Kevin Maurer is an award-winning journalist and the three-time New York Times bestselling co-author of No Easy Day, No Hero, and American Radical, among others. For the last eleven years, Maurer has also worked as a freelance writer covering war, politics, and general interest stories. His writing has been published in GQ, Men's Journal, The Daily Beast, The Washington Post, and numerous other publications.
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Tom Morrisey is deeply in demand as one of the world’s top speechwriters and executive-engagement specialists. A speaker on writing and storytelling on both sides of the Atlantic, he has worked with leading executives from Chrysler, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, and The Walt Disney Company, and frequently writes articles and papers in the areas of executive engagement and coaching. He currently works in public affairs management for The Walt Disney Company, where he mentors speechwriters and storytellers on three continents.
Tom holds a Master of Arts in English Language and Literature from The University of Toledo as well as a Master of Fine Arts in Fiction from the world-renowned Creative Writing program at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. When not writing speeches, he pens thrillers and literary fiction.
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Samantha Bailey has been called the Queen of the Domestic Thrillers. She is the USA TODAY and #1 national bestselling author of WOMAN ON THE EDGE, her psychological thriller debut that received a starred review from Publishers Weekly and was a PW Best Books Pick of the Week.
In addition to her writing, Samantha also works as a journalist and freelance editor; her work has appeared in NOW Magazine, The Village Post, The Thrill Begins, and The Crime Hub, as well as other publications. Samantha lives in Toronto, where she can usually be found tapping away at her computer or curled up on her couch with a book.
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Meg Gardiner is the author of fifteen acclaimed, award-winning novels. Her thrillers have been bestsellers both in the U.S. and internationally and have been translated into more than twenty languages. China Lake won an Edgar Award and UNSUB, the first in her acclaimed UNSUB Series, won a Barry Award. Her third UNSUB novel, The Dark Corners of the Night, has been bought by Amazon Studios for development as a television series.
In addition to her writing, Meg is a former lawyer, three-time Jeopardy! champion, and two-time president of Mystery Writers of America.
Meg's latest release is Heat 2, co-written with 4x Oscar-nominated writer-director Michael Mann.
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Landon Beach’s book Narrator has been described as “Misery meets Gone Girl” and he worked closely with Scott Brick, the audiobook’s narrator, to blur the lines between the fictional world and the real one to deliver a story readers won’t soon forget. This lively discussion will take you into the sound booth as you learn the inside scoop behind this unique collaboration.
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Alex Finlay is the author of the 2021 breakout novel, Every Last Fear, and one of Goodread’s most popular books of 2022, The Night Shift. His work has been an Indie Next pick, a LibraryReads selection, an Amazon Editor’s Best Thriller, as well as a CNN, Newsweek, E!, BuzzFeed, Business Week, Goodreads, Parade, PopSugar, and Reader’s Digest best or most anticipated thrillers of the year. Alex’s novels have been translated into seventeen languages, and Every Last Fear is in development for a major television series.
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Lisa Phillips is a British ex-pat who grew up an hour outside of London. She is a USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author who is releasing her 61st book this fall. In this interview on The Story Blender, she shares her strategy for publishing and writing, how she deals with upcoming deadlines, and her thoughts on character arcs. If you like romantic suspense, especially inspirational suspense, check it out!
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Gabriela Pereira is an author, speaker, and entrepreneur who wants to challenge the status quo of higher education. As the founder and instigator of DIYMFA.com, her mission is to empower writers, artists and other creatives to take an entrepreneurial approach to their education and professional growth. Gabriela earned her MFA in writing from The New School and speaks at college campuses and national conferences. She is also the host of DIY MFA Radio, a popular podcast where she interviews bestselling authors and book industry professionals and author of the book DIY MFA: Write with Focus, Read with Purpose, Build Your Community.
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Listen in as famed writing instructor, NY literary agent, and best-selling author Donald Maass unpacks some of the secrets to best-selling novels, the important of an emotional journey (for the reader!) and why you should not follow storytelling or literary trends. While you listen, check out his latest book on the craft of writing, The Emotional Craft of Fiction. Grab a cup of coffee, settle back, and click play.
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After spending half her life living in diverse cultures throughout the world, Nova McBee spent seven years studying writing before penning her first Young Adult novel, CALCULATED, which is now in development for film. In this interview she shares her passion for complex stories, the importance of fractals, and how to write young adult novels that also appeal to 80-year-olds! You’ll also be amazed to find out how many times she reads through her books while editing them.
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