In celebration of it's paperback release join us for a special look at the journey of Jennifer K. Morita toward publication of her debut novel, "Ghosts of Waikīkī,"

What happens when an unemployed newspaper reporter returns to Hawaii to ghostwrite for a controversial developer? In Jennifer’s debut, the answer is a cocktail of mystery, family secrets, and a murder investigation led by the protagonist's ex.

Now officially available in paperback, Jennifer sat down with Terry Shepherd to pull back the curtain on her writing process. From "sheltering in place" during the 2020 pandemic to sneaking in chapters during lunch breaks and finding plot breakthroughs in Zumba class, Jennifer’s story is a masterclass in persistence and passion.

Whether you're an aspiring author or a fan of island noir, you won’t want to miss this conversation about how one woman turned a "writer's dream" into a gripping reality.

We all inevitably become the brand. And that's why I wrote, "How to Become a Dynamic Podcast Guest and Sell Stuff." It's a sweet and short primer that teaches you about the gear, the appearance and the messaging that can grab and hold today's micro-attention spans and motivate your listeners to take action. It's Just a dollar ninety nine at Amazon. Grab your copy today and sell mo

How well do we truly know the people we love?
In the latest episode, I sit down with Danielle Girard to discuss her haunting new thriller, "Pinky Swear." This isn't a story of cartoon villains or "moral origami." Instead, it’s a dive into the "slanted middle"—the messy, gray area where devotion slides into delusion.
Born from the "ashes of a collapsed marriage" and the quiet, wintry silence of Montana, Danielle’s 17th novel is a work of emotional archaeology. We dig into:

• The Ultimate Betrayal: What happens when a surrogate vanishes just days before the birth?
• The Reality of Evil: Why the most terrifying threats aren't monsters, but the ordinary betrayals that erode our safety.
• Professional Reinvention: Danielle’s journey of starting over mid-career and finding a new voice in the "fog."

Don't Miss This Conversation

Whether you’re a longtime fan of her procedurals or looking for a story that captures the "suffocating dread of waiting for a door that doesn't open," this is a conversation—and a book—you won’t be able to put down.

Join us as we explore the space between events where life actually happens.

We all inevitably become the brand. And that's why I wrote, "How to Become a Dynamic Podcast Guest and Sell Stuff." It's a sweet and short primer that teaches you about the gear, the appearance and the messaging that can grab and hold today's micro-attention spans and motivate your listeners to take action. It's Just a dollar ninety nine at Amazon. Grab your copy today and sell mo

What happens when thirty-four years of corporate finance meets a lifelong passion for animal rescue? You get the Lily Dreyfus mystery series—where the puzzles are intricate, the stakes are high, and the four-legged characters have just as much personality as the humans.

In this episode, we sit down with Darlene Dziomba, the "Dog Whisperer of the Garden State," to discuss her journey from the University of Pennsylvania to the top of the cozy mystery charts. We’re diving deep into her latest release, Tail of Deception, a gripping tale that turns a charitable 5K fundraiser into a crime scene.

Inside This Episode:

• The Catalyst: How a single panel at a mystery conference inspired Darlene to ditch the "dog-groomer" tropes for the authentic, complex world of animal shelter operations.
• Tail of Deception: A former Marine collapses at the finish line of a fundraiser for the Forever Friends Animal Shelter. Was it overexertion, or something far more sinister?
• Dogs as Characters: Why Boone and Crockett aren't just mascots, but fully realized characters with their own moods and "independent judgment."
• The Cozy Balance: How Darlene manages the "darkness" of a mystery while maintaining the warmth and comfort her readers crave (and the physical "barometer" she uses to know when a scene is getting too intense).
• Real-Life Villains: Darlene reveals the secret satisfaction of modeling her fictional antagonists after people she’s encountered in real life.

Whether you're a devoted "cozy" reader, an animal advocate, or an aspiring author looking for inspiration on your second act, this conversation is packed with insight, wit, and plenty of wagging tails.

We all inevitably become the brand. And that's why I wrote, "How to Become a Dynamic Podcast Guest and Sell Stuff." It's a sweet and short primer that teaches you about the gear, the appearance and the messaging that can grab and hold today's micro-attention spans and motivate your listeners to take action. It's Just a dollar ninety nine at Amazon. Grab your copy today and sell mo