Writers of the Future Podcast

Jonathan Merkh is the President and Publisher at Forefront Books. Andrea Fleck-Nesbit, president of the Independent Book Publishers Association and a previous podcast guest, introduced Merkh to the host. Merkh previously served as vice president and publisher at Thomas Nelson Publishers, led Howard Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, and Guidepost. Jonathan has published nearly 100 New York Times bestsellers. In 2023, Publishers Weekly recognized Forefront Books as the second fastest-growing publisher in the United States, and Inc. Magazine included Forefront Books among the nation’s top fastest-growing companies. In this episode, we discuss the history of publishing, the need to have a platform as an author, the specialty niche that Forefront Books specializes in, and tips for writers of fiction and nonfiction. Learn more at www.forefrontbooks.com/

Isaac Stewart, once an independent author and artist, now serves as the Vice President of Creative Development at Dragonsteel Entertainment. Isaac designed and illustrated the interior art for Brandon Sanderson’s “The Way of Kings,” including the Alethi Women’s script, maps, Shallan’s and Navani’s notebook pages, and additional artwork. He also created the interior art for the Mistborn series, featuring the Steel alphabet, maps, and Allomantic table. Stewart is closely linked to two Cosmere characters: Nazrilof, a character he created and partially based on himself, and the cartographer Isasik Shulin, whose name derives from Isaac’s. Beyond his contributions to Sanderson’s works, Isaac is writing books, creating cartography, and designing book covers. He collaborated with Shawn Boyles on the webcomic “Rocket Road Trip.” Isaac and his wife, Kera, joined Dragonsteel Entertainment around 2013, with Isaac hired as an in-house artist before the publication of “Words of Radiance.” Isaac attended the Life, the Universe, & Everything (LTUE) annual booksales event, where he gifted the podcast host a copy of his book “Monsters Don’t Wear Underpants” and which became part of this podcast discussion. Learn more about Isaac at https://coppermind.net/wiki/Coppermind:Artists/Isaac_Stewart

Today’s guests are Jim, Tamra, and Taylor Meskimen along with Kirby Heyborne. The Meskimens were recorded in a studio in Los Angeles while Kirby was from his home in Utah. This episode discusses creating the Writers of the Future Volume 41 audiobook. Jim is an actor, comedian, and impressionist best known for his voice-over work in video games. His IMDB page has over 330 entries, some of which include Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Thundercats, Parks and Recreation, and Jib Jabs’ This Land is Your Land. Tamra is an actor who has appeared in shows such as Physical, American Crime Story, and General Hospital. She established an improv company devoted to improvising one-act plays and co-founded an acting school, The Acting Center, where she teaches and performs. Their daughter Taylor is also an actor accomplished in improv, dance, song, and film. When she isn’t in recording studios, she has performed for over a decade at venues throughout Los Angeles, narrating over 130 audiobooks, including Riverdale, Enders Game Alive, and Midnight Sun. Kirby Heyborne is an actor, musician, singer, songwriter, narrator, and comedian. He has also worked extensively as an audiobook narrator, having narrated more than 2,000 books.

On the evening of Thursday, April 10, 2025 at the 41st Annual Writers of the Future and the 36th Annual Illustrators of the Future L. Ron Hubbard Achievement Awards Gala in the genres of Science Fiction and Fantasy, Randyn C. J. Bartholomew from Brooklyn, NY was named the 2025 Grand Prize Writer Winner and Jordan Smajstrla of Boerne, TX was named the 2025 Grand Prize Illustrator Winner. Randyn C. J. Bartholomew said, “This is a dream come true! It’s hard to imagine; it’s wild! I think the most important thing I learned this week is that there’s a community of people doing this. It’s not you or me sitting alone at laptops anymore. Thank you!” Jordan Smajstrla said, “I am so honored to have been chosen. I wouldn’t be here without my writer. His story is the foundation of my illustration. Arts is one of the most important things in life. If you are driven to create, create. Don’t let anyone stop you or tell you you aren’t good enough. Artistic expression brings people together and makes the world a better place. Never stop.” This interview was recorded at the Loews Hotel in Hollywood, California, the morning following the Awards Gala.

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

David Howard, renowned for his screenplay of DreamWorks’ Galaxy Quest, brings a wealth of experience from television and live theatre. Interestingly, his spot on the podcast isn’t just due to his film industry credentials. The mix-up between Galaxy Press and Galaxy Quest, a common occurrence at conventions where fans routinely confuse the two, made him an especially relevant guest when the opportunity presented itself at the Life, the Universe, and Everything Symposium in Provo, Utah. This interview covers the nuances of scriptwriting—highlighting what works well and what doesn’t. But more to the podcast’s purpose, we discuss the themes and creative process behind David’s delightful young adult fantasy novel, Penumbra.

Jen Finelli is a physician and injured adventurer. Her real-life adventures have ranged from the funny and silly (like getting herself locked in a German nunnery by accident) to the beautiful (like scuba diving with sharks) to the severe and tragic (like breaking her spirit as she held the dying and watched sexual assault victims suffer without justice). So she often writes fantastical science fiction with a real-life military, medical, or combat edge. When she is not doing that, she plays with trauma and pain and hope. Marie Whittaker, the Exec Dir of Superstars, reached out with what an amazing guest Jen would be. And so, please meet Jen Finelli, who just published her five-book series with WordFire Press. https://byjenfinelli.com/

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

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

Dave Butler, pen name DJ Butler, and David Afsharirad have created a new publisher, Ark Press. Dave Butler was a guest on episode 246, discussing navigating right and wrong in storytelling. Ark Press mission is to provide stories where humans win in the end. In this episode, we discuss a new press called Ark Press and an exciting writing competition—America 2076—to be published in 2026. That’s why it's speculative fiction. Learn more at https://x.com/ark_press