Podcasts about golden pen award

BROOKLYN WRITER WINS GRAND PRIZE AT HOLLYWOOD AWARDS EVENT Featured in New Release HOLLYWOOD - Brooklyn, New York writer Randyn Bartholomew is the Grand Prize Winner in the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest earning him the Golden Pen Award trophy and a $5,000 cash prize. His winning story, "Ascii," is published in the international bestselling anthology, L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 41 which will be officially released on April 22nd. Mr. Bartholomew was honored along with the other winners in the Writers and Illustrators of the Future Contests on April 10th at the Taglyan Complex in Hollywood, California. Born in New York state on pi day, Randyn grew up in the nearby New Jersey towns of Maplewood and Summit. Although majoring in math at Cornell, he's since switched gears to become a Brooklyn-based freelance writer of science journalism, ghost writing, copywriting, and, whenever possible, fiction. His articles have appeared in Scientific American, Salon, The Washington Post Magazine, among others. He enjoys running in Prospect Park, reading old books and new, and finding free lectures to attend. While he reads eclectically, his main love is science fiction. When people frown at this preference (or, much worse, smile politely) he calls in the cavalry and reminds himself of the Ray Bradbury quote, “I have never listened to anyone who criticized my taste in space travel, sideshows or gorillas. When this occurs, I pack up my dinosaurs and leave the room.” He's been using a flip phone for the last four years. The Contest, one of the most prestigious writing and illustrating competitions in the world, is currently in its 42nd year and is judged by some of the premier names in speculative fiction. WASHINGTON ARTIST HONORED AT HOLLYWOOD AWARDS GALA Featured in New Release HOLLYWOOD - Washington, Utah artist Ms. Tremani Sutcliffe is a winner in the L. Ron Hubbard Illustrators of the Future Contest and was honored along with ten other artists and twelve writers at the Taglyan Complex in Hollywood, California on April 10th. Her art is published along with the other writers' and illustrators' stories and art in the international bestselling anthology, L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 41 which will be officially released on April 22nd 2025. Tremani Sutcliffe, born in 1990 in Provo, Utah, spent her early years exploring the rugged landscapes of middle-of-nowhere Arizona, where hiking in desert mountains and catching rattlesnakes ignited her adventurous spirit. Her passion for art stemmed from her love of books, and the fantastical covers that inspired her imagination. In true bookworm fashion, her artistic journey began at the local library, where she immersed herself in art instruction books, laying the foundation for her artistic journey. Through daily practice, relentless pursuit of new skills, and seeking mentorship from established artists, her commitment to learning new methods has continuously expanded her artistic repertoire. Tremani views art as a fusion of technique and creativity that brings beauty and meaning to life. After spending most of her young life drawing and painting with watercolors, she expanded her skillset to include oils. Although she also began working with acrylics, she quickly decided they must have been invented by an angry dude with horns and a pitchfork for the sole purpose of making her life miserable….and decided to develop her digital painting skills instead. The Illustrators of the Future Contest judges include, Bob Eggleton (11 Chesley Awards and 9 Hugo Awards), Larry Elmore (Dungeons & Dragons book covers), Echo Chernik (graphic designs for major corporations including Celestial Seasonings tea packaging), Rob Prior (art for Spawn, Heavy Metal comics and Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Ciruelo (Eragon Coloring Book).

Arlington, Virginia writer Jack Nash is the Grand Prize Winner in the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest earning him the Golden Pen Award trophy and $5,000. His winning story, "Son, Spirit, Snake," is published in the international bestselling anthology, L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 40 which has an official release date of May 7th. Mr. Nash was honored along with the other winners in the Writers and Illustrators of the Future Contests on April 25th at the Taglyan Complex in Hollywood, California. Jack Nash started writing when he became a speech and ghostwriter for a former head of state and Nobel Peace Prize winner. After his non-accredited work appeared in places like The New York Times, The Economist, and received standing ovations at the Nobel Foundation, he began to wonder what he could achieve if he turned towards fiction. He began seriously writing speculative stories in late 2021, and he received the call that he would be published in Writers of the Future one year plus one day after his first professional sale to The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. As a result, he is now strongly superstitious. Originally from the deserts of the American West, Jack now wanders the urban forests of Virginia with his wife and daughter. The Contest, one of the most prestigious writing and illustrating competitions in the world, is currently in its 41st year and is judged by some of the premier names in speculative fiction. Mark Leslie Lefebvre is the author of more than thirty books that include the award-winning humorous urban fantasy Canadian Werewolf series— hailed by readers as “the thinking man's werewolf”—and his award-nominated ghostly explorations such as Haunted Hospitals and Tomes of Terror. He is also the editor of more than ten anthologies that include titles in the Hugo Award Nominated Pulphouse Fiction Magazine and the Aurora Award-winning Tesseracts series, which showcases the best in Canadian speculative fiction. His work has been translated into French, Italian, and German. While choosing the shorter and easier-to-spell moniker of Mark Leslie for most of his writing, Mark leverages his full name for work in inspiring, informing, and assisting other authors. Mark's first short story was published in 1992, the same year he began in the book industry. He is a tireless advocate for libraries, bookstores, and other authors and has held the roles of president of The Canadian Booksellers Association, board member for BookNet Canada, chair of the Professional Advisor Committee for Sheridan College's Honours Degree in Writing and Publishing, and Director of Self-Publishing and Author Relations for Rakuten, Kobo, Inc. where he launched Kobo Writing Life. A pioneer in digital publishing, Mark has embraced both traditional and self-publishing routes and continues to look for new ways that technology and innovation can improve the industry for all authors. He has appeared on countless podcasts, television, and radio programs and has spoken on stages across Canada and the United States as well as in England, Germany, France, and Italy. Mark's weekly podcast, Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing—launched in January 2018— takes an unflinching look at the reality of the publishing world with a balanced take on the pros and cons of various publishing routes. One of his greatest passions is helping writers navigate the bold new realms and opportunities that continue to unfold as the industry evolves. Mark Leslie Lefebvre became a Writers of the Future judge in Find out more at: markleslie.ca

Jack Nash won the Golden Pen Award for his story, "Son, Spirit, Snake.

Jack Nash won the Golden Pen Award for his story, "Son, Spirit, Snake.

Jack Nash won the Golden Pen Award for his story, "Son, Spirit, Snake." Tyler Vail won the Golden Brush Award for his illustration of the story, "Squiddy." In this interview, we discuss their personal journey's to finally winning the top award for aspiring writers and artists. Tyler Vail: www.Tylervail.com

Jack Nash won the Golden Pen Award for his story, "Son, Spirit, Snake." Tyler Vail won the Golden Brush Award for his illustration of the story, "Squiddy." In this interview, we discuss their personal journey's to finally winning the top award for aspiring writers and artists. Tyler Vail: www.Tylervail.com

Jack Nash won the Golden Pen Award for his story, "Son, Spirit, Snake." Tyler Vail won the Golden Brush Award for his illustration of the story, "Squiddy." In this interview, we discuss their personal journey's to finally winning the top award for aspiring writers and artists. Tyler Vail: www.Tylervail.com

DRAPER WRITER CAPTURES GRAND PRIZE IN INTERNATIONAL CONTEST, HONORED AT HOLLYWOOD AWARDS EVENT Draper, Utah resident, Barbara Lund, was honored at the L. Ron Hubbard Achievement Awards Event in Hollywood as the grand winner in the Writers of the Future Contest earning her the Golden Pen Award trophy and a cash prize of $5,000 in addition to having her story, "Sixers," published in the international bestselling anthology, L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 37. The awards event at the Taglyan Complex on October 22nd was a black-tie gala honoring all the winners of Volume 36 and Volume 37 as well as announcing the grand prize writer and illustrator winner from each volume. Barbara's gratitude was expressed in her short but emotional acceptance speech, "Thank you. Thank you to the judges and thank you to my family and thank you to everyone here. I did not expect this because I'm in such a great, great company of amazing writers. So thank you very much!" Ms. Lund's novel Speaker for the People won second place in the science fiction/fantasy category of the 2015 Zebulon contest sponsored by Pikes Peak Writers. (The novel has since been renamed and published as Space, Lies, Syndicate). Since then, she has won three Silver Honorable Mentions and two Honorable Mentions in the Writers of the Future Contest. She has five indie-published novels and dozens of short stories and has been traditionally published in Daily Science Fiction. Add a husband, two kids, a dog, and a martial arts obsession, and she keeps pretty busy. The Contest, one of the most prestigious writing competitions in the world, is currently in its 39th year and is judged by some of the premier names in speculative fiction. The Writers of the Future Contest judges include, Tim Powers (author of On Stranger Tides), Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert (Dune prequel series), Robert J. Sawyer (Quantum Night), Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn series, Stormlight Archive), Larry Niven (Ringworld), Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game), Nnedi Okorafor (Who Fears Death), David Farland (Runelords), and Katherine Kurtz (Deryni series) to name a few. Illustrators of the Future Contest judges include, Bob Eggleton (11 Chesley Awards and 7 Hugo Awards), Larry Elmore (Dungeons & Dragons book covers), Echo Chernik (graphic designs for major corporations including Celestial Seasons tea packaging), Rob Prior (art for Spawn, Heavy Metal comics and Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Ciruelo (Eragon Coloring Book) Following the 1982 release of his internationally acclaimed bestselling science fiction novel, Battlefield Earth, written in celebration of 50 years as a professional writer, L. Ron Hubbard created the Writers of the Future (writersofthefuture.com) in 1983 to provide a means for aspiring writers of speculative fiction to get that much-needed break. Due to the success of the Writers of the Future Contest, the companion Illustrators of the Future Contest was inaugurated five years later. The intensive mentoring process has proven very successful. The 440 past winners of the Writing Contest have published 1,150 novels and nearly 4,500 short stories. They have produced 32 New York Times bestsellers and their works have sold over 60 million copies. The 370 past winners of the Illustrating Contest have produced over 6,000 illustrations, 360 comic books, graced 624 books and albums with their art and visually contributed to 68 TV shows and 40 major movies.

DRAPER WRITER CAPTURES GRAND PRIZE IN INTERNATIONAL CONTEST, HONORED AT HOLLYWOOD AWARDS EVENT Draper, Utah resident, Barbara Lund, was honored at the L. Ron Hubbard Achievement Awards Event in Hollywood as the grand winner in the Writers of the Future Contest earning her the Golden Pen Award trophy and a cash prize of $5,000 in addition to having her story, "Sixers," published in the international bestselling anthology, L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 37. The awards event at the Taglyan Complex on October 22nd was a black-tie gala honoring all the winners of Volume 36 and Volume 37 as well as announcing the grand prize writer and illustrator winner from each volume. Barbara's gratitude was expressed in her short but emotional acceptance speech, "Thank you. Thank you to the judges and thank you to my family and thank you to everyone here. I did not expect this because I'm in such a great, great company of amazing writers. So thank you very much!" Ms. Lund's novel Speaker for the People won second place in the science fiction/fantasy category of the 2015 Zebulon contest sponsored by Pikes Peak Writers. (The novel has since been renamed and published as Space, Lies, Syndicate). Since then, she has won three Silver Honorable Mentions and two Honorable Mentions in the Writers of the Future Contest. She has five indie-published novels and dozens of short stories and has been traditionally published in Daily Science Fiction. Add a husband, two kids, a dog, and a martial arts obsession, and she keeps pretty busy. The Contest, one of the most prestigious writing competitions in the world, is currently in its 39th year and is judged by some of the premier names in speculative fiction. The Writers of the Future Contest judges include, Tim Powers (author of On Stranger Tides), Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert (Dune prequel series), Robert J. Sawyer (Quantum Night), Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn series, Stormlight Archive), Larry Niven (Ringworld), Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game), Nnedi Okorafor (Who Fears Death), David Farland (Runelords), and Katherine Kurtz (Deryni series) to name a few. Illustrators of the Future Contest judges include, Bob Eggleton (11 Chesley Awards and 7 Hugo Awards), Larry Elmore (Dungeons & Dragons book covers), Echo Chernik (graphic designs for major corporations including Celestial Seasons tea packaging), Rob Prior (art for Spawn, Heavy Metal comics and Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Ciruelo (Eragon Coloring Book) Following the 1982 release of his internationally acclaimed bestselling science fiction novel, Battlefield Earth, written in celebration of 50 years as a professional writer, L. Ron Hubbard created the Writers of the Future (writersofthefuture.com) in 1983 to provide a means for aspiring writers of speculative fiction to get that much-needed break. Due to the success of the Writers of the Future Contest, the companion Illustrators of the Future Contest was inaugurated five years later. The intensive mentoring process has proven very successful. The 440 past winners of the Writing Contest have published 1,150 novels and nearly 4,500 short stories. They have produced 32 New York Times bestsellers and their works have sold over 60 million copies. The 370 past winners of the Illustrating Contest have produced over 6,000 illustrations, 360 comic books, graced 624 books and albums with their art and visually contributed to 68 TV shows and 40 major movies.

Chatting With Sherri welcomes award-winning speculative writer; Desmond Astaire! Desmond Astaire is a speculative fiction storyteller from Central Illinois, where he navigates the journey of life alongside a devoted wife and forever-loved son. In his other life, Astaire is a senior enlisted leader for a military public relations unit, supervising the training, development, and operations of multimedia content creators. Astaire's lifelong obsession with science fiction and fantasy was forged as a child in the halls of local public libraries. The addiction was enabled by reading programs like Accelerated Reader and BOOK IT!, and the revelation to write professionally was born after his discovery of Dean Wesley Smith's Star Trek: Strange New Worlds anthology. For these formative experiences, he is forever grateful. Astaire can be found Saturday mornings in Peoria metro-area coffee shops conducting weekly writing sessions and trying to apply Denzel Washington's adage that “Dreams without goals are just dreams, and they ultimately fuel disappointment..” Desmond Astaire is the grand prize winner in The Writers of the Future contest earning him the Golden Pen Award and cash prize of $5,000, in addition to having his story, "Gallows," published in the international bestselling anthology, L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 38.  

AMHERST AUTHOR WINS INTERNATIONAL WRITERS CONTEST Featured in New Release Amherst, Massachusetts author Marianne Xenos is a winner in the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest and was honored, via remote video, along with eleven other winning writers and twelve winning artists at the Taglyan Complex in Hollywood, California on April 28th. Her story, "Moonlight and Funk," is illustrated by April Solomon of Laguna Beach, California who is herself a winner of the Illustrators of the Future Contest. The story and illustration along with the other writers' and illustrators' stories and art are published in the international bestselling anthology, L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 39 which was officially released on May 16th. Marianne Xenos is a writer and visual artist living in western Massachusetts. She works with mixed-media, photography, and fiction. She's a member of an artist-run gallery and creates artwork with a strong sense of fantasy and narrative. Although she's been writing since she first learned to read, Marianne only began sending out her stories for publication in the past year and a half. Marianne grew up in a blue-collar family outside of Boston. Her childhood was full of immigrants, builders, and working-class heroes-people who inspire the characters in her stories. Her father was a heavy-equipment operator who moved to Key West to look for gold, with only moderate success. He introduced her to treasure hunters, conchs, and deep-sea fishing. Marianne's mother, who never left New England if she could help it, taught her to dance as soon as she could walk--everything from Greek line dances to the cha-cha. In 2021, Marianne published her first short story, and was a finalist for Writers of the Future. The current winning submission which will be published in L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 39 is her first professional sale and the title and story are not revealed at this point in time since they are in contention for the grand prize, the Golden Pen Award and a $5,000 cash prize. The Contest, one of the most prestigious writing and illustrating competitions in the world, is currently in its 40th year and is judged by some of the premier names in speculative fiction. The Writers of the Future Contest judges include, Tim Powers (author of On Stranger Tides), Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert (Dune prequel series), Robert J. Sawyer (Quantum Night), Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn series, The Stormlight Archive), Larry Niven (Ringworld), Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game), Nnedi Okorafor (Who Fears Death), David Farland (Runelords), and Katherine Kurtz (Deryni series) to name a few. The Illustrators of the Future Contest judges include, Bob Eggleton (11 Chesley Awards and 7 Hugo Awards), Larry Elmore (Dungeons & Dragons book covers), Echo Chernik (graphic designs for major corporations including Celestial Following the 1982 release of his internationally acclaimed bestselling science fiction novel, Battlefield Earth, written in celebration of 50 years as a professional writer, L. Ron Hubbard created the Writers of the Future (writersofthefuture.com) in 1983 to provide a means for aspiring writers of speculative fiction to get that much-needed break. Due to the success of the Writers of the Future Contest, the companion Illustrators of the Future Contest was inaugurated five years later. In the 39 years of the Writers of the Future Contest, there have been 547 winners and published finalists. The past winners of the Writing Contest have published 2,000 novels and nearly 6,300 short stories. They have produced 36 New York Times bestsellers, and their works have sold over 60 million copies. In the 34 years of the Illustrators of the Future Contest, there have been 394 winners. The past winners of the Illustrating Contest have produced over 6,800 illustrations, 390 comic books, graced 700 books and albums with their art, and visually contributed to 68 television shows and 40 major movies. The Writers of the Future Award is the genre's most prestigious award of its kind and has now become the largest, most successful, and demonstrably most influential vehicle for budding creative talent in the world of speculative fiction. Since its inception, the Writers and Illustrators of the Future contests have produced 39 anthology volumes (with this event) and awarded upwards of $1 million in cash prizes and royalties. For more information about the Contests, go to www.WritersoftheFuture.com. Democrats are Hiding Joe Biden's Biggest Scandal Ever Here Are the First Photos of the Recovered Titanic Tourist Submersible China created COVID-19 as a 'bioweapon,' Wuhan researcher claims Harvard Astrophysicist's Search For UFO Crash Debris Makes Unique Discovery ‘Steven, I'm Moving On!' Biden Spox Blows Off Reporter Who Asks If Obama Told Biden To Hang It Up At Lunch

AMHERST AUTHOR WINS INTERNATIONAL WRITERS CONTEST Featured in New Release Amherst, Massachusetts author Marianne Xenos is a winner in the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest and was honored, via remote video, along with eleven other winning writers and twelve winning artists at the Taglyan Complex in Hollywood, California on April 28th. Her story, "Moonlight and Funk," is illustrated by April Solomon of Laguna Beach, California who is herself a winner of the Illustrators of the Future Contest. The story and illustration along with the other writers' and illustrators' stories and art are published in the international bestselling anthology, L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 39 which was officially released on May 16th. Marianne Xenos is a writer and visual artist living in western Massachusetts. She works with mixed-media, photography, and fiction. She's a member of an artist-run gallery and creates artwork with a strong sense of fantasy and narrative. Although she's been writing since she first learned to read, Marianne only began sending out her stories for publication in the past year and a half. Marianne grew up in a blue-collar family outside of Boston. Her childhood was full of immigrants, builders, and working-class heroes-people who inspire the characters in her stories. Her father was a heavy-equipment operator who moved to Key West to look for gold, with only moderate success. He introduced her to treasure hunters, conchs, and deep-sea fishing. Marianne's mother, who never left New England if she could help it, taught her to dance as soon as she could walk--everything from Greek line dances to the cha-cha. In 2021, Marianne published her first short story, and was a finalist for Writers of the Future. The current winning submission which will be published in L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 39 is her first professional sale and the title and story are not revealed at this point in time since they are in contention for the grand prize, the Golden Pen Award and a $5,000 cash prize. The Contest, one of the most prestigious writing and illustrating competitions in the world, is currently in its 40th year and is judged by some of the premier names in speculative fiction. The Writers of the Future Contest judges include, Tim Powers (author of On Stranger Tides), Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert (Dune prequel series), Robert J. Sawyer (Quantum Night), Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn series, The Stormlight Archive), Larry Niven (Ringworld), Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game), Nnedi Okorafor (Who Fears Death), David Farland (Runelords), and Katherine Kurtz (Deryni series) to name a few. The Illustrators of the Future Contest judges include, Bob Eggleton (11 Chesley Awards and 7 Hugo Awards), Larry Elmore (Dungeons & Dragons book covers), Echo Chernik (graphic designs for major corporations including Celestial The Writers of the Future Award is the genre's most prestigious award of its kind and has now become the largest, most successful, and demonstrably most influential vehicle for budding creative talent in the world of speculative fiction. Since its inception, the Writers and Illustrators of the Future contests have produced 39 anthology volumes (with this event) and awarded upwards of $1 million in cash prizes and royalties. For more information about the Contests, go to www.WritersoftheFuture.com. Democrats are Hiding Joe Biden's Biggest Scandal Ever Here Are the First Photos of the Recovered Titanic Tourist Submersible China created COVID-19 as a 'bioweapon,' Wuhan researcher claims Harvard Astrophysicist's Search For UFO Crash Debris Makes Unique Discovery ‘Steven, I'm Moving On!' Biden Spox Blows Off Reporter Who Asks If Obama Told Biden To Hang It Up At Lunch

MARQUETTE HEIGHTS RESIDENT CAPTURES GRAND PRIZE IN WRITERS OF THE FUTURE CONTEST HONORED AT HOLLYWOOD AWARDS EVENT HOLLYWOOD - Marquette Heights, Illinois resident Desmond Astaire was honored at the L. Ron Hubbard Achievement Awards Event in Hollywood as the grand prize winner in the Writers of the Future Contest earning him the Golden Pen Award trophy and a cash prize of $5,000 in addition to having his story, "Gallows," published in the international bestselling anthology, L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 38. The awards event at the Taglyan Complex on April 8th was a black-tie gala honoring all the writer and illustrator winners as well as announcing the grand prize writer and illustrator winners. In his acceptance speech, Desmond relayed to the nearly five hundred attendees, “Short story anthologies are such a beautiful piece of speculative fiction culture, and for L. Ron Hubbard's estate to continue nurturing emerging writers is a truly special gift. Thanks to all the judges and everyone at Author Services, Inc. and Galaxy Press responsible for anthologies like ‘Writers of the Future' for facilitating the journey of our imaginations to faraway times and places to the solace and escape of the story. My intent with this Golden Pen Award it to someday join your ranks and be able to touch minds and influence lives the way you've influenced mine in this wondrous venture of written storytelling.” Desmond Astaire is a speculative fiction storyteller from Central Illinois, where he navigates the journey of life alongside a devoted wife and forever-loved son. In his other life, Astaire is a senior enlisted leader for a military public relations unit, supervising the training, development, and operations of multimedia content creators. Astaire's lifelong obsession with science fiction and fantasy was forged as a child in the halls of local public libraries. The addiction was enabled by reading programs like Accelerated Reader and BOOK IT!, and the revelation to write professionally was born after his discovery of Dean Wesley Smith's Star Trek: Strange New Worlds anthology. For these formative experiences, he is forever grateful. Astaire can be found Saturday mornings in Peoria metro-area coffee shops conducting weekly writing sessions and trying to apply Denzel Washington's adage that “Dreams without goals are just dreams, and they ultimately fuel disappointment.” Writers of the Future was Astaire's goal since 2017. The Contest, one of the most prestigious writing competitions in the world, is currently in its 39th year and is judged by some of the premier names in speculative fiction. The Writers of the Future Contest judges include, Tim Powers (author of On Stranger Tides), Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert (Duneprequel series), Robert J. Sawyer (Quantum Night), Brandon Sanderson (Mistbornseries, The Stormlight Archive), Larry Niven (Ringworld), Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game), Nnedi Okorafor (Who Fears Death), David Farland (Runelords), and Katherine Kurtz (Deryniseries) to name a few. The Illustrators of the Future Contest judges include, Bob Eggleton (11 Chesley Awards and 7 Hugo Awards), Larry Elmore (Dungeons & Dragons book covers), Echo Chernik (graphic designs for major corporations including Celestial Seasonings tea packaging), Rob Prior (art for Spawn, Heavy Metalcomics and Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Ciruelo (Eragon Coloring Book).

MARQUETTE HEIGHTS RESIDENT CAPTURES GRAND PRIZE IN WRITERS OF THE FUTURE CONTEST HONORED AT HOLLYWOOD AWARDS EVENT HOLLYWOOD - Marquette Heights, Illinois resident Desmond Astaire was honored at the L. Ron Hubbard Achievement Awards Event in Hollywood as the grand prize winner in the Writers of the Future Contest earning him the Golden Pen Award trophy and a cash prize of $5,000 in addition to having his story, "Gallows," published in the international bestselling anthology, L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 38. The awards event at the Taglyan Complex on April 8th was a black-tie gala honoring all the writer and illustrator winners as well as announcing the grand prize writer and illustrator winners. In his acceptance speech, Desmond relayed to the nearly five hundred attendees, “Short story anthologies are such a beautiful piece of speculative fiction culture, and for L. Ron Hubbard's estate to continue nurturing emerging writers is a truly special gift. Thanks to all the judges and everyone at Author Services, Inc. and Galaxy Press responsible for anthologies like ‘Writers of the Future' for facilitating the journey of our imaginations to faraway times and places to the solace and escape of the story. My intent with this Golden Pen Award it to someday join your ranks and be able to touch minds and influence lives the way you've influenced mine in this wondrous venture of written storytelling.” Desmond Astaire is a speculative fiction storyteller from Central Illinois, where he navigates the journey of life alongside a devoted wife and forever-loved son. In his other life, Astaire is a senior enlisted leader for a military public relations unit, supervising the training, development, and operations of multimedia content creators. Astaire's lifelong obsession with science fiction and fantasy was forged as a child in the halls of local public libraries. The addiction was enabled by reading programs like Accelerated Reader and BOOK IT!, and the revelation to write professionally was born after his discovery of Dean Wesley Smith's Star Trek: Strange New Worlds anthology. For these formative experiences, he is forever grateful. Astaire can be found Saturday mornings in Peoria metro-area coffee shops conducting weekly writing sessions and trying to apply Denzel Washington's adage that “Dreams without goals are just dreams, and they ultimately fuel disappointment.” Writers of the Future was Astaire's goal since 2017. The Contest, one of the most prestigious writing competitions in the world, is currently in its 39th year and is judged by some of the premier names in speculative fiction. The Writers of the Future Contest judges include, Tim Powers (author of On Stranger Tides), Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert (Duneprequel series), Robert J. Sawyer (Quantum Night), Brandon Sanderson (Mistbornseries, The Stormlight Archive), Larry Niven (Ringworld), Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game), Nnedi Okorafor (Who Fears Death), David Farland (Runelords), and Katherine Kurtz (Deryniseries) to name a few. The Illustrators of the Future Contest judges include, Bob Eggleton (11 Chesley Awards and 7 Hugo Awards), Larry Elmore (Dungeons & Dragons book covers), Echo Chernik (graphic designs for major corporations including Celestial Seasonings tea packaging), Rob Prior (art for Spawn, Heavy Metalcomics and Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Ciruelo (Eragon Coloring Book).

This interview was recorded the morning following the Awards Gala for "L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 39." Dave Henrickson was the Golden Pen Award-winning author with his story "White Elephant," and Dao Vi was the Golden Brush Award-winner illustrator for his illustration of the story "The Last History." We discuss their trajectories to becoming the grand prize winners. View Dao Vi art at daovi1215.artstation.com/

This interview was recorded the morning following the Awards Gala for "L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 39." Dave Henrickson was the Golden Pen Award-winning author with his story "White Elephant," and Dao Vi was the Golden Brush Award-winner illustrator for his illustration of the story "The Last History." We discuss their trajectories to becoming the grand prize winners. View Dao Vi art at https://daovi1215.artstation.com/

Galaxy Press is the publisher for the anthology, L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 39 (release date May 16th 2022) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkR3wPiLN5M&t=8400s STERLING AUTHOR CAPTURES GRAND PRIZE IN INTERNATIONAL WRITERS CONTEST Honored at Hollywood Awards Event Sterling, Virginia author David Henrickson is the grand prize winner in the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest earning him the Golden Pen Award trophy and a cash prize of $5,000. David's winning story, "White Elephant," is published in the international bestselling anthology, L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 39 with an official release date of May 2, 2023. Dave Henrickson has been in love with science fiction since he was nine years old. He still remembers turning a corner in his local library and seeing rack upon rack (okay, three racks) of juvenile science fiction, which fired his imagination and transported him to strange new worlds. Unlike other boys his age, he never developed an obsession with cars or other such pedestrian forms of travel. If it couldn't take him to other worlds, out of the solar system, back in time, or to another dimension, he just wasn't interested. During college, he won several writing awards and later received a scholarship to the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer's Workshop. Dave has a background in oceanography, engineering, and computer science, but always wanted to be an artist. Or maybe a dancer. These days he lives in Virginia and spends his free time reading, writing, and killing monsters with his wife, Abbie. Dave has also written a number of novels he hopes might even get published one of these days. The Contest, one of the most prestigious writing and illustrating competitions in the world, is currently in its 40th year and is judged by some of the premier names in speculative fiction. The Writers of the Future Contest judges include, Tim Powers (author of On Stranger Tides), Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert (Dune prequel series), Robert J. Sawyer (Quantum Night), Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn series, The Stormlight Archive), Larry Niven (Ringworld), Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game), Nnedi Okorafor (Who Fears Death), David Farland (Runelords), and Katherine Kurtz (Deryni series) to name a few. The Illustrators of the Future Contest judges include, Bob Eggleton (11 Chesley Awards and 7 Hugo Awards), Larry Elmore (Dungeons & Dragons book covers), Echo Chernik (graphic designs for major corporations including Celestial Seasonings tea packaging), Rob Prior (art for Spawn, Heavy Metal comics and Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Ciruelo (Eragon Coloring Book). Following the 1982 release of his internationally acclaimed bestselling science fiction novel, Battlefield Earth, written in celebration of 50 years as a professional writer, L. Ron Hubbard created the Writers of the Future (writersofthefuture.com) in 1983 to provide a means for aspiring writers of speculative fiction to get that much-needed break. Due to the success of the Writers of the Future Contest, the companion Illustrators of the Future Contest was inaugurated five years later. The intensive mentoring process has proven very successful. The 382 past winners of the Illustrating Contest have produced over 6,000 illustrations, 360 comic books, graced 624 books and albums with their art and visually contributed to 68 TV shows, and 40 major movies.

Galaxy Press is the publisher for the anthology, L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 39 (release date May 16th 2022) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkR3wPiLN5M&t=8400s STERLING AUTHOR CAPTURES GRAND PRIZE IN INTERNATIONAL WRITERS CONTEST Honored at Hollywood Awards Event Sterling, Virginia author David Henrickson is the grand prize winner in the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest earning him the Golden Pen Award trophy and a cash prize of $5,000. David's winning story, "White Elephant," is published in the international bestselling anthology, L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 39 with an official release date of May 2, 2023. Dave Henrickson has been in love with science fiction since he was nine years old. He still remembers turning a corner in his local library and seeing rack upon rack (okay, three racks) of juvenile science fiction, which fired his imagination and transported him to strange new worlds. Unlike other boys his age, he never developed an obsession with cars or other such pedestrian forms of travel. If it couldn't take him to other worlds, out of the solar system, back in time, or to another dimension, he just wasn't interested. During college, he won several writing awards and later received a scholarship to the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer's Workshop. Dave has a background in oceanography, engineering, and computer science, but always wanted to be an artist. Or maybe a dancer. These days he lives in Virginia and spends his free time reading, writing, and killing monsters with his wife, Abbie. Dave has also written a number of novels he hopes might even get published one of these days. The Contest, one of the most prestigious writing and illustrating competitions in the world, is currently in its 40th year and is judged by some of the premier names in speculative fiction. The Writers of the Future Contest judges include, Tim Powers (author of On Stranger Tides), Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert (Dune prequel series), Robert J. Sawyer (Quantum Night), Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn series, The Stormlight Archive), Larry Niven (Ringworld), Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game), Nnedi Okorafor (Who Fears Death), David Farland (Runelords), and Katherine Kurtz (Deryni series) to name a few. The Illustrators of the Future Contest judges include, Bob Eggleton (11 Chesley Awards and 7 Hugo Awards), Larry Elmore (Dungeons & Dragons book covers), Echo Chernik (graphic designs for major corporations including Celestial Seasonings tea packaging), Rob Prior (art for Spawn, Heavy Metal comics and Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Ciruelo (Eragon Coloring Book). Following the 1982 release of his internationally acclaimed bestselling science fiction novel, Battlefield Earth, written in celebration of 50 years as a professional writer, L. Ron Hubbard created the Writers of the Future (writersofthefuture.com) in 1983 to provide a means for aspiring writers of speculative fiction to get that much-needed break. Due to the success of the Writers of the Future Contest, the companion Illustrators of the Future Contest was inaugurated five years later. The intensive mentoring process has proven very successful. The 382 past winners of the Illustrating Contest have produced over 6,000 illustrations, 360 comic books, graced 624 books and albums with their art and visually contributed to 68 TV shows, and 40 major movies.

  Chatting with Sherri welcomes award-winning writer Desmond Astaire! Desmond Astaire is a speculative fiction storyteller from Central Illinois, where he navigates the journey of life alongside a devoted wife and forever-loved son. In his other life, Astaire is a senior enlisted leader for a military public relations unit, supervising the training, development, and operations of multimedia content creators. Astaire's lifelong obsession with science fiction and fantasy was forged as a child in the halls of local public libraries. The addiction was enabled by reading programs like Accelerated Reader and BOOK IT!, and the revelation to write professionally was born after his discovery of Dean Wesley Smith's Star Trek: Strange New Worlds anthology. For these formative experiences, he is forever grateful. Astaire can be found Saturday mornings in Peoria metro-area coffee shops conducting weekly writing sessions and trying to apply Denzel Washington's adage that “Dreams without goals are just dreams, and they ultimately fuel disappointment.” Writers of the Future was Astaire's goal since 2017. Desmond Astaire is the grand prize winner in The Writers of the Future contest earning him the Golden Pen Award and cash prize of $5,000!  His story is published in the anthology, L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 38

On this week's episode we talk with CEO, Kassy Alia Ray and Community Outreach Coordinator, Jenny Wooten McGill of Serve and Connect. We learn how Kassy turned an immense personal loss into a mission to combat divisiveness through compassion and community partnerships.  Resources/Links/Websites:https://serveandconnect.net/Guest Bio: Kassy Alia Ray is the founder and CEO of Serve & Connect. Under her leadership, the organization has grown from a simple hashtag campaign to a valiant movement dedicated to creating positive change.A clinical-community psychologist by training and graduate of the University of South Carolina, Kassy has been the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, including the Midlands Fatherhood Coalition's Hero of the Year; Columbia Business Monthly's Top 35 under 35; The State Newspaper's Top 20 Under 40; the Post and Courier's Golden Pen Award; the Central Carolina Community Foundation's Individual Philanthropist of the Year; Columbia's Best Local Hero Award; and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Citizen of the Year. She speaks regularly to service providers, law enforcement agencies, organizations, and corporations across the U.S. on topics related to collaboration, grief, empathy, and reimagining police and community relationships.Kassy married Mitch Ray in 2018. They welcomed a son, and Sal welcomed a little brother, Silas in Dec. 2020.Jenny Wooten McGill has more than 15 years of experience working with nonprofit organizations, public agencies and private companies. She is thrilled to work with Serve & Connect to manage community outreach opportunities and excited to be a part of an organization that does so much good work in the community. Jenny has a great love for all people and a passion for helping and connecting with others.Jenny has extensive experience in program development, project management, leadership, grant writing, governance and communications. She graduated from the University of South Carolina with a bachelor's degree in political science.In her career, Jenny has worked directly with several state and federal agencies including the State Treasurer's Office, the South Carolina Attorney General's Office and the South Carolina Lieutenant Governor's Office and USDA Rural Development.

Calgary poet and longtime active WGA member Bob Stallworthy will read from his poetry book Impact Statement, followed by a Q&A led by Edmonton poet, fiction writer, and journalist Alexis Kienlen. Bob Stallworthy has been active in the Alberta writing community since he began writing full-time and professionally in 1985. He is a member of the Writers’ Union of Canada and the Writers’ Guild of Alberta. As well as publishing magazine articles and book reviews, he has four books of poetry previously published: Under the Sky Speaking (Snowapple Press, 1998), From a Call Box (Frontenac House, 2001), Optics (Frontenac House, 2004), and Things that Matter Now (Frontenac House, 2009). His work has been anthologized by Copp Clark Pitman and by McGraw-Hill Ryerson. His poetry has been shortlisted for The City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Book Prize twice and the Stephan G. Stephansson Award for Poetry once. As the first Coordinator of the Writers’ Guild of Alberta’s Calgary region office, he established and ran this office (1991- 1996). While running the office he was co-organizer of the first Poet’s Stroll in Calgary, co-chair of the Freedom of Expression Committee in Calgary, and was one of the Writers’ Guild of Alberta representatives on the Steering Committee of Wordfest. Over his 35 year career he has given over 250 workshops and readings around Alberta. He is co-recipient of the Calgary Freedom of Expression Award (2002), a Lifetime member of the Writers’ Guild of Alberta (1988), and the recipient of the Golden Pen Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Writers’ Guild of Alberta (2019). He has been a Patient/Family Advisor with the Kidney Health, Strategic Clinical Network, Alberta Health Services since 2016. He is a full-time caregiver for his wife who suffered traumatic kidney failure in 2013.

Just as there are no two recipes that contain the exact same ingredients or measurements, there are no two success stories exactly the same. Recipe For Success features entrepreneurs, visionary leaders and innovators of all ages who will share their ingredients that make them successful – personally and professionally. Let's get cooking! Michael Goodman, Founder of Goodman Public Relations, brings an integrated marketing approach to every project. Securing domestic and international publicity, creating consumer promotional campaigns, implementing special events and developing cooperative advertising and partnership marketing opportunities, Goodman strategically launches award winning public relations/marketing campaigns. Over the years, he has been credited with representing many notable projects, including but not limited to South Florida Regional Transportation Authority/Tri-Rail, The Galleria at Fort Lauderdale, Broward MPO, Sawgrass Mills, Simon, Design Center of the Americas, Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Holy Cross Hospital, Florida Department of Transportation, South Florida Commuter Services, Cleveland Clinic Florida, Hard Rock Cafe, National Hockey League and Pfizer. He has successfully created cross-promotional programs on behalf of clients with Norwegian Air, McDonald’s, Subway, Wendy’s, Pollo Tropical, Publix and several Broadway shows. Goodman has been recognized for his professional and philanthropic work. He received the Art and Culture Center/Hollywood’s Arts Leader of the Year Award in 2014, Leadership Broward Foundation’s Profiles in Leadership Award in 2013, the 2006 and 2007 ArtServe Encore Award for Individual Leadership and Special Recognition and the 1997 South Florida Business Journal’s Up & Comers Award in the field of public relations. He also received the Golden Pen Award of Excellence from the Gold Coast Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. With a strong commitment to the community, Goodman serves in leadership roles in support of vital not-for-profit organizations. He is Board Chair of the Florida Theatrical Association, immediate past Board Chair of Neighbors 4 Neighbors and an honorary Board member of Art and Culture Center/Hollywood. He is a past Chair of ArtServe, Poverello, Wilton Manors Community Affairs Advisory Board and the School Advisory Board for the City of Oakland Park. Also, he is a former board member of Arc Broward, Junior Achievement, Family Central and Gilda’s Club. He is a graduate of Leadership Broward Class XV. Goodman has served on numerous committees in support of the Community Foundation of Broward, United Way of Broward County and Children’s Home Society. He is credited as the founder of noted fundraisers such as Sawgrass Mills’ Role Models, The Galleria’s Men of Style, Tri-Rail’s Senior Idol and South Florida Kids Got Talent. His prior work experience includes serving as a Special Events Manager for Macy’s and the Community Relations Manager for Broward House. Goodman holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Fla. He resides in Oakland Park. Learn more about Goodman PR at https://goodmanpr.com/ For more information about Junior Achievement of South Florida, visit https://www.jasouthflorida.org. Follow us on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jasouthflorida LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/junior-achievement-of-south-florida/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasouthflorida Twitter: https://twitter.com/JASouthFlorida

Andrew talks about his story "Thanatos Drive," how he discovered this writing contest, and how he came to be a science fiction writer.

Examining the special relationship American Jews have had with the law, and tackling some of the thorniest controversies about the separation of Church and State. Dahlia Lithwick is a senior editor at Slate, and in that capacity, has been writing their "Supreme Court Dispatches" and "Jurisprudence" columns since 1999. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Harper’s, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The New Republic, and Commentary, among other places. She is host of Amicus, Slate’s award-winning biweekly podcast about the law and the Supreme Court. She was Newsweek’s legal columnist from 2008 until 2011. In 2018 Lithwick received the American Constitution Society’s Progressive Champion Award, the Hillman Prize for Opinion and Analysis, and was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2017, Lithwick was the recipient of a Golden Pen Award from the Legal Writing Institute; the Virginia Bar Association’s award for Excellence in Legal Journalism; and the 2017 award for Outstanding Journalist in Law from the Burton Foundation for a distinguished career in journalism in law. Lithwick won a 2013 National Magazine Award for her columns on the Affordable Care Act. She has been twice awarded an Online Journalism Award for her legal commentary. She was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in October, 2018. Lithwick has held visiting faculty positions at the University of Georgia Law School, the University of Virginia School of Law, and the Hebrew University Law School in Jerusalem. Ms. Lithwick has delivered the annual Constitution Day Lecture at the United States Library of Congress in 2012 and 2011. She has been a featured speaker on the main stage at the Chautauqua Institution. She speaks frequently on the subjects of criminal justice reform, reproductive freedom, religion in the courts. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has called her “spicy.” Lithwick was the first online journalist invited to be on the Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press. She serves on the board of the Jefferson Center for Free Expression. Ms. Lithwick has testified before Congress about access to justice in the era of the Roberts Court. She has appeared on CNN, ABC, The Colbert Report, the Daily Show and is a frequent guest on The Rachel Maddow Show. Ms. Lithwick earned her BA in English from Yale University and her JD degree from Stanford University. She is currently working on a new book, Lady Justice, for Penguin Press. She is co-author of Me Versus Everybody (Workman Press, 2006) (with Brandt Goldstein) and of I Will Sing Life (Little, Brown 1992) (with Larry Berger). Her work has been featured in numerous anthologies including Jewish Jocks (2012), What My Mother Gave Me: Thirty-one Women on the Gifts That Mattered Most (2013), About What was Lost (2006); A Good Quarrel (2009); Going Rouge: Sarah Palin, An American Nightmare (2009); and Thirty Ways of Looking at Hillary (2008).

On April 2, I attended the 33rd annual Writers of the Future Award ceremony. With a dragon gracing the red carpet and the stage. the ceremony had a keynote from the co-founder and president of Dragon*Con Pat Henry, and presented this year's Lifetime Achievement Award to Mike Resnick. The 12 writers and illustrators received this year's awards, with Jake Marley winning the Golden Pen Award for his submission "Acquisition", and Michael Michera winning the Golden Brush Award for his illustration that went with C.L. Kagmi's story, "The Drake Equation". The podcast combines some of the interviews I managed to get while attending and excerpts from the award ceremony. For complete show notes, go to my website.

Victoria Christopher Murray always knew she would become an author, even as she was taking an unlikely path to that destination. A native of Queens, Victoria first left New York to attend Hampton University where she majored in Communication Disorders. After graduating, Victoria attended New York University where she received her MBA.Victoria spent ten years in Corporate America before she tested her entrepreneurial spirit. She opened a Financial Services Agency for Aegon, USA where she managed the number one division for nine consecutive years. However, Victoria never lost the dream to write and when the “bug” hit her again in 1997, she answered the call.Victoria originally self-published her first novel, Temptation and in 2000, Time Warner published that novel. Temptation made numerous best sellers list and remained on the Essence bestsellers list for nine consecutive months. In 2001, Temptation was nominated for an NAACP Image Award in Outstanding Literature.Since Temptation, Victoria has written over twenty other adult novels, including: JOY, Grown Folks Business, The Ex Files, The Deal, the Dance and the Devil and the popular Jasmine Cox Larson Bush series. Victoria has received numerous awards including the Golden Pen Award for Best Inspirational Fiction and the Phyllis Wheatley Trailblazer Award for being a pioneer in African American Fiction. Since 2007, Victoria has won nine African American Literary Awards for best novel, best Christian fiction and Author of the Year — Female. After four nominations, Victoria finally won an NAACP Image Award in Outstanding Literary Work for her social commentary novel, Stand Your Ground.Several of Victoria’s novels have been optioned to become movies, including The Deal, the Dance and the Devil and the Ex Files series.  

On this episode of the Write Stuff, I'm pleased to chat with USA Today's Bestselling author Beverly Jenkins. Ms. Jenkins is a USA TODAY bestselling author and the nation's premier writer of African – American historical romance fiction. She specializes in 19th century African American life and has over thirty published novels to date. She has received numerous awards, including: five Waldenbooks/Borders Group Best Sellers Awards; two Career Achievement Awards and a Pioneer Award from Romantic Times Magazine; a Golden Pen Award from the Black Writer's Guild, and in 1999 was named one of the Top Fifty Favorite African-American writers of the 20th Century by AABLC, the nation's largest on-line African-American book club. She has also been featured in many national publications, including the Wall Street Journal and People Magazine. She has lectured  at such prestigious universities as Oberlin University, the University of Illinois, and Princeton. She speaks widely on both romance and 19th century African-American history and was the 2014 featured speaker for the W.W. Law Lecture Series sponsored by the Savannah Black Heritage Festival. To chat with Beverly, you can call in at 646-668-8485 and press 1 to be live on air. Or down loakd Stitcher on your mobile device. Or, click on the ink here. http://tobtr.com/8545193

Sep. 5, 2015. NPR's Petra Mayer emcees a program devoted to romance fiction, featuring Sarah MacLean, Beverly Jenkins & Paige Tyler at the 2015 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Best-selling author Sarah MacLean writes young adult and adult romance novels. In February 2014, she began writing a monthly romance novel review column for The Washington Post. MacLean's work has been translated into more than 20 languages and has received two RITA Awards for Best Historical Romance. Her novels include "The Season," "Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake," "A Rogue by Any Other Name," "No Good Duke Goes Unpunished" and her latest Rules of Scoundrels novel, "Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover." When not writing, MacLean is an advocate and public speaker on issues of education and literacy and often discusses the role of the romance genre in gender and cultural studies. Speaker Biography: Beverly Jenkins is a best-selling author of more than 20 novels and specializes in contemporary and historical romance fiction featuring African-American and multicultural characters. Her work has received various awards including several Borders/Waldenbooks Best-Seller Awards, two Romantic Times Career Achievement Awards and a Golden Pen Award from the Black Writer's Guild. Jenkins has been featured in national publications and has appeared as a public speaker at several universities. Her novels include "Heart of Gold," "Night Hawk," "Indigo," "Bring on the Blessings" and her recent romance, "Destiny's Captive." Speaker Biography: Paige Tyler is the best-selling author of over 50 romance books of various subgenres ranging from suspense to paranormal. Her work often features strong alpha males and spirited independent women. Tyler's books "Animal Attraction," "Dead Sexy" and "Good Cop, Bad Girl" are EPIC Award Finalists. Some of her recent works include "Her Perfect Mate," "Her Lone Wolf," "Her Wild Hero," "Hungry Like the Wolf" and her latest SWAT: Special Wolf Alpha Team book "Wolf Trouble." For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6888

Victoria Christopher Murray always knew she would become an author, even as she was taking an unlikely path to that destination. A native of Queens, Victoria first left New York to attend Hampton University where she majored in Communication Disorders. After graduating, Victoria attended New York University where she received her MBA. Victoria originally self-published her first novel, Temptation and in 2000, Time Warner published that novel. Temptation made numerous best sellers list and remained on the Essence bestsellers list for nine consecutive months. In 2001, Temptation was nominated for an NAACP Image Award in Outstanding Literature. Since Temptation, Victoria has written over twenty adult novels, including: JOY, Grown Folks Business, The Ex Files, and The Deal, the Dance and the Devil, and the popular Jasmine Cox Larson Bush series.  In 2012, Victoria joined ReShonda Tate Billingsley to write collaborations which pits Victoria's Jasmine character against Rachel Adams, a first lady created by ReShonda. Victoria has received numerous awards including the Golden Pen Award for Best Inspirational Fiction and the Phyllis Wheatley Trailblazer Award for being a pioneer in African American Fiction.  Since 2007, Victoria has won six African American Literary Awards for best novel, best Christian fiction and Author of the Year - Female.  Her 2014 NAACP Image Award nomination for Never Say Never was her third Image Award nomination. Over the years, eight of Victoria's novels have been optioned to become movies and The Deal, the Dance and the Devil is scheduled to begin filming in the Spring of 2015.

Tune in to be motivated, excited and influenced as we talk to best selling authr Victoria Christopher Murray! She has a hot new release; "Sins of The Mother". Victoria, a national bestselling author, has been nominated for the NAACP Image Award Outstanding Literature and winner of the Golden Pen Award for Best Inspirational Fiction and many more. http://www.victoriachristophermurray.com. Our second segment, Influential Women In Ministry, features Dr, Rita Twiggs. Dr. Twiggs has been in ministry for over 40 years. From 1998 to 2008, she served as evangelist, teacher and the 1st female Pastor at The Potter's House in Dallas, Tx under the leadership of Bishop T.D. Jakes! Our third segment features author and artist Angela M. Thomas. She has written seven inspirational books and released two CD's. Her book titles are "Chipping Away At The Soul Of Me", "The Perfect Gift", "When Life Pushes You To The Edge", "Cried My Last Tears", "Hurts So Good", "Fallen 2 Stand", "Never Give Up". You can purchase her books and book her for speaking and book signings at www.AngelaMThomas.com and (305)793-1347.Listen online at http://www.BlogTalkRadio.com/Mitchell-Productions