Mysterious Goings On

Today we meet David E. Feldman, author of The Dora Ellison Mystery Series, a 5-book (so far) series starring a detective couple who happens to be lesbian. Dora is a sweet martial arts savant with a violent streak stemming from childhood trauma. She especially loathes bullies. Feldman is also author of The Neighborhood, a novel about four families in the then-all-white town of Valley Stream, N.Y., one of whom is the first family of color in the neighborhood. His stories are about love, transcendence, hope, and overcoming challenges in modern society. We also discuss: Bullies in fiction and real life Victims in his books: are everyday people in everyday situations. A ubiquitous situation we have is people who are abused, from a young couple making love, to people who happen to be in the hospital, to several people who identify as different genders. More about the Dora Ellison series His ongoing cast of relatable characters Feldman’s very close brushes with severe illness His positivity and love of life

THIS VIDEO EDITION is AVAILABLE ONLY BY SUBSCRIPTION for just $1.99 a month you get exclusive access to every video we launch on the feed! Thanks for subscribing. Become a Paid Subscriber here. Welcome to episode nine of a special bonus series on Mysterious Goings On...TREK TAKES. What is TREK TAKES? Well, ⁠⁠Star Trek⁠⁠ fans... PICARD is back for the third and final season. As a lifelong fan of the series and a critic of the franchise's direction over the past few years, Alex will talk with film critic and writer⁠⁠ Lucas Hardwick⁠⁠, sharing their "first takes" on every episode--coming at you every Friday morning throughout the 10-episode season three. This week: it's Lucas and Alex's first take on the ninth episode of season three of PICARD: VOX.  Up for discussion: the guys ponder if this is the best Star Trek they've seen in a long time...the show's handling of the Borg conflict, cinematography, red herrings throughout the season...parallels between the show and the world we li

Welcome to episode nine of a special bonus series on Mysterious Goings On...TREK TAKES. What is TREK TAKES? Well, ⁠Star Trek⁠ fans... PICARD is back for the third and final season. As a lifelong fan of the series and a critic of the franchise's direction over the past few years, Alex will talk with film critic and writer⁠ Lucas Hardwick⁠, sharing their "first takes" on every episode--coming at you every Friday morning throughout the 10-episode season three. This week: it's Lucas and Alex's first take on the ninth episode of season three of PICARD: VOX.  Up for discussion: the guys ponder if this is the best Star Trek they've seen in a long time...the show's handling of the Borg conflict, cinematography, red herrings throughout the season...parallels between the show and the world we live in, as well as the theories of friends of the show Mugatu, Clint, and JMac...clever uses of the transporter, the character of Data and how he has evolved over the years, as well as the Borg...the

We meet so many accomplished and delightful guests on Mysterious Goings On. However, it is rare we get to meet a living legend such as our guest, Oscar and Emmy Winner George Stevens, Jr. His father directed incredible films, including GIANT, PENNY SERENADE, SHANE, A PLACE IN THE SUN, and perhaps most importantly, was there to film the liberation of Dachau. George Stevens, Jr. is the founder of the American Film Institute, creator of the AFI Life Achievement Award, co-creator of the Kennedy Center Honors, and a director in his own right. He has also served as Co-Chairman of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. He has won eight awards from the Writers Guild of America. In 1992, Stevens won the WGA's Paul Selvin Award for his screenplay SEPARATE BUT EQUAL. He also won a Humanitas Prize in 2012 for THURGOOD. In 2012, Stevens was awarded an honorary Oscar for his lifelong contributions to the film industry. He was presented the award by his friend and colleague Sidney Poitier. We're

Joining us is the bossy, compelling, and inspirational Fitz Koehler. She is the author of multiple books, including ⁠My Noisy Cancer Comeback⁠, ⁠Your Healthy Cancer Comeback: Sick to Strong and Healthy Cancer Comeback Journal⁠, and also a busy keynote speaker, professional race announcer, and fitness expert. Her small company Fitzness International has a global reach, and she's conquered every avenue of mass media to help people live better and longer. “I'm still a tiny company, but I have earned global reach and financial freedom. My mission to help others live better and longer never changes, but my tactics frequently do. I recently toured the country announcing massive running events like the LA Marathon, bald and sick with cancer. But instead of taking a big pity party on the road, I continued to project health and happiness because that is who I am, and that is how I serve people...business is good, and life is GREAT!” – Fitz Koehler   This is a high-energy hoot of an episode! Don’t miss it! C

THIS VIDEO EDITION is AVAILABLE ONLY BY SUBSCRIPTION for just $1.99 a month you get exclusive access to every video we launch on the feed! Thanks for subscribing. Become a Paid Subscriber here. Welcome to episode eight (PART 2) of a special bonus series on Mysterious Goings On...TREK TAKES. What is TREK TAKES? Well, ⁠⁠⁠Star Trek⁠⁠⁠ fans... PICARD is back for the third and final season. As a lifelong fan of the series and a critic of the franchise's direction over the past few years, Alex will talk with film critic and writer⁠⁠⁠ Lucas Hardwick⁠⁠⁠, sharing their "first takes" on every episode--coming at you every Friday morning throughout the 10-episode season three. This week: it's Lucas and Alex's first take on the eighth episode of season three of PICARD: SURRENDER.  Up for discussion: Lucas and Alex surrender to technical difficulties but manage to discuss episode 8. Also, if you wish to participate in a live YouTube wrap-up of Trek Takes on April 22, stay tuned! We have more listener

THIS VIDEO EDITION is AVAILABLE ONLY BY SUBSCRIPTION for just $1.99 a month you get exclusive access to every video we launch on the feed! Thanks for subscribing. Become a Paid Subscriber here. Welcome to episode eight (PART 1) of a special bonus series on Mysterious Goings On...TREK TAKES. What is TREK TAKES? Well, ⁠⁠Star Trek⁠⁠ fans... PICARD is back for the third and final season. As a lifelong fan of the series and a critic of the franchise's direction over the past few years, Alex will talk with film critic and writer⁠⁠ Lucas Hardwick⁠⁠, sharing their "first takes" on every episode--coming at you every Friday morning throughout the 10-episode season three. This week: it's Lucas and Alex's first take on the eighth episode of season three of PICARD: SURRENDER.  Up for discussion: Lucas and Alex surrender to technical difficulties but manage to discuss episode 8. Also, if you wish to participate in a live YouTube wrap-up of Trek Takes on April 22, stay tuned! We have more listener mail

Welcome to episode eight of a special bonus series on Mysterious Goings On...TREK TAKES. What is TREK TAKES? Well, ⁠Star Trek⁠ fans... PICARD is back for the third and final season. As a lifelong fan of the series and a critic of the franchise's direction over the past few years, Alex will talk with film critic and writer⁠ Lucas Hardwick⁠, sharing their "first takes" on every episode--coming at you every Friday morning throughout the 10-episode season three. This week: it's Lucas and Alex's first take on the eighth episode of season three of PICARD: SURRENDER.  Up for discussion: Lucas and Alex surrender to technical difficulties but manage to discuss episode 8. Also, if you wish to participate in a live YouTube wrap-up of Trek Takes on April 22, stay tuned! We have more listener mail, updates on our writing projects, and more. More about Lucas Hardwick: ⁠https://linktr.ee/lucashardwick⁠ More about Alex Greenwood: ⁠https://shor.by/AlexGinKC⁠ "PS: Greenwood and Hardwick? These can

What would happen if the entire California electrical grid went down? You don't want to know...but you MUST! Find out about his exciting thriller about this catastrophe-in-waiting and more as we meet the author, Christopher J. Lynch, who has inside info on our country’s vulnerabilities. He’s also an adventurer and the biographer of the iconic child actor who played the conniving Eddie Haskell on the TV series Leave it to Beaver. Lynch is the author of the ONE EYED JACK crime novel series about a professional blackmailer. The debut novel in the series was a 2013 Shamus Award finalist, and a 2014 Writers Digest honorable mention for genre fiction. He's also the author of, EDDIE: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF AMERICA’S PREEMINENT BAD BOY, the biography of Ken Osmond, the iconic child actor who played Eddie Haskell on the TV series Leave it to Beaver. His latest work, DARK STATE, is a chilling modern-day thriller about a terrorist attack that takes down California’s electrical grid. Imagine if the world’s 5th-lar

Kathy Forti, Ph.D. joins us to discuss her near-death experience that led to her multi-genre book, Stacks Library of Truth⁠, about a Library of Congress employee who discovers an interdimensional portal leading to a Library of Truth, which reveals secrets about world leaders and politicians. “It’s hard to explain what happened to me, how I survived, and the amazing creativity that came about as a result of almost dying,” says Forti. She also discussed her character Zach Eldridge, who has acquired savant syndrome and synesthesia, and how he is trying to uncover the truth. The human fascination with conspiracy theories and the importance of research when writing a book, and the importance of listening to one's intuition are also on tap. Listen in! "What initially seems like a simple crime story expands into other realms... A compelling mystery that combines ancient knowledge, modern evil, and unlikely heroes." -- Kirkus Reviews on Stacks Library of Truth Connect with Kathy: Stackslibraryoftruth

THIS VIDEO EDITION is AVAILABLE ONLY BY SUBSCRIPTION for just $1.99 a month you get exclusive access to every video we launch on the feed! Thanks for subscribing. Become a Paid Subscriber here. Welcome to episode seven of a special bonus series here on Mysterious Goings On...TREK TAKES. What is TREK TAKES? Well, ⁠Star Trek⁠ fans... PICARD is back for the third and final season, and as a lifelong fan of the series and a critic of the franchise's direction over the past few years, Alex will talk with film critic and writer⁠ Lucas Hardwick⁠, sharing their "first takes" on every episode--coming at you every Friday morning throughout the 10-episode season three. This week: it's Lucas and Alex's first take on the seventh episode of season three of PICARD: DOMINION.  Up for discussion: Lucas and Alex discuss the possibility of Jack Crusher being possessed by a Pah Wraith due to his red eyes, missing Frakes and Dorn, the relationship between Riker and Worf, the emotional moment between Data and

Welcome to episode seven of a special bonus series here on Mysterious Goings On...TREK TAKES. What is TREK TAKES? Well, Star Trek fans... PICARD is back for the third and final season, and as a lifelong fan of the series and a critic of the franchise's direction over the past few years, Alex will talk with film critic and writer Lucas Hardwick, sharing their "first takes" on every episode--coming at you every Friday morning throughout the 10-episode season three. This week: it's Lucas and Alex's first take on the seventh episode of season three of PICARD: DOMINION.  Up for discussion: Lucas and Alex discuss the possibility of Jack Crusher being possessed by a Pah Wraith due to his red eyes, missing Frakes and Dorn, the relationship between Riker and Worf, the emotional moment between Data and Geordi, the absence of Marina Sirtis, budget and sets, how plot and character are more important than nitpicks, and how the show has managed to tell a story without relying on glycerin tears. Also:

Alex is joined from Baltimore by novelist John DeDakis, author of five novels in the Lark Chadwick mystery-suspense-thriller series. DeDakis is a former editor on CNN's "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer." He is also a writing coach, manuscript editor, and writing workshop leader. They discuss broadcast journalism, as well as the difficulties women face in that male-dominated world. They also discuss Lark Chadwick, a character in his novels, an amateur sleuth trying to maintain her journalistic integrity. Alex speaks about his own past behavior and believes that books like DeDakis's can help male readers understand their mistakes with women and grow from them. John has used his own experiences of grief and loss to inform his writing, and he believes that the creative process is largely one of self-discovery. He teaches writing to help people deconstruct the process and encourages them to move toward the pain. He is currently working on his sixth novel, which will explore topics such as a

SUBSCRIBERS ONLY VIDEO CONTENT! Become a subscriber for ad-free shows, subscriber-only content, giveaways, and more! https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/j-alexander-greenwood/subscribe Welcome to episode six of a special bonus series here on Mysterious Goings On...TREK TAKES. What is TREK TAKES? Well, Star Trek fans... PICARD is back for the third and final season, and as a lifelong fan of the series and a critic of the franchise's direction over the past few years, Alex will talk with film critic and writer Lucas Hardwick, sharing their "first takes" on every episode--coming at you every Friday morning throughout the 10-episode show. This week: it's Lucas and Alex's first take on the sixth episode of season three of PICARD: THE BOUNTY.  Up for discussion--What’s a Vulcan Patty Melt got to do with the latest episode of ⁠#StartrekPicardSeason3⁠ THE BOUNTY? Nothing really but that’s what we’re here for. And is Locutus up to his old tricks? We don’t know either. Is the night at the mus

Welcome to episode six of a special bonus series here on Mysterious Goings On...TREK TAKES. What is TREK TAKES? Well, Star Trek fans... PICARD is back for the third and final season, and as a lifelong fan of the series and a critic of the franchise's direction over the past few years, Alex will talk with film critic and writer Lucas Hardwick, sharing their "first takes" on every episode--coming at you every Friday morning throughout the 10-episode show. This week: it's Lucas and Alex's first take on the sixth episode of season three of PICARD: THE BOUNTY.  Up for discussion--What’s a Vulcan Patty Melt got to do with the latest episode of #StartrekPicardSeason3 THE BOUNTY? Nothing really but that’s what we’re here for. And is Locutus up to his old tricks? We don’t know either. Is the night at the museum too rich a helping of poached eggs for one episode? Is Georgie a cranky commodore and is that a good thing? What's the deal with the cloaking device and the Defiant? Is Deanna a damsel

We're thrilled to offer a PR After Hours crossover interview with one of the masters of the public relations profession...you might even call Marc Whitt the "Johnny Appleseed" of PR, spreading the word about ethical practice and more. As greater demands and expectations are placed on those who practice public relations, PR veteran and author Marc Whitt contends that we should advance ourselves to the ultimate level of professional skill and excellence: that of a masterful public relations professional. He writes that achieving masterful status in our profession should become our North Star - our guiding light. These individuals are the profession's “cream of the cream of the crop,” according to Whitt. But those wishing to reach the masterful level must embrace and practice eight core habits, as Whitt details in his second book, When In Doubt, Make Applesauce! Core Habits of the Masterful Public Relations Professional (CherrymoonMedia, 2022). Adding to this exceptional book are more than 36 PR masters from six

Michael Pickard has had three careers, including working in software and retail, and has written 11 titles including nine novels, two children's books, and a collection of juried short stories. Dozens of Pickard's short stories have been published, including Hardwired, which won a Ray Bradbury Creative Writing Prize in 2005. He started writing fiction when his daughter asked him to write her a story for her first time away at overnight camp which became THE BOY WHO SNEEZED MONEY, and he has been writing ever since. His stories often involve characters reacting to a heavy-handed plot, and he enjoys letting the characters dictate where the story goes. Alex is impressed by FORWARD AND BACK, Pickard's new time travel thriller: At the moment of his greatest professional achievement, renowned physicist Randy Weinberg wakes up eight years in the future. He is legally dead, divorced from his wife, and a stranger to his son. Enemies threaten him for the secrets of time travel. As a victim of his failed e

Welcome to episode five of a special bonus series here on Mysterious Goings On...TREK TAKES. What is TREK TAKES? Well, Star Trek fans... PICARD is back for the third and final season, and as a lifelong fan of the series and a critic of the franchise's direction over the past few years, Alex will talk with film critic and writer Lucas Hardwick, sharing their "first takes" on every episode--coming at you every Friday morning throughout the 10-episode show. This week: it's Lucas and Alex's first takes on the fifth episode of season three of PICARD: IMPOSTORS.  Up for discussion--Do we know (Red)Jack? Can we all Ro in the same direction? Is Shaw worthy of his own show? Has Lucas figured out the CONSPIRACY? What does Kurt Russell have to do with this? Do we as a culture indulge in too much nostalgia porn? ...and much more. Listen in! ---> NEW VIDEO EDITION AVAILABLE BY SUBSCRIPTION<-- More about Lucas Hardwick: Apes on Film: https://nerdalertnews.net/apes-on-film-size-matters-in-the-kil

Alex welcomes the delightful G.P. Gottlieb, author and podcaster for a fun, free-ranging discussion about writing and being a writer, the role of food, the pandemic, the Chicago backdrop in her work, and so much more. After recovering from breast cancer in 2015, she took baking classes for fun and began writing in earnest, melding two passions, nourishment for mind and body and recipe-laced murder mysteries. As host for New Books in Literature, a podcast channel on the New Books Network, Gottlieb has interviewed nearly 170 authors. Her third novel Charred: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery #3 will be published this spring. In this third book of Gottlieb’s Whipped and Sipped Mystery series (published by DX Varos), it’s May of 2020, and Alene’s three children are doing school from home. She worries about her business, her employees, and the homeless man shouting outside her café. Then an employee’s boyfriend finds a body at a nearby fire site with a Whipped Sipped carryout bag in the jacket pocket, and Alene’s shady

Alex welcomes Derek O. Hanley to the show to discuss Derek's photography project, which began as a way to document the experiences of medics and evolved into a way to capture the emotions of the pandemic. Derek shared how his background as a medic and his family's history of photography helped him gain access to the medics and capture intimate moments. He also discusses how he had to remain emotionally detached in order to capture the moments. Hanley discussed the emotional turmoil of being a medic and the need to humanize the profession in order to increase empathy and respect. He also discussed the unique challenges of the pandemic, such as the lack of protective equipment and the risk of bringing the virus home to family. He chose to use black and white photography to add gravitas and to focus on the emotional state of the subject. Don't miss this one! Learn more about Derek O. Hanley at DOHP.net. Buy the book: PHOTOS FROM THE FRONT LINES. Visit Alex Greenwood's website: JAlexanderGreenwood.com. Follow him