EPISODE 708 - Jeanette Gil - Cuban-American and proud Latina author - A book for kids - Aloe Vera's Special Gift

I’m a Cuban-American and proud Latina author who believes in the power of stories to celebrate culture, family, and the beautiful connections that shape us.

Whether you’re exploring my children’s books, or diving into my insights on education and leadership, my mission is to inspire and empower through the written word.

Grab a cafecito, take a look around, and discover something new. Let’s connect on this exciting journey of storytelling, learning, and growth.

Book: Aloe Vera's Special Gift - Aloe Vera’s Special Gift is a heartwarming tale of self-discovery teaching children that our differences can be our greatest strengths and that everyone has something special to offer the world—even if it’s not immediately visible.

In this insightful conversation, author and doctoral student Jeanette Gil shares the heart, hustle, and healing behind her debut picture book Aloe Vera’s Special Gift. Inspired by her grandchildren, her Miami garden, and cherished family memories, Jeanette’s story celebrates resilience, identity, and the healing power we all have within us.

Jeanette explains that writing the manuscript came naturally, but turning an idea into a published picture book required patience, realistic expectations, and deep collaboration. She learned quickly that in children’s publishing, illustrations carry just as much meaning as words, sometimes even more. Finding the right illustrator with cultural understanding and artistic alignment became essential. Together, Jeanette and her illustrator built not just a book but a creative partnership that continues to spark new ideas, from coloring books to upcoming seasonal spinoffs.

A passionate advocate for literacy, Jeanette describes her first school visit before the book was even officially launched. Reading to seventy-five children from immigrant families, she saw firsthand the emotional impact of her story and realized her deeper purpose. That experience inspired her current mission: filling school library shelves through book drives and empowering young readers to embrace their self-worth.

Jeanette also reflects on the realities of self-publishing as a business. Marketing, visibility, social media, website management – they all stretch her creativity outside the comfort zone. Yet she remains committed to enjoying the journey, not rushing the process, and allowing each story to shine in its own time.

Aloe Vera’s Special Gift shares a message that resonates with both children and adults. Aloe feels plain and overlooked compared to the colorful, sweet-smelling flowers in the garden until she discovers her unique gift to heal others. Her story reminds us that what truly matters is found inside: courage, kindness, the ability to help others, and the confidence to embrace your strengths. It is a celebration of growth, cultural roots, and the resilience that blooms through every season.

Jeanette invites authors, educators, and readers to connect, collaborate, and continue championing literacy and storytelling at home and in the community. She believes every child deserves to feel valued and to see themselves reflected in the stories they read.

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EPISODE 707 - Dr. Dawn Filos - Tales of a Pet Vet - Stories from the Clinic and House Calls

Dr. Dawn Filos has been a practicing small animal veterinarian for over 31 years. She has taught pet first aid courses, CPR courses, and has always enjoyed educating her clients to enable them to be the best pet parents that they can be. She has a particular interest in sharing the emotional benefits that sharing our lives with pets provides. She speaks much about that, with guides on how to not just train your pets, feed and entertain them, care for them medically… but she discusses topics such as how to navigate pet insurance, and plans for legal trusts to care for your pets when you may not be here to do so… to name a few subjects. She hopes you will learn, laugh, and love subscribing to her blog.

Follow her, and keep an eye out for news on her upcoming book release, Tales of a Pet Vet. Stories from the Clinic and House Calls, to be released in October, 2024. It is the perfect gift for pet lovers. Dr. Filos is also available for public speaking engagements and zoom book clubs.

Book: Tales of a Pet Vet: Stories from the Clinic and House Calls - In stories tailor-made for pet lovers, a seasoned veterinarian shares her good, bad, and messy days on the job—and highlights the undeniable magic of the human-animal bond.

Dr. Dawn Filos has always had a passion for animals—and with a lot of hard work and perseverance, she turned that passion into a career. Here, with emotional honesty, Dr. Dawn shares her colorful, memorable journey from nervous novice to seasoned, self-assured doctor. This modern-day James Herriot ultimately finds her niche as a house-call vet, where she creates a way to practice on her own terms with the privilege of unique, intimate access into the homes and lives of her beloved patients and their human families.

Sometimes heartwarming, sometimes sad, and often hilarious, Tales of a Pet Vet will resonate deeply with pet lovers everywhere.

https://drdawnthepetvet.com/

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EPISODE 706 - John Schachnovsky - Beyond The Badge - CRIME, JUSTICE, AND THE FBI IN THAILAND

About the author
John Schachnovsky is the former head of FBI operations in Thailand. He spent 25 years as a law enforcement officer, motivating and managing diverse teams in demanding environments.

Book: Beyond the Badge: Crime, Justice, and the FBI in Thailand
Welcome to Thailand: there’s no room for error, and the stakes are high.

As an FBI Agent stationed in Bangkok, John Schachnovsky must build trust, goodwill, and long-term relationships with his Thai counterparts. Beyond the Badge explores how those relationships lead to the capture of dangerous criminals, transcending borders.

From high-profile incidents like the shocking death of David Carradine to handling overseas terrorism, from the extradition of a suspect in the murder of a United States Marine to apprehending a notorious kidnapper with an Interpol Red Notice, experience true international crime investigations as never before: behind the scenes and firsthand.

Follow former Special Agent Schachnovsky as he takes on Irish mobsters, parental kidnappers, child abusers, cyber criminals, and murderers. More than a collection of riveting tales of intrigue, Beyond the Badge is a window into FBI foreign partnerships—a critical reminder of the importance of international cooperation in the fight against crime.

In this episode, we sit down with John Schachnovsky, a retired FBI agent joining us from Bangkok, Thailand, where he has lived for nearly two decades. John reflects on a remarkable career that began far from the world of federal law enforcement. Once a laid back college hockey player, he had no clear path until his father encouraged him to consider a job that did not involve sitting behind a desk. That advice led him first to the U.S. Border Patrol, an experience he says transformed him from an unfocused student into a disciplined professional through a demanding and highly militaristic environment.

From there, John joined the FBI and trained at Quantico. He explains how different it felt: less about breaking you down and more about shaping you into an agent they have already vetted carefully through rigorous applications and background checks. He shares a fascinating look into Hogan’s Alley, the FBI’s simulated town used to test practical skills from search warrants to interviews. According to John, this unique training gives new agents a level of confidence before facing real world situations, though nothing can fully prepare you for the first arrest outside controlled conditions.

After several years in San Francisco, John pursued a dream assignment overseas and eventually became the FBI’s legal attache in Thailand. He describes the overlooked role the FBI plays internationally, assisting American cases that extend abroad, opening extraterritorial cases related to terrorism and child sex trafficking, supporting foreign partners with U.S. based investigations, and providing specialized training to enhance global cooperation. He highlights how diplomacy, trust building, and cultural fluency are just as crucial as investigative skills, especially in a country where FBI agents have no arrest authority and rely entirely on local police.

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Episode 352 - Tammy J Cohen - Text Messages to My Sons - How to Connect Deeply with Your Kids in a Digital World

In this episode, Dave sits down with author Tammy J Cohen to explore a deeply relevant question in modern parenting: how do we truly connect with our kids in a world dominated by devices?

Tammy shares the unexpected origin of her book Text Messages to My Sons: Connecting Deeply in a World of Devices. What began as a simple desire to reach her three sons evolved into a powerful daily practice of intentional communication. Living in Manhattan and observing how deeply people are absorbed in their phones, she realized that traditional forms of connection were no longer effective. Instead of resisting technology, she chose to meet her children where they already were by sending meaningful, consistent text messages.

The conversation reveals how this small shift created a profound impact. Tammy’s messages moved away from reminders and discipline and toward encouragement, love, and shared wisdom. Without expecting responses, she focused on expressing what mattered most, reinforcing her sons’ worth, resilience, and value. Over time, this consistency helped reduce tension, strengthen their relationship, and create a lasting emotional connection.

Tammy also emphasizes the importance of accountability as a parent. By acknowledging her own struggles, past reactions, and personal growth, she allowed her children to see her as human. This honesty deepened trust and opened the door for more authentic connection. Her approach models a key shift in modern fatherhood and parenting as a whole: moving from authority alone to vulnerability, presence, and emotional awareness.

The episode also highlights how these messages extend beyond the immediate moment. Tammy reflects on the lasting legacy of words, suggesting that long after we are gone, it is these expressions of love and encouragement that remain. Her sons’ decision to write the foreword of her book speaks to the real impact of her efforts.

For parents listening, Tammy offers a simple but powerful invitation. Start where you are. Keep it natural. Be consistent. Whether it takes ten minutes or less, the act of showing up daily with intention can reshape your relationship over time. The goal is not perfection, but connection.

This conversation ultimately reframes what it means to be a good parent today. It is not about control or constant correction, but about creating a steady, meaningful presence in your child’s life, even through something as simple as a text message.

Key Takeaway:
Consistent, intentional communication rooted in love and honesty can transform your relationship with your children, proving that even small daily actions can leave a lasting emotional legacy.

@textmessagestomysons

FB text messages to my sons

The Book: Text Messages To My Sons - At the start of 2020, I began to immerse myself in a learning journey incorporating good health, spiritual and emotional intelligence, and personal growth. I needed to share this with my three sons, who are everything to me.

https://tammyjcohen.com/

Published: Apr. 12, 2024

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EPISODE 705 - Jane Loeb Rubin - I run like the wind to stay ahead of my disease - living, family, writing - my refuge

In this captivating episode, author Jane Loeb Rubin shares her inspiring journey from healthcare executive to acclaimed historical fiction writer, sparked by her 2009 ovarian cancer diagnosis linked to a genetic mutation inherited from her great-grandmother Matilda. Living in Morristown, New Jersey, Rubin penned her debut essay memoir Almost a Princess before diving into a four-book series tracing Matilda's family from late-19th-century New York through World War I and into Prohibition-era 1924. Titles like Threadbare, In the Hands of Women, Over There, and the upcoming Mayhem in the Mountains blend meticulous research—three months upfront, ongoing fact-checking, and author's notes—with vivid details on Gilded Age fashion, tenement life, suffragette struggles, and medical horrors, including brutal cancer treatments misread as venereal disease.

Rubin immerses listeners in WWI innovations like frontline X-rays and blood transfusions that boosted survival rates, drawing from soldiers' letters that reveal immigrant platoons—disproportionately Italian and Jewish—forging unbreakable bonds across ethnic divides, dissolving neighborhood silos for true American assimilation. Personal family ties fuel her work: grandfathers in WWI, father and uncles in WWII, all silent on war's traumas. Her Matilda Fund has raised $83,000 for Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance, with royalties supporting trials like one at Mayo Clinic; her granddaughter's recent cupcake drive pushed it higher.

Through female-centered tales of immigration, medicine, and resilience amid bootleggers, KKK incursions in the Catskills, and women's rights battles, Rubin honors forgotten voices. Her website offers book club questions, events, and reading lists.

Key Takeaway: Historical fiction illuminates our shared humanity—fear, pain, and progress unite us across eras—urging appreciation of hard-won rights and guardrails against division.

https://www.janeloebrubin.com/

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April 2026 Podcast Check-in - Thanks for supporting our amazing guests - we appreciate you

In this April 2026 check-in, Dave from Living the Next Chapter takes a moment to speak directly to listeners and thank them for supporting the show and its guests. He shares a behind the scenes update about having time left on his hosting site and uses the episode as a chance to connect one on one with the audience, reminding them that there are many finished interviews already lined up and more content coming soon.

Dave also encourages listeners to follow the show on YouTube, where they can get a look at what is being recorded before it appears on the podcast feed. He invites the audience to use the YouTube channel as a backstage pass to the show and asks for support through subscribing, liking, and sharing. Along with that, he highlights the show’s Buy Me a Coffee page for listeners who want to help cover the costs of running the website and producing the podcast.

Throughout the episode, Dave focuses on community. He asks listeners to recommend the show to others who love books, authors, and the stories behind the stories, and he invites them to send voice messages through the website so they can be featured on the podcast. He also mentions that listeners can leave comments on Spotify and YouTube, reinforcing his goal of making the show interactive and listener driven.

More than anything, this episode is a heartfelt thank you. Dave explains that he wants the podcast to serve both listeners and guests well, helping authors reach new audiences and giving listeners a place to discover meaningful conversations. It is a reminder that Living the Next Chapter is built around connection, support, and shared enthusiasm for great stories.

Key takeaway: This episode is an invitation to be part of the Living the Next Chapter community by listening, sharing, supporting, and joining the conversation in whatever way feels right for you.

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EPISODE 704 - Sasha Preston - The Sweetest Getaway, a gripping, girl-powered caper

About Sasha Preston
Originally from Michigan, I’ve made my home in the perfectly weatherless land of Southern California. I fell in love with a boy from Orange County and never looked back.

I write women’s fiction crime capers that help you to escape your daily reality, feel a sense of excitement, and plan your next adventure – all with some humor and close friendship thrown into the mix.

They say you should write about what you know. While I still haven’t officially committed a heist, there’s nothing I love more than going on adventures with girlfriends. You can find me waking up while it’s still dark outside to write, exercise, and explore.

Jennifer was a wholesome daydreamer who’d never broken a law in her life until she lets her roommate, Nari, rope her into a money-making scheme that isn’t exactly…legal.

How could she have known that stealing would be so much fun?

Everything goes smoothly, until someone rats them out to the cops. Now, Jennifer and Nari need help from a team of seasoned criminals to pull off a heist that’ll either set them up for life…or get them locked up for a very long time.

Can Jennifer find a path to happily ever after that doesn’t include an orange prison jumpsuit? There’s only one way to find out…

The Sweetest Getaway is a standalone, no spice, cozy heist novel with laughs, a diverse cast, and the smartest heroines since Ocean’s 8. Perfect for fans of women’s fiction and crime capers. Download today for a criminally good time.

https://www.sashapreston.com/

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Episode 360 - Bob Young - True Golf - the story of Moe Norman and a new song with Bob's brother Neil Young

Our Guest - Bob Young was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1942. He was a member of the Canadian Professional Golfers’ Association for nearly three decades and first met Moe Norman in the early 1960s.

Like Norman, Young has always been intrigued by metaphysics and has had access to the leading trance mediums.

Young’s brother is Neil Young, the internationally recognized singer-songwriter.
Book: Mind Golf: The Troubled Genius of Moe Norman - At one of a series of clinics that former USPGA teacher of the year Craig Shankland staged, he asked Moe Norman in front of about 300 people, “What’s it like to hit perfect shots, Moe?” Moe paused and looked at the audience. Then, in jest, said, “You will never know.”

Mind Golf assembles and ignites the mental energy of the image of the shot-to-be. Moe “Pipeline Moe” Norman was a Canadian professional golfer and the best ball-striker the world has ever known. Author Bob Young met the eccentric golfer and traveled between Canada and Florida from the early 1960s to 2004, where he was able to observe Pipeline Moe for decades.

At the heart of the episode is Bob’s long relationship with legendary Canadian golfer Moe Norman. Drawing from decades spent practicing and playing alongside him, Bob offers rare insight into Moe’s extraordinary ability as a ball striker and his unique mental approach to the game. Moe’s concept of a “quiet mind” becomes a central theme, not as a mystical idea, but as a disciplined way of filtering out distractions and staying fully aligned with intention.

Bob explains how this mindset translates into a practical method for improving performance. By visualizing the full flight of the ball, from launch to apex to landing, and “feeling” the shot before executing it, golfers can create consistency and precision. He connects this process to a broader idea of energy, suggesting that the same creative force behind music, visualization, and peak performance is accessible when focus and awareness align.

The conversation also touches on Bob’s book, his experiences within golf culture, and the evolving ways he is sharing this knowledge through audio, video, and upcoming projects. Along the way, he reflects on Moe Norman’s life, his challenges, and the recognition he eventually received, painting a portrait of a misunderstood genius who stayed true to his path.

This episode ultimately explores the intersection of discipline, creativity, and awareness, showing how mastery in any field often comes from learning how to see clearly, think simply, and trust what you feel.

Key takeaway: Peak performance comes from aligning a clear mental image with a quiet, focused mind, allowing your body to execute naturally without interference.

https://bobyounggolf.com/

Published:

May. 01, 2024

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