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

Episode 599 - Gary Barnes - The Traction Coach, On a mission to empower everyone that he connects with

My name is Gary Barnes, and it's my mission in life to help people find more creativity, passion, fulfillment, and, yes, wealth in their businesses.

To do that, I help people just like you to learn how to get past their self-defeating behaviors. And I help business creators to:

Stop running your business with "one foot on the gas and the other foot on the brake"
Live a life of vision and purpose, instead of exhausting yourself on the same old treadmill
Create more financial success and abundance (without working yourself into the ground)
Heal relationships and marriages by working with your money instead of against it
Learn to market your business with integrity and authenticity
Have a lot more fun in your business and your life!
My clients call me "The Traction Coach"

Why? Because I specialize in quickly getting some "sand under your wheels" so you can move forward toward the life you want to live.

I know that anyone can lead an empowered life, no matter what challenges you've faced or what circumstances you're in right now. And I've developed tools that will help you realize that potential, not just for today's challenges, but for tomorrow and the years to come.

I also understand what it's like when things aren't so rosy. I've faced down a life-threatening illness . . . and won. That experience is part of what led me to dedicate my life to helping people maximize their lives and their businesses.

Book: How a Beaver Saved My Life (Previously titled Into the Night): The Real Life Story of Adversity to Triumph Book is a dramatic look into one man’s journey when doctors told him that he would be in a wheelchair or dead in ten years. You will share Gary’s engaging, deeply touching, and sometimes hilarious stories. The experience will seem so real that you will think you are there with Gary as he faces death and disability and finds his way to win over both!

https://www.garybarnesinternational.com/

Support the show

___
https://livingthenextchapter.com/
podcast produced by: https://truemediasolutions.ca/

Coffee Refills are always appreciated, refill Dave's cup here, and thanks!
https://buymeacoffee.com/truemediaca

E598 - Imagination Wizard Jason DeGray Writes About Those Left Behind with his Typewriter - A Space Western and Weird Fiction Universe

About the author

Imagination Wizard Jason DeGray conjures vivid worlds of adventure, from the lawless deserts of Those Left Behind to the cosmic horrors of The Dark Goddess. A master storyteller, he crafts tales of defiance, brotherhood, and survival that grip fans of Firefly, The Dark Tower, and beyond. Whether it’s sci-fi westerns, fantasy epics, or pulse-pounding thrillers, Jason’s stories ignite the imagination with rugged heroes and high-stakes action. When not weaving novels, he’s exploring the wild deserts of New Mexico, seeking inspiration for his next epic. Dive into Jason’s universe, where every book is a portal to rebellion and wonder—start with Those Left Behind and join the fight! Connect on Facebook for new releases and behind-the-scenes lore.

Book: Those Left Behind
On Quad's ravaged frontier, survival is a brutal gamble. Zed, a brash mercenary, and Vyx, a brilliant mechanic, are recruited by the cunning Ezra Pound to defy the Colonyal Gyld's iron rule. Joined by Sygurd, a vengeful warrior-monk wielding the mystical Gram, they battle the Strays—ferocious dogmen unleashed by the Gyld to crush rebellion. From scorched deserts to neon-lit slums, their mission to seize a mysterious desert deposit unveils a cosmic conspiracy: a sentient ship, Yshtar, and a liquid that could reshape Quad's fate. Bound by brotherhood and driven by defiance, Zed's crew ignites an uprising against tyrants and alien shadows. Those Left Behind is a gritty sci-fi western packed with rugged heroes and pulse-pounding action, perfect for fans of Firefly and The Dark Tower. Will Quad rise or burn? Join the fight—grab your copy now!

https://www.facebook.com/jasondegrayauthor/

Support the show

___
https://livingthenextchapter.com/
podcast produced by: https://truemediasolutions.ca/

Coffee Refills are always appreciated, refill Dave's cup here, and thanks!
https://buymeacoffee.com/truemediaca

EPISODE 597 - Kate Woodworth - Little Great Island, A Story of a Commuity of fishing families to the lobsters and the butterflies impacted by Climate Change

Kate Woodworth is the award-winning author of the novel Racing into the Dark, which Publishers Weekly said, “hits the mark repeatedly with emotional truths and fluid prose” and which Kirkus Reviews called, “vivid and honest, dramatic and without pat resolutions: an impressive debut”.

A passionate lover of the natural world, Kate is the author of essays on the impact of climate change on fishing and farming that have been published by the Climate Fiction Writers League and on her Substack, “Food in the Time of Climate Change.” Her novel about love, community, and climate change, Little Great Island, has been called “an extraordinary achievement and a pure pleasure to read” by National Book Award and PEN/Faulkner Award winner Ha Jin. Kate is the founder and creative force behind “Be the Butterfly”, a grassroots climate action initiative that invites everyone to do one small thing to help mitigate climate change. Kate received her MFA from Boston University.

Little Great Island
On Little Great Island, climate change is disrupting both life and love.

After offending the powerful pastor of the cult where she’s lived for a decade, Mari McGavin must flee with her six-year-old son. With no money and no place else to go, she returns to the tiny Maine island where she grew up—a place she swore she’d never see again. There Mari runs into her lifelong friend Harry Richardson, one of the island’s summer residents, now back himself to sell his family’s summer home. Mari and Harry’s lives intertwine once again, setting off a chain of events as unexpected and life altering as the shifts in climate affecting the whole ecosystem of the island…from generations of fishing families to the lobsters and the butterflies.

Little Great Island  illustrates in microcosm the greatest changes of our time and the unyielding power of love.

“An uplifting and grown-up novel in which two lost souls find love and purpose”
—Kirkus Reviews

“…utterly grounded and achingly empathetic, developed with gorgeous, flowing prose and a steady, sometimes heart-wrenching plot.”
—Booklist

https://katewoodworth.com/

Support the show

___
https://livingthenextchapter.com/
podcast produced by: https://truemediasolutions.ca/

Coffee Refills are always appreciated, refill Dave's cup here, and thanks!
https://buymeacoffee.com/truemediaca

Episode 596 - Amanda DuBois - Lawyer and Author Shed light on the profound realities people face

About the author: In addition to writing the Camille Delaney series, I’m the founder and busy managing partner of DuBois Levias Law Group, a woman-owned boutique family law firm on Lake Union in Seattle, where I maintain an active family law practice. Over the past thirty years, I’ve represented thousands of individuals – both in divorces and medical malpractice cases. I’ve argued hundreds of motions and taken many cases to trial. I’ve also provided pro bono legal representation for parents who served time in prison and have become very familiar with the issues they face. Prior to becoming a lawyer, I was a high-risk labor and delivery nurse at University of Washington Medical Center.

Having a background in both medicine and the law has given me unique insight into the inequities of both systems. That perspective drove me to create the Camille Delaney mystery series. Camille’s adventures weave questions about justice into a fast-paced reading experience with the twists and turns one would expect from a good thriller. My purpose in writing the series is to raise awareness of injustice and create an opportunity for readers to reflect on how our system could work better for those most marginalized.

Book: The Complication - The first in the Camille Delaney Mystery series, The Complication is a fast-paced legal and medical mystery filled with greed, murder, and intrigue. After her friend Dallas Jackson suffers a fatal complication during routine surgery, Seattle attorney Camille Delaney is determined to find out why. Dallas was like a father to Camille, and she feels she owes it to him and his family to get answers. 

Book: Deliver Them From Evil - In book two of the Camille Delaney Mystery series, a mother turns to Camille for help investigating a top Seattle doctor after tragedy strikes the delivery room.

Seattle attorney Camille Delaney is cash-strapped and struggling to balance the demands of her new solo legal practice with raising her three daughters. But when an emergency C-section goes wrong and a baby dies in the delivery room, the mother, Helene Anderson, shows up at Camille’s office asking for help. Facing the challenge of a legal system where child-loss verdicts are limited by the dollar value placed on a child’s life, Camille considers a quick settlement for the family. But Helene insists: her child’s life had value, and Camille needs to prove it in court.

Book: UNSHACKLED - A Camille Delaney Mystery

Shackled to her bed against the pleas of medical staff, Charli Zhao gives birth to a beautiful daughter named Willow. Charli had been transported to the hospital from prison, where she is serving time for a crime she didn’t commit. Within hours of the birth the unthinkable happens: the newborn is abducted, leaving Charli devastated and wondering if she’ll ever find her child, even after she gets free.

https://amandadubois.com/

Support the show

___
https://livingthenextchapter.com/
podcast produced by: https://truemediasolutions.ca/

Coffee Refills are always appreciated, refill Dave's cup here, and thanks!
https://buymeacoffee.com/truemediaca

Episode 595 - Terry Kirk - Pitfall, Chicago trader Frank Cork navigates the 1929 Market Crash. He's at the top of his game... and then he's not

I write historical fiction novels—fast-paced, gritty financial thrillers that delve into real-life cataclysmic events.  Follow my cast of characters through three novels.

• In Pitfall, Chicago trader Frank Cork navigates the 1929 Market Crash. He's at the top of his game... and then he's not. Can he fight his back to his family, his fortune, and his life? 
• Plunder is coming soon. Frank is dispatched to London at the behest of the President in July 1940 to raise a War Chest. Beset by bombs and politics, he must come up with a plan to finance the costs of America's entry into World War II. So much is riding on Frank's plan.  
• Probe is up next. Frank's daughter has taken the reins at the firm and helping the cash-starved Martin Company (now Lockheed Martin) launch a response to the Russian sputnik.

Follow the Cork family on a rollicking journey through these world-changing financial events and more. Each book will send you reaching for the next in this multi-generational family saga.

I have a Juris Doctor (Law) degree and practiced law for more than a decade. There is no better way to uncover riveting stories! Later, I migrated to the innovator sector as  Founder & CEO of Funding portal, a fintech platform for helping companies find funding. Recently, I led the sale of the company to a global firm.

PITFALL IS FOR SALE ON AMAZON, INDIGO, AND OTHER MAJOR PLATFORMS AND BOOKSTORES

PITFALL is Book #1 in my historical fiction series featuring rogue trader Frank Cork. Visit the 'PITFALL' page for a summary, and listen to Chapter 1.  The fast-paced, gritty historical fiction has been named a 'Top Book to Read this Spring' by CBC Reads!

Coming Next I  PLUNDER. Beset by bombs and politics, Frank goes to London to build a war chest to fund America’s entry into World War II. So much is riding on Frank's success! Visit the 'PLUNDER' page to learn more.

https://terrykirkbooks.com/

Support the show

___
https://livingthenextchapter.com/
podcast produced by: https://truemediasolutions.ca/

Coffee Refills are always appreciated, refill Dave's cup here, and thanks!
https://buymeacoffee.com/truemediaca

Episode 594 - Dr. Arthor L Faber - Effective - Seven Keys to Christian Leadership Success

Dr. Arthor L. Faber is an Oral Roberts University graduate with a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership and a master’s in Christian Ministry. He is the founder and proprietor of Telos Christian Life and Leadership Coaching, a Christian-based organization specializing in assisting in the future development and formation of tomorrow’s leaders in established and grassroots corporations, helping innovative people launch new businesses with a Christian foundation and influence, and defining the overwhelming challenges faced by individuals while assisting in the formation of plans to overcome what’s inhibiting their dreams and future success. Previously, he was the founder and chief executive officer of Platinum Business Enterprises in Long Island, New York, leading the company in offering over 500,00 natives within the region in urban hair care and beauty supplies since 1997. Dr. Faber is currently the founder and Pastor of Restoration Christian Fellowship Church in Aquebogue, NY, serving since 2014.

Any inquiries or assistance toward your goals are welcome, as the way to make better Christian leaders and businesspeople for the future is to share what was once shared with us.

Book: Effective! Seven Keys to Christian Leadership Success

In every facet of society, we encounter leaders-individuals in positions to guide and influence others for the greater good. Leaders can be found in schools, government, entertainment, sports, homes, and churches. While leaders deserve to be admired and respected for their roles, many have recently fallen short of our expectations, failing to embody the qualities we want our children to emulate. This disillusionment comes from witnessing failures, including those among leaders of our families and churches, where self-indulgence and greed have become prevalent. The pressing question is: what has led to this breakdown in leadership, and how can we address it?

**EFFECTIVE!** by Dr. Arthor L. Faber directly identifies the problem of leadership failure and its roots, while proposing solutions. Through analysis of case studies and testimonies from leaders, the book highlights that many leadership challenges stem from inadequate preparation. Faber outlines seven "keys" to success for Christian leaders: PRAYER, FAITH, INTEGRITY, VISION, WISDOM, STEWARDSHIP, and AGAPE LOVE. Each key is defined, connected to biblical principles, and illustrated with personal insights from the author. Whether you are beginning your leadership journey, currently leading, or shaping future leaders, **EFFECTIVE!** serves as a vital resource. By applying its principles, the possibility of failure diminishes, allowing the vision of success as a Christian leader to become their reality. God calls us to be EFFECTIVE! With this guidebook, effective leadership is just a read away.

https://arthorlfaber.com/

Support the show

___
https://livingthenextchapter.com/
podcast produced by: https://truemediasolutions.ca/

Coffee Refills are always appreciated, refill Dave's cup here, and thanks!
https://buymeacoffee.com/truemediaca

EPISODE 593 - Richard Carson - The Book of Change, A Guide to manage organizational change in the workplace

Richard H. Carson’s 40-year career includes being a practicing executive manager, organizational consultant, and research university academic. The latter was spent doing doctorate level research at a “Tier One” research university (Washington State University) in organizational psychology. For the first 30 years he worked as a senior executive manager and as a policy analyst, on economic and environmental issues, to three Oregon governors. He then spent the next 10 years as a change management consultant for a national management company. He worked helping both profit and non-profit organizations become more performance efficient and cost-effective.

This experience resulted in his creating the PSOCM process model to achieve organizational change management. This also resulted in his founding the firm of Carson & Associates in 2018.The firm now provides services such as organizational change management, strategic planning, and executive coaching exclusively to individuals and organizations.Carson brings fresh new thinking to the process of organizational change management (OCM).

Step-by-Step Guide to make Organizational Change Management
The Book of Change is both a cutting-edge, meta-analysis model and a resource publication where the reader can learn about the change management process. You can learn about the history, terminology, institutions and current thinking regarding the topic. Much of the publication is built on the thinking of others who have been or are contributing to the field.

The Book of Change is the first and only doctorate level, systematic meta-analysis of the seven decades of both the historical and the published organizational change management models. The book presents a comprehensive model that combines the best attributes of the various change management models that have been created in the last 75 years. One of the more unique and appealing aspects of the book is its readability, as in non-academic and non-metaphysical, in terms of explaining what needs to be done.

https://www.bookofchange.com/

Support the show

___
https://livingthenextchapter.com/
podcast produced by: https://truemediasolutions.ca/

Coffee Refills are always appreciated, refill Dave's cup here, and thanks!
https://buymeacoffee.com/truemediaca

Episode 591 - Francene Gillis - Where Did i Go - A Memoir Plus, Mild Traumatic Brain Injury MTBI

Francene Gillis, author/consultant/educator/advocate, has been a writer her whole life, starting at the age of five with a writing contest created by her teacher at Port Hood Consolidated, Mother St. Magdalene. Fifty years later, she is still writing in multiple genres, both fiction and nonfiction for a variety of audiences. 

She devoured books in the school library and putting words to paper became therapeutic when life’s tragedies hit. She discovered that her writing could speak for those in pain. Experiencing the devastating loss of loved ones, much of her first writings involved themes of inspiration, loss, overcoming adversity, and sharing her feelings with others so they would not feel alone. She started writing poetry as a teen and giving it to grieving friends, or as tributes to community members. 

She majored in English at St. Francis Xavier University, continued with a BEd, and obtained a master's in education in Multiculturalism, Administration & Leadership. A community activist, she writes advocacy pieces, such as those gathered in her book, A Rose in November and in her regular column for the Inverness Oran.

Her latest book, Where Did i Go? A Memoir Plus, will launch June 2025, partner published by OC Publishing. It was written after her career as a high school English teacher came to an unexpected, painful end in 2016 due to a slip and fall on black ice on her way to work that caused mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). 

Except for educational purposes, Francene has always lived in Port Hood on the coast of Cape Breton, NS. with the ocean at her backdoor.

https://www.francenegillis.ca/

Support the show

___
https://livingthenextchapter.com/
podcast produced by: https://truemediasolutions.ca/

Coffee Refills are always appreciated, refill Dave's cup here, and thanks!
https://buymeacoffee.com/truemediaca

EPISODE 590 - Cedric Muhikira - Libaax - Grow Your Roots Where You Land, Finding Your Footing in a Foreign Land

Cedric Mu is a storyteller whose roots lie in migration, identity, and the search for belonging. Born into a world where stories were cherished like family heirlooms, Cedric grew up immersed in tales that spanned generations and geographies, stories of home, displacement, and resilience. These narratives inspired a lifelong passion for capturing the essence of the human experience—especially the delicate balance of living between cultures.

With Grow Your Roots Where You Land, Cedric brings to life the poignant journey of Ayaan, a Somali immigrant who arrives in Detroit with nothing but dreams of a better life. Infused with cultural authenticity, Cedric’s writing blends Somali traditions with American urban life, celebrating both the joy and pain of building a new identity in a foreign land. Through the rhythms of Somali qaraami music and the electrifying pulse of Detroit’s techno beats, Cedric tells a story that resonates with anyone who has ever felt caught between worlds.

As a self-taught writer, Cedric’s path to authorship has been shaped by listening to the experiences of immigrants and those grappling with identity, with a deep commitment to honoring both Somali and American traditions. A writer with a storyteller’s heart, Cedric invites readers to explore the transformative power of becoming and growing roots wherever life takes them.

https://cedricmuhikira.com/

Support the show

___
https://livingthenextchapter.com/
podcast produced by: https://truemediasolutions.ca/

Coffee Refills are always appreciated, refill Dave's cup here, and thanks!
https://buymeacoffee.com/truemediaca

EPISODE 589 - Chris Castanes - Do You Need Some Sales Motivation - You’re Going To Be Great At This

Chris Castanes is a humorous sales speaker who can be a great fit for your next event, meeting or conference.

Book - “Nearly Motivated”.
Filled with examples and more humorous “Dumb Stories”, the author offers more insights on how to find prospects, handle a sales meeting, closing a deal and other pieces of information to those in sales, as well as business owners and “self employed” people.

Book - “You’re Going To Be Great At This: A Sales Memoir”
A short, irreverent book that gives the good, bad and ugly of a career in selling. This is the little book on sales you’ll wish you had when you started!
Chronicling a career in sales from childhood to present day, “You’re Going To Be Great At This!” describes the good, bad, great and crazy in the world of sales.

Do you want to get your message to the masses?
Wouldn’t you like to know how to make a networking event work efficiently for you?
Do you need help keeping your head in the game?
How is selling like dating?

https://www.chriscastanes.com/

Support the show

___
https://livingthenextchapter.com/
podcast produced by: https://truemediasolutions.ca/

Coffee Refills are always appreciated, refill Dave's cup here, and thanks!
https://buymeacoffee.com/truemediaca