Welcome to the Story Impact author interview podcast.

Gold Rush California. A 2,000-year-old Chinese emperor. Modern biotech. And humanity's enduring obsession with cheating death.

With host Lisa Towles, this episode explores the fascinating life and work of author and screenwriter Caryn McCann, whose East-meets-West mystery thriller The Emperor's Curse brings Chinese history and culture, crime, medical ethics, and the supernatural into one unexpected story.

Caryn spent two decades living abroad in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, studied Chinese in Hong Kong, and worked within the Chinese film industry before turning her storytelling talents to fiction. She shares how those experiences shaped her writing—and how a screenplay unexpectedly grew into The Emperor's Curse and an ongoing mystery series.

Lisa and Caryn also explore the Hungry Ghost Festival and its haunting traditions, the real history behind ancient attempts to create an immortality elixir, and the remarkable parallel between emperors who wanted to live forever 2,000 years ago and today's biotech industry pursuing radical life extension. Their conversation ultimately raises a larger question at the heart of Caryn's story: What happens when the ability to help humanity becomes something powerful people want to possess?

In this conversation, Lisa Towles and Caryn McCann discuss:

• How two decades abroad shaped Caryn's distinctive East-meets-West storytelling
• The unlikely connection between ancient China, Gold Rush California, and modern biotechnology
• The Hungry Ghost Festival, forgotten spirits, and Caryn's subtle approach to the supernatural
• Why humanity's ancient pursuit of immortality feels startlingly contemporary
• The ethical collision between scientific discovery, money, power, and good intentions
• Caryn's practical advice for novelists interested in screenwriting, adaptation, intellectual property, and building an audience

The conversation moves from history and cultural tradition to fiction, filmmaking, publishing, and the business of storytelling—an engaging look at how our oldest human desires keep finding their way into the stories we tell.

Learn more about Caryn McCann: carynmccann.com

Story Impact is hosted by Lisa Towles — award-winning crime novelist, book coach, and founder of Story Impact, a platform exploring Books · Meaning · Purpose through author conversations, coaching, workshops, and Story Impact Magazine.

Learn more about Story Impact: storyimpactconsulting.com/podcast

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