The Spark of Storytelling
At Grain Valley Publishing, storytelling is our craft. Below is a powerful demonstration of how we're combining human experience with innovative, time-saving AI tools to enhance creativity and elevate narratives.
Each evening at Twin Lakes, cormorants glide in to roost—a moment most never witness with their own eyes. Now, with digital tools, it can be captured and shared—reflecting our vision for storytelling that blends human perspective with smart technology.
Tradition Meets Human-Centered AI at Grain Valley Publishing Company
Just north of downtown Wichita lies Twin Lakes, an urban sanctuary where geese, egrets, herons, and cormorants gather in surprising numbers. In the evening, as the sun softens and the water stills, the cormorants arrive in formation. They spiral and sweep, wings outstretched, before settling on the island at the lake’s center.
Grain Valley Publishing: Leading the next chapter of publishing—where authentic stories meet responsible innovation.
It’s a ritual that’s been happening for years. But one evening, it felt different.
I recorded ten seconds of video on my smartphone. When I watched it back in digital form, the moment had been transformed. Not altered, but preserved and elevated by technology I didn’t fully understand, yet deeply appreciated. Not because it changed reality, but because it allowed me to share it.
What matters is this: I saw it. I shared it. Now others can see it too.
A smartphone doesn’t invent what it captures—it simply gives you a way to hold onto the moment and share it. Properly utilized, artificial Intelligence (AI) technology works the same way. It doesn’t replace the story. It helps shape, extend, and deliver it. Both are tools. Both are powerful. But only in the hands of someone who knows what they’re looking for, and what they’re trying to say.
At Grain Valley Publishing, storytelling has always been about clarity, care, and a deep respect for truth. From Maggie Vaults Over the Moon to The Real Education of TJ Crowley, our narratives are crafted with human insight and authenticity.
What has evolved is our ability to create more efficiently. We've developed custom GPT tools trained on our own stories and editorial frameworks to support the creative process. These tools help structure ideas, refine language, and bring stories to life—not as replacements for human storytelling, but as partners that enhance and expedite the process.
As a small company, we collaborate with individual creators and subject-matter experts on a project-by-project basis. This approach ensures each story is authentic and impactful, while also saving valuable time.
Where It All Began
Author Grant Overstake combines storytelling tradition with Human-Centered AI to shape the future of publishing.
I’m Grant Overstake, an award-winning journalist with decades of experience in storytelling—from the newsroom to the classroom, from local sports coverage to nationally honored works of fiction. I began my career at the University of Kansas, mentored by some of the finest minds in old-school editing and reporting. I wrote for the Wichita Eagle and the Miami Herald, and over time, shifted my focus to long-form storytelling that could reach readers of all ages.
My hand-written novels—Maggie Vaults Over the Moon and The Real Education of TJ Crowley—have earned praise for their emotional depth, authenticity, and relevance. I take pride in writing with clarity, empathy, and an unwavering commitment to truth.
And I’m proud to say that our published works at Grain Valley Publishing are rooted in that same foundation.
Maggie Vaults Over the Moon — a 100% human-crafted novel, praised as one of the finest track and field stories ever written, was performed by legendary Tavia Gilbert.
The Audie Award Moment
The Real Education of TJ Crowley — an Audie Award-winning audio drama, created and performed entirely by real voices, real engineers, and real storytelling.
The Real Education of TJ Crowley: Coming of Age on the Redline recently received the prestigious Audie Award. This acclaimed audiobook was collaboratively adapted by May Wuthrich and myself, whose shared vision and careful storytelling helped bring it to life.
Its success reflects the creative excellence of our producers, director, sound engineers, musicians, and an extraordinary cast of voice actors. The audiobook was also honored with an AudioFile Magazine Earphones Award for outstanding performance and production.
Every voice, every performance, every line—crafted and guided by human hands and hearts.
That’s something artificial intelligence (AI) can’t replicate. And it didn’t.
Voiced entirely by professional actors and produced with expert direction and sound design, this audio drama represents the gold standard of human storytelling in the digital age. It’s proof that technology can support brilliance—but not replace it.
What We’re Doing Now
Today, we’re deploying AI technology not to replace our work, but to strengthen and share it. At Grain Valley Publishing, we’ve developed a custom AI system—trained on our original materials—to help expand the reach and depth of our stories. With the introduction of AI technology, I’ve turned my one-person operation into a powerful, truth-driven publishing studio—where legacy storytelling meets the latest tools to reach hearts and minds at scale.
Our AI-supported work includes:
Sports stories that speak to young readers about resilience, fear, injury, recovery, and teamwork
Resources for educators and readers to explore our books more deeply
Curriculum-ready tools that blend traditional storytelling with modern digital fluency
This isn’t lazy automation. This is augmentation—with purpose. It’s not about replacing storytellers; it’s about empowering them to go further, think deeper, and connect more meaningfully. At Grain Valley Publishing, we use AI not to fabricate—but to illuminate.
Honoring the Next Generation
One of the most rewarding chapters in my journey has been working with young writers. I’ve stood beside students who created their own books—handwritten, illustrated, and laid out on classroom computers—then printed by a professional press. I had the honor of guiding them, sharing what I’ve learned as a journalist and author.
They weren’t just learning how to write. They were learning how to become storytellers—grounded in tradition and confident in using the tools of tomorrow.
That’s the future of publishing. That’s where we’re headed….
Grant Overstake with a new generation of young authors—blending handwritten drafts, classroom publishing tools, and timeless storytelling values.
Why We Use AI—and Why the Critics Are Missing the Point
There are critics—even at my own journalism school—who dismiss anything created with the help of AI, as if the presence of a new tool erases the value of experience, authorship, or intent. But they forget something essential: AI doesn’t replace intelligence. It responds to it.
When optimized by skilled, thoughtful creators with lived experience and journalistic integrity, AI becomes a tool for amplification—not automation. At Grain Valley Publishing, we don’t use AI to cut corners. We use it to go deeper. To organize what’s real. To reach more readers. And to ensure that the truth—the human truth—resonates louder than ever.
Looking Ahead
Photographers and designers have been using AI tools for years. Writers have long relied on spell checkers, grammar apps, and collaboration platforms. Now, AI is beginning to help with storytelling itself.
We don’t use general-purpose AI. We’ve created custom-trained GPTs—what we call “wells of resources”—built from our own stories, research, and lived experience. These tools preserve truth, elevate clarity, and help us create with purpose.
This is what I believe:
AI will never replace sound editorial judgment, storytelling from the human heart, or accurate depictions of real life. But those who know how to use it responsibly and creatively will shape what comes next.
At Grain Valley Publishing, we are building that future—anchored in experience, driven by truth, and powered by the best tools available.
Want to Learn More?
We’re launching workshops and courses soon on AI-assisted storytelling, responsible digital publishing, and using GPTs in creative work. If you're interested, get your name on the waiting list. Contact us today and be part of what’s next.
Contact Grain Valley Publishing
This page was created using a custom GPT—one of the “wells of resources” developed from Grant Overstake’s storytelling frameworks, style guides, and curated materials. It’s the result of a collaborative process that brings together human experience and AI precision to elevate the art of storytelling.