Featured Interview With John Holliday

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in England where I lived for a number of years with my grandfather. He was from a very interesting family from which I would find inspiration for my books much later in life. During my life I have lived in England, British Columbia and Ontario in Canada and I now live in Queensland Australia. My fascination with travel and history has drawn me to follow the life stories of some of my ancestors which led to my becoming a biographer.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
For most of my life, my writing experience was dominated by business correspondence, proposals and technical publications. That was just a part of my life as an entrepreneur. It was not until the end of my business career that I realised that I had something interesting to write about which could result in a book that others might like to read. Hence the publication of my first book, 'Toughing It Out: Adventures of a Global Entrepreneur.' Since then I have published a book about my great, great, grandfather who was a famous missionary to China, in both English and Chinese editions.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I am fascinated by history and historical novels. Among my favourite writers are Robert Harris, Frederick Forsyth, Edward Rutherfurd, and Ken Follett.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book has been a challenge, a celebration and a source of frustration. The book is about one of the leaders in the American suffrage movement, who helped to win American women the vote, one hundred years ago this year. The challenge led to the completion of the book which resulted in the celebration. I was planning a three month tour of the USA this year in order to promote the book, but that was all cancelled because of the Covid pandemic. Hence the frustration.

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Featured Interview With William L. Kovacs

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Scranton, PA, coal; Bethlehem, PA, steel, industrial America; the places I lived for my first 21 years. The late 1950s and early 60s was an uncomplicated society, small houses, and few possessions by today’s standards. Activities included Little League, Friday football, neighbors to talk to, and bikes for transportation.

That world does not exist any longer; time disposed of it. But it was my baseline for understanding my future world. My involvement in government allowed me to observe firsthand a federal government transitioning from one that generally worked for the people into one that seemingly can never work for us.

My first adventure into a world wider than northeast PA was when I attended Ohio State law school. Accidental meetings sometime determine one’s path forward. My father was in a Bethlehem, PA bar, conversing with a stranger. He indicated I was looking for a summer job. The stranger told him he knew the local congressman and would call him about hiring me for the summer of 1970. I worked hard that summer in DC and the next summer. The congressman hired me as his legislative assistant when I graduated.

There were some tumultuous times in the early 70s, especially with President Nixon, who impounded appropriated funds needed by the congressman’s district for water and sewer programs. I came up with the “wild ass” idea to sue the administration. To make a very long story short, we sued for the funds and won. Nixon’s Justice Department took it out on me by putting me under a criminal investigation. Thanks to Senator Sam Irvin, who held a hearing on the Administration of Justice in the Nixon administration, the matter was dropped.

At the end of 1974, the “Watergate babies” were elected to Congress. My congressman became a committee chairman; in the day’s chairman were powerful members of Congress. For my hard work and loyalty, he appointed me at age 29 as chief-counsel of his subcommittee, which became the biggest challenge of my life.

A month into the job Congress, in 1975, I had to confront the bankruptcy and reorganization of the Penn Central Railroad, the largest bankruptcy in the U.S. at that time. It may sound like tedious corporate work, but failure to reorganize the railroad would result in much of U.S. commerce coming to a halt. My only contact with a railroad till then was to take a few train rides from DC to home to see my parents.

While the Penn Central Railroad reorganization has been widely documented, it taught me many life-long lessons about politics. Most significantly, members of Congress, the administration, and all the staff work for the American people, not political parties. That type of thinking was prevalent in the 1970s and early 80s. The negotiations were rough, but by going through the regular process, i.e., hearings, markup, floor vote, conference with Senate, consultation with the administration, we all knew we would arrive at a workable reorganization. Working for the American people is the critical point missing form today’s politics.

Congress passed the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act after exhausting floor debate, a presidential veto, more floor debate, and eventually consensus, a presidential signature and a big White House reception. Commerce continued; taxpayers got their money back, and the nation prospered. Congress got its work done.

The next year environmental issues became the focus of concern. Rivers were burning, hazardous waste thrown in backyards and fields, and some of the first studies were released on the impact of improper waste disposal on humans. I was lucky with the hazardous waste issue; there was no federal law, so no one knew much about it.

Learning a lot about political deals from the Penn Central debate, I asked the minority counsel to sit with me in every meeting on hazardous waste, so we both heard the same information. My reasoning, it’s hard to dispute facts. For the next eight months, we had hundreds of meetings with impacted parties. Minority counsel and I were able to present the entire committee with a structure that had almost universal support. Before Congress went home to campaign, the last bill passed in the 1976 Congress was the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. It regulated the generation, treatment, and disposal of hazardous waste from cradle to grave. It is still the primary law today that regulates hazardous waste.

In 1977, I left the Hill to practice law; I wanted a new experience. It was tedious, and billing time in six-minute increments made life go very slow. Fundamentally, it was a mistake that was hard to undo. However, it did allow me to make some money, buy a house in Northern Virginia, educate my kids, and buy more “stuff” than I needed. After realizing I was not too fond of law practice, it took over a decade to find an exciting job.

In 1997, a position at the U.S. Chamber, running its Environment, Technology & Regulatory Affairs division, opened up when its long-time leader abruptly retired. Friends inside the organization thought I was the perfect candidate and asked me to apply. I got the job.

For the next twenty years, that job allowed me to manage many interesting issues, including environment, energy, telecommunications, regulatory affairs, technology, food safety, and agriculture. It was a great job that had me testify before Congress forty times, participate in over 500 federal rulemakings and lead many national coalitions.

The Obama administration was brutal with its executive overreach, massive new regulatory structures, and political polarization. Worse, reality caught up with Congress. It had delegated a great many powers to the executive branch, and in a divided Congress, it could not reclaim its primary legislative authority. Concurrently, the courts were issuing sweeping decisions, functioning literally as “super-legislatures.”

At the end of 2017, with a recognition that the Trump administration would operate in an equally arbitrary manner, but on different policies, I retired to write Reform the Kakistocracy. While I never expected to produce a best-seller, I hoped to generate a discussion of problems in need of policy solutions.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I found books later in life when I attended a Jesuit college (University of Scranton). It had small classes and made students read and discuss books. Fred Rotondaro, an English professor, taught several of my classes. He devoted a great deal of time to Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man. It was his tool to to have students explore their role in the world.

As to writing, I have been writing since law school, but mostly “scholarly” articles, i.e., law reviews, chapters in books. When I retired, I started writing what I wanted to write, i.e., my book, "Reform the Kakistocracy: Rule by the Least Able or Least Principled Citizens," articles for several publications. My second book comes out in the next few months: "The Left’s Little Red Book on Forming a Green New Republic." It is a small book, a chapbook that uses quotations to illustrate how the radical Left uses words to manipulate thought.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Favorite authors: Samuel Becket, Eugene Ionesco, Albert Camus, Jean Genet, Ralph Ellison, Edwin Abbott, Sun Tzu, Thomas Paine and Amity Shlaes.
Plays, especially Theatre of the Absurd and political theory are my favorites to read.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is Reform the Kakistocracy

Kakistocracy, a term describing what our government has become, a government-controlled by "leaders" who are the least able or least principled citizens.

Reform the Kakistocracy describes how our federal government transformed itself from one of limited powers to one of immense power without any constitutional changes. In this decades-long transformation, Congress delegated significant legislative authority to the Executive, which uses it through regulation and Executive Orders. Concurrently, the courts, through sweeping decisions, amassed the powers of a super-legislature. These revisions change how each branch of government fulfills its institutional role as a check on the other branches' powers. They also fundamentally affect the relationship of citizens to their government.

The result of the transformation is decades of policy failures, harmful wealth inequality, a healthcare system costing two times more than in other industrialized nations, and the imposition of such massive amounts of debt that citizens will eventually live in involuntary servitude the federal government.

Reform the Kakistocracy asks the fundamental question – "For whom did we form a government?" The answer provides a practical discussion of how policy is made in light of many competing interests, i.e., government officials dealing with vague laws and regulations, deal-making, supporters, opponents, citizens, political parties, interest groups, and others branches of government.

The book's thesis is that government is so complex, and politics and politicians are so polarized; it is impossible to govern by formulating workable solutions to the nation's problems. The result is political chaos created by government officials giving their loyalty to political parties, not citizens or the Constitution. Giving loyalty to political parties is entirely misplaced judgment; government officials must function as fiduciaries to the Constitution, not handmaidens to politics.

Unlike many books on government reform, Reform the Kakistocracy does not let the reader dangle with vague ideas. It presents clear, thought-provoking proposals for restructuring the kakistocracy to achieve a sustainable government that citizens can manage. A few of the policies proposed: reallocating powers between federal, state, and local government to eliminate massive duplication of programs; prioritizing the work of government to address the most critical issues first, selling off unused assets and property to reduce debt; reducing the complexity of laws and regulations; devolving federal powers to the states for greater efficiency of operation and restructuring the income tax code to eliminate complexity, unfairness and tax-avoidance schemes while raising sufficient revenue, at the lowest tax rates, to pay for programs needed by citizens.

The book's roadmap is controversial, aggressive, and likely to be detested by politicians, but it puts serious, creative ideas into the marketplace.

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Featured Interview With Amber Daulton

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m from North Carolina, USA and have lived there all my life, but most people think I’m from England or even France when they first meet me (and yes, I’ve been asked to speak French, which I don’t know). I have an accent, which sounds proper and smooth; a far contrast to how most people sound in my area. I’ve been getting the “Where are you from?” question since I was in elementary school, and kids can be quite cruel. Luckily, I’ve never really been bothered by the questions and funny looks. In fact, I take sounding different as a matter of pride.
My three cats always disrupt my writing time. They either lay on my lap (which I don’t mind until they pin one of my hands under their tummy), wrestle with and hiss at one another, or meow for attention. I love them, but dang, they certainly are a handful!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I read my first romance book when I was 12 after I snuck a Harlequin paperback out of my mom’s bedroom. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, and I wanted to create my own story about two people having an adventure and falling in love. I wrote with pencil in a spiral-bound notebook and finished that 200-plus-page story in about six months. Though I've revised the MS several times over the years, it’s currently not published.
I published my first book when I was 26, and Arresting Jeremiah is now my thirteenth book to date. I have about ten more manuscripts on my computer waiting to see the light of day.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I read books from several authors, but I don’t have a favorite or a go-to author or series. I used to, but my tastes have changed.
My favorite genres to read are romantic suspense and paranormal.
I find inspiration from the things around me. Sometimes I can watch a TV show or read a book, and I think of a story idea that’s both completely different and along the same lines. When this happens, the characters keep talking to me in my head, and I cannot think about anything else until I at least write down a basic plot or idea. Inspiration often strikes when I’m sleeping. My dreams are usually pretty vivid and wild, so I take what I can from the dream world and create a story around it.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Arresting Jeremiah follows hardnosed parole officer Jim Borden and his obsession Calista Barlow as they stick their noses where they don’t belong and fall deep into the trouble with the criminal organization known as Onyx. It’s book two in the Arresting Onyx series, which spans five full-length novels and two novellas (I’m currently writing the novellas) with a standalone HEA for each dirty-talking, rough-and-tumble hero and their spunky, take-no-bull heroines.
Curious for more??
Check out the blurb:
Injured Parole Officer Jeremiah “Jim” Borden never expected Calista Barlow, the sassy blonde waitress he’s craved for months, to ring his doorbell. She slips into his heart—and his bed—but he’s obsessed with a gangland investigation that threatens his career and maybe even his life.
Calista doesn’t trust easily, not with a daughter to protect and the stalker who keeps calling her. After her violent ex-boyfriend returns, she finds solace in Jim’s arms.
Jim may have to forego his need for answers to protect the ready-made family he adores, but how will he and Calista escape an unseen enemy that is always one step ahead of them?
— Arresting Jeremiah will be released on October 14th, 2020 at all major online retailers.

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Featured Interview With Ramcy Diek

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I fell in love with the United States during my travels with my husband. We visited all the northern states and landed in California where we resided for five years.

Circumstances took us back to The Netherlands, only to find out we both missed the United States. We packed our bags and crossed the Atlantic Ocean once again. This time, the Pacific Northwest became our home, where we built up our business and raised our two sons.
During this time, I also made a slow transition from reader to multi-genre writer. My debut novel “Storm at Keizer Manor” received multiple awards. This inspired me to spend more time doing what I love most: writing stories.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I'm an avid dreamer and thought about writing about them for years. I never did until I was in my forties.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Several books will stay with me forever. They must have touched something inside me. One of them is Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel, other ones are Follow the River by James Alexander Thom and The Promise by Danielle Steel. All these novels are in a different genre.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My second novel is Eagles in Flight. It's about insecure librarian Emma, who's swept up into the high stakes world of wealthy political power-brokers and marries in haste on the heels of her mother's death. Disillusioned by her new husband, Emma embarks on a cross-country journey of self-discovery while searching for the missing family member of an acquaintance. EAGLES IN FLIGHT, a novel of suspense, is all about learning to trust your heart after a painful betrayal.

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Featured Interview With Erik Meyers

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Originally from Connecticut, I've been an American abroad for years and years who has lived or worked in six countries on three continents, the longest in Germany, where I currently live. I'm a communications professional with 25 years of expertise in a variety of corporate roles, including a broad range of communications disciplines, technical writing and translation, and corporate strategy. Reading and writing are my passions, when I'm not hiking one of the amazing trails in Germany or elsewhere. My motto is "fight the hype" and I enjoy taking a unique, perhaps unorthodox, view of the current topics and trends.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
We had many books growing up and I've always loved reading. My uncle was a math professor and his house was overflowing with books. Somehow my passion for reading turned into a passion for writing and also into a career in communications!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite authors are W. Somerset Maugham, David Leavitt, Agatha Christie, Gladys Mitchell and many others. I love reading all kinds of books, thought usually they are historic fiction, non-fiction biographies, or detective stories.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I published my first (business) book this year in June "The Accidental Change Agent" on Amazon in paperback and ebook. In this book, I advocate that managers who desire to create real change in an organization focus on the human side of leadership, be open to trying new methods of communication, and lead the way along the new path. The Accidental Change Agent draws upon my 25 years of expertise in a variety of corporate roles. I've often observed that many companies want change, but aren’t actually willing to change to get there. Innovation cannot be mandated. It often involves painful, yet needed, change in the organization, in the leadership methods, and also in the corporate culture. I still can't believe I'm an author!

I've also written a LGBT+ historical fiction novel (ready for pitching), a detective story (editing), a thriller/horror screenplay (editing) and numerous short stories. Some of the short stories have been published on Reedsy.

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