My next guest is author Liisa Kovala. Liisa is a Finnish Canadian author, book coach, and podcaster. Like Water for Weary Souls (2025) is her second historical novel. Liisa is the author of Sisu's Winter War (Latitude 46, 2022) and Surviving Stutthof: My Father's Memories Behind the Death Gate (Latitude 46, 2017) which was shortlisted for a Northern Lit Award and published in Finland by Docendo (2020). Liisa lives with her husband in Greater Sudbury, Ontario. She is inspired by her Finnish heritage and the northern landscape she calls home.

My next guest is author Jim Nesbitt. Jim is the author of five hard-boiled Texas crime thrillers that feature battered but dogged Dallas PI Ed Earl Burch — THE LAST SECOND CHANCE, a Silver Falchion finalist; THE RIGHT WRONG NUMBER, an Underground Book Reviews “Top Pick”; THE BEST LOUSY CHOICE, a Silver Falchion winner; THE DEAD CERTAIN DOUBT, a 2024 Independent Press Awards best crime fiction winner; and, THE FATAL SAVING GRACE, a December 2025 release. Nesbitt was a journalist for more than 30 years, serving as an editor and roving correspondent for newspapers and wire services in Alabama, Florida, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Washington, D.C. He chased hurricanes, earthquakes, plane wrecks, presidential candidates, wildfires, rodeo cowboys, migrant field hands, neo-Nazis and nuns with an eye for the telling detail and an ear for the voice of the people who give life to a story. He is a lapsed horseman, pilot, hunter and saloon sport with a keen appreciation for old guns, vintage cars and trucks, good cigars, aged whiskey and a well-told story. He now lives in Athens, Alabama.

My next guest is author Kristine Jensen. Kristine is a lifelong writer whose work has spanned scripts, screenplays, and storytelling for brands and organizations. She has spent her career shaping narratives, crafting voices, and distilling complex ideas into language that connects. Born and raised in South Dakota, Kristine drew inspiration for her first novel from the minutes of her grandmother’s real-life women’s club, which met for more than sixty years. She now lives in Oregon, where she writes fiction that celebrates women’s inner lives, unlikely friendships, and the quiet power of small towns.

My next guest is author John DeDakis. John is an award-winning novelist, writing coach, and manuscript editor and a former editor on CNN's "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer." DeDakis is the author of six mystery-suspense-thriller novels. In his most recent novel, ENEMIES DOMESTIC, protagonist Lark Chadwick is a pregnant White House press secretary at a time in the not-too-distant future when abortion is a crime and the president is a dictator. DeDakis, a former White House correspondent, regularly leads writing workshops at literary centers and writers’ conferences. He is also the host of the video podcast “One-to-One with John DeDakis” on YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Originally from La Crosse, Wisconsin, DeDakis now lives with his wife Cindy in Baltimore, Maryland. In his spare time, what little he has of it, DeDakis is a jazz and rock-and-roll drummer.

My guest is USA Today Bestselling author Lynessa Layne. Lynessa is a native Texan from the small town of Plantersville. She’s a fan of exploration, history, the beach (though she’s photosensitive), Jesus, and America too (RIP Tom). In addition to being an avid reader, she's obsessed with music of all types (hence her reference to Tom Petty). As a child, she created music videos in her mind and played Barbies perhaps a little longer than most with her little sister not yet realizing she was writing and enacting stories all along. Though she's put away the dolls, she now uses her novels as an updated, grown-up version of the same play. A military wife, she’s bounced around the US, including the settings in her Don’t Close Your Eyes series, currently landing in the heart of sweet home Alabama where she and her husband are raising their blended family. Best known as the author of the romantic suspense mystery series, Don’t Close Your Eyes, Lynessa is also a certified copy editor and a member of Mystery Writers of America with work featured by Writer’s Digest and Mystery and Suspense Magazine. She has also graced the cover of GEMS (Godly Entrepreneurs & Marketers) Magazine and was a finalist for Killer Nashville’s 2022 Silver Falchion Awards for Best Suspense and 2022 Reader’s Choice.

My Guest is Author Andre Gonzalez. Andre Gonzalez is the international bestselling author of the Wealth of Time Series, and co-owner of M4L Publishing. After surviving the Aurora Theater Shooting in 2012, Andre was inspired to chase his lifelong dream of pursuing a career as an author. This tragedy gave him a new appreciation for life along with a drive to make the world a better place by publishing books readers all around the world can enjoy. He has written over twenty time-travel, thriller, and horror books after spending many years reading and studying the works of Stephen King and Dean Koontz. Keeping readers up late and their hearts pumping faster than normal is his ultimate goal. Andre was the recipient of the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers 2021 Independent Writer of the Year award. When he’s not writing, you can find Andre buried underneath a long to-do list or chasing around his three hyper children. He and his wife are raising their family in their hometown of Denver, CO.

My guest is best-selling author Bruce Most. Bruce writes crime whodunits and short stories. His latest whodunit is NO TIME FOR MURDER. A former crime writer living a rat-race family and professional life reluctantly agrees to investigate whether his best friend’s death was murder, not suicide. Now if he can just find the time. Bruce grew up on a diet of famous whodunit writers including Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen, and his grandfather’s collection of Perry Mason books. Many mystery readers love figuring out the puzzle, and Bruce believes in playing fair with them. His favorite mystery writer remains the great Raymond Chandler, whom he pays homage to in the award-winning mystery, MURDER ON THE TRACKS and its sequel, THE BIG DIVE. His award-winning ROPE BURN features a former big city detective caught up in rustling and murder in contemporary Wyoming cattle country. Yep, cattle rustling still exists. He also is the author of the Ruby Dark bail bond mysteries, BONDED FOR MURDER and MISSING BONDS.

For this episode I'll be streaming live within the Wild Deadwood Reads Facebook group with a few guests stars, including author Johny Weber. I'll be talking about the Wild Deadwood Reads Event being held in Deadwood South Dakota starting June 13th thru the 15th.