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It’s 1985, what will soon become known as “The Year of the Spy,” and fourteen-year-old Peter Bennett is convinced his mom’s new boyfriend is a Russian agent. “Gary” isn’t in the phone book, has an unidentifiable European accent, and keeps a gun in the glove box of his convertible Porsche. Peter thinks Gary only wants to get close to his mom because she works at Scientific Atlanta, a lab with big government contracts. But who is going to believe him? He’s just a kid into BMX and MTV.Ace Atkins is an award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty novels and numerous short stories. A former college football player and newspaper reporter, he’s a recipient of the Richard Wright Literary Excellence Award, the Harper Lee Award, and a member of the Alabama Writers Hall of Fame. He lives with his wife Angela and two children in Oxford, Mississippi.#authorpodcast #speakingofwriterspodcast #AceAtkins #SpeakingOfWriters #BookPodcast #ColdWarThriller #AuthorInterview #BookLovers

Author Mel Michalski joins Speaking of Writers to discuss his powerful new book Living in the Spiritual World—a deeply personal journey of faith, redemption, and spiritual discovery. #SpeakingOfWriters#MelMichalski#LivingInTheSpiritualWorld#FaithJourney#ChristianBooks#SpiritualGrowth#InspirationalReads#FaithBasedBooks

Robert Polito takes us inside the creative mind of Bob Dylan with his new book After the Flood: Inside Bob Dylan’s Memory Palace. A deep dive into reinvention, artistry, and legacy.#SpeakingOfWriters#BobDylan#AuthorInterview#BookPodcast#MusicHistory#LiteraryPodcast

Emilio Pucci: The Astonishing Odyssey of a Fashion Icon . The book has received glowing reviews from The New York Times, Vogue, Publishers Weekly, and more.When people think of fashion designer Emilio Pucci, it is of his bright, swirling colors and easy, freeing fabrics, and everyone from Sophia Loren to Jackie Kennedy donning the eye-catching dresses that personify La Dolce Vita. What few know about Pucci, however, is that before creating his world-famous fashions, he played a critical role in the war against the Nazis, risking his life to smuggle out to the Allies one of the most important documents of World War II.The authors bring to life Italy’s darkest and brightest days, with the extraordinary Emilio Pucci at its center. Italy at the end of the war was broken, and Florence, which the Pucci family had called home for seven centuries, lay in ruins. Pucci returned home bruised in body and soul, having endured trials that would have broken many, but, like Italy itself, rose from the ashes, and went on to design some of the most exuberant fashion of all time. He helped usher in a new era of creativity in Italy, which again became a mecca of fashion, art, design, film, and more.About the authors:Idanna Pucci is the author of The Lady of Sing Sing and The World Odyssey of a Balinese Prince. Idanna grew up in the Pucci palace, eyewitness to her uncle's extraordinary work. She and Terence have had far flung lives, from Iran to Indonesia. They live in Florence.Terence Ward is the author of Searching for Hassan: A Journey to the Heart of Iran and The Guardian of Mercy: How an Extraordinary Painting by Caravaggio Changed an Ordinary Life.#speakingofwriterspodcast #authorpodcast #authors #stmartinspublishing #italy #florenceitaly #emiliopucci#bookpodcast

Emily Carpenter has earned her place as a master of Southern Gothic suspense with her immersive novels set in the atmospheric South, where she was born and raised. The former actor, producer and screenwriter, who grew up in Alabama and lives in Georgia, chose the historic and picturesque city of Savannah for the setting of her seventh novel, A SPELL FOR SAINTS AND SINNERS, to be published by Kensington . Frequently ranked among America’s most haunted cities, Savannah is a fitting locale for this mesmerizing novel of intrigue, family secrets, and dark pasts, layered with a deft touch of the supernatural. #speakingofwriterspodcast #emilycarpenter#authorpodcast#novels

In 1969, a Picasso painting titled Portrait of a Woman and Musketeer vanished from Logan International Airport’s loading dock in Boston and ended up in the home of Merrill “Bill” Rummel, a forklift operator. Unaware of its contents, Rummel took the crate home, later discovering that it contained the painting and hiding it in his closet. As the missing Picasso drew the attention of the FBI and the Winter Hill Gang, Rummel and his fiancée panicked. Could this accidental Picasso thief avoid both the mob and the FBI?What happened next was a sort of reverse heist. Stealing this painting was easy—it was actually an accident.The tricky part was devising a foolproof plan to return it without getting arrested or killed. This book, co- authored by Whit Rummel Jr. and best-selling author and art crime expert Noah Charney, tells the full story and looks at incidents of art theft in the United States, putting this quirky crime into context.ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Whit Rummel Jr. is an award-winning screenwriter and film maker. After graduating with a Master’s in Film from Boston University, he began his career as a documentarian. His first project, TATOO, was a quirky 16mm film about heavily tattooed people that aired nationally on the PBS series, Independent Focus. He went on to establish WHITCOM Associates, a Boston-based production house specializing in innovative programming for corporate and commercial clients. His first screenplay, Secret Boy, was awarded the Nicholl Fellowship from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He was contracted by Disney Toon studios to script an animated feature calls Pigs Might Fly.

From self-trained lawyer to Supreme Court Justice and chief prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials — Robert H. Jackson’s life reshaped American jurisprudence.On this episode of Speaking of Writers, legal historian G. Edward White discusses his new biography Robert H. Jackson: A Life in Judgment, exploring Jackson’s defense of the New Deal, his dissent in Korematsu, his role in Brown v. Board of Education, and his historic leadership at Nuremberg.A fascinating look at law, courage, and constitutional principle.#RobertHJackson #GEDwardWhite #LegalHistory #SupremeCourt #Nuremberg #SpeakingOfWriters

Acclaimed and award-winning author Nick Petrie is back with another propulsive thriller in his bestselling Peter Ash series. At the suggestion of his girlfriend, June Cassidy, Peter rides to the aid of an investigative reporter who may have stumbled on a story more explosive than even he can handle in THE DARK TIME.Nick Petrie is the author of nine novels in the Peter Ash series, most recently The Price You Pay. His debut, The Drifter, won both the ITW Thriller award and the Barry Award for Best First Novel, and was a finalist for the Edgar and the Hammett Awards. A husband and father, he lives in the Milwaukee area.#nickpetrie #authors #authorpodcast #speakingofwriterspodcast #novels

THE CROSSROADS is a gripping, family-centered mystery for both loyal fans and newcomers. Readers love Joe Pickett—a likeable, dogged hero who always tries to do the right thing—and this time, his three daughters share the spotlight. Set against the fierce beauty of the modern West, where energy empires, cartels, and powerful families vie for control of the land, Box delivers a timely, emotionally charged thriller about family, loyalty, and the cost of standing for what’s right in a world where corruption runs deep.At the heart of C.J. Box’s appeal is his creation of game warden, Joe Pickett, an unlikely hero who has nonetheless become one of the most beloved protagonists in contemporary crime fiction. Joe is not a hard-drinking big-city detective or a noir antihero; he’s a polite, hard-working game warden in rural Wyoming, a family man who “lives paycheck to paycheck” and is deeply fond of his wife and daughters (no brooding lone wolf clichés here). He’s human and fallible – he sometimes screws up, doubts himself, or gets in over his head – but he always tries to do the right thing. That said, he’s encountered some very grisly scenes and insane villains. And game wardens are unique because they can legitimately be involved in just about every major event or situation that involves the outdoors and the rough edges of the rural new west.C. J. Box is the #1 New York Times of twenty-six Joe Pickett novels, eight stand-alone novels, and a story collection. He has won the Edgar, Anthony, Macavity, Gumshoe, and two Barry awards, as well as the French Prix Calibre .38, the Western Heritage Award for Literature, and two Spur Awards. An avid outdoorsman, Box has hunted, fished, hiked, ridden, and skied throughout Wyoming and the Mountain West. He has been executive producer on shows based on his books, including ABC TV’s Big Sky and Joe Pickett on Paramount+.#cjbox#speakingofwriterspodcast#authorpodcast#joepickett#bookpodcast

Archaeologist turned Chief Sales Officer Marco Barbi joins Speaking of Writers to discuss his book 7th Power of 7: A Short Guide to Sales Mastery. From selling kitchen knives in college — including finishing a pitch while bleeding from a severe cut — to overseeing sales expansion across North America, Marco shares the science behind mastering the perfect sale. For more info on the book click HERE #Sales #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #SpeakingOfWriterspodcast

Poet Angel Cordero joins Speaking of Writers to talk about real life, family, faith, conflict, humor, and vulnerability behind his poetry collection The Life We Lead. Written over three years, this book is part autobiography, part self-reflection, and part companion for anyone navigating love, loss, and everyday life. A deeply human conversation about stories that shape us—and the words that help us survive them. For more info on the book click HERE

From acclaimed historian and author of the “marvelous” (The New York Times Book Review) The Last American Aristocrat comes a captivating new biography of Teddy Roosevelt, exploring the life of America’s 26th president and his pivotal role in shaping the dawn of the American Century.Theodore Roosevelt was one of America’s most fascinating presidents—a complex man both publicly and privately. In this sweeping biography, historian David S. Brown takes us on an electrifying journey through Theodore Roosevelt’s life—from his privileged New York upbringing to his transformative presidency that reshaped America’s role on the global stage.In the Arena vividly brings Roosevelt to life as a man of striking contradictions: a rugged outdoorsman with a love for books, a war hero who earned a Nobel Peace Prize, and a larger-than-life figure whose energy seemed boundless. Through compelling storytelling and meticulous research, Brown explores the pivotal moments that forged Roosevelt’s indomitable spirit, from battling childhood asthma to witnessing the deaths of both his mother and his wife on the same day, to wrangling cattle in the West and preserving 150 million acres of national land.Challenging traditional views, In the Arena offers a fresh perspective on Roosevelt’s groundbreaking political legacy, including his Square Deal policies that laid the groundwork for modern social welfare programs. It also unpacks his bold foreign policy, which expanded America’s global influence and set the stage for its rise as a world power. Brown argues that Roosevelt’s charisma and performative presidency helped bridge the old Victorian values with the new industrial age, capturing the attention of the middle-class and making him a leader that the people loved.Drawing comparisons to works like David McCullough’s Mornings on Horseback, Brown’s narrative stands out for its rich detail and sharp insights. More than just an account of a presidency—it’s an exploration of a life lived on the edge of greatness and is a must-read for anyone who wants to better understand this critical period of American history.ABOUT THE AUTHORDavid S. Brown teaches history at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania. He is the author of eight books, including In the Arena: Theodore Roosevelt in War, Peace, and Revolution; A Hell of a Storm: The Battle for Kansas, the End of Compromise, and the Coming of the Civil War; The First Populist: The Defiant Life of Andrew Jackson; The Last American Aristocrat: The Brilliant Life and Improbable Education of Henry Adams; and biographies of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Richard Hofstadter. #speakingofwriterspodcast #authorpodcast #theodoreroosevelt#americanpresidents

BEING THOMAS JEFFERSON: An Intimate History (Bloomsbury), is the deepest dive yet into the heart and soul, secret affairs, unexplored alliances, and bitter feuds of a generally worshipped, intermittently reviled American icon from accomplished Jefferson scholar and biographer Andrew Burstein. A prolific historian of early American politics and culture long specializing in the life of the mind in bygone times, Burstein peels back the curtain on Jefferson. He shows the most articulate of the founding generation to have been a seductive, quietly ambitious theoretician who privately wavered “between involvement and retreat, between conviction and irresolution,” he writes.About the author: ANDREW BURSTEIN recently retired from Louisiana State University where he was the Charles P. Manship Professor of History. He is the author of The Passions of Andrew Jackson, Jefferson’s Secrets, and numerous other books on early American politics and culture. He is co-author (with Nancy Isenberg) of Madison and Jefferson and The Problem of Democracy. He is on the Advisory Committee of the Papers of Thomas Jefferson. Burstein’s writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and on Salon. He advised Ken Burns’s production Thomas Jefferson, and was featured on C-SPAN’s American Presidents series and Booknotes, as well as numerous NPR programs. He lives in Charlottesville, Virginia. #andrewburstein#charlottesville#monticello #authorpodcast #speakingofwriterspodcast #books

Madden & Summerall tells the inside story of how two unlikely partners became the greatest broadcast duoin NFL history. Rich Podolsky has been an established writer and reporter since the1970s, covering the Miami Dolphins and writing for The NFL Today. He has been a staff writer for CBS Sports and has written for The Philadelphia Daily News, The Palm Beach Post, The Wilmington News Journal, and ESPN. He is also the recipient of the prestigious Keystone Press Award for writing excellence from the Pennsylvania Publishers Association.

On this episode, Wayne A. Lynch, retired journalist and author of Blood Stained Papers. Blending vampire lore with newsroom realism, Wayne explores guilt, redemption, and the emotional toll of immortality in a story where love may be the only path to salvation.