Let Me Tell You a Story with Steve and Becky Lyles

WHY RWANDA?

When we learned Bill Miller has made several trips to Rwanda, we had to ask why. In this podcast, we talk about what first caught his interest in such a beautiful but faraway country. He's been privileged to serve a school there by training teachers how to teach the children English. In turn, they've taught him how to become a better trainer.

Christian Chapter Book Author

Wendy Mattox's enthusiasm for kids and books for kids shines in this podcast. Her three series include stories about time-traveling twins, a boy who shrinks, and an animal spy team. Wendy describes her stories, which can be read in any order, as books kids love and parents trust.

Wendy's website: https://www.wendyannmattox.com/

Utopia Abandoned

Laurie Bower joins Steve and Becky to talk about the latest book in her Utopian Series. This one is titled "Utopia Abandoned" and features a beautiful city beneath the treacherous wasteland that lies outside the dome. We talk with Laurie about the skill and research required to write dystopian fantasy and conclude with her reading the first chapter of "Utopia Abandoned" for listeners' enjoyment.

https://llbower.com/

Crimson Arches

Here's your chance to hear Becky read the prologue to the second book in her "Children of the Light" series, Crimson Arches. Like Shadow Ranch, the first book in the series, this one is named after the ranch where the story is set and continues to focus on modern-day polygamy. Steve follows her reading with questions and comments sure to entertain. :-)

Hands of Gold

Award-winning author Roni Robbins talks with us about her novel, Hands of Gold, a fictionalized account of her Jewish grandfather's immigration to America. His journey was long and arduous, and his life in the USA not easy. All too soon, he learned it's not a land of milk and honey and the streets are not paved with gold. But he was a survivor and made the best of it with hard work, humor, and the support of his loving wife and family.

https://ronirobbins.com/

Adoption Adventure

After several years of marriage and still no children in their home, Andrea and Adam Graham decided to look into adoption alternatives. They are now the proud parents of cute little EJ, but their journey to parenthood wasn't easy. The long process required persistence, flexibility and faith.

The Irresponsible Reader

We often invite authors to talk with us on this podcast, but today we’re speaking with one of the many people authors value the most—readers! H.C. Newton is not only an avid, and I mean avid reader, he hosts a blog and a website called The Irresponsible Reader that's all about books and their authors. You can read his reviews and connect with him here --

The Secret Life of a Secret Service Agent

Bob West's career with the United States Secret Service is long over, but you'll enjoy his memories of the days when he conducted criminal investigations and protected U.S. political leaders and their families as well as visiting foreign heads of state. Want to know which president he most enjoyed serving? Take a listen. :-)

Old Time Radio with Adam Graham

We usually bring authors to our podcast to highlight their books, but we talked with Adam about his books and his podcasting because he’s a prolific podcaster, with five old-time radio podcasts to monitor. You can find them under these names: Great Detectives, The Old Time Dragnet Show, The Old Time Radio Superman, The Amazing World of Radio, and The War. Feeling nostalgic for the good ol' days? Take a listen.

Website: https://www.greatdetectives.net/detectives/

What's In Your Howl?

Author Doug Gamble has written a beautifully illustrated story for young children that features an armadillo and a coyote who learn to appreciate each other's differences. We had a fun conversation with Doug and are sure you'll enjoy our talk as much as we did.

https://www.xulonpress.com/bookstore/index.php?keyword=what%27s+in+your+howl&searchtype=title&qfunction=search&record_per_page=40

The Apprentice of Buchenwald

We were privileged to interview Oren Schneider, author of "The Apprentice of Buchenwald: The True Story of the Teenage Boy Who Sabotaged Hitler's War Machine," and know you'll enjoy learning about his amazing grandfather's survival tactics. Here are a few lines from the back-cover blurb.

Using their last reserves of wealth and  influence to escape extermination, the Rosenbergs go underground to avoid the Gestapo. Eventually exposed, captured, and taken to Buchenwald, the largest concentration camp in Germany, Alexander and his father collaborate to survive one day at a time.

A  chaotic chain of events puts young Alexander at the heart of a massive armament sabotage scheme. When his father is gravely injured and disappears after an air bombing, it is up to industrious Alexander to create leverage and use wartime machinations and raw talent to save his father’s life.

https://apprenticeofbuchenwald.com/

The Road to Karachi

When Drew Brown came to our house to help us with audio equipment, we learned something about him and his family that piqued our curiosity and generated lots of questions. Join us to learn where they've journeyed so far and where they're headed in the future. It's a fun story!

https://drewallenbrown.com/

https://chogglobal.org/team/dsbrown/

Becoming Unshakeable

Lysa Beltz has experienced marriage, divorce, re-marriage, a blended family, the ups and downs of relationships, scarcity, and abundance.  She’s had tough seasons and times of great blessing. Through it all, God has been her foundation and she’s seen Him move in ways that can only be described as supernatural. In her books and in her life, she uses what she’s learned to help those she touches with her faith.

Podcast 129: Love at First Varoom

DJ Everett has been racing cars for over 30 years and also been a race announcer for more than a dozen years. He announces at race tracks as well as for television and DVDs. Along with two other racing enthusiasts, DJ hosts a podcast called “Turn 5 Live,” where the three men discuss Northwest and West Coast racing events and results. Even if you’re like us and don’t know much about the sport, you’ll enjoy DJ's story.

Betwixt and Between

Thanks to the craziness of 2020, we were able to catch our guest between countries. Marie has studied and worked with a charity organization in Asia and is now headed to a far different country to do similar work. Listeners will enjoy her humor and international perspective.

Prisoners of Hope Series

This podcast is not our norm, but if you’d like to hear how Becky’s latest series about a religious cult came about, take a listen. 😊 We talk about cults in general and how controlling groups around the world have much in common, from a family dominated by one individual to a huge organization dominated by a narcissist and his or her inner circle.

Neither of us is an expert on the topic, yet we’ve learned from our research and hope our discussion helps listeners avoid high-demand groups. At the end, Becky reads from the first book in the series, "Shattered Dream."

Another "D" Word

Podcast 118 featured a guest who talked about depression. Our guest for podcast 121, Cathy Whitmore, discussion drug addiction and the events in her life that led to long-term incarceration. Her story has a happy ending, so be sure to listen all the way to the end. :-)

Discovering the Joy of Reading

Our guest on podcast 120 is Dr. Mary McGuire, a longtime friend and teacher. Mary has taught in Wyoming and Idaho as a classroom teacher and also as a reading specialist. Her passion for helping children learn to read comes from her own childhood struggles. In addition to sharing her story, Mary provides suggestions for parents who want to develop a love for reading in their children.

I Was Born for This

We've wanted to have Marsha Tennyson join us on "Let Me Tell You a Story" for a long time, and finally, it happened. We're excited to share the interview we had with her because we know you'll enjoy her story and the story of how Chrysalis Women's Transitional Living came to be in Boise, Idaho.

The “D” Word

Lori Charlier, today’s guest, dares to talk about her five-year bout with depression. Once the life of the party, she struggled to find meaning in life and a reason to get out of bed in the morning. Thanks to a supportive family, caring friends, prayer and medical intervention, she’s now found her way to the other side. Lori candidly shares her story with us on podcast 118, including how her anxiety, panic attacks and depression affected her family. Her desire is that others will be encouraged by her journey.

Driven to His Knees

On this podcast, Leslie Montgomery, author and ghostwriter of over a dozen books, talks about her writing career. She’s written for Focus on the Family for over 20 years and is the former Director of Publications for the American Association of Christian Counselors. She's best known for writing the spiritual biography, “The Faith of Condoleezza Rice,” when Condoleezza served as Secretary of State during the George W. Bush administration. Her latest book, also a spiritual biography, is titled “The Faith of Mike Pence” and is scheduled for release on August 6th.

MAN OF MANY TALENTS

Patrick Craig has worn a variety of hats over the years, including songwriter, rock-band musician, music studio owner/engineer and church worship leader. Currently, he's writing and publishing books. In addition to two Amish series, he's written a children's mystery and co-authored a novel set during World War II.

The Ghost of Gold Creek

Author Lisa Michelle Hess talks about her newly released young adult novel, “Ghost of Gold Creek,” then treats listeners to a lengthy excerpt. You’ll enjoy learning about this beautiful story’s inception and how it changed during the writing process.

I Did It My Way

You'll enjoy this fascinating story of a self-made man who discovered life was more than a big house, successful businesses and a huge bank account. Kent Johnson is retired yet busier than ever, heavily involved in what we call "purpose-driven travel" on the podcast.

Somebody to Love Me

Our guest, Leslie Montgomery, is the author and ghostwriter of over a dozen books, including The Faith of Condoleezza Rice. Her latest book, The Faith of Mike Pence, is scheduled for release next August. In a later podcast, we’ll talk with Leslie about her writing. But in this episode, we focus on her personal story and her journey out of a traumatic childhood and troubled adolescence to becoming a wife, mother of four, grandmother of six, teacher, writer and conference speaker.

https://authorlesliemontgomery.com/

Balancing Act

Need inspiration? You'll enjoy Podcast 111 with David Rush, who is one of the most prolific Guinness World Record holders on the planet. He’s broken over 80 Guinness World Records while promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

He's the world’s fastest juggler as well as the world’s slowest juggler. He holds world records for the most bowling balls juggled, the most consecutive axe juggling catches, and for balancing a bicycle on his chin longer than anyone else who's competed for the record.

DavidRush4STEM.com

Which Way?

In their beautifully written book titled "Which Way? One Woman's Traumatic Journey and Her Daughter's Explanation of How to Turn Pain into Power," Jann and Shari Simmons explore childhood trauma and its long-lasting effects.

In podcast #109, these sweet, delightful women talk about overcoming rejection, abandonment, grief, shame and much more. Sit back and be prepared to learn, heal and grow through their wise words.

Elder Brown's Backslide (not backside!)

Steve begins podcast #102 by reading the first installment of "Elder Brown's Backslide," a short story by Harry Stillwell Edwards. We also include a humorous Roger Pond essay, some entertaining Kid Chuckles and a chapter 33 excerpt from "Winds of Wyoming."

Space Drifters

Podcast 101 features the conclusion of chapter 32 in "Winds of Wyoming" plus a great interview with Paul Regnier, author of a fun and crazy science fiction series called "Space Drifters." To introduce you to the series, Paul reads from the first book, "The Emerald Enigma." Steve finishes the podcast with a Roger Pond essay titled "Pony Sign."