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

EPISODE 742 - Eric Clark - The Beekman Affair - The perfect couple, the perfect life, the perfect lie

In this conversation, Eric Clark reflects on his journey as a writer and the deeper themes behind his work. Speaking from San Diego after growing up in New York City, he shares how perspective and lived experience shape both storytelling and personal identity.

Eric emphasizes that writing must begin with love for the craft rather than a focus on publishing or marketability. For him, creativity should remain untainted by the pressures of agents, sales, or audience targeting. The work has to come from an internal need to express something true. Inspiration often arrives unexpectedly, and reading other authors can spark new ideas without becoming plagiarism. Every story ultimately filters through the writer’s unique experiences.

At the heart of his latest novel is an exploration of perspective, change, and the discomfort that comes when deeply held values are challenged. The story follows Claire and Peter, a married couple whose backgrounds shaped them in very different ways. Claire is driven, accomplished, and structured. Peter is reflective, conflict averse, and open. When new neighbors move in and tension rises, existing marital strain surfaces and forces both characters to confront their assumptions.

The novel examines how people evolve over years, not months. Change is gradual and often painful, especially when it challenges identity or stability. Eric draws from his own background as the child of immigrants to portray characters who understand both the inside and the outside of belonging. His writing consistently returns to themes of outsiders navigating systems that may accept them conditionally.

Throughout the discussion, Eric highlights the complexity of social and political perspectives. He avoids caricatures, instead giving sincere voice to multiple viewpoints. The story challenges readers to recognize how easily we forget our own past struggles once we feel secure. It asks what happens when change arrives next door rather than at a distance, and whether we can extend empathy across differences.

Ultimately, Eric writes for readers who remain open to growth. His goal is not to divide but to invite reflection on how we handle change, identity, and community in a complicated world.

New Release: The Beekman Affair
Publication Date: Coming March 17th by Glass Spider Publishing

The perfect couple. The perfect life. The perfect lie.

Clare and Peter Davidson have always looked like they had it all—college sweethearts turned devoted partners, with two bright children and a picture-perfect home in the tight-knit community of Beekman. But behind the manicured lawn and warm smiles lies a marriage quietly unraveling under the weight of secrets, betrayals, and unspoken regrets.

When Beekman itself begins to fracture—factory closures, job losses, neighbors forced to choose sides in a bitter local conflict—Clare and Peter find themselves on opposite ends of a fight that hits closer to home than they ever imagined. As the town’s tensions mount, so do the cracks in Clare’s carefully constructed world.

The Beekman Affair is a gripping story of loss, betrayal, and the quiet courage it takes to reclaim your own life—no matter the cost.

https://ericclarkauthor.com/

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EPISODE 741 - Anne Beall - The Compassionate Writer - Find Your Voice, Enhance Your Story and Touch Lives

In this episode, author and social psychologist Anne Beall invites listeners into a life shaped by curiosity, compassion, and a deep belief that every person has a story worth telling. She shares how her path from research psychology into the business world and, eventually, into full time writing and literary editing grew out of a desire to understand people more fully and communicate with them more effectively. That journey includes founding and running a market research company for over two decades, selling it, and then dedicating herself to writing books and leading the Chicago Story Press Literary Journal, which focuses on meaningful, insight rich creative nonfiction.

Anne describes how her lifelong love of animals led to exploring the emotional intelligence and depth of connection possible between humans and other species. From service llamas who intuitively comfort residents in assisted living to a pig that can identify English words on a soundboard, she recounts stories that challenge our assumptions about animal awareness and underline her conviction that many beings understand us in ways we barely recognize. Those experiences informed her book about heartfelt connections with animals and reinforced her broader commitment to writing about relationships, empathy, and unseen emotional bonds.

At the heart of the conversation is Anne’s book about compassionate writing and her belief that good storytelling requires a nuanced view of human nature. Instead of dividing people into heroes and villains, she argues that powerful writing reveals everyone as flawed, complex, and deeply human. She explores the difference and overlap between empathy and compassion, suggesting that compassion is not just a feeling but an action: the deliberate effort to understand why people behave as they do, including ourselves. By looking at life’s painful or confusing events through a compassionate lens, writers can find meaning in their experiences and translate that understanding onto the page in ways that help readers see themselves more clearly and judge themselves less harshly.

Drawing on her role as an editor, Anne talks about what makes a story a good fit for a literary journal, why certain themes become overrepresented, and how even strong work can be rejected for reasons beyond an author’s control. She emphasizes persistence, the value of revisiting and strengthening work after repeated rejections, and the reality that numbers and timing often shape publication outcomes as much as quality. Throughout, she returns to the idea that emotional resonance matters most: writers and readers are both seeking stories that illuminate life, particularly around loss, family, identity, and the moments that change us.

Anne also speaks directly to listeners who may not see themselves as writers. She encourages anyone who journals or reflects on their life to view those pages as meaningful work that can bring healing and clarity, especially when approached with self compassion. 

Key takeaway: You are worthy of your story. Approaching your life and your writing with compassion – for yourself, your characters, and your readers – can turn painful or confusing experiences into meaningful narratives that touch lives, including your own.

https://annebeall.com/

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EPISODE 740 - Carter Vance - A story of living, loving and growing up on Canada's Parliament Hill

In this engaging episode, author Carter Vance shares his writing journey with host Dave, connecting as fellow Canadians. Originally from the small town of Cobourg, Ontario—famous for its literal Big Apple roadside sculpture and summer beach—Carter credits a high school teacher's encouragement for launching his creative path. She connected him with local cafe owners for poetry readings, sparking his early involvement in plays, school magazines, and submissions to prestigious outlets like Arc Poetry Magazine, which offered a mentorship that honed his skills in audience focus, form, and resilience against rejections.

Reflecting on advice he'd give his younger self, Carter emphasizes demystifying publishing, treating writing like a disciplined job—as Stephen King advocates with daily hours—and clarifying one's unique "why" amid abundant content. Creative writing, for him, captures intangible life moments and fosters empathy by letting readers inhabit others' minds, unlike film or music. His diverse career, including policy work in Canada, the UK, Indonesia, and Parliament (as a House leader staffer from 2015-2019 and Senate role), humanized politicians as flawed individuals, revealing unexpected alliances, young staffers' influence, and information's power in decision-making.

Carter's debut novel, Smaller Animals (released November), draws from these experiences, following young Canadian political staffers' relationships and growth amid power dynamics—"smaller animals" behind the spotlight. Comparable to Arthur Phillips' Prague, Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, or Sally Rooney's works, it appeals to politics enthusiasts and character-driven readers alike, requiring no deep parliamentary knowledge. He discusses staff autonomy, grunt work evolving to info control, and hopes readers connect personally while gaining insights into unseen influencers.

Amid recent Canadian tragedies, Carter finds hope in political maturity, rising public engagement, and openness to change. Upcoming: a short story in Plentitude magazine, more writing, and ideas like a Berlin Wall saga.

Key Takeaway: Writing thrives on encouragement, discipline, and authentic voice—craft stories that build empathy and unique perspectives, turning personal experiences into shared connections.

https://cartervance.ca/

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EPISODE 739 - J. Bellante Ward - The Wyrd of Skulda Discover Norns, the three legendary females who control time

In this engaging episode of Living The Next Chapter, host Dave welcomes debut fantasy author J. Bellante Ward, a dental hygienist from Virginia originally from Maryland, who stumbled into writing after a coworker praised her knack for words in a simple professional email. Nervous but thrilled for her first podcast appearance, J. shares how she penned her Norse mythology-inspired series in just two months, embracing her "pantser" style where the plot unfolded organically through character journeys rather than rigid outlines. She discusses battling impatience for instant gratification, learning not to chase perfection—since human imperfections make stories relatable and distinct from AI-generated content—and finding her authentic voice about a quarter into the manuscript, shifting to a more confident tone.

J. dives into her series' core: three Norns controlling past, present, and future, reimagined in a world without cell phones or modern tech to emphasize raw human connections and epic quests. Book one follows Bren, the Norn of the future from a dark kingdom, on a self-discovery path amid romance, "smut," and battles against an evil king seeking to dominate the realms via the tree of life. Unplanned characters like Bren's sarcastic best friend stole her heart, earning future books, while part one builds the world lightly and part two accelerates into non-stop action. She credits advice from patients and fellow authors, like writing the ending at 80% to race smoothly to the finish, and cut filler for a lean, approachable read even for fantasy newcomers.
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Marketing challenges surface too: J. finds social media inauthentic and mentally draining, preferring genuine conversations like this interview over forced videos, and pitches her elf-and-mythology tale proudly despite adult awkwardness. A vivid reading from chapter three paints a terrifying swamp creature encounter, drawing from head-to-toe details inspired by quirky YouTube like Salad Fingers. Her real "moment" came from a stranger's glowing review, not pre-sales from supporters. Looking ahead, book two launches soon, with Instagram and Facebook as key follows.
​

Key Takeaway: Embrace your creative flow without perfectionism—human flaws and organic storytelling connect deepest with readers, proving anyone can birth a world from a spark.

https://www.instagram.com/j.bella.ward.writes/

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EPISODE 738 - Lalitha Ramanathan -  Parenting Unplugged and Kanmani and Co - Five Friends and a Cat Tackle the World

In a different lifetime, I worked in Finance, burying myself in MS Excel sheets. One day, I rekindled my passion for writing, and Excel paved way for Word, and my life has never been the same again.

Writing is my oxygen, and I write every single day. Over time, I have amassed millions of words, through stories that encapsulate bits of my soul. My favourite topics include parenting, fiction, children’s stories, and any place where there is scope to insert a pinch of humour.

Now that you are here, wondering what to read?

My stories have found a place in some anthologies. Here, you can find the collections in which my works feature, as well as a sneak peek into my upcoming publications.

https://lalitharamanathan.com/

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Episode 592 - Joe McClean - Screenwriter, Author and Director - Putting Yourself Out There and Into Your Story, That is Where the Opportunity Lies

Joe made a bunch of short films and one feature length movie with friends and no money. To this day, I enjoy watching those early attempts to craft a story, but essentially this era of on-the-job-training was my film school. Now it was time to take my first big swing. 

I wrote a script I felt I could raise enough money to shoot myself, a found-footage film, and I spent a year begging for cash and favors. The star of a hit TV show, who had gone to the same high school as me, graciously agreed to act in it. An NBA player made a small investment. Actor, comedian, and Late Show with David Letterman regular, Jay Thomas agreed to make a cameo. The snowball was growing and eventually I scraped together enough cash to direct Life Tracker. The movie played over 20 science fiction conventions and got a digital distribution deal with Charter Communications (now Spectrum) and streamed into millions of American homes.

Life Tracker 

Great! Now I needed a follow up to prove that my work ethic couldn't be mistaken for beginner's luck.​ Taking advantage of a group of talented actor friends and another who owned property outside of Fresno, I wrote and directed a super-low-budget homage to The Big Chill called The Drama Club which can currently be seen on Tubi.

The Drama Club 

Looking back from that point, I could see the years of work I'd put in. Meeting people. Working with casts and crews. Going on adventures together. taking risks and building trust. Jobs started to fall into place. I signed my first manager. I joined the Writers Guild of America. I pitched big shot producers at legacy studios and powerhouse production companies. Always searching for that next opportunity. That's when I met Blair Underwood. A business lunch turned into an attachment (and a friendship), and soon I was hitting up everyone I'd ever done business with to see who wanted to join the team.

Viral was written and produced by me, it's directed by and stars Blair, and he shares the screen with Sarah Silverman, Jeanine Mason, and the incomparable Alfre Woodard! The movie is finished and we're actively working with our sales team to bring it to audiences.

In the mean time, I’m working with Amistad (an imprint of HarperCollins Publishing) on a two-book deal titled Sins of Survivors about the plight of a family who lived in the once vital African American neighborhood of Black Bottom in 1930s and 40s Detroit. The first book is currently available everywhere books are sold, and the second hits shelves in the summer of 2026... So, go to your local bookstore's website get your copy!

Why "Ginger Beard," you ask? My wife's maiden name is "Beard," and when our son was born he had a reddish tint to his hair. So, my company is named after my son, my "Ginger Beard"... It's only a bonus that I have red facial hair.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-mcclean-6668b018

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0565697/

https://www.gingerbeardfilms.com/

Wednesday, September 17, 2025

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EPISODE 737 - Ben Schenkman - Challenging readers’ conventional thinking and the complexities of moral dilemmas

In this engaging conversation, author and voice actor Ben Schenkman returns to chat about his creative journey, his latest release My Brother’s Keeper, and the many realities of being an independent author in today’s publishing landscape.

Ben opens with a personal story about his family’s love of vintage guitars—a nod to his musical roots and his identical twin brother’s collection connected to their Woodstock‐era mother. From there, the conversation evolves into one of the most honest explorations of indie author marketing you’ll hear. Ben breaks down what really works when promoting your books and what doesn’t, drawing from firsthand experience running Facebook, Amazon, and BookBub ads. His message is simple and refreshing: books sell books, and advertising a single title rarely pays off until an author has multiple works available.

Ben shares practical, field‑tested advice inspired by David Gaughran’s “Demystifying Facebook Ads” series, explaining why Facebook remains one of the few ad platforms that can still produce results—if authors learn to take control and target the right readers. He then contrasts ads with BookBub Featured Deals, describing how well-timed offers can create lasting exposure, especially for multi‑book series. But long before any ads go live, he emphasizes, authors must focus on collecting authentic reviews, not just from friends and family but from real readers whose balanced feedback adds legitimacy.

The heart of the episode revolves around My Brother’s Keeper, the darkly magical first installment in The Cycle of Ash. Set in an alternate New Haven, Connecticut, the story blends Jewish mysticism, urban fantasy, and noir detective grit. Private investigator Max Asher returns home to bury his twin brother—and quickly discovers the death may not be what it seems. The novel’s emotional depth, grounded world‑building, and spiritual underpinnings reflect Ben’s personal connection to his Jewish heritage and his lived experiences as a twin.

Ben also pulls back the curtain on his creative process—how he uses beat sheets from Save the Cat Writes a Novel to manage pacing, why reader feedback matters more than formulas, and why no story can satisfy every audience. For aspiring writers, his candor is invaluable: embrace imperfection, learn your genre, and write with emotional truth.

As the episode wraps, Ben looks ahead to the March 30 release of My Brother’s Keeper and a virtual launch celebration with the Fantasy & Sci‑Fi Fanatics podcast in early April. He also reminds fellow creators to celebrate every milestone—whether it’s finishing a first draft or earning that first genuine review—and to recognize that publishing any book is an extraordinary achievement.

Key Takeaway:
Success as an indie author isn’t about chasing algorithms or outsmarting ad platforms; it’s about writing honest stories, connecting with real readers, and valuing progress at every stage of the creative journey.

https://benschenkman.com/

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Episode 525 - Richard DeVeau - Light's Out - We Paint a Picture of a special forces veteran, CIA officer, and leader of Boston's Homeland Security team

About the author

After majoring in marketing at Bentley University, Richard spent a career as a copywriter and creative director serving such clients as Red Lobster, Ducati Motorcycles, Marriott Hotels, and Clorox. He also brought his writing skills to bear for communications agencies that serve nonprofit organizations, including American Red Cross, Wounded Warrior Project, Toys for Tots, CARE, Special Olympics and many others. And he was a frequent editorial contributor to Fundraising Success Magazine.

In 2000, he helped launch acclaimed author Stephen King’s internet publishing debut and the world’s first mass- marketed e-book, Riding the Bullet. Richard wrote the online ad campaign that prompted more than 400,000 people to purchase and download the novella.

His screenplay, Graven Image, placed in the top twenty percent of the Academy of Motion Pictures’ Nicholl Fellowships international screenwriting competition in 2014.

Richard is also an accomplished fine art painter. Over the past thirty years, he has exhibited work in numerous solo and group shows. His work was represented by two commercial art galleries in his native Boston and is now represented by a gallery in Chicago, where he currently resides.

Richard and his wife have four adult children and two grandchildren.

Book: Light's Out

A retired couple are murdered in their Wisconsin home - art and other valuables are stolen. A Lake Michigan oil tanker explodes and sinks that same night.

Eve Taunt - special forces veteran, CIA officer, and leader of Boston's Homeland Security team - believes there is a connection between these two events.

She and her team quickly find themselves in pursuit of a domestic terrorist - an M.I.T. educated, military trained missile genius with Ted Bundy-like psychopathy - to stop him before he carries out his next devastating attack. This one is even more lethal than the overhwelming inferno he just unleashed on Boston.

As Eve closes in, she discovers these attacks are orchestrated by a US senator and a powerful cabal of highly placed leaders and lawmakers with a hidden agenda.

https://a.co/d/2yD92bj

Episode Date - Monday, April 14, 2025

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EPISODE 736 - Shymara Medina - Proud Puerto Rican children’s book author, is passionate about storytelling that uplifts and inspires young minds

In this episode, Shymara Medina shares the story behind her journey as a proud Puerto Rican children’s book author and the inspiration that shapes her storytelling. She talks about how her life in Georgia, her family, and her everyday experiences became the foundation for books that encourage, educate, and uplift young readers. Show notes often work best when they offer a short, engaging summary that gives listeners a clear sense of the episode’s focus and value.

A major thread in the conversation is her family’s beekeeping life and how that world sparked the idea for Zeke becomes a beekeeper. Shymara explains what she has learned through beekeeper associations, monthly meetings, and hands-on care for their hives, while also showing how bees became more than a topic and turned into a meaningful teaching tool for children. She connects bee safety, responsibility, nature, honey, and the role bees play in a family business to lessons young readers can understand and remember.

She also reflects on writing Zeke’s quest for courage, a story built around her son’s struggles with spelling and the encouragement her family wanted to give him. The book blends story, spelling practice, and comprehension in a way that makes learning feel fun and personal. Shymara shares how seeing children respond to the book, especially during school visits, confirmed for her that stories can help kids feel capable and supported.

The episode also explores the realities of self-publishing, finding the right illustrator, protecting creative ownership, and using real life as inspiration for children’s books. Shymara offers insight into writing with intention, choosing collaborators carefully, and staying open to growth as an author. She closes with plans for a bilingual book and a young adult project, showing that her creativity is still expanding.

Key takeaway: Shymara’s work is rooted in the belief that children need stories that reflect real life, build confidence, and remind them that their voices matter.

https://www.instagram.com/shymara_medina/

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EPISODE 735 - Alison McBain - Do something creative every day, The New Empire - A  journey of self-discovery has a steep price

In this episode of Living The Next Chapter, host Dave welcomes Alison McBain, a prolific Canadian author based near Edmonton, Alberta. With a dual American-Canadian heritage, Alison shares her journey from growing up in the States to returning home three years ago, embracing the region's chilly winters now softened by a rare heat wave. She dives into the golden age of publishing, where endless options overwhelm new authors, urging them to ignore the noise, write their stories relentlessly, and persevere through rejections—since that's the true divide between published and unpublished writers.

Alison reveals how she discovered her versatile voice by writing prolifically across genres, embracing failures publicly for accountability, and drawing from life's odd jobs and family chaos, like raising three kids. Writing is her passion, akin to breathing; she gets lost in it for hours, reads voraciously from history to fantasy, and rejects "write what you know" for "write what you love," crafting relatable characters in wild scenarios—from spaceships to dragons. She champions individual human experiences over AI's generic output, confident creativity remains our domain.

Highlights include her award-winning alternate history The New Empire, inspired by speculative Chinese voyages to 14th-century Americas, exploring a slave boy's coming-of-age amid empire-building. Other gems: a romance born from her nightmare house renovation (now a streaming e-book), the collaborative fantasy anthology Enchantress of Books, and a gender-flipped Beauty and the Beast YA tale challenging power dynamics and beauty standards. In 2024's bold "Author vs. AI" challenge, she penned 34 first drafts across genres like Western and horror—now polishing for release—proving genre-hopping builds loyal readers if stories resonate.

Media buzz from CBC and City News followed, fueled by her human-centric ethos. Alison battles imposter syndrome healthily, cherishes reader connections over unnoticed details, and crafts complex villains for narrative drive. Her motto: Do something creative daily, from writing to music.

Key Takeaway: Everyone has a story worth telling—shut out distractions, write with passion and perseverance, and let relatable characters connect you to readers who'll cherish your unique voice.

https://www.alisonmcbain.com/

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