Life is Story

Follow Life is Story
Share on
Copy link to clipboard

Josh Olds sits down with authors and novelists to discuss the art of storytelling and their latest books.

Josh Olds


    • Nov 21, 2023 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 36m AVG DURATION
    • 44 EPISODES


    Search for episodes from Life is Story with a specific topic:

    Latest episodes from Life is Story

    Saving Grayson: A Conversation with Chris Fabry

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2023 32:08


    Chris Fabry is the host of Chris Fabry Live and a five-time Christy Award winner. His latest novel is Saving Grayson. Listen in as Josh and Chris talk about the book. The Conversation | Chris [...] The post Saving Grayson: A Conversation with Chris Fabry appeared first on Life Is Story.

    The Ballot and the Bible: A Conversation with Kaitlyn Schiess

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2023 49:10


    The Conversation This transcript excerpt has been lightly edited for clarity and conciseness. Josh Olds: Give me your elevator pitch for this book. What's it about? Why should people read it? Kaitlyn Schiess: Yeah, so [...] The post The Ballot and the Bible: A Conversation with Kaitlyn Schiess appeared first on Life Is Story.

    The Libyan Diversion: A Conversation with Joel Rosenberg

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2023 44:14


    Joel Rosenberg is back! After a year without a new Marcus Ryker novel, Rosenberg return with The Libyan Diversion. It's Marcus Ryker's fifth adventure and the third time we've had Joel on the podcast program. [...] The post The Libyan Diversion: A Conversation with Joel Rosenberg appeared first on Life Is Story.

    Dead Sea Conspiracy: A Conversation with Jerry Jenkins

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2022 35:11


    It's been over a decade since the Left Behind series concluded, but #1 NYT bestselling author Jerry Jenkins has continued to write, with his latest—Dead Sea Conspiracy—being the sequel to his 2018 novel, Dead Sea [...] The post Dead Sea Conspiracy: A Conversation with Jerry Jenkins appeared first on Life Is Story.

    The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water: A Conversation with Erin Bartels

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 26, 2022 38:09


    With the opening lines of The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water, I knew it was a book I needed to read in one sitting. It's themes of how story shapes us, and how we [...] The post The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water: A Conversation with Erin Bartels appeared first on Life Is Story.

    The Lady’s Mine: A Conversation with Francine Rivers

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 1, 2022 28:43


    It's been four years since Francine Rivers last released a novel and thirty years since her enduring classic, Redeeming Love. Now, in the space of two months, Rivers is releasing a novel—The Lady's Mine—and seeing [...] The post The Lady's Mine: A Conversation with Francine Rivers appeared first on Life Is Story.

    Nature of Small Birds: A Conversation with Susie Finkbeiner

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 9, 2021 45:38


    Susie Finkbeiner is a Life is Story favorite! A few months ago, we had the opportunity to sit down with her and talk about The Nature of Small Birds. It's a beautiful, relational story told [...] The post Nature of Small Birds: A Conversation with Susie Finkbeiner appeared first on Life Is Story.

    The Sunlit Lands: A Conversation with Matt Mikalatos

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2021 70:18


    In 2018, Matt Mikalatos released book one of his fantasy trilogy The Sunlit Lands. Imagine, if you will, that C.S. Lewis was writing to teenagers instead of elementary schoolchildren and you'll have a pretty good [...] The post The Sunlit Lands: A Conversation with Matt Mikalatos appeared first on Life Is Story.

    lands sunlit matt mikalatos
    A Piece of the Moon: A Conversation with Chris Fabry

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2021 44:27


    Chris Fabry had his start in small-town radio and years later—now with his own nationally syndicated show and dozens of bestselling novels—he’s returning that nostalgic past in A Piece of the Moon. After reading the [...] The post A Piece of the Moon: A Conversation with Chris Fabry appeared first on Life Is Story.

    moon piece chris fabry
    A Gentle Tyranny: A Conversation with Jess Corban

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2021 32:51


    With the YA dystopian market so crowded, it can be difficult to find authors whose voice is truly their own. Everybody wants to be the next Hunger Games or Divergent that they fail to give [...] The post A Gentle Tyranny: A Conversation with Jess Corban appeared first on Life Is Story.

    Rendezvous with God: A Conversation with Bill Myers

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 29, 2021 31:50


    If you grew up in the church, you probably know the name Bill Myers. Bill’s been a creator of Christian media for decades, fiction and non-fiction, for children and adults. You might know him from [...] The post Rendezvous with God: A Conversation with Bill Myers appeared first on Life Is Story.

    rendezvous bill myers
    The Power of Writing it Down: A Conversation with Allison Fallon

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2021 42:18


    We here at Life is Story believe that…well…that life is Story—everyone’s story matters, is worth being told, and worth knowing. Everyone has a story, but very few ever put that story on paper and in words. [...] The post The Power of Writing it Down: A Conversation with Allison Fallon appeared first on Life Is Story.

    Turn Your Season Around: A Conversation with Darryl Strawberry

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2021 31:15


    From 1983 to 1999, Darryl Strawberry wowed crowds with his flashy style, sound fundamentals, and electric play. But all the success belied a deep struggle in his personal life, which begin to push through into [...] The post Turn Your Season Around: A Conversation with Darryl Strawberry appeared first on Life Is Story.

    Everywhere to Hide: A Conversation with Siri Mitchell

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2020 36:36


    Not many authors can successfully make the switch from writing historical romance to contemporary thriller and—if I can be brutally honest—I wasn’t sure how Siri Mitchell would do. A lot of this was based in [...] The post Everywhere to Hide: A Conversation with Siri Mitchell appeared first on Life Is Story.

    Two Reasons to Run: A Conversation with Colleen Coble

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2020 28:00


    I’ve been diving into a lot of non-fiction recently, with the terrible side effect of not having as much time for fiction. It’d been a while since my last Christian fiction novel when I picked [...] The post Two Reasons to Run: A Conversation with Colleen Coble appeared first on Life Is Story.

    In Search of Identity: A Conversation with Rachelle Dekker

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2020 44:37


    Rachelle Dekker has jumped from genre to genre throughout her writing career, but her work thematically seems to always come back to question of identity and humanity. I called Rachelle to talk about her upcoming [...] The post In Search of Identity: A Conversation with Rachelle Dekker appeared first on Life Is Story.

    The Myth of the American Dream: A Conversation with D.L. Mayfield

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 27, 2020 53:41


    I picked this book up based on the title and nothing else. I had long been disillusioned with the American Dream, even as I still harbored a secret desire for it. My social and political [...] The post The Myth of the American Dream: A Conversation with D.L. Mayfield appeared first on Life Is Story.

    Daughter of Rome: A Conversation with Tessa Afshar

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2020 30:43


    Biblical fiction is a difficult genre. There are so many expectations, limitations, and interpretations that an author must carefully weave through—all while imaginatively going “beyond the text” to bring the story to life. In recent [...] The post Daughter of Rome: A Conversation with Tessa Afshar appeared first on Life Is Story.

    Tales of Goldstone Wood Remembered: A Conversation with Sylvia Mercedes/Anne Elisabeth Stengl

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2020 57:52


    When Life is Story relaunched, we did so from scratch. As the site has grown (over 15k visitors this month!), I’ve started to work on reformatting or republishing our years of archives. Almost immediately, I [...] The post Tales of Goldstone Wood Remembered: A Conversation with Sylvia Mercedes/Anne Elisabeth Stengl appeared first on Life Is Story.

    Stories That Bind Us: A Conversation with Susie Finkbeiner

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2020 30:02


    There’s great power in a good story. Stories bring us together, help us find common ground, take us on a common journey. In Stories That Bind Us, Susie Finkbeiner weaves a compelling relational narrative about [...] The post Stories That Bind Us: A Conversation with Susie Finkbeiner appeared first on Life Is Story.

    Life Essentials Interactive Study Bible: A Conversation with Gene Getz

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2020 32:22


    If you’ve ever gone searching for a new Bible, you know that the process can be overwhelming. Not only do you have dozens of English language translations to choose from, but there’s also dozens of [...] The post Life Essentials Interactive Study Bible: A Conversation with Gene Getz appeared first on Life Is Story.

    When Did We Start Forgetting God? – A Conversation with Mark Galli

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2020 53:33


    I figured getting an interview with Mark Galli was a long shot. Galli had just retired from his position at Christianity Today, going out with a scathing indictment of the Trump administration that landed him [...] The post When Did We Start Forgetting God? – A Conversation with Mark Galli appeared first on Life Is Story.

    Seeing Jesus from the East: A Conversation with Abdu Murray

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2020 33:46


    The world of Scripture is vastly different than my life here in the 21st century western world. As I’ve spent my life digging into Scripture, I’ve learned that a key to interpreting it well is [...] The post Seeing Jesus from the East: A Conversation with Abdu Murray appeared first on Life Is Story.

    The Edge of Everywhen: A Conversation with A.S. Mackey

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2020 40:45


    Middle-grade fiction isn’t exactly my top genre, but when I saw the cover of The Edge of Everywhen, I mentally put it in my “possibilities” pile. Just a few days afterward, the book’s publicist reached out [...] The post The Edge of Everywhen: A Conversation with A.S. Mackey appeared first on Life Is Story.

    The Lost Books: Looking Back with Kaci Hill

    Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2020 39:47


    In 2010, Ted Dekker closed out The Lost Books in a stunning fashion, returning for a two-book salvo that picks up where the initial four-book set (Chosen, Infidel, Renegade, and Chaos) left off. These final [...] The post The Lost Books: Looking Back with Kaci Hill appeared first on Life Is Story.

    The Books of Mortals: Looking Back with Tosca Lee

    Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2020 56:05


    Blast back in time to 2010 when Ted Dekker promised to give readers another trilogy in the vein of the Circle—but with a Tosca Lee twist. The Books of Mortals (Forbidden, Mortal, and Sovereign) take [...] The post The Books of Mortals: Looking Back with Tosca Lee appeared first on Life Is Story.

    The Best We’ve Been: A Conversation with Beth Vogt

    Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2020 37:25


    I don’t typically read women’s fiction. I am, after all, a thirty-year-old man. I’m not the target demographic. And yet, when the publisher contacted me to ask if I’d consider reading Beth Vogt’s The Best [...] The post The Best We’ve Been: A Conversation with Beth Vogt appeared first on Life Is Story.

    VeggieTales & Dead Sea Squirrels | A Conversation with Mike Nawrocki

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2020 34:22


    Join Mike Nawrocki (co-creator of VeggieTales) and Josh Olds as they sit down for a discussion of Nawrocki’s new and upcoming projects, from the latest books in the Dead Sea Squirrels to brand new VeggieTales [...] The post VeggieTales & Dead Sea Squirrels | A Conversation with Mike Nawrocki appeared first on Life Is Story.

    Gravitas, Monastic Rhythms, and Leadership: A Conversation with Jerome Daley

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2020 40:20


    What do you think of when you hear the term “monastic rhythm”? Is it all chanting in Latin, burlap robes, and communal living in the medieval times? Or is there something from the Benedictines we [...] The post Gravitas, Monastic Rhythms, and Leadership: A Conversation with Jerome Daley appeared first on Life Is Story.

    The Insanity of Sacrifice: A Conversation with Nik Ripken

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2020 49:18


    Most devotionals tend toward encouragement or self-improvement. They’re simple, light-hearted reads perfect for the beginning of the day. The Insanity of Sacrifice takes that tried and tested formula and turns it upside down. This isn’t [...] The post The Insanity of Sacrifice: A Conversation with Nik Ripken appeared first on Life Is Story.

    The New Testament in its World: A Conversation with Michael Bird

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2019 34:35


    The best way to describe The New Testament in its World is massive. It’s one of those volumes that literally stands on its own, a compendium of a lifetime of research. But it’s also accessible—not [...] The post The New Testament in its World: A Conversation with Michael Bird appeared first on Life Is Story.

    Amish Vampires in Space: An Interview with Kerry Nietz

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 18, 2019 29:32


    If there was an award for oddest genre mashup, the Peril in Plain Space series just might take the top award. Following in the vein of books like Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer or Pride and [...] The post Amish Vampires in Space: An Interview with Kerry Nietz appeared first on Life Is Story.

    Debt-Free Degree: A Conversation with Anthony Oneal

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2019 24:01


    It took a whole recession to keep me from student loan debt. I was a middle-class kid from a small town who never really thought much about college. You go, you pay as much as [...] The post Debt-Free Degree: A Conversation with Anthony Oneal appeared first on Life Is Story.

    God Made Me Unique: A Conversation with Chonda Ralston of Joni and Friends

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2019 27:16


    On July 30, 1967, Joni Eareckson’s life changed forever, leading to her greatest blessings and greatest sufferings. She misjudged the shallowness of the water in the Chesapeake Bay, dove in, and was paralyzed. She was [...] The post God Made Me Unique: A Conversation with Chonda Ralston of Joni and Friends appeared first on Life Is Story.

    friends unique god made chesapeake bay ralston chonda joni and friends joni eareckson
    Synapse: A Conversation with Steven James

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2019 25:37


    “Our minds do not work the same way as human minds; we form beliefs about the world in ways that are very different from the ways that the minds of humans form beliefs. But this [...] The post Synapse: A Conversation with Steven James appeared first on Life Is Story.

    And Then I Woke Up: A Conversation with Kevin Kaiser

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2019 34:22


    I first met Kevin Kaiser at the Nashville Gathering in 2009, where he served as right-hand man to none other than Ted Dekker. Through the years, Kevin has forged a path through media relations and [...] The post And Then I Woke Up: A Conversation with Kevin Kaiser appeared first on Life Is Story.

    The Words Between Us: A Conversation with Erin Bartels

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2019 23:25


    Life is story. You know that’s a key theme around here. But, more than that, life is stories. Life is an anthology collection of happenings each influenced and informed by the stories before and around. [...] The post The Words Between Us: A Conversation with Erin Bartels appeared first on Life Is Story.

    A Single Light: A Conversation with Tosca Lee

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2019 33:14


    Wynter Roth went into the bunker thinking she had stopped the apocalypse, believing that the antidote to the disease ravaging the United States would be distributed. But the world she finds when the bunker opens [...] The post A Single Light: A Conversation with Tosca Lee appeared first on Life Is Story.

    united states single tosca lee light a conversation
    I’m Just a Jackwagon: A Conversation with Comedian Tim Hawkins

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2019 23:28


    Diary of a Jackwagon | Tim Hawkins Somewhere in Illinois, sometime in 2015 (the exact date is lost to history), Tim Hawkins was bored on his tour bus, so he gave me a call. Or [...] The post I’m Just a Jackwagon: A Conversation with Comedian Tim Hawkins appeared first on Life Is Story.

    Struggling With Grief: An Interview with Max Lucado

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2019 16:06


    You’ll Get Through This | Max Lucado Grief is universal. It touches all of us at one point or another. From the big to the small—though none of it ever seems small at the time. [...] The post Struggling With Grief: An Interview with Max Lucado appeared first on Life Is Story.

    Look and Live: An Interview with Recording Artist Matt Papa

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2019 39:44


    Look and Live | Matt Papa A few years ago, Josh Olds caught up with author and recording artist Matt Papa to discuss the art of worship. In 2009, Matt’s album Your Kingdom Come charted [...] The post Look and Live: An Interview with Recording Artist Matt Papa appeared first on Life Is Story.

    Operation: Rewrite | An Interview with Jerry Jenkins

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2019 27:43


    The Last Operative | Jerry Jenkins In the first-ever Life is Story interview, Josh Olds picked up the phone to talk with 21-time NYT Bestselling Novelist, Left Behind author, and Christian Writer’s Guild owner Jerry [...] The post Operation: Rewrite | An Interview with Jerry Jenkins appeared first on Life Is Story.

    Going Past the Red Rope: An Exclusive Interview with Rachelle and Ted Dekker

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2019 58:15


    An Exclusive Interview with Rachelle and Ted Dekker Grace has long lived in fear. She has been in waiting: waiting to inherit the earth, waiting behind this red rope, waiting in fear that the day [...] The post Going Past the Red Rope: An Exclusive Interview with Rachelle and Ted Dekker appeared first on Life Is Story.

    The Life is Story Podcast Trailer

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2019 3:16


    The Life is Story Podcast After more than a month in the making, Life is Story is relaunching our acclaimed podcast, featuring interviews with your favorite authors. And we’re dropping a whole season’s worth of [...] The post The Life is Story Podcast Trailer appeared first on Life Is Story.

    Claim Life is Story

    In order to claim this podcast we'll send an email to with a verification link. Simply click the link and you will be able to edit tags, request a refresh, and other features to take control of your podcast page!

    Claim Cancel