Storybeat with Steve Cuden

Alretha Thomas has found career success in the second half of her life as an award-winning novelist, playwright, and actress. A resilient survivor of childhood trauma, Alretha is a former model who, as an actress, has appeared in numerous films, TV series, and commercials. She also appeared on two iconic soap operas, Days of Our Lives and General Hospital. Currently, she’s a series regular, playing Anastasia Devereaux, on Tyler Perry’s Assisted Living, which is in its fifth season on BET. As a playwright, Alretha has won accolades and awards for her plays Civil Rites, A Shrine to Junior, Mommie and Clyde, Sacrificing Simone, and Grandpa’s Truth. She also wrote One Woman, Two Lives, that starred Kellita Smith (of The Bernie Mac Show), and was directed by four-time NAACP Image Award Best Director recipient, Denise Dowse. Alretha, who holds a degree in journalism from USC, has written 15 novels, over a half-million of which have been sold and downloaded, receiving glowing reviews from readers, book clubs, and critics. Her first novel, Daughter Denied, was launched in 2008. A four-book series, Cass & Nick, spawned from her novel, Married in the Nick of Nine, was acquired by Soul Mate Publishing. And she was awarded the Jessie Redman Fauset Literary Award for her Indie Novel, For Ladies Only. Her latest book, The Daughter Between Them, was recognized by Kirkus Reviews as one of the top thriller indie books of 2024. I’ve read The Daughter Between Them and was completely drawn in by the wonderfully complex, unfolding mystery thriller as told through Alretha’s masterful storytelling and her deeply compelling characters. She’s had several videos go viral, including three that have received more than 2 million views. www.alrethathomas.com https://www.instagram.com/athomasforreal/

Doug Besterman is a much in-demand orchestrator, arranger, and composer whose works span Broadway, film, television, and concert stages. Doug’s been nominated for the Tony Award six times, winning for The Producers, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Fosse. With a career that includes numerous other iconic productions such as Young Frankenstein, Sister Act, and Anastasia, Doug has helped shape the sound of modern musical theater. Recent Broadway credits include Death Becomes Her, SMASH, and BOOP! Internationally, his work has been heard in London, Berlin, and Hamburg in productions such as Rocky, Sister Act, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Guys and Dolls. Doug’s film and TV orchestration credits include Mary Poppins Returns, the live action films of Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and The Little Mermaid, Chicago, Frozen,Smash, and Schmigadoon. He’s contributed to countless live broadcasts and awards shows, including the Oscars, Tonys, Emmys, and Kennedy Center Honors. As a composer, Doug has written scores for Breathe, Little Did I Know, The Big One-Oh, and the new musical Crumbs. His arrangements have been performed by extraordinary artists ranging from Barbra Streisand to Beyoncé, and by ensembles including the Boston Pops and the U.S. Military Academy Band. Doug continues to champion musical storytelling across all media, including through the Arrival Arts Initiative. Doug's Website: https://dougbesterman.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DougBestermanMusic/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dougbesterman/ Arrival Arts: Website: https://www.arrivalartsinitiative.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577010220015 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arrival_arts_initiative/

This is Tim Quinn’s second time on StoryBeat. An author, editor, and manager, Tim was born and raised in Liverpool, England, the home of The Beatles. He began his show business journey as a clown at Blackpool Tower Circus followed by working as a scriptwriter for various comedians of the period. Comic books came next as Tim worked as a writer and editor for Britain's top periodicals followed by a long stint at Marvel Comics. Alongside his comics work, Tim conducted interviews for newspapers and magazines with stars from the entertainment world followed by many years creating documentaries for London Weekend Television’s South Bank Show. During that time, he was also working as an editor for The Saturday Evening Post. Tim and his wife, Jane, created the publishing company, Quill Publications, and a music business, Mighty Quinn Management. Tim’s latest novel, Bigger than the Beatles, tells the story of a Liverpool boy who picked up a guitar in 1957 and went on to global success with his band, the Dream Daffodils. We follow his story across the years until his Final Death Tour in 2025. Many of Tim and Jane's real-life experiences in the music business are incorporated in the book. I’ve read Bigger than the Beatles and can tell you it’s all that you’d expect from a Tim Quinn book: exceptional, incisive writing that’s filled with a huge helping of clever humor about the Liverpool music scene. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Bigger than the Beatles, and highly recommend it to you. It’s the second book of Tim’s that I’ve had the pleasure to read; the other being The Jolly Bloodbath. Tim has also published his autobiography, Argh, which I encourage you to check out. https://sites.google.com/view/mightyquinnmanagement/home

Teddie Dahlin was born in Norway and graduated from Business School in Gothenburg, Sweden with a degree in International Marketing and Economics. She has worked as a freelance music journalist for several magazines in the UK, most notably Vive le Rock, and she’s written 5 published books. In 2012, after a bad experience with a UK publisher, Teddie established New Haven Publishing to put out her book, A Vicious Love Story: Remembering the Real Sid Vicious, which is her account of being the 16-year-old translator for the Sex Pistols during a leg of their 1977 Scandinavian Tour. It was New Haven’s first book. A Vicious Love Story takes us through Teddie’s unique encounter with Sid Vicious and the Sex Pistols, including a fascinating cast of characters surrounding the band, such as Neon Leon, Eileen Polk, Peter Gravelle, Kenny Gordon, and Howie Pyro. I’ve read A Vicious Love Story and can tell you I was thoroughly engrossed by Teddie’s description of what it was like for her at such a young age to be tossed into the middle of a fairly wild scene with such dynamic punk rockers, especially as she became quite close to Sid Vicious. Since 2012, New Haven Publishing has grown substantially, now representing 200 authors with a catalogue of 250 books that are heavily anchored in the music and entertainment industry. New Haven also has several imprints: Phoenix Press Kids books, Viking Press Comics, Portland Press Novels, and in the United States, New Haven Publishing US. For the record, Teddie and I have known one another for several years as I’ve had the privilege of interviewing numerous New Haven Publishing authors, including Tim Quinn, Jimmy Ryan, Jon Kremer, and the one and only Suzi Quatro. https://www.newhavenpublishingltd.com/

New York Times bestselling and multi-award-winning author, Wanda E. Brunstetter, is considered one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre. Wanda’s written more than 100 books, with over 12 million copies sold, and her work has been translated into 4 languages. Wanda’s stories consistently earn spots on the nation’s most prestigious bestseller lists. Wanda’s ancestors were part of the Anabaptist faith, and her novels are based on personal research intended to accurately portray the Amish way of life. Her books are read and trusted by many Amish people, who credit her for giving readers a deeper understanding of the Amish and their customs. Martha Bolton is a prolific author of 89 books, a nominee for an Emmy, Writers Guild Award, and Dove Award, and a co-author of three NY Times bestselling books. She was also Bob Hope’s first full-time female staff writer and wrote for his primetime TV specials as well as during 15 years of his personal appearances and special events, penning lines for a virtual Who’s Who in entertainment, sports, and politics. She also co-authored the award-winning Dear Bob...Bob Hope's Wartime Correspondence with the GIs of WW2. Martha’s stage work includes writing the script for the musical “The Confession,” based on Beverly Lewis’ bestselling Confession trilogy. She also co-wrote “Half-Stitched” with director/composer Wally Nason, which is based on Wanda’s bestselling book The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club. Martha also wrote the shows Josiah for President and The Home Game for Blue Gate Musicals, both of which have accompanying novels written by Martha. Wanda and Martha collaborated on their recently released book, The Rise and Fall of Miss Fanny’s Biscuits: A Cozy Amish Mystery, which I’ve had the pleasure to read and can tell you it’s an absolute gem of a mystery novel. If you like clever stories set in a world that I think most folks don’t know in detail, then I highly recommend Miss Fannie’s Biscuits to you. Of note, The Rise and Fall of Miss Fannie’s Biscuits has also been adapted into a stage musical.

Qin Sun Stubis is a newspaper columnist, poet, and author of the award-winning historical saga, Once Our Lives, the remarkable true story of four generations of Chinese women who struggled to survive war, revolution, and the eerie power of an ancient superstition that seemed to change their lives for nearly 100 years. Born in the squalor of a Shanghai shantytown, Qin overcame poverty, starvation, and the political persecution of her family to win admission to a prestigious Chinese university and emigrate to the United States where she became a successful writer. With more than 200 published works, she strives to strengthen the bonds of understanding and humanity that connect us all. Qin writes beautifully and movingly about her family and their struggles to endure extraordinarily difficult conditions. I highly urge you to check out Once Our Lives. www.QinSunStubis.com

Animation Director Bill Kroyer was nominated for an Academy Award for his short film Technological Threat, the first film to combine 2D and CG animated characters. He’s perhaps best known for directing the popular animated film, Ferngully, The Last Rainforest, as well as working on dozens of commercials and animated feature film credit sequences. He is also known for having developing the computer generated Lightcycles in the original version of Tron. As Senior Animation Director at Rhythm & Hues studios he directed CG characters in films that have grossed over $1 billion worldwide. In 2017, he and his wife Sue were the first couple to receive The International Animation Society's prestigious June Foray award. In addition to serving on multiple committees at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Bill also served as the head of the Digital Arts Department at Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University Recently, Bill published his autobiography, Mr. In-Between: My Life in the Middle of the Animation Revolution, which I’ve read and truly enjoyed, especially because I spent more than two decades writing screenplays in the animation industry, where Bill is a legendary creative force. I highly recommend Mr. In-Between to you. https://www.mrinbetween.org

The highly popular documentary filmmaker, Rick Sebak, is a native Pittsburgher, who’s worked at Pittsburgh’s PBS station WQED since 1987. Rick’s created dozens of local TV documentaries known collectively as The Pittsburgh History Series, including: “Kennywood Memories,” “What Makes Pittsburgh Pittsburgh?” and “Right Beside The River” as well as many more. He’s also produced 15 national programs for PBS including “A Hot Dog Program,” “A Flea Market Documentary” and “A Few Good Pie Places.” I’ve seen a number of Rick’s documentaries and have always been delighted by the way they’re put together and especially by the uplifting, wonderfully human stories Rick’s work delivers each and every time. Rick has been honored with several regional Emmy Awards and two national Emmy nominations. One Pittsburgh bar even named a drink after him. In 2018, Pittsburgh Magazine named Rick one of the 50 Greatest Pittsburghers Of All Time. There’s even a street named for him in Pittsburgh’s Somerset at Frick Park neighborhood. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Sebak https://www.wqed.org/history-documentaries-pittsburgh-history-series/ https://www.pbs.org/show/the-rick-sebak-collection/

David Arnoff’s career kicked off with the photos for the Cramps’ Songs the Lord Taught Us album. Since then, he has contributed to dozens of releases by artists including the Dream Syndicate, X, Ramones and the Gun Club. A collection of his work, Shot in the Dark, has been published in the U.S., U.K. and Spain. He has had solo exhibits in Berlin, London, Tokyo, Den Hague and Los Angeles, as well as group shows across the States and Paris. David’s photos are in the collections of the Grammy Museum in LA, the Punk Rock Museum in Las Vegas and MOMA in NY. He has never photographed bands he doesn’t like. David is the oldest angry young man in Chiswick, West London.

Ed Driscoll is joining me for the second time on StoryBeat. Ed’s an Emmy Award-winning comedian, writer and producer who’s worked with some of the biggest stars in the entertainment industry including: Billy Crystal, Joan Rivers, Michael Bublé, and Dennis Miller to name just a few! Ed’s produced material for variety shows, sitcoms, movies, and live theater. And he’s been a stand-up comedian for over 25 years. Ed’s authored five critically acclaimed books: Spilled Gravy, Looking To Click, Laugh, Dammit!, Unmoved Chess Pieces, and Cracking Up. I recently read Cracking Up and can tell you it’s a laugh out loud compendium of stories from Ed’s highly memorable show biz career. If you like hilarious real-life Hollywood stories, I highly recommend Cracking Up to you. https://www.eddriscollcomedy.com https://twitter.com/theeddriscoll https://www.facebook.com/theeddriscoll https://instagram.com/theeddriscoll

Lady Dhyana Ziegler is currently President and CEO of Z/Creators, LLC and Professor Emerita of Florida A&M University. She’s worked in the field of higher education and technology for more than 35 years as a professor and administrator. Dr. Ziegler is the author of four books, more than 60 scholarly publications - including book chapters - and has produced more than 100 videos and other multimedia works. She most recently published “Midnight Train From Georgia,” which chronicles and celebrates the extraordinary life of William Franklin Guest, one of the founding members of the famed singing group, Gladys Knight and the Pips. I’ve read Midnight Train From Georgia and can tell you it’s a fascinating study of an artist working inside the rough and tumble world of show business at the highest level. For those listeners who may not know, Gladys Knight and the Pips released numerous, popular, smash hit songs like: Midnight Train to Georgia, I’ve Got to Use My Imagination, Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me, and many more. Lady Dhyana is also a multimedia writer, digital content producer, and songwriter. https://dhyanaziegler.ampbk.com/

Samuel A. Simon started his career in Washington, DC as a lawyer for Ralph Nader’s first advocacy group, becoming part of the infamous Nader’s Raiders. He then spent 25 years as the head of a public affairs firm. In that work, he was often in the news, appearing on Face The Nation, The Phil Donahue Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, and many more. Sam subsequently became a playwright and calls his playwriting and theatre work his 4th Age. His first play, The Actual Dance, Love’s Ultimate Journey Through Breast Cancer, was later turned into an award-winning memoir. In 2021, Sam was diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s Disease. Despite the enormous challenges of this diagnosis, Sam has become “Dementia Man,” a powerful advocate through theater, using his own experience as inspiration to reshape the narrative surrounding cognitive decline. In his newest play, “Dementia Man, An Existential Journey,” Sam defies stereotypes and inspires audiences. Sam is joined in this episode by his wife, Susan, who acts as his cognitive navigator. www.dementiaman.com

Marcia Peck is an award-winning writer and accomplished musician, celebrating over 50 years as a cellist with the Minnesota Orchestra. Inspired by the rhythms and sounds of music echoed in language, her debut novel, Water Music: A Cape Cod Story, combines all her passions – music, writing, and Cape Cod. The book has received critical acclaim and numerous book awards, including Literary Titan Gold, National Indie Excellence, New England Book Festival Regional Lit, and the Feathered Quill Reviewers Choice Awards. I’ve read Water Music and can tell you it’s a phenomenal exploration of the tribulations of a young girl on the verge of becoming a teenager, growing up in and around an emotionally challenging family, all while working to discover herself within that stressful mix. Marcia's many articles have appeared in a variety of magazines. And her short story writing has received multiple awards from various groups far and wide. A cellist with the Minnesota Orchestra for her entire musical career, she’s inspired by the rhythms and sounds of music echoed in language. For more information, please see: www.marciapeck.com.

Steven L. Sears began his career as an actor. He moved on to become a writer, story editor, producer and creator in TV, film, digital media, and animation. He’s worked on such TV series as: Riptide, Hardcastle & McCormick, The A-Team, Stingray, Walker-Texas Ranger, The Highwayman, Hollywood Detective, Grand Slam, Jesse Hawkes, Superboy, S.H.E. Spies and other popular favorites. He produced Swamp Thing for the USA Network, Raven for CBS, Co-Executive Produced Xena, Warrior Princess, co-created and Executive Produced Sheena, and has had many pilot and development deals with various major studios. Steve’s animation work includes Itsy Bitsy Spider, Transformers Rescue-Bots, and the short film The Gift of the Hoopoe with legendary director Don Bluth. His prose work includes The Non-User-Friendly Guide for Aspiring TV Writers; the graphic novel Stalag-X with Kevin J. Anderson; stories in such anthologies as Jeff Sturgeon’s Last Cities of Earth and Alien Vs. Predators: Ultimate Prey. Steve recently published the short story collection, Tales of the Aboveground/Underground, which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. If you like offbeat stories with a wonderful twist to rival those of the Twilight Zone, I highly urge you to get Steve’s book. www.stevenlsears.com https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_L._Sears pondalee.com

The legendary, highly influential Rock ‘n Roll superstar, Suzi Quatro. Suzi made her stage debut playing bongos in her father’s jazz band, the Art Quatro Trio. At 14, she co-founded the all-girl band, The Pleasure Seekers, with her elder sister, Patti, playing a bass guitar that was as tall as she was. Suzi quickly became the band’s lead singer and front person. They successfully toured for 7 years before changing their name to Cradle. The group was then seen by the successful music producer, Mickie Most. He offered Suzi a solo contract, which eventually led her to working with the hit-making songwriters Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, resulting in her first huge hit, Can the Can, which went to number one in Great Britain, Europe, Japan and Australia, and sold 2.5 million copies worldwide. Suzi has sold over 55 million records. Among her numerous worldwide hits are: 48 Crash, Devil Gate Drive, The Wild One, She’s In Love With You, If You Can’t Give Me Love, and Stumblin In, a duet with Chris Norman. From 1977-79 Suzi played Leather Tuscadero opposite Henry Winkler and Ron Howard in the hit TV Series, Happy Days. Other TV appearances include: Minder, Dempsey and Makepeace, Absolutely Fabulous, and Midsomer Murders. Among Suzi’s many other creative endeavors: she made her critically acclaimed West End debut in 1986 playing Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun. She wrote music and lyrics with Shirlie Roden for the Tallulah Bankhead musical, Talullah Who?, in which Suzi starred. She’s even had her own radio shows on BBC Radio 2 since 1999. Her bestselling autobiography, Unzipped, released in 2007, was turned into Suzi’s one woman show which premiered at London’s Hippodrome. In 2016, Suzi released a book of poetry called Through My Eyes. In 2022, she released a second volume of poetry entitled, Through My Heart, Steve highly recommends. Through My Heart is powerfully personal, moving, intense, and quite deep. Suzi writes with passion and conviction, very much from her heart. Her first novel, The Hurricane, was released in 2017, and she’s already at work on the sequel. Suzi continues to tour and release new albums, including 2019’s No Control, a collaboration with her son, Richard Tuckey, who co-wrote most of the tracks and played guitar. On her latest album, Uncovered, released on Sun Records, Suzi covers 6 classic soul, rock, and pop songs. The excellent documentary, Suzi Q, was released in 2019. Because of the attention it’s received, she’s now signed to do a movie of her life. Suzi remains a major creative force to be reckoned with. Her famous quote says it all, “I will retire when I go on stage, shake my ass, and there is silence.” In 2016, Suzi received an Honorary Doctor of Music Degree from Cambridge University, making her officially Doctor Quatro.

Writer-director Jonathan L. Bowen started a film review site in high school, which he continued into college, ultimately posting more than 600 movie reviews. After moving to L.A. to pursue a film career, he started making independent music videos, then established a production company, JLB Media Productions, that specializes in business-to-business marketing and web videos. His music videos, short films, and features have been screened at more than 50 film festivals nationwide. His work includes: "The Devils Matchmaker," a short that won Best Short Shorts Comedy/Romance at the Eugene International Film Festival. Jonathan wrote and directed Amy Alyson Fans, a feature-length romantic comedy. I’ve seen his most recent movie, The Comic Shop, which he co-wrote and directed, and can tell you, as someone who’s written more than a few superhero cartoons, I found it to be a funny and emotionally rich story about folks struggling to survive in the dog-eat-dog world of comic books. Jonathan’s also written two books, Anticipation: The Real Life Story of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, which was written before Jonathan graduated high school, and its sequel, Revenge: The Real Life Story of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. https://www.directorbowen.com/

Christian Schu is a dedicated filmmaker who sees filmmaking and advertising as storytelling arts. Since becoming a commercial filmmaker in 2015, he’s focused on creating narratives that deeply engage viewers through emotion. Christian’s career includes working in virtual studios, sporting events, and collaborations with popular German business speakers. Since 2019, Christian has been producing visually stunning content for top hi-fi brands including Focal Naim, Bowers & Wilkins, and Bang & Olufsen. His passion for storytelling began with childhood Lego play, now translating into impactful, award-winning cinematic work. www.christian-schu.com

Kiesha Lalama is an internationally recognized dancer, choreographer, and teacher who has created works for stage, film and TV. She is currently Point Park University’s interim Dean of Theatre, Film and Animation, and the Executive Producer of the Pittsburgh Playhouse. Kiesha co-founded and has choreographed 15 years of Broadway’s the Jimmy Awards, which has reached over 120,000 students annually. She choreographed the feature films, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” and “Sorority Row,” the documentary series “Broadway or Bust” for PBS, and two critically acclaimed TV series, “Outsiders” and “American Rust”. Her international concert dance works continue to be performed throughout Europe and Asia, including: Shed, Catapult, Alegria, Kinex, Aftermath, Wish, Jolt, Unsung Moment, and Vicious Cycle. She’s also created three critically acclaimed full-length dance theater productions including The Bench: Journey into Love, HeartShakes, and Bound in Before. Kiesha’s regional theater highlights include: All Shook Up at North Shore Music Theatre, Jesus Christ Superstar at Kansas City Starlight Theatre, Into the Woods at the Arsht Center, and for the Pittsburgh CLO, Judge Jackie Justice, Ruthless! The Musical, First Date and the Gene Kelly Awards. For the record, Kiesha and I have known one another for a number of years as we were both faculty members in the Conservatory of Performing Arts at Point Park. https://kieshalalama.com/ https://www.pointpark.edu/academics/schools/copa/copadeptsmajors/dance/faculty/kieshalalama

Bestselling historical fiction author, Sharon Virts, is a successful entrepreneur and visionary who, after more than twenty-five years in business, followed her passion for storytelling. She’s received numerous accolades for her commitment to historic preservation, earning national recognition for both her business achievements and philanthropic endeavors. Beyond her business acumen, Sharon is a gifted visual artist, intertwining her artistic expression with extraordinary storytelling to breathe life into intricate characters and vivid settings that captivate the heart and ignite the imagination. She has authored two bestselling novels, Masque of Honor and Veil of Doubt. Sharon latest book, The Grays of Truth, was recently published. I’ve read The Grays of Truth and can tell you I was immediately swept up by the suspenseful historical murder mystery set in 1867 antebellum Baltimore, where some of the city’s elite suffer mysterious deaths amidst a backdrop of scandal. If you like historical thrillers, I highly urge you to check out The Grays of Truth. www.sharonvirts.com Bookclub: #ReadWith Sharon FB: SharonVirtsBooks IG: @sharonvirtsbooks GoodReads: Sharon Virts

Drew Brody is an award-winning writer and producer whose films, web series, stage plays, and other live events in Los Angeles and New York have featured Ed Harris, Amy Madigan, Jenny O’Hara, Bill Pullman, Sara Rue, Martin Sheen, James Gammon, and French Stewart, among many others. Drew has produced dozens of world premieres for the stage including two plays by Pulitzer Prize winning playwrights: It Wasn’t Proust by Sam Shepard, and Tight Pants by Beth Henley. Drew won back-to-back “Excellence in Producing” awards at the New York International Fringe Festival, where his production of Fluffy Bunnies in a Field of Daisies also earned an award for Best Ensemble and was named Best of Fringe. Among the movies Drew has produced is the horror film, Desert of Blood. I’ve seen Desert of Blood and can tell you it’s a sexy, noirish, fun vampire thriller that isn’t for the faint of heart. In addition to writing and producing, Drew has worked as a story consultant and coach to Hollywood writers for more than two decades. For six years, he was a thesis advisor for MA students in the Humanities department at Mount Saint Mary’s University in L.A., where he taught classes in screenwriting and playwriting and helped develop and launch the university’s MFA in Screenwriting program. Writers who’ve worked with Drew have collectively written dozens of published novels, scores of paid screenplays, hundreds of hours of Emmy-award-winning TV, and studio movies that have grossed more than $100 Million worldwide. Drew Brody on IMDB https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2027470/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cr TheInfinitemonkeyProject.com https://www.instagram.com/infinitemonkey.mov/ https://www.facebook.com/theinfinitemonkeyproject/