TSM25-41. Deadpan by Richard Walter 


Their Story Matters with Sara Troy and her guest Richard Walter, on air from Ocotber 14th

Screenwriter and bestselling author Richard Walter for his new book, Deadpan which  is a funny novel about an unfunny subject: hate speech and bigotry. Providing gobs of entertainment, the satirical narrative delivers a body blow to prejudice. Deadpan follows the misadventures of a vaguely anti-Semitic West Virginia Buick dealer who wakes up one day to find himself transformed into the world’s most popular Jewish comedian. Steeped in magical realism, the narrative confronts the incandescent issue of our day: Identity, intolerance, and the value of free speech. 

Deadpan‘s unfettered comical sensibility is a vivid testament to Mark Twain’s dictum “against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.” Set during the world-wide oil crises of the 1970s, the narrative alternates between locations in West Virginia, Las Vegas, Washington, Tehran, and Sinai, featuring characters as diverse as Sarah Palin, Mel Brooks, and the Shah of Iran. Walter’s phantasmagorical tour-de-force is not only a satirical takedown of antisemitism (and bigotry in general) but also a dazzling celebration of
human dignity, resilience, and humor.



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Richard Walter is a published author of bestselling fiction and nonfiction, and a screenwriter. As a professor at UCLA, he led the graduate program in screenwriting for decades. His titles for Penguin/Random House on screenwriting are in print now for thirty-five years and have sold over a hundred thousand copies. His most recent novel Escape From Film School (St. Martin’s Press) was a Los Angeles Times bestseller and saw multiple printings in cloth and trade paper. His blog posts and podcasts on Medium, Substack, Spotify and Apple Media have tens of thousands of followers, and his videos on YouTube have received over a million visits.


https://www.richardwalterbooks.com

https://twitter.com/ProfWalter
https://www.facebook.com/ProfRichardWalter

https://richardwalter.substack.com


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TSM25-37. Stephanie L. Maley, “No Longer That Girl”


Their Story Matters with Sara Troy with guest Stephanie L. Maley, on air from September 16th

No Longer That Girl takes hard topics and turns them into palpable illumination. This story is proof that we can transform our wounds into love and healing. Sometimes we need to look into our past in order to move forward in our lives. Not everyone has the courage to be so self-honest, but Steph delivers her truth with hope to live by.” 

Through writing, Stephanie confronts her past with compassion, embracing the child she once was and the woman she’s become. Her journey weaves together stories of abandonment, serious health struggles, and deeply traumatic encounters with men she trusted. Supported by her therapist, husband, and faith, she unravels the betrayals that shaped her need to please and her longing to be loved—ultimately finding her voice, her power, and her joy.



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STEPHANIE L. MALEY, a native of Chattanooga, Tennessee, dreamed of writing a book since she was a young woman. Thirty years later, that dream found its way to a reality. Before becoming an author, Stephanie worked as a pediatric nurse after getting her BSN, home-educated her two sons, and became a professional photographer after obtaining an associate’s degree in photography at forty-eight years old. She and her husband, Mike, live in their dream home on Lake Hartwell in Northeast, Georgia, where you can find Steph swimming, paddle boarding, kayaking, and driving her boat.


 https://stephmaley.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-maley-5b203149

https://www.instagram.com/lov2write/#

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565579387255


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TSM25-29 Christine Olson Founder of Tiffs Initiative’


Their Story Matters with Sara Troy and her guest Christine Olson, on air from July 22nd

TIFF (To Inform Families First) is a groundbreaking initiative designed to save lives by ensuring first responders can access emergency contact information directly from a person’s driver’s license or state ID. By embedding emergency contacts into DMV records, TIFF drastically reduces the time it takes for families to be notified.

TIFF, To Inform Families First, is a first of its kind emergency contact program born from the personal tragedy my family experienced involving my then 22-year-old daughter Tiffiany Marie Olson. It aims to bridge the critical information gap between law enforcement and families in emergency situations by including designated emergency contacts in a driver’s license or state issued I.D. that can be used within minutes at the scene of your emergency being by accident or medical. Reducing the national average from 6 hours to minutes.

“I cannot change what happened to me, but with TIFF, I know
I’m making a difference. This program saves lives.”



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Christine Olson moved from Milwaukee Wisconsin to Anna Maria Island in 1999 following her brother, her son and then joined by Tiffany shortly thereafter. Living on a 7-mile-long barrier island located on the Gulf of Mexico seemed like a dream until the evening of December 7th 2005 when a drunk driver ran a stop sign, killing Tiffany and her boyfriend on impact. The fear, panic, chaos and timeline of the 6 ½ hours it took before hearing the words, “She’s gone” has led me for the last 19 years on a campaign driven to change that national average so my story does not become yours. With over 21 million Floridians now registered and 18 states following in Florida’s footsteps, great success has been made…. But not enough. The goal is to take TIFF national by October 2nd 2026, my 20th anniversary of beginning my journey.


COME HEAR OUR FIRST SHOW TOGETHER ON TIFF HERE

www.toinformfamiliesfirst.org

christine@helptiff.org

https://www.facebook.com/ToInformFamiliesFirst/#


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TSM25-17. Chiara Barbera, Assaggio Traditions


Their Story Matters with Sara Troy and her guest Chaiara Barbera, on air from April 29th

The importance of maintaining traditions and celebrating the people who continue them, through recopies from the past.

Chiara Barbera is on a mission to continue Italian traditions. Assaggio is her heartfelt project dedicated to preserving Italian traditions by bringing the warmth, wisdom, and traditions of Italian grandparents (Nonni) to life through engaging online experiences. Born in Brisbane to four Italian grandparents, Chiara was raised on stories and the deep values that define Italian culture. Her grandparents’ courage to leave Italy for a better life laid the foundation for her own path—one that now brings her back to their homeland with a mission to give something meaningful in return. More recently, her work has extended to the motherland with Vera Italia, a platform that offers travellers the chance to engage with Italy’s living heritage through in-person encounters with artisans, farmers, and families. Together, these projects form a love letter to her roots—a calling she believes was guided by faith, and a legacy that she is determined to honour, preserve, and pass on.



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Chiara Barbera is the founder of Vera Italia, a mission-driven platform connecting travelers with the true spirit of Italy through cultural and culinary experiences. Born in Brisbane to four Italian grandparents, Chiara grew up surrounded by stories, recipes, and values deeply rooted in her heritage. Her grandparents’ courage to leave Italy in search of a better life laid the foundation for her own journey—a return to the homeland they once left, with the hope of giving something back.

Now dividing her time between Italy and Australia, Chiara begins this journey in Calabria, Italy’s hidden gem, to connect with the Culture Creators—artisans, farmers, cooks, and families—who keep the spirit of Italy alive. Through Vera Italia, she helps others discover the beauty of these traditions, not only to experience them but to ensure they continue for generations to come.

Her work is a love letter to her roots, a calling she believes was guided by faith, and a legacy that she is determined to honour, preserve, and pass on.



FIND CHIARA’S LAST SHOW ON THE ITALIAN EXPERIENCE HERE


https://experience-assaggio.com

 www.veraitalia.it 

benvenuto@veraitalia.it 

www.facebook.com/VeraItaliaExperience

https://instagram.com/veraitalia


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TSM25-14. Lacy Fewer & “Yankeeland”


Their Story Matters with Sara Troy and her guest Lacy Fewer, on air from April 8th

Inspired by the real-life discovery of hundreds of letters between her grandmother in Ireland and her great aunt, who emigrated to America, revealing family secrets from a century ago.

Imagine uncovering generations of family secrets hidden in two mailbags filled with letters and postcards—some never opened for 70 years. That’s what happened to Lacy Fewer in Ireland when she inherited the belongings of her late grand aunt. Through the correspondence between two sisters—one in Ireland, one in America—Fewer unearthed a moving family saga shaped by hope, silence, and struggle. She discovered the painful truth of her great-aunt’s 30-year institutionalization for being unable to conceive, a tragic reflection of how mental health and womanhood were misunderstood in the early 20th century. Now, decades after first reading the letters and with her own experience of growing up with siblings facing mental health challenges, Fewer has penned Yankeeland, an award-winning novel inspired by these revelations. Her story reflects the immigrant dream shadowed by stigma and hardship, capturing not only what was, but what might have been.



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Lacy Fewer, born and raised in Ireland, has nearly three decades of experience working in the financial services sector. Fewer started out as mortgage consultant and then became mortgage specialists. She went on to work for six years as a premier wealth planner at the Bank of Ireland. She then spent 15 years as an area manager for Ulster Bank Financial Planning.
She earned numerous degrees and certifications, including QFA from the Institute of Bankers; CFP Master Degree from them as well; and a Master of Science in Financial Planning and Services, and then a professional diploma in Fintech, both from University of College in Dublin. She recently earned a Certificate in ESG Investing from CFA.

Fewer enjoys the theatre, travel, reading literature, storytelling, and studying history. She resides, with her husband, in a small village close to Dublin City, County Meath. They have three children.

 Literary Titan says: “Yankeeland is a sweeping tale of hope, resilience, and transformation that weaves through decades and continents. Centered on Brigid Kelly’s journey from a stifling Irish village to the promise-filled shores of America, the novel explores family dynamics, societal expectations, and personal ambition. Brigid’s dreams clash with her father’s traditions and her stepmother’s rigid control, culminating in her determined escape to the New World with her husband, Ben. What unfolds is a compelling narrative of immigrants grappling with love, identity, and survival in a land where opportunities are as abundant as the challenges.


www.lacyfewer.com 

https://linktr.ee/LacyFewer
instagram.com/lacyfewer

FacebookLacyFewer


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