A Conversation with David Morrell

David MorrellIt’s rare that you meet a thriller writer with a PhD, but that’s David Morrell. He perfectly mixes fact with fiction, and has an immense appreciation for and understanding of the thriller genre. Morrell is a co-founder of International Thriller Writers, and he’s the father of John J. Rambo. Without his novel First Blood, the iconic film franchise starring Sylvester Stallone wouldn’t exist.

I first met David at ThrillerFest in 2013 and have enjoyed getting to know him better over the past couple years. Below is an interview I conducted with David. We cover everything from what inspired him to become a writer to what it was like working on a novel while his son was struggling with a rare disease. After you’ve read it, please make sure to pick up a copy of David’s latest novel, Inspector of the Dead. It’s receiving rave reviews from critics and fans alike.

Continue reading

A Conversation With Enoch Anderson

FullSizeRender (24)I’m a huge Barry Manilow fan and one of my favorite albums of his is 15 Minutesso, when I had the opportunity to interview the key songwriting partner on that record, I jumped at it. As you’ll see in the interview below, Enoch Anderson has worked with a variety of artists on myriad projects. Currently an English professor who completed a PhD program in his 40s, Anderson is an inspirational artist who is constantly reinventing himself. Interviewing him was a great honor, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Continue reading

ThrillerFest X Recap

thrillerfest-xEarlier this month I attended ThrillerFest for the third year in a row. For those unfamiliar with the event, it’s hosted by International Thriller Writers, the premier organization for thriller writers, and it features an endless selection of panels, workshops and interviews for fans and writers to enjoy. Continue reading

Michael Des Barres: Who Do You Want Me To Be?

Michael Des Barres 2Michael Des Barres is one of the most charismatic and fascinating people I’ve ever met, so when I heard a documentary was coming out about his life I was extremely interested in watching it. The film, entitled Michael Des Barres: Who Do You Want Me To Be?, has already appeared at the San Francisco Documentary Film Festival and the Macon Film Festival, where it was universally praised.

Continue reading

Movie Review: Scooby-Doo! & KISS Rock & Roll Mystery

Scooby-Doo!_and_Kiss-_Rock_and_Roll_MysteryBy now you probably know that I’m a huge KISS fan. And being a KISS fan means hearing about all of the crazy merchandising ideas they get involved in and asking yourself, Is this something worth buying? The band’s latest commercial venture is a direct-to-video movie with Scooby-Doo and the gang, and I’m glad to say it’s actually quite good.

Continue reading

New Music: Neal Schon, Rod Stewart and John Waite

303If you’re a classic rock fan there’s a lot of good music that was recently released or is going to be released soon. Three of my favorites include a double-album by Journey guitarist Neal Schon, an album of all-new material by Rod Stewart and a remastered deluxe edition of a live album by John Waite.

Continue reading

ThrillerFest X: David Morrell Interviews Nelson DeMille

314I just returned from New York City where I attended, for the third year in a row, ThrillerFest, the premier annual conference for mystery and thriller writers. This event, hosted by International Thriller Writers (ITW), is heaven for established writers, aspiring writers and fans of the genre. Attendees get to learn from and network with the best writers in the industry. It’s a fabulous environment that inspires everyone to take their reading and writing to the next level.

I captured a ton of great content during this amazing conference, and over the next several weeks and months I will share with you what I learned and experienced, including photos, videos, highlights from panels, and interviews.

Continue reading

Book Review: Every Fifteen Minutes by Lisa Scottoline

 Earlier this week I finished Lisa Scottoline’s latest family-thriller Every Fifteen Minutes and then a day or two later I attended the book signing for her newest summer anthology of humorous essays, Does This Beach Make Me Look Fat?which she co-authored with her daughter Francesa.

Continue reading

The Babys Go Head First In PA

036Last weekend I had the pleasure of seeing one of my favorite classic rock bands perform live: The Babys. No, this lineup doesn’t include John Waite, Jonathan Cain or Ricky Phillips, but that’s OK. All of these former members of The Babys are flourishing in their musical journeys and the current lineup of The Babys is doing the same. With Tony Brock on the drums, Wally Stocker and Joey Sykes on guitar and John Bisaha on lead vocals and bass, The Babys’ know how to bring it live.

Continue reading

Manilow’s Philly Farewell

FullSizeRender (7)Last week Barry Manilow ended his One Last Time! tour. I was fortunate to see and meet him twice on this tour. First in LA and, most recently, in Philadelphia. It was fitting that I saw and met Barry, supposedly for the last time, in the same arena where I saw him for the first time back in 2007. I say supposedly because Barry just announced today that he’s going to visit more cities on this tour. My fingers are crossed that he decides to go to Atlantic City or another nearby destination on the second leg of this tour. But I digress. Let me tell you all about his show in Philly.

Continue reading