Living The Next Chapter: Candid Conversations with Authors and Writers for Readers Searching for a New Read

EPISODE 648 - Chester L Richards - From The Potato to Star Trek and Beyond, Smithsonian Institution, Being A Monster

Chester L. Richards
Aerospace Engineer (Ret.), Inventor, Adventurer, Author, Storyteller, Romantic
The philosophy developed by Chester L. Richards, aerospace engineer, adventurer and inventor (19 patents), has indeed caused him to view all that comes his way as an adventure. Even a visit to the hospital! (Look for stories about these surprisingly entertaining forays into Deep Space Medical soon in his blog, "Stories.")

That attitude took shape early. In college, a bit after those early escapes from being thoroughly roasted by The Great Potato's molten lead flinging tricks, Chester and friend Judy Burns co-authored a spec script for “Star Trek” on a lark. The story, “The Tholian Web,” became one of the series’ most popular episodes. A veteran writer advised the young man, “You should write….write your passions.” “But I have nothing to say,” Chester thought. 

That was the moment he decided the real message was to fill his life with adventures. And he did — adventures in surfing, learning and performing music, travel to exotic places for river rafting, and his work as a rocket scientist. Along the way, he’s always met fascinating characters. He did write — essays (over 50 have been published so far). At the house in Thousand Oaks he and his late beloved  Sarah once shared, he brought himself back from the brink of despair by writing the hair-raising adventures Sarah loved, and that continue to occur, though as the author says, he no longer has much hair.

Book: From The Potato to Star Trek and Beyond
Book: The Trek Continues: More Memoirs of a Rocket Scientist

https://www.chesterlrichards.com/

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EPISODE 647 - Christine Devane - Elephant Beach - A Children's Book That Talks About Being Shy and Being Open to Others 

About the author
Christine grew up in North Andover, MA with her parents Tony and Joyce and brothers Anthony and Eddie. She was very shy when she was young and spent a lot of time reading. Throughout her childhood Christine loved animals, especially elephants. People started to buy them for her as a collection. Her grandparents, Eddie and Ginger, as well as her parents would bring her back lucky elephants from their trips. Throughout her childhood Christine always enjoyed trips to the beach with her family and grandparents.

In 2006 Christine graduated from Merrimack College with a bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in Elementary Education. In 2008 she received her master’s degree in Elementary Education from Merrimack College. Christine would then go on to teach elementary school for the next 13 years. Her favorite part of the day was reading to her students. It was during reading time that she connected with her students through books. They learned, laughed and felt a range of emotions together. Christine decided that she wanted to write her own book for students to engage with, while learning and laughing. Since elephants have always been her favorite animal, she found it fitting to include them in her story. In 2017 Christine traveled to Africa with her mother and husband where she was able to see elephants living in the wild, which was always a lifelong dream. Many of the elephants were playing in the water and seemed to be having fun as they appear to in her book.

Christine and her husband John have 3 children- Joey, Nick and Adeline and a dog named Sophie with whom she loves to read with. They laugh at her stories and enjoy trips to the beach together as a family.

Book: Elephant Beach - A young girl is expecting a quiet, peaceful beach day of reading—but she’s in for some disappointment. It turns out elephants love to play, especially at the beach! At first, the girl is annoyed when the elephants break her beach chair. Then, they block her sun amidst other loud and distracting shenanigans. Soon, though, the girl becomes intrigued by the elephants’ playful nature. She still tries to read, but their games continue and can’t be ignored. Having a change of heart, the young girl joins in when the elephants play volleyball. She surfs huge waves and even helps the elephants when they are scared. The young girl came to the beach to be alone, but she now finds herself surrounded by new friends. The silliness of these gentle giants amuse her, and what was once a plan to find some peace turns into a feast of fun! Come along to Elephant Beach, where distractions are welcome and adventure arrives with each and every wave.

https://www.christine-devane.com/

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EPISODE 646 - Chef Franck Desplechin - Relentless Growth - Cultivating a Chef’s Mindset for Professional Fulfillment

Most people simply know me as or simply call me Chef Franck; and that is exactly how I like it. Over time, "Chef Franck" has become more than just a name; it is a reflection of the way I show up in everything I do, with heart, passion, and a relentless commitment to grow and improve.

Behind the title is a lifetime dedicated to the craft of hospitality: My career began in the kitchens of Brittany, France, where I trained under Michelin-starred chefs who demanded nothing short of excellence. Those early years forged a deep respect for precision, discipline, and creativity. As I grew, my path took me beyond the kitchen, leading and mentoring teams, building businesses, and evolving with one constant: a love for creating meaningful connections.

From fine dining restaurants to luxury hotels and entrepreneurial ventures, every chapter has been a pursuit of one thing: creating meaningful experiences that stand the test of time. It has become so much more than food or leadership. It is about connection, transformation, influence and the pursuit of something greater than the work itself. It is the energy you bring into a room, the standard you set without saying a word, and the respect you earn by how you show up day after day.

Cheffranck.com was created as an extension of that spirit, a way to connect directly, without layers or filters. A place where craft, leadership, and authenticity meet opportunity. Whether it is building unforgettable workplace culture, strengthening teams, or guiding personal and professional growth, my mission remains the exact same: to elevate, to inspire, and to leave every place - and every person - better than I found them.

This is not just what I do. It is who I am.

I have never been one to follow a straight path; mine has been forged through pressure, uncertainty, reinvention, and an obsession with meaningful growth. What began in a small kitchen in Brittany at the age of 15 has become a lifelong pursuit of mastery, resilience, and purposeful leadership. From chasing Michelin stars in France to leading five-star operations across the Pacific and the U.S. I have learned that excellence is not found in the title, the awards, or the prestige; it is in the process. I have “failed”, started over, worked in languages I did not speak, and rebuilt my identity more than once. Along the way, I have grown from an apprentice with a dream to a chef tested by fire, an hospitality executive with a broader vision, and now, a founder, CEO and author driven by the same hunger I had on day one; but with far more perspective. Today, my work lives at the intersection of precision, purpose, and transformation; guiding teams, leaders, and organizations to rise, evolve, and deliver at the highest level. Not because it is easy, but because it is worth it.

Book: Relentless Growth - Cultivating a chef’s mindset for professional fulfillment

What if the only thing standing between you and true professional fulfillment was your mindset? Relentless Growth: Cultivating a Chef’s Mindset for Professional Fulfillment is my answer to this problem, offering a bold and practical blueprint for both emerging and seasoned hospitality professionals who want to thrive—not just survive—in one of the most demanding industries in the world.

This book goes beyond the usual career advice and dives deep into the core of what it takes to succeed: a relentless growth mindset. After spending over twenty-five years in Michelin star-rated kitchens and the most prestigious hotels and resorts in the world, I have seen firsthand that skills alone are not enough to endure and excel in high-pressure environments. It is the mindset that separates those who achieve lasting success and fulfillment from those who merely get by.

Relentless growth really stands out because

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EPISODE 645 - Anthony Dyer - Moon Child - Roots and Wings of a USAF Combat Special Missions

ANTHONY DYER grew up in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, where adventure and resilience were woven into his very being. That same spirit of fearlessness carried him into a life of service, leading to an extraordinary career in Special Operations Aviation as a USAF Combat Special Missions Aviator. Over the course of more than a decade, Anthony flew into some of the most dangerous and unpredictable environments on the planet, executing high-risk missions that demanded precision, courage, and an unbreakable will.

His exceptional skill and unwavering commitment to his team earned him numerous accolades, including the Air Force’s Jolly Green Rescue Mission of the Year award in 2018 for his role in a daring, life-saving operation. Throughout his career, he witnessed both the triumphs and the burdens of combat, experiencing firsthand the weight that warriors carry long after the missions end.

When he’s not writing or speaking on behalf of those who have walked a similar path, Anthony finds solace in fishing, basketball, and the simple joys of family life. Above all, he is a devoted father and husband, embracing the adventure of parenthood with the same passion and intensity that defined his military career. Now residing in New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment, Anthony continues his journey—one that is no longer defined by combat

Book - Moon Child: The Roots and Wings of a USAF Combat Special Missions Aviator

Born in the rugged Appalachian town of Sylva, North Carolina, Anthony Dyer was raised in a world of untamed adventure, where resilience was a way of life. That same fearless spirit propelled him into the elite realm of Special Operations Aviation, where he spent over a decade as a USAF Combat Special Missions Aviator, flying into the world's most volatile war zones. Tasked with executing high-risk missions under relentless pressure, Anthony's career was defined by precision, courage, and sacrifice. But what happens when the mission ends?

In Moon Child, Anthony delivers a raw, unfiltered account of his life in combat-the triumphs, burdens, and unseen wounds that follow Warriors home. He shares the harrowing details of his most dangerous operations, including the 2018 Jolly Green Rescue Mission of the Year, where split-second decisions meant the difference between life and death. Yet, beyond the battlefield, Anthony faced a far deadlier enemy: the silent battles of addiction, trauma, and the search for purpose beyond war.

For those who have known war, for those who have battled addiction, and for those still finding their way-Moon Child is your story, too.

https://www.traitmarkermedia.com/moonchild

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EPISODE 644 - Marshall Fine - Journalist, Critic, Historian, Filmmaker, and Author of Hemlock Lane

About the author

After a fifty-year career as an award-winning journalist, critic, and filmmaker, Minneapolis native Marshall Fine made the transition to writing fiction in 2024 with the Kindle best-selling novel, "The Autumn of Ruth Winters." Fine has written biographies of filmmakers John Cassavetes and Sam Peckinpah, directed documentaries about film critic Rex Reed and comedian Robert Klein, conducted the Playboy Interview with Howard Stern, and chaired the New York Film Critics Circle four times. The author currently lives in Ossining, New York. His second novel, "Hemlock Lane," will be published in November 2025.

Book: Hemlock Lane

In this riveting story of family bonds and buried truths, a young woman’s homecoming becomes a reckoning as four days together threaten to shatter the comfortable lies that have held her family together.

In the summer of 1967, the Levitsky family convenes for a long weekend at their home in the suburbs―an idyllic holiday for the perfect family.

But Nora has always known better.

Growing up, she learned to tiptoe around her mother Lillian’s explosive temper. Her father did the same. Nora’s sole confidante was their housekeeper, Clara, and their bond has only strengthened through the years. In fact, it’s all that’s keeping Nora together for her homecoming. But under that lifetime of pressure, the facade is beginning to splinter.

Over the next four days, everyone’s secrets are at risk. None more so than what Nora really wants for her life, how Clara has helped her get it…and how they’ve orchestrated it all behind Lillian’s back.

As the family grapples with the complex ties that bind them, Nora discovers that facing the truth―however painful―might be the key to finally breaking free. This weekend, Nora’s bravest act may be in knowing which bonds to cherish and which ones need to be gently set aside, making room for a future of her own choosing.

https://www.marshallfine.com/
https://amzn.to/4n9ZIED

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EPISODE 643 - Mitchell Levy - Executive Abundance Through Clarity & Credibility, LinkedIn Basics for Authors and Creatives

Global Credibility Expert Mitchell Levy is a 2x TEDx speaker (including the 28th most popular in 2021), an international bestselling author of over 60 books, a Certified Stakeholder Centered Coach, and an executive coach at Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches. 

As an Executive Coach, Mitchell is a sounding board, a thinking partner, and someone who can hold the mirror to generate insights for personal change. This impact has earned him a place among the world’s Top 200 Leadership Voices by LeadersHum (#16 in 2023), and as the #1 Thought Leader in Ecosystems and Top 100 Thought Leader Overall by Thinkers360.

He’s an accomplished Entrepreneur who has created twenty businesses in Silicon Valley including four publishing companies that have published over 750 books. He’s provided strategic consulting to hundreds of companies and has been the chairman of a board of a NASDAQ-listed company.

https://mitchelllevy.com/books/

Mitchell Levy has authored and co-authored over 60 books. You can see these books on Pintererst. He’s written on topics surrounding thought leadership and credibility in many vertical and functional areas.

https://mitchelllevy.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchelllevy/

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EPISODE 642 - Ryan Null - The Flare Chronicles - Into the Blaze and Into the Shadows, Marketing Your Book, Giving Back and Pizza

About the author
Ryan Null, an American author, is a great father to his children and a loving husband to his wife. He began his writing journey in 8th grade, inspired by his love for reading and a teacher’s challenge.

Balancing a busy life running an egg business, working multiple jobs, and raising a family, Ryan finds time to craft detailed, imaginative stories. His unique worlds and clever wordplay set him apart. Outside writing, he enjoys taking care of chickens, building projects, and engaging in men’s ministry at his church. This is his first published book, with more in the series to come.

Book - The Flare Chronicles: Into the Shadows

"When the blaze fades, only the brave survive the dark."

The story continues… After the explosive events of Into the Blaze, Daniel, Trisha, and Broctree rise from the ruins of rebellion—scarred but not broken. Seeking refuge at the sacred Godeware Lake, they hope for healing… but peace is fleeting.

Whispers of ancient evils stir in the dark. A forgotten terror—the Korkulan Skugga—returns, threatening to plunge Azrin into a new era of fear. As long-buried secrets surface and trust is tested, the trio must face an enemy born from myth itself.

A world on the brink. A destiny rekindled. Shadows that know your name.
The Flare Chronicles: Into the Shadows pulls you deeper into the fire—and far beyond.

Book: The Flare Chronicles: Into the Blaze

"A spark can ignite a legend."
Step into a kingdom ruled by shadows and secrets, where sixteen-year-old Daniel embarks on a journey to uncover the truth about his mysterious bloodline. Armed with only his bow, a satchel of essentials, and an unbreakable will, Daniel’s quest soon ignites into a blaze of rebellion, redemption, and an ancient prophecy coming to life.

Along the way, he encounters a legendary warrior, a mysterious rogue, and a world brimming with hidden magic. With the tyrannical Order watching from the shadows, Daniel must decide: cling to safety or embrace the fire of destiny.

Epic battles, loyal companions, and gods of old lurking in the shadows—The Flare Chronicles: Into the Blaze is the thrilling start of an unforgettable adventure.

https://www.authorryannull.com/home

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EPISODE 641 - E K Wise - The Debilis Rising - Keepers of the Rock Book 1, magical realism and earthbound fantasy and M.A.S.H.

E.K. Wise’s endless curiosity about cultural history and geology developed in her youth after living abroad and traveling internationally. She is enticed by multicultural cuisine and will sample almost any food once. 

When not creating stories, she’s likely wrangling teenagers, sweating on her stationary bike, reading, or studying cool rocks and minerals. 

Wise passionately advocates for learning evaluation, as she and three of her four kiddos (and maybe the dog), have ADHD. She earned degrees in psychology and clinical social work and lives with her family in Southern California.

Book: The Debilis Rising

When you know the Earth is dying, what will you do to save it?
Tessa Horton knows there’s more to life than meets the eye and her unique ability is proof. Tú Chen feels guilty about keeping his ability secret from his parents, but does it to protect them. 

The truth about the world is finally unveiled when they are accepted into the College of Geological Evolution, an exclusive international school run by an ancient secret society: the Keepers of the Rock.

The Keepers, bestowed with supernatural abilities connected to the Earth, have a duty to protect the planet and its creatures, so humanity can reverse its accelerating course toward destruction. They alone are aware of the insidious evil that exists in the world: the Debilis—monsters who prey on mankind and willfully manipulate them for their ultimate goal—control of all Earth’s resources and humanity itself. 

As they settle in at school, Tessa and Tú are relieved to find they are not alone. However, the pair and their extraordinary classmates soon learn how challenging their destined responsibilities will be. As Keepers, they are forbidden from directly meddling in human affairs and must rely on covert guidance to save humanity. 

With the stakes incredibly high, the Keepers must prepare their young scholars to stop the resurging evil. For in truth, “the hand that cradles the rock rules the world.”

Keepers of the Rock: The Debilis Rising is Book One in an exciting and original YA fantasy series by E.K.Wise. If you like secret worlds, crystals, minerals, history, or science you will love this immersive 4-D reading experience! 

https://ekwise.com/

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EPISODE 640 - R D Moreno - Zada 5 - Path of the One - A prophecy waits for Connor if he can survive long enough

Retired communication executive after 41 years. Married for the second time to my loving wife of 30 years, with five grown kids between us, and fourteen grandchildren. Our family pets include two small dogs and a large macaw. We are now living in NC. We just finished remodeling our current home. Other hobbies include writing among a host of others, like landscaping and woodworking. 

Zada 5 Saga - Connor Balcazar never expected to have a destiny. Though his family has served the galactic empire for generations, his older brother Adam has always outshone him in combat abilities and natural charisma. The brothers are the best of friends, but Connor is determined to prove himself and master his hidden ability to see the future to assist Emperor Esteban any way he can.

https://www.rdmorenoauthor.com/

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EPISODE 639 - Deepa Anappara - Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line, Letters to a Writer of Colour and The Last of Earth

Deepa Anappara’s debut novel Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line was named as one of the best books of the year by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time and NPR. It won the Edgar Award for Best Novel, was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2020, and shortlisted for the JCB Prize for Indian Literature. Time included it in its list of ‘The 100 Best Mystery and Thriller Books of All Time’. It has been translated into over twenty languages.

Anappara is the co-editor of Letters to a Writer of Colour, a collection of personal essays on fiction, race, and culture, published by Random House (US) and Vintage (UK) in 2023.

Her second novel, The Last of Earth, will be published by Random House in the US, and Penguin Random House in India, in January 2026, and by Oneworld in the UK in February 2026.

She has a PhD in Creative-Critical Writing and an MA in Creative Writing (Prose Fiction) from the University of East Anglia, Norwich. She teaches creative writing and is a mentor on the South Asia Speaks mentorship programme for emerging writers in South Asia.

Anappara was born in Kerala, southern India, and worked as a journalist in India for eleven years. Her reports on the impact of poverty and religious violence on the education of children won the Developing Asia Journalism Awards, the Every Human has Rights Media Awards, and the Sanskriti-Prabha Dutt Fellowship in Journalism.

Book: THE LAST OF EARTH
From the award-winning author of Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line comes a stunning historical novel set in nineteenth-century Tibet that follows two outsiders—an Indian schoolteacher spying for the British Empire and an English “lady” explorer—as they venture into a forbidden kingdom.

1869. Tibet is closed to Europeans, an infuriating obstruction for the rap­idly expanding British Empire. In response, Britain begins training Indians—permitted to cross borders that white men may not—to undertake illicit, dangerous surveying expeditions into Tibet.

Balram is one such surveyor-spy, an Indian schoolteacher who, for several years, has worked for the British, often alongside his dearest friend, Gyan. But Gyan went missing on his last expedition and is rumored to be imprisoned within Tibet. Desperate to rescue his friend, Balram agrees to guide an English captain on a foolhardy mission: After years of paying others to do the exploring, the captain, disguised as a monk, wants to personally chart a river that runs through southern Tibet. Their path will cross fatefully with that of another Westerner in disguise, fifty-year-old Katherine. Denied a fellowship in the all-male Royal Geographical Society in London, she intends to be the first European woman to reach Lhasa.

A polyphonic novel about the various ways humans try to leave a mark on the world—from the enduring nature of family and friendship to the egomania and obsessions of the colonial enterprise—The Last of Earth confirms Deepa Anappara as one of our greatest and most ambitious storytellers.

https://www.deepa-anappara.com/

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