Three weeks after burying a man, former FBI agent Emma Noble receives a text from him that simply says, "Find Nadia." With no badge and no backup, Emma finds herself targeted by people hunting a teenage girl in Florence who holds the key to finding a missing terrorist.

This is the gripping premise of Noble Reckoning, the latest international thriller from author Andrew Bridgeman. In this episode of "In Conversation," host Terry Shepherd sits down with Bridgeman—an internationally published author, former jazz singer, rugby player, and entrepreneur.

In this episode, Terry and Andrew discuss:

• How the character of Emma Noble was born out of a need for a foil to a grizzled, veteran FBI agent named Briar Metcalf in Bridgeman's first draft of Fortunate Son.
• The delicate tightrope walk of writing a female protagonist as a male author, and how Bridgeman draws inspiration from his own daughter.
• Where Bridgeman finds his ideas, including how a childhood fantasy of being in the wrong house sparked the plot for an earlier work.
• The realities of researching federal agencies, from consulting an FBI agent friend to attending a US Marshal task force training.
• Bridgeman's journey to writing in his fifties, prompted by his wife telling him to "Write me a damn book," and his advice for aspiring authors navigating the publishing world.
• The cinematic influence of authors like Ken Follett and John Jakes on Bridgeman's writing style, and the importance of balancing action, dialogue, description, and interiority.

Visit Andrew Bridgeman's website at andrewbridgeman.com to sign up for his weekly newsletter and learn more about Noble Reckoning.

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

In this episode, host Terry Shepherd sits down with internationally recognized psychiatrist and author Dr. Jess Wright to discuss his historical psychological thriller, Dance in a Mad House. As detailed in the provided "Jess Wright - Dance in a Madhouse - Transcript.docx", Dr. Wright brings his extensive medical expertise to the world of fiction, exploring the frighteningly thin boundaries between psychiatric illness and imprisonment at the dawn of modern mental health treatment.

Listeners will learn about:

• The real-life historical inspirations behind the novel, including the tragic institutionalization of Peter Taft and extreme examples of historical stigma.
• How Dr. Wright balances his clinical knowledge of conditions like postpartum psychosis and paranoia with the creative freedom of writing suspenseful characters like Owen, Inspector Brumbaugh, and Celeste.
• Practical insights from cognitive behavior therapy and "wellbeing therapy" to help listeners build empathy, reframe negative automatic thoughts, and navigate today's polarized culture by focusing on positive daily moments.
• A sneak peek into Dr. Wright's next project: a medical memoir masking patient identities, inspired by Henry Marsh's Do No Harm.

Guest Links Learn more about Dr. Wright's books, including Dance in a Mad House and A Stream to Follow, by visiting his website at jesswrightmd.com.

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

In the jungle, an order can arrive in an instant, but living with the consequences can take a lifetime. In this episode of In Conversation, host Terry Shepherd sits down with award-winning author, former Army field medic, and forensic psychiatrist Mark Rubinstein to discuss his gripping new novel, Costa's War.

The conversation dives deep into the extreme psychological pressures of combat and the devastating conflict between military authority and personal morality. Rubinstein draws on his own diverse background to unpack what happens to the human mind when survival demands choices no classroom could ever prepare you for.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• From Medic to Psychiatrist to Author: Rubinstein shares his journey from tending to 82nd Airborne paratroopers to exploring human relations in psychiatry and the courtroom. He explains how treating the unseen burdens of patients informed his profound understanding of human nature.
• The Origins of Costa's War: The novel evolved from Rubinstein's 10,000-word, silver award-winning novella, The Foot Soldier. He expanded the story nearly ten years later to satisfy readers who wanted to know how the Vietnam experience ultimately affected the protagonist.
• The Shock of Vietnam: Rubinstein describes the jarring transition of his 21-year-old protagonist, a working-class college graduate from Buffalo, New York. Costa is abruptly thrust into a disorienting jungle environment filled with extreme sleeplessness, leeches, and the constant threat of death.
• The Ultimate Moral Dilemma: The discussion highlights the impossible choices soldiers face when acting under terror and duress. Costa is forced by a vindictive second lieutenant to commit what amounts to a war crime, testing his military obedience against his very soul.
• The Universal Human Condition: Drawing from his psychiatric career, Rubinstein reflects on how everyone carries unseen burdens and deep-seated insecurities. He notes that nobody gets out of this life without enduring intrapsychic problems, mistakes, and regrets.

Links & Resources:

• Explore Mark Rubinstein's work and his 26 books at his official website: markrubenstein-author.com.

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