Mysterious Goings On

Welcome to episode five of a special bonus series here on Mysterious Goings On...TREK TAKES. What is TREK TAKES? Well, Star Trek fans... PICARD is back for the third and final season, and as a lifelong fan of the series and a critic of the franchise's direction over the past few years, Alex will talk with film critic and writer Lucas Hardwick, sharing their "first takes" on every episode--coming at you every Friday morning throughout the 10-episode show. This week: it's Lucas and Alex's first takes on the fifth episode of season three of PICARD: IMPOSTORS.  Up for discussion--Do we know (Red)Jack? Can we all Ro in the same direction? Is Shaw worthy of his own show? Has Lucas figured out the CONSPIRACY? What does Kurt Russell have to do with this? Do we as a culture indulge in too much nostalgia porn? ...and much more. Listen in! ---> NEW VIDEO EDITION AVAILABLE BY SUBSCRIPTION<-- More about Lucas Hardwick: Apes on Film: https://nerdalertnews.net/apes-on-film-size-matters-in-the-kil

Alex welcomes the delightful G.P. Gottlieb, author and podcaster for a fun, free-ranging discussion about writing and being a writer, the role of food, the pandemic, the Chicago backdrop in her work, and so much more. After recovering from breast cancer in 2015, she took baking classes for fun and began writing in earnest, melding two passions, nourishment for mind and body and recipe-laced murder mysteries. As host for New Books in Literature, a podcast channel on the New Books Network, Gottlieb has interviewed nearly 170 authors. Her third novel Charred: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery #3 will be published this spring. In this third book of Gottlieb’s Whipped and Sipped Mystery series (published by DX Varos), it’s May of 2020, and Alene’s three children are doing school from home. She worries about her business, her employees, and the homeless man shouting outside her café. Then an employee’s boyfriend finds a body at a nearby fire site with a Whipped Sipped carryout bag in the jacket pocket, and Alene’s shady

Alex welcomes Derek O. Hanley to the show to discuss Derek's photography project, which began as a way to document the experiences of medics and evolved into a way to capture the emotions of the pandemic. Derek shared how his background as a medic and his family's history of photography helped him gain access to the medics and capture intimate moments. He also discusses how he had to remain emotionally detached in order to capture the moments. Hanley discussed the emotional turmoil of being a medic and the need to humanize the profession in order to increase empathy and respect. He also discussed the unique challenges of the pandemic, such as the lack of protective equipment and the risk of bringing the virus home to family. He chose to use black and white photography to add gravitas and to focus on the emotional state of the subject. Don't miss this one! Learn more about Derek O. Hanley at DOHP.net. Buy the book: PHOTOS FROM THE FRONT LINES. Visit Alex Greenwood's website: JAlexanderGreenwood.com. Follow him

Welcome to episode four of a special bonus series here on Mysterious Goings On...TREK TAKES.  What is TREK TAKES? Well, Star Trek fans... PICARD is back for the third and final season, and as a lifelong fan of the series and a critic of the franchise's direction over the past few years, Alex will talk with film critic and writer Lucas Hardwick, sharing their "first takes" on every episode--coming at you every Friday morning throughout the 10-episode run of the show. This week: it's Lucas and Alex's first takes on the fourth episode of season three of PICARD: NO WIN SCENARIO.  Up for discussion--how they are running out of superlatives, the excellent acting by Frakes, how Captain Shaw does the trauma thing right, why Alex is holding out for Sisko, the attack of the beefy changeling, Lucas's Ghostrider Meathead, and much more. Listen in! More about Lucas Hardwick: Apes on Film: https://nerdalertnews.net/apes-on-film-size-matters-in-the-killing/ * Screem magazine: https://screemag.com/index.php Faceboo

In this fascinating conversation with Monte Schulz (son of the late cartoonist Charles M. Schulz), Alex talks about Schulz’s new novel filled with robust characters, an unraveling mystery, mayhem, innocence, and moral disintegration. Metropolis (Fantagraphics, August 23, 2022) is a coming-of-age novel with a moral puzzle at its core. This dystopian tome is narrated by college senior Julian Brehm, who lives in a war-ravaged world perverted by eugenics where those who were deemed mentally, morally, or physically unfit were banished to desolate Provinces far from where he lives his uneventful life. Thrust into facing a broader reality by the woman he falls in love with, a bohemian revolutionary, Julian, and ultimately Monte, pushes readers to question ideals while giving them the hope of love. Schulz, the eldest son of the late cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, creator of Charlie Brown and the rest of the “Peanuts” gang, is the owner of and a teacher at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference, shares: - Why he walked a

Welcome to episode three of a special bonus series here on Mysterious Goings On...TREK TAKES. What is it? Well, Star Trek fans... PICARD is back for the third and final season, and as a lifelong fan of the series and a critic of the franchise's direction over the past few years, Alex will talk with film critic and writer Lucas Hardwick, sharing their "first takes" on every episode--coming at you every Friday morning throughout the 10-episode run of the show. This week: it's Lucas and Alex's first takes on the third episode of season three of PICARD: SEVENTEEN SECONDS.  The guys talk about their theories about Tom/Will Riker, poached egg selections, mixed emotions about Lore/Data/B4, the just-announced demise of STAR TREK: DISCOVERY, and much more. Listen in! More about Lucas Hardwick: Apes on Film: https://nerdalertnews.net/apes-on-film-size-matters-in-the-killing/ * Screem magazine: https://screemag.com/index.php Facebook: Lucas Hardwick LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-hardwick-88105a23 Tw

From D.C. lobbyist to storyteller to entrepreneur, JV Hilliard is an epic & dark fantasy author of the Warminster series who sees his rapidly-growing writing career as part of a larger creative enterprise. Owner of Altered Reality Magazine, Hilliard has licensed the intellectual property of his books to an augmented reality/virtual reality video game company that will launch the Realm of Warminster game in 2024. In today's fun chat, Hilliard explains how Covid gave him the opportunity to finally write his first book, how his magazine helps new writers get their start, and how he blends his authorship into new business opportunities. You'll also hear: His surprise at how much he had to learn about writing The value of beta readers and good editors Alex’s advice to JV for future success The revelation about MGO Alex received for JV Don't miss this one! Buy the latest book. Learn more at www.jvhilliard.com. Connect with him at @jvhilliardbooks for Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and "JV Hilliard" for Fa

Welcome to episode two of a special bonus series here on Mysterious Goings On...TREK TAKES. What is it? Well, Star Trek fans... PICARD is back for the third and final season, and as a lifelong fan of the series and a critic of the franchise's direction over the past few years, Alex will talk with film critic and writer Lucas Hardwick, sharing their "first takes" on every episode--coming at you every Friday morning throughout the 10-episode run of the show. This week: it's Lucas and Alex's first takes on the second episode of season three of PICARD: Disengage.  The guys talk about their theories about Riker, their poached egg selections, how good Worf looks as a silver fox, and just why Jean Luc had better not go bearded Adama. Listen in! More about Lucas Hardwick: Apes on Film: https://nerdalertnews.net/apes-on-film-size-matters-in-the-killing/ * Screem magazine: https://screemag.com/index.php Facebook: Lucas Hardwick LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-hardwick-88105a23 Twitter: @schmucas Inst

In today's can't-miss episode, we meet Melissa Payne, bestselling and award-winning author of The Secrets of Lost Stones, Memories in the Drift, and The Night of Many Endings. She first learned the real importance of storytelling when she worked for a residential and day treatment center for abused and neglected children, where she wrote speeches and letters to raise funds. The truth in those children’s stories was piercing and painful, written to invoke a call to action in the reader: to give, to help, and to make a difference. Melissa’s love of writing and sharing stories in all forms has endured.  Learn about: The value of small-town settings Evading bears in her neighborhood Being true to her storytelling voice and style How she "got in the head" of an amnesiac character Building an audience Her approach to writing minor characters How a conversion van inspired a major character Her unputdownable new novel, A Light in the Forest More! She lives in the foothills of the Rocky Mount

Welcome to a special bonus series here on Mysterious Goings On called TREK TAKES. What is it? Well, Star Trek fans... PICARD is back for the final season, and as a lifelong fan of the series and a critic of the franchise's direction over the past few years, Alex will talk with film critic and writer Lucas Hardwick, sharing their "first takes" on every episode--coming at you every Friday morning throughout the 10-episode run of the show. "I know not all Mysterious Goings On listeners are Star Trek fans, but Lucas and I believe it is of cultural significance, and we want to discuss this season, which has been touted as a return to form for the science fiction phenomena that began in 1966," Greenwood said. "I hope that fans of MGO who are not Trek fans will find it interesting from a film criticism angle. And if we don't delight, confound or outright infuriate diehard Star Trek fans, we have not done our job." Film critic Hardwick is ready to engage in PICARD and the special series on Mysterious Goings On. "For

Tyler Snure established Snure Stories and published his first novel, The Jewels of Fate, in 2019 when he was a senior high school student. The Sword of Sorenth is the second book in this fiction, fantasy, adventure trilogy and was just recently released. It quickly reached #8 on Amazon's bestseller list for its category during its launch week. Tyler also writes a blog, gives free author presentations, and offers an online personality quiz that tells you what character in The Jewels of Fate series you are most like. He lives near Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada. Listen in as he tells Alex about his already-impressive journey as a young writer as well as his thoughts on breaking into the youth reading market.  Learn more: https://www.snurestories.com/. Buy the books here and here. Visit Alex's new author website: JAlexanderGreenwood.com. Buy Alex Greenwood's books on Amazon.com or email him to order your autographed copies here or visit https://jalexandergreenwood.com/shop. Listen to Alex and Sonia on CHI

Meet Brian Hutton, a savorer who has traveled extensively throughout Asia, and has eaten his way through some of the finest cuisine and street food in China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Japan, and South Korea. Join Brian and Alex for a delicious conversation featuring tales of adventurous eating, his fear of a bone in the throat, thoughts on the late Anthony Bourdain, and the subtle differences between the various Asian cultural palates. Follow the show (free!) and listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Anchor, right here on this website, and wherever you get quality pods. Hutton was previously a guest on the show discussing what he does as a product designer. Check out this popular interview here. He returned to discuss the next moves of the food and restaurant industry during the pandemic here. Mentioned in the show: The Quiet American Somebody Feed Phil: The Book Scratch Paseo Restaurant in Oklahoma City Midnight Diner Chica & the Man podcast Visit Alex's new author website: JAle

Okay, Star Trek fans... Picard is back for the final season, and as a lifelong fan of the series and a critic of the franchise's direction over the past few years, Alex will talk with film critic and writer Lucas Hardwick, sharing their "first takes" on every episode on "Trek Takes." There are ten episodes of Picard airing this spring on Paramount+, so we will do ten episodes of Trek Takes. Each Trek Takes episode will be 20-30 minutes. PLEASE NOTE: This will not replace your regular Thursday MGO episodes! This is free, added-value content. This added-value content is also an experiment to see what we can supplement to MGO fans' listening enjoyment, and it didn't make sense to start a whole new podcast for the topic of one season of a TV show. If it goes well, we'd like to offer more special miniseries content within the MGO feed featuring current topics mixed in with our usual interview format.  So, starting February 17, make your podcast listening experience prosper by joining two unapologetic Trek fan

Celebrate Black History Month with Kristy Nerstheimer, author of The Greatest Thing: A Story About Buck O'Neil. In this award-winning book, illustrated by Christian Paniagua, we join Buck O’Neil, Baseball Hall of Famer, through this first-person narrative from his childhood dreams, to playing baseball with the Kansas City Monarchs, to becoming the first Black coach in the major leagues. He is a baseball legend who showed the world how to live, love and play ball.  Nerstheimer has been an educator for over 25 years and holds a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction.  Currently, she is an Innovation Specialist in the Shawnee Mission School District. She has written for various educational organizations including the Kansas Historical Society and the Greenbush Education Center. The Greatest Thing: A Story About Buck O’Neil is her debut picture book. It received the 2022 Kansas Notable Award and was a Thorpe Menn Award Nominee. Kristy was also voted KC Pitch’s Best Local Author in 2021. She lives

Season 11 kicks off with Bo Bancroft, author of the debut novel, Make America Beautiful Again. Bancroft joins Alex for a fun, spirited, and frank conversation about the elements that went into his book, including his intense dislike of billboards, fighting extremism, and not letting the bad guys win. He was with Turner Broadcasting during the heady days of cable TV as a team member that launched the now-familiar networks Headline News, TNT, and TCM. Bo also spent time with Fox launching their cable networks FX and FXM. Ohioan by birth, Bo and his wife have resided in the great state of Georgia. For the last several years, Bo has had the privilege of working for Habitat for Humanity International. In our can't-miss conversation, he also shares his thoughts on CNN and the news media The perils of social media for our country’s future Americans being “connected in isolation” Themes of justice in fiction Jimmy Carter and the origins of Habitat for Humanity Connect with Bo: BoBancroft.com. Buy the book h

EPISODE 200! Film critic and screenwriter Lucas Hardwick returns to the show for an extended MEGASODE with Alex chatting about film criticism, horror, Joe Bob Briggs, collectibles, comics, ANDOR and STAR WARS fan exhaustion, the obsession with backstory in the sci-fi genre these days, STAR TREK PICARD, the Inglorious Treksperts podcast, and so much more. Find out why Lucas hates the "so bad its good" moniker and the charm and heart of gold he seeks (and usually finds) in every creative project.  This is a long conversation with occasional raucous bits (mostly from Alex after two glasses of wine!), but we hope you genre fans will be here for it! Click here for links to Lucas Hardwick's writing and other topics discussed on the show: https://mgopod.com/f/end-of-the-year-megasode-with-lucas-hardwick Facebook: Lucas Hardwick LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-hardwick-88105a23 Twitter: @schmucas Instagram: @schmucas81 We appreciate your help spreading the word and growing our audience by leav

Don’t miss this gripping conversation where we learn about life with the man the Mexican Narcos called "the most honorable criminal we ever worked with” as well as run-ins with a future king, tales of paternal cruelty, and even a bit of “Better Call Saul.” Dubbed “Mexico’s real-life Don Corleone,” Pietro La Greca Sr. ran the biggest money laundering scheme in Mexican history. But his crimes soon caught up with him—and made an enemy of his son, Pietro La Greca Jr. Set in a world of fast cars, sprawling mansions, and VIP treatment, PESOS: The Rise and Fall of a Border Family is a tale of greed, ambition, and family betrayal. La Greca Jr. tells the story of how his father built himself from the ground up through lies, scams, and sheer belligerence. After sweet-talking his way from Napoli to Tijuana, La Greca Sr. married into one of Mexico’s most powerful families. During the worst period in Mexico’s economic history, he made millions laundering money on behalf of some of the country’s most powerful politicians,

Alex is joined by novelist Jeff Berney, who released his second novel in October 2022, The Fall of Faith. It’s a gritty domestic thriller about love, faith, and the consequences of doing whatever it takes to survive in the small forgotten town of Eden, Missouri, somewhere between Bentonville and Kansas City. “Faith comes in many forms. It can take years to find and seconds to lose. And nothing, not money nor even morality, can help you hold onto it once it begins to slip away,” Berney says. “That’s the situation a group of characters confronts as a lost trucker seeks redemption after a chance encounter with a stripper whose seductive secret threatens to unravel a town full of sin and deeply buried lies." In this wide-ranging discussion, Jeff and Alex also talk about his chilling first book, A Killer Secret, frustration and fun in writing, his journey from pre-med to advertising, all things self-publishing, and their mutual great taste in bookshelves. Listen in! Buy the books here. Visit his website (and sign

Ellen Butler is the internationally bestselling author of the Karina Cardinal mystery series. Her experiences working on Capitol Hill and at a medical association in Washington, D.C., inspired the mystery-action series. Book critics call the Karina Cardinal mysteries “intelligent escapism.” Butler also writes historical fiction. Her WWII spy novel, The Brass Compass, recently won a 2022 Speak Up Talk Radio Firebird Book Award for historical fiction. The second book in the duology, Operation Blackbird: A Cold War Spy Novel, is Butler’s latest release. The novel is inspired by true events. Reviewers are calling it “riveting” and “a thrilling adventure.” In today's discussion, we learn how Operation Blackbird was inspired by true events and how the tensions surrounding the Cold War when the book takes place invites comparison to today's ongoing concerns in Ukraine--and the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons. Have we returned to a Cold War era?  Don't miss this one, Cold War and spy fiction fans! Bu

Alex wraps up Fall and shares news about the podcast and items from the December newsletter. You'll also find out why you, as a Mysterious Goings On listener, are an ADVENTURER. There may even be a John Pilate Mysteries short story for you to check out... Listen in! Read the NEW John Pilate story on Kindle Vella HERE. Want links to items he mentioned? Visit his website HERE to read the latest. Want to pitch yourself or a client as a guest? Visit HERE. Be sure to mention you heard it on the show. (Not all guest suggestions will be accepted due to time constraints.) MYSTERIOUS GOINGS ON NAMED TOP 5 LITERATURE PODCAST! Learn more here. Need a super easy website & store builder? Try Strikingly!  Visit Alex's new author website: JAlexanderGreenwood.com. Buy Alex Greenwood's books on Amazon.com or email him to order your autographed copies here or visit https://jalexandergreenwood.com/shop. This Mysterious Goings On Podcast episode was recorded and mixed at Green Shebeen Studios in beautiful Kansas City, M