In episode 39 of Creative Dynamos, I interview author Gina Brower about how losing her office job pushed her to finally write, beginning with a horror slasher script reworking Slaughter High and leading to books inspired by Jobriath. Brower explains how rediscovering Jobriath through the documentary “Jobriath A.D.” (directed by Kieran Turner) made him her muse, and describes her first prose project, City Freaks: How I Fell in Love with a Lilac Angel, written “in stereo” as a conversation between her and Jobriath. She discusses Jobriath’s history as an early openly gay major-label rock artist, his theater background, musical talent, troubled life, and death in 1983, plus other overlooked musicians she features. Brower shares research methods, publishing plans (Visionary Booksellers), her self-published standalone Lilac Angel (Kindle/paperback), horror influences, and where to follow her (Threads/Facebook: City Freaks).

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

00:35 From Day Job to Writing

01:29 Discovering Jobriath as Muse

02:57 Who Was Jobriath

04:39 Writing the Book in Stereo

06:32 Process and Influences

08:24 Researching the Rock Legends

09:56 Publishing Plans and Legacy

12:14 Titles and Inspirations

13:03 Horror Favorites and Slasher Roots

15:09 Why Horror and Practical Effects

19:29 New Author Challenges and Marketing

21:13 Release Dates and Where to Buy

22:09 Husband Influence and Jobriath Deep Dive

24:39 Next Books and Final Wrap

In episode 38 of Creative Dynamos, I interview writer and musician Gray Rinehart about his long history of creating, from early poetry to later fiction and songwriting, including learning craft through Orson Scott Card’s workshops and bootcamp. Gray compares his approaches to fiction and nonfiction and explains the inspiration and reception of his book A Church More Like Christ, which explores how churches might embody Christlike giving and corporate application of scripture. We discuss how faith influences creativity without requiring “preachy” art, Gray’s unfinished second-world oceanic fantasy novel and how grief after his wife’s death affected his work, and his shift from juggling projects to focusing one at a time. Gray also describes his role at Baen Books as “Slush Master General,” editorial work, and the importance of following submission guidelines. He shares details on a limited-release LibertyCon charity CD and where to find him at grayrinehart.com and grayrinehart.bandcamp.com.00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro00:27 Early Creative Roots03:36 Taking Fiction Seriously06:08 Orson Scott Card Bootcamp08:16 Fiction vs Nonfiction Process11:13 Church Book Inspiration16:05 Reception and Controversy20:44 Social Media Conversations22:31 Faith Shaping Creativity26:57 Christian Writer or Writer Christian30:13 Breaking Out of the Ghetto31:35 Ocean World Novel Concept34:16 Grief and Rewriting Drive37:45 One Project at a Time39:04 LibertyCon Charity Album44:26 Slushmaster at Baen51:17 Submission Guidelines Rant55:49 What Makes a Dynamo01:00:54 Where to Find Gray

I welcome Mike and Dory of The Othering Podcast to discuss their path from running an internet radio station 20 years ago to launching a podcast in late 2024/early 2025 amid worsening disability and a tense political climate. Dory shares her experiences with depression, anxiety, and CRPS chronic pain, and explains the show’s focus on humanizing disabled and LGBTQ+ people, highlighting intersectionality, building community, and helping guests feel comfortable through a conversational, low-structure interview style. Mike describes learning to better understand invisible disability as a spouse/caretaker. We discuss scheduling and production workflows, guest outreach now largely driven by inbound requests, audience growth via social media and guests sharing episodes, and where to find the show, including otheringpodcast.com, plus Facebook and Instagram under Othering Podcast.

00:00 Welcome And Introductions

00:19 Origins Of The Podcast

01:59 Dorys Advocacy Journey

04:52 Mission And Niche

07:25 Living With CRPS

09:13 Memorable Guest Stories

10:21 Caregiving Perspective

11:35 Finding And Booking Guests

13:50 Interview Style And Prep

17:47 Balancing Work And Health

20:53 Family Life And Scheduling

21:43 Scheduling Episodes

22:07 Family Logistics

23:04 Pets And Recording

23:39 Finding Quiet Space

25:52 Creative Outlet Benefits

26:11 Mental Health Healing

28:55 Pressure And Buffers

34:04 Rants As Catharsis

37:25 Growing The Audience

41:16 Where To Find Them

43:11 Book Review Victorian Psycho