Lasers Dragons And Keyboards

We're BACK! And we've got Travis W. Inman with us, discussing his newest book, Chrome World.  Travis W. Inman grew up in the ranch country of West Texas and worked as a cowboy for his first 20 years. Travis graduated from seminary in Dallas, Texas, and later served a year in the mission field in Mexico and South America. Upon his return home, he married Sarah, his wife of more than 25 years. They have two children whom they successfully home schooled. Over the years, Travis has applied his skills to a variety of fields, ranging from marketing and real estate to criminal justice and law enforcement. Travis served in the United States Army where he overcame a devastating hip injury and was able to walk again despite the odds. Writing is a life-long passion for Travis. His short stories and poems have been selected for publication in a variety of newspapers and on Internet sites. Travis' writing includes children's literature, action adventure, short stories, one act plays, love stories, westerns, sci-fi, thrillers, and drama. Travis and Sarah Inman currently reside in Northern Virginia. Visit Travis online: https://www.traviswinman.com/ Travis's Amazon page

We're back in the saddle again with award winning author Steve Rzasa! Check out our chat as we discuss the life a librarian, cool cover designs, and working with a collaborator. 

In our "lost episodes" files, we interview UF and Paranormal Romance author, Amy Brock McNew. 

Due to a Midwestern snowstorm, Liberty was unable to join Aaron & Josh in this spectacular interview with sci-fi legend, Nick Cole. A former soldier and actor, Nick shares insights into his writing process, tabletop gaming, indie publishing, and who you should pay attention to in this world where everybody is a guru in the indie-sphere. 

We sat down and discussed Jason Joyner's debut novel, Launch. As well as what led to the creation of the Realm Makers Consortium in 2015, and how great it is to be a part of a writing community that shares bonds in areas of both spiritual and fandom. Be sure to check out the stream on Twitch.tv/LDK_Podcast for great interaction on the chat! Where to Find Jason + other links: Jason Joyner Launch LDK on Twitch LDK on Patreon

We sat down with J.J. Johnson, author of  Iggy & Oz: The Plastic Dinos of Doom this week on LDK! We discussed the challenges of writing for middle grade, giant snot blobs, and insights into marketing from a marketing professional. Oh, and there was laughter. A. Lot. Of. Laughter. (But what else do you expect from us?)  Links: J.J. Johnson Iggy & Oz on Amazon LDK on Twitch.tv LDK on Patreon After Atlantis Gaming on Twitch.tvJosh's book on Amazon Aaron's books on Amazon Liberty's latest book on Amazon

We're excited to be re-launching the podcast! And today, we did a test run of our new recording setup. Be sure to join us on Twitch.tv/LDK_Podcast for future episodes!

We were delighted to have with us NYT bestselling author, Ed Greenwood, on this week's episode of the show! For those not in the know, Mr. Greenwood is the creator of The Forgotten Realms. Note to listeners: we had not only our producer missing, but the guys had to jury-rig a setup to record. Mr. Greenwood joined us over the phone, which was not what we had planned—but we were delighted to have him despite our technical difficulties. (Liberty's hair may or may not be more grey after editing...) Also, for our listeners with sensitive ears, there is some mild swearing in this episode. The guys mostly let Mr. Greenwood talk, and as such, we think this is an episode best listened to rather than trying to sum it up. But we do get a history lesson on publishing and research. My word, do we have it easy nowadays. Everything in a home exists to support bookshelves. ~ Ed Greenwood   Links: Ed Greenwood The Edverse Ed on Twitter

We've got some great insight into intellectual property law with attorney Steve Fairchild. It may sound boring, but as authors, it's important we understand at least a little bit about the law. We start things out with an overview of what's encompassed in intellectual property, and then it really gets fun! In Episode 76: How biology degrees relates to intellectual property How Steve gets his clients Can you use the term "lightsaber™" in your book? Does I.P. law translate to other countries? Finding an I.P. attorney...and do you need one? What's the difference between an I.P. attorney and an agent? When does copyright exist? Do you need to file your copyright with the copyright office? What happens when your work has been pirated? Can I.P. law be funny? How Steven actually informed an episode of Suits--and how they got it wrong! What Steven finds frustrating in fiction about the law Bunny trails! Do I need to copyright my idea formally with the copyright office? Fair use law Steve's advice on courtroom scenes Steve's favorite movies about legal stuff Links: Steven R Fairchild author Steven R Fairchild, attorney Living Ashes Turkish Star Wars Redshirts by John Scalzi Godzilla scene from Austin Powers: Goldmember Erin Brokovich Joy

We sit down with physics teacher by day, thriller author by night, Kayla--K.M.--Dailey this episode. K.M. is the winner of our flash short story contest with Laura VanArendonk Baugh to write a short story featuring Samwise Gamgee (LOTR) and River Song (Doctor Who.) K.M.'s story had us in stitches, and we're sure you'll see why we picked the story as our winner. We talk about our Harry Potter houses, Kayla's inspiration for the short story, Christmas trees out of books, Liberty admits to having lower standards in her reading, the ever-present need for more bookcases, Harry Dresden, the new doctor on Doctor Who and Kayla's and Liberty's concerns about the direction, Doctor Who indoctrination (no pun intended!), Kayla's goal of 100 rejections in 2018 (!!!), Captain America...or Captain Jack Sparrow? Find out more about Kayla on her YouTube channel. Kayla's book recommendations: Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card The Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket The Three Body Problem - Cixin Liu   For a transcript of K.M. Dailey's short story, visit our website at: LasersDragonsAndKeyboards.com

This week we have hopeless romantic, H.L. (Heidi) Burke on the show. She's totally obsessed with dragons, but we know a few people who also are, so we won't hold it against her.   In episode 74: The evolution of a pantser to a plotter Guess which of Heidi's offspring might be a future Bond villain! Lyrics in music? Yes or no? The adventures of being a military wife Why Heidi doesn't think she's a very deep person. Working with an editor when you've been self-published first How Sarah picks her release dates Aaron warns new authors about vanity presses Who is Theodore??   As always, check our website for full show notes! LasersDragonsAndKeyboards.com      

This week we have hopeless romantic, H.L. (Heidi) Burke on the show. She's totally obsessed with dragons, but we know a few people who also are, so we won't hold it against her. In episode 73: We discuss the Eros & Psyche myth again (see Laura VAB's recent episode for more E&P!) as H.L.'s book, Coiled, is based on the myth. Heidi's desire to go "aww" while writing. How we have to release our books to the world and they become a part of the world instead of ours. Myths are out of copyright—we can plagiarize them! Can snakes get sea sick? Star Trek rants! Re-reading on Goodreads Myers Briggs analysis of characters For more notes and links to other shows, please visit LasersDragonsAndKeyboards.com

We have Andrew Winch on this week, who is the executive editor with Splickety Publishing group where he's worked with a whole host of authors including Jerry B. Jenkins, Tosca Lee, and Robert Liparulo. He's a full time physical therapist when he's not running around with Ben Wolf. In this episode: Google is a wonderful thing. ;) Who is Ben Wolflichman? Wrangling flaming pigs Gothic horror / steampunk Weird stuff submitted to Splickety (hint: did you guess frog erotica?) Andrew's love of creepy stuff Don't edit your voice out of your story!!! Is writing flash fiction a perfectionist's game? What 3 tips would Andrew give to improve your writing? Why you should read women's fiction. You have to write a great story. Supporting characters Andrew wants to know more about! For additional show notes, visit LasersDragonsAndKeyboards.com

In this episode, we sit down with E. Stephen Burnett, who, along with Ben Wolf (see episodes 10 & 11), is the co-founder of the forthcoming e-magazine, Lorehaven. Stephen is a former print journalist who now helps run SpeculativeFaith.com and other faith-based websites that focus on fiction--including Lorehaven. He hails from Texas. In this episode: What Lorehaven is--and what it won't be. What is a flash review? Stephen's favorite version of Star Trek. Lorehaven's goal to create book clubs. The broader content goals of Lorehaven. Who should everyone be reading? What is Stephen watching? Wonder Woman? Anime?  Find all our show notes, links to previous episodes, and links to books discussed on our website: LasersDragonsAndKeyboards.com

On this episode, we have Paul Smith, friend of previous guests, CW Briar and Jon Brhel. He's author of Jason and the Draconauts! Paul Smith lives in upstate New York with his wife and two sons, where he works with emotionally disturbed and mentally ill children. He earned a master’s degree in social sciences from Binghamton University in 1999. A lifelong love of science fiction, fantasy, and superhero stories influences Paul’s writing. His most recent work was a popular weekly online series that generated over 20,000 views. Jason and the Draconauts is his first novel.   In Episode 70: The pitfalls of pantsing The guys give Liberty a hard time for ditching her outline Liberty keeps bringing up Scrivener... Bluetooth keyboards! Why reading out loud is an important editing tool. Paul's techniques for battling writer's block and why he hates frustration. Paul's thoughts on conventions and selling books on them. Whether FB ads are worth the paper they're printed on... Including fandom quotes in our books! What do your books teach you in the course of the writing? Get words on paper   Links! Paul D Smith (on Goodreads) Jason and the Draconauts The Council of Ancients Ready Player One (audiobook link) Brandon Sanderson Redshirts by John Scalzi (on audiobook!) Scrivener (again!) The Hobbit The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code Angels & Demons   As always, you can find complete show notes at LasersDragonsAndKeyboards.com.

On this episode, we have Paul Smith, friend of previous guests, CW Briar and Jon Brhel. He's author of Jason and the Draconauts! Paul Smith lives in upstate New York with his wife and two sons, where he works with emotionally disturbed and mentally ill children. He earned a master’s degree in social sciences from Binghamton University in 1999. A lifelong love of science fiction, fantasy, and superhero stories influences Paul’s writing. His most recent work was a popular weekly online series that generated over 20,000 views. Jason and the Draconauts is his first novel. In Episode 69: Writing for your kids Creating dragons! Who's going to argue with a dragon? D&D's influence in Paul's writing How to NOT plagiarise Aaron wants to read a story about Captain America riding a dragon Does the TARDIS have a loading bay? Black Ops Helicopters Sean Connery thoughts on conventions and selling books on them. Whether FB ads are worth the paper they're printed on... Including fandom quotes in our books! What do your books teach you in the course of the writing? Get words on paper   Links! Paul D Smith (on Goodreads) Jason and the Draconauts The Council of Ancients Ready Player One (audiobook link) Brandon Sanderson Redshirts by John Scalzi (on audiobook!) Scrivener (again!) The Hobbit The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code Angels & Demons

This week, we have Kristen Stieffel, author of the debut novel, Alara's Call. Kristen Stieffel is a freelance writer and editor specializing in science fiction and fantasy. She’s the associate editor of Havok, a flash fiction magazine focused on the speculative genres. Kristen provides author mentoring and a full range of editorial services in multiple genres for both the general market and the Christian submarket. Kristen is a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association and Christian Editor Connection and is a Word Weavers International mentor.   In Episode 68: Plotting! Pantsing! Who knows?! Start with the end in mind. He said WHAT?! Writing out of order. How do you K.O. a piece of paper? All hail the wonders of Scrivener! How MCs can change in the course of the book. Hurricane brain Write through the crap! Snacking! Tea! Bollywood! Classical Crossover music Kristen's longest trip for a writer's conference. Why do people complain about book prices? Gotta have the big parts in your novel first. Kristen's Facebook Party (9/21/2017) You can find all our episodes & show notes at LasersDragonsAndKeyboards.com.

This week, we have Kristen Stieffel, author of the debut novel, Alara's Call. Kristen Stieffel is a freelance writer and editor specializing in science fiction and fantasy. She’s the associate editor of Havok, a flash fiction magazine focused on the speculative genres. Kristen provides author mentoring and a full range of editorial services in multiple genres for both the general market and the Christian submarket. Kristen is a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association and Christian Editor Connection and is a Word Weavers International mentor. In Episode 67: Kristen's impetus for writing Alara's Call. How President Dwight Eisenhower factors in to Kristen's book. Kristen admits how long it took to write the book. How her setting was designed to fit the story. Mentor characters yelling at the main character's father! How long does it take to cremate a horse? (Aaron isn't telling PETA.) We get into an argument about Kristen's favorite spec fic quote. Aaron refrains from going full über-nerd! (We're all grateful.) Kristen's Facebook Party (9/21/2017) You can find all our show notes at LasersDragonsAndKeyboards.com.

We sat down with the delightful Sarah White, author of Halayda, but Josh couldn't join us. So it was up to Liberty to rein in Aaron! Or does he have to rein her in? Hmmm... Sarah Delena White writes epic fantasy, steampunk, and reworkings of mythology with complex characters, rich world-building, and a fine balance of poetry and snark. When she’s not writing or editing, she can be found making jewelry, singing Irish ballads, drinking tea, and working a variety of odd jobs. She occasionally remembers to eat and sleep, because those things are apparently important. She can be bribed with dark chocolate. Halayda is her debut novel. In Episode 66: Normally, we have rabbit trails. But this week, we have rabbit AND chicken trails! (That sounds worse than it is...) Plotting v pantsing ... and having a point she's working toward Deleted/bonus scenes! Sarah's use of a certain social media platform in her research The necessity of the right brand of Earl Grey tea. Twitter Hashtag Games! Irish folklore & ARROW  For links to discussed topics, please be sure to visit our website: LasersDragonsAndKeyboards.com  

We sat down with the delightful Sarah White, author of Halayda, but Josh couldn't join us. So it was up to Liberty to rein in Aaron! Or does he have to rein her in? Hmmm... Sarah Delena White writes epic fantasy, steampunk, and reworkings of mythology with complex characters, rich world-building, and a fine balance of poetry and snark. When she’s not writing or editing, she can be found making jewelry, singing Irish ballads, drinking tea, and working a variety of odd jobs. She occasionally remembers to eat and sleep, because those things are apparently important. She can be bribed with dark chocolate. Halayda is her debut novel. In Episode 65: Sarah keeps very busy! Halayda's unique blend of subgenres and unique beginnings Yes, this is a kissing book! Sarah's research into Scottish & Irish faeries More questionable search histories! Aaron's rabbit trail about the difference between the Russian space program and NASA Liberty's rabbit trail about Apollo 13 Short word counts vs. long word counts!  For additional links and notes, be sure to visit: LasersDragonsAndKeyboards.com

This week, we talk with Deanna Fugett (not to be confused with Deanna Troi). We get right into it with a discussion about oddly named characters, and where some of these names come from (don't ask...) Next, because this is a speculative fiction show, we talk at length about Little House on the Prairie (Of course...) Liberty wasn't around this week to steer us back on track... (because she spontaneously combusted... well, that's our story, anyway...) We eventually got back on track (kind of...), and learned that Josh loves depressing endings (Aaron can't stand them...) Who's Deanna's favorite super hero? Is it Green Arrow? Super Grover? You'll have to listen to find out. Does Deanna prefer Scrivener? Word? Pen? Crayon? We also take a quick break to provide a public service announcement of things computers don't like (such as hammers and crumbs...) Lingo 101... We're thinking of making this a regular feature... And last, but not least, being eaten alive (metaphorically...) Some of Deanna's favorite authors: - Liberty - Aaron - Josh (he's almost done...) - Lynn Austin, who writes historical fiction/romance. She has a really good series set in the Civil War (U.S. History, not Marvel, sadly) that does a good job of showing the conflict and motivation from both sides. (Also, if you like history, check out "Across Five Aprils") Deanna thinks critique groups are pretty darn important. We think so too! Extrovert shadowing! As always, get full show notes at LasersDragonsAndKeyboards.com.

After a way-too-long hiatus from publishing, we're finally getting back into the swing of things! On this episode of the show, recorded WAAAAAY back in the spring (we won't bring up Liberty's scheduling/production issues), we have with us the one and only Avily Jerome. We know Avily from the Realm Maker's conference, where she sometimes body-doubles President Donald Trump. But she's also an amazingly talented author who wrote The Heir. As you'll find out, Avily likes to laugh as much as we do, and her snarky brand of humor was a great fit with your hosts' funny bones. In Episode 64: Plotting or pantsing...and how her research affects this. Steve Irwin...Mermaid Hunter... Crazy NaNo+ word counts Avily and her organizational methods My Evil Mermaid How Avily deals with writer's block Dealing with people who don't like what you write. Develop a thick skin. Darkside Cookies As always, visit LasersDragonsAndKeyboards.com for our full show notes and access to our back episodes!

After a way-too-long hiatus from publishing, we're finally getting back into the swing of things! On this episode of the show, recorded WAAAAAY back in the spring (we won't bring up Liberty's scheduling/production issues), we have with us the one and only Avily Jerome. We know Avily from the Realm Maker's conference, where she sometimes body-doubles President Donald Trump. But she's also an amazingly talented author who wrote The Heir. As you'll find out, Avily likes to laugh as much as we do, and her snarky brand of humor was a great fit with your hosts' funny bones. In Episode 63: Avily's book, The Heir, and her serial The Amulet Saga. Avily's favorite character, and that character's role. Josh's TBR list grows to over 2,000. How people in Avily's life have responded to her art. Christians don't have to write strictly Christian characters. Changing settings and how they change the story. Avily's favorite scenes in books. As always, find more detailed show notes as well as links to things discussed at LasersDragonsAndKeyboards.com . 

This week, we hang out with second-time guest, Laura VanArendonk Baugh (try saying that one three times fast!) We last visited with Laura in episodes 39 & 40 (which you can find here). Last time we spoke, we discussed her Japanese culture books. But this time, she takes us to a different culture altogether with The Songweaver's Vow, which is a retelling of Ares and Psyche, but in the Norwegian culture rather than Greek. In this episode: Laura's unique view on fiction Laura's upcoming trilogy...that she may or may not be working on...an epic fantasy. (Angst porn!) Laura's research in Denmark. Nine months of winter and mead! Laura's take on Greek and Norse mythology. Having a reader warning on her books. On writing Loki. Who would Laura go on a quest with? Greek mythology is all about people having sex. Norse mythology is all about people on LSD. ~ Laura VAB Links Laura VanArendonk Baugh The Songweaver's Vow Details on our contest! Our first ever contest! Write a 1,000 or less fan fiction featuring Samwise Gamgee (Lord of the Rings fame) and River Song (Doctor Who with David Tennant, Matt Smith, and Peter Capaldi). PG-13 rating max. You can put them in whatever scenario or world you want and whatever other characters you want as long as you feature them. Prizes: E-book of The Songweaver's Vow. E-book or Audible of Liberty Speidel's Omission. E-book of Aaron DeMott's A New Threat. An opportunity to come on the show and talk about whatever you want to talk about, plus read your winning short story. Deadlines and contact: E-mail your polished story in standard manuscript format (12-point Times New Roman, 1 inch margins, double-spaced) to LasersDragonsKeyboards@gmail.com no later than August 1, 2017. Winner will be announced on an upcoming episode of the show and selected by the hosts and Laura VanArendonk Baugh. Timeframe on when winner will be selected depends on number of entries. We will e-mail you back to confirm receipt of your story. Please put "Sam & River" in the subject line.    

Author Amy Brock McNew Our guest tonight is Amy Brock McNew, who apparently can't stay away. Our hosts, though, I'm not sure about. We apparently have two Liberties, and one Josh... I think... Tonight's topic... Venison, and how delicious it is! ...uh, I mean, we're talking about Amy's second book, Reconciliation. *** SPOILER WARNING*** You might not want to listen to this podcast (Episodes 22 & 23) if you haven't read the first book in the series. Go read, then come back and listen to this episode. Go on... we'll wait... Wow, it's a little mushy in here as we talk about putting yourself back in old situations, re-living old hurts and fears as we put our characters in similar situations... and the healing that can come with dealing with those emotions. Enough of that, let's go hunt moose and squirrel! In this episode: Differences in writing Rebirth versus Reconciliation The catharsis of writing Prayer & forgiveness Russian Ninja Barbie! Amy's passion for helping women get out of human trafficking. Fighting with your husband (as story research) Casting the Reluctant Warriors We are Groot! Reading our own books for pleasure Rebirth NOT on sale now Amy's combat demo videos! For more links to books and organizations discussed, visit our website: https://www.lasersdragonsandkeyboards.com/2017/05/23/amy-mcnew-take-two/  

We were delighted to have on the show with us horror authors Janeen Ippolito and Julia Busko this week, authors of Blood Mercy. In this episode... Characters and their quirks and how they may or may not resemble actual people. Favorite vampires! Being horror junkies Favorite scenes Dream actor casting! Questing! Doctor Who and our favorite doctors Gaming! Upcoming release (October 2017) Blood Mercy: The Darkest Stain   Links! Janeen Ippolito Julia Busko Blood Mercy The Dresden Files Mike Duran Christian Horror Uncommon Universes Press

We have a special mother-daughter show for you this week! Our guests are Donita K. Paul and her daughter, Evangeline Denmark. In this week's episode... Donita learns something new about her daughter right off the bat. We talk WIPs that sound really cool. Growing up with an author for a mom. Minigames! How Donita raised Evangeline with a love for words. Donita & Evangeline's collaborations, including their children's books. Living up to your mom's standards. Legacies. Catching Didactics. Other creative endeavors Favorite parts of the creative process. (We have some technical difficulties with Donita's feed--we apologize!) How to balance family & writing Having gifts you need to use as a wife and mother. How you need other writers to give you feedback. And, we explore some fun new questions! Links Donita K. Paul Donita's Facebook Evangeline Denmark Evangeline on Facebook The Dragon and the Turtle The Dragon and the Turtle go on Safari

This week we have with us Lauren Brandenburg, author of Orlo the Created! This sounds like an awesome middle grade steampunk book series, and we can't wait to get it to share with our kids...yeah, that's the reason. ;)   Episode 58 (Be Excited!): Plotting/pantsing Scrivener! Some of the cool features of Scrivener! Maps! Liberty continues having technical issues... Lauren's self-editing process & her editor -- and incorporating her editing into her homeschooling. Writer's block and a funny story How writing "Orlo" changed Lauren Lauren's unique approach to marketing (which probably not for everyone because of her market) Lauren's love of Harry Potter, and her recommendations for how a kid should read the books. Awesome rabbit trails! Links! Lauren Brandenburg Orlo the Created https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/antsylabs/fidget-cube-a-vinyl-desk-toy Nadine Brandes Rachelle Dekker Suzanne Collins (Overlander) Tarzan of the Apes (Edgar Rice Burroughs) Wicked Bible

This week we have with us Lauren Brandenburg, author of Orlo the Created! This sounds like an awesome middle grade steampunk book series, and we can't wait to get it to share with our kids...yeah, that's the reason. ;) In Episode 57: Orlo! We talk about the earlier books in the series, focusing on Boone. How much does Lauren love world-building? CS Lewis quotes! Having favorite characters. Lauren, Aaron, and Josh's aversion to coffee Lauren's mad ninja skills What Lauren avoided talking about in Orlo. Aaron's obsession with finding a Doctor Strange figurine. What Muppet is most like Lauren? And her main character? What's up for Lauren next? Liberty's got some technical issues (what else is new?)   Be sure to check out our website for additional shows and more extensive show notes! www.LasersDragonsAndKeyboards.com 

We finally sat down to do our anniversary episode, and since we hadn't chatted lately, added in short discussions of the two best movies of 2016: Doctor Strange and Rogue One. It didn't take long for hilarity to ensue (really, so you expect any different from us?) as we had some frank discussion over the movies and our desire to see both again (pre-order anyone?) 18 stars for Doctor Strange from the three of us and 8.5 - 9 stars for Rogue One (since Aaron hadn't seen it yet!) After talking movies & books, we get into a recap of the last year and hint at what's coming up in 2017. Aaron hits his sugar high for the day, and turns into the LDK version of Twitchy from Hoodwinked. Liberty tries to be serious, but this is LDK. It doesn't last long! We have to be serious for a moment and thank our listeners for tuning in, and our guests for being willing guinea pigs, err, victims, err, to come on the show and hang out. We love doing the show and love sharing a bit of ourselves with you. We can't wait to see what 2017 has in store!

This week, we talk with Deanna Fugett (not to be confused with Deanna Troi). We get right into it with a discussion about oddly named characters, and where some of these names come from (don't ask...) Next, because this is a speculative fiction show, we talk at length about Little House on the Prairie (Of course...) Liberty wasn't around this week to steer us back on track... (because she spontaneously combusted... well, that's our story, anyway...) We eventually got back on track (kind of...), and learned that Josh loves depressing endings (Aaron can't stand them...) Who's Deanna's favorite super hero? Is it Green Arrow? Super Grover? You'll have to listen to find out.   As always, check out LasersDragonsAndKeyboards.com for full show notes and links to things we discussed! 

Our guest this week was the Most Interesting Accountant in the World! He also goes by Chris Morris. Chris is a CPA who caters to artists and authors, using easy to understand terms. In Episode 53: Chris Morris, CPA Laughter immediately ensues when we get into a discussion about colors. Authors and other artists all need help with accounting and tax services. Chris' goal is to build his business to serve the author-entrepreneur community. Discussion on the special challenges that authors face. Rabbit trails on the most expensive pens! How to determine if expenses are business-related. How to treat your writing like a business. ID 10T errors Deductions that people miss Crazy things people have asked if they can deduct. Ben Wolf's marketing practices (Ep. 10 & Ep. 11) We get into a lot of the nitty-gritty of setting up businesses and funding your business when you're not making money yet. Should you hire a bookkeeper? Google & Taxes are not a good combination. ;) Oh $@!*# I'm Making Money, Now What?   Links: Chris Morris Chris's book (as above)Cam Scanner app Lindsay Franklin & Wombatman Failbook

This week we have with us CW Briar, author of Wrath & Ruin, an anthology filled with spec fic ranging from horror to humorous sci-fi. We discuss gnomes--eep!   In Episode 52: CW & Liberty agree it's very difficult to write a mystery without an outline. How CW works around his career and his kids and using his commute to maximize his time. CW's preference for Word over Scrivener, and how he organizes it. How CW's job as an engineer informs his writing and outlining process. Stealing from your beta readers. Canadian mining practices in the 19th Century Cthulu! Learn to Love Editing Links! CW Briar Wrath and Ruin Brandon Sanderson Algernon Blackwood Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterston The Road by Cormac McCarthy Dragon Speaks! Epic Music from YouTube   As always, check out our show notes on LasersDragonsAndKeyboards.com

This week we have with us CW Briar, author of Wrath & Ruin, an anthology filled with spec fic ranging from horror to humorous sci-fi. We discuss gnomes--eep! In Episode 51: Why he wrote an anthology rather than starting with a full-length novel. Accomplishments and interesting experiences as a first-time author. CW's favorite characters from the anthology. How CW's desires for a certain effect shaped some of his stories. Interesting juxtapositions of CW's research. CW can't pick one captain. :) We get off on a bit of Doctor Who riff. How writing Wrath & Ruin has changed CW. As always, see complete show notes at LasersDragonsandKeyboards.com

This episode brought us the joy of interviewing co-host and producer Liberty in regards to her latest book, Omission (Now available in e-format!) In Episode 49: We discuss who makes the better Liberty. Liberty tells us what it's like to be a series writer. We get to hear who'd make the best cast for a TV version of the Darby Shaw Chronicles In Episode 50: We hear what the perfect music for writing mysteries is. Gluten-free snacks are discussed. We get profound as Liberty tells us how writing has changed her! Be sure to check out our site, LasersDragonsAndKeyboards.com, for more detailed show notes and links!   Liberty Speidel Omission (Book #4 of the Darby Shaw Chronicles)

This episode brought us the joy of interviewing co-host and producer Liberty in regards to her latest book, Omission (Now available in e-format!) In Episode 49: We discuss who makes the better Liberty. Liberty tells us what it's like to be a series writer. We get to hear who'd make the best cast for a TV version of the Darby Shaw Chronicles In Episode 50: We hear what the perfect music for writing mysteries is. Gluten-free snacks are discussed. We get profound as Liberty tells us how writing has changed her! Be sure to check out our site, LasersDragonsAndKeyboards.com, for more detailed show notes and links!   Liberty Speidel Omission (Book #4 of the Darby Shaw Chronicles)

This week, we have Keven Newsome again to talk writing! Plotting/pantsing theory. Keven's modified Snowflake method (shoutout to Randy Ingermanson). Writing and editing tips in Scrivener from Keven & Liberty. How Keven uses One Note to track his notes and research. Keven's editing process and tips. Joss Whedon advice on writer's block. Keven's Musicality in his writing. Marketing tips that DON'T work. Writing a series. Liberty has to roll solo when Aaron's router drops out. We talk classic Doctor Who, which is always a fun topic. Links: Keven Newsome The Winter Series P.A. Baines - Alpha Redemption Robin McKinley - Hero and the Crown The 5 Stage plot (from Keven's blog) One Note Keven's Epic Radio on Spotify Doctor Who   Be sure to check out website: www.LasersDragonsAndKeyboards.com for more detailed show notes!

This week on this (late) show, we have with us Keven Newsome! Keven is a pastor, and the author of the Winter Series. In today's episode, Liberty gets her geek card revoked by Keven as we discuss the Chronicles of Narnia. We have a lively discussion in general--as per usual--without Josh.  Be sure to check our show notes at LasersDragonsAndKeyboards.wordpress.com for more detail on the show, as well as links to things we discuss! *** Also, apologies for some poor audio quality in parts of the show. We think we know why the glitches happened and are working to rectify it. ***

We were totally delighted to hang out with one of the forefathers of the awesome Realm Makers conference in these episodes, Kerry Nietz! Kerry, as he says, is a refugee from software engineering, and is the author of Amish Vampires in Space (as seen on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon!) In Episode 46: How Kerry structures his writing time so he can end his session in the middle of a scene. Oh, Scrivner, do we love thee? Let us count the ways... Kerry's really good first drafts, and how he handles editing. Developing a thick skin! (Metaphorically...) Developing habits to overcome writer's block (literally...) Mayans, mythology, and vampire gods - Oh My! Never stop writing-never surrender! The differences in traditional publishing versus self-publishing, at least from Kerry's perspective. Too lazy to type out the links while you're listening? We've got you covered! (If they don't work, it's Liberty's fault....) Kerry Nietz Frayed Amish Vampires in Space Mike Duran Tosca Lee Nadine Brandes (editing services) Jeff Gerke (editing services) Ray Bradbury (Hey, he won a Pulitzer! But not for what you'd think...) Edgar Rice Burroughs Michael Crighton

We were totally delighted to hang out with one of the forefathers of the awesome Realm Makers conference in these episodes, Kerry Nietz! Kerry, as he says, is a refugee from software engineering, and is the author of Amish Vampires in Space (as seen on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon!)   In Episode 45: Revisiting story worlds by writing Frayed. Threadbare, the main character, and why Kerry loves him. Throwing characters curve balls (No, not literally...) Liberty's cold leads to a misinterpretation of one of our questions, and an interesting answer. Research into boxing! Kerry's favorite superhero and the version he prefers! Usually, one's superhero and one's Captain have similar traits... Mr. Nietz is an exception... Too lazy to type out the links while you're listening? We've got you covered! (If they don't work, it's Liberty's fault....) Kerry Nietz Frayed Amish Vampires in Space Mike Duran Tosca Lee Nadine Brandes (editing services) Jeff Gerke (editing services) Ray Bradbury (Hey, he won a Pulitzer! But not for what you'd think...) Edgar Rice Burroughs Michael Crighton Find LDK online!

We had John Brhel on with us in these episodes. He was a bit of an unknown to us, but we had a lot of fun hanging out with him and talking about Marvelry's Curiosity Shop. He's part of a writing duo with Joseph Sullivan and they tend to write horror. Marvelry's Curiosity Shop definitely has a horror vibe to it even though it's more paranormal fantasy, but also a lot of human interest. Not getting boxed in by outlines. Working with a co-writer. Knocking out drafts in a day or two. Writing with infants (and how that affects writing software choice!) On the fly research. Real-time editing with a co-writer. Various techniques to overcome writer's block Liberty learns that there's such a thing as video game soundtracks! How John's day job influences his marketing, and some of his tips and tricks to market his books. Things you shouldn't be doing as authors when you're marketing. Links: John Brhel John on Twitter John & Joe's Website (Cemetery Gates Media) Marvelry's Curiosity Shop At the Cemetery Gates Stephen King's Needful Things Are You Afraid of the Dark? (Nickelodeon Show) M.R. James (Early 20th century ghost stories) King Solomon's Mine (H. Rider Haggard) League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Christopher Walken's reading of "The Raven" Edgar Allen Poe Stephen King John Steinbeck Fyodor Dostoyevsky Brandon Sanderson LasersDragonsAndKeyboards.Wordpress.com

We had John Brhel on with us in these episodes. He was a bit of an unknown to us, but we had a lot of fun hanging out with him and talking about Marvelry's Curiosity Shop. He's part of a writing duo with Joseph Sullivan and they tend to write horror. Marvelry's Curiosity Shop definitely has a horror vibe to it even though it's more paranormal fantasy, but also a lot of human interest. Episode 43: The influences that helped create Doctor Marvelry and Marvelry's Curiosity Shop. Some of the history that helps color the stories. Fun things John and Joe had to research! Does Indiana Jones qualify as a superhero? Read free books by the dead guys, but buy indie author's books! Liberty somehow makes a connection between one of John's upcoming books and the Village People (listen to see if you can follow her logic!) Links: John Brhel John on Twitter John & Joe's Website (Cemetery Gates Media) Marvelry's Curiosity Shop At the Cemetery Gates Stephen King's Needful Things Are You Afraid of the Dark? (Nickelodeon Show) M.R. James (Early 20th century ghost stories) King Solomon's Mine (H. Rider Haggard) League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Christopher Walken's reading of "The Raven" Edgar Allen Poe Stephen King John Steinbeck Fyodor Dostoyevsky Brandon Sanderson

This week on the show, we have Celesta Thiessen, the author of the Super Seven series. She hails from Manitoba (I think she's our first Canadian author!), and had a lot to share about her series and writing.   In Episode 42: Celesta's pantsing process. (We all agree it's brave!) Aaron is amazed at the earliness at which Celesta writes. And Aaron also is really quick on puns and quips in this episode! We talk strange place names where we all live. Celesta's unusual research methods. Self-editing and Celesta's lengthy process (which includes her husband!) We get into a bit of a Mac vs. PC debate. Celesta's long term goals! Links! Celesta Thiessen The Super Seven Salt Eden (Celeste's new book for adults!) The Physics of Superheroes Kathy Tyers Kerry NietzA Star Curiously Singing

This week on the show, we have Celesta Thiessen, the author of the Super Seven series. She hails from Manitoba (I think she's our first Canadian author!), and had a lot to share about her series and writing. In Episode 41: Celesta's favorite parts of writing the series. An impromptu author reading of her favorite scene from Two of a Kind! The science behind her superhero powers in her books. Celesta's favorite superhero...and how he figures into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We spend some time analyzing the movie. Many bunny trails on the parts of the hosts...   Links! Celesta Thiessen The Super Seven Salt Eden (Celeste's new book for adults!) The Physics of Superheroes Kathy Tyers Kerry Nietz  

This week on LDK, we have a wonderful time talking with Laura VanArendonk Baugh (try saying that three times fast!) We managed to get a few details about ancient Japanese culture, of which, Laura seems to be a near-expert on. In Episode 40 We nearly kill Aaron with Laura's response to plotting  problems. Laura definitely had us in stitches with this one. We talk Scrivener, which we're delighted to find she makes use of it, though not 100% of the time. Laura's winning editing process. Laura's reasons for eating chocolate! Training your subconscious. The non-coffee-drinking writers! Crazy research--and how it's paid off in Laura's life! (And don't Google search the one thing she mentions!) Some of Laura's marketing techniques (hint: a lot of it has to do with personality!) Links! Laura VanArendonk Baugh Buy her books! Dave Duncan (The Gilded Chain) Susan Spann (Shenobi Mysteries)

This week on LDK, we have a wonderful time talking with Laura VanArendonk Baugh (try saying that three times fast!) We managed to get a few details about ancient Japanese culture, of which, Laura seems to be a near-expert on. In Episode 39 Kitsune is a fox spirit, hence the foxes on the covers of her books. The folklore roots within her books, including some loose relation to Pokemon. Laura thinks our favorite character question is a mean question to ask! Kitsune-Tsuki was written in one sitting (!!!). Laura defines our superhero question in an interesting way. We introduce a new question! Aaron gives his opinion on what the best of the Star Trek movies is. (May or may not be what you expect!) Links! Laura VanArendonk Baugh Buy her books! Dave Duncan (The Gilded Chain) Susan Spann (Shenobi Mysteries)

We had the pleasure of sitting down with Jill Williamson, Nadine Brandes, Lauren Brandenburg, and Katie Grace to discuss writing from a young author point of view.  You'll notice that we have fewer laugh tracks because we all had our microphones muted! Also, we had 7 people on a chat, so some of us had some technical issues. :( Sorry about that!) Some of the topics we discussed were: Challenges that young writers face, from their own perspective. Challenges for mentors to young writers. Who mentors the mentors? Creative people versus non-creative people. Making time for writing and editing. Different writing software--and tools and apps! Character arcs of favorite superheroes. There is no such thing as good writing, only good rewriting. -- Robert Graves Books you have to read (besides our own): The Lunar Chronicles

This week on the show, we have Randy Streu, who is the producer of Beyond the Rim, a sci-fi and horror audio drama/podcast. In Episode 36 Randy discusses how he got into radio drama, with its roots coming from college. We discuss PEG...and how she ties to one of our hosts. Why writing for radio is good for lazy writers! Social commentary in writing. The gruesome research for Shoo, Fly, the first production for Beyond the Rim. Aaron & Randy Streu Listen to Episode 1 of Beyond the Rim Here! In Episode 37 Too lazy to plot. Music selections for the horror writer. Ommwriter. Writing flash fiction. Staying fully immersed and how it can be difficult. How to adapt a story for audio. Randy's unique way of dealing with writer's block. "Books I Didn't Write." The differences and similarities between marketing an audio drama versus a book. The problems of not being able to pick a favorite movie (or book). Write it anyway, even if you think no one wants to hear what you have to say.   Links! Randy Streu A Flame in the Dark Productions The Tick (TV show) Master & Commander (books  by Patrick O'Brian & movie) J-Pod (Douglass Coupland) Ted Dekker Frank Peretti Stephen Lawhead The Audio Drama Podcast Microserfs by Douglas Coupland Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman The Sherlock Holmes Mysteries (with John Gielgud) The Thing on the Fourble Board - Episode from "Quiet, Please!"  The Death Robbery (with Boris Karloff) - Episode from "Lights Out" The Peoria Plague We're Alive by Kc Wayland Campfire Radio Theater Tales from the Museum ( DarkerProjects.com )

This week on the show, we have Randy Streu, who is the producer of Beyond the Rim, a sci-fi and horror audio drama/podcast. In Episode 36 Randy discusses how he got into radio drama, with its roots coming from college. We discuss PEG...and how she ties to one of our hosts. Why writing for radio is good for lazy writers! Social commentary in writing. The gruesome research for Shoo, Fly, the first production for Beyond the Rim. Aaron & Randy Streu Listen to Episode 1 of Beyond the Rim Here!   Links! Randy Streu A Flame in the Dark Productions The Tick (TV show) Master & Commander (books  by Patrick O'Brian & movie) J-Pod (Douglass Coupland) Ted Dekker Frank Peretti Stephen Lawhead

In this week's (bonus!) episode of the show, Josh and Liberty pick Aaron's brain on what happened in Philadelphia at Realm Makers 2016. For anyone who hasn't been, the camaraderie is amazing, and you immediately feel like you've found your tribe. This year, Aaron got to hear sessions from Thomas Locke, Tosca Lee, and Kathy Tyers, among others. Aaron shares some of his notes from Tosca's sessions on characterization (these are really good!) Josh and Liberty wished we were in this session alongside him! We decide that for 2017, we need a cloning machine. There's too many sessions that we want to go to! (But we're pretty sure that's part of the plan since the founders do sell recordings!) Creativity is one of the rarest gifts. We have our creativity to honor God with, and that's who we are, no matter what our day job is. Love it and know you're meant to do that. -- Tom Black Realm Makers 2017 is at the Atlantis Casino & Resort in Reno, NV July 27 - 29. You need to be there! Registration opens in the spring (usually in late March or April 1.)