Best Django Degree Podcasts (2025)

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338. Django Degree Empowering Authors with Ownership and Royalties of their Wor 59:01

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10d ago59:01

59:01

Django Degree is the founder and CEO of Focus on Words, a book platform that gives authors full ownership of their work, royalties, and audience. He’s also the author of “I Hope You Wake Up” and “They Lied To You,” books that dive deep into truth, identity, and how we break free from the systems that shape us.His mission is clear: help authors recl…

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339. Laurence O'Bryan Founder BooksGoSocial 1:01:30

3d ago1:01:30

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Laurence O’Bryan is an author and the Founder of the International Dublin Writers’ Festival and BooksGoSocial. In this episode, we discuss how BooksGoSocial provides personalized book promotion with expert feedback, Amazon ad optimization, and extensive social media reach to boost sales. Galaxy Press uses this service, and we want to make this know…

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337. Craig Martelle Founder IASFA (Independent Association of Science Fiction & Fantasy Authors) 57:59

18d ago57:59

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Craig Martelle is an international bestselling author of thrillers and science fiction. His nonfiction book, Wit and Wisdom, provides incredible advice to authors. His first podcast interview was based on his thriller Ian Bragg Series. This interview is built around his book—a must-read for writers wishing to improve their game.He founded IASFA (In…

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336. Bea Jackson from Illustrating Fan Fiction to International Bestselling Artist 59:30

24d ago59:30

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Brittany “Bea” Jackson illustrated the New York Times bestselling picture books, “Parker Looks Up,” about America’s First Lady, and LeBron James’s “We Are Family,” and her own “Lilly’s Dream,” which she both wrote and illustrated.She is a former grand prize winner of the Illustrators of the Future Contest and was published in “L. Ron Hubbard Presen…

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335. Tom Wood: World Class Fantasy Artist Discusses "An Artist's Path" 1:03:59

1M ago1:03:59

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Tom Wood is a fantasy art illustrator among the best-selling poster artists in the US and Canada. We met at the Dragon Con in Atlanta 10 years ago, where he exhibited at a booth next to ours. We became friends, then great friends. We also appreciated his desire to help other artists. We invited him and he has been an Illustrators of the Future judg…

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334. Robert J. Sawyer: From Contestant to Contest Judge and Winner of all Major SF Awards 1:00:26

1M ago1:00:26

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Robert J. Sawyer entered Writers of the Future and won three Honorable Mentions before disqualifying himself by selling professionally. We met 20 years ago at Torcon III, where he won his first Hugo award. The following year, he was invited to Hollywood to attend the Gala and subsequently invited to be a judge. He agreed and has been a judge for 20…

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333. 3X World Fantasy Award Winner Tim Powers Tells Why Fantasy Must be Believable 59:21

2M ago59:21

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Tim Powers is a three-time World Fantasy Award winner and Writers of the Future Contest judge and instructor. In this podcast, we discuss why fantasy has to be believable...and how to make that happen!By John Goodwin

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332. Sean Williams: #1 NYT Bestselling Author, Writer Contest Winner and Judge 1:02:45

2M ago1:02:45

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Sean Williams was a Writers of the Future winner in 1992 and published in Volume 9. He became a judge in 2003. He is a NYT bestselling author of 60 books and over 120 short stories for adults, young adults, and children.Sean wrote the cover story based on Craig Elliot’s cover art for “L. Ron Hubbard Presents Volume 41” titled “Under False Colours.”…

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331. Volume 41 Illustrator Winners Discuss the Contest, Art, and the Illustrator Forum 59:54

2M ago59:54

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Four Illustrators of the Future winners: CL Fors, illustrator of "A World of Repetitions"; Tremani Sutcliffe, illustrator of "Ascii"; Breanda Petsch, illustrator of "Karma Birds"; and Daniel Montifar, illustrator of "The Boy from Elsewhen." We discuss their journeys as artists, Illustrator Workshop week, illustration, and the Illustrators of the Fu…

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330. Winners from year 41 at the Writers & Illustrators of the Future workshop and awards gala. 1:04:49

2M ago1:04:49

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These eight winners from year 41 at the Writers & Illustrators of the Future workshop and awards gala: Seth Atwater, Jr., author of "A World of Repetitions," Jefferson Snow, author of "The Rune Witch," Joel C. Scoberg, author of "The Stench of Freedom," Sandra Skalski, author of "Slip Stone," T.R. Naus, author of "Storm Damage," Haileigh Enriquez, …

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329. Volume 41 winners: David Hoffrichter, Lauren McGuire, Barlow Crassmont, Patrick MacPhee 1:00:14

2M ago1:00:14

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These four winners from year 41 at the Writers & Illustrators of the Future workshop and awards gala: David Hoffrichter, illustrator of "The Rune Witch"; Lauren McGuire, author of "Karma Birds"; Barlow Crassmont, author of "The Boy from Elsewhen"; and, Patrick MacPhee, author of "Thirty Minutes or It's a Paradox."…

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328. Volume 41 winners: Robert Lowell, Jordan Smajstrla, CL Fors, Ian Keith 1:00:30

3M ago1:00:30

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These four winners from year 41 at the Writers & Illustrators of the Future workshop and awards gala: Robert Lowell, author of "Kill Switch"; Jordan Smajstrla, illustrator of "Kill Switch"; CL "Cherrie" Fors, illustrator of "A World of Repetitions"; Ian Keith, author of "Blackbird Stone."We discuss their journey as creative individuals and what mak…

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327. Jonathan Merkh President Forefront Books, #2 Fastest Growing Publisher in the US 1:07:47

3M ago1:07:47

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Jonathan Merkh is the President and Publisher at Forefront Books. Andrea Fleck-Nesbit, president of the Independent Book Publishers Association and a previous podcast guest, introduced Merkh to the host. Merkh previously served as vice president and publisher at Thomas Nelson Publishers, led Howard Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, and Guidepo…

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326. Isaac Stewart VP Creative Development Dragonsteel Entertainment 54:46

3M ago54:46

54:46

Isaac Stewart, once an independent author and artist, now serves as the Vice President of Creative Development at Dragonsteel Entertainment. Isaac designed and illustrated the interior art for Brandon Sanderson’s “The Way of Kings,” including the Alethi Women’s script, maps, Shallan’s and Navani’s notebook pages, and additional artwork. He also cre…

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325. Making the Writers of the Future 41 Audiobook - Kirby Heyborne and Jim, Tamra, Taylor Meskimen 1:19:31

3M ago1:19:31

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Today’s guests are Jim, Tamra, and Taylor Meskimen along with Kirby Heyborne. The Meskimens were recorded in a studio in Los Angeles while Kirby was from his home in Utah. This episode discusses creating the Writers of the Future Volume 41 audiobook.Jim is an actor, comedian, and impressionist best known for his voice-over work in video games. His …

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324. Grand Prize Winners Randyn Bartholomew, Writer, and Jordan Smajstrla, Illustrator 58:42

4M ago58:42

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On the evening of Thursday, April 10, 2025 at the 41st Annual Writers of the Future and the 36th Annual Illustrators of the Future L. Ron Hubbard Achievement Awards Gala in the genres of Science Fiction and Fantasy, Randyn C. J. Bartholomew from Brooklyn, NY was named the 2025 Grand Prize Writer Winner and Jordan Smajstrla of Boerne, TX was named t…

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323. Robert Hatch: How Does a Writer Go About Getting A Book Made Into a Movie 1:02:05

4M ago1:02:05

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Robert Hatch has over thirty years experience as a director/producer/writer of dramatic films, documentaries, and television series, and his films have received over three hundred awards and honors from film festivals in the U.S. and internationally.He stated that he is always on the lookout for new material to turn into movies.…

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322. David Howard From Galaxy Quest Story and Screenplay to Newly Published Author 59:37

4M ago59:37

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David Howard, renowned for his screenplay of DreamWorks’ Galaxy Quest, brings a wealth of experience from television and live theatre. Interestingly, his spot on the podcast isn’t just due to his film industry credentials. The mix-up between Galaxy Press and Galaxy Quest, a common occurrence at conventions where fans routinely confuse the two, made…

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321. Jen Finelli The Meaning and Purpose of Suffering in Storytelling 59:50

5M ago59:50

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Jen Finelli is a physician and injured adventurer. Her real-life adventures have ranged from the funny and silly (like getting herself locked in a German nunnery by accident) to the beautiful (like scuba diving with sharks) to the severe and tragic (like breaking her spirit as she held the dying and watched sexual assault victims suffer without jus…

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320. Michael La Ronn Building a Writing Career While Raising a Family and a Full Time Job 58:31

5M ago58:31

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Michael La Ronn built a writing career publishing 10-12 books per year while raising a family, working a full time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings. In this interviews, we discuss how he has juggled all this and maintained a very positive outlook.Learn more at www.michaellaronn.com…

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319. Edward Ashton and the Making of the Movie Mickey 17 1:00:38

5M ago1:00:38

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Today’s guest is Edward Ashton, author of "Mickey 7" along with his most recent title "The Fourth Consort."His novel, "Mickey 7" has been made into the just released movie "Mickey 17."When Edward is not writing his international bestselling novels, he enjoys cancer research, teaching quantum physics to sullen graduate students, and whittling.https:…

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318. Announcing Ark Press Where Humans Win in the End 1:04:47

5M ago1:04:47

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Dave Butler, pen name DJ Butler, and David Afsharirad have created a new publisher, Ark Press. Dave Butler was a guest on episode 246, discussing navigating right and wrong in storytelling.Ark Press mission is to provide stories where humans win in the end.In this episode, we discuss a new press called Ark Press and an exciting writing competition—…

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317. Toni Weisskopf, Baen Books, on the Future of Publishing 59:50

6M ago59:50

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Toni Weisskopf is an American science fiction editor and the publisher of Baen Books. She has won the Phoenix Award, the Rebel Award, and the Neffy Award for best editor. She uses the nom de plume T. K. F. Weisskopf as an anthology editor.Writers of the Future and Toni initially met in New York in 1989, where she was a volunteer helping at the Awar…

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316. Z.S. Diamanti Writing Cozy Fantasy to Deal with the Aftermath of War 1:01:02

6M ago1:01:02

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Z.S. “Zac” Diamanti, per his own bio, went to college forever and has too many pieces of paper on his wall as a result. He is a USAF veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom and has worked in ministry for 10 years.Zac came highly recommended by Superstars organizers. And rightly so. The “Guard in the Garden” is a cozy fantasy, a subgenre that has not …

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315. Marc Cameron Retired US Marshal on Writing Adventure Thrillers 1:01:28

6M ago1:01:28

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Marc Cameron is a former US Marshal and author of the Arliss Cutter novels, the Jericho Quinn series, and the Tom Clancy Jack Ryan books starting with "Power" and "Empire."His law enforcement career has spanned over thirty years, from uniformed police officer to mounted patrol officer and detective before becoming a US Marshal, where he served as a…

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314. Scot Noel Publisher of DreamForge Magazine Discussing AI in Publishing 1:07:58

6M ago1:07:58

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Scot Noel was a guest earlier, which you can listen to on episode 210. Scot was a Writers of the Future Volume 6 winner in 2010 and has since gone on to write more SF and created DreamForge, now in its fourth year. He has also spent quite some time working in computer science, specifically AI, and likens it to the parable of the two blind men descr…

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313. Douglas E. Richards Discusses the Blur Between Science and Science Fiction 1:00:09

7M ago1:00:09

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Douglas Richards was a guest earlier in episode 211. In it, we discuss the blur between science and science fiction and the theme will continue in this episode. His most recent book, “The Breakthrough Effect,” was written as ChatGPT made its official appearance and so is very relevant.By John Goodwin

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312. David Hankins on Writing SF Humor and “Death and the Dragon” 57:34

7M ago57:34

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David Hankins was a “Writers of the Future Volume 39” winner in 2023 with his short story “Death and the Taxman.” In this interview, we discuss science fiction comedy vs. satire and its value to the overall genre.He has since gone on to create a series based on his short story. The first was appropriately titled “Death and the Taxman,” and the seco…

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311. Victoria Sutherland Publisher of Foreword Reviews on Value of Trade Reviews for Authors 1:01:09

7M ago1:01:09

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Victoria Sutherland created Foreword Reviews Magazine in 1998. Since its inception, Foreword Reviews has never strayed from its mission to help booksellers and librarians discover great books from indie presses. Authors may not know that librarians need a trade review to order books, which is what Foreword Reviews is. They include 100–125 reviews p…

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310. Steve Smith Publisher of Oasis Family Media Discusses Importance of Family Values 1:00:55

7M ago1:00:55

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Steve Smith is the President and Publisher of Sky Turtle Press/Oasis Family Media. He began his publishing career in 1984.Throughout the 1990s, he was active in licensing entertainment industry properties for publishing projects, working with Lucasfilm, 20th Century Fox, and Sony Pictures.This interview discusses the importance of family-friendly c…

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309. Adam Schomer Selling Superman: The Role of Comics in Pop Culture 58:52

8M ago58:52

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Adam Schomer is a filmmaker who created “Selling Superman,” which is the basis of this podcast interview.He is president of i2i Productions and goes to extreme lengths to follow stories that empower.His documentaries include award winners: “The Highest Pass,” “The Polygon,” “One Little Pill,” “Women of the White Buffalo,” and the documentary I watc…

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308. Andrea Fleck-Nisbet CEO Independent Book Publishers Assn on the Future of Publishing 1:00:48

8M ago1:00:48

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Andrea Fleck-Nisbet is the CEO of IBPA (Independent Book Publishers Assn), which is growing rapidly. After this interview with Andrea, it is no wonder why. She is a significant force of nature and, from my perspective, a major reason for this growth. In this interview, we discuss Indie publishing as well as author publishing. (She corrected me when…

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307. Elise Stephens the Amazing Use of Metaphors and Similes in Storytelling 1:01:44

8M ago1:01:44

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Elise Stephens credits much of her storytelling influence to a lifelong love of theater and childhood globetrotting. Her work focuses on themes of family, memory, and finding hope after a devastating loss. I originally met her when she won the Writers of the Future competition in 2018 with her short story “Untrained Luck” appearing in Writers of th…

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306. Myke Cole Discusses Writing Historical Fiction vs Non-Fiction 59:39

8M ago59:39

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Myke was a Writers of the Future Contest winner in volume 19 with his story “Blood and Horses.” He is an American author of fantasy, science fiction, and nonfiction. His series includes the Shadow Ops, Reawakening, and Sacred Throne. His career also involves television, and he has appeared on the CBS reality show Hunted and the Discovery Channel se…

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305. Sean McManus President of Dreamscape on Growth of Audiobooks 59:21

8M ago59:21

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Sean is the President of Dreamscape Media.He is also the President of the Audio Publishers Association.We met in Frankfurt recently at the Book Fair and finalized this interview.Audiobook growth kept the publishing industry growing during the pandemic, so I am very excited to speak with Sean about the growth of audiobooks as an industry. We also di…

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304. Scott T. Barnes: Writing with Multiple 1st Person Points of View 59:57

9M ago59:57

59:57

Scott won the Writers of the Future Contest in volume 28 with his story “Insect Sculptor.” He is the Founder of NewMyths eZine, one of only a few online magazines that continue to pay writers, poets, and artists for their contributions.He was a guest on this podcast on episode 57 in early 2020, just before the pandemic hit.In this interview, we dis…

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303. Jason Kelly of Sounded Discusses the Ethics of AI Voice Narration 46:21

9M ago46:21

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Jason Kelly, the CEO of Sounded, an audiobook company, was interviewed at the Frankfurt Bookfair. We addressed the fact that AI audiobooks are now a reality. In fact, Audible created 40,000 AI audiobooks last year using synthetic voices.We discuss how AI (synthetic voices) can be set up to not violate narrator rights and how it works. We also discu…

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302. Cory Verner Pioneer in Digital Download Audiobooks and Creator of Christian Audio 58:51

9M ago58:51

58:51

This interview was recorded at the Frankfurt Bookfair in Frankfurt, Germany.Cory Verner created Christian Audio as a solution to having something good to listen to on his daily 3-hour commute from San Diego to Orange County in California. He grew his company to the point where he was ready to move on and sold it to Recorded Books, at which point he…

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301. Dennys Ilic World Class Celebrity Photographer Creating Photographic Art Books 1:04:06

9M ago1:04:06

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Dennys Ilic is a genuinely beautiful person who has, for the past 18 years, pursued his passion as a professional photographer. He is also a celebrated Leica photographer.He has become internationally renowned as an editorial portrait photographer, best known for his edgy and soulful images. He has worked with clients including A-list actors Daniel…

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300. Angelique Fawns Spooky tales for all ages plus a book of all short story markets 1:00:46

10M ago1:00:46

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Angelique Fawns has published multiple short stories in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and DreamForge Anvil. She has also published several dark fantasy compendiums titled MYTHICAL MONSTERS. I read several of her short stories in BOOK 3 OF THE HORROR LIGHT SERIES and found them perfect for entertaining Halloween reads.She also compiled a publication…

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299. Joe Davis: Tips on Doing Successful Interviews 1:00:50

10M ago1:00:50

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Joe Davis competed for the US in the winter sliding sport of Skeleton at the Olympic Park (1999-2003).For the last few years, he has enjoyed sharing the stories and history of Park City and Utah in general as an Anchor and Reporter for the NBC affiliate KSL and as the former Host of the Mountain Morning Show on PCTV (Park City Television). In addit…

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298. FanX Salt Lake 2024 Writers of the Future Panel 48:21

10M ago48:21

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We recorded this podcast at the Writers of the Future panel at FanX Salt Lake 2024 with an amazing list of panelists.Beginning with me as the moderator, it included S.M. Stirling, Larry Niven, Rebecca Moesta, Kevin J. Anderson, Darci Stone, and Eric James Stone.And as promised in the promotion for the panel, a recently discovered video interview wi…

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297. Ian Randal Strock: The Importance of Short Fiction 57:01

10M ago57:01

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Ian Randal Strock was assistant editor at Analog and Asimov for half a dozen years in between a long career as an editor, author, and publisher. He is now the owner, publisher, and editor-in-chief of Gray Rabbit Publications, LLC, and its speculative fiction imprint, Fantastic Books.In this interview, we discuss the history of short fiction magazin…

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296. Jessica Brawner Tattoos on Dead Tree Flesh 58:19

10M ago58:19

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Jessica Brawner is an author of fiction and nonfiction, spanning topics from topical books on improving social interactions to urban fantasy and steampunk tales. She has experience in both traditional publishing and self-publishing but prefers the latter.We met through a common friend, now her husband, Steven L. Sears, who has been a guest on this …

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295. Marc Scott Zicree: How Twilight Zone Handled Censored Subjects 59:50

11M ago59:50

59:50

Marc Scott Zicree has written for Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Sliders, Babylon 5, Smurfs, He-Man, Real Ghostbusters, and much more.But the reason I invited him to this podcast is that Marc Scott Zicree is the author of the most comprehensive book on the original series, "The Twilight Zone Companion." A TV series I en…

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294 S.M. Stirling Researching Time Travel Alternate History 59:14

11M ago59:14

59:14

S.M. Stirling writes in multiple genres and has over 10 NYT bestsellers. In this interview, we discuss writing alternate history, the need for research, and how to do this research.His latest novel, "To Turn the Tide" addresses the last successful period of the Roman Empire before the Germanic tribes invaded and sacked it.We discuss Type A inventio…

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293. James Rosone Researching Hi-Tech Near-Future Sci-Fi 58:29

11M ago58:29

58:29

I am here at the Tampa Convention Center attending the 2024 Tampa Comic Con with this week’s guest, James Rosone. We met up here last year at this convention and recorded a podcast interview which you can find as interview 247.James Rosone is the Amazon Top 100 bestselling author of military thriller and science fiction. He's an Iraq War veteran wh…

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292. Elliott Haimoff Conversations with the Men of Apollo Space Program 1:00:32

11M ago1:00:32

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Elliott Haimoff, is a biologist, primatologist and documentary filmmaker. In 1990 he founded Global Science Productions to develop and distribute educational television programs and news segments about space, biology, health, sports and nature. And now, over 200 documentaries with dozens of awards later, I am now interviewing him on one of several …

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291. Anthony Goff, President Blackstone Publishing on Growth of Audiobooks 58:56

12M ago58:56

58:56

Anthony Goff is the President of Blackstone Publishing. I met Anthony when we shared spots on the Audio Publishers Assn Board of Directors in the early 2010s when he was the audio publisher at Hachette. He has been involved in publishing and the growth of the audiobook industry for three decades and is very knowledgeable about its history and growt…

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290. Meghna Pant, One of India's Most Celebrated Authors 58:53

1y ago58:53

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Meghna Pant is recognized as one of India’s best writers by several international and national publications. And she is the first female to ever write a war novel in India.She is an author, feminist, journalist and speaker and has won a variety of awards for her contribution to literature, gender issues, and journalism. In 2012, she won the Muse In…