Best Angus Boyd Podcasts (2025)

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Harry Sidebottom on Gladiators, Rome, and Those Who Are About To Die 1:12:26

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13d ago1:12:26

1:12:26

What did it really mean to face death in the Roman arena? 🏛️ In this episode of Rock, Paper, Swords!, hosts Matthew Harffy and Justin Hill talk with historian and bestselling author Dr Harry Sidebottom about his new nonfiction book, Those Who Are About To Die: Gladiators and the Roman Mind. Drawing on archaeology, ancient texts, and years of resear…

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Beth + Boyd Morrison: Medieval Thrills, Templars & The Tales of the Lawless Land | Rock Paper Swords 1:12:16

28d ago1:12:16

1:12:16

What happens when a medieval manuscripts scholar teams up with a bestselling thriller writer? You get The Tales of the Lawless Land — a gripping historical adventure series set in the chaos of the 14th century. In this episode of Rock, Paper, Swords!, hosts Matthew Harffy and Justin Hill sit down with Beth and Boyd Morrison, the brother–sister duo …

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Tacfarinas: African Rebel Against Rome | Dr Joanne Ball on Roman History & Rebellion 1:08:35

1M ago1:08:35

1:08:35

🔥 Meet Tacfarinas — the forgotten African rebel who defied Rome under Emperor Tiberius.⚔️ Archaeologist Dr Joanne Ball reveals how his guerrilla war shook the empire and rivals Arminius and Spartacus.https://linktr.ee/RockPaperSwordsSupport us on Patreon:⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast🍺 Buy us a beer and get a shoutout by heading…

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Evil Dead in Concert at College Street Music Hall 13:24

1M ago13:24

13:24

The ultimate cult horror classic is getting a new spin on 9/23 at College Street! Check out a live orchestra playing along with the original Evil Dead. Jon spoke with John Kinsner, the shows producer, for all the details. Spoiler Alert: There's a costume contest.By 99.1 PLR Audio

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64: East Rock Porchfest 9/13 22:39

2M ago22:39

22:39

They've done it in Black Rock, they've done it in Milford, they've even done it in Wethersfield, but now New Haven is throwing their first ever PorchFest! The organizers of the first ever East Rock PorchFest talk about this completely free festival and the 54 bands that are playing it!By PLR Live + Local

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Simon Tolkien: Spanish Civil War Novels, Rings of Power & J.R.R. Tolkien’s Legacy 1:10:01

2M ago1:10:01

1:10:01

Author Simon Tolkien (grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien) joins the Rock, Paper, Swords! podcast to talk about his powerful historical novels, his research into the Spanish Civil War, and his work with Amazon’s Rings of Power.⁠ https://linktr.ee/RockPaperSwords Support us on Patreon:⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast 🍺 Buy us a beer and get…

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Mike talks with Judas Priest lead singer Rob Halford 12:26

2M ago12:26

12:26

In this episode of Behind the Mike, PLR's Mike Lapitino chats with Judas Priest lead singer Rob Halford. Rob talks about everything from Ozzy to Judas Priest's show with Alice Cooper at Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater on September 23, 2025!By 99.1 PLR Audio

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Angus Donald talks about his novel, Templar Traitor - Mongols, falling off horses, Conan the Barbarian and more! 1:04:51

2M ago1:04:51

1:04:51

Our guest today is Angus Donald, author of the Outlaw Chronicles, about a medieval gangster called Robin Hood, a 17th-century series about an unusual but rather brilliant chap called Holcroft Blood. And writing as Angus Macallan, he has also tried his hand at fantasy with the Gates of Stone. We previously had Angus on the podcast to talk about his …

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J. C. Duncan talks Vikings, Bladesmithing, Publishing and more! 1:12:26

3M ago1:12:26

1:12:26

Today’s guest is author, J.C. Duncan. He is the author of The Last Viking Series of novels about Harald Hardrada and the The Light of the North saga, a historical fantasy series set in a world where the Vikings clash with Christian Crusaders. As well as writing, J.C. Duncan is also a bladesmith and there can’t be much cooler than forging blades! Ju…

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Adam Lofthouse talks all about Ancient Rome 47:18

3M ago47:18

47:18

⁠https://linktr.ee/RockPaperSwords⁠ Support us on Patreon: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast⁠ Buy us a beer and get a shoutout by heading to https://ko-fi.com/rockpaperswords Adam Lofthouse is the author of action-packed historical fiction set in ancient Rome, such as The Path of Nemesis trilogy, and The Enemy of the Empire books. His…

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Three Year Anniversary Episode! 43:51

4M ago43:51

43:51

Rock, Paper, Swords is three years old! In this episode, Matthew and Steven take a look back at some of the highlights of the last three years and then turn to the future with a very big announcement! Don't miss this one! Link Tree:⁠⁠ ⁠https://linktr.ee/RockPaperSwords⁠⁠⁠ Support us on Patreon:⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast⁠⁠⁠ B…

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Donna from North Branford won our Chaz and AJ Art's Television & Appliance Lawncast! 9:54

4M ago9:54

9:54

Congrats to Donna from North Branford! The Chaz and AJ LawnCast will broadcast from Donna’s place in North Branford on Thursday. Donna’s already planning to send out a ton of invites, and figure out who will eat all the food coming in.By 99.1 PLR Audio

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Patricia Bracewell - author of the Emma of Normandy series. 44:07

4M ago44:07

44:07

Patricia Bracewell's website: https://www.patriciabracewell.com/ Link Tree:⁠ ⁠https://linktr.ee/RockPaperSwords⁠⁠ Support us on Patreon:⁠ ⁠https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast⁠⁠ Buy us a beer and get a shoutout by heading to⁠ ⁠https://ko-fi.com/rockpaperswords Patricia Bracewell is the author of the Emma of Normandy trilogy, which started…

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Ale/beer consumption throughout history! Pete Brown tells us some drinking stories! 49:15

5M ago49:15

49:15

Pete Brown's website: https://www.petebrown.net/ Link Tree: ⁠https://linktr.ee/RockPaperSwords⁠ Support us on Patreon: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast⁠ Buy us a beer and get a shoutout by heading to ⁠buymeacoffee.com/rockpaperswords Pete Brown is a British author, journalist, broadcaster and consultant specialising in food and drink…

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MJ Porter - Vikings, Saxons, swearing in historical fiction and much more! 52:07

5M ago52:07

52:07

M.J. Porter is an author of historical fiction and nonfiction. She has written about Anglo-Saxons and Vikings as well as three twentieth-century mysteries and Viking age/dragon themed fantasy. She is a prolific hybrid author, with independently published and traditionally published books. We met up with MJ at the HNS Conference last year for a quic…

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63: Reach NYC At The Webster! 43:03

5M ago43:03

43:03

Reach is coming to CT with Tim Montana Saturday 5/17! Their bassist Tim hates singing, and their singer Rene knows literally everybody.By PLR Live + Local

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RPS NEWS! Plus Dire wolves? We chat about bringing things back from earlier periods in history. What would YOU bring back? 45:07

6M ago45:07

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Link Tree: ⁠https://linktr.ee/RockPaperSwords⁠ Support us on Patreon: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast⁠ Buy us a beer and get a shoutout by heading to ⁠buymeacoffee.com/rockpaperswords Buy UPRISING, this week's sponsor from Paul Bernardi! Buy link for Paul Bernardi's book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0F38L728Z We don’t have a guest …

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62: Drew Angus 49:42

6M ago49:42

49:42

Fresh off an appearance on Chaz and AJ, Drew spoke to Jon about the struggles of managing the modern music industry and all of Jon's failed podcasts. Check him out at the SHU Community Theater this Friday 4/25/25!By PLR Live + Local

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Drew Angus 49:42

6M ago49:42

49:42

Fresh off an appearance on Chaz and AJ, Drew spoke to Jon about the struggles of managing the modern music industry, and all of Jon's failed podcasts. Check him out at the SHU Community Theater this Friday 4/25/25!By 99.1 PLR Audio

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Book cover design! Oliver Bennett from MORE VISUAL joins us to discuss current and future trends and the threat (or otherwise) of AI to creatives. 1:07:44

7M ago1:07:44

1:07:44

Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/RockPaperSwords Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast Buy us a beer and get a shoutout by heading to buymeacoffee.com/rockpaperswords Our guest today has designed countless book covers, including all of Steven’s independently published books! Oliver Bennett is a graphic designer and co-fo…

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61: Pete Francis - Revisited 38:11

7M ago38:11

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My very first guest returns! The conversation is always brilliant with this multi-talented founding member of Dispatch, and this time was no exception. Check out his show at FTC this Saturday!By PLR Live + Local

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Jason Kingsley OBE - Modern History TV & Rebellion - Judge Dredd, 2000AD, Sniper Elite & more! 1:10:46

7M ago1:10:46

1:10:46

Link Tree: ⁠https://linktr.ee/RockPaperSwords⁠ Support us on Patreon: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast⁠ Buy us a beer and get a shoutout by heading to ⁠buymeacoffee.com/rockpaperswords⁠ Our guest today is Jason Kingsley, an incredibly successful businessman and a technologist who is also obsessed with the past. He is CEO of Rebellion…

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Donovan Cook - WODEN'S SPEAR! Vikings, Norse mythology and more... 1:00:07

7M ago1:00:07

1:00:07

Support us on Patreon: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast⁠ You can buy us a beer and get a shoutout too, by heading to ⁠buymeacoffee.com/rockpaperswords Donovan Cook is the author of the Ormstunga Saga series set in the Viking world and inspired by his interest in Norse Mythology. His second series, The Charlemagne's Cross Series, is p…

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60: The Mushroom Cloud 28:09

7M ago28:09

28:09

The new album drops tonight! The MC boys spoke to Jon about the journey of being a band for 10+ years and finally answer the question of what came first. The band or the mushrooms?By PLR Live + Local

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Edoardo Albert - History, archaeology, Warhammer, swords, writing & more! 1:00:44

7M ago1:00:44

1:00:44

Support us on Patreon from as little as £1 per month: https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast Today’s guest is Edoardo Albert. Edoardo is a British writer of Italian and Sri Lankan descent. He writes about Britain in the early medieval period (between the Romans leaving and the Normans arriving), the 40th millennium in the Warhammer universe…

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A Man Dies But Once - Matthew has a new novella OUT NOW! 10:18

8M ago10:18

10:18

Matthew Harffy has a brand new Western novella out NOW, and it's a prequel to his novel DARK FRONTIER. Buy it on Amazon, but first give this episode a listen, it's a good laugh. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Man-Dies-But-Once-Frontier-ebook/dp/B0DYJV6KF1

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59: St. Paddy's Day Celebrations w/ John Torres and Chris Andrews 30:22

8M ago30:22

30:22

Got plans for 3/14/25? Cancel them, Fairfield Ave is starting the party at noon and going all day, featuring the brand new Irish Village. I spoke to John from Park City Music Hall and Chris from Tautog Tavern to learn more.By PLR Live + Local

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Writing for videogames/writing exciting novels - we discuss two great topics today! 1:08:23

8M ago1:08:23

1:08:23

Support us on Patreon from just £1 per month: https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast Today we're going to cover a couple of subjects. One that will be of use to all aspiring writers and anyone who is interested in the mechanics of writing a page-turner. The other will be interesting to anyone who would like to see behind the scenes of the p…

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Long live the King! King of Wessex is out now. 3:55

8M ago3:55

3:55

KING OF WESSEX is out today! You can now buy the whole trilogy in paperback or on Kindle . Steven is really excited to see what people think of the way the story ends ... UK LINK USA LINK

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Elizabeth Fremantle interview - FIREBRAND book/movie & lots more! 1:03:48

8M ago1:03:48

1:03:48

If you enjoy the show please support us on Patreon from as little as £1 per month: https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast ELIZABETH FREMANTLE is an award winning author of historical fiction. Her most recent novel, DISOBEDIENT, about the Italian painter Artemisia Gentileschi, won the HWA Gold Crown 2024. Her first novel, QUEEN'S GAMBIT, abo…

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Giles Kristian - Camelot, Lancelot, Vikings, boy bands and more! 1:13:21

9M ago1:13:21

1:13:21

Please support us on Patreon from as little as £1 per month and get bonus episodes including exclusive updates on the creation of our 2025 Xmas novella: patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast We're republishing this classic episode as we'll be doing a panel with Giles and Patricia Bracewell on February 8th with the HISTORY QUILL CONVENTION. During the …

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What other genres do historical fiction fans enjoy, and why? 1:01:50

9M ago1:01:50

1:01:50

Support us on Patreon from as little as £1 per month for great perks: https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast Today we thought we’d take a look at other literary genres that fans of historical fiction particularly enjoy, and why it might be the case. Now, we haven’t completed a scientific study or even conducted a poll on readers’ habits so …

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The Trojan War with A.D. Rhine! 1:09:30

9M ago1:09:30

1:09:30

Support us on Patreon from as little as £1 per month: https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast A. D. Rhine is the pseudonym of Ashlee Cowles and Danielle Stinson. Ashlee holds graduate degrees in medieval history from the University of St. Andrews and theological studies from Duke University. Danielle holds a master of arts in law and diploma…

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David Gemmell - LEGEND A Patreon Bonus Episode 41:07

10M ago41:07

41:07

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast Happy New Year listeners! Patrons get bonus episodes every month and we thought we’d share one with you so that you can get a taste of what you are missing. We’ve done episodes on all sorts of topics from reviews of movies and TV series, aspects of writing and publishing and, in …

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Christmas 2024 greetings! Here's to 2025! 1:59

10M ago1:59

1:59

Thank you listeners for your support in 2024. We've had an AMAZING year, topped off by our time at the HNS Conference, and it's all thanks to your support. Cheers, and here's to a great 2025 for us all. If you enjoy the show and feel like you could support us for as little as £1 a month, check us out on Patreon and get bonus episodes and other grea…

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2024 Christmas Special - books, movies, music & more! 54:04

10M ago54:04

54:04

Support us on Patreon, where you can even give a loved one a GIFT subscription: https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast Welcome to the RPS Xmas Special 2024! We take a look at some of the best seasonal books like Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol", movies like Lethal Weapon (!), and all the classic music we enjoy at this time of year. Lik…

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Lord of the Rings & lots more with publisher/author Jane Johnson! 1:07:27

11M ago1:07:27

1:07:27

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast Jane Johnson is from Cornwall and has worked in the book industry for 30 years as a bookseller, publisher and writer. For many years she was responsible for publishing the works of JRR Tolkien, and later worked on Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, spending months i…

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Matthew's new book - Shadows of the Slain out Dec 5th! 24:08

11M ago24:08

24:08

Matthew Harffy has a new book out on December 5th called Shadows of the Slain. We chat about it in this episode, and you can buy it at the link below! Buy the book: https://mybook.to/ShadowsOfTheSlain Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast and X https://twitter.com/rock_swords Support us on Patreon: https://www.patre…

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Ian Mortimer - Time Traveller's Guides, oldest pubs in England & tons more! 1:21:53

11M ago1:21:53

1:21:53

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast Dr Ian Mortimer is best known as the Sunday Times-bestselling author of the four Time Traveller's Guides - to Medieval England, Elizabethan England, Restoration Britain and Regency Britain - as well as four critically acclaimed medieval biographies, a prize-winning novel and seve…

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The Heretic of Haltemprice Priory RELEASE DAY! 7:31

11M ago7:31

7:31

https://mybook.to/HereticPriorySteven's new winter novella is out today! Well, it's actually TWO stories in one collection - The Heretic of Haltemprice Priory is the main story, a novella that sees Tuck, Will and Little John joining forces again to investigate some eldritch happenings at a medieval priory just before Xmas. The second tale, The Chri…

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THE THICKET, Metallica & HP Lovecraft - Joe R. Lansdale talks to us today! 57:58

12M ago57:58

57:58

Support us on Patreon: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast⁠ We're thrilled to welcome a true writing legend to the podcast today, and one of my favourite authors! With a career spanning over four decades, Joe R. Lansdale is the award-winning author of more than 50 novels and countless short stories, spanning horror, crime, westerns, and…

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New Xmas song, OUT NOW! "Wassail The Night Away" 1:49

12M ago1:49

1:49

Last year we released a festive rock song called "Christmas is Coming" (you can find the normal version AND an acoustic version on streaming services) and we had so much fun that we decided to do it again this year. "Wassail The Night Away" is our best song yet! We hope you all love it and it helps make Christmas 2024 the best one ever. Find it on …

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HP Lovecraft special! Cthulhu Mythos! 59:58

12M ago59:58

59:58

Today we're discussing the master of cosmic horror himself, HP Lovecraft! Author of stories like The Call of Cthulhu, The Shadow Over Innsmouth, The Thing on the Doorstep, and a ton more. Howard Phillips Lovecraft was born on August 20, 1890 and died March 15, 1937 when he was just 46. He's inspired authors like Stephen King and bands like Metallic…

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Morningside 17:14

1y ago17:14

17:14

A self described "dad band", Morningside has a new single out and an upcoming album! Jon spoke to Bobby, Ian and Matt about their new single and the struggles of balancing band/family life!By 99.1 PLR Audio

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Guy Windsor - The Sword Guy talks to us about historical martial arts 1:11:27

1y ago1:11:27

1:11:27

Support us on Patreon and get bonus episodes every month: https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast Guy Windsor is a swordsmanship practitioner, instructor, researcher, writer, and also an entrepreneur. On his website swordschool.com he states his mission in life is to restore historical martial arts to their rightful place at the heart of our…

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The Vengeance of Merlin - Steven's new book is out on Monday! 21:09

1y ago21:09

21:09

Steven's new novel is out on Monday, 7th October 2024! Book 6 in the Warrior Druid of Britain Chronicles, THE VENGEANCE OF MERLIN is finally here after a 2 year break! We have a quick chat about that book as well as what Matthew is working on right now, and what's to come for us both in the coming months (including an EXCLUSIVE reveal of Steven's n…

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Historic Building Mythbusting - James Wright gets medieval! 1:06:29

1y ago1:06:29

1:06:29

Support us on Patreon: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast⁠ Hailing from Staffordshire, James Wright has been involved with the world of archaeology for over twenty years. Both Archaeologist and conservation stonemason, James combined both disciplines as Archaeological and Historic Buildings Assistant at Nottinghamshire County Council b…

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Diana Gabaldon! Outlander! - HNS 2024 15:27

1y ago15:27

15:27

Historical Novel Society Conference 2024! I don't think Diana Gabaldon needs much of an introduction! We were lucky enough to sit down with her at the conference for an interview. Author of the Outlander novels which have also been made into the HUGELY successful Starz TV show, Diana was funny, friendly, generous with her time, and gave us probably…

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HNS 2024 Roving Interviews 3! 28:44

1y ago28:44

28:44

HNS 2024! The last of our roving interviews, we have three brilliant authors for you here, give the episode a listen and check out their work! Patricia Bracewell Elizabeth R Andersen Jan Foster Join us on Patreon for bonus episodes, and a FREE copy of our book Tips for Writing, Publishing and Marketing Your Novel: How we sold over 750,000 books! ⁠p…

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HNS 2024 roving interviews part 2 11:37

1y ago11:37

11:37

Welcome to the second part of our "roving interviews" series from the Historical Novel Society Conference 2024. In this episode we speak with Michael Jecks, Christopher M. Cevasco, Kelly Urgan, and Victoria Hopkins. Apologies for the audio, we hope you enjoy the interviews! Find out more about our guests at the links below. ⁠MICHAEL JECKS⁠ ⁠CHRISTO…