UpperPen Podcast

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The story begins...again. This podcast is focused on interviewing authors, narrators, and other creators in the book world. I love literature in all its forms and want to share that joy with you!

Dakota VanLinden


    • Jan 10, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 41m AVG DURATION
    • 47 EPISODES


    Search for episodes from UpperPen Podcast with a specific topic:

    Latest episodes from UpperPen Podcast

    Chris Tucci narrator of Children of the Cold Moon

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2025 36:28


    Chris Tucci is an actor and narrator who performed Children of the Cold Moon by The Longwinded One (whom I've previously spoken with). This is one of my favorite LitRPGs of 2024!

    Constance Fay author of The Uncharted Hearts trilogy

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2024 41:53


    Constance Fay is the author of Calamity, Fiasco, and coming March 11th Chaos. These are science fiction/romance. I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy of Chaos! I received an ARC from Netgalley and it was super fun! Don't forget to pick up copies of all The Uncharted Hearts books!

    The Longwinded One author of Children of the Cold Moon

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2024 69:30


    The Longwinded one sat down and chatted with me about his first ever novel: Children of the Cold Moon, book 1 of The Four Treasures Saga. You might know his voice from his podcast, The Longwinded One (https://longwinded.one/category/litrpg-gamelit/). He even has an interview with Max Heiliger of the CritRPG Podcast and myself. You can find that interview below. Let me know what you liked about the interview in the comments! https://longwinded.one/episode-242-interview-with-max-and-dakota/

    Analeigh Sbrana author of Lore of the Wilds

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2024 48:13


    Lore of the Wilds is a wonderful entry into romantasy! Book two: Lore of the Tides is out July 8, 2025. I am very excited about this sequel! A library with a deadly enchantment. A Fae lord who wants in. A human woman willing to risk it all for a taste of power. In a land ruled by ruthless Fae, twenty-one-year-old Lore Alemeyu's village is trapped in a forested prison. Lore knows that any escape attempt is futile—her scars are a testament to her past failures. But when her village is threatened, Lore makes a desperate deal with a Fae lord. She will leave her home to catalog/organize an enchanted library that hasn't been touched in a thousand years. No Fae may enter the library, but there is a chance a human might be able to breach the cursed doors. She convinces him that she will risk her life for wealth, but really she's after the one thing the Fae covet above all: magic of her own. As Lore navigates the hostile world outside, she's forced to rely on two Fae males to survive. Two very different, very dangerous, very attractive Fae males. When undeniable chemistry ignites, she's not just in danger of losing her life, but her heart to the very creatures she can never trust.

    Amiee Gibbs author of The Carnivale of Curiosities

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2024 37:14


    Amiee Gibbs talks about her novel The Carnivale of Curiosities, victorian inspiration, and language, and we try to skirt around some fantastic twisty turns (aka spoilers!). I think we stayed well enough away, but let me know what you think! Get The Carnivale of Curiosities at your local bookstore or online!

    Travis Baldree 2 author of Bookshops and Bonedust

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2024 33:57


    You know Travis Baldree. If you don't, you've likely heard of Legends and Lattes by now at least. Bookshops and Bonedust is the prequel to L&L. Travis is a very interesting dude who does it all. I loved this fun book, check it out and let me know what you think of it.

    Ember Holt author of Brutal Rival (Warning: Spicy Book Talk)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2024 46:32


    I warn you now that there is a bit of spicy language at the beginning. Ember Holt writes spicy novels such as Brutal Rival and The Chimera Bounty! Check her out at emberholtwrites.com

    Michael Mammay author of Generation Ship

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2024 41:50


    Michael Mammay is the author of Generation Ship and Planetside. I am so excited to get into Planetside now that I've read Generation Ship.

    Scott Sigler author of The Crypt

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2024 48:56


    Scott is not only a fantastic writer, he also has a fantastic online presence! Check him out at https://scottsigler.com.

    Thea Guazon author of The Hurricane Wars

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2024 32:22


    Thea Guazon is a fantastic writer and extremely interesting. I loved hearing about her connection to history in the Philippines and how that history impacted her book. If you haven't seen it already there is a beautiful special edition put out by Waterstones in the UK. I've ordered my copy.

    Jeffery Angles translator of Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2024 53:38


    I saw this book and knew I needed to talk to Jeff. This is the first English translation of the Godzilla novels by Shigeru Kayama. I loved this book and need you to also love it, or at least like it. Mostly because I hella want a Mothra translation from Jeff.

    Stephanie Burgis author of Claws and Contrivences

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2024 42:04


    Stephanie is one of my favorite indie authors. Her books have compelling characters, fun stories, and weird quirks! I love them. Good Neighbors is a great place to start, but so is Scales and Sensibility. I am part of her Patreon and its wonderful getting stories early and hearing what she is reading! https://patreon.com/stephanieburgis

    KB Wagers author of The Ghosts of Trappists

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2024 54:40


    KB Wagers has three books in the NeoG series: A Pale Light in the Black, Hold Fast Through the Fire, and The Ghosts of Trappist. They also have a wonderful series the Iridian War which begins with Behind the Throne! You can find their books online or through your local book store!

    Mary Roach author of Fuzz

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2023 43:51


    Roach is my favorite non-fiction author because she makes topics I have no experience in accessible, entertaining, and engaging. Fuzz is no different. Roach talked about getting started on the book and why understanding the interactions between animals and humans is so important.

    Ness Brown author of The Scourge Between Stars

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2023 27:58


    Man, Tor Nightfire is putting out some hits. Ness Brown's The Scourge Between Stars is a short romp through the horror of being in space. Brown is an astrophysicist in training and the realism that comes from their work and education comes through in the futile and somewhat hopeless situations that the crew of the Calypso find themselves in.

    David Wellington author of Paradise-1

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2023 52:58


    If a book is horror sci-fi, I will pretty much buy it no questions asked. If a book is horror sci-fi set in space, I'll likely enjoy it. If a book is horror sci-fi set in space and is written by David Wellington, well shit, I'm gonna need to talk about it to everyone I know because the love I have for the book cannot be contained!

    paradise david wellington
    Seth Ring author of Nova Terra LitRPG Series

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2023 52:42


    I was late to the game on Nova Terra but I am all in now. Seth talks about how he got started on Nova Terra and shares some interesting tidbits about self-publishing.

    Shannon Chakraborty author of The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2023 43:14


    Chakraborty has written one of my favorite pirate novels. Amina is a fresh look at pirate life because she is retired. I cannot stress how fun this book was.

    adventures chakraborty sirafi shannon chakraborty
    Rachel Gillig author of One Dark Window

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 27, 2022 48:42


    I was on a gothic literature bent and found One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig. This novel was fantastic. I love the romance, the magic system, and the mystery that is hidden at the heart of the book.

    RA Salvatore author of the Drizzt books

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2022 32:34


    I was so excited to get to talk to RA Salvatore. I've been a fan of his for a long time now and never expected to get the chance to interact with him. Anyway, he was great to talk to and had some interesting views on the changes in the publishing industry.

    Cale Plamann author of Tower of Somnus LitRPG series

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2022 34:55


    There are some spoilers for the series in this podcast. I had some questions for Cale and I was on book two at the time of recording the episode.

    Charles s. Cockell astrobiologist and author of Taxi From Another Planet

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2022 38:05


    Cockell talks about his work as an astrobiologist and his conversations with taxi cab drivers about the topic. This book is entertaining and informative.

    Neil Hellegers narrator of The Good Guys LitRPG

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2022 52:56


    Hellegers is the real deal kind of actor. He talks about how getting his degree in acting helps his career as a narrator and why it is so important to support other people in the narration field.

    Valerie Valdes author of Fault Tolerance

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2022 50:41


    Valdes talks about her sci-fi series that ends with Fault Tolerance. Additionally, she talks about including Cuban-Spanish without translations in the books!

    Dr. Erin Kimmerle Anthropologist and Author of We Carry Their Bones

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2022 32:45


    Dr. Kimmerle talks about forensic anthropology and the ethics behind digging for human remains.

    Benjamin Kerei author of Oh, Great! I Was Reincarnated as a Farmer

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2022 51:47


    Kerei talks about LitRPG and naming his books the longest thing he can think of.

    Nathaniel "Nat20" Webb editor of Wyngraf A Cozy Fantasy Magazine

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2022 25:27


    Nat20 talks about starting Wyngraf and how cozy fantasy has grown over the pandemic.

    Christopher Johns author of The Hijinks Hightable LitRPG series

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2022 60:26


    Johns talks about how his time in the Marines impacted (or jumpstarted) his writing career. Additionally, he talks about the influence of different cultures in deciding the racial features of the characters.

    Johnathan Smidt author of Dungeon Core Online LitRPG

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2022 40:24


    Smidt talks about LitRPG and Dungeon Core.

    Andrea Parsneau Narrator of The Wandering Inn

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2022 53:38


    Parsneau talks about narrating the Wandering Inn and an embarrassing moment with her mother as her editor.

    JR Mathews author of Jake's Magical Market a LitRPG novel

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2022 30:28


    Mathews talks about how he got started writing and the structure of the book. Not to mention the lack of market in Jake's Magical Market.

    Eric Ugland author of The Good Guys LitRPG books

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2022 34:59


    This is an old episode from 2020.

    Cale Plamann author of the Blessed Time series

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2022 40:09


    Cale was wonderful and fun. Enjoy the interview.

    Jeff Hays narrator and founder of Soundbooth Theater

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2022 64:01


    We talked about how Jeff got started narrating, Soundbooth Theater, working with Matt Dinniman on Dungeon Crawler Carl, what comes next, and Soundbooth's Deep Dives! Check out Soundbooththeater.com for more on what Jeff is up to, and join the GameLit Society on Facebook (or Twitter) to follow what is happening and find out what books are coming out!

    Matt Dinniman author of Dungeon Crawler Carl

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 29, 2022 38:55


    Matt Dinniman is the author of a few series, but Dungeon Crawler Carl is by and far the most popular. So, popular in fact that dozens of people sent Audible pictures of feet when his book wasn't released in a timely manner. Go to the GameLit Society on Facebook (or Twitter) to see what is happening in the GameLit world and interact with authors and other readers!

    Nick Podehl narrator of LitRPG and Progression Fantasy

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2022 40:47


    Nick Podehl is a narrator of primarily fantasy and LitRPG. That does not mean that is what he is limited to though. He voices entire casts of books on the regular and makes it look easy! His audiobooks include but are not limited to: The Land by Aleron Kong Name of the Wind and Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfus Awakened by C.M. Carney and you can find many, many, more on his website: https://www.nickpodehl.com/

    Beebe Bahrami author of Cafe Neandertal

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2022 32:42


    Beebe Bahrami is the author of The Spiritual Traveler Spain and Historic Walking Guides Madrid. Her work has appeared in Archaeology, Wine Enthusiast, Bark, The Pennsylvania Gazette, National Geographic Books, and Michelin Green Guides, among other publications. She has written two travel apps, The Esoteric Camino France and Spain and Madrid Walks, and maintains two blogs, Café Oc, on life in the Dordogne, and The Pilgrim's Way Café, dedicated to exploring the world on foot. beebebahrami.weebly.com.

    M. R. Carey author of The Trials of Koli

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2022 33:36


    M. R. Carey is a writer who is equally at home in a wide range of media. His previous novel The Girl With All the Gifts was a word-of-mouth-bestseller and is soon to be a major motion picture based on his own screenplay. Under the name Mike Carey he has written for both DC and Marvel, including critically acclaimed runs on X-Men and Fantastic Four, Marvel's flagship superhero titles. His creator-owned books regularly appear in the New York Times graphic fiction bestseller list. He also has several previous novels, two radio plays and a number of TV and movie screenplays to his credit. Where to buy: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/m-r-carey/the-book-of-koli/9780316477475/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07W54MPDZ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2 **I highly suggest getting the audio version if you are at all into audiobooks. It really adds a lot to the way the story is told!

    Dakota Krout LitRPG author and founder of Mountaindale Press

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2022 38:03


    Dakota Krout is the author of many LitRPG books, including The Completionist Chronicles. With familiarity in programming and playing games, he decided to start writing books because he was interested in creating worlds that force the main character to develop. In his stories, characters undergo serious moral dilemmas and become stronger through training and experience. This is coincidentally how he has structured his life as a professional writer as well. Dakota found self-publishing to be the route for him and has since grown as a writer and entertained thousands with his wonderful stories, as well as the stories he helps publish through Mountaindale Press.

    Charlie J. Eskew author of Tales of the Astonishing Black Spark

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2022 23:48


    Charlie J. Eskew is a writer from Columbus, Ohio. He is a professional comic book shop lurker and tenured Black dude in America. Please satisfy your unnatural obsession with him via Twitter @CJEskew or his website, www.askeweskew.com. Trapped in a dead-end job in his Ohio hometown, watching the girl of his dreams move on to a glamorous new life in a big city--Donald McDougal's aimlessness has held him back for a long time. When a lightning strike grants him superhuman powers, he jumps at his chance to finally be somebody. But the new abilities and the pursuit of superheroic fame come with a price tag, and it may not be one he can afford. This wry debut is at once a fanboy's homage to the history of superhero storytelling in America and a keen-eyed satire of those same stories, raising questions about race and privilege that are becoming impossible to ignore. Where to buy: https://lanternfishpress.com/shop/tales-of-the-astonishing-black-spark https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Astonishing-Black-Spark-Charlie/dp/1941360165

    Kacen Callender author of Queen of the Conquered

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2022 28:10


    Born and raised in St. Thomas of the US Virgin Islands, Kacen Callender is a bestselling and award-winning author of the middle-grade novels Hurricane Child and King and the Dragonflies, the young-adult novels This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story and Felix Ever After, and the adult novel Queen of the Conquered and its forthcoming sequel King of the Rising. They enjoy playing RPG video games in their free time. Kacen currently resides in Philadelphia, PA. Queen of the Conquered synopsis: An ambitious young woman with the power to control minds seeks vengeance against the royals who murdered her family, in a Caribbean-inspired fantasy world embattled by colonial oppression. Sigourney Rose is the only surviving daughter of a noble lineage on the islands of Hans Lollik. When she was a child, her family was murdered by the islands' colonizers, who have massacred and enslaved generations of her people—and now, Sigourney is ready to exact her revenge. When the childless king of the islands declares that he will choose his successor from amongst eligible noble families, Sigourney uses her ability to read and control minds to manipulate her way onto the royal island and into the ranks of the ruling colonizers. But when she arrives, prepared to fight for control of all the islands, Sigourney finds herself the target of a dangerous, unknown magic. Someone is killing off the ruling families to clear a path to the throne. As the bodies pile up and all eyes regard her with suspicion, Sigourney must find allies among her prey and the murderer among her peers... lest she become the next victim.

    Peng Shepherd

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2022 29:10


    Peng Shepherd is the author of The Cartographers, a novel from Nell Young's point of view. This novel is unique because there is so much love and of course, the hidden settlements in maps. Nell ends up on a journey to find out what happened to her father that she hadn't spoken to in 7 years. Along this journey, she finds out what happened to her mother and gets pulled into the same mystery that consumed her parents' lives. I highly suggest the book. It was magical and real and I just haven't seen this much love of other people or in a craft in a long time!

    Eric Ugland author of The Good Guys/The Bad Guys LitRPG books

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2022 34:59


    Eric Ugland is the author of The Good Guys series which follows a Michigander named Montana in the world of Valdrani. If you like massively overpowered main characters who still manage to fuck up, this is your series. If you are looking for something a little more subtle, check out The Bad Guys (which I have now read all of and am eagerly awaiting the next book). Go to the GameLit Society on Facebook (or Twitter) to see what is happening in the GameLit world and interact with authors and other readers!

    Travis Baldree narrator and author of Legends and Lattes

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2022 40:51


    If you listen to Game Lit or LitRPG you've probably heard his voice. But have you read his book? Or listened to him read his book? Legends and Lattes is a fantastic book about friendships, belonging, the quiet life, and coffee. I really highly suggest this book to anyone who has wanted to know what happens when the adventure stops and to people who have had a large change in their life and need to find their way again. Go to the GameLit Society on Facebook (or Twitter) to see what is happening in the GameLit world and interact with authors and other readers!

    S.A. Barnes author of Dead Silence

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2022 33:06


    Dead Silence is a great Sci-Fi Horror, you can find more about what I think in my blog post at UpperPen.com. S.A. Barnes, otherwise known as Stacey Kade, is possibly my new best sci-fi friend. She loves Aliens, Ghost Ship, and is the perfect amount of nerdy! Get Dead Silence if you haven't yet! It does not disappoint.

    Ryan Rimmel author of Noobtown

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2022 30:09


    This video was recorded in December of 2020. We talked about how he got started writing Noobtown, Jim as an older character, and Ryan's publishing woes for the first book. I love this series and hope you enjoy this interview even though it is older. Also, the Facebook groups he is mentioning are LitRPG and Game Lit Society. I am more active on Game Lit Society and that is mainly because it has a bunch of authors I enjoy as active members of the group.

    Jessie Mihalik

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2022 28:48


    Jessie Mihalik has a degree in Computer Science and a love of all things geeky. A software engineer by trade, Jessie now writes full time from her home in Texas. When she's not writing, she can be found playing co-op video games with her husband, trying out new board games, or reading books pulled from her overflowing bookshelves. We spoke about her book Hunt the Stars, the first in the Starlight's Shadow Trilogy.

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