Joe Mahoney Discusses “A Time and A Place”

Calling upon Doctor Humphrey for assistance has not been particularly helpful, because the good doctor’s diagnosis of demonic possession is clearly preposterous. Even the demon currently ensconced on the front room couch agrees it’s preposterous. But then, how else to explain the portal to another world through which his nephew and Humphrey have just now disappeared? Barnabus knows their only chance of rescue is for Barnabus J. Wildebear himself to step up and go through that portal.

Thus begins an existential romp across space and time, trampling on Barnabus’ assumptions about causality, freewill, identity, good and evil. Can Barnabus save his nephew—and incidentally, all of humanity?

About the Author:
Bio: Joe Mahoney works full-time for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, where he’s helped make many radio shows over the years, including Writers and Company, Quirks and Quarks, and Q.

He’s produced documentaries on science fiction for The Arts Tonight and The Current. He produced Six Impossible Things, a compilation of short fantastical fiction, curated by Nalo Hopkinson, for Between the Covers, and wrote and produced Faster Than Light, hosted by Robert J. Sawyer, for Sunday Showcase.

He spent a decade making radio plays, working on productions such as The Merchant of Venice, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Afghanada, with some of the finest actors, directors and writers in Canada. He engineered and story-edited Steve the First, a post-apocalyptic science fiction radio play mini-series, and its sequel, Steve the Second, which won a silver Mark Time Award. He produced and directed the pilot of Canadia: 2056, and story-edited all subsequent episodes. He is responsible for all the funniest bits.

In 2007, Joe left production to join the CBC management team. These days he’s Director of Production Services. Joe’s short fiction has been published in Canada, Australia and Greece. He’s been nominated twice for an Aurora Award, one of Canada’s top awards for science fiction and fantasy, for his work on CBC Radio. Joe lives in Whitby with his wife and two daughters, and their golden retriever and Siberian forest cat.

Atlanta Writers Club Talks Writing

In the Coffee Shop, we have an extended conversation about writing. A panel of five writers gathered around our favorite table addressed “What’s Really Wise in Conventional Writing Wisdom,” with advice gleaned from years of experience writing and marketing their work. Many of their lessons apply to new writers and multi-book authors alike.

Joining us are:

Emily Carpenter (http://emilycarpenterauthor.com/), Amazon best-selling author of three suspense novels: BURYING THE HONEYSUCKLE GIRLS, THE WEIGHT OF LIES and the upcoming EVERY SINGLE SECRET, which is coming out May 1, 2018.
Ellie Jordan (http://elliedecker.com/), writer and actress, who has developed screenplays and appears in numerous films and TV shows, including THE WALKING DEAD.
JD Jordan (http://www.o-jd.com/), the author of the sci-fi Western CALAMITY, which he is now developing for television in collaboration with a production company.
Chris Negron (https://chrisnegron.com/), whose short fiction has appeared in a dozen online and print literary publications; his first middle grade novel is currently on submission with publishers.
George Weinstein (http://www.georgeweinstein.com/), who is making his second appearance in the Coffee Shop. He’s the author of five novels that span a variety of genres, the latest being the mystery novel AFTERMATH, which we discussed in 2017. He also is the former president of the Atlanta Writers Club (http://atlantawritersclub.org/) and runs the twice-yearly Atlanta Writers Conference (https://atlantawritersconference.com/about/).

They bring a variety of perspectives, having written extensively and across a wide span of genres, including suspense, middle-grade fiction, sci-fi Western, mysteries, historical fiction, and more, as well as screenplays. The common thread that connects them is that they all met each other in the Atlanta Writers Club writers critique group George has managed for more than a dozen years. During that time, they saw each other grow in many ways. Ellie and JD fell in love because of the critique group and George even performed their wedding ceremony! Both Emily and Chris obtained their first agents through the Atlanta Writers Conference. After years of helping each other succeed, overcome setbacks, and achieve milestones along their individual writing journeys, they remain a tight-knit, supportive network, assisting one other with contacts, advice, and opportunities.

In addition, they assist new writers by sharing lessons they’ve learned and, as often, dispelling wrong assumptions, misunderstandings, and outright bad advice these writers have been exposed to, especially from online so-called resources.

Among the alleged pearls of conventional writing wisdom they’ll support or dispute (or sometimes do both) during our extended conversation are:

Write every day
Restrict the points of view you use
Write what you know
Write about people like yourself
Pick a genre and stick with it
Create an outline vs. write by the seat of your pants
You’ll be set once you get an agent/publisher/bestseller
Writing is a solitary, non-collaborative activity
Write what you read
Read books to learn how to write; watching TV shows and movies doesn’t count
And much more!

So, join us for a special, multi-hour addition of the Coffee Shop!

John T Prather discusses The Nephilim Virus

Nick Reese wakes from a 3-year coma to find the world he once knew is gone. An ancient virus has infected two-thirds of the world’s population, turning humans into either incredibly intelligent super-humans or large and indestructible animalistic creatures. For the survivors, there is no government, no antidote, and no safety.

With the help of a beautiful hematologist named Faith and a man they call the Commander, Nick must survive long enough to discover the origin of the virus and learn how his blood could hold the key to a cure. But he has to do it while being hunted by the infected. And failure means the extinction of the human race.

About John:

John T Prather grew up with seven siblings in Memphis, Tennessee, on a steady diet of BBQ and southern values. After graduating from the University of Memphis, he moved to Hollywood to try his hand at the entertainment industry. He has been featured in TV series such as Scream Queens on Fox as well as WWE Raw. His commercial work has included ads for FedEx, Old Navy, Burger King, and Ruffles, in addition to various other major corporations. As a model, he has been featured in national magazines such asPeople, GQ, Men’s Health, as well as on the cover of Muscle and Fitness magazine, among others. John and his wife are expecting twins in early 2018, and hope to adopt their foster daughter very soon.