What if the secret to humanity's future was hidden inside a murdered judge's laptop?

In this episode of In Conversation with Terry Shepherd, Terry sits down with debut thriller author Gary Fields to explore his globe-spanning, time-bending novel, The Book of Judges — already drawing comparisons to The Da Vinci Code.

When a respected judge is killed, three unlikely heroes — a young lawyer, a theology doctoral candidate, and a quirky tech genius — have just 72 hours to decode the clues buried in his computer. What they uncover sends them on a desperate chase across Florida, hunted by a relentless killer, and ultimately face-to-face with a secret that could change the world.

Gary shares the remarkable journey behind the book: from poetry and songwriting as a kid, to careers in tech and law, to 15 drafts over 20 years before finally publishing his debut. He talks about the spiritual concept of "the Words" — his belief that creativity connects us all — and why themes of human destiny, interconnectedness, and justice run through every page.

You'll also hear his surprisingly chilling take on artificial intelligence, what Henry VIII has to do with the future of political freedom, and why Joshua Sutton — his protagonist — will be back for a sequel.

In this episode:

• The origin of The Book of Judges and why it took two decades to write
• How Gary blends authentic legal history with modern thriller pacing
• The three protagonists — and the real people who inspired them
• Dreams, destiny, and the idea that we're all more connected than we know
• Gary's AI warning you won't soon forget

📖 Learn more and read a free expanded chapter: garyfields.com

In Conversation with Terry Shepherd — a deep dive into the writer's craft with the artists and support systems who create the stories we love.

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. Grab your copy today and sell mo

We recently sat down with celebrated anthropologist Dr. Mimi Nichter to discuss her gripping new memoir, "Hostage: A Memoir of Terrorism, Trauma, and Resilience."

In 1970, Mimi was a college senior whose flight home from Tel Aviv was hijacked by the PFLP. What followed were six days on a sweltering plane in the Jordanian desert and weeks of captivity in Amman.

But this isn't just a historical recount—it’s a deeply personal exploration of:

• The "Hidden Box": How she carried the weight of trauma for decades in a world that didn't yet have the language to understand it.
• Human Complexity: Her unique perspective as an anthropologist, finding moments of shared humanity even with her captors.
• True Resilience: The realization that healing isn't about forgetting, but "resizing" fear so it no longer consumes the present.

Dr. Nichter’s story is a profound reminder that even in the most polarized times, nuance and empathy are our most necessary tools.

Check out the full interview to hear more about her journey from the desert sands to finding her voice. 👇

#HostageMemoir #MimiNichter #NewBook #Resilience #MustRead #History #TraumaRecovery #Anthropology

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. Grab your copy today and sell mo

What happens when a Silicon Valley pioneer trades the boardroom for the open road? 🏍️✨

I recently sat down with Michael Yang, the founder of MySimon, to talk about his incredible new memoir, "Coming Alive on the Ride."

Michael reached the "Silicon Valley summit" early, but he discovered that the view from the top can be surprisingly isolating. From arriving in San Jose as a teenager with no English to navigating the unpredictable world of tech and eventually riding a motorcycle to the tip of Patagonia, Michael’s story is about much more than business—it’s about "shin-na-geh" (a state of joyful immersion).

Here are a few takeaways from our conversation:

• Adaptability is everything: Whether it’s a broken shifter in a Patagonia storm or being pushed out of a company you built, how you pivot defines your success.
• The "Personal Exit": The most important exit isn't financial; it’s stepping beyond your comfort zone to rediscover yourself.
• Confidence is balance: Much like riding a motorcycle or standing up to a bully, confidence is a skill that must be practiced daily.

If you’ve ever felt "stalled" despite hitting your goals, Michael’s journey is a powerful reminder that reinvention is always possible if you just keep moving.

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. Grab your copy today and sell mo

From Hollywood "Ghost" to Literary Powerhouse ✍️

For 35 years, Peter Fedorenko was the "script doctor" who fixed Hollywood’s biggest stories from the shadows. Then, in 2020, his own heart stopped.

Having returned from the brink, Peter has finally stepped into the light with his debut novel, Among the Living.

It’s not just a book; it’s a reckoning. Following a German Jewish medic from the trenches of WWI to the rise of Nazi Berlin, it explores a haunting truth: Patriotism is not armor.

In our interview, we discuss:

• How a near-death experience fueled his transition from film to prose.
• The forgotten history of Jewish medics on the Western Front.
• Why survival isn’t the ultimate goal—memory is.

Don’t miss this conversation with a man who spent a lifetime refining fantasies, only to deliver a masterpiece of reality.

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. Grab your copy today and sell mo

In celebration of it's paperback release join us for a special look at the journey of Jennifer K. Morita toward publication of her debut novel, "Ghosts of Waikīkī,"

What happens when an unemployed newspaper reporter returns to Hawaii to ghostwrite for a controversial developer? In Jennifer’s debut, the answer is a cocktail of mystery, family secrets, and a murder investigation led by the protagonist's ex.

Now officially available in paperback, Jennifer sat down with Terry Shepherd to pull back the curtain on her writing process. From "sheltering in place" during the 2020 pandemic to sneaking in chapters during lunch breaks and finding plot breakthroughs in Zumba class, Jennifer’s story is a masterclass in persistence and passion.

Whether you're an aspiring author or a fan of island noir, you won’t want to miss this conversation about how one woman turned a "writer's dream" into a gripping reality.

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. Grab your copy today and sell mo

How well do we truly know the people we love?
In the latest episode, I sit down with Danielle Girard to discuss her haunting new thriller, "Pinky Swear." This isn't a story of cartoon villains or "moral origami." Instead, it’s a dive into the "slanted middle"—the messy, gray area where devotion slides into delusion.
Born from the "ashes of a collapsed marriage" and the quiet, wintry silence of Montana, Danielle’s 17th novel is a work of emotional archaeology. We dig into:

• The Ultimate Betrayal: What happens when a surrogate vanishes just days before the birth?
• The Reality of Evil: Why the most terrifying threats aren't monsters, but the ordinary betrayals that erode our safety.
• Professional Reinvention: Danielle’s journey of starting over mid-career and finding a new voice in the "fog."

Don't Miss This Conversation

Whether you’re a longtime fan of her procedurals or looking for a story that captures the "suffocating dread of waiting for a door that doesn't open," this is a conversation—and a book—you won’t be able to put down.

Join us as we explore the space between events where life actually happens.

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. Grab your copy today and sell mo

What happens when thirty-four years of corporate finance meets a lifelong passion for animal rescue? You get the Lily Dreyfus mystery series—where the puzzles are intricate, the stakes are high, and the four-legged characters have just as much personality as the humans.

In this episode, we sit down with Darlene Dziomba, the "Dog Whisperer of the Garden State," to discuss her journey from the University of Pennsylvania to the top of the cozy mystery charts. We’re diving deep into her latest release, Tail of Deception, a gripping tale that turns a charitable 5K fundraiser into a crime scene.

Inside This Episode:

• The Catalyst: How a single panel at a mystery conference inspired Darlene to ditch the "dog-groomer" tropes for the authentic, complex world of animal shelter operations.
• Tail of Deception: A former Marine collapses at the finish line of a fundraiser for the Forever Friends Animal Shelter. Was it overexertion, or something far more sinister?
• Dogs as Characters: Why Boone and Crockett aren't just mascots, but fully realized characters with their own moods and "independent judgment."
• The Cozy Balance: How Darlene manages the "darkness" of a mystery while maintaining the warmth and comfort her readers crave (and the physical "barometer" she uses to know when a scene is getting too intense).
• Real-Life Villains: Darlene reveals the secret satisfaction of modeling her fictional antagonists after people she’s encountered in real life.

Whether you're a devoted "cozy" reader, an animal advocate, or an aspiring author looking for inspiration on your second act, this conversation is packed with insight, wit, and plenty of wagging tails.

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. Grab your copy today and sell mo

What happens when a life built on discipline, survival, and excellence finally makes room for joy?

In this episode, we explore Steeped, the powerful memoir of retired neurosurgeon Dr. Craig Yorke, whose journey stretches from the charged streets of Boston’s Roxbury to the operating rooms of America’s heartland, and ultimately back to the music that first shaped him.

Raised by parents determined to shield their son from the brutal realities of racism through achievement, Yorke grew up under relentless expectations. By sixteen, he was performing as a violin soloist with the Boston Pops, but the passion that opened doors also became a burden. Seeking purpose beyond obligation, he traded concert halls for surgical theaters, embarking on a decades-long career in neurosurgery where precision, endurance, and responsibility carried life-or-death stakes.

Steeped is more than a medical memoir. It is a deeply human story about identity, ambition, family, and the courage it takes to separate who we are from who we were told we must become.

Now retired and once again performing violin, Yorke reflects on the question that anchors his story. Not what he told his children to do, but what he himself had done to find freedom beyond fear and expectation.

A moving conversation about pressure, purpose, race, medicine, music, and the lifelong search for authenticity. This episode reminds us that sometimes the most delicate operation is learning how to live on our own terms.

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. Grab your copy today and sell mo