Ruby Dee Philippa has led many lives and careers in one, and she is still creating. In this episode, Ruby discusses her three-volume series, Bag of Tricks: Mixed Stories of Life as a San Francisco Punk in the early 80s, on Earth Island Books.

Ruby's recollections of the Bay Area during the heyday of punk and hardcore, the music of Dead Kennedys, X, 7 Seconds, Intensified Chaos, Tragic Mulatto, and other bands reflected not only the angst and fury of the times, but also art, music, and storytelling.

The short stories in these three books are stark, sharply written, gritty, and uncompromising; for some, they will be disturbing. The characters, drawn from Ruby's past, are a mix of those she knew, with the rest made up. These stories shine a light on a time when many turned to the punk scene for an outlet, a home, a sense of belonging, but also acceptance.

Ruby Dee Philippa grew up in Northern California and West Texas. She attended San Diego State University at the age of 15, and during these formative years was drawn into the punk scene of San Francisco. Ruby also cofounded the Northern California Earth First! Chapter, was a restaurateur in Seattle, and is cofounder of the long-running Ruby & the Snake Handlers, a group with several recordings of rockabilly, roots, Americana, and country music. The audiobook of the first volume of Bag of Tricks is now available, and she will be contributing stories to the groundbreaking underground publication, "Wimmen's Comix."

Ronald Rand should be a person who requires no introduction. A US Cultural Ambassador, Rand has performed for 25 years as Harold Clurman in his solo play, Let It Be Art! in dozens of countries worldwide.

The Marsh in May features Rand's poetry and paintings on the Lucky Shoe Press imprint. The journey through these writings and artworks is described as transformative, with odes to Thomas Wolfe, Edwin Booth, Jean-Claude van Itallie, and places that include Kathmandu, Olympia, and Fez.

Rand discusses what inspired him to bring these pieces together while touring the world, and how one can keep their heart open, remain vulnerable, and appreciate every moment.

Ronald Rand studied at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, earned four Fulbright Awards as a Specialist Scholar/Visiting Guest Professor. He founded and published The Soul of the American Actor and is the author of Solo Transformation on Stage. He is also a screenwriter and the librettist of Ibsen, the first opera written about Henrik Ibsen. He has appeared in several off-Broadway plays and regional productions, plus more than a hundred films and TV shows. He lives in North Carolina. Find out more about his Sunbury Press releases here.

Statistics, numbers, figures, sports, and history have all been a part of Dr. Paul Semendinger's life. In this episode of "The History Stacks," Semendinger outlines the first of a three-volume series, West Point at Gettysburg.

Speaking with Dr. Lawrence Knorr, Semendinger discusses the ideas that sparked this series. The three volumes will, in alphabetical order, profile the 154 men who matriculated at West Point, only to stand beside (and opposite to) one another in the Battle of Gettysburg.

The officers will include names familiar to even casual readers of history, such as Robert E. Lee, George Armstrong Custer, and Abner Doubleday. The series will also shed light on those officers who distinguished themselves in battle and those who did their duty without attention.

Described as a lifetime educator, Dr. Paul Semendinger taught history and served as a principal for over three decades before becoming an adjunct college professor. The author of several books, these include examinations of the New York Yankees, such as Roy White: from Compton to the Bronx, The Least Among Them, a chronicle of obscure Yankee players, and the novel Scattering the Ashes.

Semendinger writes about the Yankees on his website, Start Spreading the News. To this day, Semendinger still plays competitive baseball; he has also run 27 marathons. You can find out more about him here.

Sydney Hayes leads a double life. An Army counterintelligence officer, Sydney masquerades as a nurse, with no one in her family aware, apart from her Aunt Gina, who has her own expertise, and can't resist blowing things up!

Hometown Murder opens the series. Recovering from injuries suffered in a failed mission, Sydney returns home to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and immediately finds herself investigating the murder of an old friend. Navigating a family that she has to largely keep in the dark, Sydney, Gina, and two chickens try to solve the case. All the while, Sydney runs afoul of a hard-headed detective and a local politician.

Misty Lynn has brought Sydney Hayes to life in Hometown Murder, Mischief in the Morgue, and the forthcoming Boom, Bang and a Body, which comes out in January 2026. A Registered Nurse, Misty lives with her family in the Shippensburg, Pennsylvania area. You can learn more about Misty on her website.

Sixteen years after a bloody civil war in which King and Queen Nuada and their family were massacred, the usurper, King Brés dé Morrigan, reigns. Under his rule, all druids and magic were exterminated, and he presides over a kingdom of tyrannical royals, downtrodden Kingdomers, secret druid societies, and the children of the nobles.

The uneasy peace in Éiliria is broken when tribal warriors and druids thought to be extinct kidnap Rionach dé Lir, who joins her captors and takes the lead to recapture her homeland. Meanwhile, Fionn dé Lir seeks out the remaining druids to help him find the last remaining member of the royal family.

Abigail Henson debuts on the Hellbender Press imprint with The Winds of Éiliria, Book 1 of The Druids' Queen trilogy. Henson, who holds a BA in English from Millersville University, has also earned an MFA from Cedar Crest College's Pan European Program. She lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with her Basset Hound, Daisy Mae, and can be found traveling to new places and seeking out good bookstores and coffee shops.

Tataboline "Ta" Enos joins the Sunbury Press Books Show to discuss her new book, Proudly Made: A Story of Reinvention in the Big Woods and Small Towns of the Pennsylvania Wilds. Founder and CEO of a regional nonprofit, Enos is at the forefront of revitalizing the rural Pennsylvania Wilds region through what she describes as intentional outdoor recreation development.

A fourth-generation native of Warren County, Enos discusses the untouched wild country where she hails, and how its population and public lands can be used to create a brighter future for communities. More can be found at the PA Wilds website.

Ta Enos is nationally recognized for her work in rural development. She holds a bachelor's degree in Journalism and Public Communications from the University of Alaska-Anchorage. She spent ten years as a news reporter and editor in the state, writing for the Anchorage Daily News, Anchorage Press, Dutch Harbor Fisherman, Bristol Bay Times, and other publications. She has earned awards from the Alaska Press Club and the Society for Professional Journalists. She lives with her husband and family on 65 acres in the PA Wilds.

Stephanie Peterson is the author of the long-running Welcome to Keystone series, which brings readers to the Southern California town of the same name. Drawing on her adolescent experiences, as well as her years as a high school English teacher, Peterson chronicles the lives of the Lawrence and Riches families. In detailed and timely scenes, we learn of family life, local politics, and the drama of middle and high school. Adults who seek to maintain their position on the social ladder, while the kids navigate their own circles, determine their own identities, and in some cases, try to survive.

Self-published (including her original artwork), Peterson produced the first of the series in 2013, and there are 14 volumes available (and many more to come). Peterson has also written fairy tales with a message, An Irish Tale, and Charisma. She has also written poetry and several episodes of the unpublished teleplay, Super Teacher.

A New Jersey native, Stephanie Peterson grew up in Jackson and graduated from Georgian Court University. She also taught in the Harrisburg schools for 12 years, including Bishop McDevitt High School. You can find out more about her works on her website. She lives in the Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania area.

The summer of 1859 serves as a crossroads for three women of divergent lives, and a hotel in Bedford, Pennsylvania is the backdrop for a pivotal time in American history.

Kris Schaale (Shaw-Lee) debuts on the Catamount Press imprint with Summer of Meteors. At the luxurious Bedford Springs Hotel, Harriet Lane, a niece of President James Buchanan, Anne McCoy, a Quaker widow, and Juba, an enslaved nursemaid to a high-profile guest, meet and become entangled in an Underground Railroad escape plan.

Loyalties are tested, and all must question what they know, what they believe, and what they will do to risk justice for one another.

Kris Schaale presents a novel of historical fiction that brings real people and places to life in her debut work. A holder of bachelor's and master's degrees in psychology from Penn State University, Schaale writes of people's behavior, motivations, and life journeys. You can find out more about Kris at her website.