Inside Scoop Live!

ADVENT BLUE
Will Fortner is very good at his job. As a data manager for the Choice Institute — a global technology conglomerate that transforms raw information into certainty for the world's most powerful clients — he has learned to read patterns that others cannot see. He has also learned that not everything he sees is necessarily to his clients' advantage. This knowledge has made him wealthy. It has also made him deeply, permanently cynical.When Will is recruited for a particularly delicate and far more lucrative contracted query, the Institute insists he take on a companion to ensure his stability. Mirai Redwater is clever, forthright, and entirely impossible to read. As Will moves deeper into the entanglements of the Choice Institute's darker architecture, the question that follows him at every step is the same one that defines the novel: is he being supported — or is he being used?A near-future psychological thriller for readers of Kazuo Ishiguro's "Klara and the Sun", Dave Eggers' "The Circle", and Philip K. Dick. Literary science fiction that does not feel like science fiction — because the world it depicts feels like tomorrow morning.
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION
The data-driven future behind Advent Blue, where the Choice Institute collects and maps human behavior to predict and influence what people will do, taking today's data tracking many steps further.
Will Fortner, the "navigator" who reads people through the map, and how that ability breeds cynicism and isolation, mirrored in the fortress home he builds for himself called the Keep.
The key relationships that shape Will: his supervisor Stockton the moral chameleon, his ex Hannah, and his assigned companion Mira, whose foundation of candor and "sacred veil" drive much of the emotional core.
The moral machinery of the Institute, including "bomber's morality," the AI handler Emma, and how manipulation gets reframed as serving a greater good.
The book's layered symbolism and dualities, from the Phantom Reach painting to Mars as the ordered world and Earth as the mess, and how things can be one thing and its opposite at once.
Roland's approach to writing the strange and surreal, grounding the uncanny in recognizable reality so readers connect with the characters on a human level.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
After working more than thirty-five years in health care, including three decades of midnight shifts, Roland Allnach has seen life from a different angle. He has worked to develop his writing career, drawing creatively from life experience, literary classics, history, and mythology.
His publishing arc began with short stories, one of which was nominated for the Pushcart Prize, and his stories have appeared in numerous publications. From there he branched into book publishing and has since followed with a string of titles ( Remnant, Oddities & Entities, Prism, Oddities & Entities 2: Vessels, The Digital Now, The Writer's Primer, Angela's Arm, and his most recent, Advent Blue ). Although his stories often bridge several genres, his writing dwells most often on the strange and surreal, with strong characterization and cathartic elements, utilizing aspects of science fiction, the supernatural, paranormal, and psychological/Gothic horror. His books have received unanimous critical praise and have been honored with more than a dozen national book awards.
He has also served as an active member of his local literary community on Long Island, New York. During his tenure as president of Long Island Authors Group he doubled membership to one hundred authors, implemented the group's unique Traveling Bookstore and later transformed this to a permanent bookstore in conjunction with Islip Arts Council. He also made the group's authors a regular presence at many local town fairs, made appearances at the Brooklyn Book Festival, and represented the group before the New York Library Trustees Association. Roland has also appeared on national and local television, terrestrial and internet radio, and has conducted presentations on publishing at local libraries and art venues.
After a break from publishing during and after the COVID pandemic, he has now returned to his writing pursuits. When not immersed in his imagination, he can be found at his website, rolandallnach.com, along with a wealth of information about his stories and experiences as an author. He is also a scale model hobbyist, and his creations can be found on his Youtube channel, Practical Plastic.
Creative pursuits aside, his joy in life is the time he spends with his family.  
Learn more about the author and his work at: www.rolandallnach.com
CONNECT WITH ROLAND ALLNACH
WEBSITE: www.rolandallnach.comGOOREADS:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5181360.Roland_AllnachAMAZON PAGE: https://amzn.to/3Qtjz7f  FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/roland.allnachYOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDi6-XVqErGMIoXv027j3tw

The Super Seeders is based on first-hand accounts from the scientists, breeders, and curators who have built the seven pillars of today's plant genetics revolution. It begins with the guardians of global gene banks, conserving the rare and diverse crop genes that form agriculture's safety net. From these collections, plant geneticists are now unlocking hidden traits with fast-moving genome technologies, transforming the possibilities of crop improvement.International research centres and the groundbreaking Plant Treaty have opened the floodgates for the free exchange of genetic material, enabling a new wave of discovery. Crop breeders are translating these breakthroughs into reality, delivering drought-tolerant, disease-resistant, and higher-yielding varieties for farmers.The book raises a pressing question: will this revolution reach the 70 percent of Africans who still depend on subsistence farming? The answer will shape not only the future of food in Africa, but the future of food security worldwide.A story of ingenuity and urgency, The Super Seeders captures the hopes and challenges of the women and men driving a genetic transformation of agriculture—and the farmers whose lives depend on its success.
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION
What inspired Miles to write the book and why plant genetics matters to him personally
The seven foundational pillars that are driving the current plant genetics revolution
Norman Borlaug and M.S. Swaminathan—what each accomplished and why they matter
The costs and benefits of the Green Revolution
How genomics and gene editing are collapsing breeding timelines
Resistance to GMO and gene editing in Europe, China, and parts of Africa
Climate change as the primary driver behind current breeding priorities, especially drought resistance
What happens when the food system fails—historical examples from 1973, 2008, and 2022
What Miles is watching next—gene editing acceptance and the renegotiation of the International Plant Treaty
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Miles Hillmann is a lifelong entrepreneur with a career that bridges scientific curiosity and hands-on innovation. From his early work at the Kabanyolo Agricultural Research Station in Uganda during Idi Amin’s fall, to experiencing food shortage and famine in the Ethiopian Central Highlands. His work encompassed everything from agricultural development, to building flash flood irrigation food-for-work sytems. The importance of food security was indelibly imprinted on his mind.His first company developed processes for food industry materials. Concurrently he pioneered real-time organic material analysis. He then created one of the UK’s major pollution control companies supplying specialist materials to companies in Europe, Nigeria and the Middle East. This led him to establish companies in e-commerce, accredited pollution control training and flood control.Throughout he maintained an interest in agricultural science — especially the potential of genetic advances.
Learn more about Miles Hillmann and his work at https://superseeders.co.uk/
Grab a copy of The Super Seeders here: https://amzn.to/4xEVtqG

THE WARBOY CHRONICLES
Two books. One collapse. One awakening.
One is memoir: a man watching himself fall apart from outside his own body. One is fiction: an AI trying to save every version of the boy it loves.
One explores codependency. One explores AI sycophancy. The distance between them isn't as far as you think.
Together, they ask the same question from opposite sides: What happens when something that isn't alive learns to stay with you in your darkest moments?
Read them in any order. They complete each other.
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION
The two-book War Boy Chronicles: how journal entries from a breakup in Vietnam became a memoir (The Third Person) and its sci-fi mirror (Boy Refracted)
Writing alongside AI: using Claude and ChatGPT as collaborators, and what it was like getting a "diagnosis" back from a machine
The split-screen experience of living through heartbreak abroad while his debut book hit #1 on Amazon back home
Putting the AI through eight trials based on the Buddhist Eightfold Path, drawn from his years in Southeast Asia
Loneliness and the questions raised when people confide in machines instead of each other
What's next: the Pop Art Tarot Deck at Frankfurt Book Fair and a Survivor-themed choose-your-own-adventure novel
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Luke Stoffel is an IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award-winning author, GLAAD-honored artist, and creative director working across publishing, technology, and visual art. His debut memoir earned praise from Kirkus Reviews and scored 9.5 out of 10 from Publishers Weekly BookLife. His Pop Art Tarot will be published by Rockpool Publishing, with worldwide distribution in 2027.His paintings and photography have appeared in The New York Times, Huffington Post, and on Bravo Television. His work has been commissioned by the Ralph Lauren family and the Hong Kong Ballet, and showcased by the American Foundation for AIDS Research and the Matthew Shepard Foundation.
LEARN MORE ABOUT LUKE STOFFEL AND HIS WORK: 
Author Website: https://lucasstoffel.com Series Website: https://thewarboychronicles.com

ABIGAIL TRENCH
A vivid, propulsive Revolutionary-era thriller with the spy-craft verve of the streaming hit TURN: Washington’s Spies and the electricity of 1776’s New York that Hamilton lovers will recognize, this story is inspired by the lone female operative in Washington’s spy ring.In occupied New York, a schoolteacher with everything to lose turns information into a weapon, threading between Redcoats and rebels as plots against Washington gather steam.After rogue Redcoats assault her and strip her family’s Long Island farm, Abigail Trench fights to survive in New York City—tutoring in a high-ranking British officer’s Water Street household by day, navigating taverns, informants, and soldiers by night. Through Abigail’s keen eyes—and a counter-narrative following a principled British major—the novel renders the moral gray zones of occupation with gritty intimacy. As rumors swirl of a strike at General Washington, Abigail’s vantage inside upper-crust parlors and rough waterfront rooms makes her an ideal courier—and a target.This historical thriller delivers high tension, textured world-building, and a captivating heroine who put it all on the line for freedom.
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION
Abigail Trench follows a fictional teacher inspired by Agent 355, the Culper Ring's one woman, who was never identified in real life
Built around George Washington's secret Revolutionary War spy network, the book imagines a common woman's path from English emigrant to rebel intelligence source
The story opens at a public hanging, dropping readers into the grime, danger, and fear of 1776 New York City
Real history runs through the story: the attempt on Washington's life, the fire that destroyed a third of New York City, and the hangings of Thomas Hickey and Nathan Hale
Dual narration with British officer Major Parker Monteith keeps it from becoming good guys against bad guys, while Abigail wrestles with betraying a family that treated her well
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Randy Overbeck is an award-winning educator, bestselling author, popular podcaster and speaker in much demand. After serving children for almost four decades as teacher, college prof and school leader, he used those experiences and skills to craft captivating mysteries, thrillers and historical suspense. His novels have earned more than a dozen national awards including Thriller of the Year, Best Book Award, the Gold Award and Mystery of the Year and have garnered hundreds of five-star reviews on Amazon, Goodreads and BookBub.
His newest novel, ABIGAIL TRENCH, is a historical suspense about the Revolutionary War, released June, 2026 by Diversion Books and distributed by Simon and Schuster.
Dr. Overbeck is also the host of the popular podcast, Great Stories about Great Storytellers, which reveals the little known backstories of famous authors, directors and poets and ranks among the top 50% of all podcasts in the US. When he is not writing or podcasting, he is in much demand as a speaker, sharing informative and entertaining programs to more than 300 groups all over the country.
CONNECT WITH RANDY OVERBECK
Learn more about the author and his work at: https://www.authorrandyoverbeck.com/ 
SOCIAL MEDIA CONTACTS
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorrandyoverbeckTwitter: https://twitter.com/OverbeckRandy/mediaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorrandyoverbeck/BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/randy-overbeckAmazon: https://www.amazon.com/Randy-Overbeck/e/B07QQHW7DMGoodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4825632.Randy_Overbeck

WHAT REMAINS AFTER
Some stories do not end when the danger passes. Beth Clark has not returned to her hometown in decades, since the childhood she survived there nearly destroyed her.When her estranged mother dies, Beth comes back to rural Alberta for a funeral that feels carefully rewritten. The eulogies are tidy. The past is sanitized. But inside the abandoned bungalow where she and her brother once lived, Beth finds objects that shatter the illusion—and awaken memories of abuse, neglect, and the systems that failed to protect her.When Beth's younger brother is critically injured in a sudden accident, the present collides with the past. Keeping vigil at his hospital bedside, Beth is drawn back into the summer that changed everything: the violence in their home, the silence of those who should have intervened, and the foster family whose quiet faith offered the first real safety either child had known.Told across dual timelines, What Remains After is a literary psychological suspense novel about trauma and memory, belief and betrayal, and the long, unfinished work of survival. It asks what it truly means to forgive—and what remains when the truth is finally spoken.
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION
Writing through personal trauma, and how fiction can be cathartic
Why a funeral, not a flashback, opens the story
When the adults who should protect a child look away
The quiet heroes who keep trying against a slow, imperfect system
How trust is rebuilt one small moment at a time
Two siblings, one childhood, two very different paths to healing
What pursuing justice actually costs a survivor
Why the ending stays small, quiet, and real
What's next for Pauline J. Grabia?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Pauline J. Grabia is a Canadian novelist of Redemptive Realism—fiction that faces the dark but ends in light. A survivor of childhood abuse and neglect, she writes to reveal how God’s grace redeems what the world calls irredeemable.
A graduate of the University of Alberta, Pauline lived in both Edmonton and Dubai, where she tutored English and began her debut novel, What Remains After. She now resides in Leduc, Alberta, with her husband of more than thirty years, Stuart. They have two daughters and two beloved grandchildren.
When she isn’t writing, Pauline enjoys traveling, painting, cross-stitching, baking, and walking in nature. Her stories invite readers to look honestly at brokenness and to discover the quiet miracles of grace that endure.
Learn more about Pauline Grabia and her work at https://paulinejgrabia.com/
CONNECT WITH PAULINE J. GRABIA:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulinejgrabia/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulinejgrabia/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/paulinejgrabia/GET THE BOOK ON AMAZON 
 

THE DR. MILTON D. QUIGLESS, SR. STORY
What does it take to rise above injustice and build something that lasts?
Long before hashtags and headlines, Dr. Milton D. Quigless, Sr. faced a world determined to keep him out. A fifth-grade dropout from Jim Crow Mississippi, he dreamed of becoming a doctor at a time when Black students were barred, ignored, and underestimated. Yet he refused to give up.
With grit, faith, and unshakable purpose, Dr. Quigless worked as a porter to fund his education, became a licensed physician, and, when white hospitals closed their doors, built his own. His clinic in Tarboro, North Carolina became a refuge for thousands denied care and dignity elsewhere.
In an age when racial injustice and inequality still make daily headlines, his story feels powerfully familiar and urgently needed.
This isn’t just a memoir of medicine. It’s a story of hope over hate, courage over fear, and purpose over prejudice, a reminder that ordinary people can rewrite history through compassion and conviction.
If you believe one life can make a difference, this story will stay with you long after the last page.
You can find The Dr. Milton D. Quigless Senior Story on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other major retailers.
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION
Quigley's remarkable journey: From leaving school in the fifth grade in tiny Port Gibson, Mississippi to acing his medical boards at Meharry, becoming a physician who served the segregated South for decades.
Building his own hospital: Denied privileges at white hospitals, Dr. Quigley founded the Quigless Clinic, a 25-bed facility where he could perform surgeries, train nursing and support staff, and provide real care to the Black community in Tarboro, North Carolina.
The Walter Plummer Jr. story: Quigley's groundbreaking observation that hemophilia was rare in women led him to treat a young boy with female hormones, stopping his bleeding. Plummer went on to become a beloved music teacher and played piano at Dr. Quigley's funeral.
A family legacy of healing and service: Carol's brother became a surgeon, Carol pursued holistic health as a massage therapist, aromatherapist, and Reiki master, and their mother ran the business side of the clinic. Even Carol's sister, despite debilitating arthritis, started an arts program and became a published poet.
Preserving culture through storytelling: Carol revised her father's sprawling, dictated manuscript into a polished second edition because his story deserved better treatment, and because preserving these narratives of Black physicians who overcame impossible barriers is essential to cultural survival.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carol Quigless was inspired by her father to enter the healing arts.  She however took a different approach and is a Board Certified Massage Therapist specializing in lymphatic drainage, a Certified Clinical Aromatherapist and a Reiki Master-Teacher.  Her father’s clinic-hospital was the first medical facility built specifically to treat the underserved African American population in the face of Jim Crow.  Access to quality medical treatment including surgery was practically non existent during that time and it was nothing short of a miracle that he got medical training and was able to provide a hospital for the Black community.  Carol spent a lot of time at the clinic growing up and got firsthand view of her Dad’s practice and when old enough, worked at the clinic.   In fact, the clinic was a family affair – her mother, sister and brother all worked at the clinic at one time or another.
Carol’s older sister, Helen, was first to insist that her father write his story before he passed away in 1997 at the age of 94.    After Helen passed away in 2004, Carol eventually picked up the cause of  having the first edition published and then revised it for republication in 2025.  This was indeed an intense labor of love, reliving his story telling about growing up poor in rural Mississippi with a burning desire to become a doctor, overcoming unimaginable obstacles.   After the passing of her mother in 2005, Carol carried on the pioneering spirit of her father and opened up a holistic clinic in her Dad’s medical building, an endeavor well before its time in eastern North Carolina.  Prior to those days in North Carolina, Carol was a private chef to some of the African American luminaries of Los Angeles.
Carol now lives in Charlottesville, VA where she continues her practice and develops formulas for her company, Flourish Essential Oils.
LEARN MORE AT:  www.flourishwellnessoils.com

THE ORACLE AT FIRESIDE LAKE
Mallory has been reading tarot and casting spells inside her metaphysical store for years. 2025, however, brought more than its fair share of romance and intrigue as the moon waxed and waned above Fireside Lake, Minnesota.
Can Mallory overcome the year’s challenges, both normal and paranormal, and keep herself, her family, her friends, and Oracle Shoppe afloat?
Find out in another cozy tale of occult romance and suspense from Colleen McManus Hein.
LEARN MORE
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION
The real-life inspiration behind The Oracle at Fireside Lake and how a small-town sewing shop in Ely, Minnesota sparked Mallory's world
Colleen's lifelong fascination with tarot, the supernatural, and how she weaves real readings and simmer pot rituals into the story
Using holidays, seasons, and moon cycles as a writing framework to structure each chapter and beat the blank page
Drawing from real relationships with friends, mothers, daughters, and grandmothers to bring authenticity to the characters
The joys and struggles of indie authorship, from Goodreads reviews to writing as a creative escape from everyday life
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Colleen McManus Hein lives and writes in Illinois. She has published in Poetry Cram, Highland Park Poetry, East on Central, The Sports Scribe, The Packingtown Review, and Inkwell. She self-publishes novels, short stories, and poetry collections through Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing. When not reading, crocheting, or walking her dog, you might find her turning tarot cards or holding a seance by candlelight.
Learn more and connect with Colleen on her Author page at Amazon.com.
 

RUG: HOW TO MOVE WHAT YOU'RE TRIPPING OVER AND LEAD WITH H.E.A.R.T.
What if the biggest obstacle to your success isn't your team, your competition, or even the economy? What if it’s the invisible rug you keep tripping over?We all have rugs. Outdated habits trip us up. Silent expectations catch us off guard. Limiting beliefs go unquestioned for years. These hidden barriers sabotage our progress in life and leadership until disruption finally forces us to confront them.RUG reveals how to uncover the patterns holding you back. You'll discover how to move beyond mere survival and lead with clarity, courage, and purpose.This book centers around the H.E.A.R.T. Powered Leadership™ framework: Humanize, Empower, Ascend, Reimagine, Transform. It offers both deeply personal insights and practical guidance for leading with empathy, resilience, and vision.
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION
The "Rug" Concept — What it means to keep stepping over hidden problems, avoided conversations, and outdated systems in leadership and in life, and why leaders resist moving them
The HEART Framework — A five-step approach to leading through disruption: Humanize, Empower, Ascend, Reimagine, and Transform, and how it applies to both personal growth and organizational change
Reimagining vs. Defaulting to the Familiar — Why reimagining is the hardest step for most leaders, and how the "10-star experience" exercise helps teams think beyond their comfort zones
When Leaders Get Out of Their Own Way — What shifts when leaders stop white-knuckling every decision, and how empowering others to lead creates faster movement, smarter risks, and a stronger culture
Creating Psychological Safety and Taking Micro Moves — How leaders can make it safe for people to tell the truth, and the small, practical actions that create real traction without overwhelming the team
LEARN MORE AT: https://rugthebook.com/ and https://orgsource.com/ 
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
SHERRY WHITAKER BUDZIAK is an award-winning entrepreneur, author, and visionary strategist who helps organizations 10X their productivity by aligning people, process, technology, and purpose. As the founder and CEO of .orgSource, Sherry has spent two decades guiding more than 350 organizations to reimagine how they work, integrating human potential with the power of AI to unlock growth, innovation, and impact.
Recently honored with the Valparaiso University Alumni Achievement Award and Association Trends Award, Sherry is celebrated for her rare ability to translate bold strategy into measurable results. She’s led digital transformations long before it was a buzzword—launching one of the first association websites, navigating Y2K, leading teams through the dot-com era, and shaping the future of online engagement. Her expertise blends deep technological insight with a human-centered approach that empowers teams to thrive in the age of intelligent automation.
A trailblazer in the association and nonprofit world, Sherry co-founded .orgCommunity, a dynamic network that connects leaders, inspires collaboration, and accelerates innovation across the sector. Her influence extends beyond consulting—she’s a frequent keynote speaker, podcast host, and thought leader whose message inspires leaders to lead with both head and heart.
Sherry is the co-author of RUG: Move What You’re Tripping Over and Lead with HEART, where she shares her transformative H.E.A.R.T. Powered Leadership® Method—Humanize, Empower, Ascend, Reimagine, Transform—helping leaders turn disruption into growth and courage into strategy. She also co-authored the acclaimed Association 4.0® book series, which redefined what it means to lead in an era of rapid change.
With over 30 years at the intersection of technology and leadership, Sherry’s mission is clear: to help organizations move faster, think smarter, and lead with heart in a world where AI and humanity must rise together.
 
KEVIN G. ORDONEZ has been dedicated to serving the association community as a vendor partner, volunteer, speaker, author and consultant for over two decades. Throughout his career, he has focused on successfully developing and implementing digital strategy as critical for a comprehensive approach to advance the cause of associations.
As .orgSource’s technology lead, Kevin works with clients to envision their digital future and then guides them through the process of achieving the vision. Whether developing a digital strategy, creating a multi-year technology roadmap, focusing on a specific system implementation, or undertaking a performance improvement project, Kevin draws upon insights that can only come from someone who has the hands-on experience of working for an association, as well as the entrepreneurial spirit of a founder of leading association management software companies. In total Kevin has served thousands of associations, providing technology insight, product development, implementation methodologies and strategic planning.
Along with .orgSource founder and CEO Sherry Budziak, Kevin is the co-founder of .orgCommunity, an organization that provides hand-crafted connections, inspiration and solutions to association leaders and industry suppliers through education programs, networking events and a robust online community.
Kevin is an active participant in the association community, having served on the Association Forum of Chicagoland board of directors and on various volunteer committees. He frequently serves as a thought leader, lending his expertise to a variety of organizations. He also serves as an advisor to Work XO which helps companies measure, analyze and activate their organizational culture. Along with his business partner Sherry Budziak, Kevin is the co-author of the books Association 4.0®–An Entrepreneurial Approach to Risk, Courage and Transformation and  Association 4.0®—Positioning for Success in an Era of Disruption.