Suit Up! With Terrance Layhew

Talking stories and storytellers with swashbuckling host, Terrance Layhew. James Bond, noir, pulp, and more!

Survival is not guaranteed | Suit Up! Philosophy 09/09/2025

Survival is not guaranteed | Suit Up! Philosophy Survival is not guaranteed. This should be the guiding principle of any action thriller. It should force the character to keep swinging from the moment they step into the arena. The value charge of action stories should be life or death. The harder you push your characters to the edge of death builds greater tension and drama. It forces them to innovate, surprise, and push back against the conflict in the story. You need to force them to Suit Up! Order my pulp treasure hunt novel, One Man’s Treasure Order my 1920's Aviator novella, Unwanted Passenger Join my membership - Follow The Show! /episode/index/show/suitup/id/37924260

With Eric P. Bishop and Supreme Justice 09/07/2025

With Eric P. Bishop and Supreme Justice When a landmark case with global implications reaches a divided court, everything hinges on the vote of one Supreme Court Associate Justice. The court prides itself on being impartial, but can one member be swayed to abandon their principles in order to ensure the safety of one they hold most dear? Suit Up! With Eric P. Bishop and his latest book Supreme Justice. Today we'll be talking about writing Supreme Justice, the business of publishing, writing sexy scenes, and much more! Pick up Supreme Justice - Order my pulp treasure hunt novel, One Man’s Treasure Order my 1920's Aviator novella, Unwanted Passenger Join my membership - Follow Eric Follow The Show! /episode/index/show/suitup/id/37906420

What it means to Suit Up! | Suit Up! Philosophy 09/02/2025

What it means to Suit Up! | Suit Up! Philosophy Trouble doesn't care how you're dressed, but it cares if you are prepared. James Bond is popularly seen as a martini drinking Brit in a tuxedo, charming women and evading danger. It's an oversimplification and easy to mistake the accessories for the meaning. James Bond isn't cool because of the tuxedo, watches, gadgets or girls. It's because he has a robust skill set to meet any challenge and face the obstacles which any mission throws at him. If you want to be like Bond, you don't need to start investing in designer apparel, you need to invest in skills. This is what it means to Suit Up! Order my pulp treasure hunt novel, One Man’s Treasure Order my 1920's Aviator novella, Unwanted Passenger Join my membership - Follow The Show! /episode/index/show/suitup/id/37924230

With The Shadow and Ryan Holt (Analyze This Mr. Bond) 08/31/2025

With The Shadow and Ryan Holt (Analyze This Mr. Bond) Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of man? Ryan Holt from Analyze This Mr. Bond joins the show to chat about the 90's Pulp Perfection of The Shadow. We'll talk about what it got right, what it got wrong, and what was missing from making the same splash as Batman 1989. Order my pulp treasure hunt novel, One Man’s Treasure Order my 1920's Aviator novella, Unwanted Passenger Join my membership - Follow Ryan Follow The Show! /episode/index/show/suitup/id/37824405

The age of discovery never ends | Suit Up! Philosophy 08/26/2025

The age of discovery never ends | Suit Up! Philosophy The age of discovery never ends. It’s easy to forget that. Modern mapping and technology makes the world feel smaller than ever before. Yet, there’s still more to learn and discover each day. You may not be the first to walk into uncharted territory, but there are worlds to explore around you now. It’s a question of mindset. Approach life with a sense of adventure and you’ll find it. Curiosity for the world, place and people surrounding you is what you lack. Even when you exhaust what is readily at hand to learn, reading and traveling allows you to repeat the process again and again countless times. Suit Up! Order my pulp treasure hunt novel, One Man’s Treasure Order my 1920's Aviator novella, Unwanted Passenger Follow The Show! /episode/index/show/suitup/id/37561075

With Kyle Mills and Fade In 08/24/2025

With Kyle Mills and Fade In When an ex-Navy SEAL ends up injured and imprisoned, a shadowy ring of power brokers offers him the only way out—through a high-stakes military mission. Kyle Mills joins the show to talk about Fade In, his latest thriller. We’ll discuss resurrecting Fade as a character, publishing with Author’s Equity, writing habits, and much more! Pick up Fade In - Order my pulp treasure hunt novel, One Man’s Treasure Order my 1920's Aviator novella, Unwanted Passenger Join my membership - Follow Kyle Website: Follow The Show! /episode/index/show/suitup/id/37744025

The martini mission | Suit Up! Philosophy 08/19/2025

The martini mission | Suit Up! Philosophy The martini and the mission. They can be seen as two sides of Bond’s world, or the intersection of them. From the outside, we see the division. James Bond socializing with his martini in hand, until he steps away to begin his mission. I would argue they are one and the same. The mission is the martini. The work of a spy is to gather information. Pay attention to the details and get into the rooms others cannot. What’s your martini? What’s your bridge between what people see and your mission? Order my pulp treasure hunt novel, One Man’s Treasure Order my 1920's Aviator novella, Unwanted Passenger Follow The Show! /episode/index/show/suitup/id/37561065

With The Rocketeer and Scott McCrea 08/17/2025

With The Rocketeer and Scott McCrea Strap on your jetpack, we're diving into The Rocketeer with Scott McCrea. We talk about the age of wonder, spirit of adventure, and the sincerity of the film. Pick Up Scott's latest book Cry Flint - Pick up Targets West - Order my pulp treasure hunt novel, One Man’s Treasure Order my 1920's Aviator novella, Unwanted Passenger Follow Scott: Follow The Show! /episode/index/show/suitup/id/37643090

Dare for your dreams | Suit Up! Philosophy 08/12/2025

Dare for your dreams | Suit Up! Philosophy Dreams are easy. Too formless to have faults. They are pretty, perfect and satisfying to consider. The work comes in daring to make them real. The results have no guarantee of success. You can pour your heart and soul into the work only to come up short. For the audience to look at what you made and turn up their nose. You need to ask yourself if the dream you have is worth the daring. Is it worth the chance and the choice? Will you Suit Up? Order my pulp treasure hunt novel, One Man’s Treasure Order my 1920's Aviator novella, Unwanted Passenger Follow The Show! /episode/index/show/suitup/id/37561060

With T.D. Severin and Deadly Vision 08/10/2025

With T.D. Severin and Deadly Vision Suit Up! With T.D. Severin and his debut medical thriller Deadly Vision. Fighting for his medical career and eventually his life, Deadly Vision tells the tale of Dr. Taylor Abrahms' battle against overwhelming odds, political machinations, sabotage and murder, to bring Virtual Heart Surgery to reality and save the life of someone he loves. We'll be talking with Todd about his writing process, virtual reality in medicine, creativity, comics and much more! Pick up Deadly Vision - Order my pulp treasure hunt novel, One Man’s Treasure Order my 1920's Aviator novella, Unwanted Passenger Follow Todd: Follow The Show! /episode/index/show/suitup/id/37561130

What makes a swashbuckler? | Suit Up! Philosophy 08/05/2025

What makes a swashbuckler? | Suit Up! Philosophy Laugh. Lunge. Suit Up! #suitupphilosophy What makes a swashbuckler? It's one of those conversations which gets into semantics and specifics. However, the purer you try to define it, the less meaning you gain from the idea. Swashbuckling is an attitude. One which is seen from characters like Robin Hood, Zorro, or Indiana Jones. They are from different places, different times, and different goals, but each exhibit what it means to swashbuckle. Laughing in the face of danger. Choosing to defy the odds. Lunging into the thick of things because it's the right thing to do. As much as any fencing style, it's all about your stance. It's about how you approach the world and conflicts around you. Don't quibble about exacting definitions. Get out there and Suit Up! Order my pulp treasure hunt novel, One Man’s Treasure Order my 1920's Aviator novella, Unwanted Passenger Follow The Show! /episode/index/show/suitup/id/37230800

With Paul Bishop and 52 Weeks of Sherlock Holmes 08/03/2025

With Paul Bishop and 52 Weeks of Sherlock Holmes In over a hundred years of Sherlock Holmes storytelling, there have been countless continuations and pastiches of his narrative. Paul Bishop has edited 52 Weeks of Sherlock Holmes Novels: Traditional Favorites and Exciting New Discoveries Join our conversation where we discuss the enduring nature of the world's greatest detective, the legacy of pastiche authors, James Bond, the shadow of Sherlock and much more! Order 52 Weeks of Sherlock Holmes Novels: Traditional Favorites and Exciting New Discoveries - Order my pulp treasure hunt novel, One Man’s Treasure Order my 1920's Aviator novella, Unwanted Passenger Follow Paul Bishop: Follow The Show! /episode/index/show/suitup/id/37385795

Adventure is calling | Suit Up! Philosophy 07/29/2025

Adventure is calling | Suit Up! Philosophy The journey is calling. Will you pick up? It's almost a cliche of writing to say there's a call to adventure. Casually, it sounds simple. Ask and answer. Adventure is rarely so kind. Adventure doesn't ask, it demands. It pulls you from the safety of your known world and hurls you into a journey from which you cannot escape unharmed or unchanged. The choice to embrace the change it offers is yours. Your attitude defines what the journey looks like. In large part, it also determines who you will be at the destination. Will you Suit Up? Order my pulp treasure hunt novel, One Man’s Treasure Order my 1920's Aviator novella, Unwanted Passenger Follow The Show! /episode/index/show/suitup/id/37230865

With Doubleshot and Blake Powers (Bond Life Chicago) 07/27/2025

With Doubleshot and Blake Powers (Bond Life Chicago) Tune in for Doubleshot by Raymond Benson, the second book of the Union Trilogy. We're joined by Blake Powers (Bond Life Chicago) to discuss the highs and lows of the book, the characterization of Bond, Hemingway style bull fighting, twinning and much more! Pick up Doubleshot - Order my pulp treasure hunt novel, One Man’s Treasure Order my 1920's Aviator novella, Unwanted Passenger Follow Blake: Follow The Show! /episode/index/show/suitup/id/37384395

With Gene Koon and Another Try 07/20/2025

With Gene Koon and Another Try Gene Koon joins the show to talk about his debut thriller Another Try. Wine and bullets. Another Try is a sharp political thriller, intertwining hidden agendas and looming danger as Garris Kelley navigates through a vineyard of trouble that entangles both a covert plot and political echelons. On this episode, we discuss Gene’s experiences in The Hague, writing Another Try, prose styles, aviation adventures and much more! Pick up Another Try Another Try Audiobook Pick up my pulp treasure hunt novel, One Man’s Treasure Pick up my 1920's Aviator novella, Unwanted Passenger Follow Gene Follow The Show! /episode/index/show/suitup/id/37230680

Create a mountain | Suit Up! Philosophy 07/15/2025

Create a mountain | Suit Up! Philosophy Give characters a mountain. A goal of imposing breadth and magnitude to loom over the course of the story. This ambition gives readers and characters a direction. The way characters choose to respond tells you about them. Are they excited or avoidant? The mountain remains. By desire or dire necessity, at the base of the mountain the character is forced to climb. The climb takes effort. Pushing the character to their limits. Testing their resolve and ability. It has to be hard enough to matter. Too easy and we aren’t invested in the effort. Summiting the peak takes everything they have. Challenging them to new heights. When they reach the top, they are forever changed by their experience. Which leads to the most important question in a story: What’s next? Suit Up! Order my pulp treasure hunt novel, One Man’s Treasure Order my 1920's Aviator novella, Unwanted Passenger Follow The Show! /episode/index/show/suitup/id/37230745

With Jay S. Bell and Welcome to Cottonmouth 07/13/2025

With Jay S. Bell and Welcome to Cottonmouth Welcome to Cottonmouth, the town of misfit spies. What does the US government do with spies and special operators when they pass their expiration date? They retire them to a small town deep in the Piney Woods of East Texas, where they’re certain to cause no trouble. A collection of broken spies, former double agents, and retired operators lives in secrecy, under the watchful eye of the government in the small, deep-woods town of Cottonmouth, Texas. Jay S. Bell joins the show to talk about: The Origin of Welcome to Cottonmouth Writing an ensemble of spies Jay's pulp fiction favorites Playing with genres And much more! Pick Up Welcome to Cottonmouth Pick up my pulp treasure hunt novel, One Man’s Treasure Pick up my 1920's Aviator novella, Unwanted Passenger Follow Jay: Follow The Show! /episode/index/show/suitup/id/37139550

Allies and Adversaries | Suit Up! Philosophy 07/08/2025

Allies and Adversaries | Suit Up! Philosophy Someone you think you can trust, is just, another way to die. On the Lighting The Pipes Podcast, when the hosts review James Bond stories, they have a category for Allies and Adversaries. Depending on the story, they are frequently one and the same. Spy work is all a matter of relationships. It's why networking is a part of the vocabulary. It's why trusting the wrong person can lead to disaster. The Bond stories are full of strong allies who aid Bond on his missions, but sometimes they turn out to be an enemy. Double crossing Bond at the least expected (and most dramatic) moment. The truth is, perfect trust is nearly impossible. There's always a risk in giving others a part of our lives, it's a trade off Bond calculates based on his job, but we typically only assess in the post-mortem. The more deliberate you are in who you trust, the more conscious you can appreciate the value of that trust kept. Order my pulp treasure hunt novel, One Man’s Treasure Order my 1920's Aviator novella, Unwanted Passenger Follow The Show! /episode/index/show/suitup/id/37095555

With Ryan Pote and Blood and Treasure 07/06/2025

With Ryan Pote and Blood and Treasure Ryan Pote joins the show to talk about his debut novel Blood and Treasure. We'll discuss how Ryan's background, his writing habits, creating Ethan Cain, Blood and Treasure and much more! The winner of The Great Circle Giveaway will also be announced at the end of the episode! Pick up a copy of Blood and Treasure Pick up pulp treasure hunt novel, One Man’s Treasure Pick up 1920's Aviator novella, Unwanted Passenger Follow Ryan Follow The Show! /episode/index/show/suitup/id/37290035

Balancing the Plan | Suit Up! Philosophy 07/01/2025

Balancing the Plan | Suit Up! Philosophy Plan and execute. A simple combination? Most do one or the other, but rarely succeed at balancing the needs of both. My favorite dynamic to create a character is to lean on one idea versus the other. Too much time planning and execution may be delayed to dangerous consequences. Rushing to execute may leave too little time to know what to do. Leaping into a situation without having a sound strategy. Just like planning the perfect heist, it's necessary to take the needed time to line up the details and executing without hesitation to carry it out. Suit Up! Order my pulp treasure hunt novel, One Man’s Treasure Order my 1920's Aviator novella, Unwanted Passenger Follow The Show! /episode/index/show/suitup/id/36901325

With Christopher Clay and Renegade Immortality 06/29/2025

With Christopher Clay and Renegade Immortality Renegade Immortality is a tactical adventure. Following the deaths of his wife and daughter, special ops agent Cody Willis struggles to cope with his overwhelming grief. But when his sister is kidnapped and forced to lead a top-secret job as the head of a research team in Peru, Cody will race across the world in order to save one of the last people he thinks he has left. Christopher Clay joins the show to talk about writing Renegade Immortality, sibling dynamics, Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade and much more! Order Renegade Immortality Order my pulp treasure hunt novel, One Man’s Treasure Order my 1920's Aviation novella, Unwanted Passenger Follow Christopher Follow The Show! /episode/index/show/suitup/id/37139330

Conflict Creates Heroes | Suit Up! Philosophy 06/24/2025

Conflict Creates Heroes | Suit Up! Philosophy Heroes are made for conflict. Conflict makes heroes. Avoid stupid conflicts. Avoid the things which take time and attention, but don't bring good or glory. Stories only work with conflict. The better the conflict, the better the hero who faces them. It forces the character of a protagonist to the surface. Weak conflicts create weak stories. Boring. Dull. Do not finish. Crafting the perfect conflict to bring the best from your story and characters is a necessity of good writing. Pick at the thing which makes your protagonist groan, suffer and strive against. It makes for gripping reading if they choose to be heroic. Embrace the conflicts for good purpose. They don't need to manufactured. You don't need to look for them. They will come to you. Can you Suit Up!? Order my pulp treasure hunt novel, One Man’s Treasure Order my 1920's Aviator novella, Unwanted Passenger Follow The Show! /episode/index/show/suitup/id/36901300

With Rob Hart and The Medusa Protocol 06/22/2025

With Rob Hart and The Medusa Protocol With Rob Hart and The Medusa Protocol On today's episode, we are joined by best selling author, Rob Hart to talk about The Medusa Protocol the much anticipated follow up to Assassins Anonymous. We'll discuss: Kung Fu and Musicals Writing action scenes Establishing authority with the reader Using social media And much more! Order The Medusa Protocol Order my pulp treasure hunt novel, One Man’s Treasure Order my 1920's Aviator novella, Unwanted Passenger Follow Rob Follow The Show! /episode/index/show/suitup/id/36905930

You Need Rest | Suit Up Philosophy 06/17/2025

You Need Rest | Suit Up Philosophy Race. Rest. Suit Up! #suitupphilosophy "If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run." Kipling's admonition is why we race. We run against the ticking clock. Trying to avoid being crushed beneath the weight of time. Going the distance in our field of play. We extend all our efforts to accomplish our goals within the limited time we are given each day. It's foolish and impossible to maintain that much momentum in perpetuity. Eventually, you have to rest. Rest is the space needed to recharge and regroup. Without it, we disintegrate at the moment of impact. Unravel when we are needed. It is a gift to catch your breath before taking the next step of your adventure. Suit Up! Order my pulp treasure hunt novel, One Man’s Treasure Order my 1920's Aviator novella, Unwanted Passenger Follow The Show! /episode/index/show/suitup/id/36901280

With Jonathan Rogers and The Mirror of Amun-Ra 06/15/2025

With Jonathan Rogers and The Mirror of Amun-Ra We sit down with Jonathan Rogers, the director of The Mirror of Amun-Ra a short pulp-adventure film introducing a new hero: Cleopatra Pryce. On this episode, we talk: The challenges of filmmaking Creating Cleopatra Pryce Choosing an artifact Where Jonathan got his awesome fedora Intial thoughts on Dial of Destiny and much more! Watch The Mirror of Amun-Ra Order my pulp treasure hunt novel, One Man’s Treasure Order my 1920's Aviator novella, Unwanted Passenger Follow Jonathan Facebook Page: Instagram Page: IMDb Page: Letterboxd Page: Follow The Show! /episode/index/show/suitup/id/36905580

Thrillers Need Heroes | Suit Up! Philosophy 06/10/2025

Thrillers Need Heroes | Suit Up! Philosophy Thriller. Hero. Suit Up! Ever read an empty thriller? The events and excitement are only so interesting without a dynamic hero at the center of the story. We resonate with characters, not plots. No matter how good a plot, without a strong protagonist to hold it together it becomes flat and lifeless. I find Forever and a Death by Donald Westlake fascinating, but because it was originally a Bond script and turned into a novel without Bond, the protagonist of the piece is a little flat and lifeless. When your life starts to feel rushed and chaotic, remember: Thrillers need heroes. Suit Up! Follow The Show! /episode/index/show/suitup/id/36901210

With Martin Rooney and Blood Feud 06/08/2025

With Martin Rooney and Blood Feud Suit Up! With Martin Rooney's debut thriller: Blood Feud When terminal cancer pushes Cain to the brink, an assassination attempt thrusts him back into a life of violence. But this isn’t a random hit—someone wants Cain silenced after he stumbles on a devastating secret: the billionaires profiting from cancer are also hiding its cure. On today's episode we talk with Martin about his background in athletics, the backstory to writing Blood Feud, his literary influences, favorite super hero and much more! Check out my latest release, Unwanted Passenger: A Mitch Mayhew Story Unwanted Passenger is a roaring, prop-spinning, pulse-pounding historical thriller for fans of aerial stunts, flapper-era intrigue, and reluctant heroes with debts to pay and demons to outrun. Order Blood Feud Follow Martin Follow The Show! /episode/index/show/suitup/id/36897440

With The Fountain of Youth and Justin Scott 05/25/2025

With The Fountain of Youth and Justin Scott Justin Scott makes his Suit Up! debut to discuss The Fountain of Youth, the new release you didn't stay home to see. We discuss the screenplay, actors, Guy Ritchie, and the decline of Adventure cinema. Follow Justin Follow The Show! /episode/index/show/suitup/id/36699305

With LS Goozdich and Fire in the Tall Grass 05/18/2025

With LS Goozdich and Fire in the Tall Grass Order my pulp treasure hunt novel, One Man’s Treasure Suit Up! With Luke Goozdich and his latest book Fire in the Tall Grass. Under the guise of helping a woman find her husband and a son reunite with his father, Redford plunges into the darkest part of the Congo... soon he realizes that there is more to the story. In this episode... African game stories Believing in something Serial experimentation Noah Redford’s origin A story for all ages Married heroes Louis L’Amour And much more! Follow Luke Order Fire in the Tall Grass - Join the Men's Adventure Fiction Discord Server: ⁠discord.com/invite/TzvmdM4ayW⁠ Order my pulp treasure hunt novel, One Man’s Treasure Order my 1920's Aviator novella, Unwanted Passenger Follow The Show! /episode/index/show/suitup/id/35983085

With Mark ONeill and To Catch a Spy 05/11/2025

With Mark ONeill and To Catch a Spy Order my pulp treasure hunt novel, One Man’s Treasure Suit Up! With Mark ONeill and To Catch A Spy, his debut novel! Estate approved sequel to the novel To Catch a Thief by David Dodge and 1955 Academy Award-winning film by Alfred Hitchcock. On this episode we discuss how the book started, writing with Hitchcock's shadow, creating dynamic character arcs, honoring David Dodge's legacy and much more! Order To Catch a Spy - Follow Mark Follow The Show! /episode/index/show/suitup/id/36492925

Suit Up! With Terrance Layhew

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