Podcast
If This Is True with Chris Hall
Hosted by Chris Hall · EN
The podcast that asks all entertainers from writers to actors to musicians what's true about them and the passions that drive them. What's true about you?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
18episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Michael Kell Mahoney Takes Us To Kosovo In His New Book!!
Apr 1500:37:13Tap to summarizeMichael is a retired New York City detective who somehow found his way from Manhattan to the Balkans. After his time with the NYPD, Michael spent two decades working internationally for the U.S. Department of State, the United Nations, and the Department of Justice; He’s seen the best and worst of human behavior — often in the same afternoon.Michael has written Land of Broken Toys: Kosovo, a work of fiction based on real events. The novel is part crime thriller, part dark comedy, and part fish-out-of-water story. There’s humor in the absurdities of peacekeeping life — Irish jokes told over Turkish coffee, UN bureaucracy that would make Kafka blush — but beneath the laughter sits something serious—the idea that belief and integrity still matter.This was a spirited conversation! Don't miss it!This episode, like all episodes of If This Is True, brings forth what drives creatives to do what they do. For more of this content and interaction, you can also go to my substack, coolmite25.substack.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Alex Mann Brings the Law of Improv to Law Enforcement and First Responders!!
Apr 100:29:11Tap to summarizeAlex Mann is an improviser, actor, comedian and author. His book, the Law of Improv came out in paperback in 2025. He has performed in several plays, shows, commercials, and TV shows, based out of the Boston area.He is also been a sheriff for 28 years, and uses that experience to explore how improvisational principles can help first responders communicate and strengthen leadership. The Law of Improv provides a framework for that practice. You ought to be arrested if you don't listen to this one!This episode, like all episodes of If This Is True, brings forth what drives creatives to do what they do. For more of this content and interaction, you can also go to my substack, coolmite25.substack.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Jeremy Clift--Writing the Stories of Living in Space That We All Are Interested In!
Mar 1500:30:42Tap to summarizeThe future of space may be shaped by a coming scramble for off-world resources, the rise of humans born and raised beyond Earth, and the disruptive power of AI and robotics. Genetic engineering will redefine not only crops but humanity itself, transforming survival in stark new ways. And in time, contact with alien species could spark conflicts or alliances that alter our destiny. These are some of the elements explored in a new science-fiction series set just 40–80 years from now, written by Jeremy Clift, a former journalist with two decades of global reporting experience. His books – Born in Space and Space Vault -- have been praised heavily for their mesmerizing world-building, high-impact action, deep character development, philosophical explorations, and most of all, a realistic portrayal of what life in space could look like from the detailed eye of a reporter who has covered war zones, natural disasters, and economic crises. Clift has lived in China, Egypt, Great Britain, India, France, Philippines, Washington DC, and elsewhere. From his international experiences he was able to imagine universal struggles out in deep space.SOOOOO Interesting! Don't miss this one!This episode, like all episodes of If This Is True, brings forth what drives creatives to do what they do. For more of this content and interaction, you can also go to my substack, coolmite25.substack.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Teri M. Brown--How An Author Recentered Her Life On A Tandem Bicycle!!!
Mar 100:23:48Tap to summarizeBorn in Athens, Greece as an Air Force brat, Teri M Brown came into this world with an imagination full of stories to tell. She now calls the North Carolina coast home, and the peaceful nature of the sea has been a great source of inspiration for her creativity.Not letting 2020 get the best of her, Teri chose to go on an adventure that changed her outlook on life. She and her husband, Bruce, rode a tandem bicycle across the United States from Astoria, Oregon to Washington DC, successfully raising money for Toys for Tots. She learned she is stronger than she realized and capable of anything she sets her mind to.Teri graduated from UNC Greensboro with a multitude of degrees – majors in Elementary Education and Psychology and minors in Math and Sociology – she just couldn’t settle on one thing! While homeschooling her four children, she began her writing career by focusing on small businesses, writing articles, blog posts, and website content.Upon winning the First Annual Anita Bloom Ornoff Award for Inspirational Short Story for a piece about her grandfather, she began writing in earnest, and published her debut novel in 2022, Sunflowers Beneath the Snow, a historical fiction set in Ukraine. Her second novel published in 2023, An Enemy Like Me, takes place during WWII. Her latest novel, Daughters of Green Mountain Gap, a generational story about Appalachian healers came out in January 2024. In June 2024, her short story, The Youngest Lighthouse Keeper, came out in the anthology Feisty Deeds: Historical Fictions of Daring Women. Her latest book, 10 Little Rules for a Double-Butted Adventure (Feb 2025), My first children's picture book, Little Lola and Her Big Dream, came out in April of last year.Teri is a delight. Listen to this!!This episode, like all episodes of If This Is True, brings forth what drives creatives to do what they do. For more of this content and interaction, you can also go to my substack, coolmite25.substack.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Cameron Smith--Auteur, Star and Producer of The Loneliest Boy on Earth!!
Feb 1500:31:08Tap to summarizeOver the years, Cameron Smith has used comedy, music and film as ways to process life and connect with people in a real, unpolished way. His latest project, The Loneliest Boy on Earth, came out of that impulse — part experiment, part personal confession, and part attempt to make sense of love and identity in the modern world. He has learned that vulnerability, when shared honestly, can be both healing and entertaining (also provocative and dangerous).Across all mediums — whether film, music, or live conversation — my work is about pushing boundaries, experimenting with form, and ultimately creating something that is both meaningful and entertaining.This was a spirited convo covering what artists should do, loneliness, taking risks and so much more. Don't miss it!!This episode, like all episodes of If This Is True, brings forth what drives creatives to do what they do. For more of this content and interaction, you can also go to my substack, coolmite25.substack.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Rick Steinke--Taking Readers on His Vital Mission!!
Feb 100:34:01Tap to summarizeRalph R. “Rick” Steinke is an award-winning author whose Jake Fortina series has captivated readers with its razor-sharp realism, fast-paced storytelling, and unforgettable characters. With three acclaimed novels already on shelves—and a fourth installment, Vital Mission, launching this August—Steinke has established himself as a fresh, authoritative voice in the military thriller genre.Readers praise his novels for their vivid detail, believable dialogue, and storylines that feel startlingly real. From international flashpoints to complex characters operating under extreme pressure, Vital Mission continues the gripping tradition of a series that feels both timeless and timely.You can connect with him on LinkedIn Ralph "Rick" Steinke | LinkedIn or Facebook: https://bit.ly/3WiH57u. For more information, please see: www.ricksteinke.com.Give this a listenThis episode, like all episodes of If This Is True, brings forth what drives creatives to do what they do. For more of this content and interaction, you can also go to my substack, coolmite25.substack.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →John Bolger!
Jul 25, 2023Tap to summarizeIn this throwback, If This Is True would like to introduce you to John Bolger, veteran of the Second City and co-founder of Schadenfreude Theatre in Chicago. John also does work with WGN Radio; is a creative director with TPN,; and started his own production company, Man Eating Cereal. John talks about these and other endeavors, including teaching improv at the University of Chicago. John is kind to everyone and a huge Chicago White Sox fan. Give it a listen!This episode, like all episodes of If This Is True, brings forth what drives creatives to do what they do. For more of this content and interaction, you can also go to my substack, coolmite25.substack.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →John Fugelsang!
Jul 25, 2023Tap to summarizeIn this throwback, If This Is True is proud to introduce you to John Fugelsang! John is a Drama League nominated actor, comedian & broadcaster who hosts the acclaimed "Tell Me Everything" series on SiriusXM Progress #127. He's been murdered on CSI, picketed by Westboro Baptist Church, interviewed 2 Beatles on 2 different continents in the same week, and once got Mitt Romney's advisor to call Romney an 'etch a sketch' on CNN. He's been a regular on CNN, MSNBC, FOX News and hosted "Viewpoint" on Current TV. He sold out theaters across the country with Stephanie Miller, Hal Sparks and Aisha Tyler on The Sexy Liberal Comedy Tour; their album "Volume 1" became the 1st political album to ever hit #1 on the Amazon, iTunes & Billboard Comedy Charts. This was recorded on Friday, June 24, when the Roe decision came down, literally. I was going to run it in August, but it was too important and timely to run it then. Give it a listen!This episode, like all episodes of If This Is True, brings forth what drives creatives to do what they do. For more of this content and interaction, you can also go to my substack, coolmite25.substack.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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