The Story Blender

This week I talk with Kiran Singh Sirah, an award-winning Storytelling Industry leader and Past President of the International Storytelling Center. His work in peace-building through storytelling has received recognition from UNESCO, The White House, and The United Nations. Kiran and I explore the power of stories to build bridges and understanding between different groups and cultures. Join us as...

This Christmas and holiday season I sat down with storyteller, performer, and conference speaker Keith Ferrin. He has presented and performed entire books of the Bible, created biblical storytelling programs for Christmas, and spoken at events worldwide. We talk about his journey toward becoming a storyteller, his three words of advice on how to enhance, improve and avoid different aspects of your...

This week I speak with New York Times bestselling author Travis Thrasher. He’s a prolific author who has written an astonishing 100 books including memoirs and fiction. His latest collaboration is That Deserves a Wow by sports broadcaster Chris Myers. We discuss writing stories from your life and the types of moments to include, what lies at the heart of all great stories (regardless of the genre)...

This week I chat with acclaimed author and radio personality, Chris Fabry. His 80+ novels have won numerous awards and sold to readers all over the world. We talk about his writing process, advice for storytellers at any stage in their journey, why it’s vital to get your stories out there, the importance of family storytelling, and hunting stories that might or might not be true. (Don’t worry, no...

Acclaimed author and screenwriter Adam Hamdy joins me this week to talk about story, storytelling, and his latest thriller, DEADBEAT. We explore finding and losing your storytelling voice, giving your characters agency, how your character’s reaction is really a means of revelation, and whether or not you can have a character who is both the hero and a villain at the same time. Join us for a fascin...

This week I caught up with prolific author Josh Corin. He has written six Deadpool graphic novels for Marvel aComics and has a new twisty novel out called ASSUME NOTHING. We talk about why high stakes matter in a story, transgressions that characters make, writing about people you don’t understand, irony leading to resonance, and what it means to throw rocks at your protagonist. It’s a great conve...

This week, I caught up with long-time editor and author Tiffany Yates Martin. We discussed what it truly means to be successful as an author—who defines success and where your sense of fulfillment should come from. We delved into the ups and downs, the highlights, and the heartaches of writing, as well as her latest book,  The Intuitive Author: How to Grow & Sustain A Happier Writing Career. D...

This week I chat with Jonathan Rogers, acclaimed author and writing instructor, who has worked for decades helping authors improve their craft. Based in Nashville, he hosts a weekly podcast on the craft of writing. We talk about writing as a way of loving your readers, paying attention, writing on the surface, books that every author should read, and more. Bonus thought: Learn why writing doesn’t...

This week I catch up with award-winning storyteller and folklore expert Linda Poland. She has traveled the world telling stories and was the Resident Storyteller for the town of Jonesborough, Tennessee, the unofficial capital of storytelling in the United States. Listen to her folksy wisdom on storytelling, how a report card inspired her 40 years later, and the one sentence that made all the diffe...

Exciting news! Bestselling author J.T. Ellison is joining Steven James on The Story Blender podcast! 🎙️✨ Dive deep into the craft of storytelling as they discuss the art of writing thrillers, character development, and the twists that keep readers on the edge of their seats. Don't miss this chance to hear from one of the masters of suspense! 

This week’s guest, Iain S. Thomas, is an international bestselling author, artist and technologist whose work focuses on the intersection of technology, culture and spirituality. His words appear everywhere, from fridge magnets to monuments and as tattoos on his millions of readers. He’s words have been quoted by everyone from Steven Spielberg and Harry Styles to Kim Kardashian and Arianna Huffing...

ANIKA PAVEL was born in Czechoslovakia. What was intended as a one-year stay in England turned her into a refugee when the Soviet Union invaded her homeland. She received a crash course in life that took her from sleeping in a telephone booth at the Victoria railway station in London to waitressing, to the lights of the fashion runway, and on to magazine covers, even a James Bond appearance. When...

This week we celebrate the art of oral storytelling with one of the world’s leading voices on folk tales, the celebrated Irish storyteller, Liz Weir. She has told her stories to people of all ages on five continents. She has performed in pubs and prisons and hospital rooms. She worked on stages in the mighty Vanderbilt Hall of New York’s Grand Central Station and in London's Royal Albert Hall. Lis...

Michelle Cox has always been obsessed with stories of the past and has spent a lifetime collecting them.  She is the award-winning author of historical fiction, including the Henrietta and Inspector Howard series, The Fallen Woman’s Daughter, and The Merriweather Novels.  Cox also pens the wildly popular,  “Novel Notes of Local Lore,”  a weekly blog chronicling the lives of Chicago’s forgotten res...

This week’s guest, Jenny Milchman, is an acclaimed crime and thriller novelist who is a Mary Higgins Clark award-winning and USA Today bestselling author of five novels. We chat about crafting stories will lots of twists and surprises, dealing with self-doubt, the Christmas-morning joy feeling of first drafts and the reality check of revisions, the power of speaking up, and her newest book THE USU...

This week on the story blender I catch up with John Raab, publisher, podcaster, and suspense expert. We talk about some of our favorite types of stories, the difference between suspense and other genres, what makes a thriller really work, and how to pitch your idea to a publisher or editor. You’ll love John’s practical advice, his humor and his down-to-earth personality. Check it out and subscribe...

This week I catch up with Andrew Welsh-Huggins, an  acclaimed author of numerous private eye and thriller novels. He is the Shamus, Derringer, and International Thriller Writers award-nominated author of many books and short stories. Andrew has two releases coming up just around the corner and we chat about those, about what makes a good short story, plot twists and pivots, what a “noir” story is...

This week I catch up with award-winning crime writer John Copenhaver who pens historical mysteries that celebrate minorities and those whose stories aren’t often told. We explore what a story needs at the very start, whether or not to plan out your crime novel before writing it, and the drawbacks of workshopping stories. We also talk about his latest novel, HALL OF MIRRORS. Check it out and subscr...

If you’ve ever read an action or military thriller you’re probably familiar with the name “Tom Clancy.” And, while he unfortunately passed away in 2013, other gifted authors are still carrying on his legacy and I’m thrilled today to have one of them joining on The Story Blender to talk about his writing process and his latest book TOM CLANCY: SHADOW STATE.  M.P. Woodward, a former U.S. Naval intel...

Listen in as I pick the brains of co-authors Isabella Maldonado and Jeffery Deaver on the process of writing a crime thriller that will keep readers turning pages. We discuss how to keep your characters intriguing, inside information on writing, and the importance of getting the facts right. We also talk about outlining, their latest thriller, FATAL INTRUSION, and how many drafts and rewrites Jeff...

This week I chat with Caroline Cleveland about her southern mystery WHEN CICADAS CRY. She talks about the five aspects of Southern Fiction and how she tried to weave them into her story, the power of story to bring people together, and how cultures are both shaped by stories and reflected in the stories we tell. Give it a listen!

This week I talk with James Gordon, who worked for decades in Hollywood in the documentary and reality TV world and contributed to more than 100 shows, including Big Brother, Project Runway and America’s Next Top Model. We talk about his experiences in putting together meaningful and poignant shows, how stories bring us all together, Breaking Bad, and his latest venture, the acclaimed travel podca...

Acclaimed screenwriter and novelist Jule Selbo shares insights on plot, why she started watching sports after she left Hollywood, finding the new normal at the end of a story, and celebrating dilemma over theme. She also shares the drawbacks of outlining and the story behind her latest novel, 8 DAYS. Give it a listen, check it out, and subscribe.

This week, author Cara Reinard joins me to talk about shaping and developing twists and psychological suspense in your writing, the importance of flawed characters, how to be an expert “breadcrumber,” and more. We also chat about your latest release, THE WIFE AT THE WINDOW. Give it a listen, like, and subscribe!

Have you heard of the novelist Richard Castle? Well… I had a chance to chat with him. Listen as I talk with Tom Straw, who wrote numerous books under Castle’s name. Tom is an award-winning screenwriter, humorist, and New York Times bestselling author whose sharp and witty writing has connected with fans around the world. Together, we explore how stories can lean into struggles, truth, and humor. Y...