Episode 310

Author Joe Chianakis Returns to Put the Spotlight on Darkness Calls

Thank you for your patience last week while some technical issues were taken care of. I expect all future episodes to be released each Tuesday.

It is also with sadness that I must announce the closing of the Once Upon a Podcast Network. It was a really fun run, but there is currently no momentum to carry the network as a whole properly into 2025, so the other two founders and I decided it was best that we - for now - shelve the network and release all shows back to their creators. For those who made a point to follow the various shows we had available, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts and we want to reassure you that Excelsior Journeys, Mimesis, and Unpaused Life will be continuing on as solo podcasts. Whether any of them find a connection with another network, that's entirely the decision of the hosts & producers.

On this week's episode of Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity, host & producer George Sirois sits down once again with fellow author and friend Joe Chianakis. While Joe shared his hit books Secrets & Singlets and Price & Persistence last time, this time he is ready to share his new horror novel Darkness Calls. The two use this time to not only speak at length about Joe's new books, but also to catch up and share some insight of when it comes to grieving the loss of family members and how our creativity can help us get through those difficult times.

Find out more about Joe's work by clicking HERE.

The Excelsior Journeys podcast exists primarily as a platform for creatives of all kinds (authors, filmmakers, stand-up comics, musicians, voice artists, painters, podcasters, etc) to share their journeys to personal success. It is very important to celebrate those voices as much as possible to not only provide encouragement to up-and-coming talent, but to say thank you to the established men & women for inspiring the current generation of artists.

If you agree that the Excelsior Journeys podcast serves a positive purpose and would like to show your appreciation, you can give back to the show by clicking HERE.

About the Podcast

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Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity
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About your host

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George Sirois

George Sirois is the author of the international bestselling young adult / science-fiction novel "Excelsior," its two sequels, and the science-fiction / sports trilogy "From Parts Unknown." He served as President of the Missouri Writers Guild from 2017-2018, and is the host and producer of the podcasts Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity and From Duck Till Dark: Outside the Marvel Studios. In 2023, George adapted his novel "Excelsior" into a feature-length audio drama, which was performed live on Clubhouse with a full cast of voice actors, a vast catalog of sound effects, and a stirring musical score.
George is also an audiobook narrator, lending his voice to over twenty books of all genres, and he is currently on the narrator rosters for Audio Sorceress and Encyclopocalypse Publications.
In 2025, George's short screenplay "Minus One Plus" won the award for Best SciFi Short at the 13th annual Austin Revolution Film Festival. The same year, Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity joined the Podmatch Podcast Network.
A New Yorker since birth, George now lives in St. Louis, Missouri with his wife and daughter. For more information, please visit www.hesgotit.com.