E183 - Joanna Vander Vlugt reads her personal essay, No Beatles Reunion, written under her then pseudonym J.C. Szasz, which was published in the Dropped Threads 3: Beyond the Small Circle anthology. This anthology includes stories from legendary award-winning author Margaret Atwood; Lorna Crozier, Chantal Kreviazuk, Silken Laumann and so many more …

donalee Moulton's first mystery book Hung out to Die was published in 2023. Her historical mystery, Conflagration, is out now. donalee's short story Swan Song appeared in Cold Canadian Crime and Black Cat Weekly. It will appear in the Mystery Most International anthology in 2024. Her second short story was published this spring in Black Cat Weekly.…

E181 - Linda P. Rose began her writing career as a high school senior in Los Angeles when she submitted a poem to a magazine competition and won second prize. During the decades that followed, she pursued a master's degree, a Ph.D., raised a family, and worked full-time as faculty and in administration in several research universities. During this …

In today's episode Joanna explains why there's been a hiatus in the publishing of podcasts, what it's like to be a new grandma, and she reads her short story, Rock, Riot and Redemption. This is a short story that was accepted into an anthology, but because of other commitments, Joanna was unable to complete the final edits. Joanna also talks about …

Today, I have a great time reading the short story, Georgie, written by Nancy Lynn Jarvis. Nancy Lynn Jarvis wore many hats before she started writing. After earning a BA in behavioral science from San Jose State University, she worked in the advertising department of the San Jose Mercury News, as a librarian, as the business manager for Shakespear…

Allan Hudson was born in Saint John, New Brunswick. Growing up in South Branch, he was encouraged to read from an early age by his mother, a school teacher. He lives in the seaside community of Cocagne with his wife, Gloria. He has enjoyed a lifetime of adventure, travel and uses the many experiences as ideas for his writing. He is an author of act…

A CIA action officer is released from prison. A Chief Justice is murdered, and the Law Society is scrutinizing Jade Thyme’s conduct. Jade’s life can’t get much worse until she is coerced into finding an elusive double agent. Tangled in lies and political agendas, high speed chases and sticky bombs, can Jade outplay a dangerous Hungarian assassin be…

Heather L. Barksdale was born in Waterville, Maine. Her adventure into travel started young when her parents packed up the two-year-old and drove across the country to Seattle, Washington. They then flew to Fairbanks, Alaska to live until she was eight years old. She would move several more times throughout the years, living in places as different …

Donalee Moulton's first mystery book Hung out to Die was published in 2023. Her historical mystery, Conflagration, will be published in 2024. Donalee's short story Swan Song appeared in Cold Canadian Crime and Black Cat Weekly. It will appear in the Mystery Most International anthology in 2024. Her second short story was published this spring in Bl…

J.E. (Jayne) Barnard is best known for her Falls Mystery novels of women's wilderness suspense from Dundurn Press, winner of the CWC Award of Excellence and finalist for the CWA Debut Dagger, and for the Maddie Hatter Adventures fantasy series, winner of the BPAA Alberta Book of the Year and twice nominated for the Prix Aurora. Between work on upco…

Andrew Welsh-Huggins is a Shamus, Derringer, and International Thriller Writers-award nominated mystery author of eleven books with more in the works. His latest novel, The End of the Road, was named one of the best thrillers of the first half of 2023 by Library Journal and called by Kirkus, “A crackerjack crime yarn chockablock with miscreants and…

Ardelle Holden is the author of The Samantha Bowers Mysteries. Her latest novel is an Oliver Frampton Mystery and is being released on Tuesday, January 30, 2024. If you like suspenseful, emotional, coming-of-age angst, you’ll love Ardelle Holden’s gripping story of Olly’s imaginary friends who torment and frustrate his life until, at twenty, Oliver…

E171 - W.L. Hawkin loves to travel to the locations where her novels are situated so she can soak up that sensory landscape. A graduate of Trent University in Ontario, having completed a B.A. in Indigenous Studies, Wendy is a prolific author. Her Hollystone Mysteries are based on a coven of witches who solve murders. She is a member of the Crime Wr…

Despite being a captive of the Civil Service for thirty-five years, C.J. has always been a writer. She lives in Victoria BC in a crooked old building on a crooked street where she stares out the window at the sea waiting for stories and poems to smack her on the head. C.J. finds humour in the unlikeliest places. She laughs at the wrong times and sa…

Today, I have the pleasure of reading the short mystery story Plan D, written by Judy Penz Sheluk. Plan D first appeared in The Whole She-Bang 2 (Sisters in Crime Toronto) in 2014 and was reprinted in The Best Laid Plans: 21 Stories of Mystery & Suspense in June 2020 (Superior Shores Press). A former journalist and magazine editor, Judy Penz Sheluk…

Mother Always Kept A Gun is a short story written by C.J. Papoutsis in 2007. It was also accepted in the Blood on the Holly Crime Writers of Canada anthology. I have memories of critiquing this story with C.J., in coffee shops and at each other's homes. We still critique each other's work today. It's amazing the work that goes into a short story. I…

The Parrot and Wild Mushroom Stuffing is a short story I wrote under my then pseudonym, J.C. Szasz. It was accepted in the Blood on the Holly Crime Writers of Canada anthology. The inspiration for this story came to me when my youngest daughter, a teenager at the time, worked part-time in the meat department of a grocery store. She would come home …

JP (Jo-Anne) McLean is the author of ten books in the urban fantasy and thriller genres. She is an Eric Hoffer and Global Book Award winner and was a finalist in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards, the Chanticleer International Book Awards, and the Independent Author Network Awards. She is a B.R.A.G. medallion honoree and three-time Literary Titan award…

TRIGGER WARNING: the fictional short story being read on today’s podcast deals with suicide. If you, or someone you love, need to talk about suicide, please reach out to Talk Suicide Canada at 1-833-456-4566, and in the United States, please call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline 988. Today, I read Laurie Wood’s short story, Natural Consequence…

Today's short story is from a prolific author of acclaimed short fiction, Edward M. Lerner. I have the pleasure of reading Edward's short story, The Torchman's Tale, which can be found in his anthology, The Best of Edward M. Lerner. Edward has also just released his latest novel, On the Shoals of Space-Time. On Edward’s website, it is written Edwar…

Joanna Vander Vlugt reads Winona Kent's story, Herd Maintenance, from Winona's anthology Ten Stories That Worried My Mother. Winona Kent was born in London, England and grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan, where she completed her BA in English at the University of Regina. After moving to Vancouver, she graduated from UBC with an MFA in Creative Writing…

Joanna Vander Vlugt briefly explains what has occurred and how the JCVArtStudio podcast has changed from an interview to a short story podcast, in support of SAM Magazine. In today's podcast Joanna reads her short story Egyptian Queen, published in 2006 in the Crime Writers of Canada anthology, Dead In the Water, by Rendezvous Press. Joanna is the …

If you check out author Charlotte Morganti’s website, you’ll see that she, “like the protagonist in one of her novels,” is a recovering lawyer. In addition to her law degree, she holds an MFA in creative writing. She’s an active member of the Canada West chapter of Sisters in Crime, a collegial group of writers of mostly crime fiction, and Crime Wr…

Kalee Boisvert has been in the financial industry for over 15 years, but her love of money started very young. Growing up in a single parent household, she watched her mom struggle with finances and wished there was something she could do to help. Around this time, she realized she needed to find her own way to save and earn if she wasn’t going to …

Today's episode is the fourth and final in a series of podcasts I’m doing in my capacity as the Official Podcast Host for the 2022 Canadian Book Club Award winners. Today, I talk with poet Natasha Silva, author of North Star Heart; and Isis Maria Henriquez, the author of Mangos and Snowflakes. Their books were the winners of the 2022 Canadian Book …

Kim Herdman Shapiro with me and we’re going to talk about the first novel in her Wynter Island cozy mystery series, The Raven’s Cry. Kim Herdman Shapiro worked as a journalist in Canada for many years, with experience in both print and broadcast journalism. Her book, Gelato with the Pope, highlights her time as a syndicated travel columnist in the …

Susan Calder is a Calgary writer who grew up in Montreal. Spring Into Danger is her fifth novel and the fourth book in her Paula Savard Mystery series. Susan’s short stories and poems have won contests and appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies. She has worked as an insurance claims examiner and served on the boards of the Alexandra Writers…

Francesca Maria writes dark fiction surrounded by cats near the Pacific Ocean. She is the creator of the Black Cat Chronicles, a true horror comic book series narrated by a mystical black cat. Her short story collection, They Hide: Short Stories to Tell in the Dark is out now, published by Brigid’s Gate Press. Her short stories and essays can be fo…

Tony Ollivier is the author of the David Knight, high concept thriller series. The first book was released on March 2020, The Amsterdam Deception, and on Wednesday, August 9, 2023, the second novel in his series, The Tokyo Diversion, a fast-paced international thriller that starts in Tokyo. I never knew Tokyo had so many dispensing machines. A chil…

Donalee's mother knew she was going to be a writer in grade two. When asked to write a sentence using a specific word, like “tree” or “house” and provide one line for each sentence, one line, apparently, would not do. Donalee's first sentence ran off the line, down the margin, along the bottom of the page, and over onto the next page. A story, afte…

Season 6 begins with an all-star Canadian cast of authors. Today's episode is the third in a a series of podcasts I’m doing in my capacity as the Official Podcast Host for the 2022 Canadian Book Club Award winners. I’m excited to feature three fiction authors this morning, Sophie Sullivan, author of The Rules for Faking It: A Romantic Comedy; Tony …

This episode is how you end a season! Craig Colby is an executive producer, writer and director, and his productions have appeared on Discovery, ESPN+, TSN, BBC, CTV, and Netflix to name a few. Craig talks about the connections, trauma, and new beginnings behind each cap from the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Pittsburgh Steelers in his memoir, All Cap…

Sara Desai is a multi-published romance author. She has been a been a lawyer, radio DJ, marathon runner, historian, bouncer and librarian. She wrote her first novel when she was three years old. Sara’s diverse romantic comedy books have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, People, Oprah Magazine, Marie Claire, Pop Sugar, Bustle, Buzzfeed, Booklist, He…

Martha Anne Toll is the author of the novel, Three Muses, (her debut novel) which was shortlisted for the Gotham Book Prize and won the Petrichor Prize for Finely Crafted Fiction. It has received glowing reviews from the Washington Post, Vulture, Kirkus Starred Review, and many more. Martha is a book reviewer and author interviewer at NPR Books, th…

W.L. Hawkin, writes “edgy urban fantasy with a twist of murder” from Vancouver Island, B.C. Her novels—To Charm a Killer, To Sleep with Stones, To Render a Raven, and To Kill a King each stand alone but form the Hollystone Mysteries series. This coven of West Coast witches, and their eccentric friends, solve murders using ritual magic and a little …

Dr. Roger Leslie is a scholar in the fields of success and education. Through major literary houses, medium and small presses, and his own publishing house, Leslie has published fiction and nonfiction books in multiple genres: historical fiction, inspirational self-help, spirituality, writing and publishing, movie references, teaching and librarian…

Multi-published author, Yvonne Maximchuk is with me in the studio. Many readers are familiar with Yvonne's paintings, pottery and books. Yvonne is an artist of the Broughton Archipelago, where her new novel, Murder Rides A Gale Force Wind; an Island Mystery, is situated. Throughout the eight years of writing this book, Yvonne drew on the complex an…

Kelly Shuto and D.F. Wibley were the 2022 Canadian Book Club Award Winners. They are the first two authors to kick off my summer series as Official Podcast Host for the 2022 Canadian Book Club Award winners. I've included the link if you want to find more information about the ⁠Canadian Book Club Awards⁠, presented by the ⁠Self Publishing Agency⁠ .…

Ling Ge is a Pushcart nominee who studies creative writing and works as a statistician in Toronto. In her literary work, she uses a combination of Eastern and Western styles. Her work has appeared in the Spadina Literary Review, Ribbons, the Rising Phoenix Review, and the Wales Haiku Journal. Today, we talked about Ling’s writing life, her short st…

Scott Overton was a well-known radio morning host for more than 30 years in Ontario, Canada. Scott has now built a second career as an author. His radio-themed debut novel Dead Air was shortlisted for a Northern Lit Award in 2012, and his science fiction/thriller novels The Primus Labyrinth, Naïda, and The Dispossession of Dylan Knox have been well…

D. C. Gomez is an award winner, USA Today Best-selling Author, public speaker, mentor and podcaster. She writes in multiple genres from Urban Fantasy, Contemporary Lit, YA, Children’s Books, and even Devotionals. She has a quirky and at times dark sense of humor that can be seen across her different books. When she is not creating new stories, D. C…

Prolific author Hannah Mary McKinnon joins me today. Hannah was born in Manchester, UK to British & Swiss parents. Her family moved to Switzerland, and Hannah loved the mountains, chocolate, and cheese…or mountains of chocolate and cheese. After completing commercial studies in Geneva, she worked as a PA for DuPont. A year later she moved to Neuchâ…

Author Marian O’Shea Wernicke joins me today. She is the author of the stellar and beautiful novel, Out of Ireland. Marian was born and raised in an Irish Catholic family in St. Louis, Missouri. She is the author of the novel Toward That Which is Beautiful, a finalist in both Literary Fiction and Romance Fiction in the 2021 Independent Book Awards,…

David A. Bowles is the fifth generation of his family to be born in Austin Texas. Both parents were from pioneer settlers. His great grandmother, Elnora Van Cleve was the first child born in Austin on April 14, 1841. His award-winning series, the Westward Sagas is based on her family and their one-hundred-year journey from Pennsylvania to Texas. Da…

Danièle Cybulskie has been researching and writing about the Middle Ages for over a decade. She is the author of The Five-Minute Medievalist and is a featured writer at Medievalists.net. A former college professor and specialist in medieval literature and Renaissance drama, her work has been published across international magazines, spanning topics…

Amy Tector has spent more than 20 years plumbing the secrets squirrelled away in archives — whether it's uncovering a whale's ear (true story) in a box of old photographs, or working in The Hague for the United Nations' International Criminal Tribunal for War Crimes in the former Yugoslavia, she has been privy to hidden records and extraordinary se…

Mark Everglade has spent his life studying social conflict. He runs the website ⁠www.markeverglade.com⁠ where he reviews cyberpunk media and interviews other great authors. He also runs Cyberpunk Day, October 10, each year with a group dedicated to bringing dystopian fiction to a new generation. His short stories have been featured beside legendary…

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN is the USA Today bestselling author of 14 psychological thrillers, winning the genre's most prestigious awards: five Agathas, five Anthonys, and the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award. She’s also an investigative reporter for Boston's WHDH-TV, winning 37 EMMYs. National book reviewers call her “a superb and gifted storyteller.” He…

Stephanie Ellis writes dark speculative prose and poetry and has been published in a variety of magazines and anthologies. Her longer work includes the novel, The Five Turns of the Wheel and the novellas, Bottled and Paused. Her short stories can be found in the collections, The Reckoning, and As the Wheel Turns. Her poetry has been published in th…

Joe Goldberg has been a CIA covert action officer, corporate intelligence director, international political consultant, and currently he is a college instructor and author. His work at the CIA garnered 3 Exceptional Performance Awards. In the private sector, as leader of Corporate Intelligence at Motorola, Joe received the Meritorious Award recogni…