The Story Blender

Born Iain Middleton in Falkirk, Scotland, Euan Morton has been acting on stage since childhood and continued to work in theatre after graduating from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. His breakthrough role was that of Boy George in the 2002 West End production of George’s autobiographical musical “Taboo,” for which he received a Laurence Olivier Award nomination. In 2003, the musical moved to Broadway and Morton went on to win Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle, and Drama League Award nominations. Other theatre credits include musicals such as “Sondheim on Sondheim,” “The Who’s Tommy,” “Chess,” “Parade” (for which he won a Helen Hayes Award), “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” and “Hamilton,” in which he currently plays King George III. In addition to his work in theatre, he has read a number of audiobooks, voiced the male Sith Inquisitor in the MMO game Star Wars: The Old Republic, and released two musical albums. Morton has been married to theatre producer Lee Armitage since 2004. The couple’s son is theatre critic and actor Iain Armitage.

Brian Bird is the co-creator and has served as show runner and executive producer for nine seasons of the top-rated scripted cable show, WHEN CALLS THE HEART. His 30-plus years as a writer and producer feature more than two dozen feature films and documentaries, including the Paramount feature film Captive and more than 350 network television episodes from shows such as TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL, STEP BY STEP, and EVENING SHADE.

Gillian Bronte Adams is a sword-wielding, horse-riding, wander-loving fantasy author who is rarely found without a coffee in hand and is rumored to pack books before clothes when she hits the road. Working in youth ministry left her with a passion for journeying alongside children and teens (and also enhanced her love of coffee!). Nowadays she writes novels that follow outcast characters down broken roads, through epic battles, and onward to adventure. And at the end of a long day of typing, she can be found saddling her wild thing and riding off into the sunset, seeking adventures of her own.

Windell Campbell taught school for 41 years and was selected as Teacher of the Year. As a storyteller, he has performed at hundreds of summer reading program events and at storytelling festivals throughout the south, as well as been featured at prestigious conferences and events in Florida. He also appeared at the Exchange Place at the eNational Storytelling Festival. His storytelling shows reach both children and adults with their memorable tales, including the expert use of puppets.

Michael Koryta is the best-selling and award winning author of sixteen crime thrillers and writes horror fiction under the pseudonym Scott Carson. Prior to becoming a novelist, he worked as a private investigator and newspaper reporter. His latest Carson novel is Where They Wait.

Kelley McNeil worked in the entertainment industry promoting concert tours and theatrical events for more than a decade before turning her attention to writing. She loves telling stories with a good pen and good music on hand, often with her two daughters bopping along nearby. She’s a native of Pittsburgh, but you can find Kelley living in South Florida most of the time and in London the rest of the time.Her latest novel, A Day Like This, reached #1 as an Amazon Bestseller in numerous categories, including magical realism.

Neal Marshall Stevens has been working in the entertainment industry for over three decades, writing, producing and working as a story editor for more than 50 produced motion pictures. He has also worked on several recent web series including Trophy Heads and Ravenwolf Towers. His screenplay “Deader” was produced by Dimension Pictures as Hellraiser: Deader and he wrote the screenplay for Dark Castle’s remake of Thirteen Ghosts.In addition to his work as a screenwriter, Neal has been teaching for the last 8 years for Script University and works as an associate professor in graduate-level screenwriting courses.

From the Story Vault: Bestselling author Katia Lief shares her thoughts on story craft and idea germination as she discusses her thriller A Map of the Dark, which she wrote under the pen name Karen Ellis. Learn techniques to improve your novel or short story, no matter what stage you’re in.

John Yorke is Managing Director of both Angel Station and John Yorke Story, where he works as a drama producer, consultant, and lecturer on all forms of storytelling. A former MD of Company Pictures where he executive produced Wolf Hall, he’s worked as both Head of Channel Four Drama and Controller of BBC Drama Production. As a commissioning editor slash executive producer, he championed huge British hits such as Life On Mars, The Street, Shameless, and Bodies. In 2005 he created the BBC Writers Academy, a year-long in-depth training scheme that has produced a generation of successful television writers, many who have gone on to have their own shows. The author of INTO THE WOODS, the biggest-selling screenwriting book in the UK for the last six years, John is a double BAFTA winner (as programme maker) and multi BAFTA winner (as commissioner). He consults on narrative across all broadcasting platforms and is also Visiting Professor of English Language and Literature at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.  He lives in London but works as a story consultant worldwide.

Irene Hannon is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than sixty contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels. She is also a three-time winner of the RITA award—the “Oscar” of romance fiction—from Romance Writers of America and is a member of that organization’s elite Hall of Fame. Her many other awards include National Readers’ Choice, Daphne du Maurier, Retailers’ Choice, Booksellers’ Best, Carol, and Reviewers’ Choice from RT Book Reviews magazine, which also honored her with a Career Achievement award for her entire body of work. In addition, she is a two ­time Christy award finalist. Millions of her books have been sold worldwide, and her novels have been translated into multiple languages. Irene, who holds a BA in psychology and an MA in journalism, juggled two careers for many years until she gave up her executive corporate communications position with a Fortune 500 company to write full-time. She and her husband make their home in Missouri.