In this week’s episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, author Brian J. Morra discusses his new Able Archer series. The first two books -- The Able Archers and The Righteous Arrows -- are available now. The Able Archer series is a work of historical fiction based on certain real-life events during the late Cold War period of the 1980’s, in particular the Soviet Nuclear Crisis in 1983 and the Soviet Union’s brutal war in Afghanistan. The protagonist in the series, CIA officer Kevin Cattani, is inspired by Brian’s own experiences as a former U.S. intelligence officer during that period. Cattani’s Soviet counterpart, Ivan Levchenko, is based on Brian’s memories of various KGB and GRU officers, many of whom defected from the Soviet Union. Written as a thriller, the series begins with the end of the détente between the US and Soviet Union in the early 80’s that put both countries on a collision course for confrontation. That period of time has been described as one of the most dangerous in human history. In this episode, I’ll chat with Brian about his writing journey, the very personal meaning behind the name of his main character, and his plans for the rest of the series (which will include such events as the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Persian Gulf War).
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In this week’s episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, author Don Silver discusses his latest coming-of-age thriller, Scorched. In the novel, Jonas Shore had a difficult home life as a teenager in the 1970s. After his father’s unexpected death when he was just fifteen, Jonas began selling drugs in order to help support himself and his mother. It wasn't long before he was caught and sent to a boarding school for fatherless boys. At that school, Jonas and his roommates were involved in a violent altercation that resulted in a man’s death. Twenty years later, his childhood actions come back to haunt him, and he is forced to deal with his complicated past. Scorched is Don’s second novel. His first, Backward-Facing Man, explores similar themes of family relationships and carrying past actions and choices with us as we age. Don came to writing later in life after a career as a musician, talent scout and record producer, but he admits that writing stories is something he has wanted to do since he was a kid. In this episode, I’ll chat with Don about his writing journey, how his experience as a musician has helped him as a writer, and why he believes creating a good narrative is much like creating a music solo.

The Bookshop at the End of the Internet is also available on Apple Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and YouTube. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode!​​

In this week’s episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, author Paul Lamb discusses his latest novel, Parent Imperfect. Once again, family takes center stage in this sequel to Paul’s debut novel, One-Match Fire. Parent Imperfect is a story about fatherhood—its highs and lows, joys and sorrows, triumphs and challenges. In this book, two fathers, Curt and Kelly, are trying to raise their adopted son, Clarkson. Curt is a reluctant father who is coming to terms with being responsible for another person. Kelly, on the other hand, has always wanted a child, but he is plagued by his own demons and suffers from deep depression. And Clarkson, an introverted boy with wonderful artistic abilities, grows up understanding that one of his fathers is absent even when he is present, while the other is absent because his condition prevents him from being present. The result is a surly teenager who feels he doesn’t belong and shouldn’t be a member of this family. Parent Imperfect takes a look at adoption, the nontraditional family, and the relationship between fathers and sons. In this episode, I’ll chat with Paul about his writing journey, how real life works its way into his books, and why he believes the theme of fathers and sons tends to haunt his writing.

The Bookshop at the End of the Internet is also available on Apple Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and YouTube. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode!​​