Channel 3 — December 2, 2024

What was it like to be orphaned at birth in the winter of 1942 in Munich, to spend the next eleven years as a foster child in the family of a former SS-officer? What was it like, after the death of my foster mother, to live for seven years in a home for children under the aegis of Catholic Sisters? What was it like to immigrate to the United States at age eighteen without family support or knowledge of English? In telling my story, I draw portraits of people that have affected my life for good or ill. I describe the rooms and furniture as silent witnesses to our family’s daily struggle. I book-ended my work with critical thoughts about nationality: Being considered German in the United States versus being American in Germany. I close with reflections on today’s Germany, with the past intruding on the present, and with my inherited trauma and inherited guilt still pursuing me.

Currently playing:
Martin Klubeck speaking about “The Adventures of Sir Locke the Gnome”

The Adventures of Sir Locke the Gnome is an anthology of six mysteries in the spirit of Sherlock Holmes. Join Sir Locke and his best friend Latswin Gilshire as they solve mysteries throughout Aethrofell, a land full of men, women, dragons, dwarves, elves, orcs, ogres, giants, and of course gnomes. If you enjoy role playing sword & sorcery games and quick-paced mysteries, chances are you'll love the adventures of Sir Locke the Gnome.

Currently playing:
L. D. Wenzel speaking about “A Witch in the Wardrobe ”

Belfast, Northern Ireland, 2004. Shannon Dillon discovers a document in her grandfather’s attic that appears to be written by beloved author C. S. Lewis. Oddly, the binder is covered with Occult symbols. Word leaks out, and within hours, three armed bandits burst into the house to steal the documents. Things turn sour when the American intruder shoots and kills Shannon's grandfather and brother. Shannon escapes out a window as the gooms take off with the manuscript. Traumatized, she vows blood revenge. Shannon travels to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and recruits a reluctant evangelical college professor of literature to help her bring the American killer to justice. Once trained as an IRA sniper, Shannon is driven by revenge while Simon Magister drags his feet. Still, against his Christian values, Simon is drawn by scholarly curiosity and a repressed attraction to Shannon. The couple enters a dark world where two factions are willing to kill for the ‘Belfast Document.' Simon and Shannon narrowly escape death several times while others die along the way. Meanwhile, a slow-burn romance emerges between the two. The conflict involves right-wing fundamentalists who believe that Lewis's fantasy stories are occult inspired. Conversely, some big evangelical publishers want to obtain and destroy the document for financial reasons. 

Currently playing:
Elaine Cougler speaking about “My Story, My Song”

My Story, My Song tells the fascinating tale–sometimes sweet and sometimes not–of the eldest daughter in a family of thirteen children, nine boys and four girls, growing up in the fifties and sixties in rural Ontario. The one-room schoolhouse and the church on the hill with the huge steeple both affected the lives of all who lived in that Embro community. The memoir shows a close and caring society in the midst of a burgeoning post war economy, and the changing world that provided them all so much opportunity. Those changes wrought challenges for everyone.

Currently playing:
Jody Sharpe speaking about “Summer of Angels”

Meteorologist and psychic, Gayle Force proves a force to be reckoned with as she moves back to her beloved Mystic Bay, California. While sleeping an angel sent her a vision in a dream of a future event. Gayle realizes she must use her intuition to save an old man from drowning. But who is this old man? With the help of intuitive attorney, Alex Kinght, she finds they are caught in the middle of a future crime.

Currently playing:
James Vogelzang speaking about “Come and See: An Invitation to Reclaim Your Life's Balance”

Come and See is not a self-help book—just the opposite. It is an invitation to consider a solution that demands: no achievements, striving, or, performance hurdles. The book explores: a) taking charge of the regrets from your past, b) healing from emotional and spiritual disillusionment, c) the power of forgiveness—for yourself and others. This book offers you a solution to the emotional vertigo you are feeling but cannot identify. Come and See proposes a cure that is candid, somewhat uncomfortable and quite possible scary. This book does not preach, judge, or emotionally manipulate, but rather, respectfully proposes a surprising solution to women’s disequilibrium allowing grace and forgiveness to be felt again…or perhaps for the first time.

Currently playing:
Craig Snyder speaking about “Guile”

As November approaches, two near opposites clash for the nation's highest office. It's Ven Hess, firebrand populist breaking all the old rules, known as "The Hessian" for his intimidating tactics on the pitcher's mound, versus Democrat Alec Maynard, an African American Admiral with his own flaws but who offers the nation at least some hope of normalcy. Pete Vankov, a political operative known as the "Dark Angel" because of his reputation for winning at all costs, spearheads the Hess campaign. Meanwhile, an estranged colleague, David Gruber, together with The Globe's political reporter, Jane Berglund, devises a plan to thwart Vankov's march towards a dirty and dangerous victory. Who wins? With Guile, veteran political strategist Craig Snyder has written a thriller exposing the dark underbelly of American politics, a novel rich in suspense and intrigue that will have readers turning its pages quickly in rueful anticipation of the next election.

Currently playing:
Dante - speaking about “The Base”

“The Base” From the most “Top Secret “military base in the country comes this tale of jealousy, deception, intrigue and triumph. The newest most sought-after military innovation “The Project” is about to be released, after many years of research by the military’s elite scientists. Unfortunately, there are many who seek to steal and intercept the invention for their own agenda. Written from the inside of a place that few have ever seen with the most forbidding climate to keep outsiders away we follow our developers to the completion of their mission. Their success depends on a sacred trust and ethics while they live in conditions that would try even the strongest most resolute soul. ‘The Project” must succeed or we all will fail – and it will fall into the hands of the enemy. Will they stay true when their spirits are put to the ultimate test? Or will we all soon be controlled by the invention that was intended to keep us safe? A very probable story with many valuable lessons about the competitive nature of cutting-edge research, the courage it takes to succeed both as a scientist while staying one step ahead of the spies and thieves that lurk everywhere. “The Base” is a suspenseful, gripping story with many unforgettable characters

Currently playing:
Sharman Apt Russell speaking about “What Walks This Way”

Did a red fox pass this way? Could that be a bobcat print in the dirt? Do those tracks belong to a domestic dog or a coyote? Combining humor and lyrical memoir with an introduction to wildlife tracking, What Walks This Way explores the joys of learning to recognize the traces of the creatures with whom we share our world. Nature writer Sharman Apt Russell tells stories of her experiences tracking wildlife—mostly mammals, from mountain lions to pocket mice—near her home in New Mexico, with lessons that hold true across North America. She guides readers through the basics of identifying tracks and signs, revealing a landscape filled with the marks left by browsing deer, predatory weasels, and inquisitive bears, skunks, and raccoons. Closely observing these marks and passages, Russell also finds community, a sense of place, and a renewed connection with the nonhuman world. She explores the health of mammal populations in North America and questions common wildlife management practices, calling for new approaches that better reflect our current understanding of ecology. Above all, What Walks This Way is a celebration of all the wild animals secretly, stubbornly, and triumphantly moving through our cities, suburbs, and countryside.

Currently playing:
Nicholas Anderson speaking about “NOC Three Times: Knock-On Effect ”

"Due to censorship restrictions, a veteran of Britain’s MI6 intelligence service tells a fictionalized version of his covert action experiences" Publishers Weekly

In my days there were five classified UK Eyes Only security clearance levels. The higher you went up the secrecy ladder, the less people knew about you... I held the highest security clearance level a British intelligence officer could reach. This book, the third in the NOC Trilogy covers my last five years in the field being in charge of the 'uncammo' (not in uniform) unit of the special forces, 2003-2007, which encompassed the Iraqi War and being in the field in Afghanistan, Somalia and The Yemen, among others.

For obvious reasons I must remain anonymous. I am a British citizen and a 20-year veteran of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6).  I did three tours of duty, first serving in 1971-1983. I was recalled into active duty in 1992-1993 and 2003-2007, and volunteered for one more operation in 2008 after retirement.  Since that time I have been granted political asylum in France, where I now reside.

The first two books are:  “NOC - Non-Official Cover: British Secret Operations and  NOC Twice: More UK Non-Official Cover Operations.