Some of the most impactful books of the last half-century fall within the genre of visionary fiction. Author Warren Goldie, currently living in Fairfield, Iowa, defines visionary fiction as novels where “…the power of the human mind is a key part of the story. Mystical experiences, visions, profound insights, paranormal experience and all sorts of fascinating phenomena drive the Read More
Some would say that the purpose of life is to seek the Divine. When the voice of the Divine tells you to write a book, then it is probably a good idea to do so. “Writings from the One: 108 Insights From the Divine” by Julia Desmond, a former investment banker turned teacher of Oneness Read More
Writing is usually a solitary pursuit, and to publish a book requires a great deal of individual effort. There are pluses and minuses to that fact. The plus is that success is largely up to the writer, especially with the current self-publishing options, and the minus is.. it is largely up to the writer. Writing Read More
Writers’ Voices introduces two first-time Fairfield authors this week. First up, the long-time proprietor of Fairfield’s sorely missed 21st Century Bookstore, Tony Kainauskas. Tony’s cousin Viktoras is known as the Father of the Raw Foods Movement, and Tony was intimately involved in the development of both that and the Transcendental Meditation movement. After retiring from Read More
The morning after he gets out of the penitentiary, my father sits in the cane chair beneath the shade of the sugar maple while my mother cuts his hair. I watch from the stoop. With the window open behind me, I can hear them run the funeral home ad on the radio. It makes me Read More
D.J. MacHale is the New York Times best-selling author of the “Pendragon” and “Morpheus Road” science fiction adventure series for young adults. MacHale was also co-creator and producer of “Are You Afraid of the Dark?,” a Twilight Zone-inspired series for kids that ran on Nickelodeon for 7 seasons in the 1990’s. This summer, book 1 Read More
Drs. David and Rhoda Orme-Johnson are among the pioneers of the Transcendental Meditation that are profiled in George Ellis’ “Symphony of Silence: An Enlightened Vision.” Both of the Orme-Johnsons were founding faculty members of Maharishi International University (now known as Maharishi University of Management, or MUM) in Fairfield, IA, the home of Writers’ Voices. Dr. Read More
Due to the concussion caused by the impact, the doctors want to keep Pandora overnight for observation. So, after we say goodbye, Michael and I head back to campus together, both tired and shaken from the events of the day. The ride back is quiet and I squirm in my seat, trying to come up Read More
Two minds yours and mine Are two night skies of the Starriest cast. I give you a window You give me one, too. Windows look up into every night sky. Windows like nets for catching Shooting stars Like fish. We are Hungry. Each star caught gives Clues to other stars That might be Out beyond Read More
City of Three Rivers is an historical novel that takes place in Dayton, Ohio from 1876 to 1924 and spans three generations. I have selected three different excerpts to give a flavor of each of the three different generations From Chapter 1: 1877 Susan always had trouble sleeping when it was raining this hard. Even Read More
The subject of today’s book, Leon Leyson, stayed mostly silent about the struggles of his early life in Poland during the Holocaust. But after Steven Spielberg made the movie “Schindler’s List,” and an LA Times reporter convinced him to tell his own story as one of the youngest workers on the List, Leon began speaking publicly Read More
Whether you have a publishing contract with a major publisher, a small press, or are self-published, marketing your books is one of the most important jobs for an author. Long gone are the days when a writer could be a hermit; his job complete once his manuscript was submitted. John Kremer is THE expert on Read More
Suzanne Young is a high school teacher whose first five books went straight to the “novel graveyard.” But she kept writing, and perfecting her craft, and with her sixth effort she broke through to publishing success, in 2010. Since then she has published six young adult and crossover books, with three more on the way. Read More
Rudy Wilson returns to Writers’ Voices this week to expound in articulate and inimitable fashion on the life of a dedicated writer. From the travails of Rudy’s early life and how they make their disguised appearance in his novels, to working with famed editor Gordon Lish of Alfred Knopf (who also edited Raymond Carver among Read More
This episode of Writers’ Voices features George A. Ellis, the author of “A Symphony of Silence: An Enlightened Vision.” George’s transcribed interviews of some of the pioneers of the Transcendental Meditation movement offer an in-depth look at the many ways that individual lives have been impacted by TM. George himself introduced TM into Folsom Prison and other correctional Read More
Katie Ganshert is an Iowa writer who sets her books in small-town Iowa. Join us for this conversation about her newest book, “Wishing on Willows,” and learn how Katie got published!
WRiters’ Voices welcomes political commentator and history professor Dr. Robert Watson,. The professor has written over 30 books, two encyclopedia sets and more than 150 articles, essays and book chapters. He has appeared on all the major cable news networks ,The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Hardball, BBC and more. Dr. Watson is also a Read More
For some people it is the ocean, some the desert, some mountains. For Ralph Luikart, husband of author Marcy Luikart, it was always the Big River calling to him. A few years back, Marcy helped him fulfill a lifelong dream of building a raft and floating down the Mississippi River, and from that adventure came Read More
Whether you are looking for motivation to read good literature, or a cheat sheet that will allow you to discuss books you should have read, Kevin Smokler’s “Practical Classics: 50 Reasons to Reread 50 Books You Haven’t Touched Since High School” may be just the ticket. Published by Prometheus Books, “Practical Classics” includes both the “old” Read More
Nancy Kennedy, editor of the “Miracles and Moments of Grace” series from Leafwood Publishers, joins Monica and Caroline for a special Mothers’ Day interview. Learn how Nancy finds the heart-warming and tear-jerking stories that fill the Miracles and Moments of Grace series. Previous books in the series include “Inspiring stories from Military Chaplains” and Caroline’s favorite,“Inspiring Stories Read More
Is overeating just a result of poor willpower, or is there a deeper reason this problem affects so many people, even those who exhibit great will-power in other areas of their lives.? This week on Writers’ Voices, best-selling author, Discovery Health TV medical host and National Institute of Health medical researcher Dr. Pamela Peeke will discuss Read More
From serious journalist to seriously funny, New York Times bestselling author A.J. Jacobs has written it all. In this interview with Writers’ Voices, Jacobs discusses his recent experiment and the book that came out of it, “The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible.” The “humble” Read More
Our interview with Allan Cobb on 4/13/is a great tutorial on Print on Demand publishing. Allen did everything himself and got his first 50 books for a total investment of $300. He breaks down all the costs, right down to shipping. He also discusses the pros and cons of self-publishing verses traditional publishing, purchasing ISBN Read More
Monica Hadley and guest host and community activist Bob Ferguson interview Peter Fusaro, noted speaker and author of 16 books including “What Went Wrong at Enron.” Fusaro’s passionis Green Energy and his three most recent books have been “Cut Carbon, Grow Profits,” “Energy & Emissions: Collision or Convergence” and “Energy & Environmental Hedge Funds: The New Investment Read More
In the middle of an Iowa winter, poet Paul Stokstad joins Writers’ Voices host Monica Hadley to talk love and tattoos, tennis and marketing, and of course, poetry. Paul’s third book, “Butterfuly Tattoo” is published by 1st World Publishing. It’s a far cry from his previous tomes, “How To Be Your Own Best Tennis Pro” Read More
Norman Zierold has led a most interesting life, from his birth in the Amana Colonies of Iowa in 1927 clear to the present day in Fairfield, also Iowa. But in between, he traveled the world in the Navy, studied political science at Harvard University, taught in France, and then became an editor and writer in Read More
Kate McGuinness just published her first novel, “Terminal Ambition,” a legal thriller that explores issues of sexual harassment and discrimination. It was put out by Kate’s publishing company Two XX Press. Kate studied writing at the University of Southern California under the tutelage of Janet Fitch, who authored the Oprah Book Club selection “White Oleander.” Read More
Author of the best-selling memoirs “Population 485: Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time”, “Truck: A Love Story,” and “Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs and Parenting”, Michael Perry discusses his newest book “Visiting Tom: A Man, A Highway, and the Road to Roughneck Grace”. He’s written for Esquire, The New York Times Magazine, Read More
B.K. Loren joins us for a discussion of her debut novel, “Theft,” categorized by writer Ann Pancake as a riveting combination of “part environmental novel, part elegy to place, part family tragedy, part murder mystery.” Her writing has garnered Pushcart nominations, fellowships, and inclusion among Best American Spiritual Writing anthologies. She has worked as a Read More
One of the most common problems writers face is the dreaded “writer’s block”. Our guest, Rosanne Bane, a writing and creativity teacher, has, for decades, been giving writers help with this problem. Her new book, entitled, “Around the Writer’s Block: Using Brain Science to Solve Writer’s Resistance”(Tarcher/Penguin), deals with the problems writers face in a Read More
Senior Editor and Multimedia Editor at The Atlantic, Jennie Rothenberg Gritz produces an online edition of the magazine, edits TheAtlantic.com’s National Channel, and creates original videos for the website. Before being with The Atlantic, she was senior editor of Moment, a national magazine founded by Elie Wiesel. Jennie grew up in Fairfield, earned her B.A. Read More
Author/playwright Dr. Lawrence McCullough is our guest this week. Fairfield’s Way Off Broadway, Iowa’s only professional musical theater company, is currently running the production, “Orphan Train”, which is based on the book Lawrence wrote about New York orphans sent to live in Iowa. The musical runs through Aug 12th. Gov. Terry Branstadt has declared Aug Read More
Eric Johnson discusses writing, marketing, and formatting ebooks and other topics related to new trends in publishing. Eric, founder of Inkslinger Industries, has written, “How to Make a Book with iBooks Author”. He created it in an ebook format. Eric explored book arts at Brown University, where he handcrafted books using techniques taught by Walter Read More
Lynda Young returns for a very special conversation. Her new book, “Hope for Families of Children on the Autistic Spectrum”, is a helpful book at this time when 730,000 children in the United States between the ages of 0-21 have Autism Spectrum Disorder. Her book provides useful information, encouragement, and guidance for the entire family. Read More
Join us for this lively interview with Anne Greenwood Brown. Ann grew up sailing the Apostle Islands on Lake Superior, leaning over the bow, and wondering what amazing thing might flash by. In her book, “Lies Beneath,” she answers that question. “Lies Beneath” is a Young Adult fantasy about three scary mermaids and their more Read More
Nancy B. Kennedy has gathered a collection of inspiring stories from all branches of medicine in her book, “Miracles & Moments of Grace: Inspiring Stories from Doctors”, the second in her “Miracles and Moments of Grace” book series. From family doctors, military doctors, dentists, neurosurgeons, missionary doctors and more, they each tell their stories, both Read More
Larry Baker, an Iowa City writer, returns to Writers’ Voices to discuss his new book, “Love and Other Delusions”. This book puts a fresh perspective on a story of a married woman’s affair with a younger man. It is a complicated and confusing journey inside a relationship. Larry’s other books include, “Athens, America” and “The Read More
Sharelle Byars Moranville, the award-winning versatile author of fiction for all ages, has had her recent book, “The Hop”, published by Disney/Hyperion. The book chronicles the intertwined stories of Tad, a small toad trying to save his home, and Taylor, a girl determined to stop her grandmother’s pond from being turned into a strip mall Read More
Humorist, Polly Frost is the guest on this episode of Writers’ Voices. Polly will be presenting her one-person show, “How To Survive Your Adult Relationship with Your Family”, Saturday, May 19 at The Englert Theatre, in Iowa City. Combining anecdotes, storytelling, and humorous tips, Polly takes a heartfelt and humorous exploration of what families go Read More
Our guest, Priscilla Warner, has written the new book, “Learning to Breathe: My Yearlong Quest to Bring Calm to My Life”. For years, Priscilla struggled to overcome anxiety and panic attacks despite having a loving family and a successful book (“The Faith Club”). In this book, she chronicles her journey and transition from panic into Read More
In “Autobiography of a Recovering SkinHead: The Frank Meeink Story as Told to Jody M. Roy, Ph.D.”, you’ll find the raw true life story of Frank Meeink, from his angry childhood that found an outlet in the Neo-Nazi movement through his time in prison, encountering fellow prisoners of all backgrounds and race, that first caused Read More
Our guest this week is a Master Gardener and mindfulness meditation teacher, who brings her two passions together in her book, “The Meditative Gardener”. Cheryl Wilfong guides readers in practical easy-to-follow practices to bring full awareness into your gardening through sitting, walking, strolling or bending over in your garden. This book helps show you how Read More
Caroline Preston has created the first ever scrapbook novel, “The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt: A Novel in Pictures”. Growing up enamored with her families scrapbooks, she has collected a large collection of vintage ephemera, including vintage postcards, magazine ads, ticket stubs, catalog pages, fabric swatches, fashion spreads, menus, and more. All of which she uses Read More
Author, editor, blogger, and humorist, Wendy McClure is the author of “The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie”; also a recently released e-book, “Don’t Trade the Baby for a Horse and Other Ways to Make Your Life a Little More Laura Ingalls Wilder”, that explores her fascination Read More
Emerging writer, Rae Bryant is a teacher at the John Hopkins University graduate writing program and is editor-in-chief of the program’s new literary and arts journal. “The Indefinite State of Imaginary Morals”, Her short story collection, is a Pen Hemingway and Pushcart award nominee. This collection pushes the boundaries and explores all the humor and Read More
Join Cheryl Fusco Johnson for a delightful conversation with Iowa native, Beth Howard. Beth has recently written “Making Piece: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Pie”. A journalist for more than 25 years, Beth recounts the sudden loss of her husband and her healing journey that took her across the country and back to her Read More
Luis Alberto Urrea, the 2005 Pulitzer Prize finalist for nonfiction, discusses his most recent novel, “Queen of America”. Following beloved healer and “Saint of Cabora”, Teresita Urrea, as she flees with her father from Mexico, the book, a sequel to Urrea’s “The Hummingbird’s Daughter”, takes the reader on a journey through turn of the century Read More
Author, economist, attorney, and entrepreneur, Michael H. Shuman has authored, coauthored, or edited eight books, including, the award-winning, “The Small-Mart Revolution”, “Going Local”, and, his newest, “Local Dollars, Local Sense: How to Shift Your Money from Wall Street to Main Street and Achieve Real Prosperity”(Chelsea Green Publishing). In this book, Michael shows investors how to Read More
Village in Nepal. Growing up in poverty, Khakendra dreamed of coming to America for a better life. His dream came true in 1991, arriving in San Francisco and embarking on an entirely new journey. In his book “Nueli Cried in the Himalayas”, Khakendra tells the story of his life, describes the life of his people, Read More
In today’s fast moving, media entrench culture, kids are forced to deal with situations their parents never had to face. In their new book “From Santa To Sexting: Helping Your Child Safely Navigate Middle School and Shape the Choices that Last a Lifetime”, Dr. Brenda Hunter and Kristen Blair, tackle difficult topics, such as media, Read More