John David Bethel, Novelist-Episode #316

Storybeat with Steve Cuden

Novelist John David Bethel was a speechwriter to Cabinet Secretaries at the Departments of Commerce and Education during the Bush 41 and 43 administrations. He also served as a press secretary and speechwriter to members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Additionally, David worked as a communications strategist for a number of national and international public relations firms, including Burson Marsteller and Cohn & Wolfe.

He began his career in government and politics in 1972 as a speechwriter for the Legacy of Parks program in the Executive Office of the President in the Nixon Administration. He joined the staff of California Congressman Burt Talcott and later Nevada Senator Paul Laxalt as his Press Secretary and speechwriter. He helped craft the speech Senator Laxalt gave nominating Ronald Reagan to be President. David also wrote the lead article celebrating the second inauguration of President Reagan called We the People, An American Celebration.

David also spent many years in the world of business as a writer in various capacities, writing books, speeches, opinion pieces and white papers for such companies as Monsanto, the Sheraton Corporation, UniRoyal as well as the Urban Land Institute, the American Forest and Paper Association, and others.

David is an award-winning novelist whose books include Evil Town, Hotel Hell, Unheard Of, Holding Back the Dark and A Washington Trilogy. Recently, he published Mapping the Night, which I’ve read and can tell you is a terrifically exciting murder mystery thriller set in New York City and featuring characters more comfortable in the night than the day, with wonderful twists that include government intrigue.

www.johndavidbethel.com