The Story Blender

Bil Lepp’s humorous, family-friendly stories have earned the appreciation of listeners of all ages. A five time champion of the West Virginia Liar’s Contest, Bil’s stories often contain morsels of truth which present universal themes in clever and witty ways, and audiences all across the country have been delighted by his delightful insights into everyday life. Bil’s books and audio collections have won dozens of awards and accolades. In 2011, Bil was given the National Storytelling Network Circle of Excellence Award and has continued to hone his craft ever since.

Bob Lenz is one of the country’s premier motivational speakers. He shares inspiring, humorous messages with hundreds of thousands of teens and adults each year, speaking at high schools nationwide. He has been telling stories since 1982, inspiring millions of teens. Bob has a heart for helping the next generation find hope and meaning and connects with them through his down-to-earth style and personal stories.

From The Story Vault: Edgar Award-winning novelist Meg Gardiner writes fast-paced thrillers full of twists and turns that keep readers guessing until the very end. Her bestselling books have been called “Hitchcockian” by USA Today and been translated into more than 20 languages. Listen in as she shares secrets to twist creation and story craft.

Donna Washington is an internationally known, multiple-award winning storyteller, spoken word recording artist, and author. A highly animated performer, she has been entertaining, educating, and inspiring audiences with her vocal pyrotechnics, elastic face, and deep characterizations for over 30 years. She has been called a “Walking Disney Movie” as she brings folklore, literary tales, and personal narratives to life.

Bruce Montgomery has a doctorate in interpersonal and public communication from Bowling Green State University and a master of divinity from Christian Theological Seminary. In addition to teaching classes on storytelling, as an ordained minister he has spent twenty-seven years as a preacher in Ohio, Tennessee, Indiana, and Texas. He has also taught speech classes at numerous colleges and universities throughout the midwest and the south. Bruce performs regularly at the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough, Tennessee and is currently the president of the Jonesborough Storytellers’ Guild.

Daniel Palmer is the USA Today bestselling author of ten critically acclaimed suspense novels. With tech-centric themes, Daniel’s novels focus on ordinary men pitted against extraordinary circumstances. He published his first novel, DELIRIOUS, after a decade-long career in e-commerce, where he helped launch first generation websites for major online retailers including Barnes & Noble and Dick Sporting Goods. Following the success of Daniel’s publishing career, he founded Day in the Life Media, a video production and communication company committed to helping brands identify their brand heroes so they can tell stories in a way that directly impacts the bottom line. A recording artist, accomplished blues harmonica player, and lifelong Red Sox fan, Daniel lives in New Hampshire with his wife and two children.

Richard Ferrone is a former lawyer who became an actor in the 1970s. He has appeared on Broadway and in theaters across the country. His television appearances include ”Law & Order,” “Against the Law,” “Guiding Light,” and “One Life to Live.“ He became an immediate favorite of audiobook fans more than 20 years ago with his first audiobook, “The Stranglers” by Loren D. Estleman, and since then he has recorded the works of many bestselling authors including Dean Koontz, Dashiell Hammett, and myself! Although he has recorded books in nearly every genre, from romances to children’s stories to self-help books, he is best known for his mystery and thriller recordings, especially those of John Sandford’s “Prey” novels and the Tim LaHaye/Jerry Jenkins “Left Behind” series. He is an Audie Award winner and is married to actor Cynthia Darlow.

Our guest this week, Danusia Trevino, is a storyteller who has won two GrandSlams with the MOTH. She emigrated to the United States from Poland and her artwork has appeared in galleries throughout the world. She also toured extensively with the punk band FUR. But her passion was always to be an actor, which she has been pursuing for the last 23 years ever since leaving the band. She has performed her award-winning one woman show, Wonder Bread, to audiences throughout North America.

From the Story Vault: A self-described “full-time daydreamer who moonlights as a storyteller,” Ed Stivender has been dubbed “the Robin Williams of storytelling” by the Miami Herald and “the Catholic Garrison Keillor” by Kirkus Reviews. Join us as he shares a delightful mixture of whimsy, wit, and wisdom on the art of storytelling.

Andrew Erwin and his brother Jon comprise the filmmaking duo the Erwin Brothers. They became interested in film and sports while they were children and went on to produce an award-winning documentary about the 9/11 terror attack, then began developing feature films including October Baby and I Can Only Imagine, which topped $100 million in sales (more than 12x the production budget). Their latest movie, an inspiring story of faith amid devastating tragedy, hit theaters right at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and only days before theaters nationwide closed down. I Still Believe is opening for video on demand this weekend, so keep an eye out for it!