Story Impact Podcast - Compelling Author Interviews
Hello book lovers and welcome to Story Impact, an author interview podcast that dives deep into the meaning, purpose, and magic behind the stories we love. I'm your host, award-winning crime novelist Lisa Towles. As a fellow author, I know the incredible passion and hard work that goes into creating a story. That's why I created this series—to lift up authors and shine a spotlight on the incredible stories they've brought into the world. Book lovers, you're in for a treat! On this show, we'll go behind the scenes with some of the most renowned authors reshaping our literary landscape to understand their inspirations, craft, and the purpose that drives them forward. So get ready to be inspired, to discover new books for your reading list, and to connect with some amazing visionaries.
Episodes
Welcome to the Story Impact author interview podcast.
What if the path to peace begins not at a negotiating table, but with a story?
In this episode, host Lisa Towles welcomes Somia Sadiq—award-winning novelist, entrepreneur, and peacebuilder whose extraordinary career explores the power of storytelling to bridge cultural divides, transform conflict, and create meaningful change.
Through thoughtful questions, personal reflect...
History, Place & the California Story with Billie Hanson-Dupree
What happens when personal history, place, music, and memory become fiction?
Author Billie Hanson-Dupree joins Lisa Towles for a conversation about the California stories that shaped her life and her writing—from her father’s experience as a World War II veteran to growing up in California’s Central Valley, the juke joints and blues music that ins...
Welcome to the Story Impact author interview podcast.
What happens when the homicide detective becomes the murder suspect?
Acclaimed author, editor, playwright, filmmaker, and writing instructor Victoria Zackheim returns to Story Impact with Murder at Hotel Gloriosa, the second mystery in her latest series featuring journalist Aria Nevins and homicide detective Noah Roche. This time, Victoria moves the action from Paris to the high...
Welcome to the Story Impact author interview podcast.
What happens when a writer takes one of literature’s most iconic detectives and gives him the one thing he never knew he needed: an intellectual equal?
New York Times bestselling author, Edgar Award winner, and Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Laurie R. King joins host Lisa Towles for a wide-ranging conversation about Sherlock Holmes, Mary Russell, unforgettable cha...
Welcome to the Story Impact author interview podcast.
What does it mean to build a creative life across continents, blending the resonance of music with the deep history of historical fiction?
Scottish novelist and lifelong musician K.D. Neill joins host Lisa Towles to discuss his remarkable journey from a planned two-year relocation in South Africa to more than half a lifetime on the cont...
Welcome to the Story Impact author interview podcast.
What does it mean to be human in the age of technology?
Writer Jesse Ratner and photographer Dan Kutler join host Lisa Towles to discuss The Cage You Carry, a provocative new book exploring technology, identity, creativity, connection, and the forces shaping contemporary human experience through poetry an...
Welcome to the Story Impact author interview podcast.
In this episode, award-winning crime novelist and host Lisa Towles sits down with horror author and illustrator Tec Weston to explore the intersection of visual storytelling, horror, time travel, and the creative process behind his novel You Are All Charlotte.
What happens when the monster hunting you isn't just somewhere out there — but somewhere else in time? You Are All...
Welcome to the Story Impact author interview podcast.
Gold Rush California. A 2,000-year-old Chinese emperor. Modern biotech. And humanity's enduring obsession with cheating death.
With host Lisa Towles, this episode explores the fascinating life and work of author and screenwriter Caryn McCann, whose East-meets-West mystery thriller The Emperor's Curse brings Chinese history and culture, ...
Welcome to the Story Impact author interview podcast.
With host Lisa Towles, this episode explores the life and work of Mitchell Hadley — novelist, essayist, cultural critic, and television historian whose newest novel, The Book of Revelations, follows Nan Jaffe across decades of trauma, identity, memory, and the long road back to herself. Together they discuss the fragmented nature of memory, characters who take control of t...
Welcome to the Story Impact author interview podcast.
With host Lisa Towles, this episode explores the life and work of Robin Somers — an award-winning Western Mystery author whose Wild Horses Mystery Series follows crime reporter Eleanor Wooley through the Sierra Nevada foothills and high desert of the American West, where disappearances, murder, land conflicts, and the fate of wild horses become deeply intertwined. Togethe...
Welcome to the Story Impact author interview podcast.
With host Lisa Towles, this episode explores the life and work of Maxine Rose Schur, who has moved from professional actress to award-winning travel writer to acclaimed author of children's, middle grade, and young adult ficti...
Welcome to the Story Impact author interview podccast.
With host, Lisa Towles, this episode examines the intersection of journalism and fiction through Neal Lipschutz's decades at the highest levels of American media and his Scott Morgan mystery series. Together they discuss verification, ethics, moral ambiguity, and why the instincts that drive great journalism also drive a great mystery novel. Essential listening for readers, wr...
Dogs, Stories, and Connections | Meet Patricia McConnell
With host, Lisa Towles, this episode examines the intersection of science and storytelling through Patricia McConnell's internationally bestselling nonfiction and her acclaimed fiction debut, Away to Me. Together they discuss observation, empathy, healing, and why understanding behavior—whether human or canine—can transform the way we see ...
Lisa Towles, award-winning crime novelist and host of Story Impact, sits down with authors and entrepreneurs Carol Ann and Eric Wentworth to explore mindfulness, meaningful work, leadership, and finding purpose beyond conventional career success.
This episode examines the evolving definition of success—moving beyond promotions and titles toward lives grounded in purpose, align...
Welcome to the Story Impact Author Interview Podcast. In some corners of the world, storytelling isn't just an art—it’s an act of courage and a vital record of survival.
Today, host Lisa Towles welcomes bestselling crime novelist Sarah Lovett and global changemaker Ron Schultz. In this episode, we pull back the curtain on their new international thriller, Metal Viper, a story where a 12-year-old boy and a fath...
Welcome to the Story Impact Author Interview Podcast. High-octane fiction meets radical authenticity when a lifetime of philanthropy fuels a gripping search for justice.
Today, host Lisa Towles welcomes award-winning novelist and philanthropist Karen E. Osborne. In this episode, we go behind the scenes of her riveting murder mystery, Justice for Emerson, and explore how a passion for storytelling—sparked at age 12—evolv...
Welcome to the Story Impact Podcast! What happens when a terrifying real-life encounter in the mountains of Mexico becomes the catalyst for a celebrated thriller series?
Today, host Lisa Towles welcomes back her second-ever guest, crime thriller author, editor, and writing instructor Ana Manwaring. In this milestone 50th episode, we go behind the scenes of Ana’s 2024 release, Mortal Revenge, and explore the "irrefutable ...
Welcome to the Story Impact Podcast! How does the mind of a school principal—someone charged with leading a community and shaping its vision—approach the creation of an entirely new world?
Today, host Lisa Towles connects with Steve Guglich, a veteran educator, school principal, and the author of the expansive epic fantasy saga, Piercing the Veil. This conversation is a deep dive into creative discipline, author brandin...
Welcome to the Story Impact Podcast! Today, we're thrilled to feature Jim and Kathy Ocean — musicians, cultural activists, and co-authors of the genre-bending novel John Lennon's Glasses.
For more than three decades, Jim and Kathy have worked together as the creative force behind OceanWorks Productions, producing concerts, festivals, multimedia performances, and original music they describe as "Music for the MetaQuizzical" &m...
Welcome to the Story Impact Podcast! Today, we're honored to feature Marie Judson—linguist, scholar, and acclaimed fantasy author whose world-building spans two extraordinary series and two entirely different mythologies.
Marie is the creator of the Braided Dimensions series, a time travel fantasy saga woven through with medieval magic and ancient langu...
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