Welcome back to the podcast, I’m Jamie Baynes. Today’s guest is actor and bestselling author, Jon Lindstrom. As you’ll soon learn, Jon caught the acting bug when he woke up in the middle of a James Bond film and saw two guys on the screen, fighting to the death. With that goal in mind, he set a course for Hollywood and all the hard work and frustrations associated with the actor’s life. Apparently feature films, various television shows, a regular stint on General Hospital and Port Charles and recording audiobooks weren’t enough for him, so he decided to write a USA Today bestselling novel as well. With all of that going on, and fighting a cold, he graciously agreed to come on a small podcast from a guy that he’s never heard of. Incredible.After you listen to it, let me know what you think about Jon.  It’s easy to get a picture in your head of how you think a famous person is going to be. How they’re going to talk. How they’re going to interact with everyday people. How, how, how. I had no idea going into this interview how down to earth Jon was going to be. Talking to him was like taking to someone you’d meet in a coffeehouse, or bookstore or record shop. Just such a great guy and I truly enjoyed our conversation. Make sure that you check out his new novel, Hollywood Hustle and let’s hope he’s got more on the way.  Here's a link to his website:https://www.jonlindstrom.com/actorI want to thank Jon for taking the time to talk to me and I’d like to thank you for taking the time to listen. We’re all in this together and together, we can make this world a better place. Until next time, take care of one another and thanks again for listening.

Welcome back to the podcast, I’m Jamie Baynes. I’m honored to have Jeff Katz on as this episode's guest. Jeff has had a show on Richmond radio station WRVA for over thirteen years, and has been on air nationally too many times to count. Despite all of that fame, as you’ll soon find out, Jeff is the most down to earth guy you’ll ever meet. I’ve been a fan of his for years and I’m sure that that fandom will come through on the interview you’re getting ready to listen to, but I can’t help it. Jeff stands for so many things that I and  many other people stand for, that it truly is a pleasure talking to him. Once you listen to the episode, let me know what you think.  Is it just me or do you just feel better after talking to someone with his outlook on life? He summed it up nicely when he said that our time here on earth is short. So, why waste it on hate and division? Why let evil people get rich while they try to divide us? All the good people in this world, and I still believe that there are more good people than bad, need to stick together and treat each other with love and respect, despite our differences. In fact, it’s our differences that make this world such a wonderful place in which to exist. So let’s keep it up and ignore the wicked and embrace the wonderful.I’d like to thank Jeff for coming on the show and taking time out of his busy schedule to help spread the positive message. Make sure you check out his show on Richmond radio, WRVA. And until next time, take care of one another and thanks for listening.You can check out his website here👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽                                           https://www.thejeffkatzshow.com/

Welcome back to the podcast, I’m Jamie Baynes. For this episode, we’re flipping the script a bit, as the cool kids say. My dear friend, Dr. Richard Groover texted me with an idea. He said he thought that my listeners might enjoy hearing about me, so he suggested that he interview me. I thought, why not? I’m all about positivity, so I agreed to it. Actually, I don’t like talking about myself and I specifically tailor my podcasts to be about my guests, not me. But I thought that it might be fun to turn the tables on myself and hop into the hot seat, so here it is. Once you listen to it, let me know what you think.  It seems odd to ask what you think of me, so I won’t.  But I will speak to what Richard and I spoke about right after the interview was over. He mentioned that he’s noticed that I don’t show any bias toward anyone of a different race than I am. I replied that in a perfect world, cops should be the most non-prejudiced people in the world. Why? Because cops see good and bad in all people, regardless of race, sex, religion, etc. I know that evil exists and I know that good exists and it doesn’t matter the physical body in which it resides. My goal with this podccast and with life is to showcase the positive in this world and ignore the negative. And I’ll do it for as long as I can.I’d like to thank Richard for coming on and interviewing me, and I am definitely going to have him back on to talk more about him. So until next time, take care of one another and thanks for listening.

Welcome back to the podcast, I’m Jamie Baynes. Today’s guest is Devin, a former Richmond police officer. I was working on a case recently and was talking  on the phone with a detective from another jurisdiction. After we hung up, my phone rang again immediately and showed that detective’s number. I answered and to my surprise it was Devin. He’d gone to work for another agency, was with the detective that I was talking to and recognized my name once that detective told him  he was talking to Investigator Baynes. After Devin and I caught up a bit, he asked when I was going to have him on my podcast. My answer? Anytime you’re ready.  Once you finish listening. I won't even have to ask if you like Devin because I'll already know the answer. A resounding yes. He’s such a down to earth guy, and his love for being a police officer and more importantly, the love he has for being a police officer in a city like Richmond speaks volumes about his personality and his character. And who could have predicted that my interaction with a detective from another jurisdiction would lead me to have such a fantastic conversation with Devin? I think that’s the power of positivity. Even when you’re not looking, it’s everywhere. I’d like to thank Devin for coming on the podcast and hope that he comes back for a second conversation soon. And I hope you do, too.So until next time, take care of one another and thanks for listening.

Welcome back to the podcast, I’m Jamie Baynes. Today’s returning guest is  the one and only, Johnnie Calloway.  The last time Johnnie and I talked was back in May, 2022. I’ve been following Johnnie on Instagram since then and always enjoy his posts. One of his recent posts was of him and three of his sons, standing outside in the snow, shirts off and flexing for the camera. I saw that and thought of one word: Fatherhood. So I reached out to him to see if he’d be willing to come on and do another episode and true to form, he agreed right away. Once you listen to the episode, let me know if you enjoyed Johnnie as much as I did the second time around. There’s just something about Johnnie that’s so darn likable. That is as long as you’re the type of person who likes honest, non-political, highly intelligent, open people who aren’t afraid to speak their mind, despite outside forces trying their hardest to divide us. I want to thank Johnnie for taking the time out of crazily hectic schedule to come back on the show and spread some wisdom and positivity.Below are some of the books Johnnie referenced in our conversation:Outwitting the Devil  - Napoleon HillOn Liberty - John Stuart MillTNT it Rocks the Earth- Claude BristolYour Faith is Your Fortune - Neville GoddardYou are the Placebo - Joe DispenzaThe Path to Prosperity - James AllenSupreme Power Course - Dr. Murdo MacDonald Bayne And check out Johnnie on Instagram:  @misunderstood_g3eniusSo, until next time, take care of one another and thanks for listening.

Welcome back to the podcast, I’m Jamie Baynes. Today’s guest is Julia Borcherts, publicity manager at Chicago based  Kaye Publicity. I met Julia because I was interested in interviewing one of the authors that Kaye Publicity represented. Since then, we’ve exchanged many emails and I decided that in addition to interviewing authors, I’d like to go behind the publicity curtain and talk to Julia about what she does and her outlook on life. So here she is. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.Once you listen to it, let me know what you think.I love that Julia closed an interview about the publicity business by speaking about community and positivity. That personal connection is so important, no matter what you do or who you are. Positivity is out there, and while it may not seem to be as prevalent as all the bad stuff, you don’t have to look too hard to find it.I’d like to thank Julia for coming on the show, and if anyone has any questions for Julia, let me know and I’ll bring her back for another episode.Until next time, take care of one another, and thanks for listening.

Welcome back to the podcast, I’m Jamie Baynes. Today’s guest is one of my favorite authors, and more importantly, one of my favorite people: Tracy Clark.Tracy is the author of not one, but two best selling book series, both set in Chicago and both with women of color as their protagonists. I had Tracy on as a guest back in March of 2023, and am thrilled that she came back for a second conversation and that I get the opportunity to talk to her again. I hope you enjoy the episode. And after you listen to it, answer a question for me.....Am I a lucky guy or what?I got to laugh and chat with Tracy Clark a second time and she’s just as charming as she was the first time we spoke. I hope everyone listening takes Tracy’s advice about reading authors from all backgrounds and walks of life. For that matter, that advice is good for just about anything in life, isn’t it?I’d like to thank Tracy for coming back on and hopefully she’ll come back for a 3rd go ‘round.And thank you all for listening. Together we can all make this world a better place. One interview at a time.Make sure you check out Tracy's newest book here👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽https://www.amazon.com/Fall-Detective-Harriet-Foster-Book-ebook/dp/B0BJLDSBM7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=26Y2RTVH7Q5GT&keywords=tracy+clark+fall&qid=1704839383&sprefix=tracy+clark+fall%2Caps%2C248&sr=8-1

Welcome back to the podcast, I’m Jamie Baynes. Today’s guest is Faye Knightly of The Sisterhood of the Black Pen. I met Faye through one of this podcasts favorite people, Gloria Lucas. Faye sent me a message through Instagram and said that she’d like to talk about her writer’s group, The Sisterhood of the Black Pen. Obviously I said yes because everyone knows that writers are some of my favorite people, so here she is. So, sit back, relax and let me know what you think of our conversation .After you give it a listen, tell me what you think of Faye. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve never read an anthology, nor have I read much horror. Recently, that is. When I started reading fiction novels, I was devouring King, Koontz and other horrior-ish authors. As I got older, I started reading more in the thriller genre and historical  non-fiction. But after chatting with Faye, I’m going to pick up the first anthology and see how her contributing authors handle some horror around the holidays.Check out Faye's link tree here 👇🏽https://linktr.ee/thesisterhoodoftheblackpenAnd  until next time, take care of each other and thanks for listening.

Welcome back to the podcast, I’m Jamie Baynes. Back in May, I got an email from a publisher asking me if I’d feature an author in an upcoming podcast. Of course I sald yes because I’m a huge fan of authors. So the publisher said, “Great, we’ll do it in August.”  August?? That was three months away. Nevertheless, we set it up and that author is Yasmin Angoe. Have you ever talked to someone for the first time and felt like you just clicked? Well, that’s the feeling I got when Yasmin answered the phone and we started chatting. The questions and answers seemed seamless. Check out our interview, then let me know what you think of Yasmin. I'd bet that you'd agree with me when I say that she's awesome.  Who out there remembers going to the bookstore and seeing the books sectioned off by the race or nationality of the author? Now, as I say in our conversation, maybe it’s not sinister, but it sure does seem odd today. Especially when we’re living a world where so many forces are trying to drive us apart for their own gain. Shouldn’t we all strive for togetherness and unity? I think you all know where I stand on the matter. The world in which we live can become pretty overwhelming, so I’m glad there are people like Yasmin out there who can give us great advice on how to stay positive. Make sure you check out her Nena Knight series and anything else that she writes. Until next time, take care of one another, and thanks for listening.Check out Yasmin through her social media:X (Formerly Twitter): yasawriterInstagram: author_yasFacebook: Yasmin AngoeOR....head over to her website:http://www.yasminangoe.com

Welcome back to the podcast, I’m Jamie Baynes. Today’s guest is David Kamwana, the creator of a new portable fitness device called The Calf Buster. Are you thinking, “Why on earth is Jamie talking to the inventor of a fitness product? Is this a sponsorship or something?” Have no fear, I’m still not sponsored by anyone, though I do enjoy fitness products, which is probably why David’s Calf Buster showed up in my Facebook feed. I checked out the product, then watched the video of David talking about it. I was curious about how a regular person like David creates a product and brings it to market, so I figured I’d drop him a line and see if he’d come on the show and talk about it. He replied quickly and said that he’d be happy to come on the show, so here he is. I hope you enjoy our conversation, because I know I did.Once you finish listening, let me know what you thought of David. Did you think that he was open, honest and just an all around nice guy? So did I. I liked the fact that David had the courage to just go for it and create a product that he wanted to create. But I also like the fact that he said that he was in a position in his life to take a chance and make his vision a reality, with the understanding that if he had a wife and kids, The Calf Buster might not exist. The world needs more people like David. Inventors and creators, yes, but also people who are funny, kind, outgoing and naive. I think people like David help to combat all the negativity that seems to exist everywhere you look.If you want to check out David and The Calf Buster, check out the links below:http://www.thecalfbuster.comhttp://www.OneCrate.comHe’s also on Facebook and Instagram: @calfbusterSo until next time, make absolutely sure that you take care of one another, avoid the negative and embrace the positive. Thanks for listening.

Welcome back to the podcast, I'm Jamie Baynes. Today's guest is Jen Satterly; photographer, author and co-founder of the US Special Forces support group, the All Secure Foundation. I spoke to Jen and her husband Tom, in a podcast back in February of this year. That podcast focused on Tom's book, All Secure: A Special Operations Soldier's Fight to Survive on the Battlefield and the Homefront, which I had just read. I wanted to talk to Jen more about her experiences with the Special Forces community, so I reached out to her to see if she'd make another appearance on the podcast. She graciously accepted the offer and here she is. Once you listen, let me know what you think of Jen.  She and Tom have done so much for our Special Forces veterans and their families and there's so much more that they want to do. I'm currently reading a book entitled 'With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa' written by World War 2 veteran Eugene Sledge. His book discusses the horrors that he and other young Marines faced in the Pacific theater of the war and the trauma that the survivors had to deal with when they returned home. Trauma that they had to try and cope with alone. Jen and Tom want to make sure that today's Special Forces soldiers and their families aren't alone when they come back home. If you want to help with their mission, check out their website in the link below:             https://www.allsecurefoundation.org/And until next time, take care of one another and take care of yourself. Until next time, thanks for listening.

Welcome back to the podcast, I’m Jamie Baynes. Today’s guest is Maria Cramer, the NYPD Bureau Chief/reporter for the New York Times. A good friend of mine in the NYPD forwarded me a New York Times article about a neighborhood in Brooklyn that was policing itself. I thought the article was fascinating and saw that it was written by Maria. Her email address was at the bottom of the article, so I decided to write her and see if she’d be willing to come on the episode. To my pleasant surprise, she agreed and we set it up. On the day we were supposed to record it, she’d gotten a cold and was so hoarse that she could barely speak and had to cancel the interview. Within a few days she was better and here she is. After you listen to our conversation, let me know what you think of Maria. Prior to our discussion , I had never considered that being a reporter was a craft. And I’d assumed that since she was a reporter for the New York Times, she would have certainly gone to journalism school. That’s what I get for making assumptions. And that’s why I like to interview people from all different walks of life, all different professions, all different……well, you get the idea. I think that if we all just talk to people and then listen to those same people, the world would be a better place. What do you think? I’d like to thank Maria for taking time out of her hectic schedule to talk to me for a half hour before she had to head uptown to another appointment. She was an absolute joy to talk to. And to listen to.Until next time, take care of one another and thanks for listening.

Welcome back to the podcast, I’m Jamie Baynes. Today’s guest is Jon Barr, creator of the fantastic YouTube channel ‘Here Be Barr’. Jon’s channel showed up in one of my suggested channel selections a couple years ago and I clicked on one of his videos about tourist traps in New York City. Like many people, I’ve always been fascinated about New York and have been a few times, so I watched the video, then clicked on another. Then another. And another. You get the point. To me, and several hundred thousand other people, Jon’s videos are like potato chips; you can’t stop with just one. So I sent Jon a message and asked him if he’d like to do an episode with me. He sent me a thumbs up emoji followed by a text that said, “Let’s do it.” So we did it. Once you listen to it, tell me what you think about Jon. I’m constantly amazed at the willingness of very popular people to agree to be interviewed by a guy with a small podcast, yet great folks like Jon continue to come on the show and talk about their work and their outlook on life. I think it’s an indication that even though bad news and conflict get clicks, people still like to talk about the good things in life and pass on to others their recipe for positivity. Jon and his obvious love for New York City are a fantastic example. If you just watched the news about New York, you’d think that it’s going back to the crime -riddled bad old days. Yet, all you need to do is watch just one of Jon’s videos about small delis and bodegas in the outer borroughs of the city and you’ll want to book a flight into JFK and go exploring. That’s what this podcast is all about.Make sure you check out Jon's YouTube channel here:https://www.youtube.com/@HereBeBarrHe's on Instagram too:@here.be.barrI'd like to thank Jon again for taking time out of his busy schedule to come on the show.Until next time, take care of on another and thanks for listening.

Welcome back to the podcast, I’m Jamie Baynes. Today’s guest is Jenna Weinstein and I decided to do something a little different for this episode. A good friend of mine, and previous podcast guest, Ben Toderico, suggested that I interview Jenna for an episode. All he said about her was that she was an amazing person. Jenna and I have never talked before this episode was recorded, so I had no idea what made Jenna so special, but figured you’d find out when I did as we talked. So, what makes her so special? Listen to the episode and find out. Once you've heard it,  do you agree with Ben’s recommendation for Jenna as a podcast guest? Of course you do! Jenna’s a blast and I enjoyed talking to her. From Brooklyn, to Boston, then to Texas, North Carolina and landing in Georgia. Working with veterans, getting her doctorate and writing a novel on the side. Simply amazing. I’m hoping Jenna comes back on the show soon and updates us on her life, job and writing career. Speaking of her writing career, check out Book 1 in her Stone Sister Series, Fearing Fate, at the link below:https://m.goodnovel.com/book/Fearing-Fate_31000442102And in case you follow that link and see the author as J.N. Stein, have no fear, that's Jenna's pen name!So until next time, take care of one another, seek out the goodness in people and as always, thanks for listening.

Welcome back to the podcast, I’m Jamie Baynes. Today’s guest is James White, host of the absolutely fantastic YouTube channel, Freakin Reviews. James’ channel popped up in my Youtube suggestions and looked interesting. I clicked on one of his videos. And then another. And then another. In the blink of an eye, an hour was gone and I was searching through his channel for my next fix! Hoping against all hope, I sent him an email inviting him to do a podcast episode and he accepted! So here he is. A quick note on the audio quality; it’s not as good as I’d prefer because of some feedback noise. Hopefully it won’t take anything away from the interview.  As always, I hope you enjoy the episode, and once you listen to it tell me what you think of James. As you'll be able to  clearly tell, I’m a huge fan of James and his channel. I bet that if you look him up on Youtube, you’ll agree. Not just for the product reviews, which are extremely helpful and right on point, but for the entertainment value of James just being James. And while you’re hunting around the internets for his videos, make sure you check out what started it all: his website....http://www.freakinreviews.comThen, go get your Freakin' video fix on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTCpOFIu6dHgOjNJ0rTymkQSo until next time, take care of one another, abide by the Golden rule and last but certainly not least, thanks for listening.

Today’s guest is a good friend of mine and an overall great guy: the one and only, Dr. Richard Groover. Richard has been an educator  for decades and was a reserve deputy with the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office for twenty years. Richard has been a fan of my books and podcasts, and I’m a fan of his, so it seemed like it was time to bring him on an episode and pick his brain on a variety of topics. Give it a listen and then let me know what you think of Richard.I bet like me, you find him instantly likeable. Notice that when I asked him what his daughter thought about the way police officers were treated in 2020, he told me to ask her...... That’s Richard and I love it. Richard and I don’t always see eye to eye on some political issues, but we always, and I mean always, respect each other. That’s the way it should be, regardless of where you stand politically, socially, etc.Mutual respect. Richard is one of my favorite people on this planet, and I’m lucky to have him as a friend.Don't forget about the centennial of the Virginia Academy of Science; you can check out their website here👇🏽http://www.vacadsci.orgUntil next time, take care of one another, and thanks for listening.

I've been following multiple news stories in the press recently, and have been posting about them as well. Well, I decided to do a short, solo podcast about my thoughts. In it, I told about the superintendent of Richmond Public Schools, the Interim Chief of Police, and a few other things that are on my mind. No script, no outline, no guests. Just me talking. Let me know what you think. Do you agree or disagree?  Do you think I'm off base? Do you think I'm racist? I'll answer that last question: I'm not. If you think I am, who cares? You're wrong. Let me know what you think.As always, thanks for listening.

Welcome back to the podcast, I’m Jamie Baynes. Today’s guest is New York Times Bestselling author Don Bentley. Now I have to say something first about the audio of the episode. Number one, I stutter my words when I introduce Don a bit because I was discombobulated. I usually call my guests, but this time, Don called me. Unfortunately I had my phone set to ignore unknown numbers, so I totally missed answering his call. Not a good idea when you’re getting ready to interview anyone, much less a bestselling author. But Don was a good sport and answered when I called him back. Secondly, there are a few times when Don’s line cuts out during our call, so bear with that as well. It doesn’t happen often during our discussion, but it does happen and I apologize in advance. Once you listen to the episode, let me know what you think of Don. From piloting an Apache helicopter in the Army, to FBI Agent, to a successful writer who writes three different series, Don is nothing short of amazing. Add to that amazingness that he took the time out of his incredibly busy schedule to call me when has another book due so soon and I’m absolutely blown away. If thrillers are your thing, and why wouldn’t  they be, check him out through his website:http://donbentleybooks.com And until next time, take care of on another and thanks for listening.

Welcome back to the podcast, I’m Jamie Baynes. Today’s guest is Jack Roney, author of the crime novels The Angels Wept, The Demons Woke and The Shadows Watch. Jack got on my radar because of the marketing for his first book, The Angels Wept. To say that the book was everywhere be an understatement. Every time I’d open Facebook or Instagram I’d either see the fantastic cover of the book,  a post about Jack doing a speaking engagement or teaching an aspiring group of writers. I did some research on Jack and found that he’d recently retired as a police detective after over thirty years of service. So, he’s an author and a retired police officer; I wanted him on the show. I sent him a message and despite the time difference between Virginia and Australia, got to interview him.  I know that I repeat myself when I mention how fascinated I am when I talk to people from other countries and learn about the similarities and differences between the US and where they’re from, but it’s still true. Before talking to Jack, I had no idea that there were only a handful of police agencies responsible for law enforcement in Australia.And, in writing the description for this episode, I found that Jack has another novel out, The Ghost Train & The Scarlet Moon. I think the beauty of current technology and social media is that they open up the world and allows us to explore a region outside of our own and we’re able to talk to people that we ordinarily wouldn’t be able to talk to. So even though it’s easy to condemn social media for people who misuse it, there’s always the opportunity to take advantage of the education it offers. I’d like to thank Jack for coming on the podcast and for being patient with me when I brought up Crocodile Dundee. I hate using the term, but that was truly a cringe question.Also stay tuned for additional episodes with Jack because we’re discussing doing other interviews to talk about the realism of first responder writers versus what civilian writers think passes as real.Until next time, take care of one another, and thanks for listening.Check out Jack's website: https://www.jackroney.com.au/#/

Welcome back to the podcast, I’m Jamie Baynes. Today’s guest is bestselling author and native Chicagoian, Tracy Clark. Tracy’s book, Hide, popped up in my suggested reading page on Amazon, so I read the description of the book and immediately hit ‘buy now’.  As I say to her in our conversation, once I started reading it, bam! It was off to the races. After I finished it, I reached out to her to see if she’d be interested in being a guest on the podcast, and she graciously agreed. After you listen to it, let me know what you think  of Tracy. Personally, I liked her about two seconds after she started talking. Authors always fascinate me, especially when they mention The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie, though to be honest, I never read Christie. Regardless, I truly enjoyed talking to Tracy and enjoy her outlook on writing in particular and life in general. The world always needs more authors and we especially need more authors like Tracy. I hope she keeps writing for a long, long time.Check out some of Tracy's links below:http://www.tracyclarkbooks.comhttps://twitter.com/tracypc6161https://www.facebook.com/tclarkbookshttps://www.instagram.com/tpclark2000/And.........I asked Tracy to recommend some of the authors that she reads. Per her, these are her 'automatic buys'.......Rachel Howzell HallLaurie R. KingS.A. CosbyIsabella MaldonadoWalter MosleySara ParetskyCheryl HeadDelia PittsAnn CleevesUntil next time, take care of one another, and thanks for listening.