The Good Word Podcast

Hannah L. Clark has always known she would be a storyteller. After graduating from Utah Valley University with a bachelor’s degree in English, she immediately began writing the book, Uncovering Cobbogoth. Hannah has spent her life struggling with aixelysd, or dyslexia for those who don’t have it, in spite of her dream to one day become an author. Because of this, she is a huge advocate for those struggling with learning disabilities and encourages them never to give up on their dreams. One of her favorite parts about being an author is speaking to schools and book groups about dyslexia and how she has come to see it as a gift. Hannah loves hanging with her sister/business partner Bekah, she loves running, mythology, soulful bluegrass music, studying alternative medicine, retro hairdos, and growing things. Like the heroine of her book, Norah, she kind of believes trees have souls. Hannah lives in Utah with family. To purchase Uncovering Cobbogoth, click here.  

David Ridges is the author of the best-selling Scriptures “Made Easier” series. He speaks of his experience in developing curriculum, and in both learning and teaching the scriptures. Purchase David A. Ridges books here.

Three years ago, Kristen received a late night phone call from a traumatized mother that would change the direction of her life. The next morning she searched for a children’s book to explain the dangers of pornography addiction and provide an action plan for how to stay safe online. But she came up empty-handed. For the next three years she worked to write and publish the read aloud book, Good Pictures Bad Pictures: Porn-Proofing Today’s Young Kids. Kristen grew up in Cheyenne, WY and moved to Boston when she was nine. Later she attended BYU and majored in English and Journalism. She served a mission to Portugal and then returned to BYU to complete a master’s degree in Organizational Communication. After moving to the Bay Area with her husband, she worked for Chevron as a Systems Analyst in the Chevron Information Technology Company’s training department. Soon after she began her dream job, Kristen had to inform her new boss that she was expecting. After her first was born, she returned back to work, but soon realized that life was not sweet anymore. So she resigned and came home, and it definitely was the best decision for her and her family. One of the defining experiences of her life was in 1992 when her 18-month old son fell into a large bucket with a few inches of rain water and suffered a near-drowning accident resulting in major brain damage. Kristen and her husband took care of him at home (tube fed, required a suction machine, around the clock care, multiple medical issues all the time), and then over nine years later he passed away from a grand mal seizure. It’s a long, long story of faith and miracles; a story that is still waiting to be written. Kristen felt inspired to write the book Good Pictures Bad Pictures: Porn-Proofing Today’s Young Kids, with the help of co-author, Dr. Gail Poyner, and writing coach, Claudine Gallacher. Now when parents search for a read aloud book to help keep their young kids safe from Internet pornography, they have an easy-to-read story to introduce this very difficult topic. Kristen also blogs at PornProofKids.org. To purchase a copy of Kristen A. Jenson’s book, Good Pictures Bad Pictures: Porn-Proofing Today’s Young Kids, click here.

RANDY LINDSAY is a native of Arizona. From an early age, his mind traveled in new and unusual directions. His preoccupation with “what if” eventually led him to write speculative fiction. According to his wife everything is a story to Randy. Although this is his first novel, Randy has been published in a variety of science-fiction and fantasy magazines. He lives in Mesa, Arizona with his wife and five of his nine children. For more information you can check him out at RandyLindsay.net. To purchase Randy Lindsay’s book, click here.

  Carla Kelly is a veteran of the New York and international publishing world. The author of more than thirty novels and novellas for Donald I. Fine Co., Signet, and Harlequin, Carla is the recipient of two Rita Awards (think Oscars for romance writing) from Romance Writers of America and two Spur Awards (think Oscars for western fiction) from Western Writers of America. She is also a recipient of a Whitney Award for Borrowed Light and My Loving Vigil Keeping.  

  MINDY CONE is an entertaining, food, dessert, and party stylist on the popular blog Creative Juice. She writes about everything you need to know to entertain your guests and kids with style and creativity. Her talent for perfectly themed parties combined with her love for macarons inspired her first book Gourmet French Macarons.  Although an East coast girl at heart, she currently lives in Northern California with her husband and two young children. Visit her blog at getcreativejuice.com.  

Ben Behunin began working with pottery as a freshman at Highland High in Utah. He thought it would be an “easy A”, but his experience proved to be neither easy, nor an “A”. That experience began a 24 year long dance with clay that has taken Ben to exotic places, such at Idaho, North Carolina, France, Switzerland, Germany, England, Italy, Austria and Hawaii in pursuit of his education and his passion. For the past 18 years, Ben has been making his living exclusively as a slinger of slime and a maker of mudpies. In 2009, after nearly twelve years of being a closet-writer, Ben published the first of his Niederbipp Trilogy, Remembering Isaac, the wise and joyful potter of Niederbipp. This was followed by Discovering Isaac later in 2009 and Becoming Isaac in 2010. Since then he has released the titles, Forget Me Notes in 2011, Borrowing Fire in 2012 and Put A Cherry On Top in 2013 He is currently working on forty-seven other books that may be released sometime in the next fifty years if he can overcome his ADD. Ben is the father of two young budding potters, Isaac and Eve, ages 13 and 10. He and his wife Lynnette live in Salt Lake City, just inches away from his whimsically magical studio, Wild Rooster Artworks.

  Jeffrey M. Bradshaw has a PhD in Cognitive Science, from University of Washington and is a Senior Research Scientist at the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC). Though his earliest publications were focused on memory and language, Jeff’s research focus soon turned to a wide variety of topics relating human and machine intelligence. Jeff and his wife Kathleen are the parents of four children and seven grandchildren. He was a missionary in France and Belgium from 1975-1977, and has since served in a variety of Church capacities including early-morning seminary teacher, bishop, high councilor, stake presidency counselor, and temple ordinance worker. Jeff has presented at FAIRMormon meetings in the USA, Germany, and France. He has published in the Studies in the Bible and Antiquity, Element: A Journal of Mormon Philosophy and Theology, and BYU Studies. Jeffrey Bradshaw is the author of Temple Themes in the Book of Moses which appeared in 2010, and Temple Themes in the Oath and Covenant which was published in 2012. Jeff has written a highly-acclaimed scholarly commentary on the first six chapters of the book of Moses, entitled In God’s Image and Likeness. A second volume covering the stories of Enoch, Noah, and the Tower of Babel is out now and is entitled, In God’s Image and Likeness 2.  

  Brock Booher grew up on a farm in rural Kentucky, the fourth of ten children, where he learned to work hard, use his imagination, and believe in himself. He left the farm to pursue the friendly skies as a pilot, and currently flies for a major US carrier. A dedicated husband and father of six children, he began writing out of sheer arrogance, but the writing craft quickly humbled him. During that process, he discovered that he enjoyed writing because it is an endeavor that can never quite be mastered. He still gladly struggles everyday to improve his writing and storytelling skills. Brooke is the author of Healing Stone from Sweetwater Books.  

Andrew Hall was born in Whittier, California. He grew up in the Church and Served a mission in Kobe, Japan. Andrew attended school at BYU and the University of Pittsburgh where he received his PhD in Japanese History Andrew teaches courses in both Japanese and English. Andrew and his wife have four children, all adopted, ages 15, 11, 11, and 6. Two boys we adopted as babies in the United States through LDS Family Services. The two girls were adopted in Japan, through the city of Fukuoka. Andrew see’s Mormon literature is a hobby and is a participant in the Association for Mormon Letters group, where he reviews books, plays, and movies, and taking part in their online discussions. In 2000 Andrew started writing a “Mormon Literature Year in Review” article every year, going over the major literary works released that year, and reviewing the publishing news of the year. In 2012 Andrew received an AML “Special Award for Literary Journalism.”  

  To fans and followers of LDS Film, today’s guest needs no introduction. Garrett Batty is director, producer, and writer of the film Saratov Approach now out on DVD and BlueRay. Signed copies of the Saratov Approach DVD can be purchased here (while supplies last)  

Heidi Poelman has always loved learning about inspiring people. Heidi received her degrees in communication from Brigham Young University (BA) and Wake Forest University (MA). Heidi is the author of A is for Abinadi a children’s illustration book from Cedar Fort Books. To purchase A is for Abinadi click here.    

Kevin Hopkins is a former White House speechwriter and senior policy advisor who helped write some of the key rules that undid the draconian government energy regulations that grow out of the energy shortages of the late 1970s. Since then, he has written widely on energy and environmental issues, and currently serves as consulting Director of Research for the California-based Communications Institute, a public-policy research center focused on emerging energy and environmental concerns. Kevin has been a writer nearly his entire life. Since that time, he has written and published two nonfiction books and numerous book-length studies, has written four feature-film screenplays, has written and published more than 150 articles, and has written three novels. As a communications professional, he has written scores of speeches (including speeches for the President of the United States, two presidential candidates, and key state and local government leaders throughout California. He also has written an untold number of corporate marketing, web, and sales materials. Kevin lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with his wife Mary and his son Brandon, along with a loving Seal Point Siamese cat, Layah (named after Princess Leia in “Star Wars”), and energetic Sheltie dog named Casey. Author of the book “Skylight.”

Sarah Beard has a degree in communications from the University of Utah and splits her time between writing and raising three energetic boys. She is a cancer survivor and a hopeless romantic. She enjoys reading and composing music, and lives with her husband and children in Salt Lake City, Utah. Sarah Beard can be foudn on twitter at @authorsarahb, or on facebook.com/authorsarahbeard. Sarah Beard is the author of Porcelain Keys. Buy Porcelain Keys

Teresa Hirst grew up in the Midwest with an imagination and creativity straight from the stories she poured through in her childhood. She put away her Harriet the Spy persona to attend Brigham Young University, where she studied journalism and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communications, allowing her to engage in some legitimate people watching. Today, she observes and tells insightful stories, both real and imaginary, that characterize our emotional experience with life. Teresa lives in Minnesota where enjoys time to cook in the kitchen with her family, sentimental movies, Sunday afternoon walks and great conversations. To purchase Teresa’s book, Twelve Stones to Remember Him, click here.