Mysterious Goings On

Alex shares news of a great review of PILATE's FAITH, the latest John Pilate Mystery, and what you can expect here on the show in the final month of the year. Kirkus Review of PILATE'S FAITH: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/j-alexander-greenwood/pilates-faith/ Order PILATE'S FAITH: https://amzn.to/3DWhyos Order LIFE IS TO BE CELEBRATED: https://amzn.to/3xA9J5G Listen to Robert Lee Hill's latest appearance on MGO: https://anchor.fm/dashboard/episode/e1a14pa Buy Alex Greenwood's books on Amazon.com. Original theme music "Mysterious Goings On" by Jamie Green. Want your own cool score for your podcast or website? Contact Jamie at Greenhouse Consulting. Check out Jamie's interview on the show here. This episode of the Mysterious Goings On Podcast was recorded and mixed at Green Shebeen Studios in beautiful Kansas City, Missouri. Copyright 2021, all rights reserved. No reproduction, excerpting, or other use without written permission. We are an Amazon Associates seller, some of our link

What do detective stories and social analysis have in common? Find out when we speak with Maria Marotti, Ph.D. Marotti is a full-time fiction writer, retired academic, and alternative health practitioner, author of a mystery series and humorous animal memoirs. She has many insights to share about the detective story as a tool for social analysis. Listen in! Connect: mariamarotti-author.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MariaMarotti.author Buy The Etruscan Princess: https://amzn.to/3l9VA9t This Mysterious Goings On Podcast episode was recorded and mixed at Green Shebeen Studios in beautiful Kansas City, Missouri. Copyright 2021, all rights reserved. No reproduction, excerpting, or other use without written permission. Get detailed show notes at MGOPod.com. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/j-alexander-greenwood/message

HENYA DRESCHER is a novelist from New York. Her stories have appeared in several magazines, and she is an active contributor to Medium.com. She is currently working on a third novel. She writes suspense thrillers in which her heroines respond fearlessly to testing circumstances, satisfying a universal appeal by allowing readers a peek into their challenged lives. Today she speaks to us about psychological fiction and her new book, STOLEN TRUTH.  Buy the book: https://amzn.to/3zT7wl6 Connect: https://henyadrescher.com/ Buy Alex a cup of coffee here: https://anchor.fm/j-alexander-greenwood/support Follow Mysterious Goings On wherever you get your podcasts or go to MGOPod.com and sign up for our email newsletter. Get Alex's new book, THE PODCAST OPTION: https://amzn.to/3hH0rNC Buy Alex Greenwood's books on Amazon.com. Original theme music "Mysterious Goings On" by Jamie Green. Want your own cool score for your podcast or website? Contact Jamie at Greenhouse Consulting. Check out Jamie's interview on the sho

P.C. Smith was a well-known stained glass in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, for 15 years, creating custom pieces for celebrities and clients all around the world. Upon retirement, she took up her second love, writing, and has published poetry and short stories before writing her debut novel, The Shingle Weaver’s Picnic, at age 84.  This startling and acclaimed debut transports us to a long-gone era and takes us intimately inside of a shocking story of a close-knit family touched by tragedy in the darkest days of the Second World War; and a young girl who must cope with the unthinkable when a child is murdered during her summer visit to her grandparents’ house. Join us for a spirited conversation! Buy the Book here: https://amzn.to/3mQmgOW Learn more here: https://authorpcsmith.com/home “The first thing that drew me to The Shingle Weaver’s Picnic is the cover, which portrays an idyllic childhood scene. The sense of childhood adventures, excitement, and curiosity exuded by the cover is

Do you question how it's possible for life to be affirming, religion to be relevant, and our daily human journey to be full of hope in times riddled with division, cynicism, and negativity? If so, Robert Lee Hill has fifty-two messages for you. In Life is to Be Celebrated: Selected Sermons – Messages for the 21st Century (Caroline Street Press, 272 pages, October 2021), the author, poet, and minister responds to that overarching question with fifty-two messages born out of his experience as a pastor and community leader. Bob returns to the show today to talk about his book, who sermons are for, and his conception of what Hell actually is. Listen in! Hill served as minister at Community Christian Church in Kansas City, Missouri, from 1985 until semiretirement in 2015. He is a nonfiction writer, poet, and community consultant for organizations focusing on social justice issues, including excellence in education, voter registration, and quality health care. He has written or edited ten books, including the

When Carl Buccellato was clearing old files out from his garage, he came across boxes of journals and scribbles that served as a means of capturing memories. At the urging of his wife, Buccellato compiled his various papers and drafted a single book of them. To Every Page A Turning: One Life’s Journey, is a fictitious story that leans heavily on Buccellato’s personal experiences. Born and raised in an Italian household in Brooklyn, Buccellato grew up as the child of an alcoholic in near-poverty conditions, but eventually experienced great success as an adult, despite medical struggles that left him dealing with divorce and substance abuse.  “While many will read it as a biography of the author, it is not,” said Buccellato. “In my mind, it is more of a historical novel depicting the lives and impact of the generation following World War II, and through the remainder of the twentieth century. It is a composite of many people and events over several decades.” Listen in for an enlightening conversation! Conn

James A. Ross has at various times been a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Congo, a Congressional Staffer, and a Wall Street Lawyer.  His debut novel, HUNTING TEDDY ROOSEVELT, won the Independent Press Distinguished Favorite award for historical fiction, is a finalist for the National Indie Excellence Award for historical fiction, and was shortlisted for a Goethe Historical Fiction Award. His debut mystery novel, COLDWATER REVENGE appeared in April 2021 and reached #15 on the Amazon mystery bestseller chart. The second book in the series, COLDWATER CONFESSION, is coming soon.   Ross’s short fiction has appeared in numerous literary journals and his short story, Aux Secours, was nominated for a Pushcart Prize.   He is a frequent contributor to, and several times winner of, the live storytelling competition, Cabin Fever Story Slam, and he has appeared as a guest storyteller on the Moth Main Stage.   Listen in for a delightful conversation! Ross’s live performances, online stories, newslette

In the end…it all comes down to PILATE’S FAITH...Book Eight in the Beloved John Pilate Mysteries! Pilate's Faith...pre-order now for Black Friday delivery. Surviving a recent attempt on his life, a weary John Pilate returns to Cross Township, where a bizarre string of shootings has paralyzed the tiny college town. Pilate joins forces with the law to find out why people are being terrorized in his name and stop it. Unfortunately, when he turns to his family for support, he finds only hardened hearts. People are dying, accusing fingers are pointed his way, and he has nowhere left to turn. Everything John Pilate believes in: family, sanity, and even himself, are shaken to the core in Pilate’s Faith Pre-orders are the lifeblood of new books. Please *order now and you'll get the ebook delivered to your Kindle or ereader on Black Friday! Click here to order! ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN a Pilate's Faith EBOOK ON GOODREADS! Click here: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/334470-pilate-s-faith *Paperbacks will

Today on the show we discuss humanity, humility, and adventure with author Charlie Sheldon, who has a new book out this week! Sheldon went to Yale University and UMass, where he received a Masters Degree in Wildlife Biology/Resource Management. He worked in the fishing industry for 15 years as a deckhand, mate, skipper, and consultant, then relocated to the Pacific Northwest in 1990 to be near Olympic National Park. He worked at seaports for nearly 30 years as a planner, project manager, and executive. When he retired from seaports in 2012 he returned to sea as a merchant sailor for four years, working on various container and military vessels as Able Bodied Seaman and Bosun. He retired in 2016 to work full time at his writing. Nowadays he hikes in the Olympic National Park whenever he can, cooks for his wife, pesters his grandchildren, and continues to scribble tales. Connect: charliesheldon2.com Order Totem: https://amzn.to/3CgHXfZ Check out Alex's story on Kindle Vella: The Sign https://www.amazon.com

It's time, kids! Join us for the Mysterious Goings On Halloween Special!  This episode features dramatic readings, weird happenings, spooky stories...and more. Check it out, featuring spine-tingling contributions from: Jason McIntyre ... Mike...The Tipsy Ghost Podcast...Dave...Eden Baylee...Bonnie...Amanda Steel...Michelle Ross...Brian...and more! Show Notes: https://mgopod.com/f/chilling-stories-for-halloween Sound FX from Zapsplat.com and Premonition by Naoya Sakamata | https://www.youtube.com/c/NaoyaSakamataPIANOmusicChannel Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com  Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License Image: Photo by Monstera from Pexels Music: Ominous by Kevin MacLeod License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4162-ominous Dark Hallway (clean) by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3607-dark-hallway-clean- Unseen Horrors by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4569-unseen

One area of mystery we haven’t discussed on Mysterious Goings On is urban fantasy, which is, according to author Caitlin Berve essentially detective fiction plus magic. Berve is the author of When Magic Calls: A Collection of Modern Fairy Tales, and in our discussion, where we also discuss the dark history of fairy tales, why those stories are still so prevalent in society, and how fairy tales stick around because their warnings and messages still hold true today.  Through her company Ignited Ink Writing, Berve edits books, writes online content for small businesses, fantasy novels, and blogs about creative writing. Listen in for her advice to writers looking for an editor, and much more.  Connect with Caitlin: https://www.ignitedinkwriting.com/ Visit her on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Check out Alex's story on Kindle Vella: The Sign https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09DTGDSVK  This episode of the Mysterious Goings On Podcast was recorded and mixed at Green S

Apropos of the haunting month of October, we are joined by James Morgan-Jones. He is the author of The Glasswater Quintet, a series of psychological thrillers with a supernatural slant. The novels are linked by character and location but set in different decades from the last century up to the present day. In this "spirited" discussion, James and Alex discuss writing about the supernatural and the haunting of the mind. They also touch on the spirit of place as a living force in both life and literature: ignore it at your peril, as well as the past: signposts/stepping stones to the future: a major theme in ‘The Glasswater Quintet.’ Four of the five novels are currently published. He has also written a volume of short stories and a volume of poetry. Over lockdown, he produced a second short story volume as well as his first play, and has now launched into the final installment of The Glasswater Quintet – ‘The Ice Chandelier’. Buy The Glasswater Quintet: https://amzn.to/3t6V2oa  Website: jamesmorganjones.co

Would you take a road trip with death? Our guest Dario Cannizaro has a surprising answer. Dario is an Italian-born writer, director and all-round storyteller. The author of DEAD MEN NAKED emigrated to Cork, Ireland where he is currently working on different creative projects, including books and films. Listen in this Halloween season to this fascinating artist. Learn more: https://dariowrites.com/ Buy the book: https://amzn.to/3kCT0Zj Check out Alex's story on Kindle Vella: The Sign https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09DTGDSVK  Please support the show with a small donation, here: https://anchor.fm/j-alexander-greenwood/support Subscribe to Mysterious Goings On wherever you get your podcasts or go to MGOPod.com and sign up for our email newsletter. Get Alex's new book, THE PODCAST OPTION: https://amzn.to/3hH0rNC Buy Alex Greenwood's books on Amazon.com. Original theme music "Mysterious Goings On" by Jamie Green. Want your own cool score for your podcast or website? Contact Jamie at Greenhouse Cons

In this episode, we welcome back author Frank Zafiro, for Part Two of our conversation on police procedural writing and more.  Catch Part One here: https://anchor.fm/j-alexander-greenwood/episodes/Writing-Both-Sides-of-the-Badge-with-Frank-Zafiro-e14gum2 or wherever you get your podcasts. Frank has many tales to tell about his journey to becoming the author of more than thirty novels of gritty crime fiction told from both sides of the badge. He also hosts the acclaimed podcast Wrong Place, Write Crime, where he interviews mystery authors of all levels of experience and success. Zafiro served as a police officer for twenty years in Spokane, Washington, where he retired in 2013 as a captain. Before that, he did a five-year stint in the US Army as a Czechoslovak linguist, and after retiring, he taught leadership to police agencies all over the US and Canada for four years. He's been writing all of his life. His first novel, UNDER A RAGING MOON, was published in 2006, and is the start of his flagship series

Ever wonder if TV and movies get police work right? Or what police procedural tropes drive a former police officer crazy? Well, you're in luck as we welcome one of our favorite guests, author Frank Zafiro, who has many tales to tell about his journey to becoming the author of more than thirty novels of gritty crime fiction told from both sides of the badge.  He also hosts the acclaimed podcast Wrong Place, Write Crime, where he interviews mystery authors of all levels of experience and success.  "Not going to lie," Alex says. "Frank is one of my favorite interviews in the five-year history of Mysterious Goings On. Don't miss this one, writers and readers!"  Check out part one of our conversation, and be sure to come back for part two on October 5, 2021. Zafiro served as a police officer for twenty years in Spokane, Washington, where he retired in 2013 as a captain. Before that, he did a five-year stint in the US Army as a Czechoslovak linguist, and after retiring, he taught leadership to police

Alex gives an update on the next John Pilate Mystery series book. Check it out, and don't forget to enter the contest on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/John.Pilate.Mysteries. Order Big Cabin and Dispatches from the West: https://amzn.to/3m9xXyq Please support this show with a small donation, here: https://anchor.fm/j-alexander-greenwood/support Follow Mysterious Goings On wherever you get your podcasts or go to MGOPod.com and sign up for our email newsletter. Get Alex's new book, THE PODCAST OPTION: https://amzn.to/3hH0rNC Buy Alex Greenwood's books on Amazon.com. Original theme music "Mysterious Goings On" by Jamie Green. Want your own cool score for your podcast or website? Contact Jamie at Greenhouse Consulting. Check out Jamie's interview on the show here. This episode of the Mysterious Goings On Podcast was recorded and mixed at Green Shebeen Studios in beautiful Kansas City, Missouri. Copyright 2021, all rights reserved. No reproduction, excerpting, or other use without written permission. We are an

Sandra Shaw Homer is an environmental activist, author, adventurer, and survivor. She tells her inspiring life story in an engaging memoir, Evelio’s Garden, which is partly a defense of nature and partly a powerful human-interest story. Listen to the fascinating story of this international traveler, who once saw the world for 49 days from the vantage point of a cargo freighter, was born and raised in Philadelphia. She relocated to Costa Rica 30 years ago. There, she has taught languages and worked as a translator. For several years she penned a regularly published column, Local Color, for the English-language weekly, The Tico Times.  Homer is the author of three other books: Letters From The Pacific: 49 Days on a Cargo Ship, Journey to the Joie de Vivre, and The Magnificent Dr. Wao. Buy Evelio’s Garden here: https://amzn.to/2WBtnQb Buy Letters From the Pacific: 49 Days on a Cargo Ship here: https://amzn.to/2WEjYY0 Buy Journey to the Joie de Vivre here: https://amzn.to/2WAo9om Buy The Magnificent Dr. Wao

Luke Hohmann is a serial tech entrepreneur who bootstrapped and sold his last company, Conteneo, an enterprise SaaS company. Today he shares his work to encourage civics education and FirstRoot, which empowers young people to take control of their financial lives. FirstRoot is a SaaS company selling schools a software platform and integrated curriculum that teaches financial literacy and civics. The secret of their success is that they give students real money to invest in their schools, and FirstRoot supports them as they work together to decide how to invest it. Be sure to listen! Learn more about Luke and Firstroot here: Firstroot.co. Learn about investing in Firstroot here: https://netcapital.com/companies/firstroot-inc?utm_source=FirstRoot&utm_medium=invest-popup Please support the show with a small donation, here: https://anchor.fm/j-alexander-greenwood/support Subscribe to Mysterious Goings On wherever you get your podcasts or go to MGOPod.com and sign up for our email newsletter. Get Alex's new bo

Today we meet an author who survived a suicide attack in Afghanistan--and found that his traumatic experience helped him to see the person he had been running from all his life. All the drama Harold Phifer faced in his past was never put to bed until he poured out his life story to a stranger named Dylan on a Southeast Asian Tropical beach. Listen in for a conversation about the all-too-current topic of Afghanistan, trauma, and more. Learn more: https://www.rnrfreepress.com/   Facebook: RnRfreepress   Twitter: @RnRfreepress Buy the book here: https://amzn.to/3kJxTof Please support the show with a small donation, here: https://anchor.fm/j-alexander-greenwood/support Subscribe to Mysterious Goings On wherever you get your podcasts or go to MGOPod.com and sign up for our email newsletter. Get Alex's new book, THE PODCAST OPTION: https://amzn.to/3hH0rNC Buy Alex Greenwood's books on Amazon.com. Original theme music "Mysterious Goings On" by Jamie Green. Want your own cool score for your podcas

Alex talks about his new serialized story, "The Sign," available exclusively on Kindle Vella. Don't know what Kindle Vella is? Fear not, as Alex will explain and offer updates about his other projects. Listen in, and we hope that all "signs" point to you reading this new story! About "The Sign" As the world burns after a deadly plague, a man survives alone with his guilt, dreams, and the mindless hordes wandering the once-tranquil streets of his neighborhood, looking for blood. In this lonely purgatory, he desperately looks for any sign that he is not alone. When it appears, he has a choice: trust his instincts or give in to his despair. What will he do? New episodes are released every Friday. Check out the first three episodes free on Kindle Vella.  Click here: https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09DTGDSVK Listener Support Support this podcast with a small monthly donation to help sustain future episodes. Click here: https://anchor.fm/j-alexander-greenwood/support Subscribe to Mysterious Goi