#194 - What if adventure isn’t something you chase, but something you create? That question sparks a sweeping journey with author and explorer Rick Glaze—from small-town Tennessee roots to whitewater rapids, open-ocean sails, limestone caves, and a treasure map that refuses to sit still. We dig into the stories behind The Purple River, Spanish Pieces of Eight, and Eight Pieces of Eight, and how real rapids, big water, and Caribbean passages shaped the fiction that readers can’t put down.

Rick opens up about the turning points that changed his course: a fear at the top of a long Rogue River rapid, the serendipity of spotting a piece of eight on a tiny island, and the joy of learning to sail after years of kayaking. He explains how songwriting and novel writing use time differently—compressing a life into three verses versus slowing a moment into a chapter—and why both require the same core ingredient: a spark you carry into the work. You’ll hear how family dynamics fuel a high-stakes treasure hunt across islands, why a “magic map” demands courage from a young protagonist in Tennessee’s vast cave system, and how a dog-and-cat-narrated, laugh-out-loud tale of 1959 grew from a pandemic pivot.

We also get practical about the creative life today. Rick talks candidly about discoverability in a noisy world, the shifting sands of social media, and the discipline it takes to keep shipping stories and songs. His advice lands with a friendly thud: begin ugly. Write the first novel so the second can exist. Play the first nine shaky shows so the tenth can sing. Whether you’re a paddler, a sailor, a reader of adventure fiction, or a creator looking for a push, this conversation blends craft, courage, and curiosity into a guide you can actually use.

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To learn more about Rick and his stories check out his website www.rickglaze.com and be sure to give him a follow on Instagram @rick.glaze.

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