July 24, 2025 • 48 mins
Faith and Suspense is at the heart of this compelling interview between Betsy Wurzel and John Robert Still, author of Intercessor. Written entirely on his phone, John’s debut novel combines spiritual transformation with thrilling danger, set in the atmospheric city of New Orleans.Betsy and John dive into the mysterious, eye-catching book cover and the development of main character Jim Hampton—a former lawyer being hunted by a murderous cult.
As a tropical depression brews in the Gulf, Jim finds refuge and unexpected spiritual guidance from Myriam, a woman who helps him reconnect with his childhood faith.John shares how Faith and Suspense shape not just the plot of Intercessor but also its deeper themes of resilience and renewal.
As Jim struggles to survive, the story reflects the powerful ways people turn to—or turn away from—their beliefs during moments of crisis.They also explore how New Orleans becomes more than just a setting—it’s a living character in the story, steeped in black magic, voodoo, and Catholic tradition.
These elements lend a spiritual weight and cultural depth to the novel’s unfolding mystery.Set against this evocative backdrop, Intercessor blends Faith and Suspense into a rich, cinematic experience that keeps readers engaged from start to finish. John describes the book as “an uplifting story where Jim keeps going—because life can be a funhouse journey.”
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hello, everyone, this is Betsy Worthal. You're a host of
Chatting with Betsy on Passionate World Talk Radio Network, a
subsidiary of Global Media Network LLC, which is a subsidiary
of Global Media Network. I said that LLC why I'm
not with it today. I'm a manstious to educate, enlightened,
(00:24):
and entertain. The views of the guests may not represent
those of the hosts of the station. Folks, I'm always
excited to do my show, and with me today is
a first time author. I'm gonna give you some background.
My guest today is John Robert Still. That's st I
(00:45):
L L. He is a attorney. He's author writer of Intercessor,
a novel, his first book, which was a finalist for
the prestigious Audience Award in the fiction category, up against
established New York Times best selling authors. So congratulations, uh
(01:07):
to you, John Robert Still. The book is a You're welcome,
Intercessor a novel. Can't forget to say the name of
the book. That helps, right, So I want to welcome you,
John to h and that that's all you are welcoming
(01:30):
is my pleasure. How you were an attorney? Can you
tell what kind of attorney. You are.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Basically boring. I'm not boring, but the type of work
I do is more corporate work.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
You know, I'm not really in the courtroom that much,
so it's more a lot of desk work and working
with with, you know, operations and companies and things of
that nature. So it's corporately.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Wow, okay, I have heard of that. And how did
you fing time to write a book? I know attorneys
are very busy.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Well, that's yeah, absolutely, it's I've traveled to New Orleans
quite a bit for my job, so I had had
a lot of business meetings down there, and I was
twenty seventeen, and I was leaving a restaurant on Bourbon
Street and it had just rained, and so the streets
(02:42):
were reflecting the neon lights, and it just looked like
a movie set. And I was just kidding with some
friends of mine. We were texting, and I said, you know,
this would be the great beginning of a really bad novel,
maybe of the Mickey Spillane variety, but not saying that
he's a bad and and so, you know, I just
(03:05):
started messing around and and it just turned into a novel.
I don't you know. That's see. I'm not really sure
how it beyond that it just went from a joke
to a serious, you know, effort, I guess. And and
really though, I guess I've typed most of it on
(03:27):
my phone. With my phone, probably eighty five ninety percent
of it I did. But and in that that allowed
me to, you know, during the downtimes, like you're waiting
on a plane or waiting in a doctor's office or whatever, uh,
just to to type when when the mood strikes you.
(03:48):
And so I didn't sit down at a keyboard and wait,
you know, for the inspiration. I just yeah. So I
didn't really have a writer's block. I just be in.
When I found the time, I said, I'll talk a
few sentences and then it may go from there. So
it's very unorthodox way that I did it, but you know,
it was my first one, and you know, I didn't
(04:10):
know how else to do it.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Ah, that is an incredible you. I think you're the
first person I have interviewed that has said they did
it on their phone. I have to say, of course,
on audio, so you can't see the cover of the book,
which is why I encourage people to go you know, Google,
go on Amazon. Look up intercess Or a novel. Your
(04:35):
book cover is very intriguing to me. It looks when
I looked at it, you could tell that it's a
mystery and it's almost like mystic goal to me, it
looks like the fog and you know, it's it's just interesting.
How did you come up with that cover design?
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Well, that's that was painted. I have a friend of mine,
Lewis Kadetti, and he he's an excellent painter, and I
told him what I wanted, uh, and he painted it,
and it's that it's Pirates Alley, which is on the
left as you can see, just part of it is
(05:16):
Saint Louis Cathedral in New Orleans and then some you
know whatever buildings are on the right. Uh. And so
I told him what I wanted and then he added
a little bit more to it to give it that
mystical feel. So I was very happy with the way
it turned out. And and that's that's the story on
that one.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
Yeah, that's I like it. I really do it very
eye catching. And how did you come up with the title,
which is interesting Intercessor?
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Well, I didn't have a title, uh, well until I was,
you know, finished with the novel. I didn't know what
to name it. I just so I kept thinking about
in the book, you have people interceding or you know,
helping someone along the way, praying for them, or you know,
(06:12):
pleading their case. Like Miriam in the book that was
kind of Jim's intercessor. She interceded for him in a
lot of ways. And it reflects back on the you know,
I guess biblical intercession. And so that's how it's just
you know, it's a word that you don't see that much,
(06:33):
and it just came to me. But it took me
a while to finally give it a title.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Oh that's you need something I feel eye catching, Right,
people go to a bookstore, they look on Amazon and
it's the cover and the title. I think that really
catches someone's eye. When I think of intercessor, I think
of the Bible. I think, thanks of Jesus intercessing for us,
(07:04):
you know, the Holy Spirit doing it. So that's what
I thought of. So your book has a lot of
spiritual under I'm gonna say undertones, but things going on
in it. While New Orleans is a character in the book,
the town, then the main character is Jim Hampton. You
(07:28):
have Miriam, How did like, how did you come up
with the story. That's why what amazes me about writers,
how you come up with the story and dialogue. It's
just fascinating to me because I can't write John, I
can't unlike if I write a paragraph. So when people
(07:48):
come on my show, and I always love to ask everyone,
you know, how did you create the dialogue for these characters?
Because that really fascinates me.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
You know, you may be surprised that you probably can
do it. You know, I didn't think I could do
it either, but I came up, well, New Orleans. I
love New Orleans and there's so much atmosphere to it,
and I wanted it to be one of the main characters.
And so originally was going to write about New Orleans
(08:22):
and maybe having some kind of ghost story aspect to it,
you know, the mystical side of New Orleans. And then
at the time I was I had gotten back from
Bosnia where I went on a pilgrimage.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
And.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
The Virgin Mary was allegedly appearing over there at Magagoria.
I was curious. I went over there, and so I
worked I worked that into the plot, and so but
you know, I think this book. There's something for everyone
(09:03):
in it. I mean, despite whatever background or belief system,
you know, because it's it's a mystery, a thriller, a
ghost story, I mean, a success story of the human condition.
And really it's kind of an age old story, good
versus evil. It basically transcends all cultures and periods of time.
(09:25):
And so I know that was a very long answer
to your question.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
But no, I know, that's fine, that's fine. I just
it's just, you know, I never really appreciated really writers
until I started doing my show, and then I realized
how much time a writer puts in to writing a Bookman.
(09:49):
I've talked to people who took seven years of research
to write a book.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
It's right, I can tell.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
Yeah, because I think you know, like, how long did
it take you to do.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Your research to Most of the research was on hurricanes
and some of you know, some of the other plot lines.
But uh, it didn't take as much as my next
one is, but it took I wrote that I wrote
in two years and and did research in you know,
(10:26):
throughout that time period. But a lot of it, and
you'll you probably saw in the book where I was
very specific as to where Jim was in New Orleans,
like he goes to Bourbon Street, THENTO Royal Street then
and you know it may have become tedious, but uh,
I just wanted to capture New Orleans and so someone
(10:50):
who is from New Orleans who was familiar with it
would know exactly where, uh, you know, where it was
happening and so and back I forgot. I didn't answer
Ques much about dialogue. Now dialogue, I just in my head,
I'm thinking to how would I, you know, how would
I have a conversation about this? And you think about
(11:10):
talking differend like you ask questions and then you get
answers and you just just naturally comes that way. So
you you could do it, and there's no question in
my mind.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
My hat is off to all writers. And I really
have come to really appreciate when I pick up a
book of you know, I think about what time went
into that. It's just incredible. And everyone's creative process is different,
(11:44):
which is why I like to ask the different authors
that come on, different writers about their process. So your
main character is Jen Hampton, who is a lawyer. Also,
is any part of you in your character?
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Well? Yeah, people who people who know me, they read it,
and they think, oh, you know, is this an autobiography.
I'm a lawyer. I haven't quit my job like Jim
and would not be brave enough to do that, right,
uh so. But but as a lawyer, you know, you write,
(12:24):
I included aspects of the law in there. And yet
from that, from that perspective, and also personally, you're you're
when you're writing, you write about what you know and
your experiences. So some of that is going to be
(12:44):
based on my history life, but you know, it's it's
a fictional character overall.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
I yeah, I understand sometimes people put them selves a
little bit in the book. And I don't want you
to give away the book. I I wish I would
have gotten a copy. John, So I didn't read your book.
I read about your book, which sounds fascinating by the way.
(13:18):
But to me, New Orleans. When I think of New Orleans,
New Orleans, New Orleans up from New Jersey, see New
Orleans and what I've you know, seen of it in
like on TV or in movies, it is very uh
like I had the spiritual side. You know, they have
a big thing for Fat Tuesday, and you know they celebrate,
(13:43):
they celebrate the beginning of Lent and they also high
like their I don't want to call it. I don't
know if it's a voodoo or like their dark side,
their dark magic, I would, I don't know if that's
the proper word. And that's what Yeah, that's what I
think about. So your book is that the forces, but
(14:04):
I'll give it so much away of your book. That's
the forces you're talking about.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Yeah, exactly, there's it's there's a kind of a duality
in New Orleans. You have voodoo shops and then you
have you have churches everywhere. It was steep and Catholicism
way back to the you know, seventeenth century or whatever
it was. I mean, it's been New Orleans has been
around a long time. So there and there's there are
beautiful churches down there, and there's this you know, strong,
(14:31):
you know, strong Catholic population down there. And so you
have that on one side, and then on the other
side you've got the voodoo shops and you've and you've
got you know, all the partying and the uh, you know,
lived for the day kind of thing, which is not
necessarily evil. But so it's you have solemn you know,
the solemn side and a more fun side, and then
(14:53):
you have good and evil mixed in with all of that,
and so I wanted to that's my original My original
thinking was just to write a kind of supernatural thriller
set and uh, set in New Orleans to you know,
to underscore all that's going on down there and just
(15:14):
but and then then I introduced some spiritual things and
ultimately it's a it's a book about redemption, uh, someone
coming back to their faith. And in the meantime, he he's,
you know, running from a murderous cult that's chasing him
(15:34):
through New Orleans, and he's got this hurricane coming in
and so it's just a it's a mixed back, it's
got everything in it. But ultimately the end, he find
you know, he is he's a lost soul and he
finally comes back to the faith of his childhood and
and it was kind of a long and winding road,
(15:57):
but he gets there. But you know, some people ask me,
there's going to be a sequel, and I don't haven't
planned it yet, but there's a journey that never ends,
so to speak.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Yeah, Well, you know that's interesting, John, because how many
times have people and I talked to a lot of people.
How many times have people had something happen in their
life and they lose their faith? They blank, they blame God,
they lose their faith. And sometimes people will go through
(16:32):
a transformation of getting they either get away from God
to blame God, or they get closer and realize, you know,
I needed faith to get me through the situation, right.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
And I think Jim because I think he thought of
faith as being something that exists only in childhood, that
you know, he was too mature for that. And and
then he meets Miriam, who he has such a great
amount of respect for, and she's she's not afraid of
(17:07):
her faith. She's very open about it, and it kind
of gives him permission to think, well, Okay, well you know,
maybe I should look at this again. And and so
you're right, he he he's not necessarily an unbeliever. He's
a non believer. He's but he's just he's uncertain and
(17:29):
he's kind of gone dry and his faith and is looking.
He's looking. He wants to believe, but he his cynical
and and Miriam brings him, brings him back to that faith. So, yeah,
you're right. People do lose their faith, and they can
always come back to it.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
Yes, And then you know, there's some people who think
that having faith is a crutch or you know, it's
for children, and they don't realize just how so stating
and important faith is. And I think, especially as people age,
(18:10):
if it comes even more more comforting.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
Absolutely. Yeah. And it gets him through some really rough
spots in this book, and he just he realizes how
important his faith is to him. Uh And yeah, I
mean I think we all go through we have we
have periods of doubt and good times and bad times,
(18:42):
and we question or at least that I have, and
but ultimately it comes back to faith is faith right? Faith? Right?
So you don't you know, you're not going to ever
have proof. You just you just have to believe.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
So Yeah, if you want to call, I didn't seen
you a cop. I should have sent you a copy
of the book. I'm sorry, that's okay, that's all right,
But the next book, yeah right, so but yeah, so
faith is an important part of the book. And I
(19:23):
look at some of the miraculous there're still miracles that
take place in this day and age, and I refer
to some of these miracles that have happened over the centuries. Uh,
and and some of them have been documented, and and
I did research on those, and I weave those into
(19:45):
the book to uh, you know, to let people know
that there is there is there is supernatural is out there,
There's there's miraculous things that are happening, and you know,
this is not the end of us. We've got there's
(20:05):
an afterlife and there's a lot of good out there.
So in a way, it's it's just evangelizing, but not
it's it's all taken from the perspective of of a
a skeptic through his eyes. Uh. And it's not trying
to beat people over the head to say, yeah, you
got to believe. It's just it's you're learning all this
(20:29):
stuff through Jim, who has all the doubts that we
all have.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
Yeah, I can understand that. I mean, it sounds like a
really good book. Now, how does as you could if
you want to share, how does John meet Miriam for
Miriam to help John know you're John? Then your guy
the character.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
Well Jim. Yeah, Jim walks Intoto the bar I think
in the second or third chapter, and there's this bartender, Uh,
you know, a really striking young lady comes up to
him and knows him and knowes, hey, how you doing
and you haven't seen you in a while. How's it going,
how's the how's the legal profession? And he's like, well,
I have have we met? I can't remember having ever,
(21:20):
you know, ever having met you before. And it starts
out that way, and so he just kind of assumes
that he must have been really drunk or or just
forgot who she was. Uh. And and that's how they meet.
And then they strike up a conversation and she learned,
(21:43):
you know, he knows or she knows he's not from
New Orleans. So she suggested he got he go out
and look around and get an idea and just visit
the area. Uh And and then has the idea saying, Hey,
why don't you come with me, I'm going to go
visit my fan family down in Terrbone Parishure, which is
(22:03):
south of New Orleans. And so he's like, Okay, who
is this lady? She's inviting me to see her family?
And but he just he just goes goes along with
it because you know, what the heck? And and they
leave New Orleans and they're headed to see her family
just for a day trip. But there's this tropical storm
(22:26):
brewing in the Gulf, and as they travel, they they're
checking the weather and it's getting worse and worse, so
they have to turn around. At first, they stop at
a friend of hers and uh, you know that he
goes to crawfish boil by the by you so I
try to throw all that stuff in there, you know,
(22:46):
And then they come back to face the hurricane. So,
but he he doesn't know who she is really, I mean,
but he's he really has a great amount of respect
for her because she's, you know, of her faith and
her genuineness, and she plays obviously a major role in
(23:08):
the book. But she's she's there at first and then
not there for a good part of the book. I
don't want to give too much of it away.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
Yeah, oh that's okay. Yeah, we want to leave the
readers curious. I have to ask this because of the
cover of the book and the supernatural. Is there any
scene in your book where people see are they believed
that someone's who is the seeds, that their spirits are
(23:39):
around doing things?
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Yeah, And there are all kinds of legends and ghost
stories in New Orleans that you know. I mentioned one
that was actually in the early nineteen hundreds was that
there was this serial killer who claimed to be this
evil spirit. And and you know there's and there's ghost
(24:05):
stories coming from that. There's haunted mansions down there, very
famous haunted mansions. And he encounters these things. And then
I explained to the reader what what the what they are,
what the what the story behind them is. I didn't
I didn't make those up. Those are Whether they're real
or not, I don't know, but it's out there, and
(24:26):
I report what what other people say. And so there
are He one of the people he runs into is
is is probably demonically possessed. So you have you from
that aspect of the supernatural paranormal, you have the evil
(24:53):
The lady is you know, she's she's got this evil
entity in her and she and her little gang u
of their cult are out for Jim for some reason,
and and they want to they're trying to take his life,
you know, for whatever reason. So, yes, there there are ghosts,
there are evil entities, there are good entities. It's all
(25:17):
in that, all in that realm.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
Well, that is sounds like such an interesting book. I mean,
there are people. I believe John that there are people
who are have the devil in them, as they would say,
I do. I do believe that. I also believe because
I've experienced it, where you get signed from someone in
(25:42):
the afterwifs. Yeah, I've got I've gotten signs for my
husband husband I five years ago and I've gotten signs
from him. Now. Just this morning, i had this little,
uh it's a little beer in a karate outfit and
I went off by itself. I'm thinking, what is that noise?
(26:05):
I'm you know, doing my morning routine and the bath
and doing my face. I'm like, is that the radio?
What's that noise? The beer went off by itself and
never did that before this morning. Yeah, yeah, that's.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
That's a little scary or or it could be a
good thing too, right, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
Well, you know what I I always say, Hi, Matt,
I know you'res on me. You're around, so yeah, I have.
I mean, I've had some really strange things happen, and
that's the only way I could explain it. I Mean,
I know people might think that's all woo woo and
(26:48):
may not believe it, but when it does happen to you,
You're like, what the heck? That never went off before?
Speaker 2 (26:55):
Right. You know, I've never had those experiences, but I've
talked to people who have and I believe it. So
that's that's really interesting. That's really interesting. You have a
certain gift in a way.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
I mean I didn't believe it either. I didn't and
I have gone in like signs. I'll tell you a
quick story and maybe have something like this in your book.
All a matter of fact, you could relate to this.
We had a really bad storm. I lived in New
Jersey that we get a lot of rings. It wasn't
a hurricane, We've had that, but this was just torrential
(27:36):
downpours and my basement got flooded and I was laying
in bed and I was like in tears because I
spent all night wet backing, you know, with the wet vacuum.
And I saw and the one time I saw mad,
I wish I was with you and John. I know
I what I saw because my shave was down. I
(27:58):
saw a big are my shape, my window shape, and
I said, that's you telling me everything's gonna be okay.
I know what I thought. I didn't see it again,
but I know what I thought, and it's just.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
It's just really really heartening. All right, you know, just
a sign like that, that's really that's great, I mean
because I'm sure you're just yeah your what's in there?
Speaker 1 (28:27):
Yeah? Yeah, So I was wondering if you had like
not something the same, but I mean like similar things
going on in your your story where people might have
seen visions or something like that.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
Yeah, there's definitely that in the book. I have. Yeah,
like I said, I not seeing that myself, but I
have seen what I believe to have been demonic possession
and priests. And this is ever in Bosnia, and I
you know, I've never seen I've never seen a UFO
or Bigfoot or any of that. So, I mean I
just and it could have been mental illness, but and
(29:07):
it happened a few times when I was over there,
but a person would just start screaming and cackling and
and like this, uh, like a low kind of like
if you turn on the AM radio and it's not
on the station, it's just kind of static, and then
it sounds like two voices, two or three voices coming
out and then yeah, these priests standing around and they're
(29:31):
changing whatever they're praying, and uh, and the and the
entity or whatever it is it's just just writhing in pain.
And it's very unsettling. Until you see it, it's it's
hard to believe. And I, uh, you know, I asked
the priestess that have you ever seen you know, he
was coming, he was over there from the US. I said,
(29:53):
have you ever seen that? And he says, no, I've
never seen I mean, he says, I know it exists,
but I've never seen it. But and as I say
in the book, though, that the church has to you know,
it has to investigate that. They're not just going to believe.
They've got to have like you know, if someone claims
to be possessed, they they they have to go to
a psychiatrist and and and they want to make sure
(30:15):
that this is not mental illness, so that this is
truly an evil entity. So the church is always very
cautious about that and they have to be. But that
was the So that was my only supernatural encounter, and
it was pretty uh pretty unnerving.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
Yeah, I could have I could imagine, and.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
I'm just it makes you, you know, you say, wow, Okay,
if there's evil truly exists, then that means there's good too.
There means there's you know, there's there's the good stuff
that we can't see right around where you know there
is God, and so that is almost faith affirming, even
(31:07):
though it's a kind of a horrifying thing to see.
And you're gonna ask if there's Jim experiences that he
sees that in the book as well, and I use
my I used that experience that I had to describe
what Jim was seeing. So and some people say the
(31:29):
book is scary, which obviously you know, and it is
a certain extent, but it's not all it's not all horror.
It's there's a lot of suspense. It's like I said,
it's just it's it's got a lot of a lot
of things going on.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
But I don't think it would make a good movie.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Yeah, someone told me that if anyone wants to make
into a movie, you know, I'll be more than happy
to oblige.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
That's that sounds really like it was make a good
thriller movie. I also believe John that and you can
tell you this is in uh your book, is that
I believe you have guardian angels and they watch over
us because sometimes people are in you know, accidents, how
(32:22):
do they walk out without a scratch? And yet someone
has a minor funderbender and and they die. And there's
things you cannot explain of when someone's in danger and
you know they get protected, or you hear about people
(32:45):
her I think I might have read this. There was
a fire, some guy got a ladder, went on the roof,
got the people out, and they never saw that guy again.
Was that an angel? But it been?
Speaker 2 (32:58):
Yeah, I've heard that. I've heard I think my mother
even had an experience like that, that someone just came
out of nowhere to help and then they disappear. And
I've heard a lot of people tell me stories like that.
And you know, if you believe, if you believe in
God and you have faith, then you know, sure it
(33:19):
makes sense that we all have a guardian angel. But yeah,
and that's also I don't have any of that in
the book, but I guess you could say that Miriam
is kind of a guardian angel. But you know, I
don't want to give too much of it away.
Speaker 1 (33:36):
Yeah, that's okay. Well, you know what the Bible said,
and I forgot what verse, folks, but the Bible says
we entertain angels unaware, so they are we are, you know,
they are among us. I mean, well, just two weeks ago, John,
I was driving. I just went around the block and
(33:58):
I and my son in the car and I'm not
to stop sign with them, back and forth, back and forth,
and people dried crazy here in New Jersey, and I
didn't see anyone, and I started to go and my
son goes, Mom, watch a car just flew down the
street out of nowhere. I came so close to hitting
that car that it was an act of God that
(34:20):
I didn't an active an angel, act of God that
I didn't hit this person. That would have been my
fault because at the stop signed, but I didn't see anyone.
It really, I just really believe that, like if you're
late for something, maybe you weren't supposed to be there
at that time. Maybe you know that protection.
Speaker 2 (34:44):
Yeah. A good friend of mine just told me a
couple of months ago that he was in Chicago and
he was getting ready across the street and a bus
just came out of nowhere, and he said, literally, he's
heard it, but he didn't realize it could be possible.
He's saw his entire life flash before his eyes, and
(35:04):
he felt something pull him back, and people on the
other side of the streets saw it and they thought, Okay,
he's he's gonna, he's dead, he's gonna, you know, but
something the very last second pulled him back. And it
sounds a lot like what you went through there. So
I'm glad we have those those those angels.
Speaker 1 (35:26):
Yes, yes, I believe. Really, you know, when your numbers up,
it's upped. That's it. Right when guy calls you nobody
not a doctor. No one's going to uh stop that
something happening because you know, not to be morbid. But
(35:47):
we're all going to the diet at some point, hopefully
later and sooner, right is uh John, you know you're John?
So is there? Does the gym like to cook like John?
By the way, folks, if I got to say this
in the beginning, that John likes to cook, likes to
(36:12):
cook dumblea Cajun and Creole dishes, and you do beat
keeping and you like cigars.
Speaker 2 (36:20):
So cooking is eating. Yeah, yeah, it's good stuff.
Speaker 1 (36:28):
There you go.
Speaker 2 (36:30):
Yeah, But Jim Jim in the book, uh, he cooks
some bacon and eggs and that's that's the extent of
his cooking he made. He may like to cook. We
just don't know. I just never brought that half.
Speaker 1 (36:43):
Oh yeah, bring that out in that character. No, I
like might be from the Yeah, well I'm might be
from New Jersey, but I do like Jumbalayas.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
So they got a good food in the Jersey. They
got great, great produce, they got great you know, I
went up there one time with a friend. They have
those hot dogs are all connected with strings, so like
you know the old it's just the classic kind of deli,
the northern deli type food that you don't see down
here in the South.
Speaker 1 (37:09):
Yeah. Yeah, New Jersey is very diverse in culinary taste
and dishes. I just think John that some people you know,
and a lot of books, you see a transformation with someone.
(37:31):
You see sometimes people going from a with a tragedy
to a triumph. Uh and hurricane when they you know,
saw that the book is about, you know, a hurricane coming.
Did you think about Hurricane Katrina when that hits New Orleans?
Speaker 2 (37:50):
Yes, because yes I did. And actually our law firm
the summer after Katrina, we did some pro bono work.
We went down to New Orleans. Different you know, lawyers
would go weeks at a time, but we had the whole,
the whole summer of our law firm went down there
and helping people establish title to their houses that were destroyed.
(38:13):
Because all these houses, particularly in the lower ninth ward,
the people who lived there didn't there was no paperwork
that was passed down through generation. So they had to
treat it as if the person died without will. And
so when that happens, you have to track down all
the family members and you know, go through this process
to make sure that the person in fact, you know,
(38:34):
has a connection to the property. So in fact, to
your point, yeah, So I was familiar with Hurricane Katrina,
the devastation that it did, and I tried to you know,
I didn't make light of it. I pointed out the
suffering and the and the fears that people still had
about about Hurricane Katrina or hurricanes in general, and so
(38:57):
I definitely had that in mind when I when I
wrote the book.
Speaker 1 (39:02):
Well, I forgot the name. I don't know, I can't
think of the name of the hurricane we had. I
forgot when it was that had to be at least no, well,
we had that one, but that wasn't so much water,
it was wind and we didn't have power. Uh, but
there was another was that Asia Is Yeah, I can't
(39:28):
even the name of the hurricane.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
Yeah, yeah, that kind of name. I can't remember either,
But I know that I know.
Speaker 1 (39:33):
You're h And it happened, and I got flooded, I
mean it, and I had a some pump, folks, I'm
telling you, I hope I don't say anymore in New Jersey,
I have a some pump and I go in the
hallway and the basement and I see water all over.
This isnt the sum plump working. And it was just
(39:55):
came down so fast and furious that the sump pump
couldn't hand hand it. Thank God I didn't lose power,
That's all I gotta say. Thank God didn't lose power,
because there were places around me that did. I would
have been really messed up. And then I said, I
got to guess. Yeah, I mean it was. Yeah, there's
(40:22):
so much raine on. It was actually coming in underneath
the floor because the water table foundation could not handle
that water anymore. I was getting water coming in all
over then, even places I never had gotten water. So
(40:46):
it is a frightening.
Speaker 2 (40:51):
Yeah, I mean you had to come in and clean
it all up, and they had all the you know,
it could be mold and it's just yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:58):
Yeah, it's really a scary thing. And I just want
to say this to the audience. Please please don't tell
people who have gone through a hurricane or a tornado
or any other natural disaster to be strong. It doesn't help.
(41:19):
Saying that doesn't help. They were strong. It's devastating to
see damage to your house, damage to you know, you know,
if your house got lost, that is a lost folks
that people grieve and people don't understand. Lets them't understand that. Yeah,
and you know, just the aftermath of that. So I
(41:43):
can't understand. I can sort of relate to the people.
And you're LANs and you know various other places. I
got to lose my house. But you know, when you
see water coming in and there's nothing you can do,
you feel I'll helpless.
Speaker 2 (42:02):
You really are really yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:04):
Yeah, So you live in yeah North Carolina. Did you
get hit by the hurricane last year? Uh?
Speaker 2 (42:13):
Oh no, we're well near near here. I mean we're
about two hours from Ashville in that area, and we're
in the foothills and they got hit really really badly.
And you know, we went up there and helped some
later on, uh, distribute clothes that we're given and all
that stuff. But but it's it was so devastating up there,
(42:37):
and they're they're still there's they're not recovered. They're it's
gonna take a long time for them to recover up there,
and there's still people missing, and it's just, Uh, it
was the weirdest thing. You think you're up in the mountains,
the the last thing you're thinking about is a hurricane.
But it really it's it hit them really good. It
was really bad. But no, we were about two hours away.
(43:00):
We had the winds and but nothing really destructive, not
to that extent.
Speaker 1 (43:06):
Oh well, I'm glad you were say that. Yeah, that
that was really bad. Uh. John. As we wrap it
up here, what would you like the reader to take
away from your book? I like, in particular.
Speaker 2 (43:22):
Opt optimism, optimism, you know, optimism, and that there are
things will get better, it can get better, that no
one is beyond redemption. That even though it is has
religious aspects, it's it it's an uplifting story no matter
what your you know, your beliefs are that, uh, and
(43:42):
you got to keep going right. It's a journey and
you're gonna they're gonna be good. Parts of the journey
and bad parts of the journey, and it can change
very quickly. So people are going to read the book
and they're not going to fill There's some books that
you read and you just don't feel good. I mean,
they're they're intriguing and they keep you your attention, their
(44:06):
page turners, but you just feel kind of crummy afterwards
because you know, the weather, the plot may be kind
of really really negative. This one, you're not gonna feel bad.
You're gonna feel good. But it's but it's like a
fun house. You're going to go experience almost a fun
house kind of uh, a journey with Jim. It ultimately
(44:27):
is it's good. So that that's what I would like
people to come away with.
Speaker 1 (44:32):
Yeah, that sounds good. And where do people purchase your book?
Speaker 2 (44:35):
And just as they're a novel, you can get on
Amazon's available both you know, well you know, regular book
and e book and then Audible and you can get
to Barnes and Noble, you basically anywhere there sell books.
Uh not, you're not gonna get it. You can't walk
(44:55):
into a store, and it's all all online to get it.
You can order it online or just downloaded on a
kindle or whatever. But that's where so it's pretty easy
to get great and we're copy let me okay, we
get off. When we get off the line, I'll get
your dress and I'll send you a copy. And I'm sorry,
I thought you you don't you didn't have one, but
(45:16):
I'll definitely get you one.
Speaker 1 (45:17):
And you were getting ready to say no, that's okayful,
Oh yes. How can people get in touch with you
to tell you about how they liked your book or
connect with you?
Speaker 2 (45:34):
Right? Well, the Facebook would be an intercessor maybe intercessor
by John Robert Still. Let's just type that into Facebook
and then my uh that that will come up and
it'll you know, you can learn a little bit more
about it or just say hello, whatever. But that's how
you get you get in touch with me.
Speaker 1 (45:57):
That is awesome. Well, graduates on your new book. It
sounds fantastic, folks. I would definitely order this blog. It
sounds phenomenal, very interesting. That sounds interesting just from talking
to you, John, So thank you for coming on here today.
(46:17):
You heard John Robert Still. That's st I L. L.
And he is author and writer of interest Essor, a novel.
And all the information about John will be in the
blog that Genie White writes. The station manager produces the show,
and I want to thank Lilian Caldwell, CEO, a pastion
(46:40):
World Talk Radio Network makes us all possible. And I
want to thank you the listeners. And if you don't
already subscribe to telling what Betsy is for free on Spotify, Streaker.
iHeart Amazon Music to name a few, and I have
experts on that can help you have a better journey.
(47:01):
And we all need a break reading a book. That's
self care, folks. That is a form of self care.
Reading a book, get into your minds off your troubles.
And I know that I love to read. And as
I always say at the end of my show, if
you want to follow me, I am on Facebook Betsye
(47:21):
worthal w U r z e L And in the world,
will you give me anything? Please be kind, Shine your
light bright because we need that now with than ever before.
This is Betsy Worthal. You're a host of Shining with
Betsy Unpassionate Rule Talk Radio Network, a subsidiary of Global
(47:43):
Media Network LLC.
Speaker 3 (47:45):
Chat with you soon, Bets You're there, Yeah, okay, Well hold.
Speaker 1 (47:57):
On, John, I want to just connect the recording. I'm
recording on something different.
Speaker 2 (48:06):
Okay, I hope that thank you for having me on
this is great. I really do appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (48:14):
You're welcome. John at this didn't record. I will have
to have you back
Hello, everyone, this is Betsy Worthal. You're a host of
Chatting with Betsy on Passionate World Talk Radio Network, a
subsidiary of Global Media Network LLC, which is a subsidiary
of Global Media Network. I said that LLC why I'm
not with it today. I'm a manstious to educate, enlightened,
(00:24):
and entertain. The views of the guests may not represent
those of the hosts of the station. Folks, I'm always
excited to do my show, and with me today is
a first time author. I'm gonna give you some background.
My guest today is John Robert Still. That's st I
(00:45):
L L. He is a attorney. He's author writer of Intercessor,
a novel, his first book, which was a finalist for
the prestigious Audience Award in the fiction category, up against
established New York Times best selling authors. So congratulations, uh
(01:07):
to you, John Robert Still. The book is a You're welcome,
Intercessor a novel. Can't forget to say the name of
the book. That helps, right, So I want to welcome you,
John to h and that that's all you are welcoming
(01:30):
is my pleasure. How you were an attorney? Can you
tell what kind of attorney. You are.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Basically boring. I'm not boring, but the type of work
I do is more corporate work.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
You know, I'm not really in the courtroom that much,
so it's more a lot of desk work and working
with with, you know, operations and companies and things of
that nature. So it's corporately.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Wow, okay, I have heard of that. And how did
you fing time to write a book? I know attorneys
are very busy.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Well, that's yeah, absolutely, it's I've traveled to New Orleans
quite a bit for my job, so I had had
a lot of business meetings down there, and I was
twenty seventeen, and I was leaving a restaurant on Bourbon
Street and it had just rained, and so the streets
(02:42):
were reflecting the neon lights, and it just looked like
a movie set. And I was just kidding with some
friends of mine. We were texting, and I said, you know,
this would be the great beginning of a really bad novel,
maybe of the Mickey Spillane variety, but not saying that
he's a bad and and so, you know, I just
(03:05):
started messing around and and it just turned into a novel.
I don't you know. That's see. I'm not really sure
how it beyond that it just went from a joke
to a serious, you know, effort, I guess. And and
really though, I guess I've typed most of it on
(03:27):
my phone. With my phone, probably eighty five ninety percent
of it I did. But and in that that allowed
me to, you know, during the downtimes, like you're waiting
on a plane or waiting in a doctor's office or whatever, uh,
just to to type when when the mood strikes you.
(03:48):
And so I didn't sit down at a keyboard and wait,
you know, for the inspiration. I just yeah. So I
didn't really have a writer's block. I just be in.
When I found the time, I said, I'll talk a
few sentences and then it may go from there. So
it's very unorthodox way that I did it, but you know,
it was my first one, and you know, I didn't
(04:10):
know how else to do it.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Ah, that is an incredible you. I think you're the
first person I have interviewed that has said they did
it on their phone. I have to say, of course,
on audio, so you can't see the cover of the book,
which is why I encourage people to go you know, Google,
go on Amazon. Look up intercess Or a novel. Your
(04:35):
book cover is very intriguing to me. It looks when
I looked at it, you could tell that it's a
mystery and it's almost like mystic goal to me, it
looks like the fog and you know, it's it's just interesting.
How did you come up with that cover design?
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Well, that's that was painted. I have a friend of mine,
Lewis Kadetti, and he he's an excellent painter, and I
told him what I wanted, uh, and he painted it,
and it's that it's Pirates Alley, which is on the
left as you can see, just part of it is
(05:16):
Saint Louis Cathedral in New Orleans and then some you
know whatever buildings are on the right. Uh. And so
I told him what I wanted and then he added
a little bit more to it to give it that
mystical feel. So I was very happy with the way
it turned out. And and that's that's the story on
that one.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
Yeah, that's I like it. I really do it very
eye catching. And how did you come up with the title,
which is interesting Intercessor?
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Well, I didn't have a title, uh, well until I was,
you know, finished with the novel. I didn't know what
to name it. I just so I kept thinking about
in the book, you have people interceding or you know,
helping someone along the way, praying for them, or you know,
(06:12):
pleading their case. Like Miriam in the book that was
kind of Jim's intercessor. She interceded for him in a
lot of ways. And it reflects back on the you know,
I guess biblical intercession. And so that's how it's just
you know, it's a word that you don't see that much,
(06:33):
and it just came to me. But it took me
a while to finally give it a title.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Oh that's you need something I feel eye catching, Right,
people go to a bookstore, they look on Amazon and
it's the cover and the title. I think that really
catches someone's eye. When I think of intercessor, I think
of the Bible. I think, thanks of Jesus intercessing for us,
(07:04):
you know, the Holy Spirit doing it. So that's what
I thought of. So your book has a lot of
spiritual under I'm gonna say undertones, but things going on
in it. While New Orleans is a character in the book,
the town, then the main character is Jim Hampton. You
(07:28):
have Miriam, How did like, how did you come up
with the story. That's why what amazes me about writers,
how you come up with the story and dialogue. It's
just fascinating to me because I can't write John, I
can't unlike if I write a paragraph. So when people
(07:48):
come on my show, and I always love to ask everyone,
you know, how did you create the dialogue for these characters?
Because that really fascinates me.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
You know, you may be surprised that you probably can
do it. You know, I didn't think I could do
it either, but I came up, well, New Orleans. I
love New Orleans and there's so much atmosphere to it,
and I wanted it to be one of the main characters.
And so originally was going to write about New Orleans
(08:22):
and maybe having some kind of ghost story aspect to it,
you know, the mystical side of New Orleans. And then
at the time I was I had gotten back from
Bosnia where I went on a pilgrimage.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
And.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
The Virgin Mary was allegedly appearing over there at Magagoria.
I was curious. I went over there, and so I
worked I worked that into the plot, and so but
you know, I think this book. There's something for everyone
(09:03):
in it. I mean, despite whatever background or belief system,
you know, because it's it's a mystery, a thriller, a
ghost story, I mean, a success story of the human condition.
And really it's kind of an age old story, good
versus evil. It basically transcends all cultures and periods of time.
(09:25):
And so I know that was a very long answer
to your question.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
But no, I know, that's fine, that's fine. I just
it's just, you know, I never really appreciated really writers
until I started doing my show, and then I realized
how much time a writer puts in to writing a Bookman.
(09:49):
I've talked to people who took seven years of research
to write a book.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
It's right, I can tell.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
Yeah, because I think you know, like, how long did
it take you to do.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Your research to Most of the research was on hurricanes
and some of you know, some of the other plot lines.
But uh, it didn't take as much as my next
one is, but it took I wrote that I wrote
in two years and and did research in you know,
(10:26):
throughout that time period. But a lot of it, and
you'll you probably saw in the book where I was
very specific as to where Jim was in New Orleans,
like he goes to Bourbon Street, THENTO Royal Street then
and you know it may have become tedious, but uh,
I just wanted to capture New Orleans and so someone
(10:50):
who is from New Orleans who was familiar with it
would know exactly where, uh, you know, where it was
happening and so and back I forgot. I didn't answer
Ques much about dialogue. Now dialogue, I just in my head,
I'm thinking to how would I, you know, how would
I have a conversation about this? And you think about
(11:10):
talking differend like you ask questions and then you get
answers and you just just naturally comes that way. So
you you could do it, and there's no question in
my mind.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
My hat is off to all writers. And I really
have come to really appreciate when I pick up a
book of you know, I think about what time went
into that. It's just incredible. And everyone's creative process is different,
(11:44):
which is why I like to ask the different authors
that come on, different writers about their process. So your
main character is Jen Hampton, who is a lawyer. Also,
is any part of you in your character?
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Well? Yeah, people who people who know me, they read it,
and they think, oh, you know, is this an autobiography.
I'm a lawyer. I haven't quit my job like Jim
and would not be brave enough to do that, right,
uh so. But but as a lawyer, you know, you write,
(12:24):
I included aspects of the law in there. And yet
from that, from that perspective, and also personally, you're you're
when you're writing, you write about what you know and
your experiences. So some of that is going to be
(12:44):
based on my history life, but you know, it's it's
a fictional character overall.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
I yeah, I understand sometimes people put them selves a
little bit in the book. And I don't want you
to give away the book. I I wish I would
have gotten a copy. John, So I didn't read your book.
I read about your book, which sounds fascinating by the way.
(13:18):
But to me, New Orleans. When I think of New Orleans,
New Orleans, New Orleans up from New Jersey, see New
Orleans and what I've you know, seen of it in
like on TV or in movies, it is very uh
like I had the spiritual side. You know, they have
a big thing for Fat Tuesday, and you know they celebrate,
(13:43):
they celebrate the beginning of Lent and they also high
like their I don't want to call it. I don't
know if it's a voodoo or like their dark side,
their dark magic, I would, I don't know if that's
the proper word. And that's what Yeah, that's what I
think about. So your book is that the forces, but
(14:04):
I'll give it so much away of your book. That's
the forces you're talking about.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Yeah, exactly, there's it's there's a kind of a duality
in New Orleans. You have voodoo shops and then you
have you have churches everywhere. It was steep and Catholicism
way back to the you know, seventeenth century or whatever
it was. I mean, it's been New Orleans has been
around a long time. So there and there's there are
beautiful churches down there, and there's this you know, strong,
(14:31):
you know, strong Catholic population down there. And so you
have that on one side, and then on the other
side you've got the voodoo shops and you've and you've
got you know, all the partying and the uh, you know,
lived for the day kind of thing, which is not
necessarily evil. But so it's you have solemn you know,
the solemn side and a more fun side, and then
(14:53):
you have good and evil mixed in with all of that,
and so I wanted to that's my original My original
thinking was just to write a kind of supernatural thriller
set and uh, set in New Orleans to you know,
to underscore all that's going on down there and just
(15:14):
but and then then I introduced some spiritual things and
ultimately it's a it's a book about redemption, uh, someone
coming back to their faith. And in the meantime, he he's,
you know, running from a murderous cult that's chasing him
(15:34):
through New Orleans, and he's got this hurricane coming in
and so it's just a it's a mixed back, it's
got everything in it. But ultimately the end, he find
you know, he is he's a lost soul and he
finally comes back to the faith of his childhood and
and it was kind of a long and winding road,
(15:57):
but he gets there. But you know, some people ask me,
there's going to be a sequel, and I don't haven't
planned it yet, but there's a journey that never ends,
so to speak.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Yeah, Well, you know that's interesting, John, because how many
times have people and I talked to a lot of people.
How many times have people had something happen in their
life and they lose their faith? They blank, they blame God,
they lose their faith. And sometimes people will go through
(16:32):
a transformation of getting they either get away from God
to blame God, or they get closer and realize, you know,
I needed faith to get me through the situation, right.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
And I think Jim because I think he thought of
faith as being something that exists only in childhood, that
you know, he was too mature for that. And and
then he meets Miriam, who he has such a great
amount of respect for, and she's she's not afraid of
(17:07):
her faith. She's very open about it, and it kind
of gives him permission to think, well, Okay, well you know,
maybe I should look at this again. And and so
you're right, he he he's not necessarily an unbeliever. He's
a non believer. He's but he's just he's uncertain and
(17:29):
he's kind of gone dry and his faith and is looking.
He's looking. He wants to believe, but he his cynical
and and Miriam brings him, brings him back to that faith. So, yeah,
you're right. People do lose their faith, and they can
always come back to it.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
Yes, And then you know, there's some people who think
that having faith is a crutch or you know, it's
for children, and they don't realize just how so stating
and important faith is. And I think, especially as people age,
(18:10):
if it comes even more more comforting.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
Absolutely. Yeah. And it gets him through some really rough
spots in this book, and he just he realizes how
important his faith is to him. Uh And yeah, I
mean I think we all go through we have we
have periods of doubt and good times and bad times,
(18:42):
and we question or at least that I have, and
but ultimately it comes back to faith is faith right? Faith? Right?
So you don't you know, you're not going to ever
have proof. You just you just have to believe.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
So Yeah, if you want to call, I didn't seen
you a cop. I should have sent you a copy
of the book. I'm sorry, that's okay, that's all right,
But the next book, yeah right, so but yeah, so
faith is an important part of the book. And I
(19:23):
look at some of the miraculous there're still miracles that
take place in this day and age, and I refer
to some of these miracles that have happened over the centuries. Uh,
and and some of them have been documented, and and
I did research on those, and I weave those into
(19:45):
the book to uh, you know, to let people know
that there is there is there is supernatural is out there,
There's there's miraculous things that are happening, and you know,
this is not the end of us. We've got there's
(20:05):
an afterlife and there's a lot of good out there.
So in a way, it's it's just evangelizing, but not
it's it's all taken from the perspective of of a
a skeptic through his eyes. Uh. And it's not trying
to beat people over the head to say, yeah, you
got to believe. It's just it's you're learning all this
(20:29):
stuff through Jim, who has all the doubts that we
all have.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
Yeah, I can understand that. I mean, it sounds like a
really good book. Now, how does as you could if
you want to share, how does John meet Miriam for
Miriam to help John know you're John? Then your guy
the character.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
Well Jim. Yeah, Jim walks Intoto the bar I think
in the second or third chapter, and there's this bartender, Uh,
you know, a really striking young lady comes up to
him and knows him and knowes, hey, how you doing
and you haven't seen you in a while. How's it going,
how's the how's the legal profession? And he's like, well,
I have have we met? I can't remember having ever,
(21:20):
you know, ever having met you before. And it starts
out that way, and so he just kind of assumes
that he must have been really drunk or or just
forgot who she was. Uh. And and that's how they meet.
And then they strike up a conversation and she learned,
(21:43):
you know, he knows or she knows he's not from
New Orleans. So she suggested he got he go out
and look around and get an idea and just visit
the area. Uh And and then has the idea saying, Hey,
why don't you come with me, I'm going to go
visit my fan family down in Terrbone Parishure, which is
(22:03):
south of New Orleans. And so he's like, Okay, who
is this lady? She's inviting me to see her family?
And but he just he just goes goes along with
it because you know, what the heck? And and they
leave New Orleans and they're headed to see her family
just for a day trip. But there's this tropical storm
(22:26):
brewing in the Gulf, and as they travel, they they're
checking the weather and it's getting worse and worse, so
they have to turn around. At first, they stop at
a friend of hers and uh, you know that he
goes to crawfish boil by the by you so I
try to throw all that stuff in there, you know,
(22:46):
And then they come back to face the hurricane. So,
but he he doesn't know who she is really, I mean,
but he's he really has a great amount of respect
for her because she's, you know, of her faith and
her genuineness, and she plays obviously a major role in
(23:08):
the book. But she's she's there at first and then
not there for a good part of the book. I
don't want to give too much of it away.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
Yeah, oh that's okay. Yeah, we want to leave the
readers curious. I have to ask this because of the
cover of the book and the supernatural. Is there any
scene in your book where people see are they believed
that someone's who is the seeds, that their spirits are
(23:39):
around doing things?
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Yeah, And there are all kinds of legends and ghost
stories in New Orleans that you know. I mentioned one
that was actually in the early nineteen hundreds was that
there was this serial killer who claimed to be this
evil spirit. And and you know there's and there's ghost
(24:05):
stories coming from that. There's haunted mansions down there, very
famous haunted mansions. And he encounters these things. And then
I explained to the reader what what the what they are,
what the what the story behind them is. I didn't
I didn't make those up. Those are Whether they're real
or not, I don't know, but it's out there, and
(24:26):
I report what what other people say. And so there
are He one of the people he runs into is
is is probably demonically possessed. So you have you from
that aspect of the supernatural paranormal, you have the evil
(24:53):
The lady is you know, she's she's got this evil
entity in her and she and her little gang u
of their cult are out for Jim for some reason,
and and they want to they're trying to take his life,
you know, for whatever reason. So, yes, there there are ghosts,
there are evil entities, there are good entities. It's all
(25:17):
in that, all in that realm.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
Well, that is sounds like such an interesting book. I mean,
there are people. I believe John that there are people
who are have the devil in them, as they would say,
I do. I do believe that. I also believe because
I've experienced it, where you get signed from someone in
(25:42):
the afterwifs. Yeah, I've got I've gotten signs for my
husband husband I five years ago and I've gotten signs
from him. Now. Just this morning, i had this little,
uh it's a little beer in a karate outfit and
I went off by itself. I'm thinking, what is that noise?
(26:05):
I'm you know, doing my morning routine and the bath
and doing my face. I'm like, is that the radio?
What's that noise? The beer went off by itself and
never did that before this morning. Yeah, yeah, that's.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
That's a little scary or or it could be a
good thing too, right, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
Well, you know what I I always say, Hi, Matt,
I know you'res on me. You're around, so yeah, I have.
I mean, I've had some really strange things happen, and
that's the only way I could explain it. I Mean,
I know people might think that's all woo woo and
(26:48):
may not believe it, but when it does happen to you,
You're like, what the heck? That never went off before?
Speaker 2 (26:55):
Right. You know, I've never had those experiences, but I've
talked to people who have and I believe it. So
that's that's really interesting. That's really interesting. You have a
certain gift in a way.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
I mean I didn't believe it either. I didn't and
I have gone in like signs. I'll tell you a
quick story and maybe have something like this in your book.
All a matter of fact, you could relate to this.
We had a really bad storm. I lived in New
Jersey that we get a lot of rings. It wasn't
a hurricane, We've had that, but this was just torrential
(27:36):
downpours and my basement got flooded and I was laying
in bed and I was like in tears because I
spent all night wet backing, you know, with the wet vacuum.
And I saw and the one time I saw mad,
I wish I was with you and John. I know
I what I saw because my shave was down. I
(27:58):
saw a big are my shape, my window shape, and
I said, that's you telling me everything's gonna be okay.
I know what I thought. I didn't see it again,
but I know what I thought, and it's just.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
It's just really really heartening. All right, you know, just
a sign like that, that's really that's great, I mean
because I'm sure you're just yeah your what's in there?
Speaker 1 (28:27):
Yeah? Yeah, So I was wondering if you had like
not something the same, but I mean like similar things
going on in your your story where people might have
seen visions or something like that.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
Yeah, there's definitely that in the book. I have. Yeah,
like I said, I not seeing that myself, but I
have seen what I believe to have been demonic possession
and priests. And this is ever in Bosnia, and I
you know, I've never seen I've never seen a UFO
or Bigfoot or any of that. So, I mean I
just and it could have been mental illness, but and
(29:07):
it happened a few times when I was over there,
but a person would just start screaming and cackling and
and like this, uh, like a low kind of like
if you turn on the AM radio and it's not
on the station, it's just kind of static, and then
it sounds like two voices, two or three voices coming
out and then yeah, these priests standing around and they're
(29:31):
changing whatever they're praying, and uh, and the and the
entity or whatever it is it's just just writhing in pain.
And it's very unsettling. Until you see it, it's it's
hard to believe. And I, uh, you know, I asked
the priestess that have you ever seen you know, he
was coming, he was over there from the US. I said,
(29:53):
have you ever seen that? And he says, no, I've
never seen I mean, he says, I know it exists,
but I've never seen it. But and as I say
in the book, though, that the church has to you know,
it has to investigate that. They're not just going to believe.
They've got to have like you know, if someone claims
to be possessed, they they they have to go to
a psychiatrist and and and they want to make sure
(30:15):
that this is not mental illness, so that this is
truly an evil entity. So the church is always very
cautious about that and they have to be. But that
was the So that was my only supernatural encounter, and
it was pretty uh pretty unnerving.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
Yeah, I could have I could imagine, and.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
I'm just it makes you, you know, you say, wow, Okay,
if there's evil truly exists, then that means there's good too.
There means there's you know, there's there's the good stuff
that we can't see right around where you know there
is God, and so that is almost faith affirming, even
(31:07):
though it's a kind of a horrifying thing to see.
And you're gonna ask if there's Jim experiences that he
sees that in the book as well, and I use
my I used that experience that I had to describe
what Jim was seeing. So and some people say the
(31:29):
book is scary, which obviously you know, and it is
a certain extent, but it's not all it's not all horror.
It's there's a lot of suspense. It's like I said,
it's just it's it's got a lot of a lot
of things going on.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
But I don't think it would make a good movie.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Yeah, someone told me that if anyone wants to make
into a movie, you know, I'll be more than happy
to oblige.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
That's that sounds really like it was make a good
thriller movie. I also believe John that and you can
tell you this is in uh your book, is that
I believe you have guardian angels and they watch over
us because sometimes people are in you know, accidents, how
(32:22):
do they walk out without a scratch? And yet someone
has a minor funderbender and and they die. And there's
things you cannot explain of when someone's in danger and
you know they get protected, or you hear about people
(32:45):
her I think I might have read this. There was
a fire, some guy got a ladder, went on the roof,
got the people out, and they never saw that guy again.
Was that an angel? But it been?
Speaker 2 (32:58):
Yeah, I've heard that. I've heard I think my mother
even had an experience like that, that someone just came
out of nowhere to help and then they disappear. And
I've heard a lot of people tell me stories like that.
And you know, if you believe, if you believe in
God and you have faith, then you know, sure it
(33:19):
makes sense that we all have a guardian angel. But yeah,
and that's also I don't have any of that in
the book, but I guess you could say that Miriam
is kind of a guardian angel. But you know, I
don't want to give too much of it away.
Speaker 1 (33:36):
Yeah, that's okay. Well, you know what the Bible said,
and I forgot what verse, folks, but the Bible says
we entertain angels unaware, so they are we are, you know,
they are among us. I mean, well, just two weeks ago, John,
I was driving. I just went around the block and
(33:58):
I and my son in the car and I'm not
to stop sign with them, back and forth, back and forth,
and people dried crazy here in New Jersey, and I
didn't see anyone, and I started to go and my
son goes, Mom, watch a car just flew down the
street out of nowhere. I came so close to hitting
that car that it was an act of God that
(34:20):
I didn't an active an angel, act of God that
I didn't hit this person. That would have been my
fault because at the stop signed, but I didn't see anyone.
It really, I just really believe that, like if you're
late for something, maybe you weren't supposed to be there
at that time. Maybe you know that protection.
Speaker 2 (34:44):
Yeah. A good friend of mine just told me a
couple of months ago that he was in Chicago and
he was getting ready across the street and a bus
just came out of nowhere, and he said, literally, he's
heard it, but he didn't realize it could be possible.
He's saw his entire life flash before his eyes, and
(35:04):
he felt something pull him back, and people on the
other side of the streets saw it and they thought, Okay,
he's he's gonna, he's dead, he's gonna, you know, but
something the very last second pulled him back. And it
sounds a lot like what you went through there. So
I'm glad we have those those those angels.
Speaker 1 (35:26):
Yes, yes, I believe. Really, you know, when your numbers up,
it's upped. That's it. Right when guy calls you nobody
not a doctor. No one's going to uh stop that
something happening because you know, not to be morbid. But
(35:47):
we're all going to the diet at some point, hopefully
later and sooner, right is uh John, you know you're John?
So is there? Does the gym like to cook like John?
By the way, folks, if I got to say this
in the beginning, that John likes to cook, likes to
(36:12):
cook dumblea Cajun and Creole dishes, and you do beat
keeping and you like cigars.
Speaker 2 (36:20):
So cooking is eating. Yeah, yeah, it's good stuff.
Speaker 1 (36:28):
There you go.
Speaker 2 (36:30):
Yeah, But Jim Jim in the book, uh, he cooks
some bacon and eggs and that's that's the extent of
his cooking he made. He may like to cook. We
just don't know. I just never brought that half.
Speaker 1 (36:43):
Oh yeah, bring that out in that character. No, I
like might be from the Yeah, well I'm might be
from New Jersey, but I do like Jumbalayas.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
So they got a good food in the Jersey. They
got great, great produce, they got great you know, I
went up there one time with a friend. They have
those hot dogs are all connected with strings, so like
you know the old it's just the classic kind of deli,
the northern deli type food that you don't see down
here in the South.
Speaker 1 (37:09):
Yeah. Yeah, New Jersey is very diverse in culinary taste
and dishes. I just think John that some people you know,
and a lot of books, you see a transformation with someone.
(37:31):
You see sometimes people going from a with a tragedy
to a triumph. Uh and hurricane when they you know,
saw that the book is about, you know, a hurricane coming.
Did you think about Hurricane Katrina when that hits New Orleans?
Speaker 2 (37:50):
Yes, because yes I did. And actually our law firm
the summer after Katrina, we did some pro bono work.
We went down to New Orleans. Different you know, lawyers
would go weeks at a time, but we had the whole,
the whole summer of our law firm went down there
and helping people establish title to their houses that were destroyed.
(38:13):
Because all these houses, particularly in the lower ninth ward,
the people who lived there didn't there was no paperwork
that was passed down through generation. So they had to
treat it as if the person died without will. And
so when that happens, you have to track down all
the family members and you know, go through this process
to make sure that the person in fact, you know,
(38:34):
has a connection to the property. So in fact, to
your point, yeah, So I was familiar with Hurricane Katrina,
the devastation that it did, and I tried to you know,
I didn't make light of it. I pointed out the
suffering and the and the fears that people still had
about about Hurricane Katrina or hurricanes in general, and so
(38:57):
I definitely had that in mind when I when I
wrote the book.
Speaker 1 (39:02):
Well, I forgot the name. I don't know, I can't
think of the name of the hurricane we had. I
forgot when it was that had to be at least no, well,
we had that one, but that wasn't so much water,
it was wind and we didn't have power. Uh, but
there was another was that Asia Is Yeah, I can't
(39:28):
even the name of the hurricane.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
Yeah, yeah, that kind of name. I can't remember either,
But I know that I know.
Speaker 1 (39:33):
You're h And it happened, and I got flooded, I
mean it, and I had a some pump, folks, I'm
telling you, I hope I don't say anymore in New Jersey,
I have a some pump and I go in the
hallway and the basement and I see water all over.
This isnt the sum plump working. And it was just
(39:55):
came down so fast and furious that the sump pump
couldn't hand hand it. Thank God I didn't lose power,
That's all I gotta say. Thank God didn't lose power,
because there were places around me that did. I would
have been really messed up. And then I said, I
got to guess. Yeah, I mean it was. Yeah, there's
(40:22):
so much raine on. It was actually coming in underneath
the floor because the water table foundation could not handle
that water anymore. I was getting water coming in all
over then, even places I never had gotten water. So
(40:46):
it is a frightening.
Speaker 2 (40:51):
Yeah, I mean you had to come in and clean
it all up, and they had all the you know,
it could be mold and it's just yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:58):
Yeah, it's really a scary thing. And I just want
to say this to the audience. Please please don't tell
people who have gone through a hurricane or a tornado
or any other natural disaster to be strong. It doesn't help.
(41:19):
Saying that doesn't help. They were strong. It's devastating to
see damage to your house, damage to you know, you know,
if your house got lost, that is a lost folks
that people grieve and people don't understand. Lets them't understand that. Yeah,
and you know, just the aftermath of that. So I
(41:43):
can't understand. I can sort of relate to the people.
And you're LANs and you know various other places. I
got to lose my house. But you know, when you
see water coming in and there's nothing you can do,
you feel I'll helpless.
Speaker 2 (42:02):
You really are really yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:04):
Yeah, So you live in yeah North Carolina. Did you
get hit by the hurricane last year? Uh?
Speaker 2 (42:13):
Oh no, we're well near near here. I mean we're
about two hours from Ashville in that area, and we're
in the foothills and they got hit really really badly.
And you know, we went up there and helped some
later on, uh, distribute clothes that we're given and all
that stuff. But but it's it was so devastating up there,
(42:37):
and they're they're still there's they're not recovered. They're it's
gonna take a long time for them to recover up there,
and there's still people missing, and it's just, Uh, it
was the weirdest thing. You think you're up in the mountains,
the the last thing you're thinking about is a hurricane.
But it really it's it hit them really good. It
was really bad. But no, we were about two hours away.
(43:00):
We had the winds and but nothing really destructive, not
to that extent.
Speaker 1 (43:06):
Oh well, I'm glad you were say that. Yeah, that
that was really bad. Uh. John. As we wrap it
up here, what would you like the reader to take
away from your book? I like, in particular.
Speaker 2 (43:22):
Opt optimism, optimism, you know, optimism, and that there are
things will get better, it can get better, that no
one is beyond redemption. That even though it is has
religious aspects, it's it it's an uplifting story no matter
what your you know, your beliefs are that, uh, and
(43:42):
you got to keep going right. It's a journey and
you're gonna they're gonna be good. Parts of the journey
and bad parts of the journey, and it can change
very quickly. So people are going to read the book
and they're not going to fill There's some books that
you read and you just don't feel good. I mean,
they're they're intriguing and they keep you your attention, their
(44:06):
page turners, but you just feel kind of crummy afterwards
because you know, the weather, the plot may be kind
of really really negative. This one, you're not gonna feel bad.
You're gonna feel good. But it's but it's like a
fun house. You're going to go experience almost a fun
house kind of uh, a journey with Jim. It ultimately
(44:27):
is it's good. So that that's what I would like
people to come away with.
Speaker 1 (44:32):
Yeah, that sounds good. And where do people purchase your book?
Speaker 2 (44:35):
And just as they're a novel, you can get on
Amazon's available both you know, well you know, regular book
and e book and then Audible and you can get
to Barnes and Noble, you basically anywhere there sell books.
Uh not, you're not gonna get it. You can't walk
(44:55):
into a store, and it's all all online to get it.
You can order it online or just downloaded on a
kindle or whatever. But that's where so it's pretty easy
to get great and we're copy let me okay, we
get off. When we get off the line, I'll get
your dress and I'll send you a copy. And I'm sorry,
I thought you you don't you didn't have one, but
(45:16):
I'll definitely get you one.
Speaker 1 (45:17):
And you were getting ready to say no, that's okayful,
Oh yes. How can people get in touch with you
to tell you about how they liked your book or
connect with you?
Speaker 2 (45:34):
Right? Well, the Facebook would be an intercessor maybe intercessor
by John Robert Still. Let's just type that into Facebook
and then my uh that that will come up and
it'll you know, you can learn a little bit more
about it or just say hello, whatever. But that's how
you get you get in touch with me.
Speaker 1 (45:57):
That is awesome. Well, graduates on your new book. It
sounds fantastic, folks. I would definitely order this blog. It
sounds phenomenal, very interesting. That sounds interesting just from talking
to you, John, So thank you for coming on here today.
(46:17):
You heard John Robert Still. That's st I L. L.
And he is author and writer of interest Essor, a novel.
And all the information about John will be in the
blog that Genie White writes. The station manager produces the show,
and I want to thank Lilian Caldwell, CEO, a pastion
(46:40):
World Talk Radio Network makes us all possible. And I
want to thank you the listeners. And if you don't
already subscribe to telling what Betsy is for free on Spotify, Streaker.
iHeart Amazon Music to name a few, and I have
experts on that can help you have a better journey.
(47:01):
And we all need a break reading a book. That's
self care, folks. That is a form of self care.
Reading a book, get into your minds off your troubles.
And I know that I love to read. And as
I always say at the end of my show, if
you want to follow me, I am on Facebook Betsye
(47:21):
worthal w U r z e L And in the world,
will you give me anything? Please be kind, Shine your
light bright because we need that now with than ever before.
This is Betsy Worthal. You're a host of Shining with
Betsy Unpassionate Rule Talk Radio Network, a subsidiary of Global
(47:43):
Media Network LLC.
Speaker 3 (47:45):
Chat with you soon, Bets You're there, Yeah, okay, Well hold.
Speaker 1 (47:57):
On, John, I want to just connect the recording. I'm
recording on something different.
Speaker 2 (48:06):
Okay, I hope that thank you for having me on
this is great. I really do appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (48:14):
You're welcome. John at this didn't record. I will have
to have you back
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