Category: Books

Dorothy Rosby – Humor Writer and Author – Tis the Season to Feel Inadequate…

by Billy Dees, posted in Books, Media, Podcast

Dorothy Rosby is an author, speaker and syndicated humor columnist whose work appears in publications throughout the West and Midwest. We are happy to have her on this episode talking about writing humor and the pressure of the holidays.

Her new book is:

‘Tis the Season to Feel Inadequate: Holidays, Special Occasions and Other Times Our Celebrations Get Out of Hand

Dorothy Rosby

The book is described on her website “as a collection of humorous essays about holidays, special occasions and other times our celebrations make us feel not-so-celebratory. It’s understanding for those who think Christmas form letters can be honest—or they can be interesting. And it’s empathy for anyone who’s ever gotten poison ivy during Nude Recreation Week or eaten all their Halloween candy and had to hand out instant oatmeal packets to their trick-or-treaters.”

You can find out where to find her on her website DorothyRosby.com.

You can find Dorothy on Twitter: @DorothyRosby

You can find the Billy Dees Podcast on your favorite podcasting platform. For your convenience we have the episode below on Spotify. You may also view the webcam version below the podcast on YouTube.

“Walking with Fay – My Mother’s Uncharted Path Into Dementia” by Carolyn Birrell

by Billy Dees, posted in Books, Podcast
Carolyn Birrell

Carolyn Birrell retired to Bonners Ferry, ID, in 2006, after living in Atlanta, GA, for 20 years where she worked for the American Cancer Society National Headquarters and then as a real estate agent and a new home builder. She began caring for her aging mother shortly after her move and started chronicling her journey.

What began as a written collection of her mother’s difficult behaviors during dementia’s earliest stages quickly turned into a comprehensive book that she continued to update until the inevitable end of her mother’s disease.

In this interview, Carolyn talks about her years long journey with her mother and Alzheimer’s dementia, and how her journals turned into a book.

An estimated 6.2 million Americans aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s dementia in 2021.

You can find Carolyn Birrell’s website here carolynbirrell.com.

You can find the full interview on your favorite podcasting platform on the Billy Dees Podcast. For your convenience the full interview is here along with the webcam version.

Jerry Zezima “One for the Ageless How to Stay Young and Immature Even If You’re Really Old”

by Billy Dees, posted in Books, Podcast

Jerry writes a humor column for Tribune News Service, which distributes it to papers nationwide and abroad. Jerry is also the author of six books, “Leave It to Boomer,” “The Empty Nest Chronicles,” “Grandfather Knows Best,” “Nini and Poppie’s Excellent Adventures,” “Every Day Is Saturday” and “One for the Ageless.”

Jerry Zezima

Jerry has won many awards including seven for humorous writing from the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. Jerry maintains a social media presence, has made many TV and radio appearances, is a popular public speaker, and is currently writing a sitcom.

You can find out more about Jerry on his blog or follow him on Twitter.

You can find our podcast interview with Jerry on your favorite podcast platform. For your convenience the Spotify podcast is playable in this post. We also have the videocast version available on YouTube.

HumorOutcasts Interview with Donna Cavanagh “Ramo to the Rescue”

by Billy Dees, posted in Books, Podcast
“Ramo to the Rescue”

Some time ago, many years ago actually, I crossed paths with Donna Cavanagh on Twitter. We were both part of the Twittersphere for blogging, humor, and related subject matter. We say “content” now by the way.

Post 2012, podcasting was ramping up as high-ranking politicians were giving interviews and major crime investigations were finding an audience on the medium. Twitter is built for authors and podcasters. Donna, being the consummate book marketing specialist that she is, was one of the publishers who first recognized the connection.

This was circa 2011 and HumorOutcasts was in its early days. I started doing some writing for the site and most of my audio production at that time was in traditional media forms. Podcasting existed back then but was nowhere near the powerhouse it is today. I was one of the early adopters of podcasting as it was a natural fit for me.

Donna Cavanagh

This was a great opportunity for me. By the time 2016 rolled around, Donna and I were producing author interviews regularly. I have made some wonderful associations and friends working with the talented group of HO writers.

Donna has now written and published a children’s book, “Ramo to the Rescue.” The book tells the story of a lifeguard through the lens of a child and is written in poetry style rhymes. The book was inspired by a chance meeting with a lifeguard which Donna describes during her own podcast interview. She also credits many of the people who helped her produce the book including Hannah Farr, who created the illustrations.

You can find the full interview under the Billy Dees Podcast on your favorite podcasting platform. We also have a Spotify player for you in this post as well as the webcam version on YouTube.  

Ken Stark, Award-Winning Horror Writer, Talks About What Makes a Good Scary Story

by Billy Dees, posted in Books, Podcast
Ken Stark

Our guest on this episode is award-winning horror writer, Ken Stark.

According to Ken’s Twitter bio he is a questionable painter, unapologetic nerd, and committed beer enthusiast.

During this episode Ken shares many of his insights into writing, the importance of relatable characters, and what makes a good scary story.

Ken Stark’s books are available on Amazon including, “Arcadia Falls.”

You can find more about Ken Stark on his website and on Twitter.

You can find the Billy Dees Podcast on nearly all of the major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and iHeartRadio.

For your convenience the episode is right here, just hit play.

You can watch the webcam version of the podcast episode here on YouTube.

Samuel Moore-Sobel “Can You See My Scars?”

by Billy Dees, posted in Books, Podcast
Samuel Moore-Sobel

Billy’s guest on this podcast episode is Samuel Moore-Sobel, an author, speaker, and columnist. His debut memoir, “Can You See My Scars?” is the story of a harrowing encounter with sulfuric acid, trauma, and severe burns.

Samuel writes about his experience as a burn and trauma survivor. Samuel has a degree in government and international politics and currently lives with his wife in Northern Virginia.

You can find Samuel’s website here www.samuelmoore-sobel.com and his Twitter account here @smoore_sobel.

This episode may contain triggers for survivors.

You can find the Billy Dees Podcast on nearly all of the major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and iHeartRadio.

For your convenience the episode is right here, just hit play.

The webcam version is here on YouTube.