Story Impact Podcast - Compelling Author Interviews

History, Place & the California Story with Billie Hanson-Dupree

What happens when personal history, place, music, and memory become fiction?

Author Billie Hanson-Dupree joins Lisa Towles for a conversation about the California stories that shaped her life and her writing—from her father’s experience as a World War II veteran to growing up in California’s Central Valley, the juke joints and blues music that inspired Still Kickin’, and the 1950s Oakland setting of her next novel, Some Greens for My Blues.

Billie shares how her father inspired the character of Bill Reeves; what it was like growing up in a Central Valley community; and how her lifelong love of blues found their way into her fiction.

The conversation also moves into creativity and craft: why Billie doesn’t outline, how characters sometimes arrive before she knows where they’re taking her, why she believes writers need community, and the creative philosophy she’s learning to trust—sometimes you have to simply “relax and wait.”

Billie Hanson-Dupree is an author, educator, literacy coach, world traveler, and lifelong learner. Her novel Still Kickin’ follows an African American World War II veteran returning to California’s Central Valley and confronting trauma, racism, love, and the difficult work of finding his way home. She co-authored a biography of her grandmother, A Little Piece of Leather Well Put Together. Her poetry has appeared in Spectrum 18, and her essay on racism aired on KQED Public Radio’s Perspectives. Her next novel, Some Greens for My Blues, takes readers to 1950s Oakland.

Learn more about Billie Hanson-Dupree:

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Stories hold the world together.

Welcome to the Story Impact author interview podcast.

What happens when the homicide detective becomes the murder suspect?

Acclaimed author, editor, playwright, filmmaker, and writing instructor Victoria Zackheim returns to Story Impact with Murder at Hotel Gloriosa, the second mystery in her latest series featuring journalist Aria Nevins and homicide detective Noah Roche. This time, Victoria moves the action from Paris to the high desert of New Mexico, where an international conference of homicide detectives and forensic experts takes a deadly turn.

When Noah’s nemesis is found murdered in Aria and Noah’s hotel suite, Noah is arrested—and a man accustomed to being in control suddenly has none. As Aria works to uncover the truth, the story becomes as much about loyalty, vulnerability, guilt, and resilience as it is about solving a murder.

In this in-depth conversation, Lisa Towles and Victoria Zackheim discuss:

This episode is ideal for mystery and crime-fiction readers, writers interested in character development and craft, and anyone fascinated by the ways our experiences shape the stories we tell.

Learn more about Victoria Zackheim:

Learn more about Host Lisa Towles:

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Stories hold the world together.

Welcome to the Story Impact author interview podcast.

What happens when a writer takes one of literature’s most iconic detectives and gives him the one thing he never knew he needed: an intellectual equal?

New York Times bestselling author, Edgar Award winner, and Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Laurie R. King joins host Lisa Towles for a wide-ranging conversation about Sherlock Holmes, Mary Russell, unforgettable characters, mystery craft, and what it takes to sustain a creative career.

Laurie looks back at the bold decision behind The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, which introduced the fiercely intelligent Mary Russell as Holmes’s apprentice, equal, and eventual wife. She recalls the early skepticism the pairing encountered among Sherlockians, her eventual welcome into the Baker Street Irregulars, and how Mary Russell grew into the heart of a series that has captivated readers around the world.

The conversation also turns to Laurie’s newest novel, Those Who Are Gone, featuring San Francisco Police Department Inspector Raquel Laing, and the creative possibilities of cold cases, intertwined timelines, and characters whose strengths can also complicate the mysteries they’re trying to solve. Laurie and Lisa explore playing fair with mystery readers, first drafts and rewrites, the growing business demands placed on authors, and the challenge of protecting creative energy while still bringing books into the world.

In this conversation:

• Reinventing Sherlock Holmes

About Laurie R. King

Laurie R. King is a New York Times bestselling crime novelist, Edgar Award winner, and Mystery Writers of America Grand Master. She is the creator of the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series, the Kate Martinelli mysteries, standalone novels, and the Raquel Laing series. Her newest novel, Those Who Are Gone, brings SFPD Inspector Raquel Laing back for a new investigation.

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About Host Lisa Towles

Lisa Towles is an award-winning crime novelist, book coach, podcast host, and founder of the Story Impact platform. She is the author of 16 books, including The Weight of Cold Things, the E&A Investigations series, and her nonfiction book, The ME Factor. Her work explores identity, secrets, human behavior, and the forces that shape the stories we tell about ourselves.

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About Story Impact

Story Impact is a platform dedicated to Books · Meaning · Purpose, bringing together author interviews, book coaching and consulting, workshops, and Story Impact Magazine. Through conversations and resources for writers and readers, Story Impact explores how stories are created, why they matter, and the impact they have on the world.

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Follow the Story Impact Podcast on Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and YouTube at Story Impact Media.

Stories hold the world together.

Welcome to the Story Impact author interview podcast.

What does it mean to build a creative life across continents, blending the resonance of music with the deep history of historical fiction?

Scottish novelist and lifelong musician K.D. Neill joins host Lisa Towles to discuss his remarkable journey from a planned two-year relocation in South Africa to more than half a lifetime on the continent, featuring years on the road as a touring singer-songwriter, a number-one single, multiple recording contracts, and ultimately his epic Deceit of the Empire trilogy.

At the heart of the conversation is the intersection of travel, displacement, and artistic creation. Kenny shares memories of camping under a Northern Cape sky blanketed in stars and writing his hit song "God's Country" on a mountain road above the clouds near Eswatini. From there, the discussion goes deep into the unexpected cultural similarities between Scotland and South Africa, the real 19th-century history of the Xhosa people and Lord Chelmsford that inspired his trilogy, and whether it is innovation or deep cultural myth that truly reaches the human heart. Kenny even treats listeners to an exclusive live acoustic performance of an original song written for South Africa's homesick expats.

In this conversation:

• A two-year plan that turned into more than half a lifetime rooted in Southern Africa

• Achieving a number-one single, recording contracts, and a thriving career on the road

• Songwriting above the clouds and sleeping under a desert sky packed with stars

• How music and historical fiction feed each other creatively

• The real 19th-century history behind the Deceit of the Empire trilogy

• Expanding a single manuscript into an immersive multi-book historical saga

• An exclusive live acoustic performance of an expatriate ballad

Learn more about K.D. Neill and his books:

Story Impact is hosted by Lisa Towles, award-winning crime novelist, book coach, and founder of Story Impact Consulting, exploring books, meaning, and purpose through conversations with authors, artists, and visionaries.

Learn more about Lisa Towles: 

lisatowles.com

Follow Story Impact on Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and YouTube at Story Impact Media on YouTube.

Stories hold the world together.

Welcome to the Story Impact author interview podcast.

What does it mean to be human in the age of technology?

Writer Jesse Ratner and photographer Dan Kutler join host Lisa Towles to discuss The Cage You Carry, a provocative new book exploring technology, identity, creativity, connection, and the forces shaping contemporary human experience through poetry and photography.

At the heart of the book is the metaphor of the “cage”: the structures imposed upon us, the ones we construct ourselves, and the complicated ways they can protect, confine, and shape us. From there, the conversation goes deep into agency, vulnerability, individuality, human connection, and our relationship with the systems surrounding us.

Jesse’s visceral poetry and Dan’s photography approach these questions through two very different artistic lenses. Jesse reads from “Vending Machine Angel” and “Cathedral of Wires,” while Dan takes us inside the images and creative choices that give the book its distinctive visual language. They also share how the project came together and how Jesse’s viral writing became the catalyst for The Cage You Carry.

In this conversation:

Pre-Order The Cage You Carry:

Learn more about Jesse Ratner:

Learn more about Dan Kutler:

Story Impact is hosted by Lisa Towles, award-winning crime novelist, book coach, and founder of Story Impact, exploring books, meaning, and purpose through conversations with authors, artists, and visionaries.

https://lisatowles.com/

Follow Story Impact on Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and YouTube.

Stories hold the world together.

Welcome to the Story Impact author interview podcast.

In this episode, award-winning crime novelist and host Lisa Towles sits down with horror author and illustrator Tec Weston to explore the intersection of visual storytelling, horror, time travel, and the creative process behind his novel You Are All Charlotte.

What happens when the monster hunting you isn't just somewhere out there — but somewhere else in time? You Are All Charlotte combines the visceral tension of a slasher with paranormal horror and time travel, following Magda Craig as she confronts the Scraggly Man, a serial killer who can reach across decades. Essential listening for horror readers, writers, visual storytellers, and anyone fascinated by where unusual story ideas come from.

Trained at the renowned Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art, Tec brings an illustrator’s eye to fiction. He describes writing much the way he learned to create an illustration: beginning with the rough shape of a scene and building it through repeated passes, adding dialogue, texture, detail, and voice.

The premise for You Are All Charlotte came from a vivid nightmare in which Tec found himself moving between two time periods inside the same house — with an axe murderer waiting for him in the past. That image eventually grew into a larger mythology involving ghosts, portals, multiple decades, and the Scraggly Man.

In this conversation, Lisa Towles and Tec Weston discuss:

For horror fans, aspiring writers, artists, and storytellers interested in how imagination moves between visual art and the written word, this conversation offers a fascinating look at how one powerful image can become the foundation for an entire fictional world.

Watch the video interview on YouTube:

Find Tec Weston and You Are All Charlotte:

Story Impact is hosted by award-winning crime novelist, book coach, and speaker Lisa Towles and explores books, meaning, and purpose through conversations with authors and creatives about their work, their journeys, and the stories that shape us.

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Story Impact is available on Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and YouTube. Follow the podcast on your favorite platform and subscribe on YouTube for new author conversations.

Stories hold the world together.

Welcome to the Story Impact author interview podcast.

Gold Rush California. A 2,000-year-old Chinese emperor. Modern biotech. And humanity's enduring obsession with cheating death.

With host Lisa Towles, this episode explores the fascinating life and work of author and screenwriter Caryn McCann, whose East-meets-West mystery thriller The Emperor's Curse brings Chinese history and culture, crime, medical ethics, and the supernatural into one unexpected story.

Caryn spent two decades living abroad in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, studied Chinese in Hong Kong, and worked within the Chinese film industry before turning her storytelling talents to fiction. She shares how those experiences shaped her writing—and how a screenplay unexpectedly grew into The Emperor's Curse and an ongoing mystery series.

Lisa and Caryn also explore the Hungry Ghost Festival and its haunting traditions, the real history behind ancient attempts to create an immortality elixir, and the remarkable parallel between emperors who wanted to live forever 2,000 years ago and today's biotech industry pursuing radical life extension. Their conversation ultimately raises a larger question at the heart of Caryn's story: What happens when the ability to help humanity becomes something powerful people want to possess?

In this conversation, Lisa Towles and Caryn McCann discuss:

The conversation moves from history and cultural tradition to fiction, filmmaking, publishing, and the business of storytelling—an engaging look at how our oldest human desires keep finding their way into the stories we tell.

Learn more about Caryn McCann:

Story Impact is hosted by Lisa Towles — award-winning crime novelist, book coach, and founder of Story Impact, a platform exploring Books · Meaning · Purpose through author conversations, coaching, workshops, and Story Impact Magazine.

Learn more about Story Impact:

Follow Story Impact on Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and iHeartRadio for conversations with authors about the stories we tell, why we tell them, and the impact they have on the world. Subscribe on YouTube for full-length video interviews.

Stories hold the world together.

Welcome to the Story Impact author interview podcast.

With host Lisa Towles, this episode explores the life and work of Mitchell Hadley — novelist, essayist, cultural critic, and television historian whose newest novel, The Book of Revelations, follows Nan Jaffe across decades of trauma, identity, memory, and the long road back to herself. Together they discuss the fragmented nature of memory, characters who take control of their own stories, the enduring relevance of classic television, and what happens when storytellers trust their audiences to find meaning for themselves. Essential listening for readers, writers, cultural history enthusiasts, and anyone fascinated by the stories that shape who we become.

Mitchell shares how Nan grew from the memory of a childhood classmate who experienced trauma and then disappeared from his life, and why he chose never to fully reveal Nan's defining trauma to the reader. He also discusses his work as a television historian, including the remarkable ways programs from decades ago anticipated contemporary questions about censorship, conformity, technology, and culture — and why interpreting the past exclusively through contemporary values can obscure what those stories originally meant.

In this conversation, Lisa Towles and Mitchell Hadley discuss:

This episode is ideal for readers of contemporary fiction, writers interested in character and craft, classic television enthusiasts, and anyone who enjoys thoughtful conversations about memory, culture, identity, and the power of story.

Learn more about Mitchell Hadley:

Story Impact is hosted by Lisa Towles — award-winning crime novelist and founder of the Story Impact platform, which includes book coaching services for authors, workshops, and a quarterly literary magazine.

Learn more about Story Impact:

storyimpactconsulting.com/podcast

Follow Story Impact on Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and iHeartRadio to stay connected to conversations exploring books, meaning, purpose, and the ideas that shape our lives. Subscribe on YouTube for full-length video interviews with today's most compelling authors.

Stories hold the world together.

Welcome to the Story Impact author interview podcast.

Robin shares the personal experiences behind Eleven Stolen Horses and Three Marys, including what she witnessed at a wild horse roundup in Alturas that changed the direction of her life and work. She also talks about writing a protagonist shaped by her own journalistic instincts, the spiritual awakening embedded in the landscape of the American West, and what she hopes readers carry with them after finishing the series.

In this conversation, Lisa Towles and Robin Somers discuss:

This episode is ideal for mystery readers, Western fiction lovers, wild horse advocates, and anyone who enjoys thoughtful conversations about the intersection of place, purpose, and storytelling.

Learn more about Robin Somers:

Story Impact is hosted by Lisa Towles — award-winning crime novelist and founder of the Story Impact platform, which includes book coaching services for authors, workshops, and a quarterly literary magazine.

Learn more about Story Impact:

storyimpactconsulting.com/podcast

Follow Story Impact on Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and iHeartRadio to stay connected to conversations exploring books, meaning, purpose, and the ideas that shape our lives. Subscribe on YouTube for full-length video interviews with today's most compelling authors.

Stories hold the world together.

Welcome to the Story Impact author interview podcast.

Maxine shares stories from her recent travels in France, reflects on decades of global adventures, and discusses the creative process behind transforming real-life experiences into compelling stories. She also looks back on her acting career in New Zealand, her unexpected path to becoming a published author, and the inspiration behind beloved books such as The Circle Maker, The Word Dancer, Star Brother, When I Left My Village, and Gullible Gus.

In this in-depth conversation, Lisa Towles and Maxine Rose Schur discuss:

This episode is ideal for readers, writers, travelers, and anyone who enjoys thoughtful conversations about creativity, reinvention, and the power of authentic storytelling.

Watch the full YouTube video interview:

Learn more about Maxine Rose Schur:

Story Impact is hosted by Lisa Towles—award-winning crime novelist and founder of Story Impact Consulting. This literary podcast features visionary authors exploring books, creativity, storytelling, and the deeper purpose behind the stories that shape our lives.

Learn more about the Story Impact podcast and platform:

Follow Story Impact on Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and iHeartRadio to stay connected to conversations exploring books, meaning, purpose, and the ideas that shape our lives. Subscribe on YouTube for full-length video interviews with today's most compelling authors. 

Thank you for listening! 

Stories hold the world together.