How a Barry, Barry good interview originated from a Key West rain shower

I just learned another valuable lesson in the power of networking.

Sometimes, you just never know how making a connection on one day in one place can end up paying off for you down the road in another time and place. Please, let me explain.

Earlier this week, I was interviewed by Barry Eva for his national talk radio program called “A Book and a Chat,” broadcast from his home in Connecticut on New Visions Radio.

Barry is originally from England, and the format for his show is an informal “chat over a cup of tea,” as he describes it. With more than 800 shows under his belt, he’s no novice when it comes to interviewing.

He asked me many thoughtful and provocative questions about writing and our common love of the written word. He was easy to warm up to because Barry is also a writer, the author of a successful young adult romance book "Across the Pond," as well as other notable works.

Barry focused the interview on getting me to tell his listeners about my journey - how I arrived at this point in my life where I’m working on novels every day.

I thought it was a great show because, well, we talked mostly about me - and my work - for more than 30 minutes. What could be more fun and interesting than that, right?

Well, you can judge the interview and our discussion yourself by following this link:

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But what is also an interesting story is how I made the connection to Barry and his show. That’s a journey of a different sort. Again, allow me to explain.

Let’s go back in time two years. My wife, Barb, and I were vacationing in Key West, Florida. Over the years, we have come to love the Keys and every visit requires us to spend at least a few days in Key West.

During our last visit, I toured the Harry S. Truman Little White House. I love history, and I’ve always been fascinated with the late president. When the chance came to see where Truman made the final decisions about using nuclear weapons to end World War II, I jumped at the opportunity.

While on the Little White House grounds, the tour was interrupted by a mid-afternoon rain shower. It forced a big group of us to huddle on a covered porch to avoid a drenching.

That’s where I spotted a very interesting looking woman who was trying desperately to cover her head and keep her hair dry. She wore a colorful shirt with the words: I love Talk Radio – ask me about it.

So, being the inquisitive soul that I am, I could not resist. I introduced myself and asked her about the words printed in big letters across her chest.

Her name is Fran Silverman, who it turns out is a Talk Radio advocate and publicist. She also has written a number of e-books on Talk Radio shows ranging from animals to sports. Fran represents a number of authors and writes a bi-weekly e-zine for authors of all genres. You can find her this way: franalive@optonline.net

While the rain shower cooled off the Little White House from Key West’s hot afternoon sunshine, we talked. I told Fran about my first book, “A Formula for Murder,” and gave her a thumbnail sketch of the book I was finishing at the time, “A Grand Murder,” which published last summer.

I loved her enthusiasm and energy. I also think she was impressed with the description I gave her of my novels and my marketing efforts. She asked me to stay in touch.

We did. I reconnected with her last fall. Now, Fran represents me. It wasn’t long before she introduced me to Barry Eva. I sent Barry a copy of my latest book, and I was soon scheduled for his show.

As I mentioned earlier, I thought the show turned out great. In other words, it was Barry, Barry, good!
A Grand Murder