In this episode of Miles Beyond the Page, host Michelle Miles welcomes indie author Leslie Sewell to discuss her young adult fantasy novel The Omulus. Leslie shares the inspiration behind the story, which follows fifteen-year-old Sladd as he begins experiencing dreams in a future Earth where dreaming has disappeared. As he uncovers the mystery of the Omulus—a powerful orb of light within him—he embarks on a journey that bridges worlds and explores the enduring power of hope, imagination, and courage.

Leslie talks about the themes woven throughout The Omulus, including light versus darkness, self-doubt, trust, loneliness, confidence, and the importance of believing in yourself. She also reveals how her lifelong fascination with dreams, along with an undersea realm filled with mermaids and other fantastical elements, helped shape the rich world of her novel.

Michelle and Leslie also dive into Leslie's writing journey, which began at age thirteen and continued through studies in creative writing, poetry, and screenwriting. They discuss her unique "inside outline" process, writing scenes out of order, visualizing stories like movies, building immersive fantasy worlds inspired by real locations, and the challenges of continuity, indie publishing, marketing, and creating an authentic community while maintaining healthy boundaries.

🎧 Join Michelle and Leslie for an inspiring conversation about dreams, fantasy, creativity, and the magic of bringing imaginative worlds to life.

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe for more author interviews and creative conversations on Miles Beyond the Page!

ABOUT LESLIE SEWELL:

I got it into my head at the age of thirteen that I wanted to write. I studied poetry and screenwriting in school, two forms of writing that are on opposite ends of the writing spectrum. Last year, I published my debut novel, The Omulus.

Storytelling has never been limited to one form for me. Across my work, I return to questions of identity, the human experience, courage, belief, and magic--both the kind we imagine and the kind we practice daily.

Whether through fiction or personal reflection, I'm drawn to stories that explore what it means to grow, to trust, and to step into who one is becoming.

WHERE TO FIND HER:

Website | Facebook | Instagram

WHERE TO FIND HER BOOKS:

Amazon

In this episode of Miles Beyond the Page, host Michelle Miles sits down with bestselling author, playwright, and television writer Matt Witten to discuss his latest thriller, 51 Percent, and his remarkable career spanning novels, television, and the stage.

Matt shares the inspiration behind 51 Percent, a dystopian murder mystery set twenty years in the future where powerful corporations control public infrastructure, privatize law enforcement, and even own people through "51%" contracts. As resistance begins to grow, the novel explores timely questions about power, freedom, and the future of society through an ensemble cast of characters with competing perspectives.

Michelle and Matt also dive into the differences between writing for television and novels, drawing on Matt's experience writing for hit series including Law & Order, House, Pretty Little Liars, and Supernatural. He discusses breaking into television through a Law & Order pitch meeting, developing memorable characters, transitioning between screenwriting and fiction, and his path to traditional publishing after winning the Malice Domestic Writers Award.

The conversation also covers Matt's creative process, balancing multiple storytelling formats, and what's next—including his upcoming 2027 thriller, Clutch, set in the world of the WNBA.

🎧 Join Michelle and Matt for an engaging conversation about thrillers, television writing, publishing, and crafting stories that ask compelling "what if?" questions.

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe for more author interviews and creative conversations on Miles Beyond the Page!

ABOUT MATT WITTEN:

Matt Witten is a TV writer, novelist, playwright, and screenwriter who has written for many TV shows including House, Pretty Little Liars, Law & Order, Medium, Supernatural, and CSI: Miami. His thriller novel The Necklace is published in eight languages, is an Amazon Editors' Pick, and has been optioned for film by Leonardo DiCaprio. His novel Killer Story won a Foreword Indie award for best mystery and has been optioned for TV by Endgame Entertainment. Matt wrote four amateur sleuth novels that were published by Signet, including the Malice Domestic Award-winning Breakfast at Madeline’s, and he has been nominated for two Edgars and an Emmy. His published stage plays include The Deal, Washington Square Moves, and The Ties That Bind. He wrote the movie Drones, produced by Whitewater Films. His futuristic thriller, 51%, comes out in 2026. NBC hired Matt to cowrite a TV pilot based on 51%. His movie/TV agent is Paul Weitzman at Culture Creative Entertainment.

WHERE TO FIND HIM:

Website | Instagram | Facebook

WHERE TO FIND HIS BOOKS:

Amazon

In this episode of Miles Beyond the Page, host Michelle Miles welcomes science fiction author Steve Southard to discuss his unique brand of ocean-based science fiction and his latest collection, The Seastead Chronicles. Drawing inspiration from his service in the U.S. Navy submarine force, Steve imagines a future where humanity colonizes Earth's oceans, creating floating "aqua states" complete with their own cultures, conflicts, governments, and histories.

Steve shares the inspiration behind The Seastead Chronicles, a collection of interconnected stories spanning nearly eighty years of life at sea. He explains how the project evolved from short stories into a much larger fictional universe, discusses his plot-first writing process, and reveals why he loves the excitement of drafting but finds revision to be the most challenging part of writing.

Michelle and Steve also explore immersive worldbuilding, from designing detailed maps to creating a custom collapsible globe of his fictional world. They discuss lessons learned from co-editing Twenty Thousand Leagues Remembered, the realities of publishing with small presses, marketing as an introverted author, and practical advice for writers on persistence, handling rejection, finding their own creative process, and focusing on what truly matters instead of worrying about doing everything "the right way."

🎧 Join Michelle and Steve for a fascinating conversation about science fiction, worldbuilding, writing craft, and building an author career one story at a time.

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe for more author interviews and creative conversations on Miles Beyond the Page!

ABOUT STEVEN R. SOUTHARD:

Steven R. Southard writes science fiction, and dabbles in other genres. Read his new short story collection, The Seastead Chronicles, where characters grapple with the difficulties of living on and under Earth’s oceans. His short stories appear in over a dozen anthologies, including Tamarind literary magazine, Spring Into Scifi (2025), and The Science Fiction Tarot. He co-edited the anthologies 20,000 Leagues Remembered and Extraordinary Visions, Stories Inspired by Jules Verne.

WHERE TO FIND HIM:

Website | X | Facebook

WHERE TO FIND HIS BOOKS:

Amazon