Tag: #amwriting

HumorOutcasts Interview with Arlene Schindler Author of”Stand Up & Heartbreak”

by Billy Dees, posted in Podcast, Uncategorized

arleneblue (1)Fun time on this episode with Arlene Schindler for HumorOutcasts. Arlene is an author and speaker sharing humorous tales of women’s secrets and desires. The book we are discussing during this interview is, “Stand Up and Heartbreak: A Comic and a Sex Addict Walk into a Marriage…”

Arlene originated the comedy column for The New York Post, writing reviews and profiles of comedians appearing in New York City. It was the first of its kind in the country, helping spur comedy’s greatest growth period. Her writing has appeared in The Los Angeles Times, Daily Variety, Purple Clover, The Huffington Post and many other publications. Her novel, “The Last Place She’d Look” is a raucous romp through the hidden sex lives of today’s mature women.

cover standupandheartbreakDuring this podcast Arlene talks about some traits to avoid while dating online and how sexual addiction impacts a marriage. You can find Arlene on Twitter @SmunnySchindler and at her website ArleneSchindler.com

For your convenience the interview is available below at the bottom of this post. Just hit play. The podcast episode is also available on most of the major podcasting platforms including Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, and on your favorite Alexa device under the “Billy Dees Podcast.”

The episode is titled on these services as:

HumorOutcasts Interview Arlene Schindler “Stand Up and Heartbreak”

HumorOutcasts Interview with Barbara Hammond the Author of “daddy DU JOUR”

by Billy Dees, posted in Podcast, Uncategorized

daddy DU JOUR Cover Barbara HammondThis podcast episode for HumorOutcasts is an interview with Barbara Hammond who is the author of, “daddy DU JOUR – A revolving door of step-fathers, bad parenting, and happily ever afters.”

Barbara has a diversified background. She has experience regarding retail management, modeling, and owning a talent agency. She has also authored books before including “While You Were Sleeping”which dealt with cancer and the children’s book “Duffy Chronicles.”

As the subtitle of the book indicates, the subject matter of “daddy DU JOUR” is also varied. It chronicles the impact of various home dynamics in relation to the childhood and life of Barbara. Her story is a journey of overcoming life’s obstacles and ultimately reaching a sense of peace having traveled so far. Also comes the greater good of learning from life’s hardships and being better equipped to manage those circumstances for better life decisions while finding one’s own path in life.

For your convenience the interview is available below at the bottom of this post. Just hit play. The podcast episode is also available on most of the major podcasting platforms including Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, and on your favorite Alexadevice under the “Billy Dees Podcast.”

The episode is titled on these services as:

HumorOutcasts Interview with Barbara Hammond “daddy DU JOUR”

HumorOutcasts Interview with Brian Kiley Author of “Maybe Kevin”

by Billy Dees, posted in Podcast, Uncategorized

I was very happy to have another opportunity to interview Brian Kiley for HumorOutcasts. My last podcast with him was about a year ago for his book, “The Astounding Misadventures of Rory Collins.” His new book is titled, “Maybe Kevin” and is available now on Amazon.

maybe-kevin-coverBrian has an extensive resume including being an Emmy Award winning writer for the Conan O’Brien Show. During this episode we talked a little bit about his work with Conan as well as some of his tricks of the trade regarding his writing process.

As we also discussed during this interview “Maybe Kevin” is somewhat of a hard book to categorize into a neat little genre. The book simultaneously manages several story-lines and time periods. Brian and I share a fondness for the WWII era and we talk about several reasons as to why that is as our discussion about the book moves along.

In general, most good stories are ones of relationships and “Maybe Kevin” is no exception. To learn more about the writing of this book I would give our podcast a listen and hear it from Brian Kiley himself.

For your convenience the interview is available below at the bottom of this post. Just hit play. The podcast episode is also available on most of the major podcasting platforms including Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, and on your favorite Alexadevice under the “Billy Dees Podcast.”

The episode is titled on these services as:

HumorOutcasts Interview with Brian Kiley “Maybe Kevin”

HumorOutcasts Interview with Jim Saunders Author of “Animal Dances”

by Billy Dees, posted in Podcast, Uncategorized

Produced for HumorOutcasts.com 

Animal Dances coverThis podcast is an interview with Jim Saunders who is the author of, “Animal Dances.” (Available on Amazon.)

“Animal Dances” is a World War I historical fiction novel which combines extensive research of WWI along with eyewitness accounts documented in letters to form a backdrop for the fictionalized story of, “Harry.” The story follows Harry as he is caught up in the events of conflict while he longs for his former more carefree time back at home dancing to the ragtime beat of the Animal Dances. His journey through his wartime involvement will present a set of experiences that will impact him for a lifetime.

The story of the writing of this book is an interesting one by itself. While settling the estate of his Aunt Emily, Jim stumbled across a series of letters that documented several years of correspondence between Emily and her brother who was a soldier fighting abroad during WWI. Jim’s initial idea was to take the events described in the letters and to somehow synchronize them into the historical events of WWI.

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Jim Saunders the author of, “Animal Dances”

However, finding an interesting angle to this process proved itself to be cumbersome. After having a lunch conversation with a friend, Jim began to develop the concept of a novel by adding a fictionalized story.

Jim has a plethora of experience and training in various fields of science including that of a researcher. He also has a great appreciation for history and the human experience. This combination alone makes him the perfect author for this type of story. However, Jim had such a dedication to the project that he felt he needed to further develop his storytelling skills in addition to his already well-practiced scientific writing. As a result, Jim enrolled himself into fiction writing classes, workshops, and other various courses.

The product of Jim’s 8 years’ worth of hard work and dedication is an excellent and well-reviewed book. I would certainly hope that you will accept our invitation to listen to our podcast to hear more about this fantastic and creative journey from Jim himself. For your convenience the interview is available below at the bottom of this post. Just hit play. The podcast episode is also available on most of the major podcasting platforms including Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, and on your favorite Alexa device under the “Billy Dees Podcast.”

The episode is titled on these services as:

HumorOutcasts Interview with Jim Saunders of “Animal Dances”

HumorOutcasts Radio Interview Cathy Sikorski “Who Moved My Teeth?”

by Billy Dees, posted in Books, Podcast

Who Moved My Teeth CoverWhat is a caregiver? If you help someone else you may be a caregiver and not realize it. As time goes on in a given situation your role as such may well become a major responsibility. Many of us should also be aware of the looming risk that we ourselves will someday be in a situation where we require assistance in our daily lives.

These are daunting possibilities to ponder. I happen to feel, however, that choosing to be a caregiver for a loved one when it is possible is a noble and rewarding act. Moreover, it does not have to be the nightmare that it often turns out to be when we wait for a crisis to develop before we take action to become informed.

This is the subject of the book, “Who Moved My Teeth? Preparing for Self, Loved Ones and Caregiving” by Cathy Sikorski.

Cathy is an attorney who specializes in elder care. I found Cathy to be a skilled speaker who infuses the right amount of humor and lightheartedness into such topics as powers of attorney, advanced directives, managing medical bills and many other subjects. The book provides an excellent background into these matters and provides a feel for what you may need to research.

As stated in the book:

“And this is where a good Elder Lawyer comes in. Find her or him and talk to them. Know what you can and cannot do and when you can and cannot do it. Knowledge is Power.”

Billy Dees and Cathy Sikorski
Billy Dees and Cathy Sikorski

Follow Cathy on Twitter at @Cathy_Sikorski. Also please visit the publisher’s humor site HumorOutcasts.com and book publishing site HOPress.

This is a highly informative podcast with a strong functional value and is available below at the bottom of this post.

For your convenience the interview is also available on most of the major podcasting platforms including iTunes Apple Podcasts and Stitcher under “Billy Dees.” It can also be accessed on TuneIn through your Amazon Alexa streaming device.

The episode is titled on these services as:

HOPress HumorOutcasts Cathy Sikorski – Who Moved My Teeth?

HumorOutcasts Radio Interview with Molly Stevens

by Billy Dees, posted in Books, Podcast

1BOTL coverI had a lot of fun interviewing Molly Stevens, who is the author of, “Boomer on the Ledge.”

Molly brought up some good points during the course of our podcast. One of the themes that seems central to her message is that it is never too late to discover new passions and ways to be creative as we mature. In fact, sometimes life experiences can enhance our ability to tackle original endeavors and challenges.

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Molly Stevens

Another concept that seems very dear to Molly is the idea that humor is a great way to deal with life challenges and can also be a way to inspire others to examine their own place in life in a more lighthearted and positive fashion.

Molly lives in Maine and still works as a registered nurse part-time after a long and fulfilling full-time career in the medical field. More recently Molly discovered the joys of writing and over the past number of years has been showcasing her work on her blog ShallowReflections.com.

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Billy Dees and Molly Stevens

“Boomer on the Ledge” is an interesting blend of musings and observations about the positive and negative aspects of being a Baby Boomer as well as an inspired pictorial of images photographed by Molly to illustrate the perceptions conveyed in the book.

Molly is a contributor to HumorOutcasts.com and can be found on Twitter @ShallRef and on her Facebook pages Shallow Reflections and Boomer on the Ledge. Her book, “Boomer on the Ledge,” can be found here on Amazon published by HumorOutcasts Press. You can follow @HOPress on Twitter.

Please take a moment to enjoy our podcast interview with Molly Stevens.

The playable audio program is right here:

HOPress HumorOutcasts Radio Molly Stevens