The Danny and Park Novels Good News Podcast

Welcome back to the podcast, I’m Jamie Baynes. A few years ago, I joined NetGalley, a website that has a library of books that haven’t been released yet. Some books are by well known authors and others are by new authors. I was looking through the titles and saw a book cover with the title Dead Safe and a really cool, eye-catching cover. I read the description of the novel and found that it was about an LAPD detective named Casey Stafford and the author was George Prior. I downloaded the book and finished it in three days. It was fantastic. A week or so after I finished it, I got an email from George reminding me to post a review. I replied and told him that I would, and also asked if he’d like to be a guest on an episode. He agreed and here he is. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

After you listen, let me know what you think. Personally I truly enjoyed talking to him. He’s so down to earth and on more than one occasion, he turned the tables and mentioned my website and my novels. I’m flattered when guests do that, but it makes me a little uncomfortable as well because my podcasts are about my guests and the impact that they have on my listeners, not necessarily me. That being said, after talking to George for less than two minutes, I felt as if I’d known him for years and the conversation was easy. That, I think, is the gift of a great person and a great writer. Make sure you check out both of George’s books, 78 Degrees and Bloody, the debut novel, then Dead Safe. You can find his books on Amazon and on his website, which I’ll link to below. Hopefully after he publishes his next book, he’ll come on again and we can talk some more.

So until next time, take care of one another, and as always, thanks for listening.

Check out George's website here ⬇️⬇️⬇️

 https://georgeprior.com/

Welcome back to the podcast, I’m Jamie Baynes. For this episode I’ve brought back two of my favorite people, El-Amin and Johnnie Calloway, Sr. I wanted to get their take on what it means to be men in today’s world. The point is not to say that men are better than women, nor is it to judge anyone. I wanted honest opinions from two people that I admire and respect and not surprisingly, that’s exactly what I got from Johnnie and El-Amin. As you’ll hear, they differ on some of their opinions, but they do so respectfully. Also, some listeners may get offended at the language, so listener discretion is advised. But enough of me describing what’s to come. Let’s jump right into, then let me know what you think.

 Do you agree or disagree with Johnnie’s and El-Amin’s opinions? Did the interview make you angry or make you think differently? The goal of this podcast is to increase positivity and to give people a place to express their opinions without any judgement or censorship. And I intend to keep doing this for as long as I can. Stay tuned for an episode with two women discussing their reaction to this episode and their opinions on what it means to be women in today’s world. 

So, until next time, take care of one another and even if you don’t agree with someone’s opinion, treat them with the respect that they deserve and expect the same from them.

Welcome back to the podcast, I’m Jamie Baynes. Today’s guest is my friend, former partner and current chief of the Richmond Police Department, Rick Edwards. I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to ask Rick to be a guest on the podcast. I probably assumed that he was busy running the Richmond Police Department and didn’t have time to talk to me for a bit. I recently interviewed Deputy Chief Sybil El-Amin and sent the interview to Rick. I mentioned that I’d done other local police chiefs and alluded to the fact that I hadn’t interviewed him yet. He replied, “Hey, you never asked. I just figured you knew everything you needed to know about your old partner.”  That was my mistake and here he is. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

After you listen, let me know what you think.  Rick and I worked on the same homicide team for years. The first time we went to a house together, we rang the doorbell and the woman inside saw us and turned her dogs loose. From that day forward, I knew that it would be an adventure with Rick, and I wasn’t wrong. Rick’s come a long way since that day, but his love for the men and women of the Richmond Police Department hasn’t changed, nor has his mission to serve and protect the citizens of Richmond. I’d like to thank Rick for taking the time to talk to me and I hope to have him on again. 

Until next time, take care of on another and as always, thanks for listening.

Welcome back to the podcast, I’m Jamie Baynes. This episode’s guest is a woman that I’ve known for over twenty years, Richmond Police Department Deputy Chief Sybil El-Amin. Over the years, I’ve worked WITH Sybil and FOR Sybil and I always enjoy her outlook on police work and life in general. I decided to reach out to her and see if she’d be willing to come on the podcast and do an episode and she agreed, so here she is. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

After you listen, tell me what you think of our interview. I wanted to emphasize Sybil’s passion about educating officers on different ways to think about diversity. Too often, we tend to hear about how diversity classes, at least the ones that get attention in the media, seem to try and lay blame at the feet of one race, and make victims out of other races. In my opinion, classes like that aren’t teaching diversity, they’re driving a wedge between people of all cultures. That’s not only not helpful, it’s harmful. I think Sybil’s method of teaching is so much better. Plus, she’s funny as hell. 

Until next time, take care of one another and as always, thanks for listening.

Welcome back to the podcast, I'm Jamie Baynes. I've been doing this small podcast for a few years now and I enjoy finding guests to talk to. Recently, I've been lucky enough to have publicists reach out to me and ask if I'd be interested in interviewing authors that they promote. I always say yes and for this episode, I have the honor of speaking with Bryan Gruley, a retired journalist and current author. So sit back, relax and I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Once you listen, let me know what you think of Bryan. I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again but I'm always surprised when someone as accomplished as Bryan, takes time out of their busy schedule to talk to a guy with a small podcast. And he’s such a down to earth guy, too. I’d never spoken with him before our interview, but it was like we’d known each other for years and were just two guys hanging out, shooting the shit and having a great time discussing the world. That’s the world needs, I think. People making connections with each other, talking to each other and listening to each other. I’d like to thank Bryan for coming on the podcast and make sure you check out ALL of his books, which are available at Amazon here:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B001JS1EOS?ccs_id=b7067ecd-199b-4244-b8de-ae9f2fb70ab2

And visit his website here:

https://bryangruley.com/

And until next time, take care of one another and as always, thanks for listening.

Welcome back to the podcast, I’m Jamie Baynes. About a week ago, I got an email from a woman who said that she listened to a recent podcast of mine, El-Amin’s first one, and she thought that Lt. Randy Sutton, a retired Lt. from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department would be a great guest for my podcast. I’m always looking for more guests, so I replied back and said sure. Then I paused and thought, “Randy Sutton from the Vegas PD?” Surely not THE Randy Sutton, one of the original cops who appeared on multiple episodes of the famous Fox show, COPS. Sure enough it was and here he is. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

After you listen, let me know what you think. For me, the experience was surreal because I distinctly remember watching Randy on COPS before I became a cop. But beyond his work on television, in the movies and his books, what’s truly amazing is how much he cares not only for cops, but for wounded cops who’ve been abandoned by their departments. I encourage everyone listening to check out Randy’s organization, The Wounded Blue and listen to his podcast, A Cops Life.

https://thewoundedblue.org/

Until next time, take care of another and treat people the way we all want to be treated. 

Thanks for listening.

Welcome back to the podcast, I’m Jamie Baynes.  Today I’m happy to welcome back two of my favorite people, Johnnie Calloway, Sr. and El-Amin. As I mentioned in a previous podcast, I’m excited to have these men on as regular guests because of their attitudes about the world in which we all live. I wanted to get their opinion on how it seems as if human beings, at least in the United Sates, don’t seem capable of having civil debates, instead relying on slurs and insults to try and get their points across. A recent event that Johnnie attended, a celebration of Black History Month at The White House showcased the vitriol that abounds online. But Johnnie and El-Amin were quick to point out that online is not real. And that’s where we’ll continue the conversation. I hope you enjoy the episode.


After you listen, what’s your opinion on civil discourse in these troublesome, modern times? Do you get stressed out over all the ignorance and hatred that seems to bubble to the surface all over social media? Or, to quote Johnnie, are you too blessed to be stressed? Are you understanding of people who seem to want to cause strife and anger? I especially like El-Amin’s quote, "Hurt people try to hurt people". What do you guys think? I’d like to thank Johnnie and El-Amin for coming on the show and I hope to have them both back soon. And thank you for listening.

As always, take care of on another and do your best to make this world a better place.

Welcome back to the podcast, I’m Jamie Baynes. This episode, I’m honored to have two previous guests, Johnnie Calloway, Sr. and El-Amin. I’ve had Johnnie on twice and had El-Amin on a few weeks ago. After my interview with El-Amin, I knew that I had to have both of them on an episode and after we finished recording this one, I knew that I needed to have them on as regular guests. So here they are debuting together to talk about, well, why don’t I stop talking and you just sit back, relax and enjoy.

 After you listen, tell me think about having them both on as regular guests. They bring so much knowledge and love to the table that I just have to keep them coming back. If you think of something that you want us to discuss, shoot me an email or if we know each other, send me a text. My hope is that through my guests, we create a more positive world. A world that’s full of love and acceptance. A world that lacks negativity and hatred. I hope you join me in this continuing journey.

As always, take care of one another and thanks for listening.

Welcome back to the podcast, I’m Jamie Baynes. This episode’s guest is someone that I’ve wanted to have on for quite awhile: RPD Officer Alexander El-Amin, or El-Amin for short. I’ve followed his Facebook page for years and every photo simply exudes positivity. So sit back, relax, and I hope you enjoy our conversation.

After you listen, let me know what you think about El-Amin. I don’t think that I’ve ever spoken with someone who is so passionate about what they do. His compassion and honesty are just so real, you can’t help but wish more people would be the same way. He says that he’s not a saint, but I think the kids that he helps would disagree. Head over to Facebook and look him up: Alexander El-Amin.

So, until next time, take care of one another, and as always, thanks for listening.

Welcome back to the podcast, I’m Jamie Baynes. This episode’s guest is bestselling author G.T. Karber. A publicist sent me an email asking if I’d like to interview an author who created murder mystery logic puzzles online, then put those puzzles in a series of bestselling novels. Well, anyone who knows me knows that I’ll talk to anyone as long as they’ve got a positive message to share. And I especially like talking to authors, so the fix was in, so sit back, relax and I hope you enjoy our conversation.

After you listen, tell me whAT you think of Greg. Isn’t it amazing how an idea he had to share with a friend, turned into an online puzzle site,  which led to a literary agent reaching out to him and THAT led to him being a bestselling author? You just never know when success will come your way, but you should never stop trying. And you should never stop being positive. Do your best to not let the naysayers and bitter people get into your head. As I’ve said before, I think that most people in the world are good people and only want to live their best lives and help others when they can.  Make sure you check out Greg’s books on Amazon and head over to his website to try his puzzles 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

https://murdle.com/

Until next time, take care of one another and thanks for listening.