Welcome to a new season of the award-winning Hill Country Authors Podcast, sponsored by Stoney Creek Publishing. In this podcast, Hill Country resident Tom Fox visits with authors who live in and write about the Texas Hill Country. In this episode, Tom welcomes back author Paul McGrath to discuss his latest novel, A Hard Left, releasing in September. It’s the third in his series about extraterrestrials Anton and Ellie, who live undercover as teachers in Hernando, Mississippi, while dodging Earth authorities and trying to redeem themselves with their Xylodonian bosses.
McGrath explains how the book satirically blends real-world issues—cybersecurity threats inspired by the real Pegasus spyware, cryptocurrency wallets and hidden funds, and Russian troll farm disinformation—alongside a powerful billionaire “puppet master” with near-unlimited resources, making these the most sophisticated adversaries Anton and Ellie have faced. The conversation also covers McGrath’s series-writing process, his use of humor, puns, surprises, new characters to balance dark themes, and recurring themes of empathy and humanity, as well as where to buy the book (Amazon, Stony Creek, and Texas A&M University Press).
Key highlights:
- Anton and Ellie Return
- Cybersecurity Meets Fiction
- Understanding Cryptocurrency
- Russian Disinformation Threats
- Billionaire Puppet Master
- Writing a Book Series
- Puns and Plot Twists
- Creating New Characters
- Where to Find the Book
Resources:
Paul McGrath on Stoney Creek Publishing
A Hard Left on Texas A&M University Press
Social Media
Podcast Cover Art
Tom Fox