TV and movie editor, Tim Stepich, was captivated by the films and TV shows of his youth in the 1970s. By the time he was in high school, he set his sights on working in show business. Tim’s abiding interest in editing goes back to when, as a teen, he’d make music montages on his home stereo.  He studied television and film at Emerson College in Boston, where he worked in all aspects of film and video production but enjoyed editing the most.  A few years later, Tim made his move to Hollywood with the goal of turning editing into his specialty.   Within a year he got his first editing job and ever since has worked in various genres, including episodic TV, commercials, and music videos.  He edited his first short film, Hate *a Comedy, directed by Drew Daywalt and Dave Schneider, which was a huge success on the festival circuit.  Tim’s feature credits include the critically acclaimed Happy Holidays, and the multi-award-winning black comedy horror film, Lucky, directed by some guy named Steve Cuden.  For the record, because of working together on the complex edit of Lucky, Tim and I have been friends for more than 20 years.Tim had a long and satisfying “day job” working for E! Entertainment Television, editing episodes of the iconic True Hollywood Story, and Wild On.   He currently edits for the syndicated entertainment news show Access Hollywood.

Okema T. Moore is an Emmy Nominated PGA producer and rising director. She’s created unscripted and branded content for Lifetime, Netflix, and Disney/Marvel, including: Beat Bobby Flay and The Kitchen on Food Network, Oprah’s Color of Care, Founding In Color on Peacock, and Nomad with Carlton McCoy on CNN. Most recently, she developed and produced Down in the Valley for STARZ, and was lead producer on Chocolate with Sprinkles for the AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women, which won the HBO award at the American Black Film Festival.Okema was a Directing Fellow for Minorities In Film’s Branded Lab, a semi-finalist for The Blackhouse Producer’s Lab, a 2nd rounder for the Sundance Producer’s Track, and a fellow for both the Stowe Story and the Black Magic Creative Producers Labs. She was a finalist for the PANO production microgrant, received a writing fellowship to create her first TV Pilot with Writer’s Boot Camp & Women Going Places. And her short script had a live staged reading at the Essence Film Festival in 2024.Okema proudly serves on the board of New York Women in Film & TV and The Black TV & Film Collective. She is committed to lifting while she climbs, building up women, queer, IPOC, Caribbean and Black creatives.She also happens to be a very fine actress.www.moorethanenuff.com

Steve Skrovan has worked as a stand-up comedian, actor, and TV comedy writer since the early eighties. He’s written for many shows, most notably, Seinfeld, Hot in Cleveland, Til Death, Wendell and Vinnie, School of Rock, and the entire nine-year run of Everybody Loves Raymond, a show which he has also adapted internationally in Russia, Israel, and India. He currently writes a Substack blog called Bits & Pieces, an anthology of humorous stories and essays.  Steve is also the co-director, writer and producer of An Unreasonable Man a documentary about the career of legendary consumer advocate and third-party presidential candidate, Ralph Nader, which was not only an official selection of the Sundance Film Festival but also made the “shortlist” for Academy Award consideration in the documentary category. In 2005, Steve co-produced the TBS environmental special “Earth to America.”Additionally, Steve co-hosts the weekly radio show Ralph Nader Radio Hour, which runs on Pacifica’s KPFK 90.7 FM in Los Angeles and various other independent radio stations, as well as being available on all podcast platforms. He is also a board member of the non-partisan public interest organization Public Citizen in Washington DC. WEBSITES:Bits & Pieces podcast platforms

This is Paul Chitlik’s second appearance on StoryBeat. Paul has written for all the major networks and studios in both English and Spanish.  He was story editor for The New Twilight Zone, and staff writer for the Showtime sitcom, Brothers.  He’s directed episodes and been coordinating producer for “Real Stories of the Highway Patrol” and “U.S. Customs Classified.”  He wrote and produced “Alien Abduction,” the first network movie shot on digital video for UPN.  He wrote, produced, and directed “Ringling Brothers Revealed” a special for The Travel Channel, which was right up his alley because years earlier he’d been a roustabout for Circus Vargas.  Paul has written features for Rysher Entertainment, NuImage, Promark, Mainline Releasing, and others.  Most recently he wrote, produced and directed “The Wedding Dress,” for Amazon Prime.  Paul was nominated for a Writers Guild of America award for his work on "The Twilight Zone" and a GLAAD Media Award nomination for Telemundo’s "Los Beltrán.” He also won a Genesis Award for a Showtime Family movie. Paul has taught in the MFA programs at UCLA, the University of Barcelona’s film school ESCAC, Cuba’s film school EICTV, Chile’s film school UNIACC, The University of Zulia in Venezuela, The Panamerican University in Mexico City, The Story Academy of Sweden and as a clinical associate professor at Loyola Marymount University. Paul’s latest novel is Lies, All Lies. I’ve read Lies, All Lie, and found it to be one of the most entertaining works of fiction about behind-the-scenes Hollywood I’ve had the pleasure to peruse.He’s also the author of one of the most indispensable, must-read books for anyone interested in writing screenplays, teleplays, plays, and even novels, called Rewrite.For the record, I was one of Paul’s students during my days in graduate school at UCLA. Without question, Paul’s teachings have remained exceptionally influential on me for both my own writing and in my subsequent years as a college professor of screenwriting.

The noted author and teacher, Joseph B. Atkins, is a veteran writer and professor emeritus of journalism at the University of Mississippi.             Joe’s latest book, Harry Dean Stanton: Hollywood’s Zen Rebel, won the Bronze Award for biography from the Independent Publisher Book Awards in 2021.             Regarding Joe’s novel, Casey’s Last Chance, Edgar Award-winning author Megan Abbott called it, “…pitch-perfect vintage noir.”             Among his other notable works, Joe authored the nonfiction Covering for the Bosses: Labor and the Southern Press. And his novella, Crossed Roads, was a finalist in the Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Awards in New Orleans. Joe also edited and contributed to the short story collection Mojo Rising: Contemporary Writers, Vol. II.             His articles and short stories have appeared in The Oxford American, Noir City, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, USA Today, Baltimore Sun, In These Times, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and the Guadalajara Reporter.             Joe’s feature film screenplay, Memphis Tango, was a finalist in the 2021 Final Draft Screenplay Competition and Toronto and Vancouver independent film festivals.       He served as a congressional correspondent for Gannett News Service in Washington, D.C. and worked for several newspapers across the U.S. South. I’ve read both Harry Dean Stanton: Hollywood’s Zen Rebel and Casey’s Last Chance and can tell you that Joe has remarkable range. His book on Harry Dean Stanton is a fascinating, in-depth look at one of the most beloved yet unsung actors Hollywood has ever produced. And Casey’s Last Chance is a ripping, action-filled, page-turner. I highly recommend both books to you.

Ryan Raddatz is a Los Angeles-based TV writer and producer who has worked on numerous broadcast sitcoms and kids shows including: The Neighborhood on CBS and WordGirl on PBS. And he’s developed more than a dozen pilots at various networks. Ryan won two Daytime Emmys for his writing on WordGirl and another three for his work on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. Before writing and producing, Ryan made a living as an actor and composer while failing to make a living playing in indie-rock and bluegrass bands. Ryan Raddatz on IMDB https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1347221/

Filmmaker and author, Dan Mirvish’s recent feature, 18½, starred Willa Fitzgerald, John Magaro and Bruce Campbell as the voice of Nixon. The award-winning film played in 25 festivals, had a 60-city theatrical release, played on 7 airlines and is now available on Starz. Prior to that, Dan directed Bernard and Huey, scripted by Oscar and Pulitzer Prize-winner Jules Feiffer.  It starred Oscar-winner Jim Rash and David Koechner. Dan’s film Between Us, an adaptation of the hit Off-Broadway play, starred Julia Stiles, David Harbour, Taye Diggs and Melissa George. He was mentored by Robert Altman on his first film, Omaha (the movie), which led him to co-found the upstart Slamdance Film Festival.  And his film Open House prompted the Academy Awards to rewrite their rules on the Best Original Musical category. Dan co-wrote the critically acclaimed novel I Am Martin Eisenstadt. And he wrote two editions and recorded an audiobook of his non-fiction book, The Cheerful Subversive’s Guide to Independent Filmmaking.Dan is a graduate of USC’s renowned film school and is a member of the Director’s Guild of America. Of note, he’s also worked as a speechwriter for U.S. Senator Tom Harkin.

Max Kinnings has written the feature films, Act of Grace, Alleycats, and The Pagan King, as well as various film projects currently in development including a film adaptation of his critically acclaimed play, Wireless Operator. He’s the author of four novels, Hitman, The Fixer, Sacrifice, and Baptism. I’ve read Baptism and can tell you it’s a tremendously exciting thriller in the vein of Lee Child, John Grisham, Dan Brown, John Le Carre, and many other great novelists. Max is also the ghost writer of comedian and actor Rik Mayall’s bestselling spoof autobiography, Bigger Than Hitler Better Than Christ. Max’s work will form the basis of a one-hour documentary he’s writing and presenting on BBC Radio 4, due for broadcast in June 2024, which is the tenth anniversary of Rik Mayall’s passing. Max was part of the writing team for the award-winning Sony PlayStation game, Little Big Planet 3. Prior to his writing career, Max spent twelve years devising advertising and marketing campaigns for music festivals, tours, comedy shows and West End theatre productions. He holds a PhD. in Creative Writing from Brunel University, London, where he also teaches.

The actor, singer, and podcaster, Patrick Oliver Jones has been in the performing arts, both onstage and onscreen, for more than 30 years. Originally from Birmingham Alabama, he brought his Southern charm to New York City in 2008 with dreams of Broadway.  And he’s gotten close with roles in off-Broadway world premieres, touring nationally with The Addams Family and Evita, and the pre-Broadway cast of First Wives Club that never quite made it. Having collaborated with Tony-winning directors such as Jerry Zaks, Randy Skinner, and a favorite StoryBeat guest, Richard Maltby Jr., he's gotten to perform alongside Broadway talents like Joey Fatone, Alfonso Ribeiro, Faith Prince, and Andrea McArdle. And he has found regional theater acclaim with Henry and SALT Award nominations for standout performances in Fun Home and Crazy for You. On camera, there have been numerous national commercials, award-winning short films, and co-starring roles on TV shows like Blue Bloods, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and Imposters. In 2022 he received the Communicator Award of Distinction from the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts for his work in podcasting. He currently produces and hosts three performing arts podcasts: Why I’ll Never Make It, which is in its eighth season, Closing Night, which focuses on Broadway history, and The Spotlight Series in which he talks with those making a difference in the arts and beyond. For the record, I’ve been a guest on Why I’ll Never Make It discussing my career in show business and how I created Jekyll & Hyde, the Musical with Frank Wildhorn.  I’ve got to tell you, it was a lot of fun for me to do the show with Patrick, and I highly urge you to give it a listen.

Doug Pray is a documentary filmmaker of great range and substance. His portraits of subcultures and creative visionaries have led him to numerous Sundance premieres, critical raves, and awards. His feature documentaries include: “Love, Lizzo,” “Surfwise,” and the Emmy Award-winning “Art & Copy.” His first two films, “Hype!,” the story of the Seattle music scene, and “Scratch,” about DJs and the birth of hip-hop, are often ranked among the best music docs of all time. Doug won a Grammy and 5 Emmy nominations as executive producer, writer and editor of HBO’s “The Defiant Ones.” He executive produced “From Cradle to Stage” with Dave Grohl, and the AppleTV+ series “Home.” This year, 2024, Turner Classic Movies and Max debuted “The Power of Film,” a 6-part series with Professor Howard Suber, for which Doug was executive producer, supervising editor, and writer. Doug has also directed dozens of commissioned short films and non-fiction commercials, including an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign which won him his first Emmy.  For the record, Doug and I know one another from “The Power of Film” as I became involved in this extraordinary project as a Co-Executive Producer. Like Doug, I’m a UCLA MFA Graduate and one of Howard Suber’s former students.https://dougpray.com/

Jimi Fritz is a filmmaker, musician, writer, entrepreneur, raconteur and roustabout. He’s written two feature-length screenplays, numerous articles, and a non-fiction book about rave culture. He’s also made numerous films and music videos.His latest book, entitled, The End of Everything, An Ironic Black Comedy, is about an older man simply named Fritz, who spends his days in a psychiatric institution plotting his own suicide while contending with the extraordinary insanity all around him. I’ve read The End of Everything and can tell you this is one of the most unique stories I’ve ever had the pleasure to peruse. Deeply intellectual, smartly psychological, and wildly hilarious, The End of Everything had me turning pages and wanting neither the story nor Fritz to end. If you like darkly comic storytelling, I highly urge you to read it.Previously, Jimi published Confessions of an Ethical Drug Dealer, which is a psychedelic travelogue and memoir. Jimi takes his readers on a journey both geographical and philosophical, while sharing a half-century of adventures in buying, selling and consuming psychedelic drugs. Along the way we learn the difference between smart drugs and dumb drugs, the truth about religion, and how to make a perfect cup of tea.Jimi Fritz professes to be a heterodoxical polemicist, a sceptical polymath, an iconoclastic antitheist, and an aficionado of Stoicism. PLEASE NOTE: This show contains a discussion about assisted suicide. Experiencing thoughts of suicide or self-harm can be distressing.  Speaking with someone about your feelings could help with your distress. Either talk to someone close to you, or there are services with volunteers who are trained to listen. If you are considering suicide or self-harm or are in danger, please call your local emergency services or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) immediately to ensure your safety.        Please also consider seeking the assistance of a mental health professional. They can provide you with support over a longer period of time.You may also find it useful to establish a safety plan which can be designed to help you navigate suicidal feelings.  Jimifritz.ca

Dr. William J. Carl is a Greek scholar, screenwriter, playwright, and lyricist. He’s also a former professor, seminary president, and pastor, who’s been a U.S. Senate Guest Chaplain. He’s been a speaker at Oxford, Cambridge, Princeton, Cornell, Boston University, Carnegie Mellon, as well as in Russia, South Africa, India, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Rwanda, and Canada.  Further, he’s also the former President of the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. William has authored eight nonfiction books (including lectures he gave at Princeton, two of which have been translated into Korean) and one novel, Assassin’s Manuscript, which is a “Dan Brown meets Daniel Silva”-style thriller. No less than Alex Haley, the author of Roots, encouraged him to write it.  I’ve read Assassin’s Manuscript and can tell you it’s an action-packed international page-turner in which politics, religion, and history play essential roles. I highly urge you to check it out.William’s screenplay, Maggie’s Perfect Match, won the Telluride Indiefest Screenwriting Contest and the Dallas Screenwriting Contest, and it was a Quarter-finalist in the Nicholl and the Austin Screenwriting contests. Not only did William turn Maggie’s Perfect Match into a play, but he’s also adapted it into a musical. Since 2000, William has also lectured on the brain at medical schools and medical conferences.

David Stenn was hired by the TV series Hill Street Blues immediately after graduating from Yale, becoming the show’s youngest writer ever. David then wrote She Was Marked For Murder, an NBC movie that earned an Edgar nomination from the Mystery Writers Guild of America.David returned to television as Producer of 21 Jump Street, then Supervising Producer of Beverly Hills, 90210. David's first biography, Clara Bow: Runnin' Wild, which was published by Doubleday and edited by no less than Jacqueline Onassis, became a national bestseller. Variety raved, "Only rarely will you find a book that is as total a winner on every level as Clara Bow: Runnin' Wild." His second biography, “Bombshell: The Life and Death of Jean Harlow, again, edited by Jacqueline Onassis, was cited by the New York Times as one of the year's notable books.“It Happened One Night…At M-G-M,” David’s discovery for Vanity Fair of Hollywood’s best-suppressed scandal, brought vindication to rape survivor Patricia Douglas after sixty-six years in hiding and is now considered an historical progenitor of the MeToo movement. The story was adapted into Girl 27, a documentary film that David directed. I’ve read David’s excellent book on Clara Bow and seen Girl 27. Both are powerful pieces about Hollywood’s long history in how power players treat both celebrities and those who wish to become celebrated.David then served as Co-Executive Producer of The L Word and Supervising Producer on the HBO series Boardwalk Empire. His most recent screenplay assignments have been for Martin Scorsese; Leonardo DiCaprio/Warner Bros.; and Working Title.David is a passionate supporter of film preservation. He serves on the Film Committee of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Board of Directors at the UCLA Film & Television Archive in Los Angeles.

The phenomenal screenwriter and novelist, Joey Hartstone, had his first two feature films directed by no less than Rob Reiner. The first film, LBJ, which was named to Hollywood’s highly respected Black List in 2014, starred Woody Harrelson as LBJ.  Joey’s second feature, “Shock and Awe,” featured Woody Harrelson, James Marsden, Tommy Lee Jones, Jessica Biel, and Milla Jovovich. He was a member of the writing staff for the first two seasons of “The Good Fight.”  He is currently the showrunner and an executive producer of Showtime’s “Your Honor,” starring a favorite StoryBeat guest, Bryan Cranston. Joey’s debut novel, “The Local,” a legal thriller about an East Texas patent attorney’s first murder case, was published in the spring of 2022 by Doubleday, and is being developed as a series with CBS Studios and King Size Productions. I’ve read “The Local” and can tell you it’s a brilliant, fast-paced, thoroughly entertaining legal murder mystery very much in the vein of John Grisham and Scott Turow. I highly recommend “The Local” to you and am very glad that it’s being developed for TV. Who knew Intellectual Property law could be so exciting?Joey and his wife, Abby, are adapting the book “In the Blood: How Two Outsiders Solved a Centuries-Old Medical Mystery and Took on the US Army,” as a feature film with Star Thrower Entertainment.  For the record, Joey and I have known one another for many years having graduated together from UCLA’s famed MFA in Screenwriting program.

The author, ghostwriter, copywriter, and freelance editor, Megan Woodward recently published her beautifully written and illustrated debut picture book, This Book is Definitely Not Cursed, which is published by Simon and Schuster. She’s also the author of the forthcoming book, Jake Maddox Dance, Gymnastics, and Cheerleading Jokes. Megan specializes in all things humorous and finds no greater joy than making kids laugh. She’s also a produced comedy screenwriter and the scriptwriter for the Chicago Thanksgiving Parade. Megan holds an MFA in screenwriting from UCLA, where, for the record, Megan she I met while in school together. When she’s not writing, or procrastinating from writing, you can find her cooking, hiking, singing, laughing or working part time at a children’s bookstore called Green Bean Books. For all those reasons and many more, I’m so very happy to welcome to StoryBeat today my friend, the very funny writer, Megan Woodward. Megan, welcome to the show… Twitter and Instagram @womeganwowww.meganwoodward.com

Madolyn Smith Osborne had the kind of fairy tale show business beginning that most can only fantasize about. While still in school at The University of Southern California, she won her first paycheck with a serendipitous audition before famed choreographer, Gower Champion, when a lead dancer and understudy had to be replaced in the Broadway-bound production of Pal Joey starring Lena Horne.  Madolyn’s passion for musical theater as well as her training with beloved choreographers Bill and Jacqui Landrum, prepared her well for the opportunity. A year later, on the eve of graduating from USC’s School of Dramatic Arts., her mentor, the late, iconic theatre and film producer and Academy Award-winning actor, John Houseman, launched a swan song of sorts for her with a production of Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well, in which Madolyn starred in the role of Helena. Mr. Houseman had invited various industry professionals to see the show in the 99-seat Stop Gap Theater on campus, including his former protege, film director, Jim Bridges, who, upon seeing Madolyn’s performance, invited her to play the role of John Travolta’s mistress, Pam, in the cult classic, Urban Cowboy. Madolyn went on to give multiple award-winning performances in the L.A. theater scene. Among her triumphs, she created the title role of Emily in Stephen Metcalfe’s play of the same name, which was directed by the renowned producer-director, Jack O’Brien, during its premiere at San Diego’s revered Old Globe Theatre.  When Madolyn was studying with legendary actress, Kim Stanley, and opera singer, Gloria Lane, she became a founding member of L.A. Theatre Works.  Madolyn also enjoyed a terrific TV and film career in which she found herself starring in features opposite the likes of no less than Steve Martin in All of Me, Roy Scheider in 2010: The Year We Make Contact, Chevy Chase in Funny Farm, Joe Pesci in The Super, and in TV shows like Due South, Cheers, If Tomorrow Comes, and Sadat. But at the height of her powers, all of that was abruptly interrupted by a chronic illness that she fights to this day.Madolyn resides in Toronto, Canada with her husband, former NHL hockey great, Mark Osborne, and 2 adult daughters who live nearby.            For the record, Madolyn and I have known one another for more years than either of us will admit, having met and worked together on a few productions while we were both in drama school at the USC.

The great director, Rob Marshall, has made numerous films that have been honored with a total of 30 Academy Award nominations — winning 9 in all, including Best Picture for “Chicago,” which alone won a total of 6 of those Oscars. Also, for “Chicago,” Rob received the Directors Guild Award, and nominations for Best Director for the Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA awards. Additionally, he won Best Directorial Debut from the National Board of Review and the New York Film Critics Online, as well as the American Choreography Award.  Most recently, Rob directed and produced the live-action feature, “The Little Mermaid” for Disney, starring Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy and Javier Bardem. Rob’s other directorial achievements include multiple nominations for award-winning features like: “Memoirs of a Geisha,” “Nine,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” which went on to gross over 1 billion dollars worldwide, “Into the Woods,” and “Mary Poppins Returns.”Rob executive produced, directed, and choreographed the NBC TV event “Tony Bennett: An American Classic,” for which he won his second Directors Guild Award. He’s also won 3 Emmys for Direction, Choreography, and Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special. He directed and choreographed the Disney/ABC movie musical “Annie,” which received 12 Emmy nominations and won the prestigious Peabody Award. For choreographing Annie, Rob also received an Emmy and an American Choreography Award. He’s received the Humanitas Prize for co-writing Mary Poppins Returns, and other awards from the Art Directors Guild, the Cinema Audio Society, the Costume Designers Guild, as well as the Annie Award, the Hamilton Award, and the Chita Rivera Award.Rob’s extensive stage work includes the Broadway productions of “Cabaret,” “Little Me,” “Victor/Victoria,” “Damn Yankees,” “She Loves Me,” “Company,” and “Kiss of the Spiderwoman.” He’s been nominated six times for the Tony Award, and he’s a George Abbott Award winner.For the record, Rob and I are both graduates of Taylor Allderdice High School here in Pittsburgh. Rob is also an alumni of Carnegie Mellon University’s top-rated School of Drama.

Stephen Cole is back on StoryBeat for the second time. An award-winning writer of musical theatre, non-fiction books, short stories, and novels, Stephen’s work has been recorded, published, and produced worldwide, from New York City to London to the Middle East and Australia. With Matthew Ward he wrote the musicals After The Fair, Merlin’s Apprentice, Rock Odyssey, and Casper (which originally starred Chita Rivera), The Night of the Hunter and Saturday Night at Grossinger’s (with music by Claibe Richardson), and Dodsworth and Time After Time (with music by Jeff Saver), which has recently been revived at the Children's Theatre of Cincinnati.  In 2005 Stephen and composer David Krane were commissioned to write the first American musical to premiere in the Middle East. The result was Aspire, which was produced in Qatar. Their hilarious cross-cultural experiences resulted in another show titled The Road To Qatar! which has been produced in Dallas, New York and the Edinburgh International Festival (where it was nominated for Best Musical).  His most recent musical, Goin’ Hollywood, was produced in 2023 to rave reviews and sold-out audiences in Dallas.Stephen has written continuity, narration, and special material for fifteen different Drama League Shows including all-star tributes to Kander and Ebb, Liza Minnelli, Chita Rivera, Liz Smith, Peter Stone, Angela Lansbury, Patti LuPone, Kristin Chenoweth, Audra McDonald and Neil Patrick Harris.  As an author, Stephen has published That Book About That Girl, I Could Have Sung All Night: the Marni Nixon story (which is currently in development as a feature film), Noel Coward: A Bio Bilbliography, and the Charles Strouse memoir Put On a Happy Face. A prolific short story writer, Stephen’s first novel Mary & Ethel…and Mikey Who? was published in January 2024.  I’ve read Mary & Ethel…and Mikey Who? It’s what’s you call a real hoot, especially for lovers of old broads on old Broadway. It’s the most entertaining time-slipping story I’ve read since Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five.Stephen is a recipient of a Gilman-Gonzales Falla Commendation for musical theatre as well as the prestigious Edward Kleban Award.  www.stephencolewriter.orghttps://www.facebook.com/steve.cole.5076798 https://www.instagram.com/stephencolewrit

Maria Baltazzi is a Happiness Explorer. And an extraordinarily fascinating one at that. Her experiences as an Emmy-winning producer of hit TV shows, a wellbeing teacher, world traveler, and luxury travel designer specializing in transformative adventures, has given her a unique lens into conscious living. Maria was one of the original supervising producers of the mega TV hit, Survivor. She’s a member of both the Producers and Directors Guilds of America, a Fellow National Member of The Explorers Club, and an Advisor for the Transformational Travel Council.  Maria holds an MFA in film from Art Center College of Design and a PhD in Conscious-Centered Living from the University of Sedona. Additional studies include training in Mindfulness Meditation, Primordial Sound Meditation, Happiness Studies, Positive Neuroplasticity, Spiritual Psychology, Positive Psychology, the Science of Happiness, and an Inner MBA from Mindful NYU.Maria recently published the book, Take a Shot at Happiness, in which she shares her insights on being happy learned during her time in the entertainment industry, observing people and events, traveling, and studying wellbeing. It’s a practical guide for walking a creative path to happiness through taking photographs with your phone camera, journaling about things that matter, and being part of a supportive community. I’ve read Take a Shot at Happiness, and can tell you it’s filled with inspirational and motivational advice on how to make your life better, more fulfilling, and happier. I highly recommend it to you.In her own happiness journey, Maria finds joy in giving back. She’s walked over 7500 miles to raise funds for charity, including running marathons on all seven continents. Maria's adventurous life has also involved climbing the 15,000-foot trail to Machu Picchu, leading African safaris, summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro twice, and trekking to Everest Base Camp. Maria is a genuine inspiration for those seeking to live their best lives.  http://takeashotathappiness.appwww.mariabaltazzi.com/

Author Scott M. Hoffman was a witness to historical events concerning major mob families. His book, Inside, tells the eye-opening tale of the son of a mobster growing up learning the harrowing life within a ruthless crime family. Scott absorbed the inner workings of the mob from his dad, who loyally served The Chicago Outfit for over 55 years –never spending a day in prison. Now 74, Scott is a graduate of Long Island University-Brooklyn with a B.A. in Journalism. For 35 years he worked for the City of Chicago in the Departments of Purchasing and Finance.I’ve read Inside and can tell you, it’s a beautifully written, fascinating, and sometimes disturbing insider’s look at what it’s like to grow up as a mobster’s son.