The Story Blender

Ethan Cross is the international bestselling and award-winning author of more than a dozen novels. His childhood dream of telling stories on a grand scale came to fruition with the release of his first book, The Shepherd, which went on to become an international bestseller published in numerous countries and languages. In addition to writing and working in the publishing industry, Ethan has also served as the Chief Technology Officer for a national franchise, recorded albums as a lead singer and guitar player, and been an active and involved member of the International Thriller Writers organization.

Paul Smith is one of the world’s leading experts on organizational storytelling. He’s the author of three Amazon #1 bestsellers: Lead with a Story, Sell with a Story, and The 10 Stories Great Leaders Tell. As part of his research on the effectiveness of storytelling, Paul has interviewed over three hundred CEOs and executives in twenty-five countries and documented over 3,000 individual business stories. His work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Inc. Magazine, Time, Forbes, and Success Magazine, among others, and has trained executives at international giants like Google, Hewlett Packard, Ford Motor Company, Bayer Medical, Progressive Insurance, and Walmart. Paul’s most recent book is Four Days with Kenny Tedford, which released in November 2019.

Christopher Vogler is a former Hollywood studio executive and story analyst whose book THE WRITER’S JOURNEY has been called “the screenwriter’s Bible.” Christopher attended the USC School of Cinematic Arts before entering the film industry as a script reader. At the Walt Disney Company he wrote an influential memo on story structure that went viral and deeply influenced Hollywood thinking. His work is based on the Hero’s Journey concept of mythologist Joseph Campbell and has become the cornerstone of many college writing programs and has had a wide influence in Hollywood and around the world. THE WRITER’S JOURNEY is coming out in a special 25th anniversary edition on August 4th, 2020.

DP Lyle is the bestselling and critically-acclaimed author of twenty-two books, both fiction and nonfiction. His stories have been nominated for the Edgar and Agatha mystery and suspense awards, as well as many others. Along with Jan Burke, he was the co-host of Crime and Science Radio and currently hosts the podcast series Criminal Mischief. He has served as story consultant to many novelists and the screenwriters of shows such as Law & Order, CSI: Miami, Monk, Judging Amy, Cold Case, House, Medium, Women’s Murder Club, The Glades, and Pretty Little Liars.

Matt Mikalatos is a creative tour de force from the Pacific Northwest who has written ten books spanning the genres from spiritual non-fiction to young adult fantasy to superhero tales for kids. When he’s not penning a new story, Matt shares inspirational messages nationwide at conferences and special events. On his website he has three suggestions for us all: Learn to love. Learn to be loved, and live a good life.

Orson Scott Card is the world-renowned author of a number of popular book series including the Ender saga, The Tales of Alvin Maker, The Homecoming Saga, and the young adult Pathfinder series. He has written in a wide variety of genres including contemporary fantasy, science fiction, biblical novels, frontier fantasy, poetry, and scripts. Born in Washington, he grew up in California, Arizona, and Utah and served a mission for the LDS Church in Brazil in the early 1970s. Besides his writing, he teaches classes at Southern Virginia University and directs plays. He currently lives in North Carolina with his wife, Kristine Allen Card, where his primary activities are writing a review column for the local Rhinoceros Times and feeding birds, squirrels, chipmunks, possums, and raccoons on the patio.

As a native of Seattle, Glen Erik Hamilton was raised aboard a sailboat and grew up around the marinas and commercial docks and islands of the Pacific Northwest. His debut novel, Past Crimes, won the Anthony, Macavity, and Strand Critics awards and was nominated for the Edgar, Barry, and Nero awards. Glen lives in Southern California with his family, and frequently returns to his hometown to soak up the rain. His latest release, A Dangerous Breed, is set to release on July 14.

From the Story Vault: What makes us afraid? What’s the dividing line between suspense and horror? Listen in as J. D. Barker, the coauthor of DRACUL (the just-released prequel to Dracula) shares insights on these questions and more from decades of experience as an author.

David Rawlings is a writer with thirty years of experience in communication, ranging from journalism to the corporate sector. His latest book, Where the Road Bends, is placed in outback Australia and tackles the theme of destiny and where the road of life takes us all.  Published by Thomas Nelson, the book follows The Baggage Handler, which won the Christy Award for Best First Novel in 2019 and has been nominated for a Carol Award. David writes stories that take readers deeper into life, posing questions of them to explore their own values, faith and how they approach life.

From the Story Vault: Jacob Krueger is a leading screenwriting consultant. His insights into the world of screenwriting and creativity will shatter your preconceptions as he discusses the weaknesses of three-act structure, how to tap into your subconscious and find your authentic voice. Don’t miss it!