in the New York city media world where he has had a long career as a top editor at the New York Post, New York Daily News, Star magazine and NBC News. He also writes thrillers under the name Dana Perry. And he is a contributing writer for The Big Thrill magazine as well as BookTrib.

Learn more about RG Belsky at www.rgbelsky.com

Bonnie Traymore is the Amazon charts bestselling author of eight domestic/psychological thrillers. Her thrillers feature strong but relatable female protagonists who peel back the layers of suburban American life and give readers a peek inside. The plots explore difficult topics such as jealousy, infidelity, murder, and the impact of psychological disorders, but she also includes bits of romance and humor to lighten the mood from time to time. 

Bonnie loves Hitchcock movies, psychological thriller novels, coffee, and dark chocolate, not necessarily in that order and sometimes simultaneously. She has a doctorate in United States history and resides in Honolulu with her family. She’s an active member of International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America.

Learn more about Bonnie Traymore at www.bonnietraymore.com.

SHATTERED CHILD: I was born in Sri-Lanka in 1973. I was adopted and brought to Australia with my presumed biological sister in 1976. My story is one of strength, courage, and sadness, of a girl trying to fit in somewhere in this world.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sumie Filmer is now in her early fifties, happily married to the man who changed her life. She and her husband live in Queensland, Australia, and together they have two adult children in their late twenties. Though her earlier years were marked by deep pain and sadness, and she continues to have difficult days, a diagnosis of complex PTSD and anxiety has given her clarity. It helped her understand that her thoughts and emotions are shaped by the trauma she experienced. Healing remains an ongoing process, but the unwavering support of her loving husband, close friends, and a dedicated therapist has played a significant role in her journey forward. “Shattered Child” is her writing debut.

LEARN MORE about Sumie Filmer and her work: https://sumiefilmerauthor.com/

TOPICS OF CONVERSATION

Childhood Trauma and Abuse – Adoption, abandonment, and prolonged abuse shaped Sumie’s early life and the core of her memoir.

Survival and Resilience – She describes coping through small acts like stretching food, singing, and dancing, which helped her endure extreme circumstances.

Healing and Mental Health – A suicide attempt, later therapy, and a complex PTSD diagnosis marked turning points in her emotional recovery.

Trust and Relationships – Gradually rebuilding trust through safe relationships, especially with her husband, while acknowledging her struggle with forgiveness.

Purpose and Impact of the Memoir – Written to give voice to survivors, call out systemic failures, and inspire hope; readers have reached out in gratitude.

CONNECT WITH SUMIE FILMER!

Website: https://sumiefilmerauthor.com/

Social Media Links:

Facebook, Shattered Child - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?

id=61570987663484

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/shatteredchild/

TRAFFIC OF A LIE

Oppression, deceit, love and greed.  Adeline is devastated at the news that her beloved mother has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer in its advanced stages. Discombobulated at her mother's refusal to receive any form of treatment, no matter how much her and her sister Penelope plead her to re-consider, the two girls are shattered when their mother takes her final breath. But this is just the beginning of Adeline's turmoil. The reading of the will sets in motion a thickly woven web of deceit and lies that will rock Adeline to her very core, forcing her to question the essence of her existence and the foundations of the basis of all that she has known throughout her life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Angela Nagel lives in the picturesque Barossa Valley located in South Australia with her husband James and their cheeky and talkative Sulphur Crested Cockatoo Basil. Three adult children and their partners complete their family. Angela has enjoyed a fulfilling career spanning over four decades helping operate their family owned bakery business. She enjoys travelling, with a particular interest in experiencing different cultures and languages. An avid reader for as long as she can remember, Angela has always held an interest in writing. Traffic of a Lie is her debut novel.

Learn more about Angela and her work at https://angelanagelauthor.com/

TOPICS OF CONVERSATION

Overview and Inspiration Behind Traffic of a Lie

What the story is about, the inspiration behind it, and how the idea evolved into a novel.

Character Development and Emotional Themes

Deep dive into Adeline and Yasmina’s emotional journeys, the complexity of mother-daughter relationships, betrayal, grief, identity crisis, resilience, and how characters navigate societal pressures.

Generational Oppression, Patriarchal Systems, and Gender Inequality

How systemic control, traditions, and silence impact women across generations; drawing parallels between past and present struggles for women's autonomy and voice.

Structural and Storytelling Choices

Use of dual timelines, balancing emotional devastation with hope, the symbolism behind the book’s title, and decisions around what to reveal versus what to leave uncertain.

Reader Reactions and Future Projects

How readers have responded to the story, the kinds of conversations it sparks about family, silence, and healing, and Angela Nagel’s plans to write a psychological thriller as her next book.

SCAMS, HACKING AND CYBERSECURITY

The internet is a powerful tool connecting us in ways unimaginable just a few decades ago. However, it also harbors risks—cyber scams, cyber crimes, and hidden dangers lurking on the dark web. Hackers and cybercriminals exploit vulnerabilities to steal data, commit identity theft, and manipulate systems using social engineering.

But how safe are we online? Should we avoid the digital world entirely? Not at all. Just like real-world dangers, we can navigate online security risks with the right tools and knowledge.

This cybersecurity bible is the ultimate guide to protecting yourself in the digital landscape. Whether you're looking for cybersecurity for beginners, insights into cyber hacking and the law, or best cybersecurity books to improve your internet safety, this book equips you with practical tools and strategies.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

May Brooks-Kempler is a cybersecurity expert whose career began in the 1990s, exploring the realms of game “cheats” and “hacks” on IRC chats. This early fascination led her through a distinguished journey in cybersecurity, from Penetration Testing to Security Architect and eventually a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Today, she is a highly sought-after strategic consultant, speaker, and mentor, known for her dynamic involvement in developing and promoting innovative cybersecurity initiatives and guiding startups.

May’s expertise and engaging delivery have made her a favorite at numerous speaking engagements, including a TEDx talk, keynotes, and commentator on critical cybersecurity issues. Her role as a podcaster further amplifies her reach, where she shares vital security insights with a global audience.

As a member of the ISC2 Board of Directors, an authorized CISSP and HCISPP instructor, and co-author, May’s dedication to advancing the cybersecurity profession is unmistakable. Her book, “Scams, Hacking and Cybersecurity – The Ultimate Guide to Online Safety and Privacy”, and her online courses, reflect her commitment to making the digital world a safer place for all, especially families, as underscored by her personal mission as a mother of three.

Through her extensive experience and influential voice in the field, May Brooks-Kempler continues to shape the future of online safety, making her a pivotal figure in the world of cybersecurity education and advocacy.

TOPICS OF CONVERSATION

LEARN MORE AND CONNECT WITH MAY BROOKS-KEMPLER: https://maybrooks.net/