2011: I wasn’t really sure about the right way to introduce today’s guest, Joel Fishman. Ultimately, I opted to be straight forward, so here it is: I owe a good deal of my success as a published author to Joel Fishman. JOEL FISHMAN podcast excerpt: "On some level, people with an agenda on this issue, none of them would be 100 percent happy with me. The protagonist's sympathy is not 100 percent with the animal rights people... I don't want to be pigeonholed as the animal rights activist, just because I chose this subject to start." As my literary agent back in the ‘90s, he had a faith in me that was unflagging. And he was the kind of pitbull in negotiations that you were always glad was on your side, not theirs. My three biggest book deals – and top three selling titles – were all on his watch. I always imagined we would grow old in the business together. So it was a tough day in St. Petersburg when Joel sold his agency and decided to try his hand at other things. We drifted apart and it took some time for me to develop another lasting agency relationship. During that time, Joel tried his hand at several other things, including becoming a father. Imagine my surprise a few weeks back when my former agent showed up in the email asking to come on Mr. Media to talk about his first novel, . I asked to read it first, but that was just a formality; no way I would say no to this guy. Primacy is a really fine first effort. The action is fast and furious and its stars are both female: Liane, the animal researcher, and Bea, the talking bonobo. Yes, Rise of the Planet of the Apes fans, the Primacy apes talk and it’s purely a coincidence of timing that Primacy followed on the heels of a great ape flick. I highly recommend you read . Joel Fishman • • • • Bomb Squad NYC • • • • •