The “Best Town in North Carolina” has some explaining to do.

Steve Hill returns to RedPubPod with Statesville After Dark: The Worst of the ‘Best Town in North Carolina’, this time bringing the skeletons out of the closet. Richard Eller, Patty Thompson, and Jane St. Clair talk with Steve about murders, the liquor trade, ghost stories, and local scandals behind the familiar streets of his hometown.

How did Statesville get that “best town” nickname, anyway? Steve traces it to a railroad conductor with a knack for promotion—and a willingness to give Charlotte second billing. From there, the conversation heads into territory the town’s old advertising probably left out, including Tom Dooley’s hanging and the stories still told about the Vance Hotel’s little ghost girl, Arlene.

Bring a flashlight and your phone. With photographs, walking-tour stops, song lyrics, and 43 QR codes linking to 43 songs, Steve’s book lets you stand where a story happened and hear it set to music. Local musicians and members of his own family helped bring those songs to life. The episode features music by Elizabeth Carter, plus a conversation with her about songwriting and how a visit to the Statesville Historical Collection led to her involvement in the book.

There’s plenty of laughing around the microphones, but Steve also talks about when humor needs to give way to a serious telling of history. Slavery, Jim Crow, and a tragedy in his own family are part of the record, too. His years of collecting and newspaper research have given him stories he initially struggled to believe.

And those scathing “reviews” at the front of the book? Let’s just say the people in these stories have opinions about Steve airing their business. Apparently, Amazon missed the joke, as the fictitious blurbs are attributed to the folks mentioned in the book!)

Come celebrate with Steve at the book launch on Friday, October 23, 2026, from 5–8 p.m. at the Statesville Historical Collection, 117 S. Center St., Statesville, NC 28677. The event will include a reading, musicians, light bites, and beverages. Admission is free. Come for the book, stay for the stories—and meet some of the people behind the music.

Get your copy of the book at: https://tinyurl.com/StatesvilleAfterDark

Might want to check out his first book, too: https://tinyurl.com/InTheShadowOfTheClock

Thanks to our RedPubPod sponsor, Taste Full Beans! Stop by for coffee, tea, or a bite to eat, browse their selection of Redhawk books, and tell the staff your literary podcast sent you.

Taste Full Beans Coffee, Tea & Café 29 2nd Street NW, Hickory, NC (828) 325-0108 https://www.tastefullbeans.com

Don’t forget to FOLLOW, SHARE, LIKE, & SUBSCRIBE to RedPubPod! Know someone who loves local North Carolina history, true crime, or a good ghost story? Send this episode their way.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RedhawkPub/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redhawkcreative/

What happens when stories written to be heard become stories meant to be read?

In this episode of RedPubPod, host and Redhawk Publications publisher Patty Thompson welcomes guest host Tom Dyer, founding publisher of Florida's Watermark, for a lively conversation with Greg Triggs, project editor of This Happened: Yarnslingers Book One, and contributing writer Janice Meyerson.

Published by Redhawk Publications in celebration of Yarnslingers' 15th anniversary, This Happened grew from the Catskill Mountains-based writers' collective founded by Ramona Jan. Yarnslingers brings writers before live audiences to share tightly crafted, first-person stories inspired by a prompt — stories that can be funny, poignant, vulnerable, unexpected, and deeply personal.

Greg and Janice talk about the unusual discipline of writing within a 750-word limit, the difference between writing for the page and writing for a live audience, and the delicate balance between storytelling and performance. Greg also takes listeners behind the scenes of transforming years of live storytelling into an anthology, including the process used to select stories while preserving the individual voices of the writers.

Janice — an internationally experienced opera singer who came to writing later — brings her own perspective on commanding a stage, finding humor in life's mishaps, and learning when performance enhances a story and when the words need to stand on their own.

Along the way, both writers share selections from This Happened, and the conversation moves from laugh-out-loud encounters to stories of loss, memory, identity, and the unexpected people who leave lasting marks on our lives.

Ultimately, this episode is about more than one book. It's about why we tell our stories in the first place — and how putting an ordinary life into words can ensure that a person, a moment, or a memory isn't lost.

Catch Yarnslingers Live in September!

September 20 at 2 p.m. — Yarnslingers presents “Danger” at Farm Arts Collective in Damascus, Pennsylvania.

September 24–27 — Yarnslingers joins the Big Eddy Film Festival in Narrowsburg, New York, with individual storytellers sharing pieces inspired by the themes of selected films.

Learn more about Greg Triggs and Yarnslingers:

GregTriggs.com

Yarnslingers.com

Purchase This Happened: Yarnslingers Book One:

https://tinyurl.com/YarnslingersBookOne

As always, we are honored to have RedPubPod sponsored by the best little coffee shop in all of North Carolina, Taste Full Beans! Be sure to stop by and let the super-friendly staff know you heard about “TFB” from your favorite literary podcast, RedPubPod!

Taste Full Beans Coffee, Tea & Café

29 2nd Street NW, Hickory, NC

(828) 325-0108

https://www.tastefullbeans.com/

Don’t forget to FOLLOW, SHARE, LIKE, & SUBSCRIBE to RedPubPod! Show some love for the written word by talented writers because carefully chosen words in the proper order can change the world.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RedhawkPub/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redhawkcreative/

Do you have to leave home to find your purpose... or is home exactly where you'll find it?

This week on Red Pub Pod, we sit down with debut author Aaron Kohrs to discuss his inspiring memoir, Big Dreams Back Home: Finding Purpose and Building Community in Small-Town America.

After earning a graduate degree in Ireland, Aaron expected his future to unfold in a major city. Instead, life brought him back to Hickory, North Carolina, where an unexpected lesson emerged: success isn't always measured by promotions, prestige, or the next rung on the career ladder. Sometimes it's found in serving your neighbors, building genuine relationships, volunteering, listening, and discovering that community may be life's greatest achievement.

Join hosts Patty Thompson, Jane St. Clair, and Richard Eller as they explore Aaron's journey—from adopted son to teacher, community organizer, school board candidate, and public engagement professional—and discuss why small towns still have something profound to teach all of us.

It's a conversation about belonging, purpose, empathy, civic engagement, and redefining what it really means to live a successful life.

Oh... and somehow Blue Pub Pod, Yellow Pub Pod, Green Pub Pod make an appearance. You'll have to listen to understand.

Because sometimes the biggest dreams begin by coming back home.

Get your copy of the book at: https://tinyurl.com/BigDreamsBackHome

As always, we are honored to have RedPubPod sponsored by the best little coffee shop in all of North Carolina, Taste Full Beans! Be sure to stop by and let the super-friendly staff know you heard about “TFB” from your favorite literary podcast, RedPubPod!

Taste Full Beans Coffee, Tea & Café

29 2nd Street NW, Hickory, NC

(828) 325-0108

https://www.tastefullbeans.com/

Don’t forget to FOLLOW, SHARE, LIKE, & SUBSCRIBE to RedPubPod! Show some love for the written word by talented writers because carefully chosen words in the proper order can change the world. And in Aaron's case, they probably will!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RedhawkPub/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redhawkcreative/

REDPUBPOD HOSTS:

Patty Thompson — Publisher, Redhawk Publications

Jane St. Clair — Associate Editor, Redhawk Publications

Richard Eller — Engineer and Executive Director, Redhawk Publications

KEYWORDS:

#RedhawkPublications #RedPubPod #AaronKohrs #BigDreamsBackHome #AuthorInterview #BookPodcast #BookTube #DebutAuthor #Memoir #CivicMemoir #CommunityBuilding #CommunityEngagement #FindingPurpose #SmallTownAmerica #Leadership #Volunteerism #PersonalGrowth #NorthCarolina #NCAuthors #NorthCarolinaWriters #IndependentPublisher #IndieBooks #NewBooks #BookRecommendations

Rocks, Rivers, and the Stories We Carry

What lies just below the surface? In this episode, Jane St. Clair and Patty Thompson sit down with debut author Howard Pearre to talk about Rocks Just Below the Surface, a moving collection of short stories that follows boys and men through childhood, military service, family, hard choices, and the quiet moments that shape a life.

Howard shares how real people, lived experiences, and decades of observation became fiction, why the perfect title took longer than some of the stories themselves, and how writing communities, critique groups, and a lifelong love of journalism helped bring this collection together. Along the way, the conversation drifts into history, storytelling, paratroopers, newspaper bylines, World War II legacies, and why the best stories are often about relationships rather than heroes.

Grab your favorite coffee (ideally from Taste Full Beans), settle in, and join us for a thoughtful conversation about memory, character, and the hidden currents that carry us all.

Get your copy of the book at: https://tinyurl.com/HowardPearre

As always, we are honored to have RedPubPod sponsored by the best little coffee shop in all of North Carolina, Taste Full Beans! Be sure to stop by and let the super-friendly staff know you heard about “TFB” from your favorite literary podcast, RedPubPod!

Taste Full Beans Coffee, Tea & Café

29 2nd Street NW, Hickory, NC

(828) 325-0108

https://www.tastefullbeans.com/

Don’t forget to FOLLOW, SHARE, LIKE, & SUBSCRIBE to RedPubPod! Show some love for the written word by talented writers because carefully chosen words in the proper order can change the world.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RedhawkPub/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redhawkcreative/

#RedhawkPublications, #RedPubPod, #HowardPearre #RocksJustBelowTheSurface #Writers, #NorthCarolinaWriters #NewBooks, #ShortStories, #WinstonSalemWriters

"Write what you don't know about what you already know" - Brad Lott

From pinto beans and corn bread to guns and hooper swans, this episode with debut novelist Jim Haughey will keep you on your toes. And it's not just his charming Irish brogue!

Join Redhawk staff Richard and Jane as they interview Jim, along with decades-long friend and trusted editor, Tom Rash.

The crew all get down to business discussing The Broken Season, Jim's newly released historical novel set among Irish immigrant railroad workers in the Blue Ridge Mountains in the mid-1800s.

Together, they explore the importance of xxx, the challenges of balancing historical accuracy with imagination, and the editorial process that shaped the novel into a compelling mix of history, mystery, and memorable characters. Along the way, Jim shares insights, humor, and the warmth of his Irish roots in a conversation that's as engaging as the novel itself.

More information about the author and the novel can be found at jimhaugheywriter.com and thebrokenseason.com

Get your copy of the book at: https://tinyurl.com/TheBrokenSeason

REDPUBPOD HOSTS:

Richard Eller — Executive Director, Redhawk Publications

Jane St. Clair — Associate Editor, Redhawk Publications

Tom Rash — Guest host, Editor

As always, we are honored to have RedPubPod sponsored by the best little coffee shop in all of North Carolina, Taste Full Beans! Be sure to stop by and let the super-friendly staff know you heard about “TFB” from your favorite literary podcast, RedPubPod!

Taste Full Beans Coffee, Tea & Café

29 2nd Street NW, Hickory, NC

(828) 325-0108

https://www.tastefullbeans.com/

Don’t forget to FOLLOW, SHARE, LIKE, & SUBSCRIBE to RedPubPod! Show some love for the written word by talented writers because carefully chosen words in the proper order can change the world.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RedhawkPub/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redhawkcreative/

#RedhawkPublications, #RedPubPod, #JimHaughey, #TheBrokenSeason, #Writers, #SouthCarolinaWriters #IrishDiaspora, #NewBooks, #IrishAuthors, #HistoricFiction #Novels #HistoricNovels

“I wanted readers to read along and say, ‘I’m not alone.’ I wanted to be intentional about the universal.”

In this episode, Redhawk talks with poet Angela Leigh about her debut poetry collection, Tattoos, Tacos, and Time. Angela’s poems explore the transformation that comes from saying yes to love. She uses a fearless resolve to see, feel, and capture moments that defy gravity, shatter our shells, and leave us forever changed. She describes her process as a writer, from initial inspiration and wordplay to poetic forms and redrafts. Poet Narya Decker praises the descriptive power of Leigh’s collection, “…to open up space for readers to experience feelings and impressions” firsthand. Leigh achieves this by focusing on vivid details and naming the places in love where words fall short.

Angela will be reading and signing her new collection throughout the summer in festivals and bookstores. Follow her upcoming events at her website: https://www.angelawrites.studio/

Get your copy of the book at: https://tinyurl.com/TattoosTacosAndTime

REDPUBPOD HOSTS:

Richard Eller — Executive Director, Redhawk Publications

Patty Thompson — Editor in Chief, Redhawk Publications

Narya Decker —Award-Winning Poet, and Poetry/Writing Instructor

As always, we are honored to have RedPubPod sponsored by Scott Owens, Poet Laureate for the City of Hickory, as well as the owner of the best little coffee shop in all of North Carolina, Taste Full Beans! Be sure to stop by and let the super-friendly staff know you heard about “TFB” from your favorite literary podcast, RedPubPod!

Taste Full Beans Coffee, Tea & Café

29 2nd Street NW, Hickory, NC

(828) 325-0108

https://www.tastefullbeans.com/

Don’t forget to FOLLOW, SHARE, LIKE, & SUBSCRIBE to RedPubPod! Show some love for the written word by talented writers because carefully chosen words in the proper order can change the world.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RedhawkPub/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redhawkcreative/

#NorthCarolina, #RedhawkPublications, #RedPubPod, #AngelaLeigh, #TattoosTacosAndTime, #PoetryCollectionbyAngelaLeigh, #Poetry, #LGBTQPoetry #QueerPoetry #NorthCarolinaPoet #NorthCarolinaPoetry

“I like making people laugh when they come in. Especially the serious ones. It’s a goal. Even if it’s at my expense.”

In this episode, Redhawk chats with independent bookstore owner, David Fiorentino, who recently opened Libreria Books with his wife Crystal, in downtown Newton. Libreria is their retirement dream come true… before retirement. And David is Redhawk’s new best friend. He’s dedicated prominent space in Libreria for our titles, and he’s partnered with Redhawk for upcoming readings and events—one this month, on Saturday, June 13th with our author/attorneys Austin Allran, Jason Parker and John Rhea.

Every town that’s lucky has a place: the place. You know it as soon as you walk through the door. Hickory’s Taste Full Beans Coffeehouse is one such a place, where you find yourself humming beside the fountain, with a book from the shop and a cup of coffee in hand. Hosts Richard Eller, Patty Thompson and Jane St. Clair discovered that David has been about creating this place in Newton — what he calls a third space — on purpose. “It’s a place outside of work, outside of your homes…” There’s the big circle of vintage chairs in the center of the store, dubbed ‘The Chillatorium,’ which reads like a cool fort for grownups, furnished by your favorite aunts. One month in, and several book clubs have caught on. There’s a free library shelf by the door, free coffee and water when you sit down. There are Redhawk and other independent titles, alongside books you loved ten years ago and New York Times bestsellers. And then there’s David and Crystal, designing midstream. Crystal has plans for a young writers’ program. David is booking independent authors for readings and book signings. Books are the beginning: new and used books, but also artwork, clothing and gifts created by our local artists and designers. They are crafting a designated place for people to be: unhurried, curious, unburdened. Libreria is the place that makes room for genuine community.

Newton is experiencing a renaissance in this city block on North College Avenue, home to the NoCo ARTS collective/gallery and the New State Cinema, which shows family movies, first-run features, and Hitchcock classics. Now, with Libreria, Newton has a hub for readers, writers, and everyone in between, just one block from the courthouse square. “You couldn’t ask for a better spot,” David says of his retirement dream. Now that it’s starting to come true, he doubts he will ever retire. “But it’s the most authentic thing we’ve ever done.”

Folks, put Saturday, June 13th, on your calendar now! Libreria Books will host three Redhawk authors for our Literary Lawyers event downtown Newton. Attorney/Authors John Rhea, Jason Parker and Austin Allran will meet to discuss their books: Lifer, Prosecutor Boy and The Legend of the Isle of Cats. Admission is free!

Literary Lawyers

Saturday, June 13th at 1pm

Libreria Bookstore

111 N. College Ave.

Newton, NC 28658

REDPUBPOD HOSTS:

Richard Eller — Executive Director, Redhawk Publications

Patty Thompson —Editor in Chief, Redhawk Publications

Jane St. Clair — Associate Editor, Redhawk Publications

GUEST:

David Fiorentino – Owner of Libreria Books in Newton, NC

As always, we are honored to have RedPubPod sponsored by Scott Owens, Poet Laureate for the City of Hickory, as well as the owner of the best little coffee shop in all of North Carolina, Taste Full Beans! Be sure to stop by and let the super-friendly staff know you heard about “TFB” from your favorite literary podcast, RedPubPod!

Taste Full Beans Coffee, Tea & Café

29 2nd Street NW, Hickory, NC

(828) 325-0108

https://www.tastefullbeans.com/

Don’t forget to FOLLOW, SHARE, LIKE, & SUBSCRIBE to RedPubPod! Show some love for the written word by talented writers because carefully chosen words in the proper order can change the world.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RedhawkPub/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redhawkcreative/

#NorthCarolina, #RedhawkPublications, #RedPubPod, #NCBookStores, #NC #IndependentBookSellers, #CatawbaCounty #CatawbaCoNC, #CityofNewton, #NewtonNC, #Libreria #LibreriaNewton #IndieBookstores #IndependentBookstores #GoodReads #GreatReads

In this episode, Redhawk chats with notable North Carolina-based poet Tony Robles about “Soup for the Storm,” his latest poetry collection born in the dark (literally), written by candlelight in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina. These aren’t polished-from-a-distance poems; they are raw, immediate, scribbled-in-the-moment snapshots of survival, community, and the strange, beautiful ways people show up for each other when everything falls apart. He recalls helicopter evacuations, chainsaw heroes, turkey soup legends, and neighbors who don’t wait for help—they become help out of necessity. Robles talks about losing (and finding) his poems, writing through chaos, and why he sees himself less as a “poet” and more as a traveler collecting human stories. Listen up, prospective authors: Tony also talks about how to secure grants for writing. He emphasizes the importance of getting out and doing the work to market a book. Writers need to become their own best marketers, which means going from bookstore to coffee shop to library! Tony is dedicated. That’s the kind of knowledge you won’t find just anywhere. Only right here on RedPubPod. Just sayin’... And we acknowledge when we make faux pas. Yeah, we almost sent out the book with a name that could have caused trademark issues for Redhawk Publications. That was fun! (Not really...)

Bonus: the book gives back, the stories hit hard, and there’s a guy named Po’Boy you won’t forget anytime soon.

If you like your poetry a tad gritty, a little soulful, and deeply rooted in real life, this one’s for you.

Get your copy at: https://tinyurl.com/SoupForTheStorm

DON’T FORGET: Saturday, April 25th, 2026, should already be on your calendar. You will get to meet Tony, Ron Rash, Joseph Bathanti, Hilda Downer, Virginia Evans, Meagan Church, Joy Calloway, and so many more. The City of Hickory will hold its 2nd Annual Literary Festival, and Redhawk Publications friends and family will be in full force. Get info on the Hickory Lit Fest at https://www.hickorync.gov/hickory-literary-festival

REDPUBPOD HOSTS:

Tim Peeler – Associate Editor, Redhawk Publications

Patty Thompson — Acquisitions Editor, Redhawk Publications

Please don’t forget to visit RedPubPod’s sponsor, Taste Full Beans, the best little coffee shop in all of North Carolina! Be sure to stop by and let the super-friendly staff know you heard about “TFB” from your favorite literary podcast, RedPubPod! It doesn’t hurt that they sell Redhawk Publications books, so buy one while you are sipping on some coffee.

Taste Full Beans Coffee, Tea & Café

29 2nd Street NW, Hickory, NC

(828) 325-0108

https://www.tastefullbeans.com/

Please FOLLOW, SHARE, LIKE, & SUBSCRIBE to RedPubPod! Show some love for the written word by talented writers because carefully chosen words in the proper order can change the world.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RedhawkPub/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redhawkcreative/