If you're reading this, it means you have somehow decided to stay subscribed to The Dream Job Podcast feed despite receiving exactly zero minutes of new content in the past three months. And if you're that dedicated to the work we're doing here, it's likely you were also listening in May when we had Dave McCloskey on the podcast. And if you were, you likely recall the solemn vow we made to our dear listeners that we would have Dave back on for a second episode to see how life was going after his first novel was released. This is that episode.  

When we last chatted with Dave, he was a former CIA analyst, a formerMcKinsey consultant, and an aspiring bestselling novelist, with the "aspiring" tag being passive-aggressively applied by us due to the fact that Dave's debut novel had yet to be released.  Well, we can now drop the "aspiring" tag and give Dave the credit that is his due as an actual novelist.

Damascus Station, Dave's debut novel came out in early October and has since gone on to sell several (at least seven) thousand copies, receive more than two hundred five star reviews on Amazon, and be named to a number of fall reading lists by the likes of Amazon, The Washington Post, Apple Books, and others. By nearly any measure, Damascus Station is an amazing success for a first-time author with zero reality TV credits or TikTok followers.

BUT...does that mean the path has been laid for Dave's career as a full-time novelist? Does it mean book #2 is destined for the same result? Does it mean he's living his dream??  Those are questions that need answers. And if we have to stage an impromptu, unplanned, mid-Winter podcast episode to get those answers...well, that's what we're going to do. So here it is. Hope you enjoy it! 

• Dave's Website
• Dave on Instagram
• Damascus Station on Amazon