1stWorld Publishing is dedicated to the goal of making book publishing accessible and affordable to every one who has dreamed of seeing their words in print. The company’s founders have lived the dream and understand the sense of accomplishment in achieving this goal. Now, they are committed to helping as many others realize this dream as Read More
First-time novelist Julie Long was born and raised in Fairfield, Iowa. She was uprooted in her early teens, and when she next returned to Fairfield she found it had been partially taken over by…. Meditators! If you think the average small college town has a town-gown divide, you haven’t seen anything. But Julie herself had Read More
Fairfield author, Rudy Wilson, returns again for a visit on Writers’ Voices to discuss his novel, “Girl Walking Backwards” and much more. Rudy is best known for his novel, “The Red Truck”, and has an MFA in English/Fiction Writing, from the University of Iowa’s Writers’ Workshop, where he was a manuscript reader for admissions to Read More
If you only listen to one Writers’ Voices interview this month, this is the one. Michael Gruenbaum was born in Prague in 1930. At the age of 11 Michael was sent, with his mother and sister, to the Terezin concentration camp. Miraculously, they all survived, although his father, a lawyer, was killed by the Nazis. In Read More
Writers’ Voices and 1st World Publishing, both headquartered in Fairfield, Iowa, have teamed up again to present the 2015 Inkfingerz Creative Prose Contest. Our 2015 Finalists are: Martin Rosenthal – “Short Stories from Renaissance High” Doug Adams – “The Mist of Carp Lake” Judith Hans-Price “Tsunami Dog” Angela Mailander – “Angela: A Memoir” Chrystel Read More
If you’ve ever had the experience of having someone close to you die, you may recall feeling overwhelmed; not sure what to do. Gloria Dixon, an Iowa CPA and experienced business owner, thought she was prepared for her husband Charles’ death after a lengthy illness, but even so she soon found herself faced with a Read More
After her mother’s death, Valerie Gangas was in a dark place. After her first 20 minutes practicing Transcendental Meditation, that all changed. She had what some people call an “Awakening,” and the pieces of her life started falling into place. “Enlightenment is Sexy” is the story of Valerie’s journey so far, from working for the David Read More
Paul Goldman is an Ecstatic Poet. Tune into this podcast of his June 2015 interview on Writers’ Voices to find out what that means. In Upon Your Canvas he teams up with painter Natosha Keefer to, as the title poem says “…reveal all the colors that comprise my being.” Paul’s previous boos include the self-published Read More
Sukey Forbes comes from a classic “stiff-upper-lip” New England family. When her six year old daughter died suddenly from a rare genetic disorder, she was left without a clue how to get through it. In “The Angel in My Pocket: A Story of Love, Loss, and Life After Death,” Sukey shares the heart-wrenching story of Read More
In this episode of Writers’ Voices, guest host Bruce Miller, one of the Filmosophers on KRUU 100.1 FM in Fairfield, Iowa, speaks with Paula Rosenfeld. Author of “The Oneness Blessing: How Deeksha Can Help You Become Your Authentic Self, Heal Your Relationships and Transform the World,” Paula talks about the experience of Awakening. From the Read More
Chapter 1: A Strange Welcome RING!! The remarkably loud jangle from the string of bells was jarring to Archer and his mother as they pushed open the door. But at least it wasn’t rude. “Hello stupid!” came a raucous greeting from around the side of what appeared to be the check-out counter. “Makes you feel Read More
Since founding Ice Cube Press in North Liberty, Iowa, Steve Semken has been busy publishing other authors. Still, he finds time to write. His seventh book,is titled “Soul External: Rediscovering the Great Blue Heron.” Orion Magazine’s late environmental book reviewer Peter Sauer, called this hard-to define book “mythological natural history.” We’re including it in our memoir section because Read More
In “Diamond Grove Slave Tree,” national poetry slam team member and writing teacher Xavier Cavazos paints an unforgettable portrait of George Washington Carver in verse. From the titular poem that describes a lynching that the young Carver witnessed in Missouri, to the poem about his death, the words are spare yet powerful. Xavier Cavazos earned Read More
In this inspiring segment of Writers’ Voices, we meet Magnus MacFarlane- Barrow, named in 2015 as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. We caught up with Magnus, who lives and works in Scotland, just before his visit to Iowa to promote his book, “The Shed that Fed a Read More
Writers’ Voices with Monica and Caroline on KRUU 100.1 FM and 1st World Publishing have teamed up again to host the 2015 Inkfingerz Creative Prose Contest, open to writers of book-length creative prose (fiction, memoir or creative non-fiction of at least 150 pages), who are or have been residents of Jefferson County, Iowa or neighboring Read More
Is technology good, bad or indifferent? How does it impact our lives, relationships, health? For some people, technology can become all-consuming. Writer Christina Crook decided to take a 31 day break from the internet. Instead, she wrote 31 letters to a friend on a manual typewriter. This experiment quickly turned into both a book (“the Read More
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