Everybody's got a Story

Cecile Sarruf is an Arab-American author originally from Southern California. Born to a mother of Syro-Lebanese ancestry from Cairo and a Midwestern father, Cecile is the eldest of five. She holds a BA in Creative Writing from CSULB and an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University, Los Angeles. Educated in the high arts: opera, piano, painting and literature, Cecile explores all means of sel...

Sara Winokur introduces listeners to the worlds of genetic forensics, the people of Iceland, and a series of murders! In her Nordic noir novel “ Double Blind: The Icelandic Manuscript Murders ,” a young boy disappears from a fjord in Iceland. Years later, his twin sister Brynja, a DNA scientist, searches for him but lands in a world of trouble. Sara's second novel, the historical thriller “ Ivory...

Randy Kraft returns to the studio during Women's History Month to discuss three ground-breaking women writers: Willa Cather, Emma Wharton and Virginia Woolf. An American writer and designer, Wharton realistically portrayed in her works the lives and morals of the  Gilded Age . In 1921, she became the first woman to win the  Pulitzer Prize for Fiction  for her novel  The Age of Innocence . Her othe...

Katy Motiey joins the show today to discuss her writing journey that led to the publication of her book, Imperfect , the story of one woman’s loss, courage, love, and perseverance before and during the Iranian Revolution. Based on the experiences of the author’s mother, the story is old as a fictionalized account of true events as Vida Shamsa’s life takes an unexpected and dramatic turn with the s...

Author, high school teacher, and graphics design artisit David Block joins us this week to discuss how he combined his passion for graphic design and storytelling to create " The Dragon Codex: Quest for the Relics of Design ," a captivating middle-grade fantasy adventure that weaves together the principles of graphic design with an enchanting narrative. Inspired by his daughter, whose artistic cre...

Award-winning author and screenwriter Herb Williams-Dalgart joins us in this podcast to discuss his writing journey, thoughts on UCI's writing program and the commmunity of writers he found there, and his two novels - The French Girl's War and Jingle Boys (see more at HerbTheWriter.com ). Herb's work has been recognized by national and regional writing competitions for developing rich, memorable s...

Social Media genius and The Best of Laguna Beach maven Diane Armitage offers writers advice and "how to" tips on the subject of promoting their writing. Diane discusses the importance of "leverage" and why writers owe it to themselves and their readers to make sure they "don't paddle around the harbor" but get their work out there! Diane also reveals that it's OK for writers to make money and prov...

We experienced a bit of a plot twist when today's guest came down with the flu so we pivoted to a new feature - selected readings of first chapters from books by authors who have previously appeared on the show! This episode features  Becoming Modigliani , by Henri Colt; Signs of Life , by Randy Kraft, and The Dream Stitcher , by Deborah Gaal. Click on the title of each work for more information....

Producer, writer, director in film and television, and professor   Christine Fugate takes us behind the camera to give writers insights into how to use perspective, story telling, and the well crafted lie in dialogue to enhance our tales. Along the way we discuss talent meeting opportunity, advice on travel, an interlude with the rock band KISS and thoughts on the power of one-act plays. Although...

KXFM's own Jason Feddy joins the show this week but not for the reason you think! A Laguna Beach icon and music legend, Jason takes us in a different direction - he shares his thoughts on Apologies - how to do it well and why you need to do it more now than ever. Jason discusses his youth and coming of age in England, early years with rock bands and music, his discent into the dark night of the so...

In this week's episode we mind our Ps & Qs and leave no participle dangled as guest author Rebecca Lyles joins us to humorously explore communication stumbling blocks, reveal common errors in the use of the English language, and provide time-tested advice on how to write and speak effectively. We also discuss the importance of finding a good editor and -- SPOILER ALERT -- reading the best writ...

Deborah Gaal has published two novels: Synchronicities on the Avenue of the Saints and The Dream Stitcher . Deborah enjoys crafting novels that bring darkness into the light, touch on societal issues, and make our personal trials seem relevant and manageable through the allegory of relatable characters. In today's episode, Deborah stitches us a picture of her mothers's and father's respective hist...

Host John Tynan rings in the New Year by paying homage to Holiday Digest 2024 , a collaboration with the Laguna Beach Independent and Third Street Writers that appears during the holiday season. For the past seven years, selected writers have shared holiday-themed stories with readers of the Indy. In the first episode of Season 2, John reads ten original stories written by members of Third Street...

Whether your new to Flash Fiction or a seasoned pro, this episode looks to bring a new perspective to the genre by looking at select songs and their lyrics as a form of flash fiction. In particular, we feature the songs "Jericho Bay" and "Charlie's Sky" (Icehouse), "You Don't Mess Around with Jim" (Jim Croce), "The Night That the Lights Went Out in Georgia" (Vicki Lawrence), and "Family Snapshot"...

Norma Sadler reads from her book of poetry (Chasing the Past and Other Poems) and discusses how she has evolved since writing her two novels (Krystal's Notebook and Flight of the Swan). Along the way we discuss how her writing was influenced from her experience growing up in Pittsburgh and the midwest, coming of age in the 1960s, and her eventual move to California. Norma also shares some keen ins...

Writer, editor, Arts columnist for Stu News, and in-coming Third Street Writers President Theresa Keegan joins this episode of Everybody's Got A Story - and she has some opinions on the art & craft of writing! Along the way, we talk about growing up in an Irish Catholic family, the importance of local news, her views on the next chapter for Laguna Beach's preeminent writing group, Third Street...

Michael Ray and Monica Martin delve beneath the covers with Trump's Hot Bot , a unique and humorous work of creative non-fiction. This visual feast, described as "a cross between an adult comic book, Mad Magazine, and vintage Playboy" presents a biographical take on the 45th and 47th President of the United States in graphic detail. Explore the story of how "Donny's" grandfather escaped the Kaiser...

Author Randy Kraft is a former journalist/communications strategist who has three novels ( Colors of the Wheel , Signs of Life , and Off Season ) and one story collection ( Rational Women ) in print. Randy is also a book reviewer and occasional lecturer. She holds an MAW, Masters in Writing; MBA; and BA, Literature. Raised in NYC, Randy migrated to Laguna Beach in 2006 where she is now happily wri...

Dr. Henri Colt joins Everybody's Got A Story to discuss his book,  Becoming Modigliani , "a myth-busting biography of Italian-Jewish artist Amedeo Modigliani." Along the way Henri answers such existential questions as “do we need another book on Modigliani? and Why write about Modigliani at all? We also receive a significant insight on the critcalness to writers of proper research, especially the...

Author Kaira Rouda and her husband, former Congress Person Harley Rouda, take over Everybody's Got a Story as part of KXFM's annual fundraising drive. This dynamic couple shares love, laughs, and their mutual passion for the art of writing, dedication to serving others, and the importance of local community radio!  On today's episode, Kaira announces the release of her twenty-second book, "What th...

Colorado transplant Diane Armitage came to "...this little vortex town in 2000...and decided to get out and explore...and...the “Best of Laguna Beach™” blog ( Best of Laguna Beach | Diane Armitage | Substack ) and books were inadvertently born." Over 17 years, Diana has shared her “best of” findings for everything from breakfast burritos to live music and Laguna Beach's rockin’ chefs. Diane also o...

Laguna Beach poet, world traveler and climate change activist Ellen Girardeau Kempler takes us on a poetic jouney that includes how she emerged from the chrysalis of a significant life setback to become a poet, her love for Laguna and her views on climate change through the lens of her poetry. Ellen also reads from her forthcoming publication, expected in April 2025, a collection of 32 poems explo...

Third Street Writers President Amy Dechary and LCAD Gallery Manager Bryan Heggie team up to talk about writing workshops, visual arts, and the symbiotic relationship between the two art forms in action here in Laguna Beach. Amy and Bryan also discuss the history of Secrets & Sins, an open mic reading event focused on the scary, macabe, and sublime scheduled to take place at the LCAD Gallery on...

Linda Shelton Marshal spent twenty-five years writing scripts for Fortune 500 Companies including Dow and Dow-Corning as well as multinational organizations like the Boy Scouts. Embued with a keen sense of how human beings are wired for story, Linda admonished her client to avoid being a Talking Head and seek instead to communincate on a more listener oriented plane. Linda takes listeners through...

Phil Daigle, Laguna Beach resident and author of three independently published novels, provides listeners with a step-by-step guide on how to successfully navigate the world of independent publishing to bring your writing project to life. From e-readers to Amazon sales to published hard copies, Phil shares his experience along with tips and tricks for writers seeking alternatives to the Big 5 Publ...