May 28, 2024 • 20 mins
After a few false starts, we're giddy to have Dr. Ron Dwinnells swinging by The Book Drop Mic to discuss his new novel, Thirty Days Hath September. This is exactly the kind of storytelling Jason is drawn to, and we think you'll love learning why.
Buy Ron's book:
https://www.amazon.com/Thirty-Days-September-Ronald-Dwinnells/dp/1632998173
Learn more about Ron:
https://rondwinnells.com/book-publications
Learn more about Jason:
http://www.jasonfwright.com
About the book:
Wealthy fourth-year medical student Jack is miserable and mean. An elderly patient, seeking her long-lost lover, is about to send him on the journey that will change his life.
Aimless Jack Maizel is a slovenly medical student who is unlikeable, arrogant, and slightly manic. Persuaded by his influential parents to pursue a medical career, he cannot hide his contempt for the profession and even for some of his neediest patients. His classmate, Ahgri, a well-mannered and gentlemanly former Tanzanian mountain guide and coffee plantation worker, is an unlikely best friend.
When Maizel begins a month-long clinical rotation on the first day of September in 1982 with a hospital admission work-up for elderly and soft-spoken Mildred Dixon, he has no intention of doing any more than he has to. As the month goes by, she recounts a tender and passionate romance with a young U.S. Army Air Force lieutenant headed off to bombing runs over Germany. She appeals to Jack for help in her last wish of finding the love of her life again.
As the days run out on September, Mildred and Ahgri’s collective wit and Mildred’s touching plea eventually lead Maizel to a life-altering experience. The astonishing twist that ignites a path for Maizel’s future will leave readers with a poignant lesson on how we learn to live and love. Dwinnells’s memorable characters and his message of hope, kindness, forgiveness, and redemption will appeal to readers across genres.
Ronald Dwinnells is the author of the Axiom Gold Medal-winning leadership book, Don’t Pick Up All the Dog Hairs.
This podcast is brought to you by InkVeins, your source for book publicity, promo, press releases and more. Text 540-212-4095 for more information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello there, friends, welcome to the Book Drop, mike,
brought to you as always by InkVeins.
You already know we are yoursource for book publicity and
promotion and press releases andlet me tell you I hope that you
have not missed any of ourrecent episodes.
We have talked about some justincredible new releases, some
(00:22):
great books, fiction andnonfiction and what I noted as I
have done the post-productionon these episodes is that as
much as I love the books we'vetalked about, I think I love the
people even more.
These are just great humanbeings that are generating just
some of the finest work I'veread in a really long time.
So again, the episodes arethere forever.
(00:45):
Go find them, go listen to themand I think you'll discover a
book that you like.
So, today's guest, this isgreat.
We have had so many starts andstops trying to get together,
including a literal power outage.
Last time we attempted abouttwo weeks ago, the power dropped
at the very last minute here atmy office in cozy little
(01:06):
downtown Woodstock, virginia.
The power went out and ourguest, dr Ron Dwinells, was very
patient to let us reschedule.
So, dr Ron, how are you?
I am doing very well, thanks, Iam so glad and I wish the world
could see the view, the Zoom.
Where are you?
It looks like you're in theGarden of Eden.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
No, I'm in my greenhouse.
I have an attached greenhouseto my house, so I had it built
about three years ago.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Well, who doesn't have an attached greenhouse
doctor?
Well, it's gorgeous, it'sreally.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
It's what a lovely, what a lovely place to work and
to recharge and to I justdecided to make it into a
conservatory, a think area, awriting area, a contemplative
area, type of thing.
So yeah, so it's, it'scomfortable and I like doing
everything in here.
That's fantastic, even havingpodcasts.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Yeah, that's, that's fantastic, even having podcasts
yeah that's fantastic.
Well, before we talk about thebook, the reason that we are
together today, tell us a littlebit more about you.
What do we need to know aboutyou to better understand the
sorts of books you're writing?
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Well, my background from an education training point
of view is I'm a physician, Iam a pediatrician by specialty
and I practiced about 10 to 15years, but the last 25 years
I've functioned as a CEO of myorganization, so I basically run
(02:43):
the organization.
I started it actually when Iwrote a federal grant proposal,
resident in pediatrics, and theclinic was designed as a safety
net clinic.
So back in the 80s there werestill a lot of people who were
uninsured, who couldn't gethealth care from some doctors,
(03:06):
just wouldn't take them becausethey couldn't get paid.
Even hospitals would turnpatients away.
So I created a safety netclinic with some federal dollars
and we've been there ever since.
So this is our 38th year inoperations.
We've served well over amillion patient visits, uh, and
(03:26):
and done a lot of good for thecommunity, I believe so so it
was one of those feel-goodprojects yeah, and you're based
in ohio, is that right?
yes, northeast ohio, uh, betweenyoungstown and cleveland
terrific.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
So how does that lead into the writing?
And then tell us about this,this, tell us about this new
book.
It's, by the way, 30 Days hasSeptember.
The link, of course, in theshow notes to where people can
learn more about the book readreviews.
This is an award-winning andextraordinarily well-reviewed
novel, ron novel.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Ron, thanks.
Yeah, I do a lot of, as I said,contemplation, reflection and
so forth, and I go back to myroots a lot, my childhood roots,
my educational roots and soforth, and I think about things.
So, anyway, there was anincident when I was a
fourth-year medical student atthe University of Kentucky and I
admitted a patient from EasternKentucky and she had a lump on
(04:29):
her belly or in her belly, so wehad to figure out what it was.
Well, it turned out to bepancreatic cancer, and this was
the first day of September thatI admitted her, and that part is
all true.
And then on the very last day,the 30th day of September, she
died.
And that always stuck with mebecause I learned a lot from
(04:53):
this person in terms of passion,compassion, understanding,
listening, all the skills thatdoctors should have.
But we don't learn in theclassroom.
So in the classroom it's alltaken up by, obviously, didactic
sessions, understanding thescience of medicine and so forth
.
But once you get out on thefloor and see patients like this
(05:16):
, you just learn a heck of a lotmore about being a doctor.
So, anyway, that stuck with mefor a long, long time.
Well, it still does so.
(05:45):
So anyway.
That stuck with me for a long,long time.
Well, it still does, and and Iwanted to write a fictional
novel about it.
And the basic theme is thatthis person who in the book, she
knows she's dying, she knowsher days are limited, but she
sees some good in this verybelligerent medical student and
there were a lot of belligerentmedical students when I went to
school, and so, anyway, she sawsome good and the overarching
theme is that Anyone can have apositive influence, can help
people through purpose andpassion, and that's what this
story is about.
This elderly woman helps thisboy he was a medical student to
(06:08):
become a good and better doctor.
So that's kind of the theme.
It might sound a little hokey,but I think I turned it into a
fairly interesting story.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Well, these are exactly the kinds of stories
that I am drawn to sound alittle hokey, but I think I
turned it into a fairlyinteresting story.
Well, these are exactly thekinds of stories that I am drawn
to.
Those listening who havefollowed my work through the
years whether it's the WednesdayLetters or the 17 Second
Miracle or even Christmas Jars Ilove these contemporary feeling
stories.
I love a novel that feels likethis could have happened in my
(06:42):
neighborhood, this could be myneighbor, this could be my
brother-in-law.
I love stories that are so real.
In fact, I've had a couplenovels that people have
expressed condolences to me at,like library events and
corporate gigs, like I'm sosorry that you went through this
.
And I'm like well, you knowthis is fiction, right?
Like even if there's just akernel of truth at the very
(07:03):
beginning of the story, somehowit's all you know, it's all
meant to be fiction and I knowthat's that's obviously how
yours reads too.
But I think there's somethingsafe about learning through
fiction.
We get to see the pain thatcharacters go through, we get to
experience some of the painthat our characters go through,
but we feel safe because we knowthat it's fiction.
(07:24):
But I think that these sort oflesson-driven narratives are
really, really popular in themarket right now because people
just love to learn through whatfeels real and we're all looking
for a little bit of hope andinspiration, and I think fiction
is a great way to bring that topeople.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
I completely agree, and you know, as a CEO and doing
a lot of other things, I taughtleadership classes at the local
medical school here, and at thebeginning I had no idea what
the heck I'm going to talk aboutin leadership.
So I started telling storiesabout adversities that I
(08:07):
experienced as a leader and whatdid I learn from them and how
did I resolve them.
And they always had obviously apurpose to the stories and so
forth, and people retain thosestories much better than if I
showed a bunch of data andexplained, you know, some of the
(08:28):
science behind it and so forth.
So, yeah, so that's, and I liketelling stories and I think
this is this is a pretty goodone, because and one of um, one
of the things that I teach isabout passion and purpose,
because passion leads to purpose, um, and and so forth.
So, uh, so I talk a lot aboutthat and uh, and that's kind of
(08:53):
one of the main themes of thisparticular book.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
Well, I love, I love that and I love that the book
takes place in a fairly I mean,it looks like there's some
flashbacks, but it takes placein a fairly compressed period of
time, this idea that we're kindof working our way through the
month of September with andanyone who's listening, who's a
writer or an aspiring novelist,perhaps you might know the power
(09:19):
of that ticking clock where thereader kind of knows that we're
moving toward some kind of aclimax and what happens when we
run out of time, sort of thing.
And so I love that.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Yeah, I think it works.
I think it works really wellfor this particular story.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
There's a twist.
How many people tell you thatthey know the twist is coming?
And how many people say you gotme 100%, say you got me 0%.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
wasn't expecting it and that was my intent from the
get-go, and so I didn't know ifit worked.
It worked for me, obviously,because I knew what.
I was writing.
So since the book's been out,I've asked people hey, you know,
what'd you think of the ending?
Oh, loved it, loved it, neverexpected it.
(10:11):
So that's 100% so far.
And we're only talking aboutmaybe 30 people.
So you know it's not hundreds,but yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
Well, it's 30 people you've heard from.
It might be a small sampling ofpeople who've reported, but
certainly not a small samplingof people who've read it.
I don't normally do this, butjust to look at some of the
reviews, the reviews on Amazonwonderful story, great ending
twist that leaves a smile onyour face yeah, a medical
(10:42):
student learns viable lifelessons and encounters a sick
woman who's able to see throughhis disgruntled exterior.
That one's interesting.
That one gives a lot of details, but again, conclusion delivers
a twist that works very well.
There's a thoughtful, heartfeltmust-read.
(11:02):
A story of resilience andperseverance.
Keeps you engaged.
You'll have a hard time puttingit down.
I think as a writer, that mightbe my favorite compliment when
someone tells me In fact, anagent that I have not
professionally worked with buthave known and has been a friend
for a number of years told methat he knows a book is good
(11:23):
when he misses his subway stopfor a number of years, told me
that he knows a book is goodwhen he misses his subway stop,
when he's heading home from workin Manhattan and he takes the
subway out to Queens and he sayswell, I know that if I look up
and go, oh shoot.
I'm three or four or five stopspast where I was supposed to
get off because he's literallystuck Sometimes on a printed
manuscript.
He'll have his assistantactually print out the 300 pages
(11:44):
and he'll just sit there on thesubway and read as he's heading
home or other times on thisdevice.
But he knows it's good and Ilove that.
I love a compliment like thatwhere someone says I forgot I
was reading.
I just got so locked into whatI was doing.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Yeah, I agree, is reading some of these comments
and reviews and thinking, wow,like me, like I wrote this and
people actually like it, andthat's a great feeling.
You know, that's not myprofession I'm a doctor and you
know and that's a good feeling.
(12:20):
When patients say thank you,and that's kind of what I feel
out of this, it's like oh, thankyou for writing this, it made
me happy or it made me feel goodor it made me contemplate and
understand certain things inlife, and you know so to me
that's a huge, huge compliment,same as saying thank you to me
is for helping them get better.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Well, it's not lost on me, ron, that you have spent
a career learning to heal peoplephysically and in training and
teaching and inspiring otherpeople to heal through your work
with your organization, andthat now, through your writing,
(13:04):
you're able maybe to offer somespiritual and emotional healing
through stories like this.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Yes, absolutely.
It's a form of outlet for me aswell.
I am nearing retirement ageWell, I'm actually past
retirement age, but and Istruggle with that because I
don't know if I want to retireum, but I think I do need to
open another chapter in my life,the, as the cliche goes, and um
(13:33):
, and you know, maybe this is it.
Maybe I can write things that Ireally want to tell people and
they can learn and understandfrom it and, you know, feel what
I feel.
But maybe that's the purposethat I keep talking about, the
purpose and passion, but maybethat's it.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Yeah, right, right, things that help people feel
what you feel.
I love that.
I love that.
Well, what's next for you, drRon?
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Well, basically the under the same conversation here
.
The next book is calledClimbing Jacob's Ladder.
It's another story that I'veexperienced.
I had a child that I took careof for eight years.
(14:22):
He had severe cerebral palsy,could not walk, talk, nothing.
He was pretty much a so-calledvegetable, if you will, confined
to a wheelchair and so forth.
But what I wanted to convey inthe story in the book is that,
(14:45):
despite he having severedisabilities, he still had a
positive influence on otherpeople.
So even though he's stationaryhe's sessile, if you will, you
know, immobile he still had apositive effect on people.
(15:05):
So the story goes um, it tellsabout some of these positive
things he did for differentpeople, and I won't, I won't
give it away, in particular inspecifics, but um, but anyway,
uh.
So I have it so that it becomesa metaphor, for at the end the
(15:28):
mother does and he dies, OK, andthat's why I only had him for
eight years, but but at the, theend, and the ladder Jacob's
ladder signifies all the peoplethat he influenced in a positive
way, and so I don't know ifmetaphorized is a word, but I
(15:53):
use that as a metaphor, and shetalks about this in her eulogy
for her son.
So, it affects her and in reallife it did for her son.
So, and it affects her and inreal life it did.
This boy had a positive effecton his mother, who was very
timid and shy at the verybeginning when I first met her,
and then over the years, shebecame very strong in terms
(16:22):
advocating for her son uh,dealing with uh, with the
various adversities that comeswith this, and so forth.
So, uh, so that's the story.
A big part of it ismetaphorical, but, um, but a lot
of it is true.
He had an effect on me.
I think I became a betterdoctor because of him.
(16:43):
Even though he never talked tome, I had tremendous compassion
for him because I felt so bad,and for the mother.
So, anyway.
So that's the next story.
Actually, it's done, I'm justediting it right now.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
Awesome, yeah, boy, a story.
First of all, I'm a customer.
For that one, I'm a reader.
Sign me up.
That sounds terrific.
The idea that you could couldbecome a better doctor and a
better man ultimately as aresult of a relationship with
someone that you never had averbal conversation with, is
(17:21):
pretty compelling, isn't it?
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Yes, it is, it's tremendous.
Yeah, I mean, to this day, it'saffected me.
I, you know, I think aboutthings like that and like, yeah,
I'm a better person because Iknew him and he existed in this,
in this world.
So that's the way I, I, I wantto convey the story to the
reader in that that fashion,because how many times do we see
(17:45):
people who are severelydisabled and we just talk around
them, right?
Do they not have, do they notacquire any?
Do they not hear anything?
Do they not feel anything?
And that's one of the otherthings I bring out in the book
is, even though he is like this,um, does he have feelings?
(18:08):
Does he, does he love hismother?
Can he feel that?
Um, and and that's the thingI'm still actually researching
Can people, yeah, you know thenear death experiences we always
hear about?
Okay, everybody thinks thatthey've died, but, um, they,
they come back and, uh, and theyknow everything that's happened
(18:31):
and and so forth.
You know, can this happen toseverely disabled people?
Can they feel, can they hear,can they really understand?
But just not convey it?
Um, I don't know.
I don't think any of us know,obviously, and I can't find any
research that says yeah, theyknow or they don't know, but I
think that's an interesting andcompelling thought process of
(18:55):
children and people like this.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
Well, that sounds like you've got another winner
on your hands.
I hope you'll come back on theshow to talk about that one
Again.
Folks, in the show notes you'llsee links to all of the good
things that Dr Ron is doing and,of course, to 30 Days Half
September.
We're so thankful that youwould give us some time on the
(19:19):
show.
I know you're very busy, sothank you for giving us a little
bit of time to talk about thenew book and what's coming.
And you know, it sounds likethe world needs a few more good
doctors like this one.
Oh, thanks.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
Well, it was fun.
I really appreciate yourpatience with me as well, so
thank you.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
No, my pleasure, my pleasure.
Thanks again, folks, forlistening.
Don't forget Scar Dakota.
My middle grade novel is out.
It is on Amazon and in Barnesand Noble.
You can pick it up at many ofyour local independent retail
stores.
It's also available as ane-book on Amazon and, of course,
audible by Kirby Haybourne, whoI've talked a lot about.
(19:59):
The best narrator I think onthe planet has lended his voice
to Scar Dakota and you'llabsolutely love his performance
of the novel.
So check out Scar Dakota if youcan.
And 30 Days Half September frommy new friend, dr Ron.
Thanks again for joining us,doctor, thanks.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Jason, thanks for having me.
Hello there, friends, welcome to the Book Drop, mike,
brought to you as always by InkVeins.
You already know we are yoursource for book publicity and
promotion and press releases andlet me tell you I hope that you
have not missed any of ourrecent episodes.
We have talked about some justincredible new releases, some
(00:22):
great books, fiction andnonfiction and what I noted as I
have done the post-productionon these episodes is that as
much as I love the books we'vetalked about, I think I love the
people even more.
These are just great humanbeings that are generating just
some of the finest work I'veread in a really long time.
So again, the episodes arethere forever.
(00:45):
Go find them, go listen to themand I think you'll discover a
book that you like.
So, today's guest, this isgreat.
We have had so many starts andstops trying to get together,
including a literal power outage.
Last time we attempted abouttwo weeks ago, the power dropped
at the very last minute here atmy office in cozy little
(01:06):
downtown Woodstock, virginia.
The power went out and ourguest, dr Ron Dwinells, was very
patient to let us reschedule.
So, dr Ron, how are you?
I am doing very well, thanks, Iam so glad and I wish the world
could see the view, the Zoom.
Where are you?
It looks like you're in theGarden of Eden.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
No, I'm in my greenhouse.
I have an attached greenhouseto my house, so I had it built
about three years ago.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Well, who doesn't have an attached greenhouse
doctor?
Well, it's gorgeous, it'sreally.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
It's what a lovely, what a lovely place to work and
to recharge and to I justdecided to make it into a
conservatory, a think area, awriting area, a contemplative
area, type of thing.
So yeah, so it's, it'scomfortable and I like doing
everything in here.
That's fantastic, even havingpodcasts.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Yeah, that's, that's fantastic, even having podcasts
yeah that's fantastic.
Well, before we talk about thebook, the reason that we are
together today, tell us a littlebit more about you.
What do we need to know aboutyou to better understand the
sorts of books you're writing?
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Well, my background from an education training point
of view is I'm a physician, Iam a pediatrician by specialty
and I practiced about 10 to 15years, but the last 25 years
I've functioned as a CEO of myorganization, so I basically run
(02:43):
the organization.
I started it actually when Iwrote a federal grant proposal,
resident in pediatrics, and theclinic was designed as a safety
net clinic.
So back in the 80s there werestill a lot of people who were
uninsured, who couldn't gethealth care from some doctors,
(03:06):
just wouldn't take them becausethey couldn't get paid.
Even hospitals would turnpatients away.
So I created a safety netclinic with some federal dollars
and we've been there ever since.
So this is our 38th year inoperations.
We've served well over amillion patient visits, uh, and
(03:26):
and done a lot of good for thecommunity, I believe so so it
was one of those feel-goodprojects yeah, and you're based
in ohio, is that right?
yes, northeast ohio, uh, betweenyoungstown and cleveland
terrific.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
So how does that lead into the writing?
And then tell us about this,this, tell us about this new
book.
It's, by the way, 30 Days hasSeptember.
The link, of course, in theshow notes to where people can
learn more about the book readreviews.
This is an award-winning andextraordinarily well-reviewed
novel, ron novel.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Ron, thanks.
Yeah, I do a lot of, as I said,contemplation, reflection and
so forth, and I go back to myroots a lot, my childhood roots,
my educational roots and soforth, and I think about things.
So, anyway, there was anincident when I was a
fourth-year medical student atthe University of Kentucky and I
admitted a patient from EasternKentucky and she had a lump on
(04:29):
her belly or in her belly, so wehad to figure out what it was.
Well, it turned out to bepancreatic cancer, and this was
the first day of September thatI admitted her, and that part is
all true.
And then on the very last day,the 30th day of September, she
died.
And that always stuck with mebecause I learned a lot from
(04:53):
this person in terms of passion,compassion, understanding,
listening, all the skills thatdoctors should have.
But we don't learn in theclassroom.
So in the classroom it's alltaken up by, obviously, didactic
sessions, understanding thescience of medicine and so forth
.
But once you get out on thefloor and see patients like this
(05:16):
, you just learn a heck of a lotmore about being a doctor.
So, anyway, that stuck with mefor a long, long time.
Well, it still does so.
(05:45):
So anyway.
That stuck with me for a long,long time.
Well, it still does, and and Iwanted to write a fictional
novel about it.
And the basic theme is thatthis person who in the book, she
knows she's dying, she knowsher days are limited, but she
sees some good in this verybelligerent medical student and
there were a lot of belligerentmedical students when I went to
school, and so, anyway, she sawsome good and the overarching
theme is that Anyone can have apositive influence, can help
people through purpose andpassion, and that's what this
story is about.
This elderly woman helps thisboy he was a medical student to
(06:08):
become a good and better doctor.
So that's kind of the theme.
It might sound a little hokey,but I think I turned it into a
fairly interesting story.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Well, these are exactly the kinds of stories
that I am drawn to sound alittle hokey, but I think I
turned it into a fairlyinteresting story.
Well, these are exactly thekinds of stories that I am drawn
to.
Those listening who havefollowed my work through the
years whether it's the WednesdayLetters or the 17 Second
Miracle or even Christmas Jars Ilove these contemporary feeling
stories.
I love a novel that feels likethis could have happened in my
(06:42):
neighborhood, this could be myneighbor, this could be my
brother-in-law.
I love stories that are so real.
In fact, I've had a couplenovels that people have
expressed condolences to me at,like library events and
corporate gigs, like I'm sosorry that you went through this
.
And I'm like well, you knowthis is fiction, right?
Like even if there's just akernel of truth at the very
(07:03):
beginning of the story, somehowit's all you know, it's all
meant to be fiction and I knowthat's that's obviously how
yours reads too.
But I think there's somethingsafe about learning through
fiction.
We get to see the pain thatcharacters go through, we get to
experience some of the painthat our characters go through,
but we feel safe because we knowthat it's fiction.
(07:24):
But I think that these sort oflesson-driven narratives are
really, really popular in themarket right now because people
just love to learn through whatfeels real and we're all looking
for a little bit of hope andinspiration, and I think fiction
is a great way to bring that topeople.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
I completely agree, and you know, as a CEO and doing
a lot of other things, I taughtleadership classes at the local
medical school here, and at thebeginning I had no idea what
the heck I'm going to talk aboutin leadership.
So I started telling storiesabout adversities that I
(08:07):
experienced as a leader and whatdid I learn from them and how
did I resolve them.
And they always had obviously apurpose to the stories and so
forth, and people retain thosestories much better than if I
showed a bunch of data andexplained, you know, some of the
(08:28):
science behind it and so forth.
So, yeah, so that's, and I liketelling stories and I think
this is this is a pretty goodone, because and one of um, one
of the things that I teach isabout passion and purpose,
because passion leads to purpose, um, and and so forth.
So, uh, so I talk a lot aboutthat and uh, and that's kind of
(08:53):
one of the main themes of thisparticular book.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
Well, I love, I love that and I love that the book
takes place in a fairly I mean,it looks like there's some
flashbacks, but it takes placein a fairly compressed period of
time, this idea that we're kindof working our way through the
month of September with andanyone who's listening, who's a
writer or an aspiring novelist,perhaps you might know the power
(09:19):
of that ticking clock where thereader kind of knows that we're
moving toward some kind of aclimax and what happens when we
run out of time, sort of thing.
And so I love that.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Yeah, I think it works.
I think it works really wellfor this particular story.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
There's a twist.
How many people tell you thatthey know the twist is coming?
And how many people say you gotme 100%, say you got me 0%.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
wasn't expecting it and that was my intent from the
get-go, and so I didn't know ifit worked.
It worked for me, obviously,because I knew what.
I was writing.
So since the book's been out,I've asked people hey, you know,
what'd you think of the ending?
Oh, loved it, loved it, neverexpected it.
(10:11):
So that's 100% so far.
And we're only talking aboutmaybe 30 people.
So you know it's not hundreds,but yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
Well, it's 30 people you've heard from.
It might be a small sampling ofpeople who've reported, but
certainly not a small samplingof people who've read it.
I don't normally do this, butjust to look at some of the
reviews, the reviews on Amazonwonderful story, great ending
twist that leaves a smile onyour face yeah, a medical
(10:42):
student learns viable lifelessons and encounters a sick
woman who's able to see throughhis disgruntled exterior.
That one's interesting.
That one gives a lot of details, but again, conclusion delivers
a twist that works very well.
There's a thoughtful, heartfeltmust-read.
(11:02):
A story of resilience andperseverance.
Keeps you engaged.
You'll have a hard time puttingit down.
I think as a writer, that mightbe my favorite compliment when
someone tells me In fact, anagent that I have not
professionally worked with buthave known and has been a friend
for a number of years told methat he knows a book is good
(11:23):
when he misses his subway stopfor a number of years, told me
that he knows a book is goodwhen he misses his subway stop,
when he's heading home from workin Manhattan and he takes the
subway out to Queens and he sayswell, I know that if I look up
and go, oh shoot.
I'm three or four or five stopspast where I was supposed to
get off because he's literallystuck Sometimes on a printed
manuscript.
He'll have his assistantactually print out the 300 pages
(11:44):
and he'll just sit there on thesubway and read as he's heading
home or other times on thisdevice.
But he knows it's good and Ilove that.
I love a compliment like thatwhere someone says I forgot I
was reading.
I just got so locked into whatI was doing.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Yeah, I agree, is reading some of these comments
and reviews and thinking, wow,like me, like I wrote this and
people actually like it, andthat's a great feeling.
You know, that's not myprofession I'm a doctor and you
know and that's a good feeling.
(12:20):
When patients say thank you,and that's kind of what I feel
out of this, it's like oh, thankyou for writing this, it made
me happy or it made me feel goodor it made me contemplate and
understand certain things inlife, and you know so to me
that's a huge, huge compliment,same as saying thank you to me
is for helping them get better.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Well, it's not lost on me, ron, that you have spent
a career learning to heal peoplephysically and in training and
teaching and inspiring otherpeople to heal through your work
with your organization, andthat now, through your writing,
(13:04):
you're able maybe to offer somespiritual and emotional healing
through stories like this.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Yes, absolutely.
It's a form of outlet for me aswell.
I am nearing retirement ageWell, I'm actually past
retirement age, but and Istruggle with that because I
don't know if I want to retireum, but I think I do need to
open another chapter in my life,the, as the cliche goes, and um
(13:33):
, and you know, maybe this is it.
Maybe I can write things that Ireally want to tell people and
they can learn and understandfrom it and, you know, feel what
I feel.
But maybe that's the purposethat I keep talking about, the
purpose and passion, but maybethat's it.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Yeah, right, right, things that help people feel
what you feel.
I love that.
I love that.
Well, what's next for you, drRon?
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Well, basically the under the same conversation here
.
The next book is calledClimbing Jacob's Ladder.
It's another story that I'veexperienced.
I had a child that I took careof for eight years.
(14:22):
He had severe cerebral palsy,could not walk, talk, nothing.
He was pretty much a so-calledvegetable, if you will, confined
to a wheelchair and so forth.
But what I wanted to convey inthe story in the book is that,
(14:45):
despite he having severedisabilities, he still had a
positive influence on otherpeople.
So even though he's stationaryhe's sessile, if you will, you
know, immobile he still had apositive effect on people.
(15:05):
So the story goes um, it tellsabout some of these positive
things he did for differentpeople, and I won't, I won't
give it away, in particular inspecifics, but um, but anyway,
uh.
So I have it so that it becomesa metaphor, for at the end the
(15:28):
mother does and he dies, OK, andthat's why I only had him for
eight years, but but at the, theend, and the ladder Jacob's
ladder signifies all the peoplethat he influenced in a positive
way, and so I don't know ifmetaphorized is a word, but I
(15:53):
use that as a metaphor, and shetalks about this in her eulogy
for her son.
So, it affects her and in reallife it did for her son.
So, and it affects her and inreal life it did.
This boy had a positive effecton his mother, who was very
timid and shy at the verybeginning when I first met her,
and then over the years, shebecame very strong in terms
(16:22):
advocating for her son uh,dealing with uh, with the
various adversities that comeswith this, and so forth.
So, uh, so that's the story.
A big part of it ismetaphorical, but, um, but a lot
of it is true.
He had an effect on me.
I think I became a betterdoctor because of him.
(16:43):
Even though he never talked tome, I had tremendous compassion
for him because I felt so bad,and for the mother.
So, anyway.
So that's the next story.
Actually, it's done, I'm justediting it right now.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
Awesome, yeah, boy, a story.
First of all, I'm a customer.
For that one, I'm a reader.
Sign me up.
That sounds terrific.
The idea that you could couldbecome a better doctor and a
better man ultimately as aresult of a relationship with
someone that you never had averbal conversation with, is
(17:21):
pretty compelling, isn't it?
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Yes, it is, it's tremendous.
Yeah, I mean, to this day, it'saffected me.
I, you know, I think aboutthings like that and like, yeah,
I'm a better person because Iknew him and he existed in this,
in this world.
So that's the way I, I, I wantto convey the story to the
reader in that that fashion,because how many times do we see
(17:45):
people who are severelydisabled and we just talk around
them, right?
Do they not have, do they notacquire any?
Do they not hear anything?
Do they not feel anything?
And that's one of the otherthings I bring out in the book
is, even though he is like this,um, does he have feelings?
(18:08):
Does he, does he love hismother?
Can he feel that?
Um, and and that's the thingI'm still actually researching
Can people, yeah, you know thenear death experiences we always
hear about?
Okay, everybody thinks thatthey've died, but, um, they,
they come back and, uh, and theyknow everything that's happened
(18:31):
and and so forth.
You know, can this happen toseverely disabled people?
Can they feel, can they hear,can they really understand?
But just not convey it?
Um, I don't know.
I don't think any of us know,obviously, and I can't find any
research that says yeah, theyknow or they don't know, but I
think that's an interesting andcompelling thought process of
(18:55):
children and people like this.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
Well, that sounds like you've got another winner
on your hands.
I hope you'll come back on theshow to talk about that one
Again.
Folks, in the show notes you'llsee links to all of the good
things that Dr Ron is doing and,of course, to 30 Days Half
September.
We're so thankful that youwould give us some time on the
(19:19):
show.
I know you're very busy, sothank you for giving us a little
bit of time to talk about thenew book and what's coming.
And you know, it sounds likethe world needs a few more good
doctors like this one.
Oh, thanks.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
Well, it was fun.
I really appreciate yourpatience with me as well, so
thank you.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
No, my pleasure, my pleasure.
Thanks again, folks, forlistening.
Don't forget Scar Dakota.
My middle grade novel is out.
It is on Amazon and in Barnesand Noble.
You can pick it up at many ofyour local independent retail
stores.
It's also available as ane-book on Amazon and, of course,
audible by Kirby Haybourne, whoI've talked a lot about.
(19:59):
The best narrator I think onthe planet has lended his voice
to Scar Dakota and you'llabsolutely love his performance
of the novel.
So check out Scar Dakota if youcan.
And 30 Days Half September frommy new friend, dr Ron.
Thanks again for joining us,doctor, thanks.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Jason, thanks for having me.
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