An Interview with Brain Surgeon & New Author Gary Simonds

January 5, 2024January 5, 2024

The Book Nook | wprnPublicRadio.com

An Interview with Brain Surgeon & New Author Gary Simonds
by Adam Scull
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Brain surgeon and unlikely war hero Ryan Brenan has everything: a booming practice, a beautiful home in an idyllic setting, and a happy, loving family. Then, the apparitions begin. Subtle at first, but soon there’s no doubt about it: he’s seeing ghosts, spirits, the undead. Of course, he could just be going nuts, cracking under the pressure of his constant exposure to death, mayhem, and tragedy. But, he believes he has proof that the ghosts are genuine and specifically haunting him.

“Since Nowhere Man: The Final Days of John Lennon was published in 2000, I’ve done between 400 and 500 interviews about the book. Many of those interviews were rote. People asked questions they read off a press release, or they asked general questions about the Beatles that they could have asked anybody who wrote a book on the topic. After a hundred or so interviews, my answers sounded prepackaged. Adam Scull’s interview was different. He paid attention to what I was saying. His questions were spontaneous and often surprising. Questions that made me stop and think, and my answers were fresh. Adam brought new life to a topic when I thought I’d already said everything that could be said about it.”
Nowhere Man author Robert Rosen

“Was Adam a picky taskmaster? Yes, he was. Was Adam exacting in what the audio story needed? Yes, he was. Did Adam stretch my capabilities? Yes, he did. Am I grateful for this opportunity? Yes, I am.

The beguiling Adam Scull pushed and prodded me so that he could help me shine as an interviewee. I am frankly amazed at how much time and energy he devoted to this – and also very grateful. I now have valuable tools to add to my kit as I move forward in my writing career. Many thanks for what you do, Adam Scull!”

-Mary Kendall, author, of The Spinster’s Fortune

“I just finished recording a segment on wprnPublicRadio with Adam Scull. Over the years I’ve done many podcasts and radio interviews, and I must say today was an absolute pleasure. Adam asked the most interesting and poignant questions pertaining to my books, characters, and future plans. I felt as if he was truly interested in what I had to say and enjoyed sharing my writing journey with his listeners. If you’re an author, and you have the chance to do a few shows, make wprnPublicRadio number one on your list. You’ll be happy you did. Thank you again, Adam Scull, for a lovely time.”

-Vicki-Ann Bush, author, Alex McKenna & the Academy of Souls

“As a listener of the wprnPublicRadio, I’ve been impressed not only by the quality and diversity of the guests that the show presents but also by host Adam Scull’s interviewing skills and the show’s overall professional quality. Now that I have had the privilege of being invited to speak on wprnPublicRadio as a guest, I understand what’s behind the excellence. Adam goes out of his way to coach his guests both to bring out the best in their presentation as well as to maximize the quality of his conversation with them. Whether you’re simply an interested listener or an author seeking a platform from which to discuss your writing, I highly recommend wprnPublicRadio.com”
– Edward Di Gangi, author, The Gift Best Given.