David L. Riley always wanted to write a book. Growing up in Pennsylvania, he loved creating stories, but it would be years before he could devote himself to writing. In this episode of Author Conversations with me, Chris Dabbs, David talks about his...

A young Air Force officer sits underground in Kansas, responsible for a Titan II nuclear missile. Decades later, he's writing books about Christianity, faith and personal transformation. How did those very different chapters become part of the same life? Don Youts has been an Air Force missile commander, an academic, a teacher of cross-cultural communication, a community organiser, a church planter and a minister. Now in his 80s, he's an author - despite admitting he doesn't particularly enjoy ...

Charles A. Stewart spent 26 years in the US military, including combat deployments and work with Special Operations. Now he's drawing on those experiences to write military thrillers, and some of the events and characters in his novels are based on real people and missions. In this episode of **Author Conversations with me, Chris Dabbs**, Charles talks about his military career, the injuries and PTSD he experienced, and how encouragement from his family led him to begin writing. He tells me ho...

What do the ancient petroglyphs of Utah mean - and how much can we really know about the people who made them? In this edition of Author Conversations, I talk to Clay Brough, author of Tales of the Futures Past, about his interest in rock art, the questions raised by the Rochester Creek panel and the ideas that have shaped his research and writing. We discuss the Uintah Basin, possible connections between the markings and the surrounding landscape, and why interpreting images made so long ago ...

My guest Dr Mark Burtman has had quite an extraordinary life. He's been a Navy medical officer, an obstetrician and gynaecologist, a musician and a poker player. He's also spent time in prison, lost his medical career and survived a stroke. And now he's doing something he's wanted to do since college - writing books. Mark describes himself as a "walking tragic comedy", and he certainly hasn't lost his sense of humour. We talk about what happened to his medical career, his experiences in priso...

After 28 years in the US Army, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander R. Tambascia suddenly found himself having to adjust to life outside the military. Combat injuries had brought his career to an end, and serious health problems meant he was facing an uncertain future. But an unexpected conversation with another science fiction author encouraged him to have a go at writing himself. Alexander joins me on *Author Conversations* to talk about his years in the Army, what it was like leaving military life behind and how he came to write *ODAT: Orbital Drop Armor Team*. It's a military science fiction series featuring futuristic tanks, battles in space and plenty of detail drawn from Alexander's own experience. We talk about how much of his military background finds its way into the books, what he's learnt about writing and the readers who've encouraged him along the way. It's an interesting conversation with someone who's spent much of his life in the Army and has now found somethin…

Gunther Allen has lived through some extraordinary changes in LGBTQ+ history. He remembers a time when being openly gay could have serious consequences, when HIV/AIDS devastated communities and when life was very different for gay men growing up in the 1970s and 1980s.\n\nI really enjoyed talking to Gunther. He's done all sorts of things throughout his life, from music and competitive sport to coaching, design and supporting people affected by HIV/AIDS. And now he's writing books inspired by som...

At 91, Dessie Williams reflects on the extraordinary changes she's witnessed, sharing memories of family, faith, racism and the people whose stories inspired her book, His Wonders to Perform.

Martin Terrell has been through a lot. Poverty, racial segregation, drugs, prison and some incredibly difficult experiences along the way. But even after everything he's been through, he still considers himself a fortunate man. And I think that's quite something. When I spoke with Martin, we went right back to his childhood growing up in the ghetto in America, losing his mother at a young age and finding himself in circumstances where the opportunities available to him were pretty limited. Th...

Jeff Arnold joins Chris Dabbs to talk about leadership in the age of AI, where technology genuinely improves a business and where human judgement still matters more. They discuss trust, empathy, failure, customer experience and why some decisions should never be handed over to a machine.

Are you truly thriving — or simply getting through each day? Siddharth Bhaskar, author of The Office in Your Mind, joins Chris Dabbs to explore how we can change our response to stress, strengthen our relationships and find a greater sense of...

Steven Trio qualified as a solicitor, lasted just six months and walked away to pursue the musical career he'd always wanted. What followed was a creative journey through jazz, songwriting and comedy writing - and now his stories are heading towards the big screen. In this entertaining conversation with broadcast journalist Chris Dabbs, Steven talks about defying his father's expectations, finding musical success, discovering a gift for absurdist humour and his plans to adapt his writing for film..

What happens when the people making you feel small are the very people you thought were your friends? In this edition of Author Conversations with Chris Dabbs, Chris is joined by mother-and-son co-authors Dr Lucille Hilliard and Marcellus Mitchell to discuss their children’s book THAT “thing!”. The story follows the Elegant Elephant when her friendship with Fly and Flea suddenly fractures. She finds herself excluded, blamed, shamed and bullied - and has to discover the strength to understand h...

Every life is full of stories. Some make us laugh, others take us back to people and places we've almost forgotten. But how many of those stories do we ever write down? In this episode of Author Conversations with Chris Dabbs, presented by SLM Books, Chris meets Pete Zimmer, author of Barn Secrets, a collection of stories inspired by a lifetime of experiences, family memories and fascinating encounters. Pete has enjoyed an extraordinary variety of careers, from musician and broadcast engineer ...

Dr Scott M. Taubold explores Filipino Espiritista healing, the controversial idea of “psychic surgery”, mind-body medicine and what he witnessed during years of research into this remarkable healing tradition.

🚴 A 70-year-old retired detective. A 150-mile charity bicycle ride. Thousands of cyclists travelling from Houston to Austin.💥 And an explosion that turns an endurance challenge into a dangerous rescue mission. Author Reynold Conger joins Author Conversations' Chris Dabbs to discuss A Dangerous Bike Ride, the first book in his Richard Tracy series. 📖 The idea for the novel came from a striking real-life moment. Shortly after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, Reynold and his wife were in Austin...

Author and entrepreneur **Paul Hesketh** joins Chris Dabbs to reveal the surprising history, science and business behind the food we eat every day. From baked beans being cooked inside the tin and the BBC’s famous spaghetti-tree hoax to tea espionage and the Jaffa Cake VAT battle, *Behind the Barcode* uncovers the extraordinary stories hiding on ordinary supermarket shelves.

What if some of the moments we dismiss as coincidence are actually pointing us towards change? In this edition of Author Conversations, Chris Dabbs speaks to Mary Glesige, author of Open the Gate: A Journey into Synchronistic Healing. Mary explores...

Author, artist and therapist Maree Deeley joins Chris Dabbs to discuss The Harvest Always Comes, a novel exploring love, relationships, temptation and second chances. Maree reveals the personal story behind the book's title, how decades spent exploring the human mind influence her fiction and why her next novel, Eyes of Innocence, will take her writing in a very different direction.

Korean War veteran Joel A. Robinson published his debut novel at the remarkable age of 92. In this episode of Author Conversations, Joel discusses the real-life treasure story that inspired Treasure's Location, the historical research behind the novel, and why it's never too late to pursue a lifelong dream. A thoughtful conversation about writing, perseverance and the power of storytelling.

Canadian military veteran, firefighter, ultra-endurance athlete and author JD Tremblay joins Chris Dabbs to explore discipline, faith and resilience. From completing ten Ironman-distance triathlons in ten consecutive days to overcoming childhood adversity, JD shares the mindset behind living a life with purpose and becoming truly "hungry for more."

Keith Daniel Saunders Sr. reflects on a lifetime in education, growing up between different worlds and the experiences that inspired his memoir, Roosevelt to the Hamptons: The War on Both Sides. This thoughtful conversation explores identity, leadership, empathy and why understanding another person's perspective is more important than ever.

What if finding love starts with finding yourself? In this episode of Author Conversations, Chris Dabbs speaks with debut novelist Becky Larson Bloom about writing her first novel later in life, the inspiration behind New Beginnings and why self-discovery matters just as much as romance. Becky reflects on finally becoming a published author in her late sixties, fulfilling a lifelong ambition and proving that it's never too late to begin a new chapter. Whether you're an aspiring writer, a reader of contemporary fiction or simply looking for encouragement to pursue your own dreams, this conversation is a reminder that some of life's greatest adventures begin long after we think they should.

Doctors gave Donna Valentino just a 40% chance of survival. What followed was years of rehabilitation, relearning basic life skills and rebuilding an entirely new life. In this powerful episode of Author Conversations, Donna shares the extraordinary story behind her books Headstrong and Heartstrong, beginning with the catastrophic ATV accident that left her with a severe traumatic brain injury and continuing through one of the most remarkable recovery journeys you'll hear. Doctors gave Donna ...