Dara Levan - Shaken to the Core

Dara Levan - Shaken to the Core

When the stable foundation of your life suddenly shifts, what do you do with the time you have left? Join host Terry Shepherd on In Conversation as he sits down with Dara Levan, the award-winning author, podcaster, and speech-language pathologist, to discuss her beautifully poignant new novel, Shaken to the Core. Together, they dive into a deeply moving story about grief, transformation, and the profound ways love and "framily" can reshape our worldview when we least expect it. In This Episode, We Discuss: * 📸 Finding a Voice Behind the Lens: How the protagonist, Joy, uses photography as a protective comfort zone until life’s sudden detours force her to step out from behind the camera and reclaim her voice. * 📖 The Legacy of a Camp Diary: The evocative role of a 1980s sleepaway camp journal as a portal to understanding a mother's youth, sparking an unexpected professional metamorphosis. * 🌈 Choosing Joy Through Grief: Dara shares her personal experiences with otherworldly "visits," symbols like rainbows and ladybugs, and the conscious decision to choose hope in the wake of profound loss. * 🎙️ The Art of Listening: How hosting her own podcast, Every Soul Has a Story, and her background in speech pathology have deepened her empathy and expanded her worldview. About the Guest Dara Levan is an author, speaker, speech-language pathologist, and the founder of Every Soul Has a Story, a global platform dedicated to sharing the experiences that shape us. She is the author of It Could Be Worse, a contributor to the USA Today best-selling anthology On Being Jewish Now, and her latest novel, Shaken to the Core, has been recognized as a Zibby’s Summer Read and recommended in People Magazine. About Terry Shepherd Terry Shepherd is the author of the Jessica Ramirez thriller series and the host of In Conversation, where he welcomes world-class authors, creatives, and cultural figures for deep, insightful discussions about their craft and life journeys. Links & Resources * Visit the Author’s Website: DaraLevan.com [https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.daralevan.com] * Buy the Book: [Shaken to the Core on Amazon/Bookshop] * Listen to Dara's Podcast: [Every Soul Has a Story] * Connect with the Host: [TerryShepherd.com] We all inevitably become the brand. And that's why I wrote, "How to Become a Dynamic Podcast Guest and Sell Stuff." It's a sweet and short primer that teaches you about the gear, the appearance and the messaging that can grab and hold today's micro-attention spans and motivate your listeners to take action. It's Just a dollar ninety nine at Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Dynamic-Podcast-Guest/dp/1955171513]. Grab your copy today and sell mo

Steven Rubin - The Unraveling of Michael Galler

What happens when healthy self-discipline morphs into a consuming, unseen obsession? Today, host Terry Shepherd sits down with author Steven M. Rubin to explore his gripping new novel, The Unraveling of Michael Galler, a slow-build psychological family drama that walks the fragile line between protection and psychological unraveling. Together, they dive into how personal trauma can redefine our deepest fears, and how the grueling 26.2-mile journey of a marathon serves as the ultimate crucible for the human spirit. In This Episode, We Discuss: * 🧠 The Mechanics of Obsession: How childhood loss can cause a young mind to completely redefine the concept of illness and malevolent forces. * 🏃‍♂️ The Marathon as a Crucible: Steven shares his harrowing real-life experience of surviving a heart attack during the Marine Corps Marathon—and why he chose to retrain and finish it five years later. * 🎭 Twist vs. Reveal: A look behind the curtain at the craft of writing a psychological drama, and why the book’s shocking ending is a natural resolution rather than a traditional thriller twist. * ✍️ The Writer’s Marathon: Creative advice for aspiring authors on finding your voice, entering short fiction contests, and committing to the long-haul journey of writing a book. About the Guest Steven M. Rubin is a former collegiate football player, marathon runner, and corporate employee benefits strategist who brings a uniquely analytical and deeply personal perspective to his fiction. Raised outside of Boston, his own experiences with family loss and endurance running heavily inspired the framework of his celebrated debut novel, which earned him a "Best in Show" award for short fiction at the Marblehead Festival of Arts. About Terry Shepherd Terry Shepherd is the host of the In Conversation podcast series, where he interviews leading and emerging authors, diving deep into the craft of writing, character development, and the human stories behind the pages. Links & Resources * Visit the Author’s Website: Steven M. Rubin Official Website [https://www.google.com/search?q=http://www.stevenmrubin.com]  * Get the Book: Buy The Unraveling of Michael Galler on Amazon [https://www.google.com/search?q=%23] (Placeholder) * Connect with the Host: Terry Shepherd Official Website [https://www.google.com/search?q=%23] (Placeholder) * Follow the Podcast: In Conversation on Buzzsprout [https://www.google.com/search?q=%23] (Placeholder) We all inevitably become the brand. And that's why I wrote, "How to Become a Dynamic Podcast Guest and Sell Stuff." It's a sweet and short primer that teaches you about the gear, the appearance and the messaging that can grab and hold today's micro-attention spans and motivate your listeners to take action. It's Just a dollar ninety nine at Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Dynamic-Podcast-Guest/dp/1955171513]. Grab your copy today and sell mo

John Winn Miller - Miriam in the Shadows

Can you preserve your humanity while fighting inhuman evil? In this episode of In Conversation, host Terry Shepherd sits down with award-winning investigative reporter and Pulitzer finalist John Winn Miller to discuss his gripping new World War II thriller, Miriam in the Shadows. Together, they explore the high-stakes world of espionage, the moral dilemmas of the Allied resistance, and how a seasoned journalist's eye for detail shapes historical suspense. In This Episode, We Discuss: * 🕵️‍♂️ The Weight of Espionage: How real-life historical figures like Ian Fleming and the controversial MI6 agent Claude Dansey inspired a web of tactical deception and betrayal. * ⚖️ The Ultimate Moral Dilemma: The internal struggle of a Jewish Special Operations Executive (SOE) agent forced to choose between completing a vital war mission and saving the man she loves. * 📝 From Fact-Chasing to Fiction: How forty years in journalism and a background in screenwriting taught Miller to write with all five senses, letting historical fiction uncover truths that nonfiction cannot reach. * 🐀 What’s Next in the Saga: A sneak peek into volume four of the series, The Wilderness of Rats, which dives into the dark post-war history of Nazi escape "ratlines". About the Guest John Winn Miller is a true Renaissance man whose career spans decades as an investigative reporter, foreign correspondent, editor, filmmaker, and screenwriter. After retired journalism stints and a venture into screenwriting, he turned his decades of storytelling expertise to historical fiction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Miriam in the Shadows is the third installment in his acclaimed Peggy Seeg saga. About Terry Shepherd Terry Shepherd is the host of In Conversation, a podcast dedicated to deep-dive dialogues with prolific authors, creatives, and standard-bearers of exceptional storytelling. Links & Resources * Visit the Author’s Website: johnwinnmiller.com [https://www.johnwinnmiller.com]  * Buy the Book: Available on Amazon [https://www.amazon.com] and all major e-edition platforms (Hardcover releasing June 2nd). * Connect with Host Terry Shepherd: TerryShepherd.com [https://www.terryshepherd.com] We all inevitably become the brand. And that's why I wrote, "How to Become a Dynamic Podcast Guest and Sell Stuff." It's a sweet and short primer that teaches you about the gear, the appearance and the messaging that can grab and hold today's micro-attention spans and motivate your listeners to take action. It's Just a dollar ninety nine at Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Dynamic-Podcast-Guest/dp/1955171513]. Grab your copy today and sell mo

Lena Fein - Shattering the Mirror

For decades, UC Berkeley-trained engineer and high-tech executive Lena Fein lived as a master of survival disguised as success, using academic achievement and corporate ambition as armor to mask the deep trauma of a violent, controlling childhood. But at age fifty-one, standing at the deathbed of her abusive mother, a profound moment of connection sparked an unexpected journey toward reckoning, release, and midlife reclamation. In this episode, Terry Shepherd sits down with Lena to discuss her deeply moving and redemptive new memoir, Shattering the Mirror, exploring how healing doesn't follow anyone else's timetable—and why it is never too late to reclaim your true voice. In This Episode, We Discuss: * 🪞 The Metaphor of the Distorted Mirror: How a childhood amusement park memory and a harrowing, glass-shattering window accident became symbols for living with a distorted self-image and a fear of "falling" into love. * 🚪 Ambition as Armor: How academic perfection and a corporate career in high-tech served as a refuge and a survival mechanism to bypass emotional pain. * 🌾 Generational Trauma & Cruelty: Understanding the hidden history of her parents' generation—marred by the Depression and the Holocaust—and how Lena and her sisters eventually compared notes in midlife to discover they were not alone in their abuse. * 💃 Reclaiming the Heart in Midlife: Lena’s evolution after quitting her high-tech job, from working as a hospice caregiver to embracing freeform dance, singing, and finding genuine presence with her grandchildren. About the Guest Lena Fein is a UC Berkeley-trained engineer, former high-tech executive, and past hospice worker. After decades of navigating life out of her head, the passing of her mother catalyzed a profound emotional awakening, leading her to trade corporate metrics for creative and somatic healing. She is the author of the redemptive new memoir, Shattering the Mirror. About Terry Shepherd Terry Shepherd is the host of In Conversation, a podcast dedicated to deep, insightful dialogues with authors, creators, and thinkers who share powerful personal narratives and life-changing truths. Links & Resources * Visit Lena Fein’s Official Website: shatteringthemirror.com [https://shatteringthemirror.com]  * Buy the Book: Shattering the Mirror  * Connect with Host Terry Shepherd: [Terry Shepherd's Official Website] * Listen to More Episodes: [In Conversation Podcast Archive] We all inevitably become the brand. And that's why I wrote, "How to Become a Dynamic Podcast Guest and Sell Stuff." It's a sweet and short primer that teaches you about the gear, the appearance and the messaging that can grab and hold today's micro-attention spans and motivate your listeners to take action. It's Just a dollar ninety nine at Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Dynamic-Podcast-Guest/dp/1955171513]. Grab your copy today and sell mo

Katie Rose Pryal - Your Kid Belongs Here

Some books arrive as guides; others arrive as lifelines. In this episode of In Conversation, host Terry Shepherd sits down with author, educator, and keynote speaker Dr. Katie Rose Pryal to discuss her profoundly necessary new book, Your Kid Belongs Here: An Insider's Guide to Parenting Neurodiverse Children. Together, they explore what it means to dismantle rigid social norms, unlearn internalized shame, and build a world where neurodivergent children can truly thrive as their authentic selves. In This Episode, We Discuss: * 🧠 The Myth of "Normal" & Institutional Penalties: Why neurodiversity represents normal variations in human neurological function, and how society systematically penalizes and excludes these differences from public life. * 🎭 Masking vs. Social Acting: The deep cognitive toll of subconscious "masking" to survive neurotypical expectations, and how parents can teach "social acting" as a conscious, optional tool free from shame. * 🎒 The Canary in the Coal Mine: Why traditional school systems and rigid social rules often fail neurodivergent kids, and how Katie’s family embraced homeschooling to foster independent learners. * 🏡 Finding Your "Here": Practical strategies for parents to validate their children's emotional needs, accommodate asynchronous development, and find spaces where their children genuinely belong. About the Guest: Dr. Katie Rose Pryal is an AuDHD (autistic and ADHD) writer, keynote speaker, and educator holding both a JD and a PhD. She is one of today's clearest voices writing about mental health and neurodiversity, with a distinguished body of work featured in Psychology Today, Slate, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and NPR. She is the author of Your Kid Belongs Here: An Insider's Guide to Parenting Neurodiverse Children. About Terry Shepherd: Terry Shepherd is the host of In Conversation, a premier interview series dedicated to deep, insightful dialogues with authors, creators, and thought leaders shaping our cultural landscape. Links & Resources: * Buy the Book: [Insert Book Link Here] * Visit the Author's Website: [Insert Author Website Here] * Connect with Terry Shepherd: [Insert Terry Shepherd Link Here] We all inevitably become the brand. And that's why I wrote, "How to Become a Dynamic Podcast Guest and Sell Stuff." It's a sweet and short primer that teaches you about the gear, the appearance and the messaging that can grab and hold today's micro-attention spans and motivate your listeners to take action. It's Just a dollar ninety nine at Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Dynamic-Podcast-Guest/dp/1955171513]. Grab your copy today and sell mo