298. FanX Salt Lake 2024 Writers of the Future Panel
We recorded this podcast at the Writers of the Future panel at FanX Salt Lake 2024 with an amazing list of panelists. Beginning with me as the moderator, it included S.M. Stirling, Larry Niven, Rebecca Moesta, Kevin J. Anderson, Darci Stone, and Eric James Stone. And as promised in the promotion for the panel, a recently discovered video interview with Ray Bradbury from the very first Writers of the Future Gala in 1985 was played. While you can listen to his interview on this podcast, you can go to the Writers of the Future YouTube page on the playlist Advice From a Master: Ray Bradbury. So, here we are at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City.
299. Joe Davis: Tips on Doing Successful Interviews
Joe Davis competed for the US in the winter sliding sport of Skeleton at the Olympic Park (1999-2003). For the last few years, he has enjoyed sharing the stories and history of Park City and Utah in general as an Anchor and Reporter for the NBC affiliate KSL and as the former Host of the Mountain Morning Show on PCTV (Park City Television). In addition, he proudly continues serving as a Public Affairs Broadcast Journalist for the United States Air Force. Joe Davis is a long-term supporter of Writers of the Future having done dozens of interviews with me, Contest winners, and judges. In this interview, we discuss how to do a successful interview. What is important to provide? What should you not do?
300. Angelique Fawns Spooky Tales for All Ages Plus a Book of All Short Story Markets
Angelique Fawns has published multiple short stories in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and DreamForge Anvil. She has also published several dark fantasy compendiums titled Mythical Monsters. I read several of her short stories in The Horror Lite Anthologies Book 3 and found them perfect for entertaining Halloween reads. She also compiled a publication listing all short story markets titled The Guide of All Guides, which we will discuss. Learn more at Fawns.ca.
301. Dennys Ilic World Class Celebrity Photographer Creating Photographic Art Books
Dennys Ilic is a genuinely beautiful person who has, for the past 18 years, pursued his passion as a professional photographer. He is also a celebrated Leica photographer. He has become internationally renowned as an editorial portrait photographer, best known for his edgy and soulful images. He has worked with clients including A-list actors Daniel Radcliffe, Jason Momoa, Halle Berry, Charlie Hunnam, Viola Davis, Keanu Reeves, Glenn Close, Ryan Reynolds, Cindy Crawford, Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, Karl Urban, Edward James Olmos, Rosario Dawson, Lawrence Fishburne, Mary McDonnell, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Hart, Lou Diamond Philips, as well as Joel Silver, David S. Goyer, and Peter Jackson, to name a few. Dennys has been instrumental in publishing five successful hard-cover photographic art books and is in preparation for creating the Star Trek Discovery Coffee-Table Book. Today, we will talk about Men of Science Fiction. See his work at leicagalleryla.com/gallery-view/dennys-ilic/.
302. Cory Verner Pioneer in Digital Download Audiobooks and Creator of Christian Audio
This interview was recorded at the Frankfurt Bookfair in Frankfurt, Germany.
Cory Verner created Christian Audio as a solution to having something good to listen to on his daily 3-hour commute from San Diego to Orange County in California. He grew his company to the point where he was ready to move on and sold it to Recorded Books, at which point he decided to create his new company, ONE Audiobooks. He also has Verity Audio Productions, specializing in Spanish, and works with other audiobook publishers.
We discuss the value of audiobooks with a good message, not preaching, but like PG or PG 13-type stories.
He also created Zoundy.com, a site that allows authors to create and use an audiobook as a free giveaway to build reviews for their books, which can be posted on Goodreads and Amazon.
Note: We used the term “SaaS” in the interview, which means “Software as a Service.”
We also discuss the growth of the audiobook industry and the models used to discover audiobooks.
Learn more at oneaudiobooks.com.
303. Jason Kelly of Sounded Discusses the Ethics of AI Voice Narration
Jason Kelly, the CEO of Sounded, an audiobook company, was interviewed at the Frankfurt Bookfair. We addressed the fact that AI audiobooks are now a reality. In fact, Audible created 40,000 AI audiobooks last year using synthetic voices.
We discuss how AI (synthetic voices) can be set up to not violate narrator rights and how it works. We also discuss how companies violate copyright laws by using a clone model (a celebrity voice synthesized by AI), and, thus, the authors need to know what they are getting into.
If you are an author wanting to get your book created as an audiobook but have a very limited budget, then perhaps Sounded is a resource for you.
304. Scott T. Barnes: Writing with Multiple 1st Person Points of View
Scott won the Writers of the Future Contest in volume 28 with his story “Insect Sculptor.” He is the Founder of NewMyths eZine, one of only a few online magazines that continue to pay writers, poets, and artists for their contributions.
He was a guest on this podcast on episode 57 in early 2020, just before the pandemic hit.
In this interview, we discuss writing with multiple first-person points of view as well as his new YA novel, Memories of Lucinda Eco, which demonstrates this technique.
You can find Memories of Lucinda Eco at www.amazon.com.
Learn more at www.scotttbarnes.com.
305. Sean McManus President of Dreamscape on Growth of Audiobooks
Sean is the President of Dreamscape Media.
He is also the President of the Audio Publishers Association.
We met in Frankfurt recently at the Book Fair and finalized this interview.
Audiobook growth kept the publishing industry growing during the pandemic, so I am very excited to speak with Sean about the growth of audiobooks as an industry. We also discuss the growth of AI generated audiobooks in the industry as a viable solution for books that would not otherwise ever be made as an audiobook.
306. Myke Cole Discusses Writing Historical Fiction vs Non-Fiction
Myke was a Writers of the Future Contest winner in volume 19 with his story “Blood and Horses.”
He is an American author of fantasy, science fiction, and nonfiction. His series includes the Shadow Ops, Reawakening, and Sacred Throne. His career also involves television, and he has appeared on the CBS reality show Hunted and the Discovery Channel series Contact.
Myke Cole is a fire/rescue responder in New York’s Hudson Valley. He has spent a long career in the military, intelligence, and law enforcement.
When I reached out to him, he told me he was more about writing nonfiction these days. So today, we discuss his most recent publication, Steel Lobsters: Crown, Commonwealth, and the Last Knights in England.
Steel Lobsters covers the complete history of England’s last knights, from the seeds of their creation in Hesilrige’s experience as a young cavalry officer to their final defeat at Roundway Down in July 1643.
Learn more at mykecole.com.
307. Elise Stephens the Amazing Use of Metaphors and Similes in Storytelling
Elise Stephens credits much of her storytelling influence to a lifelong love of theater and childhood globetrotting. Her work focuses on themes of family, memory, and finding hope after a devastating loss.
I originally met her when she won the Writers of the Future competition in 2018 with her short story “Untrained Luck” appearing in Writers of the Future Vol 35.
When I saw an announcement for a new book, Forecast, her invitation to this podcast was assured.
Her fiction prose is so easy to read and her sense of character is so authentic. Her’s was a book I greedily devoured.
Learn more about Elise at elisestephens.com.
308. Andrea Fleck-Nisbet CEO Independent Book Publishers Assn on the Future of Publishing
Andrea Fleck-Nisbet is the CEO of IBPA (Independent Book Publishers Assn), which is growing rapidly. After this interview with Andrea, it is no wonder why. She is a significant force of nature and, from my perspective, a major reason for this growth.
In this interview, we discuss Indie publishing as well as author publishing. (She corrected me when I used the term self-publishing.)
We discuss IBPA, its importance to the future of publishing, and its importance to authors and indie publishers.
Learn more at ibpa-online.org.
307. Elise Stephens the Amazing Use of Metaphors and Similes in Storytelling
Elise Stephens credits much of her storytelling influence to a lifelong love of theater and childhood globetrotting. Her work focuses on themes of family, memory, and finding hope after a devastating loss.
I originally met her when she won the Writers of the Future competition in 2018 with her short story “Untrained Luck” appearing in Writers of the Future Vol 35.
When I saw an announcement for a new book, Forecast, her invitation to this podcast was assured.
Her fiction prose is so easy to read and her sense of character is so authentic. Her’s was a book I greedily devoured.
Learn more about Elise at elisestephens.com.
I love that John is such a huge fan of Elise. Legit.
Career: 1x Win -- 2x NW-F -- 2x S-F -- 9x S-HM -- 11x HM -- 7x R
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309. Adam Schomer Selling Superman: The Role of Comics in Pop Culture
Adam Schomer is a filmmaker who created Selling Superman, which is the basis of this podcast interview.
He is president of i2i Productions and goes to extreme lengths to follow stories that empower.
His documentaries include award winners: The Highest Pass, The Polygon, One Little Pill, Women of the White Buffalo, and the documentary Selling Superman about a family whose father collected comics … tens of thousands and including Superman #1 valued somewhere between $3–4M!
Check out the documentary at sellingsuperman.com.
310. Steve Smith Publisher of Oasis Family Media Discusses Importance of Family Values
Steve Smith is the President and Publisher of Sky Turtle Press/Oasis Family Media. He began his publishing career in 1984.
Throughout the 1990s, he was active in licensing entertainment industry properties for publishing projects, working with Lucasfilm, 20th Century Fox, and Sony Pictures.
This interview discusses the importance of family-friendly content and the evolution of print books to audiobooks.
311. Victoria Sutherland Publisher of Foreword Reviews on Value of Trade Reviews for Authors
Victoria Sutherland created Foreword Reviews magazine in 1988. Since its inception, Foreword Reviews has never strayed from its mission to help booksellers and librarians discover great books from indie presses. Authors may not know that librarians need a trade review to order books, which is what Foreword Reviews is.
They include 100–125 reviews per bi-monthly issue.
Anyone listening to this podcast will receive a 15% discount for any Foreword service using discount code “WOTF” at forewordreviews.com.
312. David Hankins on Writing SF Humor and Death and the Dragon
David Hankins was a Writers of the Future Volume 39 winner in 2023 with his short story “Death and the Taxman.” In this interview, we discuss science fiction comedy vs. satire and its value to the overall genre.
He has since gone on to create a series based on his short story. The first was appropriately titled Death and the Taxman, and the second, now releasing, Death and the Dragon.
He was a guest earlier as a winner and you can hear him in episodes 238 and 239 with fellow winners following the awards gala.
Learn more about David at davidhankins.com.
313. Douglas E. Richards Discusses the Blur Between Science and Science Fiction
Douglas Richards was a guest earlier in episode 211. In it, we discuss the blur between science and science fiction and the theme will continue in this episode. His most recent book, The Breakthrough Effect, was written as ChatGPT made its official appearance and so is very relevant.
314. Scot Noel Publisher of DreamForge Magazine Discussing AI in Publishing
Scot Noel was a guest earlier, which you can listen to on episode 210.
Scot was a Writers of the Future Volume 6 winner in 2010 and has since gone on to write more SF and created DreamForge Magazine, now in its fourth year. He has also spent quite some time working in computer science, specifically AI, and likens it to the parable of the two blind men describing an elephant, which we discuss in this interview.
Learn more at dreamforgemagazine.com.
315. Marc Cameron Retired US Marshal on Writing Adventure Thrillers
Marc Cameron is a former US Marshal and author of the Arliss Cutter novels, the Jericho Quinn series, and the Tom Clancy Jack Ryan books starting with Power and Empire.
His law enforcement career has spanned over thirty years, from uniformed police officer to mounted patrol officer and detective before becoming a US Marshal, where he served as a Deputy, Fugitive Task Force Commander, Supervisory Deputy, Senior Inspector, and Chief.
In this interview, we discuss his latest novel, Bad River, and writing thrillers and how he has used life experience to create amazing stories.
Learn more at marccameronbooks.com.
316. Z.S. Diamanti Writing Cozy Fantasy to Deal with the Aftermath of War
Z.S. “Zac” Diamanti, per his own bio, went to college forever and has too many pieces of paper on his wall as a result. He is a USAF veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom and has worked in ministry for 10 years.
Zac came highly recommended by Superstars organizers. And rightly so. The Guard in the Garden is a cozy fantasy, a subgenre that has not been addressed before on this podcast. What is fascinating is how he successfully used cozy fantasy to deal with the aftermath of war. And I must say, I have not cried this much over a story for a long time!
Learn more at hzsdiamanti.com.
317. Toni Weisskopf, Baen Books, on the Future of Publishing
Toni Weisskopf is an American science fiction editor and the publisher of Baen Books. She has won the Phoenix Award, the Rebel Award, and the Neffy Award for best editor. She uses the nom de plume T. K. F. Weisskopf as an anthology editor.
Writers of the Future and Toni initially met in New York in 1989, where she was a volunteer helping at the Awards event! She has since worked with Jim Baen, working under him as an editor and wearing every hat in a publishing house. With Jim’s passing, Toni became the owner and publisher of Baen Books and is going strong! She was earlier on this podcast in episode 100.
In this episode, we discuss the future of publishing.
318. Announcing Ark Press Where Humans Win in the End
Dave Butler, pen name DJ Butler, and David Afsharirad have created a new publisher, Ark Press. Dave Butler was a guest on episode 246, discussing navigating right and wrong in storytelling.
Ark Press mission is to provide stories where humans win in the end.
In this episode, we discuss a new press called Ark Press and an exciting writing competition—America 2076—to be published in 2026. That’s why it's speculative fiction.
Learn more at https://x.com/ark_press .
319. Edward Ashton and the Making of the Movie Mickey 17
Today’s guest is Edward Ashton, author of Mickey 7, which was sent and enjoyed. I was then sent The Fourth Consort and enjoyed that as well.
His novel, Mickey 7, has been made into the Movie Mickey 17, soon to be released.
When Edward is not writing his international bestselling novels, he enjoys cancer research, teaching quantum physics to sullen graduate students, and whittling.
Learn more at www.edwardashton.com.
320. Michael La Ronn Building a Writing Career While Raising a Family and a Full Time Job
Michael La Ronn built a writing career publishing 10-12 books per year while raising a family, working a full time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings. In this interviews, we discuss how he has juggled all this and maintained a very positive outlook.
Learn more at michaellaronn.com.
321. Jen Finelli The Meaning and Purpose of Suffering in Storytelling
Jen Finelli is a physician and injured adventurer. Her real-life adventures have ranged from the funny and silly (like getting herself locked in a German nunnery by accident) to the beautiful (like scuba diving with sharks) to the severe and tragic (like breaking her spirit as she held the dying and watched sexual assault victims suffer without justice).
So she often writes fantastical science fiction with a real-life military, medical, or combat edge. When she is not doing that, she plays with trauma and pain and hope.
Marie Whittaker, the Exec Dir of Superstars, reached out with what an amazing guest Jen would be. And so, please meet Jen Finelli, who just published her five-book series with WordFire Press.
Learn more at byjenfinelli.com.
322. David Howard from Galaxy Quest Story and Screenplay to Newly Published Author
David Howard’s most visible credit is DreamWorks' major feature film, Galaxy Quest, the story and screenplay of which we discuss. He also has an arm’s length of television and live theatre credits. But interestingly enough, this is not why he is on this podcast.
This is why he is my guest. Galaxy Press is easily confused with Galaxy Quest, and I routinely hear the public at conventions tell their friends they are standing by the Galaxy Quest booth. So, David became an obvious great guest when the opportunity presented itself at the Life, the Universe and Everything Symposium in Provo, Utah.
We discuss script writing, what works, and what to avoid.
But more to the purpose of this podcast, he is the author of a delightful YA fantasy called Penumbra, which we discuss in this interview.
322. David Howard from Galaxy Quest Story and Screenplay to Newly Published Author
Robert Hatch has over thirty years experience as a director/producer/writer of dramatic films, documentaries, and television series, and his films have received over three hundred awards and honors from film festivals in the U.S. and internationally.
He stated that he is always on the lookout for new material to turn into movies.
324. Grand Prize Winners Randyn Bartholomew, Writer, and Jordan Smajstrla, Illustrator
On the evening of Thursday, April 10, 2025 at the 41st Annual Writers of the Future and the 36th Annual Illustrators of the Future L. Ron Hubbard Achievement Awards Gala in the genres of Science Fiction and Fantasy, Randyn C. J. Bartholomew from Brooklyn, NY was named the 2025 Grand Prize Writer Winner and Jordan Smajstrla of Boerne, TX was named the 2025 Grand Prize Illustrator Winner.
Randyn C. J. Bartholomew said, “This is a dream come true! It’s hard to imagine; it’s wild! I think the most important thing I learned this week is that there’s a community of people doing this. It’s not you or me sitting alone at laptops anymore. Thank you!”
Jordan Smajstrla said, “I am so honored to have been chosen. I wouldn’t be here without my writer. His story is the foundation of my illustration. Arts is one of the most important things in life. If you are driven to create, create. Don’t let anyone stop you or tell you you aren’t good enough. Artistic expression brings people together and makes the world a better place. Never stop.”
This interview was recorded at the Loews Hotel in Hollywood, California, the morning following the Awards Gala.
325. Making the Writers of the Future 41 Audiobook—Kirby Heyborne and Jim, Tamra, Taylor Meskimen
Today’s guests are Jim, Tamra, and Taylor Meskimen along with Kirby Heyborne. The Meskimens were recorded in a studio in Los Angeles while Kirby was from his home in Utah. This episode discusses creating the Writers of the Future Volume 41 audiobook.
Jim is an actor, comedian, and impressionist best known for his voice-over work in video games. His IMDB page has over 330 entries, some of which include Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Thundercats, Parks and Recreation, and JibJab’s “This Land is Your Land.”
Tamra is an actor who has appeared in shows such as Physical, American Crime Story, and General Hospital. She established an improv company devoted to improvising one-act plays and co-founded an acting school, The Acting Center, where she teaches and performs.
Their daughter Taylor is also an actor, accomplished in improv, dance, song, and film. When she isn’t in recording studios, she has performed for over a decade at venues throughout Los Angeles, narrating over 130 audiobooks, including Riverdale, Ender’s Game Alive, and Midnight Sun.
Kirby Heyborne is an actor, musician, singer, songwriter, narrator, and comedian. He has also worked extensively as an audiobook narrator, having narrated more than 2,000 books.
326. Isaac Stewart VP Creative Development Dragonsteel Entertainment
Isaac Stewart, once an independent author and artist, now serves as the Vice President of Creative Development at Dragonsteel Entertainment. Isaac designed and illustrated the interior art for Brandon Sanderson’s The Way of Kings, including the Alethi Women’s script, maps, Shallan’s and Navani’s notebook pages, and additional artwork. He also created the interior art for the Mistborn series, featuring the Steel alphabet, maps, and Allomantic table. Stewart is closely linked to two Cosmere characters: Nazrilof, a character he created and partially based on himself, and the cartographer Isasik Shulin, whose name derives from Isaac’s.
Beyond his contributions to Sanderson’s works, Isaac is writing books, creating cartography, and designing book covers. He collaborated with Shawn Boyles on the webcomic Rocket Road Trip. Isaac and his wife, Kera, joined Dragonsteel Entertainment around 2013, with Isaac hired as an in-house artist before the publication of Words of Radiance.
Isaac attended the Life, the Universe, & Everything (LTUE) annual booksales event, where he gifted the podcast host a copy of his book Monsters Don’t Wear Underpants and which became part of this podcast discussion.
Learn more about Isaac at coppermind.net/wiki/Coppermind:Artists/Isaac_Stewart
