Brenton Wood offered these final words to his fans: "Catch you on the rebound," referencing one of his songs.

Brenton Wood wasn't his given name. In this episode, learn the inspiration behind the stage name, and also the moment that piqued his interest in pursuing a musical career.

After a career peak in 1967 with three hits: "Gimme Little Sign," "The Oogum Boogum Song" and "Baby You Got It," he continued writing, recording and performing nearly until his death.

Song of the Day creator Sheldon Zoldan researched, wrote and narrated this short story, one of 37 tributes to music stars who passed away in 2025. Song of the Day used to be a daily feature delivered to an email list of subscribers. Sheldon ended it in early 2026 which, I suppose, means that Song of the Day also deserves a tribute. The good thing is that the tributes live on.

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This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in major podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

What began as a book about the Vietnam War evolved into a candid memoir about a self-centered life of thrill-seeking adventure transformed into one focused on service and meaning.

"Quest: Risk, Adventure and the Search for Meaning" by John Graham is available in print, on Kindle and as an audio book. To watch a brief video that promotes the book, go here.

In this episode, you'll hear about John's close brushes with death; one long-ago personal failing that still weighs on him; life-changing mystical experiences; and struggles to shift from an adrenaline-fueled life to service-oriented work that includes his involvement with the Giraffe Heroes Project for nearly 45 years.

Founded by his wife Ann Medlock, the Giraffe Heroes Project highlights individuals who "stick their necks out" for public good. You can learn more on the project's website.

The black and white photo in the thumbnail is of a young John during a death-defying climb in Alaska. The picture is one of many in his new book, "Denali Diaries," which is available to access for free on John's site.

John's short-form video series "Badass Granddad," on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, is his way to reach a younger demographic. The "Badass" episode about the war in Iran, mentioned in this conversation, was published on March 24. Here's a link. One of my favorite "Badass" episodes is the latest as of today. It's Ep. 70 about taking smart risks vs. stupid ones.

Underlying each of John's projects is this message: Pursue meaning through giving back, use your personal skills to serve, and be willing to take risks for the public good.

"Quest" is a well-told story about John's remarkable life. I recommend it highly.

Also want to mention that the artwork framing the photos in the thumbnail is by my brother-in-law, Bob Jones, a prolific creator in his own right.

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This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in major podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

For fans of historical fiction, here's a recommendation: Maria Tureaud's gothic novel "This House Will Feed." It's set during Ireland's Great Hunger, also known by its Irish name, An Gorta Mór.

The author was born and raised in a part of Ireland that was devastated by the Great Hunger during the mid-1800s, yet she barely learned anything about the area's tragic history when she was growing up. She says it wasn't taught in school. Then she left Ireland to spend her junior year in college as an exchange student in the United States. She signed up for an Irish history class, expecting it to be an easy A. Instead, her eyes were opened to the atrocities that were committed during that terrible time.

In this episode, Tureaud talks about why she didn't really want to tackle the subject of the Great Hunger yet felt compelled to write about it. She also discusses why she chose to make it a gothic story; how she developed her main character, Maggie O'Shaughnessy, and how the process affected Tureaud's personal life. Other topics include the urge to someday move back to her home country, as well as her own path to becoming published with some advice for others wanting the same.

"This House Will Feed" came out at the end of January 2026. Tureaud's next Irish gothic historical novel, "Beneath It Sleeps," will be published in January of 2027. Also, before she entered the realm of adult books, she wrote a middle-grade paranormal novel titled "The Last Hope in Hopetown," which was published in 2022.

You'll hear about all this and much more (for example, the difference between masculine rage and feminine rage, revenge vs. vengeance). Please join us for an illuminating — and fun — conversation.

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This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in major podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.