357. Ruby Lovell Award Winning Journalist and International Bestselling Children’s Book Author
Ruby Lovell is an award-winning journalist, dynamic show host, and accomplished author whose career bridges the worlds of entertainment, media, and storytelling—making her the perfect guest for this podcast. Born in Sri Lanka, she has lived in the UK and the US and has traveled the world.
We originally met at the Hollywood Christmas Parade, where Ruby was a media attendee. Ruby next attended and brilliantly covered that year's Writers of the Future Awards gala, creating a wonderful video segment on the event with her acclaimed series Right On LA! with Ruby Lovell.
In this interview, we discuss her career as a journalist for the BBC and NTD News, her creation of a travel show sponsored by the BBC, and her transition into children’s book authorship.
358. Ian Randal Strock Talks the Amazing History of Punctuation
In the beginning, there was no punctuation.
Texts were written so that their letters ran together withnospacesorpunctuation and without any distinction between lowercase and capitals. It was up to the reader to discover where each word or sentence ended and the next began. Then, through orators and actors, marks were made to show pauses and stops and emphasis, and thus punctuation was born.
Ian Randal Strock is the perfect guest for this topic. As a successful editor, author, and publisher, he has taken it upon himself to thoroughly research the history of punctuation and why it is so important to literature. In this interview, Ian discusses his book Punctilious Punctuation, and how bad punctuation is an immediate turn-off for an editor or reader. This leads to the importance of knowing the rules before breaking them.
What is the solution for the current wave of language devaluing … especially as we witness on social media texting?
The back cover copy says you will laugh and you will cringe, and this is certainly true. So, enjoy this very fun episode.
BTW, ever wonder why commas and periods always must be inside quotation marks?
Learn more at ianrandalstrock.com.
Christina Hess is the Department Head of Illustration at Ringling College of Art & Design. In this interview, we discuss the value of art school and the impact of AI on art.
Christina is an illustrator known for blending historical and natural themes across a wide range of projects. Her portfolio includes everything from numismatic designs (the study of coins, tokens, medals, and paper money) to illustrated cookbooks, rendered in various media such as graphite, watercolor, oil, and digital.
Two 2026 United States coins will feature designs by Christina. The new quarter showcases scientist Dr. Vera Rubin. She also designed a new $1 coin depicting Native Hawaiian scholar Mary Kawena Pukui as part of the Native American $1 Coin Program.
Christina’s illustrations have been featured in publications such as the Society of Illustrators West, Spectrum Fantastic Art, ImagineFX, and 3x3 Magazine.
And if that’s not enough, she is a wonderful person, and her students at Ringling are extremely fortunate to have her!
Learn more at christinahess.com.
360. Patrick Kidder Created Sally Port Magazine to Help Creatives Share Their Stories
Patrick Kidder is the editor-in-chief of Sally Port Magazine. Kidder shares his journey to becoming a full-time writer and publisher, inspired by gaps in family-friendly fantasy fiction. Together with his wife, he founded Forever Mountain Publishing and launched Sally Port Magazine—named after a castle’s side door—to provide an accessible entry point for diverse voices.
The magazine specializes in clean fantasy stories suitable for all ages, emphasizing strong characters, layered narratives, and off-page handling of mature themes. Kidder discusses blind submissions, preferred lengths (5,000–9,000 words), themed issues, and his commitment to uplifting, hopeful tales without graphic content. The conversation also touches on editing practices, avoiding AI-generated work, and encouraging aspiring writers to submit to both Sally Port and the Writers of the Future Contest.
Learn more at sallyportmagazine.com.
361. Bob Boze Bell: America’s Western Storyteller and Executive Editor of True West Magazine
Bob Boze Bell has been a friend for over a decade and has provided various features on western titles by L. Ron Hubbard in True West Magazine. His work has appeared in Arizona Highways, Playboy, National Lampoon, the Arizona Republic, and True West Magazine. For ten years (2002–2012), he produced a video version of True West Moments, which aired on the Westerns Channel.
In this episode, we discuss what makes a Western story different from other genres, along with the role of research in good storytelling. Bob was ahead of the curve in using social media to grow the popularity of True West Magazine, which we also cover.
BBB can currently be seen on the series “Gunslingers,” which runs on the American Heroes Channel. Triple B is also the President and executive editor of True West Magazine, positions he has held since 1999.
He has written a dozen books on Old West characters, including Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and Wild Bill Hickok, as well as a three-part series (so far) on Classic Gunfights, which appear in True West.
Learn more about Bob and True West Magazine at blog.truewestmagazine.com.
362. Alan Smale: Writing Intense Alternate History Techno Thrillers
Alan Smale is an astrophysicist and award-winning author (including Writers of the Future Volume 13) who recently retired from NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center after decades of groundbreaking work. Holding a Bachelor’s in Physics and a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from Oxford University, Alan moved to the U.S. in the late 1980s to collaborate with NASA.
Three years ago, Alan joined the podcast to discuss Hot Moon, the thrilling launch of his alternate-history Apollo Rising series. This interview celebrates the release of Burning Night, the conclusion to the trilogy.
We discuss the series’blend of meticulous historical accuracy and bold “what-if” speculation, vividly recreating the high-stakes tension of the U.S.-Soviet rivalry in the 1970s and 1980s—this time extended to a secret lunar battlefield. Alan also shares insights on L. Ron Hubbard’s 1948 short story “240,000 Miles Straight Up,” an eerily prescient tale of superpower conflict on the Moon.
Whether you’re a space history buff, a Cold War enthusiast, or a fan of hard-SF alternate history, this episode explores how real science, real geopolitics, and imaginative fiction collide in one of the most ambitious near-future series in recent years.
Learn more at alansmale.com.
363. Kevin J. Anderson: From Bestselling Author to Director of a Publishing Graduate Program
Kevin J. Anderson is one of the rarest of creatives. As a writer, he started from the bottom and worked his way up to become an internationally bestselling author of over 190 books, 58 of which have been national or international bestsellers. He then became a publisher—Wordfire Press. Following this, he co-created the Superstars Writing Workshop. He is now also the director of a Publishing Graduate Program at Western Colorado University—the subject of this interview.
Kevin has also been a Writers of the Future judge for over 25 years and a very trusted partner helping with the growth of the Contest.
Learn more at wordfire.com.
364. Q&A with Writers of the Future First Readers
Writers of the Future first readers Leah Ning, Martin Shoemaker, Eric James Stone, and Coordinating Judge Jody Lynn Nye answer questions submitted by Contest entrants on what is looked for in stories submitted to the Contest. What excites them. What turns them off. What determines an Honorable Mention, Silver Honorable Mention, and Finalist. How stories are handled in genres that aren’t their favorite. And dozens of other questions.
365. Storm Michael Humbert and His Missed-Fits Anthology Book Project
Missed-Fits: A Calendar of Fools Anthology is a celebration of stories that don’t fit as flash, short story, or novella lengths, yet are awesome stories.
In the world of short fiction publishing, word count often dictates destiny: flash fiction thrives under 1,000 words, while traditional short stories typically land between 3,000 and 7,500 words to find welcoming markets. But what about the tales that fall into the awkward in-between—longer than flash yet too brief for many standard slots? These "misfit" stories, intriguing, powerful, and fully realized, often get overlooked simply because they don't match the expected lengths.
Calendar of Fools, the small press founded by Writers of the Future alumni, aims to change that. Following the success of their previous anthology, Intergalactic Rejects—which gave rejected gems a second life—Missed-Fits provides a dedicated home for these literary oddities.
This collection gathers brief, compelling visions from award-winning authors and emerging voices alike. The stories are fast reads that explore themes of incompatibility, things that are missing or out of place, and the beauty of narratives that don't quite belong. They prove that great storytelling isn't confined by arbitrary categories.
This podcast episode announces the Kickstarter for this project. If it succeeds, an open call will invite submissions of these awkward-length tales to join with stories from established anchor writers.
For readers, Missed-Fits offers a treasury of unique, otherwise-unpublished stories that slip between the cracks of conventional markets but deserve to be discovered. For writers, it's an invitation to embrace the unconventional lengths and let the story dictate its own size.
Learn more by visiting www.kickstarter.com/projects/calendaroffools/missed-fits-a-calendar-of-fools-anthology
366. Mike Sheffield, Chair of the Heinlein Scholarship Committee for Science Students
Mike Sheffield is a 35-year Senior Software Engineer at Northrop Grumman Space Systems and a former U.S. Air Force Electronic Warfare Specialist. A passionate sci-fi fan, Mike joined the Heinlein Society in 2001, chaired its blood drive committee until 2010, has led the scholarship committee since 2012, served on the board from 2006–2014, and was the fourth Chair and President for its final four years.
He discusses his love for science fiction, the origins of Heinlein-inspired blood drives at conventions (starting 1999 NASFiC), participation tips, the Heinlein for Heroes veteran book program, connections between L. Ron Hubbard and Robert A. Heinlein, thoughts on Final Blackout and Battlefield Earth, his favorite Heinlein works, the Writers of the Future legacy, and a message for global listeners.
367. Carell Augustus: Making His Photographic Dream Book Come True
Carell Augustus is a professional photographer whose career has taken him around the world to shoot some of the biggest stars on the planet. His celebrity clients have included Viola Davis, Beverly Johnson, Mariah Carey, Elizabeth Banks, Pierce Bronson, Meghan Markle, Serena Williams, Snoop Dogg, Paris Hilton, and more. He is also an author. Carell spent 10 years making his dream project come true. That dream was to reimagine famous Hollywood movie roles with black actors, with his coffee table book, Black Hollywood: Reimagining Iconic Movie Moments.
This interview not only covers how he pulled off such an amazing product, but also the inspiration and drive to make it happen … no matter what.
An L. Ron Hubbard essay on photography was also discussed, and how it applies to successful photography.
Learn more at www.carellaugustus.com.
368. BookFunnel: One of a Writer’s Most Valuable Tools for Discovery
With over three million books published a year, how do you get your voice heard above the din of everyone else? Discovery remains one of the greatest challenges for both new and established writers. Whether it’s delivering your reader magnet, sending out advanced copies of your book, handing out eBooks at a conference, or fulfilling your digital sales to readers, BookFunnel does it all. They are in the business of building author careers, no matter where an author is on their journey.
Damon Courtney, creator of BookFunnel, discusses why it was built and how it has been used globally to help build successful author careers.
Learn more at bookfunnel.com.
369. Lisa Mangum, Bestselling Author and Managing Editor at Shadow Mountain
In this episode, Lisa Mangum, a veteran editor and author, shares her extensive experience in publishing. She has worked as an editor at Deseret Book since 1997, and became the editorial manager at Shadow Mountain in 2014. She has authored four bestselling YA novels—including the Hourglass Door trilogy and After Hello—plus short stories, novellas, and a craft book inspired by Supernatural. She also edits anthologies for WordFire Press and teaches at writing conferences, including her unique UVU writing weekends in Capitol Reef National Park.
The discussion centers on her book Write Fearless. Edit Smart. Get Published. emphasizing why even self-published or indie authors benefit from professional editing. Lisa explores key storytelling elements: the distinction between plot and story, various plot types, and narrative perspectives. She compares first-person, second-person, third-person limited, and third-person omniscient viewpoints, highlighting their relative strengths, challenges, and the genres where each thrives most effectively.
370. Tim Waggoner Discusses Why Horror Is So Popular
Tim Waggoner is a multi-award-winning dark fantasy and horror author with a spattering of media tie-ins, now totaling over 60 novels.
He’s also a full-time tenured professor who teaches creative writing and composition at Sinclair College in Dayton, Ohio.
We discuss what attracts people to horror and why he enjoys writing it, and his horror novel, The World Turns Red.
Learn more at timwaggoner.com.
371. Thriller Author Rachel Howzell Hall Discusses Passion for Untold Stories
Rachel Howzell Hall is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of 16 novels. The novel discussed in this interview was Fog and Fury. Her bio says she also writes Romantasy, something Fog and Fury—an intense thriller—is not. And with the fact that she does write romantasy, it allowed discussing questions not previously asked, including the difference between writing thrillers and romantasy.
Learn more at www.rachelhowzell.com.
372. Joshua Essoe Discusses Most Common Issues He Sees as Book Editor
Joshua Essoe is a freelance editor with over a decade of full-time work under his belt.
He has edited for bestsellers, Piers Anthony and David Farland, including the multi-award-winning novel, Nightingale. He’s also edited for Dean Lorey, lead writer of Arrested Development, Mark Leslie Lefebvre, former director at Kobo, USA Today bestsellers, Writers of the Future winners, and many other top-notch independents.
He was the lead editor at Urban Fantasy Magazine from 2014–2015. From 2012–2015, he recorded the weekly writing podcast Hide and Create with co-hosts Michael J. Sullivan, Diana Rowland, Jay Wells, and Debbie Viguie.
You can find Joshua teaching about editing, pitches, and writing back-cover copy every year at the Superstars Writing Seminars in Colorado. His approach to editing is to help you make your story the best version of itself it can be.
Joshua is also a writer. He was a 2014 finalist in the Writers of the Future Contest. He is mid-releasing a 5-book series, each covering two subjects of the most common issues he sees in fiction writing as a full-time editor.
Learn more at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/joshuaessoe/shazzwick-of-land-vol-1 .
373. Elaine Midcoh Writing Award-Winning Fiction on Sensitive Subjects
This interview was recorded in Provo, Utah, at the Life the Universe and Everything Symposium, with Elaine Cohen, pen name Elaine Midcoh, Writers of the Future Volume 39 winner, with her story “A Trickle in History.” Elaine’s earlier careers included being a lawyer and a college professor, but she now focuses on her writing.
Her short story “On Behalf of Lake Owakeela” was recently published in the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, the Fiction Issue, having won the “Write Before Midnight” short fiction contest. It is a story that editor Kim Stanley Robinson commented had “A very knowing and expert feel.”
In this interview, Elaine discusses how to research and write a fictional story on politically sensitive topics.
Learn more at elainemidcoh.wordpress.com.
374. Tricia Levenseller Explains Why the Naughty Girl Lead in Romance Is So Popular
#1 NYT and USA Today bestselling author Tricia Levenseller was interviewed at the Superstars Writing Conference in Colorado Springs and discusses the various types of romance and specifically romantasy novels and what makes them so popular.
NOTE: This was the first romance novel I ever read, which made the interview all the more interesting for me!
We discuss her “villain love story,” The Shadows Between Us, and how she writes fantasy romance novels. She explained why the naughty-girl lead female character in a romance is so popular with the female audience.
Learn more at tricialevenseller.com.
375. Charlie Holmberg Creating Dark Fantasy and Romance Fiction
Charlie N. Holmberg is a Wall Street Journal and Amazon best-selling author of over 20 novels.
She sent me her book The Shattered King, book one of a duology, a dark fantasy with a lot of adventure, and the romance contributes to the fantasy/magic. So, while it is a slow-burn romance—placing it squarely in the romantasy genre—I thoroughly enjoyed it as an adventure with a lot of political intrigue.
I was fascinated by her magic, a system in which the main character, Nym, works with a physically broken Prince Renn to heal his "aura" or "soul," thereby healing his body. As I enjoy discovering new magic systems, this was an especially nice treat.
And I must say that I really enjoyed meeting Charlie at the Life, the Universe, and Everything Symposium, where this interview was recorded and discussing her journey as an author.
Learn more at charlienholmberg.com.
376. Brandon Mull Writing Epic YA Adventure Fantasy
Brandon Mull was a guest on this podcast a few years ago in episode #251. We met when he was the Toastmaster at The Life, the Universe, and Everything Conference, after which he sent me a copy of Fablehaven, which became the topic of our first interview.
This interview is about his newest release, Guardians: Forbidden Mountain, an epic adventure fantasy that can be enjoyed by YA as well as adult readers. He normally takes 6 months to write a novel, but this one took 2 ½ years due to the story’s depth—and the fact that it is the first of a three-novel series.
There are two hero journeys that gradually weave into each other. Mako Boughbreaker is along one path, and Arden is on the other side of the empire, walking her path. The book deftly addresses people's spirituality while weaving in the idea that one does have the choice to do the right thing—and that one’s actions have consequences, good or bad—which is important. Possibly even more so these days.
Learn more at brandonmull.com.
Ron Clements was the keynote speaker in 2025 for our Writers and Illustrators of the Future Gala. We connected up again at LTUE—Life, the Universe, and Everything Symposium—in Provo, Utah, where we recorded this interview. Ron has been an animation director, screenwriter, and producer for Disney for four decades. Along with co-producer John Muster, he is the creator of Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Moana, Princess and the Frog, and one of my favorites, Pete’s Dragon.
In this interview, we discuss his journey to become one of the most successful animated movie producers of today and the process of creating animated movies. The story of how Robin Williams was brought on board for Aladdin was amazing!
378. Meet the Cast of Writers of the Future Volume 42 Audiobook
Join Stefan Rudnicki, Gabrielle de Cuir, Susan Hanfield, Orson Scott Card, Jim Meskimen, Scott Peterson, most of the cast who voiced L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 42, in this podcast interview talking about what made this project special, why science fiction and fantasy are so important as a genre, and the value of celebrating creativity which is what Writers and Illustrators of the Future are all about.
The other cast members were unable to participate due to prior commitments, but their creativity in their role in the audiobook is equally appreciated.
The full cast along with stories they narrated are:
Stefan Rudnicki narrated “Artistic Presentation,” “Shell Game,” “Skinny-Shins,” “The Creator’s Journey,” “In Living Color,” and “A Girl and Her Dragon: A Life in Four Parts.”
Orson Scott Card read his bio and introduction.
Gabrielle De Cuir narrated Jody Lynn Nye and Echo Chernick’s introductions as well as “Bloom Decay.”
Janina Edwards narrated “Thickly.”
Susan Hanfield narrated “Canary” and “A Girl and Her Dragon: A Life in Four Parts.”
Kirby Heyborne narrated “Saffron and Marigolds,” “Dragon Visits,” and “As Long as You Both Shall Live.”
John Lee narrated “The Triceratops Effect.”
Jim Meskimen narrated “Form 14B—Application for Certification of Consciousness Transfer (Post-Mortem),” “Space Can,” “Collaboration,” and “Ghost Dog.”
Scott Peterson narrated “A Ready-Made Bubble of Light.”
This audiobook was produced by Skyboat Media. Edited, Mixed, and Mastered by Phaseshift. And the music was composed by Mark Isham.
379. Meet Volume 42 Grand Prize Winners writer Michael T. Kuester and Illustrator Bafu
Golden Pen Award Winner Michael T. Kuester from Cincinnati, Ohio, with his story “In Living Color,” and Golden Brush Award Winner Bohuslav “Bafu” Argalas from Ruzomberok, Slovakia, with his illustration of the story “Saffron and Marigolds.”
Michael is an engineer by day, a science fiction writer by night. An avid hiker and cooking enthusiast, he is a passionately curious individual and lives his life by the motto “In the twenty-first century, there’s no excuse for an unanswered question.” His story, “In Living Color,” evolved into a surprisingly personal allegory for social isolation, generational misunderstanding, and neurodivergence.
Bafu began drawing before he learned to read or write. That passion led him to study art at the private school of Applied Arts in Zilina and later at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Brno, Czech Republic. Bafu creates illustrations and comics filled with humor, emotion, and a touch of the strange, hoping to make people smile, think, and drift away from reality—even just for a moment.
Michael can be found at michaeltkuester.com.
Bafu can be found at bafu.art.
380. Writers & Illustrators of the Future Winners 2026 (Group 1)
Meet Writers of the Future winners Mike Strickland, Shaun Stevenson, Michael Kuester, and Illustrators of the Future winners Nathan Deiwert, and Tracy Eire and learn their story of how they won the Contest and what it means to their future as creatives.
381. Writers & Illustrators of the Future Winners 2026 (Group 2)
Meet Illustrators of the Future winner Roddy Taylor, and Writers of the Future winners Brenda Posey and Thomas K. Slee, and learn their story of how they won the Contest and what it means to their future as creatives.
382. A Talk With Tim Powers, 3-time World Fantasy Award Winner on Dark Fantasy
This podcast was recorded during a lull in Tim Power’s schedule as one of the writing instructors at the Writers of the Future Workshop while the writer winners are busy with their 24-hour story. Tim was last on this podcast in episode #333. He is a three-time world fantasy award winner and is most known for his novels The Anubis Gates, On Stranger Tides, Last Call, and Declare.
In this episode, we discuss his latest release, and my personal favorite, a dark fantasy, The Mills of the Gods.
We also discuss his technique in creating his stories, researching some particular aspect of history, and then exploring from there. How he creates seamless transitions from factual history to his fantastical history. We also touch on why L. Ron Hubbard’s Fear is his favorite novel.
Learn more about The Mills of the Gods at www.baen.com/the-mills-of-the-gods.html.
383. Julie Frost On Fantasy: Morality, Right and Wrong, Consequences
Julie Frost was a winner published in Writers of the Future Volume 32 with her werewolf short story “Cry Havoc.” She has an amazing story of how she won and the value of persistence.
She recently published a novella, Joy Shall Be In Heaven, which was discussed in this interview. Through the genre of fantasy, she delves into morality, right and wrong, and consequences for one’s actions.
Learn more at www.fantasticfiction.com/f/julie-frost/.
384. Irvin Rodriguez Making a Viable Artist’s Career
Irvin Rodriguez is a visual artist whose work offers a synthesis of painting and drawing, inspired by the European masters and 19th-century painters, paired with the narrative influence and aesthetics of illustration and contemporary art. Rodriguez’s artistic practice spans multiple disciplines, from analog to digital media, resulting in figurative compositions and portraits that communicate individual and collective experiences.
Born in the Bronx, New York, in 1988, Rodriguez graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology with a BFA in Illustration (2010), while simultaneously studying at the Grand Central Atelier (2008–2010), and later at the Art Students League of NY (2013–2016). Since then, Rodriguez has exhibited in numerous group and solo exhibitions in Europe, South America, and the United States, and was also the recipient of the 2016 Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant, the 2019 John F. and Anna Lee Stacey Scholarship, and the 2019 Donald Jurney Travel Fellowship. Over the years, he has developed into a compelling and versatile artist, with works in the film, comic book, publishing, and video game industries for clients like Naughty Dog, Lucasfilm, DC Comics, and Magic: The Gathering. He currently lives and works out of his studio in Los Angeles, California.
Irvin was the 2011 recipient of the L. Ron Hubbard Golden Brush Award. He has been an Illustrators of the Future judge since 2023.
In this episode, Irvin discusses his journey in a successful artistic career.
Learn more at irvinrodriguez.com.
385. Keith Riegert Explains Key Tool to Solve Book Discoverability
We are here today in Portland, Oregon, at the Independent Publishers' Booksellers Association conference.
During the Independent Book Publishers Association Conference in Portland, OR, Keith Riegert spoke about the changes in the Amazon algorithm and how, given a good book, discoverability is an author’s major challenge. He explained how AI is a tool to solve this.
Keith is the president of The Stable Book Group and CEO of Brooklyn-based independent publishing companies, Ulysses Press and VeloPress Books. Keith is also CEO of Perfect Bound Technologies Corporation and a co-founder of the book publicity and digital marketing firm, Pacific & Court. Keith is a member of the board of advisors at NYU’s School of Professional Studies in the Center for Publishing, where he also teaches Analytics and Consumer Insights. Keith also serves on the boards of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) and the AI firm, Inkbloom.
Learn more at www.keithriegert.com.
I've just finished listening to it. Better get used to AI 🤔
