The Story Blender

Meg Mitchell Moore released her debut novel, The Arrivals, in 2011 and her newest novel, her eighth, Summer Stage, releasing soon, is being called a “must-read” for the summer of 2023! (summer 2022), is her seventh. Before turning to fiction Meg worked as a freelance journalist for a variety of business and consumer magazines, where she often managed to pitch stories involving dogs. Before that she worked on the staff of a family of technology magazines.Meg received a B.A. from Providence College and a master’s degree in English Literature from New York University.In 2012 Meg, her husband, their daughters moved from Massachusetts to northern California. Despite California’s many charms, they lasted exactly one year and returned to the beautiful coastal town of Newburyport, Massachusetts, where their busy household now includes a golden retriever who is a certified therapy dog and three daughters who somehow turned into teenagers when nobody was looking.Setting is an important aspect of her stories.

Damyanti’s Indian debut literary crime novel You Beneath Your Skin was an Amazon bestseller, and optioned for the screens by Endemol Shine. Listen as Steven James interviews Indian author, Damyanti, Biswas, and they have an incisive conversation about writing, about the importance of both hubris and humility in the writing process, respecting your readers, trusting your characters, and being honest with your stories. Also, they talk traffic in Hyderabad India and capturing the essence and paradox of Mumbai for Damyanti's novel THE BLUE BAR, released January 2023. Check it out!

My guest his week on The Story Blender Podcast is MP Woodward, a veteran of both US intelligence ops and the entertainment industry. As a naval intelligence officer with the US Pacific Command, he scripted scenario moves and countermoves for US war game exercises in the Middle East. In multiple deployments to the Persian Gulf and Far East, he worked alongside US Special Forces, CIA, and NSA. Most recently, Woodward led international distribution for Amazon Prime Video and launched Amazon original content in more than forty countries. His new book DEAD DROP will be released May 23!

Bethany Jett is an author, as well as a literary agent and a book marketing expert. She co-founded Serious Writer, Inc. and recently completed an MFA in Communication. When she’s not writing or speaking at events nationwide, she reads reads suspense-novel, manages a busty household with three boys and consults on teh business of writing. Listen as talk agenting, marketing, pitching your book, what agents look for, the important of opening pages, hooks and promises… if you’ve ever wanted to have a conversation with an agent and not had the chance, this is your opportunity to listen in as we discuss the craft of writing and secrets to getting agent to read—and love—what you’v written. Check it out!

What an interesting conversation I had with Elle Marr, the author of the new tense, thriller, THE FAMILY BONES. We discussed the ideas of psychology to develop characterization what makes a psychopath, a psychopath, and the most terrifying moment that I personally ever had writing one of my novels.

Don Bentley is the New York Times Bestselling author of the Matt Drake series  and two Tom Clancy Jack Ryan, Jr. novels. Don spent a decade as an Army Apache helicopter pilot, and while deployed in Afghanistan, was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Air Medal with “V” for valor. Following his time in the military, Don worked as an FBI special agent focusing on foreign intelligence and counterintelligence and was a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team member.Don lives with his family in Austin, Texas.

Vibhuti (“Vib”) Jain lives with her husband and daughter in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she works in international development. She began her career as a corporate lawyer in New York City. She holds degrees from Yale University and Harvard Law School. She grew up in Guilford, Connecticut.Our Best Intentions is her first novel.

Steven James, host of The Story Blender, is a critically acclaimed author of eighteen novels and numerous nonfiction books that have sold more than 1 million copies. His books have won or been shortlisted for dozens of national and international awards. In addition, his stories and articles have appeared in more than eighty different publications, including the New York Times. He is also a popular keynote speaker and professional storyteller with a master’s degree in storytelling. Bethany Jett  is an author, as well as a literary agent and a book marketing expert. She co-founded Serious Writer, Inc. and recently completed an MFA in Communication. When she’s not writing or speaking at events nationwide, she reads suspense novels, manages a busy household with three boys and consults on the business of writing. Kaleo Griffith was raised in the Hawaiian Islands and has been been performing since the age of 15. Griffith graduated cum laude from Franklin Pierce University with a B.A. in Theatre, holds an M.F.A. in Acting from Rutgers University, and is a graduate of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He has also lived, and trained classically in the United Kingdom through Roger Williams University. Recently Kaleo has been nominated for his second Audie for Tools of Titans written by Tim Ferriss. Griffith's voice work encompasses many TV/ Radio commercial campaigns and over 250 audiobooks. Griffith won an Audie for Lincoln In The Bardo (multicast) and has been honored by The Library Journal, and AudioFile Magazine with six "Earphone" Awards. He is the narrator for the audiobook of Steven James' newest novel, BROKER OF LIES.

Leopoldo Gout is a Mexican immigrant, award-winning producer and filmmaker, visual artist and author, who has written, packaged, published and developed books for more than a decade, both under his own name with several major publishers, and with other writers under his own imprint at Simon & Schuster: Leopoldo & Co. He was co-president of the James Patterson Entertainment company for many years; and he is currently producing award-winning author Marlon James’ original debut for television: GET MILLIE BLACK (Channel 4 & HBO). Him and his brother, award-winning writer-director Everado Gout (Netflix's Kaleidoscope) are show-runners of AMERICAN JESUS, a Netflix / Mark Millar series. Leopoldo along with Radical Media won the Critics Choice Award for FILTHY RICH (Netflix), a documentary series on Netflix. He is the creator and writer of NO MAN’S LAND (Starz), and SPYMASTERS (Madison Welles Media). Gout is also developing a Pulitzer Prize finalist book IN THE DISTANCE into a film with the Larrain Brothers and he was the originating producer on the Oscar-nominated, MOLLY’S GAME, a project that he worked from book to screen. Other producer credits include INSTINCT (CBS), ZOO (CBS), MIDDLE SCHOOL: The Worst Years of My (Participant Media and LIONSGATE) and Everardo Gout’s directorial debut DAYS OF GRACE which debuted at the Cannes Film Festival and won over 20 awards internationally. He has a thriving art studio in NYC and lives there with his wife and two kids: a cat called Lola and a dog called Lupe.

Michael Sears' first novel, the best-seller BLACK FRIDAYS, a financial thriller with heart, took the Shamus award and was short-listed for the Edgar and three other major awards. MORTAL BONDS, the critically-acclaimed second novel in the Jason Stafford series, won the Silver Falchion at Killer Nashville. Continuing the series, LONG WAY DOWN, was described as "one of the best thrillers of 2015." SAVING JASON is the fourth in the series.Tower of Babel begins a brand new series, exploring the world of Queens, NY -- its denizens, their tormentors, and their heroes.Until 2005, Mr. Sears was a Managing Director for two different Wall Street firms, where he worked in the bond market for twenty years and, earlier, in foreign exchange and derivatives. Prior to returning to Columbia University for his MBA, he was, for eight years, a professional actor appearing at the Shakespeare Theatre of Washington (Folger Theatre), Playwright's Theater of Washington, New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, The Comedy Stage Co., and, in the course of a single year, every soap opera shot in New York City.  He is married to the artist and poet, Barbara Segal.  Together with the not-altogether-domesticated cat, Penelope, they live in Sea Cliff, NY, within sight of the towers of New York.